Mystic Falls

by Vickie McKeehan

  Striding through the lush scenery under an umbrella of branches that towered over her, it made her realize she’d taken this hike before and not just with her grandmother. She remembered another time with Lando when they’d been teenagers, barely old enough to drive.

  She decided it was another walk down memory lane she didn’t need right now. And shoved the day she’d lost her virginity to the back of her brain.

  She and Rufus trekked past an empty picnic ground, picking up a smidgeon of pathway that went deeper into the forest. At times, tangled vines and overgrown scrub were so thick the flora blocked her way. She needed a machete to chop her way along the trail and began to wonder if Paloma had given her the right directions.

  For the first two miles, she followed the flat footpath until it began a steep incline. The ascent became a test of leg strength. Her muscles began to ache at the halfway mark so she plopped down to rest on the nearest rock. She guzzled down almost an entire bottle of water, gave the rest to Rufus, and picked up her pace. Thankfully the trail began to slope downward. After that, she was forced to stick to the creek along the gulch as she went deeper into the woods, meandering along the canyon floor.

  At a downed log, they sat down again to rest and take another water break. She took out Paloma’s map and compared it to her compass, studying both to make sure she was headed in the right direction. “It’s just around that winding bend. We’re almost there, Rufus. I’m sure of it.”

  Eager to see the place again, Gemma increased her stride. Following the stream, she noticed the current began to rush faster over the rocks. Anxious to see if what she remembered would live up to its hype, she rounded the crook in the river. The trail curved to almost a ninety-degree bend and ended in a chamber of echoes among jagged rock formations, golden stone walls that formed a cavern.

  The canyon walls were a natural fortress, a rock shelter creating a niche hidden away from the trail in its own little basin. The force of the water tumbled over the uneven stone, pouring everything it had into the pool below.

  There was power here, Gemma noted as she stood in awe. There was no ignoring the energy she felt. It bounced off the natural forming walls in a burst of light and glory. She’d returned here to see if she could capture the same degree of power Gram had found. And now she knew it was possible.

  Gazing through the spectrum of the mist as it formed a rainbow of colors, she sat down on a rock at the edge of the reflecting pool. Rufus came over to put his head in her lap. The sound of the waterfall was as intoxicating as the waves at the beach, just different, a rhythmic flow that radiated into a lulling of the senses.

  Just as she was beginning to relax, Rufus went on guard, barking, breaking the peaceful interlude as if the dog sensed a presence. Gemma followed the track of his eyes and saw nothing out of the ordinary. But then, the air changed. The energy around her magnified.

  Gemma watched as the waterfall parted like a curtain. The opening became wider as the water spray took on a solid blue-grayish form---shaping, morphing before her eyes, it came out from behind the mist.

  At first, it fluttered like a hummingbird, floating in mid-air. As its presence became more distinctive, the elongated form dived into the pool like a fish. By the time it broke the surface again, it had taken on a curvy female form, an ethereal entity that glistened in silver surrounded by a golden glow.

  The feminine likeness swam toward Gemma and then went under, only to rise to the top again, complete this time. The liquid-like figure moved across the gleaming pool of water into the bright sunlight streaming down from above. The shape drifted toward Gemma until it was three feet in front of her face. Rufus stopped making a fuss, plopping down on his haunches as if silently obeying a command to sit.

  Gemma heard a woman’s voice in a language she didn’t understand. Native American maybe? Yuki? Hokan? Penutian? Even though there was a problem understanding the dialect, the lilting voice soothed her in a way that let her know she had nothing to fear. The singsong cadence reverberated off the canyon walls, sending that calming effect through her once again so that she could feel the effect in every cell of her body. The warm glow tugged at something deep in her subconscious, as if welcoming her home.

  Suddenly there was clarity. Gemma began to understand what was being said.

  The woman spoke in a passionate, almost excited tone. “There’s no need to fear me. I’ve waited many summers for you little warrior, and look who you brought with you. This precious pooch is such a brave stalwart companion with such a long history of loyal service. He chose wisely when he picked you for his master.”

