Destiny's Gate

by Lee Bice-Matheson

  I could not move as I felt glued to this particular ceramic tile in the foyer. I wanted to punch him, but I did not believe in unnecessary aggressive acts. I certainly was not going to cry or gush over the fact that he finally came back to answer for his rude behaviour. So I said nothing.

  Brad explained, “I just could not process the haunting of O’Brien Manor. Now that I’ve had time to reflect on it, I know it wasn’t your fault — you didn’t cause the haunting. I know you were only trying to stop it, and you did. You’re a hero, Paige. Looking back, I’m happy I was here to help and support you through the supernatural battle. When I moved to the dorm, the summer’s events panicked me, and I did not want any further repercussions or memories from that dark period and...cut you off.”

  As Brad stood by the door, shoulders rounded, and explained his position, I began to understand where he was coming from. After all, I was still living in this nightmare and it was far from being resolved. I could not drag him back into it.

  Out of compassion, I responded, “Thank you for sharing this with me. Good luck at school. I have to go now and help a friend.”

  I bit my tongue and did an about-face and marched off to my room, not wanting to look back. When I was safely out of sight, I sprinted to my antique daybed, threw myself down and pulled the duvet over my head. I let the heartache out, sobbing as loudly as I could. It was hard to gain control and I felt extremely self-conscious.

  I overheard my grandparents’ voices filtering down the hallway, as they spoke quietly to Brad. I was relieved to hear the double doors bang closed. Footsteps sounded in the outer hall and I cringed, please do not come to see me now; then silence. Whoever it was decided against it and I was grateful. Sometimes, I needed time by myself to digest things. As much as it hurt, I knew deep within my heart, Brad was sorry and as easy as it would have been to bring him back into my life I did not want to involve him any further in this battle between good and evil. I learned early on that you cannot blame others for admitting to their limitations and what they can or cannot handle. It was good of Brad to come in person and admit the things he had. I knew he could not face what I would soon have to. After all, he was not of our bloodline, so why should he be a part of it?

  My Adam’s apple ached. I slammed on my headphones and listened to Sirius satellite radio, featuring Adele’s songs for the rest of the afternoon, while drowning my sorrows in a bag of salt and vinegar chips. A flat can of ginger ale sat on my night table and I quenched my thirst, only temporarily. I emerged from my room in search of water. Making my way to the kitchen, I was surprised to see Hanna, and my grandparents seated at the quaint breakfast nook looking out towards the snow-covered fountain. Hanna jumped to attention and offered me a bite to eat. They were having Scottish stew which translated meant lamb stew. I declined immediately. It would be like eating one of Mary’s little lambs. I seized a scone and offered to make tea for everyone. They readily agreed.

  The four of us sat in silence, eating, and gazing out the window. I found Grandpa’s sloppy chewing extremely comical and could not hold it in any longer. I burst into hysterics. They all looked at me like I was demented until I imitated the sloppy sounds grandpa made.

  We all began to laugh and Hanna, who chortled uncontrollably, began to slam the table with her left hand and then held her stomach. “Stop...please. My stomach hurts!”

  That admission made the rest of us laugh even harder. Hanna rose from the table and ran from the room. I could hear her all the way down the hall until she closed the bathroom door.

  “It feels so good to laugh again,” commented grandma. We’ve missed the light-heartedness from you, Paige. You’ve been so pensive lately. Is everything okay? How did it go with Bradley, or should I ask?” She smiled sweetly at me and it seemed to accentuate her amber eyes against the backdrop of her fiery red hair.

  “I was happy to see Brad, but we live in two separate worlds now — he’s away at school for four years, and next, I’ll be heading off, who knows where. There’s no need to jump back into anything with him. He was my first boyfriend, and I will always cherish that.”

  Something caught my attention in the forest, but, considering it was dusk, I was hopeful the shadows were playing tricks on me. I decided, why look for trouble.

  Grandpa slapped his knee. “See mother, I told you they were more than friends! You owe me one of your awesome wild blueberry pies you have hidden away in the freezer!”

