“Let me handle this,” urged Jenson.
I scoffed. Yep, that was his ego talking. I’d just let him have the moment, why not?
The ranger got up from his desk, heading towards the office door; his name badge said, Mike. Hmm, that was a nice name.
“Hi, I’m Ranger Mike, . Can I be of any help to you, kids? I have pamphlets on the trails if you’re interested. I can even take you on some tours of the paths sometime. Right now it’s almost six o’clock. It’s getting late and dark. If you’re interested, though, let me know.” He turned to grab the pamphlets mounted to the wall. “Here you go, anything else?” he asked.
“Yeah,” said Jenson. “ We have a few questions to ask you.”
“OK, what kind of questions?”
“We heard about Martin Du-Vance. We went to school with him and are a bit concerned.”
“I understand, but you should let the police take care of this,” Mike replied.
“Maybe you know my dad, Dan?” I asked, figuring it was worth a shot.
“Yeah, he was by here the other day with some detectives. Are you Starla?”
“Yes, I guess I should have introduced myself.”
“He told me if you came by to give you this folder and to call him. Now, I know you have solved other mysteries; furthermore, I’m not to reveal anything to you just yet. Call your dad, it’s urgent. Then meet me back here tomorrow. Do you have classes?”
“It’s Wednesday, but Molly has church,” I replied, taking the blue file from him.
“Well then, after church, if it’s possible. Here’s my card. Once you talk to your father, I can clue you in on the park, how things work here, including--”
He stopped short, looking around to see if anyone was listening, gathering us close. “Things go on here I’m not allowed to talk about unless you’re part of the circle. There are many circles or groups. I’ll discuss it with all of you. When you are approved later. You kids get along now, stay together. I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’ve heard good things about you, Starla. You’ll make a great addition to the team. Damn, did I just say that?”
I smiled at him, “You sure did,” I answered, patting him on the back. “It’s OK, I’ll call you.” I took his card as he handed it to me.
Chapter 7
We sat at the table and devoured massive amounts of spaghetti.
“Mom, this is great, exactly what we needed after our long day of exploring and investigating. Ranger Mike, needs me to call dad. It’s necessary for the case; however, I know you’re not thrilled about us being involved.”
My mom gave me a compassionate smile. “Honey, you know I loved your father, sometimes I think I still do. We just have different ideas about what’s best for you.” She sighed, “I am starting to think, and I hate, to say this, but he’s right. You’re not a little girl any longer. Please remember to keep an open mind when you call him.” She glanced at my friends, then back at me. I waited for her to continue, but she went back to stabbing her spaghetti.
“So, where’s Megan tonight?” Molly asked.
“Oh, she’s off with Carol, a new girlfriend of hers. They wanted to check out that old roller rink,” Tri said.
“Have you guys ever been to one?” I asked Jenson and Molly.
“When we were kids Molly and I used to hang out there, but it’s been a while.”
“Yep, we’ll have to drag you there when we’re not on a crazy mega mission,” Molly quipped.
I laughed, and scooped up large amounts of noodles into my mouth, taking time to observe the smiles on the faces around me before swallowing my food. It felt good to be relaxing. Any second it could change-- the phone would ring, and wham! For the moment it was peaceful, but it wouldn’t last long. It never did, for me.
I grabbed Jenson’s hand under the table. I’m not sure what made me do it. He smiled at me without a word. It was better that way. I didn’t want Molly to feel bad. She must be lonely. I wanted to hug her, give her comfort, but I also didn’t want to make her upset or give her the wrong impression.
“How are things with you?” I asked, looking up at Molly.
“Hmm, I don’t know, church isn’t what it once was for me.”
“Everything changes. It doesn’t hurt to explore other religious beliefs. You might find a place you fit,” Tri responded.
“Ma...Maybe,” stammered Molly in a shaky voice.
I patted her on the back gently. I realized her family stood firm in its beliefs. She would need a lot of support from us. I pushed my plate away, “Mom, should we wash the dishes?”
