by P. Z. Walker
"I'm catching up from the Oaks, that's good. The wobbly knees are gone. And as to this" - she pointed to herself, even though most of her was submerged - "I'm fine with that too. Relaxed. It feels good."
"Good," Wendy smiled. "That's what counts. Chase through the pool to the other side?"
"You're on!"
The two women quickly swam away from Mike. Wendy didn't stand a chance.
Chapter 12.
The day came to an end far too soon. Mike had arranged towels with the Mighty Oaks logo for everyone to dry themselves with and to sit on. Dinner was enjoyed in the restaurant, and even Jeremy and Lizzy looked quite comfortable by then. As Mike asked if they would come back the next day, the latter two shook their heads. They had other things planned, and no, not together. That made everyone laugh. Sheila and Wendy looked forward to coming in again though.
"Maybe I should become a member here," Sheila mused as they were drinking coffee and tea after dinner. "I've been coming in so often that I'm almost feeling guilty of not paying something."
Mike smiled. "That's mighty kind of you, little sister. If you want we can fix that before you leave, or take care of that tomorrow."
"Best do that tomorrow then, if that's all right with you."
"Trippy. Tell you what, you keep the towel as a welcome present. You guys too."
"But I'm not becoming a member," Lizzy objected, and Jeremy nodded his head in agreement.
"That's fine, see it as a souvenir of today. And when you come again, you can bring it with you and look like a resident," Mike chuckled.
They settled the bill and Mike walked them to Sheila's car, where they put their clothes back on. After saying their goodbyes they drove off, and on the way to Sheila's apartment they went over everything that had happened that day one more time.
By the time everyone had gone home Sheila went inside. She felt satisfied, happy and very relaxed, but the fact that Josy was still missing gnawed at her. They'd done something but it hadn't yielded any result. On the way home they had agreed to do this kind of meeting again the next weekend if Josy still hadn't turned up.
Absent-mindedly she walked to the kitchen, made a cup of coffee and settled on the couch with it. "Josy, where the hell are you?" she wondered out loud. Acaraho hadn't found any trace of her friend, and she wondered if that would become increasingly difficult as time passed by, just like with search-dogs and fading scents. After a few minutes she noticed she was uncomfortable and then realised that her shorts were bothering her. After half a day in the nude the fabric was unpleasantly pressing into her skin. "Right then," she mumbled to herself, and soon she had taken everything off. Sitting on the towel that Mike had given her felt much nicer. "Damn, I'm really turning into a nudist here," she chuckled at herself.
It didn't take long for her to feel tired of all the thinking, and the day in the outside, the sunshine and the swimming probably were to blame for that as well, so she quickly settled into bed. There she reminded herself not to have a late coffee because tired and sleeping proved to be different things.
Her mind was working overtime while her body slept. Dreams kept coming, of Indians dancing in blue flames, Josy running and screaming in the distance, the swimming pool with so many happy people, and through it all there was a distinct feeling that her friend desperately needed her. In the middle of the night Sheila woke up and sat in her bed, disoriented. The dreams had left her shivering despite the nice temperature in her bedroom, so she wondered what to do. Should she have a little drink? Should she try to talk to her guide about this? She slipped out of bed and walked into the living room with her ability active so she didn't need to switch on a light. She stood in front of the window and looked up at the night sky, where stars blinked at her from the distance. The stars were as they always were, she noticed, no special colours around them. They probably had their own energy that was much stronger than hers.
She slowly walked back to bed and as she lay down her mind took up the subject of energy. What was it Acaraho had said? There was a special energy among the oaks when Josy disappeared? If so, would they need to recreate that particular kind of energy to find Josy? That was quite daunting: how would you go about recreating an energy that had occurred in the universe?
"Your thoughts are going in the right direction," Acaraho's voice appeared in her head, very softly. "The energy is indeed one of the important parts."
"Yikes. Give a girl a break please, you almost gave me a heart-attack!"
