by Simone Pond
Vago chuffed and trotted out of the dining room, clearly unimpressed with my investigative prowess.
Aunt Ruthie let out a burst of laughter. “Oh, honey! Another one of your gut feelings? Yes, there’s been plenty of debate, but everything is fine. Our small town is quite civilized.”
My face heated up and I choked out a laugh. It was obvious I wasn’t getting the information I needed, but maybe I could get her to change the date to give me more time to follow up on my vision to see if it had any validity. Vago and I could scope out city hall, perhaps talk to the city manager. I wanted to get a read on things before I went shooting off my mouth to the police. No need to stir up drama in our small town until I was one hundred percent sure.
I dug down deep for some inkling of courage and asked, “What do you think about having city hall change the voting date? I mean … just in case something were to maybe possibly potentially go wrong?”
She chuckled, gingerly tucking some strands of my hair behind my ear the way one might do for a mental patient. “Oh, Sibby. You really must make an effort to get out of the house. Talk to people. Do things that normal nineteen-year-olds do. I’m worried about you.”
I had officially crossed the line into freak-dom. I stepped into the living room and parked myself on the couch, patting my thigh for Vago to join me. “I know it sounds crazy, but—”
She interrupted me, “It sounds like someone who has far too much alone time on her hands. Someone who needs to get out of the house more often. I’ve been quite accommodating this last year, knowing that grief takes time to process. But whatever is going on with you is something else. You’re young, Sibyl. Your life has just begun. You must get back up on the horse, as they say. Whatever happened to your idea about coaching little league?”
“How am I supposed to coach all those kids when …” I couldn’t finish the sentence. I couldn’t explain that being around all of those kids might trigger even more visions. Or bring out more of those evil Spirit Handlers from the shadows. Disclosing that information would no doubt result in a visit to the nearest psychiatric hospital.
“It pains me to see you shutting yourself away from the world. Someone as smart and beautiful as you are, Sibyl. You can’t let adversity stand in the way of living your life.”
Somewhere deep down I wanted to believe her, but I had tucked my heart inside a safety deposit box with no plans of removing it. I gazed at the soft light shimmering around her body.
“You and Vago are plenty,” I said.
“Vago and I won’t always be around. Now I must shower and get ready for my shift.”
“So that’s a no to requesting to change the date?”
She laughed. “Not a chance.” Then she walked out of the living room and marched upstairs, leaving me alone on the couch with Vago.
I rubbed his furry head and leaned down close to his face. “Midnight can’t get here fast enough, buddy.”
His big paw pressed against my leg and he gave me a slobbery lick.
Chapter Five
Vago
After Aunt Ruthie gave Sibyl a quick peck on the forehead and me a gentle rub behind the ears, she rushed out the front door and off to work. I padded around the dining room table, barking and pawing at the box the watch had come in for a good thirty minutes before Sibyl finally caught on to what I was trying to communicate.
“You want me to figure out how to get this watch working? Is that it? You think it’s going to change my life? Make me a member of the community once again?”
I barked and wagged my tail against her legs, which always got some laughter. I just wanted Sibyl to be happy. Peace of mind would provide endless days of contentment. What she sought was isolation, which seemed to have the opposite effect.
She stood up and went to the guest room, where the computer was situated. Aunt Ruthie had spent a good chunk of the insurance money getting the latest technology installed for Sibyl to be able to surf the internet. I sat on the bed and watched as Sibyl typed away on the computer and listened for voice instructions on how to set up her new digital watch. There were a few fitful moments where she stormed out of the room, went to the kitchen to eat some cookies, sulked for a little while, and then came back.
Sometime after midnight, she had put the finishing touches on the new device and that’s when she finally realized I had shifted back into my human form.
“Well done,” I said, clapping.
She jumped out of the chair “Dammit, Vago!”
“I thought with your new watch and all, you’d know it’s well past midnight.”
