by Loni Lynne
“Do not defy me…ever!” Mark’s arm flattened against his son’s throat even more. Camden made a slight choking sound.
Tonya rushed forward, trying to pull Mark away from Camden. “Stop! Leave him alone! You’re hurting him!”
“Get out.” Mark flung her away.
Stumbling, Tonya fell on the couch but rebounded. Now it was her turn to stand her ground. She wasn’t going to go anywhere with Camden’s life in danger from his own father.
“No…I’ll call the cops.”
Mark laughed. “You do that, little girl. Go ahead…we’ll see how far that goes.” He turned back to his son and pressed a bit more against his throat. “Tell her to leave, Cam. You really don’t want her to see us like this.”
The evil in the man’s face, his intentions, it was clear. The longer she stayed, the more he would hurt Camden. She looked to her friend. He stood rigid, no emotion showing, no fear…nothing. His Adam’s apple bobbed against his father’s arm.
“I’ll be okay, Tonya. Go on. I’ll see you later.”
But he never did. He was gone that evening.
#
“How’s the paper coming?” April asked a week after Camden had left.
“It’s not.” Tonya got up from her workstation to put a file she’d been working on back into the file cabinet. It was a good time to do so. She really didn’t want to discuss her paper. She didn’t want to discuss anything.
“Time’s ticking away. You have to have it turned in by next week.”
“On what? The Susquahanna tribe is extinct. I’ve researched every avenue I can and it reads like a boring text book. Where the tribes were located, the skirmishes, the disease, and of course, the final massacre up near Lancaster…there is nothing new to tell.”
“I think you’ve just hit a wall and with the past week of things happening, it’s emotionally thrown you for a loop. Trust me, I’ve been there.”
“I’m fine. Jared is back where he belongs in his time…I’m learning to deal with my whole time fluctuation issue thanks to Vickie.” She shrugged. “What more could I want?”
“A phone call from Camden?” April raised her eyebrows. “An explanation why he decided to go out for the varsity team?”
“I know why. Mark Phillips is why.” She slammed the filing cabinet closed. A part of her wished she’d have called the cops on the ass after the way he’d treated her friend.
All she carried about was the fact she’d seen him on the latest video of William & Mary’s football team in practice for opening day in September. At least he wasn’t dead. Camden was the backup quarterback to this year’s senior guy. He was good out on the field but she knew from some of the close-ups, his heart just wasn’t in it.
“Where do you want me this weekend for the Block-Off Main Street Festival?” Tonya asked, changing her focus to something more positive. Other than the James Addison festival every November, this was Kings Mill’s first year to hold an event of this kind. The downtown businesses had gotten together to host the third weekend in July as a huge block party kind of festival.
“I want you to take the weekend off. Have some fun,” April said.
“Really? You of all people know that I need something to focus on. Don’t do this to me, April.”
“You’ve been working too hard. First on this paper and then with everything happening lately…I think you need some time.”
Tonya pinched the bridge of her nose. “I’m going to be at the volunteer recruiting booth anyway. You know I will, so just tell me where to set up.”
“Fine. Can you take the morning shift? I have a tour at the mill in the morning, but I will be there around one o’clock to relieve you. I’m having everything placed at the northeast corner of Main and Addison. Charlie will be by right after the parade around ten o’clock to set up the canopy and table.”
“I can stay there all day if you want. I was planning on taking my notebook and working on my paper in between guests.” She had to have the paper finished and turned in by the following Tuesday. The paper so far was nothing. It wasn’t going to get her anywhere.
“We’ll see. I know we’re short staffed since three of our volunteers are going away on summer vacation but I think we can manage. Aunt Vickie and my mother have also volunteered to help if needed.”
Tonya smiled wanly. “If they want to stop by and keep me company that would be great. But really, I’ll be fine.” She returned her attention to her paper.
“Tonya…” April sighed.
Lifting her gaze from the blue glare of her laptop, Tonya couldn’t bear the pity in April’s facial expressions or tone of voice. “You’ve worked so hard on this paper…I really hope you get this scholarship.”
“Yeah. Me, too.”
But there was nothing to write about that hadn’t already been said. The paper was going to be in Dr. Moreland’s slush pile.
#
With her backpack of supplies and folding sports chair flung over her shoulders, Tonya rode from her old high school to be dropped off by the transit bus at the far end of East Addison. The local mass transit buses had hired some of the public school buses to cart people into town from local high schools where people could park and ride into the closed off areas of town. Visitors spent two dollars per person for an all-day pass, but her little red, white and blue volunteer button got her in for free.
An old abandoned warehouse district had been refurbished into small shops and specialty stores. The large field across from it had been converted into the bus stop for the weekend event. The stores in the warehouse were taking full advantage of the beautiful, busy Saturday morning to bring out their wares for an outdoor Sidewalk Sales to entice the visitors into shopping right off the bus.
The Coffee Nut was one of the stores. They had free coffee and bagels for volunteers, so Tonya grabbed her meal and headed to her position, three blocks away on the corner of Main and Addison, the main intersection of town. Her odd point of contention. People walked over the cobbled area without a thought. Nothing happened. The intersection was just bricks. The Kings Mill Police Department had barricaded the streets earlier so it was odd not to see any activity other than pedestrian traffic, walking across the bricks.
