by C C Daniels
Apparently Amaya heard my scream. She sprinted down the street.
Kanaan looked at where his hand grabbed my arm. The arm that was scraped up just hours ago and was completely healed. His eyes met mine in shocked speechlessness.
Amaya caught up to us. “What’s wro—” She followed Kanaan’s gaze to my arm.
“Aspen balm?” I offered weakly wishing that were true.
“The skull.” Amaya nodded with certainty.
Kanaan cocked his head toward her, but still held on to my arm.
I nodded in reply to her.
Kanaan looked at both of us like we were insane. “What skull?”
Chapter 6
A few minutes later, we were in Amaya’s garage. Her parents had renovated it into a hangout space for her and Kai. Filled with old furniture and nothing of any value, we used it a lot.
I sat on the edge of the vintage couch, across from the fish tank, and next to the half dead ficus tree. I hesitated. The skull’s intense vibe hadn’t stopped, even when I asked it to. Kanaan stared at me like I were crazy.
“Show him,” Amaya insisted.
He’s Ute, I told myself. And more importantly, trustworthy. I unzipped my pack.
Before I could put on the socks, Amaya pulled out the skull and set it on the old trunk that served as a coffee table.
Kanaan wasn’t impressed. “A cheap Halloween toy? That’s what all this is about?” He rubbed his eyebrow in annoyance.
“Come here.” I patted a spot next to me on the couch.
Reluctantly, he came and sat. Amaya scooted closer on the other side of me. I slid a pen out of my pack.
“Watch this.” With the pen—careful not to touch my skin to it—I scraped across the top of the skull, taking off the pearly topcoat.
Amaya and I looked at each other knowing what would happen next. The chalky white part of the skull sparkled and glittered to life repairing the scratch. Next, the flakes on the trunk sparkled and disappeared within seconds.
Kanaan jumped up. He was just as incredulous as we were the first time.
Unafraid of it now, Amaya caressed the skull. “How did it heal you?” she asked me.
“The sparkly dust fell onto my wound. The flakes did that glittery thing and”—I paused looking at my arm and still not believing it myself— “an instant later, it was healed.” I rubbed the spot where the wound was. “More than healed, it was like it was never there. No scar or anything.”
Kanaan paced nervously in front of the trunk. Then he stopped and laughed. “I get it! You’re playing a prank on me, aren’t you?” He clapped as though he were in an audience watching a show. “Very good. Who did your makeup?” He pointed at my arm. “Who made that thing sparkle?” He pointed at the skull and did that air-quote thing with his fingers, “Edward Cullen?”
Amaya laughed. “That’s funny, Kanaan.”
“No, it’s not funny!” I jumped up from the couch. “I’m like the last person on Earth who would believe this stuff, right?” I looked at Kanaan and taunted him. “You’re always going on and on about Ute mysticism and how it’s so flippin’ important.” Oh, my head hurt from no sleep and an intense anxiety attack. I sat down and massaged my temples.
Amaya turned to me. “Ute?”
Quietly, I pointed at the skull. “Ms. Savage mumbled something about Nuutsiu legend while she was examining it.” I lifted my head to look at Kanaan and shrugged. “Do you know anything about a magic skull legend?”
“No!” He wrinkled his brow, his expression a mixture of disgust and disbelief. “Look, I’m not falling for this.” He looked at me. “This is mean, Wray, making fun of our heritage.”
“I’m not—” I started to defend myself, but he cut me off.
“I’m missing English.” With that, he picked up his books and was out the door with a slam.
“Wow.” Amaya was the first to speak. “I thought he’d be more open-minded than that.”
We sat in silence for a few moments. Amaya slowly turned the skull around in her hands. “Do you think…I mean, your wound was on the exterior of your body.” She rubbed the shiny head with her palm. “What are the chances…”
“That it could heal Kai?” I finished for her.
That possibility had crossed my mind several times the night before when I couldn’t sleep. She looked at me with pleading eyes.
