Chapter 3 dark gathering

Nothing makes us feel more alone than a secret. Paul.Tournier (Annotation: Paul Tournier (1898︱1986), a famous Swiss Christian psychiatrist and writer.) Sometimes at night, a sudden Chinook wind blows across the Willame Valley, The earth is freed from the icy grip of the tempest, and only that which is hidden in the deepest shadows is not free.In just twenty-four hours, the weather has become as warm as early summer.McCann slept until late in the morning, and a dreamless night of sleep seemed to pass in an instant. He got up from the sofa and felt a little annoyed when he saw Bingxue's foolish deeds ended so quickly and without a problem.But less than an hour later, he was happy again when Cortana and the children appeared.It starts with the expected scolding for not putting the bloody mess in the laundry room, followed by a fitful and contented woo and aah as Cortana examines the wound on McCann's head .This care and attention made McCann very satisfied, and Cortana quickly cleaned him up, bandaged him, and fed him.Although he was always thinking about the note, he didn't mention it to Xiaona.He didn't know what to do with that note yet, in case it was some kind of cruel joke, he didn't want her to be involved.

He welcomes small distractions like ice storms, but temporarily let him leave the companion who has been by his side: "Great Sorrow" is his name.Not long after the summer when Miss Miss disappeared, the great grief enveloped McCann's shoulders like a thick quilt that was invisible but almost within reach.The weight made his eyes glaze over and his shoulders sink.Even trying to shake the quilt off exhausted him, as if his arm had been implanted in the dark folds of despair, had become part of it without knowing it.Under this heavy robe he eats, works, loves, dreams, plays, as if in a leaden bathrobe, weighs him down, makes him trudge every day through a depression that sucks the color out of everything.

At times, he could feel the pain gradually clenching his chest and heart like a coiled boa constrictor, squeezing fluid from his eyes until he thought the water source in his body was exhausted.Sometimes he dreamed that his feet were in endless mud, and he caught a glimpse of Miss running down the wooded path in front of him, where wildflowers flickered between the trees and her red cotton summer dress was dotted along the way, She was unaware of the shadow following her.Though he tried frantically to warn her aloud to be careful, no sound came out, and he was always too late or unable to help her.He would sit up straight in bed, sweat dripping from his tortured body, and waves of hate, guilt, regret would hit him like surreal tidal floods.

The process of Miss' disappearance is unfortunately very similar to the frequently heard version of events.It happened on the first weekend in September, before another school year and the routine of fall began, the last hurrah of summer.McCann made the bold decision to take the three younger children on a final camping trip to Wallowa Lake in northeast Oregon.Cortana has signed up for on-the-job refresher courses in Seattle, and the two older boys have gone back to college or worked as counselors at summer camp.But McCann is confident that he has the comprehensive skills of outdoor activities and motherhood. After all, Cortana has trained him well.

The sense of adventure and the frenzy of camping infect everyone, and the family is suddenly busy like a whirlwind.Had McCann gone their way, they'd probably have just moved the portable SUV to the house, loaded most of the house's stuff into the vehicle, and headed off for a long weekend.In the chaos, McCann decided he needed a break, chased away the family cat named Judas, and settled into his old man's chair.Just as she was about to turn on the TV, Miss ran in, holding a small box made of Plexiglas in her hand. Can I take my insect collection camping?Miss asked. Are you taking those bugs with you?McCann grunted, a little absent-mindedly.

Daddy, they're not bugs, they're insects.Look, there are so many on my side! Reluctantly, McCann turned his attention to his daughter, who, seeing that he was finally concentrating, began counting the contents of the treasure box. You see, there are two grasshoppers.Look at the leaf again, there is a caterpillar on it, and where did it go, there!Have you seen my ladybug?And there is a fly in me, and several ants. As she detailed her collection, McCann tried to appear attentive, nodding in approval. That's the end of Missy's introduction.Can I take it with me? Of course you can, dear.Maybe when we get there, we can release them into the wild.

Can't take it with you!A voice came from the kitchen.Miss, the insects you collect should be kept at home, dear.Trust me, they are safer here.Cortana poked her head out of the corner, frowning cutely at McCann as he shrugged. I tried it, baby.He whispered to Miss. Uh, Missy roared.But she knew she had lost the battle, so she picked up the box and left. By Thursday night, the RV was fully loaded, the outboard tent trailer was hitched, and the lights and horn were tested.Early Friday morning, after Cortana taught the children rules about safety, being obedient, brushing their teeth in the morning, and not catching cats by their white stripes on their backs, among other things, they set off.Cortana drove north on Interstate 205 to Washington, and McCann and the three children drove east on Interstate 84.Their plan was to return next Tuesday night, the next day being the first day of school.

