WARNING

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This short excerpt is from a story I've been writing for a while now. I call it

If you'd like to follow 'The Stealing Light', I'd be more than happy to send links to all 16 parts. Help an aspiring writer out, yeah?

ASPIRING WRITER ALERT 👇

Yeah, that's me, Terry Nunley. (aspiring)

Words are never enough.

Tina Turner (Nov 1939 - May 2023)

No, words can never adequately describe the impact this woman, this LEGEND has had on all of us. A voice that told the story of so many, in so many ways. When originality mattered, she was there helping to lead the way. When truth mattered, she shared hers with all of us, opening eyes, hearts, and a path forward for anyone willing to listen. A shining gem on the face of a sometimes lackluster field of stars, Tina will be missed. She will also live on through the rich and lasting legacy she leaves behind. Our love follows her into eternity.

Is this a story from the world we know or just imagined to make it seem so? Either way, this is...

She sat half in, half out of the last rays of daylight which pierced the darkness to spite several panes of broken, dirty glass. There on the filthy floor, she did what she could to remain in the shadows of the old tool shed. Soon enough, pale shades of the moon would surround her in ambiance enough to chill the bone.

Nissa was not alone as she fondly recalled her day, uttering endearments to the delight of her new friend, held tightly upon her lap. He was a five and a half month old Redbone Coonhound named "Goody". He sat, head tilting side to side, wide-eyed, invested in every syllable she spoke. Nissa began to fiddle with one of his large paws and he licked, and then playfully gnawed at her hand, ears flopping, so cute she had to laugh.

What was it Paulie had said? "Goody will protect you." Those had been his words earlier when he loaned his cherished pup to Nissa. The two had only just met, but it quickly became clear who needed him most.

She'd been picking wildflowers in the field next to her home when a voice from behind startled her, "Those goin' in a vase when you get 'em home?" She turned quickly to see a boy not much older than her, dressed in worn jeans, loose-fitting tee, and stained, white canvas hightops. His long brown hair was clean, but needed brushing in the worst way. He sported a small scar, passing through his left eyebrow, the kind that only served to accentuate his boyish good looks. Over his shoulder hung a quiver. In one hand he held a hunting bow which he lowered to his side as he patted the anxious ball of fur that tagged along.

"Oh, my heavens...you gave me such a fright!", Nissa sputtered nervously. "Didn't mean'ta, Missy. I hope you'll forgive me.", came the boy's reply. He noticed she seemed a tense bundle o' nerves as he shyly studied this sweet girl who looked, for all the world, like she might bolt and run at any moment. She was pale with freckles across her small, upturned nose. Hair like his mother's...strawberry red, which she wore in a single braid down her back. Her shirt was a pastel green plaid that, like her eyes, complimented her locks nicely. Tied at the waist, the shirt topped a pair of white Levi's and sandals. Nissa was quite tomboyish at first glance. She wore no make-up. She didn't need to.

"Name's Paulie, Missy an' I'm very pleased to meet you. I don't bite an' neither does my dog here. His name's Goody." The puppy hopped up barking as if to say hello in his own way, turned a circle or two and flopped down on his backside, panting. "That's a silly name for a dog, ain't it?", she suggested, giggling slightly. "I think it's a swell name for 'im. My pops gave 'im to me right before he left for the war. Said he'd help protect Maw an' me while he's away. My pops takes a medicine powder to make him feel better sometimes. For me, it's my dog what makes me feel better, so I named him after my pop's powders cause he's as good as any medicine."

"Well, that's sweet and it makes sense. You can stop calling me 'Missy' though, I'm 'Nissa' and very happy to meet you too." She reached down to pet the pup as she spoke and was greeted with a heavy paw which she gladly shook. Paulie couldn't help but notice as she shook that paw, the three-quarter sleeve of her shirt rode up a bit revealing curious bruising on her arm. He realized they were impressions left by fingers, from a strong hand large enough to encircle her entire arm. The sight appalled him as it threw a damper on an otherwise pleasant encounter. Now he found himself scrutinizing every inch of Nissa that he could.

"So what's the bow for, Paulie?" He found it a fair question as they were strangers after all. He wondered if she was feeling in some way uncomfortable at the sight of it. "My pops was teaching me to hunt before he left. Small stuff mostly. Now, I'm showin' my dog. We're gettin' pretty good at it too, but I don't like to brag." Nissa listened intently as he spoke and Paulie hoped she wouldn't notice his eyes, investigating her further. She coughed softly, turning her head to one side as she covered her mouth politely. Sure enough, the bruising was in evidence on both arms now and disappearing beneath the collar of her shirt, similar markings all but faded. Paulie was growing angry, struggling not to let it show.

