Jack James and the Tribe of the Teddy Bear (18 page)

“First of all,” responded Jack. “Those kids are not my friends. Never were, so don’t blame yourself for that. Second, your friends are fine. They’re in Winmart right now. And as for my dad, his problems started way before you got here.”

Takota differed. “I know for certain your father is in trouble, and it’s my fault. Same goes for you, same goes for Ayita, Enola, Cheyton and Pud. I can’t stay here knowing my very presence is putting you all in danger.”

“So what, then? Where are you going to go?”

“I wish I knew. I shouldn’t go back to Wind Whisper Woods. But my kind are being hunted, and I need to warn them. There’s an ancient one, an elder who might know what to do.”

“You can’t go now,” begged Jack. “What about those people who tried to take you today? I’ve got a really bad feeling, Takota. They’re out there, somewhere, just waiting for you.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Takota shrugged. “I can take care of myself.”

“But,” Jack sniffled. “Who’s gonna take care of me?”

He blinked away a tear, wondering why he had to feel such an attachment for this tiny animal. Three days ago he didn’t even know Takota existed. Now he was bawling like they were long lost pals. Were they? The idea of an interconnected universe, the theory of quantum entanglement was just that before they met—a theory. Now he knew it was true. All things
were
connected. Only with Takota, Jack felt the bond distinctly.

“Listen, do me a favor,” he suggested. “Stick with me until we can find Amelia. She’ll know what to do. She’s got a gift for this kind of thing.”

“What do you mean?” Takota asked. “What kind of gift?”

“She’s intuitive. She can sense things other people can’t.”

“Like Ayita,” Takota looked to the floor.

“You don’t want to leave. I can tell.”

“No, but…”

“Then stay with me. At least until we can talk to Amelia, okay?”

“Okay, but no more dirty towels.”

TWENTY-FOUR

JACK SEARCHED FOR AMELIA during lunch while Takota stayed in his backpack, munching on his patty melt and fries. He checked all the usual places and didn’t find her. It seemed she’d vanished from existence.

“Where’s Amelia?” he summoned the mettle to approach Wendy and her cadre of followers on the swings.

“Who’s Amelia?” she asked her friends. “Any of you heard of an Amelia?”

That made him nervous. What if she
had
vanished? What if the O/A had branched off a new universe, split away a whole different timeline to a world in which Amelia hadn’t even been born?

“Earth to Jack!” Wendy shouted. “Ewww! You’re spacing again, aren’t you? Quit it! That creeps me out!”

On cue, her posse backed her up with a slew of insults.

“He’s weird!”

“He should be locked up with his dad!”

“Yeah, in a mental institution!”

“You know what you need to do?” Wendy didn’t wait for a response. “You need to pray the police don’t find that machine of your dad’s, ‘cause if they do they’ll keep him in prison forever!”

Ignoring the taunts, he went to his favorite place in the whole schoolyard, a quiet, sunny spot on the far side of the field, made semi-private by a small cluster of oak trees.

“Did you hear that?” he sat down and eased Takota out of the stuffy pack.

“Hear what? Those girls making fun of you? Yeah, I heard.”

“No, I mean what they said about Amelia. They acted like they didn’t even know her.”

“So?” Takota furrowed his brow.

“So, what if my dad’s machine created a new universe, one where Amelia doesn’t exist?”

Takota chuckled. “You really do have quite the imagination, don’t you?”

“Don’t laugh. I’m still not so sure you aren’t a part of my imagination. I mean, just look at us. I’m talking to you. How is it even possible you can understand me?”

Takota raised his palms. “I don’t know. Tanakee have always had a knack for being able to interpret the languages of other animals. It seems humans are included.”

“So you
are
a Tanakee. Amelia and I thought so.”

“You two are pretty smart then, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know. We found it on the internet.”

“The what?”

“Internet. It’s a library of knowledge we humans have compiled on computers.”

“Computers. I know what they are. They’re trouble. And these computers, they have information about Tanakee?”

“Yeah, I guess. Some. It said something about you being able to run fast and lift things much bigger and heavier than you should be able to. And it said other things, too.”

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Like…Takota? Do you know what an interdimensional being is?”

“An inter—duh…what?”

Jack’s turn to laugh. “On the internet, it says Tanakee are interdimensional beings. It says you have special powers. Mind control and disappearing into thin air. Your friends did it earlier today.”

“Eteea,” Takota whispered.

“What’s Eteea?”

“It’s the power you’re talking about. All Tanakee have it in one form or another.”

