Page 3 of my stories for ANA
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Lying there in the dark, Terra Sanders remembered her dog Shaman, seemed to know it was coming, even if it was ‘the night before’. He had nervously paced the floor for hours, running around crying, as if a ghost was after him. They say, dogs have great instincts and with a name like Shaman, I should’ve guessed what was going through his mind.
The walls and roof of her home came tumbling down on her. She needed to preserve her strength and called out for help occasionally, but no one came or heard, because she remained buried beneath it all. She tried not to breathe too deep because the thin, fuliginous air might be dangerous for her lungs.
Terra thought if I had only listened to him I wouldn’t be in this fix. She hoped her dog was still alive, if so he’d be trying to help her. At least, believing this kept her hopes alive. It was difficult not to panic as her mind kept asking how long have I been here?
She listened to the creaking of the wood around her, alarm engulfing her every moment. Could the house move even more and crush her in her tiny prison? Then she heard it, a dog barking in the distance.
"Shaman," she screamed at the top of her voice.
There was nothing but silence.
"Shaman," she cried out again. "Is that you baby? Mama’s here! I need your help!"
It remained deathly quiet all around her; she could not even hear the creaking of the house now.
Small sobs came from deep within her throat and tears slowly flowed from her eyes. Trying to calm her fears, she spoke to herself.
"That was Shaman! He knows I’m here and he will get help. He has to!" However, in a space so small she couldn’t even move her arms. Her thoughts and encouragement weren’t helping much.
"Damn! Damn! Damn!" She whispered, trying to wiggle free.
She found herself firmly pinned to the bed was sleeping in when the rumbling shook her awake. By the time her eyes focused, it was too late. The earthquake had taken her house. She pulled and jerked her body, but it wouldn’t move not even one quarter of an inch. The beams and roof supports had fallen in imprisoning her.
"I have to keep my head. They’ll find me. They just have to. I can’t die like this at twenty-two years of age. I’ve got my whole life ahead of me," she tried to be brave.
"If..." she paused. No... when I get out of here I’m moving back to Texas. We may have tornadoes, but at least there are warnings. Why in God’s name did I move to California in the first place? The money might have been better, but the cost of living is higher. It serves me right for chasing the almighty dollar."
She gritted her teeth, squinted her eyes, and screamed once more.
"H E L P, Someone please help me!"
No one answered.
"Oh please, God, let them hear me. I’m buried alive in here. Can’t anyone hear me?"
Her mind drifted into another place.
"You dumb blonde. This was a terrible mistake." She muttered, "Yeah! Earthquakes didn’t scare me, because I’d never experienced one. Since I’ve been here, I’ve suffered nothing but nightmares. Mudslides, electrical shortages with blackouts, not to mention the damn traffic,"
She snorted, "Los Angeles traffic is unreal. My whole dream adventure is unreal, almost surrealistic. Maybe I am dreaming! Hopefully, I’ll wake up in a few minutes."
The corners of her mouth crept up into a small smile. "Hey, that’s it! I’ll close my eyes and when I open them again, it will be a bad dream."
She thought at least that’s something to hold on to keep my sanity. Terra remained still now in the dusty ruins, trying to keep calm. Her breathing space seemed closing in on her more all the time. Exposure and shock began to set in as tears rolled down her dirty face like rivers of mud.
"Oh God! I need your help; please send me someone. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold on."
. . .
"That’s a pretty dog there, Frank, but he seems to be almost frantic. Maybe he has lost his home in this mess. Let’s see if we can find out where he belongs."
"Sorry, Joe! Don’t have time to follow a dog around. Take him home with you when we quit. I’m sure he would appreciate that. I have two dogs of my own, so I can’t do it." Frank dug into the debris looking for more survivors. "Give me a hand here. I think I hear something or someone moving beneath this."
