“Just get it out. I’m going to go get Omah, and we’ll be right back.”
“Omah? What does she have to do with this?”
Wolf watched a range of emotions play over Walt’s face. Even though the matter of the mermaid statue had long been resolved, it would take some time before he’d fully accept Omah. “Trust me, Walt. I’ll do what you ask. I just need Omah’s help to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
Once it sunk in that Wolf would take him to see Disneyland in the future, Walt relaxed and a lop-sided, silly grin replaced his disappointed frown. “You really mean it, don’t you?”
“Yeah, Walt, I do. Just give me a minute…or two…depending on where she is…”
“I’ll be right here. Oh, wait a second.” Reaching down, a small black book was retrieved from the desk drawer and Walt tossed to Wolf. “For Peter. Hurry back.”
Wolf had to smile as the final words guests heard in the future Haunted Mansion just now came out of Walt’s mouth. “You’re going to love this.”
Fullerton – Current Day
”Who wants to go camping tomorrow?” His hands rubbing together in anticipation of the joyful reception his words would trigger, Lance Brentwood stood in the entryway of their living room. The smile on his face quickly faded.
“Tomorrow, Lance? Don’t you have to work?”
“I have plans.”
“Me! I wanna go!”
Not to be outdone by his older brother, Andrew’s hand shot up. “Me! I wanna go, too”
“You don’t even know what camping is, Andrew.”
“I do, too, Mikey. We go to that big hotel next to the Grand Canyon.”
“We’re going all the way to the Grand Canyon, Lance? Isn’t this kind of sudden?”
Baffled by the way this had turned on him, Lance looked from one face to another as his wife and three sons all stared at him. Their expressions ranged from excitement to disbelief. “Who said anything about the Grand Canyon?”
“Can we ride the horses down to the bottom again? That was fun, Daddy.”
“They were mules, Andrew. Don’t you know the difference between a horse and a mule?”
“Honey, wouldn’t it be better to go to Arizona in the spring?”
“I have homework.”
A piercing whistle from the doorway stopped the ongoing debate. When the desired silence had been achieved, Lance folded his arms across his chest. “Sheesh, guys. Number One: Who said anything about the Grand Canyon?” His finger shot out and pointed at Michael who was about to throw Andrew under the Dad Bus. “Not a word, Michael. Number Two: Staying at the El Tovar is not camping. Number Three: Peter, since when has homework ever stopped you from going anywhere? And, Number Four: Umm, I don’t have a Number Four. What I was suggesting was a quick trip out the Golden Oak Ranch.”
“Oh, thank goodness.”
Lance glanced over at Kimberly’s relieved mutter and raised his eyebrows at her.
“Well, I mean, going to Arizona would take a lot more preparation.” With a bright smile to diffuse his defensive posture, she patted the sofa cushion next to her.
As Lance moved to join her, nine-year-old Michael got into the spirit of the trip. “Can we ride the horses again, Dad?”
“Are you sure they aren’t mules, Mikey?”
“All right, Andrew. That’s enough.” Lance was glad to see the faces that now looked at him held an eagerness and willingness that hadn’t been there before. He had been looking forward to the trip and hated to see it side-railed before it even got started. “Yes, we probably can borrow a few of the horses, Michael. That’d be fun. I was told there’s a movie being filmed, so we won’t have full range of the…well, range…but there are plenty of other trails to follow.”
“Why the sudden trip, honey?”
Lance didn’t want to admit that he just really wanted to go, so he used the secondary reason. “Mario, the Ranch’s foreman—the one who had known Walt and who’s been our contact all these years—is retiring. He wanted us to meet the new man before he goes. I thought we could spend two or three days in our guesthouse and have some fun.”
“Are the twins going, too?” Now that it appeared to be established they were actually going, Michael was anxious to know if Adam and Beth Michaels and their twelve-year-old twins, Alex and Catie, would be there, too. For about a year he and Alex had been deep into an ongoing video game contest. They were both always ready for the next round.