She felt the surface of the stylish timepiece situated on her delicate wrist and grinned. “It’s two o’clock,” she said. “Have you been sitting there for two hours just watching me?”
“Yep.”
She laughed and sat next to me on the bed. “I can’t imagine how much fun that must’ve been.”
“Actually, it was pretty entertaining. I especially liked it when you flipped over the chair.”
Lowering her face, she tucked some strands of blond hair behind her ear. The light of the frosty moon came in through the window and beamed across her face, lighting up her pale blue eyes. Sibyl’s beauty was otherworldly. The kind of enchanting look that encapsulates fairytales. But being her best friend, I might’ve been biased. Glancing up at me, she asked, “What are you smiling at?”
“I’ve never seen anyone so determined to figure things out, but at the same time terrified to solve life’s more important mysteries.”
She fell backward onto the bed. “I gave up on trying to figure you out a long time ago. Anyone who doesn’t like team sports is an enigma not to be unraveled.”
I knew what she was doing. Avoiding the boulder sitting in the middle of the room. For the last year, I had let her off easy. Letting her skirt around the supernatural charge she had been given: the gift of sight. I was giving her time to come to terms with her special abilities, but the final bell had rung and it was time to get to work.
“Now that you’ve gotten that watch sorted out, let’s talk about our vision,” I said, not giving her any room to back away.
“It’s kinda late. Why don’t we talk about it tomorrow?”
“You mean when I can’t talk? Clever of you, Sib.”
“You know as well as I do that our visions don’t always come true and sometimes they’re way off. I don’t think we should stir up a bunch of mayhem for something that just seems totally out of character for our town.” She crossed her arms in front of her chest, her way of letting me know she wasn’t backing down.
“All valid points, but let’s suppose this vision is the real deal. You’d never be able to live with yourself if you did nothing about it. It’s obvious your aunt isn’t going to help, so you’re gonna have to put on your big girl pants and go down to city hall tomorrow and get them to change the meeting date. This’ll give us a little time to snoop around and gauge whether or not this attack holds any water.”
She sat up, pulled herself off the bed, and walked over to the window. Though she couldn’t see a thing, she kept her gaze toward the moon. The light bathed her skin in a luminescent glow. She had no idea the extent of her specialness; it radiated off of her like a halation.
“I can’t,” she said.
“Is that how they talk in team sports?”
“Not fair.”
“Not much is. That doesn’t mean we avoid shit, hoping it’ll just go away.”
She kept quiet a little longer.
“It’s been long enough, Sibyl. I know it’s scary out there with the things you see—especially the evil beings—but we’ll figure it out.”
“It’s not just the supernatural weirdness. It’s … everything.”
I stood up and wrapped my arm around her shoulder. “I’ll be there with you. Right by your side.”
She didn’t say anything for a while. I stared at the opal moon while Sibyl stood contemplating her fears.
“What did Aunt Ruthie mean
by you guys not being around forever?” She finally spoke.
“I don’t know about her, but I’m not going anywhere, Sib.” I paused a second, then rubbed her head the way she does when I’m in dog form. “I don’t think I have a choice in the matter.”
That got her laughing again. “Okay. We’ll go in the morning.”
I walked Sibyl to her room—not that she needed help getting there—and made sure she got into bed. She fell asleep quickly, probably exhausted from the day. We’d never had a vision that intense. There was no turning away from our responsibility to do something about it. That’s why I was sent to Sibyl. Somehow we were connected through our visions. We didn’t know exactly why or how. We just knew. This was the only information that I had been imbued with when Esther Townsend gave me to Sibyl to be her guide dog. The rest of my past was a journal without any memories to fill the blank pages. I desperately wanted to know my past, but for now, only the future held the answers.
Chapter Six
Sibyl
The new watch Aunt Ruthie gave me for an early birthday present started chiming at seven o’clock on Thursday morning. Though it wasn’t nearly enough sleep after staying up so late learning how to program the thing, a feeling of excitement coursed through me. Something I hadn’t felt in a long time. It almost reminded me of the way I felt before a softball game. The buzz of competition, the drive to win, and the determination to perform. I hadn’t realized how much I missed having a purpose, and it was nice to have a reason to get out of bed besides one more afternoon in the back yard hanging out with Vago and crime novels.
