by D. J. Holmes
* * *
Exhausted, Julia has returned home from work and collapses on her sofa. While she is sleeping she has the very same dream, but as the ax is coming down, she wakes up to the ringing of her cell phone.
“I’m so glad that you called Evan,” she says.
“Can you go to dinner tonight,” Evan asks, “I have a friend that I would like you to meet.”
“I would like to go to dinner and meet your friend,” I said, “but there’s something that I would really like to talk to you about.”
“I can’t hear you…you keep breaking up. Let’s talk later, ok?”
An hour later he calls again, “Hello there sport, I hope that we have a better connection. I’m about five minutes away. Do you still want to go to dinner?”
“Yes, I need to get out of here.”
“Ok, I have to pick up my friend and then I’ll pick you up.”
“Evan, there is something that I really, really need to talk to you about.”
“I’m just a couple of minutes away… talk to you then.”
As Evan, and his friend Jon, finally arrive, they walk up to the front door.
Jon asks Evan, “Are we going to tell her anything?”
“Not now. There will be time later when we will be able to answer all of her questions.”
Ringing the bell, Julia opens the door.
“Hello sport. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, Evan. Who is this with you?”
“This is my friend, Jon. He’s the one that I wanted to introduce you to.”
Julia immediately thinks that Jon looks familiar, but the light is weak and can’t place him. Walking to the car, Evan drives to the freeway and heads to his favorite new Chinese restaurant. While he is driving, he receives a call from his crime scene team notifying him that he is needed. Something very interesting had been found.
Since Jon and Julia are with him on the freeway, there is no place that they can be dropped off. Evan speeds down the freeway with his red and blue lights flashing.
As soon as the lights begin to revolve, Jon notices a familiar car. “I know that car. It’s the same car that Flying Eagle was driving while I sat out in front of Julia’s apartment.” Concerned, he leans forward whispering into Evan’s left ear so that Julia wouldn’t hear what is said. He tells Evan of his suspicion.
Evan gives a slight nod, letting Jon know that he understood what he had said.
Wondering what the interaction was all about, Julia asked, “What’s happening, Jon? Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s impolite to whisper to some people and leave other people out of what is being said?”
“She did, Julia. Sorry, I forgot. Will you forgive me this time?”
“…Only this time, Jon.”
They both laugh.
Arriving at the crime scene, Evan gets out of the car, asking Jon and Julia to stay there until he can get back to them. They sit for a while in silence. Finally, Jon asks Julia a question, just as the car they are in is suddenly in the direct line of a flood light that is being used at the crime scene. It is the first time that Julia has been able to get a good look at what Jon really looks like. At first she couldn’t move. Sitting as stiff as a board she couldn’t talk and had trouble breathing; her hands and feet started to go numb.
“It’s him, the executioner in my dream!” she says to herself.
Seeing something move in the shadows to her right, she jumps out of the car and walks forward thinking she has her gun.
“Julia!” The sound of having her name yelled had attracted the attention of the person in the shadows.
Steps were loud and quickly coming up behind her. Turning around, she sees Jon running toward her.
“Julia, you left your gun in the car!”
Jon suddenly realized that there was someone coming from the shadows walking towards them. The stranger’s left hand reached over to cock the gun, which he held in his right hand, raising and pointing it toward Julia.
“Julia,” the stranger said, more as a statement than a question.
At that very moment, Jon remembered the details of this situation, as it seemed to play quickly, fast forwarding like a live movie in his head. Realizing that his death was the ultimate outcome of this situation, he instantly thinks to himself.
“No! The ending will be different than I have just seen. I have been away from my true love for too long, we will not be parted again!”
Looking at Julia, he immediately lunges forward, and to the side knocking her to the ground and landing on top of her. Without delay, he turns back and with Julia’s gun he shoots, squarely hitting his intended target. The stranger falls to the ground.
Evan and his crime team run toward the sound of the shots. As he arrives, Jon is in the process of helping Julia to her feet. Looking at Evan’s worried face, he says, “We’re fine, Evan. The shooter is over there.”
As he walks toward the body on the ground he is overcome, “So it really was my older brother.”
Evan kneels down as Flying Eagle slowly opens his eyes, “I almost took everything from you, Blue Cloud.”
“Yes, you almost did Flying Eagle. It never had to be this way. My sons could have lived their lives; Snow Flower and I could have grown old together.”
“No, she was supposed to be with me! Your sons should have been mine!” With his final statement made, Flying Eagle’s eyes close, and his body goes limp.
“May peace be with you, my Brother,” Evan quietly expresses as he remembers their years of strife. “I wish we could have bonded with each other, as my sons did.”
After a few minutes Evan turns toward Jon and Julia.
“Jon and Julia, that was Flying Eagle….Jon, now that you have seen my brother, was that the same person that you were representing in Los Angeles?”
“Yes. That was Larry. It is nice to know that it was the same person. I’m sorry that it was your brother, but for the sake of all young boys around the world, I’m glad that he is gone.”
“It is sad to have someone of your family that brings pain to other innocent people. For that reason, I am glad that he is gone.” Evan’s head bows with tears coming to his eyes, ‘I hope that he finds peace.”
