by S. E. Akers
“Why did you do THAT!?!” I screamed.
Tanner appeared to be offended, which only added to my confusion. “I don’t know what you’re complaining about? I had to take the long way down,” he scoffed and pointed over to the winding mountainside trail that led to the bottom of the gorge.
“I was hoping I wouldn’t be so WET today!” I snapped.
“Oh, we wouldn’t want that,” Tanner stated with a laugh and flashed me his signature cheeky grin.
That’s not good.
Tanner stood on the riverbank and turned upstream. Oddly enough, he raised his arms while he stared vehemently at the water.
What’s he doing?
I waded in the river and turned to follow his focused gaze upstream. Suddenly the river began to swell and surge. I looked over at Tanner. This was all his doing. A huge wall of water was now rushing towards me. Not a second later, I was being swept up and carried off in a violent flashflood. The river’s turbulent waters were tossing me around tirelessly, and I felt its grip desperately trying to tug me under.
I struggled to keep my head above the water for several minutes, but it kept pulling me below the surface as the current brutally tossed me downstream. I couldn’t fight its fury. A large wave finally forced me down. Swimming up to the surface was impossible, no matter how hard I tired. The water seemed to be holding me there. I didn’t even get a chance to take a deep breath before it had dragged me under. It seemed like I was below the water’s surface for an eternity. My body twisted and turned strenuously, dying to escape. I assumed it was only a matter of time before I would run out of air but surprisingly, I didn’t. After a while, I felt the water’s grip loosen, and I was finally able to drift to the surface.
Overwrought with anxiety and physical exhaustion, I paddled towards the riverbank. As soon as I’d reached it, I flipped myself over and flopped onto my back. A shadow fell over my body as I lay there, trying to catch my breath. I looked up to see Tanner standing above me.
“Why are you so out of breath?” Tanner questioned. “You shouldn’t have had a problem with air down there. After all, you’ve been under for about a half-hour.”
I made an attempt to splash him with some of the chilly water that had imprisoned me for the past thirty minutes. “How did you do THAT?”
“My amethyst reigns as a water element. I thought this way of revealing it would serve two purposes. You could grasp the serious nature of Talismans who claim a water stone, and you could see that a small part of you can manipulate the elements of water and air, to keep you safe from the brutal water’s fateful outcome.”
“Honestly, you could’ve just told me the objective of your little lesson! You brought me all the way up here to Fayetteville to show off and prove I can’t drown?” I grunted as I rose to my feet and looked down at my drenched clothes. Straightaway, I leaned towards Tanner and violently shook my dripping hair at him. The Amethyst Talisman grinned as he jumped out of the sprinkling water’s path. He brushed off his jacket and laughed.
“Not entirely. We’re here because you’re growing more powerful, and we can’t risk Lazarus sensing any of your energy,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Besides, there’s a café up the road that serves a pretty mean omelet.”
I looked down at my sopping wet clothes and then back at him like he was crazy. He sensed my resistance.
“Don’t worry. The run to town will dry you out,” Tanner chuckled. “My treat, since you didn’t bring your purse.” He patted my back as he once again transformed and was off like the wind. I shook my head and grunted, but diligently followed his lead.
The misty purple trail came to a stop on the outskirts of Fayetteville. We walked (like normal people) down the small-town’s quaint main street. Before long, we were at the entrance of the Cathedral Café. It appeared to have once been a church that now housed a charming downtown eatery. It was a little crowded, but we managed to find a vacant table. The décor was on the spiritual side with whimsical accents everywhere. Hand-painted tabletops and mismatched chairs littered the dining area in a random fashion, bright multihued ceramic tiles covered a long counter where a line of customers sat munching on their food, and funky artwork from local talent adorned the walls of the colorful and cheery café.
