Weayaya: The Sunset Woman

Chapter 7

Yvonne
Present

"Grassland ghosts?" I repeated. "What is that?"

"The souls of the dead," Jonah scoffed.

"Well duh but like, who exactly?!" I smacked my lips and twisted my head in annoyance.

"Now, now you two," Aunt Lizzie shook her head as if she was chiding two siblings.

I turned my head and gazed up at Jonah, he was glaring at me too.

"Jonah knows very well that the Grassland Ghosts are those who died in the Wars of the 1860s." Aunt Lizzie began.

"The 1860s....as in...The Civil War?!" My mouth gaped open.

"What?!" Jonah whipped around to face me. "You stupid snowy woman! Not that! The Indian Wars damnit!" He hit my shoulder awkwardly.

"Hey!" I scowled. "I didn't know!" I got him awkwardly back.

"Stop it!" Aunt Lizzie walked over and shoved us apart.
"Now Jonah, leave her be. She doesn't know these things."

I just stood with my arms folded as Jonah groaned and walked back out of the door.

"Come here dear," Aunt Lizzie took my hand in her own and pulled me toward the parlor. "Let's have a seat." She smiled slightly and urged me to sit next to her. "You'll have to excuse Jonah, he gets riled about these things," she sighed.

"What's the big deal with the Grassland Ghosts?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well...." Aunt Lizzie began, "They say Evie, that they are the spirits of those who died by the hands of American Soldiers." Her lips formed a straight line.

"Oh?" I gasped a little.

"They are the spirits of those who can't rest, because they were murdered in cold blood." She patted my hand.

"So...who exactly are they?" I stared deeper into her eyes.

"Mostly the Indians who used to migrate through the area. The Sioux." Aunt Lizzie's face darkened, "men, women, children, the elderly, even small babies were killed by the American soldiers who were sent here after the Civil War to 'tame the frontier.'"

"Where did they die?" I spoke before I thought.

"All around here my dear Evie..." Aunt Lizzie's eyes cut toward the grassland outside her windows, "all around us." 

"Where did Jonah go?" I turned my attention to him. No wonder he had scoffed at me. I was so stupid, so dumb, I didn't know anything.

"Probably outside, where he normally goes." She smiled a little as I stood up and walked toward the door. "He has already probably gone a far ways out. You shouldn't go alone, Evie."

"I will be fine!" I shook my hand at her as I pulled on my boots. "I will stay in the sight of the house so I won't get lost, I promise." I went back and kissed her on her forehead.

"Well...alright." She patted me on my shoulder as I whirled around and went for the door. "Be careful!" She called after me, "don't talk to strangers!"

"Yes Aunt Lizzie!" I answered her calls and closed the door behind me.

I looked around from the porch and tried to see if I could find Jonah close to the house.

I didn't see anything so I walked off of the porch, I walked down the gravel drive and scanned around. In the distance I thought I saw a person standing alone. The sun was beating down by this time and it blinded me a little. I put my hand at the top of my eyes and squinted. There still seemed to be a figure walking far off.

"Jonah!" I yelled, "Jonah!" I waved my other hand.

The figure didn't seem to turn around, but did seem to stop.

"Jonah!" I yelled again.

The figure didn't move, so I began to walk toward it.

My voice was already hoarse from yelling twice as loud as I could, and I didn't want to yell again. So, I went as fast as my feet would carry me toward the figure.

The closer I got to the figure, the farther away it seemed. I started to run toward the figure.

I thought it was Jonah. The figure seemed like him, after all he was the only person it could be so far from the town.

I had not been paying attention, and when I finally stopped, I turned and realized the house was only a dot in the distance.

"Shit!" I cursed out loud to myself. "Jonah!!!" I shrieked once more.

I didn't see him anywhere...even the figure I thought I had seen was gone.

The wind suddenly picked up and my brown hair flew loosely from the bun I had it in.

In the wind, it was as if someone was whispering.

"Eve...." It called, "Eve....Evie...."

I felt chills course through me and something inside me told me to go home...to run home.

"Evie....Evie...." The wind called me. The voice seemed as if it was right behind me

Against my better judgement, I turned around.

My heart froze, my body shook, and my brain stalled at the sight before me.

A man, a taller man, his bronze skin covered in scars and blood, his long hair hung in a braid over his shoulder, a knife at his waist. His clothes of fur and leather hung on him just so. Blood oozed and yet also crusted him.

"Evie...." The man reached out at me. "Eve..."

I couldn't control myself, my body let loose what I kept trapped inside.

A painful, terrified scream.

I felt my body fall from underneath me, my eyes rolled up, and I heard someone calling out to me.

As my body fell, I thought I could see Jonah running toward me...funny I thought...when it seemed as if the man bleeding in front of me...was Jonah.