  Gemma dropped her guard and finally got her tongue to work. “What are you? Who are you?”

  “I am Kamena, the first of three shaman who will appear to you. Throughout the years, your grandmother sought my help on many occasions. But now it is you who will take up where she left off. Today, I will set your feet upon a quest. It is yours to honor and complete. Like Marissa, you have the gift of sight, but you are a novice at using it, understanding it, and making it work for you. Like your grandmother, you will be a bridge between the old and the new. From this day forward, you will do everything to protect your people just as Marissa did. But to do so, you must seek and gather potent medicine---”

  Feeling more at ease, Gemma’s lips curved up. “You mean like a treasure hunt? I can do that.”

  “It is not treasure you will seek, but knowledge. For thousands of years our people have believed the land around Coyote Wells was sacred. In time, the powerful medicine it holds will be revealed to you. Collect more power with each one you find to gain a complete understanding of your path. The first power will be shown to you today. Keep it with you always and you will become part of the mystery and mysticism of these falls. Find the others and you will become part of the land, the canyons, the lakes, the mountains. Each time you find what you seek, this medicine will provide you with more understanding, more power. It will protect and guide you.”

  “How will I know what to do?”

  “When the time comes, you will know.”

  “Where do I look?”

  Instead of an answer, Kamena began to fade away, dissolving into the shimmering spray. For several long minutes, Gemma sat there gripping Rufus in a hug.

  “I’m supposed to look for medicine. What does that even mean? What medicine?” she shouted. But her words merely echoed off the canyon walls.

  She looked around for a sign as if the answer would be obvious, written on the stones nearby maybe. When no ideas came to her, she decided to crawl over the rocks to search for anything lodged between the boulders. But after scuffing up her knees and hurting the palms of her hands, she came away frustrated.

  She took out her cell phone and tried to search for the meaning of “medicine” but there was no cell phone service out here. Chewing the inside of her jaw, she wondered what to do. She refused to leave empty-handed.

  Then it hit her.

  “Wait. We’re in a Native American wonderland. Shaman. That’s what she called herself. Medicine. Lando once showed me a medicine bag that had stones in it, stones he’d collected on hikes. Maybe that’s what she meant, some kind of stone.”

  She backtracked to the entrance and retraced her steps looking along the ground. But after an hour of searching, she finally announced, “There’s nothing here, Rufus. What do we do now?”

  The dog began to gravitate toward the crystal-clear water, inching ever closer to the edge. She followed the canine until Rufus stuck his nose into a spattering of spray.

  “Okay, so the only place we haven’t looked is the water itself. Great. I’m not going in there fully dressed and getting my clothes wet though. I’ll freeze on the hike back to the car.”

  She sat down and started untying her hiking boots and removing her socks. After stripping down to her bra and panties, she stuck a toe into the water to test the temperature and realized it was warmer than she expected. The memory of diving off the rim with Lando here so long
ago came back to her in vivid color. Reliving that time as a teen, she inhaled sharply and plunged headlong into the pool, disappearing into its depths.

  She came up for air only to lean against the edge before diving under the water again. Her eyes kept scanning the gritty, sandy bottom. On the third try, something caught her eye, but just barely. It blended in so well with the rest of the blue water that she almost missed it.

  Hidden by a protective cocoon of mud, the gemstone glowed, almost shimmering as if it wanted to be found.

  Before her lungs exploded, she snatched it up and kicked to the surface. Clutching the half-dollar sized chunk in her fist, she gulped air, and held it high over her head like a trophy.

  She swam over to the rock bank, pulled herself over the rim, and shoved her wet hair out of her face so she could inspect her prize, a sea-green stone with deep, golden brown streaks running through it like ribbons of silk.