A waitress hurried over to our table. She seemed just as infatuated with Tanner as Shelia had been at Anthony’s restaurant the other day. I sat back and watched the twenty-something brunette while she doted on him without giving me the slightest bit of attention, smiling and flirting uncontrollably. It was sickening, but I’ll admit, slightly amusing. However, being a part-time waitress myself, this aggravated me to no end. I motioned at him to order for me, seeing how I doubted the ditzy waitress would remember a single word coming out of my mouth. She soon scurried off to the kitchen with hopefully, all of our order — not just Tanner’s. We may have been thinking of food, but when the flirty waitress brushed my arm as she left, clearly she had something else on her mind.
I propped my head up on the table with my hands and threw Tanner a sassy smile while I batted my eyes. He let out a subtle chuckle and passed off her actions by saying, “She probably just wants a good tip.”
I glanced back towards the espresso counter where our waitress was now chatting with another server. They were staring dreamily at Tanner as they whispered and giggled back and forth. Guess again, Tanner, I noted quietly.
“Well, if that’s the case,” I began to exclaim, “she would’ve at least acknowledged me!”
Amused, Tanner hastily replied, “Well, we can’t have your feelings hurt, now can we? Let’s get her back over here.” He threw up his hand straightaway. “Oh, Miss?”
Embarrassed, I watched wide-mouthed as he waved her over before I could stop him. Surely the busty airhead would think I was jealous of her. Ugh! I wasn’t — not really — it just ticked me off. We could be a “couple” for all she knew. I simply thought her behavior was tacky, and she sure had a lot of nerve. She was average at best. She just had extremely large “assets”.
Our waitress was by Tanner’s side in an instant. She leaned across him, rather seductively, as she placed his glass of water on the table. Mine was purposely slammed in front of me (some of it even splashed my shirt).
I threw her a glare as I snatched my napkin out of my lap and blotted the spots of water. I just dried off, you twit! I heard her inform Tanner that her name was “Lila”.
Tanner cleared his throat. “Well, Lila. You were somewhat rude to my friend, Shiloh.” The clueless waitress continued to stare at her handsome patron. He finally had to motion for her to look my way.
“I’m so sorry,” Lila replied to Tanner and then threw me a dirty glare. She turned back to Tanner. “How can I make it up to you?” she hinted in a sinfully suggestive voice.
I sat there, stunned by her shameless, saucy demeanor. What’s wrong with this chick?
“Shiloh, how can she make it up to you?” Tanner asked.
“She can’t,” I replied curtly as I took a sip of water. I fumed silently, What she needs is a cold shower!
The next thing I knew, Lila had snatched the ice water out of my hand and started to pour it all over herself. I couldn’t believe what was happening. Then she grabbed Tanner’s glass and dumped it over her head as well. Lila’s whole appearance had changed. She was wet of course, but she seemed dazed, like she was in a trance. She didn’t even shiver the least little bit when the icy water had hit her. My idea of a “cold shower” rang out. She had the same look in her eyes that Trooper Burks had when he’d changed his mind and dropped me off at the mine, instead of taking me home as he had intended. I had an epiphany. I made her do it! Tanner noticed me cringing. Without a doubt in his mind — I was guilty as Hell. However to my surprise, Tanner appeared to have a rather gratified look on his face.
“You could have just made her give you a free muffin or something, Shiloh. Now she’s all wet,” Tanner remarked. “From what I’ve been told, little girls don’t like that.�
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“Oops,” I replied, not so innocently.
Lila was still standing beside our table, suspended in a trance. I turned to her and softly ordered, “You can go check on our order now.” With an added wave of my hand, she turned and headed towards the kitchen.
Oh, wait, I thought. She immediately stopped in the middle of the café. Quickly, I mentally whispered a secret message to her. Once my directive had been received, she headed off on her merry way back into the kitchen to check on our food.
Tanner kicked me under the table. “What was that?” he asked.
“I told her to hold the spit…on mine.” Tanner slung his napkin at me. I couldn’t help but giggle. Our omelets and juice were delivered to us in a snap. I had to admit they were excellent, definitely better than the service.
“Can I do that to anyone?” I asked as we walked out of the café, still a little unclear about my new talent.