“Nah, you ought to phone your father. Go, and I’ll finish things up. Molly, I’m not sure when your curfew is, but Jenson you need to leave by ten, please.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said.
We exited the kitchen before mom decided to change her mind.
Cozy up in my room, we sat with the door ajar. My mother had it in her head that something wild and crazy just might occur if it was closed. Sigh, I hadn’t even thought about messing around with a boy. Frankly, school, my family, and chaos had taken care of that. Now at odds with myself, I sat with my cell phone next to me. I continued to watch it, confident it would ring so I didn’t have to make the call.
“Starla, just call him! It’s almost ten. Jenson will have to leave soon,” said Molly.
“I know, I know.”
Jenson gave me a sympathetic gaze. It had been fine. I’d geared myself up to call him, and then wham! Moving forward would mean accepting this reality. Could I allow my father into my life completely? This could either change my entire existence or bring it to a close. Grow up, I thought and grabbed the cell and hit speed dial. It rang two, then three times, and then click he picked up.
“Hey, Starla put me on speaker. Is everyone there?”
“Yes, dad,” I said, putting the speaker phone on.
“Now, what happened? Did you go see Mike? Is there any new evidence?”
“Dad, Ranger Mike refused to pass on any specific details. He said we had to be approved. What does ‘a part of a circle’ mean?”
“There are several groups, we call them clans. Each group has their own territories protected by a guardian. Be honest with me. Have you had any eccentric visitors recently?”
“Eccentric isn’t the word for it! The night I had leads me to believe you’ve lied to me my entire life. I’m not exactly sure this is something we should talk about in front of my friends.”
“Starla, they’re already involved. Now, enlighten me.”
I recapped my dad on the night’s events when I’d met the vampire wolves, along with my experience of transforming into a fox. He listened and seemed grateful Jenson had been there for me.
“Now Starla, just do your best not to panic,” he chuckled.
“Dad, um, you put me in these situations. Why?” I demanded.
“Hunters Park is the hub for a fox clan, one you are part of. Ranger Mike, has had to infiltrate into other divisions. We suspect that someone from an outside clan killed Du-Vance.”
“What? Was Du-Vance, part of Starla’s clan?” Jenson asked.
“Yes, and recently we deduced he tried to create a peace treaty with a not so diplomatic group. At this time, we’re not sure why, but we are attempting to find out. There are a lot of assumptions, but no answers. Mike has been leery of who enters and exits the park during moonlight hours. It’s when our clan is most active. The vampire wolf hybrids have been assisting in protecting us. That is why they contacted you, not to hurt you. However, they assumed I’d told you about our heritage. It upsets your mother. She’s never trusted Lance and Shellena. I’ll call Mike and give him the go ahead. He’ll set up a time for you to meet your clan.”
I shuddered--, alone? No, not without my backup. Yeah, I trusted Mr. Mike the Ranger, but how long had I known him, ten minutes maybe? It wasn’t as if my dad was releasing all the data at once. He was giving me small pieces, tidbits of what he wanted me to know. It really piss
ed me off!
“On one condition, Molly and Jenson, you said they’re already involved. You’ve planned for them to be here during this conversation. I want them by my side throughout this entire process. I don’t want to be unaccompanied.”
“OK, fine,” he stated, and the phone clicked off.
“Huh, disconnected?” I set the cell down on my nightstand and stood up.
“Well, he sure as heck didn’t give us a lot to go on, did he?” asked Molly.
Tears filled my eyes, “Yeah, tell me I’m a part of a clan, as if I didn’t already know from his notebook, after that chuckle at me, and then act like I’m going in solo! What a bright idea,” I replied sarcastically.
“Now wait, maybe your dad got interrupted. Do you actually believe he’d hang up like that?” Jenson asked.
I pouted, “I don’t know, in fact, I barely know my dad at all. This is the first time he’s shown up in years. One day he packed his things. He told my mother to take care of me. There was no discussion, apparently she knew how to raise me better than he did. It might have been over all this crap going on now. I’m a fox and a part of a clan, one I get to meet tomorrow,” I smiled through my tears.
