Erin Keyser Horn - Wings of Thunder

The night after we saved Walter, I had the first of countlessnightmares.

Im at Nimiki Bluff,but not flying this timerunning. Running as if my life depends on it.Searching, though I dont know what Im searching for. I feel a rising sense ofpanic. Something will happen, something terrible, if I dont find...whatever it is.

I try calling on theThunderbird for help. She doesnt answer. The sky remains clear and cloudless.I feel no stirrings of power inside me. So I keep running, though my body is weakand helpless.

An earthquake slamsthe world into upheaval, and the ground at my feet splits open. I flail myarms, but theres nothing to grab onto. I fall for an eternity before finallylanding with a sickening splash. Im up to my shoulders in brackish water.Looking around, I see the dark walls of a small caveno doorway. Thefracture above me has sealed, leaving a low rock ceiling. Im trapped.

The hiss begins lowand soft, like a steam pipe leaking. Then it grows louder and longer, until Irecognize what it is: the hiss of a snake. It becomes still louder,reverberating off the rock, painful in my ears. It has to be a snake as long asthe Mississippi River to make so much noise.

Here endsss the Thunder Clan, hisses the snake.

A few feet away, thewater begins to churn. Breaking the surface are bone-white horns

My eyes snappedopen. I was in my bed, breathing hard and sweating. I knew that snake had to bethe Great Horned Serpent, the Thunderbirds mortal enemy. Though I wastechnically safe in my bed, it felt as if the Serpent had found me.

** * *

Real life was good,too good for nightmares. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and soon Walterwould be home from the hospital. If I hadnt been lying to my friends, my lifewouldve been almost perfect.

Maybe lying is toostrong of a word. Withholding evidence is probably the correct legal term,but that doesnt have the same ring to it.

Whatever label I usedoesnt change the factsmy falling in love with a guy would mark him foran early death. It wasnt something I could easily reveal to my three guyfriends. Such a declaration might send them screaming for the hills of JoDaviess County. Oh, the joys of being cursed.

I wanted to forgetabout my incriminating silence and enjoy my surroundings. At the moment, Gabeand I shared the shade of an oak tree as he read poetry by William Wordsworth.

No, I wasntdreaming.

If I had beendreaming, I wouldve modified a few details. Dream-Gabes blue eyes would gaze atme while he recited the poem, as if it were about romantic love instead of alove of nature. Wed be the only two people for miles, yet our skin would touchas if we were crowded. I would slide my fingers through his blond hair, cutextra short for the summer.

Dream-Gabe wouldntbe ten feet away from me, with Cal and Dan between us, and his twin brothersspying on us from the windows of their house.

I didnt notice mysigh until Gabe paused in his reading. He pushed his glasses up his nose andstudied me. Im boring your socks off, arent I? He smiled, but his toneindicated that he truly worried about my level of entertainment. As if thesound of his voice would ever bore me. He could read the phone book and Id beriveted.

I forced my eyes upto the tree. Looking at him was too addicting, especially when I didnt have ontinted glasses to shield my yellow eyes. My socks are still on. Please,continue.

Dan yawned andswatted at a gnatit danced away, landing on his black spiked hair.Oddly enough, I have to disagree with Ivy. He said this as if we didnt argueevery five minutes. I think my skin is bored off. Gabe, I know you likepoetry, but do you have to force it on us?

I glanced at Cal, whosmiled and winked a hazel eye at me. This, I figured, was to reassure me thatDan was teasing Gabe. Cals thin body was stretched out on the ground, hishands laced behind his head. A patch of sun filtered through the leaves and litup his hair, making it seem more red than brown.

You like poetry,Gabe said flatly, not sounding surprised or offended by Dans comments. Youjust dont want to admit it.

Youre right, Imsecretly a poet. Dan made a grand gesture to the clouds. Oh, lovely jetstream, like a zipper in the sky... if only I could reach you, Id slipthrough Heavens open fly.

I tried to hold inmy laughter, but one snort escaped. That made Cal laugh, and soon he and I wereboth rolling with laughter while Gabe pelted Dan with acorns.

The poetry was anexcuse for cooling off under the tree. Wed started the afternoon with acompetitive game of badminton. Gabe had been excited about finally having aneven number of people for playing sports.

Dan had been lessenthusiastic. Am I the only one concerned that were playing badminton withEyes of Lightning? If I hit her with the birdie, my racket could easily becomea lightning rod for her to use against me.

Wow, Ive never metanyone scared to play badminton, I deadpanned.

Needless to say,hed tried to deliver a badminton beatdown afterthat. But Gabe and I had held out for the win against Dan and Cal.

From the road camethe honk of a horn. I spun around to see Jonas truck driving by on Pilot KnobRoad.

Walters home! Icrowed, jumping to my feet. A moment later I was on my bike and cycling acrossGabes yard. Behind me I heard the boys clambering onto their bikes andstruggling to catch up. I had a good head start though, and I was determined toreach Walter first.

I raced onto theroad, my legs pumping as fast as they could go. Walter, Walter, Walter,I chanted in my head, a grin spreading across my face as the wind whipped mylong hair.

Jonas truck wasparked in the driveway. The passenger-side door slowly opened, and there hewasWalter, my grandfather. Finally home after being in a coma for almosttwo months. A coma that Gabe, Cal, Dan, and I had awoken him from using thepowers of the Thunderbird.

As he stepped out ofthe truck, I sped into the driveway, the three boys not far behind me. My bikehadnt even stopped moving when I swung my leg over and hopped to the ground.

Grandpa! I cried,and then I was in his arms. I felt the jolt of power from his body to mine,even stronger than I remembered. His whole body seemed to radiate energy. Didhe have electricity in his veins instead of blood?

He laughed, huggingme tightly. Now this is what I call a welcoming committee. His deep bassvoice rumbled my bones, soothing me. Its good to be home.

Next he shook handswith the boys. As he did, I studied him. Hed lost weight, but he didnt looksickly. He stood tall and proud, moving with ease and grace. His long blackhair, streaked with gray, shone in the sun.

I feel like astroll to Nimiki Bluff, he said. You young folk want to join me?