The Hollow

Hidden in the Dark

It was plain that the two terrified gals were close to calling it quits, anxious to turn around and run before it was too late to escape whatever was watching them from within the dark. With their minds made up they started but stopped on a dime when a sudden soft mewing, like that of a baby fawn, startled their ears. The sound did not frighten them. They peered around themselves and realized they could see quite distinctly in the gloom and they wondered why they had been so afraid only a moment before. The mewing came again. Yes. It was sad, soft, and low, like its owner's heart was breaking.

The sound came from an area ahead of Primrose and Daylily. There was a darker area away back in the furthest corner next to the barn's back doors and they could see a dim figure crouching down and two shining eyes watching them. It appeared to Daylily that a bright golden tear slid down the obscure face. Daylily thought she could see two dim, smoldering embers of light deep within those eyes. The ember on the left was scarlet but the right one was gold.

"Bluebell?" Daylily inquired suspiciously. "Is that you, Gal?" A long pause. "Bluebell, we're here with you now. No need to be afraid no more." She whispered, misunderstanding Bluebell completely.

The figure slowly stood up and glided effortlessly toward them. They could still hear its broken sobs as it drew nearer but they were finally able to make out for a certainty who it was indeed, and it became Bluebell. She oh so delicately cupped over something with her gentle hands and motioned with her head for Primrose and Daylily to follow her. As they neared the closed back doors she spun around and asked Primrose to open the doors.

"Okay, Bluebell, they're open now," Primrose said. "Yer cryin' dang near broke our hearts." She looked fondly at the little pig-tailed, blonde girl with the hazel eyes and bashful smile who was looking back at her with equal fondness, if not more. "We sure wish you'd learn to stop all that runnin' away from us every time something distracts us away from you."

"Yes, Sweetie Pie, please stop runnin' away from us all the time. We love you and worry so much about you," chimed Daylily sadly as she hugged the genius, pudgy little curly-haired child who so much needed her protection and guidance. "Remember, yer still a little too young to run around all by yerself yet, even as smart as ya are."

Primrose eyed Daylily a bit too long. It was clear she that was befuddled by her remark but she kept her silence. She turned and gave Bluebell a long, steady makeover like she was making certain her eyes hadn't somehow been bewitched.

'Now, I wonder why on earth Daylily's a-talkin' to a girl who is seventeen years old at the very least like she is so much younger'n her?'

She shook her head and let the chill winds of confusion blow the thought around in her mind without any hint of resolution.

The most beautiful gal in five counties stood before them, speaking, comforting, and taking comfort without audibly mouthing one single word. Daylily and Primrose would speak out loud and pause. Bluebell would stand there with something fragile cupped in her hand and speak nothing. Then Daylily and Primrose would laugh and shake their heads in agreement or negatively in response to some words they thought they were hearing her say.

"So, what did you find in the barn?" Primrose asked as she touched Bluebell's cupped hands softly. "Is this what broke yer heart?"

Bluebell lifted her hands to her heart and then she reached out her arms to Primrose and uncupped her hands. Daylily and Primrose quietly beheld what was revealed and they smiled warmly. Their straining ears thought they could barely hear a melodic but feeble chirping sound.

"Those two critters are baby barn swallows, Bluebell," Daylily whispered. "Shortstraw and I spend a lot of time with them cuz they perch and nest in the rafters of the barn. We steal up to the loft when we can get away to get reacquainted after we ain't seen each other fer a while." She slowly moved in to touch them with the soft tip of her finger but she abruptly dropped her hand and drew her face in close. It was like she had gone half blind and her eyes demanded a magnifying glass so they could see better but couldn't find one. "What's that?" she implored.

Bluebell began to sob again and the girls were soon to understand why.