💾 Archived View for lantashifiles.com › writing › shadows › theGiftshop.gmi captured on 2023-07-22 at 16:28:42. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2021-12-03)
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Kate walked into the gift shop with the newspaper still held in her hands. She was completely distracted... The world had gone crazy. Two bodies found... two!! Up here in the world forgotten things like this just did not happen! There were sometimes accidental deaths, tourists who came up to ski, wandered off in the wood to explore, and then got lost in the snow.
But this appeared more serious...
Kate shook her head, trying to clear it. Her long-length hair back and forth on her shoulders.
"Can I help you?"
A small woman, about 5 foot 2, walked up to Julie. She was young, maybe 19 or 20. She had dark, reddish skin, and deep brown eyes. She wore a modest dress, adorned with flowers.
"Um... hi," Kate said, clearing her thoughts. "I'm looking for something to get my boyfriend. His birthday is coming up."
"Great. What does he like? We have a little bit of everything."
"He likes history."
"I have some history books here. Though mainly of the Keweenaw, the copper mining, Bishop Baraga, books like that. I do have some items he might be interested in though. Are you originally from around here."
"Yes, Lee teach history at the high-school down in TOWN.
"Are you alright?" the woman asked, her face filled with concern. "You look really worried."
"I... I shouldn't talk about it."
"I understand. I'm sorry for being nosey."
"No, it's okay.... it's just... my boyfriend was here, when this happened."
Kate held out the newspaper to the woman, pointing out the article about the two men that had been mauled, or murdered, in Baraga State Forest.
"And, well, he was late that day, stood me up for a date. I was already worried about him, and then he comes up with a really lame excuse about why he was wandering about the woods for hours on end!"
The young woman bit her lips, swaying her shoulders back and forth. Kate had trouble reading her expression, other than she was uncomfortable with where the conversation was going.
"I'm not real good with guys. Too shy. What was his excuse?" she asked finally.
"I... he said..." Kate took a deep breath. "He said her heard a woman singing, some magical language he'd never heard before. And he went off searching for her, hypnotized or something, and lost track of time. I ... am I being stupid. I feel jealous, but he said he never found her. And now this, two people dead, on the same day and in the same place. Nothing makes sense."
The young woman had stopped swaying, and had a weird look on her face. What was it? Fear? The young woman looked afraid?
"I don't mean to freak you out. I... well, I'm a litte scared."
The young woman took a deep breath, her small chest rising and falling.
"Is that the way your boyfriend described it? Magical singing?" she asked.
"No," Kate answered. "Mystical, or otherworldly, something like that. But what does that matter?"
"I don't know... I guess it doesn't," the girl answered. She hesitated a few seconds, doubt on her face. "By the way, my name is Julie."
"I'm Kate. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, and the shook.
"So... this happened in Baraga State Forest, not north of the bridge, right?"
"Yeah... he likes to hike in there. Well, he likes to hike everywhere. Does that make a difference?"
"My sister and I live north of the bridge, in Lake Linden. I'm glad we don't live closer. Do they know how they died?"
"Animal attack, they think, but they haven't been able to identify the animal."
"Guys be mule-headed. Does your boyfriend stand you up a lot, give you reason to be jealous?"
"No... I don't know. He's usually a sweetheart. I'm... well, I'm the one with a fiery personality."
Julie smiled. "I can be that way too. I know it is none of my business, but don't be too angry with him. Though if I was him, I wouldn't go back hiking there anytime soon."
"Thanks," Kate said, smiling. "It helps to talk about it. Anyways, I better go. I'll come back though, I like it here."
"I'll see you soon."
Julie arrived home to a quiet house. It was dark... but in late October (early November?) it got dark really early up in the Keweenaw...
"Feather, are you home?" Julie called. No answer, but that did not surprise her. Feather often went walking in the woods, even in the dark. She was fearless in nature...
Singing....
Etc...
Feather turned and smiled as Julie approached. A minute later, she stopped singing. The world changed, and the glow left it. Feather's singing had this effect on the environment for years, but Julie never would get used to it. She felt like she left one
etc...