by Tish Thawer
Pausing in the middle of the staircase, she listened for any movement below, knowing she’d need to get out of this house as soon as possible or risk running into the previous version of herself. Sensing the coast was clear, Trin eased down the last few steps and tiptoed across the foyer.
“I’ll ask you again...what happened?”
Trin spun and found Nadie poised to strike with a machete in hand.
“Nadie...” Trin held up her hands, having no idea what to say since she hadn’t pinpointed the timeline yet.
“I know it is not you, I can feel traces of the Madame in your veins, but you are not her. Explain.” She raised the machete higher above her head, looking like a true Indian warrior.
Trin nodded, remembering the tribes magic and wasn’t surprised Nadie could sense hers. “I’ll explain everything, but first we need to leave this place. Is there somewhere I can hide?”
After a few seconds of consideration, Nadie gestured out the back door but didn’t lower her weapon. In a show of good faith, Trin led the way, exiting the house first. “Which way?” she asked.
“Towards the river,” Nadie replied, solemnly.
They walked the half-mile trail through bushes, ferns, and trees without saying a word. At times Trin wondered if Nadie was even still there since nothing but the sounds of the forest and snapping sticks under her own boots rang out around them. A quick tug at her arm, however, confirmed she was. “Get down,” Nadie instructed, pulling her to the ground and blocking her view.
Trin crouched silently and watched as Nadie surveyed the nearby riverbank with curiosity and a hint of fear. “Explain now,” the Indian priestess demanded.
“You are correct; I am not the Madame Kate you know. However, I am the future version of who she becomes.” Trin swallowed and eyed Nadie’s weapon, hoping that wouldn’t be the last sentence she ever muttered. “If you take my hand, I can show you.” Trin extended her right arm.
Nadie cast another nervous glance at the river then placed her left hand in Trin’s.
Visions of Trin’s lifetimes and that of her sisters’ flew between them in a rapid exchange, magic to magic, and truth to truth. She needed Nadie to understand that she wasn’t here to alter the timeline, but to find her sisters and stop Ann from doing so instead. Settling on a particular memory of herself as Katherine, Trin felt the maiden’s doubt lower as the vision of the two of them together, mourning the loss of Nadie’s mother sank in.
Nadie’s long braids fell forward as she knelt in front of Trin with the shimmer of tears in her eyes. “I understand. Your soul is pure and your memories of me are the same that I share of you. I will help you,” she stated with a quiver in her voice.
“Thank you so much.” Trin felt their past connection and pulled Nadie into a warm embrace.
“First, we need to get you and your sisters back to my tribe. It will be the safest place for you to hide.” Nadie stood and offered her hand.
“That’s the thing, I don’t know where my sisters are just yet.” Trin shrugged and fought back her pooling tears.
Nadie smiled and pointed at the river. “I believe I do.”
Trin stood up and followed Nadie’s gaze. Caris and Kennedy were sprawled on the riverbank, wet and unconscious. Oh, thank the Goddess. Rushing into the frigid water, Trin splashed to the other side. Kneeling between them, she checked their pulse and threw herself atop them as they started to stir. “Thank the Goddess you’re both all right,” Trin sobbed.
“What happened? Where the hell are we?” Kennedy struggled to sit up.
“You are not in Hell, you are in Maine,” a stern voice replied.
Kennedy looked up and gasped. “Who’s the Pocahontas look-a-like?”
“This is my friend, Nadie. She is going to help us,” Trin replied.
“It’s my honor to help, but we must go now.” Nadie held out a hand to Caris while Trin helped Kennedy to her feet.
“Follow me, and stay low.” Nadie took off, scrambling up the muddy bank and continued into the forest. Large pines and a mix of birch and alder trees surrounded them. Trin, Caris, and Kennedy trailed behind with not nearly as much stealth. Thankfully, the small tribe was located in a small clearing just a mile or so into the woods.
