A Love From Beyond Time

A Love From Beyond Time (the first 3 chapters of a work in progress)
Chapter 1
Three figures slipped from the large dirty pickup truck that was hidden from view behind a low hill and made their way quickly through the hole in the fence surrounding the archaeology dig site. They had about them a sense of urgency and stealth.
The older couple were dressed in jeans, warm jackets and boots but the younger one, a tall young woman, was dressed in the manner of their people from many years ago. She was wearing a buckskin dress that ended just above her tall moccasins. Over her shoulders she had a cape made of elk hide with the hair left on. She was carrying a carry board much like that her ancestors would have used with a baby securely strapped inside. Her son was likewise dressed in traditional clothes and his carry board was lined with rabbit skins for warmth.
When they heard a truck approaching on the nearby highway they ran quickly behind a low screen of bushes and watched as a line of cars made their way down the hill following a big rig, his jake brakes making an all too familiar blatting noise as they fought to hold back the heavy load. When the last car disappeared around the next bend they walked quickly into the site and the young woman led them to a pit near the middle. They were hidden from the highway here and she visibly relaxed.
Jewel Peters squatted down and stared into the exposed pit house. The archaeology dig was closed for the winter and the place had a silent eerie feeling to it. The grass in the meadow where the tents had stood was flattened and dry and the fire pits gave off a wet charcoal smell. The chain link fence that surrounded the area to keep the unwary from falling into the open pits rattled and clanged in the cold October wind. She pulled her shawl closer and checked her baby in his carry board. Her sisters had helped her make it in the traditional fashion. He was still wrapped tight and contentedly sucking on his fist. He just blinked at her when she lifted the cover from his face.
Once again she reviewed all her belongings. Her spare clothes and those for her child along with a bag of dried moss to line his wrapper were bundled in a blanket at her feet. No more disposable diapers for him. She straightened and looked down at herself to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. Her buckskin dress hugged her full breasts and narrow waist. She ran her hands down over her belly and hips and smiled quietly, she could feel the outline of her silk panties but didn’t feel that they would compromise her plans at all. It was going to be difficult learning to run around without any underwear, even that little bit of silk kept out a whole lot of drafts. Her aunt spent all summer helping her make her clothes.
Now the time had come she hesitated and turned to her aunt and uncle. They had followed her to the edge of the hole and were looking into the pit with very worried expressions.
“Jewel? Is this the right place? Are you sure you want to do this?” her uncle Louie whispered. He glanced around as if he expected someone, or something, to jump out at them at any moment.
“Yes. This is the place and yes, I’m sure.” Jewel replied, “but I’m going to miss you both so much. You know that if this works I won’t be coming back again, whatever happens this is where I belong now. Both of us,” she added when the baby squirmed and cried out.
Aunt Sue had tears streaming down her face as she came up and hugged the tall young woman close, “you will come back for your baby if he doesn’t go with you, won’t you?”
Jewel nodded and hugged her back, “yes, of course. But I really think he will go through with me, it is where he belongs, with his father.”
Aunt Sue nodded and stepped back, “yes I know, but we do love you like you were one of our own.”
Jewel smiled sadly at them both and reached out and took their hands. “I know and I love you too, you have been mother and father to me and I’ll miss you terribly, but I have to do this. I need my husband.”
She transferred her bundle of clothes and baby into the bottom of the pit house and looked up at the two worried faces above her.
“I’ll try to send back a sign to let you know we made it okay,” she said softly.
“What will you send?” Uncle Louie asked curiously.
Jewel laughed, “his last disposable diaper. And my hairclip.” She pulled the silver clasp from her long hair and let it fall over her shoulders.
She glanced down at her now squirming child, “I better nurse him before I go,” she said softly.
They nodded and withdrew and Jewel lifted her son from his carry board and opened her dress and put him to her breast. She sat cross legged on the ground and fed her child while she thought back over the past year and a half and where this all began.

Chapter 2
Eighteen months earlier--
Jewel left her friends in the study hall and went outside to call home on her cell.
“Hi Aunt Sue, it’s me Jewel,” she said.
“Jewel! I’m so glad you called. I have news,” came the excited reply.
“Oh? What happed?” Jewel asked.
“We did it! The rodeo and barbeque were a huge success. We had people come from all over. We made enough to cover all your expenses for next year. You can finish university without having to work part time or this summer either.”
