A Banshee's Tale

by Veronica Breville

  Apparently, my brain and my body were not in sync because sleeping didn’t seem to be on the agenda. Tossing and turning ensued, along with more thinking about the situation and my conflicting feelings for my Caomhnóir. After what seemed like an hour, I finally gave up and headed down to the kitchen to get some water. It was late enough that I figured I would have the downstairs to myself. As usual, I figured wrong. I stopped short of the kitchen and waited in the hallway when I heard dishes being pushed around the table. To my surprise—although I wasn’t sure why I was surprised—and dismay, there in all his manly glory was the cause of my sleeplessness... Zane!

  I loitered a little longer, observing him not as my Caomhnóir or as the man that the insane half of me was attracted to, but simply as a normal guy. He seemed the epitome of the word normal at that moment with his ham sandwich and bottle of beer. A small smile graced his face as he lifted the beer to his lips and took a drink. I found myself mesmerized by the bob of his Adam’s apple and wished I knew what he was smiling about.

  Normal. The word made me think about how often I tried to look at myself the way others did, as an anomaly. Inevitably, I always failed to see what made me so different. I wondered if Zane felt or pondered the same things. Before long, I noticed how stiff my knees were feeling. I must have been standing there, staring, for a little longer than I imagined. Knocking my shoulder into the doorframe to announce my presence, I tried to act “normal.”

  “Oh! Zane, I didn’t realize you were in here. Just came to get some water... can’t sleep.” I tried to sound nonchalant, but it came off as spastic.

  “That’s all right, just trying to put today in perspective. Why are you having a hard time sleeping?”

  “Don’t know, maybe too much sleep earlier or...” My sentence trailed off. I was aware that Zane was calling my name, but that same flash of light from earlier hit me out of nowhere, and I saw yet another face: Daniel Frey and his path... Which would not be crossing Mark Whitby’s . . . ?

  Isn’t it a tad early for me to be connecting with multiple Tourists at the same time?

  Yet another question for Aunt Lucie, and I prayed she would have sound advice for me.

  “Catherine, I need you to respond! Are you okay?” I looked to my left and saw Zane standing so close I could feel his breath as he spoke. The last thing I wanted to do right now was aggravate him because he would more than likely return the favor, and I was not in the mood for that again.

  “I’m okay.” I blinked and then continued. “I just ‘received’ another name. It seems strange that I would get two in one day; I haven’t even met the first one yet.” I sat down and buried my head in my hands, not sure if I wanted to scream or cry. “What do I look like when that happens?” I wondered aloud.

  “Like you’re far away. It’s a blank stare. A little spooky actually. Can you hear me when that happens? I don’t want to keep talking and break your concentration; if you’re even still aware I’m here. Maybe we can come up with a signal so I know you are okay,” he offered. Zane really could be helpful when he wasn’t being a jerk. I think I liked the normal version of my bodyguard, very much.

  “If you’re around me, why don’t you grab my hand. I will try to squeeze it. I think I can manage that, but we really can’t know for sure until it happens again and we try.” The words rolled from my mouth before I had fully thought them through, but we had to do something, and I was fairly sure I couldn’t speak while in that state.

  “Deal.” He picked up the beer from the counter and finished it in one gulp, then started toward the stairs, munching on what was left of his sandwich. “See you tomorrow. If you need anything, just holler, and I’ll be there in two seconds.” There was a sort of tortured look to him as he said this, and I could only figure it was related to the fact that he didn’t relish the thought of being awakened by a kid having nightmares.

  “Night.” I lingered in the kitchen until I heard his door shut, not wanting it to seem like I had come downstairs just to see him; I made my way back to my room.

  The morning was bright with an unnaturally cheery feeling that radiated around the room but didn’t touch me. My head hurt, my eyes burned, and my mood was beastly. I supposed that’s what I got for tossing and turning the night before. Not dying to actually get out of bed, I lay there making a mental checklist for my day and committing it to memory. At the top of that list were the questions I had for my aunt: How was I supposed to help two Tourists simultaneously? Was it normal to receive two names so early in my “career?”

