Man in the Blue Moon by Michael Morris

Author:Michael Morris
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical, Azizex666, Adult
ISBN: 9781414368429
Publisher: Tyndale House Books
Published: 2012-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

16

An eagle flew out of the woods and above the river with a piece of bear grass hanging from her beak. She soared over a patch of lavender water hyacinth that dotted the shore and swooped down as a snapping turtle jumped from a log into the murky water. The bird finally came to rest on one of the broken pines that populated a small island in the middle of the river. Tucking the thick, rope-looking grass into the top of the tree that had long ago been ripped away by a hurricane, the eagle pecked at the makings of a nest. She sat on the twigs and limbs that were beginning to take the shape of a crown and tilted her head down to where the rafts of logs were coming into view around the river’s bend.

“See there how that tree limb is sticking up out of the water.” Bonaparte stood at the front of the raft and pointed with a fistful of cornbread to a shrub oak that seemed to rise up from the river at the edge of the island. “See there,” he said to no one in particular.

“Yeah,” Ella said.

“I see what you’re talking about,” Samuel added and gripped the pole he held tighter.

“I don’t see it,” Lanier said.

“Up there to the right,” Bonaparte said and took a bite of the cornbread. Flakes of cornmeal sprinkled the tops of his boots. “That means there’s been freshets flooding the place. The flash floods, I’m talking about. Everybody pay close attention.” Bonaparte wiped the remaining crumbs from his hands and picked up his pole. He held on to it the same way he might if he’d been carrying a gun. “The current is fixing to change on us.”

Lanier copied Bonaparte’s stance and took position at the opposite side of the raft. Narsissa secured the washtub over the supplies and screwed the tops on the water canisters. “Keaton,” she said and motioned for him to sit next to her. He turned his back toward her and faced the island that was coming up ahead.

The plywood floor of the raft shifted with the changing river current and made a whining sound as it sloshed against the cypress logs that were secured underneath. Ella gripped the rail and then let go before easing closer to Bonaparte. “What should we be doing?”

“Hold on tight.” He never turned to face her.

“Should we check on the other raft?” Ella asked, reaching out but never touching Bonaparte’s arm.

“I’ll check it,” Samuel said. He handed his pole to Ella and then straddled the back of the raft.

“Be careful,” Ella yelled.

Samuel stuck his hands out to balance himself. His legs were wobbling when he shouted, “I got it. You be careful.”

The chain that connected the two rafts together sloshed and kicked up a spray of water against the shifting current. As Samuel moved, the raft jostled to the side, and Ella yelled once more, “Be careful.” She watched him hunch down over the chain. His body swayed with the way the raft seemed to fight against the change of stream.

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