I knew instantly that I was back in my own bed in the Midwest. It was a little disconcerting that I now had control of when I could 'fly the Road' and visit Grandma and Charles, but not of when I returned.
The returns were still good, though, because I knew I would be able to share my experiences with Brenda. This time would be different, as Brenda now had her own experiences to talk about, and I probably wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise!
I felt something digging into my side. When I reached down, I found I was lying on my birthstone. For some reason Brenda hadn't been able to take it with her when she had been returned to this 'other-world'. According to Charles, it was a unique thing, to be guarded at all times. I believed it was the key to me being able to take Brenda into my dreamtime, and I had brought it back with me.
Closer examination of the black stone showed that there were still only two carvings on its surface. If Charles was right, that meant that nothing significant had happened on my last trip to Gael. The stone would have recorded it otherwise. My teacher described my stone as being able to record all of the key events in my lifetime.
I guess I didn't fully understand the importance of what Charles had tried to tell me about the birthstone. I smiled to myself as I wondered if Charles' description explained the idea behind birthstones in the US today? The birthstone's most important feature to me was that it allowed me to take Brenda to Gael.
Each of my visits to the 'dreamtime' so far had lasted two years, but no time had passed here in the Midwest. My eighteenth birthday wasn't far away - February Fourteenth, St Valentine's Day - and I was guessing that that was the 'coming of age' that Charles continually referred to.
I was ten years old in the dreamtime when my last visit had ended, so that probably meant I had up to four more visits before my birthday. Four more visits to finish my lessons/studies with Charles.
I was determined that Brenda would be able to spend one day with me on each of my remaining visits, so having the birthstone was really important.
A glance at my bedside clock, told me that Mom was already up and cooking breakfast. She had taken a few vacation days between Christmas and New Years, and she was in the holiday spirit. That meant I was being allowed to lie in bed for longer (hurray!). But that wasn't to be the case this morning.
"Sean! Sean! Get up, Son. Brenda is here."
This was all taking quite a bit of getting used to. I had woken up in my dreamtime and found Brenda wasn't in my furs with me. I'd then spent another two years being pushed hard at my studies by 'Charles the slave-driver'. When I eventually returned to the Midwest, instead of two years, only seconds had passed since I'd left. And now Brenda would want to talk about something that, for her, only happened yesterday! Confusing? You bet!
I should have known that Brenda's excitement wouldn't keep until later. I groaned as I dragged myself out from under the warm quilt and started to dress.
My girl was a bundle of excited energy and Mom was finding it hard to keep from laughing. Anybody looking at Brenda could see it was killing her to have to wait for me to eat breakfast. Her deep brown eyes beseeched me to hurry up. So, of course, I did. I could refuse her nothing.
Mom raised one eyebrow ... you know, in that special way parents are somehow taught to do ... when Brenda and I made to go up to my room.
"Mom! Come on!" I said.
"We'll mostly behave, Mrs Taggart," giggled Brenda, not helping the situation I thought.
"Brenda, I think we've known each other long enough for you to call me Mary. You certainly have my trust, young lady. It's male hormones that worry me!"
This was clearly another example of women banding together against the poor male of the species! Mom had just basically told my girl that she was trustworthy, but I wasn't. Go figure.
Once in my room, the dam burst and Brenda began to speak at close to two hundred miles per hour. Her eyes were bright and she was waving her hands about, as she tried to describe all of the things that had happened.
" ... and then I thought Mordew was going to run me over..."
" ... did you see the way the eagle caught the stone..."
" ... isn't Gwendolin just the nicest Grandmother ever..."
" ... how is it possible that the cabins are the same..."
And on and on it went. Eventually I'd had enough and I tackled her onto my bed, covering her lips with my own in a deep kiss. Brenda resisted at first but soon decided to go with the flow (clever girl that girlfriend of mine).
When we stopped for air, I decided I had to speak first or she would simply start up again.
"So you enjoyed your first tip to Gael, then?" I asked.
"It was amazing! You can really fly, can't you? And I think you were talking to the eagles - what did you call them?"
"Their leader is Aquilaire and the other two with him were Buteoni and Accipiter. We can understand each other, but I don't know quite how that works yet."
"Did you return at the same time as I did?" Brenda asked.
