Shaman - the Awakening (16 page)

“You do know the pool is closed, right?”

“Yeah, I know, but I needed to burn off some energy,” I responded.

“Yeah; I couldn't sleep either. It's a shame they don't have a bar at the hotel,” she replied.

“Do the other reservations have bars?” I inquired.

“Yes, some do. It all depends on the tribal council.”

“How did you know where I was?” I asked.

“I didn't, I was just out for a walk,” she stated.

“Want to join me” I inquired?

“Sure, but I don't have my swimsuit with me,” she replied.

“What's wrong with what you have on? I don't think anyone will mind,” I stated, then gestured, looking around at the empty poolside.

“I see your point,” she responded. She was wearing white spandex running shorts and one of those athletic spandex type bra shirts, which showed her midsection, with white Nike running shoes.

“Do you need help getting over the fence?” I asked.

“I grew up in Cherokee County, remember,” she replied and climbed over the five foot fence with almost as much ease at which I swung over it.

Nina was a very athletic woman. She wasn't as quiet as I was when she scaled the fence, but she did it effortlessly. She took off her shoes and ankle socks and dove in. She was looking sexy as hell. When the water wet her outfit you could see the contour of her breasts, and the shorts clung skin-tight to her perfectly round hips and butt. This is when I knew I had made a grave mistake.

She immediately swam over to me and pulled me under the water. Then she tried to escape. She was a good swimmer, but not as fast as I was in the water. I caught her and returned the favor of pulling her under. We wrestled and played for a little while, until I became tired. I had already completed several laps before she arrived. I waded in the pool while she did a couple of laps, then she joined me at the poolside.

“This place is incredible, Nina. I can feel the energy from its spirit. I've never felt like this before, until your uncle woke me up to it.”

“And I thought it was me making you feel like that,” she replied, smiling. “But seriously, that's good. This place is mystical. It's called the Four Corners because it is where the four states meet, and mystics believe this is where all worlds meet; the intersection in spiritual and astral planes. This is why the ancients built astrological signs and symbols to the heavens in places like Fajada Butte. Can you use this spiritual energy it to assist you?”

“I'll find out tonight,” I replied.

“I visited several places today, but didn't pick up any negative or familiar sensations. I'll attempt to channel the energy from this place and revisit the places and people I saw today with the police chief,” I stated.

“Can you visit the places I've seen today as well?” she inquired.

“I'm sure I can. Why, was there anything suspicious that you encountered?” I asked.

“No, but there were some very interesting people,” she stated.

“I would have to enter your dreams again to do that, Nina, and I don't think it's a good idea.”

“I thought we agreed this is all for Gracie, and we are running out of time! I need you to stop trying to protect me and forget about what's going on between us, and concentrate on saving Agent Mullins,” Nina firmly stated.

I was speechless and quiet after that scolding. I paused for several minutes, but she wasn't one to beat around the bush. She went straight to the point and was right about all of it.

“Look, Chris, I'm sorry for snapping at you. It's obvious that there is something between us. I know you're with Dianna and I don't want to come between the both of you, but it's about time we just put it on the table. Since that night when we were all in the dream together, there has been this connection between us. I know you're attracted to me and I'm attracted to you, but I won't push you into anything you're not ready to do.”

I was still quietly thinking, examining every word as they captured my attention and held me in a stasis.

“Well, are you going to say anything?” she inquired.

I moved in closer to her and put my arms around her. We were still in the water with no one around. She gave in to her feelings and her expression reflected her vulnerability. I could see the tears beginning to well in her eyes from baring her soul. She knew we couldn't be together and everything she said was true about us. I held her quietly for a while, and then spoke.

“Yes, Nina, I do have strong feelings for you. You're right about all of it, but like you said, I am with Dianna. I'm sorry for that night. I didn't mean to lead you on or hurt you in any way.”

