Shadow of Time

by Jen Minkman

  “They’re the assholes who bothered Hannah at the lakeside that night she was stranded,” Ben exclaimed furiously.

  “Nida’ásh? Really?” Yazzie turned around as well. “So what are we waiting for? Let’s tell them to leave your sister alone.” Ben and Yazzie took a step toward the guys, who suddenly made a move and dove into the crowd as one, their movements subhumanly flowing and gracious.

  “Hey! Stop right there!” Ben shouted. He and Yazzie shot after the fugitives. Hannah looked sideways and saw Josh freeze up. “Wait!” he called after his two friends. For a moment, she thought he would join the chase, but he didn’t. He stayed put, his arm protectively around her waist and his mouth set in a grim line. When he turned toward her, she saw the desperate look in his eyes. It made her scared.

  “She’at’eed,” he said softly, drawing a deep breath as if buckling up for something.

  “Yes?” she replied nervously.

  “Where did you put Sani’s medicine bundle?”

  Hannah stared at him dumbfounded. So there. Both Sani and Josh knew exactly what problem she was trying to fight. Sani had probably told Josh about it, but at this juncture, she was past caring. She was just happy she didn’t have to explain anything right now – she was much too shaken up for that.

  “In the car,” Hannah stuttered, feeling ashamed. “I’m sorry – so much has happened today – I put it in my bag and forgot to bring it to the fair.”

  Without saying another word, Josh pulled a small leather pouch from the pocket of his jeans, pouring its contents on the palm of one hand. She recognized the stuff. It was corn pollen – powerful medicine for protection in Navajo tradition.

  Josh rubbed the pollen between his hands and spread it out over Hannah’s bare shoulders. Hannah looked up at him, the look in his eyes making her afraid again. He looked outraged and defeated at the same time.

  “Are you mad at me?” she mumbled, clasping the teddy bear in her trembling hands. Suddenly, she felt so small and stupid. Why hadn’t she paid more attention?

  He stopped rubbing her shoulders for a moment, and put one hand lovingly on her cheek. “No ... not at you,” he muttered, looking at her earnestly. He leaned into her and gave her a soft, tender kiss on the mouth.

  At that moment, Yazzie stumbled toward them, panting and looking over his shoulder.

  “Haidzaa?” Josh asked in a tense voice. “What happened?”

  “Yóó ííjéé’,” Yazzie replied. “They ran off.”

  “Where’s Ben?” Hannah exclaimed.

  “He kept running after them.” Yazzie was still gasping for breath. “We chased them until they got to that dense patch of trees near the border of the park. That’s when I tripped over a piece of protruding rock.” He rubbed his ankle. “I couldn’t walk properly, let alone run. Ben told me to wait there until he came back and he ran after those guys on his own. I stayed put, but it took Ben a while to come back.”

  “So?” Hannah persisted. “Where is he? Is he injured?” Her heart was beating in her throat.

  Yazzie hesitated. “He’s still there. He came back, sat down on the ground next to me, but he didn’t say anything.”

  “He’s not injured?” Josh repeated.

  Yazzie shook his head. “No, man. Just - T’óó náá’áyóí. It was the strangest thing. He was just sitting there, keeping quiet. He freaked me out, looking like he was in some kind of shock.” He shuddered and grabbed Josh by the shoulder. “Let’s go get him together. I didn’t dare touch or move him.”

  On their way to the edge of the park, Hannah felt a cold hand of fear close around her heart. What had happened to Ben? She didn’t want to consider it, but maybe the yenaldlooshi had done something to her brother, cursed him too, because he’d tried to help her and chase them.

  Ben was sitting under a cedar pine, hugging his knees and staring into space. Hannah ran toward him and kneeled beside him. “Ben?” She gently shook him. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

  Her brother shook his head. She was happy to see she could at least elicit some kind of response, but it wasn’t much. Yazzie was right – Ben looked completely shaken up.

  “Will you come home with me?” she tried.

  Ben glanced up at her with a tired look in his eyes. “Yeah. I want to go home.”

  She pulled him up. Josh supported him as he took a few staggering steps in the general direction of the fair.