"I did not. You were implicitly talking to me so I respond."
"I don't like you, Acaraho," Sheila muttered, knowing that he understood.
"Of course you don't, Shíile Isshiiá."
In the dark she grinned at hearing that name. It made her feel special, different. Her grandfather would have been so proud of that. "Do you know where my grandfather is?" she couldn't stop herself from asking.
"I don't know. There are so many souls and spirits, we cannot keep track of them all."
"Well, I could try, right? So what about that energy? If you know that, why did you let us do what we did today? I'm sure you knew it wouldn't work."
Acaraho explained that it was important for the five people to get accustomed to each other and get attuned to the environment. "You noticed how lively the land there is. That is why it was and still is sacred, even when the Crow People moved away from there. Once you are fully at peace there, and aware of the energies, we can go further. I feel that this place among the oaks is only the starting point."
Sheila frowned. "What starting point?"
"The earth has many flows of energy, Shíile Isshiiá. If your friend is still present in the energy between the five oaks, you or I would have noticed her being there. I did not, and you did not either."
"I saw a bit of an image of her face in the blue flares," she reminded the voice in her head.
"That means she has indeed been there, and there is some remaining energy that can show her image. She probably entered a powerful stream of energy that transported her to another place. She may be in a shifted reality because of that."
Sheila sat up again. "Wait. Are you talking quantum physics here? If so, then stop right here. I don't understand that stuff."
Acaraho had no idea what quantum physics were, so that matter was soon dismissed, but what he told her sounded close to impossible. It made her think of the transporter beam in the Star Trek series that had gone wrong somehow, leaving Josy's atoms tumbling around in a place no one knew anything about. The idea was scary because if that had indeed happened, they'd have to find a way to create their own transporter beam to get Josy back!
Acaraho then left with the remark that she should sleep. After everything they'd talked about that sounded like the most impossible thing ever, but she drifted off soon, and the odd dreams stayed away.
*
The morning came with lots of sunshine. Sheila awoke to it feeling very good and refreshed. She hadn't expected that after the strange night, but soon she was out of bed and sipping coffee while going through her e-mails and other messages on the computer. The only interesting messages came from Wendy and Lizzy. Lizzy simply wrote that she'd enjoyed the day at the resort. Wendy's mail said that she'd wait for Sheila's call so they could head over to the Mighty Oaks as soon as they both were awake enough for that.
Sheila picked up her phone and made the call. "Hey, it's me. Awake and dressed yet?" As she asked that, she realised she was still naked, and laughed about that.
"No. Nekkid as the day I was born," Wendy replied, "but I can remedy that soon. How about I am there around 10:30? I don't feel like hurrying."
"Sure, no problem. I'm just afraid that Mike will wonder what's keeping us," Sheila teased Wendy.
"Hah, he'll be fine. Waiting for the girl is what makes them play nice later," Wendy laughed. "See you later, kiddo!"
Sheila picked some fresh summer clothes from her wardrobe, put a few things in her bag and waited until almost 10:30 before she got dresse
d. The naked way of life was becoming more and more a part of her existence, and that surprised her. The ease with which she connected to the other naturists there was baffling, and there had not been any remark about her body that she knew of.
When Wendy rang the doorbell below, Sheila hurried down. This time they'd go in Wendy's car, so she had all the time to enjoy the drive. The open sunroof and windows allowed the wind to play with her hair. It felt great. "Maybe tonight we'll drive back naked," Wendy stated without a grin.
"No. You're kidding, right?"
"Am I?" Wendy grinned. Sheila wasn't convinced it was just a threat but it wasn't evening yet. She hopped out of the car to open the gate, and soon the car was in the parking.
"Let's walk into the office all dressed," Wendy suggested then, "so we can register as members and take off our stuff there."
"All dressed, sure," Sheila grinned. She wore very short shorts and a tank top, and Wendy wore a top even smaller and a mini-skirt that probably was illegal in many states.
