Fallen Wings (Chapter IX) The Crossroads...



Finally at the crossroads. The crossroads where really just a bunch of old dirt roads that linked the main road and the trails to the quarry. Once you were at this intersection you could go five different directions. Behind us let back the way we came. To our right was the way to the main road that lead out to town. To our left was the back way into another neighborhood, and ahead of us were two separate ways to the quarry. One took you to the north end, the other went of in two different trails that lead to the middle and south end of the quarry.

"John which way did Ol Man Parkins say he went when he found the feather?" I asked.

"He said he went down the south trail. He said he was going out there to go fishing in the middle of the quarry." John said. You could now hear the excitement in his voice. He was nearing the point of the incident. This is how he always got when he was so close, it was as if he could taste the adventure reaching its peak. The others had caught up with is. They were still lost in the conversation about how Jennifer "Must have flew 10 feet in the air before landing a blow on Joe's face".

"Which way are we going to go guys?" Dennis asked. "Did Ol'Man Parkins say which way he went?"

"We are going down the south trail, that is they way he said that he went." I said. John was already starting to walk in the direction of the trail of destiny. That is what he was calling it now. I guess that was better than "that trail on the left".

" I am kinda worried about Joe." Rusty said with concern in his voice. "Do you guys think I should go catch up with him and go back to camp?"

" That is up to you Rusty." John said. You could tell he was starting to get impatient with all the hold ups now. He was a man on a mission at this point. " If you want to go back with Joe, you can, but I have to go on. I have to find this spot where...

Fallen Wings (Chapter IX) The Crossroads...



Finally at the crossroads. The crossroads where really just a bunch of old dirt roads that linked the main road and the trails to the quarry. Once you were at this intersection you could go five different directions. Behind us let back the way we came. To our right was the way to the main road that lead out to town. To our left was the back way into another neighborhood, and ahead of us were two separate ways to the quarry. One took you to the north end, the other went of in two different trails that lead to the middle and south end of the quarry.

"John which way did Ol Man Parkins say he went when he found the feather?" I asked.

"He said he went down the south trail. He said he was going out there to go fishing in the middle of the quarry." John said. You could now hear the excitement in his voice. He was nearing the point of the incident. This is how he always got when he was so close, it was as if he could taste the adventure reaching its peak. The others had caught up with is. They were still lost in the conversation about how Jennifer "Must have flew 10 feet in the air before landing a blow on Joe's face".

"Which way are we going to go guys?" Dennis asked. "Did Ol'Man Parkins say which way he went?"

"We are going down the south trail, that is they way he said that he went." I said. John was already starting to walk in the direction of the trail of destiny. That is what he was calling it now. I guess that was better than "that trail on the left".

" I am kinda worried about Joe." Rusty said with concern in his voice. "Do you guys think I should go catch up with him and go back to camp?"

" That is up to you Rusty." John said. You could tell he was starting to get impatient with all the hold ups now. He was a man on a mission at this point. " If you want to go back with Joe, you can, but I have to go on. I have to find this spot where the creature and Ol' Man Parkins met."

" Ok, I am going back then, I will try and get him to come back. If he doesn't, we will see you guys at the camp."

"Alright, take it easy Rusty, and watch out for snakes, HA HA." I said laughing.

" Yeah right see you guys in a little while." Said Rusty slightly nervous now.

* * *

We all began walking the "trail of destiny" trying to catch up with John now. It seemed as if he was on a trot now. The excitement was really building in him now. The trail was wide enough for a car, just like all the trails on this side of the ditch. I can remember when my dad would take me back on this very trail. Before he died we would go back to this section of the quarry to shoot guns. He would set up old soda and beer cans that we would find laying around. He would always bring his .32 pistol and his .22 rifle so that we could shoot at the cans. I was always afraid of the pistol, always nervous that it would kick back and hit me in the head. I could feel a wave of emotion falling over me. This was the first time since he died that I had come all the way back here.

"Look over there." Dennis shouted. this seemed to snap me back to reality. "Look more feathers, behind those palm froms." Sure enough I could see what looked to be two or three of the large white feathers sticking out from under a few palm froms. We all went closer with John leading the way to examine the froms. When John pulled them branches away, we couldn't believe our eyes.

"Holy cow!" Jennifer exclaimed with disbelief in her voice. What we saw can only be described as a large wing. It was laying on the ground with tatters feathers as if it had fallen through the pine trees from above. the feathers on it were white just like the ones we had found and John had taken from Ol' Man Parkins place.

"YES YES YES, I KNEW IT WAS TRUE, I KNEW IT!" John cried out in glee. I had never seen him like this. He was like a little kid that got a popcicle for the first time. The wing seemed to be about six feet in length, maybe seven. The top where it curved, seemed heavy but very soft. Jennifer was stroking it.

"It is as soft as a kitten." Jennifer said, she could have used the wing as a bed. She looked so small crouched down beside it still stroking it like a new born kitten.

" We have to try and find the creature that these came from." John said. Paul quickly corrected him.

"We have to find the angel this wing came from. It could be Emelia, she might be hurt." Paul said with concern deep in his voice now. he looked pale with the thought that his angel could be injured. " Come on guys lets go, we have to find her."

We took one last look at the wing and the surrounding area in order to see which way we should go. I found some broken branches that lead to the quarry. It looked like someone, or something had barreled through them like a linebacker tearing through an offensive line.

" Look, over here. These branches have been smashed. They lead to the quarry, about where Ol' Man Parkins said he found the creature, uh Angel. Sorry Paul." I exclamied.

" It's ok Ron. You finally believe me know." Paul said with a bit of relief and joy in his voice."

" Yeah, I think we all do now, but anyways lets go this way and follow the trail of branches. It should lead us straight to whateve made this trail." I said.

Everyone agreed and we were off on the chase again. This time with a sense of something is really out there. This adventure had know become much different that all the others. This time it seemed really real...