Chapter 12

“An owl is a keeper of spirits. When we die, it is the owl that takes us to the Open Pastures. But the Great owl is not limited by one spirit, nor is it contained by the fence that surrounds the Open Pasture.”

“The great owl, left eye and right, makes flight, wing to wing, plain to plain, sight to sight, through touch, feather to feather.”

Crying Shadow’s teachings of the Great Owl

Translated by Erik Livingtree

Kat’s Recovery

1

“What the hell are we gonna do?” Kam demanded.

Kat was still lying on the ground with her upper body in Whitney’s lap. She tried to get up despite Tommy’s warning to relax for a while and she ended up passing out. Kat didn’t admit to it but she was experiencing extreme agony from the invasion into her chest cavity. The thing hadn’t just melted itself into her skin, but also the bones of her chest plate. It must have been excruciating.

Tommy shook his head in frustration. It was his turn to pace.

“What am I gonna tell my parents? She has a friggin’ necklace melted into her chest. My dad’s gonna flip and probably try to sue the campground!”

Tommy had no answers.

“It’s not so bad,” Kat said.

“Not so bad?” Kam said getting up from his stump and walking over to her. “Is that what you’ll say to dad?”

“If a bridge can be crossed once, the second trip can be made,” she said pointing to her chest. “We just have to cross it again before we leave. If IT wants this, IT can have it.”

“How do you know IT wants it?” Tommy asked.

“I dreamed about it when I passed out,” she said rubbing her eyes. She sat up and held herself upright by leaning on her fists.

“It doesn’t hurt as much anymore either and look,” she said pointing at the charm. “Somehow the skin around it is healing already. At least I know I’m not gonna die from it.”

“Well IT can have the charm if IT wants it, but...”

“Actually no.” Whitney said. “The last thing in the world we are going to do is let IT have that charm.”

“What thehell do you mean?” Kam exclaimed.

“Language!” Whitney said. “It wants the charm so it can come to this side.”

“That’s ridiculous! It’s just a necklace!” Kam argued.

“That necklace is what enables me to connect with her. I don’t know exactly how or why it works, but it does. It gives me a focal point, and it somehow generates a rift—an opening that normally only exists between Tommy and I. That’s why IT wants us, and that’s why IT wants the necklace. IT can’t have either.”

“That makes sense,” Tommy said. “But it doesn’t make our jobs any easier. Not that they sounded easy in the first place.”

“Which hour are we in?” Kat asked changing the subject.

“It’s almost five,” Kam answered looking at his watch.

“How long were my drapes closed?” she asked struggling her way to her feet.

“Hours—you had us all pretty scared for a while.”

“YOU were scared,” she said with a note of sarcasm. “My storm went skyward!” She brushed herself off with tentative strokes and stood on wary legs, looking closely at Tommy.

“She’s not with you?” she asked him.

He shook his head no. “She comes and goes. She zooms in and back out again. She stays long enough to catch up on the conversation, but she refuses to stay for long. She’s blaming herself for what happened.”

“The arrow was came from his bow, not hers.”

“Do you know what happened?”

“My song was garbled until my canary entered the cage. She saved me. Her arrow pierced IT’s skin. She knows that, right?”

“She knows, but she also knows she wouldn’t have had to save you if she hadn’t put you at risk,” Tommy said.

“Yeah, but Tommy, there’s something else. And she needs to know it.”

“What?” he said genuinely confused.

“The dog’s claws are sharp and IT’s teeth dug into me. IT thirsts for all of our blood, but now it knows our scent. We can’t run anymore. A dog lives to chase cars and dogs don’t fear the sound of a motor, but the canary scared it, Tommy. Her song made IT yipe.”

“Good,” Kam said. He had a branch in his hand that he’d been fiddling with. He was drawing circles in the dirt in front of him. He whipped it with all of his might over the branches of the trees that formed their copse and went to Whitney. He took her gently by the hands and guided her to her feet. She resisted at first and yanked back in protest, but he persisted and pulled her to her feet.

