by P. Z. Walker
"Something the matter, Jeremy?" Sheila asked. She was used to being looked at in a normal way by now, and Jeremy's stealthy peeking made her feel uncomfortable.
"You look so tanned," he blurted out. "Everywhere, I mean."
"Thanks. And it's okay to look, but wrong to stare, just so you know. The tan happened over the week. I've been here a lot, you know."
Wendy returned with Mike, who had a plastic bag with him. "Towels can go in here," he offered. Sheila kept hers with her, it was in her own bag anyway. "What's the plan for today?" she asked. Mike had offered to guide them around a bit, before Sheila would do her mind-visit with Josy.
"I meant to take you to the waterfall. It's a bit of a walk, but a nice one, and it's worth it. You can even swim there if you want."
"What do you mean a bit of a walk?" Jeremy asked. "Is it far?"
"If a walk of a half hour doesn't kill you it's not far," Mike elaborated.
"So people will see us naked for that long?" Lizzy's confidence in her nudity seemed to crumble.
Wendy answered: "They'll see us. Since we're here we're naked, but that's entirely irrelevant here, Lizzy. Everyone is. If you don't feel like it, you can put your clothes back on. Then people will notice you. And remember to put on sunscreen unless you love being a lobster, everyone."
They all looked at Lizzy, who then said that she'd be fine. With that in the clear, some food packed for lunch and everyone's skin protected, Mike and Wendy took the lead and the group set off.
The walk went through a small patch of forest first, after which they crossed a large sandy patch. From there they hit a rock trail that gradually went up. After half an hour, even before reaching the waterfall, they already heard water splash down so they knew they were almost there. When they turned around a corner where there were many trees at the foot of a rock-wall, there it was: the waterfall.
They all looked up to from where the water came tumbling down. "Wow. That's high."
"It is. And it's falling down fast and hard. If you stand in the water stream down there, you might break something. Way up is a platform with a smaller flow. That's nice to shower in," Mike pointed.
The five then left their few belongings where they stood and went as close as they dared to the water that came crashing down. Even from a distance the water was so wild that they soon were splashed wet.
"Man, that is so awesome," said Lizzy as she held out her hands towards the stream. "Feel that power, everyone!" Her initial hesitation about being naked had vanished completely.
They all held out their hands, and sensed the air vibrate with the water's movement. After a while Wendy demanded to know where they could swim, so Mike led them to a pool behind the waterfall. It was not very large, but big enough for everyone to jump in and scream as the water was cold. Mike laughed and called them wimps, but he didn't stay in the pool long either. Then he guided them around the rock to another large basin. That one caught the sun most of the day, so the water was much warmer.
Sheila floated on her back, her eyes closed. She was the only one still in the water. She felt the warm sun heat up her skin, and being weightless in the water made that an amazing experience. When she thought of Josy, she wondered how often her friend had floated in this water too. That thought made her leave the water and eat something, while the others lazed in the sunshine for a while. Eating, and talking to her friends took her mind off Josy for a while, but the desire to talk with Josy grew, because she knew how much her friend craved those connections.
"Done?" Mike asked after a while.
"Done. All gone," Sheila reported.
"Cool, little sister. Then we're going up to the platform and the little waterfall now. The view from there is something you must see before you die."
His comment was made in good humour, but to Sheila it made it clear once again that someday soon she might have to make the choice to go to Josy, without the certainty of coming back. "Let's go," she said. They roused the others and then they went up the mountain, over a steep trail.
"Mind where you put your sandals," Mike warned them, "some spots aren't so reliable."
Halfway up Sheila marvelled at how easy it was to move and climb. No pants to hinder her moving, no shirt that pulled at her. It was only her nude body and nature, apart from the sandals that she wore. While climbing she made a remark about it to the others. Wendy and Jeremy agreed. Lizzy kept it at "uhhuh" as she was panting, not being used to this kind of exercise.
The climb was a commitment to sweating, but once they had reached the platform, they all acknowledged that the view from there was splendid.