"Well, if you were planning to do any hunting here, don't let my daddy catch you. He don't fancy to strangers on his property. If he catches you...just for everybody's sake, do your hunting someplace else." He noticed a sudden lack of eye contact as she spoke of her daddy. Her right hand crossed in front of her to gently hold the left arm even as her gaze had dropped to the ground.

Hesitantly Paulie asked, "Is your daddy not a nice man, Nissa?" He hoped the question wouldn't upset her. "Why do you ask that? Of course he's nice! He just...well, he just has a bad temper and can't help himself sometimes. When he drinks...he thinks nobody loves him an' it makes him hate everything. Sometimes I think he regrets marrying my momma an' don't want to be stuck with us anymore." "So, he's not your real daddy then?" "Cole? Oh,no. My real dad passed into the arms of the Lord a few years ago. He left me an' Mom the house and a patch of land...a couple of horses too, Emily and old Levi, but Cole sold them. He said the feed was way too expensive. He did a lot of things I didn't like. Sure wish he hadn't taken away all o' my daddy's pictures like he did. I can barely remember his face these days. If it wasn't for the little one I keep hidden..."

"You have a picture hidden?" "Yeah, I keep it in the old shed at the edge of the woods. Noone ever goes there but me. You want to see my real daddy? C'mon, I'll show you!" With a new-found excitement, she ran past Paulie, wildflowers still gripped in one hand, giggling. Goody hopped up into a quick gallop, one sharp bark signaling the boy should follow. The shed wasn't very far, he could make it out just inside the woods across the field.

When Paulie reached the dilapidated, old shed, Nissa was bent over, hands on her knees huffing and puffing as she looked to the straw-covered earth beneath her. A slight turn of her head then toward the boy as he stopped nearby, "Ya know, for the outdoorsy, adventurous type, Paulie... you run like a girl." Her snarky grin was adorable, the boy thought.

"Yep, ya beat me fair and square dit'n ya." As he spoke, Goody, sitting slightly behind Nissa scratching his neck with a very busy hind paw, looked to Paulie with an inquisitive glare and issued a suspicious whimper. Paulie let go a quick gasp raising a finger to his lips to shush the mut. The wink which followed went totally unnoticed by the young miss. "I got bested by a girl! How will I ever live with myself?" Goody shook his flopping ears and just lay down. Truth is, the boy could have overtaken her at any time but, being the chivalrous gentleman his momma had taught him to be, he let her claim this little victory.

"So what'cha got here? Some secret hideaway?" "Sorta, but the way it sticks out like a sore thumb hardly makes it secret. Me coming here sometimes though, that, I try to keep to myself." She moved into the old rat trap with a confidence that surprised her new friend. The interior smelled of dead wood and decay. It was dank and dusty with very little light for maneuvering. Several random planks missing from the floor gave the girl no pause to her advance. It was obvious she'd been here many times before.

There was a row of counters across the back wall which rounded the corner to continue partially down one side. The opposite wall was bare except for some rusted chain hanging haphazardly. Paulie's eyes began to adjust enough to make out the many old, near useless tools strewn around the room as well as the roof in one corner barely fighting a long overdue collapse.

"You be careful now, Nissa! This place don't look none too safe." The girl shrugged as she squatted onto one knee, reaching under a shelf below the sagging countertop. Paulie leaned side to side, neck stretched trying to see what she was up to. "Here we go!" Her arm returned holding a ragged cigar box. She blew the dust from the top and lifted the lid. Inside lay a solitary black and white photograph.

She raised the picture delicately to her heart. Eyes closed, she whispered something the boy couldn't quite hear. Paulie waited patiently for what seemed a long time before offering, "You don't have to show me if you don't want to. It's okay if you changed your mind..." "No, no. I was just makin' sure he doesn't mind."

She passed her little treasure to him anxiously, squirming a bit as she did. The picture was of a man, wearing a rancher's work attire. He stood between two horses holding their reigns. On the back of one of the horses sat a very young girl, best guess, not too long out of diapers. Both of their faces sported the biggest smiles they could possibly manage. One of Nissa's happiest moments no doubt, preserved forever.

"Now, this is worth holdin' onto. Keep it hidden, Nissa. Don't let him take this one away from you too. Ever! He was very happy to have you in his life, just look at those faces." "Momma would've been in there with us, but she was taking the picture. I remember, she was all smiles that day, too. I miss him so much, Paulie, sometimes I can feel my heart ache. I tried for the longest time to remember his voice," her eyes welled as she spoke the words, "but it's faded. Left me, same as he did. If it weren't for this picture, I don't think..."

