Ch 7: Accepting

Chapter 7– Accepting

         Brody fought sleep. Every time he closed his eyes during the night, he heard the words: ‘It’s within’, swirled in his mind. Sleep won the battle.

         Images of his friend flashed in mini scenes. Caleigh strolled among trees and brush. She caught her foot on the uneven terrain of rocks and roots. She stumbled over a rotting log. She cried and wiped her face.

         He watched from behind a boulder. He inhaled the scent of decaying leaves and dirt. He breathed the dampness and the coolness since the sun couldn’t reach the oak forest. Mist drifted around the bush and mossy rocks. 

         She disappeared from view. A piercing scream echoed through the trees.

         He headed in the direction of her wail. He searched for her. She was not behind the decomposing trunk. Glancing around trees, he hoped she was playing a game and wasn’t harmed. His heart beat faster. Drawing deep breathes, he ran down the path. Bushes flipped past in a blur. He came to a sudden stop. Brody spun around.  His pulse raced. He yelled her name.  Tripping over a root, he stumbled to the dirt covered ground. Yelling in pain, he examined a nasty cut on his palm. He wiped the blood and dirt on his jeans. He looked down the widening path.

         Caleigh sat on the cedar fence, surrounded by a sea of grass and wildflowers. She smiled. He instantly arrived at her side. She whispered, “It’s within.” He looked at her puzzlingly. Without a word, she slowly raised her left arm and pointed behind him. Brody turned around. His blood pulsed through his veins. He breathed deeply and coughed.  He took half a step backward, and then placed his hands on his hips. He recognized the flowing purple cloaks. Turning, he noticed a smile creeping across her face. “It’s time to join them.”

         “Join them?”

         “Listen to them and they will tell you,” Caleigh said.

         Brody took a few steps forward behind a tree, hiding from the robed men.

         Voices carried across the field while the three chanted around a fire. “It’s within.”

         Brody awakened, his body shaking. “What’s within?” He shook his head and grabbed his journal beside his bed. He wrote the date and began a new entry.

         

Friday, June 15, 1984  Why did I dream of Caleigh? Why was she in the woods? I visited that field in other dreams. But where is it? And why is it important? Normally there are four of them, but tonight’s dream there were only three. Who was missing and why? Is that what she meant my I’ll be joining them. Weird. I’m part of the Destiny of Four. Not with the PCF. Am I?”

         He flipped through the pages of his journal and found the pages written about the dream of the cedar fence, bordering a meadow. “There it is...two weeks ago.” He silently read the entry and then continued to write.

What did Kiera mean by the words, “It’s within, Caleigh?” And then why did Caleigh say those words, in my dream? Of course the P.C.F would visit...they always do. Why??

         He underlined the words spoken by Caleigh and chanted by the mysterious men.

Another thing....the dagger that I touched at the coffee shop....it’s silver just like the one on my journal. What’s with that? I have to find the answers to my dreams. Kiera knows something. I’m mentioned in some prophecy, but where did it originate from and what does it mean –exactly.

         Looking through the window, he recognized the roof peaks of Changing Seasons Coffee Shop. “The Silver Dagger!” Brody exclaimed. “I have to see it again.” He recognized the lake in the painting as being the one he had dreamt about, however, he didn’t understand the meaning of the body of water. The blade had whispered to him. Remember the prickling of his skin when he had touched the blade, his body shivered. Kiera’s touch on his shoulder had been warm. She had told him that his friends had always been with him. But what did she really mean? He shrugged his shoulders.

         Brody slipped into denims and a t-shirt. “I have to talk with Blaine. He’s probably at The Karma. It’s Free Fry Fridays, everyone will be at the diner. And then to Changing Seasons for a chat with Kiera.” He muttered while grabbing his leather jacket. “Then to Changing Seasons to chat with Kiera.” He remembered her words last night, ‘Fate has been written for you all.’ Brody believed that destiny and fate were connected. Fate and density were linked as Brody, Blaine, Alexis and Caleigh had been since birth.

***

         “Oh my … I am a Witch.” Tears streamed down Caleigh’s cheeks. “Mom lied to me for all these years.” She sniffled. Crossing her bedroom, she threw herself onto her bed and wrapped the comforter tightly around her shaking body. She wanted to hide from the outside world, from her parents and from the truth. The closed bedroom door locked out her mother and the betrayal that she believed she had brought foolishly into their lives.

         She sat on her bed and looked out the window while she snuggled with her teddy bear in her arms. “Can it be true? What other secrets have been hidden from me?” She wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She wondered if the previous night had been a dream. She couldn’t be a witch.

         Nevertheless, the memories and the words invaded her misty mind. Caleigh knew it was truth. She saw her aunt start a fire and she succeeded in moving a log with her thoughts and a power word.

         “Everything will be okay. I have an aunt. My parents love me.” She dried her tears, slipped into shorts and a t-shirt, and then scampered down the stairs with her backpack slung across her shoulder.

