Chapter 18
It was relatively a quiet night at the Slade Ranch in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Cayden Slade noticed that the horses were slightly on edge as he put them in their barn for the night, there was a storm coming so perhaps the highly charged atmosphere was causing their edginess. He shivered as a sudden chilly breeze blew by, it was odd having it be this nippy at night during this time of year but he ignored it and headed back to the ranch house.
About a 15 minute walk since the ranch was not very large, considered very small by some rancher’s standards but at times it felt like half an hour, especially tonight. He wondered if the horse’s edginess was contagious as he began to feel as if he was being watched. He picked up his pace, only a 10 feet from his front door, he swore he could hear someone or something walking behind him but he didn’t want to risk looking and besides, he was probably just spooking himself. He opened the front door, slammed it shut and quickly locked it noticing he was breathing quite hard.
“What’s your problem?”
Cayden turned to see his sister BJ in her sweat pants and Denver Broncos jersey standing with her arms folded and one eyebrow cocked—her typical smart ass look she’s had since she was a kid. Like him, she carried the strong appearance of a Comanche but due to their Irish mother their skin wasn’t as dark but more of a soft chestnut color.
“Nothin’, just spooked myself,” he replied giving an awkward smile.
She rolled her eyes, “okay then,” and walked away into the hallway.
He certainly spooked himself but his instincts were telling him something was not right but he ignored the feeling, way too tired from the long hot day to worry over what was probably just a coyote roaming around outside.
He took off his dusty denim jacket while walking to his room and throwing it on the floor just to annoy BJ, she hated dirty clothes on the floor especially when they were dusty from outside.
Grabbing his small stereo by its handle he headed for his bathroom, looking forward to nice hot shower. As he walked past his dresser he stopped to glance at the framed photo of his sister, himself and their dad when they were just 2 years old before he mysteriously disappeared. Their dad was a Comanche Vietnam vet who loved to build custom choppers and ride the horses on the ranch but one day he left with no explanation and devastated his family. He often thought about putting the frame inside his drawer so it wouldn’t depress him but seeing all the 3 of them smiling kept him from doing it.
He set his small stereo on the sink counter pressing play of the CD player, couldn’t remember what he had in there but didn’t care. Godsmack’s Awake came on suddenly, the pounding guitars and drums filled his bathroom.
With the rest of his dirty clothes on the floor he stood in front of his mirror with just his underwear, evaluating his face, noticing it was slightly red. He scrunched his face but winced in pain from the burn. It was going to feel worse in the morning.
He suddenly heard a soft rustle behind him from his linen closet.
There better not be a mouse in there, he thought.
He listened again but heard nothing else.
Splashing cold water on his burned face relieved the pain somewhat; he gently rubbed his eyes feeling the dust around them.
With the running faucet and his head down, he didn’t notice his linen closet door opening with a small figure creeping out of it.
“AAAAHH GOOO!” a voice screamed alongside Sully Erna’s vocals of the drum break of Awake.
Cayden nearly bonked his forehead on the faucet, “Shit!! Raelin!!!” he yelled turning around to see his 13 year old cousin standing in front of him snickering triumphantly.
Raelin was his Irish cousin from his mother’s side. Her family like their mom came from a small Irish speaking village in the Galway county of Ireland. Considered a rebel and a nuisance, her parents sent her off to New Mexico hoping ranch work and good ol’ American hard work ethic would straighten her out but her stubborn Irish streak was quite strong as she never did a bit of work during the 6 months she lived here. She also refused to lose her thick Irish accent which made it hard for Cayden and BJ to understand her English sometimes.
She was pale with dark auburn hair but she liked to put black streaks in it, her wardrobe consisted of goth band shirts and torn jeans along with combat boots to match. She definitely stood out from the ranching community of New Mexico.
“I hope you enjoyed yourself,” he said sarcastically while gently padding his face dry.
“O’ course I did,” she replied walking out of his bathroom.
Shaking his head he turned the shower on and stepped inside unaware of the danger lurking outside the front door of the house.
It was relatively a quiet night at the Slade Ranch in Las Vegas, New Mexico.
Cayden Slade noticed that the horses were slightly on edge as he put them in their barn for the night, there was a storm coming so perhaps the highly charged atmosphere was causing their edginess. He shivered as a sudden chilly breeze blew by, it was odd having it be this nippy at night during this time of year but he ignored it and headed back to the ranch house.
About a 15 minute walk since the ranch was not very large, considered very small by some rancher’s standards but at times it felt like half an hour, especially tonight. He wondered if the horse’s edginess was contagious as he began to feel as if he was being watched. He picked up his pace, only a 10 feet from his front door, he swore he could hear someone or something walking behind him but he didn’t want to risk looking and besides, he was probably just spooking himself. He opened the front door, slammed it shut and quickly locked it noticing he was breathing quite hard.
“What’s your problem?”
Cayden turned to see his sister BJ in her sweat pants and Denver Broncos jersey standing with her arms folded and one eyebrow cocked—her typical smart ass look she’s had since she was a kid. Like him, she carried the strong appearance of a Comanche but due to their Irish mother their skin wasn’t as dark but more of a soft chestnut color.
“Nothin’, just spooked myself,” he replied giving an awkward smile.
