by Pamela Davis
Gracie leaned forward and said intently, "Because, Clay, this world is changing. Changing fast. And what Samantha does, what all the dreamers and animal talkers do--this is what normal is now. We have to get used to that. And, yes, before you ask, yes, I hate that Sam is such a focus for everyone, that she seems to be the most changed one of us all."
Gracie took a deep breath, and leaned back in her chair. "But even though she is my granddaughter, too, and I love her dearly, I can also see what's happening. I've heard others call it the end of the world as we know it--and they're right, Clay. The things happening now, this is so new, so different from anything that's come before. And you and I, old codgers that we are." She stopped and grinned lightly at him. "We have to adjust to it along with everyone else. However, why-ever, it happened, Sam is the most talented at these new skills. All we can do is be there for her in whatever ways that will help. We can't run from it like Abby has done. We can't ignore it, pretend everything will go back to normal. That way of life is gone, Clay. We have to forge a new way of life, one that includes and accepts all the amazing and yes, scary, things that people are learning to do. Whatever has happened to Samantha today, we have to believe her parents and friends--and even the trees and the rock can help her, I guess. We have to hang on to that."
Clay sighed heavily. "I know you're right. It's just...Jessica? My imminently practical daughter? Talking to a rock?"
The Samuels' House – At the Rock
Chaos...swirling images, overlapping, fast...of water, lots and lots of water...water with things in it....too much...oh, god, dead, dead, dead, everywhere, the dead...pieces...can't look...cars, buildings, pieces of buildings...too much....a presence...an awareness...too vast...so huge...too much to comprehend...depths of knowledge...overwhelming...a sense of time...of patience...time that stretched forever...mountains, trees, oceans, lakes, rivers, and life, life everywhere...so abundant even in the midst of so much death...life.
Jessica held on to that, to that pulsing center that was life. And began to feel where she was in all of it. Her self. She. Jessica. The purpose...find Samantha! Suddenly feeling the pressure of John's hand gripping hers. Feeling the connection. Connections! To everything. To the trees, oh, the trees, always there for her. The rock. Old, so very old. Slow. Patience unimaginable. To the others around her. People, humans, yet their life force, blended, connected to all. John, beloved, afraid for her, for Sam, but always there, ready to follow anywhere, ready to forge ahead to see the next new thing. There was Mrs. Philpott, so sturdy and strong and wise. Black, the Protector, exuding safety, security, determination. White, seeing the details, seeing so much. There was Harry, filled with love and hope and unending loyalty. And Perceval, an astoundingly keen intelligence, such depth to him. But where...where...where was Sam? Searching, all of them connected, focused...but she was the center, the focusing point of the search. She. Her self. Jessica. The mother. The mother of Samantha. The Guardian. Plunging back into the depths now with more courage, feeling the connections to those supporting her, loving her. Swimming through the apparent chaos. Apparent, yet, patterns, patterns existed to it. Patterns so large, so complex...no way to grasp them. Focusing, focusing, focusing on one thought...Samantha...where, where, where...Ahhh, like a small glowing light flickering in murky shadows...there...right there.
Calling to her, using her will to stretch out a lifeline to that small light, willing Samantha to make the connection, to grasp the thread that would bind her back into the tapestry of here, of now, of family...of home.
Waiting...and then, a flaring of the light...connection made. The light a steady glow, a gleaming radiance that streamed forth now...Samantha...found.
And with a suddenness that was breath-taking, she felt her daughter gather them all up, all the threads of that tapestry made of their hearts and minds, woven more tightly than ever before, and with a whoosh she was back. Jessica was back, sitting on the rock, holding onto Sam, feeling John's arms around them both. They were home again. It would be all right now. They would also be changed now. Stronger connections, I'll worry about that later, she thought. Sam was back! And she was hugging her daughter and all was right in this haven of safety, this small island that she now knew floated in a sea of...not chaos...no...but something so intricate and immense. An awareness, huge, and wonderful and scary and...awesome.
