Ronnie Coleinger: A Winter Collection Read online

  Ronnie Coleinger – A Winter Collection

  By Ronnie Coleinger

  Ronnie Coleinger Publishing

  Copyright 2013 Ronnie Coleinger

  Smashwords Edition

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 - Monique-The Seine Mountain Lodge

  Chapter 2 – The Tin Pan Ring

  Chapter 3 – Becky’s Night Out

  Chapter 4 – Monique - Rebellion in the Seines

  Chapter 5 – Monique - The Icing of Planet Earth

  Chapter 6 – Monique - Humanity in Flight

  Chapter 7 - A Child Twice Born

  About Ronnie Coleinger

  Chapter 1 – Monique - The Seine Mountain Lodge

  Natalie and Ginger stood at the door of their barn looking out towards the northwest. They could hear the sounds of heavy earthmoving equipment working. The construction site for the new hotel was over six miles away, but sound travels far in the backwoods of the Seine Mountains. The sound of a falling dead tree is about the loudest noise humans ever hear in these mountains.

  As the girls stood talking, two young sister black cats weaved around and rubbed against the girls legs, trying to earn some attention from the humans. As Ginger kneeled down and began scratching behind the cats ears, the sounds of their purring drowned out the distant excavators and chainsaws. Natalie said, “I guess we need to gather up our backpacks and some supplies and walk over to the construction site and see what on earth is going on over there. I suspect our days of peace and quiet here on this mountain are over. We may have to move deeper into the forest and abandon this homestead.”

  As the girls headed towards their modest cabin to gather up what they needed for the trip, Ginger spoke to the two kittens and said, “Fatin, Ahti, will you two be good cats and protect our home while we are gone? I fear your young legs would have trouble making this long trip. We will take you with us another time when we are only traveling a short distance. When you grow some more you will be able to go along on all our adventures.” Fatin looked up at Ginger and meowed, expressing displeasure over Ginger leaving her behind.

  When the girls had their backpacks and sleeping bags packed, they headed out towards the main road. The winding footpath from the cabin to the road was about a mile walk. If they followed the main road towards the west, it would take them into a major city, but that city was five miles past the location of the new hotel. It was an hour or so before noon and the girls knew they would have to walk fast to reach the construction site before dark. The construction site was only six or so miles from the cabin as the crow flies, but was close to ten miles if they followed the two-track dirt main road.

  If the girls were to follow the road towards the east, they would soon find themselves wading through a wet marsh with insects large enough to carry away a small cat. The road seldom had vehicle traffic, but a few hunters and adventurous people sometimes traveled the road. The road wound around the Seine Mountains for many miles and eventually ended at a small town. Only during the hot summer months was the road passable, mud holes four feet deep prevented even the toughest vehicles from passing during the wet season.

  As they reached the main road, they spotted two black cats sitting in the center of the road. When the girls walked up to the cats, Natalie said, “Blacky, Monique, good to see you again. We are going to walk up the road to look at the construction site where they are building the new hotel. We left Fatin and Ahti at the cabin to look after things. They both said to tell their mother and father hello.” Blacky looked up and said, “We will stop in and visit them after we go to the construction site with you. We need to see why the humans are destroying the mountain to build another place to spend the money they work all week to earn.”

  As the four walked along the road, they heard the sound of a vehicle slowly moving towards them. They stepped to the side of the road and waited to see who was traveling this far from the city. When the driver saw them standing, he stopped and rolled down his window. He spoke to the girls and commented that they were a long way from home. Ginger giggled and said, “Not too far. We live here in the Seine Mountains.” The man thought about what Ginger said but dismissed her words. Natalie asked if he had traveled from the construction site where the new hotel was going up. The man said he worked for a survey crew that would begin surveying the road they were standing on. The owners of the new hotel and casino planned to upgrade the dirt road to a paved highway from the hotel all the way to the small town at the end of the road. Natalie looked at Ginger and rolled her eyes. Then she looked at the man and said, “Seems to me the owners of that hotel have more money than brains and common sense.” The man laughed and said, “I agree with you, however, I am getting paid a small fortune to survey this side of the mountain and I don’t plan to tell my cash cow they are dumber than a bag of rocks for trying to build a road through the bog that exists toward the east.”

