And The Heavens Fell Silent, Maria Louise [children's books read aloud txt] 📗

Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?”- Proverbs 20:9

I ran. Fast. Flying!

     Running from my monster that was invoked by Phoenix. Maybe that is what I had to do to flee from my demon. Run from Phoenix. My whole insanity and multiple personality, all started when he came into the picture...no, that would be stupidity to blame my own demon on someone else, but still...

     Why had my flesh felt as though it was melting of my body, when he touched me as we road Hosanna? That night when we were together it was anything but pain, though I’m not willing to give in, to...surrender like that again. I felt exposed and raw, and I’m afraid that I liked it.

     Sweat soaked my skin and dust clung to me, dripping down my face in muddy drops and burning my eyes. I kept them closed. I did not need to see where Hosanna was leading me as long as it was away.

     Fight it. Fight it! I demanded of myself. Fight the red haze that clouded my vision and consumed my mind, but all I could think about was racing back to Phoenix, wrapping my hands around his throat and squeezing until-

     Fight it!

     I began to feel the trickle of tears streak down the dirt on my face along with my sweat.

    Lord, I thought my demon was gone?

     I buried my face in Hosannas sweaty neck and laid my body across his. I was soothed by the rhythmic motion of Hosannas galup as my hips rolled with him.

     It could have been mere hours or days that we ran, but finally, the anger burned out inside of me, leaving shame and regret in its wake.

     We were surrounded on all sides by great canyon walls, so tall they blurred with the heavens. Sage bush so overpowering I did not know how Hosanna had found his way through it. We were lost in a ocean of strong smelling sage and red sand. Which direction did I come? Where was Phoenix and Whiskey? Oh God, I left them in the desert without a ride! I hope they find me, because I cannot find them when I don't even know where I am.

     “Woah, boy.” I said to Hosanna leaning backwards to motion him to stop. Hosanna obeyed thankfully. His sides were heaving with each breath and he was slathered in foamy sweat.

     I slipped off of him and my legs collapsed beneath me. I looked down at my thighs seeing that they were rubbed raw and oozing clear fluid, some white hair stuck in my flesh. Hosanna mekly lowered his neck to help me up. He was in much worse state than I.

     “Oh, my poor boy, what have I done?.. God, oh God.”

     Hosanna was now shaking. Without water and me running him so hard for God knows how long, things could easily end badly.

      A shudder passed through Hosanna and he collapsed to the ground, his head laying across my feet. His eyes rolled up at me in fear, wanting my comfort.

     I fell to the ground. Ignoring the salted dirt that ground its way into my thighs, I held Hosannas head in my lap and stroked the flat plane of his head all the way to his velvet muzzle.

     Water. I realized. He needs water. But where in this desert, was I going to find any?

     “Once again, Hosanna, here we are. Without water, without food and without an inkling of an idea where the hell we are.”

     But I wasn't one to just give up. No, for some reason I treasured my life too much for that. And I especially treasured Hosannas. Giving up was not an option.

     Gritting my teeth I slid out from under Hosanna and went in search for the tallest tree in sight.

     It was easy to find it, there being only two trees in my line of vision.

     I silently pleaded a small prayer up to God, wanting him to give me any strength he had to spare. My legs shook, threatening to collapse beneath me again.

     “This is for you, Hosanna.” and with that I jumped up in the air and easily grabbed the trees stout lowest branch. I began to climb the crusty bark and scaled the tree. Fastly even. Faster than I had thought possible. The tree was tall but it seemed the more I climbed the better my stamina and soon I reached the bendy top that swayed with my weight. I had no fear, If God wanted me dead I think I’d be there already, or so I told myself.

     Looking around me I quickly became depressed. A never ending abyss of canyon walls and -Wait. What was that? I slight glimmer appeared in a small grove of shade along the wall of red stone. I rubbed my eyes with one hand. Maybe it was a trick of this heat? I blinked the blurr out of my eyes and gazed upon the shimmering ground again. But no, It was not ground but water! A small stream was snaking its way along the line of canyon wall. What were the odds of me finding not one but two springs of water in this flair dried land? It was rare enough to find a mere spring a settlement had taken over in someone's lifetime! But this was Impossible! Yet I managed to wander my way towards two of them. No, I realized abruptly, Hosanna had wandered his way towards both of them. Maybe he wasn't so much wondering as leading me here. That brought me much peace. I had a guardian angel after all.

