It was a late summer night and it was only a week ago I got back to my home town in South Dakota. I was outside with my cousins because we wanted to start a bonfire. As we sat there, staring at the flames, my cousin Johnny started to talk," we are running out of wood and the fire will be done before we know it." when she said that we looked at her, and i can see the heat leave her body when she shivers. My cousin Chance was about to talk till i stopped him," don't even think about it chance. we are not gonna pour gasoline in the fire again." I said." Well i guess it's time to head back inside then." announced my cousin miracle. Most of us agreed when, some of us protested while groaning." Oh stop groaning! You sound like zombies." Jaden said." How about someone goes to the forest and get the wood. but someone would have to go with you, just incase the coyotes come out." he said. "Good idea, but who is gonna go get the wood?" Everyone looks at me as i ask. I scolf for i knew i was gonna be the the one going." well who is gonna come with me?"
"Me." Johnny says as she stands up." ok then, go get the shotgun from Grandpa Percy just incase." She starts running toward the trailer. I wait by the gate that leads the road ready to walk. Johnny runs back to me with the gun that is almost as tall as her, and hands it to me." Thanks, now let's go." it took us 15 minutes to get to the edge of the forest. at that point we followed a trail between a pasture with buffalo and the forest. I remember what my grandma told me about the buffalo. they are the elders, or as she said it, our ancestors, to us Lakota people, that watch us on the ground. they protect us and provide us with their fur and there meat. That's why we pray to them, so they don't disappear, and they can give us strength when we need it.
We kept walking, picking up sticks and broken branches, using the full moon's light to see. Suddenly I notice that the crickets are not chirping like they always do. A howl breaks the silence, and echoes through the trees of the forest. Johnny and I stop all movement and stay very quiet."we need to get back now." i whisper to johnny. She nods her head in agreement. We walk as fast as we can as quiet as possible until we heard a rustle in the bushes nearby. I push Johnny behind me in a protective manner and had the gun ready to shoot. By the time the gun was ready a coyote jumped out of the bushed. It growled and snapped its teeth at us. I hid my fear and held my stance, not flinching.I looked at it more closely to see that it had muddy brown fur with some missing patches from past fights.
I pulled the trigger yet the coyote was to fast and jumped away from the the bullet. The coyote was grazed from the bullet since some drops of blood and fur dropped on the ground. You could hear it whimper in pain, but it shakes it off only to be madder than it already was. I shoot again only to miss as it moves. i give Johnny my pocket knife so she can protect herself. i look down to see one on the known herbs my people use. I grab some and burn it with my lighter. I pray, and pray to the point i was crying. As i pray, i feel the ground move as if someone or something heavy is running. When i look up i see a huge buffalo charging toward the coyote. The wild beast collided with the coyote, and pushed it hard against a tree. As the buffalo started to walk away from the coyote, all we heard was the whimpering of the pain it felt. It ran away as fast as it could with the buffalo staring it down till it disappeared.
I turned to the beast to see it now stared at me and my cousin. Fog came out of its nostrils as it breathe in and out. My cousin grabs my hand tightly and looks toward it also. She tries to stop me as i slowly walk toward the buffalo. Without even thinking my hand moves toward its head, only inches away. I then feel the ruff fur between my fingers. Looking into the eyes of this creature that saved my cousin and i, my mouth start to form words. I say "Thank you," and start to pull my hand away. It looks like it nodded to me and starts to walk away into the darkness. I turn to my cousin johnny, "you ok?" i ask. she whispers a yes and hugs me."Let's go home." we walk all the way back with no problems. When we were by the fire my cousins asked where the wood was. All i told them was that it was late and it was time to go in.
With no complaints, everyone went inside and went to bed. I stayed up a little longer with my grandmother and told her what happened." It's good that you prayed sweetheart, just remember that our ancestors are always watching us no matter what." she said. I smiled and went to bed with good thoughts, because i know nothing will hurt me.
The End