The canopy tent, two plastic folding tables, and chairs leaned up against the Bank of Kings Mill building on the corner. April said Charlie, one of the Historical Societies custodians, was going to put it up for her after the parade. So she unfolded her canvas sports chair and got comfortable to watch the race and parade until then.
Tonya.
Someone called her name. Looking around there were only a smattering of people in the area. No one she recognized or who might know her. Then again, the wispy sounding voice could’ve been someone calling out to another girl named Tonya.
The block party weekend event was going to be big. The local restaurants were going open air, vendors and street shows were scheduled every hour on various intersections, local bands and every organization in town was hosting an information table or something to show their support for Kings Mill community. It was a big deal, kicking off with a 10k fun run followed by a parade.
Millie told her the tavern was booked the entire weekend weeks in advance. The mill site was extending their exhibits to include more activities for town visitors. All day passes from the downtown event got you into the historic mill site and a free homemade cookie.
Eating her bagel Tonya knew she should be working on her paper while waiting for the race to end since she was basically at the finish line. But there was too much going on. So she people watched as stores opened, bringing out their sales, restaurants set up their patio tables and cordoned off their areas… and people continued to walk, unphased, over the old cobblestone square. But she still wasn’t comfortable.
Tonya.
There it was again. Who was calling her name? Her phone buzzed, letting her know she had a text message. She looked at the number. It wasn’t one she knew or had programmed into her smartphone.
Hi T
onya. Camden here. Sorry, using a friend’s phone. Dad disconnected mine, permanently.
She typed back: Are you okay? I haven’t heard from you. I saw you made the football team… Go Tribe!
Uh…yeah. Thanks.
It’s been kind of dull around here lately. Miss working with you…Miss you.
Miss you, too. Good luck on your paper next week.
You, too.
Right. Gotta go. Talk with you later.
She hated getting texts. It was hard to know what the other person was actually feeling. Unless they used emoticons. But at least she knew he was okay. She’d debated to add the fact she missed him. It wasn’t like they’d been dating or serious but she did miss him, even fighting with him.
So his dad had taken his phone away. Tonya wondered what else he’d taken away to keep Camden in line. It didn’t seem fair. And as brief as the conversation was, something just didn’t feel right.
#
Trying to work on her paper was a waste of time. It had nothing to do with the random people coming by and checking out their volunteer recruitment booth. It was her. The paper had nothing to offer in the way of anything exciting. Basically she was just retelling history of a people no longer in existence. She might as well have been writing about the lost continent of Atlantis for as much information she had to work with.
It didn’t help when every few minutes she felt as if she were being watched. Vickie told her about her energy how the past was drawn to it, the need to keep from reacting to its pull, to control it, not let it control her. She needed to focus. Meditate. Clear her mind.
Saving her work she closed the lid to her small notebook computer and sat back to relax. The shade of the canopy kept her from having to block out the heat of the sun. The sounds of people echoed into the distant corners of her mind until all she heard was the thrumming of blood rushing through her veins.
Tonya.
Opening her eyes at the sound of her name, she noticed a lone figure standing before her under the canopy’s shadow.
“Can I help you?” She adjusted her sight to make out the details of the dark figure.
They stood there. The old woman from her dreams. She appeared shrunken and withered, her skin darkened by years in the sun wearing animal pelts layered over her body in no specific pattern, more like a shroud than clothing. A single item of jewelry, a piece of bone or claw hung from a sinewy thread around her neck. Tonya was drawn to the object.
Dark obsidian eyes gleamed at her from between sunken brow and skeletal cheekbones. Tonya wasn’t scared. She knew this woman but wasn’t sure if she should be afraid of her. The woman said nothing as she turned away, motioning Tonya to follow. Standing up, she moved away from the table, only to realize the table and canopy were no longer there. Nothing was there. No buildings, no people, and no intersection, just open valley.
Tall grasses waved against her bare legs. The woman walked ahead of her without looking to see if she followed. Clean, crisp air surrounded her. Tonya shielded her eyes with her forearm as the landscape began to take on other details. The gentle rush of water could be heard. There was a small river creek to her right. About twenty feet across, the winding, clear water danced over rocks and tree limbs feeding from it. Was this heaven?
Never had she seen a bluer sky or such clear water. The grass was laden with wild flowers and wheat-like grass. Standing still she took it all in, glorying in the beautiful calm. A few minutes later she decided to continue to follow the woman who had continued to walk on.
So happy and at peace she jogged and skipped along to catch up and ended up tripping over a rock and falling. She didn’t stop falling though. There was no ground and it was more like she’d been pushed into a deep, dark hole. She landed with a thud. Once she regained her bearings, she saw the old woman’s necklace glowing in the dark, next to her hand. Reaching out she grasped it, curling her fingers tightly within her hand until the sharp point punctured her middle finger.