Jewel felt like a huge weight was suddenly lifted from her shoulders. “Wow! That is wonderful. How are you and Uncle Louie doing now?” she said with a laugh.
“We’re exhausted, but it was worth it. Your uncle thinks we should make it an annual event.” Aunt Sue laughed, but Jewel could hear the scepticism in her voice.
They talked for a few minutes more about Sue’s five children and Jewel’s sisters and grandmother and then rang off.
Jewel turned and headed back to the study hall with a big smile on her face. She couldn’t help but marvel at how dedicated they all were at helping her get through university. No one in her family had ever gone this far. Her sisters had not gone beyond high school. They graduated but then they got married and had several babies by the time they were her age. At twenty eight they called her an old maid but she knew it was in jest and they were all very proud of her. She had one year left before she had her master’s degree in archaeology.
Her long muscular legs carried her up the steps two at a time. At five foot eight she is tall and slender with rather large breasts and tiny waist and small firm butt. She grew up on her uncle’s ranch and has helped out ever since she was big enough to sit on a horse. Once she was in her teens she worked alongside the men chasing cows and horses and haying as well. As a result she is packing a lot of muscle, but they are long sinewy muscles, only in her arms is it evident to anyone who cares to look.
She strode through the doorway and headed for their usual table with a happy smile on her face. They knew right away that the news was good, her best friend Kathy jumped up and hugged her.
“Everything okay?” Kathy asked excitedly. They had all been worried along with Jewel.
Jewel laughed, her brown eyes sparkling, “yes, everything is great. They made enough for me to finish without having to get a part time job next year or worrying about making a pile of money this summer.”
Her first two years of university she had been forced to work part time to help pay her own way. She came close to quitting as it was so exhausting to study and work at the same time. Her family and friends kept her going. Her sisters and Aunt and Uncle helped pay for the years in between and she worked long hours every summer so she wouldn`t have to work part time while attending university.
She untangled herself from Kathy and plopped down at the table. The six of them had been together since they met on registration day. They had helped each other get through the tough parts and pushed each other to excel. And slowly over the years a friendship grew that would last a lifetime. They weren’t all taking archaeology, Ron was studying medicine, Luke and Judy were going for their degrees in education, they both wanted to be teachers. That left Ben, Kathy and herself taking archaeology. Now the pressure was off Jewel wanted to join Ben and Kathy in their quest to get a job at a dig somewhere for the summer.
They were sitting and laughing as they discussed the upcoming summer and their various plans when John walked in. Jewel had been on exactly four dates with him. He was one of the ‘in crowd’ at university and she had been surprised and flattered when he asked her for a date, and then a second and third.
She knew he had a reputation for being a party guy and playing loose with the girls but with the confidence of youth she didn’t really think that was important. She wasn’t loose and she didn’t really care what other people thought. And she liked his good looks, his curly light blonde hair and pale blue eyes. It didn’t bother her that his family has loads of money and he is used to a life style that goes along with extreme wealth. He is also used to getting his way with any girl he chose. He bragged to her once that no one had turned him down since he turned sixteen. Jewel smiled when she finished that thought - except me.
He walked directly to their table. “Hi beautiful.”
He nodded to her friends. They greeted him politely and then continued their discussion. She knew that none of them were particularly impressed with him. He slid into the chair beside her and put his arm possessively around her shoulders.
After listening for a minute to their discussion he leaned close and whispered in her ear, “let’s go for a drive.”
Jewel excused herself from her friends and left with him. They spent the next couple hours just driving around in his convertible Porsche. Eventually he parked in the local lovers’ lane. They sat and listened to music for awhile as Jewel searched for something to talk about. Even though he was taking archaeology she realized that they really didn`t have anything in common. She had tried a couple times to talk about their classes but he had dismissed them as unimportant. All he wanted to talk about was his car and his parent`s yacht, or football. Suddenly she felt very uncomfortable and decided that she better end it now.
“John?” Jewel said as she turned to face him.
He grinned at her but it was obvious that he completely misinterpreted her expression, or chose to ignore it. He pulled her against his chest and kissed her deeply and insistently. Despite her resolve to end their relationship she found herself responding. He really did know how to kiss. But then his hands slid under her sweater and he tried to unsnap her bra. She struggled briefly and pushed him away, “no stop it,” she gasped as she struggled to get free.
