Amanda in New Mexico

by Foster, Darlene;

  Amanda sat with Cleo. “How did you know someone had fallen off the bridge from that spot?”

  “I don’t know, I just did. I could see the person topple over and fall to the bottom. It was awful.” Cleo trembled. “They may have done it on purpose.”

  “You mean—they committed suicide?”

  Amanda remembered how it felt like the wind pushed her into the graveyard. ‘Maybe the suicides Mr. Samson mentioned were not all done on purpose.’ She gave her head a shake. ‘This is crazy. Why am I even thinking this way? I don’t believe in ghosts or supernatural stuff. There has to be a logical explanation to all of this.’

  Amanda needed to think of something else; this was all a bit much. “Where are we going now, Ms. Bowler?”

  “It’s a surprise. A very nice surprise,” answered the teacher.

  The bus zigzagged through towering red cliffs and stopped at what looked like an oasis in the middle of nowhere. Palm trees waved in the breeze, flowering bushes coloured the gardens and large clay pots lined the gravel walkway. A bright sign stood outside.

  WELCOME TO OJO CALIENTE

  Ms. Bowler explained, “Ojo Caliente translated means “warm eye” but is more commonly known as “hot spring”. Make sure you bring your backpacks with you. After we have lunch inside, we will be spending the afternoon here at the spa, enjoying the hot springs and swimming pool. Remember to speak softly. The hot springs and spa are designated a whisper zone in order to preserve the quiet and tranquillity.”

  With full stomachs, the students went through the gift shop and into the change rooms. They emerged clad in bathing suits. In front of them, two large pools waited. Along one side, water cascaded out of clay pots, falling into four hot pools dug out from the red cliffs. Signs indicated the cliff-side hot pools had different temperatures and ingredients.

  Amanda couldn’t decide which one to go in first. “Let’s try this one.” She dipped her toes in.

  “Feels soooo good,” said Amanda as she lowered herself into the warm, iron-rich water. “It’s as relaxing as the sign said it would be.”

  Cleo followed. “Oh, this is nice.” She closed her eyes and sighed.

  After a few minutes, Amanda asked, “Where did you go to school before coming to Guy Weadick?”

  Cleo kept her eyes closed. “I lived in Saskatchewan with my mom and stepdad. Things didn’t work out so I moved to Calgary, to live with my dad and his girlfriend.”

  “What do you mean, ‘things didn’t work out?’”

  “The kids at school were mean to me. That’s when I started seeing things. My mom couldn’t handle it. I spent some time in a hospital, which was awful. Then she sent me to live with my dad.” Cleo’s voice broke. “Mom said I was just doing it to get attention. She didn’t believe the kids were cruel to me.”

  “You mean you were being bullied?”

  “I guess so.” Cleo looked down at her toes as she wiggled them in the warm water. “Thanks for sticking up for me when your boyfriend was picking on me this morning on the bus.”

  “You mean Caleb? He is not my boyfriend. He’s a boy and he’s my friend, but he is not my boyfriend.” She slowly shook her head and then asked, “Why do you think you see ghosts anyway?”

  “I don’t know. They just seem to appear. I think the girl I keep seeing here wants to tell me something.”

  “You mean, you think she’s a ghost?” She couldn’t believe Cleo was being so calm about it, especially since she seemed to get so upset by ghosts. Amanda squeezed her eyes shut and opened them. “No, there must be a logical explanation.”

  Cleo looked up and covered her mouth to stop from screaming.

  Someone, brown as a bear, stood above them with huge eyes and hands reaching out like a furious animal about to seize them.

  12

  “CALEB! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” AMANDA PULLED A FACE. “Why are you all covered in mud?”

  “You guys have just got to try this. It is so cool! You cover yourself in special mud and then after it’s dry, you wash it off in a shower.” He motioned with his hand. “Follow me.”

  Amanda sighed. “Come on, let’s see what this is all about.”

  The girls got out of the hot pool and followed Caleb to another pool full of chocolate coloured mud. They covered themselves with the warm mud and lay in the sun while it dried. In the valley, the wind had disappeared and the sun felt warm as it baked the mud.

  Amanda laughed. “You look so funny, Cleo.”

