Chapter Six
Chloe locked up her car and she and Tracy shouldered their packs.
“I left a note in the window--night birdwatching. I hope that’ll keep the park from towing my car!” Chloe said.
They took one of the park trails until they were near the Cuyahoga River, then headed south toward Elysian Farm. The twenty mile overnight trip was cut down to just under four miles, just about an hour of brisk walking.
The nights were starting to get seasonably cold, down into the thirties consistently, but still Chardon hadn’t been blasted with the inevitable lake effect snowstorm. Tracy considered the twists and turns of the trail in the woods and the farm roads through open fields and said, “Dude, once it snows, no more walking!”
In the quiet of the wintery night, in the dark woods, Chloe felt the need to be quiet. She whispered, “Personally, I can’t wait to experience the snow. Dad said we can get three feet in a single night! That’d be amazing. In Nashville when they get an inch of snow, the place shuts down.”
Tracy laughed at her own urge to be quiet in the night. She said in a normal tone of voice, “Hey! I don’t think we have to whisper. I like the snow until about March, then I can’t stand it! We have a neighbor that makes cross country ski trails through the woods. Maybe this year I’ll go, too.”
Chloe pretended to be cross country skiing. “I’d like to try that, too! That, that, is something I do not know how to do. Very exciting.”
Tracy put her arm around Chloe. “Finally! One thing you’re not an expert at! Now I am excited for the snow, too.”
As they approached the farm, they heard a tingling of guitar, laughing, and happy voices. They picked up their pace and went into the field. A gathering of people were huddled together in the birch grove. There was a big bonfire away from the trees. Morgan waved them over to the fire.
Tracy and Chloe gave him a hug. Tracy said, “Hey, it seems like there are more people here!”
Morgan smiled and nodded, “Yeah, neighbors like to stop by at night, too. I’ve been here a few days. Each night Amy’s been having this little party in a different spot, but this one is my favorite. We’re really keeping the ground company. So weird to say it out loud!”
He led them to the grove. Demetria was standing on the eastern side of the ring. The fire light was illuminating her smiling face, and half was still in shadow. She was wearing a golden floral print dress and a thick, fluffy white jacket with a faux fur lined hood. Her hair was garlanded in the remaining fresh fall flowers.
Demetria’s face brightened when she saw them and she cradled their faces in her hands and kissed them. She was delighted that Chloe made the trip. “It is so good to see you again, sisters! Everyone this is Chloe Marte, she saved my life!”
The people in the crowd embraced her or shook her hand or kissed her face. Tracy could feel the energy in the air. It practically crackled and flowed like a warm breeze. Chloe just felt giddy almost to the point of dizziness and time seemed to slow to a standstill. Demetria led her to a short sandstone slab table and gestured for her to sit on a velvety black blanket that was draped over the surface. A couple of girls started weaving white flowers into her jet black hair. Then they started to sing.
Tracy watched the gathering and was surprised as Morgan joined in the song. She took his arm and put her head on his shoulder. When the song concluded, Chloe wiped a tear from her eye. The guitar player started banging out a rhythm guitar chord progression and the people started to dance.
Chloe rejoined Tracy and Morgan. She said, “Wow! That was intense and unexpected. Ya know, I was actually a little apprehensive about coming here. It’s like a different world, but maybe it’s a better version of the normal one. I’m just going to go with the flow.” She jumped into the dance and the guitarist picked up the beat and started to play a theme for her.
Amy danced with her. They stood back to back and wriggled down to the ground, then back up again. Chloe laughed at the weird sensation and beckoned Tracy to join in. The three of them did the same move. The rest of the crowd was loving it.
By the time the crowd dispersed and people wandered away to sleep, or to go home, Chloe and Tracy were a little tipsy from drinking and from the surfeit of positive energy. The sky was mostly cloudy, and the white half moon occasionally peaked through and illuminated a glowing white patch of clouds.
