Who is Mackie Spence?

by Lin Kaymer

  Her explanation makes no scientific sense. I don’t trust myself to respond, but shake my head. No. I want to bring her back to reality.

  “Brody’s a crazy dude. That’s what I know about him. Can you tell me what it’s like to be in a coma?” I ask.

  “It’s not like being asleep. I couldn’t make my body move, but I felt something all the time, and I heard everything people said when they came to visit me. I was so happy the day you came in with Wes.”

  She pauses, and takes in a deep breath.

  “I think there are energy fields around us. Animals use them all the time with each other. It seems to be how they connect with me, too. When I needed you, when I was in the coma, I tried to bring you there, because that’s where I was. In an energy field.”

  “Wow. That’s cool. What does that feel like? The energy?”

  “There’s this light vibration against my skin, like a tugging sensation could start at any minute. It feels good.”

  I stare at her. The tugging sensation she’s described feels like what’s been happening to me. Cool, but weird.

  “I have another question. Why didn’t you call me after Brody told you he had your phone? I would have gone to pick it up.”

  She stiffens a little. “You’ve done a lot for me already. You shouldn’t fight my fights. And Brody feels like a really old fight.”

  It sounds so reasonable. She’s her own person and has always done things for herself. She doesn’t want to be a bother. But he tried to hurt her and I would never have let him do that. I’m about to reassure her there is nothing I wouldn’t do for her, when Noelle bursts into the kitchen.

  “I’m supposed to ask if you’re okay,” she announces.

  “I’m okay,” Mackie replies. “We’re fine. You don’t have to wait. ’Bye,” she says, with a shooing motion of her hands.

  Noelle turns like a dancer on the ball of her foot, and leaves. Mackie and I stand and she hugs me. The hug goes into my body, and leaves an imprint after she steps away.

  “Everything you said, about Akeso and what happened on the boat, I need to think about it. I mean, you’re here and that’s what’s important,” I say. I can’t tell her how unbelievable her story sounds to me. In fact, it’s bizarre and worrisome. Is Mackie a little crazy?

  She hugs me again. “Okay. But we’re good, right?”

  “Right.”

  When she lifts her face for a kiss, I want us to never leave the kitchen, never leave the kiss, and I want to never be without her.

  CHAPTER 14

  Mackie was right about the new volunteers at the shelter. It didn’t take long before one of them decided working a four-hour shift every weekend was not for him. Olivia put Mackie and me back together as the 2:00–6:00 P.M. Sunday crew.

  On Sunday, after our shift ends, we walk to my house, eat a lasagna dinner with Mom, Dad, and Justin, and then sit in front of our wood stove reciting our French assignment. Since studying together, my French grammar and pronunciation have improved. But I really want to ask her a question.

  “Pardonez, mademoiselle mais, voulez-vous accompagner moi à le Steve Un, s’il vous plaît?” I ask, not looking up from my screen.

  She gives her notebook a double take, and then tries to look at my screen. Of course, those words aren’t on my screen because I’ve made them up. Her eyes twinkle as she laughs.

  “Mais oui. Certainement,” she says. And that is how Mackenzie Allison Spence agrees to go with me to Steve One, our school’s 1960s-themed dance where the boys ask the girls.

  Sure, there is still unresolved drama over the whole thing with Brody, who hasn’t returned to school. On the plus side, Captain Evans made a sworn statement that I had no blood on any of my clothes except for the bottoms of my shoes. That was completely consistent with my statement of what happened when I was on the boat. Eventually, I hope to be ruled out as a suspect.

  There’s something else, too: My connection with Mackie. I’m getting used to feeling a tug at my skin just before she sends a message or calls. And the idea of energy fields that can be entered fascinates me. From what I’ve found online, ancient cultures described something similar. And like Mackie, early humans were very tuned into animals. Yeah, maybe there is something to her story. I look forward to exploring that, along with everything else about her.