She rolled her eyes, “okay then,” and walked away into the hallway.
He certainly spooked himself but his instincts were telling him something was not right but he ignored the feeling, way too tired from the long hot day to worry over what was probably just a coyote roaming around outside.
He took off his dusty denim jacket while walking to his room and throwing it on the floor just to annoy BJ, she hated dirty clothes on the floor especially when they were dusty from outside.
Grabbing his small stereo by its handle he headed for his bathroom, looking forward to nice hot shower. As he walked past his dresser he stopped to glance at the framed photo of his sister, himself and their dad when they were just 2 years old before he mysteriously disappeared. Their dad was a Comanche Vietnam vet who loved to build custom choppers and ride the horses on the ranch but one day he left with no explanation and devastated his family. He often thought about putting the frame inside his drawer so it wouldn’t depress him but seeing all the 3 of them smiling kept him from doing it.
He set his small stereo on the sink counter pressing play of the CD player, couldn’t remember what he had in there but didn’t care. Godsmack’s Awake came on suddenly, the pounding guitars and drums filled his bathroom.
With the rest of his dirty clothes on the floor he stood in front of his mirror with just his underwear, evaluating his face, noticing it was slightly red. He scrunched his face but winced in pain from the burn. It was going to feel worse in the morning.
He suddenly heard a soft rustle behind him from his linen closet.
There better not be a mouse in there, he thought.
He listened again but heard nothing else.
Splashing cold water on his burned face relieved the pain somewhat; he gently rubbed his eyes feeling the dust around them.
With the running faucet and his head down, he didn’t notice his linen closet door opening with a small figure creeping out of it.
“AAAAHH GOOO!” a voice screamed alongside Sully Erna’s vocals of the drum break of Awake.
Cayden nearly bonked his forehead on the faucet, “Shit!! Raelin!!!” he yelled turning around to see his 13 year old cousin standing in front of him snickering triumphantly.
Raelin was his Irish cousin from his mother’s side. Her family like their mom came from a small Irish speaking village in the Galway county of Ireland. Considered a rebel and a nuisance, her parents sent her off to New Mexico hoping ranch work and good ol’ American hard work ethic would straighten her out but her stubborn Irish streak was quite strong as she never did a bit of work during the 6 months she lived here. She also refused to lose her thick Irish accent which made it hard for Cayden and BJ to understand her English sometimes.
She was pale with dark auburn hair but she liked to put black streaks in it, her wardrobe consisted of goth band shirts and torn jeans along with combat boots to match. She definitely stood out from the ranching community of New Mexico.
“I hope you enjoyed yourself,” he said sarcastically while gently padding his face dry.
“O’ course I did,” she replied walking out of his bathroom.
Shaking his head he turned the shower on and stepped inside unaware of the danger lurking outside the front door of the house.
I needed more, more! I threw the book across the dimly lit, wooden attic. The book hit a stack of old newspapers. I tore open yet another book. Nothing would give me my answers.
Why did I feel the need to care for Lucy? Why could I not get Alexander out of my head?
There were pages, and pages of the thought process, but nothing to explain what I felt! Why could no one manage to capture these feelings, and explain them?
A knock on the door interrupted me. “What?” I snapped.
“It is past midnight, Damien. Come to bed,” said Grey through the door.
“I’ll come when I want to. Now, go away!” Could she not understand I was confused, and angry? She possessed such naivety.
“Fine!” Grey yelled. I heard her storm down the steps. Then I heard her bedroom door slam. I let out a puff of air.
Then I threw another book against the wall. I kicked the whole stack of books, and watched as they toppled over. I threw myself onto the floor, and began crying.
Why did I feel the need to care for Lucy? Why could I not get Alexander out of my head?
There were pages, and pages of the thought process, but nothing to explain what I felt! Why could no one manage to capture these feelings, and explain them?
A knock on the door interrupted me. “What?” I snapped.
“It is past midnight, Damien. Come to bed,” said Grey through the door.
“I’ll come when I want to. Now, go away!” Could she not understand I was confused, and angry? She possessed such naivety.
“Fine!” Grey yelled. I heard her storm down the steps. Then I heard her bedroom door slam. I let out a puff of air.
Then I threw another book against the wall. I kicked the whole stack of books, and watched as they toppled over. I threw myself onto the floor, and began crying.
Hey, so this is a poem Ive been thinking of for a long time,please read and comment!
The Spirit
The spirit rushes on,
Swifter than the wind,
To find answers,
To seek the way.
The spirit flows on,
Like the river.
Flowing on to find the ocean,
A home for all its dreams.
The spirit shines on,
Brighter than a thousand suns.
Shining on to clear the darkness,
To find the path.
The spirit lives on,
More eternal than the sea,
Living on to find its home,
Where all the ends shall meet.
The Spirit
The spirit rushes on,
Swifter than the wind,
To find answers,
To seek the way.
The spirit flows on,
Like the river.
Flowing on to find the ocean,
A home for all its dreams.
The spirit shines on,
Brighter than a thousand suns.
Shining on to clear the darkness,
To find the path.
The spirit lives on,
More eternal than the sea,
Living on to find its home,
Where all the ends shall meet.