Book of Dreams

Chapter 1 The year was 1863. Claire Montgomery was twelve years old. Her father had developed a device to modify the horse-driven plow that plagued the modern-day farmer. His invention would transform the farming industry. This swiveled device appeared to be round steel circles spinning side by side, with an inward slant, yet permanently attached in its specific space. Its design was engineered to prepare soil and bring a quicker, more easily gathered crop. Excitement rose as Claire climbed into the wagon. Her mother and baby brother sat atop the front seat, waiting for the others to settle in back. The Iowa State Fair was their destination, where her father would launch his miracle machine into the world. At least that was Claire’s thought. The farther they traveled, the more excited she became. Her father suggested she and her sisters walk for a while to help calm the jitters. He always preferred a pleasant walk to clear his mind. Like her father’s in that respect, her mind was always busy. Her thoughts constantly fluttered over other thoughts until the good ideas ran together in a confusing ball of twine. The work of unraveling them would bring new ideas to light. The thought of her father’s brilliant inventions would propel her own to life. Like swift rivers through her soul, the questions and ideas flowed freely, threatening to overcome her. As her father advised, she would walk to clear her restless mind. Her sisters, like their mother, were more the followers in the family, as she saw them. They wanted consistency, safety, and a regular schedule to follow. As the only boy, her little brother John was too young to show signs of her and her father’s intellect. Claire and her father had unique plans that ran on different fault lines and drove the rest of the family to an edge of irritated wariness. The love Claire witnessed between her mother and father showed her that true love was obtainable. While some moments were wonderful, other moments could be strained. Her mother adored her father with deep respect, loving him just the way he was. Claire watched her parents, hoping one day she too would have someone to love. Throughout their line of travel, Claire’s imagination led her to the place where their journey would end. She imagined large buildings adorned with decorative glass, streaming light about in colors like autumn on the farm. Reds, yellows, oranges, and pinks all swirled together in some grand masterpiece at which one would gaze in awe and wonder. There would be streets made of cobblestones and the clatter of horses’ hooves upon them with the rolling of carriage wheels. Women would stroll along in beautiful bustled dresses of every color, with the smell of baked goods wafting out from the restaurants. Her imagination was her escape from the boredom of the long days of travel. Lost in her thoughts, Claire startled when a loud crack echoed through the grassland, then another, followed by a thundering boom that splintered the air. It struck deeply within her as it pounded out underneath them, and her heart raced as the ground shook. Blood rushed to her head as every nerve caught fire. Loud ringing in her ears made it hard to hear her mother’s frantic plea to get back to the wagon quickly. Dark forms followed by billowing dust clouds were rushing toward them. A great herd of bison soon came into view, bearing down upon them. Claire scrambled to get her sisters to the wagon quickly. Leaning from the wagon, Mother stumbled while reaching for the girls and become tangled in her dress’s heavy skirts. The horses, agitated, reared up in fear, jolting the wagon as it lurched forward. Mother toppled from the wagon, leaving her exposed to the danger. Cutting the horses free, her father released them, knowing they would either run in fear or be trampled in the chaos. The scene unfolded around her. She watched her father dash around the wagon’s front end to hoist them into the wagon’s bed. Her mother desperately tried to crawl under the wagon for safety. Seconds later, Claire watched as her father threw himself atop their mother, attempting to shield her from the danger. Claire, frantic to protect her siblings, clutched her baby brother. Her younger sisters huddled around her. The younger children cried out, covering their ears at the deafening tumult around them. One after another, the wild buffalo forcefully shook the wooden railings while running past them. Piece by piece, the wagon began violently ripping apart. They could hear wood splintering around them, as each pounding hoof beat out a rhythm that penetrated their only protection. The iron skein holding the front wheel to the wagon cracked on impact, dangerously tipping the wagon to one side, threatening to overturn them. The bison’s assault continued to surge around them, their lives growing closer to an end. As the last of the herd passed and receded into the distance, reality unfolded around Claire once again. She peered out from the remains of their wagon. Then she closed her eyes momentarily to take in the sheer horror of their situation, breathing deeply. After a glance at her siblings, she looked outside again. The heavily battered prairie floor was now covered in a finely powdered substance. The particles floated around them almost gracefully before settling back down to the scarred ground. She then focused on finding her parents.