A Mystical Journey

by Jennifer Esposito

  Both John and Annie had trouble sleeping for most of the night. John blamed it on missing home and his friends. Annie knew that it had something to do with the weather. Luckily, the first light of morning had a calming effect on both children. They napped in the van for most of the day’s ride. The weather, it seemed, had changed for the better.

  Another week passed. Things were going great. They were headed to the Grand Canyon. Everyone was excited. No one in their little group had ever been there before. James and Thelma promised Annie and John they would all take a donkey tour to the bottom of the Canyon. Even better since it was the middle of July and thus far their trip had been uneventful. The High Coterie had contacted Sam and Ruth. They told them that after the trip to the Grand Canyon it would be safe for them to head to Grandma Chmbers’ house. The time just seemed to fly by as they all sang songs and played travel games. This was turning out to be the best summer vacation. For the time being all the missing home and bad weather were forgotten.

  “I see it!” screamed Annie with excitement pointing to the sign that read Welcome to Arizona. “Cool, how long ‘till we get to the Grand Canyon?” asked John with excitement. “Well, I think we’re going to stop in Flagstaff for tonight. It’s already after noon. We’ll get up early so we have a full day at the Canyon.” answered Sam. All the adults nodded. It was obvious they had already discussed it. John and Annie were a little disappointed but, with four adults against two kids they had quickly learned that on this trip they were not going to get their way. John and Annie did get to pick a really cool place for dinner that night. It had a great big statue of a lumber jack out front and yummy food. That night at the hotel they all looked over pamphlets about the Grand Canyon trying to decide which activities to do the following day. Annie hardly slept a wink she was so excited. John on the other hand slept very well feeling safe and happy.

  At sunrise Sam woke the family with a funny song. It was a jingle from an old breakfast cereal commercial. “Wake up everybody! Day’s a’ wastin’!” he sang loudly. It made John and Annie laugh. Ruth, Thelma and James on the other hand seemed less than enthusiastic. They all got up and packed the car. John wanted to go back to the lumber jack place for breakfast but, the adults all agreed they needed to get going. So, they had to settle for fast food drive thru. This made Annie happy because then she got to share breakfast with her best friend Zindle. The Mystics had done a great job of making sure that Zindle was taken care of on the trip. They had picked hotels that took dogs and all the attractions they visited either allowed dogs or had kennels close by where they could leave Zindle for the day.

  A few short hours later they had finally arrived at their destination, the Grand Canyon. It was magnificent! Somehow, looking out over the huge canyon made everything else seem small. All their worries and fears since that fateful afternoon of the final poetry lesson seemed less significant. Here, in this place, every member of their little traveling party felt a sense of freedom none of them had felt for a very long time.

  Chapter 7

  It was a wonderful day. They took some time to explore the park. The night before they had decided to take the one day donkey tour that went half way to the bottom of the Canyon and back. After seeing how beautiful it all was everyone agreed they should take the two-day tour. This way they would get to go the whole way to the bottom of the Canyon and spend the night at the ranch there. They next morning they would ride back up to the top. Sam and Ruth spoke to the tour guides to get special permission for Zindle to accompany them on the trail. John watched Sam and Ruth very carefully. He was sure they would use some mystical persuasions. As far as he could tell it appeared the persuasion had more to do with money then mysticism.

  Everyone lined up and the guides helped them each to mount a donkey. When it was Annie’s turn the guide looked a little confused. Soon he was calling over a man who must have been his boss. Sam joined them for a quick discussion. Then Sam and the guide helped Annie on to her donkey. “Usually they don’t let young ladies as small as you ride to the bottom of the canyon but, we’ve made some special arrangements. We’ve called in a few favors so we could have this special little excursion.” he told her with a wink. Once everyone was seated properly on their donkeys they started down the trail single file. Zindle followed obediently behind Annie’s donkey. The view was amazing. Both John and Annie were very interested in the stone walls of the Canyon. The colors of the rock were so different from rocks back home.

  It was a hot day and they stopped often to give the donkeys rest and water. John noticed a rumbling in his tummy. He had just started to complain to his mother that it must be close to lunch time, when their guides let them know that they would soon be coming to Indian Garden where they would be stopping for lunch. Annie wasn’t hungry. She thought she probably should be but, she felt energized out in the open air of the canyon. The guides spread out all kinds of yummy things to make sandwiches with. There was also fruit and cold drinks. John stuffed himself with two large sandwiches and an apple. Annie on the other hand only gulped down a cold drink. Thelma spent nearly the entire time they were stopped at Indian Garden nagging her to eat something. She begrudgingly ate half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich to please her mother.