  The man started up his truck and said goodbye to the girls. He looked down at the two cats sitting behind the girls and said, “Nice cats. They would be even nicer if they were stuffed and sitting in my den.” Ginger took a deep breath and hoped the man did not say any more. The fur on Blacky’s back was already standing up. If the man did not leave soon there would be hell to pay. As he drove a few yards down the road, the girls heard a loud bang. When they turned to see what had happened, they realized the driver had run into a small tree with his truck. He was now outside the truck and jumping around waving his arms like a mad man. The girls realized there were bees swarming all around him. He jumped back into the truck and rolled up the windows. The girls could hear him shout and cuss at the bees even with the door and windows closed. Ginger looked down at Blacky. He stood up and said, “Are we going or not?” Natalie laughed and said, “That was a little excessive don’t you think? The man might be allergic to bee stings. You might have killed him.” As Blacky walked out onto the road and moved out ahead of them, he passed gas. He said, “That is what I think of disrespectful humans.” The sound was disgusting, but the girls began to laugh anyways. Monique ran up behind Blacky and batted him on the back of the head, letting him know his actions were not acceptable. Ginger sat down in the middle of the road, trying to catch her breath. She had choked from laughing at the antics of the two felines.

  Once Ginger was able to breathe again, the girls continued walking. It was late in the afternoon when they began to see smoke near the construction site. As they got closer, they realized that an area that encompassed about fifty acres was barren of trees. They decided to leave the road and climb up the steep hill so they could look down upon the construction site. When they had climbed to a place where they could see, they began to realize the expanse of the construction site. Some of the area certainly would be parking lots, but the area the men had staked out was certainly the location of one huge building.

  The girls found a location under some pine trees and made a shelter for the night. The skies were clear and all they would need for protection tonight was some cedar bows. As soon as they had created their beds, the cats made themselves comfortable between the girls. Ginger dug down into her backpack and found a loaf of homemade bread and some goat cheese. Natalie had packed some boiled hens’ eggs and some water in goat hide containers. As they ate, the two cats headed out to find their own meal.

  As sunset and darkness overtook the campsite, the sound of night animals moving around them often disturbed their sleep. It seemed that the girls took turns sleeping and watching. As one would drift off to sleep, the other would wake and lie quietly; often times rubbing the cats and listening to them purr. The cats seemed unafraid of the night sounds. If they did hear something that disturbed the
m, they simply got up and headed out into the forest to check things out.

  As the sun began to rise, the sound of birds woke both girls. Natalie woke with a start and quickly sat up as if startled. Blacky stepped up onto her lap and began to rub against her and purr. She soon settled her nerves and lay back down. The air was chilly at this time of the morning. Ginger allowed Monique to slip into her sleeping bag for some warmth. Natalie opened her sleeping bag to allow Blacky to join her and warm himself, but instead, he wandered off into the forest, probably in search of a breakfast treat.

  Once the air had warmed a little, the girls got up and packed their backpacks. They wanted to wander down to the main road and walk towards the city to the west. After they each took time to empty their bladders, they headed down towards the road. Once there, they soon discovered that the main road was no place for humans on foot to venture. There was a constant flow of heavy trucks traveling the road, so they decided to move up into the forest. As they traveled up the side of the mountain, they stayed close enough to see the trucks below them. The trucks were moving the topsoil from a construction site somewhere, but the girls could not determine where.

  Once they topped the mountain and began walking downhill, they realized that the trucks were dumping their loads of dirt over the side of the mountain and filling the ravine below. The girls wondered why they were doing such a thing. The heavy spring rains would surely wash the soil down into the river if the workers did not build some sort of levee or dam.

