Do You Believe in Magic?

"Clara!" Adella shouted into the torrent of rain and wind, "Clara! Clara, where are you?"

Even though Adella was trying to run as fast as she could, here in the forest, where there was very little light to light her way, where the rain and wind made the trees and surrounding forest that are so familiar to her in daylight, seem foreign and terrifing now. The wind grabbed at her clothes and hair, pulling at her, threatening to push her over. She stumbled again, soaked to the bone but unable to feel the bitter cold that she was sure accomponied this storm.

"Adella? Sister! I'm over here!"

Adella almost sobbed in relief when she heard Clara's small voice through the wind and said a silent prayer to the Lord as she made her way over to a large oak tree. The same tree her and Jeremiah were sitting under for shade just a few hours before.

"Clara! Oh thank the Lord, Clara what on Earth do you think you're doing?" Adella shouted, grabbing onto her sisters wrist and forcefully dragging her away from the giant oak, and back towards the Fort.

When she looked back towards the oak tree though, she had to take a doubletake. For just a moment, one moment, it looked like there was a woman waving to her from under the tree. The woman was skinny, and waved in the wind like the branches and leaves of a tree. The woman gave Adella a smile before disappearing into the oak tree again.

Adella blinked a few times in surprise, and shock. Okay, she was seeing things now. She would have to assess what that meant later. But, a moment later, a lightning bolt struck that same oak tree tree. Clara and Adella were still close enough that when the thunder followed, immediately after, it rattled their heads, shock the ground, and brought tears to their eyes. Clara screamed and cried in pure terror as they both stumbled to the ground in shock and surprise.

Adella was the first to recover, she pulled Clara up by the back of her dress and pushed her forward.

"Get going Clara! Run!" Adella shouted, pushing her sister forward. Thankfully, Clara wasted no time in running back towards the fort.

Adella ran to the best of her ability, but quickly lost sight of her sister again and only prayed she would find her own way back to the fort. Adella had to slow to a walk, stumbling through the dense forest, tripping over unfamiliar roots and rocks. Eventually, a strong gust of wind, and a well placed uprooted root, tripped her and she fell down. She shrieked in surprise, and when she fell felt a sharp rock dig into her knee. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she sat up and crawled to lean against a near by tree. Her ankle and knee throbbed. And through the darkness, she was able to see that her knee was indeed bleeding from a deep gash. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. And she was still in the danger zone if the dam were to break. Her green eyes lifted to look off into the distance, praying that the men working on the dam would fix it before it flooded the forest, and killed her.


Clara made it back to the fort, cheering in excitement as she did, but when she turned around to look for her sister, and realized she was nowhere in sight, panic filled Clara like an oncoming tsunami.

"Adella?" Clara called into the storm, "Adella? Sister!" Panic took over her small body, and she ran into the fort as fast as her small legs could carry her, crying and screaming for anyone to hear her, "Help! Help please!"
 
Mr. Scriv turned and frowned when he spotted the girl, tiny in the hammering storm. "Clara Morningtaker? Child, what are you doing out here?" he demanded, hurrying toward her. He took her firmly by the shoulders and looked her over as best he could. "Are you hurt? Why are you here?"

Jeremiah stepped back from his work and breathed a sigh of relief as the dam held. At least for now. He looked up and spotted his father talking urgently with someone he couldn't see.
 
Clara was frantic, and through her tears and sobbing, was barely able to get a single coherent word out, "Mr.- Mr. Scriv! I-I-and Molly was, so I got Molly and Adella, she," she paused, wiping at her damp eyes even though she was soaked through from the rain anyways, "Adella, she's, she's-" Clara couldn't finish her sentence, and instead pointed in the direction of the woods, were Clara had just come from. In the direct path of the flood if the dam were to break.

Even though Adella knew she should be terrified, and she was, there was almost something soothing and calming about the wind and rain rushing through the trees. Every now and again she heard a branch snap and she would say a silent prayer that the branches above her head were strong enough to withstand the harsh winds. She didn't start to feel fear until she started seeing images of people running through the nearby trees, or men with swords and pointed ears stopping to stare at her through the trees. Their long hair flowing in the wind of the storm, but they looked unfazed from the entire storm. Sometimes, she caught herself staring back. Other's, she would panic and think it were the Indians here to kill her. And she couldn't help but wonder if she had hit her head when she had fallen too. There would be no logical way another person would be in this storm with her.
 
"Clara, are you saying Adella is out there in the storm?" Mr. Scriv demanded, a new level of worry entering his voice.

