The Devils Backbone

Untitled Blooms

Chyna and Cotton returned back home alone. She was on edge, but somehow they'd made it back safely. Chyna exhaled as she stood before her shed. She had sent Cotton in to place all of the fixings she would need to start up super while she went to her shed to put the cream on her healing feet. 

Her eyes quivered at the site of a single light pink rose laying before her door.

" again?" She thought, looking around her, she saw no one and curiously reached down to pick up the small delicate flower.  The thorns had been stripped the same as the last one she had recieved.

Chyna twirled the flower by it's stem in her hands, examining it carefully. It was small probably a newer bloom. Being that it was so cold, the odds were it did not come from someone's garden. "Ellison said it came from Pikeville..." Chyna muttered, glancing about one last time stepped inside of her shed. Carefully resting the rose on her bed she started to treat her healing burns.

Evening faded to night soon. Ellison returned just as night fell, as he usually did. Having visited his brother's house before heading home. Chyna could hear him enter in and give a heavy sigh "Anse is still furious at Johnse it's a wonder he ain't put him out anyhow" Ellison said entering the kitchen. "Hi daddy" Cotton said cheerfully as he helped place the table. "hey Cot, you been helping Chyna well today?" Ellison asked him. "Yeah she won't let me peel potatoes though" Cotton said slightly annoyed. 

"Now Cot, don't be like that, that might be her favorite thing to do" Ellison tried to reason. Cotton pondered it for a while and Chyna laughed inwardly. She wouldn't let him peel them because the knife was far too sharp. "Ok" Cotton finally said. Ellison nodded in approval and then went to Chyna. She fussed over carving the chicken breast away from the whole chicken, Ellison leaned over her back and gave her a squeeze. 

"you think you're slick leavin' your lunch here like that?" She asked a bit amused. Ellison gave a bashful grin "well it worked" He said. Chyna shook her head at him and picked the plate up with both hands.As she went to face him, Ellison kissed her cheek quickly and Chyna nearly dropped the plate of chicken "don't do that when i'm holdin' somethin'!" she gasped, her cheeks turning a slight red. "I ain't used to it yet...I'll drop everything" she warned. Ellison laughed and took the plate from her hands "let me" He said, once the plate was safely with him he leaned over and kissed her cheek before moving his lips to her mouth.

Chyna pushed him back a bit "not in front of Cotton" She warned, however when she looked around Ellison she found Cotton hadn't even been paying attention.

"what about Cotton?" Ellison said with a smirk.

"you'd best enjoy those potatoes, I expect it'll be too cold to grow 'em soon" Chyna mused glancing out the window into the cold night. Her eyes floating over to Ellison and Cotton as they talked and ate. She felt a warmness she had not felt since she was little. Real little, as Her mother and father would eat with her in the late hours of the night. Even after tough and dark days, suppertime was always the one moment when everything felt right.

"Chyna you coming to eat? set down here" Ellison called to her, using one hand to slid out a chair at his side. Chyna nodded and made her way to them.

Ellison and Chyna put Cotton to bed, and the two sat near the fireplace together.  Ellison had Chyna wrapped in his arms, her back resting in his wide soft chest. He perched his chin atop her head as he looked at the fire. They didn't say much but it was a comfortable silence. 

The orange dull light from the flames reflected off of a small glass jar filled with water that set upon a small wooden drawer. Ellison's eyes  spotted a thin green stem in the water and followed it up to a pale pink bloom.  He gave Chyna a tight squeeze and looked at the bloom ominously "another" He muttered.

Chyna did not need to see his gaze to know what he was talking about. She nodded stiffly "seems so" she said  "was in front of my door this time" she added. "I don't like it" Ellison said with a long sigh "maybe it don't mean nothing a rose in it's self ain't scary. there ain't no notes, or nothing frightening to go along with it" Chyna said. Ellison shook his head "it jus' don't feel right" He muttered. The two watched the rose's little petals under the light of the roaring fire.

Chyna didn't feel threatened but she had decided, she had to find out where these roses were coming from and why.

* * *

A few days passed by, It had been uncommonly cold for late July. august was drawing closer, but the bite in the air was unusual even for the misty mountains of the valley. 

Chyna rubbed her hands together to warm them, the early mornings were always the coldest. she sat on her hay stuffed bed and carefully applied the healing cream to her feet. It wouldn't be much longer before the burns had gone away. 

Just outside her door she could hear lumbering feet drawing closer.  As Cotton swung open her door, Chyna found herself lost in thought. her eyes trailing the row of roses laid on the small shelf, it had been 4 days since the second rose, which gave her 5 roses, 6 if the very first one was counted as well.  "where on earth could you be coming from?" she thought to them.

"Chyna!" Cotton sang after calling her for the fourth time.

Chyna shook her head "sorry Cot- I'm comming" Chyna said in a rush slipping on her flat shoes. She could tell from his face that he was very excited for today. Ellison and Anse had finally decided that it was time to try and get Cotton used to working up in the Timber. Chyna didn't much like it, however, it would give her a chance to investigate the matter of the pink roses.

She was sure she could use her daily work around Ellison's land as an excuse to leave the Hills while Cotton was taught what to do, go across the river to Pikeville and return before Ellison got back. At least that what she was baking on. Chyna smiled up at Cotton and followed him out of her shed "alright Cot, lead the way" She urged. Cotton grabbed her hand and hurried towards Ellison who waited just a little further down the hill in a horse drawn waggon.