Julia

Chapter Seven

When Eric had finished the chores, he returned to the house to see how Julia was. He entered the door to find Julia lying on the floor, sobbing. This disturbed him a great deal more than the show from earlier. Julia was not the type to let something get to her like this. She was a strong, un-fearing, and brave girl. He had thought that some sleep would be all she needed to be herself again. Now he knew that whatever had happened, it would take much more time for her to be back to her old self. He rushed over to where she was lying, and began to help her off of the floor. She cried out and flailed her arms when he touched her, having not heard him come in. When she realized who it was, she fell against him and continued to cry.

“Hey, what happened?” Eric asked. Julia told him she thought that he had deserted her and that the burglar was back. She had heard noises and called to him, but there was no answer. Eric realized that what was happening to Julia was not only the result of lack of sleep and what had happened to her the night before, but also a past he knew nothing of. He began to realize that something had happened to her once, something she buried deep within her soul, something he knew nothing about. This accompanied by the events of last night were making things too hard for her. Once again, he took her to her room and made her get in bed. This time when she fell asleep, he continued to stay with her, watching the rise and fall of her chest until it became steady and even, suggesting that at last she had fallen into a restful sleep. After just a moment longer, he knew for sure that she had indeed finally drifted into a peaceful slumber. Only then did he get up and get something to eat before going to bed. The sun was rising in a blaze of reds and purples and he needed to rest. The horses could go one more day without working, he would just have to remember to feed them later in the afternoon. As he drifted off, he wondered how much this would effect the days to come.

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When Julia awoke the next morning, she felt groggy and weak. The sleep had done her much good. It had not been filled with horrible nightmares as had it had when Eric had first helped her into bed. She vaguely remembered Eric pulling the covers over her and wiping the tears from her face. Then she had drifted off, comforted by his presence. Just as soon as she was asleep however, the dreams came back. In her dreams, she was a small girl, running through a wild forest. “Leave me alone!” she kept screaming. But they kept chasing her; wild things that she could not see, but instinctively knew was evil. She aged as she went, going from small child to young girl; always running, never able to get away from those who followed her. No one offered any help, no one ever came to her aid. “Please don’t hurt me!” she pleaded. Just then the forest cleared and she was standing in a warm sunny pasture. Eric was near her and she knew she could stop running. She looked around and began to adjust to the security that seemed to emanate from him. When she turned around to thank him, he was not there. She looked toward the mountains and saw him walking away. He was deserting her!

Julia ran toward him as fast as her lead feet would allow, pleading with him not to leaver her alone in the graying world. He turned around only when she finally caught up to him and grabbed his shoulder. What she saw startled her so bad that she felt her heart skip more than just one beat. He was not Eric, but the attacker who had been killed. She gasped and began to run away but he jumped her and brought her to her knees. As she fought and cried she could hear Jason whine. “Why does he not come and help me? ERIC!” she screamed. Her attacker only laughed. As she looked into his face, it began to change. Slowly her attacker took on the form of another. Slowly Julia realized who it was. “No!” she screamed as she jolted herself awake.

She remembered nothing beyond that until Eric led her to her bedroom. When she fell asleep again she slept soundly. Now it was morning. She knew Eric would be up already. In fact she could hear him making breakfast. She stumbled out into the kitchen. Eric looked up from the bacon he was frying and came

over to her. Julia reached out to embrace him, something that took him by surprise. “You have been my first true friend,” Julia whispered. “Thank you for everything.”

Eric hugged her back not quite sure why she was being so sentimental, but decided it was only from the night before. “You are welcome.” he replied earnestly. Then he served her the bacon and eggs he had cooked and prepared to make some for himself. Julia ate her breakfast in silence, forcing herself to eat as much as her queasy stomach could handle in an effort to gain back her strength. When she was done, Eric took care of the dishes and Julia went back to bed.

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It took a day or two for Julia to fully recuperate. Her wounds were not severe but the combination of lack of sleep and mental fatigue was. When she had fully rested, she did her best to get back into the swing of life as quickly as she could. The events that had taken place had affected her enough, and she refused to let them to so even more. Eric advised her to take things slow, but moving along was the only thing to keep Julia away from the thought of the nightmares. Ever since the attack, her dreams had returned. Many times after awaking in the middle of the night with a silent scream on her lips, she could hear Eric stir in the next room. She knew he was aware that she was still not sleeping well, but she refused to admit it to him. She had never been one who had enjoyed other‘s sympathy. She fought her battles alone.

The horses were a great source of comfort. Their strong bodies kept her spirit alive and her mind from going insane from the consistent dreams. Through hard work and comfortable surroundings, it did not take long for Julia to become herself again. And although the dreams were not as fierce after a while, they still came, and of course, always when they were least expected.

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Julia continued to work for Eric diligently. The more she worked, the more he began to fully realize and appreciate her vast knowledge of the beasts he bred and sold. She was constantly showing him many new techniques and continued working well with the horses. People began to come to Eric more and more to have her work with their horses. They began to hear of what fine horses these two bred, and so, would come and buy them.

Many in the Valley talked of what a fine team Eric and Julia made, and it was true. Eric and Julia seemed to have formed a working bond and that would last for sometime. For not only were they great when they worked together, but sharing Julia’s horrifying experience with the robber and the same house had given them a lasting friendship and trust relationship. Many in the town wondered if there was anything else going on between the two, but a working relationship seemed to be all that would ever be between them. At least, that is what both Julia and Eric believed, until the accident.