The tiny shock of pain made her aware she was still alive. Raising her head Tonya was able to look around enough to see close to her. She was resting on an odd shifting of materials beneath her. Was it rocks, tree limbs perhaps? Had she fallen into a ravine? Her eyes adjusted to the dark and realization settled in. It wasn’t either of those materials. Skeletal remains leered back at her. She screamed.
Chapter Seventeen
Tonya woke with a start. Vickie sat on the bedside, a singing bowl in hand. The vibrations from the bowl were soothing, and yet, slightly irritating to her nerves. Was that what woke her up?
The strong aroma of white sage accosted her senses. Dotty was chanting and smudging the room, cleansing it from negative energy. Where was she? Vickie’s hand on her chest prevented her from sitting up.
“Whoa. Take it easy…not so fast.” Vickie warned as she placed the brass bowl on the bedside table.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s what we were hoping to find out,” Dottie said worriedly.
Vickie waved her sister away. “Can you go fix her some chamomile tea, Dot?”
Dottie huffed. “I can help, too, Victoria. You aren’t the end all on the subject of metaphysics.”
“Please…”
“Fine. I make better tea than you do, anyway.”
Dottie left the room. It was then she realized she was in Vickie’s guest room. She fought to remember where she had been.
“It seems you took a fall at the festival.”
That’s right! She’d been at the historical society’s tent on the corner of Main and Addison, but then what?
“Do you remember anything?” Vickie asked.
Tonya struggled. “I was sitting and trying to work on my paper, but I couldn’t concentrate.”
“Because of everything going on?”
“No…I don’t think so.” She tried to remember. “Someone kept calling my name.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “There was a woman…an old woman, wrinkled and wearing a wrap of some kind like animal pelt…and necklace of bone or a fang or something?”
“Animal skins?”
Tonya nodded.
“Was she the woman you saw in the tunnel?”
“Yes!” Excited that Vickie knew the woman too meant a great deal. “She wanted me to follow her.” She stopped as images came back into her memories. “We were in a valley with wild flowers and tall grass. A creek with the clearest water…I was running or skipping, trying to catch up to her and then I was falling into this dark pit and when I came to there were…oh my God…they were dead! Bodies everywhere. I was laying on them!”
Her excitement of remembering turned to horror as the memories of the gruesome bodies beneath her came to the hilt.
Vickie enveloped her in her arms, rocking her as she cried and sobbed, smoothing her hair back.
“It was a mass grave, wasn’t it, Vickie? Was I one of them? Did the old woman lead me to my death?” Tonya pulled away, looking at her mentor for answers.
“I can’t say for sure. You know that each scenario we encounter, each dream we dream is interpreted in different ways.”
Tonya wasn’t sure, but something didn’t seem right. She’d been sitting at the volunteer table one minute and then she was in a different world…or was it a different time?
“Vickie, where was I when you found me?”
“I didn’t find you. April did. She’d just come from the mill to relieve you.”
“And?” Tonya had an odd sensation there was more to the story.
“There was a group of people who said they saw you walk from the table and trip on the manhole cover…and landed on the cobblestone square. That’s where April found you.”
Tonya didn’t discount the fact at all. There was something hiding under those cobblestones…something haunting her. Something she needed to uncover before she could do anything else.
#
She thought she’d slept the weekend away but it was stil
l Saturday. When Virginia, April, Kenneth and even her dad showed up, there’d been talk all over town about the odd girl who’d danced, skipped in the street and had a seizure on the old cobblestones. Great! Just what she needed. As if she wasn’t loopy enough, now the whole town knew.
“Don’t worry about them. This is more of an issue then they can ever imagine.”
“We need to take care of this. How many more issues like this can she endure?” April demanded, having gone through similar situations not too long ago.
“I don’t want her enduring any of this bullshit!” Chris Meade stepped forward. “This is what I was afraid of. You all and your hocus-pocus, witchcraft…”
“This isn’t about us, Christopher.” Vickie stood toe to toe with him. “This is about you.”
What? Tonya didn’t know why Vickie would go after her father so viciously.
“Wait a minute. What does my father have to do with any of this?” Tonya defended.
Vickie calmed herself. “You’re right. You are not to personally blame. It’s more of your bloodline than anything.”
“My bloodline?”
Looking around the room, Vickie looked a bit ill at ease. She sat down. “Years ago, I came to Kings Mill when I was traveling. I was drawn to this small rural town by some unknown force. There was an energy here that enchanted me, pulled me. It wasn’t until my husband died that I was able to come back and really try to understand what it was about Kings Mill that had me in its grasp. To make a long story short, I found out Kings Mill is a natural crossroads.”
An audible gasp sounded from the rest of the Wilton Women and Tonya.
“A crossroads? What’s that mean? Like in historical?” Tonya’s dad asked.
“No. As in ‘life and death’,” Tonya whispered. “It’s a point of place and time where spirits can decide which way to choose.”
Vickie nodded, sagely.
“Well, that explains quite a bit then.” Kenneth let out a breath. He’d been witness to it himself.
“But there is more, I’m afraid,” she continued. “In my group studies with others of my kind who had experienced similar areas, there were connections with native tribes. The indigenous people of the land believe the spirits of ancestors control their environment both spiritually and physically.”