Hawk Moon Read Online Free
paralyzed- she pushed away the thought and walked faster.
Chapter Four
Â
F irelight flickered off the faces of a dozen young men and boys seated along a curving ledge, and Will realized he was among them. They were in a kiva, a circular subterranean chamber where Hopi rituals were held. Near the fire pit in the center, an old man wearing a robe was talking to them and pointing at the stars through the ladder hole above them. He was saying something about other worlds that people had lived in before entering this world. He was speaking in Hopi, a language Will did not know, but now he understood every word perfectly.
The old priest finished his talk and covered part of the fire pit with a flat rock so that there was only a faint glow in the kiva. Suddenly, a stream of men descended the ladder. They wore robes, and on their foreheads were large four-pointed white stars. One of the men was bald and his head was painted gray.
Masau , Will thought, god of the underworld and guardian of the earth. Masau stood off to one side of the other men who were facing the boys. The initiates.
That was it. The boys were initiates and Will was one of them.
The men with the stars were making a low humming sound and a peculiar hissing like a cosmic wind. They were spirits of the past and other worlds. For a moment, a white-robed figure emerged and said: "I am the beginning; I am the end."
The spirit sounds grew in volume and power, and the chaotic movements of the star-faced figures swallowed the one in white. The flat rock was pushed over the entire fire pit, and the kiva was plunged into darkness. Shouts erupted, the star spirits, priests, and initiates pulled off their robes and scrambled for the ladder to escape the kiva and the darkness that had enveloped the world.
In the midst of the confusion, Masau appeared in front of Will and motioned him to stand up. When he did, Masau stepped back and Will saw Myra in the center of the chamber. She was stumbling away from someone or something, a stricken look on her face, then a hand reached for her throat and a knife flashed.
Will reached out to Myra. But she was gone and he was lying on his back. Several faces, including the coach's and the trainer's, were looking down at him. He felt shaken up, groggy, and confused by what he'd just experienced.
Coach Boorman dropped onto one knee in front of him. "Can you hear me, Will?"
"Yeah."
He held up a hand in front of Will's face. "How many fingers do you see?"
Will focused his eyes. "Two."
"Where are you?"
"Where am I? On the ground. At the game."
"What day is it?"
He felt a dull ache near the crown of his head, but his thoughts were clearing. "Friday. We're playing Leadville."
The trainer asked Will to wiggle his fingers and move his feet. He did so without any problem. He sat up and saw the stretcher. "I'm okay. You don't have to carry me. I can walk."
A couple of players accompanied Will to the sidelines as the crowd cheered. He sat down on the bench and took off his helmet.
"How do you feel?" the coach asked after sending in the next play with the second-string halfback.
"Just a little dazed. Give me a couple of minutes. I'll be ready to go back in."
"No. You're out for the game. I'm not taking any chances. You might have a concussion."
"But, coach . . ."
Boorman walked away and turned his attention back to the field. Will knew that Boorman was always cautious about allowing injured players into the game and especially wary about head injuries. Will felt better already, but he knew his chances of getting back into the game were slim.
After a few moments, he turned toward the stands and gave a thumbs-up sign to his mother and grandfather, who were seated behind the bench several rows up. He searched for his father but didn't see him. Then he saw a man sitting alone with no one on either side of him. His head was bald and painted gray.
Masau .
He was smiling, but then his features shifted, his lips turned down, and his face
Chapter Four
Â
F irelight flickered off the faces of a dozen young men and boys seated along a curving ledge, and Will realized he was among them. They were in a kiva, a circular subterranean chamber where Hopi rituals were held. Near the fire pit in the center, an old man wearing a robe was talking to them and pointing at the stars through the ladder hole above them. He was saying something about other worlds that people had lived in before entering this world. He was speaking in Hopi, a language Will did not know, but now he understood every word perfectly.
The old priest finished his talk and covered part of the fire pit with a flat rock so that there was only a faint glow in the kiva. Suddenly, a stream of men descended the ladder. They wore robes, and on their foreheads were large four-pointed white stars. One of the men was bald and his head was painted gray.
Masau , Will thought, god of the underworld and guardian of the earth. Masau stood off to one side of the other men who were facing the boys. The initiates.
That was it. The boys were initiates and Will was one of them.
The men with the stars were making a low humming sound and a peculiar hissing like a cosmic wind. They were spirits of the past and other worlds. For a moment, a white-robed figure emerged and said: "I am the beginning; I am the end."
The spirit sounds grew in volume and power, and the chaotic movements of the star-faced figures swallowed the one in white. The flat rock was pushed over the entire fire pit, and the kiva was plunged into darkness. Shouts erupted, the star spirits, priests, and initiates pulled off their robes and scrambled for the ladder to escape the kiva and the darkness that had enveloped the world.
In the midst of the confusion, Masau appeared in front of Will and motioned him to stand up. When he did, Masau stepped back and Will saw Myra in the center of the chamber. She was stumbling away from someone or something, a stricken look on her face, then a hand reached for her throat and a knife flashed.
Will reached out to Myra. But she was gone and he was lying on his back. Several faces, including the coach's and the trainer's, were looking down at him. He felt shaken up, groggy, and confused by what he'd just experienced.
Coach Boorman dropped onto one knee in front of him. "Can you hear me, Will?"
"Yeah."
He held up a hand in front of Will's face. "How many fingers do you see?"
Will focused his eyes. "Two."
"Where are you?"
"Where am I? On the ground. At the game."
"What day is it?"
He felt a dull ache near the crown of his head, but his thoughts were clearing. "Friday. We're playing Leadville."
The trainer asked Will to wiggle his fingers and move his feet. He did so without any problem. He sat up and saw the stretcher. "I'm okay. You don't have to carry me. I can walk."
A couple of players accompanied Will to the sidelines as the crowd cheered. He sat down on the bench and took off his helmet.
"How do you feel?" the coach asked after sending in the next play with the second-string halfback.
"Just a little dazed. Give me a couple of minutes. I'll be ready to go back in."
"No. You're out for the game. I'm not taking any chances. You might have a concussion."
"But, coach . . ."
Boorman walked away and turned his attention back to the field. Will knew that Boorman was always cautious about allowing injured players into the game and especially wary about head injuries. Will felt better already, but he knew his chances of getting back into the game were slim.
After a few moments, he turned toward the stands and gave a thumbs-up sign to his mother and grandfather, who were seated behind the bench several rows up. He searched for his father but didn't see him. Then he saw a man sitting alone with no one on either side of him. His head was bald and painted gray.
Masau .
He was smiling, but then his features shifted, his lips turned down, and his face
Readers choose
Jillian Hunter
T.A. Foster
Lynn Raye Harris
Orson Scott Card
Clive Cussler
Annelie Wendeberg
Julie Gerstenblatt
Tim Miller
Steven Savile
Nancy Kelly