Black Wind Part 3

Madelaine brushed her short, brown hair, neatly placed the brush on the dresser then crossed the room and pulled back the covers of the bed in Mrs. Hanson's guestroom.  She laid down and, staring up at the ceiling, linked her hands behind her head.  Tears prickled her eyes as she thought about Grandmother.  She'd never seen her Grandmother cry but when she heard about the slaughter men and Black Wind, several big tears rolled down her wrinkled cheek before she took a deep breath and blinked hard.  Madelaine still felt that warm glow right in the middle of her chest from Grandmother's words to her.

"Madelaine, you're just like your momma and daddy.  Brave and good.  You've made this old woman proud."


 She'd ducked her head and smiled.  Grandmother didn't do a lot of talking but what few words she said, she really meant.  Somehow, later when Mrs. Hanson and Billy took her to Famous Dave's the ribs tasted especially delicious.

She was still thinking about all the things that had happened that day when her eyes drifted shut.

The screeching of door hinges snagged Madelaine and abruptly yanked her from sleep.  Eyes wide, she stared at the door into the dimly lit hallway, her heart pounding.  Uncle David had snuck in her room at Grandmother's a couple of times just so he could wake her up and yell at her, and one time, he slapped her.  She had never figured out why Uncle David got so angry with her.  It took her a moment to remember she wasn't at Grandmother's.  Uncle David couldn't get in her room here at Mrs. Hanson's, could he?

She laid so still she barely dared to breathe.  Her eyes were beginning to hurt from being stretched so wide open when she saw a shadow, hunched close to the floor, easing into the room.  Her heart raced so hard she thought it must be in a full out gallop.  Madelaine wanted to call out to Mrs. Hanson or Billy who was sleeping on the couch in the living room but her mouth was so dry she couldn't hardly move her tongue.

"Mmmmmmm," a high pitched whine came from the slinking shadow that had stopped halfway across the room.

Madelaine sucked in a deep breath and her heart slowed enough that she could hear the dog's toenails clicking on the hardwood floor. "Hairy?  Come here, boy."  She swung her legs out of the covers and sat up, waiting for the dog.

Hairy quickened his pace, whining that high pitched sound of distress.  When he reached Madelaine, he thrust his big head in her lap.  His whines came quicker and deeper until he drew his head back to look up at her and bark.  Deep, rolling barks, demanding barks.

"Shhh.  You'll wake everybody.  Be quiet, Hairy."

Still the big dog barked.  He began backing away, edging towards the hallway, staring at her, barking and barking.

"Okay, I'm coming.  Let me put on my shoes."  Madelaine slipped her feet into her Nikes and followed the dog down the stairs.

Hairy dashed ahead then would spin around and run back as if to say, "Hurry! Hurry!"

As Madelaine stepped from the last stair, an orange light flickered on the kitchen wall.  Hairy was at the backdoor scratching and whining again.  She ran to the kitchen door and looked out across the backyard.  "Oh, no!"  She whirled and dashed into the living room.  "Billy!  Billy, wake up!"  She shook the man's shoulder hard.

"Whaaa?"  He mumbled as he tried to turn away from her hand.

"You gotta get up! The barn's on fire!"

Billy shot up, swinging his feet to the floor and shoving his boots on.  "Fire?"

Madelaine nodded.  "Yes, the barn.  We've gotta get the horses out!"

"Go wake up Mom." He yelled as he raced for the back door, Hairy close on his heels.

By the time Madelaine and Mrs. Hanson, in her nightgown and fuzzy slippers, ran out Hairy was nipping Wellington's heels, forcing the old gelding into a shambling trot away from the burning barn.  Orange and red flames danced along the roof of the barn, shooting up against the cobalt blue sky.

Suddenly, Hairy returned and dashed into the open, black maw of the barn.  Horses screamed from the darkness within.  Without thinking, Madelaine raced for the barn.

"Madelaine, come back here!"  She heard Mrs. Hanson shout as she entered the thickening, swirling gray smoke.

Billy stepped out of the fog of smoke, thrusting a lead rope into her hands.  "Take Silver Ghost."

She grabbed the rope and jogged from the barn.  Mrs. Hanson met her a few steps away from the barn door.  She thrust the lead into the old woman's hands and before Mrs. Hanson could stop her, Madelaine ran back to the barn.  She had to get to Black Wind!