July (The Year of The Change Book 1) (16 page)

“The poor thing. Where’s its mother?”

A bigger sheep butted it, knocking it to the ground. The little pile of fleece fought to regain her feet, as the others stepped on her. It cried louder. I winced and fought back the urge to climb over the gate and protect the little piddler.

“She’s a twin. Her mother abandoned her and chose her larger twin brother to feed.”

My eyes went wide as I watched the lamb crawl just far enough away that she could get to her feet. She bleated morosely behind a wall of bigger white blobs. Looking into her eyes was heart wrenching. We had something in common and my soul reached out to her.

“Then who feeds her?” I asked. She obviously didn’t have a grandmother to take care of her.

“We do – well, mostly Rob does since he gets here first in the morning.”

I looked at Rob who watched the lamb being buffeted by the larger, older sheep.

“Isn’t there anything we can do?” The poor thing was all alone with no one to protect her.

Rob huffed. He set his jaw, reached over the gate, and snatched the lamb. She’d been knocked down again and his move kept her from being trampled. He placed her on the ground at his feet and she immediately bounded over to me. My heart rejoiced! Rob's jaw dropped as he watched the lamb rub against my leg.

Positioning her away from my feet, I knelt down and petted her. “Thank you, Rob.” I couldn’t help looking him in the eyes, hoping he could see how grateful I was.

He looked away and I stood. He breathed hard and arched his back as though it were tight. I didn't feel any pain emanating from him. I tightened my muscles and readied to run, not sure what Rob might do now. It was unwise of me to look directly in a boy’s eyes. What was I thinking?

The lamb rubbed against my leg, and prodded me until I bent over and petted her some more.

Jimmy looked at Rob dubiously. “Are you going to keep an eye on her?”

I looked at my cousin to make sure he was referring to the lamb and not me. Rob nodded without a word. “Okay, how 'bout if we go swimming?”

"Where at?" Tam bounced in place

"There's a pond on the far end of the next pasture. We swim there all the time."

The twins were all excited about the pond and clapped with glee. They, like me, were always ready to swim.

I looked down at the knob-kneed blob of wool, worried that Rob would be left out because of his kindness. “What about the lamb?”

“Oh, Mary can come, too.” Jimmy shrugged.

I guessed swimming with livestock was common around here. "You named her? Mary?”

He looked at Rob and snickered. “Yeah, you know the nursery rhyme, Mary Had a Little Lamb? Well, Mary
was
a little lamb, whose fleece was white as snow, and everywhere Mary went …” He trailed off since we all knew the rhyme.

Tim perked up. “And everywhere Mary went, she was bound to flow, like all over Sylv’s shoes.” We all laughed.

I ruffled his hair. “I’ve never thought of you as a poet and I still don't.” He batted my hand away. "You better keep your day job." I dodged his swing and laughed.

My cousin led the way back to the house so we could get permission to go to the pond and change our clothes.

We arrived at the house to find the adults sitting on the front deck. Jimmy was a good story teller and told the sheep tale in a way that almost made me laugh--almost.
She
and Dad laughed long and hard about my wet shoes. Sue only scrunched up her nose and looked disgusted.

When done guffawing at my expense,
she
took me to the shed that was attached to the garage. A washing machine was housed there just for this purpose. I took my shoes and socks off, shivering as the cold concrete stung my bare, wet feet. I tossed in the dirty smelly things as
she
poured detergent and set the dials on the antiquated machine. Outside,
she
turned on the garden hose and sprayed my feet real good before letting me go in the house. Mary bleated at the door until I came out.

The pond was on the other side of
her
property. We went back along the dusty trail. The same one we took to the upper pasture that morning. Yet another gate loomed near the top of the highest hillock. How many more of these rickety, old things could there be in this dry, tan landscape? Rob made sure each gate was locked behind us before he caught up. I couldn't see him without turning my head. His footsteps closed in. He was too close.

Supposedly, the swimming hole was big. At first, I’d imagined a mere puddle, even though Jimmy said it was ten feet deep off the dock area. I was sure he was exaggerating. I wasn't expecting much in this sparse, dead area. When we came over the last hillock and looked down, I was pleasantly surprised. The oasis was lush green and very much alive.

