Walks Through Mist

by Kim Murphy

  “I’m sorry, Phoebe. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  She got to her feet. “I beg forgiveness for my childish fears. I know that you would not hurt me.”

  They stood two feet apart, and Lee resisted the temptation to take her in his arms and comfort her. He took in her scent. Her perfume wasn’t the sickeningly sweet type that women often wore, but something herbal that he couldn’t quite identify. Something seductive. “Phoebe, I don’t think this is a good idea. I don’t know how they do things in the seventeenth century, but we’re alone in my apartment. I won’t be thinking about spirits, but you. If that’s what you have in mind, I can get you back to Colwell House before curfew.”

  “I haven’t agreed to fornicate with you, but you are a warrior. Are such thoughts wrong? You may have them initially, but they shall pass. Trust me, Lee Crowley, and I shall guide you to the spirit world to collect the required evidence.”

  Her soothing voice mesmerized him, casting a spell over him. His body was already reacting. With some reluctance, he agreed. “Where?”

  “Here shall do.”

  “I better close the drapes. The neighbors might get the wrong idea.”

  After he had returned from the chore, she had an amused grin. “Your propriety is much like that of the English.”

  For some odd reason, Lee didn’t think her words had been a compliment. “I wasn’t raised by the Paspahegh or Arrohateck, but God-fearing Irish-Catholic parents, okay?”

  “Though you attempt to jest, I sense sorrow.”

  Her remark cut him to the quick. She saw right through him. How could a muddled patient of Shae’s have that effect on him? “My parents did their best, but they never reached what was within my heart.”

  She nodded in understanding. “Mayhap you will learn why. Do you have a candle?”

  “Of course.” He went into the kitchen and from the drawer got a candle and holder that he used for emergency power outages. “I doubt the Arrohateck had many candles.”

  “My momma used candles in Dorset. I don’t have any flint. Please light the candle, then turn out the lights.”

  Lee wondered why he had agreed to this. He set the candle on the table, lit the wick with a match, and switched off the main light. “Why do we need to sit around in the dark and stare at a candle?”

  She sat next to the table. “The candle should help you focus.”

  The soft candlelight framed her face in a sensuous glow. Lee imagined himself bending beside her and touching her silky skin. He let out a slow breath and had no idea how he was going to concentrate on anything but the woman before him. What had happened to a respectable distance? “I’m contemplating whisking you off to the bedroom.”

  “I agreed to guide you through the dreaming, not share your bed. Although—”

  “Although? Does that mean I can whisk you off later?”

  “It means naught.”

  “All right. You win. But even you agree that my thoughts are normal.”

  “Aye.” Phoebe motioned for him to sit across from her. “But thoughts do not necessarily become fact.”

  So true, he thought in disappointment. He sat on the floor. “Now what?”

  She held out her hands. The webbing between her third and fourth finger of her left hand caught his eye.

  “Does it bother you?” she asked as if reading his mind.

  “No.” To prove his word, he grasped her hands.

  “The English thought it to be the witch’s mark.”

  “And the Arrohateck?”

  “Lightning Storm assured me that it was a sign of luck. Now, look into the flame.”

  If he did as she asked, he might be able to think of something besides exploring her body. He stared at the flame.

  “I have described my guardian spirit,” she said. “Together, we seek him.”

  Lee heard a ticking clock from the kitchen and Phoebe’s soft breathing. He continued to stare, and the sound from the clock seemed to grow louder. Unable to resist any longer, he moved close enough to kiss Phoebe, but she placed a hand between them, stopping him short.

  “Absorb the flame. Let it become part of you.”

  Once more, he was reseated across from Phoebe and looked at the flame. He kept hearing the clock ticking away. If he hadn’t locked the Glock in the bedroom, he could have blasted the damned thing. Five minutes passed. He heard neighbor’s voices on the stairs outside. Ten minutes. A car pulled up to the entrance. Half an hour. A horn blared on the street. After an hour, he was ready to give up. “Nothing. I don’t think the spirits are coming tonight.”