  Once they traveled down to the paved road that would lead them into the city, they soon discovered more construction going on along on the road. Heavy excavators were tearing up the road and widening it to four lanes. Ginger stopped walking and said, “I have seen enough. Let’s get our supplies and head back home. We can use the old trail that runs north of our cabin to return home. I cannot stand to watch these large corporations destroy the beautiful mountains we call home. It may be time we move to another homestead, somewhere, where civilization has not intruded.”

  As the girls entered a small market, the owners met them at the door. The girls had not been to town in a few weeks and the owners were beginning to worry about them. As the girls made their purchases and packed everything into their backpacks, the owners broke some bad news to them. The lease on the building had come up for renewal and the corporation that owned the building and property had decided to sell out. The corporation had been buying up property along the highway so they could build a strip mall and a medical facility. The owners were devastated and now planned to open a new store in a little town a few miles down the road. The girls said goodbye to their friends and wished them well in their new ventures.

  When the girls left the store, they headed south along the main road and then entered the forest by passing through a city park that nestled up against state owned land. It only took a few minutes to find the trail they were looking for. Tourists and city folks often traveled the trail on sunny days. They moved along the ascending trail towards a pass that would take them just south of their cabin. Ginger spotted Blacky and Monique stalking along the edge of the trail towards them. The girls waited a moment for the cats to catch up and then began walking again. If they kept walking at a steady pace, they might reach home before dark tonight. Natalie mentioned that she did not want to spend another night in the forest if possible, but she knew that they might have to do just that.

  They stopped along a mountain stream at lunchtime and sat down on a fallen tree. They had purchased some smoked fish at the market they had just visited. As soon as the girls sat their backpacks on the ground, the cats began to paw and rub against the bags. They could smell the fish even though the girls had carefully wrapped it in waxed paper. When Ginger opened the first package of fish, she placed two of the smaller fish on a fallen poplar tree. The cats immediately began to consume the delicacy.

  The sun was getting low in the sky and the girls realized that they would not reach the cabin before it got dark. They did not want to walk in the forest without lights. They stopped for a drink of water and discussed where they would camp. Blacky and Monique jumped up on the fallen tree the girls had sat down on and began cleaning their paws. Monique spoke to the girls and said, “If you two wish, Blacky and I can guide you to the cabin in the dark. A few grassy meadows will allow easy walking in the dark. You surely realize that we can find the cabin in the dark with little difficulty. The black bears are down on the south slope in the berry patches tonight. The warm sun has ripened most of the berries in the forest.” The girls discussed the cats offer and decided they would attempt to follow them home.

  They only walked for an hour or so before darkness set in. The cats moved out ahead of the girls and were not visible. When the girls would stop moving, one of the cats would meow and summon the girls to follow. After a short time, the cats had stopped walking and seemed to be under foot instead of guiding, as they should. Ginger spoke to Blacky and said, “Why have you stopped. I am getting cold and would like a warm fire and some supper.” Blacky batted her leg with his paw and said, “We are waiting for you to light the lantern that hangs on the nail beside your arm.” Ginger giggled and began moving her hands around in the darkness. She soon discovered the barn door and the lantern hanging on the nail. She found a match and lit the lantern. Then she kneeled down and hugged the two cats. She spoke to them and said, “Thank you for guiding us to the barn. I really did not want to spend another night in the cold forest.” She rubbed the cat’s ears and kissed them both on the top of their heads.

  As they entered the cabin, the warmth of a roaring fire in the fireplace was very welcome. Natalie spoke to Monique and said, “Thank you my friend. Your ability to manipulate our environment and provide a warm fire before we arrive home is amazing to me. We are very grateful.” The girls quickly cooked some goat meat in a cast iron skillet and baked some potatoes in the hot coals of the fireplace. When the food was ready to eat, they filled their plates and sat down at the kitchen table.