Tanner didn’t answer. He appeared to be too preoccupied with a man slumped down in an adjacent alley. Clearly he was more than curious about the stranger. Downright distracted seemed a better fit.
“Not to supernaturals, just people,” Tanner finally replied, his eyes never leaving the lethargic man propped against the building for one second. “And it’s easier to compel someone you don’t have an emotional connection with. Your personal feelings and past experiences will cloud your attempts. Over time, you’ll learn to control them.” Tanner glanced at me and instructed, “Wait here,” and then walked over to the stranger.
I stood right where I was and watched him kneel beside the stranger. The man yelled a few “choice words” at Tanner, that is, until the Amethyst Talisman placed his arms around him. Curiously, I crept closer. He embraced the man for a about minute. Tanner then took his hand and scraped it down his own neck. The broken skin unveiled his stone, a small amethyst, in the same manner mine had been revealed. Once his blood had been wiped off the stone, Tanner closed his eyes and cupped the amethyst in his hand, just like down in the cave. Within seconds, Tanner placed it in one of the man’s hands. The stranger seemed more alert, though he never looked directly at Tanner. The man then rose to his feet with an obviously more cheerful demeanor and strutted off proudly down the street.
“What was that about? What was wrong with him?” I asked Tanner curiously as he signaled for me to follow him.
“I was helping him with a few of his demons,” Tanner replied.
Not real demons? I wondered. He noticed the strange look on my face.
“I healed him,” Tanner revealed. “That man has been suffering for a long time. He was dealing with some intense depression. His spirit was reeling with misery, and he was quite irritable, if you ask me. He was also an alcoholic.”
“What do you mean was?” I posed.
“I purged him of his bad thoughts and feelings, as well as his addiction. Alcohol is a poison to the mind, body, and soul. As long as he holds on to that stone, he won’t ever have to worry about getting the urge to take a drink again. All Talismans have healing powers. Some just don’t choose to use them.”
I found myself in awe of the charming Talisman’s compassionate actions towards the stranger. “That was very kind,” I muttered as I basked in admiration.
“Shiloh, that’s one of the reasons why we have our gifts…Not for our own benefit, but for others. Being a Talisman isn’t all about mystical powers or flexing our muscles. It’s a helpful ‘means to an end’ for peace and order mind you, but our powers were meant to help the world and its people.” Tanner glanced back at the stranger. “One person at a time, if need be. Always remember that.”
What he said rang true. The world was overrun with pain and suffering, no matter how great or small the hardship. Once again the brassy, though charismatic tough guy had let his sensitive side shine through. I really liked seeing it.
Something about the exchange nagged me. “But he didn’t thank you? Did he?” I couldn’t imagine receiving such a valuable gift and not showing any sort of appreciation for it.
“He couldn’t. He doesn’t even know what happened, let alone remember it,” Tanner replied. “That’s part of our defenses…secrecy.”
“So, Talismans can heal people…from anything?” I asked curiously.
“In a roundabout way,” Tanner replied. “You see…every stone heals a different affliction. My powers purge negative emotions, and I can counteract most toxins, but where I can heal a person of these ailments, I can also burden them with the same ones. If a Talisman uses their powers to afflict someone, then they are the only one who can reverse it. That’s important to remember, especially when dealing with supernatural poisons. Shiloh, the only way you can be poisoned is if you were to actually ingest the toxin or through an open wound. That means you need to watch what put in your mouth and be very careful with your wounds until you heal them with sea-salt & water, which by the way, you should always keep on you, all the time…You can also heal them under the light of any full moon. That’s actually the fastest way…The healing touch of a full moon’s beam is an extremely powerful force. In fact, a special moonbeam, personally sent from the Talisman who reigns over the moonstone, can heal any supernatural instantly…from anything, even from another Talisman’s affliction. It’s a rare occurrence…The act itself weakens the moonstone Talisman. It drains her powers for a spell because she must absorb the affliction and purge it herself. That’s why it doesn’t happen often. To my knowledge, she’s only done it once. So, seeing as how a chance of that happening is next to none, and a moonbeam from a full moon rolls around only once every 29 1/2 days…I repeat — keep a bottle of sea-salt & water on you all the time,” Tanner affirmed with a stern nod.