“Let’s get some grub. My stomach is on fire,” Kam said.

2

“Man when you say stubborn as a blizzard, you ain’t kidding!” Kam said.

They were making their way through the trails toward the mess hall. Whitney was on Kam’s back, but getting her there was a fight. Tommy almost let Whitney have her way and let her walk, but Kam insisted on carrying her.

“To be honest, I can’t believe she gave in. When she gets like that, the moon couldn’t change her. I usually just let her have her way.”

“I didn’t give in because her attitude is crap. She’s with us and she needs to quit forgetting that we are on her side. She’s already starting to loosen up, look,” he said gesturing toward her hand by nodding his head. “She’s not even gouging the skin on my shoulders anymore.” He laughed. “Like that was gonna change my mind. Has she come back yet?”

“No,” Tommy replied. “Not since Kat woke up.” Tommy reached over and tapped her on the forehead again. That was his way of signaling to her that he wanted to piggyback. She shook her head no like the previous four times, and she kept shaking her head no all the way up until after they arrived at the powwow.

3

The powwow was the next most coveted event. It was true that almost every camper came to Tumbling Waters for the obstacle course. Everyone loved the challenges it brought, but hearing Erik and the Chief tell the eerie and mysterious stories was as much of a thrill to them as zipping down the zip line, or standing on top of the confidence pole.

The very first time Little John told the story of his ancestors, there were only six boys that attended. He told the same story every Wednesday night that summer and by the end of the year, the circle was full and almost every camper (boy or girl) attended. Most campers come back to hear that same story every year despite the fact that they’ve heard it multiple times, and knew it well enough to tell it themselves.

In the center of the campfire bowl, was the campfire itself. There were no chairs surrounding it. Instead, it was surrounded by bales of straw and as each camper came in they would pull off a few leafs, find a spot and that would be their cushion for the telling.

When Whitney, Tommy and Kam came into the bowl, there weren’t very many seats left, and yet a spot near the front and center of the unlit campfire had been saved for them.

“Do you think Kat will be okay?” Tommy asked Kam.

Kat bowed out right after they ate. She hardly said a single word during the meal and atelittle of her spaghetti, and nursed a soda. By the time they were all finished eating and ready to head to the bowl, she excused herself and headed to her cabin.

“She seemed fine to me. She’s just tired. Can you blame her? She’ll be okay by morning, lover boy!” Kam said.

Tommy crinkled his nose. “Lover boy? Um ... weren’t you the one kissing my sister?”

“Not my fault you don’t take initiative!” Kam said as Mike ushered them over to the empty spots in front. “Sweet! V.I.P. status does have its privileges,” he added as he tucked a few leafs of straw under his armpit and made a spot on the ground.

Tommy guided Whitney into a spot in between himself and Kam. He placed a couple of leafs down and had her sit on them, which she did Indian style, and he sat next to her. When he was in his place, he reached up and tapped her on the forehead and she denied him again. She was also refusing to sign with him, which meant that he had no way of communicating with her at all.

“I don’t think the worst blizzard in history was as stubborn as she is,” Kam quipped.

“You’re telling me,” Tommy replied. “She’s never been this bad before though. I was kind of hoping that when we separated from Kat, she would at least ask why.”

“She’s still doing that thing with her fingers too,” Kam said pointing at her hands. “It’s been what? Two hours straight? What the hell is she thinking! We need her!”

“I don’t know,” Tommy said. “I really don’t know.”

4

Margraves sat at his desk staring at his computer screen. He had watched the video from his phone twenty times already and still couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He checked the video from the camp feeds, but the camera malfunctioned just before Whitney fell and that screen had nothing but snow. It was a good thing he thought to use his phone.

He hadn’t imagined it. He hadn’t dreamed it and it wasn’t faked like some magician trying to earn a living would do. Tommy Leighton saved his sister from her tragic fall with his mind.