  I continued thinking about my questions as I opened the shade on my single window. It was bright out, not a cloud anywhere, but I could tell it was cold because frost had formed overnight on the outside glass. I opted to open the window a bit, anyway, hoping it would help clear my head and make me feel a little less blurry and agitated. Regrettably, it only succeeded in making me shiver, which marginally increased my ghastly disposition.

  With all of the commotion of the last few days, I had nearly forgotten that it was still a school day. Thankfully, I had awoken with plenty of time to get ready. I wondered if my car had been brought back here or if it was still at school. I guessed I would find out soon enough.

  Looking around the room, I spied the small vanity where my aunt had laid out all my toiletries. I took my brush and started in on my tangled mane. It struck me then, as I watched the sunlight hit the red in my hair, that it no longer had an intense flaming look. One more negative could be crossed off my list. Actually, two if you counted the annoyance of constant hat-wearing a separate negative. It would feel wonderful not having to worry about hiding my “burning” hair all the time, but I would talk to Aunt Lucie to find out the particulars. I vaguely recalled someone mentioning the temporary effect, but it was always best to be safe.

  Fashion wasn’t at the forefront of my mind, so I slapped on a T-shirt and jeans, pulling my hair back in a loose braid. The smell of food wafted through my doorway and my stomach growled. The kitchen would be my next and final stop before heading out. As I walked into the room, I spied toast, pancakes, sausages, and bacon neatly laid out on the table. It seemed my aunt was channeling my mom, and I wasn’t going to complain. She sat there reading the paper, unaware that I had entered the room.

  “Aunt Lucie, this looks amazing. Thanks for going to so much trouble.” I said, plopping down in the nearest chair and filling my plate.

  “Oh, I didn’t make all this. You forget, not a morning person.” She replied, pointing to herself and smirking. “Zane made it. Seems he can cook, too.” This thought seemed to amuse her, but I wasn’t really in the mood to ask why.

  “Well, well, well, Zane can cook. If he keeps this up, I’ll look like a whale in a week, but I don’t really care this morning. I’m starving.” I had devoured nearly everything on my plate before I noticed the time. “Crap, I’ve gotta go. Do you have time tonight to answer a few questions for me?”

  “Sure.”

  “One thing before I go. I noticed this morning that my head doesn’t look like it’s on fire in the sunlight anymore. Is it safe for me to go out without a hat on now?” I rattled off quickly before remembering another pertinent question. “Oh, and is my car here? I really don’t want to walk to school.”

  “Take a hat, I’ve found if you get really upset or you are scared, it will tend to ‘burn’ as you said, although I prefer the term ‘illuminate,’ but you should be fine to go without it otherwise. As for your car, you have Zane to thank for getting it back here for you. I really hope you start taking it a touch easier on him because he really does go out of his way to be helpful.” It seemed like she was chiding me, but in a very sweet way. She just wanted us to make the most out of the situation and I agreed, reluctantly.

  “I will tell him thank you tonight. Gotta go, but don’t forget about Q&A, okay?” I called, running out the door with my bag slung over one shoulder and a
last piece of bacon hanging out of my mouth.

  For the first time in a very long time, I was actually looking forward to a normal, boring day at school. I had only missed one day, but it seemed like it had been more, and I hadn’t had a chance to call Will and fill him in on the situation.

  Like clockwork, Will and Emma were waiting in the parking lot as I pulled into a spot right beside theirs.

  “Hey, guys.”

  “Hi there. Are you feeling better? We were really worried about you yesterday.” Will gave me a one armed hug before taking Emma’s hand again.

  “I’m fine, just a twenty-four-hour bug. Um, one thing did change yesterday, though... I am living with my aunt for right now.” I gave Will a look trying to convey that he would get the whole story later on. “It’s closer to town, and she needs help in her gallery. She’s leasing a room to Dad’s assistant, Zane, as well. That’s a bit uncomfortable, but I’m sure it won’t be any different than living in a house full of brothers.”

