Poe Style River\'s Dusk it

Poe Style

River's Dusk

It was just at the moments of dusk, when the swallows begin to circle, temporarily blocking the sky from view, and the balm of night begins to penetrate the senses giving way to imagination of sinisterly events to come with the darkness, it was just at these moments that Laura spotted it, just across the bank, on the wooded side of the river, water black with red about it.

She had been sitting at the water's edge since sunset, wrapped snug in her brother's old army blanket, warm against the chill of the autumn air. It was exactly two weeks before the winter solstice, and soon much of river's banks would be frozen solid, trapping all beneath in a coffin of ice. This was one of Laura's favorite times of year, trees bared, allowing her to peer into the woods, glimpsing deer, hooves crunching along the dried leaves as they made their way deeper into the woods.

As Laura sat, still and quiet except for the sound and motion of her own breath, she began to hear leaves snapping just up-river. Without moving her head, her eyes moved left, following the echo. Laura had spent so many evenings, years of evenings actually, right here, at this spot, nestled between the willow and the oak, that she recognized each sound as one familiar with the creeks and cracks of his own house. This was not deer, and it was not Mr. Larson's dog, Ginger, who often spent afternoons sharpening her skills for prey. No, Laura knew immediately that this was a human, and from the rhythm of deliberate steps, it was certain to be a man. Within seconds Laura caught a flash of muted hues through the tree trucks. As the crackling sounds drew nearer, she now caught sight of his whole stature, darting in and out amongst the trees. It was definitely Curtis Jones' corduroy jacket, walking just beyond the tree line, clothed in fatigues, hunting boots, rifle slung over his right shoulder. He stared straight ahead, never once glancing her way. Laura allowed her eyes to follow him until the hues blended into the darkness down river.