The Columbia River Valley is worth a visit in itself, with its alluvial mesas serving as sleepy guards, standing in the late summer warmth for breathtaking panoramas.September and October are the best months for Oregon weather: fall tigers often visit on weekends in early September and stay until Halloween, when the weather can quickly turn cold, wet and harsh.This year is no exception.The traffic and the climate work together so seamlessly that the group of people in the car barely notice the time and miles passing by. The four stopped by Multnomah Falls to buy coloring books and crayons for Missy, and two cheap waterproof disposable cameras for Kate and Josh.They then decided to hike up the trail a short distance to the bridge facing the falls.There used to be a trail that circled the main lake and led to a shallow cave behind the churning waterfall, but unfortunately this has been closed off by the garden due to erosion.Miss liked it here, and she begged Papa to tell the story of the pretty Indian girl, the daughter of the chief of the Multnomah tribe.McCann cajoled her for a while, then surrendered, and told the story again, all of them staring up at the mist that hid the rapids.

The story centers on a princess, the only daughter of an aging chief.The chief loved his daughter deeply, and carefully selected a husband for her. He was the young number one warrior in the Kretso tribe, and the chief knew that he was his daughter's sweetheart.People from the two tribes came to celebrate the wedding banquet that lasted several days, but before the wedding ceremony, a terrible disease spread among the people and killed many people. The elders and chiefs met to discuss countermeasures and discussed how to deal with this serious disease that quickly killed fighters on both sides.The oldest healer among them mentioned that his father had prophesied that a terrible disease would kill their people before he died in old age. To stop the raging disease, it depends on whether there is a pure and innocent daughter of the chief who is willing. Sacrifice your life for your people.In order to fulfill this prophecy, she must voluntarily scale the cliff above the great river, jump from there, and fall to her death on the rocks below.

Twelve girls, the daughters of the chiefs of various tribes, were brought before the council.After an important debate, the elders decided to waive such a request, especially for a prophecy that could not be verified, the sacrifice was too great. But the disease continued to spread among the crowd, and finally the young champion, the future husband of the princess, also fell ill.The princess who loved him knew she had to do something, and after reducing his fever and kissing his forehead, she slipped away quietly. It took her all day and night to reach the fabled place, the high cliff overlooking the river and the land.After praying and offering herself to the Spirit, she fulfilled the prophecy, and without hesitation she threw herself down and fell to the rock below to die.

