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Overview
Kat Dueschner is determined to be the opposite of her heavenly-minded mother. She wants to be an adventurer rather than a nurturing mom and, as a result, Kat frequently gets into mischief. Joining her companion, Juan, on a night-time adventure to build an Easter fire in the hills, Kat is bit by a rattlesnake. Although her mother is leery of entering the forest, she rescues her daughter only to befall her own tragedy. The situation makes such an impression on Kat and Juan that their perspectives and ambitions change overnight--almost in opposite directions.
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940179431756 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Writers Exchange E-Publishing |
| Publication date: | 01/13/2024 |
| Sold by: | Draft2Digital |
| Format: | eBook |
| File size: | 935 KB |
Read an Excerpt
1984
Juan played nervously with the string on his bathing suit, his eyes on Kat. She stood above the pond, one-third of the way up the cliff, gripping the rope swing with determination. Juan's gaze followed the frayed rope up to the giant oak branch, a knot in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if there was any danger of the rope breaking; help was far away.
The pond was two-thirds enclosed by circular cliffs the height of a three-story building. The grotto had been carved by some ancient turbid river. A thin waterfall streamed from the top of the rocks, keeping the pond continuously supplied with cool, fresh spring water. Hundreds of cliff swallows flew to and from their clusters of gourd-like mud dwellings underneath the rock overhang, busily feeding their young, all the while singing at their chores.
Juan watched as Kat gripped the rope higher, keeping her feet above the jagged rocks beneath her launch point. "Don't let go too late, Kat," Juan said. "You'll end up in the deep end where all'em snappers are!"
Five enormous snapping turtles hovered underneath the glass-like pond surface. Two large catfish swam among them, their whiskers clearly visible. Juan looked warily at the water as Kat yelled out to him, "I am not afraid of them! They're afraid of me! That's why they're over there and not where I'm jumping!" Kat's lower lip stuck out in defiance.
Juan said slowly, "Kat don't. Remember when Lucas swam there and a snapper tried to take off his leg? He was an eighth grader and we're only in fifth grade."
"He still has his legs," Kat replied, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I should be in sixth grade if I hadn't gotleft back," she added, more proud of her one year advantage over Juan than her school performance.
"I saw him come out of the pond crying. His foot was covered with blood," Juan insisted.
"He only stepped on a sharp rock. Lucas is a cry baby anyway," Kat said, and resumed her fixed stare at the snapping turtles, clenching her fists on the rope. The caw of a crow echoed across the cliffs. It seemed to be cautioning her.
Before Juan could say another word, Kat lunged off her stoop. Juan watched as the rope took Kat across the pond like a giant pendulum, creaking with tension as it swung. At the point where the rope was about to swing back, she dropped directly over the turtles with a great splash. Juan could see some turtles dart off in different directions. But Kat didn't swim straight back to the beach. Juan could see her underwater, where the turtles had previously been swimming. She is struggling, Juan thought. "Kat!" he yelled desperately, his echo from the surrounding cliffs mocking him.
Kat emerged at the far side of the pond with a loud splash and yelled back, "Here I am! I tried to catch one, but it got away. My daddy could have caught him, I bet."
"Come back now. Please!" Juan said, trying to spot turtles near Kat.
Juan watched as Kat took her time swimming back, no more turtles in sight. The danger had passed. The hot sun and green vegetation, alive with insect sounds, made him feel happy once again. When Kat got near shore, he swam out to meet her. Kat greeted Juan with a splash, which developed into splash wars that continued until they were both exhausted.
Tired, they lay on the beach, basking under the sun and making up Indian stories. Both avoided mentioning anything remotely related to school, which started in only two days. They cherished the Texas Hill Country in the summer:--its lush valleys;, cool springs;, limestone mountains, lightly covered with spruces and oaks;, its Comanche legends;, its missionary past.
They continued entertaining themselves this way until their energy was drained. The hypnotic sound of the waterfall and the steady song of the cliff birds soon caused them to fall asleep.
