Highland Defiance - By Sky Purington Page 0,4
come to work and all the men would be gone? Off to war? She glanced at Jim, David and then Jonathan. A shiver ran down her spine. Would all of these carefree young men that’d made up her life be gone?
Well, don’t let the thought haunt you, lass. Such is life.
Mildred stopped and her friend’s arms fell away.
“What is it?” David asked.
Jim looked from the mill to her and said, “Oh, stop worrying, Mildred. If we go to war, we’ll come back.” He grinned and shrugged. “At least I will.”
David put his hand on her shoulder. “Mildred? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Who are you? She whispered in her mind.
“Mildred?” David repeated.
“Yes.” Mildred worked at a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, David. It’s okay.”
Jim put his hands on his hips and shook his head. “Then stop looking so damned white.” He took her face in his hands and leaned in close. “Fear has no place in this war. You need to ante up, my friend. Succumb to your emotions or fight them. Choose your battle. I’d suggest fighting them. Set them aside. They can’t be a part of any of this. Best way to get through any war.”
It wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. But she knew he was right. It seemed Jim was much like the man from her dreams. With only a wobbly smile to offer, she pulled away and nodded toward the mill. “Best we go to work then.”
Nobody said a word as she strode toward the building. In fact, she didn’t hear the fall of their footsteps behind her. When Mildred turned back to urge them to follow she froze. The world had started to blur. Stumbling, she shook her head.
Something wasn’t right.
“Are you okay?” David asked, brows bunching together.
Of course, she tried to answer. But it felt like she was melting. The air seemed to soften. Panicked, she reached out. Concerned, Jim came to her first, David right behind. Their faces seemed oblong and warped.
“What’s happening to me?” she whispered.
As if the gods heard, everything started to swirl around her, almost as though a tornado had suddenly appeared. The air started to smell sugary sweet moments before everything dropped away. The car, her siblings, her friends, they all vanished only to be replaced by darkness and suction. Petrified, she crouched and held her head to her knees. A loud roar filled her eardrums.
The Germans must be dropping a bomb!
Mildred looked up and tried to warn everyone. But it was pitch black and they’d vanished. Her muscles tightened. She screamed. This couldn’t be happening. In a crouched, defensive position, she rode out the wind and warp happening around her.
Eventually, the wind became a light breeze.
Was this post bomb fallout?
She slowly raised her head and inhaled a tentative breath. Not to a world gray with bomb residue but to one calm and peaceful and… green? Mildred didn’t move but squeezed her eyes shut. Lord, was she dizzy.
“It took you long enough, lassie.”
Mildred released air softly through her teeth and refused to open her eyes.
It was the man from her dreams.
Again.
Someone moved. She knew it. Their steps drew closer until his deep voice said, “Your clan waits for you.”
She didn’t move, didn’t dare.
He crouched and said, “Why are you so blasted defiant, lassie?”
I can handle this. I have to handle this! A dream is a dream after all; no matter if she thought she was going to work. No matter if she wondered at her sanity. So she decided to crack one eye open at a time.
Piece by piece, the man in front of her appeared.
He grinned. “Quite handsome, aren’t I?”
Her eyes popped open. Handsome? Extremely! His black hair was tousled, his startling light blue eyes merry, his chiseled face astounding.
“No,” she said automatically and buried her head again.
“Oh.” He plunked down beside her. “’Tis a thing sometimes, the shock of my good appearance.”
Mildred breathed deeply and hid her grin. Arrogant. But she couldn’t help but enjoy this dream. It was the first of its kind. She peeked out from beneath her arm and said, “You’re awfully full of yourself.”
“Nay.” He looked ahead and shook his head. “I stopped being that way years ago.”
Still from beneath her arm. “Being full of yourself?”
“Aye.” He leaned back and stretched out his legs. “Turns out the lassies dinnae like it.”
Mildred lifted her head slightly. “Why not? I find it rather becoming.”
“You would.”
“I would?”
“Of course.”
“Why is that?”
“Because you’re arrogant too.”
She sat up straighter. “Am not.”
“Are too.” He titled back his head. “Do