Cord and Jessie jogged up the hill as Shining Moon watched them come closer. The two men had promised they would keep him abreast of the happenings down the hill. He doubted the problem had righted itself, although there was always hope and faith.
"Good to see you again, my friends." Shining Moon glanced from Jessie to Cord.
"Shining Moon, these things we are fighting until Mother comes to her senses, what can we do to make them go away?" Cord shifted from one foot to the other. His thumbs hooked in the waist of his trousers.
"If they are as Jessie has described them, there will have to be a ceremony to rid them from the home. It makes me believe they were planted by evil-hearted people to intentionally unnerve Sweet Sarah."
"They are without a doubt the most unnerving things I have ever come across. I don't know how she endured this kind of treatment." Jessie said.
"From the looks of her, she didn't fare well. Is she still refusing me?"
Sweet Sarah had always been emotionally and physically strong. She would never indulge in weakness of any sort. This time, she hit rock bottom and had come close to burying herself because of her stubborn pride. By refusing help, she had gone through pain and misery. He could tell more by her appearance and actions than if she would have just come right out and admitted it.
"Yes. Travis is on his way. With the three of us goading her, she will have to give in. If not, you're coming in anyway. None of us can leave her here by herself." Cord clamped his hand on Shining Moon's shoulder.
"This is all the time I will give you. I can't stand by any longer. Not with my Sweet Sarah and her family facing this strange occurrence."
"They are dangerous. Just look at my back." Cord lifted the back of his shirt to show him. "Mother said they threw her around and held her in the house, tormenting her for hours. I hope your medicine is strong, when you arrive."
Shining Moon glared at the long scratches. His muscles tensed at the thought of the spirits leaving marks on his Sweet Sarah. He clamped his mouth shut to keep his anger in. Without a doubt, his medicine would be strong.
There wasn't any way around it. He would gather the most powerful herbs he could find. He would encourage his village to chant on the hill and chase the demons from the area. Sweet Sarah was at risk, and that was one risk he refused to let go.
****
After Sarah, Jessie, and Cord ran out to greet Travis, Sarah went back toward her cabin while the men helped Travis to stable his horse. "Boys, wash up when you're done," Sarah called over her shoulder.
"When did Mother move into Grandma's house?" Sarah listened to her sons through the open window as she prepared their meals.
"She didn't." Cord and Jessie both said in unison.
"Well someone is in there and I'm gonna find out who it is." Travis drew his guns and peeked inside the little cabin. "Who's in here?"
Sarah was drying her hands on a linen cloth as she walked out the door and joined her sons.
Travis turned to look at Sarah, Jessie, and Cord. Both of his brothers leaned against the porch post, shaking their heads. Sarah cocked her head to the side and covered her mouth with one hand. Travis backed away from the cabin.
"You're not telling me something." Sarah had seen the serious look on Travis's face many times while he was growing up. That look meant he was in no mood for games.
"We'll tell you about it over a hot meal," Jessie said. "Come on."
Sarah, Jessie, and Cord filled Travis in on things that were happening, they told him there were bad ghosts but didn't go into detail. After they are their lunch, the three men set out to do more repairs on the barn, fence, and the roof of their mother's house.
The men labored in the hot sun. Sweat glistened off their faces. They worked well together. Sarah was proud of the camaraderie and the way they all pitched in to help her. She leaned against the porch railing and crossed her arms. Just having her sons together under her roof at the same time was a blessing she always welcomed.
As the day wore on, her fears began to return. At least having her sons near kept her mind busy during the day.
As the sun descended, Sarah did nightly chores. She returned to the cabin and fried a chicken, boiled potatoes and onions, and buttered some hot rolls. She called the young men to wash up. After supper, she washed the dishes, and all four of them sat on the front porch enjoying the purples, pinks, and oranges of the sunset. Then they all entered her cabin.
Jessie picked up his broomstick and sat in the straight-back chair. Sarah took her place in the rocker by the fireplace. Cord clenched onto the riding crop and sat at the table. Travis raised his hands and asked, "What's this?"
"Choose your weapon, we're going into battle soon." Cord leaned his chair back against the wall and already closed his eyes. "Get some rest. You're going to need it."
