Shaman - the Awakening

by Vr McCoy

  Now it was time for me to let my nocturnal instincts lead me. I blended into the night and became a part of the shadows. In every corner where there was darkness or a hint of shadow, I slunk without being seen. I was camouflaged in it like the jet black coat of a panther. I watched as several men passed by me. It was like I was invisible, engulfed in the sunless corridors. I stealthily made my way through the facility with a noctivagant purpose; hiding in the lightlessness. I finally made it to Monsignor Davis' room. The door was locked, but I easily bypassed it with a credit card. I entered without being heard or seen. He was asleep as I spoke to him; unseen in the dark corner of the room.

  “Monsignor Davis; I'm here to correct an injustice. Wake up,” I raised my voice, just slightly so only he could hear me.

  “Who's there?” he inquired in a startled and shaken voice as he jumped up from the bed. “Who is it?” he asked again? Then I stepped out from my piceous surroundings.

  “What are you doing here? How did you get in here,” he asked as his fears turned to anger, now that he knew who was in the room with him. I said nothing and just sat in the chair near his bed. “I'm calling the police,” he snarled furiously as he turned on the lights and walked towards the stationary phone.

  “Go right ahead. Make sure you tell them about Father Maize and Father Honanie,” I replied. He paused with the phone's receiver in his hand.

  “What are you talking about?” he asked in a low and hesitant tone.

  “I'm talking about the priests you had murdered because they were going to expose you and the center for the atrocities and medieval practices taking place here,” I stated.

  “That's absurd!” he exclaimed. He still didn't make another move towards calling the police.

  “You had Arelio and Julio kill them and bury their bodies in the Santa Fe Forest. You know the place, because I sure do,” I said. Then he placed the phone's receiver back in its cradle and sat slowly on the bed. He had the stare of a condemned man.

  “How did you find out?” he asked.

  “It doesn't matter. Would you like to tell me what happened to the other three missing priests,” I inquired?

  “There aren't any other missing priests,” he said.

  “You might as well confess. The police will be here in the morning when I tell it all,” I replied.

  “You don't get it; there aren't any priests missing,” he stated.

  Then the unthinkable occurred. He got up from the chair he was seated in and walked towards the dresser, opened one of the drawers and brandished a handgun. I would have never thought a priest would be in possession of a gun. I knew he had others do his dirty work, but what would a priest need a gun for? He hesitated with the weapon in his hand and didn't say anything. For a second I thought he was going to use it on himself, but then he turned it towards me.

  “You must really have a lot of enemies, priest. There's no telling what shit you're into if you need a gun. Have you really sunk that low? You're supposed to be a man of God,” I stated.

  “You have no idea who I am or what I'm capable of. You should have stayed on the run, Agent Sands. Now you've forced my hand,” he stated, pointing the gun at me. I froze, unable to move, unwilling to believe the evidence of my senses.

  Just before he shot me in cold blood, the lights in the room began to flicker. It wasn't just the usual flicker from a power outage during a storm or a power surge, but it was like watching an old black and white movie projector scattering the light. What happened next I can only try to describe the best I can.

  Two apparitions entered the room. I could sense the immense fear on the priest as they did. I guess I would have also been scared, but I've seen far worse in my nightmares. The spirits were shifting back and forth visually, like the transparency of certain gases against the light. Then they took on the shapes of the Kachinas I saw in my dreamscape with the Great Mother.

  “I don't think they're here for me, priest. I think it's time for you to pay for your transgressions,” I drawled, looking at the fear in his eyes. He was no longer fixated on killing me. The blankness and the fear that covered his face said it all. It was time to pay the piper, and he knew it. He took his aim off me and directed it towards the apparitions. Then he began erratically firing toward the lifeless entities, as the bullets passed completely through them without any effect. He might as well have been shooting at the wall for all the good it did him. I dove on the floor when he began discharging the weapon.

