Marie Harte Rachel's Totem 01

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since stepping foot in Cougar Falls, this made no sense either.
Instead of dwelling on it, she said to hell with worry and latched onto his story. So
the root of this festival isn t the Salish, but the people they ran into.
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Marie Harte
Right, the Shifters. Gerald flashed her a smile and turned down another dirt road,
taking them deeper into the mountains. The Salish called them Ac-taw, which in the
Shifters language meant animal souls. According to legend, the Ac-taw could transform
into the beasts that dwelt within their souls.
What, like werewolves and cat people? Funny, she d heard the same tales from
Aunt Charlotte growing up. But her aunt had never given the Shifters a name. She d just
laughed and teased Rachel with fanciful stories.
I guess you could call them that. But the Indians believed more in a transmutation
of souls into living form. Not so much monsters as people who could live as either animal
or human, a beautiful combination of both spirits in one flesh. Gerald s words took on a
dreamy tone, and Rachel had to force herself to recall he was telling a story and not some
personal history.
So where does this totem come in?
The Ac-taw supposedly worshipped a living stalk of wood that brought good health,
long life and protection to those under its spell. And that living stalk of wood is the totem
we celebrate on festival days.
Days?
Four times a year the town celebrates the Totem Festival. It s fun, a way of ushering
in the seasons. We have a carnival of sorts, nothing weird. The kids have a blast, and it s
an excuse for the town s citizens to get together and have a big party.
The totem s a beautiful antique, a large timber maybe twenty feet high and three
feet wide. Animal carvings painted in rich, vibrant color decorate the thing. You can
almost believe the legends about the Ac-taw having imbued the wood with their power. It
feels incredibly alive. Once you ve seen it, you ll understand what I mean.
Wow. I d like to see this thing. A magical totem pole and Shifters, huh? Cougar
Falls has an entertaining history, I ll give you that.
Gerald grinned. As do our inhabitants. You ve met a few this morning, I gather.
Apparently, news traveled fast in a town this size. She wasn t surprised. Yeah. I
walked into the Fox s Henhouse ready for a big plate of pancakes only to hear Burke
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Rachel s Totem
Chastell growling at some woman to keep her hands off. God s gift to women, she
muttered, realizing how much she d liked Burke s hands on her and wishing she didn t.
Well, don t judge Burke too harshly concerning Sarah. Gerald continued to
maneuver through a cropping of woods, confusing Rachel with the many twists and turns
onto expansive dirt roads that looked no better than well-worn trails. Sarah Duncan is
not what you d call a one-man woman.
So it s okay to treat her like crap because she likes men? Gerald wasn t looking so
charming now.
No, no. He frowned at her before turning his attention back to the road. Sarah s a
wonderful woman, though she s not really selective about who she sleeps with. But that s
her business and no one else s. My point is, she s been all over Burke for years. No
matter how many times, and nicely I might add, he s said no, she just won t leave him
alone. And I don t know if you noticed, but he doesn t like to be touched.
That she hadn t noticed at all. But maybe his reaction to Sarah had been justified, if
what Gerald said was the truth. Which still didn t excuse Burke from screwing around
with her to get at Charlotte s property.
What about Burke? What s his deal? She clenched her jaw at Gerald s knowing
look. I just want to know about my aunt s neighbor, that s all. She never mentioned him
and I find that curious.
Did she tell you a lot about us, about the town I mean?
Not really. The more Rachel thought about that, the more her aunt s omission
struck her. She used to tell me stories about what you called Ac-taw, or Shifters.
Interesting fantasy, and it made our visits a lot of fun. I didn t see her all that much, but
we kept in touch through other means.
Gerald nodded and pulled into a sudden grassy flatland surrounded by mountains and [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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