  “Where did those guys run off to?” Yazzie asked, confused.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” Ben snapped. Hannah swallowed, mouthing ‘sorry’ to Yazzie. He shrugged and nodded curtly.

  On their way back to the car, Ben leaning on Hannah and Josh, Hannah could hardly keep her eyes open from drowsiness. So much had happened today. Her brain couldn’t cope anymore. If only Ben wouldn’t look so scared and lost. She wanted to talk to him as soon as possible.

  “I’m off,” Yazzie said, once they’d arrived at the Mustang. “My car’s further down the road.” He put a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Take it easy.”

  “Yup.” Ben didn’t look Yazzie in the eye.

  Yazzie turned toward Josh. “See you soon, shitsílí. Hazhó’ó nídeiyínóhkááh. Get home safe.”

  “Hágoónee, shínaaí.” Josh waved at his cousin as he walked away. Then, he helped Ben get into the back seat.

  They drove back to St. Mary’s Port without talking, all of them lost in thought. Hannah had sat the teddy bear on her lap, clutching Sani’s medicine bundle in her hands. A few lonely tears rolled down her cheeks and landed in the cuddly toy’s fur. Even though she had Josh back in her life, the shadows chasing her just wouldn’t go away. Her curse might have even affected Ben now.

  “Have a good night’s sleep,” Josh told his friend, when Ben stumbled up the porch steps. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Hannah watched Ben go inside and disappear into his bedroom. She had never seen him look more confused.

  Josh grabbed her hand. “You want to talk now?”

  Hannah shook her head. She was so tired and numb that she couldn’t be curious anymore. “I’m too exhausted. Let’s do it tomorrow.”

  He gently caressed her cheek and pulled her into an embrace. “Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow morning. I’ll be here as soon as I can.”

  Standing in the kitchen and looking at Josh driving away, Hannah yawned loudly. She decided to lock the cabin door for the night. Then, she went to her room, flopped down on the bed still fully dressed and closed her eyes. The medicine bundle was around her neck and would stay there for the night, resting on the skin close to her heart.

  The dreamcatcher was swaying in the light breeze coming through the window when she fell asleep, stirring quietly in the whirl of her restless thoughts.

  The minute she opened her eyes the morning after the funfair, she immediately felt apprehensive again.

  Slogging to the kitchen, Hannah grabbed the keys from the table and unlocked the door, a shiver running through her. It was the first time ever she’d locked the door in this place while they were sleeping. It was pointless, of course. Deadbolts on the door wouldn’t stop skinwalkers. They had the power to break and enter her dreams, for crying out loud.

  Still shivering, she stepped onto the porch, thinking about the terrifying images she’d seen in the haunted house last night. She didn’t want to consider what would have happened if she hadn’t woken up. That strange voice in her head – it had saved her. Did it belong to that blue butterfly she saw?

  Just as she was pouring herself some tea, she heard Ben getting out of bed. The bedroom door swung open and her brother entered, his face just as pale as it had been last night.

  “Ben!” She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. “How did you sleep?”

  “Not so well.”

  “Well, sit down. I’ll make you some coffee.”

  He nodded, still taciturn and remote. What the heck had happened to him? She was starting to get seriously worried. This was not the Ben she knew. />
  “Okay. Spill,” she said curtly, when she put a mug of fresh coffee in front of him. “You can’t keep this up forever.”

  Ben sighed deeply, taking a sip of his coffee. He shook his head, cleared his throat and briefly glanced at her.

  “Something...” He hesitated, giving her a desperate look. “Something happened last night.”

  “Something that scared you.”

  “Yes.” He let out another frustrated sigh, slamming the mug down on the table. “I’m sorry for being so difficult, but really, you have no idea what I saw last night. I think I’m losing it. What I saw there – you can’t even begin to imagine.”

  “Hey, thanks for giving so much credit to my imagination.”

  Ben smiled feebly. “Okay, all right. I’ll tell you. But please don’t send me to the shrink straight away. Promise?”

  She took his hand. “Scout’s honor.”

  “Those guys weren’t human.” Ben shook his head and started to laugh. “Holy cow, I said the words.”