After I got dressed, I went to open Vago’s door to let him out. We thought it was safer keeping the door shut all night just in case Aunt Ruthie got home early from her shift and found a guy hanging out in the guest room. Vago, once again in dog form, danced around my ankles. His soft blue spirit sparkled all around him as we made our way to the kitchen in our typical morning fashion. The coffee was already brewing, thanks to Aunt Ruthie, and I poured a generous cup and sat down at the table to listen to the news. Vago scratched my leg over and over.
“I know, buddy. Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind. But I’d like to hear what’s going on in the world before I step out into it. Okay?”
He huffed and padded off through his doggy door into the back yard. I tried not to think about him doing his business out there. Certain aspects of the shifter lifestyle were better left alone.
Though Vago could lead me to city hall without a hitch, I fiddled with my watch, programming the location. I was actually looking forward to stepping out the front door and reemerging into society. Aunt Ruthie would be pleased to see my willingness. She had gone to great lengths to fit in with the community, while I had done just the opposite. It’d be a shame to let her efforts and hard-earned money go to waste. I’m not sure how much remained in our account, but she was still working at the diner, so I figured not enough to just kick back without a care in the world.
As I sat at the table thinking about passing all of those people on the street, the coffee began to churn in my stomach, bitter and acidic. The pang of reluctance started sinking in. I hadn’t left the house in a year. What was I supposed to tell people? I had never been good at small talk. Maybe I could just call city hall and talk to someone about changing the date? That might be weird though. And much less effective. In person was the only solution.
Vago came back into the kitchen and scratched at my leg again, sensing my sudden hesitation. I made some toast with peanut butter to help coat my anxious stomach. The rich, buttery bread comforted me in a way that reminded me of hanging out in the kitchen with my mom before a big game. She used to say that peanut butter toast was the cure-all for pre-game jitters. And she was right. It worked every time.
A succession of sharp barks pierced my eardrums as Vago grew more impatient.
I glanced down his way and mumbled through the peanut butter toast, “Give me a minute. I’ve gotta work up to this, you know?”
After a few minutes, I heard footsteps overhead. Aunt Ruthie, who normally slept in until at least noon, was up. Vago’s bark must’ve woken her. She ambled down the stairs and made her way into the kitchen. Her pinkish lavender spirit was much tamer first thing in the morning.
“Everything okay?” she asked, yawning.
I picked up my empty plate and coffee mug and placed them in the sink. “Everything’s fine. Vago’s just excited for a walk.”
“Oh, okay. I’m going back to bed then.” She strolled down the hallway, then stopped and scuttled back to the kitchen. “Did you say walk? Are you taking the dog on a walk?”
Though I couldn’t make out the details of her smile, I could see her halo of light twinkling brighter.
“Yep. Going to try out this fancy new watch with the built-in GPS.”
Vago let out a woof.
“I know you are fully capable of guiding the way, buddy. But we might as well try out the new technology. Get your leash, Vago.” As I walked past Aunt Ruthie, I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
She took my shoulders and pulled me in for a hug. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so proud of you. I know this is a big first step. Go easy on yourself. Text me if you need anything. And be careful.”
I laughed. “Okay. But I’m sure we’ll be fine. How much trouble can a blind girl and a dog get into?”
Though Aunt Ruthie said she was going back to bed, she stood at the front window watching as Vago and I carefully took one step at a time down to the front walk. The watch called out how many feet to walk and vibrated alerts when we reached the end of the sidewalk. Vago barked, not at all happy with his new competition. I glanced back toward the house. Aunt Ruthie’s spirit sparkled from the windows. I waved, feeling like a little girl going off to school for the first time. I could almost hear the sniveling from the sidewalk. Dear, big-hearted Aunt Ruthie.
