My Kidnapper Wears a Feather in His Hair

My Kidnapper Wear a Feather in His Hair

[( this is just something i have wanted to write for a while now but told myself i wouldnt because i have two others to work on but i couldnt keep it in any longer. PLEASE comment and tell me if i should continue with it before i spend too much time on it. if i dont get any comments ill just forget about this book. alright well enjoy and comment please!)]

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The sun, already high on its crest, beamed warmly down upon a small train of wagons, making their way west across the plains of Nebraska. Ella held onto the bench she was sitting on for dear life. The wagon jerked and bumped its way miserably across the dry, grassy fields. Ella knew she would be mighty sore as she would lie down on her pallet to sleep tonight. Three days of sitting in a wagon, smelling the horses and choking on the dust the wagons in front kicked up was most definitely not what she had been accustomed to. And she wasn’t sure she’d get used to the horrid dryness and unbearable heat the desolate plains had to offer.

What Ella really wanted was to stay back home in Virginia and continue teaching the children at the orphanage where she had grown up.

Ella covered her nose as they passed over yet another pile of rotting horse muck. One of her travelling companions did the same and winked at Ella. Ella smiled, having a small sort of reassurance that she was not alone.

“Alright, you can uncover you faces now. The horses gift has been given and gone.” The old man who held the reins huffed.

Ella slowly removed her hand from her face. Most times the old fellow has been wrong in his statement and Ella got a large and unwelcome breath of the foul air. Men must have a high tolerance for foul smells.

“He’s right lass. ‘Tis fine, fresh air we be breathing now.” The elderly woman had removed her hand and took a big wiff, closing her eyes and smiling.

Ella removed her hand, relieved. At least she could trust the womans declarations more than her husbands. Ella, relieved to be breathing fresh air again, sat back against the bench and took in the country.

The sea of wild green grass she had seen the previous days was now slowly becoming patched with dusty ground, and hills and cliffs could be seen in the distance. Sometimes when she woke up, she was surprised not to see the continuous stretch of open plains, instead of the evergreens and tall oak trees that had made much of the topography in Virginia. The sky was still the same though. Deep, bright blue with clouds freckled throughout it; it was the same sky that had hung above her head in the East.

“’Tis exciting to see so much sky, no?” The woman asked.

Ella just nodded.

“Reminds me of the fields of Ireland, don’t it Conor?” The woman looked at her husband. He smiled, something Ella had already found to be a rare sight, and took his wife’s hand.

“Aye Katie, it does.”

They trio sat in silence as the wagon continued to thud along.

“I bet your Pa is excited to see his pretty girl finally home.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.” Ella muttered under her breath.

Katie clucked. “Come now, all Ma’s and Pa’s love their children. They all have different ways of showing it. I’m sure that once he sees what a wonderful young lady you are he’ll soften to ya.”

“Maybe.” Ella wished Katie would drop the matter.

Katie gave Ella a smile that said You’ll understand some day, once you have children of your own.

Hopefully not, Ella thought. Ella never wanted to have children, or get married for that matter. She much preferred teaching children, especially orphans. Her heart stung when she saw a child being delivered to the orphanage. Her dream was to open her own orphanage for all children.

But getting married was something Ella dreaded most. So far she had lived her life making up her own rules. She was not afraid to be stubborn. In fact, it was a trait she valued most; she didn’t accept ‘no’ when she knew she was being cheated or something was unjust. She was a fighter, and had been since the day she was brought into this world. She had to be.

The train pushed on and on, until just before the sun started to hide behind the low hills.

“Circle up!” The command echoed through the train and soon the group of 22 wagons had been arranged in a tight circle, fires popping and dinners being prepeared. After the meal had been finished and cleaned up Katie gathered a group of women and children together and walked out of camp, down to the large creek.

The group waded into the water and began to scrub the dirt and sweat of themselves. Ella noticed and small band of bushes a little ways downstream and took her soap and towel there. She untied her dress and placed it on the bank, then waded into the water. The cool water was like a small piece of God’s Kingdom, and Ella plunged below it invitingly.

She stayed below the surface, giving her lungs some exercise, feeling the slow lull of the moving water. She resurfaced and began to scrub away the days grime. She made sure to wash well, since even finding the water to wash in was hard.

A rustle behind her made her senses prick. She turned around, yet saw nothing. She shrugged. A small jackrabbit must’ve been returning home for the day.

A woman from the group had began to sing a folk song back upstream. Ella knew it and started to hum along. Soon, though, she was singing along quietly as she enjoyed the cool water.

When the song was through, she closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her.

“Don’t stop.”

Ella’s eyes flew open and she whipped around to see who had spoken. There, crouching on the bank behind the bushes was the figure of a person. It was dark and the moon was behind the figure, only allowing Ella to see their silhouette. The shapes of their clothing was odd, and not something she recognized by any of the wagon travelers.

“Step out of the bushes.” Ella said slowly and quietly.

The figure moved steadily from behind the bushes, still crouching into the open.

Ella gasped and immediately sank below the water.

“Wait, please!” The voice was muffled from the water.

Ella confined herself to the shallow depths of the creek. Her lungs began to burn and her throat tightened. She clenched her eyes shut, willing herself to stay under. When she felt as if there was a fire inside her lungs she exploded to the top of the water.

She gasped for air as she rose above the surface. An Indian was staring right at her. His dark eyes shone into hers, searching her soul. His hair hung at his hips. He was shirtless, revealing broad shoulders and developed muscles. Ella felt slightly shy.

Ella expected him to attack her or even move, but he continued to crouch close to the ground, eyes focused directly on her.

A coyote called in the distance and he turned his head. He got up swiftly and ran into the dark, vast plains.

Ella had a small urge to call out to him, but she surpressed it. Instead, she quickly got out of the creek, dried, and dressed, and returned to camp.

“Ah, there ya are Miss Ella. Come on, let’s get back to camp. ‘Tis late and dark in these plains, and we are not welcome by many inhabitants. Can’t have ya being attacked by a coyote or an Indian now, can we?” Katie took Ella’s arm and led her back to camp. Some women laughed and children’s eyes sparkled at the thought of maybe seeing a wild native.

Ella stopped. Had Katie seen the Indian too?

Katie smiled and pulled Ella along. “Don’t be afraid lass, we be safe in camp. No Indian will want to bother you when there’s forty men with shotguns around.”

I wouldn’t be so sure, Ella thought.

[(thanks for reading! so, should i keep it or ditch it? this was just an experiment i guess to see if it would be interesting. comment below and let me know your opinion PLEASSE! it takes only 5 seconds, ok? just 5 seconds, cmon i know you have 5 seconds!!)]