Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

Why must it always rain when he was locked in a cage? But this time John’s head rested not on hard wood but on something soft. He opened his eyes to see Anna looking down at him, concern on her face. His head rested in her lap as she ran her fingers through his hair.

The wind blew and he could see the pale skin of her neck.

“Can you ever forgive me?” he croaked out.

“For what?”

“I cannot keep you safe.” He reached up, touching the ragged ends. “Your beautiful hair. So many shades of color. Like sunlight and earth.”

She reached a hand up, touching what remained. He saw the sorrow on her face.

“I’ve always had long hair. Ever since I was a child.” She touched a finger to the strands, trying and failing to tuck it behind her ear. “I feel lighter somehow, though I bet my neck will be cold this winter.”

“’Tis my fault.”

“Why? You did nothing wrong. You saved me from those men. I hate to think what would’ve happened if I had been alone. It’s me who should be asking you for forgiveness. If we’d stayed at Blackmoor, none of this would have happened.”

“Nay. They would have come for us there.”

He touched her hair again. She looked even younger with it shorn off.

“Don’t worry. It’s only hair. It’ll grow back.”

He wanted to talk with her, but his head pained him terribly, and against his will, his eyes drifted shut.

John woke, shivering and sneezing. Anna touched his forehead and then her own. He felt awfully warm to her.

“I am well.”

“You’re grumpy.”

He made a sound in the back of his throat.

“You know men make the worst patients. They’re always whining and complaining like they’re dying.”

He cracked one eye open, scowling at her. “If you will not tend me, tell me about the snakes in Florida. To take my mind off my aching head.”

She rubbed his shoulders as she talked. The motion of the wagon and the rain falling on them lulled her into a state between wakefulness and dreams.

“In Florida there are several kinds of snakes. The poisonous ones are the cottonmouth and rattlesnakes. If they bite, you can die, but there’s an antidote. Then there are pythons and boa constrictors.” Even talking about them made Anna feel creepy crawly all over. “I hate them all. In my book the only good snake is a dead snake.”

“I have seen a snake. Most folks say they are the devil’s familiar.”

She totally agreed. “I can believe it. Pythons are not native to Florida. Someone brought them there and now they’re causing problems in the Everglades. Remember, the Everglades are the big area in Florida where very few people live. The snakes don’t have any predators there, so they have become the top predator. And they get really, really big. Bigger than people. They eat people, animals, and even alligators. Someday I wonder if they’ll take over the whole state and Florida will belong to the snakes.”

“I am glad I am not in Florida. I do not think I would like snakes.”

Something about the way he said it made her think of Dr. Seuss. The lines from Green Eggs and Ham ran through her mind. She kept replacing them with snakes and started to giggle hysterically.

He cracked an eye open. “What is it you find humorous?”

“I have to explain it to you some other time.” She waved a hand around.

“Something from your future world?”

“Yes. Would you like to hear a story?”

She felt his forehead again. Was he warm or was it just her imagination? He looked awful. The soldiers had beaten the snot out of him. To get her mind off worrying, she told him a story from when she was little.

“I like to hear you talk. The sound of your voice makes me feel like everything will be right in the world.”

It was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. It was raining harder and her hair was plastered to her head. She hoped she wouldn’t catch a cold. The poor horses, traveling through the storm. She felt sorry for them. To take her mind off everything, she told him another story. This one true.

“When I was about five years old, I came outside the house one day. I always went through the door to the carport.” She thought about how to explain it. “A carport is kind of like a stable for a car.”

He made that guy sound that could mean anything. She took it to mean keep going .

“When I stepped outside, I saw something wriggling. I don’t know what made me do it, but I jumped. It was a good thing I did. There were at least ten baby copperhead snakes on the floor. If I hadn’t jumped, I would’ve stepped on them.”

He shifted, trying to sit up. Anna pressed a hand to his chest and he stopped struggling. “Were you harmed?”

“No, but I watched them slither away, too afraid to do anything.”

“I think you were very brave to jump over them.”

“I didn’t feel brave at the time. There was one other thing that happened when I was a child. Something I’ll never forget. A couple years later, my dad took me hunting. I’ve always loved animals, so when we saw the deer with his beautiful antlers, I yelled run at the top of my lungs.” She laughed, remembering how mad her dad was.

“He was so disgusted with me, he said we were going home that instant. As we walked down the dry creek bed, he grabbed me and pulled me behind him. A big black snake struck at his boot and he shot it. Before I could scream, another one came towards me. Cottonmouths are known for being aggressive. It bit his boot and he killed it as well. I was terrified. To this day I am terrified of snakes. It’s one good thing about being here—there aren’t any snakes.”

“Is there nothing else you like about my country?”

She could feel herself blushing. “There are a few things, but I think you should rest. If you don’t complain about being sick, I’ll tell you when we get to the tower.”

He made a face and closed his eyes. In a little while she felt his body relax. She didn’t want to tell him how worried she was. He was definitely hot to the touch.

When they stopped to take a break, she called one of the men over.

“He’s feverish. ”

The man scowled. “I care not what happens to the bandit of the wood. One of the men he killed was my brother.”

Anna guessed she wouldn’t be getting any help from them. She had to hope they would make it to the tower soon. Surely they would have a doctor?