CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Meet Journey
“Carole, if you don’t mind me asking, what sort of prayers do you say? Do you recite the Lord’s prayer or what?” I asked shyly, as we strolled along the halls of Camlachie High; it was almost as if we were invisible amongst the hundreds of students bustling around us.
“In my family, we say an Ojibwa prayer that would be lost in translation to English. It’s the prayer itself, recited with family that unifies us and connects us to the universe and Creator and reinforces that we are not alone. We are all in this life, together, helping each other. We commit our minds and hearts to processes that heal, and this is a healing tool in itself. It’s all about the mind and feelings, Paige.” Carole stopped and picked up a cigarette butt off the floor and tossed it as a pro basketball player would, into the garbage can.
I contemplated her words and thought what a beautiful way to see the world. She was so close to her father which is why I did not see much of her after school.
“Mind if I ask you another question, Carole?”
“Sure...go ahead, Paige.”
“Why don’t you live on the reserve like your uncle?”
“I knew that question was coming.” Carole smiled at me. “My parents began to notice many of our cats and dogs were born with deformities. And there is pollution from other cities and the surrounding area that infects our land and water. After my mother died, my dad insisted on moving us to a farm near Peggy’s where he grows plants and herbs for healing medicines. You know for our wellness business?”
“That’s terrible. Is anyone doing anything about it? The pollution, I mean.”
“Yes, researchers are studying the area and hopefully something good will come out of it. Our community deserves a better, safer place to live. But getting back to our conversation...the mind heals the body. It is true. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. We have an elder, a medicine man, who chants according to the type of illness, and if the patient believes, they are often cured and walk away whole. Oh and herbal medicine is given...it is only for our people to know and understand.”
“Oh, I get that, Carole. And respect it. Did you know they are doing surgeries in China where the surgeon repeats a series of chants with his team, and the patient is cured? My parents found a video online and it actually showed the surgeons chanting. They feel in their hearts, and the patients’ feel in their bodies, the cancer is healed from unified prayer and ritual. I’ve seen the video of a patient with bladder cancer. The ultrasounds taken before and after the ceremonial ritual revealed the cancer was healed! Many cultures believe the same as yours.” I bowed my head; Carole lifted my chin.
“Paige, lighten up, will you? You have enough to worry about and we have to help Peggy. I think something is blocking her from recovering. I’ve asked my uncle to help her with prayer and we should as well.”
“I have said a few prayers. Are they enough?” I kicked a pop can towards the recycling bin then stooped over to pick it up and tossed it in.
“Yes, you have to say them daily — sometimes more than once a day to really help her.”
“Okay. You’ve got a point. I’ll do it more often.” I wondered how someone so young could be as wise as Carole and felt very fortunate to have her as my best friend.
That night as I lay sleeping, a strange dream came to me. Carole and a man were standing next to a towering tree in the woods with equipment of some sort. They were deep in discussion when an eagle flew by screeching and dropped a brown feather. The man picked it up and laughed, and then placed it in Carole’s hair, tucking it behind her ear. Carole’s smile switched to a look of terror — she let out an inaudible scream. A massive black canine was the last image I could recall upon awakening the next morning. What have I dragged Carole and her family into? And then, distraught, I wondered if my family’s haunting was what was compromising Peggy’s health.
A wooden cross lay on my nightstand, made to fit in one’s palm. I instinctively picked it up and began to pray for Peggy’s healing and all of our safety. The cross tingled in my hand, like something emanated from it. My first reaction was to drop it like a hot stone, onto the bed. I managed to continue holding it. I heard a voice say, not to worry, my child. You are feeling the energy from the cross — it’s a holding cross and we have placed it there to cleanse and heal your soul. When you pick it up, you must pray and keep praying until you hear: That’s enough. Healing is what is needed in your family and you are affecting friends around you. There is a darkness surrounding your family and you must pray until the evil is defeated. Say whatever prayer you wish but keep on saying it and then ask for protection and healing from those of the light and Creator. It is important, Paige. Do it now.