"Yeah, it's two kinds of trippy, isn't it? Now dump your stuffs and step into the waterfall. That's wild too." Mike gave the proper example, soon to be joined by the others. Lizzy and Sheila shrieked. The water was colder than they had expected. Mike and even Jeremy laughed at that, but once Sheila was over the shock, the sensation of standing there, water flowing over her more abundantly than any shower she'd ever been in, was beyond compare. She spread her arms and felt the water pounding down on her even better. After a few minutes she started to feel cold so she stepped out of the massive flow of water. "Gods, this is great," she commented as she wiped the water from her face and wrung out her hair. She then noticed her friends staring at her. "What's up?" she wondered, looking behind her for a moment.
"You should be freezing by now!" Jeremy exclaimed. "It's too cold to stay in there more than a minute, and you were there much longer."
That surprised Sheila. She wasn't a person to like the cold, but this hadn't been too bad. "I'm fine," was all she could say.
The group sat down on the platform and enjoyed the view while the sun dried their skin. Sheila leaned back, resting on her elbows. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander as the rushing sound of the waterfall behind them made her drowsy.
"This is an important place, Shíile Isshiiá," Acaraho shared with her. The suddenness of his presence didn't surprise her any more.
"Important? Why?"
"This has to do with your friend."
"How?" Sheila now sat up, as this was an interesting revelation.
"I do not know more yet, but it is a strong place."
After asking and getting permission from him, Sheila told her friends what Acaraho had just told her. Mike said he didn't know of anything special about this rock. The others were just surprised.
"Too bad he doesn't know why. It would be cool if we could get her back from here," Lizzy said as she looked at the waterfall closer to the rock.
"True. But that's not what he said, unfortunately." Sheila dug in her bag and checked her watch. Still some time before her normal moment to talk with Josy, but she suggested to go to the Five Oaks anyhow. Everyone agreed with that, so they fought their way down the steep slope and then Mike took them through the forest, in almost a straight line to the Five Oaks. Wendy and Jeremy didn't always pay enough attention where they were going and so they were treated to scratches from bushes, but no serious harm was done.
"I knew there was something about being nude I wouldn't like," Jeremy muttered as he rubbed his behind, but then he grinned. "I'm close to being happy with it though."
The Five Oaks stood in their usual silence. During the walk Sheila had explained to Lizzy and Jeremy that they didn't need to sit in a circle, they just had to be quiet, and so they all sat down somewhere, Sheila in the centre. "I hope I can stay with her long enough without it being too long for me," she said. "Maybe you can try to think of ways to attract my attention after let's say twenty minutes."
"No problem, I'll find some of those thorny bushes," Jeremy said, "and slap your behind."
"Don't you dare!"
Jeremy laughed and promised he'd never do that.
Sheila then opened her vision and started staring at the blue flickerings in front of her.
Chapter 17.
"Hey, Josy. Are you there?" The amount of time that passed in silence frightened Sheila. "Josy?"
"Good grief, Sheila..."
Relief washed over her. "Josy! What took you so long?"
"It's in the freaking middle of the night, what do you think I was doing?" Josy clearly was trying to wake up fast.
"Oh gods, I'm sorry. Want me to wait a while?"
"Don't think so. You woke me up so you're going to suffer me." Josy had evident fun. "I'm glad to hear you again."
"Me too. You get all the hugs and stuff from Mike, Wendy, Jeremy and Lizzy."
"I don't know the last two. Friends of yours?" After Sheila had explained who they were, Josy was touched. "They are actually there to help you find me? Sheesh, Sheila, hug them for me, will you? That's so sweet."
"I'll do that, promise. How have you been since our last talk?" Sheila wondered how long ago that would be for Josy.
"Three days of waiting, mostly. There was a thunderstorm so I hid in my cave, I'm safe here, but the ground outside is still soggy so walking is treacherous. I'm sick of being in this place, Sheila." The unspoken I want to go home hung between them in silence.