“Aw come one babe! What’s your problem?” he complained as he tried to get his hands under her sweater again.
“No John, leave my clothes alone,” Jewel exclaimed as she struggled with his groping hands.
Finally he sat back with a disgusted sigh. She could see the angry flush in his cheeks and his jaw was clenched as he struggled to keep his cool.
He stared out the windshield for a couple minutes then turned to her. “Okay babe. No problem,” he said calmly. He smiled to let her know he wasn’t angry or anything. “Hey listen, my cousins and I are going out on my dad’s yacht for the weekend. There are four of us and we’re all bringing along a girlfriend. I was wondering if you would come with me?”
Jewel looked searchingly at him. Should she give him another chance? “I won’t come if you expect me to have sex with you.”
“No, no, nothing like that!” he laughed, “just a bunch of us getting together for some fun.”
Jewel sighed, “I can’t. I have to study.”
“Aw come on. Your grades are in the high nineties. One weekend of fun isn’t going to hurt. But bring your books if you want, you can study while we fish. Please come, we see so little of each other.”
Jewel softened, “okay, I’ll come,” she said.

Chapter 3
The next Monday morning Jewel furiously stomped down the stairs on her way to class. She just got back from the weekend of ‘fun’ an hour ago. She now knew what John meant by fun and it didn’t match any of her definitions of the word. His idea of having fun was drinking, eating and fucking with a lot of emphasis on the latter. And his friends and their girlfriends all shared his interests.
She had continually fought off John’s advances all weekend. If they hadn’t been out in the middle of the ocean she would have walked out. They were all going at it like it was a three day orgy and they laughed at her because she refused to take part in what they called fun. She could see the scorn in their eyes and the anger in John’s.
She had not been able to study for even ten minutes. She hadn’t seen anyone do any fishing and every time she opened her books John was there pressuring her to have a drink or join them in one of their silly games, which always ended up with someone fucking someone else. They didn’t seem to care who was with who. It made her so sick that she locked herself in her cabin and refused to come out all afternoon.
She held him off all weekend and then last night everything came to a head. John had been plying her with drinks all day and by supper time she was kicking herself for not refusing. She was barely able to stand and excused herself to go to bed early. She woke up in his bed with him climbing on top of her in the narrow bunk, they were both naked.
“Get off me!” she yelled and rolled out of the bunk.
He grabbed her arm as she stood there swaying and tried to pull her back, “come on, babe! Don’t be like that. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it, I’m real good at this.”
She yanked her arm free and grabbed her clothes and ran out onto the deck and struggled into her jeans and t-shirt in the rain, not bothering with underwear. She didn’t even care that the crew was watching. She was shaking both with cold and anger.
John followed her in his expensive robe and slippers. His face was flushed and angry, “what the hell is wrong with you?”
Jewel backed away as far as the deck would allow and glared at him, “I will pick the man and the time and it won’t be with you.”
“Why not? I bet you’ve been fucking ever since you started to bleed,” he sneered scornfully.
“You stupid shithead!” Jewel exploded, “why would you think that?”
John started towards her across the deck and then he heard the laughter of the crew and turned away. “Have it your way,” he sneered, “hope you enjoy sleeping in the rain.”
He stepped back into the cabin and turned in the doorway, “when you come to your senses just knock. I’ll be waiting, and you better make it worth the wait.”
He stepped back and slammed the door. She distinctly heard the snick of the lock. If she wanted to get back inside she would have to beg and then some. She felt ill and turned to lean over the rail.
When her stomach was empty she made her way to the side of the boat away from the wind and rain and curled up as close against the cabin wall as she could to get. It was a little drier and not terribly cold now she was out of the wind. But shortly after midnight the wind died and the rain started coming down hard, she huddled against the outside of the cabin shivering and soaked. The only crew member left above to steer the boat invited her onto the bridge where she would be out of the weather, but she stubbornly refused.
When they pulled into dock at eight thirty in the morning she asked one of the crew to get her bag from below and slipped away and grabbed a cab back to her dorm. She was soaked and cold and very, very hung over.
She barely made it to her room before everything came up. It felt like she was being turned inside out. When the retching stopped she took a long hot shower and dressed in clean clothes and headed for class. Her head was splitting and she had puked so much her throat felt raw. Her nose was red and running and she knew she looked like hell but she wasn’t going to miss class. She hadn’t missed a single class in years. She walked into the room and slid into the seat beside her friends.
