Little Cinder Soot

11

11.

"Come on baby keep up," Sassy said as her and Sage ran to the shed. They trampled through woods and tripped over uprooted trees and then finally they made it to the shed. Sassy tried to open the door but it was rotted and a rusty lock was gracing the door, permitting no enterance.

"Stay up here," Sassy commanded Sage and then she hopped into the shallow water by the shed and slowly walked to the front of the shed. She slipped as the ground dipped deep below her, and she had to fight to get to the surface, as she did she whipped her hair back to move the hair from her face and then she grabbed hold of the side of the shack and pulled herself back up onto the shallow end of the bayou.

She looked up and saw Sage waiting anxiously by the shoreline. Sassy took a breathe and tried to ignore the fear of what was under the water. She looked for a handle on the door of the shack but couldnt find a way to open it. "Push it mommy!" Sage yelled from the bank of the Bayou. and sassy did as her daughter said and gave it a mighty push and then a mightly scream as a shack full of bones fell down on top of her pushing her under the water, into the silt on the bottom.

    She fought to reach the surface and once air hit her lungs she took in a deep breath. God there was so many bones. "Mommy!" Sage screamed from the shore. Sassy looked over to where her daughter stood. Her eyes wide in fear.

"Its okay!" she yelled back and then she pushed herself back into the shed. There were so many bones piled into the shack that she was soon walking on them instead of the silt on the floor of the Bayou. Biting back the urge to vomit she walked all the way into the shack and let her eyes adjust to the darkness and then she saw it. A boat far back in the corner. It was a little bass boat that had seen better days and the motor looked like it was going to disenegrate into the water. She looked around the shack for oars and saw them attatched to wall.

She quickly stepped up higher on a pile of bones, pulled them off the wall and then walked to the boat itself. Pushing it away from its home in the corner it skidded over the skeletal remains making a horrible grinding sound and as it floated towards the door, Sassy threw the oars in the boar along with herself.

    As the boat floated through the shacks opening she grabbed the oars and manurvered it to the shore where Sage was still waiting. She stuck the oar into the mud by the shore and ushered Sage into the boat and shivered as she saw Daniella watching from the edge of the woods.

    Sassy pushed away from the bank stuck the oars into the water and took off to where she could here Hope splashing around and Hunter swimming. Praying that there were no gators in the area, Sassy pushed herself to her limits to meet up with them.

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Hunter treaded water for a moment trying to regain his breath and to search for Hope at the same time. He was extremely glad that he has signed her up for those Guppy Lessons last year, for he could still hear her treading water.

He looked for her and then sighed in relief when he saw her up a little ways in front of him. Pushing away the fear that other things were in the water with him that could harm them both he pushed himself further until he reached her and pulled her towards him.

"Hunter!" she cried as her brother pulled her close while still treading water. "Holy shit, I thought I lost you," he cried. Then he heard oars hitting the water as Sassy pulled up in a bass boat that has seen many the better day. "Here," Hunter said as he lifted Hope from the bayou water and into the bass boat. Sassy enveloped Hope into a massive hug and cried loudly, in fear and joy. Hunter grasped the side of the bass boat and went to pull himself in, when something grabbed his ankle and pulled him under the water.

"HUNTER!" the three girls screamed. Sassy scanned the water frantically. But she couldnt see him surface.

"Someones gotta keep me company," a ghostly voice echoed across the bayou.