“Amaya, he’d probably have to ingest the sparkly dust. And we don’t even know if there are side effects to the exterior healing.” I rubbed my arm. “Don’t you want to wait and see if I turn into a purple troll?” Both of us laughed nervously at the thought.
Still smiling a bit, she asked “If you were in his shoes, wouldn’t you take the risk?”
“Amaya,” I murmured knowing I would.
“Can I keep the skull just to ask him?”
“I don’t know.” That strange protectiveness came back. On one hand I wanted to show it to MawMaw. She could probably tell me if the legend was true. But based on her reaction to it before, I was afraid that she would go to WooWoo Land and never come back. I didn’t know what to do with the thing. Taking it back home was a danger to MawMaw and Ella. My gut told me to bury it back in the dirt where I had found it until I could speak privately with an elder.
“Please Wray. Kai’s going to die otherwise. Being a living purple troll would be a miracle for him.”
What could I do but say yes? The skull wasn’t mine, really. I just happened to be the one who landed in the dirt next to it.
“All right,” I agreed reluctantly.
She gave me a tight hug.
“Don’t blame me if he grows fangs or a tail,” I joked.
With a broad smile, Amaya set the skull down and got the big vintage tin globe from the top shelf of the bookcase. That globe had been our secret hiding place for years. It was the summer between first and second grade that we discovered that, with a simultaneous twist of the finial and tug on the stand, it opened a secret compartment in a steampunk kind of way.
We used it ever since to hide treasures like our favorite Halloween candy. It was the perfect hiding place for a magic skull. She put the skull inside and slid the globe back on the shelf next to the sad, skinny philodendron. Amaya paused to sprinkle some food in the fish tank on our way out the door.
We made it back to school just minutes before second period. Amaya went to her locker, and I went to mine to get my history textbook. Just as I came around the corner of the empty hallway, I saw Mr. Smith riffling through my locker. I stepped back so he wouldn’t see me. The bell rang. He slammed my locker shut, put the lock back on, and walked away just as students streamed out of classrooms.
Amaya came up behind me. “Why are you standing here?”
“There’s something I forgot to tell you about this morning,” I admitted.
We went to my locker. I opened it, got my book, and as we walked to class, I finished telling her what happened with Ms. Savage and Mr. Smith—minus the time freeze, of course.
“That’s pretty important information, Wray.” Amaya hissed quietly.
We sat in our usual seats at the back of the classroom. Kanaan chose a seat right in front of us.
“What if he’d do anything to get his hands on that skull?” Amaya continued.
“Really?” Kanaan glared at us.
I sat back in my seat, but Amaya wouldn’t stop. “What if it’s the cup of Jesus or something?”
“Ooooh, you mean like the Holy Grail?” Kanaan slid into his seat, anger turning his eyes a darker gray.
Amaya leaned over her desk and, with her middle finger, flicked the side of his ear.
“Ow.” He held his ear and turned around to face us.
“Wray could be in real danger,” Amaya insisted to the both of us.
“Oh, please.” I rolled my eyes at her. “This isn’t an action movie.”
The bell rang and the teacher called class to order.
“I say better safe than sorry.” Amaya sat back in her chair t
o open her notebook.
Kanaan gave me a skeptical yet concerned look before turning to face forward again.
Concentrating on school was impossible. I heard nothing but my own questions going around and around inside my head. I couldn’t stop myself from checking my skin for extra hair and feeling my eyeteeth with my tongue to be sure fangs weren’t growing. I was being ridiculous, but my worldview was so out of whack.
I didn’t want to concede that everything I thought was impossible—like magic—had become possibilities. My belief that there were rational explanations for everything warred with my recent experiences. Later, Amaya and I went through the lunch line together. We sat at our regular table with our trays.
“What are you going to do?” Amaya asked.
“The skull is safe and sound.” I took a bite and chewed.
“Not that.” Amaya rolled her eyes. “About Mr. Smith. The danger is potentially very serious.”
Ms. Savage recognized the skull on sight. Did Mr. Smith? “The key word there is potentially.” I pointed my fork at her.