What was he going to do with that? Hementioned turning the evidence over to his brotherto Digger, but was that really something his brother would be interested in? It was his brother’s job to protect the country from threats to national security. Normally those threats came from fanatic believing foreigners. They came from people that wanted to strap bombs to their chests or carry automatic weapons into populated areas—people with the idea of mowing down infidels like overgrown blades of grass. The twins had no bombs or automatic weapons and they weren’t religious fanatics.

Margraves could see a scary potential with people whocould do the types of things this pair of twins could do. The girl could read minds for cripes sake. Margraves didn’t think he had too much to worry about. His biggest secrets involved the things written on the backs of the photographs on his wall. If that came out, it might make a splash on the camp and he’d probably get a verbal thrashing from the owner, but no big whoop. The government, on the other hand, had many secrets. They had many very important secrets and having a girl like that around could potentially be dangerous. When you combined her power with her brother’s power, the threat seemed to go up exponentially. Now you not only had a girl that could read minds, but a boy that could do God only knew what.

On top of that, he had warned Mr. Leighton. He had told him that Camp Tumbling Waters was no place for a blind and deaf girl, but Mr. Leighton had gone around him. He should have known better. He should have listened to reason.

Margraves picked up the landline and dialed his brother’s number. He waited as the phone rang on the other side, but it quickly went to voice mail. After the beep, he left a message. “Check your e-mail. I am sending you something I think you might want to look at.”

“Better safe than sorry,” he said as he opened his e-mail. “There’s no telling what kind of trouble these two could cause.” He composed a quick message and attached an array of files containing the evidence his brother would need. That evidence included the scans of Whitney and Tommy’s personal information. Names, address, and even contact phone numbers. His brother wouldn’t even have to try to figure out who they were. Everything was sewed into a nice little package for him.

5

Pinky, ring, index, middle. Pinky, ring, index, middle.

Gotta keep ‘em safe. Gotta keep them SAFE! Whitney reminded herself of this repeatedly. It was her new mantra and she held onto it like a pit-bull. She wasn’t about to let go of that—no matter what.

Tommy and Kam probably thought she was making a mistake. They probably thought she was wimping out—hiding.

She wasn’t.

If she stayed in herself and focused, she could watch everybody. She could watch those close to her, but she could also watch those that weren’t. People were going to be at the campfire, but not everybody. If she gave in and piggybacked with Tommy, she would have no idea whether anyone was making their way toward the atoll. The atoll was where ITs power was the strongest.

So fine! If she had to stay within herself to keep an eye on everyone, she would.

Being at the campfire made it a little easier because most everyone was sitting still. She could relax a little.

Even without sight, Whitney could get a vivid sense of the shape of the story bowl based on the positioning of the shadows around her. The overall shape was ovular. She couldn’t feel the heat from the fire yet but she knew it wouldn’t be long before she could. They were seated close to where that fire would be (based on the absence of shadows) in the center of the oval. Once the fire was lit(from above) the group would look like an eye staring up from the ground toward the night sky. It reminded her of her dream—of staring down into the disturbed water, and seeing a pair of silver serpentine eyes staring back at her.

“For centuries my people occupied these lands we call North America, and roamed freely as their spirits guided them,” she heard Little John say inside of her mind. A sudden burst of heat blasted against her face.

But how was she hearing Little John?

“Mother Earth and Father Sky provided food for my ancestors just as they had always done. The materials they gathered were used for tools and weapons for hunting, farming, and building shelter. All of these things originated because of the great Mother, and Father, but most importantly, they led my people true in the spirit world. They kept them safe from the spirits of the underworld. Those spirits that spring up from the other side of the in-between were angry at my people simply because we exist on this side of nowhere.”

Whitney sat mesmerized at the idea that somehow she could hear him. Not with her ears, but much in the same way that she could hear Tommy or Kat when she was connected with them. She could sense his shadow as it traveled around the fire, occasionally passing directly in front of her.

The heat of the fire was intense and she scooted back a little from it. Little John was much closer to the flames and yet he seemed completely unaffected by the heat.