I prayed for half an hour; something I had not been overly comfortable doing and had never done before the move to O’Brien Manor. It began to feel natural and peaceful. I then Googled prayers online and this one spoke to me:
Prayer to Cleanse our House of Demon Spirits
Dear heavenly Father, I acknowledge that you are my Lord of heaven and earth and that You have given us all things to richly enjoy. I thank you for this place to live. I claim this home for me and my family as a place of spiritual safety and protection from all the attacks of the enemy. Jesus Christ gave me the authority to use His Name and take authority over all demonic spirits and influences and cast them out. In the Name of Jesus I command every evil spirit claiming ground in the earth, structures, furnishings or roaming within this place based on the activities of previous occupants or any members of my family, to leave and never return. I renounce and break all curses, spells and assignments placed or utilized against this place and I send them back with confusion and I ask you Creator to bless all the people who have sent curses, spells and assignments against me or this place or people in this place. I ask you Heavenly Father to post guardian angels around this home to guard it from attempts of the enemy to enter and disturb Your purposes for us. We thank you, Lord, for doing this, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.
I recited the prayer until I reached a state of serenity. Once finished, a huge, warm hug enveloped me; it was full of grace. I placed the cross on the night table and heard the phone ringing in the kitchen snapping me back to the present. Hanna shouted my name to come and get it. Fantastic news — it was Peggy calling to say she was finally on the mend and that I could come and see her in a day or two when she was feeling more like her old self. Laughing, I told her how delighted I was to hear that and to hear her voice. She said when she was sick she could not contact me and that I was not to contact any human telepathically if I was ever ill. Sometimes the wires get crossed and you do not want that to happen.
Grabbing my jacket and gloves, I hollered I was going to take Trixie for a walk. I counted one thousand, one hundred and forty-two steps, to the guest house and informed Trixie along the way how happy I was that my friend, Peggy, was better. We continued towards the brook as I announced my parents would be arriving home in five days and school would be out by then for the holidays. I was happy my projects and exams were already completed. We had parties planned in almost every class including a gingerbread house decorating competition. I was looking forward to that since mom had made one annually for my class at Christmas throughout elementary school. She taught me how to do it with flair as I grew older. I will never forget the day she brought the last one to the grade eight class; my friends who were too cool for school, gasped, ran over and started to pull it apart, gorging themselves on it. I looked at mom in disbelief as I got it that these same kids I had grown up with loved her gesture each and every year, as much as I did, no matter what their ages.
Somehow Trixie had vanished. I called her name several times and thought how strange — the forest seemed quiet. It was usually full of the sounds of cardinals, chickadees, and juncos flitting about or the squirrels chasing one another. The silence disturbed me. I instinct
ively hid in the bushes, waiting for something most unexpected to happen. It was well below freezing and I could not stop shivering.
Trixie emerged from the woods. I remained still as I detected danger. She was limping and as much as I wanted to come to her aid, something held me back. On her heels, was a massive grey wolf frothing wildly at the mouth. I felt completely defenceless and asked for help telepathically, from anyone, spirit or otherwise. Trixie glanced in my direction, as if commanding me to stay where I was and limped away towards the manor. My heart pounding, I knew I had to figure out a way to get to the manor first. Sprinting alongside the guest house while busting through bushes, I found a path leading to the east entrance of the manor. I flew open the door and stopped abruptly; the hallway seemed longer and narrower until I allowed my eyes to adjust to the dim lighting. I spied Trixie, her red flecked brown eyes ablaze, and began to call out to her. The wolf materialized from behind her, and my pulse raced. Was this the evil threatening our family as forecasted? What was I to do now to fight against this canine?
