Veiled Existence

by Barbara Pietron

  One thing at a time, she told herself. Just get to the park.

  Fortunately, the drive to the state park wasn’t long, minimizing the time she had to ponder what she was about to do. Spotting the brown and white sign, Jeni slowed and clicked on the turn indicator.

  Dusk was already gathering between the trees, and she turned on the headlights as she turned onto the park road. Rounding a corner, the beams reflected on orange barricades blocking the drive. “What the…” she said out loud as she read the sign: Park Closed.

  “Seriously?” Jeni breathed an exasperated sigh. Just fabulous. She would have to walk to even get to the trail. Seeing she still had cell service, she sent Ice a text. “The road is blocked because the park is closed. Gonna walk. Hope I make it before dark.”

  His response was immediate. “Me too. Good luck.”

  Jeni grabbed the trail map and zipped it into her pocket with her phone. The car keys went into a separate pocket. She carried the flashlight she’d purchased in Marquette just hours ago even though she didn’t need it yet. The light was small but powerful and she’d chosen it not only for its size, but also because it had a lanyard. She imagined the cord would come in handy since getting to the falls would involve some climbing and the use of both hands.

  Traveling on foot to the visitor area hadn’t been part of their timetable, so Jeni set off at a jog, trying to ignore the lengthening shadows in the woods on either side of her. The park entry road was unlit, not intended for public use after dark, and it curved as it ascended giving her the feeling that there could be any number of unsavory things around the next bend.

  When she was here days ago, Jeni hadn’t paid attention to the amount of time it took the tour bus to arrive at the parking lot, no doubt busy chatting with Carolyn. She put on a little more speed, letting the adrenaline spiked by her growing jitters fuel the run. This was her chance to gain ground; once she hit the forest trail she’d have to slow down.

  A light blinked through the trees to her right and then the parking area came into view as she rounded the next curve. Breathing hard, she slowed a bit. When it came to running, endurance wasn’t her strong point. After the narrow tree-lined road, she felt exposed crossing the expanse of black top and scrutinized the lone truck in the lot suspiciously.

  Almost as if sensing her attention, the truck’s headlights blazed to life. Jeni’s stride faltered and her heart began to pound as she contemplated fleeing. The truck rolled forward at a slow pace, easing her concern slightly. Running away would have made her appear guilty.

  As the vehicle passed under a pool of light, Jeni spotted the DNR shield on the door. Uh-oh. She continued walking until it drew up beside her.

  “The park is closed for the night. I have to ask you to leave.” The girl, probably ten or fifteen years older than Jeni, sounded apologetic.

  “I…I was here earlier and uh…left my jacket behind,” Jeni said, spinning the tale as she spoke. “I’m pretty sure I know where it is. I’ll just grab it and go.”

  “Sorry, no. We sweep the park and lock up lost articles. You’ll have to come back tomorrow and ask at the information booth.” The woman bobbed her head toward the visitor area.

  “Can I just check to see if it’s still where I left it?”

  Again the woman shook her head. Then she quashed Jeni’s back up plan, to disappear into the woods once she was out of sight on the park road. “I’m supposed to follow you out, but if you want, I can give you a ride back to your car.”

  Normally, Jeni would refuse such an offer—not getting into a vehicle with a stranger was hardcoded into her by the time she was four—but she was pressed for time. If the woman was going to follow her out, she might as well get a ride. Jen sighed and rounded to the truck’s passenger door.

  Dead branches filled the bed of the truck, and even though the woman wore a uniform and the car was equipped with a radio, Jeni kept her hand on the door handle just in case.

  “Sorry to be a hard-ass, but we’ve been having trouble with kids coming in at night and graffitiing the park,” the woman said with a sidelong glance at Jeni. “You don’t look like the type, but I have to do what I’m told.”

  “I understand,” Jeni responded absently, her mind scrambling for a plan B.

  Already things were going wrong.

  And this should have been the easy part.

  As soon as she turned from the park road, Jeni pulled over and extracted the trail map from her pocket. Locating Bridal Veil Falls, she traced the paths leading there. Relief flooded over her when her finger followed a dashed line to the road outside the park. The trail was twice as long as the one that left from the parking area, but it didn’t matter.