Kathy leaned over and whispered, “Jewel, you look awful. Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay,” Jewel whispered hoarsely.
Ben grinned at her, “you look like you have a real slammer of a hangover.”
She frowned and sniffed, “yes I do.”
Kathy frowned and handed her a Kleenex, “that’s not like you. I’ve never seen you drink until you’re drunk.”
Jewel shrugged, “well I guess I did yesterday.” She tried to blow her nose as quietly as she could.
They sat and completed the class. They were writing a short test on carbon dating and she struggled to concentrate. When it was over she knew she had not done as well as she should have. Even without studying she should have done better.
She pushed herself to get through the rest of the day. She was kind of glad that John never appeared. She didn’t have the energy to deal with him just now. She was sure he was still sleeping it off. She had never seen anyone drink as much as he had put away over the weekend.
He didn`t seem to care if he attended class or not. It looked like his father just kept doling out money for him to squander. He should have finished and received his degree last year and she doubted if he would graduate this year. She wasn’t sure why he was taking archaeology, he really didn’t appear to be interested in it at all.
She didn’t see him for two days. They were again sitting in study hall after class when he sauntered in. He walked over to their table and grinned down at her.
“Hey babe let’s go to my place,” he said as he slid into the chair next to her. His hand slid down her back to cup her bum.
Jewel pushed his hand away, “no. Didn’t you get the message on the boat? I don’t want to see you anymore,” she said shortly.
“What? Don’t be stupid! Of course you want to see me again. You want to see a whole lot more of me now don’t you?” his smile looked more like a leer to her and his meaning was clear to everyone at the table.
Jewel tried to keep calm, “no I do not! I want you to leave and I don’t want you to come back ever!” she said emphatically as she pushed him off again.
“Oh is that so!” he said nastily and his voice was suddenly loud in the very quiet room. “Well you were sure hot for me on the weekend. You couldn’t get enough of me or my friends either now could you? A squaw like you is always willing. Give you a couple drinks and you’ll fuck anyone anytime. Come on I’ve got a whole bottle of good stuff at my place.”
Jewel felt her rage explode in her head, she literally saw red. She spun away from his groping hand and grabbed the back of the chair from the table behind her. She turned back to face him swinging the chair over her head as hard as she could.
She didn’t expect to do more than make a big noise and drive him off but John was getting to his feet and the seat of the chair connected with his face. The chair flew into a dozen pieces when it hit him. He screamed and fell to the floor and lay there shrieking. A pool of blood quickly soaking into his soft blond curls. And his shrieks died in a choking gurgle.
She was left standing there in shock with the back of the chair still in her hands. Ben was the first of them to recover. He jumped up and grabbed her arms. She let the remaining pieces of the chair slide to the floor.
“Holy shit Jewel! Take it easy! I think he got the point,” he said urgently. “Come on, I’ll walk you back to your dorm,” he gently turned her and they headed for the door with the rest of her friends following behind them. They left John to be cared for by whoever else was around.
All five of them gathered protectively around her just outside the door.
She snorted, “hey guys, I don’t need protecting. I’m fine.” she could hear her voice shaking.
Kathy looked up at her with a worried frown, “Jewel do you want to talk about it?”
Jewel paled, “no! Not now, not ever. I’m through with that bastard. I just want to be alone now okay?” she turned and walked away.
Kathy started out to follow her and Ben caught her by the arm,“we better leave her alone for awhile,” he said quietly. “She needs some time to calm down.”
Jewel walked for several hours, the physical exercise helped her to slowly calm down. She was as surprised as her friends at her reaction to John’s remarks. But she was even more surprised that she had hit him. She didn’t like violence in any shape. She should be used to the insults regarding her heritage and it wasn’t as if she was a virgin, she had given that up to a wandering cowboy back when she was seventeen. She had been with a total of three men in her life. And while she enjoyed sex, she felt as if something was missing each time. She had recently come to the conclusion that it would have more meaning with the right man, the man she would spend her life with.
She knew that John was not that man. She now wished that she had broken off with him instead of going out on the boat. None of this would have happened if she had. Now she was being honest with herself she realized that she didn’t even like him. She finally admitted to herself that she only went out with him because she was flattered by his attention.