On the far side, away from the dock, cattails and reeds grew tall. Also ringing this paradise were young, supple trees and brush that filled in the spaces between, except around the dock.

There was only one thing that could’ve marred this beautiful oasis.

Three teenage boys lounged on the dock. They were all about the same height. One was blond, the other two brunettes. The blond had a medium build, and the brunettes were extreme in their differences. One was husky, with a small extra tire, and the other was exceedingly skinny.

I stopped as the others continued down the hill. I wasn’t so sure I should be there. The thought of returning to the house galloped through my head. Rob came up from behind and I could feel his breath on my ear.

“Don’t worry about them, they’re easily handled.” His flat, harsh voice sent shivers up my spine. Behind me, he flexed his hands as though readying for a fight.

Running away was my first impulse, but I wasn’t sure which direction. Should I run away from Rob and toward the boys on the dock, or should I run from the boys – having to get by Rob first – and go to the house? Indecision rooted me to the spot. Rob stayed too close. His hot breath moved hairs on my neck.

Must. Slow. Breathing!

Jimmy looked back and his expression wasn’t as confident. “It’s only Cameron and his friends. They’re pests, but we can handle them.”

Rob knocked fists with Jimmy and then Tim, who had joined in their male posturing.

Jimmy shot a concerned glance at Rob before he continued down the trail. This new development had my guts twisted. When Jimmy moved, I followed – like my little flop-eared friend behind me – not sure what I was getting into.

I picked up my pace, partly to put some space between me and Rob. Mostly the water pulled me toward its serene shore with the promise of swimming and having fun. Both of which had been at a minimum this year. Some carefree time would do me a world of good. And I would, if Rob could keep his distance. The doubt that he could fight The Change lingered since he practically walked on my heels. Aunt Betty seemed to think Rob was harmless, even though it was obvious he was affected.

The gentle slope, to the water’s edge, put us in the boys’ view. The husky one noticed us first and nudged the blond, who lazily turned his head to gawk. The skinny one, about to jump in, stopped mid-stride, turning to scrutinize our approach.

They watched our advance with big grins. Their stillness, at first, turned to jabs and cackled laughter. They were so immature.

I knew they couldn’t be affected yet. So I attributed the grins to the fact that we were strangers and they were delighted for the new faces and distraction we would provide. I had a feeling any girl could have drawn their attention, so staying downwind from them wasn’t going to help.

As we neared I could see they were cute in their own differing ways. Nonetheless, here were three boys I wouldn’t miss when we left.

Sigh. Still, I wouldn’t get to enjoy their enthusiastic attention that was sure to come. It was best I wasn’t attracted. With the way Jimmy and Rob frowned at them, there was definitely bad blood between them. As easy going as my cousin was, they must’ve done something really terrible to get on his bad side.

Perhaps there was another area to swim in and we could ignore their juvenile behavior.

I didn’t see another open area of bank around the large pond. The best place to swim was off the dock so when Jimmy took a trail that wound around and led us in the direction of the boys, I wasn’t surprised. There would be no avoiding this catastrophe.

The trail forked and Jimmy led us to the left that circled around to the dock. The closer I drew to the swimming hole, the more the water siren enticed me and my muscles begged to be in it.

Bandit bounded past us and rushed to the water’s edge, where he lapped loudly. I scrunched up my nose at the thought of drinking the dark water. From the look of it, it was barely swimmable.

We got within hearing distance and the blond tried to look nonchalant as he spoke. “Well, Jimbo, how’d
you
ever rate such good lookin’ friends?”

If my cousin hadn't been frowning I would’ve thought the boy was just kidding, even though his condescending voice put my teeth on edge.

The hungry way he looked at me was easy to ignore, on the other hand the leer he raked over Tam had me boiling. Tam didn’t know what to make of the intolerable boy and stepped behind me. I frowned at the offensive male. Tim positioned himself beside Tam. He looked downright protective. Tim was growing up way too fast if he understood the blond’s expression.