"You can lie down on the table if you would like, Travis." Sarah's voice trailed off as she fell asleep. Without fail, a couple of hours later they were all jolted awake.
"Sar-rah, Sar-rah." The spine-chilling shrieks exploded through the cabin. The hideous laughter loud and clear, as the dark shadow ghosts took up their vigil, circling overhead.
Travis jumped off the table. He had his guns drawn before his feet hit the floor, ducking and dodging the swarms of black masses that surrounded him. His fingers squeezing the trigger, and the bullets whizzed through the air. Sarah, Jessie, and Cord plummeted to the floor. Dishes shattered on the shelves, sending shards of glass in every direction. Pictures fell from the walls, splintering frames. There were sounds of metal against metal, as bullets bore holes in Sarah's pots and pans. The slugs passed through the unrelenting ghosts, destroying everything except the menacing creatures.
Sarah, Jessie, and Cord crawled under the kitchen table. Their heads covered with their arms, butts in the air, huddling, and waiting for a lull from the deafening gunshots. Sarah hoped he would run out of ammunition soon.
The gunshots stopped. "What in the world is going on?" Travis's hands shook as he tried to reload his six-shooter. He dodged as the ghosts made dives at him. He doubled up his fist and put it through the misty figure that clawed at his flesh.
"Grab a shovel or something and put the guns away, Travis. You could've killed us all!" Jessie cautiously made his way out from under the safety barrier. Helping Sarah up, Cord and Jessie wielded their weapons, like knights fighting for the castle. They all jabbed and swung at the enemy.
Travis put his guns away and went outside for the shovel. He was quick to return inside the cabin. His weapon was pulled back over his shoulder. Once again, he joined in the fight, swinging away at the creatures overhead, alongside his older brothers. Sarah's knees weakened as she made her way to the door. The three men swung wildly inside the long room as the ghosts continued with their tyrant rage.
Travis's eyes grew wide as he looked down. Sarah's gazed followed his. She held her breath. One of the ghouls clamped onto his foot. "The devil got me! Get it off! Get it off!" He ran around the table tossing chairs from his path. He shook his leg and swatted at the creature firmly fixed to his leg.
Cord and Jessie tried to catch Travis to help him. But Travis was faster and wouldn't slow down. He zipped in and out of the grasp of the ghost overhead. Yet his enemy stayed fixed. Shrieks of pure terror from Travis mixed with the howls, growls, and hisses from the attacking forces.
Cord reached out to stop his little brother. Travis clobbered him with the shovel. Jessie stepped back to let Travis pass, then continued jabbing at the invaders overhead. Cord picked himself up from the floor and resumed his fight, slashing through the earthbound spirits.
The window shutters and door opened, and then slammed shut. The walls rattled as the rampage grew louder. Screams to burn the little cabin echoed in Sarah's ears. Ghosts made their dives toward her head. Once again, she was pinned to the wall and couldn't help her sons ward off the tormentors.
She tried to raise her arms to cover her ears. One of the ghouls had her arms penned at her sides. Sarah had twisted and kicked, trying to free herself, when Travis ran by. Her leg caught his, and he crashed to the floor.
Jessie ran to him and tried to pry the thing off Travis. His fingers passed through, only to be caught in its web of tentacles. Cord was the only one left to fend for his family. He battled the ghosts until they all slithered from sight. The cabin fell quiet.
It was close to sunrise when the ghosts disappeared. Travis, looking worn out and confused, sank into a chair at the table. In a shaking voice, he asked, "Will they be back?"
"Not until tonight. Are you alright?" Sarah inspected the wound on Travis's leg. Then she glanced around the room and assessed the damage he had done with the guns. She couldn't help but laughing. "I don't know if I was more afraid of the ghosts or of Travis shooting me."
"Being woke up by the ghosts was nothing. Waking up to bullets flying, well let's just say, I was scared." Jessie glanced around at the mess.
Cord was laughing. It seemed to have taken him a few minutes to pull himself together. His voiced quivered as he spoke. "I think we should hide Travis's guns. Another scare like that and I'm going to be sleeping on the hill with Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa."
"If you let another one of those devils claw me, I'll make sure of it. Look where it poked holes in my leg. Am I going to turn into one of those things now?" Travis's finger shook as he pointed to the wounds.