  “Go on,” she pressed him.

  Ben got a distant look in his eyes. “I was chasing them. Yazzie tripped. He stayed behind. And I didn’t want to give up, you know. I wanted to warn them, tell them to leave you alone from now on. We ended up in that patch of woodland ... at the back of the park ...”

  In the silence that followed, Hannah could hear the clock tick.

  “They turned around and faced me. I thought I was seeing things when the guy in the middle got this red glow in his eyes.” Ben swallowed hard, taking her hand. “He took a step toward me and gave me this uncanny smile. He gave me a look of ... of recognition. Like what you said about those guys in Safeway. Like he’d waited for me. Like I was an old enemy of his. Trust me, I was scared out of my wits.”

  Hannah squeezed his hand. “I’ve seen that, too,” she confessed.

  He stared at her, his mouth agape. “The red glow?”

  She nodded, and Ben closed his eyes. “It gets worse. He ... he turned into a coyote. Suddenly, there was an animal standing in front of me, Han. And then, there were just three shadows. And then, everything disappeared, and I was all alone under the trees. There was no one.” He shivered. “See? I’ve gone over the edge. Off the deep end. I am crazy. I need help.”

  “I’ve already asked for help,” Hannah blurted out.

  Ben looked wounded. “What?”

  “No. Not for you,” she continued quickly. “For me. Those creatures are targeting me. I’m... cursed.”

  “What?!” Ben shot her an incredulous look. “So they really exist? What’s their business with you?”

  Gingerly, she told her brother about the dreams, her confrontation with the yenaldlooshi in their different forms, and the advice Emily had given to her. She explained to Ben everything about the powers the skinwalkers allegedly had, and the ways she had tried to fight them so far.

  “Oh my God,” Ben sighed, when she’d finished talking. “It’s a good thing I saw them with my own eyes, or I’d have a hard time believing you. In fact, I’m still having a hard time believing it. It’s just surreal.”

  “So I hope you understand why I didn’t tell you about this straight away. I’m sorry. I trust you, but I know you. I didn’t want you to think I was insane.”

  “And now what? How could they suddenly appear like that yesterday?” He held her gaze. “You saw them in the haunted house too, didn’t you?”

  “I forgot to wear Sani’s medicine bundle,” Hannah admitted, ashamed.

  He frowned. “But how do you lift a curse like that for good? And why are they targeting you, anyway?”

  “I still don’t know. The only thing Sani could tell me was that Josh could help me with my problem.”

  “Josh can help you?” Ben stared at the coffee mug in his hands. “You know, the guy never ceases to amaze me. It feels like he’s carrying something on his shoulders, something we can’t understand. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he broke up with you just to protect you from dangerous stuff he’s somehow involved in.”

  “Like what?” Hannah stared at her brother. She hadn’t even considered that possibility yet. The curse – could it be directly related to Josh?

  “I don’t know, but I bet they’re supernatural things. Boys turning into coyotes are paranormal in my book.”

  “He’s coming here to talk.” Hannah glanced at the clock. “I hope you won’t mind if I don’t share all the things he tells me with you. It’s not easy for him to talk, as you well know. I don’t want to betray his trust.”

  “As long as I know you’re safe, I don’t have to know anything else.” Ben hugged Hannah, kissing her forehead. “I’m sorry you had to keep these things to yourself for so long. It’s a good thing you could confide in Emily.”

  “I wanted to share it with you. I just didn’t know how.”

  “I understand. So, if Josh can really tell you how to stop those... skinwalkers...” He tried out the sound of the strange word in his mouth. “You should tell me how I can help.”

  “I will.” She loved her brother so much. Ben supported her without question. He was amazing, and more open to things than she’d expected.

  An hour later, she heard a car coming up the road. Ben looked out the window. “Here comes Josh,” he announced.

  Hannah stepped outside. She saw Josh park his car next to her Datsun. A nervous tingle shot up her spine as he walked up the steps looking solemn.

  “Good morning.” He softly pressed a kiss to her cheek. “How did you sleep?”

  “Fine. Ben feels better too. I talked to him.”