  It was the first time she’d found any type of treasure. No matter how hard she’d looked as a kid she’d always come up empty. She thought about all the rocks she and Lando had collected over the years, a few lava pieces, some plain flat river rocks, a basketful of arrowheads made from obsidian, and some unique marble nuggets that looked like crystal. But this was different. This looked like a piece of Indian jewelry she’d seen in the artisan shops while strolling along Pier 39 in the Bay. And she had Kamena to thank for it.

  She leaned down and hugged Rufus. “I knew this place was special. I felt it that day Gram brought me here. I bet she got her power from this cool place, this mystical falls where Kamena holds court and calls home. What do you think?”

  Like a good dog, Rufus licked Gemma’s face in agreement.

  Back in town, Lando began to worry. “What do you mean she didn’t open up the shop?” Lando said, quizzing Lianne. “I’ve been trying to call her cell since this morning and she doesn’t pick up.”

  “All I know is she dropped off the key early this morning and said she had errands to run all day and might not be back until late afternoon.”

  “She didn’t say where she was going?”

  “Nope. She did say she might not have cell service, though. Does that help?”

  “Not really. That describes two dozen places around here.”

  “She did take Rufus with her if that’s any consolation.”

  It wasn’t, but he didn’t feel like divesting his distress to Lianne. For the remainder of the day, lack of sleep didn’t improve his mood or his patience level.

  He had work to do. He’d managed to obtain another search warrant for Marnie’s house and stood by looking on while the crime scene techs went over the home for a second time, this time testing everything for blood evidence. That afternoon they packed up and left after coming up with nothing. Not a single speck of blood or anything of evidentiary value had been found anywhere in the house, the garage, or the backyard.

  It seemed to him like Collette and Marnie had vanished into thin air. And he knew that was impossible. There had to be something he was overlooking.

  And now Gemma had decided to take off on her own to some mysterious place without telling anyone. Is that what the other two women had done? Had they decided on the spur-of-the-moment to take off to parts unknown without letting anyone in on their plans?

  He didn’t buy that scenario. Women tended to pack before taking off on a jaunt. Both Collette and Marnie had left necessities behind. He wanted to believe the women were still alive, but his cop instincts told him otherwise. If only he could get lucky and find a body. If only he could catch a break and find a clue.

  Because without that, he was stuck, stuck worrying about where the hell Gemma had decided to go by herself.

  8

  As soon as Gemma pulled the Volvo into the driveway, she spotted Lando sitting in the courtyard. She opened the car door and stepped out, reaching behind her to open the rear passenger door to let Rufus jump to the ground. She watched as the dog bounded over the grass to where the chief of police sat fuming.

  “Where the hell have you been all day?” he shouted while giving Rufus a rubdown.

  “I had stuff to do. What are you doing here?”

  “I tried calling you all day. Don’t you ever check your phone messages?”

  “Sorry. I was sorta busy most of the time.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Have you eaten? I’m starving.” She held up a take-out bag. “I picked up fish and chips courtesy of the Bonner family. I’ll split it with you if you stop being mad at me.”

  Warmed to hear she’d stopped and bought food from his family’s restaurant, Lando got to his feet. “I was worried. You take out of here without telling anyone where you’re going with two local women missing and you don’t expect me to worry when I don’t hear from you for hours.”

  She waved him away and unlocked the door. “I had Rufus with me. We went out to Mystic Falls and had a wonderful, peaceful hike. In fact, the entire day was…enlightening. I’d forgotten until I got to the trail that we used to go out there and neck.”

  Lando followed her into the house. “We used to neck all over this town. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere we didn’t.”

  She dropped the bag of food on the table and got out two beers from the fridge. “I can’t believe you waited for me to get back home.”

  “Now that I think about it, neither can I.” He watched her fill up the dog dish with chow and give the canine fresh water. “What was so important that you had to hike all the way to Mystic Falls of all places? That’s a good six miles past the Rez. Are you crazy going out there by yourself?”

