Just a little bit further
“Just a little bit farther” she said to me “it is just ahead.
We had been walking for about fifteen minutes. I had no problem with that, but she seemed to feel the need to reassure me. It was cute in a way, but completely unnecessary. The truck was about a mile and a half back, parked at the edge of the Thompson’s field.
This has always been one of my favorite areas to explore, and she knew it. I love the way the fields and the woods interact. The small fuzzy margins where it isn’t field and not quite woods just felt right to me.
I hadn’t seen Kristi for months. Then she shows up on my step this morning looking nervous, excited, and very beautiful. “Hi Cal, I know it’s early, and we haven’t talked in months, but I need some help and you are the only person I can trust” I have always had a soft spot for a damsel in distress, and it didn’t hurt that she was just about a ten in my book, petite, slim, blond pixy cut hair, and a face that was angular without being severe. And her voice, sexy and sweet at the same time…God she does it for me!
Before she started talking I knew I knew I would do whatever she asked of me, I always had. And I don’t regret it! I have had people ask me before why I let her do what she does to me, and my answer has always been “it was worth it”.
“I’ve missed you, and I…” she starts to say then stops herself abruptly. “There isn’t much time, will you help me?” she asks after a heavy pause.
“Of course, I’ll help you Kristi. You know that I will always be here for you”
“I found something at the Johnson’s place that I need to show you”
“Ok, let’s go. What did you find?” I shot over my shoulder as I went to the kitchen to get the keys to the truck.
“You will have to trust me; I don’t have the words to describe it.” As I came back into the room she smiled nervously and continued, “You’ll see when we get there”. With that she put her arms around me and laid her head on my chest. “I knew I could count on you Cal, only you.”
Those words felt so good. I had been waiting months for them. She broke the embrace and walked to the truck and got in. That was how things went with us, always straight to it.
“Just ahead” she says her voice strained as she climbs over a fallen tree. “Do you see how it looks like the trees form a cave?” just ahead it did look sort of like a wooded cave, the trees and grass formed a cavity about ten feet across that narrowed the further back it went.
“Yeah I see”
“That is where it is, towards the back. Go see and tell me what you think” she sounded very excited, but her face looked worried.
So I walked forward, down the small incline. At first the branches were well above my head but about twenty feet into the trees they started to get uncomfortably close. A few feet further the strangest feeling overcame me. It felt like I was walking through vertigo filled glue. I tried to turn around and cry for help when the world fell out from beneath me.
The last thing I remember is seeing Kristi through the field grass that was somehow growing up around my head. She was smiling, and it was the coldest thing I have ever seen.
“I knew I could count on you Cal, she said as the world went dark, “I knew”.
Chris McQueeney 3/11/12 9:07 PM
The above story was inspired by a prompt from Tess at The Mag
The above story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual people or places is purely coincidental. So don’t think this had anything to do with you…you paranoid freek!