  Priests and security guards gathered outside Monsignor Davis' door after they heard the shots. They were yelling and asking if he was alright. The security guards attempted to break down the door, but they couldn't. It was closed by supernatural forces. There was no one getting in or out of the room. They shot at the lock and the door itself, but it was closed tight as a steel trap. Then things turned worse for Monsignor Davis. The Kachinas turned into the most hideous and unimaginable poltergeists. They began haunting his mind, as he dropped to his knees holding his head with the gun still in hand. He was definitely in agonizing pain as he began screaming from the depths of his soul.

  I heard sirens, miles away in the distance. My hearing was extremely acute now from my panther imprinting. Monsignor Davis put the gun up to his head and shot himself, scattering pieces of his skull and brains to the wall, his limp body falling to the floor, lifeless. The Kachinas turned back into their Native American spirit form and blew the window to the room open. It was their way of telling me to exit. I was two stories up, but it wouldn't be a problem for me. The door remained shut tight as I made my way out the window. It closed behind me and locked itself from the inside. I made my way off the compound under the stygian veil of the night, blanketed by the tenebrous shadows. I remained noctivagous as I rejoined Nina back at the car.

  “What happened in there? I heard gunfire but couldn't get in the door. Then security appeared, so I got out of there. Are you alright?” Nina inquired excitedly, standing outside of the vehicle. She was giving me the once over; scrutinizing my body from head to toe. She was checking for gunshot wounds or to see if I was injured in any other way.

  “I'm fine, Nina. You did well. Now let's get out of here before the local police arrive.” I stated and jumped into the car.

  “So did you get what we're looking for?” she inquired.

  “Yes and no,” I replied.

  “Are you going to tell me what happened?” she inquired.

  “Well, for starters, two Kachina ghosts appeared and drove Davis to kill himself after he confessed to murdering two priests. He also said he didn't know about any other dead or missing priests,” I informed Nina.

  “I thought the two dead priests were the link?” she inquired further

  “No, they were leverage. There are missing priests who are still alive. We need to find them. They are the key to this. They will lead us to the serial killer,” I stated.

  “So we didn't really accomplish anything here. We're back to where we started from,” Nina said her teeth grinding in frustration.

  “Did you really want me to stick a gun in the face of a priest and beat the information out of him?” I asked.

  “Davis is far from being a saint,” she retorted.

  “What we did receive is a taped confession from Davis. I had my telephone on record the whole time,” I replied. We had dropped the title Monsignor and his association with priests without effort.

  “Will the recording hold up in court?” Nina inquired.

  “Yes, with the other evidence I will provide; the names of the killers, motives and where the bodies can be found. The first thing I need you to do is drive me to the Residence Office. I need to drop off this recording and get a write up on this.”

  “You've really lost it now. Are you insane?” Nina inquired in a perturbed voice.

  “No, but some would like to think so. I assure you, Nina, I know what I'm doing.”

  “You want me to drive you to the RO while the city is blanketed in a curfew, with wall-to-wall l
aw enforcement officers searching for a serial killer and you? Did I mention the city is encompassed with revolving check points and road blocks that change daily? You told me previously that you can't predict the future, so how are you going to predict where the road blocks will be?”

  “I'll show you,” I responded.

  I retrieved the phone from my pocket and began to dial. Then I placed it on speaker mode while it was ringing.

  “Hello, Steve, can we talk?”

  “Give me a minute to get to a secure location… OK, how are you doing?”

  “I'm fine, and you?” I inquired.

  “Don't ask. I'm glad you sensed me coming in the mountains. It served two purposes. I needed to get the A.D. off my back and I hoped you would feel me coming. He had the nerve to ride along with us. The man really has a hard on for you.” We all laughed at his comment.

  “Yeah, I almost didn't feel you coming. I was asleep,” I said, then looked at Nina and smiled, as if to say `I told you so'. She nudged me on the arm and returned the smile. Then Steve pleaded, “Tell me you have some good news. They're ready to move on to preventing the next abduction.”