Suddenly, from somewhere across the field, a voice interrupted, "Nissy! Where you at?", as a look of dire concern crossed the girl's face. The words were slurred as, once again he called out, "Nit! Don't tick me off!". An almost wicked laughter followed. Her gaze had snapped to the door upon first hearing Cole's voice. He was coming. Nissa turned quickly to her new friend, "You gotta go! Gotta leave, now!" "But, I think I should..." "No, you don't know him like I do...please, for me, Paulie!" He lingered just long enough to whisper something to Goody and utter those four well-remembered words to her, "Goody will protect you." Paulie turned and darted from the shed as quickly as he could manage. The pup whined softly, but made no attempt to move from her side.

The reverie of recent events dissolved now. She'd sat quietly long enough to let her believe Cole had lost interest, given up. His pale shadow slowly stretching headlong into the room, and comment relieved her of that notion, "Heeere you are, my li'l nit. You got some 'splainin' to dooo." Goody felt an instant dislike for this obviously besotted menace, evidenced by the low growl that Nissa tried to cover, moving the guarded animal to the side.

She stood, wiping the traces of dirt and straw from her hands. "So, who was that I shaw running away? Got'choo a boyfriend, do ya?". "No, Cole, we was just...". "Oh, 'Cole' is it now? What happen'na 'Daddy'? You done got too big for 'Daddy'? Lookin' for boyfriends to teach you the ways of a man?

He stood there in front of her, teetering slightly, his eyes red and glassy as all inner light continued to fade. Her mother had chosen him largely based on his good looks. His dishwater blonde hair and prominent jaw, highlighted with killer blue eyes and perfect pearly whites, led her to believe she'd hit the jackpot. The nearly copper-colored hair across his chest and arms was a bonus for her, too. She'd begun calling him "wooly" and loved that he sported a mustache that "tickled her so much". There he was, in denim coveralls, no shirt, and what was obviously a pint of alcohol in his right pocket. He was sweating heavily, and the smell of old liquor hung in the air.

"Lookin' for some leshons are we? Well, the thingsh I can teach...letsh jus' say, Momma ain't complainin'. You been needin' nis a while now. Cole gonna show ya 'bout life. C'mere, Nit." "Stop calling me that!", her voice was raised louder than she'd intended. He reacted as expected. The back of his right hand lashed out across her cheek. She was staggered backward into the old countertop. Goody bravely rushed forward, howling, to sink his teeth into the man's leg. Cole shook and tried to loosen the pup's grip to no avail. Reaching out and sweeping the counter, he managed to find an old claw hammer. Firmly gripped, he brought the rusted tool down onto the little soldier's skull. A pitiful yelp accompanied the crunch that ended the brief battle. Cole immediately kicked the puppy away, sending him bouncing, then sliding to a halt against the wall just to left of the door.

Nissa raised her fists and began pounding at him. Screaming, crying, defenseless...he found it all very amusing, looking down at her. "Cole likes it rough, girlie...", he said as he reached to undo a hook on his coveralls, "you'll see."

Before that strap had finished its fall, there was a low whistle and rush of air. Confused by the sound, Nissa ceased her struggle. Cole dropped to his knees, finding himself suddenly face-to-face with the child he'd been charged to raise as his own, to protect and nurture selflessly. All the ways he'd failed at that must have crossed his mind as he knelt there, a perverse grin still mocking the girl, unable to move. One last wet gasp drew her attention down. Down to the point protruding from his throat. A mixture of blood and saliva bubbling at the edges. Cole fell sideways then.

Aghast, Nissa lifted her hands to her mouth. She wanted so badly to scream, but nothing came. She saw poor Goody against the wall, "Goody? Good boy?", and realized she'd gone numb. Had she spoken? Had she wanted to?Before her mind could even begin to process all these horrors, Paulie stepped back into the shed, bow still drawn and aimed.

"This ain't none'o your doin', Nissa. None of it, your fault...mine neither. He brung it on himself, had it comin'." Still unable to share a coherent thought, she rapidly nodded her head, signaling her agreement. We got work to do now...plans to make. He gently lifted his quieted boy into his arms and began to tell her what she needed to do. As they spoke, she stroked Goody's side. It began to make sense, all of it. Finished, Nissa retrieved her treasure-bearing box and rose to leave. She was surprised to find that Paulie had already done so. Nissa would see him once more before putting this behind her, once and then, perhaps never again.

Many seasons have come and gone. Nissa, now a young woman, somewhere in her mid-twenties, has blossomed and grown into a proper lady, the apple of all the young men's eyes. She never married for reasons "most personal and private", so she says. Yet, she has a recurring dream of a man lifting her high overhead as he spins her round and round before placing her atop her favorite horse. That smile and the scar slicing through his left brow hold her captive until she wakes to a mist she can't quite grasp. This dream she mentions to none. The only tragedy to alter the course of her life since childhood was Momma having a stroke a few years back and much of her time is spent providing desperately needed care to her.