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Julia awoke one night with a horrible sense of dread. It was not another nightmare that had awakened her, something else was wrong. In fact, she could not remember even having a nightmare in quite a while. No, that was definitely not what seemed to be wrong. She lay in bed wondering what it could possibly be. Eric was in the other room, softly snoring and she heard nothing from Jason who had recently made his bed permanently in front of the hearth. Everything seemed to be well and everything was sound asleep. Why then could she not sleep? Jason was not barking as he would if there was some great danger, there was no sound except.... was that a faint whinnying she heard?

“What the...?” Julia suddenly noticed a strange light coming from outside; an orange-red light peeking out from over the rooftop. A sense of dread flooded through her and her heart leapt into her throat. She leapt out of bed taking time only to grab a shawl off the edge of the bed. “Eric, Eric!” her voice was only a whisper at first, but then it took on a more forceful tone as she began to understand that something was seriously wrong. She ran out of her room and into the kitchen as Eric stumbled out of his room pulling up the suspenders to his pants. One look through the kitchen window was all she needed to confirm her fears. Eric came up next to the frozen Julia and both only stood there looking out the window in horror.

“Oh my...” Eric did not even finish his sentence, for Julia was quickly running through the door with him on her heels. Down the steps and out the door they flew with a barking Jason close by. Once outside, one look was all it took to survey the damage. The barn was aflame. Fire rose into the night sky from the hayloft and the blaze was quickly taking hold as it began to consume the entire building.

Julia could barely feel the rocks cut her bare feet as she ran down the path to the barn. Frantic cries came from the panicked horses who were trapped inside. As Julia reached the barn, she realized that nothing either her nor Eric could do could save the barn. The river was too far away and there was no one near enough to help transport enough water to put out the fire in time to save the structure. “Eric what are we going to do?” Julia shouted to him over the roar of the flame.

“We have to save the horses! If we don’t save them all is lost!” Julia knew what he said was true. Blindly, both raced toward the blazing inferno, hoping and praying that it was not too late. Eric threw open the door and raced inside. It took Julia a moment to be able to see straight. The heat scorched her from all sides, but lucky enough, it had only reached a few of the stalls.

Julia and Eric frantically worked to free those horses whose stalls were already on fire before letting any of the others go.

“Easy boy, easy!” Julia tried to calm a frantic stud long enough to lift the latch on his stall and move aside for him to run out. He reared and the whites of his eyes showed as she fumbled with the latch. As each gate was opened, another horse ran into the arena and out of harm’s way. Finally, when it seemed that neither of them could stand the heat any longer, the last stall was opened and the last horse ran free.

Eric and Julia ran out of the blazing inferno together. As Julia rushed outside the chill night air hit her and immediately began to clear her senses. She began to cough from inhaling so much smoke and dust. As she stood staring at the barn she heard Eric behind her counting the horses.

“Thirty-four, thirty-five...” his voice trailed off and he finished counting silently. “Wait, this can’t be right!” He exclaimed as he finished counting. “Julia we’re missing one!”

Julia surveyed the horses for a moment before realizing who it was that was missing. “Goldenrod!” she exclaimed. “It’s Goldenrod!” Sure enough, the newest and most beautiful addition to the ranch was no where to be found.

“I’m going after him!” Eric exclaimed. He began to run toward the barn, heedless of his own safety and not even knowing if the young colt was already dead.

“Eric stop, you will be burned alive!” Julia screamed. Eric did not even seem to hear her as he raced into the fire. Once inside he began to count stalls, not being able to see enough to just find the stall he wanted, until he came to that of the young Goldenrod. Flames licked at his bare arms and chest and the smoke made it impossible to see even though he was ducking down as far as he could to get underneath it. He choked and gasped for breath.

When he came to the stall he was looking for, he heard the faint cry of the colt. It was huddled in the only corner of its stall that was not yet on fire. Eric stumbled toward him. Grasping the animal by it’s tiny legs and hefting it onto his shoulders, he began to carry it as fast as he could to safety. However too much smoke and heat were beginning to make him weak. He coughed and stumbled through the flames. As he neared the exit he could feel the cool air beckoning him to safety like an angel breathing it‘s sweet breath on his burning body. He had nearly emerged from the entry when he heard a loud groan. Eric looked up just in time to see the support beam come crashing down toward him. Just before it landed on him, he gave a heave and tossed the infant to safety. As he blacked out, he noted the frantic screams coming from outside. “Good bye Julia.” Then everything went dark.

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“Eric! Eric!” Julia screamed. He had not returned from the building and the flames were growing steadily threatening to collapse the structure all together. Oh why did he not come out? Just then, she saw a shadow in the doorway. With high emotions, Julia knew it was Eric. Then, she heard the groaning. She stood in horror as the young horse was thrown form the building just before it collapsed. “NO!” Tears ran down Julia’s face as she ran past the terrified colt and into what had been the doorway to the barn. Fire scorched her hair and skin as she frantically tried to pull Eric from under the burning timber. She located Eric under the fallen beam. He was not moving and she had to push past the searing flames just to reach his fallen body. It was only pinning him at the shoulder, but he did not even move as she began to tug at him, doing her best to free him with what little strength she possessed. As she pulled she heard voices from outside. “Help, please help me! For heaven's sake someone please help me!” she managed to choke out through the fire. She pulled on Eric’s arm and heard him groan. He was alive! With a final tug of desperation she pulled him from under the fallen beam. Just then she felt the frantic tug of unfamiliar hands ripping Eric from her grasp and pulling her through the darkness. “Stop! What are you doing?” she screamed, fighting against the unknown hands that pulled at her. “I have to help him!” she cried. Her vision blurred from smoke and heat. Who were these people, and what were they doing with Eric? Then she felt cold water splashing over her. They were at the river! Darkness took over Julia’s conscious, pulling her to a warm and comforting nothingness she knew she could not fight.