Awchewa

Chapter 1 It’s Time >>>–*<>*–< ruby="" clutched="" the="" leather="" medicine="" pouch="" hanging="" around="" her="" neck="" while="" she="" scanned="" the="" horizon="" from="" her="" hilltop="" vista.="" “i’ve="" seen="" this="" day="" before,”="" she="" whispered="" to="" herself.="" her="" snow-white="" wisps="" of="" waist-length="" hair="" feathered="" around="" her="" face="" and="" fluttered="" behind="" her.="" the="" long="" line="" of="" cedar="" bordering="" her="" garden="" swayed,="" and="" lush="" rows="" of="" lavender="" spikes="" whipped="" in="" the="" sudden="" breeze.="" in="" a="" nearby="" rose="" bed,="" heavy="" buds="" began="" to="" bob="" and="" weave.="" then="" the="" temperature="" took="" a="" noticeable="" dip.="" the="" ground="" she’d="" tilled="" that="" morning="" stirred="" and="" a="" swipe="" of="" gray="" smeared="" across="" the="" texas="" hill="" country="" sky="" with="" a="" hint="" of="" coming="" rain.="" “ah,="" yes.”="" a="" blush="" touched="" her="" cheeks="" as="" the="" trace="" of="" a="" knowing="" smile="" spread="" to="" her="" eyes.="" “it’s="" time.”="" a="" single="" white="" feather="" fell="" from="" her="" hair="" and="" drifted="" across="" the="" garden="" caught="" up="" in="" a="" crosswind="" with="" the="" sound="" of="" her="" voice.="" “it’s="" time.="" it’s="" time.”="">>>–*<>*–< from="" her="" perch="" on="" the="" edge="" of="" a="" picnic="" table,="" nearly="" a="" hundred="" miles="" away,="" fifteen-year-old="" katie="" la="" hoya="" glanced="" up="" from="" her="" cell="" phone="" screen.="" she="" wasn’t="" sure="" what="" she’d="" heard="" if="" anything="" at="" all.="" mom="" and="" dad="" were="" just="" coming="" back="" from="" a="" hike="" along="" the="" lake="" shore—too="" far="" away="" for="" it="" to="" have="" been="" them.="" her="" eight-year-old="" brother="" allen="" was="" still="" practicing="" soccer="" drills="" at="" the="" bottom="" of="" the="" knoll="" they’d="" chosen="" for="" their="" first="" summer="" picnic.="" what="" was="" it,="" then?="" she="" pulled="" her="" dark="" sunglasses="" to="" the="" top="" of="" her="" head="" and="" looked="" around.="" then="" she="" saw="" it.="" cast="" in="" a="" ray="" of="" sunlight,="" the="" shimmering="" bird="" glided="" across="" the="" lake.="" as="" it="" skimmed="" the="" surface="" with="" feet="" outstretched,="" water="" sprayed="" behind="" it="" like="" tiny="" drops="" of="" pure="" gold.="" then,="" without="" the="" slightest="" shift="" in="" majesty,="" the="" stunning="" swan="" folded="" its="" exquisite="" wings="" and="" came="" to="" rest="" in="" a="" state="" of="" grace="" perfectly="" reflected="" on="" the="" surface="" of="" the="" lake.="" “did="" you="" see="" that?”="" allen="" yelled.="" katie="" tucked="" a="" length="" of="" her="" bangs="" behind="" an="" ear="" and="" grinned.="" she="" knew="" what="" he="" wanted.="" she="" grabbed="" the="" half="" empty="" bag="" of="" hamburger="" buns="" and="" jogged="" down="" to="" meet="" him.="" “be="" careful.”="" he="" couldn’t="" wait.="" he="" snatched="" the="" bag="" and="" took="" off="" running,="" mousy-brown="" curls="" flying.="" a="" flock="" of="" geese="" crowded="" around="" the="" little="" dock="" in="" anticipation="" of="" the="" feast="" he="" offered,="" but="" the="" swan="" remained="" unfazed="" by="" his="" offering.="" “beautiful,”="" mom="" whispered="" when="" she="" joined="" katie.="" they="" stood="" together,="" fists="" on="" hips,="" and="" admired="" the="" scene="" while="" allen="" tossed="" breadcrumbs="" for="" the="" waterfowl.