Juan awoke to the faint ringing of a Texas dinner bell. It was getting dark and, as he often did, Kat's father was signaling Kat to come in for the night, as he often did. Juan shook Kat. and said, "Kat it's late. We've got to go back."
Jumping to her feet, Kat seemed to answer without even thinking,, "I know a short cut. We just follow the river."
"But what about La Llorona?"
"The La what?"
"You know, La Llorona. The lady in white that who haunts the rivers of the Hill Country at night, searching for her drowned children. She drowns anyone who sees her!"
"Not her again. How many times do I have to tell you? That old Spanish legend can't be true. How does anyone know about her if no one lives who sees her?"
Juan thought about this, but just became more frightened contemplating the legend. He sobered up quickly when Kat grabbed his hand and said firmly, "Come on!"
Kat helped Juan onto her pony, Sage, who had been patiently grazing near the water hole. She then gripped the reins near Sage's chin and walked with him shoulder to shoulder. It was almost a quarter mile walk downstream to get home. Although there was still some sunlight, the path home was dark, shrouded by the thick forest growing in the spring-fed canyon.
Juan held tightly to Sage's mane. He felt safe on this large, friendly beast. He thought Kat was brave to walk in the chilly darkness. "How come you are not riding Sage too?" Juan said with a slight shiver in his voice.
"He might not be able to see his way and he'll stumble on a rock. If he breaks his ankle, my dad would shoot him."
"But why? Your father isn't mean."
"Because it would never heal right. Ponies are almost always on their feet. They even sleep on their feet."
Juan didn't really listen to her answer, as he was [conflict of tenses] concerned that it was too dark to see the path. "How can you see the path?" he said, trying to conceal his fear.
"Easy. I look up."
"No, really, how do you know your way back?"
"My dad taught me to walk on a forest path at night by following the path up in the trees."
Juan looked up and saw the slash in the cypress forest canopy exposing the starlit sky. They were following the sky path perfectly. Kat knew so much.
As Juan was looking at the stars, Sage came to a halt, throwing Juan temporarily off balance temporarily and scaring him considerably. Juan then noticed a gray image, only twenty feet in front of them. A pair of red eyes shined at him hauntingly. His heart began to race. "La Ll-or-on-a!" he whispered, barely able to speak. Juan saw Kat doing something near Sage's hooves. could hear Kat doing something near the base of the horse[horse's don't have bases. Maybe just saw, near the horse's feet]. Then came a loud clack, Juan's heart skipped a beat. Then sSomething rustled through the forest. Juan felt his veins freeze. But the sound clearly moved away from them.
"It was that deer again," Kat said, "I threw a rock near him and he ran. Give up that legend, Juan."
Juan took a deep breath.
"You mean the old gray one deer with the broken antler that we saw at the Heinz farm last week?"
"And on Cross Mountain the week before. Yes, the same one," replied Kat. "He is the toughest animal in these woods. He survived everything. He has the instinct for survival--like the Comanches had. I'll bet he was has been around for one hundred years and knows all the mysteries of the forest. I'll be the one to hunt him down one day."
Kat tugged the rein to move forward. Sage protested a little but began walking again.
Finally, a clearing emerged, the meadow between their homes. On the right, Kat's bright white ranch house still overpowered the approaching darkness. Her father was sitting on the porch swing, gazing out over the meadow, smoking his pipe. On the left, a dim porch light flickered from Juan's modest home. Juan jumped off Sage and made a dash towards his home, hoping La Llorana would not capture him before he reached safety.
Juan felt as though the graduation ceremony was putting a close on those mysterious, adventure-filled summers of his youth. Deciding the graduation ceremony was simply not enough to close this chapter of his life, Juan planned to pay his respects to the person he most admired after the ceremony.[I would move this to the next chapter, with a date heading to show that time has passed.
The graduation ceremony was simply not enough to close the chapter on those mysterious, adventure-filled summers of his youth. After the ceremony, Juan planned to pay his respects to the person he most admired.