  Grandma returned a steely look.

  What happened next was something I would never forget. Hanna careened down the hallway; the sounds of her body slamming against the walls echoed ominously. The irregularity and hurriedness of heavy footsteps that followed pervaded our serene gathering. Anxiously peering to see what was coming, I watched as a hand grabbed the door jamb and sliding head first around the corner into the room was Hanna, a ghastly expression displayed on her face. Hanna’s up-do hairstyle was down and messy and her apron torn. There was blood streaming onto her white work shoes. Before dropping to the tiled flooring, she cried, “Run!”

  Looking past Hanna, I saw an enormous black dog with rippling shoulder muscles, long, skinny, yet powerful-looking legs, and piercing red eyes. I watched in horror as Hanna tried to protect us; she threw her arm out and her hand carried through the beastly form. It was as if this was a ghostly apparition. Is this for real? I gasped and watched the lack of reaction from my grandparents who seemed caught up in their last gulp of tea. I arose from the breakfast nook, in seemingly slow motion, moving towards Hanna to help her but she, too, had vanished like the beast. Placing my hand on my cheek, I wondered if this was another premonition. Excusing myself, I put my boots on, grabbed my parka and fled outside. I knew it was up to Allan and Trixie to assist me now.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  Meet Michael

  Trudging through the snow, across the stone bridge, I sensed something was off. I stopped and scanned the dwarf-like castle with its turret, half expecting to see the wolves monitoring the grounds. A hint of apprehension flowed through my body. Not one light poked out through the guest house windows, and as I drew closer, I noticed the front door was slightly ajar. My heart palpitated and then I performed a ritual that I had not done for awhile — ‘In the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’, making the sign of the cross on my chest, as I spoke aloud. I pushed the door open, and had another flashback to the last time I opened the heavy oak door, of Dexter lying in a pool of blood. I shuddered at the recollection and quietly entered, glancing into the kitchen, the dining room, and then the living room. I found no one. I walked past the bedrooms, and then I overheard harsh whispers coming from the second floor.

  “I don’t want to tell Paige what’s really happening here, Trixie! She’s not ready yet. Paige has to accept her destiny and I don’t see any signs of that yet. She is caught up in her human emotions and fear! You and I both know until she gets past this, she cannot end the battle over the evil that is gaining strength on the estate. This conflict is tied to her heritage, and thus it is her battle to lead. Sadly, she does not trust in her inner strength or intuition, or any of us assigned to help her.”

  Silence befell the guest house. I did not want to move for fear that Allan and Trixie would hear me. I was beginning to understand my destiny. But, how exactly was I supposed to overcome my fear? I could not understand how I ended up in this supernatural battle and with my parents living halfway around the world. I was seventeen years old and on the brink of saving the souls of my family. Hmm...where did that come from — souls? Then, I overheard a third, authoritative voice.

  “Do not worry, old friends. Paige will step up to accept her responsibility in all of this. She is an old soul that has the skills and knowledge to resolve this desperate battle. All she needs is for someone to awaken those skills. Sadly, I understand Allan that you thought you were the one to do it. I have now asked my friend Raphael to come and help. His heal
ing powers will awaken Paige.”

  Trixie added, “Oh daddy...you have done all you can for Paige and her family. Thank you, Michael. Trust in whom he has chosen, father. We will gladly accept help.”

  “Thank you, Trixie. What about you, Allan?” Michael asked.

  “Of, course! I have faith in you and will support Paige in any way I can.”

  I smiled as I heard Trixie say, “Me too! I believe in Paige for always.”