Tracy, Chloe, Morgan and Demetria started walking across the field toward Demetria’s room. Chloe asked, “Do you do this every night?”
Morgan nodded, “Yes. Life’s quite a bit different here. During the day, people work, really not that long, then in the afternoon, I’m talking like 2 or 3 in the afternoon they’re done. They get into their hobbies, hang out and talk, go traveling, whatever. At night, we usually have dinner, then later, this. Makes me wonder why people live any other way, really.”
Chloe nodded in appreciation. “Seems pretty simple.”
Demetria said, “It really is. It’s up to us to keep things moving, though. There’s this rhythm of the day, of the seasons that actually requires tending to.”
“What happens if it’s not tended?” Chloe asked.
“When you were dancing, there was a guitarist playing. The dance kept going until he broke a string. Then we all stopped until he fixed it. Same sort of thing, just a different more complicated scale.” Demetria took her hand. She sighed a little sigh and said, “Also it requires the right mix of people for them to remain happy.Truly, there’s only so much we can do, just do our best to keep it going.”
Chloe stopped in her tracks and pulled Demetria around to look at her. She asked, “Demetria, am I one of you?”
Demetria was puzzled. “What do you mean? We are sisters, Chloe.”
Chloe repeated, “I mean, am I one of you, from the other side?”
Demetria studied her. “There’s something about you that is different. We will explore it. Come.” She led them back to her room with a more insistent stride. She put a hand on Morgan’s chest and said, “Can you sleep elsewhere Morgan?”
He nodded and waved goodnight to the girls.
Demetria beckoned Chloe to sit down on the bed. She pulled out a jar of oil and Tracy turned the lights out and lit some candles.
Chloe asked, “What’s in the jar?”
Demetria smiled sweetly at her. “Chloe, we are going over to the meadow. This helps. It’s oil and some herbs.”
Tracy said, “It feels very good, don’t worry about it.”
“Alright. I’m your putty.” She slipped out of her clothes and flopped onto the bed. Tracy and Demetria started rubbing the oil into her skin. Chloe snickered, “Hey that tickles.” She relaxed and felt like she was floating. “Mmmm. That’s good. Oh!” She purred. “Now, that doesn’t tickle. I like that. Keep that up. Are there just four hands, or like eight. Wow….” She felt a ripple of electricity slide down her spine and she saw a meadow with wildflowers blooming.
Demetria was scratching behind the ears of a large, languid lioness. Chloe patted the lion’s side and the animal rolled onto her back like an enormous dog.
Demetria said, “I’ve never seen this happen. I think the lion is with you.”
Tracy patted the lion’s chest and pressed her face against the fur. She said, “So warm. She smells like you.” She laughed.
Chloe scrunched up her nose, “How do you know what I smell like?”
Tracy confessed, “I live in your house! I smell your pillows. You’ve got a distinctive scent.”
Chloe guffawed. “I am going to sniff your pits when we’re done!”
“Why wait?” Tracy put her armpit in Chloe’s face.
Chloe breathed in. “Is it weird I find that really sexy?” Chloe chuckled.
Demetria sniffed Chloe’s head and neck. “No, it’s not. Scents are really powerful. You’ll notice when we go back that other people will start responding to you more strongly.”
Chloe inhaled Demetria’s aroma and said, “Wow. That makes my head swim.”
Tracy said, “Demetria, I want to talk to Samantha.”
Just then, Samantha appeared out of the woods and looked around. “Oh my! I haven’t been here in such a long time.”
Demetria stood up and bowed slightly. “Samantha!” They embraced. They spoke a language that neither Chloe nor Tracy understood. Demetria and Samantha kissed and Samantha brushed a tear away from Demetria’s cheek.
Samantha’s hair now had a distinct gray streak and her eyes were slightly tired and her left hand was stiff. She hugged Tracy and Chloe and kissed them both.
“I fear there’s not enough time or pleasantries. Tracy, your father needs you.”