  “Really? Wow, Cat, he’s really hot! How do you handle that?” She quickly glanced at Will to make sure she hadn’t hurt his feelings, and then turned her attention back to me.

  “I hadn’t noticed that he was cute. I suppose his superior attitude just angers me. Really, there won’t be anything to handle.” I continued walking and praying that my pants wouldn’t catch fire with the partial lie I had just spouted.

  “Well, if you get tired of hanging out with the old people, just holler, and we’ll come rescue you,” Will quipped.

  “Thanks for the concern, and I may be taking you up on that, my friend.”

  Walking into the school was a welcomed relief. Normalcy surrounded me on every side and cushioned the weird reality I was living. The day was completely predictable and, though I never imagined I would think this, absolutely wonderful.

  Floating through my day, I tried very hard to concentrate only on the mundane, and for the most part, it worked. There were a few times when I saw visions of my two new Tourists, but I quickly filed them away for later and continued on in my delightfully average day.

  After school, the feeling in my head changed. The weight of my tasks hung on me like a one-thousand-pound weight. I had taken a few stolen moments in the library to explain the situation to Will, who was, by all accounts, miffed that I was being forced to live under the same roof as Zane. His feelings for my Caomhnóir were sympathetic to mine but born of bias; he was my best friend, after all. I think if the fabric of life had been different, Zane and Will might have been great friends, but because I didn’t like him—or at least the part of me that wasn’t completely driven by hormones didn’t—then neither did Will. I hurried through my telling of the remainder of the events over the last few days and begged Will to just deal with it all quietly. The last thing I needed was an overprotective friend hell-bent on getting me out of a situation that I didn’t want to be in. It was what it was, and I had to live with it.

  Aunt Lucie was waiting for me in the parlor upstairs when I got “home.” She sat hunched over the small desk in front of the bay window with several ancient-looking books. She was copying text from them into her journal at lightning speed. I knocked softly on the doorframe to announce my arrival and she looked up, smiling.

  “How was your day, Cat?” she inquired, trying to smooth out the loose curls that had fallen into her face.

  “Blissfully normal, thank you!” I spied a pot of tea and two cups. “May I?” I asked, waving my hand at the setup.

  “Of course. So, what are these questions you have?” She looked as though she were pondering something else altogether but did not break her stare.

  “I received another vision with someone else’s name, and I wondered if it was unusual to be given two names simultaneously? I don’t know that I feel completely ready for this,” I admitted, slowly sipping the warm, comforting tea.

  “It’s not normal, but then, my dear, you aren’t the normal sort of Guide. We never receive more than we can handle or are ready for. If you’ve had two visions of different people, then you are to help them both.” She sounded like some sort of guru from the Far East, but her words did strike a chord and gave me the peace of mind I had hoped for.

  “All right. I suppose it’s all about time management anyway.” I dismissed it, shrugging my shoulders and resuming my sipping. “I saw more clues regarding where to start with both of them today, so tonight I’ll do a little research on both Mark Whitby and Daniel Frey and figure out how to go about helping them. Do you think concentrating on them will help me learn more?” This was all still so new to me. I felt like a kid constantly asking questions that had impossibly easy answers. Thank goodness Aunt Lucie was so patient with me.

  “It can’t hurt to try. I have personally never needed to, but that might be because I have a photographic memory. It makes it easy to pull little things from the visions I’ve already had. Now, dinner will be ready at seven, and I am making a special dessert to celebrate my new roommates. Go take care of your homework, and I will check in on you before dinner just in case your ‘concentration’ puts you to sleep.” She giggled, and I laughed in response. She knew me too well. Before I could get too far she called me back. “Oh, I almost forgot. Lois passed away in her sleep the very same night you had your dream. Congratulations on helping your very first charge follow their proper path, my dear.” Her smile and accompanying hug were full of pride and love, and I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face as I started climbing the stairs to my room.