  Gemma got down a plate from the cabinet and plopped into a kitchen chair. She took the halibut and fries from the sack and dumped it out for sharing. “My legs are wobbly from exhaustion so I know exactly how far I hiked today, thank you very much. Do you want half of this or not?”

  “Sure. I could eat.”

  “Then have a seat and stop fussing at me. Gram had a special place in her heart for Mystic Falls and I wanted to…experience it for myself.”

  “That’s weird. I loved that place but probably for a totally different reason. It’s where we used to go skinny-dipping. What about those days? It’s where we lost our virginity…to each other.”

  “That’s true. And I thought of that while I trekked back through the wilderness to get there. But I think there’s more to Mystic Falls than a place where horny teenagers do the deed. I think Marissa got her power from the waterfall, her psychic power, that is.”

  Lando sniffed the food and guzzled down some of the beer. “Do you know how crazy that sounds?”

  “I don’t think it sounds crazy at all, especially after reading the books Gram has on the subject. Doesn’t your Native culture embrace mysticism? What happened to your spirituality?”

  “I studied forensic science, that’s what happened. I believe in facts, evidence, not some ESP mumbo jumbo, or some power that comes from a stream.”

  “Ah, but has forensic science done anything to help you find Collette and Marnie? Ask yourself that. The answer would be a big fat no, it has not. What good has evidence done you so far? Zip. Nada. I’m saying think outside the box, Lando. Ballard came to me thinking I could help because he believed I’d inherited some of Gram’s psychic ability. I say why not give it a shot. I’m willing to try and see what I can conjure up.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I can tell you this much. I got a court order today to Luminol test Marnie’s house again. The lab went in there and found nothing out of the ordinary. It was the same way at Collette’s. Both houses came back negative for blood. Whatever happened to those two, didn’t happen inside their houses.”

  “Someone lured them outside then, someplace else.”

  “It seems so, yes. But why?”

  She waved a cold French fry in the air for emphasis. “Doesn’t that make it tougher when there’s no crime scene, no body, and no evidence to speak of? If you ask me, you’re bucking up against a
three for three losing proposition. After all these months, Collette is still out there.”

  “And what have you got?” Lando charged. “A waterfall with mystic powers? Unless you found a body out there, it’s all nonsense.”

  “Maybe. But at least I’m willing to explore new ways to find these women. I mean, on the surface Vincent Ballard looks guilty. He saw both women on the nights they went missing. He’s the obvious link here. But it occurred to me driving back from Mystic Falls that maybe someone wants him to look guilty. And if that’s true, then you have to ask yourself why. If you think Ballard’s your guy, then you must’ve dug into his background already.”

  “I shouldn’t even be talking about ongoing investigations with you like I have these past few days.”

  “Oh, come on, Lando. It’s not like this is NYPD. You’re the guy in charge.”

  “Tell that to the mayor.”

  Gemma snorted with laughter. “Since when do you take orders from Fleet Barkley? You used to beat the crap out of him for picking on Leia.”

  “When we were ten. Since the will of the people elected him two years ago things are a whole lot different. Mostly I ignore him. But he is my boss. If he finds out I’ve been sharing information with you I could lose my job.”

  “Hmm, I’m a little sorry about that, but not much. Fleet that is. He was kind of a bully. But hey, I don’t want you putting your job in jeopardy for me.”

  “It’s okay. It is nice to be able to talk to someone about these cases besides Longhorn.”

  “What about that Barney Fife guy or Louise? Don’t you talk to them about stuff?”

  “Barney Fife? Oh, you mean Payce Davis. Payce is a good guy, has a wife and a teenage kid, but he’s no Adrian Monk when it comes to solving a crime. And Louise? Louise has a mouth on her. She’s forever running everybody down that she comes in contact with, a bad way to conduct an investigation. There’s no way Louise could be objective enough. And my other two officers haven’t been on the job long enough. Jimmy Fox and Dale Hooper are still too wet behind the ears to solve a murder. So, it’s nice to be able to sit here like this and exchange ideas.”