  “So do you!”

  Amanda felt her skin tighten as the mud dried. After a few minutes, she stood under a shower and rinsed it away. “My skin feels so good,” said Amanda as she dried herself with a rough towel.

  She spotted Ms. Bowler. “Thanks for bringing us here. I have never been to a spa before. I just love it.”

  “Glad you’re enjoying yourselves.”

  “It is so peaceful here. I feel safe,” said Cleo.

  “I’m not surprised. These ancient springs have been a gathering place and source of healing for thousands of years. Warring tribesmen often set their weapons and differences aside to gather in peace at these springs. They enjoyed the benefits of the waters and healed their wounds together. Did you know that spa is an acronym for the Latin phrase, salus per aquas, which means health through water?”

  “Really! That’s awesome,” exclaimed Amanda. “I thought acronyms were something modern.”

  “They’ve actually been around for a long time.” The teacher chuckled. “If you get tired of the pools, there are some good hiking trails. There’s an easy one to an old round barn not too far from here. Just don’t take too long as it’s getting late in the afternoon.”

  “That might be fun to check out. What do you think, Cleo? Do you feel like a short hike?”

  “Sure.”

  “Can I come along with you guys?” asked Caleb.

  “Of course, why not? The more the merrier.” Amanda wrapped the towel around herself and headed to the change room.

  Cleo scowled and followed.

  Back in jeans and T-shirts, the three of them started out. Amanda held the brochure and map she got from the front desk.

  “It looks easy to get to. We just need to follow this trail and the signposts.”

  The area felt familiar to Amanda. The dry earth, sprinkled with sagebrush and odd-shaped rocks, reminded her of Alberta. In the distance, badlands lined the horizon. The late afternoon sun felt warm. Caleb and Cleo chatted as they walked along behind her. She took a deep breath, happy they were getting along. The horrible morning seemed like such a long time ago. Nothing could possibly go wrong now. Could it?

  Small paths veered off the trail.

  “Should we leave this trail at some point?” asked Cleo.

  “I don’t think so. According to the map, we should stay on this one. The smaller paths lead to the river and back to the gorge.”

  They came around a bend and saw a round building that looked like a giant toadstool.

  “This is so cute.” Amanda raced ahead and opened the door. The smell of old wood, varnish and hay greeted her. The kids went up the stairs and viewed openings where hay used to be pushed down to feed the cows below.

  Amanda read from the brochure, “This barn is no longer used for dairy cows, but is let out for special occasions like weddings.” She looked up. “This would be a totally awesome place to have a wedding, don’t you think?”

  “I wonder why it’s round?” asked Cleo.

  Amanda scanned the brochure. “It says it may have been designed round to keep evil spirits away.”

  Cleo trembled.

  The door slammed shut.

  “I h-have to get out of here.” Cleo looked around for the stairs.

  “Ya, let’s go.” Caleb found the stairs and started down.

  He stopped halfway when a whistling sound echoed in the empty building. Cleo and Amanda looked at each other with wide eyes. “Come on, girls, follow me.” Caleb continued down the stairs, the girls close beh
ind him. He crossed the floor and pushed the door. It flung open with a bang as a gust of wind grabbed it.

  Cleo dashed out like a greyhound and raced down the trail.

  “Wait for us!” shouted Amanda as she helped Caleb close the heavy door.

  They looked around. Cleo was nowhere to be seen.

  “Cleo, where are you?” shouted Amanda as they headed down the path. Silence greeted her. “Now what?” She looked at Caleb.

  He sighed and shook his head. “Oh brother. She must have gone down one of these side paths. But which one?”

  The sun started to set. Bizarre shadows pranced ahead of them on the path.

  “I think we should get back and let the teachers know what happened,” said Caleb.

  “Maybe we should keep looking for her. I’m already in trouble and they will get mad at me for not keeping an eye on her.”

  “She’s not your responsibility.” Caleb shrugged. “Why would she run off like that anyway? One minute she seems normal and the next she is off her rocker. I just don’t get it!”

  Amanda examined the dirt beside her. “Let’s look down this trail. I think I see foot prints.”

  “So, now you are a tracker?” Caleb punched her shoulder. “OK, just this one trail.”