  Of course, I still have loads of questions. Is Mackie a genetic variant, able to survive extreme conditions and connect on an unseen plane with animals? Is she the mythological reincarnation of Akeso, daughter of Asclepius, granddaughter of Apollo, born to heal the sick and wounded? Or is she my childhood friend who trusts me with her innermost secrets, and has more to tell? Maybe she’s all of those things.

  And if Mackie is Akeso reborn, am I Aleksander, her protector? Will I have memories, someday, of our past lives? I want to believe Mackie, even if I can’t prove everything she tells me. To believe her, I have to trust her. One thing I do know: I love her and want to be with her.

  So who is Mackie Spence? There’s a very good chance we’ll figure that out, together.

  EPILOGUE

  The Girl

  Cool breezes partnered the ascending sun as a young girl ran a maze of uneven dirt trails away from her village. Her destination: a nearby cliff overlooking the Aegean Sea.

  The girl had never ventured up the embankment. Nor had she ever dived from the ledge. Today was different. She had to save two dolphins floating in a growing ring of blood.

  Gathering courage, she paced back for a running start. Her strong arms pumped as her legs pushed off against the uneven ground. Stones sprayed from the impact of her feet. Black hair flying, she spread her arms like wings as she leapt, diving headfirst. Near the water, she pulled her hands together, and slipped into the waves.

  Shocked by the coldness of the water, she kicked to the surface, and found the dolphins.

  But they did not respond to her presence. She’d healed animals before, though none this large. The girl worried their wounds were beyond her curative abilities, yet saving them was her mission.

  She approached the first dolphin and wrapped her arms around its head. His eyes flickered open, then closed, then opened wide as if he recognized her. Hugging him, she stroked the smooth, soft surface of his sides. As she felt her energy flow to him, her breath came faster and her arms grew tired. After several minutes, he began taking in air through his blowhole. The bleeding under his beak ceased. Their gazes held until he bobbed his head. Then she swam to the second dolphin.

  The small female lay flat on the water’s surface, her blowhole exposed, but she didn’t breathe. The girl followed the same process that she’d used to heal the male.

  The small dolphin didn’t respond. The girl placed her hands on the skin above the dolphin’s eyes and gently lifted. A shudder went through the mammal. The girl treaded water, knowing that hugging this dolphin for support would be too much of a burden. Her gaze never left the dolphin’s eyes.

  The second healing took longer than the first. By the time the dolphins swam, the girl’s hands could no longer push through the water, and she tasted saltwater sliding down her throat. Her energy exhausted, she floated on her back, knowing the tide would carry her away. The dolphins dove around her, welcoming the girl into their family. What of her own father, mother, brothers, and sisters? Would they miss her? Would they be sad when she didn’t return home that afternoon? But she had saved the dolphins. There would be honor in her dying. Honor that was worth death.

  Apollo’s Legacy

  Poseidon, god of the sea, rose in magnificence through the water. Bubbles shed from his surface like jewels rolling in sunlight. His eyes narrowed as he viewed the two dolphins leaping joyfully. In the center of their activity floated a girl. With squeals and short staccato bursts of song, the duo lauded her bravery and healing powers. They could save their song. Poseidon knew what had occurred. A rogue shark had attacked the dolphins. The girl had risked her own life to heal his treasures, keeping them from death. And for
that, he was determined she would live.

  “Apollo,” he called out. “Apollo, by all that is good and right, where are you? You have given the world a healer, but she doesn’t come equipped with the power to survive. Come, and make this right.”

  In a flash, the god of prophecy appeared above Poseidon. His eyes shone with irritation at what he interpreted as criticism from the god of the sea.

  “Why have you called me here, and in such a lofty tone?” Apollo replied.

  “I mean you no offense. Look at her. She is young, a child still. She healed my dolphins at her own risk. That kind of love is rare. Apollo, you have created something brilliant but not finished the job. I’m told that she heals on earth, in the sky, and on the water. Her value to us is already spoken of with regard. Will you not give her aid?”

