Eclipse of Evil

ECLIPSE OF EVIL PART 9

CHAPTER IX

Tammy tenderly fingered the golden pendant, surpassing Cory’s gift.  The Indian woman’s gift was an inverted triangle centered with a large, onyx gem with striated layers of pink, brown, and yellow.

“Look at it closely,” muttered the mysterious, deep voice. “There is a picture within. Perhaps it may tell a lesson. Wait!”  She reached down, cupped her hands over the stone, and let it drop softly. It flashed on.  The diamonds surrounding the marquise-cut onyx sparkled.

Trembling, Tammy hoisted the stone and viewed its depth. Cold butterflies danced inside Cory who dared not look at the face so near his own. He gripped his chair seat.

“I...I see a foot! No, it’s a shoe! I see a girl’s red slipper. What does it mean, Falling Star?”

She stroked Tammy’s hair. “A secret you will experience soon.”

“You must thank Falling Star,” Hendrik rumbled firmly. Cory looked up and saw the parents at the table again. “The good woman does not make it her habit to give away gifts of this nature.”

“I realize that, Dad,” Tammy said, nettled.  She lifted her face to Falling Star. “How can I thank you?”

“Wear it often, but keep it hidden,” Falling Star replied.

The woman left as unexpectedly as she came. Brimming with emotion, Cory hardly participated in the party’s conclusion in which they talked much about gifts and never mentioned Falling Star. Tammy came out with Cory on the porch to see him leave.

“Who is that woman?” he asked.

“A friend,” Tammy answered sharply. “Who she is won’t mean anything to you anyway,” she added peevishly.

“Excuse me,” Cory said tightly, struck by Tammy’s sudden mood swing. “I was curious, naturally, since a strange woman shows up suddenly, gives you this great gift, and almost disappears. Now why should my natural curiosity upset you?”

“I’m sorry,” Tammy said quickly, lowering her eyes. “I have this thing about protecting her, even though she gets weird and makes me do nutty things I don’t like. Falling Star is a very good, gifted lady who loves privacy. People who abuse her privacy pay for it,” Tammy added
with profound authority. “The safest thing for you to do is to leave her alone.”

“All right. I’ll let it go,” Cory said, secretly intending to take advantage of every opportunity to discover what he could. Tammy thanked Cory for his gift and withdrew.

Cory sauntered back, still whirling with the experience of Falling Star’s proximity. So mysterious, so beautiful and poetical a name, he thought. Cory never dreamed of finding drama in the little mountain town, and he mentally reiterated recent pleasurable experiences. Millstone and the surrounding mountainside were replete with awesome beauty, quaint shops, and the profound presence of a mysterious and beautiful woman. It more than compensated for the beating he received from Felix.

A force compelled him toward a new, fascinating pursuit that could mean everything he ever wanted and loved. He longed to find real goodness. Private school and biographies taught him about mystical people and shining virtue, but it was the stuff of dreams found only in books. 

One star shines in backward Millstone! The thought elevated Cory. It also thrilled him to think that she knew something about him. Besides healing, God obviously endowed Falling Star with other supernatural gifts. No wonder Tammy and her people respected her!  Did Gertude Van Loon’s secret reference to a “her” that day in the parlor pertain to Falling Star? Did his aunt turn white because she witnessed a miracle?