Jimmy tossed his towel on the edge of the dock. “Shut up, Cameron.” He pulled off his shirt dropping it on top of his towel.

"Ah come on, aren't ya gonna introduce us?" Cameron’s smirk incited a desire to slap it off his face.

By the way Rob huffed I would’ve bet he had the same desire.

Jimmy rolled his eyes before he pointed at the blond. "That's Cameron." He pointed at the heavy set boy. "That's Malcolm." He huffed. "That's Adam”

The skinny boy bowed and Malcolm backhanded him in the chest.

Malcolm half-grinned. "Hi." He blushed.

Was he affected already?

"These are my cousins Tim, Tam and Sylvia."

I didn't speak as the others said hi. I just kept my distance. Eye contact would most certainly make it worse.

Cameron leaned back on his elbows. "Obviously, you don't take after Jimbo’s side of the family."

Jimmy had enough. "Shut up, Cameron."

The boys cackled. In an odd way I was glad they looked so stupid. There was no way I would regret having to pass them up, and that made the situation easier.

Mary pushed past my legs and bleated as Bandit joined our huddle.

The really skinny boy, Adam, pointed at Mary. “Look, Jimmy brought his girlfriend!” The trio roared with laughter. Did I mention they were stupid, reeeeeally stupid?

Rob took a step, and Jimmy put out his arm to stop him. “It’s not worth it. Let Adam bray all he wants”

The boys abruptly stopped their revelry when they noticed Rob’s glower. They barely concealed the fear in their eyes. So they were afraid of Rob, too. That was a fear I understood and it confirmed what I thought when I first saw him. Rob is dangerous.

The dock moved slightly as I stepped onto it. I stopped and held the twins back. “Is this safe?” I shot a glare at Jimmy.

He chuckled as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. “Yeah, my dad and granddad built it a few years before granddad died.”

“But it’s moving.” I’d been on docks before, in Galveston. They definitely didn’t move.

“It’s supposed to move, it’s a floating dock so it raises and lowers with the water level.” He jumped and the boards all moved in unison.

Before I could grab them the twins jumped all the way across the dock, causing me to throw my arms out for balance. “How about the pond, is it safe to dive into?”

Jimmy’s know-it-all smirk irritated me. “Yeah, we clean the pond out every year when it’s at its lowest. Dad has a friend with a backhoe that digs it out and we make sure nothing has fallen in. That’s how come it’s so deep. It’s safe, trust me.” He kicked his shoes off. “Come on. Let’s see who can make the biggest splash.” He rushed to the edge and leapt into a cannonball. Not bad for a Sunday swimmer.

The twins and I put our towels with Jimmy’s, and kicked off our shoes. Rob pulled his t-shirt off and I tried not to gawk at his well-formed chest and a tattoo over his heart. He made all the other guys look like junior high kids. He turned around to drop his shirt on his shoes and I saw he had another tattoo – this one of a dragon -- between his shoulders that flowed onto his neck. I forced myself not to look.

Instead of gawking, like I wanted to, I concentrated on my first dive. For me, entering a body of water for the first time entailed a ritual. I sure hoped Jimmy was correct about the oasis being safe.

The last of his splash sprinkled my legs. That was it. I no longer wanted to swim, I needed to swim. I whipped off my over-shirt and kicked it to the side with my towel. I didn’t care that the water was so dark I couldn’t see a foot down, I needed to be wet.

The twins gleefully followed Jimmy in with cannonballs of their own. When they surfaced, they giggled and laughed. Being in the water made them happy, something we’d always had in common.

The blond continued to leer. The three of them kept their remarks to a whisper, among themselves, snickering at whatever they were saying.

The water didn’t look too bad when I approached the end of the dock. I missed our local pool back home. I missed my swim team and my friends. I just missed everything about home.

Rob hung back, waiting for me to jump in. His presence made me edgy. That didn’t stop me from showing off. With my back to the water, I scooted my feet to the edge until I was balanced just on my toes. I ignored Cameron and his buddies as they tried to rock the dock. I found it much harder to ignore Rob’s furious glares. I was sure he could easily turn violent. His hands clinched into fists and he leaned toward them. Now was the time if I was going to keep them from fighting.