Chapter 20
Mrs. Philpott's House
Perceval growled low in his throat as two scampering children nearly stepped on his tail. Streaking off for the computer room, he pondered this need of the group--Gaians, he reminded himself grumpily--to want to live practically on top of each other. Two families had moved in here after the welcoming party and subsequent crisis with Sam yesterday. Plus a couple of single people who slept on couches. Ugh, just too many humans in one place. Perhaps it was the feeling of connectedness most of them seemed to share that was causing this need for communal living. He fervently hoped they'd get used to it soon and move out! After all, there were plenty of houses for them to move into, just sitting there waiting for them. Instead, the newcomers had piled into this house, the Samuels' house, the Farm, Harmony's Cabins, and even the Power People's house. Although, those who went there actually had a good reason. An electrical engineer in the bunch! Some other techie types. They were going to form a tech center at the power plant and at their new home.
He perched on the desk in front of his laptop computer and scrolled through his lists. Yes, today they would finally be getting a true farmer, someone who knew about planting and growing and harvesting things like wheat. And it looked like Cap'n Joe would get some company out at his fishing village. That guy, thought Perceval, so completely unaware. He'd shown up after all the excitement was over yesterday with an impressive array of fish to be grilled (or eaten raw by Perceval himself) and had not a clue anything untoward had happened earlier. Hadn't experienced even the slightest sense of unease. Maybe it was something about fishing, Perceval mused, maybe fishing required an emptying of the mind to be able to tolerate the boredom. At any rate, Cap'n Joe would soon be getting some experienced fishermen and women to help provide fish for the growing community to eat. Perceval's ears flattened against his head for a moment as he recalled how that dog--Mutt--just followed the Cap'n everywhere. Like a-a-fawning sycophant! No self-respect there, the cat thought disdainfully, none at all. Ah, well, he was dog after all. They had their uses, true, but honestly they just weren't as highly evolved as his species.
Continuing his review, Perceval marked on his list that the Perkins family had moved in down the road from the Samuels' House. It looked like maybe Doc Shapiro was in for another move, to leave Harmony's cabins and settle into a house near the Perkins, so with Penny as their new resident nurse and the doctor, everyone felt better about medical coverage for the community. The large, two-story home for the doctor would be the most centralized location for the new clinic. It was big enough to function as a doctor's office and had rooms to house patients for short stays. Doc Shapiro seemed to think his practice of medicine was going to return to one of house calls and home care, and appeared to be quite happy at that thought. Until they got a larger population, they would keep an eye on the small local hospital, keep it locked up, but probably not use it unless they needed extreme medical care. Perceval wondered how receptive the doctor would be to the idea of animals helping with healing. Well, no AMA to approve or disapprove anymore. This doctor seemed interested in results, which was good.
Black was being careful in his recruitment drive for their security force. So far, they had one policeman, and Black had talked for a long time with the newcomer last night before accepting him into the new force. And that had only happened after Black and Sam discussed the matter. Perceval was just a tad miffed Black hadn't thought to come to him for advice, but then, he and Samantha shared a bond. Still, he sniffed and thought, I could have told him this was a decent guy who would work out fine. It was good Black was being careful. They didn't need someone walk
ing around with a gun who would--
"Perceval! There you are," Mrs. Philpott said, closing the door to the computer room and sitting down at the desk. As he meowed at her, she nodded her head, saying, "I know, I know, too many people. They'll be out in a few days, I promise."
Perceval purred.
Mrs. Philpott chuckled at him. Then her expression grew serious as she asked, "So? Do you sense them? Are they near yet?"
Perceval typed on the computer.
LATE TODAY THEY WILL ARRIVE
BUT SOMETHING ISNT RIGHT
THE ONE WE THOUGHT WOULD HELP SAM
SOMETHING IS WRONG
Mrs. Philpott's brow furrowed as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "You don't know what? I've held off telling Jessica and John about her, since we weren't sure they would actually get here. But you know it would be a relief to them, to know there was an adult who could shoulder some of the responsibility that seems to be falling onto Samantha. Damn it! Can you tell me anything else?"
