Chapter 2 Excerpt - The Shimmering
From Chapter Two of "The Shimmering" - It's 1845 and the pioneer families are traveling in covered wagons on the Old Oregon Trail...
Four-year old Ben Lillie begged his mother to let him and his big sister Anna sit out front and watch Papa work the team of oxen as they crossed the North Platte River.
Elizabeth gazed across the wide river’s surface. It didn't look too bad.
“You and your sister may sit up here this time, but you mustn't fidget, or you’ll have to go back inside the wagon. Will you be a dear and promise to do exactly as Mamma says?”
“I promise,” said Ben. The boy and his sister climbed out from the overcrowded wagon, onto the driver’s seat, on either side of their mother.
The seat was a plain flat board, wide enough to hold two adults or three children, and another board below acted as a footrest. The wagons had no springs so the jerky bouncing movements made it uncomfortable to sit on for long. Some of the pioneers rode horses, but most of them walked… and walked… and walked.
The exception to this was at river crossings. Rivers were dangerous; you never knew how deep or how fast the water was until you were in it. A ford might be just the right depth for animals and wagons to cross, but only a foot to either side, there might be a deep channel hidden or a whirlpool capable of pulling you under. For this reason, children were usually told to stay inside the wagon at river crossings and the women would sit on the driver’s seat.
Finally, all the teams were hitched and yoked. Captain Findley gave a long sharp whistle and shouted, “Mount up! Roll those wagons! Westwaaard Ho!”
Jacob Lillie was the first man to urge his team into the river. Walking beside his lead ox, he entered the water. Jacob was surprised at the strength of the current rushing through and against his legs, and as the water came up to his thighs he hoped the oxen wouldn’t panic.
“Go on boy, keep moving,” he coaxed and he kept tapping the lead ox with his stick. The beasts plodded forward, and by the time they were approaching the middle of the river, the water was up to Jacob’s hips. Halfway over the wide crossing, the lead ox stumbled, lost his footing on the uneven river bottom and went down. As he struggled to get back up, he bellowed in distress and the whole team began to fight against their yokes. Afraid the current would overturn the wagon and sweep everyone downstream, Jacob slammed his stick across the animal’s rump.
“Git moving!” he shouted again and again. The ox made a desperate lunge forward and pulled the rest of the team with him.
Suddenly Elizabeth screamed, “Jacob! It’s Ben! He’s in the water!”
Four year old Ben had been so engrossed at the sight of his father dealing with the frightened animals, he’d slid off the seat and stood on the foot board before Elizabeth or Anna could stop him. At that moment, the ox lunged and the wagon tilted. Ben was flung into a deep channel on the downstream side of the wagon, and he disappeared under the surface. A second later, his head bobbed up; he gasped for air and then swirled further downstream.
Alerted by Elizabeth’s screams, Jacob dove into the water where his wife was pointing. The fast flowing undercurrent dragged the man down, for Jacob’s body was longer and heavier than his son’s. Unlike his little boy who kept bobbing to the surface, Jacob’s face did not reappear.
Once again, Mrs. Lillie screamed, but, this time, she yelled at Anna.
“Stay in the wagon!” Then she stood up and dove into the river, desperate to save her son.
Anna watched everything happen as if time had slowed to nearly a stop. First, she saw the splash of her mother’s body, then Mama’s long skirts floated up to the surface and, finally, the angry current swallowed her whole. Driven out of her wits, Anna screamed.
“Mama! Papa! Ben! Oh Lord, please DO something!” The girl watched in horror at the swirling water, searching, but seeing no sign of her parents. Finally her brother’s face reappeared further downstream. He bobbed along for a few seconds before disappearing under the surface once again, right where the river took the bend.
The above scene was observed in real time by a modern day British schoolgirl whose Grandmother is a researcher and writer of non-fiction history. How did this girl watch something that happened 173 years ago? Erynn's desire to know what eventually happened to the Lillie kids, and her grandmother's story about the Native American shape-shifter fired up the girl's imagination. Almost without effort, Erynn slipped through a shimmering portal and found herself on the Oregon Trail.