         She grabbed a muffin, and scribbled a note and stuck it on the fridge.  Caleigh shook her head in frustration and scrunched her nose. She wanted to get outside and far away from her parents. She didn’t want to be tempted to yell out her mom’s secret. Caleigh wasn’t ashamed of her ancestry roots, only the lies. She didn’t understand why her dad couldn’t be told about the coven and her destiny. She exited through the front door, not taking the risk of her parents spotting her from the greenhouse, in the back yard. “Mother can lie. I won’t. I will tell Dad...everything.”

^ (white space)

         Summer sun waned toward the west as Caleigh slumped to the grass. She turned and gazed toward the river.  “I should have thrown in a towel.” A swim would have relaxed her and put in her emotions in check, but so would writing in her journal.  “Now mom wants me to lie for her. Dad deserves to know I’m a witch. Mom’s kept important bits of her life in the dark, but I won’t!”

         The raspberry bushes swayed in the sudden breeze. Apple blossom petals fluttered about her. She reached into the air and grasped a few in her fingers, then brought them to her nose. She tossed the petals into the air. The delicate blossom floated away in the breeze as memories and thoughts flittered through her mind. Caleigh wondered how simple her life had been – friends, school, boring home life, growing seedlings in the greenhouse. Normal, like the rest of Berwick. Nothing happens in sleepy towns.

         Opening her backpack, she retrieved a beach blanket, her journal and pen, along with a black pillar candle and a lighter. The sunlight filtered through the branches of the pair of apple trees, casting inky shadows. She lit the candle, drew a deep breath. She opened her journal and turned to a page free of words.

Friday, June 15, 1984. Mom lies! She betrayed me forever! I hate her! She’s been betraying dad all this time. And now SHE expects me to continue the lie!. I don’t want to! At least Alexis knows the truth, so I don’t have to betray my best friend....just Dad. Mom has a sister and we are from an ancient Coven of Witches. Aunt Kiera owns Changing Seasons and I’ve known her since I was 5. I wonder why she came back, was it to know me? With all of these lies...do I really want a long lost aunt?

         Caleigh paused from writing and gazed into the flames, searching for answers. The flames sputtered and danced, almost disconnected from the wick. Her eyes focused on the orange warm flicker. Her mind drifted. Brody’s protective and strong face transformed to Blaine’s warm smile with his intense green eyes. She cared for both boys, but was curious of their behavior from the other day, especially Brody. Their faces vanished in her mind as the winged lizard appeared. Butterflies tickled her stomach. Neck hairs stood on end. She remembered the talking lizard’s warning – The panther is lurking. She had no idea what the lizard spoke of, and she was aware it’s presence was merely a dream. Nevertheless she felt that the reptile was real. “What’s going on? My life is changing…”

         Gazing into the flames, she felt the wind in her hair and on her bare arms. The candle continued to sputter, threatening to extinguish itself.

         From the river, she heard a splash. A huge fish jumped again through the blue waters. She turned away from Birch River and continued to write.

I am a Witch. Mom only lied to protect me. Just like when I was young and she told me that monsters lived in our basement--it was her way of preventing me from playing in a dangerous place. She loves me and wants to keep me safe. Mom knew that I wasn’t ready. I will be 16 this Winter Solstice, and I’m ready to accept who I really am. A Witch. And with the help of Mom and Aunt Kiera I will be powerful. I wonder what this prophecy has to do with Alexis, Brody, Blaine and me? Ndan de Ceithre--What does it mean? What’s within?

         Time disappeared as feelings of scattered emotions raced through her mind and then released onto the paper. She finally perceived the situation more clearly. She understood her mother’s behavior and accepted it. Caleigh looked toward Birch River.

Why was Brody so protective? He’s never been like that. I don’t understand! I wonder what Aunt Kiera had truly meant by those words? ‘It’s within. Destiny has been written in the prophecies. Fate has been written for you all’. My destiny. And my friends’ destiny. Very weird. We need to be told the truth. She’s hiding something else…but what?

         She closed her journal, tossed her pen and extinguished the candle. Lying down, she gazed toward the white cotton candy clouds. Horses ran past, slowly transformed to a koala bear with oversized bushy ears, to a teddy bear watching her. Her mind wandered as she absorbed the warmth of the sun.

^^^

         Caleigh dropped her backpack on the bench. The green and purple neon sign, Free Fry Fridays, flashed behind Caleigh as she leaned against the window sill at The Karma Diner. You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, drums of Judas Priest, flowed through the opened door. A group of younger teens hurried into the diner, not noticing her. She recognized two of them, Aidan and Riley.

         Her senses were focused on identifying the twenty-something muscular man, she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps.

         “Hey!”

         “What took you so long?” Caleigh moved her bag to the deck and moved closer to the edge, making room for her best friend.