She didn’t return to campus until after supper time. Once again she joined her friends in the study hall where they had obviously been waiting for her. She plunked herself down in a chair and looked across the table at them. They sat quietly waiting for her to speak.
She looked around at their very worried expressions. “Well, you’re sure a sorry looking bunch,” she said with a valiant attempt at a smile. “Somebody die or something?” then she paled at her words and her eyes flew wide. “He didn’t die.....did he?” she gasped.
Kathy reached over and caught her hand, “No, he’s okay,” she said quickly. “Well....sort of okay,” she amended with a giggle.
Jewel was still pale, “what do you mean ‘sort of’?”
Kathy grinned at her, “well, you know that perfect nose of his? And his perfect brow line?” She giggled again, “well, they’re not so perfect anymore.”
Jewel let her breath out in a rush, “but he’s going to live, right?”
Ron chuckled, “yes he’ll live. He has a broken nose and you split his eyebrow wide open and blackened both his eyes. He’s been stitched back together and sent home to mommy and daddy.”
Jewel smiled at him in relief. Before she could say anything more Professor Nielsen walked up to their table. He grabbed a chair and spun it around and sat with his arms across the back. He looked solemnly at Jewel.
“Well young lady what do you have to say for yourself?” he asked sternly.
Jewel liked him. He was her history professor and demanded very high standards of all his students. And not once had he referred to her cultural background.
Now he sat waiting for her reply. She felt the pain and despair rise in her chest. She knew that she could be kicked out for what she had done. She dropped her head into her hands, “he called me a squaw,” she whispered.
Professor Nielsen straightened suddenly, making his chair lurch noisily across the tile floor. “He what?” he exclaimed.
He looked around at the others, “you all heard this?” They all slowly nodded their heads at him.
“And so did about a dozen others,” Ben added softly.
Professor Nielsen stared at Ben for several breaths, “I need a list of those people.” Ben nodded.
He then turned to Jewel and placed his hand on hers, “I’ll go and talk to the Dean. I’ll let him know the truth and see if there is some way to let you continue with your studies.”
Jewel looked up, “do you think John will press charges?” she asked worriedly.
The Professor was quiet for a minute, “no, I don’t think he will. There are too many witnesses to what he said. It would prove to be very embarrassing for him and his father.”
Professor Nielsen patted her hand, “leave this to me to handle. You’ll undoubtedly have to meet with the Dean yourself but don’t let this interfere with your studies. You are the brightest student I have taught in many years. Don’t let him throw you off course.”
Jewel looked at him sadly while the tears collected in her eyes. She angrily brushed them away. “I was sure nothing could ever throw me off course,” she said emphatically, “but what if they kick me out?”
He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, “we’ll just have to make sure that doesn’t happen.” He stood up and carefully replaced the chair and left.
They all sat quietly for awhile and then they headed off to their respective rooms. Tomorrow was another busy day for each of them. The year was winding down and they had exams to study for and summer plans to finalize.
Jewel was called to the Dean’s office the next morning. She was physically shaking as she walked in and sat down.
Professor Nielsen was already there and he smiled encouragingly at her.
Dean Watson looked up from his desk and settled his stern blue eyes on her face. “Miss Peters. I would like you to tell me in your own words what happened between you and Mr Logan.”
Jewel swallowed and nodded, “I hit him in the face with a chair.” She added softly, “I’ll pay to replace the chair.”
Professor Nielsen covered his laughter with a cough. The dean looked at him sternly and then turned his forceful gaze back on Jewel.
“Why did you hit him?”
Jewel looked steadily into the direct blue eyes, “he called me a squaw. I didn’t mean to hit him, but he stood up at the wrong moment. I just meant to hit the table in front of him.”
The dean sat back in his chair and blinked, “what brought all this about? Why did he call you that, do you know?”
Jewel nodded, “I dated him a few times but yesterday in study hall I told him I didn’t want to see him anymore. He got mad and made some nasty comments, one of which was that horrible name he called me.”
Dean Watson drummed on his desk with the fingers of one hand for several moments and then nodded and looked up at her. “I see. Well Professor Nielsen has spoken to several witnesses and it appears that they all support your side of things so under the circumstances you will be allowed to stay and continue your education. But I must insist that in the future you refrain from taking matters into your own hands. You may return to class.”
Jewel sighed in relief, “what did John say?”