I did not have the answers to these questions and slumped to the floor, simultaneously nauseous, dizzy and overwhelmed, as my head slung to one side and I watched my inner spirit wolf emerge. She grew into a larger wolf than I remembered from the last episode: Crouching on all fours, growling, then rising and snapping as the massive wolf charged my spirit wolf, I met it in mid-air knocking it down with my incisors locked on its throat. I felt life and death in my grasp and as I was about to chomp down, I was knocked over by none other than Blue-Eyes. He telepathically implored, this is my fight!
I stood down and crawled towards Trixie to offer moral support. She leaned into me as I sat next to her. The back of her leg was severely mauled and blood flowed everywhere. I licked her wound until it began to coagulate. Trixie fainted. Tremendous anxiety overwhelmed me and I hoped Blue-Eyes would win the battle. I could not stick around to find out, nudging and pushing Trixie down the hallway until we reached my bedroom. I bit the scruff of her neck and picked her up and dragged her into the bathroom.
What happened next is hazy — I must have blacked out and when I came to, I was back in human form. Peering down at my ripped shirt, the black tattoo had spread across my chest, shoulder and arm and formed the shape of a wolf’s head with its upper chest, again. Shirtless, I adorned a tee and snuck back down the hallway. It was hard to determine who was winning, Blue-Eyes or the grey wolf.
I felt a pull to go back and check on Trixie and when I entered the bathroom, she had regained consciousness. I grabbed some towels and disinfectant, and cleaned her leg; she writhed in pain and snapped at me once. Thankfully, she was not close enough to connect. I covered her leg with cloth bandages, and Trixie limped to the bed. I picked her up and gently lay her down pulling the comforter up for her. Kissing her softly on the forehead, I whispered that I would return soon after I made sure her dad was all right. She barked in agreement and I fled down the hallway, only to find Blue- Eyes, unconscious. The grey wolf had vanished, which should have been a relief; but it only heightened my anxiety. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and it felt like someone watched me from the shadows. The wolf stepped into view beyond Blue-Eyes’ body, apparently awaiting my return, growling, teeth bared. Rage shot through my body. How dare he do this to my friends and protectors? My inner wolf sprang from my body, and as we fought, I bit down hard on his neck. His body crumpled to the floor — I did not let go until he was out cold.
Allan was bent over my body as I recuperated in human form. His sage, blue eyes conveyed concern and gratefulness. While stroking my hair, he studied my tattoo.
“You are one of us now, Paige, for eternity. Protectors and warriors against evil...in any form evil may want to appear. Some call us shapeshifters, others call us werewolves, and some folk do not want to know anything about us.” His eyes were dilated and his energy seemed overpowering; his animal magnetism strong with his musky scent. I was strongly attracted to him yet denied myself any indulgence. Allan continued, “We need to help Trixie.”
Collecting myself, I followed him into the bedroom, watching in horror, as the grey wolf had Trixie pinned and was about to rip her throat out. Allan grabbed a marble paper weight and threw it at the wolf’s head, knocking it backwards. Allan then transformed into Blue-Eyes and jumped on his enemy until the grey wolf spontaneously changed into the tanned faced man with black vest and jeans; it was the man I had seen outside my bathroom window and who had stood in my bedroom. How could I be such a terrible judge of character? This same man was my supposed friend, a spiritwalker.
He spoke deliberately. “I had to test you, my friends.” He stared into my eyes and explained, “Paige, I had to see if you could defend yourself...you too, Allan, with the purest of intentions. The biggest test of all is coming and I was sent here to make sure you are ready.” And as that was said, he faded away.
I was dazed and confused. “That is the man whom I’ve seen a couple of times and was told he is a spiritwalker, here to guide me. Is this the kind of help we need?” I shook my head and pointed at Trixie lying on the bed.
“Be thankful that’s all he is — a test. He was obviously sent here to teach us — to become better soldiers. We must remain focused, Paige. Evil can come at any time. There is no rhyme or reason to the why or where or when we are tested. This is beyond you and me. I’m going to take Trixie with me for a few days. In the meantime, if I were you, I would be speaking with the higher power to ask for instructions on how to fight against this thing that is clearly coming for us...coming for you.” Allan picked his stepdaughter up and Trixie moaned as she was carried from the room.