  Soon they were all packed up and heading down the trail again. The guides told them stories about the Native Americans who used to live there. They sang songs. John noticed that Sam and Ruth took turns at the back of the line. He also noticed that several times they lagged behind. Twice they even turned their donkeys around and doubled back up the trail. John was dying to know what they were doing back there. He was sure it must have been for some mystical purpose. Oddly enough Annie took no notice of this. She was too absorbed in everything else around her. The natural beauty and splendor of the Canyon amazed her. She thought it must be one of the most amazing places on earth.

  They came up on the Suspension Bridge. John and Annie found this to be very exciting and terrifying. Annie, being a little more terrified, and John being a little more excited. It was a long way down Annie thought as her donkey slowly crossed the bridge. At first Zindle did not want to cross but, with Annie’s donkey already on the bridge he followed, trembling with every step. “Zindle really loves Annie. Look at him shake and he still follows her over the bridge. He’d never follow me over this old bridge.” John commented to his mother in a jealous tone.

  As they neared the bottom of the canyon they heard the rushing waters of the Colorado River. They could see rafters and people in kayaks coming down the river. They made another of many stops to water the donkeys. Annie gazed at the river. She really wished she could get in the cool water. She suddenly realized that it was a very hot day. Without realizing it she began to talk to Zindle about how much she wished she could dip her toes in the river. Then an odd thing happened. It seemed like her toes really did feel cool and wet. She even thought she felt the tickle of the current passing over them. It startled her a little. She shook her head and the sensation was gone. Zindle, she noticed, looked very anxious. He had begun to pace back and forth next to her donkey. “It’s alright Zindle. I was just day dreaming.” she said trying to reassure both Zindle and herself about what had just happened. Zindle still seemed nervous but, he stopped pacing. Instead he sat, as he had at the other watering stops, and waited for their group to continue on.

  John had tried to use their little stop to move to the end of the caravan. He was hoping to get close enough to Sam and Ruth to catch them using an echo. His plan was not successful. Thelma and James were keeping a close eye on both their children but, they were paying a bit more attention to John on the trip down the Canyon. This made it impossible for John to sneak away as he had planned. He found this to be very annoying.

  Soon the donkeys finished drinking and they were on their way again. The rest of journey to the bottom was uneventful. John watched Sam and Ruth very carefully. They had stopped making their little trips back tracking up the trail. Finally, they were there…the bottom of
the Grand Canyon! It was spectacular. John looked up at the high Canyon walls. It was hard to believe they had been all the way at the top this morning. He jumped down from his donkey. He couldn’t wait to go exploring.

  John looked around. Where to start? he looked over at the river. This would be a great opportunity to make up for all the time he missed at the creek with his friends last summer thanks to Mr. Caramel. He also wanted a chance to explore the Canyon walls for old Native American caves and stuff.

  John’s daydream of adventure was interrupted by reality or rather by his father’s hand on his shoulder steering him in the direction of the Ranch. “Let’s check our cabin.” prompted James. John walked with his father, dragging his feet a bit. They joined Thelma who was waiting for them while Annie lavished Zindle with hugs and kisses for being such a good dog. “I’m sorry you had to go on the scary bridge but, it’s all over now. You are the best dog in the whole world!” she squealed hugging Zindle tight. Zindle was licking every inch of her he could reach.

  The family walked together to one of the small cabins. “Wow, Mommy the cabins look like something the three bears or Snow White and dwarves would live in.” Annie gasped in amazement. John had to admit there was a fairy tale quality about the little cabins. They were made of rounded stones with green trim windows and doors.

  They entered the cabin they were assigned. Inside were two sets of bunk beds. There wasn’t much other furniture but, there was a bathroom. It seemed the whole family all realized, at the same time, that they needed to use the bathroom. A short time later, after a lot of arguing, an interesting little got-to-go dance by John and some painful waiting, everyone had their turn using the bathroom.

  Annie and John got the top bunks. Neither of them had ever slept in a bunk bed before. “It’s going to be really cool to sleep up so high!” Annie exclaimed to her brother. “Yeah, I guess.” responded John. He did think it was going to be cool to sleep on the top bunk but, just now he was thinking about something else. He had just realized that Ruth and Sam were not with them. He had not seen them since they reached the bottom of the trail. Where were they? John just knew they were doing something mystical and he was missing it.

  “Where are Sam and Ruth?” John asked his parents in the most innocent sounding tone he could manage. James and Thelma shared a knowing looking. “Well, there are only four beds to a cabin. So, they have to sleep somewhere else.” answered James. “Now why don’t you and Annie put on your bathing suits. I think we would all love to get cooled off in Bright Angel Creek.” chimed in Thelma quickly changing the subject. John did want to find out what Sam and Ruth were doing but, he wanted to go for a dip in the creek even more. He decided it would be better to forget about the mystics for now. Besides, if they were around they might talk his parents out of letting him play in the creek.