  Foot resting on the brake, she crawled forward searching for the trailhead. The graininess of dusk had started to solidify and, ironically, helped her identify the trail—a large patch of charcoal between the trees. She tried to get the SUV as far off the road as possible, hoping nothing would happen to the borrowed vehicle.

  She typed a quick update and sent it to Ice, then pocketed her phone and plucked the flashlight from the cup holder. When the vehicle was locked and the keys zipped securely in her jacket, Jeni turned on her light and stepped into the shadowy woods.

  The farther she got from the road, the harder it was to tell if daylight still touched the treetops. Nighttime was taking up root on the forest floor. The path sloped upward and soon Jeni’s heart was pumping to keep up with her pace. She pulled the zipper on her jacket down, having learned from her dad’s survival shows that if she worked up a sweat, she’d be freezing later.

  At first she was able to focus only on the trail, but the more she tried not to think about the surrounding woods, the more alarming thoughts filled her mind. Her ears strained to hear possible threats, and every rustle from the low-lying brush, or snap of a twig, jolted her nerves.

  Eventually the path leveled out allowing her to breathe more normally, though her heart still beat at an accelerated pace. The smell of wet earth reached her nose just before the hard packed ground became damp and then soggy. Her visibility had decreased markedly, the beam of her flashlight becoming more pronounced. Jeni wondered how far she’d come, how close she was to the falls.

  The sight of wooden slats encouraged her. She remembered that as they neared the falls on the shorter trail, they’d crossed similar walkways installed to preserve the wetland. The empty thud of her footsteps on wood was somehow even creepier than crunching through fallen leaves, so Jeni concentrated on the distant sound of trickling water.

  The odor of decay grew stronger. Eventually the old-growth forest, scarred by drainages and ravines, became impassable and the path transformed to a raised boardwalk complete with side rails. Jeni rushed onward, sure she was near her destination. The burbling grew louder, and soon the path paralleled the stream. Not long after, she detected the splash of water on rocks and the beam of her flashlight illuminated the end of the boardwalk.

  Jeni slowed as she neared the edge, directing her light down the stairs descending the side of the hill. At the bottom, she could make out the deck-like platform from which she’d viewed Bridal Veil Falls days ago. With a hand on the railing, she headed down, feet scuffing and clumping on the wooden steps.

  The open space around the falls retained the last vestiges of daylight. Panting, Jeni tasted the moist, algae-scented air as she sat down on the decking, rolled to her stomach and wriggled under the bottom rail. She hung there, legs dangling for a heart-stopping second, thinking she should have taken the time to better judge the distance to the ground, but then her outstretched left foot found a rock and she let herself descend farther until her right foot landed on a hard surface.

  Looping her flashlight lanyard over her wrist, Jeni grasped the rail until her footing felt secure, then slowly rotated to face the falls, one hand still braced on the platform. With her flashlight in the other hand,
she surveyed the treacherous rocks, wet and slimy with algae, that she would have to cross to reach the base of the falls.

  The Bridal Veil Falls were fairly small as falls go, more a trickle than rushing water, but the height—and maybe the location, deep in the wet woodland—was enough to form a shroud of mist at the bottom. Jeni’s light illuminated the stream as it downcut its way through the steep slopes of the park, most likely on its way to the river below. She did not want to slip and find out.

  Crouching, she picked her way carefully across the rocks like a three-legged dog, trying to choose the drier, mossy looking surfaces over the shiny, slick stones. When she could feel the mist of the waterfall dampening her cheeks, Jeni scrutinized the boulders for the most level surface. Choosing a somewhat rectangular rock that was canted toward the falls—so if she slipped she wouldn’t continue downstream—she squatted with her back to the water, running the shapeshifting process through her mind. Pulling the hood of her raincoat over her head, she closed her eyes.