To our surprise, Kanaan walked right up to our table with his tray. “Ladies, mind if I join you?” The question was apparently rhetorical; he sat without waiting for an answer. “So, I was thinking.” He lifted the top bun of his burger and squirted a thick layer of ketchup on it. “I’d like to take another look at that skull.” Plopping the bun back on his burger, he then squeezed a zigzag line of ketchup on his fries.
Before I could say anything, Amaya elbowed me and nodded at the doorway. I followed her line of sight to see Mr. Smith scanning the crowded lunchroom. Kanaan followed our gazes.
“Okay?” He squinted at me. “Why are you suddenly afraid of Mr. Smith?”
Amaya answered quietly. “He saw the skull.”
Mr. Smith spotted me and started heading our way. “Hey, kids.” He smiled creepily at us. “How are your lunches today?”
“Great, Mr. Smith,” Amaya mumbled not looking at him.
“Wray,” he addressed me oh-so politely. “Could I take a photo of your glitter project?”
A wider version of his creepy smile, he held up and wiggled his phone. “I wanted to show my little girl. She just loves glitter. Maybe she could use your project as inspiration.” Wow, that was a stretch. All three of us looked at him in disbelief.
Kanaan was the first to recover. He elbowed me. “Is that what you threw in the dumpster this morning? Just before the truck came?”
“You threw it away?” Mr. Smith shouted so loudly that everyone in the entire lunchroom turned to look at him. Mr. Smith swayed on his feet like he was going to pass out. He leaned onto our table. When he did, the end of his tie dunked into Kanaan’s ketchup-covered mountain of fries.
Well, I had my answer. Mr. Smith recognized the skull too.
Kanaan fake-frowned at him. “It was really bad, Mr. Smith. It was as gaudy as that tie you’re wearing. I’m sure your daughter can do much better than Wray.” Kanaan glanced at me. “No offense.”
“None taken.” I took another sip of water and shrugged at them both averting my eyes from the ugly yellow tie, which was now stained with a big red spot.
“I think there’s a glittering class at the Commonwealth Studio downtown,” Kanaan added.
Mr. Smith didn’t say another word, just scowled on his way out of the lunchroom.
“Hey!” Kanaan called after him. “You’re welcome!” The lunchroom erupted in laughter and several students clapped their approval at Kanaan.
“Do you think it’s wise to provoke him?” I said.
He waved off my concern. “His family has been”— he did his air quote thing on the next word —“collecting Ute artifacts for generations and selling them to the highest bidders.” Kanaan’s voice held a bitter tone I hadn’t heard before. “Give them time and they’ll chisel Garden of the Gods into one-inch pieces to sell. I’m not afraid of him.” He took a drink.
Amaya raised her eyebrows at Kanaan. “So, you’re in agreement now that the skull is a Ute artifact?”
Kanaan didn’t answer at first. His eyes darted between hers and then mine. “I didn’t say that. I said I just wanted to see it again. That’s all.”
Amaya whispered across the table to Kanaan. “It’s at my house.”
Mr. Smith glared at me from the doorway. I shivered involuntarily. “Maybe we shouldn’t talk about it at school anymore,” I said. Kanaan and Amaya both nodded.
The afternoon dragged. When the final bell rang, I quickly got my jacket from my locker and met Amaya out front. While we walked, I texted MawMaw to let her know I was going to Amaya’s house after school.
My phone chimed right back. K, MawMaw’s text said.
Kanaan jogged to catch up with us. “Don’t look back.” And Amaya instantly looked back. “I said,” Kanaan emphasized the syllables, “don’t look back.”
Amaya contritely turned her head forward. “Sorry.”
“What’s back there?” I asked.
“You two are being followed,” he said cheerfully.
“Oh God, what do we do?” Amaya asked. “I can’t run in these boots.”
“The thing we can’t do is lead them to the skull.” My calmness surprised me.
“How do you know that’s what they want?” Kanaan squinted at me.
I shrugged. “A hunch?”
“A good one.” Amaya almost looked over her shoulder, again, but caught herself. “It was my first thought too.”
We made our way down the steep hillside to Manitou Avenue. I gripped the arm straps on my backpack. It kept my hands from shaking.