CONNECTION I HAD WITH HER HAS CHANGED
NO SHE HAS CHANGED
IN SOME WAY NOT A GOOD WAY
WORLD SENSE-GAIA SENSE IS CONCERNED
"Oh, great," Mrs. Philpott muttered. When the planet herself was concerned, that probably didn't bode well. No, not a good sign at all.
Power People Home, Table Rock Lake
Lisanne woke up slowly, vaguely aware of a weight across her leg as she lay face down, head buried in her pillow. "Merlin?" she said groggily.
"Um...no," an amused, low-pitched male voice murmured at her shoulder.
Lisanne quickly raised her head and it all came flooding back. Yesterday, in this bed, amazing sex...with Andy. Oh wow. Eek! He was looking at her now, grinning, and her hair had to just be a mess, and her make-up probably smeared or gone altogether, and she really needed to brush her teeth or use some mouthwash or--
"Hey, baby," he said. "You are just beautiful in the morning."
"Oh," she replied, momentarily at a loss. "I, oh."
"Want some orange juice?" he asked, turning to reach for a thermos sitting on the nightstand beside the bed. As he poured some in a glass for her, Lisanne sat up in bed and propped a pillow behind her back, tucking the sheets primly around her naked body.
Sipping the cool fruit juice, she asked suspiciously, "How did that get here? Have you been up already?"
"Yep, woke up an hour ago, made juice, fed Merlin and Waldo, then came back here to watch you sleep," Andy explained.
"Watch me sleep?" squeaked Lisanne.
Andy laughed. "Yes. You are so different asleep than when you are awake. So quiet and calm, and even the tiny bit of snoring was pretty cute." He ducked as she threw a pillow at him.
"I don't snore!"
"Yeah, baby, you do," he countered, "but it's really not bad. I think I can live with it."
"You think you can--oh, you! So you think, after yesterday, you can just move in here?" she inquired. "You just assume I want you living here with me? Just like that?"
Andy gave her a look of love, frustration, and amusement. "Lisanne, sweetheart, I already live in this house with you. Whether I move into this suite with you--we can discuss it. But I love you, and I think I heard you say you loved me, somewhere in between all the moaning."
Involuntarily, a grin twitched at Lisanne's lips. Something she corrected as soon as it started. "I may have said...well, after all, in the heat of the moment things are said...." She stopped talking and looked into his very blue eyes. Kind eyes, waiting eyes. Eyes that made her feel she was finally home. She sensed Merlin somewhere else in the house, sensed his resignation at the continuation of Waldo being in his life, sensed his grudging approval of what she was deciding.
"Yes," she admitted finally, "I do love you." And then let out a breath it felt like she had been holding for a very long time.
He smiled slowly at her. "All I want, for the rest of my life, is to be near you. To touch you, to laugh with you, to argue with you, to make love with you. If you need some space still, need to have your place in the house away from me, I can live with it, even if I don't like the idea. But this isn't some end of the world desperation thing for me. In the middle of all this chaos and tragedy, we found each other. And I'm going to stay by your side for as long as you let me."
Lisanne listened to him speak and felt safe. And maybe even happy? A shadow glinted across her face.
"What? What is it?" Andy asked, bewildered by her changing expressions.
"How can I feel so happy? Just yesterday--so many people died, Andy! Millions died. And I'm sitting here this morning feeling so incredibly happy--I feel like it's wrong somehow, that I can feel this happy in the midst of so much heartache and loss."
He reached for her and folded her into his arms. Her head rested against his chest and his hand slowly caressed her hair. "Oh, Lisanne, I don't know. Because I am filled with--joy, today. And you are right, so many are gone. But we have been given a chance here, a chance to live, when others never got that chance. Isn't it our responsibility, to them and to us, to live our lives to the very fullest? To love where we can, to help, to not just survive this, but maybe make something better out of the ruin?"
He felt Lisanne nod her head. She whispered, "Yes, we owe it to them. We'll live the best we can."