Sheila understood that. Josy was someone for company and weird things and running around having fun, not to be stuck in a place without other people. "We're still working on it, Josy. Acaraho had something positive to say today, about the waterfall near here."
"Hey, cool, you were there? Also the small one on top?" Josy was all chatter suddenly, telling about the times she'd climbed up there to just listen to the water and look out over the area. "It's so cool. We'll go up there together someday."
"Absolutely, Josy." Sheila knew she was smiling. "I should let you sleep now. Maybe I'll come in again before I have to leave. It's Saturday so we're here all day."
"That would be awesome. I'll be waiting for you, Sheila. Thank you."
Saying good-bye was rough as ever, but at least there was the little positive mention from Acaraho that they could now hold on to. After breaking up the trance, she learnt that she'd been in over half an hour again, and there had been no way her friends could wake her or attract her attention.
"That's tricky," Mike told her, "it's good you keep an eye on your time, but still."
Sheila agreed. In a way it felt dangerous. On the other hand, her body seemed to adjust to sitting still on the ground for so long, because it hurt far less than before. Wendy suggested that they should go for a swim to relax Sheila's muscles. That suggestion was cheered at by everyone, so the group picked up their few belongings and headed for the pool.
The change in scenery and being active in the water did Sheila a world of good. It was the perfect way for her to switch off the pressure around Josy she was putting onto herself. After racing Wendy a few times, and a half-hearted attempt to play water-polo, she sat on her towel on the lawn. The sun was warm and dried her rapidly. Jeremy joined her, he wasn't such a crack with swimming so he'd stayed to the side most of the time.
"How are you doing, Sheila?"
"I'm okay, thanks. And you? Getting used to this life-style?"
Jeremy looked at his own nude body for a moment. "Sort of. It's still strange to wear nothing. The warm weather helps." He fell silent, but Sheila sensed there was more he wanted to say. "Does this whole thing spook you like it does me?"
She looked at the young man next to her. "Spook me? It did, yes. Imagine hearing a voice in your head that comes from nowhere. And that voice tells you it's your spirit guide. And then talking to your friend who's somewhere and no one knows."
Jeremy nodded. "Bet you were scared. Must be cool though."
"Once you get used to it, it is." Sheila lay down on her belly. "It's nice here, don't you agree? So peaceful and relaxed."
"Yeah. I wonder why there aren't more people here."
"It's vacation time, Jeremy. Most people are probably off to somewhere," Sheila guessed. A few screams from the pool then made her look up. A big splash told her that someone had probably been tossed into the water. She grinned.
"You know, I don't get it," Jeremy then said. "We were a group that didn't do the naked stuff, and look at us now."
"There's a difference, Jer. We haven't done any nude ceremonies, have we?"
He nodded. "Good point. Do you think we will at some point?"
"I don't know. And frankly, at this moment I don't want to think about it. Somehow this here feels natural. Nude rituals... still not for me, now I think about it."
"Too bad," Jeremy commented.
"Oh?" Sheila rolled on her side so she could look at him. "Why?"
"You're a beautiful woman, Sheila." Jeremy said it without hesitation.
"Sure. You need to have your eyes checked," she muttered as she rolled on her belly again, resting her head on her hands.
Jeremy lay down next to her on his own towel. "Maybe you are the one who's up for that."
Sheila didn't want to believe what she heard. Looking at him she asked: "Is there something you're trying to tell me?"
"Do I need to spell it out for you?" he replied. "I really like you, Sheila. Very much. I've done so since you joined the group."
That baffled her. "I never noticed that, Poker-face."
"I'm not very good with telling people that I love them," Jeremy then said, his cheeks colouring a bit.
"Well, I think you just did." Sheila was very surprised. Jeremy had always been a nice guy, but she'd never noticed he would harbour any special feelings for her. She reached out and put a hand on his arm. The touch of skin on skin made him jolt for a moment, she noticed. "I like you too, Jeremy. I really do. It's just this stuff with Josy that keeps me from... perhaps more. Can you understand that?"