“No Michaels and no electronics. Catie is going to Disneyland with a group of her friends and Adam has some kind of trouble on his construction site.” He turned to Kimberly and gave her a fake shudder. “I’ll bet its Mrs. Anderson again.” A long-time customer of Adam’s, Rose Anderson had made her interest in Lance known—well known.
Peter’s head shot up from his phone. “Why no electronics? What are we supposed to do for a week and a half?”
Lance was disappointed by Peter’s irritated response. He had hoped Peter would be more concerned about Catie going to Disneyland without him. “This is family time, Pete, and its only two or three days. We’ve all been going our own ways for a while, and I thought it would be good for us to do something fun together.”
“I think that’s a great idea, Sweetheart.” Kimberly patted his arm and smiled at the three boys. “Don’t you guys agree? We can swim and ride horses and make S’mores over a campfire.”
“I love S’mores!”
“I want the black horse again. His name is really John, but I call him Midnight.”
“No electronics!?”
At Peter’s second outburst, Lance pasted a smile on his face as he turned back to Kimberly. “I think it’s going to be a long weekend.”
“Anyone home?”
All five surprised faces spun to the doorway at the sound of the deep voice.
“Uncle Wolf!”
“We’re going to the Golden Oak Ranch, Uncle Wolf! I get to ride Midnight again!”
“Hey, Wolf. Come on in. I didn’t hear the bell.”
Before he could enter, Wolf had to untangle himself from Michael’s and Andrew’s arms and legs that had instantly entwined him. He gave a glance at the silent Peter who merely smiled a brief greeting and returned to his phone. “Hello, all. Golden Oak Ranch, huh? That should be fun. I was actually looking for Omah. Thought she was here.”
“Omah? I haven’t seen her in a while. Have you, Kimberly?”
“Actually, yes.” For a brief moment, Kimberly looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Omah wanted to do something special as a surprise for Wolf and asked for Kimberly’s help. The two women had gone to the gazebo out back to put their heads together in privacy. “She left about half an hour ago.” In front of the two youngest boys, Kimberly didn’t add that Omah had just popped out of sight. At Wolf’s questioning stare, she shook her head. “Sorry, Wolf, she didn’t say where she was going.”
There was a small grunt. “Then that would explain why I was led here.” At the curious looks coming from the Michael and Andrew, Wolf knew he should change the subject. Out of the three boys, only Peter knew about his and Omah’s ability to travel through time and space merely by concentrating on who they wanted and at what point in time.
At Wolf’s uncomfortable silence and inability to come up with another topic, Lance stepped in. “How would you and Omah like to go camping with us? There’s more than enough room in the guesthouse.” With its one bedroom and a pull-out sofa, they all knew the house was barely large enough for Lance’s family, let alone any guests. Adam and Beth always brought along a tent when they joined the Brentwoods.
Wolf gave an amused chuckle. Being a Lakota brave from the 1800’s, ‘camping’ had been his way of life. Whenever he had any desire to do it again, he would just go back in time to visit his family on the River. “Thanks, but, no. But, it’ll be a great chance for Andrew and Michael to learn more about the history of the Golden Oak Ranch. How Walt Disney bought it in 1959 and it’s one of the last working ranches left i
n the film industry.” He glanced over at Peter with the hope that his former excitement over all things Disney would kick in, but there wasn’t even a flicker of interest or sign that he was listening at all. Good thing I came here first, he silently told himself. “I need Omah for a, umm, trip I’m going to take. But, since I’m here, Peter…” He stopped talking until the boy looked at him. “I have something for you. Since you’re going out to the Ranch, this is a good time as any.”
Peter’s natural curiosity got the better of him. “Oh? For me? What is it?”
They all watched as Wolf pulled a small black book out of a pocket. Kimberly and Lance felt their hearts speed up. The little book looked familiar. Very familiar. Their eyes flew to Wolf’s face, but he was looking only at Peter. Aware of the younger boys, Wolf had to be vague. “It’s from an uncle. And it’s just for you.”