Then she tilted her head up and kissed him slowly, deeply. It was a kiss that felt like it could go on forever, a kiss full of promise and desire and surety. Just when his hands moved over her body, she pulled away and said in a light and daring voice, "This suite has a fantastic bathroom with an amazingly large shower." She slid to the edge of the bed, dragging the sheet with her, and then laughing, she turned and headed for the bathroom.
Andy stared at the spot she'd just been in for a full five seconds while the image of Lisanne in the shower, her body glistening in soap and water overwhelmed his thoughts. "Oh my," he said as he scrambled up and followed her. Live life to the fullest. As Lisanne would say, abso-fucking-lutely.
Near Cape Fair, on the road
Alan Beakman helped Phoebe over another log in the road. He had stayed at her side throughout the long day of trekking through forests, destroyed housing developments, and twisting roads on the way to Cape Fair. Phoebe seemed okay as long as the cat Cleo stayed nearby, which was good, Alan thought, since they had run out of valium. He hadn't approved of the use of tranquilizers for the emotionally disturbed woman anyway. He felt she was just overwhelmed by everything they had seen, which wasn't surprising since they were all overwhelmed and tired and frustrated. Perhaps that accounted for the incessant bickering the rest of the group seemed prone to on this final leg of their journey.
"All I'm saying, for the hundredth time," Zack said, "is that Cape Fair is the place I've had in my dreams for weeks now. Just because you had dreams of another place doesn't mean it was better, Margaret." He paused and continued before she could respond. "Besides, we've been over this and over this--we flew beyond that part of Massachusetts you dreamed about, so it made more sense to continue on to the safe zone we were closest to, which happens to be Cape Fair."
"You know, for someone who only recently started getting the dreams, you sure have become an expert in their interpretation," Margaret retorted.
"Stop! Will you two just shut up?" Mayor Dubois commanded, huffing a bit as the road wound up a small hill. "We've had this out already, decision made, it's done. We're going to Cape Fair and that's all there is to it."
Alan chuckled quietly. Dusty had come through with flying colors in his opinion. After the hurricane devastated Houston, he'd wondered how his boss would manage. And as usual, she had turned into the leader of their group--cajoling, ordering, demanding when necessary to keep them all focused in one direction. He mused that wherever they ended up, Dusty Dubois would be an asset. As for the rest of them--whatever Phoebe's problems were, once she could get settled somewhere, he'd bet she would be a help. The woman had a phenomenal memory and he recognized a fellow detail-oriented per
son when he saw one. In the beginning, she'd been almost invisible to him, so quiet except for those occasional emotional outbursts. Now he was getting used to her being there near him. She was restful compared to the others, saying so little. He'd developed an appreciation for quiet on this trip.
Maria and Zack were clearly in love and seemed like a good team. He had no idea what a news reporter and videographer would find to do in this safe zone they were going to, but he'd bet the two would make a niche for themselves. They were too competent not to.
But Margaret...Alan really wondered about Margaret. He knew Dusty had been at odds with her from day one. At first he'd thought Zack and Maria were clearly in Margaret's corner, but over time, they had all pulled away from Margaret to some extent. She was so sure, so certain, that her interpretation of dreams and events was the only right interpretation. Alan knew his own dreams were not nearly as complex as Zack's and Margaret's, but from his experience of the phenomenon, the dreams could be very confusing. And Margaret, well, Margaret seemed to approach them lately with the attitude of a zealot. Cape Fair's reaction to Margaret would be interesting to watch.
The Stables at the Farm
"Oh, now, isn't she a beauty?" Jimmy said, rubbing his hand down the flank of Janine's current mount, Feathers. "And you say you can talk to all of them?"
Janine nodded shyly. She couldn't believe she was talking to a real cowboy--she hadn't realized they still existed! "Yes, it's different with different ones, but Alexandra says she thinks I'm connected to the 'herd mind' or something like that."
Jimmy took off his cowboy hat and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair. "Well, I'd say that will help us out a lot. I've always felt like Mandy here knew what I was saying. Since all this, whatever it is that happened, that horse has been reading my mind, I think! And lately I can hear her more and more every day. I think that'll help when it comes to rounding up the cows you folks were talking about at breakfast this morning."