The Earth Spirit by E.L. Anderson

Author:E.L. Anderson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: E.L. Anderson
Published: 2025-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

AFTER THAT DAY, MAL made a habit of going up to McCall to see Jaeda every other weekend or so. She would always pull some ridiculous prank on him, like the time she pretended to be a wild animal.

It was around early May, and Mal had gotten up to the cabin around late afternoon. He decided to visit Dinosaur Rock before going to the cabin. When he got there, he called out Jaeda’s name as per usual, but nothing happened.

Just when he was about to give up and go to the cabin, a low, guttural growl pierced his eardrums and startled him. He let out a high-pitched shriek and turned around quickly to see Jaeda smiling at him, her teeth now sharpened into fangs.

She let out a strong, hearty laugh. “You should see your face!” she guffawed.

Mal silently glared at Jaeda, but the sound of her laugh immediately dissolved his anger. His tight mouth slowly but surely loosened up into a smile. Jaeda had that effect on him, no matter how annoying she could be.

The feeling was...vaguely familiar.

For her part, Jaeda became more comfortable with Mal, spending longer stretches of time with him. The part of her mind that advised against it grew more silent the more time she spent around him. What helped was that they spent more time in the forest than in the cabin, so at least she could complete some of her work while and still be around him.

For example, one day, Jaeda offered to take Mal up to the treetops to spend the day with him.

“I dunno,” Mal said, a little unsure. “How are we both gonna get up there?”

“Simple. I’ll carry you,” Jaeda answered.

Before Mal could ask what the hell she meant, she picked him up in her arms, bridal style. Or in this case, groom style. With one single bound, she carried him up to a high pine branch.

From this point of view, Mal could see everything surrounding Dinosaur Rock. He saw the green meadow, sprinkled with yellow and purple wildflowers. He also got a good look at the Seventh-Day Adventist church just down the road, the top of a barn far off in the distance, and all the other cabins in the surrounding area.

The view wasn’t as breathtaking as it was on the cliff, but it was pretty damn close.

Other times, Jaeda took Mal to spots in the forest he’d never seen before, mostly because his dad was worried about him going too deep in there. But with Jaeda leading the way, Mal felt safer than ever.

She’d also tell him stories about all the stuff she’d seen over the centuries, like how the town of McCall became such a hot spot for tourists.

“Pretty sure I read about it in Idaho History,” Mal said. He and Jaeda were spending the day atop Dinosaur Rock, regaling each other with stories. “But it’d be interesting to hear a firsthand account.”

With an air of nostalgia, Jaeda told Mal about how she and her friends had watched

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