="" when="" katie="" noticed="" their="" matching="" stance,="" she="" shoved="" her="" hands="" into="" her="" jeans="" pockets.="" it="" was="" bad="" enough="" strangers="" assumed="" they="" were="" sisters.="" she="" didn’t="" need="" people="" calling="" them="" twins.="" of="" course,="" mom="" was="" the="" pretty="" one—unlike="" katie,="" who’d="" won="" her="" weird="" colored="" eyes="" in="" some="" cruel="" gene-pool="" lottery.="" "witch-hazel,"="" mom="" called="" them—too="" pale="" for="" hazel="" with="" flecks="" of="" green="" and="" amber="" that="" glowed="" unexplainably="" in="" a="" particular="" light.="" it="" was="" the="" source="" of="" katie's="" greatest="" annoyance="" and="" the="" reason="" for="" her="" obsessive="" devotion="" to="" sunglasses.="" all="" she="" ever="" wanted="" was="" to="" be="" normal="" like="" the="" other="" girls—something="" she="" hadn’t="" been="" since="" prissy="" little="" amanda="" worthington="" called="" her="" “witch-eyes”="" during="" a="" third-grade="" soccer="" match.="" all="" these="" years="" later,="" katie="" still="" hadn’t="" lived="" it="" down.="" she="" pulled="" her="" shades="" down="" to="" cover="" her="" eyes="" and="" kicked="" allen’s="" abandoned="" soccer="" ball="" across="" the="" grass.="" thundered="" cracked,="" and="" a="" telltale="" whiff="" of="" wet="" earth="" filled="" katie’s="" senses.="" above="" them,="" massive="" gray="" clouds="" lumbered="" in="" like="" an="" elephant="" stampede.="" tree="" limbs="" rustled="" with="" an="" increasing="" frenzy,="" and="" a="" stack="" of="" paper="" plates="" flew="" out="" of="" the="" trash="" can="" like="" playing="" cards="" dealt="" out="" on="" family="" night.="" the="" first="" raindrops="" glanced="" katie’s="" sunglasses.="" “i="" knew="" this="" weather="" was="" too="" good="" to="" be="" true,”="" mom="" said.="" “you’d="" better="" go="" get="" him.="" we="" don’t="" want="" to="" be="" trapped="" here="" all="" day="" in="" another="" downpour="" like="" last="" time.”="" she="" turned="" uphill.="" katie="" knew="" that="" was="" right.="" she="" dashed="" toward="" the="" water="" like="" a="" soccer="" player="" making="" a="" run="" on="" goal.="" “come="" on,="" allen!="" we’ve="" got="" to="" go.”="" she="" took="" a="" side-swipe="" at="" the="" soccer="" ball="" as="" she="" zipped="" past.="" it="" was="" a="" perfect="" shot="" straight="" into="" the="" cattails.="" she="" might="" have="" yelled="" “goal,”="" if="" only="" in="" her="" head,="" except="" for="" the="" angry="" white="" bird="" that="" flew="" out="" of="" the="" reeds.="" what="" the="" heck!="" the="" swan="" dove="" at="" her,="" flapping="" its="" wings="" and="" striking="" her="" with="" its="" beak="" until="" her="" sunglasses="" flew="" off.="" katie="" covered="" her="" face="" with="" her="" arms="" and="" screamed,="" but="" the="" deranged="" bird="" continued="" to="" batter="" her="" with="" its="" wings.="" she="" felt="" herself="" falling="" in="" slow="" motion—like="" she="" had="" been="" falling="" for="" so="" long="" she'd="" lost="" sight="" of="" the="" idea="" she="" might="" ever="" hit="" the="" ground.="" her="" brother’s="" shouts="" came="" from="" an="" ever-greater="" distance="" until="" she="" couldn’t="" hear="" his="" voice="" anymore.="" she="" fought="" to="" open="" her="" eyes,="" tried="" to="" yell,="" to="" scream,="" to="" cry="" out="" for="" help,="" but="" she="" couldn’t="" make="" a="" sound.