“I know it was in the moment, Chris, if I can say that about a dream, and you don't have to be sorry. I enjoyed the experience and wouldn't trade it for the world. I can only imagine you as being that passionate lover outside of dreams. You really know how to care for a woman and her needs, you were gentle, yet strong that night. Don't be sorry, because it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't feeling the same way you were that night,” she stated. Then she looked me in the eyes and kissed me, as I kissed her return. Then I abruptly broke the connection.

“Nina, as much as I would like to continue, neither of us would respect the other afterwards. You were correct with what you said in the beginning -
As charmed and flattered as I am with the compliment, it could pose problems if it continues.
You were very prophetic.”

“Wow, you remember that? See, it is those kinds of things that make you special, Chris. You actually listen and care.”

“Thanks, Nina, but let's go back inside, the water is starting to get cold.”

“You don't appear to be affected by the cold,” she smiled, gesturing at how excited my libido had become. She was still in a good place emotionally, as he joking demonstrated; we both were as we departed the pool area.

As much as I wanted to just take her in my arms and make love to her right there in the pool, I couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to her, or to Dianna. She could see and feel how aroused I was and how I was fighting my natural instincts. I was definitely getting stronger since leaving Cherokee Country.

That night when I lay down for bed, I could still feel the energy of the night calling me. I laid out the prayer rug and began chanting and smoking the peyote pipe. Luckily they had smoking suites at the Legacy. The peyote would help induce my dream state.

It didn't take long. The Panther was waiting for me as I crossed to the other side. She was upset and pacing back and forth, like large cats do, but this time it was faster than usual. The tip of her elegant black tail twitched in obvious irritation. Her purrs weren't soothing like before, they were more like growls. Then she spoke to me. It wasn't like you or I would speak. Her mouth didn't move, it was more like mental telepathy.

“The path you have chosen has no longevity. It will not sustain this journey. This is not your destiny. You must live in the moment and accept all that it has to give you. Don't neglect the now for the future.”

Then she roared and pounced on me. I refused to accept what she was telling me, and I argued it over and over as we wrestled, rolling back and forth on the ethereal jungle floor until I gave in to her strength and power.

I was amazed at my own strength while fighting her, and my stamina also surprised me. But at last I found myself pinned down on the colorful jungle flora. She growled at me, starring deeply into my eyes as if hypnotizing me. I was taken into a deeper transcendental state. There I met an elderly woman. “Loloma,” she said, greeting me and I knew exactly what it meant even though I had never heard it before. It meant hello and welcome in Uto-Aztecan. I had never learned the language, but could now understand it and speak it fluently, as if it was being translated in English.

“Sit down next to me. I would like to show you something,” she stated, patting the rug next to her. Then she began drawing on the wall. She drew a picture of a man in a mask, with feathers protruding from it. He appeared to be wearing ceremonial clothing. “This is Kachina,” she said after completing the drawing. Then the figure on the wall became animated and began dancing as he would in an Indian ceremony.

She drew another and another; three in all. Each had a different mask and clothing. They danced around the fire she drew. I could feel their spirits. They were warriors who protected the village. They were also priests who blessed it and kept away bad omens. I blinked, feeling dizzied by the swirling colors and the non-corporeal chaneling. When I opened my eyes, I was among them, I sat down with them and smoked from a pipe we shared. There was no conversation, just the passing of peace. Afterwards they wrote the number 5/5 in the dirt near the fire. I had no idea what it meant or represented.

The panther roared again, waking me from my communion with the elderly lady. The panther was still on top of me and staring into my eyes. She had calmed, and stepped off me. She lay down beside me, purring calmingly once again as I just lay there, astonished at what had occurred.

When I woke, it was morning and like the other dreams, what appeared like minutes in the dream state was hours in the middle realm, which was what Nina's uncle had called our realm, conscious reality. Before I could even yawn, Nina was knocking at my door. She didn't have coffee and bagels this time. It appeared that she had just wakened. She must have slept in, she still had on her Batman pajamas when she entered my suite. That had been my favorite superhero as a kid.

“Wow, I would have taken you for a Superman kind of girl.”

