by Alexie Aaron
“No.”
“Would you consider staying out at the farm with us a while?” Mia asked.
“I’m not scared of Blair,” Ethan lied.
“I’m sorry, I’m a silly mother hen at times,” she explained to the others. “Let’s order.” She waved her hand to attract the waitress’s attention.
Charlie watched the woman before him. He was very aware that she looked at him as if he were whole and not half-burnt Charlie. He had heard that Lazar had fallen into a sweet deal at the Martin farm. Until this moment, he had no idea how sweet the deal really was.
“Charlie, tell me about yourself,” Mia asked.
“Until I ended up walking through fire, I was a staff sergeant in the Marine Corps. Now I’m in rehab, and I’m thinking about going back to school. I’ve been reading a lot of history books. I’m thinking about making this my major.”
“To what end?” Tub voiced. “Are you going to be a history teacher?”
“I may not look the part,” Charlie started. “Or maybe the students would have a hard time with this, but I think that it’s a very valuable subject to know.”
“I admire you wanting to sit in a classroom,” Mia said. “I’m not a very good example. I haven’t been in a classroom since I graduated early.”
“You were knocked up,” Tub crowed. “I knew it, you’re just a child.”
Ethan groaned.
Mia laughed. “Tub, you’re embarrassing Ethan. The reason I didn’t seek out higher learning was that I’m what they call a sensitive. When I was Ethan’s age, I couldn’t deal with the things which I could see but others couldn’t. They screamed in my face when I tried to sit in on lectures. Gentlemen, the dead are everywhere, and I was too immature to deal with it.”
“But you have since educated yourself, haven’t you?” Charlie said.
“I read. I have a library. Gee, that sounded pompous,” Mia said.
“Her husband is a genius,” Ethan added. “He has patents.”
“He’s amazing,” Mia said proudly. She then added in a very snobby accent, “Darlings, I’m married to a genius, and I have my own library.”
Their meals arrived, and they ate in companionable silence for a while. Mia studied the man in front of her. She wondered if she could find a way to heal him or at least make the damage less painful.
Charlie lost his self-conscious way of always looking down and sat with his back straight. Tub and Ethan were relating a story about a patient who was afraid of water and had been scheduled for hydrotherapy.
“Charlie, can you hear me?” Mia’s voice asked in his head.
He nodded as he locked eyes with Mia across the table. She was chewing on a bite and taking off a glove.
“Reach under the table, and give me your hand.”
Charlie didn’t know why he complied. He just knew it would be okay. He pushed his napkin off and bent down and reached for her hand. He found it. It was small but very strong.
Mia did her best not to read the man’s mind. She didn’t think she could handle the horrors that had caused his burns. Instead, she clinically went through her triage list, not unlike what she had learned to do with the angelic warriors. She found his pain center.
“If I take away your pain, you may become vulnerable to accidently hurting yourself. Can you adjust your activities to become more aware of your daily movements?”
Charlie nodded and squeezed her hand.
Mia did what she said, just in time for her extra order of French fries to arrive. She let go of his hand and winked at him.
“Why?” Charlie asked.
“Because one order of fries is never enough,” Mia said.
~
Rory walked Mrs. Levy’s two gallons of paint to the front counter. Deb rang it up and watched as Rory carried the paint out to widow’s car.
“He’s such a good boy,” the next customer in line said.
Deb looked at the tall youth in the expensive clothes and tried to place him. “He’s a good employee,” she said, ringing up the four bundles of cotton clothesline.
“Come now, he’s more than an employee, isn’t he?”
Deb took the offered credit card and read it. “Blair Summerfield. Now I can place you. I’d like to request that you don’t come in here anymore.”
“What would corporate think about you banning the paying public, Deb?” Blair drawled, reading her name tag.
“Why are you here?” Deb asked, keeping an eye on the door, willing Rory not to hurry back in.
“I’m buying clothesline,” Blair said.
Deb completed the transaction. But before she handed back Blair’s card, she pleaded, “Leave him alone. Haven’t you done enough?”
“Dear me, I’ve only just started,” Blair said, snatched up the plastic bag, and walked slowly out of the Ace Hardware as Rory was walking in. “Hey, hardware man,” Blair said, passing him.
Rory turned and stared at Blair.
Deb could see Rory’s fists clench. “Rory, could you go and see how Sam is doing with shelving the fertilizer? Last time he put it with the kitty litter.”
Rory seemed to come out of a spell. “Sorry, ma’am. What did you say?”
“Help Sam with the fertilizer,” Deb said quickly.
“Sure,” Rory said as he walked past her and into the back of the store.
Tom set the phone down. First Deb’s call and then Mia’s... Blair Summerfield was making his presence known. “What is he up to?” Tom asked himself. He had stopped by at his parents’ house to check on his mother but was stuck in the drive fielding the two calls. He got out and walked to the front door and rang the doorbell. “And here I am ringing the doorbell of my family home,” he said, realizing his mistake.
His father opened the door and looked at him oddly. “Thought you had a key?” Don asked.
“I wasn’t thinking,” Tom said. “I’m trying to sort out what may, or may not be, a problem for us in Big Bear Lake.”
