by P. Z. Walker
They came close to the Five Oaks. Sheila already saw the blue shimmer, and as she was more sensitive now she also heard its faint crackle before they stood close to the trees. It was somehow disturbing that she was the only one who saw the blue fences connecting the circle of trees, she was relieved that the others took her word for it.
"So how are we going to do this?" Jeremy asked, staying away from the three naked people and keeping his eyes on the ground and the trees.
Lizzy took charge, to Sheila's relief. "We're five people, we can each sit near a tree and start the meditation and the chanting there."
"I'm drumming," Mike said, holding up his instrument.
"And Sheila should be inside the circle of trees," Wendy pointed out. "That worked best last time too."
Sheila wasn't certain if that was the best option, last time it had scared her like crazy. But this time Acaraho would be with her, that might make it easier.
"Then we'll spread around the five trees then," Lizzy decided, "and Sheila will sit in the centre." Lizzy usually was best in determining roles for rituals and ceremonies. Mike calmly accepted her leadership and sat down where she pointed out a spot.
Sheila switched her sight off so she could more easily enter the space among the trees; the experience of last time was enough. Avoiding a painful sensation was easy enough. She grinned as she heard Jeremy muttering a comment on being in the woods with naked people, but didn't think it necessary to comment on that.
Wendy sat down a bit closer to Mike than Lizzy would like, Sheila saw the look on the Lizzy's face, but she didn't seem to mind much for now.
"Let's all relax now," Lizzy said, "and attune to the spirits of the land. All who want to chant can follow my lead once I start. Mike can start his drumming then. Sheila, you can do whatever you feel is right for you."
Sheila nodded as she reactivated the sight. The blue walls sprang to life around her, she sat down and closed her eyes. "Acaraho. I am among the five oaks now, and my ability is on. Can you hear me?"
"I hear you well, Shíile Isshiiá." The voice sounded as if he was whispering in her ear, so clear.
Lizzy started a slow chant, merely a buzz without words. Wendy and Jeremy picked it up as they knew it, and Mike easily found the rhythm to play his drum to. Sheila also hummed the chant for a while, until she felt herself fade away from the world. The feeling of the ground beneath her, the rustling of the leaves overhead, everything became a bit distant.
"You are entering another realm, Yellow Hair," Acaraho noticed. "This is good."
"Why?"
"If you maintain this state in your mind, we will be able to see each other."
"Oh." Maybe that wasn't a good idea, she thought, how would her spirit guide react if he saw she had nothing on.
"Don't worry. I am not troubled by naked bodies," the kind voice said. "Now focus on what you want to do. I should not distract you."
"Okay. And stop reading my mind, please." Once more she let herself sink into the meditative state, floating away on the chant and the sound of the drum.
Suddenly there was a whisper, nothing more than an audible touch. "Open your eyes." She knew it was her guide speaking, and after she opened her eyes she saw a shadowy shape sit opposite her.
"Acaraho," she whispered in her mind.
"Shíile Isshiiá," he affirmed.
"This is weird."
The shadow slowly shook his head. "It is new. Be calm."
It surprised Sheila how calm she was with this encounter of the very strange kind. Her logical mind wanted to interfere with the experience, making it difficult for her to stay attuned to her peaceful, open state of mind. "Can we find Josy now?" she wondered.
"I don't know. Open your mind to the Crow spirits that linger here, maybe they reveal something."
"Are there more?!" That odd realisation shook her up so much that all her work to become calm vanished in the blink of an eye. With her eyes wide open she found herself sitting among the blue barriers. In the screens she saw more swirls and hazy images now. "Damn," she muttered, "and it was going so well."
The chanting and drumming stopped. Lizzy stepped into the circle and asked if Sheila was okay.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just had a very odd realisation when Acaraho told me there are more spirits." Oh shit, now she had spilled the news after all.
"Arapaho? Who's that?" Lizzy asked as Wendy, Jeremy and Mike joined them.