  As they ate, they discussed how the new road would encroach upon their tiny homestead. Blacky commented that they should move deeper into the forest, away from the humans that were intent upon destroying the solitude of the Seine Mountains. The girls have traveled these mountains for years, but on foot, it is difficult to travel far. They realized that if they moved higher up into the mountains they would certainly encounter fewer humans, but they would also have to deal with harsh winters and less fertile ground to raise vegetables. Even the berries they lived on would be more difficult to find at the higher altitudes.

  They discussed moving north deeper into the lush valleys between the high mountain peaks, but knew that winter snows would make survival difficult. Ginger suggested that they repack their backpacks and rifles and head south through the dense forests of the valleys and try to locate a place on the east side of the mountains where they could shelter from the heavy snows and still have easy access to the creek and fertile ground in the valley. They made the decision to follow through with their plans and begin the search for a new place to live; they would leave at sunrise in the morning.

  When they woke in the morning, they decided that Monique and Blacky would remain at the cabin to protect the place and care for the goats and rabbits. The girls fixed a large breakfast and then headed out to the barn to pack some dry straw into leather bags that they would use for starting fires if the weather turned to wet to find dry tinder. Once they had checked and double-checked their equipment, they loaded the rifles and slid them into the scabbards attached to their backpacks. As they stepped out of the barn and hiked the backpacks to their shoulders, they saw a human standing inside the cabin. They realized that Monique was watching them through the windows facing out towards the barn. The girls both giggled and Ginger said, “Monique did not waste any time attaining human form. She did not even wait for us to get off the property.”

  As the girls began walking, they spotted a raven floating in the thermals high up over the valley w
here they intended to explore. The White Pine trees towered over them and they soon lost sight of the bird. They returned their attention to their footing as they walked along the rocky trail that ran above the winding river below them. They would soon lose sight of the river below as they entered the thick forest between the river and the tall mountain face to the west of them.

  The raven began flying closer and closer to the girls. After a few moments, the majestic bird perched in a small scraggly tree and sat quietly looking at the girls as if it was about to speak to them. Ginger spoke to the bird and said, “You are a beautiful bird. Can you carry me up into the sky so I can look down on the place we have decided upon to build our new home? Are there any other humans around?” As the bird made eye contact with Ginger, it passed an aerial picture of the valley into her mind. The image was mesmerizing; so vivid was the image that it made her stomach queasy.

  The bird seemed to speak into Ginger’s mind as she stood on the rocky trail leaning back against the tree. Natalie looked at Ginger as she spoke to the bird and realized something was very wrong. Ginger’s face had flushed and she seemed unsteady on her feet. When Ginger sat down at the base of the tree, she returned her gaze back upon the bird. The raven passed words into her mind, reassuring her that she would be safe. Just then, the bird and Ginger’s eyes melded. As the bird leaped from the tree branch out into the vastness of the canyon, it extended its wings to gather the rising air currents of the afternoon thermals. With outstretched wings, the bird descended towards the top of a tall White Pine tree that grew straight and tall on the side of the rocky slope of the mountain face.

  As Ginger looked out through the bird’s eyes, it flared its wings and landed on a flimsy branch near the top of the pine tree. Ginger might have been okay at that point, but the bird turned around on the branch so it was looking down hundreds of feet into the valley below. Then the bird leaned forward as it prepared to take flight again. The dizzying height as Ginger looked out from the bird’s eyes continued to cause her major nausea, but the adrenaline flow of the view below stirred a deep animal instinct within her for human flight. As the bird took flight, Ginger looked back towards the trail and realized her physical body continued to set motionless against the tree. Natalie had kneeled down beside her and Ginger realized that she had vomited on the ground between Natalie’s feet. She wondered why her body remained on the hiking trail, but her eyes were looking out from the eyes of this majestic creature. The raven spoke into Ginger’s mind and attempted to calm her emotions.