Feeling disillusioned, I threw myself onto the bed and grabbed my wooden cross asking for any advice from Creator. I heard, no worries. Help is on the way, Paige. Get some rest. I drifted off into a troubled sleep.
When I awoke, it seemed as if I was in the midst of a spirit lecture. I was instructed telepathically to start running and to lift weights. Long gone were the days when I questioned who was speaking to me. The message was the important factor and as long as it was a good or positive message, I did not doubt it for a second.
Jumping out of bed, I threw on my navy blue yoga pants and matching jacket and decided to run the stairs from the main floor to the basement. I ran up and down and back and forth until I felt winded and dehydrated. Realizing I had not been working out as much as I used to, I headed to my old photo lab in the basement and found a small toolbox. I lifted it as a weight, on the right side, then the left. Suddenly thirsty, I spied a small fridge in the corner and grabbed a bottle of water left over from the summer. As I drank it, I sat on the bench and reflected on the summer months. And I thought things were complicated when Bradley Adam Parkman lived here. As I recalled what Brad and I had defeated, something inside my soul shifted. I had fought against evil Conall almost by myself, and won! Clearly, I was in this position because I could do something about it. Perhaps I was one of the chosen ones based on my inner soul, and decided to give her a nickname, Journey; it had a strong ring to it, bringing forth images of the spiritual journeys that had brought me to this point. It felt right and I went with it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Grandpa’s Mysterious Message
“Paige, your parents will be here soon. Are you excited?” Hanna’s eyes diverted to a weathered cookbook with flour remnants sticking to some of the pages.
“Yes, I cannot wait to hug them both,” I exclaimed, a little bit more exuberantly than I had intended to. I did not want Hanna to sense I was anxious lately.
“Well that’s great,” she responded, as she studied me briefly. Your grandma and I are going into town today. Do you want to come? You can buy some gifts?”
“Gifts? I don’t have any money, Hanna. Guess that’s what happens when you don’t have a job.” I gazed out the window.
“No worries. I overheard your grandparents talking about giving you an al
lowance for all you’ve done for them, and for looking after Delia’s pup, Trixie. They want to, so let them, Paige.”
Clearly Hanna had picked up on my self-righteous, stubborn streak. “I won’t turn it down, for fear I would appear rude.”
Hanna smiled and said, “Great. I am making rye bread for us today. I love this bread maker I bought. It makes my job fun.”
I chortled and shook my head. I was grateful for having Hanna in our lives, for all of our sakes.
Grandpa walked into the room and bellowed, “I understand the ladies of the manor are going shopping together today? Is this true, Paige?” He stared at me, eyes twinkling.
“Yes, we are, or so I’ve been told.” I said, overjoyed with these precious family moments.
“That’s great. I have some money for you, so it’ll be a happy experience. You’ve been helping us out so much. Don’t forget about your grandmother...and me,” grandpa laughed whole-heartedly, his face reddening. He handed me a hundred dollar bill. “That includes Hanna, and I guess you need to buy for your parents too? Here’s fifty more.”
Curtsying, I really felt like part of the family and that was the biggest gift of all this Christmas.
“I’ve got a job that needs doing. Have you seen that young man, what’s his name? Adam...no, Allan? I’ve tried to ring him a few times this morning, but there’s no answer at the guest house.”
“I’ll pop over and tell him, grandpa. He’s probably fixing something up on the second floor.”
“Oh no, Paige! Have you seen the snowfall overnight? There’s about six inches. It will be too difficult to cross the bridge. I’ll keep ringing him.” He exited the room. I heard him dial the phone, and then a muffled conversation began. He returned and said, “It’s my lucky day! Allan’s on his way to help me.”
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