“How do you feel?” asked Molly.
“Confused, excited, scared, and unsure.”
“It sounds about right,” said Jenson.
“What about your sister, if he left?”
“I ask myself that all the time. Possibly dad came back for a late night rendezvous or my mom is very sly.”
At that instant, I considered my mother must be a fox, but if I was part human, was my dad? I shook it off. One of them was a fox, and one a human. I had that sorted out in my mind. I’d have to let it sit.
“I’ve got to go, or your mom will kick me out. It’s after ten,” said Jenson.
I hugged Jenson, then Molly.
“What time do you get out of the church?”
“About one, pick me up from there, please, you and Jenson?”
“Sounds good, I’ll just walk you both out.”
I trotted down the stairs. My friends followed and we said our goodbyes. Slowly, I shut the door behind them.
Chapter 8
11 P.M. I stared at the clock and hugged my teddy bear tight. Mom had offered to stay with me until I fell asleep. Um, no thanks, not at 19 years old, if I’d been normal I’d be checking my e-mail. I threw the bear across the room. It bounced off the wall to the right of my bookshelf, knocking off the blue folder; papers flew, gravity pulled them to the floor.
If only Molly didn’t have to attend church. I turned on my lamp, hopped out of bed, nearly bouncing to the floor. I pushed out my hands onto the cold wood beneath my feet. Gosh, it felt good to stretch out, the ground felt nice, maybe it was the fox coming out in me? I wasn’t even in that form. I brought myself back up to the upward dog yoga position. What was in that folder the ranger had given me? I didn’t remember putting it on that shelf.
I shuffled over to it, picking them up. They were numbered, I noticed dates, faces of missing people, and where they had been attacked. It went as far back as 1977. I put them back in order debating whether I should continue to go through them. It must have something to do with this case, pieces they considered might fit together with Du-Vance’s death. The only difference was these people might still be alive somewhere. Well, it couldn’t hurt to study them...
A picture of a skinny tall boy with light brownish hair was displayed on the left-hand corner of the page. It read below:
Lang Orion, Male went missing February of 1977, he was 19 years old, and his family said he’d been out for a walk in Hunters Park. Friends from school claimed that Lang went there hoping to catch a glimpse of a few fox’s, wolves or similar animals. He’d been studying mythology and wanted to be a historian who specialized in local legends. There was nothing currently in print to prove any supernatural animals existed, but gossip spread, when a sighting took place by a few local students. They thought they had seen an image of a lady running in the woods who mystically transformed into a fox. The police re-assured these pupils that it had been a hallucination due to sleep loss and peyote, a herb usually used in Native American tribes they had obtained from a friend. The students denied obtaining the natural drug. Officers didn’t know why these students were left unharmed. No names have been released for their own protection. (He would be 46 now, I thought.)
The ranger had made notes in the margins. Why would the officers use the word “unharmed”? Disappearances did not mean a fatality. Who could have taken Lang? If I wasn’t myself being protected from my clan, could I have helped them? Was this why my mother left? I saw nothing else written so I turned the page.
Hmm, this person, I did a double take. She looked almost like... No!
A girl with golden blonde hair stared back at me, trim, yet curvy, big brown eyes just as I had remembered her. We went to kindergarten together when I was five back in L.A. The memories were fuzzy. A bit blurred together. Our parents were close... were they? We used to talk about dreams, fears, and hopes. Little girls create imaginary ideas, worlds, and friends. We were only five then. She had moved three years later in 1994.