“Some of my people stopped listening to the Mother and Father when our lands were taken and we could no longer roam as our spirits guided us. They were angry because they would make a home, only to be told to leave it, because of the riches that Mother had reserved in that spot. They felt that the Great Mother and Father betrayed them and failed to protect them from this new enemy or to guide them in how to deal with them.

“My people’s tears formed trails along a thousand mile path as they searched for new places to gather and to keep their circles from flattening or breaking. Most of my people moved peacefully. Some moved angrily but kept their arrows in their quivers. Some took up arms and shot their arrows and were slaughtered for it, but one vowed to repay the invaders after his family was lost. His name was Pointed Feathers and he came to this very stretch of land seeking a soft spot to the nowhere. He was the grandfather of my great-great-grandfather. He, and what was left of his circle, demanded an opening from the spirits of the underworld for days. The soft spot weakened and the anisgina came through.

“As soon as Pointed Feathers felt IT, he saw his mistake and began to reverse his prayers angering IT greatly. It was too late to send it back, but they were in time to keep IT from walking into the forest. They all paid for their mistake with their lives for IT laid claim to all of their spirits before they had time to flee. Only his wife, Crying Shadow, escaped. She became the first Standing Indian and taught others the signs of ITs waking and also the sacrifices we must make to make it sleep again.”

Little John stopped moving around the circle and fell silent for a time. He was standing directly in front of Whitney and she had a feeling that he was looking directly at her.

“It was the inner most rings of my circle that brought the anisgina to the in between. This is why it has always been members of my tribe and my family that have stood and watched ever since,” the chief continued. His voice changed and he almost sounded sorry. “We have done everything we could to make sure the path to this side of nowhere is never made complete and we have vowed to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to send IT back to where IT came from.

“Our legends and visions tell us that the sacred owl—the carrier of spirits—is the key to sending IT back. They tell us that this great bird’s eyes burn brighter than any other bird and that it can see into the very clouds themselves. This owl can traverse circles as easily as a fish cuts through water.

“I have always believed that this owl would be of my bloodline because it is my family’s burden to right the tree that we cut down. I have even foolishly believed that I was this great bird... but I am not,” he said with emphasis on the last few words.

“They are,” he finished with his hands extended toward Tommy and Whitney.

6

Whitney expected him to go on talking. She knew what he was suggesting. He was saying that she and her brother were the solution to this problem. She needed him to tell her what to do, because she had no idea.

If his people knew how to open the gates that let IT in, it made sense for them to have some idea how to reverse it and send IT back. That’s what she wanted to know from his story, but he stopped. Why did he stop?

The next thing she knew, she was lifted to her feet and was being carted away, once again, on Kam’s back. He really needed to quit doing that. She had learned to walk a long time ago and could manage fine on her own, thank you very much, but he wasn’t just walking. He was walking with a sense of urgency as if the fire pitcaught the world on fire.

“You can still save her, Whitney! Remember that, but there’s more!” Little John’s voice pounded into her brain.

Whitney didn’t wait for the more. She had wanted the more before, but that was then. Now all she wanted was to make sure that he wasn’t talking about who he thought he was talking about even though she already knew Kat’s shadow was no longer in her bunk.

`What’s happening? Whitney thought to Tommy.

“It’s Kat! They caught her on camera going off grid,” Tommy said. He said it aloud intentionally so Kam would realize Whitney had finally decided to piggyback.

She what? Why would she do that? she thought back.

“No idea,” he answered.

“She finally came out of her funk? About time now that my sister’s AWOL,” Kam said angrily.

Tommy, it’s not my fault! Tell him I was trying to keep an eye on her and on everyone and that’s why I wouldn’t piggyback, but I got distracted at the bonfire!

He repeated it to Kam. Kam listened without saying a word at first.

“Ask her where she is,” he said bluntly.

Tommy didn’t have to ask. Whitney popped out and was back a second later. “We’re going the wrong way!” she said.