Sarah pulled out her bandages and wrapped the cloth around his leg.
"Get some sleep." Sarah tried to smile at her sons. Within minutes, the three men were asleep. Sarah sank down in the rocker.
Looking at their faces, she couldn't believe how she had to fight them to stay in bed when they were younger. Now, their handsome faces all grown up, she only had to tell them once. She dozed off for a couple of hours. The loud snores of the three young men woke her early.
She slipped out the door to do morning chores. Deep in thought, she knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to one of them because of her.
The smell of moisture in the air and thunder in the distance warned Sarah that the storm was coming toward the cabin. She grimaced at the thought of the storm's ability to add more strength to the ghosts. She entered the cabin, found all of the guns, and hid them under the mattress on the bed in her sons' old bedroom.
The smell of coffee radiated in the air. Bacon fried while Sarah whipped eggs to scramble. Biscuits were baking in the oven, and fresh churned butter waited on the crude cabinet. Sarah's stomach rumbled. The boys stepped out onto the porch, and washed up at the trough. Jessie emptied the dirty dishwater and filled the dishpan. Cord brought in fresh water to drink. Travis carried in wood for the stove.
Their movements were slow and stiff. Sarah knew they were feeling the after-effects of the battle. Her own body still ached from the months of abuse from the nightly encounters.
Sarah rustled up plates from her mother's cabin and served breakfast. She finished hers, and then grabbed a broom to clean up the mess from last night's shoot-out.
"Think we're making progress?" Cord said with a chuckle. Travis ran his hand over the stubble on his chin.
Sarah walked to the rocker by the fireplace, sat down, covered her face with her hands, and laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. Jessie, Cord, and Travis turned toward her. They all tilted their heads at her. She was sure, from the looks on their faces, that they thought she had cracked.
"She hasn't laughed like that in a few years. I was beginning to think she forgot how." Jessie nudged Cord.
"I know it's been hard on her to take care of Grandma the way she did in the last year." Cord said, "I don't see how she did it. I wish I would have come by more often."
"She's a strong woman. How long have the ghosts been here?" Travis turned his head toward his brothers.
"Mother told us since Grandma died." Jessie said.
"Why didn't you tell me about them?" Travis's voice was harsh.
"I didn't know if any of you would believe me." Sarah joined her sons at the table. "I didn't know what your reactions would be. I know now, always warn Travis." Sarah smiled and then started laughing again.
"When I heard that horrible voice calling you, I wasn't going to let them take you. That scared me. I didn't know what it was until I ran out of bullets. I thought ghosts were just scary stories. Any other time and I would have laughed at such a suggestion." Travis's shaking voice filled the cabin.
"That is why I didn't tell you. I… I… didn't want to be laughed at. I sure didn't want any of you thinking I needed a room at the sanatorium."
"I didn't believe in them either, Grandma used to talk about them and the banshees…" Jessie's eyes widened. "Nope, don't even tell me there are real banshees running around."
Travis was concentrating on something. His brow creased, eyes squinted, and fist clenched. He pounded a fist on the table, his eyes wide as words flew out of his mouth. "I heard about this type of thing. Mother, have you seen any sign of strange writing or drawings anywhere?"
"No, why?" Sarah said as she heard the rain tapping on the roof.
"Witches can cast spells. This sounds like someone put a curse on your house." Travis said.
"How do we break this spell? Do we need to find a witch to take it away?" Jessie eyed Travis.
"No, I heard of this too. I think you can remove the spell yourself if you know how." Cord said.
"I've already tried, and it didn't work." Sarah spoke softly avoiding eye contact with her sons.
"We need to get Shining Moon. His campground isn't far from here this time of year. He's your friend, more than a friend. He'll know what to do." Jessie crossed his arms over his chest.
"What are you waiting for? Do you want me to go with you? He shouldn't be hard to find." Travis raised his brows.
"No. I can be back before sundown. He'll either be at his cabin or in the village." Cord grabbed his hat on his way out the door.
"You won't have to go far. He's been camped on the hill above the cemetery." Sarah called after Cord. She had followed Cord out the door and now stood on the porch and watched him ride up the hill. He was gone so fast she didn't even have time to reject the idea. Furthermore, she wasn't sure at this point that she would have rejected it. They had to do something, and this was their last option.
