Losing Copper, Kellie Podsednik [best story books to read .TXT] 📗

Losing Copper

 

 

Vanished. Like a vapor of morning dew.

"I.. I don't understand. There's nothing special, or even alluring, for that matter, about that particular piece of jewelry!"

Joanna scowled, bitting the insides of her cheeks with a gentle passion. She peered helplessly into Michael's eyes,

"I just don't get it. Michael, tell me why someone would do this."

"I don't know." He paused, gentling holding her forearms with concern. "Look, Joanna. I'll go out and ask around to see if anyone spotted a stranger in town. That looks like the best place to start."

Michael took her head in his hands and kissed her gingerly on the forehead, then, with two sweeping strides, he slipped out the front door.

Joanna watched the front door shift with a squeek as it thudded back over the threshold and clicked into place. Why would anyone take her ring? An old, copper piece of jewelry not even the crows would find enticing. Hadn't ever found enticing. Joanna couldn't help but melt at Michael caring efforts, but still she knew there had to be a better way, a faster way, to find the theif.

As she paced the floor, stiring the dust and leaves up into the air's cradling rock, she noticed a particular leaf, one she'd only seen once before as a little girl, in the Woods of the West. It was an odd shape, with two stems and three extentions of its woven, waxen like paper body. And when she picked it up, it gave a little chirp, the two stems kicking to life as its arms and head danced about, reaching all around for something to grasp onto; And a mother it did find, as soon as its delicate fingers graspered hers, it peered up into Joanna's eyes with utter delight, squealing just above a whisper. It clung to her hand, wondering at Joanna's face.

"Hello, little one," Joanna said with a kind smile. "How did you get here?"

The leaf child giggled and started to chirp, as if telling a very funny story, but mid way through, it paused and it's precious little face darkened as if it were already autumn. With the most incredible amount of effort, it said,

"I am Roo."

"Hello, Roo. How did you get here?"

The little leaf took another couple of breaths, and then said,

"Ugly in the rock."

"'Ugly in the rock'?" Joanna repeated.

Roo shook her head.

"Is he an ugly beast? Do you know where he came from?"

Roo nodded vigorously in approved disgust, saying,

"Rocks of West Woods."

"Why was he here?"

Roo scrambled into Joanna's hand, making hand signals towards the chest in the far corner of the room. Roo held one hand up and made a motion as if putting on a ring, then she made the most horrible face she could muster and pretended to walk away, accidentally stepping off Joanna's hand in the process. Joanna scooped the darling child up, finding the face of little Roo red as a beet.

"It's okay," Joanna assured her. "I understand."

Roo smiled, her chest heaving up in relief.

"Now," Joanna continued. "Can you lead me back to this Ugly int he rocks of the West Wood?"

Roo seemed to glow with joy, bounding to the floor and slipping through the crack under the front door. Joanna followed after the little creature, surprised at the speed at which Roo could run. Yet it became apparent to Joanna that the wind seemed to carry the little leaf as if it were Roo's steed, and to think of it, the wind seemed to carry Joanna along as well, making it ten times easier to run.

Finally, Roo stopped at the outskirts of the West Wood, her frail frame shaking in the wind with pure delight. She pointed into the woods, and a little to the left. Just beyond the tree line, Joanna could see a mountain of rocks piled haphazardly in the woods, encompassing trees and undergrowth alike. A cave borrowing deep into the ground, she guessed. Whatever ugly beast lived in there had brought the rocks to keep other animals and people from trying to dig into its home without permission... maybe.

Roo nudged Joanna's ankle.

"He's in there, with my ring." Joanna gulped. He, it, whatever, had to be very strong.. she needed Michael.

Roo clammered up and perched on Joanna's shoulder, saying in a delicate voice,

"Find Michael..?"

"Yes, I need to find him, but.."

"I find Michael," Roo repeated.

Joanna's heart melted. What a darling creature! A treasure for sure.

"Thank you, Roo. Thank you, you marvolous little child," she said, glowing with mother like pride.

"You wait. Not go in. Scary," Roo clucked, wagging her little finger in Joanna's face. She then jumped into the wind's arms, dancing back towards the town in search of Michael.

But Joanna did not wait. The moment the leaf child was out of sight, she tip-toed into the woods. It took her a while, but she soon found a sturdy staff of wood, standing about six feet in height and boasting a solid frame. It would serve her well if need be.

Joanna approached the rock hill, peering inside the darkness, half hoping there would be some kind of light inside. Nope. Now what. She listened for several minutes. Maybe the creature would stir and do something or go out to steal someone else's treasures...

Then, in one unbelievable moment, she saw her ring, her ring, clatter across the cave floor and roll out onto the mossy ground outside.

Joanna lept towards it, abandoning her staff.

"You don't think you're going to take that now, do you?"

Joanna felt as is a lightning bolt had struck her in the heart, the pounding of her mind invading every muscle of her body. She looked up. It was a massive creature, an Ogre, by the looks of it, with fists full of metal rings. Braclets circled all up and down his arms. He had a toothy grin, a balding head, and a most horrid unibrow trailing across his forehead.