Sheila blushed. "I didn't want to tell you yet as it may sound too wild. Last Tuesday when I was here with Wendy and Mike, I suddenly heard a voice." The two nodded. "I first thought it was my imagination, but the voice came back when I was at home. He said he's my spirit guide."
The four looked at her, dumbfounded.
"I know, it sounds crazy, but his name is Acaraho. He's ancient Crow. My grandfather was also Crow, and Acaraho told me that this is sacred Crow land. The thing that shocked me out of it was that he told me there are more Crow spirits around."
"Trippy," said Mike as he put an arm around Wendy's shoulder. "We have a spirit talker with us. I told you before, little sister, you're special."
Jeremy looked at Sheila. "You're not kidding us, are you? This is really happening, and we're watching and hearing it. That's so cool."
Lizzy nodded. "Is Araca... Acaro... with you now?"
"Acaraho. He is when I want him to or need him. Why?"
"I just had this crazy idea to ask him something. But it's crazy, so better forget it." Lizzy grinned sheepishly.
"What does she want to ask?" Acaraho wanted to know, so Sheila relayed his question.
"I would like to know if he knows if I have a spirit guide as well."
For a moment Acaraho was silent. "Most people are ready for their guide. Not everyone is yet able to commune with him or her, though. I cannot tell if she is able. If she is, she will meet her guide when she's most open to nature, because that is where the spirits live." Sheila spoke his words as he said them.
"Oh. Wow." Lizzy giggled. Then she frowned. "Does that mean I have to take my clothes off too?"
"That would at least make you most open to nature," Wendy shrugged. "Doesn't mean that your guide is here, but you can give it a try. It's up to you."
"Uhhuh..." Lizzy didn't look convinced.
To Sheila's surprise it was Jeremy who started to undress.
Chapter 11.
Lizzy, Wendy and Sheila were very surprised about Jeremy's action. As he noticed that he was the centre of attention, he turned his back to them. "Hey, don't look," he complained, "or I get scared and put it back on."
"Don't worry, Jeremy, you have nothing we haven't seen before," Wendy tried to calm him. It didn't really help, but he remained undressed although he tried to hide his privates with his clothes.
"Gods, I feel stupid now," Lizzy said as she stared at the four nude people with her. "Do you think I should..."
"Only if you feel like it, Lizzy," Mike said.
"I am convinced it would help to balance the energy when we resume the circle," Wendy added. Sheila wasn't certain if she was serious or if she wanted to give Lizzy the little nudge she seemed to need.
Regardless of Wendy's meaning, Lizzy took a deep breath. "I hope no one's watching," she said and started to undress as well. "And when I get cold, I'm dressing again," she warned everyone.
Sheila grinned. "No one's watching. They're all naked in these parts."
Wendy and Mike took charge of the group now, clearly to prevent Lizzy and Jeremy from feeling uncomfortable in their new, exposed state. "Let's get back to where we sat and start again. Sheila, try not to confuse us when you talk to your Arapaho," Wendy said as she walked to her previous spot.
"Acaraho, and he's from the Crow tribe, not Arapaho," Sheila lectured.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you," Wendy laughed.
The others walked out through the blue flames without seeing them, and when they all had taken their place again, with Lizzy and Jeremy sitting on their clothes, Sheila also sat
down. She looked around and realised now that she couldn't see her friends through the energy-barriers. The chanting and the drumming started once more. Sheila let herself drift on the sound and chanted along in as quite a voice as she could. Much quicker than the first time, her awareness shifted and she opened herself to the area, to the Five Oaks and the energy that they had to possess. The Crow people had chosen this place as a sacred area for a reason.
"Acaraho, I'm here again," she whispered. She had a sensation of movement around her, even when there couldn't be anyone; after all they were alone here near the top of the hill.
"Shíile Isshiiá," the friendly voice came to her. "Keep your eyes closed now, make it easy for yourself. I am here too. Now think of your friend."
"Think about what?" she wondered. He replied that anything would do. How Josy looked, something she would do, how she was. Anything that made Josy her friend. Sheila smiled as she thought of the jokes they often told each other, and about the many times Josy had invited her over to the resort. How would she react to learn that Sheila was indeed here now, she wondered.
