THE PASSAGE

Julie Continues the Story

Chapter 12

As my vision of the tragic event comes to an end, aunt Julie and I have our hands wrapped around each other's, both of us sobbing now.

"Oh god, that was horrible," I say, wiping tears from my eyes.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, child. I didn't mean for that to happen." She shakes her head and wipes her eyes. "But, there's more I needs to tell you."

I slowly nod. "Okay."

Julie continues. "After I feel like I can move again, I finally drag myself out of the water and up onto the bank. I lie down, sobbing, wishing I was dead too. I notice that I was bleeding from my side, where the wolf had dug his claws into me. I didn't care no more. My husband and babies were all dead now. I rolled over, face down on the bank, wishing death would take me soon.

"After some time passed, oh, maybe an hour, I hear a whimpering sound by me. I look up and see the wolf. He has his nose just inches from my face. I not scared though. I saw what he did to save me. Besides, at the moment, I didn't care if I lived or died.

"And then, like a puppy dog, he start licking my face. So, after a few moments, I sit up and rub his head a little, and he continue licking me.

"'Thank you, Lou, thank you for saving me,' I say. That when I name him Lou.

"I pull my blouse up a little to check my side where it bleeding, and as if Lou trying to take care of me, he begin licking my wound. It burn like fire at first, but I let him be. Then after a while, it don't burn no more. It kinda feels like what he is doing is helping.

"Then, I remember that the man shot at Lou five times. I start to run my hands up and down his body because I know he must be injured. But the strange thing is I can't find any wounds on him. So, I figured what happened was that man was so scared of Lou that he missed all five shots. I continue holding Lou, rubbing him up and down, and he continue to nurse my wounds for me.

"A little later, I start to get really tired and sleepy. It like I can't hold my eyes open no more. So, I lie down on my back, and Lou lies next to me. I feel secure now. Soon, I drift off to sleep.

"When I wakes up the next morning and open my eyes, the first thing I do is look around for Lou. But he gone. I look out in the water and notice the other boat gone, but ours still there, pulled halfway up on the bank. When I walks over to look, I see that the poor bodies of my babies and Jim are gone, as well as those of Mr. Harley and the two murderers. I continue to look around a bit, but don't find anything. Everything is gone except our boat and paddles. And someone has washed away all the blood from last night.

"I still exhausted and tired, but I manage to get in the boat and paddle my way home. Once I finally get back, I take a long, hot bath. The strange thing is that my wounds are somehow almost healed. And I so tired, all I feel like doing is sleeping. After my bath, I head to my bed and fall asleep.

"I sleep till about noon when the chickens and pigs wake me up. They hungry cause they haven't been fed yet. I get up out of bed, let the chickens loose, and feed them and the pigs. Afterward, I sits for a spell and think about what I should do. I think that if I goes to the Sheriff, he will probably think I'm crazy. He might even accuse Jim and me of killing Mr. Harley once they find him gone.

"So, within the next days, I make up a story to our neighbors that Jim went to work a job with his brother in Mississippi, and he took the children with him for the time being.

"Well, a few days go by, and someone notices Mr. Harley is missing. They report it to the Sheriff. Two days later, a couple of hoodlums are arrested after they got drunk and killed another man in a New Orleans barroom. The Sheriff found Mr. Harley's wallet and some of his other belonging with them. That when I realize what must have happen that night. Those two outlaws that killed Jim and my babies must have been working with some other outlaws to rob Mr. Harley. When the two didn't return from killing Mr. Harley, the others came looking for them and found all the dead bodies. They probably clean all that up while I was asleep, as not to leave a trail for the Sheriff to follow.