The death of Flying Eagle brought back the pain of losing his sons, and his wife. Evan realizes that his healing was not complete and he needs to return to get further help from Daniel.
“Julia and Jon, would you go back to the Beach House with me? You helped me so much before. I need you now.”
“The Beach House…I don’t remember any Beach House.” Looking confused Julia continues, “But if I can help you Evan, I’d be glad to go with you.”
“I’d like to go with you also,” Jon adds.
“Let’s plan to go tomorrow. Would that work out for you guys?”
“It would work for me. What about you, Julia?”
“Yes, I think that would work for me also.”
Arriving at the Beach House they find Daniel as busy as ever, but he makes time to talk to them.
“Daniel, as you know we have found the serial killer for the task force that I was assigned to find. Sadly, it was my brother…. Since his death my mind has been reverting back to the death of Snow Flower and my sons. I’ve also wondered what happened to the terrorists in the paddle-wheel restaurant of the Sacramento Delta King. Do you know anything about them?”
“Yes, your supervisor arranged for their escape.”
“What? I need to go to the Governor and tell him everything that I have found out about him.”
“Evan, you have more important things that you will need to take care of. I have seen your supervisor’s future and I can tell you that he will rise in political power until he is assigned to be an Ambassador in the Middle East. Here Abdul Al-Esawii, the terrorist leader, will get a hold of him and together they will plot a gun-running initiative to help Abdul and his people in their war. Oddly it will be helping an enemy of your country. That’s something that
your present government and the ruling class of my world had in common; working both ends against each other, so that in the end they could take over. Your supervisor will not survive. He will meet his maker and will have to atone for what he has done…. So you see Evan, there are consequences for all that we do and he will meet his. For now you need to be prepared for your future.”
Evan asks Daniel, “What am I to do now, Daniel?”
“Sit on the beach and watch the sun go down,” he said as he patted him on the shoulder.
Turning to Julia, Daniel asks, “How are you doing?”
Looking at him and carefully searching her soul, she finally states, “I remember you now… And I remember the Beach House. The last time that I was here, I asked you if you needed any help. Is there anything that you would like me to do now?”
“Actually, there is something that you could help me with. Before you left, a woman came in. I think that you’re just the one that can help her.”
“I’d be glad to, Daniel. Where is she?”
Jon, will you stay with Evan while he finishes his recuperation? Maybe both of you could sit on the beach while I take Julia down stairs, she’s volunteered to help me and Treysen already has lounge chairs ready for you.”
“That would be fine, Daniel.”
“I’ll be back, boys,” Julia says with a smile, as she leaves with Daniel.
Walking down the clinic stairs, Daniel reminds Julia, “Julia, before you left to go back to your apartment, I told you about a lady who had come here to ask me for my help. Do you remember, Julia? She was trying to find her two sons.”
“I remember, Daniel.”
“Well, apparently, they had been assigned a new guide in the afterlife, and somehow he lost them.”
“Somebody can be lost in the afterlife?”
“Actually, I’ve never heard of it before. But, when she arrived in the afterlife, she didn’t find her sons, and no one else could find them either.”
“Ok, I’ve got to get this straight. This lady arrived in the afterlife, expecting to see her sons. She looked everywhere and couldn’t find them.”
“…Exactly!”
“And when she asked where they were, all that she was told was that they couldn’t find them, and that they had done everything they could to find out what happened?”
“Correct! So when she found out that they were lost, she was told to come to me because I was the only one who could help her. From the moment that she arrived, and told me her story, I have been looking for them. In the mean time, she has been recuperating in her own room, trying to heal from the things that she experienced in her lifetime.”
Daniel continues, “What I would like you to do is to watch her life pictures, just like you did with Evan. See if you can see anything that you feel would help her heal from her grief.”
“I would be glad to do that Daniel.”
“Thank you Julia.” Stopping in the hall by her closed door, Daniel adds, “Here is her room. Let me know when you figure everything out.”
The pictures on the monitor are pictures that Julia has never seen before, of a country far away with beautiful castles high in the mountains. Finally, she sees a small girl laughing with her family while they are sailing in a large ship crossing the ocean. The little girl’s hair is golden and her eyes are blue. Her skin is pale. She has ribbons in her hair. Her dress has ruffles and beautiful lace bordering the skirt and sleeves. She begins to play with several other children, running around on the deck of the ship.”
Years pass, the next pictures on the monitor are of a wedding by a beautiful water fall. Julia sees a very familiar, American Indian, young man running down a hill toward the same girl, now grown, putting on his wedding shirt.
Next, the monitor shows twin boys trying to shoot their arrows. Their father is smiling and motioning to the same young woman, as she is walking toward them after finishing the weekly wash, to come and watch them.
“All of this is very familiar,” she muses. When Jon and I were watching Evan, as Blue Cloud, we saw the same things. I’ve got to get Jon, to make sure I’m not just crazy. I’ve got to know for sure before I say anything. Evan has been through too much for me to make a mistake about this.”