"Unfortunately, no. I had to spend another two years studying. I'm now up to level two on religion and level three on geography and language. My best study subjects are plants and the soil - I'm up to advanced level on them, already."
"How many levels are there?"
"Six, according to Charles. There are other subjects that I haven't started yet. He's told me that my training on weapons will probably start on my next visit. On Gael, the normal age to start that kind of training is ten, so that sounds about right."
"I heard Charles talking to you, and you're right. He does do that adult thing really well, doesn't he? How could he mention knowing something about your future like that, and then not tell you? What a rat! Did he give you any clues after I left?"
"No. He continued to be just as annoying in that regard. He has told me that history will be another subject that I'll be starting, soon. That's where I'm most likely to find out things. He keeps hinting at there being dark times in the past. If he mentions 'our kind' once more without explaining it, I think I'll scream!"
By some wonder that I'll probably never understand, Brenda's focus had somehow shifted from Gael to the fact that we were both lying on my bed. She was unbuttoning her blouse to reveal the plain white bra underneath and my own concentration was drifting. Brenda must have had her own interpretation of Mom's trust, and indulging in sex games clearly didn't breech that.
Her breasts barely filled the cups of the foundation garment, but to me they were precious and as close to perfection as Mother Nature had ever managed.
When I didn't move quickly enough to fall in with Brenda's change in direction, she helped me get with the programme by unsnapping my jeans and pulling down my zip.
"Have you been growing again, Taggart?" she asked, the golden flecks in her brown eyes glinting mischievously.
The knowledge that Brenda would only have one day in my dreamtime on each visit acted as a natural brake on my desire to return as quickly as possible. Only seconds might pass between me leaving the Midwest and returning, but I had to endure two years at a time in Gael without her. I wasn't happy about that!
It was not surprising that I put off 'flying the Road' for a few weeks. Instead, I tried to spend as much time with my girl as possible, trying to soak her up like a sponge soaks up water. Brenda spent some time at the winter carnival working her Dad's booth, and she was pleased when I offered to help.
The Thomas' had three different businesses to run: a repair shop, a car lot, and a bedroom furniture and linens store. Her Dad ran the car lot and the repair shop, while her Mom was the owner of the store. You wouldn't need a whole heap of brains to guess in which of the businesses Brenda preferred spending her time.
The booth at the carnival was sponsored by Thomas Motors but it was actually a showcase for the bedroom furniture that Brenda's Mom sold. That fitted with the nature of the carnival itself. It was mainly made up of arts and crafts booths and was designed to give a boost to those businesses during the winter months.
Brenda's cute face was definitely a selling point at her Dad's booth and she was a natural salesperson. She could talk the hind legs off of a donkey. Trade was slow however, and that meant we could spend most of the time just being together. It was a good day.
Mom and I spent New Year's Eve as the guests of the Thomas' and Brenda and I got to bring in the New Year together.
Brenda's house was much bigger than ours. The wealth the family had was reflected in the size of the house, and in its furnishings. Dillon and Linda were salt of the earth people though, and really knew how to organise and run a good celebration.
Brenda and I hugged together on her back porch, as the countdown to the New Year was being chanted by the adults, inside. On the stroke of midnight, volleys of fireworks arced up into the air in a spectacular display. I pulled my girl tight, and kissed her tenderly, looking deeply into her eyes.
"Happy New Year."
"Happy New Year yourself, Sean Taggart."
"I have a feeling this is going to be a year of fireworks for both of us," I told her.
The fact that we shared everything meant that Brenda knew my theory about my eighteenth birthday being a key date. There was now only around six weeks until then and I expected to make at least four visits to study with Charles in that time.
"Have you any idea what lies in store for us?"
Brenda's words warmed my heart. She had said 'us' not 'you' and I knew that wasn't an accident. My girl had just made a statement of intent, a statement of commitment. I kissed her, to show her that I hadn't missed the message she had sent.
"I'm not sure, but I get the idea that it's not going to be all good. Why else would Mom have been so keen to run away from it? Why else has she always come down on me so hard whenever there's been a hint of my abilities coming out as I've grown up?"
Brenda frowned and then her expression turned to one of grim determination.
"You're probably right. Why run hundreds of miles and try to bury so much unless the stakes are really high? Whatever you have to face, you know that I'll be standing beside you, Sean. I hope you know that you can rely on me?"