"Details, details, come on." Wendy grabbed Sheila by the arm and dragged her along.
Even at this hour there were two people manning the desk, and they were very happy to hand the two women the necessary application forms to become members of the naturists' resort. Mike, they heard, was somewhere on the property as there had been some mentions of a broken water pipe, and he was on his way to fix that.
"Okay, so what'll we do in the meantime?" Sheila wondered.
Ted, the man at the counter, handed her a map of the resort. "You can find your way around with this just fine. Just stroll through the park, look around, take your time, and most of all go and have fun." He then pointed them to a door. "Behind that is a locker room where you can leave everything you don't need. We can keep the key here for you, or you take it along. Lose it and you'll pay for a new lock."
The instructions couldn't be simpler, so the two put their clothes into lockers, thanked Ted and walked out to go exploring, armed with their towels. Once outside they first had a look at the map. "Oh, look! There's a sauna!" Wendy pointed at the dot. "And it should be quite close. Come, let's go find that. Saunas are awesome!"
They found the sauna quickly. It was inside a wooden cabin, and next to it someone had dug a small, natural pool. "That's perfect," Wendy stated. "You come out of the sauna and jump into the water."
"You're crazy," Sheila argued, "that's way cold!"
"That's the idea. That's healthy."
"Yeah, right. Deadly's more likely."
The cabin was empty and the sauna wasn't in use, probably because of the nice weather, but they decided they'd give that a try someday. Then they set out on a walk along a few of the longer paths and almost trails of the park. The area was larger than Sheila had expected. After a while of walking and chatting about all kinds of things, including Sheila's strange, nightly experience, Wendy stopped walking. "So, now tell me how it feels."
"How what feels?" Sheila didn't understand the question.
"Walking around here with no clothes on. Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Oh. That. Yes, it does. Nothing pulls or pinches or feels annoying." Sheila had already forgotten that they were naked there, the more as they hadn't seen any other people in the park yet. "I didn't even notice."
"Good girl," Wendy grinned, "that's how it should be. Come, let's go on. Maybe we can find Mike somewhere."
The chances of that were minimal of course, with the park being large. They had no idea where Mike would be, but that didn't matter. They had fun as they went along.
At one point they found themselves on the top of a hill from where they had a good view over a small valley. On the other side rose a serious mountain up from the ground.
"Hey, isn't that the mountain Mike pointed out the other day?" Sheila wondered. "Remember when we saw that gold-digger's cabin? He mentioned a rock with a waterfall."
"Yeah, that could be it, indeed." Wendy held her hand above her eyes to keep the sun from blinding her. "I don't see a waterfall though."
"That is because it's on the other side," a male voice said, startling them. The women turned as if they'd been stung by some insect, and then they saw a man in his forties, sitting in a wheelchair. "Oh god, I think I spooked you," the man said. "I'm so sorry! I'm Harry Jennings, writer and first officer on this thing."
Chapter 13.
The man's relaxed and fun way made Sheila feel better. She shook his hand and introduced herself. She noticed that the man only had most of his left leg remaining, the right leg was almost completely gone. He saw her gaze. "I know, I wish I had a right stump too, this does look awkward," he joked.
Wendy shook Harry's hand as well and asked what had happened.
"Car accident, and I was driving my bicycle. Someone came swerving around a corner a bit too fast, took me for a short ride on the hood and then tried to push me through a concrete wall. My bike and I both ended up a big mess."
Sheila felt a bit overwhelmed. "I'm sorry, but it's difficult to look at your legs," she apologised.
"I understand," said Harry. "It's not something you're used to quickly. In the textile world no one notices how bad it is as it's all covered up with blankets. That's why I am so glad I can be naked here, where I don't have to hide myself."
Wendy smiled at the man. "I'm happy for you, and I'm sure my friend is too. It just takes a little time."