  Apollo looked down at the girl’s body. She floated on her back, arms and legs forming an X. Her dark hair fanned in and out around her face, like a sea anemone. The dolphins prodded her with their beaks, trying to keep their healer alive.

  As Apollo gazed at the scene, his heart softened. She was lovely. She had her grandmother Coronis’ flawless skin and hair. Coronis, the mortal he had loved.

  Yes, Apollo knew a part of him was in this divine child. Her ability to heal was a birthright that flowed from him to his son, Asclepius, her father. The girl had inherited her grandfather’s healing energy.

  “Poseidon, once in a great while you are right,” Apollo said. “I shall have to do something, but you know there will be a price down the line. Still, I think I will help her.”

  As Poseidon nodded his agreement, Apollo looked upon the shore and saw a young boy walking with his dog. The god raised his hand and spoke.

  “Protector, you are needed.” No sooner did Apollo make this proclamation than the boy began running to the shoreline. The girl’s protector was on his way.

  The Protector

  She felt his hands on her shoulders before she saw him. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I saw you in the water. It didn’t look like you would make it out by yourself.”

  They were on the beach of the cove, under the warm rays of the afternoon sun. He sat in front of her, frowning his concern.

  “Aleksander,” she whispered, willing her eyes to fully open. He lived in her village and they had played together as young children. But lately he attended school with his older brothers. This year, she had seen him only when she walked on the beach with her family.

  “I must thank you,” she said, struggling from weakness to get the words out. He waved a hand. It was nothing.

  “What made you go out so far?” he asked.

  This time she searched his curiosity-filled eyes before answering. How much had he seen? His calmness suggested he knew nothing of the dolphins and the healing. She relaxed.

  “I misjudged my strength,” she said. “How long has it been since you pulled me out of the water?”

  “Not long, maybe a half hour. You were turning blue.”

  “May I ask how you saw me in the water?”

  “Oh, I was walking with Archer,” he nodded to his dog. “I saw you right away. I thought you had already drowned. But what if you were still alive? Perhaps it was both our fates to be here today.”

  “Then I am the lucky one, for your fate held mine. Please, would you help me up?”

  Aleksander stood and held his hand out to her.

  “I must return home. And you will have questions, too, from your family if you are late.”

  “Oh, don’t worry. My parents are used to me losing track of time. I love the beach. There is so much to do here. I thought you were a sea goddess,” he smiled and his white teeth flashed against his bronze skin.

  She froze and looked so shocked that he laughed. “Well, I can dream, can’t I?” he said as they started up the winding path leading away from the beach.

  Asclepius, God of Medicine

  The girl had been summoned to the porch of her home. She stood before her father, Asclepius, wise god of medicine.

  “Daughter,” he greeted her, as he moved among his pots of rosemary, thyme, frankincense, coriander, and mandrake. “Let us sit and speak of your latest healing, of which I have heard glowing reports.”

  She looked up at him. Until that moment, she had worried about his response to her healing animals instead of humans.

  “I understand that your grandfather has given you a protector, to keep you from harm when you overspend your energies. That is quite an honor. You must have greatly impressed him.”

  “Father, I am humbled. My skills are not so great. I was able to heal two dolphins, but couldn’t return to shore by myself. I did not know my rescue today was Apollo’s will.”

  “Apollo always has you in his heart. Do we know the boy who helped you?”

  “He is Aleksander, of the house of Nikos. You have met him. He pulled me from the water.”

  “You should know that Aleksander is with you now and forever. By Apollo’s wish, your fates have twined together and you must care for him as he cares for you. Do not ask more of him than his abilities allow. He cannot help you heal, only prevent you from dying young.”

  “When will I have full power?”

  “I do not know. Your brothers and sisters have achieved greatness at different ages. You may, in time, heal very large beasts or many at one time. This will take an extraordinary amount of energy, beyond what you can provide today.”

  “What should I do for now, when I am compelled to heal that which is beyond my strength? What if I must heal two more dolphins tomorrow?”