  Stone seemed the obvious choice considering her location, but as she practiced, Jeni had found shifting to the owl an easier transition. She called to mind the videos she’d watched earlier. Having just seen the falls from above, it was easy to imagine being perched high in the trees looking down. She knew that a nocturnal owl would be on the lookout for prey and tried to channel that sensation, that basic need.

  Her wings flapped and then her stomach dropped as she left the branch and soared among the trees. Rising above the forest, she saw that the sun had not disappeared from the horizon. Streaks of magenta colored the edges of the earth. Jeni realized she’d missed the between world, shifting instantly to the owl, but with the riverboat in sight at the dock in Marquette, she couldn’t resist swooping down to see if Tyler’s car was parked in the lot.

  She spotted the silver hatchback and knew that Ice would be inside, waiting for Tyler and Elletre to leave on their date. Movement behind the marina garage spurred the owl’s instincts and drove her to investigate. A black blob took form as she drew closer and Jeni realized with a flash of alarm that it was a bent figure in a hooded cloak.

  She landed on the building across the street and watched a white-haired woman cast aside the robe. The modern clothes she wore underneath were at odds with the shriveled and frail body. Then she began to transform.

  The wiry hair relaxed and took on a lustrous golden hue. Wrinkles smoothed as her face filled out with the freshness of youth. She straightened her back, flexing limber arms with a smile of delight and cunning.

  It was Elletre.

  The shock of what she’d just witnessed brought Jeni back to her own reality, her heart pounding furiously. Her brain scrambled for what to do next. Ice. She must warn Ice that Elletre was the witch. Standing, her other senses checked in as her cold, stiff knees protested movement. Filling her lungs with the misty air, she took a moment to think through her next move.

  The druid nurse had not reincarnated Deirdre. The “daughter” she offered to men was a transformed version of herself. That didn’t change Jeni’s mission here at the falls. They still needed Elletre to take Tyler to her home base so they could find what she was using to keep herself alive all this time.

  If Elletre was at the marina, she would be meeting Tyler soon. Jeni kneeled on the rock, sitting back on her feet and grimacing as the chilly dampness instantly permeated her pants. Putting the flashlight between her knees, she pressed her hands flat on the stone. This was it. She needed to shift betweens worlds.

  Her body trembled. Fear, cold, shock, nerves, all banded against her. Closing her eyes, she imagined Ice was there, walking her though the mind-clearing process. She used his voice to focus her actions. Breathing in through her nose, Jeni expanded her chest until no more air would fit, held it for a moment, and then blew out through her mouth in a rush until her lungs were empty. She repeated the process two more times. Then she envisioned life as stone.

  Beginning with the rock she was sitting on, she visualized its existence. Dale’s comment that this would be easier in the woods rang true as she reflected that she was experiencing some of the same reality as the stone. She was grounded, cool and wet. Reaching mentally, she sent her consciousness to the surrounding boulders, the gorge, etched in the bluff by the constant flow of water.

  As she felt the burden of time descend, Jeni concentrated on suspending her shift. Since Dale had mentioned translucency, she pictured the scene behind the bluff: the patchwork of crops stretched over rolling hills dotted with barns, farmhouses, silos and clumps of trees, and the mazelike clusters of homes—subdivisions—which intermittently interrupted the farmland.

  Her stomach lurched from the height and the expanse, but Jeni fleshed out the details, church steeples, roads, gas stations, unsure if it was her imagination or if she was really seeing the landscape. Movement caught her attention. A light, travelling along…a road. It was a car or truck with its headlights on. The scene was live!

  She’d reached the between.

  Ice was curled up in the hatchback of Tyler’s car. The only thing he knew about this date was that Tyler had told Elletre he’d take her out when they reached Marquette because his car was here. Since Ice didn’t have access to a vehicle to follow, this seemed the best way to track their whereabouts.

  Earlier, while Tyler was in the shower, Ice had rummaged around until he located the other boy’s car keys. Then he simply walked out on the deck and pointed the fob at the car, unlocking it so he could hide inside.

  The clamor of the riverboat casino downstream bounced off the water and permeated the silence of the cold vehicle. He lifted his head just enough to see the darkening sky streaked with pink and wondered if Jeni had reached the falls yet. He knew she’d been escorted out of the park and had found another way to the falls. That text was about twenty minutes ago.