"Oh, of course. Yes, it's great that you can be yourself here," Sheila agreed. She looked at the wheelchair. "Those are not regular tyres, are they?"
"Nope, they're wider, for the sandy paths up here. It's hard work but at least I won't get stuck here," Harry laughed. "Very perceptive though, not many people notice that." He then looked at the two. "You're new here, aren't you? New members, I mean."
The two women didn't feel it would be smart to tell him about their attempts to practice magic in order to find Josy, so they simply said yes and left it at that. Harry then wished them a wonderful day and wheeled himself along the path.
Sheila looked at the wheelchair moving away, and when she was certain that Harry was out of earshot, she said: "That's impressive. I'd never have thought that disabled people would be naturists too."
"Quite an eye-opener, wasn't it? I have to admit that I wasn't prepared for this either," Wendy said, "but I've seen several handicapped people in nudist areas." She turned back to the rock they'd been looking at before Harry had come along. "So the waterfall is on the other end. Should we try to go there and find it?"
"Uhm, well, if it's all the same to you I'd first like to see the regular things here," Sheila replied, not feeling very adventurous yet.
"Sure. Lots of places to go and see on the map, so let's move on!"
*
Thirsty and dusty the two returned to the large lawn in front of the reception building. They had walked much longer and further than they had planned, and now they were in need of a shower and something to eat. The shower was easy enough as there were several around the swimming pool. From there they went into the restaurant and asked for something they could take outside as they were still a bit wet from the shower. With sandwiches in hand Sheila and Wendy walked out and found a spot on the grass where they could spread their towels and eat. As soon as they had found the spot, Mike came walking out of the reception building.
"I've been looking for you," he said as he sat down and kissed Wendy. Sheila wasn't even surprised.
"We were scouting around," Wendy said after she could talk again. "Here, and here, and here," she pointed at the map.
"We saw the rock with the waterfall too, but the water is on the wrong side," Sheila added.
"And how do you know that, little sister?" Mike wondered.
"Harry Jennings told us. He was up there too."
"What? He's not supposed to go there alone!" Mike jumped to his feet. "When did you see him there?" Everything that had ever appeared sullen hippie fell away from him.
"A few hours ago," Wendy estimated. Her watch was in the l
ocker. "Why, what's the problem?"
"Harry's been in trouble there more than once. He still thinks that his wheelchair is a 4x4 Wrangler. We had to pick him out of the sand several times. Come, we have to go look for him." Mike's voice had an urgency to it that Sheila had never heard before, so she and Wendy rose.
"Acaraho, is the man in the wheelchair in trouble?" she asked her guide as they walked towards the path that would lead to the view of the mountain.
"I don't know, Shíile Isshiiá. I am your spirit guide, not his."
"But can't you ask around?" Sheila begged.
"It would not help. I am sorry," was all that Acaraho could offer. Sheila explained to her friends what she'd asked, and the result was that Mike became even more set on finding Harry.
"Hey, daddy long legs, we're not built for that kind of speed!" Sheila complained as Mike almost got into a run.
"I'm sorry, little sister," he said as he slowed down again. "Luckily it's not that far up there. Do you remember where he went from there?"
"He went down the hill towards the trees," Wendy said, "should be to the right from where we're coming now." She proved to be correct. As they reached the spot from where the two women had seen the rock, the tracks of the wheelchair were easy to follow.
Mike ran ahead now, without waiting for the girls to catch up. It showed Sheila how much of a caring man this hippie was. When they caught up with Mike, he was kneeling down with Harry Jennings. The wheelchair lay a few dozen feet further, upside down, with one of the wheels showing a nasty twist. Harry had blood on his face and was unconscious.
"Nothing bad, I think," Mike said after checking Harry. "He's knocked out. Looks like he came down the slope too fast, hit that rocky point and was ejected from his chair." He used some water from his canteen to clean the fallen man's face, who came around at that.
"Huh... ouch... damn. What happened?" Harry wondered, staring at the worried faces around him.