She sits on the porch every day, occasionally revisiting "the plan" and how small her role had actually been. Paulie had told her to give him what time he needed, but when she heard his whistling, and lame, impersonation of a Robin...or was it a Bluejay...no matter, that was her cue to distract her mom so he could slip into Cole's truck and drive it away, carrying some of his clothes and personal items Nissa had used the time to sneak out with. She'd watched through a window as he slipped behind the wheel and disappeared.

"Where is that crazy man going now? Supper's almost done and I was about to set the table. Made his favorite, too. Did he say anything to you, honey?" "Nope. He'll probly be right back though. Outta smokes or somethin', don't fret. I'll set the table for us." But Nissa knew.

Cole was gone without a trace. No sign of him at the shed the next day. Paulie had been thorough in dealing with what remained. What she didn't know was that Paulie's plan was to include him driving away for good. To this day, she's never seen him again.

She'd made a life for herself here. Got some horses. 'Socrates', 'DeMilo', and 'Sam', named for her father. Nissa always made time for them, always made time for the ones she loved. She managed to spare a little time for herself, too. Like I said, she would sit on her porch every day, but not just to sit. She was waiting.

Every so often, a vehicle would stop at the end of her lengthy drive, just off the highway. It changed over the years, of course, so many times, she gave up keeping track. Never knew what might show up next. It would just sit there. At first, it was a bit creepy. Each time she'd head down the drive, the engine would crank and the vehicle would pull away, leaving her bewildered, wondering why.

After a while, Nissa had an inkling of what it could mean, but never dared hope. She kept her basket handy and walked the fields each time it appeared, almost always in the Spring when the wildflowers bloomed. Today would provide an unexpected surprise as, sure enough, there it was. A newer model truck for once. And this time she heard it. The distant call of an old, familiar friend. Oh, it wasn't him, but so similar as to conjure the memory of one pair of flopping ears and that relentless tongue lapping at her face.

She closed her eyes, allowing her head to drift backward. She felt the breeze on her cheeks and a joy coaxed from a cherished memory filled her heart. The warm scent of wildflowers also like the summons of an old friend wafted into range. She stood as she reached for her basket and waved at the truck slowly pulling out of sight.

Nissa had crisscrossed these fields so often, she could have made the trip blindfolded. From one fragrant patch to the next, she gathered as many as she could carry, being unerringly led to one particular spot, as always. She used the time to remember the cute young boy who'd startled her so with his brash introduction. The same boy who'd presented that brave little soldier to her so proudly. The one who'd let her win a footrace because he believed it was what she needed from him. Oh, she knew from the start, but let him have what she believed he'd needed from her. The boy who gave up what he valued most to...well, we know.

She looked down to begin placing her lovingly gathered cashe, and there, on a cross crafted from an old floor plank, were the words she'd read so many times before. Like the truck she'd just seen, the paint was new, even if the message was not:

"HERE LIES GOODY, MY TRUEST FRIEND. HE DONE HIS BEST AND EARNED HIS REST. MAY JESUS HOLD HIM IN THE END."

Sam began to neigh in the distance, another message she couldn't ignore. She had responsibilities. Momma and the boys for now, but maybe one day...maybe one day soon...she still waited for so much more.

Terry G. Nunley

Prelude:

"Escape the emptiness of your past and embrace the darkness in my desires. You are nevermore to be an island."

"Yearn no longer for what once was, nor chase the endless "might-have-beens". Accept this gift of eternity and make promise all your tomorrows to me. My kiss will bind you, body and soul, to my undying love. Soon to be as one, say it must be so. Say it, as I bring to you the dusk through which we are joined forever."

In cold breath, the whisper fades as the lips linger briefly. Moist and determined, they deliver the gift. A life, in death, will never again be the same.

(Just another snippet to satisfy a yearning of my own by yours truly, Terry G. Nunley.)

For a minute there, I thought he might actually want us to pay some attention to the Shoveling of His Insipid Tediums. Phwew, what a relief.

Longing for his embrace.

Leopold (Leo) James Fitz (played by actor Iain De Caestecker), a genious-level engineer in the service of S.H.I.E.L.D. He's so innocent, tender, and sweet-looking...I've never wanted to hug a man more.

Here's the deal...

I'll give you $50 to let me suck your nips, $100 just for dropping your pants, $200 if that includes the undies too. Hey, I'll throw in an extra $500 for anything else you say "yes" to. We're talkin' serious rent money here........No, do I look like I'm kidding? Just you and me in complete privacy. What's it gonna be?

He hesitated briefly, chuckled nervously, and dropped his pants. I stepped forward and got started on those nips. He moaned, placed a gentle hand across the back of my neck, and reached the other one out to stroke up and down against my fly...didn't expect that, as he said, "Let's do this." His voice was low and bassy, tickling my inner ear...making me a bit giddy. I allowed myself one final thought of how I'd won the lottery three days ago and then it occurred to me, I hit the jackpot tonight.