Sample Story: Windmill 

          I don’t think I’ll ever know for sure if rolling my little sister up in fencing wire is what nearly killed her. It wasn’t the wire or the rolling up that almost did her in, at least not the way I handled it. It was what she did later, when I wasn’t looking, that makes me wonder.

The thing is, I didn’t usually mind watching Clarissa, even though she was only four years old and I was eight. I was a good enough big sister, as sisters go, but today it was so hot outside that there was nothing I wanted to do except sit in the shade. The trouble is, Clarissa kept pestering me to play. It wasn’t until our cousins Mitchell and Matilda showed up that I mustered the energy to think of something to do. Even though our cousins were both younger than me, they were older than Clarissa, which made them far more interesting.

“Hey,” said Mitchell. “What should we do?”

That’s when I noticed a piece of fencing wire lying on the ground and an idea suddenly popped into my head.

“Let’s roll up in the wire,” I said.

Matilda gave me the eye. “Why?”

I shrugged. “For fun.”

“Have Clarissa do it first,” Mitch said. He was no fool.

“Clarissa,” I coaxed in my sweetest voice. “Lay on the wire and I’ll roll you up in it.”

Clarissa gave me a doubtful look with her big blue eyes.

“It’ll be fun,” I said. “I’ll roll you in it, then we’ll lift you up so you can slide out the bottom.” I bent down and patted the wire invitingly. “Look at the big squares. You can see through the wire, like a mouse in a cage.”

Clarissa glanced up at me again, then crouched down on the wire and lay lengthwise across the metal squares.

“No, lay the other way,” I said. “I can’t roll you up like that.”

Clarissa obediently shifted around until she was lying along the width of the wire.

“Ready, set, here we go,” I said. Then I rolled Clarissa, her little hands at chest level braced against the wire, her face going around and around. When there was no more wire, Mitch and Matilda helped me tip the roll up so that Clarissa’s feet slid down to the ground. Then we lifted the wire tube up over her head.

Clarissa giggled.

“I want a turn,” Mitch said, pulling at the end of the wire roll. So we flattened the wire along the ground before rolling Mitch up. He was heavier than Clarissa, but Matilda and I got him up and out.

Then Matilda clamored for a turn. She was dutifully rolled up and dumped out the end. “That’s fun,” she said, dusting her hands over her skirt.

“Okay, now you roll me up,” I said, lying down on the wire with my arms straight at my sides. Mitchell and Matilda started rolling, their voices grunting with effort. I rolled myself as much as I could to help them. In just a few rolls, I’d reached the end of the wire. I looked out of my flimsy prison. My cousins were sweating. “Okay,” I said. “Now dump me out.”

Mitchell and Matilda gave each other a look.

“Come on, I did it for you,” I said.

They dutifully grabbed the end of the wire roll and tugged. I felt myself raise up a short way, then hover there. After a moment, I grew impatient. “Lift me all the way up, like I did to you,” I said.

I went up another few inches, then Matilda groaned, “Too… heavy.” That was when everything came crashing down around me, and everything went black. I must have passed out, because it felt as though I were in a dark, wet cave. Water splashed out, soaking my face. I tried to shield myself, but couldn’t move my arms. I found I could open my mouth, so I did, and screamed as loud as I could. Then my eyes flew open, and I saw Mitchell peering at me through squares of wire.

“Her eyes are open!” he yelled. He dropped the dripping well bucket on the ground, then joined with Matilda to push me over on my face, then my side, then my back. Dirt, sky, dirt, sky. I felt like I was going to throw up. Why hadn’t they unrolled me when I was unconscious?

As soon as I was clear of the wire, Matilda grabbed hold of one arm and Mitchell pulled on the other.

“Ack,” I said.

“You don’t look so good,” Matilda said, pulling harder. “You need to get up, Evelina, please get up.” Even with my cousins’ help, it was a struggle to get to my feet, but I finally stood on two unsteady legs.

That’s when Clarissa’s terrified scream pushed the nausea right back down my gullet. I spun around and nearly fell, but stamped my feet wide apart and kept my balance. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Clarissa was caught in the windmill, the turning wooden blades twisting her dress tighter and tighter on her little body.

“Clarissa!” I screamed. I ran for the windmill as fast I could go, but I felt myself wobbling back and forth. This was all my fault. If I hadn’t rolled her up the wire, she wouldn’t have been attracted to the turning windmill blades.

“Mama!” Clarissa shrieked in terror. Then she quit screaming and made a gasping noise, which terrified me more than the screams. I tripped over a wooden plank that lay by the windmill. It was a miracle that I managed to keep my balance. As I teetered with my arms stretched out, I had a sudden inspiration and bent over to sweep up the plank with both hands. I lunged forward on jelly legs and jammed the board into the windmill mechanism. The blades screeched, slowed, then came to a stop.

I thought I was too late. Clarissa’s dress was twisted so tight on her body that I wondered if she could even breathe. Tears rolled down her round cheeks and slipped over her purpling lips, but her eyes stared straight ahead.

With both hands, I grabbed hold of the twisted fabric knot behind her and pulled with all my strength. It was like pulling on a mountain. It didn’t budge an inch. Gasping, I spun around and headed for the house, nearly toppling over Matilda and Mitchell.

“Evelina!” Matilda wailed. “Don’t leave us!”

“I’ll be back,” I shouted. “Stay with her.” I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed the first knife I could get my hands on. Then I whirled around and dashed back to my sister, who was drooping in her prison of fabric, her eyes staring out at nothing. I carefully slid the knife between her and the windmill to saw at the suffocating fabric with the sharp blade, hacking away until Clarissa finally broke free and fell to the ground. She sucked in a deep breath and let out a cry so loud I was sure that Mama could hear it clear in town. It was the first time I was glad to hear my sister cry.

“We have to go home now,” Matilda said, gathering her skirts and hurrying away.

“Yeah,” Mitchell said. “See you later, Evelina.” Then he caught up to his sister and they were soon out of sight.

I helped Clarissa into the house and took off the scrap of dress that hung from her shoulders. I was horrified when I saw a band of reddened skin that circled her little chest and ran under her arms. I slipped a soft nightgown over her head, then checked again to make sure she was breathing. Then we sat on the rocking chair together. I held her close in my arms and rocked and rocked until Mama came home.

From Sharon Anderson’s personal family history, typed pages titled “Life Sketch of Evelina Christina Peterson.”

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Windmill

Bread Alone

Texas Bad Man

Taking The Bullet

Fifty Dollars

Hooves

Blessed Buffalo

Supper From An Empty Larder

Baby Here I Come

Tied To a Horse

Harness The Devil

Who’s Crossing?

Leveled

Sleeping Bear

Resurrection Morning

Endorsements:

"It's better than I thought it would be."

Ray Christensen, retired Air Force Major

"My children and I have been fans of Bahlmann's "ODD" series for years. We love snuggling together to read these entertaining stories based on true pioneer experiences. "The Pioneers: A Course in Miracles" is yet another fine novel we are proud to put on our shelf. One minute we're laughing and the next trying not to cry. Shirley Bahlmann is a talented author who brings life and imagination to everything she writes."

Rachel Ann Nunes, bestselling author of "Fields of Home."

"Shirley Bahlmann's books take me to the next level."

Charles Scott, former NFL football player

"Shirley Bahlmann is a good writer."

R. Roger Johnson, former Army Air Force Command flight instructor and author of "Over The Hump: A World War II Pilot's Report."