  “Yes, I have made some progress. First of all, Gracie is alive. Second, I've got a confession on this phone from Monsignor Davis, on the killings of two priests, made just before he killed himself. The bodies can be found buried in the Santa Fe Forest, off route 550. I'll write up all the details; the exact location of the burials and the names of Davis' accomplices.”

  “But why?” Steve inquired.

  “It'll be all in the report. I'll drop it off tonight.”

  “Are you crazy?” Steve demanded in a raised voice.

  Nina laughed out loud.

  “Is that Nina?” he asked.

  “Hey Steve,” she blurted out.

  “Hello, Nina. I have you covered with your bureau. I told them you were still undercover for me. No one else knows.”

  “Thanks, Steve,” she replied.

  “So you were saying that you're going to waltz your way to the front door of the Residence Office and place a parcel in the mail box, like the Coyote? Don't do it, Chris,” Steve warned me.

  “Steve, all I need are the locations of the checkpoints and road blocks.”

  “It's too risky. Why blow it now?”

  “It's on the way, and you guys need to move on this. It's connected, as I told you. It's all coming together, Steve, but I don't have a lot of time. Do this for me.”

  “Alright, where do you want me to send it?”

  I gave Steve the email address of a Gmail account that I rarely use, and isn't connected to me. They wouldn't be monitoring any internet traffic leaving the Field Office, but they would be monitoring and tracking all traffic coming in. It was protocol during such investigations. It would be even better if Steve could meet us somewhere, but the A.D. had an extremely tight leash on him after the news leak.

  The only way to keep Steve's involvement from being suspected was to drop off the information in a sealed parcel addressed to him. My voice was recognizable on the recording. This information somewhat vindicated my investigating the Jemez Order, but it wouldn't cause them to drop the charges. I'd still be considered a vigilante and a rogue, now more than ever.

  We drove back to the Hampton Inn to collect our bags and check out. We spent a little extra time there to do the write-up on the Jemez Order. I had to close some gaps in this investigation to get the heat off Nina and me. I felt bad about what happened at the Jemez Order because the only ones who would really suffer from this would be the families relying on the soup kitchen. The ill priests would just find another center. I'd have to revisit the charity at a later date and see if there was anything I could do to keep it open.

  After completing the report we departed the hotel. We needed to retain the assistance of the night. Utilizing the hotel's computer, I received the email from Steve in reference to the checkpoints and road blocks. I trusted Steve, but even if the A.D. was monitoring him, we were on our way out the door.

  I didn't have a problem in Albuquerque. Everything was set up the way Steve had informed us it would be. Nina parked a mile from the Residence Office. It was easy blending into the night and dropping off the parcel, easier than entering the Jemez Order Facility had been. There was more open space to maneuver and more obumbrate. This must be how the serial killer felt as he snuck up to the front door of the Residence Office and dropped off his letter.

  Now came the hard part; finding and connecting these missing priests in the puzzle. I needed some big magic, so I drove us back to the sacred grounds of the Hopi Nation. Nina slept in the car on the way there. Now that I had settled some of the atrocities involving the Jemez Order, I needed assistance with the rest of this mystery. My quest had led me back to Kayah. This would be the best place to acquire additional noumena help for connecting with the Spirit World.

  It was morning when we arrived at the Black Mesas of the Hopi Nation, Nina had slept through the entire journey there. We went directly to the Walpi Village to see the Great Mother. She was delighted to see us and was prepared for our arrival. We sat on her prayer rugs and thanked the Spirits for our safe travel back. Then we discussed our journey.

  “The Fallen Ones, the priests, they were Hopituh Shin-nu-mu; Peaceful People of Hopi?” I asked the Great Mother, but already knew the answer. Nina didn't know and I wanted confirmation as well.

