by Brandt Legg
“What just happened?” I interrupted. “Did something bad happen to Dustin?”
“We need to stay focused. Dustin is fine.”
I exhaled.
“Now we have little time remaining, and it’s crucial that you understand this.”
“Can’t you just give me a book to absorb?”
“There is no book written that comes close to addressing the realities of this subject. If there were, we wouldn’t have the troubles we do on this planet.”
“So, why don’t you just write one?”
“It would not be understood. Perhaps you will one day.”
“Are you seeing something in the future that says I’m going to write about vortexes and other dimensions?”
“No, I am merely attempting to get back to the topic we should be concentrating on.”
“Vortexes.”
“Yes. Every vortex is different, and two people will react differently to the same one. But it is a charger, a transformation tool and—”
“Can we switch to dimensional doorways?”
He looked at me exasperated for a moment, but it quickly passed. “Dimensional doorways are located near every vortex. They are found less often without a vortex, but those are nearly impossible for anyone other than the most evolved.”
I was half-listening.
“Where the astral is accessed by your mind, dimensional doorways are entered physically.”
“You mean I can walk right in?”
“Yes.”
“Where do they go?”
“Everywhere.”
“That’s a little vague.”
“Okay, it isn’t as though you come to a heavy wooden door with a big brass knob, open it and find yourself anywhere you want to be. Going on the astral is better for that type of need. Every dimensional doorway is different, and they are almost completely invisible.”
“How do I find them then?”
“You’ll learn to feel them, but if you know where one is, you can recognize it. The ones you know will appear like a shimmering circle, kind of like the heat you see coming off the hood of a car on a hot day.”
“There’s so much going on that people aren’t aware of.”
“They used to be aware of everything. It was something then. The unseen world is enormously deeper and much more exciting than the human world, but when the two were combined it was a million times more fascinating.”
“Are we trying to get back to that combination?”
“In a way. But let’s stay on track here. Dimensional doorways are a bit of a double-edged sword in this war. The access they provide to power and knowledge is unmatched. If Lightyear gets—”
“Lightyear? You mean anyone can wander into one of these things.”
“Yes.”
“Whoa! But you said they couldn’t use powers for harm.”
“That’s not exactly what I said. Powers diminish if they are used for harmful purposes. That’s why there’s almost no true knowledge of our souls left, no connection, no access to our powers. They diminished, were lost and then forgotten a long, long time ago. But dimensional doorways are there. They are open and do not depend on individual powers. Perhaps a great shift could close them or open them wider, but even a mass murderer could stumble into one. They are not without defenses however. They’re virtually invisible, generally located in remote places and, even then, an entrance is not something you could normally accidently walk into. They’re in odd spots that usually need to be climbed to. Many remain lost, even to the most evolved.”
I kept seeing Dustin’s face. He would come for me no matter what anyone said. I didn’t know what to do.
“I think we’ve done enough today.”
“But we just started on doorways.”
“Yes, and it’s a critical topic requiring total concentration.”
“But—”
“You have considerable things to ponder and practice.”
I knew his mind could not be changed. “How and when will we meet again?”
“I’ll get word to you.”
“Thanks for the lessons.”
“You know all these things now, but they take practice to be truly useful. Right now they can be more dangerous than helpful.”
“I’ll be careful.” I started up the trail.
He shouted after me, “Don’t go near Dustin! They want you to come for him. Dustin will be kept alive until you’re either in their custody or dead.”
38
Tanya was waiting as I came out of the woods. “I was about to call you.”
“I read your mind.”
“Really?”
“I’m joking.”
I didn’t want to talk about anything spiritual; my brain was about to short circuit. For the two-and-a-half-hour drive Tanya and I discussed music, movies, food, and anything I could think of to keep my mind off the universe. Even so, my thoughts kept returning to Dustin, and I continued to resist the urge to have her drive straight to him.
Red poppers and an unusually high number of shapeshifting animals kept me on edge. At one point hundreds of crows flew out in front of us. Even Tanya saw them. “That’s called a murder of crows,” she said.
“I know. Not a good sign,” I thought of the melting rainbow, black clouds, and instant storm earlier. Something was wrong.
When we got to Rose’s just after eight, she was nowhere to be found. Her car was out front, but the house was unlocked and empty.
“That’s odd,” Tanya said. “Wonder where she is?”
“Maybe she’s out for a walk.”
“That would be a first,” Tanya was concerned.
“Call her cell,” I suggested.
Tanya dialed the number, and we heard Rose’s phone ring in the hall. “Now I’m really worried. Rose leaves her cell by the door with her keys so she won’t forget to take it.”
We agreed to wait an hour before panicking, but it was very strange. Rose knew we would be home in the evening and wanted to hear everything. I used Vising to read the bushes, yard, and front door. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t control the time I was seeing, so it was just a random jumble of images, which could have been years before. Nothing unusual, but I kept trying.
By nine all doubt was gone. Tanya said Rose hadn’t stayed out past nine as long as she’d known her. Tanya came into the reading room while I was looking into the crystal ball.