“Wait here.” Nadie crept forward with the grace of a cat, ducking into a small wooden frame house. The long rectangle base and arched ceiling seemed to be covered in what looked like woven mats and sheets of bark. Trin strained to listen as Nadie spoke in her native tongue, her voice steady and rising above the others when needed as they debated their future. Male and female voices joined, blending into a cacophony of loud buzzing, making it seem as if their lives were in the hands of a swarm of bees. Suddenly, all fell quiet as Nadie returned with a pile of skins thrown over her shoulder. “Put these on.”
The sisters didn’t ask questions but instead discarded their modern clothes and items, burying them beneath the nearest tree, and dressed in the native attire Nadie supplied. They stood still as she marked their faces with white paint and waited while she braided their hair and smudged their auburn locks with dark brown dye that smelled of barks, roots, and leaves. “This will allow you to blend in while you’re here, but please don’t leave the wigwam unless I say so.” Nadie nodded swiftly, then without waiting for a reply, led them through her Indian village.
Tan faces peered out from inside wigwams as they passed. Multiple huts of varying sizes created a circle around a central fire pit that was the size of a small pond. Rocks lined the edges of the cooking pit that was dug deep into the ground. The only two Indians who acknowledged their presence were the pair of older women stoking the fire and tending what looked to be fish wrapped in seaweed.
“This is unreal,” whispered Caris, clearly enamored by the history that surrounded them.
“You’re telling me. The last time I wore a beaded Indian gown and moccasins was for a Halloween party back in 2012.” Kennedy gasped in awe.
“Hush,” Trin whispered.
“Through here, please,” Nadie pointed at the rough-hewed door that marked the entrance to one of the longhouses located in the very back of the village. “You will be undisturbed as long as you remain inside. I’ll return this evening with food and blankets, but you will be asked to help around the village as long as you’re here. I’ll provide your tasks tomorrow morning just after sunrise.” Nadie nodded then immediately fled, leaving them alone to gather their wits.
“Where do you think Ann went?” Kennedy asked, sitting cross-legged on a grass bed layered with hides and furs.
“I’m not sure. We didn’t find each other in this time until much closer to the end of our life spans here, and from what I can tell, that’s still quite a few years away,” Trin explained.
“Great. So not only do we need to figure out where our Ann is and what she’s up to, but we also need to locate the Ann from this time, to make sure of what? That she doesn’t take our Ann’s place and race back to the future?” Caris shook her head. “I’m so confused.”
Trin joined Kennedy on the bed and gestured Caris over, patting the space beside her. “Look, first of all we need to stay calm. If we panic in any way, it will jeopardize our safety here. We need to follow Nadie’s instructions and help out where we’re told, then, once the chores are done, we’ll work here, inside the hut, to locate Ann. It’s as simple as that.”
“If it’s so simple, then let’s just find Ann right now and get out of here,” Kennedy snapped.
Trin sighed. “I understand the urgency, but you have to remember, there’s not just one version of Ann here so our spell will have to be crafted a bit more carefully than usual. Plus, we don’t have access to a map, so I may need Nadie to retrieve my special scrying bowl from the house here and use a different technique for the spell.” Trin reached for her sisters’ hands. “Can you please just trust me?”
Caris and Kennedy both leaned into their big sister’s embrace and conceded. “We trust you,” Caris replied.
“Good. And to be honest, I’m not worried about running into the version of Ann from this time. She, nor I as Katherine, ever came into this village. So as long as Nadie and her tribe are willing to keep our secret and let us hide here, we should be safe from encountering the previous version of either of us, which is extremely important. And, I’m hopeful it won’t take long to find our Ann, since you guys wound up so close and weren’t even from this time originally. I think her portal may have had a bit of a range, but not much, so hopefully she’s ended up in this same vicinity too. Tonight, when Nadie returns, I’ll ask her if she’s seen another new or strange woman in the area and we’ll go from there.”
“Sounds like a plan. Now how about we get some rest until she returns with some food. I’m beat,” Kennedy pulled back and stretched her arms into the air.