Joe stepped up and together they pulled at a pile of wood that was once an A-frame house. Underneath it they found a mother cat and three live kittens. "I think this is all there is here." He stared at the dog again and said, "That dog is a golden retriever, you know. Sure wish we had a trained dog to help us. That’s what we really need"
Shaman’s ears perked up. He ran over and grabbed Joe’s pant legs and pulled at it. Joe was puzzled but decided to let the dog lead him. Maybe the dog knew something.
Shaman went to another section of the house, barked and began to dig. Frank and Joe followed him to the area and looked down. A small hand stuck out waving from beneath the debris where Shaman tried to move the boards.
"Look, that dog found someone and they’re still alive!"
Beneath the wood they discovered and removed a thirteen year old girl. She was bruised and bleeding but still breathing. Joe carried the little girl to an emergency vehicle and then returned to work.
Joe patted the dog on the head praising him, "Good dog!"
Joe had been at it the site of the destruction since 11PM Saturday night and now it was 8:30 PM Sunday. The light was fading and he felt near exhaustion. He knew he had to get some rest.
Replacement rescuers took Frank and Joe’s place. Joe grabbed Shaman by the collar and placed the dog in his van. The dog wasn’t happy about that and howled all the way to Joe’s house. When they stopped and the door opened Shaman jumped out and ran away. Joe’s was disappointed but too exhausted to go after him.
At daybreak, Joe returned to the disaster area where they‘d been working the night before. An hour later Shaman showed up again trying to get them to follow them. They let him show the way and sure enough, they found an old man half buried under another house in the house next door to the one where they saved the child.
"That is one hell of a good rescue dog, Joe," Frank said. "I thought you said he ran away."
"He did, but I guess he’s dedicated to helping." Joe grinned.
The dog went from one house to the next, seemingly knowing where the people could be found. He found them, even the dead ones. The rescuers learned to trust his instincts but from time to time he’d run off down the block. He always returned more upset and wanting them to follow.
Terra was giving up hope. There had been no sounds, not even creaking wood for hours. She thought, Maybe its only been a few hours not days? She wasn’t sure anymore, but it seemed an eternity. Her mind wandered to her mom and how much it would hurt her if her only daughter died here so far from home. My Dad’s a pillar of strength but he’ll take it hard too, she thought.
Occasionally she heard a dog barking, or was it her imagination? The sound would disappear as fast as it came. She tried hard to hang on, but her mouth dry and she felt her life seeping our of her. Tears wouldn’t even flow anymore; the moisture to make them was gone. She slept a time or two, but wasn’t sure if it was for a few minutes or hours. Time didn’t exist for her in this personal hell.
It was going on six PM Monday when Shaman decided he waited as long as he could. He grabbed Joe by the hand and tugged on him. Joe knew by this time to follow. They went to the next block and Shaman stood barking. He kept it up until Terra heard him and cried out weakly, "Shaman is that you?" Then fell back into an unconsciousness.
Shaman continued to bark and dig trying to get to her. Joe hollered for Frank’s help and together they discovered Terra beneath the rubble. Other rescuers came to help remove the beams covering her, she was buried so deep it. They brought in the "jaws of life" to remove the final portion of the beams that trapped her.
They had found her just in time.
Joe kept Shaman during her hospital stay and visited often. He told her, "That is one hell of a dog you have there!"
"I know! He is very special."
The authorities let her parents know how she was and where. Her father drove out to California to bring them back to Denton, Texas. They stopped by Joe’s place to pick up Shaman.
"Thanks for caring for Shaman for me, Joe. I do appreciate all you’ve done. If you ever come through Texas, come visit us."
As they drove off Joe thought, I’ll miss that fellow. Maybe I’ll buy myself a Golden Retriever of my own.
A block away, Shaman ran from one rescue worker to another trying to get their attention.
HER SECRET WORLD
Trena Baily’s heart skipped a beat as she watched her three adorable children
playing 'Sink the Ship' in the pool below her second story bedroom window.
She knew how lucky she was, servants, a loving husband who was generous
and never complained, even when he came home and found the whole house
redecorated.