That was typical of my girl, too. She had said 'beside' me, not 'behind' me. It was a clear sign that we were equals in whatever we did together. You just had to love this girl!
"Even if it means leaving here and going to another world? Even if it means going to Gael? Because you know that's what is going to happen, don't you?"
"Of course."
It was that simple for her. No hedging, no ifs or buts. Just 'of course'. Her words were accompanied by a look that seemed to ask me if I was completely stupid for even asking such a question.
"All of the times Charles has told me that I need to work hard at my studies are beginning to make more sense as my birthday gets closer. I think he worries about me a lot. There's something in his eyes when he looks at me sometimes. I don't know, it's like sympathy or something. You know? It's like he knows I'm going to have a hard time and there's nothing he can do but try and prepare me for it as well as he can."
I decided the conversation had got depressing enough for a New Year's celebration and watching the fireworks had given me an idea.
"Watch this," I said.
I spun Brenda round so her back was against my chest and then held one hand up and out, my fingers pointing skyward. I focused on the power of the Road, and mentally turned the tap inside me to gather some power.
My first burst was a trial to see what effect I could create.
Brenda gasped, as there was an explosion of light and colour high above our heads. It was much bigger and more impressive than her Dad's fireworks. The 'bang' was louder, too.
Satisfied that I could do it, I really wanted to show off now. Brenda had just pledged her total commitment to me, and I wanted to put on a grand display to say a suitable thank you.
The bursts flew from my fingertips without the need for any further conscious thought. My girl watched in amazement, as the words 'I LOVE YOU' were formed by the exploding lights above us. The words were then quickly enclosed by the flare of a heart formed by explosions of red.
I spun her round again and kissed her once more.
"I love you, Brenda Thomas."
"And I love you, Sean Taggart, even though you're the biggest show-off I know."
She was grinning fit to burst and that told me she was pleased with my very public display.
The screen door opened and the parents tumbled out onto the porch.
"Look, Dillon! Somebody's outdone you this year. Those fireworks are definitely bigger and better than the ones you bought. Whoever lit those off is a hopeless romantic, but I'll bet he is going to get real lucky tonight!" laughed Brenda's Mom.
The comments that followed were all complimentary of the pyrotechnics so I knew Dillon wasn't upset at being upstaged. Brenda and I giggled, but we didn't let on where the display had come from.
My portent of possible bad times ahead became real much sooner than I'd thought, and came from an unexpected quarter.
Brenda had returned to St Ann's prep school and I'd gone back to Central after the Christmas holiday. That meant that we didn't have as much time together as we would have liked, but we had to live with it.
My classes still let out before Brenda's and I waited for her two or three days a week so I could give her a run home. My girl might have her own four-wheeler, but she wasn't allowed to drive it on the streets!
Today, Wednesday, was a day I would remember. Brenda didn't show up at her usual time and I was scanning the crowds of kids looking for her. One of the people I had met at the formal dance recognised me and walked towards the car. She bent down at the window so she could speak to me.
"You're Sean, aren't you? Brenda's boyfriend?"
"Yes. Is something wrong? Has something happened?" I asked, suddenly in a panic.
"I'm not sure. Brenda was called to the Principal's office after the lunch break, and I haven't seen her in any classes since then. I'm guessing she went home."
I knew I had to try to keep cool and focus on driving safely, but I still made it to the Thomas' house in record time. Brenda's parent's cars were both in the driveway, which was unusual at this time of day. That only made me feel worse.
Running up the steps of the porch, I rang the doorbell and felt my heart pounding in my chest.
It was Grandma Barnes who opened the door and I knew something bad had happened when I saw her face. She had clearly been crying and there was a deep sadness evident in her normally sparkling eyes.
"Hello, Sean. Come in, and..."
Grandma Barnes didn't get any further before she burst into tears. She gestured for me to follow her into the house and with growing panic I did so.
The Thomas family was all gathered in the family room. My heart rate calmed slightly and my panic receded when I saw Brenda. My girl didn't look as if she had been hurt. Then again, no one in the room looked as if they had either.
Brenda was sobbing when I walked into the room and her tears multiplied when she saw me. My girlfriend launched herself across the room and threw herself into my arms. I couldn't do anything other than wrap my arms around her and stroke her hair, trying to comfort her in any way I could.