  “Because you have not absorbed the flame. Feel its heat.”

  Absorb the flame. The only heat was between his legs. “What in the hell do you mean?”

  “Hell hath no place on our quest.” She tightened her grip on his hand. “I shall be along on your journey. Try again.”

  Of all the senseless, asinine.... He stared at the flame. “If I had some idea of what I’m looking for, I might have better luck.”

  “Has Shae e’er hypnotized you?”

  “Once. She was just learning the technique, and I foolishly allowed myself to be her guinea pig.”

  “Guinea pig?”

  “Never mind. To make a long story short, I came out of the trance too quickly and had a doozy of a headache. She learned from her mistake and takes her time with patients.”

  “You should not be left with head pains, but what we are seeking is much the same.”

  And what he didn’t add was that Shae had hypnotized him in the hope of making him a more attentive lover. What could he say? They had been in their early twenties, and he hadn’t yet learned the finesse of not rushing. The hypnotic hangover cured his quick trigger on that night.

  Lee nodded that he was ready to try again. With Phoebe across from him, he focused on the flame. She no longer held his hands, but it was as if they were touching all the same. He reached for the candle, but Phoebe’s blue-green eyes drew him back. If anything was hypnotic, it was her eyes. They held secrets beyond what he could imagine. Her eyes reflected like pools of water, holding and captivating him. Around him swirled a heavy mist. Clad in a loin cloth and moccasins, he stumbled through the thick fog. Finally, the mist thinned, and he reached a forest clearing.

  He was lost. Normally not the sort of person to panic, he had frequent nightmares of being in the forest. Muzzle flashes surrounded him. Why couldn’t he draw his gun? Then he wandered aimlessly through the trees. Looking for whom?

  “Lee.”

  It was Phoebe’s voice. Unable to locate her, he continued walking. Brambles cut his arms.

  “Lee.” Up ahead stood a white greyhound. Beside the dog was Phoebe, dressed in a long green skirt, laced top with metal eyelets, and linen cap.

  She ran to join him, throwing her arms around his neck. His mouth pressed against hers in feverish kisses. They sank to the ground. Clinging to each other, almost desperately, he pushed up her skirts and shift. She arched to meet him.

  “No!” Covered in sweat, Lee blinked back the image. He suddenly felt sick to his stomach. The nausea passed, and he glanced around. He was in his apartment, not the forest.

  “Lee? You appear unwell.”

  He focused on Phoebe’s concerned face. Slowly, he got to his feet. “Are you trying to tell me that I’m Lightning Storm?”

  “Nay. I don’t control the dreaming, but you are the reason why I’m here. Of that, I’m certain. We must decipher the symbols and discover their meaning together.”

  Unsettled by the sensations, he needed time to think. “You can have my bed tonight. I’ll sleep in the den.”

  “You no longer wish to fornicate with me?”

  Was she offering what he had sought? What he had envisioned? Resist the primal urges and think with my head. “Not until I understand what’s happening.”

  She sent him a teasing smile. “I shall see you on the morrow, Lee Crowley.”

  He didn’t trust himself to show her. “The
bedroom is through the dining area and all the way to the end of the apartment. The bathroom is right off the bedroom. Goodnight, Phoebe.” Thank God he had a change of clothes in the den, and the apartment had a second toilet. He’d shower at the station. If he went near the bedroom, his resolve would be hopeless. She had totally bewitched him.

  * * *

  18

  Phoebe

  Aft I returned to Colwell House the next day, Valerie said little to me. She scrutinized me as I performed my chores. I felt like a small child, wondering if I had unwittingly committed a violation of the house rules. This time period, the twenty-first century, the more I learnt about it, the less I seemed to understand. If only I could discover how I had come to be here.

  The Arrohateck had taught me patience. All my answers would come in the proper time.

  I joined Meg and one of the other women, Carol, in the parlor where they watched TV. People seemed to be painted upon a canvas as though they lived inside a box, yet unlike a canvas, they moved within the container. The first time I saw the screen, I checked behind the box to see where the people hid, only for the others to laugh at my confusion. I had heard tales of fairies and thought mayhap this was their world.