  Ice’s tension grew as dusk gave way to dark. The sudden glow of the automatic lights in the parking lot kicked his heartbeat a notch faster. Some minutes later, the door locks clicked.

  Tyler, unlocking the car.

  Holding his breath, Ice strained to hear the sound of approaching footsteps or voices. A minute or so later, when the doors hadn’t opened, he warily inched his head up until his eyes were above the seat back. The bottom of the gangplank was eclipsed by the car’s dash. Rising a bit higher, his gaze fell on a scene void of people. Panic gripped his chest. Swiveling his head, he scanned the parking lot, alert to movement or any sign of life. His pulse raced as he considered what to do next.

  If he left the car, he may not have a chance get back in. Ice shimmied over the seat back and, staying low, poked his head over the console in order to peer out the windshield where a greater stretch of the waterfront was visible. An unexpected chirp of the horn sent him scrambling to the floor behind the front seats.

  When his brain finally made the connection that the horn meant Tyler had locked the car—that he and Elletre weren’t getting in—Ice dove for the door handle. The door, of course, was locked. Clawing at the trim panel, he finally found the knob and, after his fingers slipped off the rounded, recessed button twice, eventually managed to pull it up. The door swung open and Ice rushed out, swearing under his breath.

  He took an extra moment not to slam the door, then hurried toward the waterfront, attempting to stay concealed behind parked cars. The bridge to Wisconsin cast a deep shadow where Ice was able to stand upright and scan the shoreline. Finding Tyler and Elletre was paramount. Their entire plan—not to mention Tyler’s life—depended on it.

  Muffled clanging and shouts from the casino boat carried across the water. Some lucky gambler had just hit a jackpot. As if spurred by the sound, something moved in the shadows of a building. Afraid to break his cover, Ice strained to make out the dark shapes, concluding he saw two figures. As he watched, he was able to discern that the bodies were entwined.

  A surge of adrenaline coursed through
Ice’s veins as he remembered being pinned to the side of his Jeep as Elletre kissed him. As much as he wanted to find Tyler, he had to hope that he was not witnessing Jeni’s cousin suffer the same fate. The couple moved away from the building and golden hair glinted in the floodlights.

  With a hand on Tyler’s arm, Elletre steered Tyler in Ice’s direction.

  She’d kissed him. Ice was at once conflicted by his urge to gag and his elation that Jeni must have successfully shifted between worlds.

  Pressing against the bridge’s support column, dread clung to the back of Ice’s throat. As the couple marched past him, he could hear Elletre giving Tyler commands. She pushed him onto the pier for personal use watercraft.

  Ice stole forward while their backs were turned, taking shelter in the shadow of a pick-up truck. Elletre and Tyler stopped on a short dock next to a good-sized pleasure craft and Ice’s pulse surged as he considered the ramifications of this latest development. Tyler boarded the boat woodenly and Elletre followed him.

  Scanning the other vessels tied to the pier, Ice wondered how long it would take to find out if any of the owners had left their keys behind. The sputter and purr of a motor echoing off the river answered his question: too long. His hands curled into fists as he watched helplessly while the boat carrying Elletre and Tyler backed from the slip.

  Ice turned his attention to the boat launch ramp to his left, studying its u-shaped dock. Was it his desperation or was there something there? Tyler and Elletre’s boat had made it to the end of the pier and would soon round the corner to open water where they’d be free to accelerate. Breaking cover, he dashed to the floating dock. The whine of the pleasure craft’s motor increased to a higher timbre. He was quickly running out of time.

  His panic eased slightly when he saw an aluminum skiff tied to the launch dock. Hunkering down, he began to loosen the knot securing the boat while taking inventory of its contents. Two oars were stowed inside and a small motor hung from the stern. Ice slipped onto the aluminum seat with his back to the bow and swiftly installed the oarlocks into their holes. The larger boat was close enough for Ice to hear the wet churn of the prow slicing through the water. He bent at the waist, turning his head to watch them skim upstream, Elletre at the wheel.