  The weeds lining both sides of the path were almost as tall as them. Running water trickled in the distance. The light grew gloomy.

  “I hope she didn’t fall in the river.” Amanda quickened her pace.

  Twilight dimmed and then it turned black without warning, like it does in the desert. Amanda shuddered.

  “Are you scared?” asked Caleb behind her.

  “No, I am not!”

  They heard rustling and then screeching.

  A bird flew out of the weeds and circled above them.

  Amanda grabbed Caleb’s clammy hand. Her heart thundered.

  The weeds parted.

  Amanda squeezed her eyes shut.

  13

  WHEN AMANDA OPENED HER EYES, CLEO STOOD IN FRONT of her. She looked like a wild animal with her face covered in mud and her T-shirt dripping wet.

  “Cleo!” Amanda let go of Caleb’s hand and rushed to hug her. “What happened to you?”

  “I had to get away from that barn. Bad things were in there. I could feel them. I ran down a path. I couldn’t see that it ended at a sharp drop-off. I slid down a muddy bank and ended up at the edge of a river. It was so scary.” Cleo shook from head to toe. “I finally dragged myself up the bank. I didn’t know which path to take until I heard you guys calling me.”

  “We better get back,” said Caleb. “Everyone will be wondering where we are.”

  They each took a hold of one of Cleo’s hands and hurried down the trail. When they rounded a corner, they bumped straight into Mr. Samson.

  “There you are!” His face turned a purplely shade of red. “We are about to leave. Why can’t you kids keep to the schedule?” He noticed Cleo. “And what happened to you, again?” He slowly shook his head as he led the way back.

  It was pitch black when they drove back across the Rio Grande Bridge. Amanda felt Cleo shudder beside her. She squeezed her hand. There was obviously something terribly wrong with her. Amanda wished she knew how to help her.

  At breakfast the next morning, Ms. Bowler said, “I know we have some potters in the group so you will be pleased to hear we are stopping at a pottery studio on our way to Cimarron today.”

  “You sure planned some fun things for us to do on this trip.” Amanda gulped down the rest of her chocolate milk. “The spa was amazing. I can’t wait to tell my mom about it.” Since the teacher was in a good mood, she decided not to bring up the pueblo.

  “Well, I hope you’re writing lots of notes and taking pictures. I expect some great articles and stories when we get back.” Ms. Bowler winked at Amanda.

  “I have some good drawings.” Cleo held up her sketch pad.

  “I tried doing pottery once,” said Amanda. “My aunt has a pottery studio on a small island in British Columbia. When I visited her, she let me make a vase. It was a lot harder than it looked.”

  The bus drove out of town and into Taos Canyon. Bits of snow around the rocks and pine trees made Amanda glad she put on a warmer jacket.

  They soon pulled into the driveway of a large house. Behind a mesh fence lining one side, freshly chopped wood stood piled high.

  When she got off the bus, Amanda breathed in the fresh, clear air. “It smells like pinewood and cedar. I wonder what all that wood is for. They must have a fireplace.”

  A black cat ran behind a large clay pot near the balcony. The more Amanda surveyed the yard, the more pots she noticed.

  She nodded her head. “This is a cool place.”

  Two women appeared on the deck above them. “Come on up. We’ve been expecting you.”

  Amanda headed the group as they climbed the stairs up to the front door. “OMG!” she said as they entered the house. “There is so much pottery! Did you make it all yourselves?”

  “Welcome to Enchanted Circle Pottery. Most of the pottery here has been made by the couple who live here. They are away right now and we are looking after the place for them. We’re potters too. There are a few pieces here made by us. I am Fran, by the way, and this is Dorothy.” She pointed to the other woman. “Now, who here makes pottery or would like to?”

  A number of students put up their hand, including Amanda and Cleo.

  Fran led them through the house, pointing out pottery pieces and explaining the process. “You will notice the iridescent colours of the pottery. See how each piece has a different shade. This is because it has all been fired with wood. Wood firing, an ancient Japanese process, produces these unique tints. As the wood burns in the kiln at extremely high temperatures, the ash lands on the pieces and melts—forming a glaze. The flames licking the pots also add interesting marks. I’ll show you the kiln later.”

