Louie explained to Siobhán how he had found her at the river’s edge and at first had been sure she had been dead…in fact he had been certain of it.  How he had brought her here to his home and had his aunties come and wash her body, and then cleanse her ceremonially with the smoke of sweet grass and sage…along with her room and the whole rest of the house – just to be sure.  The clothes she was wearing now were from his cousin Sylvie…who had not parted with them easily. Her clothes had been burned along with some food to keep any bad stuff away, and calm the ancestors of his lineage.

Finally, he told her that she had been asleep for three nights without so much as stir or peep, and then tonight all hell seemed to break loose.  She had been screaming, pleading almost crying, for someone named Ana…begging to be with her and seeking forgiveness…then anger.  When he came in the room he found her thrashing about and convulsing, afraid she might hurt herself and the moment he sat on the side of the bed and reached out to calm her…she woke up.

Siobhán moved from the corner she had been curled up to the side of the bed as Louie spoke – he hardly moved in response which helped calm her even more.  Her body ached and felt stiff.  Her hunger was so intense that she could feel her body vibrate with each moved limb and twitch of every muscle fiber.  She was finding it hard to process everything, her head hurt and she was so thirsty her teeth felt like sand paper against her tongue.

Still her mind raced and she darted from each corner of the depths of her slowly returning memories trying to connect all the dots and bring some shape to what she had been through.  There were massive gaps though…nothing.  She was starting to have flashbacks of her escape from Ben through the forests, gun shots…even bullets passing through her body, and she unconsciously touched her body where the wounds should be, but there were none and she was relieved.

Ben…she thought he will be looking for me.

“Ana is my sister” Siobhán revealed.

“I figured as much” Louie said. “What’s your name?”

“Siobhán…” she answered. “How many people know I am here?”

“I suspect by now” he chuckled, “…everyone in the village.”

Siobhán winced.

“Why?” He asked a little confused by her reaction to this news. “Is there someone I can call to let them know you are okay? I am sure someone is out there looking for you.”

“Yes…of that you can be sure.”

She tried to stand and then though better of it.

“You need some food…and water” Louie offered, stood and then moved toward the door stopping inside the open frame.  “You are not telling me something Siobhán, and in not telling me you are putting me and my people at risk…of this I am sure.  The old woman who came here…my aunties who looked after you, are very powerful medicine women…tell me that you are very dangerous…because you too are a very powerful medicine women.”

He paused and looked directly at Siobhán for the first time.

Siobhán offered a faint smile.

“If I told you the truth you wouldn’t believe me.”

“We’ll see…” he said leaving the room.

*********************
Lawrence Lewis

About Lawrence Lewis

I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