Jeremiah clambered up the bank to join them. "What is she saying about Adella in the storm?"

He looked up at his son. "Apparently Adella and another girl, a Molly, are out there in the path of the river!"

"Molly?" Jeremiah frowned at Clara. "You went out by yourself to find Molly? Oh, Clara!" He started running. "I'll go get Adella!"

Mr. Scriv glanced toward the dam, hesitated, then nodded even though his son was already far away. "Clara, you stay here. Here, get under my slicker. It's warmer under here." He lifted up the slicker so Clara could stand under it next to his body and get a little bit of warmth.
 
Clara nodded her head when Mr. Scriv asked if Adella was out in the storm, her bottom lip trembling from the tears. She nodded again when Jeremiah came up from the dam and asked about Molly.

Clara watched Jeremiah run towards where Adella was, but turned back to Mr. Scriv when he told her to get under his slicker. She gladly listened and stood as close to him as she could for warmth.


Adella sat, with her back against the tree. She had made a makeshift bandage out of the blanket she had and had wrapped up her knee to the best of her ability. She still saw the men walking through the forest, seeming unfazed by the chaotic storm raging around them. But, even though she knew she was being watched, even though she saw the men, they never approached her, and she could never get a close enough look to tell who they really were.

"Hello?" Adella called out, feeling eyes on her as she peered through the trees. The wind and rain from the storm turning the forest into something foreign, and freightening to her. Thunder rumbled in the distance, "Is anybody there?"
 
Jeremiah ran panting through the woods, shoving aside branches as he went, ignoring the stinging slaps to his arms even through his thick clothing. He had to get to Adella! He thought the dam would hold now, but what if it did not? She could get hurt! Badly! With little else to go on but the direction Clara had pointed, he aimed back toward where they had been only a little earlier.

A branch tripped him, and he went sprawling with an "Omph!" He got up and shook himself off. He didn't feel damaged, so he pressed on. He didn't bother to call out. The wind would eat his words long before they reached any human ears.

A shape caught his eye. "Adella!" he yelled, relief flooding through him. "Adella, are you hurt?" He hurried over and dropped to one knee beside her.
 
Adella could have sword she heard her name called. But the wind seemed to take everything and eat it up. She saw another figure, but instead of stealthly slipping through the woods like she's been seeing, this figure was running towards her. Panic laced through her body as worst case scenario ran through her head. But, as the figure grew closer, she realized it wasn't a murder crazed Indian like she was afraid of. It was Jeremiah!

"Jeremiah! Jeremiah, is that you? Oh thank the good Lord!" she exclaimed as he ran over and knelt down by her, she grabbed onto his arm just to make sure he was real and not some figment of her imagination brought on by insanity from the storm, or something else, "I fell, and hurt my knee. I don't think it's serious, but Jeremiah, I've been seeing people in these woods. I know it sounds crazy, no one should be out here in this weather, but I swear, I've been seeing something... Someone... I don't know. And I'm completely lost. Please tell me you know the way back to the fort. And what are you doing out here anyways? Do you know how dangerous it is? Especially if the dam-Oh my God, the dam, please tell me it'll hold,"
 
"Calm down," Jeremiah told her firmly. "There is no one else here. Just your mind playing tricks on you. I'm out here to save you, you ninny! So come on!"

He checked her knee to make certain it wasn't broken - he didn't think it was - then unceremoniously picked her up and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Turning, he started back toward the fort. It was much slower going as now he walked straight into the wind and he was hampered by Adella's weight. He trudged forward determinedly, making decent time despite the wind, the rain, and the dark. He just needed to get to the fort!
 
Adella frowned, "Now I'm sounding like the one with my head in the clouds, don't I?" she replied, "What if Indians are out here though?" she asked as Jeremiah checked her knee. She knew it wasn't broken, or anything serious. The gash just stung and she wasn't looking forward to Mom cleaning the wound out later.

She squealed when he picked her up like she was a sack of flower, surprised by his strength even though she knew she really shouldn't be with how large he was. He was probably one of the strongest men in the fort. She wasn't too thrilled about being carried over his shoulder, but knew it would be faster then her trying to limp her way back on a hurt leg. Unfortunately, that gave her the chance to still see the figures walking through the woods.

"There! Right there!" she shouted, pointing at a figure she saw in the darkness, through the rain but the moment she announced it's presence, the figure disappeared again, "I-I swear! I'm seeing people, Jeremiah. They're there!"
 