  “Is that what all the wood is for?” asked Amanda.

  “Yes, wood is cut and stored all year long. As much as five cords of wood are required for each firing.”

  “How hot does it get?” asked Caleb.

  “It can get as high as 2400 degrees Fahrenheit,” replied Fran.

  “What is that in Celsius?” asked Amanda.

  “I’m sorry, I forgot you use Celsius in Canada. Let me see.” Fran thought for a minute. “It would be about 1300 degrees Celsius.”

  Amanda stood beside a pot as tall as her. Caleb snapped a picture.

  “Man, that thing is huge.” He grinned. “I wouldn’t want that to fall on me.”

  Every room held rows and rows of pots, including vases, bowls, jugs, goblets and mugs. A pair of horses and a graceful dove caught their attention. Amanda ran her hand over the rough and smooth textures of the dove. “I wish I was good enough to make something this amazing.”

  Fran took them outside to the enormous brick kiln. It was so big all ten of the students easily fit inside. The ceiling loomed high above them. Shelves for smaller pieces lined the walls.

  “This is called a train style kiln. It holds a huge amount of pots and takes up to sixteen hours to load. During the forty hours of firing, the potters feed the wood into the kiln and rake the coals. They record the temperatures and make adjustments to ensure a successful firing. After one week of cooling, they open the door and unload the treasures.”

  Amanda thought about how hot it got in the kiln and started to sweat.

  “Let’s get out of here,” she said to Cleo. “I feel claustrophobic.”

  Caleb stayed back to take more pictures while the rest of the group filed out the narrow door and back onto the driveway.

  Amanda glanced up at the balcony and noticed a tall pot sitting on the edge begin to wobble. “Cleo, move!” Amanda shouted as the urn toppled over.

  Cleo seemed frozen to the ground. The vessel headed straight toward her.

  Amanda grabbed her friend and pulled her out of the way, just as the pot smashed into a thousand pieces on the
ground in the exact spot Cleo had been standing.

  A black cat scampered down the stairs and into the woods.

  14

  NO ONE SAID A WORD FOR A FEW MINUTES. THEN CLEO, leaning on Amanda’s shoulder, began to sob.

  Ms. Bowler stared at the broken pieces of pottery scattered around the pavement. “Who would push that vase over?”

  “No one could have pushed it. Everyone was here,” replied Amanda as she patted Cleo’s shoulder.

  “Caleb isn’t,” said one of the other students.

  “Where is he, anyway?” asked the teacher.

  “I think he might still be inside the kiln.” Amanda glanced over at the brick enclosure.

  “The door is closed. I don’t think anyone is in there.” Fran tried the door to the kiln. “It’s locked. That’s weird. We never lock it when it isn’t being used.” She fumbled in her pocket, pulled out a key and opened the door.

  A frazzled Caleb stumbled out. “That was so not funny, locking me in there!” The tips of his ears burned red. “Didn’t you hear me knocking and calling?”

  “The walls are so thick, you can’t hear anything from outside,” said Fran. “But, how did you get locked inside anyway?” She shook her head and sighed when she looked at the smashed pot on the driveway. “I’ll go sweep this up.” She glanced over at Cleo. “I’m so glad no one got hurt.”

  Ms. Bowler wrinkled her brow and mumbled, “Why do I get the feeling this trip is cursed?” Louder, she said, “Let’s get on the bus, everybody.”

  The bus took them further into the mountains. They passed tall pointy bluffs that looked like stone barricades protecting a meandering river below. Amanda grabbed her camera from her backpack.

  “I have to take pictures of those awesome cliffs.” She snapped pictures through the bus window. “I sure hope they turn out.”

  Ms. Bowler nodded her head. “They are called the Palisade Sills and were created when hot lava shot its way up through older rocks. They are quite unique to this area. Perhaps we can stop for better pictures on the way back.”

  Not long after, they arrived at a small frontier town called Cimarron. The bus stopped in front of the St. James Hotel, an old, two-story building painted beige with a white trim. The American stars and stripes flag flapped in the wind on top of the sign. Hitching posts ready for horses to be tied up lined the front.