“Heavy lies the hat upon the acting sheriff,” Don said. “Come on in and see the new refrigerator. It does everything, including ironing.”
“That I have to see,” Tom said. “Where’s Mom?”
“She’s at the high school trying to make amends with the cheer squad teacher.”
“I don’t envy her. I heard she was a real loon. How is she going to explain it?”
“Hormone therapy. Mia suggested it. She told your mother that’s how she explained the myriad of changes she went through. I believe she warned your mom against using multiple personality disorder; it doesn’t work. She said, ‘You just get called Sybil behind your back.’”
“Well, in this situation, Mia is the most experienced,” Tom said, taking the beer handed to him.
“When are you moving back?” Don asked.
“I haven’t been invited back by Mom, and I’ve been thinking it would be a good idea if I bunked with Ethan until Blair goes back to college.”
“That’s decent of you. The kid must be lonely.”
“I would be. He and I now know how it feels to be ousted from the family.”
“I’m sorry, son. I just had no idea how to handle the situation. I’m not really a quick thinker.”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hurt by the whole thing, but I’m a big boy. I’ll get over it.”
Don looked at his son. “I’m not sure that we did right by you, having you stay as long as we have. I guess we were selfish.”
“How?”
“Your mother and I love your company. We lead busy lives, and it was so nice to come home and you’d be there, so convenient, no hunting you down. Other parents have to make appointments to see their children.”
“I can do that?” Tom teased.
“Do it, and I’ll drag you back, sheriff or no sheriff.”
The back door opened and Susan walked in. “Tom!” she said, rushing over to hug him. “I’m so sorry to put you through all that,” Susan apologized.
“Mom, Mia explained
it. I don’t hold you responsible for your actions. But I’ll never get over seeing you in the green and gold.”
“Me neither. Can I make you a sandwich?” Susan asked.
Tom wasn’t hungry, but he sensed that his mother needed to do something motherly. “I’d like that. I was looking for my old pair of hiking boots…”
“In the garage next to the camp stove,” Susan said.
“Hey, the garage is my domain. How do you know where everything is?” Don asked.
“Try as you may, I will infiltrate every space that has a shelf,” Susan said.
“You take manifest destiny to a whole new level,” Don complained.
Tom walked into the garage, and sure enough, the boots were there. Susan had put them in an oversized Ziploc bag and placed two vented baking soda boxes, one in each boot. Tom tossed the baking soda and headed in with the boots. He almost set them on the kitchen table, but the outraged look from his mother stopped him. He sat down and let her serve him.
“Your father told me you’re not moving back,” Susan said.
“I think I’m needed elsewhere,” Tom said.
“You don’t owe that boy anything. You already saved his life,” Susan reminded Tom.
“I don’t think I owe him, but I do feel responsible for his safety. He’s trying to right himself, Mom. He didn’t have you and Dad to set him straight like I did. I think that he needs a friend.”
“I saw him with Mia and two men coming out of Bailey’s Burgers on my way home,” Susan said. “He’s got friends. Let them take the load. You can’t afford to be seen as courting a criminal element…”
Tom stood up and grabbed his boots. “I’m sorry, but I don’t give a damn about being sheriff if it means that Ethan gets left in the dust. I know you and Deb are friends and Rory is her pet project, but you have to understand that now is the time to be there for Ethan. Evidently, Mia thinks so.”
“Mia. She’s already got a ruined reputation. One that almost took you down with her,” Susan pointed out.
“I don’t believe what I’m hearing. You watch her children. She considers you part of her family. Are you still possessed?”
Don looked at his wife, puzzled by her sudden turn.
“Maybe I’m not expressing myself correctly. Mia, for the most part, belongs to another world. You have to live in this one.”
“I appreciate your opinion, but the day I started to see things that you can’t see, was the day my eyes opened to other things, to the lost ones in our own community. The kids who just follow blindly whatever sports hero or psychopath who leads them. Rory Kline wasn’t innocent in his abduction. He took out his college fund and skipped school, which I know he regrets. He has to take some responsibility for his actions. Ethan has,” Tom said, picking up his boots and walking out of the kitchen.
Susan’s eyes filled, but she couldn’t just let it go and called after him, “If you’re doing this to impress Mia, she’s not interested in you.”
Tom stopped and turned around. “When will you see me as an adult? Dad, you’re right. I should have left this house a long time ago. For the record, what I do, I do for more than myself. I do it because it’s my job. Ethan is struggling.”
“Oh, poor little rich boy,” Susan sniped.
“Let’s leave this as a subject we shouldn’t talk about. And, Mom, don’t let your embarrassment over your possession get in the way of the great friendship you had with Mia. She risked all and saved you. She didn’t do it for me. She did it because you were lost,” Tom said and closed the door after him.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Mia got out of the car and walked over to where Lazar and his family stood waiting. “I’m sorry to be late,” she said, looking around. “As you probably know, this was originally a hog-raising facility.”
“That is why the soil is so good,” Lazar’s father proclaimed. “They spread the waste and plowed it into the ground.”