“Well let’s just leave it at he didn’t mention the racial slur,” the dean said as he rose to his feet. Jewel knew he wasn’t going to tell her and that she was being dismissed. She rose to her feet and nodded to both men and left quietly.
Three weeks later they were in Professor Johnson’s archaeology class when he called for silence. “We have a last minute request for three more archaeology students to join a dig in the interior,” he said. “Is anyone interested?”
Jewel stood up, “I’m interested.”
He looked up at her, “Thank you Miss Peters.” He quickly wrote her name on the sheet of paper he was holding, “anyone else?”
John stood up, “I’m interested.” He said while he glared at Jewel. His face was deeply bruised and very swollen. The stitches had been removed but it was obvious that he would be scarred.
“Thank you Mr Logan. One more?” the professor asked as he wrote John’s name on the list.
Ben and Kathy both stood up at the same time. “I’m interested,” They said in unison.
The professor blinked at them, “well thank you both but we only need one more. One of you will have to step down.”
John interrupted, “Jewel should step down. I heard that this is a dig on a newly discovered native village, they already have enough squaws and they don’t need any more.” He laughed nastily at the pain that flashed in her eyes. Other than the snickers from John’s friends the rest of the class was suddenly very still.
Professor Johnson stood frozen, staring at him. “Thank you Mr Logan for you insight,” he said softly. He turned to his list and made several notes. Without even looking up he said, “all right, that is settled, Miss Peters, Miss Simons and Mr Hall will report to the dig on Tuesday, June 25th. See me later for details.”
John kicked his chair back and turned to storm out of the room. Professor Johnson turned. “Mr Logan!” he shouted. “You will return to your desk and collect your belongings. Then, when you leave this room do not return. You can also find another class for next year. I do not want you back in mine.”
John stopped just inside the door and turned around but he wasn’t looking at Professor Johnson. He was glaring at Jewel, “you’ll pay for this bitch. You haven’t seen the last of me,” his face was dark red and furious. He slammed the door open breaking the glass panel and stomped out and down the hall.
Jewel swallowed and realized that she had been holding her breath. She glanced around and saw several angry faces among the shocked people staring at her. There was a lot of people who agreed with John but didn’t have the courage to speak.
Kathy put her arm around her and pulled her back around, “hey don’t listen to that trash, he’s just blowing hot air.”
Jewel breathed a sigh of relief and hugged her friend back. She could never have gone on a dig with John around. She was sure he only volunteered so he could make sure she didn’t get what she wanted.
Ever since she hit him he had continued to harass her, seldom to her face, usually just in loud comments when she walked by.
Now she suspected that he was expanding his ire and using his charm and money to sway others to back him. She had heard from several sources that he was claiming that she was a prostitute and into drugs and should be kicked out.
 
Chapter 4
The three friends had been working at the site now for two weeks. Before they arrived the dig had uncovered five pit houses in the clearing. There was one crew searching for other dwellings and a second crew sifting through the sediment in each of the excavations. The three of them had been put to work in one of the pit houses that had been extensively excavated.
They were now nearly six feet below the surface. The pit house was about twenty feet in circumference and was divided into sections. They were sifting through each section with meticulous care, stopping to note what was found in what quadrant. The head archaeologist Tom Johansen thought they had reached or were about to reach the lowest level of habitation. As yet they were still waiting for the carbon dating to give them an indication of how old the site was.
This bottom layer was rich in findings. They had already uncovered many artefacts in a very short time. There were tools and beads carved from bone and wood, spear and arrow heads napped from flint. And fragments of bowls and cups shaped from wood and bone. There were even bits of baskets woven from tough bull rushes still intact.
Jewel loved the work and found it fascinating. She was sure these were her ancestors. She had been extremely excited when she learned where the dig was located. She was raised just about a hundred miles east of where they were. But as the days passed the fascination started to change to nervousness, the excitement to a sense of waiting and being watched. She wasn’t sure what was wrong but a strange uneasy feeling was growing stronger with every day.
For the past two days she felt as though someone was watching her and the hair on the back of her neck would stand on end. She would spin around but there was no one there. The last couple nights she woke up in the tent she shared with Kathy to hear voices calling to her, they were calling the name Grandmother had given her as a child, Laughing Water. Kathy never heard a thing.