  Josh sighed in relief. “Glad to hear it. I was really worried about him.” He looked at Hannah, a haunted expression crossing his face. “Everything will be okay,” he slowly said, as if he needed to convince himself most of all.

  “Would you happen to like a pancake?” Ben called from the kitchen.

  Josh leaned into the doorway. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”

  Hannah saw his hands shake lightly. “Are you nervous?” she asked, rubbing his arm.

  His gaze swept the mountains in the distance. “I don’t think there is a word for what I feel right now.”

  Hannah hugged him. “Don’t be scared,” she whispered against his neck. “You said so yourself – everything will be okay.”

  “It will be for you and Ben. I’ll make sure of that.”

  “It will be for you, too. Really. I don’t know what you want to discuss with me, but we’ll get through this together.”

  The look in his eyes made her inexplicably restless. It was like he was stepping away from her again, but more tactfully this time. Like he was already somewhere else, even when he was still standing next to her.

  “Where would you like to talk?” she asked quietly.

  Josh put his arm around her shoulders. “Lone Rock Beach?” he suggested after a few seconds. “Near Wahweap? It’s quiet there. And I’d like to be outside.”

  Hannah nodded. “I’ll get my stuff.” She went into her bedroom and packed her bag. She tried to slow down her heartbeat by taking deep breaths, but it didn’t work.

  Yesterday, Josh had wanted to talk to her as soon as possible, but now he seemed afraid to leave with her. He’d had a full night to think it over, so maybe the effect of Ben’s tirade had worn off a bit.

  When she got back into the kitchen, Ben had disappeared. She looked out the window and saw him standing next to the Mustang, talking to Josh. Hannah gingerly stepped outside. They were having a serious talk – she could tell. Not wanting to interrupt, she sat down at the garden table and ate the pancake leftovers on Ben’s plate to kill some time.

  “Shall we go?” Josh called to her after a few minutes.

  Ben came up the porch steps. “I’ll see you later.” He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Call me when you’re on your way home.”

  Hannah nodded. She got up and walked over to Josh, who stared at her with a slight smile.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he s
aid quietly, pulling her against him. “So sweet.” He kissed her lips, and a tingling feeling spread through her body. She leaned into him and kissed him back. Before she could deepen the kiss, she felt his lips move. He whispered: “Ayor anosh’ni.”

  “I love you too,” she whispered back. At the same time, all her worries fell away. Whatever happened, and whatever Josh would tell her, she had a deeper connection with him than she’d ever felt with anyone else. No one would take that away from her.

  During the drive to Lone Rock Beach, Josh didn’t turn on the radio, but Hannah didn’t mind. She watched the red, lonely landscape, and shot a few glances at Josh. He was wearing his sunglasses, so she couldn’t see his eyes, but she could feel his restlessness.

  He parked some hundred yards away from the entrance to the beach, and took her hand in his when they got out. “Let’s sit down at a sheltered spot somewhere.”

  The lakeside was deserted. Hannah pointed at a giant rock on the beach, and they made their way toward it, still holding hands. They flopped down, their backs against the rocky surface, their feet in the sand. Hannah could feel the tension in Josh’s body spread to her hand. He still hadn’t let go of her.

  “I don’t really know where to start,” he sighed, taking off his sunglasses. He stared out over the waters of Lake Powell, where Lone Rock rose up, lit by yellowish light from the early morning sun. The wind tousled his hair, and the sunlight touched the planes of his anxious face.

  Hannah broke the silence. “Maybe you could start by telling me about those skinwalkers. Sani told me you know more about them. And I talked to Ben this morning – he’s seen them in the park as well. In their true form, I mean.”

  Josh blew out a shaky breath. “Okay. There’s a curse. A curse intended for me. I’ve known this from the moment I came back from my vision quest at age fourteen. Those yenaldlooshi are only after you because you’re with me.”

  It was strange to hear him talk so openly about the curse she’d tried to hide from him. His words made her afraid. So Josh really was the reason she was haunted by supernatural beings. Now she understood why he had looked so desperate and scared before they’d left for the beach. He probably thought she would break up with him now that she knew this. Who wanted to be cursed because of being in love?