At times it was as if Acaraho disappeared for a few moments and then returned. "What are you doing?" Sheila asked, but he didn't answer so she kept thinking about the many aspects that made Josy Josy, including the obnoxious, orange bag she was so fond of. Perhaps she should go to the police station and ask for it, a thought flashed through her mind. Maybe having something that belonged to Josy would indeed help to find her.
Her guide returned once more and didn't leave after that. "I have been to places where she might be, but there is no sign of someone's energy the way you describe," Acaraho said. "We can try another time."
"Are you giving up for today?" Sheila wondered.
"No. You are going to stop for today," was the surprising reply.
"Am I really?"
"You are not used to this kind of work. You have been in this trance for longer than you think. It is time for you to wake up and enjoy yourself with your friends while you are here." He spoke to her like a father. "Rest before you return to your home."
Sheila thanked her friendly guide and slowly let the meditative state slide away. As she opened her eyes, she saw the others sit around her, a few with a worried look on their faces.
"Oh, thank heavens, you're coming out," Lizzy said. "You were far gone, Sheila. We sat here talking to you and you didn't hear us. What happened?"
Sheila noticed how stiff she was from sitting and she wondered how long she'd been in this position. "Can you help me up? I hurt everywhere..." Helping hands pulled her to her feet. "Sorry, but my legs curse me, Jeremy," she said as she leaned on her friend.
Jeremy was not used to a naked woman so close to him. He blushed as he tried to cover his beginning erection with both hands. "Maybe you should lean on someone else," he stammered.
Mike patted him on the shoulder. "Never mind. Help my little sister along and it'll go away. It happens to the best of us; just ignore it."
Wendy and Lizzy carried all the clothes, Mike had the drum, and Sheila, who had switched her sight off, staggered along as she held on to Jeremy, whose face still expressed his embarrassment.
They had almost reached the bottom of the slope when Sheila's legs agreed with walking on their own again. They hadn't spoken much until then, but with the path flat and most of them losing the last bits of their state of meditation, talks picked up. Sheila explained what she had experienced with Acaraho. Jeremy, holding his clothes in front of him, admitted that he'd never had a meditation as special as this one. Lizzy agreed with him. "I will do this kind of thing more from now on. Meditating and divining in the nude, I mean. I'm just not so sure if I'm ready to come here more often. It feels so... exposed."
Sheila recognised the sentiment and put an arm around Lizzy. Lizzy jerked for a moment, caught by surprise as she felt the skin of her friend against that of her own.
"It's okay, Liz," said Sheila as she pulled back her arm, "no harm meant. I know how you feel, I've been there not even so long ago."
"And you adjusted fast," Mike commented. "Good for you. Let's find a place to sit or lie or something, and I'll get something cold to drink."
"You and I are going to do that together," Wendy corrected him, "I'm not letting you out of my sight." Mike laughed at that.
They found a nice place in the sun where they sat down on the warm grass. It didn't take Wendy and Mike long to get some refreshments.
Sheila lay on her back, looking at the few clouds that tried to dominate the mostly blue sky. "It's lovely here," she mumbled as her fingers ran through the grass.
"Oh, look who came back," a kind voice said.
Sheila turned her head and saw Nancy, the older lady who had greeted her the first time she'd been here. "Hello, Nancy," she said as she got up from the grass. "Nice seeing you again."
"Nice seeing you. Shelly, was it?"
"Sheila."
"Oh, Sheila. And you're really here," Nancy nodded. "You brought some friends too?"
Lizzy immediately looked uncomfortable under the attention of the older lady as Sheila introduced her and Jeremy.
"Don't worry, child," Nancy told the nervous young woman, "you'll get used to it soon."
"I'm not certain that I want to," Lizzy replied to that. Sheila admired her friend for remaining nude. It clearly wasn't easy for her.
Mike noticed it too. "Anyone feel like swimming?"
Jeremy looked up. "Oh, yes, that would be great!"
