Between Earth and Sky | ✓

Part 2: The Egret of Otter Falls

The four of us pile into River's beat up Bronco and head out to the little basin just outside of town. There's a bunch of fishing stuff on the back seat between me and Poppy, but we still get a first-rate view of my new cousin's lame attempt to get the boy to notice her.

Although many people in this part of the country can claim some sort of Scandinavian ancestry, this guy seems to have gotten every recessive gene his parents had to offer. His platinum blonde hair and blue eyes make him a total anomaly, and he could get any girl he wants. River is cool, though and he's never made a big deal out of it, which makes Lulu even more eager.

She's been yapping for the last five minutes about some new video game she knows he likes, even though he's only contributed a few "uh-huhs" and a lackluster "I guess." I can't take it any more, so I attempt a distraction to shut her up. "Ooh, I love this song! Can you guys turn up the radio?"

The next time Lulu has a chance to speak is when we arrive at Otter Falls. "This place is pretty cool. Do ya'll do any swimming up here?" She slams the door in my face, forcing me to get out on the other side.

"Naw, it's too rocky and shallow for that," River answers, unexpectedly offering his hand to me when I climb out from behind the driver's seat.

The warning comes too late because she's already kicked off her sparkly flats and is sticking her foot into the water. "It's damn cold, too!" Lulu exclaims, turning around. Her eyes widen as she sees us touching, and I pull my hand away.

Unfazed, River grins. "Perfect for troutin'."

"So, you're a fisherman?" Lulu puts her shoes back on and idles up to him. Behind me, I can almost hear Poppy seething with rage, and I can't blame her. This girl is just too much.

"Yeah, I fish and hunt." He sticks his hands in his pockets and proudly pulls himself up to his full height, which must be six feet by now. "I'm pretty sure I've killed almost every kind of animal up around these parts."

"You got a bear, too?" She pokes him in the chest. "How about a lynx?"

He blushes, and it's the cutest thing ever. "Well, that's why I said almost every kind."

"Don't forget, you said you'd teach me how to shoot the new rifle daddy got me," Poppy butts in to counter her competition.

"Oh, yeah? What do you got?" Lulu gets all sassy, doing this weird neck twist thing and making her raven black hair fly around her shoulders.

Poppy purses her lips, and I have to hold in a giggle at her earnestness. "A Winchester."

"I've been shooting those since I was ten." Lulu laughs.

My friend steps closer and puts her hands on her hips. "Well, I've been cheerleading since I was nine, and I won the regional spelling bee twice!"

I swear it's like watching two young caribou bucks fighting over a doe, just with the genders reversed. I think River has also had enough because instead of joining in or even stopping their squabble, he ignores them and walks over to me.

That's when I notice there's something new about him. "I like the bling." I point at the silver ring on his bottom lip.

"Oh, thanks." He touches it like he'd forgotten it was even there. "I got it last week. Hurt like a bitch, though."

Before I can respond, Poppy runs over. "I could make it better."

I can't believe she just said that! How desperate can that girl act? Lucky for her, River is either too daft to get her insinuation or he doesn't care. Actually, I think it's both because he reaches into the bag he's been holding, pulls out a couple of bottles, and tosses me one.

"Where did you get these?" I recognize the label.

He rubs his thumb and index finger together. "I slipped Billy a twenty."

"That son of a donkey's uncle! He didn't care about me being underage, just about a payday!" I furiously unscrew the cap and take a long swig. "Blech. Did he have these sitting in the sun all day?"

"I don't mind if it's warm." Lulu grabs the bottle from me.

River isn't as rash, and apparently takes the temperature of his beverages seriously. After heading toward the water with the remaining three beers, he sticks them between a cluster of rocks near the bottom of the waterfall. "Nature's refrigerator," he says proudly as if he's the first one to use the trick.

I roll my eyes and begin to turn away when a large, white bird catches my attention. It's a great egret, pretty common for these parts. She's circling overhead, probably looking for a place to roost until morning. Night comes pretty late around here in the summer. It's past eleven now, and the sun is just now beginning to set. We'll have a few hours of darkness and then it'll be daylight again soon. The winter's just the opposite, which is why I hate it so much. Well, that and the bitter cold.

The bird finally lands at the top of the tallest waterfall, perching on a dead branch sticking up from the water. With her sleek, black beak and yellow feet, she's incredibly beautiful. No wonder our people consider her a symbol of grace and patience. They're good luck, too and if we were about to go on a hunt, this would be a really good sign.

I suddenly realize how quiet it is. No arguing or boasting. Not even the wind is making any noise. We're all so focused on the animal, we've forgotten about everything else.

"Man, that's a clean shot." Lulu breaks the silence from right next to me. "I wish I had my rifle here."

I don't know what comes over me, but I sure as heck don't give it a second thought. Putting my hands against the girl's shoulders, I shove her backwards into the water.

* * *

The next morning, mom sends me out to the nearest oil field. It's not my punishment for last night; that grounding starts as soon as I get home. No, I would've had to make this trip regardless.

Although it's Sunday, the rigs still run. They actually never stop unless they're broken, and that's why crews operate around the clock. Every idle hour on the pipeline is lost money for the community, and it's up to guys like my brothers to make sure the black gold never stops flowing.

They all took today's shift so they could have yesterday off for the wedding. Now I'm on my way to bring them leftovers for lunch.

I'm not old enough to have a license, but out in the bush, I can get away with driving my quad bike. It's all back roads anyway, with only the occasional hiker or moose sharing the road. Mom's most worried about me running into a grizzly, but I've only seen one during the year since I've started coming out here by myself.

After a ten-minute ride, I'm almost at the path that leads straight to rig forty-nine when a deafening boom makes the whole ground shake. Stopping the bike in the middle of the road, I look at the previously cloudless sky just as it's lit up by a huge, orange fireball. For a few seconds, I can't move and stand dumbfounded as ash begins to fall around me. In an instant, day has been transformed to night with thick, black smoke filling the air.