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Life in the Woods: Chapter Two

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"Josiah, help me with this firewood!" 

Credence blew an exasperated breath, trying in vain to move the hair that was clinging to her face, tickling her cheeks and irritating her vision. 

Her little brother did not answer.

"Josiah!" she called again and was greeted with more vexing silence. Credence felt the urge to curse bubble in her throat but stifled it lest someone might be listening and tattle. 

Someone was always listening.

With a groan she tried to heave the heavy wood higher into her arms, but it fell to the ground with a less than amusing clatter.

"Damn it all!"

A small giggle rose from a corner of the barn.

"I heard you, I heard you!"

Josiah's annoying habit of singing his taunts rang loudly, and the eight-year-old scoundrel jumped out from hiding.

"Pa will have a spanking for you!" 

He laughed and bopped his sister's nose to emphasize his jeer. Credence tensed to strike back with fists, but used the moment to tuck her hair behind her ears and cut her brother down with words instead.

"Pa will have one for you too, when he discovers you've been shirking chores and hiding from me."

"Was not," Josiah whined, still wearing a mischievous smile. "I got distracted is all. By something important."

"Pa won't think so."

"He will!"

"What could be more important than chores?"

"Won't say if you're going to tattle."

"Won't escape a spanking if you don't reveal your secret."

Josiah huffed and puffed before reluctantly bringing his closed fist before Credence's face.

"Seemed like it was in trouble, like it needed help. I couldn't say no."

He opened his fist and Credence gasped at an impossibly tiny bird with a long sharp beak nestled in his palm.

"A hummingbird," Credence cooed. "He's so tiny!"

"Just a baby looks like, and he's cold. Do you think you could...?"

Josiah's voice trailed off and a small blush appeared on his cheeks.

It was a secret between them that sometimes, only very rarely, Credence could hear the voices of animals. It didn't always work, but Josiah beamed to see it done, for it seemed he did not have the same gift. They kept Credence's talent hidden from their parents, though neither understood why, other than it simply felt like the right thing to do.

Credence leaned her ear down to Josiah's hand and held her breath. She waited a moment, focusing on the bird. It was a bit like listening to the wind, trying to find a gentle current that carried an even softer pitch. At first she could only hear the sound of Josiah's breathing, but then, just barely, Credence caught a whimper, and then a scattering of words, high-pitched and humming: "Mmmmama...mama...maaa..."

"Don't fret, little bird," Credence whispered as quietly as she could, "we'll help you."

The animals never understood her, but she liked talking back anyway.

"It needs its mother."

"I've been trying to find the nest," said Josiah, guilt creeping into his voice. "That's why I wasn't doing chores. You know I couldn't just leave it." 

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