“No; I have Supergirl pajamas, but I have this thing for Dark Knights.” Sudden understanding clicked. She was a sun woman, like Supergirl, but was attracted to the bad boy or, in my case, the odd man out. I knew immediately there was something wrong for her to have slept in late and arrived in her pajamas, but I would wait for her to inform me instead of prying.

“Wow, you look like something that cat dragged in,” she said, laughing. If only she knew; it was more like something that the cat dragged, tossed and pounced on. “Another fun thrilling night with the leopard, huh?” she inquired.

“You can say that,” I replied, then went over towards the window. This time I opened the curtains without waiting for her to ask.

She said thank you without even blinking, and kept right on talking. “I had the wildest dream, Chris. This old lady came to me and asked me to bring you to her.”

“She came to me also,” I replied.

“But I didn't see you,” Nina stated.

“I know. She came to us separately, but wants us to make the journey together,” I responded.

“What does that mean?” Nina inquired.

“She's saying that you were right last night. I need to do this with you in every aspect,” I stated, but didn't go into full details about how far she needed to assist me for now.

“So she's a Seer also?” Nina inquired.

“Apparently she is, one with great powers. She's the one who's been calling for me,” I said.

Then Nina looked at me curiously and asked, “Do you know where she's located?”

“No, she said you would bring me to her.”

“In a dream or what?” Nina asked.

“No. I've already seen her there,” I replied.

“Duh, I'm sorry. I'm just so excited to have experienced this,” Nina replied. She had been raised around mystics who had helped her cope with the supernatural occurrences that we were experiencing. Most people would have been freaking out by now, but Nina welcomed it!

“OK, so where do we start?” Nina inquired.

“Well, that's up to you. What were you going to do today?” I inquired.

“I was going to explore the villages again.”

“Well, there's the answer. The Seer already knew this. She just wants me to come with you. I'll cancel my ride-in with the police chief,” I stated.

“Won't he become suspicious?”

“You're right, I'll tell him to come later. That way we'll have a couple hours start on him attempting to follow us,” I replied.

Then my cell phone rang. It was Steve on the other end. “Good morning, Chris. How's everything.”

“Things are going well, and you?”

“I'm doing the same. How's the investigation going?” he inquired.

“The council was pretty much the same, but we managed to secure some leads on our own through dreamscape,” I said.

“Really? That's excellent!” he stated.

“Yeah, I know,” I said excitingly, “As I told you before; I've acquired some new gifts from my Cherokee visit.”

“OK, just remain under the radar. The A.D. is scrutinizing our every move here,” he replied.

Then Nina whispered in the background, “I'll go get ready.”

She departed for her suite and returned fresh, dressed and smelling like apple blossoms.

“Steve said hello and thanks again, so did Dianna,” I said, feeling a twinge of guilt when I thought of my girlfriend, far away out of sight while I ogled the beautiful woman before me.

She had coffee and my favorite bagel this time; Cinnamon Raisin. “I don't know how you managed to dress and get breakfast so quickly, but thanks. I already telephoned the police chief and told him to meet me at 1300 hours. That gives us more than enough time of separation. I'll call him around noon and cancel my ride.

We wanted to get as far away as we could from the villages of the Third Mesa, as quickly as possible. Yesterday Nina had toured the villages of Old Oraibi and Bacavi on the Third Mesa and I visited Hotevilla and Kykotsmovi with the police chief. That left only the village of Moenkopi, where we were located. We both felt that Moenkopi wasn't the place. We trusted our instincts and traveled all the way to the First Mesa to avoid interference from the police chief.

It took us most of the day driving and touring the villages of Sichomovi, Polacca and Tewa. We were sightseeing and attempting to find signs or symbols that would lead us to the Seer. It was quite an experience, filled with knowledge and history. We ate at a quaint, family-owned diner in the village of Polacca. It was sunset when we reached the village of Walpi; I knew immediately we were in the right village.

“She's here,” I said aloud, “I can feel her presence, and I'm sure she can feel mine as well!”