“The police already knew she was gone and said she’s not a missing person. They consider her a fugitive.”
“A fugitive? Are you kidding? Do they know we’re talking about Rose?”
“They said there is a warrant out for her arrest.”
“For what, telling the future while under the influence?”
“I’m serious, Nate. We used to be neighbors with this cop, and I called him for advice. He pulled her up on the computer to make sure she hadn’t been in an accident or something. Then he was like, ‘Tanya, how well do you know your stepmother?’ and said ‘the Department of Homeland Security through the FBI issued a warrant on charges of terrorist activities.’ Does terrorist ring any bells, Nate?”
I’d been telling myself that this couldn’t have anything to do with me, that there would be some logical explanation. But now, she wasn’t just missing; Sanford Fitts had her. “This is outrageous! We’re living in a police state!” The sick feeling growing inside won out over my anger.
“Nate, what are we going to do?”
“I’ve got to warn my mom.”
Tanya was distraught.
Mom answered. “The people who have Dustin took Aunt Rose while we were gone today! They issued a warrant claiming she’s a terrorist. They said she fled,” I said.
“Nate, are you sure? Could she have fled? What if she found out about the warrant and went into hiding somewhere?”
“I guess that’s possible, but I think she would have let us know somehow. Either way, you need to stay away from the house. I think you could be next.”
“I’d like to see those bastards come knock on my door. They would—”
I cut her off. “Mom, these are not the kind of people to mess with. You’ll suddenly have a heart attack or a car accident. Don’t be crazy! They got Dad, Dustin, and now Aunt Rose. I don’t want to be alone in the world. Go stay with someone. Don’t be by yourself. Promise me.”
“Okay. Okay. I’ll go to Barbara’s. But what about you? They want you most of all.”
“I’m not staying here tonight. I’ll keep moving.”
This time I read the front walk and within a few minutes I saw them, two armed men. Viewing from behind, the agents in blue DHS parkas and matching ball caps, looked at Rose’s face, which expressed no surprise.
One of them said, “Rosemary Ryder Phelps?”
“Yes,” said Rose.
“Ma’am, I’m Agent Dandon and this is Agent Fitts. We have a warrant for your arrest.” He handed her papers. She didn’t even glance at them. She must have known something. There was no struggle; she hadn’t fled.
Surprisingly, other images burned into me at the same time; I was suddenly staring at my dad behind the Station restaurant. A man in a ball cap was talking to him the morning of his death. It was a quick glimpse from behind, but it had to be Fitts! Why else was I seeing it now? They were laughing, and something flicked from Fitts’ hand that my dad didn’t see. He swatted at his neck like a mosquito bit him, but it was too late. Whatever Fitts had shot into his bloodstream was already moving through his veins. He had been murdered! Then a second realization hit me: Fitts was the same man who had, in the Outview from the campground, chased me and shot me in another lifetime.
I was reeling in despair and rage when Tanya interrupted me. “What should we do?”
“Leave here now! They could be back any minute. We need some place to stay tonight.”
“They don’t know me. Why wouldn’t my house be safe?”
“Let’s go, we’ve been here too long!”
As we were rushing out, I saw Rose’s phone again and grabbed it. Tanya zipped out of the driveway and swerved dangerously into traffic. I dialed Sam’s number.
“Now they took my aunt Rose!”
“Nate, slow down, who took your aunt?”
“Homeland Security arrested her just like Dustin. They’re claiming she’s a terrorist. Once again we have no idea where they’re holding her. We need your sister now!”
“They can’t just do that. This is getting out of hand. What the hell is going on? Sounds like we may need more than just my sister. I’ll call again, but my guess is even with this the soonest we’ll get her involved is Monday at nine. Can you be here?”
“Why not now? Or this weekend?”
“She’s slammed. This case is eating up every minute on research, witness interviews, whatever lawyers do in big litigation. She couldn’t do much over the weekend anyway.”
“Mom’s after me to go to the media, which I think is too risky. She’s also talking to other lawyers, trying to get someone to help.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll talk to your mother, and I’ll call my sister again right now.”
I tossed Rose’s phone on the dash and turned to Tanya.
“I saw them arrest Rose. The agents, one of them killed my dad . . . and me! I’m sure they took her when I saw the rainbow spill into the clouds on the beach. Spencer must have seen it happen. Why didn’t he tell me? Why couldn’t he find a way to stop it? Why didn’t they wait for me? How did they find us?”
“Nate, what are you babbling about? Are you going to freak out on me?”
“No, no. I’ll be okay.” But I wasn’t sure; it was too much at once. Fate was pushing Fitts and me together in the cruelest imaginable karmic catastrophe. I phoned Amber.
“Bridgette?” Amber asked, sleepily.
“No, it’s Nate.”
“Nate? Oh, I fell asleep talking to Bridgette. Are you okay? What time is it?”
“They got Aunt Rose! Arrested her for being a terrorist.”
There was silence.
“Amber, are you there?”
“Yeah. Why would they take Rose?”
“It’s not safe for you to stay alone. Can you go somewhere?”