“Mr. Popov, I know nothing about farming, so I’ll take your word for it. What I do know something about is your neighbor.” Mia turned and studied the tree line. She didn’t see anything, but she felt the presence of the creature. “I’ve decided to come out here by myself, no PEEPs, no cameras, just me. I take it you still want to try to communicate with her?” Mia asked Lazar’s grandmother.
“I want to ask her if she would mind if we farmed the land,” Babcia told Mia. “It’s important to meet your neighbors. We have already spoken with the men who farm the fields where our two properties join. They have also expressed concern about the Sentinel Woods creature.”
“The Monroes have been coexisting with it for a few generations. They are your go-to guys for questions. All I can do is tell you what I’ve learned about her. I think of her as a she because she acted like a mother bear protecting her cub. She saved me from the deepest sinkhole I’ve ever seen. Make sure you get a geological survey before you buy this place,” Mia suggested.
“Already done,” Mr. Popov told her. “All we are waiting on is…”
“Me. K. Come on, Babcia, I hope you’re ready for this. Tell me, have you ever talked with a grapevine before?” Mia asked.
Babcia laughed. “No, but a few rose bushes have known my wrath.”
Lazar watched the two women approach the woods. They looked like they were walking through a market, each sharing a tidbit of gossip.
His father put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. They are skilled witches. They will be fine.”
“Mia’s not a witch, Papa,” Lazar said. “She’s defies classification.”
“Well, your grandmother is a witch. She will take care of Mia.”
“I pray this is so.”
“See, I told you the boy is yearning for the married lady,” Magda said to her husband.
“Mama!” Lazar exclaimed and started to walk off.
“Magda, you must stop hovering. Lazar is a man now. No interference from you.”
“They are arguing about you,” Babcia told Mia.
“Why?”
“My daughter thinks that Lazar is attached to you.”
“I think he had taken a role of protector in my family. I don’t get a feeling of romantic attachment from him.”
“I’m surprised you looked.”
“I have had problems before. Too friendly for my own good.”
“So, you’re not a temptress?”
“With my husband, yes. At least I hope I still am. But fear not, your grandson and I are not romantic.”
There was a crackling of old wood that stopped Mia’s steps and stilled her tongue.
Babcia looked around them. They were in a hollow surrounded by old trees and brambles. “Hello?”
Mia pointed as part of the brambles rose and a familiar set of green orbs were exposed, as were a mouth of sharp thorns. “I’m not sure if you remember me?”
The creature grew in size and lumbered nearer to the women.
“We don’t mean you or the woods any harm,” Mia said. “Babcia would like your permission to farm the land north of here.”
Babcia waved her hands as Mia spoke. “I find that the old ways of communicating are the best,” she explained.
The creature pointed a long finger north and flipped it back and forth in her other hand.
“Yes. My son wants to plant squashes and pumpkins.” Babcia pulled her mouth wide with her fingers.
Mia wished she hadn’t seen that. She wanted so badly not to have seen the gap-toothed grin produced by the older woman.
The creature smiled back.
“Is this a good thing?” Babcia asked.
“I don’t really know,” Mia said.
The creature leaned in close to the women, and she studied them for five tense minutes. She placed a thorny fingertip on Mia’s chest and then on her own.
Mia smiled. She tapped her chest and then reached out and touched the creature. She then took Babcia’s hand and placed it on her head and repeated the procedure.
The three st
ood still as if they were communicating silently. Babcia cleared her throat and sang something in a language Mia didn’t recognize.
The creature tilted its head and closed its eyes.
Babcia finished and waited.
The creature opened its eyes, and a reedy sound, not unlike wind through a stand of cheery trees, was heard. It mimicked Babcia’s song.
Babcia smiled. “She isn’t feral, Mia. She thinks, reasons, and reacts.”
“Does she have a name?” Mia asked.
“Does she need one?” Babcia replied.
“You may want one so you can say something like, ‘Pumpkin Head, stop squeezing the life out of my grandson Lazar,’” Mia said, pointing to the long outstretched arm of the creature whose oversized hand held on firmly to Lazar twelve feet off the ground.
“Stop!” Mia said. She patted her chest and then the creature’s chest before Mia launched herself, adjusting her wings to glide quickly to Lazar’s aid.
The creature studied Mia a moment and opened its hand.
Mia caught Lazar before he hit the ground.
“Nice catch!” Lazar said.
The memory of Angelo catching her flooded her mind. “It weren’t nothing that a woman with extraordinary powers wouldn’t do,” Mia drawled, setting him down, steadying him until his prosthetic limb was on properly.
“You weren’t kidding when you said someone could get killed,” Lazar said. “I’m so sorry we forced your hand.”
“I have a feeling that I may as well get used to this place. There are too many balls in the air right now. I don’t know which is going to drop first.”
Babcia was waving her hands at the creature, and it, in turn, communicated with its wooden hands and arms.
“It looks like a disagreement. You may want to make your way out of here…”
“No. That’s my grandmother, my responsibility.”
Mia sighed. “Suit yourself.”
The creature looked over at Mia and crossed her hands and made the motions of bird flight.
“Yes, I have wings. Don’t judge,” she said and withdrew them.
The creature angled its head in understanding.