  Entering my room felt cozy now with more of my things from home surrounding me. At my request, Mom and Dad brought some of my favorite pictures, furniture, and other memorabilia from home to help with the transition. I settled in to get through my homework, so I could get down to business. Even though I had make up work, too, I was done in under an hour and had everything packed up for school the next day.

  I noticed my rocking chair from home had been set in the corner. I decided that it would be the prime place to focus on the task before me. As I sat in the well-worn seat, I felt its unmistakable comfortableness envelope me.

  This will be my spot from now on. It’s perfect.

  I sat back and began rocking slowly while trying to conjure the images of the two men I was to help. I hadn’t noticed before, but they were both quite young. Only one—Mark Whitby—looked completely healthy. Daniel Frey seemed ill, and the longer I looked at him, the more desperate his expression became. His skin was sallow and he had deep purple circles under his eyes. Sadness radiated from every pore of his body and it made me want to break down and cry for him. I could tell that he was in a hospital but nothing gave me a clue as to what one. The entire scene was wrought with pain and the feeling of helplessness.

  Mr. Whitby, in stark contrast looked happy and carefree, which led me to believe his passing would be an accident. He was an attractive boy with a bright smile that seemed to erase all the feelings of sadness from moments before. It seemed such a waste to lose a happy soul to a mindless accident, if that was what would happen to him. Sensing the immediacy of Whitby’s death, I made a mental note to attend to him first and assess the situation. This would definitely be different from Lois because her death was expected. She had just needed an “angel” to show her that she need not fear the light as she did for it would bring her closer to all who had gone before her and she would still be able to watch over those left behind.

  Mark Whitby’s decision would be made in an instant. I would need to make sure I was there the very moment he needed me. It seemed projection would most likely be my best bet, but I knew that I needed to connect with him first so he wouldn’t fear me when the time came. It felt strange to just know that I needed to meet him first, but I was becoming accustomed to those kinds of weird revelations.

  Daniel Frey would be more like Lois. I didn’t feel the need to contact him quite as quickly, although it would need
to be done within the week. The one glaring difference between him and Lois was his desperation. He seemed to resist his path for a reason other than fear of death and the afterlife, but I couldn’t place what deep-seated anguish had a hold on him. All would be revealed in time, I suspected.

  As she promised, my aunt called for me promptly at seven. I hadn’t fallen asleep but was on the verge when I heard her voice. Walking to the kitchen, I felt a hunger pang and remembered that I hadn’t eaten a thing since lunch. I hoped, I wouldn’t make a total fool of myself in front of Zane by devouring my plate in record time.

  The smell of tomatoes, cheese, and herbs filled my nose, making my stomach rumble loudly. Aunt Lucie and Zane, who were both waiting for me at the table, began laughing as I turned the color of a very ripe tomato.

  “I’m glad you’re hungry, Cat. We have a ton of food.” My aunt laughed at my blush.

  “Thanks. I haven’t eaten since lunch.” I turned my head to hide the deep blush that I still could feel burning in my cheeks.

  The conversation was easy and light as we ate our fill of the scrumptious lasagna Aunt Lucie had made. We discussed our days and what our plans for the remainder of the week were. My plans were pretty straightforward. I had school, Guide duties, and I hoped to hang out with Will and Emma, possibly even see a movie. I was truly living on the edge.

  Aunt Lucie’s life was far more glamorous, I thought, as she filled us in on her upcoming art show. She had found some very talented local artists to include. Honestly, I couldn’t wait to see what would be on display and had never fathomed having so many talented artists living so close.

  Even Zane’s plans were exciting, at least to me. The ranch had recently received grant money to buy a rare Scottish cattle breed known for their ability to withstand very cold temperatures. They were planning on cross-breeding with local dairy stock in the hopes they could produce a dairy cow capable of living in colder climates. To anyone but me, this would be boring.