Jeremiah glanced over briefly then shook the rain from his eyes. His hair hung down across his forehead, dripping right into his eyes. "I don't see anything! Just close your eyes. You might have smacked your head," he tolder her as he tried to pick up the pace. Now was a fine time for her to go crazy!
 
Adella frowned, biting her lip in annoyance. They were there! She was seeing them. But maybe she did hit her head or something. She knew logically speaking, there was no way people where in these woods. And yet, she was convinced she were seeing people. "I'm guessing Clara made it back safe, since you knew where to look for me?" Adella asked, to change the subject and get another question she had answered. Was Clara safe?
 
Jeremiah didn't answer her. He could only hear half of her words, anyway, especially considering she was upside down over his shoulder and the wind and rain howling in his ears made everything difficult to hear. Whatever she said, it didn't sound urgant, so he ignored it for now. She could ask her questions and talk about invisible people when they were safe! And everyone said he was with wool for brains. At least he knew better than to try to have a conversation in the middle of a storm! And upside down with lungs being crushed to boot.

Speaking of safety, the gate to the fort was in sight! They just had to cross the bit of open land to reach it. He lengthened his stride, walking as fast as he could. He would have tried to jog or run, but the bouncing probably would have broken Adella's ribs. The doors stood open, and he rushed in to take what meager shelter the walls offered against the wind. Her house wasn't far.
 
Adella was a little annoyed that her question went unanswered, but she would ask again when they were back in the fort. She had propped herself up on his back for most of the journey to take some pressure off of her ribs, and when she saw that they had entered the fort, she had perked up. They were back! Oh Thank God!

"You can put me down now, Jeremiah, I think I'm okay to walk to my house from here," Adella told him, peering at his face from over her shoulder.
 
"Uh-huh, sure," Jeremiah grunted. He didn't put her down, instead carrying her right to her front door. "There. I left Clara with my dad. I'll go get her. You go get dry and clean that knee."

He turned and started jogging back into the storm before Adella could respond. He needed to get the sisters reunited before going back to the dam. The rain was getting to him. He wanted things fixed so he could dry off and warm up by the fire! Adella's spooky people could wait.


Meanwhile, Mr. Scriv stood with Clara tucked away, still overseeing the dam. It looked as good as it was going to get. Maybe if god was good, it would hold.
 
She pouted in response to him not putting her down, but didn't fight it beyond that. When he put her down, she was happy to be in front of her house. Home sweet home.

"Thank you, Jeremiah," Adella told him, even though she doubt he heard since he left so quickly to get Clara.

She didn't hesitate a moment longer. Getting inside and getting out of the soaked clothing sounded like the perfect idea. Once she got inside, it didn't take her long to get dressed into a dry dress, she had rebanded her knee with what rags she had around the house and had a roaring fire going in the fireplace for her family when they got home. It seemed like Mom was still helping Elizabeth with the baby. And even though she didn't need the heat of the fire, she wasn't even cold, she knew everyone else would be cold.
 
Jeremiah made it to his father and took Clara from him, assuring him he'd be back soon. He gathered little Clara to him. "Hey, Clara, guess what? Adella is waiting back home for you!" Jeremiah told her with a grin, guiding her to the fort.
 
Clara perked up the moment she saw Jeremiah, and rushed over to him asking about Adella immediately. When she heard Adella was at home safe and sound, she started crying again but this time in relief.

On the way back, she was mostly silent except for when they were almost at their house, "I'm sorry. If I didn't get Molly, you wouldn't have needed to save my sister," Clara mumble, her gaze on the ground as they walked. Molly the doll clutched in her arms tightly.
 
Jeremiah patted the top of her head gently. "It's okay. Everything turned out okay. Adella is okay, you're okay, I'm okay, and Molly is okay! This storm is just a bit like a dragon. We had to beat it to get the treasure, that's all. Now let's get you home."
 
Clara still had a frown on her face, but she nodded her head in agreement, "Okay," she replied back, sill clutching her doll.

When Jeremiah got Clara back to her house, Clara immediately ran over and gave Adella a huge, apologizing for leaving the house. Adella placed the small girl on her lap before turning to Jeremiah, "Hey, Jeremiah, thank, you tonight, for, you know, saving me and all," Adella told him as Clara wrapped herself in the blanket Adella offered her and she wiggled over to the fire place.
 
Jeremiah flashed her a grin. "It's nothing you wouldn't do for me, and nothing anyone else wouldn't do for you. I just got there first." He gestured toward her leg. "Don't forget to get your mother to look at that. I need to get back to the dam."
 
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