  As I turned to sneak back to the entrance, I heard an ominous growl and spied a black dog guarding the front door. His nasty stench of dried feces and blood preceded him. I froze until I heard someone behind me and whirled around to see Blue-Eyes bounding past me and landing on my enemy. They rolled over and over, out through the oak door, and I heard haunted growling, a yelp and then silence. Trixie bounced past me in her canine form and returned dragging her dad by the throat. Blood spilled from his gut. A statuesque man, who I assumed was Michael, burned past me, and knelt down beside Allan’s bloodied body. Michael held his hands over the wounds and the squeals of delight coming from Trixie led me to believe that the bleeding had stopped. Did this man just heal Allan in front of me? Curiosity overrode my fear and I moved closer to see what was happening. Michael turned to me as I fell onto my knees next to him. He grabbed my hands and placed them just above Allan’s open wounds. I watched in amazement, palms facing each other, as the energy in my hands caused pulsating movements, and then began to tingle, and felt hot. Michael placed my hands palm sides down over top of Allan’s body and as our energies united it felt like my hands were on fire. I stared at Michael in disbelief, and then back down at Allan’s wounds. They were entirely healed. I fell back on my elbows unable to understand what had just happened.

  Michael smiled and said, “Well, now. We no longer have to worry about Paige becoming aware of her special gifts. You healed Allan, Paige! Hallelujah.”

  I could not take my eyes off him. He had a striking presence — long, flowing, sandy brown hair, and perfectly chiselled facial structure, glowing skin, and riveting blue eyes. I knew he was not from our realm. Who is he? I was in awe of the man I had knelt beside.

  Without hesitation, he answered, “I came to help awaken your natural abilities. It seems to me, you have taken care of that all by yourself. Your love for Allan and Trixie was the catalyst and I know you would do anything to protect them.” Again, he smiled.

  “Who are you?” I asked, naively.

  “Michael is my name, but that is not for you to worry about right now. I am happy that you have seen the power within you, Paige. You can do so much more than you realize. You have been born into a family that has existed for centuries living alongside the Otherworld. You see what others cannot — spirits. It is your lineage. You cannot deny or reject it. It is your destiny to end the battle on the O’Brien estate, between good and evil!” Then, poof, Michael vanished.

  I sat still, mesmerized by Michael’s presence, as if in a dream. I did not notice Trixie had moved her father until I heard Allan moaning from his bedroom. Somehow I knew everything was going to be okay. In fact, I had never felt better.

  Jumping to my feet, I ran into my parents’ former bedroom and asked, “Can I do anything else to help, Allan?”

  Allan nodded his head from side to side and proclaimed, “You’ve done enough, Paige. Thank you! Go find Jonathan. You’ll know him when you see him.” He passed out.

  Trixie added, “It’s okay, Paige. I’ll look after my daddy. Go and seek your destiny!” She turned back to Allan and wiped his forehead with a cloth. “Thank you so much for healing him. We are indebted to you and will do anything we can to help.”

  I smiled and intuitively transformed into my inner spirit wolf, Journey. Running like the wind felt invigorating. I loved it. I seemed to run for hours and enjoyed watching the animals frolic in the forest. I spied a deer, a moose, and a momma bear and her cubs playing in the river, and came to a halt when I reached a cliff’s edge. Looking down at the river below, I felt empowered. I instinctively began to howl. It came from a gut level and riveted throughout my entire body, from head to toe, and was a beautiful sound to behold. It was a transcendental experience that made me feel invincible; my senses finely tuned more than I could ever have imagined. I could see and hear for miles and could smell many things at once. The flowers, the trees, the animals of the forest, nothing could escape me. I resumed howling until I grew tired. Lying on a rock, in the sun, my senses told me Jonathan was on his way. Closing my eyes, I pictured a white wolf with blue eyes and strawberry markings behind the ears running to me. I fell asleep knowing I had to conserve my energy. When I awoke, there seated next to me was the most beautiful white wolf I had ever seen. He nudged me to get up and we ran together for hours. It was a peaceful, serene feeling, and more natural than I could ever have dreamed of.

  I was overjoyed as we ran gracefully to the guest house. Standing outside were my loyal friends, Allan and Trixie. Coming to an abrupt halt, I transformed into my human form and surprisingly, so too did Jonathan. He was handsome with white-blond hair and blue eyes and looked to be about my age. I believed he was family, somehow. Jonathan held my hand and I heard telepathically, I’m so happy we have found each other once again, Paige! We were siblings in another lifetime. I did not doubt him. I was comforted by his presence and experienced no fear, for the first time in a long time.