Tracy became anxious, “Dad?!” Tracy snapped back to regular consciousness. “Shoot...” she sighed at the inconvenience of extra-dimensional travel.
Chloe and Demetria were embracing next to her and still both had their eyes closed and Tracy could see the eyeballs moving beneath the lids. Tracy became almost sick with worry about her parents, but just waited for them to wake up.
Chloe sat up and gasped and said, “Holy shit!”
Demetria sat up and stretched languidly. She threw her arms around Chloe’s waist and held onto her. She said, “That was really very interesting. I didn’t know I could discover something new after all these years. You are a puzzle!”
Tracy asked, “What did Samantha say?”
Demetria patted Tracy’s thigh. “She wants you to build another device, she called it a reflector. Your father is lost on the other side.”
Tracy said, “What? What does that mean?” She stood up. “I have to go. I have to go.” she said.
Chloe hopped up, “I’m coming with.”
Demetria pouted a little. She finally stood up as the girls were about ready to leave. “Don’t fret, Tracy! I am sad you two must run. Come back as soon as you can.”
The girls picked up their bags and set out at a brisk pace.
Chloe said, “I wonder what it means to be lost on the other side? They were chatting after you left, speaking maybe Greek? I couldn’t understand a word they said.”
Tracy said, “I don’t know. I don’t know.”
Chloe grabbed Tracy’s arm and stopped. “Wait. Dude you are freaking out. Just stop... Breathe.”
Tracy shook her hands and breathed deeply. She said, “Yeah, I do that sometimes. Robbie calls it ‘spaz mode’. My mind starts racing. I am totally fixated on getting back home. I have this little figurine my dad gave me. I feel like I need that thing.”
Chloe asked, “Can you jog?”
Tracy started jogging. Her pack was bouncing on her back and slowing her down. They stopped and Chloe took both packs, then they started up again. By the time they got back to the car, Tracy was exhausted. Chloe whipped the car around in a J-turn and tore down the road toward the Farm.
Chloe said, “Sorry about your dad, but I need to vent. That was a truly incredible experience. I am now understanding what you were talking about before.”
Tracy was glad to have the small talk distraction, “I know, right?”
“Did you know I’m a virgin? I mean, never had intercourse with a guy.” Chloe said plainly.
Tracy said, “No! I did not. I was until just recently. For some reason, I thought you were more experienced.”
“This sounds really weird to say, but man, I really want some dick.” Chloe laughed.
Tracy laughed a long time and wiped her eyes. “Chica, you just made me realize something!”
“What?”
“Demetria’s like a total paradox. She took you to an ethereal other worldly realm through your pussy, not through meditation or fasting. She basically loves the earth. I mean literally. She’d fuck it if she could figure out how to. She’s very complete. Body and soul. She doesn’t act like she needs to starve one to feed the other.”
Chloe nodded. “I get it, yeah, I see that.”
Tracy smiled. “So if my dad is over there, that’s ok. I mean that’s actually a really good thing. Not only is he alive, well, he’s basically immortal. Like Demetria.”
“Are we, too?” Chloe whispered.
“Quite possibly.” Tracy said.
“Would an immortal being say ‘holy fuck’?” Chloe said in mock reverence.
Tracy laughed hysterically. She took out her phone and typed out a text, then said, “Hey, Chloe?”
Chloe let the pregnant pause gestate. “What?”
“You wanted dick. Would you settle for Golden Dick?”
Chloe’s face turned red. “I don’t know… That could be weird.”
Tracy said, “I mean, me and you and Richard. Kind of kills two birds with one stone, too. I mean, right?” She shrugged.
Chloe laughed wickedly, “More like poke two birds with one bone?” Then she sighed and said, “Alright, alright. I’m succumbing to peer pressure. Is he up to it?”
Tracy rolled her eyes, “Are you kidding? Of course.”
“Are we going to his house?” Chloe asked.
‘Yeah, he actually lives in their pool house. It’s like a little apartment.”
The Chardon Chronicles: Season Two --- The Winter Page 41