Chapter 25

“Mama? Daddy? Where are you?” Her voice echoed in the darkness, a darkness filled with the rushing sound of the wind. So, she reasoned, I must be in a cave or tunnel of some kind. There was an opening if she could hear the wind. Was this a cave?

“Mama! Why can’t I see you?”

No one answered. She thought it strange to be sitting here, in this darkness without even a glimmer of a star and no lamp and not feel afraid. Yet, she wasn’t frightened. For some reason she felt safe here. Had something happened and they had brought her here to protect her?

She tried to look around, turning slightly to look behind, at least where she thought behind would be. There was nothing to see, just the same thick blackness. She tried to think what it felt like. It had a texture of some kind. Soft, like a down pillow, cradling her in feathered arms. And warm. She pulled her arms close and snuggled down into the darkness. Yes, it was warm and soft and . . . safe. Had she been in danger? She frowned. She couldn’t remember anything.

There was something else now, another sound. She couldn’t place it. Some kind of murmuring? Almost like. . . prayer. She waited, straining to hear but it was so far away. She considered getting up and trying to find the sound but the warmth was so nice. Still, what was that sound? Bees buzzing? But there were no flowers here, no sunshine either. There was nothing but a warm, soft blackness. It would be nice if she could see stars.

She squinted, straining her eyes, searching the distant darkness. Wait, there was something. Right there just above the horizon. She blinked. Horizon? What horizon? How in the world could you tell where the horizon was when it was as black as a grave?

Was she in a grave? Had she died and been buried? Samantha felt a raising panic in her chest. But she wasn’t dead! She could think. She could hear the wind and those bees! And she could see a star!

There was a star, just there in the distance, twinkling. With each twinkle it grew larger! Slowly but definitely growing. She watched as it grew and grew. And with it, the buzzing became louder and louder.

The light suddenly blinded her and she blinked and squeezed her eyes shut.

“NO, SAMANTHA! Wake up! Aunt Isabel, what’s wrong with her?”

The warmth of the darkness slipped away and strong arms held her close. She could feel the strength in them. John, John was holding her. She could smell his cologne and the soft texture of his cambric shirt. Lillian had made it for him.

She opened her eyes and looked up into the worried face of her brother. “John? What’s wrong?”

Tears welled up and spilled down his face. “Sam! Oh, Sam!”

“Don’t cry, John.” She reached up and wiped his cheek.

John pulled her close and hugged her. “Oh, God, Sam you scared me to death.”

“Samantha, what happened?”

Sam turned her head and for a moment, she didn’t recognize the woman. Then, just as the pinpoint of light had rushed at her, so too did remembrance. She gasped and sat up, pushed John back and looked around her.

Everything was just the same, the sound of the sea in the distance, the stone circle within circles, and the table in the center of the circle. She wasn’t alone in some dark cave. She was here, in the Circle of Seeing.

“Oh God!” she whispered.

Isabel leaned over her. The girl’s face had paled and her eyes widened as she looked at the table in the center of the circle. “Samantha, what did you see?”

She shook her head and hugged her arms close. It had become so cold. “I’m freezing.”

John and Isabel looked at each other with concern. John said, “Its warm today, Sam.”

“John, there is a place just outside the arch to build a fire. Travelers sometimes stop for a meal. They won’t usually come inside the circles but they will camp just outside the arch. You go get a small fire going and we’ll be there in a minute, when she feels she can get up.

“No!” Samantha pushed them both aside and scrambled to her feet. “I’m fine. I want to go.”

“But. . .” John began.

“Now. I want to go home now, John.”

She strode away, toward the horses and caught her mount’s reins. She led her to where the saddles lay. She tossed the saddle blanket on the horse’s back and began struggle with the saddle. John rushed over and took it from her.

“Sam, I’ll take care of it. Just hold her reins to keep her steady.”

As soon as the saddle was secured, Samantha swung up and gathered the reins in her hands. For a moment, John thought she was going to rush off alone, leaving Isabel and himself to follow but she didn’t. She waited, impatience evident in every line of her body. She kept looking over her shoulder, toward the circle as if expecting something to materialize. John glanced back. He wasn’t a believer in such things but he did believe in his sister. Something here bothered her.

As soon as the other two horses were saddled, Samantha turned her mount and left at a fast trot. John and Isabel followed at a more sedate pace. Soon, Samantha had disappeared down the trail.

“What did she see, Aunt Isabel?” When he got no reply, he glanced over his shoulder at her.

Her complexion had paled and she avoided his look by looking out to sea.

He pulled up in the middle of the trail and turned around, forcing Isabel to pull up abruptly. Both their mounts became skittish and John had a moment when he thought they’d both fall off the cliff. Once the animals had quieted, he said, “I asked what she saw.”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to talk to her when we get back. I’ve never had such a reaction before nor have I seen anyone else have such a reaction. She probably just fainted.”

John clenched his jaw and slowly shook his head. “Sam doesn’t faint. She’s the last person on earth to faint. She saw something. That or that . . . that circle did something to her.”

Isabel huffed and shook her head in impatience. “Look, John. I don’t know. I’ve spent hours in the circles and so have others. We’ve never experienced anything like that. There is nothing in the ring that could have caused her to faint.”

“She was fine until she entered the center and went to that table.”

“Can we ride and talk? I don’t want her to get too far ahead. I’m concerned she could fall.”

He nodded and urged his horse back along the trail.

Isabel followed and continued to talk. “The people I know who have spent time there, and it is a small number, all say they feel a sense of peace there. A lot of the locals won’t even go near the place. It is not on a main trail. There is an old road about 500 yards to the west. Travelers, usually sightseers, who come by that old road, can set up camp in an area just outside the arch. The trail we used is actually the only direct path to the rings. It was created by smugglers. It actually skirts the rings by a dozen feet. If we had continued on we’d never have even entered the rings at all.”

“Something happened. She saw something.”