"What do you, puny little flesh child, think it's doing with my treasure?"

A rage not before felt welled up inside Joanna, like an intense fire ready to be shot straight into the heat of her accuser. That ring had been a gift bestowed upon her by her elderly grandmother of ninty four years of age. Ninty four! He had no right to it. None at all.

Joanna took a step back, clutching the ring with fierce fear and boldness, but in that instance, the Ogre swept forward with such speed and agility that it caught her off guard and he had her head in the clutches of his two fingers.

"Where do you think you're going with my treasure, flesh child?"

"I.." Joanna stopped. She couldn't defy him, or else he'd break her neck, eat her bones, and go on living his ugly life till some other nasty creature came and ate him. Reason? No... maybe if she could humor him..

"It's a dumb one... hmm, never had one of those before.." he rumbled.

But just as he was about to twist his fingers and cut off the lovely maiden from life, Joanna shouted out,

"I could get your more treasures!"

The Ogre paused, his attention captured,

"More treasures?"

"Yes, so much you couldn't even count it all."

The Ogre scowled,

"I could count them all. I count all my treasures every night."

"Yes, yes, but I could find you more to count, so much you wouldn't have to leave your home for a very long time," she assured him, trying her best not to squirm between his massive, stinking fingers.

"A very long time... that much treasures?"

"So many even a dragon would envy you."

"Even a dragon..." The Ogre's eyes shifted slightly upwards, his tiny brain beginning to image what that could even mean. "It would fill my cave?"

"Not only fill this cave, but the entire forest!" Joanna exclaimed, aware that he had removed his fingers several feet from her face. The staff was only a couple feet away.. if she was slow, she might be able to get to it. She started to inch her way towards it...

"Bring it to me now," the Ogre demanded with a small hint of glee. He rose to his full height and lifted his arms to the sky, "I want it all!"

Joanna lunged towards the staff, snatching it and ducking beneath his massive legs. A quick knock in the throat and a jab at the eyes brought the beast to his knees, howling in agony; the sound was worse than a thousand vultures dinning on living flesh.

"I'm sorry, my dimwitted friend, but I don't want you coming anywhere near me or my town again," Joanna snapped. And before he had time to think of what was coming next, she'd scrambled ontop of the rock pile, shrugging a giant rock off the ledge. It was a quick fall, and much to heavy for the Ogre to catch.

Thud! Eriee silence echoed through the woods. Blood and stinking Ogre flesh covered the ground below, like the grave of a thousand devils trying to melt away into the earth and disappear for the night.

Joanna looked down at the ring in her hand. All this over an heirloom.

The wind tickled Joanna's ear, a soft whisper ringing out,

"Joanna...!"

Roo stared in shocked awe and disgust at the rotting creature below. She looked back at Joanna, then the Ogre, then Joanna again, and with a gentle kiss, she embraces Joanna's taut chin in a loving embrace.

"Joanna! Joanna! Joa.. Oh..." Michael stopped short, his horse snorting in protest of the rough halt. It was a strange sight to behold, strange and oddly unlikly. "You killed.. this, thing..?" he said in complete awe. "You killed it. By yourself?"

Joanna beamed, leapting down the rock hill and skidding down to Michael.

"I found it! I found my grandmother's ring!"

"I see that..." Michael looked around in bewilderment. "All by yourself? That thing could've killed you!"

"But it didn't." "Yes, but the risk--"

"Michael, as a friend, I am touched by your concern, but as a woman, I am insulted at your--"

Michael jumped off his stead, grabbing her by the shoulders,

"Are you okay?"

Joanna smiled,

"Yes, I'm perfectly okay. Never been better, actually."

Then, to her astonishment, Michael gave her a heartwarming embrace, as if he'd almost lost her forever, his arms encircling her body like a silent kiss.

"Don't ever run off and do something stupid like that again, you hear me?" he scowled. "You, you have no idea how much that little leaf creature thing scared me, then saying your name in that high pitched, frightened squeel? Joanna, Joanna! I thought you'd been killed!"

Joanna pulled herself free of his rigorous grasp. She grinned.

"I'm a woman. Who do you think could kill me?"

Michael rolled his eyes, snorting defiantly,

"Joanna..."

"Hey, I get it, you were worried. I thank you for troubling yourself on my behalf. Really, it means a lot, but it wasn't necessary."

Michael opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, the intensity of her stare silencing his words.

"I... I..."

"Yes...?" she probed.

"I'm sorry. I just, I just... I'm sorry."

Michael looked at Joanna in the strangest way. Nah, that was her imagining things.

"Come on," she said, swinging up into the horse's saddle and offering Michael her hand. "We have a party to go to."

Michael heaved a heavy sigh, forcing a smile onto his face as Roo scampered up and perched on his shoulder, a beautiful smile dancing through her body. Michael shook his head, a resigned and happy smirk playing in his eyes,

"A party. Ya, let's go to a party."