="" then="" something="" brushed="" past="" her="" ears.="" through="" what="" sounded="" like="" static="" on="" the="" radio,="" she="" barely="" made="" out="" a="" raspy="" woman’s="" voice.="" it="" spiraled="" around="" her,="" chanting="" in="" a="" foreign="" language.="" is="" that="" chinese?="" the="" voice="" repeated="" the="" same="" maddening="" phrase,="" over="" and="" over="" again,="" while="" a="" drumbeat="" tapped="" out="" the="" cadence="" of="" the="" voice—that="" incessant="" voice—chanting="" crazy="" words.="" “ya="" awchewa.="" ko’l="" apen="" ac="" aw="" is,="" ya="" awchewa.="" ana!="" apansus="" e="" eyawa.="" eye="" e="" eyawa.="" ya="" awchewa="" e="" eyawa!”="" katie="" grew="" dizzy="" with="" the="" sound="" of="" it.="" the="" beat="" quickened—the="" words="" becoming="" clearer="" with="" each="" repeated="" phrase.="" awchewa!="" when="" she="" heard="" the="" voice="" in="" her="" head,="" her="" eyes="" flew="" open.="" lightning="" flashed,="" and="" the="" last="" resistance="" of="" the="" storm="" broke="" free="" with="" a="" thunderbolt.="" dad’s="" body="" shielded="" her="" from="" the="" rain="" as="" his="" frightened="" face="" looked="" down="" at="" her.="" “what="" happened,="" honey?”="" he="" pulled="" her="" to="" her="" feet.="" “are="" you="" hurt?”="" chilled="" to="" the="" core,="" katie="" felt="" the="" world="" spinning="" beneath="" her.="" “it="" came="" out="" of="" nowhere.”="" allen="" beamed,="" beside="" himself="" with="" excitement.="" “you="" should’ve="" seen="" it,="" dad.="" it="" was="" all="" over="" her.="" just="" pecking="" and="" pecking="" like="" it="" was="" trying="" to="" kill="" her.”="" his="" frantic="" gestures="" were="" too="" much="" for="" katie.="" she="" cringed="" and="" backed="" away.="" crack!="" her="" sunglasses="" snapped="" in="" two,="" but="" she="" couldn’t="" see="" the="" crushed="" remains="" of="" her="" protective="" shield.="" all="" katie="" could="" see="" was="" the="" swarm="" of="" firefly="" lights="" rotating="" around="" her="" in="" alternating="" green="" and="" gold.="" then,="" there="" was="" that="" woman’s="" voice="" again.="" “awchewa,”="" katie="" said="" aloud.="" “what?”="" mom="" grabbed="" katie’s="" arm,="" her="" expression="" blank.="" “what="" did="" you="" say?”="" katie="" hugged="" herself.="" “i="" think="" i="" ...="" i’m="" going="" to="" be="" sick.”="" “we="" need="" to="" get="" you="" home.”="" mom="" slipped="" her="" arm="" around="" katie’s="" waist="" and="" steered="" her="" up="" the="" now="" slippery="" slope="" while="" the="" skies="" fell="" around="" them.="" “what="" is="" it,="" becca?”="" dad="" flanked="" the="" path="" behind="" them.="" “should="" we="" take="" her="" to="" the="" emergency="" room?”="" “just="" get="" my="" purse,”="" mom="" snapped.="" “we="" need="" to="" get="" her="" home.”="" katie="" glanced="" back="" at="" her="" sunglasses="" left="" in="" the="" grass.="" they="" were="" ruined,="" of="" course.="" there="" was="" nothing="" that="" could="" be="" done="" to="" save="" them,="" now.="" dad="" hollered="" at="" allen.="" “come="" on,="" son.="" stop="" messing="" around.”="" katie="" watched="" her="" soggy="" brother="" run="" toward="" them="" with="" a="" fistful="" of="" grimy="" swan="" feathers.="" another="" one="" lay="" on="" the="" path="" in="" front="" of="" him.="" did="" it="" glimmer?="" she="" wasn’t="" sure.="" allen="" snatched="" it="" up.="" “i’m="" coming.”="" he="" smiled="" up="" at="" her.="">>>–*<>*–