“Me too,” Caris moved to the bed on the opposite wall and settled in.
Trin eased off the bed Kennedy had claimed and walked to the next one just a few feet away. “Crazy how much a little time travel can take out of ya.” Trin shook her head then eased onto the bed and settled into the warmth of the furs, praying silently that their plans would go smoothly as her mind drifted to Jason and just how hard this was going to be on them all.
Chapter Fourteen
All three sisters slept, albeit fitfully, until Nadie returned with their dinner of fish, clams, pine nut bread, and maple sugar sweetened tea.
“Please eat and rest. I’ll return tomorrow morning with your assigned jobs. Good night.” Nadie stoked the fire then departed in a rush, leaving Trin no chance to ask about Ann or the bowl she’d need to use for her spell.
“Well, crap. I guess I’ll ask her tomorrow when she comes with news of our jobs.” Trin sighed.
The girls just nodded then began to enjoy their dinner.
“This isn’t so terrible,” Caris smiled, appreciating their use of herbs and seasonings.
“Yeah, things could definitely be worse,” Kennedy agreed. “How did you become so close with Nadie during your lifetime here? I thought this area was riddled with violence and raids during that period.”
“Oh, it was. King Phillip’s and King William’s war decimated this area, but before the start of Queen Ann’s war the colony was reoccupied. Even though my husband at the time fought viciously against the Indians of this land, I worked in secret with the native women and aided in their education. Many of the local tribes were taught to speak English as a way to smooth relations between our cultures,” Trin explained between bites. “I just took that a little further and offered secret tutoring in my home that would expand their women’s knowledge and therefore help establish the peace we all so desperately yearned for. We were all sick of seeing our men die.” Trin shook her head and lowered her eyes back to her plate.
Caris and Kennedy shared a look of concern. “I’m sorry you suffered the loss of a husband,” Kennedy offered. “I have to admit, I guess I never really think about all the baggage we’ve accumulated during our soul travel.”
Trin shook off the memory. “It’s okay. I tend to forget all the things I’ve seen and experienced as well. But knowing it is all a part of what led us to each other and to the gift that the Goddess bestowed upon us, I wouldn’t change a thing, so please don’t worry. I have no desire to alter this timeline or any other.” Trin smiled at her sisters.
The girls relaxed while continuing to enjoy their simple meal when suddenly, the rhythmic beat of drums filled the air. Kennedy and Caris jumped from their beds.
“What’s that. Are we in danger?” Caris asked.
Trin laughed. “No. Not at all. No one’s declaring war. It’s just their version of a rain dance.”
The girls raced to the door of their hut, peering through the holes left between the timbers and the overlaying bark. Mesmerized, they watched the tribe, male and female both, dressed in beautiful skins and elaborate headdresses as they wove between each other in zigzagging patterns, tapping their feet to the rhythm of the drums. Their tribal song filtered up into the night sky, along with sparks from the fire created by something one of the elder men continually threw into the flames. The purple and blue smoke carried their intention towards the stars, creating a version of magic Caris and Kennedy had never seen before.
“It’s like I can see the images of what they’re asking for forming in the smoke,” Kennedy whispered.
“Exactly. And now you know the other reason I got along so well with the tribe here. They carry a magic all of their own and recognized the spark within me as well.” Trin smiled and joined her sisters at the door, grateful to witness the majesty of these people once again.
“It’s so beautiful,” Caris added, leaning against the door.
Suddenly, the flimsy door fell away and the sisters came tumbling out on the dirt. The drums stopped, and the entire tribe stared at the three impostors. Nadie raced forward as voices rose in their native tongue.
“Please, listen. They are my friends and are here only to help. They will be assigned work duty tomorrow, and you’ll see, they will only lend strength to our tribe and bolster our magic. The elders have approved their stay, and they are to remain untouched,” Nadie proclaimed.