He followed the procession of his classmates out of the church and towards the school. The sun beamed pleasantly on the ten members of the Cedar Creek High School class of 1993. There, on the front steps of the white stone schoolhouse, the graduates threw up their caps and shouted a collective "Yeee-haw!" as a group picture was taken.
Juan surveyed the enthusiastic gathering and pondered how all of his schooling took place in that building nestled in a remote part of the Texas Hill Country. The largest city nearby was Fredericksburg, with a population only 6,410. Most of the graduates were descendents of early German settlers who founded the city and tamed the harsh wilderness over several generations since their arrival in the mid-1800s. Many of them grew up on peach farms or cattle ranches. All were planning on a better lifestyle, although few wanted to leave the Hill Country.
The graduates' families immediately closed in on them after the picture. The hugs, kisses and handshakes lasted twenty minutes before the scent of mesquite barbecue lured them all to the adjacent baseball field. Barbecued sausage, brisket and turkey awaited them at the graduation picnic. The party would also be a welcome break from country-life routine. It would be a time to catch up with friends, as well as an occasion to enjoy old traditions.
A local trio consisting of a dulcimer player, an accordion player and a vocalist began playing German folk songs under a large dining canopy. They were dressed in traditional German costume. Not so long ago, the whole town would dress in German costume for festivities, but some traditions weakened over time. Later, as the sun set and the temperature cooled, they would play polkas and fill the dirt dance area in front of them with boot shufflers.
A myriad of activities were available for the exuberant crowd. The beer stand quickly became tThe most popular attraction for the young men was the beer stand. Shiner bock, the Texas-made dark German-style beer, was the only one served. A raucous game of baseball attracted Tthe restless younger children began to play baseball. Some of the graduates lined up in front of the barbecue stand waiting impatiently for a turkey leg or sausage on a stick, their gowns hastily cast into a pile on the grass. The oOlder men gathered for cigarettes under the shade of one of the oak trees lining the field, complaining to each other about the dry weather and exchanging hunting tales. There are a lot of subject verb sentences here. Try to get a variety instead
[this whole paragraph is omniscient. It removes the reader from an intimacy with a particular character] A group of older women sat in a semi-circle on lawn chairs under another oak tree with branches that spread out like a canopy over them. From afar, they seemed expressionless and disinterested. In actuality, they were well-informed and were more like the Grecian gods monitoring and discussing all events carefully, except with no power to change the order of things. As an occasional teen caught their attention, they commented about how he or she had changed, and they recollected specific stories about them. The stories usually had to do with something unfortunate and typically began with "Remember when Mary's boy had the rickets" or "Allison's girl never quite recovered after being kicked in the head by that mule." The oldest of the group, Miss Peggy, sat tilted the whole time as if about to fall. She noticed[this shifts to Peggy's POV] the tall, thin figure of Juan Gonzalez in the distance and said, "There's Juan, bless his heart." They all watched Juan and his family for a moment, but none wished to voice the tragedy that entered their minds.
Juan knew his family was actually the proudest that day. He was not only the valedictorian, but the first in his family to graduate from high school. He stood heroically as he got hard-placed pats on the back from his four older brothers. To him, graduation was just a milestone, marking the beginning of that temporary period of summer rest before college studies began. He was always curious about science and, because of some childhood experiences, this inclination manifested itself into adulthood as a desire to become a medical doctor. He was anxious to reach his objective and envisioned working in a large hospital and discovering a cure for heart disease.
Juan's father and brothers were dressed in their best jeans and cowboy shirts: Sunday dress in the Hill Country. They were all ranch hands, as one could easily tell by their straight backs and leathery skin--a result of spending their days in the sun on horseback. Juan's brothers were all in their twenties and none of them had finished school. Juan's father, not accustomed to letting his feelings show, hugged him briefly and presented him with an enclosed brass pocket watch. The silver trinket looked strange in his father's large, callused hand. Juan opened the watch carefully. His eyes moistened as he beheld the slightly yellowing picture of his mother, Teresa, on the inside of the small door. His father gave him another small hug, without saying a word. "I have something to do," Juan said, "I will join you at the party."