         “At The Obsidian, helping Jaeden unpacking books.” Alexis dropped to the bench.          

         “Hey!” Brody sat on the wooden railing, wrapping around the diner.

         Caleigh gasped. “Brody, you scared me!”

         Brody laughed. “I’m heading over to the coffee shop. Wanna come with me?”

         Alexis huffed. “Are you crazy? It’s Free Fry Fridays! And music! What’s the fascination with Changing Seasons all of a sudden?”

         Brody sighed. He slumped down from the railing and crossed his arms across his waist.  “It’s just…aren’t you a little curious.”

         “Curious?” Alexis asked.

         Brody looked directly at Caleigh. “She’s your aunt.” He took a stride across the deck, squatted in front of the girls, and leaned forward. “You’re a witch. She’s a witch.” He said in a quiet tone. “She’s controlling our dreams. I think she dropped you in my dream last night.”

         “What? Are you serious? You think she’s controlling our dreams? She’s making you dream about me?”

         “Yep.” Brody proceeded to tell them about his dream and how he had been searching for Caleigh in the woods. “You pointed to the purple freaks and said and I quote. ‘It’s within.’ It was so real. I felt really protective.”

         Caleigh glanced at Alexis. She didn’t look too pleased, and then she turned away. Great now Alexis is mad at me. And it wasn’t even my fault.

         “Why would I be running away from you? Besides Aunt Kiera…”Caleigh paused to absorb the name. “She did say it was within me. Maybe that’s why you dreamt about me, and I said those words to you.”

         “Maybe...” Brody said.

         Through the opened window Blaine yelled, “Get in here, Logan and I made a couple blenders of raspberry and chocolate shakes.”

         They jumped to their feet, ran inside the diner and slipped into their favourite burgundy leather booth in the back corner. The four sipped on the cold, icy treats and whispered of the secrets that were revealed the previous night. Caleigh looked up a few times, fearing that someone would overhear their conversation.

         Jaeden and Emily were the closest to the booth, dancing, but they only had eyes for each other.

         Kirk placed a tray of fresh hot fries on the black and white checker counter and called out, “Free Fry Fridays!” The hot snack disappeared in a few moments.

         “Hungry crowd tonight.” Logan grabbed another potato. “Why does Blaine not work Fridays?”

         Caleigh felt her face redden after Logan’s words, followed by Kirk’s laughter. She quickly sipped her raspberry shake.

         Blaine grinned and dipped a fry in the cheese sauce. Caleigh motioned to his face. Cheesy sauce dripped from the corner of his mouth and he wiped his face. The next few hours were filled with music, laughter, shakes and crispy French fries. Blaine dipped another fry and said, “I promise that Fridays won’t change and one day my friends will never pay for a fry ever again.”

         His friends laughed. They rarely paid a dollar at the Karma Diner.

         Brody grinned. “Let’s go upstairs and play some pool?”

         “You two always win. I’ll team up with Blaine.” Caleigh laughed.

         “I guess I get you, Brody.” Alexis grabbed him by the arm.

         Blaine ran to the counter and returned with a tray of assortment of sodas – cola and ginger ale. “Let’s go.”

         Prior to sunset, Caleigh sipped ice-cold cola and looked out to the sleepy village from the second floor balcony. Street lights flickered, as well as the house lights. “I love this time of day. Looking out at our sleepy little town.

         “You love that Blaine’s parents own The Karma and we can sit out on the balcony.” Alexis sipped from her can of cola.

         “They always cheat. Let them play themselves. Have you tried your powers at all today?” Alexis asked.

         “Not really. But I did write in my journal, the same place where Mom and Dad met. I wanted to process the lies, and the truth. It’s kinda hard to image my life before. Now it’s so different.”

          “I couldn’t even imagine finding out that I have an aunt. Sure you knew her, so it wasn’t like a stranger. You have to admit, Kiera is pretty cool.”

         “I know, it’s just weird. Yesterday, you fainted when you saw that painting at the coffee shop. We never had the chance to talk about it, with all the drama and stuff.”

         “It’s just…remember that letter that I found when I was ten?”

         Caleigh nodded.

         “Well, I think the letter is important and it involves me...somehow. So, I’ve been looking for it the past few weeks. The painting, well there’s a sketch in the book that I found in the bookstore attic. I never showed you.  Something told me not to say anything, but now since the painting, it feels right to tell you about the book and the letter. It was wrapped in a musty sheet.”

         “I totally understand. You don’t think your mom is keeping a secret too? I wonder if the letter is somehow connected to Aunt Kiera. The letter was written to who? I can’t remember.”

         “Kristy. It’s gotta be Gramma Kristy.” Alexis sighed.

         Brody and Blaine dropped to the floor across from the girls. Caleigh and Alexis giggled.

         Logan stood in the doorway. “I’ve been looking for all of you.”

         They glanced at each other and then at Logan.

          “Kiera needs to speak to all of you. She’s downstairs.”