Today as she knelt in the dirt scraping away carefully at the floor of the pit house, she was sure there was someone else there with them. She looked around, she couldn’t see anyone but Ben and Kathy, but she was sure she felt another presence. The hair on the back of her neck was standing on end and goose bumps sprang up all over her arms. She kept glancing over at her companions but they were relaxed and joking around as they worked on their respective sections.
Jewel had just finished uncovering a curiously shaped rock. She carefully brushed the last of the dirt away from its surface. Other than its shape and the fact that it was there in the bottom of the pit house it looked quite ordinary. It was not blackened so she knew it was not a stone from the central fire pit. The bottom was just the right shape and size to fit in her palm but the top was perfectly round. Now the dirt was brushed away she could just make out faint etching along the sides and stretching over the top. It must be a tool of some kind but she couldn’t think what it would be used for.
She meticulously completed her notes and lifted the stone to the light to get a better look at the etchings. She felt a curious tingle in her hand and up her arm. Suddenly she could hear singing but could not make out the words, there were many voices chanting slow and soft. She had a sense that they weren’t speaking English. She put the stone down quickly and carefully looked around. There was no one there but Kathy and Ben and they were deeply engrossed in their own sections while they traded friendly insults.
“Do you hear that?” Jewel asked.
“What.” Kathy asked.
“That singing,” Jewel answered.
“Singing? No I don’t hear any singing,” Kathy said, sitting back on her heels and cocking her head to one side.
Jewel frowned, “I swear I can hear singing.” The voices were not as loud now that she wasn’t touching the stone but they were still there.
Ben laughed, “oh that’s spooky! I think this is getting to you!”
Jewel laughed, “yeah right!”
She turned back to the stone. As soon as she put her hand on it she felt the tingle up her arm and the singing gained in volume. This time she kept quiet and just stared at the stone. Suddenly she could feel others around her. They were dipping and weaving in a circle around the centre of the pit house. She couldn’t see them but she could feel them and hear them, they were chanting. One hazy figure shimmered into view, it looked like an old man, standing looking at her with his arms crossed over his chest. A wave of dizziness swept over her and the hair on the back of her neck was standing up so stiff it itched and her goose bumps had goose bumps. A shiver of something raced up her spine, she wasn`t sure if it was fear or not. She quickly pulled her hand away from the stone. It all stopped and the shimmering figure disappeared. She was back to the faint sound of singing.
She breathed deeply for a few moments and then looked over at her companions. “Ben, take a look at this,” she said and quickly handed him the stone. “It looks like etchings on the side and top, can you make them out?”
Ben took the stone and turned it this way and that. “Yes, I can definitely see something etched on it,” he said as he held the stone up to the light, “but I can’t make it out.” He handed the stone back to her.
She nodded and quickly placed the stone in her basket. He gave no indication that he heard or felt anything. She knew that he would have dropped the stone and raced out of the pit if he had. He was the most superstitious person she had ever met.
She smiled, “I hope they can bring them out more. I sure would like to know what it was used for. It might be a tool, but I think it was more likely used for some kind of ceremony.”
Ben glanced up, “yeah my guess would be a ceremony of some kind. It’s sure a strange shape and size. Just like it was made that way, but it’s a stone.” He turned back to the piece of wooden bowl he was carefully excavating.
Jewel sat and stared at the stone in her basket of pieces. Just then the horn blew to signal lunch break. The three friends picked up their baskets and climbed up the ladder to the surface. They detoured to drop off their baskets and notes at the collection tent and joined the others in the mess tent for lunch.
The leaders were sitting together at a separate table. Jewel could see that they were highly excited about something. One of them, a Doctor Francis jumped up and came over to her.
“Ah.....Miss Peters,” he said hesitantly. “Could you join us for a minute please?”
Jewel shrugged at her friends and followed him over to the table where his companions sat.
“Miss Peters. We have a favour to ask of you. Please don’t be offended. We have discovered a costume in near perfect condition. It was sealed in a rock crevasse in one of the dwellings. We would like you to try it on and model it for us. Just to get a feel for how it would have looked, you understand?”
Jewel did understand. She was the only indigenous person on site. She was ready to turn away when Dr Johansen held up the costume in question. It was still beautiful. It was made of deer hide and had been cured to a soft butter yellow and intricately beaded, with long fringing down the sleeves and around the bottom. It looked to be in fairly good condition even though there were spots where the color had darkened and some of the fringe had dried up and disintegrated. She noticed that quite a bit of the bead work was also missing. Jewel swallowed and slowly approached him. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but her hands were shaking.
