The River Man (An excerpt) by Jenifer D. Ruano (best motivational books of all time .txt) 📕

my spell and I look up and across the river bank to the large eucalyptus tree from where it called and notice a wooden shack standing in a section of overgrown grass and shrubbery on the other side. It stands about twenty feet from the river bank and is no larger than a tool shed. The crow caws again and soars proudly over my head before disappearing into the dense trees.

I look curiously over at the shack again, unable to pull my eyes away. What would a shack be doing there? I think to myself. Suddenly I hear a twig snap from behind me and I spin around quickly. Nothing is there. The forest becomes eerily quiet and I feel as if eyes are watching me. Feeling vulnerable I pick up a large stick from the ground and hold it tightly and turn slowly around myself, shifting my eyes around the forest, hearing my heart in my ears.

“Hello?” I call out. There is no answer. The sun ducks behind a set of gray clouds and turns the sky a hazy blue. I watch the forest carefully for a few minutes more before dropping the stick and walking back toward the trail.

“Who are you?” A gruff voice calls out from behind me and I suck in my breath, spin around and lock eyes with a man; a man six feet tall. His dirt blonde hair falls sloppily at his shoulders and his rain hat, brown and tattered, looks as if it was stitched to his head.

“What are you doing here?” He asks, annoyed.

My body and tongue are paralyzed with fear.

“Did you hear me girl?” He says and steps out from behind the long shadow of Redwoods and comes closer. A pungent smell of wet leather and campfire smoke follows him and sits at the back of my nose.

I stammer backwards, “Please don’t…” My voice is trapped. “Please don’t hurt me.”

His dirt smudged face softens and he runs his left hand over his scraggly beard and takes in a deep breath. “I ain’t gonna hurt you girl.” He says and looks up to the sky and then back at me with his watery emerald green eyes.

Another breeze passes through the hollow and I shiver lightly.

“I didn’t mean to scare you Alice,” he says tentatively and his gaze shifts to the ground. “Just calm yourself.”

My breath catches in my throat as my eyes widen. “Wait, how did you know…?”

Just then the crow caws loudly from above my head and sails in through a series of trees before landing at the man’s feet. The man watches the crow as it tucks its wings underneath itself and then caws once more at me.

He looks down at the crow and nods before turning back to me. “I’ve been expecting you Alice.” He says and a smile touches his eyes.

(Chapter Three coming soon).

Copyright 2010 Jenifer D. Ruano
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Publication Date: 03-01-2010

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