"Of course." He looked into her eyes. "Thanks."
"For what?"
"For not laughing."
Sheila patted Jeremy's arm. "Don't worry. I'll laugh when you say something funny or do something stupid. Promise."
"Works for me. Would you like some ice-cream?" Jeremy then asked.
"Great idea!"
Jeremy got to his feet. "I'll ask the others too."
*
The five friends were walking up the hill to the Five Oaks again. Sheila had stuck feathers in her hair. Wendy had found those in Sheila's bag while looking for a paper towel, and she had suggested Sheila would wear them. "After all, you're part Crow, and this is Crow country."
As they walked, Sheila talked with Acaraho, who had ventured out into the spirit world of this area.
"Shíile Isshiiá, I have seen interesting things," he stated. "There are a few places here that have built-up energies. That is the energy we may use to help your friend."
Sheila was happy to hear that, but didn't tell her friends yet. This news might give them too much hope, and she wanted to avoid that. This all was still thin ice, so being careful was the way to go. "And how would that work?" she wondered.
"The waves of energy shift in thickness. When a wave is at its thinnest and your mind is attuned to it, you should be able to step through it."
Sheila frowned. It reminded her a bit of Samhain, the time around Halloween, when the veil between the worlds of the dead and the living was thin enough for the dead spirits to come to visit the world they had left. "And then? Can it go wrong?"
Her spirit guide waited a moment before he answered that the worst thing that could happen was that nothing happened.
"And how do you know when it's the right time?"
"I'll know," was all he had to say to that. "There is one thing that we need to do though. You have to be able to see me."
Sheila stopped walking, which was the first sign for her friends that she wasn't simply silent. She ignored their questions though. "See you? But you're a spirit!"
"Hey, Sheila, what's up?" Wendy shook her by the arm.
"Wait a minute, Wen, Acaraho is telling me something odd."
"It is possible," Acaraho said, "when you are ready to see me. That means you want me to see you." It didn't make much sense to Sheila, but she thought it best to leave it at that. First she wanted to speak with Josy, so
they walked on while she told her friends that her guide had managed to confuse her, which made everyone laugh.
The talk with Josy went well and easy. The woman who was stuck in the past felt more confident about Sheila's promise to visit by now, and they even joked a bit, but also towards Josy Sheila remained silent about her guide's promising words. She needed to be clear about that before telling anyone else.
After the visit Sheila sighed and opened her eyes. To her surprise she found all her friends sitting around her, meditating. With a smile she closed her eyes again and allowed herself some time to talk with Acaraho. She was intrigued by the idea of seeing him. Slowly he began to find the right words to explain how this process would happen; she had to imagine a Native American person and connect that shape to Acaraho's presence. It had to go so deep that she'd see that shape the moment she thought of Acaraho, or when he spoke with her. She learnt that it wasn't important how he had looked in real life, it just mattered that her image of him was persistent, always the same. Somehow he would then be able to synchronise his intended movements with her image.
"We can practice this when you are home again, Shíile Isshiiá. Your friends are waiting for you now."
Sheila thanked him, then opened her eyes and grinned at her friends. On the way down to the restaurant she dared to tell them about the attempt she was going to make to see her spirit guide. That news caused quite a stir. Even Mike's guru had never mentioned such a possibility!
After dinner, everyone except Jeremy said they'd be back the next day. Jeremy had something planned, but he asked to be kept up to date by e-mail or phone or so. Sheila promised she'd let him know.
*
"You are tense." Acaraho was still patient, even after half an hour. Sheila sat on her couch, focusing on the image of an Indian in her mind and trying to link that to her guide.
"I'm feeling weird," Sheila corrected him. "I'm being tossed into so many new things lately, can you blame me?"
"You drank too much coffee," he retorted.
"I happen to like my coffee. Don't you touch my coffee."