  “Then your protector will hurry to your side and retrieve you, that you may refresh your vital energies out of harm’s way. Now, come. Let us thank my father for providing you with Aleksander.”

  The girl and her father directed words of praise and appreciation to Apollo for his greatness.

  Zeus’ Judgment

  When Hades, the god of the underworld, was upset, his mood ranged from stormy gray to deepest black. This day the lower realm quaked.

  “The gods of the sea and of prophecy have gone too far!” he thundered. Pacing in his dark den, Hades grew more and more angry.

  “Zeus!” he called out. “First, Apollo creates his son, the healer Asclepius, who interferes with Death. Now, he recasts fate when he alters his granddaughter’s path to my door. And Poseidon bid Apollo to save her! What gives them the right to snatch those destined for my gates? What allows Apollo to create a boy-protector, saving the girl from certain death? I demand justice.”

  He continued thundering until Zeus responded.

  “Hades, my brother, you will have your wish. I, too, would like to understand their actions. I call upon my fellow Olympians to hear of this matter.”

  The twelve major Greek gods and goddesses assembled at Zeus’ home on Mount Olympus. It was the first time in many years that Hades had left his underworld to sit with them.

  “My greetings to all,” said Zeus. “Hades, as Keeper of the Dead, claims that Apollo and Poseidon have rearranged the natural order. That they deprived him by saving a dying girl from her fate and have granted a mortal the status of protector, that she and he may never reach the underworld. Poseidon, Hades believes you encouraged this scheme.”

  Poseidon stood immediately to speak, trident at his side.

  “We have reason to rejoice,” he began. “Today a great tragedy was averted. My beloved dolphins, that bring me messages and cheer me with their companionship, were wounded. The girl, Apollo’s granddaughter, a healer with his energy in her, saved them but would have died herself if he hadn’t interceded. Apollo gave a mortal boy the status of protector to her, that she may continue her good works.

  “What if, instead of the dolphins, they were your animals: the owl, the eagle, the deer, the crow—yes, Hades, the crow—who had been dying? Would you reward their healer with death for saving your companions?

  “Apollo’s son, Asclepius, the healer taught by Chiron, is the girl’s father. Sh
e is still young and doesn’t have her full powers. Yet she saved my dolphins. Such noble courage should be commended. How can we do otherwise?”

  Only Artemis, goddess of the hunt and Apollo’s sister, looked on with sympathy.

  “Apollo, what is your response to Hades’ accusations?” Zeus asked.

  Apollo’s handsome face showed no concern as he stood in splendor, the light of the sun radiating from his being.

  “The girl will, of course, die. However, because her existence is tied to me she can never be claimed by Hades at his gates.”

  The Olympians leaned forward with interest.

  “Because her father Asclepius is my son, her life force comes from mine. Therefore, she will never meet Hades in the underworld. Her fate is to live infinite lifetimes, curing the sick and wounded. So Hades’ objections are irrelevant. He has no claim to her soul.

  “As to the protector, he has no status other than to appear next to her when she needs aid. He cannot heal. His service is to retrieve her when her energies become depleted, that she may continue her work on our behalf in any one of her lifetimes.”

  Each member of the tribunal nodded except for Hades, who abruptly drew to his feet.

  “Wonderful speech, Apollo. Just wonderful. But you’re forgetting one thing: it was your own folly that created Asclepius and his spawns. Now you grant them immortality? That goes against our laws. Only we, the high gods and goddesses, may remain immortal. Zeus, shall Apollo be absolved for what he has done?”

  Zeus raised his hand, signaling his understanding of the issues.

  “Hades, Poseidon, and Apollo have stated their views and concerns. Hades, my brother, as the god of darkness will you accept my decision as supreme in this matter?

  Hades did not object.

  Zeus continued, “For any child of a god, rebirth is a birthright. And so it is true also for their children. For that reason, the children of Asclepius, son of Apollo, are not destined for the underworld. That includes the girl who was saved today. She will be reborn with her healing powers intact each time she meets with Death.”