Post by AuntRonda on Mar 14, 2004 11:28:42 GMT -5
An Excerpt from: Ominous Choices (Chapter 1)
JUDD Thompson Jr. let go of the bush and scampered to his left, trying to escape certain death. Tiny rocks fell as he searched for footing, his feet pumping like a cartoon character's. Lionel was down there, but all Judd could think about was getting out of the way.
Judd lunged for a flat rock and hung on with both hands. He glanced back as the rock reared in the air like a stony stallion and hovered, blocking the clouds and sky. Just as he thought he would be squashed, the rock tipped to the right and began a free fall toward the bottom. Smaller rocks and dust covered Judd's face.
The ground shuddered with each turn of the rock. Judd pulled himself to a sitting position while the boulder crashed to the bottom.
As the dust settled and Judd caught his breath, he looked for Lionel. He had had plenty of time to get out of the way, and Judd wondered if he had jumped into the bushes by the stream.
"Guess we should have gone around, huh?" Judd called out.
No response.
"That rock was as big as a house. Good thing we got out of the way."
Still no response.
"Hey, Lionel, where are you?"
Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. Hearing the trickle of water gave Judd an eerie feeling. Everything was peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
"Come on, man, this isn't funny. You think I tried to knock that rock down?"
Judd surveyed the damage. The crashing rock had left several craters in its wake, which would make it even more difficult to get down. Any moment he expected Lionel to jump out from behind a bush and scold him.
Judd carefully took a few steps left to a small ridge. As he slowly climbed down, something hissed near his foot. He jumped and slid a few feet. When he heard the hiss again, he leaped to the ground, a good fifteen-foot drop.
His knees ached after the fall, but he was glad to be away from the snake. "Lionel?"
Judd listened closely. Rocks skittered down the hill and came to rest near him. Either Lionel was hiding in the bushes or …
"Lionel, I just heard a snake."
Something moved and moaned softly. Judd called Lionel's name again, but only crickets and frogs responded. Something swooped over him, a fluttering of wings and a caw. Judd ducked, then saw the outline of a crow against the night sky. When the bird lighted in a nearby tree, Judd moved toward the boulder. What he saw when he rounded the corner took his breath away.
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Vicki Byrne held Cheryl Tifanne's hand and prayed with all her might. Vicki feared the baby was in trouble, but the greater fear was that Cheryl was about to deliver it without the help of the midwife.
Sweat poured from Cheryl's forehead, the girl turning her head from side to side and moaning. When the cabin door opened and Vicki turned, Cheryl dug her fingernails into Vicki's arm.
"Don't leave me," Cheryl said through clenched teeth.
"Don't worry."
Shelly came in with Josey Fogarty. Josey carried a box and placed it on the nightstand. "There's some pain medication in here—"
"Good," Vicki said, grabbing a bottle.
"Wait," Josey said. "If she's in labor, she shouldn't take anything."
"I need something for the pain!" Cheryl screamed.
Josey pulled Vicki's arm and whispered, "This medicine will go right to the baby. It could endanger the child."
"But don't they give women medicine for pain before they have their babies?" Vicki said. "That's what happened with my mom."
"They can give them all kinds of things, but the patients are on monitors, checking heartbeats and oxygen levels. We don't have any equipment, and the medicine is the wrong kind."
"Vicki!" Cheryl shouted.
"I'm right here," Vicki said, then turned back to Josey. "We have to give her something."
"Not until we know for sure what's happening," Josey said.
Shelly reached in her pocket, and plastic rattled. She pulled out a half-eaten roll of candy. "We could give her this."
"That won't do anything," Vicki said.
JUDD Thompson Jr. let go of the bush and scampered to his left, trying to escape certain death. Tiny rocks fell as he searched for footing, his feet pumping like a cartoon character's. Lionel was down there, but all Judd could think about was getting out of the way.
Judd lunged for a flat rock and hung on with both hands. He glanced back as the rock reared in the air like a stony stallion and hovered, blocking the clouds and sky. Just as he thought he would be squashed, the rock tipped to the right and began a free fall toward the bottom. Smaller rocks and dust covered Judd's face.
The ground shuddered with each turn of the rock. Judd pulled himself to a sitting position while the boulder crashed to the bottom.
As the dust settled and Judd caught his breath, he looked for Lionel. He had had plenty of time to get out of the way, and Judd wondered if he had jumped into the bushes by the stream.
"Guess we should have gone around, huh?" Judd called out.
No response.
"That rock was as big as a house. Good thing we got out of the way."
Still no response.
"Hey, Lionel, where are you?"
Crickets chirped and frogs croaked. Hearing the trickle of water gave Judd an eerie feeling. Everything was peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
"Come on, man, this isn't funny. You think I tried to knock that rock down?"
Judd surveyed the damage. The crashing rock had left several craters in its wake, which would make it even more difficult to get down. Any moment he expected Lionel to jump out from behind a bush and scold him.
Judd carefully took a few steps left to a small ridge. As he slowly climbed down, something hissed near his foot. He jumped and slid a few feet. When he heard the hiss again, he leaped to the ground, a good fifteen-foot drop.
His knees ached after the fall, but he was glad to be away from the snake. "Lionel?"
Judd listened closely. Rocks skittered down the hill and came to rest near him. Either Lionel was hiding in the bushes or …
"Lionel, I just heard a snake."
Something moved and moaned softly. Judd called Lionel's name again, but only crickets and frogs responded. Something swooped over him, a fluttering of wings and a caw. Judd ducked, then saw the outline of a crow against the night sky. When the bird lighted in a nearby tree, Judd moved toward the boulder. What he saw when he rounded the corner took his breath away.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vicki Byrne held Cheryl Tifanne's hand and prayed with all her might. Vicki feared the baby was in trouble, but the greater fear was that Cheryl was about to deliver it without the help of the midwife.
Sweat poured from Cheryl's forehead, the girl turning her head from side to side and moaning. When the cabin door opened and Vicki turned, Cheryl dug her fingernails into Vicki's arm.
"Don't leave me," Cheryl said through clenched teeth.
"Don't worry."
Shelly came in with Josey Fogarty. Josey carried a box and placed it on the nightstand. "There's some pain medication in here—"
"Good," Vicki said, grabbing a bottle.
"Wait," Josey said. "If she's in labor, she shouldn't take anything."
"I need something for the pain!" Cheryl screamed.
Josey pulled Vicki's arm and whispered, "This medicine will go right to the baby. It could endanger the child."
"But don't they give women medicine for pain before they have their babies?" Vicki said. "That's what happened with my mom."
"They can give them all kinds of things, but the patients are on monitors, checking heartbeats and oxygen levels. We don't have any equipment, and the medicine is the wrong kind."
"Vicki!" Cheryl shouted.
"I'm right here," Vicki said, then turned back to Josey. "We have to give her something."
"Not until we know for sure what's happening," Josey said.
Shelly reached in her pocket, and plastic rattled. She pulled out a half-eaten roll of candy. "We could give her this."
"That won't do anything," Vicki said.