“So, you can vanish and reappear somewhere else? Teleport to anywhere you want?”

“No. Well, yeah. Sometimes, I guess. Those with full understanding of Eteea can move anywhere, do anything in an instant, effortlessly, without thought or fear. I’ve done it once or twice. But it doesn’t work all the time. To tell the truth, I’ve never experienced Eteea until just recently. I mean, sure, I could play the dead game and perform the eyecatcher, but that was about it.”

“The eyecatcher?”

“What you call mind control.”

Jack breathed deep. “So that’s why these people are after you? They want to control these powers of yours?”

“Archer Savage.”

“Archer Savage? The defense manufacturer? He’s after you?”

“Him and someone he calls his client. They want to implant some kind of device in the brains of every Tanakee and make us slave warriors. They’ve been after us for a long time, it seems.”

“So Amelia’s research was correct,” he sighed. “We sure could use her voice of reason right now. I doubt I’ll ever see her again, though. Her mom probably banned her from seeing me for life.”

Takota grinned. “Don’t be so sure. Something tells me you’ll be seeing her sooner than you think.”

“What, are you using your special powers now?” Jack acted skeptical, even disinterested. Inside, though, he burned to find out how far Takota’s abilities went. “Getting some kind of vision or something?”

“No. She’s walking up behind you.”

“Ha! There you are!” Amelia’s voice made Jack tingle with delight. She strode with confidence on multicolored gladiator sandals which peeked from under a long, lavender dress. “I knew I’d find you two together.”

TWENTY-FIVE

TAKOTA FLOPPED SIDEWAYS on the lawn when Jack hopped to his feet and greeted Amelia. He didn’t mind, though. The soft grass gave him perfect cover. Besides, he knew the boy was worried about his friend.

“Oops, sorry about that,” Jack placed him upright.

Takota didn’t move. An instinctual self-preservation mode had kicked in, forcing him to play the dead game.

“Oh, come on!” Jack’s frustration boiled over. “She knows you’re real, just say something to her. Say hello.”

Takota simply couldn’t break from his camouflage.

“Takota, I mean it,” Jack warned.

“Don’t worry about it,” Amelia consoled him. “He’ll come around.”

“I give up,” he tossed his hands and let them slap against his thighs. “Everything’s going wrong lately.”

“Jack, I’m sorry about your dad,” she said. “He didn’t deserve that kind of treatment.”

“Thanks,” he sighed.

“He won’t be in jail long.”

“I don’t know,” he brooded. “It’s not like last time when the O/A resembled a lab experiment on steroids. This time they thought it was a weapon, and that’s bad. That’s really, really bad.”

“But how can they convict him if there is no alleged weapon?”

“They’ll find it. They probably already have.”

Amelia flashed a knowing smile. “Nope. The police don’t have your dad’s machine, but I know who does.”

“Come on, who?”

“One of the Tanakee. His name’s Pud!”

“Pud?” Takota broke his silence. The two kids stared at him. Amelia laughed.

“Oh, so now his highness chooses to join the conversation?” Jack scolded. “And why couldn’t you say something before? You make me out to be a fool when you do that, you know? It’s pretty embarrassing, I gotta tell ya’.”

Takota shrugged. “Sorry. Force of habit. After thousands of years of avoiding humans, it’s kinda difficult for a Tanakee to get used to this.”

Amelia said, “Your friends didn’t have much of a problem talking to me, especially Ayita. She seemed very outgoing.”

“You saw Ayita?” Takota’s heart fluttered. “How is she? Is she okay?”

“Yes, she’s fine. They’re all doing well. They’re worried sick about you, though. They really want to find you.”

Takota ruminated, wounded by his own doing.

“It’s for the best. I need to go away, for many reasons.”

“But, you said,” Jack reminded him. “Remember? You said you’d listen to Amelia. Maybe she’s got an idea.”

“Do you?” Takota squinted at her. “Do either of you truly know what’s going on here?”

Amelia crossed her arms calmly. “I think I might.”

Takota shifted his gaze to Jack, then to Amelia. “What is it, then? Maybe you can explain what I’m supposed to do.”

She sighed. “Since I can remember, I’ve known about my
other
senses. One is the ability to see auras, only I’ve always called them spirit clothes because I didn’t know what they were. It’s the energy a living thing projects, a cloak of colored light. I’ve been seeing them around people all my life, and I’ve learned to trust those who have the brightest, most colorful spirit clothes. That’s why I trust you so much, Jack. Your spirit clothes are the most magnificent I’ve ever seen. Until I met Takota. All the Tanakee have spirit clothes that are just as spectacular as Jack’s, which is strange, because animals have spirit clothes, just not that bright or as well-defined. I thought it was a coincidence. Then I noticed something I’ve never seen before. Ben’s machine, the O/A. It has the same extraordinary spirit clothes. Inanimate objects aren’t supposed to have these types of auras. It just can’t be an accident, and it makes me feel something’s put us all together for a reason.”