“Let’s go to the Penny Arcade,” Kanaan suggested.
Both Amaya and I sulked.
“Really?” Amaya complained.
“You guys used to love it when we hung out there.” He seemed taken aback by both of us.
“We were ten,” Amaya reminded him. “Besides, I kind of had plans for this afternoon.” She darted a look my way.
The Penny Arcade was an original game arcade. Built in the 1930s, it existed in Manitou Springs for generations with games added every era since. Dad used to like the pinball machines from the 1940s.
“Unless you have a better idea?” He motioned to our left and we changed course walking west along Fountain Creek toward downtown. Kanaan tossed pebbles into the water, which gave him an excuse to turn around once in a while to look at our stalkers. “There’s two,” he said. “And I don’t recognize either one of them.”
We played Skee-Ball at the Penny Arcade for about an hour. As we did, I stole glances at the thugs loitering near us. Thugs being the correct term, because they looked like they’d break every bone in your body and not feel one ounce of guilt about it—soulless eyes that reminded me way too much of the gunmen who killed my parents.
I noticed that they kept eyeing my backpack propped on a chair behind me. “I really do think they want the skull,” I whispered to Amaya and Kanaan, who were throwing balls on lanes on either side of me “And I think that they think it’s in my pack.”
“Let’s find out,” Kanaan whispered back. After throwing his last ball, he stood upright. “I gotta go, ladies,” he said loud enough to be overheard. He slung my bag over his shoulder.
“Kanaan,” I scolded him.
“Sorry.” He tucked his own books under an arm. “Wish I had more time.” He backed out of the arcade, winked at Amaya and me, then spun, and walked away with big, long strides.
Sure enough, the thugs followed him, which put my heart in my throat and a sense of dread in my gut.
Amaya stood next to me. “Don’t worry. He’s a Lykota male.”
I nodded. Supposedly, the Lykota family tree boasted a long, long history of warrior-type males who lived long, long lives despite their dangerous traditional tribal roles. I wrapped my arms around myself.
Amaya went back to the Skee-Ball machines. She pointed at the prize tickets that had popped out of our games as we earned them over the last hour. “Do you mind if I
give these to Kai to redeem?”
“No,” I mumbled, staring in the direction Kanaan went.
Amaya ripped the tickets off the lanes, rolled them up, and stuffed them in her book bag.
My phone chimed. I took it out of my pocket. The text was from Kanaan. Leading ’em in circles, he texted, be by ur house later.
“Haha.” Amaya clapped. “We can go home.” She guided the strap of her bag over her head, wearing it crossbody.
“Wait.” I made her look into my eyes. “Promise me you’ll leave it where it is for now.”
She tilted her head. “For now,” she eventually agreed. “But Kai doesn’t have much time.”
We walked together in silence until we came to her street where we parted ways. She gave me an extra firm hug.
“Please be careful.”
I nodded and hugged her back. “You too.”
Chapter 7
I stopped at the barn to check on Ella. Her sweet nuzzles were just what I needed. I was so afraid for Kanaan. MawMaw would have picked up on that worry in a heartbeat. So, I got busy cleaning Ella’s stall, and then oiled my saddle. I didn’t go inside until I felt relatively calm.
MawMaw was at the kitchen table peeling a big mound of potatoes. She glanced up and smiled at me. “How was your day?” She dropped a potato she had just finished peeling into a big pot of cold water.
“Fine I guess.” I forced an extra-chipper voice. I got another peeler from the drawer and sat down to help peel. “Are you feeding an army?”
“Yes.” She laughed.
I loved MawMaw’s laugh. It came from deep inside, so that her entire body shook, especially at a good joke. It was nice to sit and do something ordinary after the bizarre events of the last few days. I kept an eye on the open back door for Kanaan.
“Expecting someone?” MawMaw asked as she dropped another peeled potato into the pot.
“I, uh.” I didn’t want to lie to her, so I shorten my reply. “Kanaan was going to bring my backpack by later.”
“I see.” She smiled. “He’s carrying your books home from school.”