I found everything Tanner revealed about this magical, new world fascinating. Though learning about my limitations was somewhat alarming, it was still exciting. The knowledge he passed along was like an addictive drug, and I wanted more.
“What can Beatrix cure?” I asked.
“Beatrix can fuse broken bones and cure a few aliments, like blindness for example.” Tanner advised, “Don’t ever mention to her that I told you about this. She won’t ever talk about it herself. Beatrix was born with her sight, but someone took it from her tragically when she was a young woman in her twenties. She’s actually been blind all her adult life. Fortunately when she was united with her golden topaz, it allowed her to see by granting that ‘third-eye’ of hers. It couldn’t restore her own eyesight because it was taken by another Talisman. Only they can reverse the magic.”
“That must’ve been horrible for her!”
“Aw, she’s a tough, old broad. Don’t feel bad for her. Beatrix wouldn’t want you to. She told me that her blindness was a blessing in disguise. She was able to view the world in a whole new light. Even though the golden topaz allows her to see, she only does so when she has to. She prefers relying on her other senses.” Tanner added with a laugh, “Oh, there’s something else about Beatrix’s healing abilities…She’d kill me for telling this one, but her golden topaz also helps control a person’s weight. That’s how she really stays so slim. The woman eats like a damn bird!” Tanner’s subtle chuckles erupted into a boisterous laugh. His tone shifted, and he added seriously, “Most important, the golden topaz offers a great deal of protection from death…but you already know about that. As far as humans are concerned, it just delays the inevitable outcome for a while, buying them some time, so you really can’t call that a healing power.”
“Do I have any healing powers?”
Tanner took a deep breath. “Your diamond is special. It can heal any physical injury, like the ones you sustained in the cave the other night, but it can also cure illnesses of the mind as well. Those are pretty powerful gifts, Shiloh. Curing a random ailment is one thing, but saving a life is nothing less than miraculous.”
I smiled, fully acknowledging the weight of his claim. Shiloh Wallace…Talisman, M.D.
“There’s something else,” Tanner announced. “You know, you
r ability to increase another Talisman’s powers?”
“Oh, yes. You mean my ‘greatest disadvantage’?” I scoffed reluctantly. “How can I forget?”
“Well, the power’s original intent was to boost another Talisman’s healing abilities. You make it easier for them when they’re in your presence. But you’re right, with every pro, there’s certainly a con of equal magnitude. That’s just how the universe works,” Tanner replied as he placed his hand on my head and mussed my hair.
Once we were on the outskirts of town, Tanner announced, “Let’s go.” With a playful smack on my rear, he added, “I think you need to burn off all those calories you just ate back there. After all, you don’t have a charged topaz to rely on.”
I jabbed his shoulder, and in less than a second, we bolted into the forest, barreling across the mountainous West Virginia countryside.
We came to a stop near a small stream that flowed into a plunging waterfall. Black Fork Falls, I thought. Well, I guess I finally made it to Twin Falls after all, I joked to myself. I’d been here hiking the trails many times before. The park was less than an hour from home (well, by driving). The waterfall was located in an isolated area, away from a lot of the more touristy attractions, and it seemed we were all alone.
Tanner decided that the rest of the afternoon should be spent sharpening my physical skills and reflexes. I had a sneaky suspicion I would end up soaking wet before we concluded for the day. Sure enough, I was right. I managed to stay dry, though dirty, during the first couple of hours of our “play fighting”. That’s what Tanner called it. I thought “willing torture” was more accurate. But when Tanner saw I was much stronger than yesterday, he upped his game and hurled me into the waterfall. Once again, I was wet and pissed. After several more hours had passed, the sun began to set on my long, grueling day.
“Try to be on time tomorrow,” Tanner urged. “I think you know your way home from here.” With a flash of a smile he was off again. I followed his lead and made a mad dash for my house.