Tommy stopped, but as soon as he did, a large, strong hand landed on his shoulder. “Keep moving!” the hand’s owner commanded. He looked over his shoulder to see an adult staff member. Shit! He thought. They’re making us go back to our cabins. They said something about a lockdown, but I thought we’d be allowed to help look!

“Come on, man!” Kam insisted. “I want to help find my sister!” He started to turn off the path, but another staff member—armed with a Taser—grabbed him with a gorilla grip.

“Really? A Taser?” Kam scoffed.

“Comes in handy sometimes in emergencies and Margraves suggested you might be trouble. But really! We are trained to handle search and rescue. She hasn’t been gone that long so the sooner we get you to your cabin, the faster we get to join in the search. Believe me, kid, you want me and Earnest in the search.”

“Shouldn’t you be looking now?” Tommy asked. He stumbled on a rock and almost stumbled into Kam, but “Earnest” still had him by the shoulder and was able to right him.

“If we don’t contain the rest of you and you all run off in separate directions, we end up having to find eighteen kids instead of one. Nope. We get you locked down first, and then we start looking,” the other one said.

They reached the boys cabin first. Most of their group headed willingly inside, but Tommy and Kam automatically started toward Whitney’s cabin.

“You two don’t listen! Do you?”

Kam thought about it and decided the staff was right. He turned and started walking toward his cabin.

“UH, hem! Forgetting something?”

“What? You want me in my cabin! Right?”

“Yeah and I suppose that thing you’re carrying is just your backpack! Right?” he saidsarcastically.

“Just set her down,” Tommy said. He knew why Kam wanted to bring her, and Kam was right in thinking their escape would be more convenient if Whitney was with them, but he also knew that they could escape even if they were separated.

Kam followed Tommy’s instructions and let Whitney slide from his back, but he did it reluctantly. Kam expected something to happen, because something had to happen. Whitney and Tommy were the solution—not Earnest and not Mr. Big wise guy.

Tommy headed for the cabin without trying anything funny.

Okay, Kam thought. Whitney’s the distraction. No way will she just let one of them pick her up and take her to the cabin.

But that’s exactly what she did.

7

“Okay? I don’t get it, Tommy!” Kam whispered to him after they were back inside of the cabin. They were standing next to their bunks facing toward the door. “So far, whatever your plan is? It really sucks!”

“Really? I think it’s pretty smart,” Tommy answered.

“Yeah, brilliant! Let them lock us in our cabin so we can’t go find my sister! I mean you can see the size of that padlock! We’re not goin’ anywhere!”

Tommy smiled big for Kam. “I just can’t believe they locked the door from the inside! Makes it so much easier when I can see the lock!”

“So you can pick it?”

Tommy nodded.

“What about ole Luke there? He’s big enough to handle the both of us.”

“Wou did tell me wrestling was your favorite sport. Happen to know any good sleeper holds?”

“You know I do.”

“Wait for my signal. Then pounce. We’ll only get one shot at this.”

Tommy made a fist with one hand and jammed the finger of his other into his balled fist. He twisted his finger back and forth and the lock on the door fell open.

The noise of the lockgot Luke’s attention. He spun to investigate and Kam sprung forward, wrapped his arms around Luke’s neck, and squeezed forcefully. Everyone else in the cabin watched with wide eyes as Luke struggled to get his airways reopened. It was no use. Kam had taken him by surprise and had him locked into position. Within twenty seconds, Luke’s arms quit fighting and Kam lowered him to the ground.

8

What do you mean there’s more? Whitney projected.

She wasn’t sure if this would still work. Little John’s voice had come through to her and he heard her when she was at the top of the wall, but half expected that when she really needed to communicate with him, he would be incommunicado.

Whitney had already tracked Kat down. She tried to reconnect to her but the door to Kat’s mind was closed and she couldn’t get through. Whitney didn’t know why.

Was the necklace ruined when it melted into Kat’s chest? Or had the essence of herself that she placed into the black stones worn out?

She didn’t know.

She could stretch herself to where Kat was and she could bend her consciousness around Kat’s aura but that was it. The opening that allowed her to enter was no longer there.