She touched the dress with her finger tips and felt the tingle start again. She didn’t know what was happening, she didn’t believe in spirits and ghosts even though her grandmother did and told her many stories about them when she was a child. But something was happening here, something she couldn`t explain. She felt a connection to something that she didn`t understand. She no longer felt afraid though, just terribly curious.
She swallowed twice before she trusted her voice. “I would love to try this on,” she said quietly.
They all beamed at her, “oh good! Please be careful with it. You understand that it is very old and starting to disintegrate. We’ll get the photographer to set up his equipment in the pit house where you have been working. It would help if we could get some pictures in that setting. Could you change into the costume and join us as soon as you have finished eating?”
She nodded and turned to rejoin Kathy and Ben. When they heard what she was going to do, Kathy frowned, “don’t you think they are taking advantage of you?”
Jewel shrugged, “probably, but I really do want to try it on. Just think, it was probably worn by one of my ancestors.”
“Wow,” Ben said softly. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes,” Jewel whispered. “I was raised not more than a hundred miles from here. My people have been in this area for thousands of years.”
After dinner Jewel left with the dress over her arm. She returned to the tent she shared with Kathy and stripped to her bikini panties and then slid the leather dress over her head. It was a loose fit and hung to just below her knees. She loosened her hair from the clip that held it up and out of her way and let it fall down her back. She looked down at her bare feet, she didn’t relish the idea of walking barefoot across the sharp rocks and rough ground but neither her sneakers nor hiking boots would do with this dress. She went to her pack and pulled out her long moccasins that grandmother had given her last year. She took them everywhere with her. She pulled them on and stood up. She felt a tingle go down her spine. She gasped and steeled herself. Stop it!  It’s just your imagination! She scolded her refection in her small mirror as she brushed her hair.
She walked quickly to where the photographer was set up. She climbed down the ladder and joined the others. They all exclaimed at the beauty of the dress and how well it fit her. Dr Johansen came over and held out a necklace. He was smiling and stepped behind her and draped it around her neck. She quickly wrapped her hair around her hand to get it out of his way so he could tie it behind her neck. She released her hair and gazed down at it. It was made from the claws of a very large bear. She knew right away that they were grizzly claws from their length and curve. At the centre were two huge canine teeth from the same animal. They had strung them on a new leather thong. She looked up as Dr Johansen walked around to look at it.
“Ah.......this is not something a woman would wear,” she said quietly. “only a man would wear this.” The necklace was long and hung to her waist. “A very big man,” she added.
Dr Johansen smiled, “yes I think you’re right. We are reasonably sure that it is from one necklace, all the claws and teeth were found together. Please just keep it on. It gives the photographer a better sense of what size a man it belonged to.” He frowned, “strange, everything indicates that these people were not that big. He must have been an anomaly.” He turned and walked over to stand behind the photographer who was still busy setting up his equipment.
Kathy could see that she was nervous and came over and touched her arm. She leaned close and whispered, “Jewel, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Jewel swallowed the dry lump in her throat, “Why?”
“You’re shaking like a leaf!” Kathy replied.
Jewel shrugged and walked over to where the photographer was indicating. She couldn’t tell Kathy what she felt, it seemed so crazy.
They handed her various pieces that had been found in the pit houses and she posed with them for the camera. Each piece seemed to be trying to speak to her. Her stomach was cramping and her throat was tight with the riot of emotions she was feeling. She kept wishing that they would hurry up.
When they held out the stone she had found earlier she hesitated. She saw Ben grin and nudge Kathy. She took as deep a breath as she could and reached for it. As soon as she held it in her hand she felt the earth tip under her and a strange pulling start in her chest. The singing rang out loud in her ears and the old man was now standing close with his hands held out to her. His long grey hair hung loose on his shoulders and she could see his lips moving, he was singing with the others and gesturing to her.
She couldn’t breathe and couldn’t cry out. Everything started to fade, all the people around her appeared to become transparent. She heard Kathy scream her name and felt hands grasping hers but then she was pulled free and falling. The world around her was a kaleidoscope of colors and sound. She could hear voices but not make out what was said. She felt like she was falling for a terrible long time. Then just as quickly it all stopped.