Cal Summers In May of 1997, Cal would have been 11, it claimed she was playing in the park when she swore to her mother she’d seen a lost dog wandering among several pine trees. Kris Summers told her daughter to come along, leave the dog alone. Cal quickly turned away from her mother, running towards where she thought she’d seen the animal. A bit old to be chasing a dog, I thought. Kris at first searched for her with no results. Later she returned to the ranger’s station where Dale, an older gentleman, called the cops. Not a trace of evidence had been left behind to prove Cal had even been in the park. Kris filed a missing person’s report for her daughter after 24 hours. Police consulted her at the station. A party was formed to search for the girl. Summers claimed her daughter must have been kidnapped, but the police found no signs of a struggle.
It’s 2004, that was seven years ago! How could Martin Du-vance be tied into this? He wasn’t 19 years old. Usually, criminals followed a pattern. How odd, peculiar, even, but it could be a coincidence. Chills started to creep down my back. Looking up, I realized I’d left my window opened; setting down the files; I stood up, quickly to shut it. The moon held an eerie glow. I placed a hand on the window, staring out into the night. The trees swayed in our yard, everyone was in for the evening apparently. A few cars were parked on the side lot beyond our complex. Martin why did you die, yet these people lived? Are they still alive? What is their secret? Is it one someone else wants to be kept? My hand felt for the lock and latched it.
Now back down on the floor I turned the page to Martin’s file. Twenty-nine years old? That seemed pretty mature to be in college doing an internship. Why hadn’t Mike mentioned it? I fingered the picture in the corner as a wave of nausea hit me. Gradually moving my body to the floor, I enjoyed the coolness radiating off the wood. What about his family? They must be worried. Did Ranger Mike, have facts on them? No notes in the margins. I wanted answers. A few more pages lay beyond this one. Perhaps there were files on his Dad, Mom, and did he have any siblings? Rascal, the name was at the bottom of the page following it was his current address, nothing else. Had he been questioned? Did he know anything or care about this man?
Getting my bearings, I sat up. My bathroom was to the right of me. One nice thing about the small room I’d gained. Still not quite myself, I slide across the floor to it, and stood up. Once inside I used the sink to steady myself, I hit the light and turned on the faucet. I let the cold water run over my hands, wetted my neck, then my hair, grabbed a Dixie cup, filled it with water, and drank. That was the best water I’d ever had. What had made me so dehydrated? Too much caffeine before bed? Was that why I was still up? Flicking the light switch off, I picked the documents up off the floor. I sat them back up on the bookshelf and placed my teddy bear on top of them. My hand lingered on my bear. I remembered when I believed he could protect m
e from all things, just like my father, and mother. Those were the days.
Now, back in bed, unanswered questions still weighed heavily on my mind. The case alone was not my only concern. My friendships were changing. I was changing. Snuggling down, I tried not to think. I’d thought enough, for one day. It was time to drift, to be calm, to let my worries float into the sky and give them to a higher power. I would worry again when I awakened.
(Wednesday)
Bright rays of light illuminated into my room through the curtains that framed my window. No, it can’t be morning. I pulled the covers over my head to drown out the sun. My alarm had already rung several times. It finally got the hint, shutting itself off automatically.
“Starla, breakfast,” my mom hollered.
Food was the last thing on my mind after being up so late.
“Starla, you know mom is calling you,” said my sister. She stood in my doorway in her blue flannel pajamas with pink bunny slippers. She slid one off and threw it at me.
I caught it and sent it right back her way, hitting her on the leg. “Score,” I sang out.
I pulled my covers off of myself and jumped up to grab the robe lying on the floor. Before I could retrieve it, Megan tackled me to the bed, instantly a tickle fest erupted.
“Stop, stop!” I snickered, pushing her hands away from my armpits and belly area.
“Give up yet?” she asked.
“Yes, I give up.”
Megan got up, slid off the bed giving me a mischievous grin, “You’d better come down for breakfast.”
“Definitely, once I’m dressed.” I tossed my robe aside that I’d never put on. I got up and pulled items out of my dresser. A pair of faded blue jeans; they were old, yet do-able.
“Are you going to wear those?” she asked.
“Yep, and this old green T-shirt will do. I’m just going to the park later today. Is mom, angry?” I asked.
Myth (Book 1) Page 5