  Meg moved aside me on the divan, and she broke into a wide grin. “Well....”

  “Well, what?” I asked.

  “Last night. Details,” Meg said, giggling.

  Carol came closer. “I think I’d be afraid of doing it with a cop.”

  Uncertain what they were talking about, I asked, “Doing what? Lee and I had dinner.”

  Carol rolled her blue eyes.“C’mon, Phoebe. You spent the night with him. Dinner doesn’t take that long.” She left the room in disgust.

  “Don’t worry about her.” Meg patted my hand. “She’s jealous. Kevin can’t compare to Lee. Tall, brown, and handsome. He doesn’t have a brother, does he?”

  “I don’t think he knows. He’s adopted.”

  “Too bad, but lucky you. And don’t worry about Valerie, she’ll get over her bitchy mood when she realizes Lee’s not like Kevin.”

  I now comprehended their words, and though I admitted to myself I had been tempted, I said, “Lee and I didn’t fornicate. He needed proof that I hail from the seventeenth century. I showed him the dreaming.”

  “The dreaming?”

  For whatever reason, I trusted Meg. I went on to tell my friend about the dreaming. Her eyes grew round, and I suddenly worried. Momma had warned me of neighbors in Dorset who pretended to be friends, only to cry witch.

  * * *

  One moon aft Lightning Storm relieved my hound from the madness, Singing Woman became sullen. Few Arrohateck complained of pain, but as her friend, I knew something was amiss. When she developed a fever, I treated her with dried wild quinine flowers in a warm drink. The English would later discover the same plant as a beneficial treatment for malarial fevers that they and the Africans had brought to Virginia.

  For Singing Woman, my medicine was inadequate. In my heart, I knew the madness had spread, but I continued to care for her as if it were an ordinary fever. She partook water in carefully measured sips, and Two Wolves told me that she awoke at night, screaming in terror.

  The kwiocosuk brought Singing Woman to the sweat house made from stone to purify her. I removed my deerskin apron afore entering the sweat house. At the center was a shallow pit that contained the heated rocks. Prayers were given to join Singing Woman’s mind, body, and spirit. An offering of tobacco was made to appease the vengeful spirit Oke.

  As we sang and prayed, the spirit dog appeared afore me. I followed him through the now-familiar mist. To my astonishment, he led me to Two Wolves’s house, where Singing Woman was tied to her pallet by deer hide straps. Struggling against the leather, she roared in anger. When I tried to give her some water, she choked, unable to drink. Like the hound, she foamed from the mouth.

  I spoke softly, but her screams of terror intensified. Finally, I took her hand and held it. Her muscles relaxed slightly. For a brief moment, I spotted clarity in her eyes.

  “Walks Through Mist, please take care of my baby,” she said.

  I squeezed my eyes shut against the tears. “You’re not going to die, Singing Woman.”

  “Vow to me.”

  “I vow.”

  With my vow she released her burning rage, lashing fierce words at me once more. Even Two Wolves’s warrior stance could not hide his grief as her eyes rolled up in her head. Her muscles quivered violently. How much longer?

  When the fit ended, her eyes showed confusion. Two Wolves clutched her hand. “I thought you had taken the path to the afterlife.”

  A blissful smile appeared on her lips. “I saw my father.”

  I struggled not to cry when Two Wolves asked, “What did he say?”

  “I will soon join my ancestors.”

  Though her voice had been weak, I mulled over her words. Would I see my English father, who had been lost on the Sea Venture, upon my death? I shivered. My mind had blotted out what he had looked like. I turned to give Two Wolves and Singing Woman a few precious moments alone.

  But as I left, the time Two Wolves had been granted was lost as swiftly as it had appeared. Behind me, Singing Woman raved as the madness engulfed her being. Numbness spread throughout me. I prayed for an end to her suffering, and the spirit dog returned me to the sweat house.