The next morning, the sick people in the village recovered.Joy and celebration filled the village until the young warlord discovered that his beloved bride was missing.Realizing what was happening, word spread quickly, and many began journeys to where they knew they could find her.When they quietly gathered beside her shattered body under the cliff, the heartbroken father cried out to the Great Spirit, begging her sacrifice to last forever.At that moment, the water started to flow from where she jumped down, turned into a mist, and fell at people's feet, slowly forming a beautiful lake. Missy usually enjoyed the story, almost as much as McCann.It had the elements needed for a true redemption story, like the Jesus story she knew so well.At the center of the story is the father who loves his only daughter and the sacrifice foretold by the prophet.Because of love, the child was willing to sacrifice his life to save his fiancé and family members from death. But this time, when the story was finished, Mith didn't say a word. Instead, she immediately turned and walked towards the SUV, as if to say: I've seen this, let's go. They stopped for brunch, rested briefly by the Hood River, and hit the road at once, arriving at Legrand shortly after noon.Here they left Route 84 and took the Wallowa Lake Road for the final seventy-two miles to Josephtown.The lake and campsite they were going to was just a few miles past Josephtown.After finding the camp site, they set up camp together and quickly settled everything. Maybe it's not 100% what Xiaona likes, but it's generally usable. The first meal was McCann.Philip's heirloom dish: prime rib marinated in Uncle Joe's secret sauce.For dessert, I ate the brownie that Xiaona made the night before, and then topped with vanilla ice cream that was kept cold with dry ice. That night, when McCann sat among the three smiling children and watched the great performance of nature, his heart was suddenly filled with unexpected joy.The brilliant colors and sights of the sunset are in a final showdown with the few clouds on either side waiting to be the protagonists of this unique spectacle.He thought to himself: In all aspects of life, he is a rich man. By the time dinner was cleaned up, night had fallen.Deer are already where they are supposed to be. They are regular visitors during the day, but they can also be quite a nuisance at times.Their shifts have been taken over by the nocturnal troublemakers: raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, who roam in packs looking for slightly open containers.The Philips family knew this from past experience.The first time they spent the night in these camps, they lost four dozen marshmallow rice sticks, a box of chocolates, and all their peanut crackers. Before it was too late, the four of them left the campfire and camp lights for a short hike to a dark and peaceful place.There they can lie back and gaze in admiration at the stunning Milky Way, untouched by urban light pollution.McCann could lie looking up at the vast sky for hours.He felt so small, yet so at ease.Here, surrounded by nature under the stars, is where he feels the presence of God most clearly.He could almost hear their songs of admiration to their Maker, and in his unwilling heart he joined them in their praise as much as he could. They then returned to camp, and after a few toilet runs, McCann took turns placing the three in ultra-secure sleeping bags.He prayed briefly with Josh before walking towards the place where Kate and Miss lay waiting, but when it was Miss's turn to pray, she wanted to talk instead. Daddy, why did she have to die?McCann froze for a moment to figure out what Missy was talking about, and then suddenly realized that since they finished telling the story earlier, she must have been thinking about Princess Munnorma in her heart. Little dear, she doesn't have to die.She chose to use her own death to save her people.They were all very sick, and she wished them all well. There was a silence after that, and McCann knew another question was taking shape in the dark. Did such a thing ever happen?This time it was Kate, obviously interested in the topic. What really happened? Is the Indian princess really dead?Is this story true? McCann spoke after thinking about it.I don't know, Kate.This is a legend, and sometimes legends are just stories, telling people a kind of instruction. So this kind of thing didn't really happen?Miss asked. It could have happened, dear ones.Sometimes legends are based on true stories, events that actually happened. There was another silence.So the death of Jesus is a legend?McCann could hear the thoughts swirling in Kate's head. no dear.That's a true story, and you know what?I think the story of the Indian princess might be true too. McCann waited while the two daughters collected their thoughts.The next question was Miss.Is Great Spirit another name for God?Is it Jesus' father? McCann smiled in the dark.Obviously, Cortana's prayers at night worked.I think so.It's a good name for God because he's a spirit and he's great. Then why is he so mean? Ah, it turns out that this problem has been brewing from the beginning to the present.What do you mean, miss? That is, the great spirit told the princess to jump off the cliff and asked Jesus to die on the cross.I feel like it's a bad idea.McCann was speechless for a moment.He wasn't sure how to answer.At the age of six and a half, Missi is already asking questions that wise men have pondered for hundreds of years. Baby, Jesus doesn't think his daddy is mean.He thinks his dad is full of love and loves him very much.His dad didn't tell him to die.Jesus chose to die because he and his dad loved you, me, and everyone in the world.He saves us from our sickness, just like that princess. Then there was the longest silence, and McCann began to wonder if the two girls were asleep.Just as he was about to lean in to kiss them good night, a small voice broke the silence, trembling could be heard in his voice. Daddy? What's the matter, dear? Will I have to jump off the cliff in the future? When McCann finally understood what the conversation was trying to convey, his heart was broken.He hugged his little daughter into his arms, hugged her tightly, and replied softly in a hoarse voice than usual: No, little dear.I would never ask you to jump off a cliff, absolutely, absolutely not. So, would God ask me to jump off a cliff? No, miss.He would never ask you to do that. She snuggled deeper into his arms.All right!hold on tight.Good night, Daddy.I love you.After finishing speaking, he closed his eyes and slowly fell into a deep sleep where there were only sweet dreams. After a few minutes, McCann gently lowered her back into her little sleeping bag. Kate, how are you?he asked softly as he kissed her goodnight. fine.The answer was very soft.Daddy? What's the matter, dear? Good question she asked, right? is very good.She is a very special little girl, and you are both very special, except that you are not as small as she is anymore.Sleep well now, we have a long day ahead tomorrow.I wish you sweet dreams, baby. You too, Daddy.I love you so much! I love you with all my heart too.Good night. McCann zipped up the tent trailer as he left, blew his nose, and wiped away the tears still on his cheeks.He offered a silent prayer of thanksgiving to God, then went to make coffee.