With a deep breath I raised my arms straight out from my sides. This was a pose I knew better than walking. The wind gusted across my shoulders and blew tendrils of hair into my face. Closing my eyes, I sprung, throwing my arms over my head and arching my back.

Ah, yes!

It felt good to fly through the air. The warm breeze and hot sun caressed my body. I pulled my hands together as I slipped gracefully into the murky water. My body became buoyant and free. I twisted and turned, feeling my muscles respond to familiar commands. There was something divine about being submerged and free of my earthly cares. Here, it was only me and my thoughts. At the moment, my thoughts were centered on staying down as long as I could. When I was small, I used to pretend I was a mermaid. I practiced my mermaid moves and still wished I could grow a tail and gills.

Rolling to my back, I could barely see light filtering through the water and was amazed at how green the sun looked. I rolled over and over then dove for the bottom. It wasn’t sandy so much as it was muddy, or perhaps mucky was a better word for it. I didn’t like the feel. I arched and did back flips.

Just a little smug after my perfect back dive, I swam underwater to reach the reeds at the far end of the pond. It was a surprisingly long distance. The water being murky didn’t deter me. I loved swimming below the surface. I could hold my breath the longest of those on my swim team, even longer than Donny. It was wonderful to stretch my muscles and nice to know I still had fairly good breath control. Donny would be proud of me. I missed him.

All too soon, shallow water, clogged with vegetation, stopped my progress. With the last of my air, I pulled myself through the reeds. I’d always imagined, as a mermaid, swimming through vegetation would be fun. It’s not as cool as I thought it would be. In the middle of the water plants, I came up and couldn’t see anything until I waded through the cattails toward shore.

Back at the dock, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The scene would’ve been comical if Tam hadn’t been kneeling on the dock, crying. The boys, just below her, dove down, time and time again. I wondered what in the world she could’ve dropped in the water to make her so upset. Sue had told her not to bring her watch. I strode out of the pond and pushed through the bushes that made it almost impossible to navigate along the water’s edge. Skirting the undergrowth I stepped gingerly over the dried grass and hurried back to my little sister. An urgent need to be at Tam’s side to calm her pushed me faster.

When I finally broke out of the brush and onto the wooden planks of the dock I called out. “Tam, what are you crying about … what’s wrong?”

She jerked her head up, red eyes wide with relief. She jumped to her feet and ran the last two steps to me. “Oh, Sylvia, I thought you drowned!” She sobbed into my arms.

I stroked her wet hair, stunned she would think that. “I’m insulted. How could you ever think
I
could drown?”

Okay, so I was being cocky, as I tried to alleviate her stress. Really, how in the world could my little tadpole think that?

She breathed in a ragged breath while she thought.

With a smile, I looked to the others and was about to laugh at them for thinking such a silly thing. To my surprise the others all rushed me. Tim grabbed my waist and I put my other arm around him. Jimmy threw a big hug around all three of us.

To my chagrin, Cameron pushed through and took me in a bear hug, his light eyes wild with concern and slightly glossed over … affected. Rob and Jimmy yanked him off and threw him in the pond.

Adam, the really skinny one slipped in behind them and took me in a very boney embrace. “Sylvia, we were so worried.” He was surprisingly strong, and I couldn’t break his hold even though he looked as though I should be able to break him in half.

Rob came up and pulled him from me. Taking hold of Adam’s upper arm and the back of his cut-off jeans He threw him in the pond next to Cameron, who looked a little less affected.

With the two boys treading water I looked around for Malcolm. If he hugged me too tight, he could really hurt me. He stood at the edge of the dock with his arms extended, his face washed with stress and relief. I guessed he was too shy to approach me, frozen where he was, stuck between desire and fear. Rob also spotted Malcolm and, with a huff, stomped towards him. Malcolm’s eyes twitched to Rob and back to me. He swallowed and stepped back off the dock before Rob could reach him. Guilt for his distress washed over me.