Four-year old Ben Lillie begged his mother to let him and his big sister Anna sit out front and watch Papa work the team of oxen as they crossed the North Platte River.
Elizabeth gazed across the wide river’s surface. It didn't look too bad.
“You and your sister may sit up here this time, but you mustn't fidget, or you’ll have to go back inside the wagon. Will you be a dear and promise to do exactly as Mamma says?”
“I promise,” said Ben. The boy and his sister climbed out from the overcrowded wagon, onto the driver’s seat, on either side of their mother.
The seat was a plain flat board, wide enough to hold two adults or three children, and another board below acted as a footrest. The wagons had no springs so the jerky bouncing movements made it uncomfortable to sit on for long. Some of the pioneers rode horses, but most of them walked… and walked… and walked.
The exception to this was at river crossings. Rivers were dangerous; you never knew how deep or how fast the water was until you were in it. A ford might be just the right depth for animals and wagons to cross, but only a foot to either side, there might be a deep channel hidden or a whirlpool capable of pulling you under. For this reason, children were usually told to stay inside the wagon at river crossings and the women would sit on the driver’s seat.
Finally, all the teams were hitched and yoked. Captain Findley gave a long sharp whistle and shouted, “Mount up! Roll those wagons! Westwaaard Ho!”
Jacob Lillie was the first man to urge his team into the river. Walking beside his lead ox, he entered the water. Jacob was surprised at the strength of the current rushing through and against his legs, and as the water came up to his thighs he hoped the oxen wouldn’t panic.
“Go on boy, keep moving,” he coaxed and he kept tapping the lead ox with his stick. The beasts plodded forward, and by the time they were approaching the middle of the river, the water was up to Jacob’s hips. Halfway over the wide crossing, the lead ox stumbled, lost his footing on the uneven river bottom and went down. As he struggled to get back up, he bellowed in distress and the whole team began to fight against their yokes. Afraid the current would overturn the wagon and sweep everyone downstream, Jacob slammed his stick across the animal’s rump.
“Git moving!” he shouted again and again. The ox made a desperate lunge forward and pulled the rest of the team with him.
Suddenly Elizabeth screamed, “Jacob! It’s Ben! He’s in the water!”
Four year old Ben had been so engrossed at the sight of his father dealing with the frightened animals, he’d slid off the seat and stood on the foot board before Elizabeth or Anna could stop him. At that moment, the ox lunged and the wagon tilted. Ben was flung into a deep channel on the downstream side of the wagon, and he disappeared under the surface. A second later, his head bobbed up; he gasped for air and then swirled further downstream.
Alerted by Elizabeth’s screams, Jacob dove into the water where his wife was pointing. The fast flowing undercurrent dragged the man down, for Jacob’s body was longer and heavier than his son’s. Unlike his little boy who kept bobbing to the surface, Jacob’s face did not reappear.
Once again, Mrs. Lillie screamed, but, this time, she yelled at Anna.
“Stay in the wagon!” Then she stood up and dove into the river, desperate to save her son.
Anna watched everything happen as if time had slowed to nearly a stop. First, she saw the splash of her mother’s body, then Mama’s long skirts floated up to the surface and, finally, the angry current swallowed her whole. Driven out of her wits, Anna screamed.
“Mama! Papa! Ben! Oh Lord, please DO something!” The girl watched in horror at the swirling water, searching, but seeing no sign of her parents. Finally her brother’s face reappeared further downstream. He bobbed along for a few seconds before disappearing under the surface once again, right where the river took the bend.
The above scene was observed in real time by a modern day British schoolgirl whose Grandmother is a researcher and writer of non-fiction history. How did this girl watch something that happened 173 years ago? Erynn's desire to know what eventually happened to the Lillie kids, and her grandmother's story about the Native American shape-shifter fired up the girl's imagination. Almost without effort, Erynn slipped through a shimmering portal and found herself on the Oregon Trail.
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