  Closing my eyes, I wanted to remember this experience for the rest of my life. However, when I opened them, we stood atop a cliff overlooking a mountain range, as if floating on air. Glancing over at Jonathan, I was unnerved as I assumed he was holding my hand — in fact, he was not; I was floating solo. It startled me until Jonathan beamed at me and messaged telepathically, see, you never did need another’s support — you can do so many things on your own, sister. I returned the smile and managed to calm down, wanting to savour the experience. Eyes closed, I could see angels surrounding us, there was one, then two, then four, until I counted eleven. It was magnificent. They had astounding wings of varying sizes in colours from brown to light beige. Upon opening my eyes, I was back on the cliff’s edge, standing alone. Fear stirred in my body and I felt like I was free-falling. Jonathan clutched my hand and I snapped back to the present. It’s all right; we need help from one another, now and again, Paige. Don’t be afraid to ask. Michael can come to your aid at any time. That’s his duty.

  Straight away, Jonathan and I were back talking to Allan and Trixie. Did it really happen? Had I truly been on the edge of a cliff with Jonathan? It was surreal until Jonathan handed me a white eagle feather, and said, what a wondrous mountain top.

  Life was unfolding in a way I never expected. Run like a wolf, float like an angel, really? This was too much, even for me. I had been through so many random experiences lately, when it struck me — could I even identify which ones were real and which were dreams? My gut told me that as long as it was a positive and holy experience, did it really matter? For now, I had to concentrate on how to banish evil, once and for all.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Enlightenment by Uncle Kyle

  Cozy and warm in my bedcovers, I held my hands up high against the backdrop of the moon’s intermittent rays, streaming in through my tiny bedroom window. I examined their outline and noticed how small my hands appeared, not the kind that would be attached to a healer. What did Carole tell me about her uncle? Oh, right — he was an elder. I picked up my cell and Googled it. Elder: an individual who’s older and therefore wiser by reason of right living and spiritual exercises; to possess wisdom. Elders are keepers of the tribal encyclopaedia and keepers of wisdom and culture. They encourage faith in the Creator. Great! This was someone who could enlighten me as to what spiritual forces were at work on the estate.

  I envisioned Allan and Trixie, Michael and Jonathan. So much was changing all at once. I was having a flashback of floating above the mountain range with Jonathan next to me, and must have
drifted off to sleep, when I jerked and felt as if free-falling, once again. It was pitch-black in the room, yet I sensed another presence. Violet perfume permeated my nostrils — it was my mom’s preferred designer fragrance.

  “Mom? Mom, are you there?”

  Not a word was spoken. I broke out into a profuse sweat and wiped my forehead. The temperature in the room rose to what felt like ninety degrees. How could it be so hot in the middle of winter? I threw off my covers and began to breathe slowly in through my nose and out through my mouth to calm myself. Now the room was ice cold. I quickly grabbed my duvet and pulled it over my head. Someone was messing with me. I recited the Lord’s Prayer over and over again until I fell asleep.

  Much to my annoyance, I was roused by my alarm at six in the morning. At least I’d managed to sleep through most of the night. Grabbing my cell phone off the night table, I texted Carole to let me know when she was ready for the day, and then fell back against my fluffy pillows, and drifted off to sleep again. I was startled by the vibration of my cell. It was Carole announcing she was dressed and coming over to see me, with her Uncle Kyle; she knew I needed assistance and was happy to help. I jumped into the shower and heard softly, everything is as it should be. I thought, really?

  Quickly drying off, I heard a loud rap on my bedroom door. I glared at the mirror and yelled, “Just a minute. I’ll be right out.” Ignoring my plea, the rap became louder and more intense. “I’ll be right there,” I shouted from the bathroom, annoyed at myself for not being ready.