Michael and Andrew let out a disappointed groan. “Why does Peter get all the fun stuff?”
“How do you know its fun?” Peter’s retort had been automatic as he stared at the book in his hands. He had immediately seen that it was the same size as all the clues he had found in his Hidden Mickey quests. Curiosity now warred against apathy. After his scare in the Castle, for a year he had kept away from anything remotely Disney. And now Wolf had just placed something Disney in his hands. Without even opening to the first page, he instinctively knew it had something to do with Walt.
He just had to decide if he was going to follow where it led or not.
“Uncle Wolf? Can we go drive your car?”
Michael’s question broke the silence that had overtaken the living room. With the exception of Andrew, everyone else was staring at the book in Peter’s hands. Since it wasn’t meant for him, Michael wasn’t overly interested. “Can we? You promised us another lesson.”
Hearing the boy, Wolf pulled his eyes off Peter’s unreadable face. He couldn’t tell what Peter was thinking and looked to Lance for some indication that the book would be accepted.
Lance could only shrug. “He’s fourteen.”
“He’s good at it.” Wolf turned back to the eager faces of Michael and Andrew. “Next time, guys. I have to leave. I need to go find Aunt Omah.” The classic Mustang wasn’t in the driveway and he didn’t want to have to explain where it was. “Lance, I need to get going. I might be gone for a while on my…trip.”
Understanding Wolf’s meaning, Lance put a hand on Michael’s shoulder before he could dart out of the room and head for the front door. “Well, have a good time, wherever you’re going. We’ll take care of things here.”
Wolf nodded a good-bye to everyone and turned toward the front of the house. With their attention back on Peter, no one thought to question why they didn’t hear the front door open or close.
After a gridlocked hour drive north on Interstate 5, Lance gave a sigh of relief as he merged onto the Antelope Valley Freeway and told the younger boys to look for Placerita Canyon Road. The Brentwood’s Escalade was met at the gated entry to the Golden Oak Ranch by a security guard. All the signs read Private Property and No Trespassing. After the necessary identification was given, they were escorted through the winding, dusty roads. They passed the log cabin near Pine Lake, the newer Residential Street, and the Big West Meadow before arriving at the Main Office. North and slightly east was their guest house. Mario, looking much older than when Lance and Adam had first met him over fifteen years ago, eagerly shook their hands. “So good to see you again, Mr. Lance. So, what do you think of our little ranch now, huh? Much bigger now. You think Mr. Walt would approve?”
“I think Walt would like it a lot.”
That pleased the old foreman. “Let me introduce you to my replacement, and then you can go to your little house. Will you be wanting horses this time?”
Once introductions had been made and a day and time set for the horses, Lance slowly drove north. There was a strict speed limit so no billowing dust would interfere with any filming that might be going on. The black Escalade already had a gray coat over its surface, so Lance didn’t mind the snail’s pace. His thoughts were back in time to 2002 when he and Adam had followed one of Walt’s clues out to the Ranch. He had been driving a black Mercedes at the time—his pride and joy—and remembered how filthy it too had become. There had been a capsule hidden in the attic of the guest house, and Walt had deeded the small house and pool to whoever discovered the clue. That had been an exciting time for him. He wondered what it was Walt had in store for Peter who remained silent in the rearmost seat.
Andrew and Michael noisily splashed in the small, rectangular pool as their parents relaxed in the shade of a nearby pine tree. A light breeze carried the tangy scent of crushed pine needles as Peter wandered off by himself. The black book, with only about twenty or so pages left inside, was deep in his ever-present backpack and weighed heavier on his mind than it did on his back. The cover had already been opened as the creases on the spine attested, but not by Peter. He had accepted the book from Wolf without any promise of what would be done with it. It had to be a clue search, another Hidden Mickey adventure. Even without looking at the contents, he just knew that would be the case. But, what would he do?