     I denied my thirst and went to bring Hosanna to the water first, only It became apparent that he was much too exhausted to move. I thought about this, trying to come up with many different ways to transport water. The more likable options would all clearly end in failure. I sighed and stripped of what was left of my leather shorts.

  By the end of this trip I’m going to end up as buck nude as Phoenix!

Darkness had again drawn its vail over the land and I felt creeping feeling as though I was being watched.

     It had been a strangely cozzy day with Hosanna. After I tied each pant leg as tight as possible, and lugged over the sopping sack of water, Hosanna drank deeply and happily, then promptly demanded more. The hog! After we had our full share and I tried to clean my raw legs as best as I could, Hosanna and I lay curled on the ground with each other all that day, talking in the way horses and humans often do. Not saying anything but sharing everything.

     We were now sprawled on the ground looking up at the purple clouded sky with our bellies full to pregnancy with water. My pants were still sopping wet and discarded over some bush.

     I know I should have been terrified, it being dark and the hair amy arms and back of my neck on end, and I was partly, but I couldn't help but think, Why didn't I take the time to put on some more mature underwear? It was silly and girlish I knew, but the thought still lingered all the same.

      Hosannas heart began to quicken under his belly where I lay and a sinking feeling swallowed my gut.

       “Let’s sleep now, boy. Being afraid isn't going to help us out any, what's coming for us will come no matter if we're awake and grumpy or peaceful and sleeping.” My logic wasn't very sound, but I wasn't very sound minded either so I figured I might as well just go with it and get good nights sleep.

    Sometime late at night, I awoke to strange animal calls. There was owl, wolf, bear, horse, lion, calling birds, and many more, only they were off beat. The calls sounded more cryptic and wild. More corrupt.

     Hosanna stumbled to his feet, whining frantically. I too jumped to my feet as my heart startled into a flurry and adrenalin pounded in my veins. What was going on this time? What new trial would I now face?

     A slight red haze began to float over my vision. No,no,no,no! Not this again!

     I could almost feel my demons hackles raised beneath my skin, anticipating the danger to come. The animal calls were louder now and surrounding us. I spun in circles not wanting my back to be exposed, only there was nowhere to hide.

      I cried out back at the wild calls, the sound that came out of my mouth should have shocked and terrified me, but I was to crazed at the moment to feel anything. The sound was mixed with a woman's cry of anguish and a predators warning grawl. The intruders sounds stopped abruptly at that. I could almost feel their shocked buzzing somewhere unseen.

     Crackling of bushes behind me alerted my senses and a spun around and lunged.

     “Aw! Lemego! Damnit, it’s meh ya bonehead!”

     I was clutching at a mass of curly hair, Whiskey’s curly hair I noted. The abrupt realization that she was not a predator shocked me out of my red haze. I instantly dropped her.To my surprie she came up swinging and clocked me a good one on the side of the head.

     “Aw! Hey, watch yourself! I didn't mean to hurt you!” I shrieked dodging another one of her fists.

     She was beyond angry. Her nostrils flared and her eyebrows were slanted to low they covered her eyes.

     “Ya don't mess with a black woman's fro!” Whiskey spat.

    I put my palms up in the air. “I didn't know it was you! I swear! I’m sorry!”

    “Then who the hell’d ya think I was?!”

     “A-a monster? I don't know!”

     Whiskey patted her hair down and looked offended. “Well, I can't look perfect when I’m livin’ out in da bush like this! But I wouldn't say I look like a monster...”

    I grinned at her glad I was forgiven and limped forward throwing my arms around her in a bear hug. I felt her stiffen but I was just so glad she wasn't’dead!

    “It was just all those strange animal calls you were making that got me riled up.” I tried to explain.

     She gave me a strange look. “But weren't dose calls comin’ from ya? We dought ya were jus makin’ a racket so we cud’ find yo sorry ass..?”

     Uh,oh.

    Just then Phoenix bursts through the bushes.

     First I noticed his skirt and how it's missing some pieces, then I noticed how he wouldn't meet my eyes and locked his jaw stubbornly. That was fine by me, I could barely look him in the face for all my guilt.

     “You should put some pants on.” he said stiffly still not looking at me. “We have got company.”

     A barbaric wolf howl was called out, then shadowed shapes creeped from the bushes and surround us.

Thank you, Middle finger, for sticking up for me-Unknown

So, they turned