Raising the window she leaned out, letting her long auburn hair blow in
the afternoon ocean breeze. "Tommy! She shouted. "You play fair."
Her giant green eyes sparkled as she pulled back from the window and wrapped
her arms around her own willowy body "I've been so lucky," she said to
the empty room. "This has been a wonderful life."
She remembered back to her life seventeen years ago and smiled, as the
thought of those wild carefree days. Life was simpler then. She loved Costa
Rico and her job. Days on the beach, laying on a blanket under the
swaying palms wearing only a brief bikini. They seemed so far away. Her
mind was working overtime as it flashed back question things that had happened
when she first met her husband, Tim Baily.
"What was that book I was reading back then?"she asked aloud, as she sat
down before her dressing table to brush her hair "Surely, it wasn't War
and Piece." She let out a little giggle at the idea and looked deep into
the mirror at her own brown eyes.
A big grin crossed her face as she remembered that first metting.
She was reading anovel of some kind when a man in a wet suit fell on her
out of the blue.
"Oh lady, I'm so sorry!" he apologized. "I was trying to get my diving
mask off and lost my balance. Are you all right?"
Trena laughed and replied"Other than being, half squashed; I guess so!"
"I'm glad you’re not hurt," he smiled a charming big grin back at her.
"I'd never forgive myself if you were amaged."
She squirmed a bit, "Well, if you don't move, I'm going to have a dead
leg in a minute."
He scrambled to get off her and stood there looking so helpless. She couldn't
help but feel sorry for him. But, that all seemed so long ago.
The phone beside cried out, 'Ring, ring'. It startled her so, she knocked
it off the top of the vanity and it hit the floor. She reached down, retrieved
it and said "Hello!"
'Burrrrrrrrrrr!' The other end of the line was open.
Her thoughts raced back to reality, her memories were gone.
It was beginning! She saw Nickoli in the grocery store that morning and
she was hoping he had not recognized her. He was older and so was she.
Maybe age had changed enough that he was not sure it was her. But she knew
he saw her, as he looked right into her eyes even though he did not speak.
She feared this would happen one day and now she wondered if the open phone
call had come from Nickoli . She bit her lip and a tear rolled down her
face.
"Oh God, what am I going to do if it is him?" she whispered. She knew running
was not an option. Her only hope was to ask for help from people she now
hated. "Maybe they'll listen! Otherwise my world and family will be gone."
She gritted her teeth and started to dial the phone when it rang again.
Hesitatingly, she answered again, "Hello!"
A voice from her past croaked across the line. "That is you, isn't
it Mariska? I though I recognized you." The slight Russian accent was still
there. "You are even more lovely as you have matured, my love. Where
have you been hiding so long? I've missed you and been looking for you,
my dear."
She started at the wireless phone in her hand as if it were a serpent,
then retorted," I'm not your love nor your dear; never was, never
will be and I have not missed you. Now, I know you want something.
What is it?"
"You haven't changed a bit, Trena." He chuckled. "Always in a hurry and
right the point. Tish, tish! You could have at least pretended to be polite.
Now, I have to be demanding and you will not like the consequences, if
you don't agree."
Trena took a deep breath and repeated,"What is it you want?"
Black Eyes
Maureen gradually opened her eye lids. They fluttered a bit as she tried to try to clear her sight and began to look around. It was an unfamiliar setting to her, but something about it rang a bell in her foggy brain. She blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision of the room around her.
Then she tried to sit up. Something was holding her down. Looking down, there were straps buckled across her body as far as she could see.
Suddenly, a door open on the left. Turning her head she tried to see who had entered. A figure in a surgical mask and gown approached her softly, quietly and her eyes widened as they came closer.
"Oh my God!" she cried out as she saw that the face behind the mask was green with huge black eyes.
"Quiet child!" the voice of the stranger said soothingly. It's hands came forward, covering Maureen's eyes with it's fingers and a calm came over her. She became relaxed, unafraid, as an anesthetic cup was slipped over her nose. Soon, she was drifting off into a gray oblivion.