Kennedy and Caris followed Trin’s lead and bowed to the agitated crowd, then disappeared quickly back inside the wigwam, re-securing the stick-frame door.
“Dammit!” Kennedy cussed.
“I’m so sorry,” Caris cried.
“It’s all right, you heard Nadie; our stay has been approved by the elders. We just have to stick to the plan and everything will be fine,” Trin said. “We’ll accept whatever jobs they give us in the morning and do our best to repay them for their kindness. Then, once we’re sure things have settled down, we’ll get back to finding Ann and get the hell out of here.”
Caris and Kennedy nodded, then all three sisters rushed back to their beds and listened as the drums slowly began to sound again.
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE
Present Day
“God dammit!” Jason cussed and ripped through the attic, tossing everything in his path as it became glaringly obvious that they’d all disappeared. Grabbing bowls, herbs, and anything else he could get his hands on, he looked for the tiniest of clues that would help him decipher where they could have possibly gone. So far, the only thing he found was a converging trail of footprints in the dust all leading to a single spot on the floor then completely vanishing.
“Come on, Trin. Where did you go?”
He continued his search until he heard the roar of an engine approaching the front of the house. Peeking out the attic window, he saw a service vehicle and busted ass to get downstairs and out the backdoor before he had to explain his presence here. He didn’t think anyone would believe he’d been kidnapped seeing as the house was now completely empty.
Running out the back, he hurdled over the fence and dipped into the tree line. Catching his eye, he noticed something shiny from behind the bushes and was pleasantly surprised when he found Caris’s jeep with the keys still in place. He flipped the ignition and backed down the trail until he came to the fork in the road. Righting the vehicle to face forward, he spotted the house’s roofline just beyond the trees and immediately turned left, desperate to put some distance between him and the park ranger. Jason held tightly to the steering wheel, absorbing the bumps while travelling too fast down the dirt road. Soon, he hit asphalt and found a nice little pullout. Retrieving his cell phone, Jason punched open his navigation and searched for the hotel’s address. Twenty minutes later, he arrived back at the scene where his troubles began. Checking at the front desk, he confirmed his and Trin’s reservation and obtained a new key since his original had been waiting in the room with Trin. He also made sure to ask what their checkout date was scheduled for.
“We have you leaving us in three days, Mr. Hardy. Check out is at 11am,” confirmed the hostess.
“Thank you.” He turned away calmly, then made his way to the room he and Trin were supposed to be sharing.
Looking at the adjoining door, he sent up a prayer to the Goddess that he wouldn’t have to extend their stay. If that happened, he’d have to charge both rooms––his and Trin’s, plus Caris and Kennedy’s to his credit card. He shook his head; the money wasn’t the issue, but trying to figure out how to keep them from wondering where his family was for three days or more...yeah, that wasn’t going to be fun.
Chapter Fifteen
SCARBOROUGH, MAINE
1705
Soft rays of sunlight filtered through tiny holes in the ceiling and walls of the wigwam. Trin laid still, listening to the sounds of the forest waking for the day and knew Nadie would be arriving soon. Glancing at her sisters, she found peace in their sleeping faces and hoped she could pull them through this without any added stress. Easing out from under the furs and skins, she tiptoed from the hut, stretching in the brisk morning air and taking a moment to herself to cast her greetings to the Lord and Lady. “God and Goddess of the moon, stars, and sun, shine your bright blessing upon me as this new day has begun.”
“What a lovely blessing.” Nadie’s soft voice drifted to Trin’s ear like a feather gently floating on the wind.
“Good morning.” Trin hugged her friend. “I’m terribly sorry for what happened last night. I hope our abrupt appearance didn’t cause you any trouble.”
“I may be bold, but I would have never brought you into the village without the elder’s approval.” Nadie smiled.
“Well, again, we can’t thank you enough. I do need to ask you a question, though, before we begin our day.”
Nadie nodded for Trin to continue.
“Have you seen any other strange women in the vicinity? As I showed you before, we are looking for the one who pulled us all here.”