As his family headed to the picnic grounds to claim a table, Juan crossed the street, and headed towards St. Mary's Church. He went around the back of the small limestone sanctuary to the cemetery. The grass there was bright green and well tended, contrasting with the dry grass on the other side of the surrounding barbed wire fence. It appeared as though the barbed wire was the only thing preventing the dry, harsh wilderness from encroaching upon the cemetery. Two heifers were sticking their heads through the wire for a taste of the better grass. Near the fence, he picked some blue bonnet and Indian paintbrush wildflowers and, after a brief search, placed them at his mother's headstone.
Juan paused for only a few minutes. He hadn't known her; she died during his birth. He then proceeded toward a lone grave beneath a large, sprawling live oak. On his approach, Juan felt a certain warmth building inside him. The marker was modest. He kneeled and brushed grass-clippings from the cold, flat stone, carefully fingering the letters KATHERINE DUESCHNER. March 15, 1985 read the year of death; nine years ago. Juan reverently placed his carnation and graduation cap on top of the gravestone. She had inspired him to achieve and to conquer his fears. Juan thought back on the events that had shaped his life and led to her death.
Juan Gonzales and Kat Dueschner were both ten and eleven years old, respectively, in the summer of 1984. Kat was the leader of the two. She enjoyed exploring and dreamed of being an adventurer like Jim Bowie or Davy Crockett. She also loved horses and took her pony, Sage, on most of their wilderness excursions. From a distance, her small round glasses made her seem a nice skinny farm girl. But Kat was a tomboy, and any kid who dared call her "Katherine" would, besides being thought of as crazy by the other kids, likely not survive the episode without a black eye. Only on rare occasions, by her mother's brute force, would Kat ever wear a dress or a pigtail. She preferred her farmer overalls and short hair, which were 'better for adventurers'.
It's funny that Kat chose Juan as her companion, as he was quite unlike her. The only thing they physically had in common was that they both wore glasses. His seriousness made him awkward and absent-minded. The fact that he was pudgy at the time did not help. Other children continually teased him. But he wasn't teased when Kat was around; she was his protector. She was more like an older sister than a pal.
Juan's family was of modest means. All that his father, Miguel, could afford for the five boys was a two-room flat house across the meadow from Kat's home. Miguel and Teresa Gonzalez had come from Mexico during their teens. Miguel worked as a ranch hand at one of the local cattle ranches. Kat's mother, Kathy Dueschner, and Teresa had been close friends. With the help of Mrs. Dueschner, Juan's father was able to provide enough to raise the boys properly.
Mrs. Dueschner supplied Juan's family with produce from the Dueschner farm, as well as educational materials and free tutoring for the boys. Juan devoured the science books Mrs. Dueschner brought him. He was typically shy, but if he had a friendly audience, he would talk constantly about unusual scientific facts he had stored in his memory. Kat often teased him that he scoured books all night, searching for tidbits, just to impress people.
Kat and Juan routinely explored the woods and meadows near their small town. Their goal was to explore every square foot of the surrounding territory. They already knew where the best places were to swim, fish, spot deer, or just hide from the world. They also were confident in their knowledge of what to avoid: poison ivy, only good for an occasional excuse to stop doing chores; fire ants, their stings left nasty welts; and dry gullies, during a rain storm one could be quickly washed away. But Kat's mother, who was not at all the outdoor type, constantly warned them to be more cautious and that "some dangers were not known until experienced." Kat just ignored her, as she did most practical adults. Juan cautiously followed Kat's lead.
Juan recalled how Kat thought herself invincible, despite the numerous small scars on her knees and arms. The small scar just over her left eyebrow was from jumping over the top of the high fence surrounding Mr. Heinz's bull, Hans. Her parents were bewildered as to what she was doing in his territory in the first place, given Hans' known temper. They were clearly suspicious of her explanation about "gathering flowers for a school project." Because of her frequent use of Band-Aids, her father fondly called her Patch, which was short for 'little patched up girl'.