A few hours later she awoke again, this time she appeared to be in her own bed. She sat up, looked around, expecting to see almost anything, but the room was as it had always been. What a relief, she thought.
There were no scary green being with large black eyes and the bedside light was still on. A glass of water she had brought into the bedroom before she retired, was still there. The TV lights flickered across the room as the station had gone off the air during the night. She lifted her arm, looked at her watch and realized it had only been three hours since she came to bed. She must have been dreaming.
She glanced over her shoulder at her husband Frank. He was sleeping soundly to her right side. He always slept soundly, his back to her. He was under the covers, snuggled up trying to keep warm, and snoring lightly.
Their little dog slept between their feet on the other end of the bed. Everything looked normal. She scratched her head. "Boy, I must have had a really strange nightmare." She whispered softly to herself, "Guess I need to quit watching those Sci-Fi movies at bedtime!"
She sat up alert, listening, trying to see what it was. Just outside the window was a glowing object, getting smaller as it rose into the distant, star studded, navy blue sky.
Her hand flew up to her mouth, as she gasped. "It was not a dream, it was real!"
A male voice behind her asked, "What's wrong, honey? What was real?"
She knew instinctively something was wrong as the voice was unfamiliar. She switched the light back on and faced her husband. The man lying beside her, smiled back at her with his strange green face and glowing big black eyes. She fainted.
When she awoke again she gradually opened her eye lids, fluttering them a bit and began to look around. It was an unfamiliar setting to her but something about it rang a bell in her foggy brain. She blinked them trying to clear her view. She tried to sit up but something was holding her down. Straps were buckled across her body. She was in an unfamiliar setting, but something about it was ... de ja vous! It rang a bell somewhere in her all to foggy brain.
It was not a dream, It was a nightmare! She was sure this had all happened before, again and again. She had to break this cycle, she was in a time warp of some kind.
Maybe, just maybe, if this time she didn't cry out, things would change. She gritted her teeth and kept silent. Someone shook her gently and her face perspired with fear but she opened her eyes again.
A uniformed police man stood over her shaking her gently. She could hear his voice somewhere in the distance asking. "Are you all right Miss?" he asked. "Do an ambulance?"
Her eyes began to focus on his face. "What happened?"
"Apparently, you swerved your car to keep from hitting a child on a bicycle and have an accident. I tried to check you out, you were really out for a while but and other then a couple of black eyes, you don't seem to have anything broken."
She stuttered, "Is ... the child ... all right?"
"Oh yes. She is just fine, miss!" The officer assured her. "But for a while we sure thought we had lost you.
"You did," she answered smiling. "But, Thank God, I'm finally back now."
Samantha Castleman, placed her hand on the Bible.
The bailiff asked, "Do ye swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help ye God?"
She answered, "I do."
The prosecutor stepped forward and spoke softly. "Would ye tell us, in yer own words, what ye remember about that October night, please Miss Castleman." "Ai, Twas All Hollows Eve, it was! Children were Trick or Treating in the neighborhoods, when it all happened."
The prosecutor walked slowly back and forth in front of the witness box. "Please explain to the jury, what it is yer talking about."
"I’m talking about the clock tower being knocked down. That’s what I’m talking about, yes indeed." She replied nervously, her hands shaking violently. "I’ve never seen anything like it in my life before. It couldn’t have happened if that - nasty brat," she pointed to the child, "hadn’t brought that - that thing."
"Ye pointed to Ryan Hawk. Is that the person you say is responsible for the loss of the clock tower incident?"
"It was him, Ryan Hawk. He’s the one!"
The small ten-year-old boy sat locked hand and foot in stocks.
"You’ll have to protect me from him; he’ll kill us all if you let him go. He’s a warlock; I know he is." She crossed herself and prayed aloud. "God help us."