“Not this late. I’ll be fine tonight. Even bad guys have to sleep.”
“I’m not so sure. Go to a hotel. Tanya and I are heading to her place now. I don’t think they know about her, so it should be good for a night. Call me the minute you’re up.”
Another sleepless night. It was ironic; all I wanted was sleep, when only ten days before it had terrified me. But my mind was churning with the conspiracy that had taken over my entire existence. I tried to block it out; I had to sleep.
I quizzed myself on my new abilities and the five great powers while passing time in the night. Outviews and prophecy were done under Timbal. Colored pops I now knew were signals from the universe. The wind noise that came when spirit guides announced their presence, channeling through guide writing, and seeing shapeshifting were all part of Foush. But Lusans, the holographic-like healing balls were the most exciting part of Foush. They felt more magical than any of the other stuff. Manipulating space, or Gogen, allowed me to move objects, which was super fun and continued to amaze me each time. Also part of Gogen was traveling the astral, which was a whole mind-boggling trip all its own. Reading objects and people were different forms of Vising and totally surreal. My new way of “reading” books might be the most practical thing I ever learned because it opened up all of human knowledge to me. How was I going to remember all these powers, and how much more was there? The technique for putting people to sleep was part of controlling consciousness known as Solteer. I wondered if there was a way to use that on myself? It was all quite fantastic, but the real powers were still to come.
39
Saturday, September 27
Kyle, Linh, and Amber arrived at 8:30 a.m. They would have been earlier but were extra cautious to make sure no one was following them. The strain on Kyle’s face was evident. Authorities were after me, and he was involved. I recognized the look of no sleep. Amber hugged me first; she held on so long I was afraid of accidently reading her life.
“I’m just glad you’re safe,” she said.
“Any luck seeing Rose?” Kyle asked.
“Nothing,” Tanya answered for me.
Linh looked tired and sad. “What’s wrong?”
“Them taking Rose is tragic. And who’s next?”
“It’s so screwed up. They can call anyone a terrorist and take them,” Kyle said.
“They’re the terrorists,” Amber said. “Lightyear needs to be exposed.”
“I know where Dustin is.”
Everyone looked at me. “He’s being held in a house just outside of Ashland.”
“Let’s go,” Amber said.
“Is Rose there?” Tanya asked.
“Not as of this morning. Dustin’s well-guarded. We can’t just storm in,” I said.
“I think we could,” Amber said.
“This isn’t some Disney movie,” Linh said. “It’s the government we’re up against.”
I hadn’t told them about any of my new powers and believed we really had a shot at getting in and out of there safely. Spencer had to know I wouldn’t wait long before doing something. I worried that each day we didn’t act, Dustin was that much closer to getting killed. And where was Rose?
“For the moment Dustin is okay, and we know where he is. Aunt Rose is missing without a trace. I can’t see her. Everything that works with Dustin comes up blank with her.”
“Could that mean she’s dead? I mean would you be able to see her if she were dead?” Tanya asked quietly.
Linh ran out of the house in tears. Kyle started after her.
“I’ll go,” I told him.
“I could have saved Rose.” She was crying when I caught up to her. “The dream I tried to tell you about yesterday before we got cut off; Rose was running across a giant dartboard and big darts kept landing next
to her. Each time one hit—and they were big and sharp—she would turn in the other direction. She was scared, and the darts kept coming. Finally she got to a place when the darts stopped.”
“Is that it?”
“Rose looked down and realized the place she stopped at was the bull’s-eye. She looked up and screamed just as the dart hit her. It was terrible,” she sniffled.
“Linh, you didn’t know that was a warning.”
“But I did. As soon as I woke up I knew something bad was going to happen to Rose.”
The guilt was mine. If I had turned back and listened to Linh’s dream instead of racing toward Spencer in my pursuit to save Dustin, I could have told Rose about it. She might have been able to hide. Whatever happened to her was my fault. Even before the dream, it was me who put Rose in jeopardy the minute I went to her house. “You’re all in danger because of me.”
“It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I need to be more mindful.”
“You’ve been reading too much Thich Nhat Hanh.” She smiled.
“More like not enough.”
“You love history so much you should know that truth always prevails in the end.”
“Maybe, but sometimes ‘in the end’ can take centuries.”
“Are you scared?”
“Yeah.” Impulsively, I took her hand. “Linh, even if I die, I’m not really dead. You know that, don’t you?”
She nodded, fresh tears falling.
“I’m not frightened of death.” I was telling myself as much as her. “What I’m scared of is not triumphing over these killers. It’s not just Spencer’s words anymore. I’m starting to sense how much is at stake. It’s everything.” My words were crystallizing what I’d been feeling. There was more to it than saving Dustin and finding Dad’s killer. Spencer wasn’t training me just for that. I was beginning to admit that to myself. He was right. It was a war, and I couldn’t walk away if I wanted to as I’d been drafted lifetimes ago.
Kyle came out of the house. “Wanted to make sure you two were okay.”
“We’re not,” I said. “But I guess no one is.”
He gave me a strange look.