Sarah bit into her bottom lip. Her heart pounded, and the knot in her stomach tightened. Of course, her sons would want to call in Shining Moon. Ever since they were small, and after their father had died, Shining Moon had been the man in their lives. She had sent Shining Moon away with harsh words, why would he come to help her now? Furthermore, the last words he had said to her was one day she would need him.
The day seemed to drag on. Her faith and doubts battled as she tried to be patient until Cord returned with Shining Moon. She wiped the palms of her hands on her apron. A pounding in her chest would pick up and then calm down.
She paced back and forth across the porch. Well, maybe they were right. She did miss him, but could she face him? The things she said had been mean and hurtful. Worse, she had intentionally wanted to keep him away until her life got back to normal. Nothing her and her sons had done had even inched her closer to her old way of life. A shiver ran down her spine.
Her hands started shaking. Would he want to talk to her when he got here… if he came at all? There would be no blame placed upon him. She lowered herself into the rocker by the door on the porch. Would he think she was crazy? Would he laugh at her circumstances? Normally he wasn't that type of man. Sarah sighed.
"I hope this plan works. I'm sick and tired of waking up sick and tired every day." Sarah wiped her hands on her apron.
Jessie and Travis looked at each other, nodded their heads. "The only other solution I can come up with is to burn the place to the ground." Jessie hung his head, and he pushed a small pebble around with his toe.
"We can't burn Mother's cabin." Travis placed a hand on his hip. "As much as I would love to have her live with me, this is where she wants to be."
"We can't shoot it up either." Jessie smiled.
"We can't leave her here to fight these things forever." Travis stood looking in the distance, shaking his head. "I hope Cord knows what he's doing."
"You two can't stand there discussing me like I'm not here. Shining Moon is as worried as you three. He's been standing guard on that hill since your grandma died. He doesn't know what's happened here. I didn't tell him."
The two young men turned to look at their mother. Their jaws dropped open. She reached up with her hands and attempted to shut their mouths.
"I hope Cord can get Shining Moon to come with him. Indians can be touchy about these things. They may think Cord is touched by evil spirits." Travis said.
"I hope he gets back before tonight's battle. Shining Moon knows how to deal with these things." Jessie said.
"Oh he will. Shining Moon isn't far off. I feel him watching day and night. He's a sweet, caring man." Sarah glared at the hill. "How do you know that he knows how to deal with the ghosts?"
Travis and Jessie exchanged glances. She had never hidden her feelings for Shining Moon from them. Her mother had even made slight comments about how she should marry the man. Then when she had the chance to have Shining Moon all to herself, the ghosts began to show up nightly. There wasn't a question in her mind. She couldn't bring him into this place amongst the chaos.
Sarah headed up the hill when the rain stopped. Travis and Jessie followed her. Sarah opened the gate.
"Does anything go on up here?" Travis asked before entering.
"No, this is the only peaceful place out here, other than the barn. I guess we could sleep in the cemetery or the barn." Sarah's voice was shaky and fragile. "I've slept in the barn a night or two."
"One more night of fighting ghosts with Travis and we may end up sleeping in the cemetery... permanently." Jessie punched his little brother in the arm.
Travis smiled, "I got rattled. I didn't want Mother to get taken away. When that one grabbed my leg… we have to get rid of that son of a devil."
"Travis! Don't talk like that! We're on holy ground here." Sarah glanced up at him. She had heard him use the expression many times, and she shuddered at the mention of a devil on holy ground.
The three walked slowly down the hill. Sarah listened to the wind rustling the tall grass and watched the carefree flight of birds in the clear blue sky to lighten the burden.
A welcome relief washed over her. At least her children didn't think she had gone mad on them. She hoped Shining Moon wouldn't think they were all lunatics. Her doubts played tug-of-war with her hopes.
Travis and Jessie had a fence to mend while Sarah worked in her cabin. Silently, she cleaned up the rest of the mess. She worked in the garden and kept herself busy. Sarah hoped Cord would be back soon. She desperately hoped Shining Moon would decide to return with him. The shaman was the only chance they had left.