"Let the court record show that she identified Ryan Hawk as the culprit. Your witness, defense!" The prosecutor stated and walked away from the witness box. The defense attorney approached the witness. "Tell me Miss Castleman, Did you see Ryan do anything, anything at all?"
"No, he just stood there watching." She stuttered, "But I know he did it. Its that witches machine he carries around with him. I heard he did all sorts of strange things with it. So it had to be him."
"What sort of things did you see him do with this so-called machine?"
She pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, then began to pat her face and forehead. "He makes pictures that move he does, talks to people that aren’t there. I tells you he be in league with devil. I saw it with me own eyes, that lizard and he calls up all sorts of demons with that thing."
"What did you ever see him conjure up before?"
She shook her head. "I never saw him do it! He is too slick to let us normal folk see him do it. But I know he does. Reverend Smithers said he can make the pictures come up, then makes them come to life, too."
"Then all you know is what you heard, Miss Castleman? Is that right?"
"The Reverend Smithers seen him do it, but he killed that poor holy man, so there be no witnesses."
"You may step down now, please, Mrs. Casstleman."
Properly chastized, she left the box with her head hanging down.
The defense attorney handed a paper to the bailiff. The bailiff next called out the name Jeremy Forbus. A young man came forward, the bailiff swore him in and he took his seat in the witness box.
"Master Forbus, do you know the defendant?"
"Yes sir, I do."
The defense advanced toward the box, staring right into the twelve-year-olds face. "Have you ever seen Ryan Hawk do anything that was dangerous?"
"No sir, I haven’t. But we been havin' fun playing with his machine and I’ve learned a lot of stuff from it." Jeremy grinned from ear to ear.
"Were you and Ryan near the clock tower when it was knocked down?"
"Yes sir we were." He quickly added," But Ryan and me didn’t do anything to make it fall. It was that giant lizard called Godzilla, that scared everyone. We didn’t do nothin!"
"So the giant lizard didn’t scare you, then."
The boy shook his head up and down. "No sir!. Everyone but us was running in all directions. But we weren’t scared of him."
"Why didn’t you and Ryan run from him too?" the defense attorney asked.
"Cause, we knew twasn’t real. " Jeremy laughed, "not real at all."
"How could that be, if everyone else saw him and was afraid of him?"
"Cause, Ryan just projected it on the clock tower. Ain’t that right Ryan?" He looked over at the other boy who was holding his head down. Ryan didn’t answer him. "It weren’t the lizard that tore the clock tower down. It was lightening." "You saw the lightening hit the tower then?"
The defense approached the judge. "I request that this whole trial be thrown out. This innocent child did nothing wrong. The lightening knocked the clock tower down and we have an eye witness."
The prosecutor was yelling objections, as the judge held his hand up for quiet. "I want to ask a question of Master Forbus before we go any further." The judge turned to the boy in the box. "You said that Ryan Hawk, projected a lizard on the clock tower. How is that possible?"
"Well, his machine can make pictures look real. He can do it, I’m not lying, your Majesty."
The judge continued, "Then if he can make pictures go on to the tower, could he have not caused lightening to hit the tower as well?"
There was no time for an answer, as all eyes turned on Ryan. He was slowly disappearing right before their eyes. The whole courtroom was turning into chaos as what they saw, was a small cockroach crawling across the floor where Ryan had sat. Women screamed and ran from the room. The judge beat his gavel, to no avail. Before anything could be done, the stocks had fallen to the floor and Ryan was totally gone. When they turned to look at Jeremy, he was gone as well. The judge and both attorneys scratched their heads in amazement.
"Sure it was funny to you, but I’m the one they put the stocks on. I’m glad we never told them who we were or that we assumed their forms. If they had known that, they might have smashed us or something. Those ancient humans of the 1700’s sure have a strange way of treating visitors from other places."
They decided to set their time machine for the year 4006 on the planet Mars.
"Maybe things will be less stressful there. But you have to admit we had a lot of fun, as long as they thought we were one of them."
The cockroach men from planet Qrellaxtzer both laughed, by rubbing their feet together.