Mae towed the buggy briskly down Stoker Road towards home. She knew from habit that a clean, dry stall was waiting for her in the barn along with an extra scoop of oats laced with molasses. This was  Gideon’s regular Sunday night treat to Mae. It was the highlight of her existence.

The road started to drop down steeply and the fog grew even thicker. The air smelled bitter and pungent. Gideon reasoned they were getting close to Wild Onion Pond. He eased back slightly on the reigns to slow Mae’s eager-to-get-home gait. Gideon knew given free reign Mae could get them home without any direction from him. Mae was a smart horse.

Abruptly Mae whinnied and pulled to the right. “Ho,” Gideon crooned in a low, steady voice as he brought the mare to a stop. Mae’s shoulder muscles rippled nervously. He tried to see up ahead but the fog blurred everything. He waited. Listened then let out a soft whistle. Soon enough there came the soft clicking of nails on the asphalt. “Elvis, is that you boy?” Gideon whistled again and finally he saw Elvis coming towards him out of the fog. “Elvis what’s the matter with you? You scared Mae half to death!”

Elvis stood there looking up at Gideon wagging his tail then let out a quick yelp. “What’s the matter boy? Come on, hop up here.” Elvis yelped again, looked off in the direction he’d come from and then back at Gideon. “Elvis, are you alright? Are you hurt?”
Elvis came over and put his two front paws up on the buggy. Gideon slapped his thigh, “Come on boy, jump!” Elvis stared at him a couple of seconds before taking off into the dense fog again.

Gideon didn’t understand Elvis behaving this way. Never seen him like this before. He tied the reigns to the buggy and stepped down. He’d get to the bottom of this.

By time Gideon’s feet hit the ground Elvis was already back at his side. Apprehension had been building in Gideon’s muscles ever since Five Corners. Now Elvis‘s strange behavior was adding to it. As swiftly as he had appeared, Elvis again disappeared into the fog while letting out another quick yelp.

Gideon walked about ten paces before coming upon Elvis standing on the shoulder of the road staring down into the ditch. Gideon braced himself. He hoped it wasn’t’t a doe or fawn hit by a passing car. He couldn’t stand to see any animal hurt. He slowly  moved in closer to look.

His entire body froze. Gideon stood next to Elvis in stunned silence unable to move. In the ditch below lay a woman. Her hair spread out on the ground like a golden halo. She looked perfectly at peace, like she had simply laid down and drifted off to sleep.

Gideon’s mind fought to make sense of this. With the fog milling around her he was tempted to think this was a mirage. Easing himself down into the ditch he touched her wrist to check for a pulse. Her wrist was warm, her pulse strong. Later on he would remember its softness. It was that touch that threw a switch on in Gideon’s mind. He no longer had to think. His training took over.