At eight o’clock on that Thursday morning, Church Street was peaceful, still in the lazy days of summer. A pair of sparrows followed us from tree to tree, chirping overhead like a movie score. My watch continued indicating steps and vibrated whenever I approached a curb. Vago stayed close to my side for emotional support mostly.
That first block seemed to take an hour as I muddled through the competing sounds, scents and waves of worry. Everything was amplified because of my nervousness. I struggled with each dip and bump in the sidewalk. The same ones I had tripped over a dozen times as a kid, when I had skinned my knees and palms. I knew them all like a map, but that morning I was too skittish to remember where to step.
The second block went a little smoother, and not just because of the new pavement. As nothing catastrophic happened, my confidence began to emerge from a place in my heart that I had forgotten existed. Vago must’ve sensed a change because he started wagging his tail, tickling my legs with his fur and nearly tripping me a couple times.
“Easy, boy. Don’t get too excited. We still have one more block to go,” I teased, though I knew that last block would be even easier than the first two.
At the end of the last block, we approached our town square where there were businesses, shops, government buildings and the park in the center. The park that I played in as a kid, tossing the ball back and forth with my dad. Soft grass and giant oak trees to sit under for family picnics. Benches for people to park at and read, or couples to converse. From what I remembered, the park was simply picturesque. And now some developer wanted to build a multiplex over it, destroying the charm of our small town.
As we got closer to the curb, the ambient sounds grew louder and overlapped. Cars and trucks whizzed down the main street. The sidewalks were like miniature firework displays bursting with life. I closed my eyes for a moment and caught my breath. I had forgotten how astronomically mind-blowing it was seeing so many spirits gathered in one place. It was a glorious sight, but also overwhelming. In my haste to leave the house, I had forgotten my sunglasses, so I couldn’t keep my eyes closed unless I wanted to really make an entrance
back into the community. The residents would already be shocked when they saw me back in town. I didn’t need to give them any additional fodder.
“Turn left and go two hundred feet,” the watch instructed.
One of the pedestrians stopped in front of me and Vago. He had a dingy greenish hue that flashed in and out like an old TV on the fritz.
“Is that Sibyl Forsyth?” he asked as a ripe scent smacked my face.
“Hello, Mr. Rosen,” I said politely. “How’s the cheese shop?”
“Well, I’ll be darned. I haven’t seen you in … how long has it been? Not since … well, how are you, Sibyl?”
I forced a smile. “I’m fine, sir. Just on my way to city hall. Some business to take care of.”
“Well, you come by the shop so I can get you set up with some of this week’s special cheese. A very delectable stilton. Your Aunt Ruthie will love it.”
I nodded and waved. “Will do.”
The greenish hue around him brightened up a bit. “Good to see you, Sibyl. Good to see you.”
Vago tugged me along.
“That wasn’t too bad,” I told him.
He barked and kept walking, almost as though he wanted to prove he was smarter than my watch. The GPS instructed me to continue straight, but Vago pulled to the right. Defiant shifter proving his salt. He slowed down, alerting me to the curb. Once we were down, he kept on going. The GPS voiceover began recalibrating the directions, but Vago insisted on going his way. We were halfway across the street when I realized that we were jaywalking. I figured it out when a loud horn honked and a car sped by so close that the gust of wind that followed blew my hair across my face.
“Vago! Are you seriously competing with my watch? I’ll turn off the GPS if you promise not to get me killed. You’re better than this.”
Vago barked and waited for me to turn off the GPS. Stubborn dog. Once more the captain at the helm of our ship, he led me down the sidewalk toward the steps of Coastview City Hall. I stood at the bottom of the steps, watching the varying twinkling spirits moving before me. I noticed some people stopping, probably to stare, not knowing I could “see” them gawking at me. And for the first time since we had reached town, I realized why I had been okay: I hadn’t seen any of those evil Spirit Handlers slithering from the shadows.