  * * *

  19

  Shae and Lee

  In nervous anticipation of the party, Shae stepped onto the scales and closed her eyes. Might as well get it over with. She peeked. Two pounds heavier than the last time. “Ugh.”

  “Shae?” Russ entered the bathroom. “I thought you were ready. Guests will be arriving soon.”

  She got off the scales and glanced in the mirror. Since living with Russ, her face had become rounder, and she’d gone up a dress size. Soon she’d be checking the racks for the next size. And her hair had that frizzled, dishwater look.

  “Earth to Shae. You look great.”

  She blinked, finally seeing Russ in the mirror behind her.

  “Stop obsessing about your weight,” he said.

  She turned and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “And you know exactly what a girl needs to hear. Did you have a look at the seventeenth-century recipe book I found online?”

  “I did. I doubt too many would find boiled mutton and roasted neat’s tongue appetizing.”

  “Neat? Dare I ask what that is?”

  “Cow,” he replied. “Even so, I think roast tongue has gone out of fashion. I hope you’re not too disappointed that I bypassed such delicacies.” He drew her into his arms.

  “I’m glad you did,” she murmured, and they kissed. With a sigh, she stepped back. “Save that thought for later. I’ll be right there.”

  Shae quickly changed. Satisfied that a loose-fitting blouse hid the extra pounds, she hurried into the living room. After putting on a CD of recorder music, she checked the hors d’oeuvres.

  Russ had prepared a vegetable tray and homemade dips, a fine spread of mini crab cakes, beef wellington, steak on garlic toast, and wild mushroom tart for the vegetarians. For dessert, he had made a sampler of cheesecakes.

  “Everything looks fabulous.” Shae gave him a bear hug. “Oh, there is one thing—I forgot to tell you that Phoebe was a little quiet earlier in the week. I don’t know what the problem was, but she refused hypnosis. Her session the other day was back to normal, but she wouldn’t tell me what was bothering her before.”

  “Stop worrying about Phoebe. I’ll talk to her when she’s here. Now relax.”

  Easier said than done. Before she could respond, the doorbell chimed. The first guests were her next-door neighbors. Soon after, she ushered a few more neighbors through the door. Half an hour later, Phoebe and Valerie arrived. “I’m so glad you could come, although I was hoping we’d have a larger turn out from Colwell House.”

  “The other women had an array of activities planned,” Valerie replied, and then sh
e beamed. “Phoebe has something to show you.”

  Shae glanced from Valerie to Phoebe. Phoebe withdrew a notepad and pen. In awkward, scrawling letters, she wrote her name and handed the paper to Shae. Shae clapped her hands.

  “Wonderful!”

  Pleased with her success, Phoebe gave a broad smile, and Shae congratulated her again.

  “What do you think of the music?” Shae asked.

  “Very pleasing.”

  “Let me introduce you and Valerie to Russ and the other guests.” After a round of introductions, Shae mingled and made certain everyone had plenty to eat and drink. More guests arrived, and she welcomed them in.

  During a quiet moment, Valerie approached her and Russ and glanced between the two of them. “Umm....”

  “If it’s about Phoebe,” Shae said, “you can say it in front of Russ.”

  “I can see to the other guests,” he suggested.

  Valerie waved that his leaving wouldn’t be necessary. “Shae, I’ve debated all evening whether to tell you, but I thought you should know that Phoebe spent the other night with Lee.”

  Shae shot an “I told you so” look to Russ. Phoebe’s preoccupation earlier in the week suddenly became crystal clear. “That must be the reason why he hasn’t shown his face this evening.” Calming herself, she took a deep breath. “Thanks for the heads up, but there’s nothing I can do about it other than to warn Phoebe this isn’t a good time for her to be involved with someone. If I do anymore, then it would be on a personal level rather than a professional one.”

  Valerie nodded in agreement. She opened her mouth to say something further, but closed it again.

  “You wanted to say more?” Shae asked.

  With a glance at Russ, Valerie swallowed. “If you don’t mind my asking, why did you divorce him?”

  “I’ve heard this one,” Russ said. “I think it’s time I have that chat with Phoebe.”