  “Yes; the fallen ones are from the Black Mesa, Hopituh Sinom, the People of Hopi. Father Maize is from this village and Father Honanie is from the Kykotsmovi Village. They are both from great Hopituh clans. They were a part of the future of the Hopituh Shin-nu-ma,” she replied.

  “Why didn't you just vision quest with the Monsignor like you did with us?” I asked Kayah.

  “It is different. Like you, I need a bridge to cross over into dreams. I have no connection with the White Devil or the white man's world. Father Maize's and Father Honanie's spirits had already passed. They came to me as Kachinas do, and informed me of you. I felt you and Nina's spirits because they are so strong in the spirit world. It was easy to form a bridge with you without having contact or connection with you, especially when your two spirits are together. It is like a beacon. It is hard not to pick up on the abundance of your spirit presence. Maize and Honanie needed you to find them and set them free. Their spirits were not at rest. They knew you could bridge the worlds that I cannot.”

  “I still haven't found the other missing priests,” I told Kayah.

  “This once again is the path only you can walk. Nina will be your Eagle protector overhead, but you must walk alone,” she said.

  “I have come here to ask the spirits to assist me on this path. I need to ask the fallen ones to assist me now that they are free.”

  “You have brought justice to the spirit world and the middle world. For this you will be rewarded. Usually there is a price to pay, but you have given up so much already, Spirit Warrior. You will be aided in what you seek,” Kayah said.

  “Thank you, Great Mother,” I replied.

  I left Nina with Kayah and ventured to the Kiva alone. I remained there for most of the day, chanting and, with the assistance of peyote, slipping into the dream world. When I arose from the Kiva several hours later there were all sorts of gifts laid out in front of it. The Hopituh had heard of what I had done, apparently, and wanted to show their appreciation. They were masterful artisans and their gifts were exquisite. There was pottery, baskets, woven clothing, food and drink. The people weren't present when I exited the Kiva. They were shy and peaceful shunning the spotlight and standing clear of attention. They were uncannily similar to me in several characteristics.

  The night had come when I rose from the Kiva. I was just in time to hear the Great Mother bless the village. I loved this Hopituh tradition more than any. Her voice had such a profound, serene effect on me, it was soothing to hear her beautiful voice echoing over the village. It took me back to pleasant days of the past, when I was a boy and my mo
ther used to say nightly prayers with me. Then she would read me a bedtime story before I fell asleep.

  When the Great Mother completed the prayers, she joined me at the base of the Kiva. I felt ambivalent. I was elated and honored by the gifts, but saddened because I still didn't have all the answers I was looking for. Kayah attempted to calm me and told me not to get discouraged. She grabbed my hand and said, “They have shown you all you need to know.” Nina was at Kayah's pueblo. I decided to remain at the Kiva for a while longer.

  The Dark Moon (Howl of the Coyote)

  The night is a totally different animal than the day. Man has feared the night since the time when we were living in caves. When we were afraid of what we couldn't see and the horrors that came when the sun went down. This was when the predators came out to hunt. This was a time when man was prey and you would find him curled up in a corner in fear, hoping to make it through the night.

  Things haven't changed much since the days before we discovered how to use fire. We have always utilized fire as a protector. It protected us from the elements, predators and the night. We are still afraid of things that go bump in the dark. We attempt to illuminate the night for protection, but there are those few among us who gravitate towards it. They find comfort, ease and purpose in the dark. The moon is their sun and the night offers protection. They see the unknown things in the night and are the things that go bump in the dark.

  I was on the run and Gracie was running out of time. My back was up against the wall again. Soon we would be coming up on the week when he kills the victim. I stood outside the Kiva and just starred at the night skies. The stars were gleaming and there was a quarter moon out. I spent a lot of time out at night, gazing at the different phases of the moon. I watched its cyclic progression while listening to the coyotes howl and sing to her brilliance. I lay back down on the mesa ground and continued to stare up at the sky until Nina found me, as she always did; my Eagle protector.

  “Hello, you,” she said with a warm and very pleasing smile.