The events of a year ago, when he had been attacked by Maleficent and forced to destroy what he had thought was a priceless animation cel, still troubled him. “It was all fake.” That had been his big, disheartening discovery when he found it had all been a trick by Maleficent, or Nimue, as she was also known. It was all done to get him to lead her to something he had never even heard about—a red diamond necklace. He still didn’t know what that was. She had put him under a spell. His friend, Lisa, was put under a spell and made to do her bidding. His life had been threatened. His friend Catie had been hurt by his actions and had gone away in tears. He knew that clue search had been construed by Maleficent, not Walt. He knew the animation cel had also been her doing. But, still, a year later, it still bothered him to his core.
“How am I supposed to believe anything is real now?” Alone in the woods, Peter grabbed up a pinecone and tore it apart scale by scale as he continued to mutter out loud. “I couldn’t even tell the difference between something from Walt and something from…her.” The abused pinecone was hurled into the bush. “How can I believe it now? I know Wolf gave the book to me, but, what if it wasn’t really Wolf?” With a disgusted shake of his head, he kicked at a rock. “Ow. Stupid. Of course it was Wolf. She wouldn’t dare pretend to be Wolf.”
With no one else around in the carefully constructed forest, Peter started to feel a little better as he got his confusing thoughts out in the open. He had talked to his mom. He had talked to his dad. He had talked to Wolf, but none of that had helped. It had been too new, too fresh of a wound. Even a couple of sullen trips back to Disneyland hadn’t helped. He was still wary, suspicious of everything around him. “What if this is a real quest from Walt? But, why would Wolf just hand it to me? I thought I was supposed to find the first clue hidden somewhere. That’s the way it usually happened.”
Peter flung himself onto the leafy ground and was immediately diverted by a line of ants as they worked their way through the jungle of twigs, needles, and leaves. Pulling back his foot, he kept out of their way as they busily went their way preparing for something only they understood. “I’m bored.”
No, you’re not. He had to smile when his mind instantly corrected his outburst. The whole family loved coming out to the Ranch. Deep inside he looked forward to the horseback riding early tomorrow morning before the heat of the day would settle in. What if the quest from Walt is really cool?
A groan would have been heard if anyone had been close enough to his location. “Man, I can’t even convince myself that I’m not interested. Okay, one little peek.”
Leaning back against the nearest tree, Peter’s hand went straight to the stashed book. “I’ll just read what it says and then decide what I’m going to do. Nobody has to know one way or another.”
Despite his desire to remain aloof, his he
art began to speed up when his fingers closed over the cover. Walt wrote this. As he began to read, the ants, the vista that spread out below, and his family all faded into the background. Eyes wide, he could only mutter, “OMG.”
“Hello, Peter,
I was told you’re going through a rough time and I’m sorry to hear that. Sometimes things happen to us that we just don’t understand. From what Wolf has said, I know you’ve learned a lot about me and my life, so you know I’ve been through the mill a few times, too.
I can tell you this, though, that all the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles have strengthened me. You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.
You can overcome whatever it is that’s keeping you down. You’re young and that’s the best time of life! Wish I was young again, knowing what I know now. But, that isn’t possible. It’s up to the youth of today to take care of tomorrow.
I met you when you were running one of my little Hidden Mickey quests. Catchy name, isn’t it? Hidden Mickey. I like that! I saw your determination to finish the quest, even though it meant you had to travel through time with our friend Wolf. Not that I ever imagined something like that was possible—and I have a pretty vivid imagination, if I do say so myself!
This letter and this quest are meant to help you get your determination back again. You will go to many different places that are dear to me. I hope you will look around and appreciate what you see and where you go. Learn from the experiences. What you do with what you see is up to you. You know you can count on Wolf if you get stuck. And probably your mom, too. She looked like she had a pretty good head on her shoulders.
One of my favorite songs is “When You Wish.” It tells us that we can follow our dreams and make them come true. Do you want to know the secret to making dreams come true? It can be summarized by Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy. To me, the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all over, implicitly and unquestioningly.
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