Takota thought about it. “That
is
intriguing. But it still doesn’t give me any ideas about what I should do. If I stay, I’m putting everyone in danger.”

“All I can tell you is what I see,” said Amelia. “And my intuition says you two should stick together.”

Although his mind hadn’t changed, Takota knew Amelia had a gift, and it did indeed seem similar to Ayita’s. He appreciated that.

“So,” Jack suggested. “Tanakee and humans, we have some sort of connection? Maybe an evolutionary connection?”

“Maybe. That’s not clear,” answered Amelia. “What
is
clear to me is that you two have a connection.”

“You know what?” Jack smiled at Takota. “I’ve been thinking about this, and I just have to say it. I have this theory of exactly what a Tanakee is. You’re a pygmy Bigfoot, aren’t you?”

Takota breathed deep and fast. “We are
not
Bigfoot. Don’t ever call us that.”

“Why not? You look kinda the same, except for those green spots under your eyes. You’re just smaller,” Jack persisted.

“We are NOT Bigfoot,” Takota was agitated, and for good reason. “Calling someone a Bigfoot is considered offensive in some circles. Bigfoot are smelly, loud animals. They’re strong, and fiercely loyal, but, let’s just say they’re not too bright.”

“Sounds like Mike’s dog,” Amelia chuckled.

“That’s an insult to dogs. Bigfoot can be intelligent to a point, and they do a good job of protecting Wind Whisper Woods, but boy can they be a pain. And dumb. Let me put it this way—how many people have heard of Bigfoot? Tons, right? Now, how many have heard of a Tanakee? Not many, and there’s a reason. Bigfoot are so brainless, they can’t keep from being constantly spotted by humans.”

“But,” Jack’s wide eyes darted from Takota to Amelia, then back. “Weren’t you
captured
?”

Takota straightened and cleared his throat. “Yeah, well, I…”

While the children had a good laugh, the hairs on the back of Takota’s neck became icicles. His skin electrified. Then his ears rang, and he knew someone or something was approaching. When he saw the large man, he became dead to the outside world.

“Ah, Jack James. Found you,” the massive fellow said.

“Principal Humbert?” Jack sounded surprised.

“Hello, Jack. Hello, young lady. You must be new, what’s your name?”

“Amelia, Amelia Klein.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Amelia.”

Principal Humbert’s jowls bounced when he talked. He wasn’t too old, in his fifties, Takota guessed, with slicked-back, copper-colored hair in a style from some bygone era.

“So, Jack. You’re name’s been coming up a lot, lately,” smiling, he noticed Takota. Then he tilted his head. “And it’s all because of you, little guy.”

He crouched and lifted Takota into his arms. The man handled him with care, holding him up for better scrutiny.

“You’ve been causing quite a stir around here, fella,” he chuckled. “Imagine, someone being afraid of a teddy bear. I mean, I’ve heard of people being afraid of clowns. That’s kind of understandable. Heck, even I’m a little freaked out by clowns—but teddy bears?”

Jack and Amelia sat mute. From what Takota surmised, they were trying to play it cool and were failing miserably. Lucky for them, the principal seemed not to notice.

“You know, Jack, I used to have a teddy bear myself when I was little. Slept with it ‘til I was even older than you.”

The rotund gentleman angled closer to the children.

“You wanna know something else? Still have it,” he whispered, then straightened to his full height and laughed with a deep bass rumble. It was ironic to Takota the man went on about bears, since he was so bearlike. “The same one I’ve had for fifty years. It’s on a shelf in my office right now!”

“Do you collect them or..?” Amelia asked.

“No, it’s just the one,” he said, handing Takota to Jack. “Which reminds me of the reason why I came out here. If you love stuffed animals, you two had better get on over to Winmart.”

“Why? What’s going on?” asked Jack.

“Haven’t you heard? Some charity came in and bought every last stuffed animal the store had. Now they’re giving them away out front, all of them.”

“What!” both children shouted. Takota felt like shouting with them.

The principal snickered. “Can you believe it? It’s a nice gesture, but I wish they would’ve timed it a little better. We had to let school out early, notify the parents, what a mess!”