  The family all headed out to the creek with Zindle in tow. They spent a wonderful afternoon splashing in the cool water of the creek. It was like old times again. Like before, Mr. Caramel came to their house. Annie was really enjoying playing with her big brother in the creek. Zindle sat next to the creek. He did not like getting wet. Annie and John splashed him and teased him but, he would not get in the water to play with them. Annie wished this afternoon could last forever. Unfortunately, it was getting close to time for dinner. The family gathered their things to return to the cabin.

  It was then that Annie noticed it. A strange little cloud. It was just like the one she had seen before and she did not like it. It gave her a bad feeling. She was pretty sure there was something mystical about that cloud and not in a good way. She decided, however, to keep it to herself for now. Ruth had not paid any attention to the other cloud when she pointed it out. Making a big deal about another cloud might make them realize that she could use echoes too. She wasn’t ready for everyone to know. The adults were nervous enough trying to protect John. She didn’t want her parents to have to worry about her too.

  So, off she went to the cabin and then dinner like nothing had happened. They sat with Ruth and Sam at dinner. It made Annie feel a little better to see them. She knew they wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her family. John asked Ruth and Sam where they were staying. They had gotten permission to put a tent right behind the cabin the family was staying in. This way they could be close by.

  That night, like the previous night after Annie had seen a strange cloud, neither Annie nor John could sleep. When they did sleep they had horrible dreams. Both children were thankful to see the first rays of morning light coming through the cabin window. They walked like zombies to breakfast. Annie tried not to look at the sky. She could feel it. The cloud was still there. Ruth and Sam joined them again for breakfast. After breakfast, they returned to the cabin to pack for the trip back up the Canyon.

  John tried to sneak out to peek in Ruth and Sam’s tent before they packed it up. He got all the way to the tent and was just about to pull up the flap to look inside when he got busted. Sam tapped him on his shoulder. “Can I help you with something?” he asked John with a displeased expression. “No, no I…uummm…just wanted to see if I could help you with anything.” replied John thinking of a quick excuse. “We’re fine. Ruth and I will get this tent packed up. It would be best if you stick close to your parents right now.” instructed Sam.

  John headed back inside the cabin. Foiled again! How was he ever going to find out about how to use echoes and mysticism. No one would talk about it anymore. He was sure Sam and Ruth were using it but, try as me might he was never able to catch them at it. To make matters worse he was feeling really tired and they had a long day a head of riding back up the Canyon.

  Before they knew it, they were all packed and waiting with everyone else for their tour guides to load the donkeys. Annie was still trying not to look at the sky. If she didn’t look up she could convince herself that the bad feeling was just because she was sleepy and had bad dreams. She could make herself think the cloud had gone away in the night like last time. At least that was what she had been whispering to Zindle all morning.

  The donkeys were all loaded up and everyone was ready to head out. Annie couldn’t help but take a look up at the sky as the donkey caravan started on its way. Yep, the cloud was still there. Somehow it looked darker than yesterday and it almost seemed a little bigger. This gave Annie a sick little feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew this cloud was a bad thing but, how could she convince everyone else and still keep her secret. She had plenty of time to think it over as they wound their way back up the Canyon.

  John was very tired from lack of sleep the night before. He had all but given up trying to catch Sam and Ruth using echoes. It was a hot day and this made it even harder to keep his eyes open as his donkey followed the trail back up the Canyon. John did take notice of the little cloud that had been worrying Annie. John however, did not put the appearance of the cloud together with the nightmare of the previous night. In fact, John was hoping the cloud would move across the sun and provide some shade.

  They stopped for lunch just as they had on the trip down. This time Annie was very hungry. She was no longer feeling energized by the fresh air and atmosphere of the beautiful setting. She was tired from lack of sleep and feeling run down from worrying about the little cloud. She had, however, come up with a plan to try and get one of the grown-ups to take notice of it. Her plan was to get John to bring it to their attention. So, as they went to pick up their bagged lunches from the guides, Annie made sure she got right up next to John. To her delight she saw John was already looking at the sky and seemed to have his attention on the little puff Annie was worried about.

  “What ya lookin at?” Annie asked using her best cowgirl accent.

  “Just wishing that little cloud would move over this way and give us some shade. It’s really hot today” John answered wiping the sweat from his brow.

  Great! Annie thought. Now I just have to get John to point the cloud out to the adults. “I bet Sam and Ruth know a lot about the weather and stuff
. Maybe you should ask them if they think we’ll get shade from the clouds today?” suggested Annie.

  John liked his little sister’s idea. Any excuse to talk to Sam and Ruth was a good one. Maybe he could figure out a way to ask about using mystical echoes with the weather. John felt a little more awake thinking about all this. He took his bagged lunch from the guide and turned to his parents.

  “Are Ruth and Sam going to eat lunch with us?” he asked hopefully.

  “I think so. Why don’t you go ask them? They’re just getting their lunches now.” replied Thelma. “In fact, I’ll go with you while your father and Annie set up our lunch under that little tree.”