Julia hurries to Treysen. “Treysen, would you please go to the beach and ask, Jon, to come to me? I need him.”
“…Sure thing.”
Going out to the beach, Treysen walks up to Jon as he rests on his beach chair, “Jon, Julia needs to talk to you. Would you please come with me?”
“…Certainly. I’ll be back in a minute, Evan.”
“That’s fine, Jon, I’ll stay here and continue watching the sun as it goes down.”
As soon as Julia sees Jon, she abruptly says, “Jon, quick! Watch this monitor for a while and tell me what you think.”
Looking at her strangely, he looks toward the monitor. After a few minutes he remarks, “Julia, this looks like Blue Cloud. Are we watching Evan’s life again?”
“No, we’re watching the life of this woman.”
“What woman?”
“…The woman in that bed. Look at her, does she look familiar?”
“All that I can say right now is the fact that what I am seeing on the monitor is a rerun of, Evan’s life. It looks like Evan, as Blue Cloud, and I can’t mistake the boys. They are, Running Deer and Gray Wolf. I’d stake my life on it.”
“That’s the way that I’m feeling, Jon. So, who do you think that this woman is?”
“You don’t think it could be…?”
Cutting Jon off, afraid of the answer, Julia says, “I don’t know. I’ll go in and ask her.”
Walking into the room, Julia asks, “How are you doing today?”
“Have you found out anything about my boys?”
“Daniel is still working on it.”
Walking over to the side of her bed Julia asks, “May I ask you what your name is?”
“My name is, Snow Flower.”
Taken back, Julia slowly asks, “Was your husband’s name, Blue Cloud?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
Completely shocked, Julia says, “If you will wait here for a few minutes, I will come back, and answer that question.” Walking out of Snow Flower’s room, Julia looks at Jon.
Her eyes are wide, and her skin is flushed. Unable to speak, with mixed emotions of pain and happiness, Julia leans against the wall, taking a few breaths, as her brain is trying to make sense of everything that she has just heard.
“What is it, Julia,” Jon questions her.
Slowly looking up at Jon, her mouth begins to move. “It’s Snow Flower, Jon.”
“What?”
“She said that her name is, Snow Flower.”
“Snow Flower…Blue Cloud’s, Snow Flower?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure that you heard it right?”
“Yes. When she told me her name, I asked her if her husband’s name was Blue Cloud.”
“What did she say?”
She said, “Yes, and then she asked me how I knew his name?”
“We’ve got to tell him, Julia. But how are we going to do that?”
“Let’s get Daniel,” Julia suggests. “Treysen, would you please tell Daniel that we need his help.”
“He’s on his way, Julia. I’ve already sent him a message.” Arriving quickly, Daniel greets them, “Hello, everyone. What can I help you with?”
“Daniel, this is, Snow Flower.”
“Ah, I thought that she looked familiar.”
“How are we going to tell, Evan?”
“What would you think about asking for his help? He could come in and watch the monitor in another room. Since she is awake now, the monitor has the ability to rewind after we take the electrodes off of her head and heart. I’ll have a staff member do that while Evan is walking in from the beach.”
“Shall we be in the room with him?” Julia asks.
“I think that would be a good suggestion
. When you feel that he can handle it, after watching the monitor for a few minutes, bring him to the window of her room. I will be waiting for all of you.”
“What will we do then?”
“Let’s just take it a step at a time. Things like this seem to work themselves out. Why don’t you go to the room that has been prepared, Treysen is bringing Evan down the stairs now.”
Treysen guides Evan, to the room where Jon and Julia wait for him. “Is there something that I can help you with?” he asks.
“Yes there is, Evan. Would you please sit down here and watch at this monitor?” Jon requests.
“Sure, what are we looking for?”
“Look at it for a little while and tell us what you think it is.”
“Ok, I’m ready.”
The monitor plays for a short while. “Is this from the time that I was here before? I mean, there’s, Snow Flower, and my boys.”
“Are you sure that it’s, Snow Flower?”
“Are you kidding? I’ve only had one love in my whole life and it was, Snow Flower. Do you think that I would make a mistake about something like that?”
“Come with me, Evan,” Julia asks.
Evan gets up and walks behind her. “Look through this window, Evan.”
“Hello Daniel, Julia wants me to help with this client,” Evan mouths to Daniel.
While Evan is talking to Daniel through the window, the client unexpectedly sits up and looks at Daniel as he stands by her side.
“Daniel, they’re here.”
Daniel turns back to face her, “Who is here, my dear?”
“My boys…. My boys are here.”
Looking through the window, Evan is shocked, “Julia… is that Snow Flower? She looks like Snow Flower!”
“Go ask her, Evan.”
Walking into the room, Snow Flower looks at him and asks, “Blue Cloud, why are you dressed like that? And what happened to all your hair?”
“Snow Flower, how did you get here?”
“I came here to ask, Daniel to help me find our boys.”
“What happened to, Running Deer and Gray Wolf?”
“They’re missing.”
“They’re missing?”
“Yes. They had a new guide and he lost them. I never felt them in the afterlife, but I just felt them here. They’re here somewhere, Blue Cloud.”