"Is there a place to swim here?" Sheila wondered. She hadn't seen anything like it yet.
Mike laughed. "Of course there is. What is a vacation place without a swimming pool? Come on everyone, I'll show you."
Nancy wished them a lot of fun as they grabbed their belongings and followed Mike, who had Wendy skipping along next to him. Sheila grinned as she whispered to Lizzy: "Did I say crush?" Lizzy had to giggle at that too, forgetting the momentary attention her nakedness had attracted.
The walk to the swimming pool took them to an area of the resort that Sheila had never seen before. That was hardly surprising, so far she'd only seen the office annex reception and the trail to the Five Oaks. Walking along a well-trodden path in the grass they went around a line of trees, and behind that was a large swimming pool. About two dozen people were already frolicking in the water, tossing balls to each other, or floating on an air bed and reading a magazine.
Jeremy and Lizzy dropped their clothes and ran to the pool, jumping into it with a big splash.
"Kids," Wendy laughed. "Is there something going on between them that I don't know? They were in a hurry to get in there."
"I think it's more the lack of clothes that still worries them," Sheila said. As she spoke she realised that she'd been reluctant the previous time they'd been here. How quickly that had changed. Then she thought of something. "Is it smart to go in? We have no towels with us."
Again Mike laughed. "You also won't have wet bathing clothes sticking to you. Just sit in the sun and let that dry you. Race you to the pool, last one in is the slowest!" With his long legs he was the fastest.
It felt wonderful when Sheila hit the water. She was still tired from the long session at the Five Oaks, but the cooling water seemed to chase all of that away from her. She broke through the watery surface and laughed, simply because of the great feeling to be floating in the water. Someone called out to her and a ball flew through the air. Quickly she reached up and caught it. She didn't hesitate, she just threw it away again, at one of the people who looked at her and the ball.
Then she took a deep breath and let herself slip underwater again, swimming slowly across the pool with long, smooth strokes. She'd always been a good swimmer. Upon reaching the wall of the pool, she rose up and pulled herself onto the side. There she sat and looked out over the water. She saw Lizzy and Jeremy being pulled into the ball-game, and they seemed to enjoy themselves instantly. Mike's long manes were hard to miss, and where he was, Wendy was as well. They floated close
together in a quieter spot of the pool.
Sheila opened her sight and gasped at the radiant colours that came from all the people. They had to be very happy, radiating so much yellow and orange. Wendy noticed Sheila sitting on the side and called out, asking if she was okay. Sheila waved and yelled back that she was fine. She slipped back into the water and swam across, after which she climbed out and found a sunny spot on the grass where she lay down. "Acaraho?" she asked.
"I am here. You feel better."
"I do. Thank you for warning me."
"There is no need to thank me. You will learn to sense that yourself in time. Now enjoy yourself." The presence of the man disappeared as swiftly as it had appeared.
"Yes, boss," Sheila grinned to herself. After stretching herself she sat up and tried to locate her friends, but in the mass of heads that was close to impossible. As she got to her feet, she noticed something that Mike had already said. No wet bathing suit. As she stood there, with a gentle, warm breeze playing around her, it became even more apparent that she wore nothing: usually a wet bikini and wind would add up to a shiver. None of that happened now!
"Come back in here, little sister!" Mike waved at her and pointed at the water when he saw her look at him. "Much better!"
She let out a long, relaxing sigh and walked to the side of the pool. There she waited for enough space and then dove into the water, coming up almost at the other side, water streaming from her face, pulling her hair into a thick layer behind her head. Then she swam to Mike and Wendy. "It's nice here."
"Nice? It's much more than nice," Wendy grinned, "this is what we should live like all the time."
"You say that just because you don't know the joy of staring into people's mouths," Sheila grinned back. "But you're right. This is great." She looked around and located Lizzy. Jeremy was hidden from view. "Even they are having a good time."
Wendy nodded. "Most of them is sort of hidden now, it's a good way to get used to being this way. How are you feeling, kiddo?" As Sheila asked in what manner she meant that, Wendy replied that any manner she'd like to answer was a good one.