The expressions on the faces in the room ranged from shock to outright despair. I couldn't think what had happened to cause this normally happy family to be so badly affected.
Brenda broke away and pulled me from the room. Once in her bedroom, it was an emotional roller coaster as Brenda tried to tell me what was going on. In between the tears, the painful sobbing, I managed to grasp that Brenda's Mom, Linda, had been diagnosed with a particularly virulent cancer.
Linda Thomas had gone from a visit to her doctor for what she thought was a routine examination, to a battery of tests, which had resulted in a shattering diagnosis.
No wonder Brenda and the entire Thomas family was so devastated. I tried the best I could to console my girl. I was also feeling my own grief beginning to gather. Linda Thomas had always been nice to me and I was really saddened by this awful news.
My own 'power' or whatever ability I seemed to have had already overwhelmed me twice before - once when the Taggart back yard had been the beneficiary and then again when I had fashioned Brenda's brooch. I felt that same level of emotion welling up in me again, and I had to fight hard to hold it back. Instead, I tried to focus on being there for my girlfriend.
"I'm sure there's something they can do. Everything's possible these days. They can operate or there's chemo. The important thing is to try to remain positive and support your Mom," I said.
Brenda couldn't respond straight away and she was sobbing so hard it was breaking my heart.
"It's too late. They found it too late and it's already spread to her lymph nodes," she managed to croak out eventually.
My own Mom was also upset when I phoned to say why I was late home from school. Brenda needed something to take her mind off of her Mom, and I pushed her into working with me to put together something for her family to eat. Needless to say no one felt much like eating.
It was difficult to look Linda Thomas in the eye when she came into the kitchen. It was a measure of her strength of character that she hugged me to try to comfort me. That was the final straw. My own tears were suddenly blinding me.
Linda's hug was a bittersweet moment. It was bitter because of the awful nature of her illness. It was sweet because she was so strong that she was the one trying to comfort me. But there was another, more important reason why the hug was bittersweet.
I hadn't ever tried to use my senses on Brenda's family. Perhaps if I had I might have picked up her Mom's illness, but I hadn't. Now, hugging Linda tightly, I could sense the decay in her body. I could almost see the way her cells were breaking down. That was a very good reason to feel bitter.
At the exact same instant that I sensed the decaying cells, I saw two images flash quickly in my mind. One image was a shrub, but I somehow associated the name 'cactus' with it. The second image was a crystal of some kind and I had a name: 'Thenardite'.
Instinct told me that the images were things that would help Linda. The only other time this had happened was during one of my dreamtime visits. Then I had formed an image of the plant that helped cure Big-Black the stallion.
I had good reason therefore to believe that these new images were things that would help my girl's Mom.
Once I realised that, I knew I had to leave and do something about it. Despite the mess she was in, Brenda sensed the change in my demeanour - that girl really can read me like an open book (have I said that before?).
The images also leant me new strength of my own. I pulled back from Mrs Thomas' hug and managed to look her in the eye for the first time. Now that I was able to, I could see how much it was costing her to hold herself together for her family.
"Mrs Thomas, I think you are the bravest person I've ever met. I somehow know what this is costing you, but you're willing to pay any price to comfort your family and those around you ... aren't you?
"I can tell you now that your courage is going to pay off. You're going to beat this thing, I know you are. Don't ask me how I know, I just do.
"I really need to get home now. Thanks for making me feel better, and thanks for being so strong."
I wasn't expecting the response my words caused. Mrs Thomas really had been close to breaking down. When I put into words what she was doing, it seemed to make it okay for her to cry.
Brenda moved in to steer me away from her Mom. She too seemed to be better, perhaps because she had sensed the change in my mood. As she dragged me towards the front door she demanded I confirm her suspicions.
"Have you just done the same thing you did with Mordew?" she asked.
I nodded and she broke up again, throwing her arms round me and sobbing loudly. It seems that the possibility that there could be a way of 'fixing' her Mom was as much of an emotional jolt as the original news of the cancer had been.
"I need to go home and do some stuff on the Internet first, but I think I can do something about this. Don't say anything for god's sake, Brenda. And don't get your hopes too high, I might be wrong."
Brenda once more demonstrated what she had come to think of me when she replied.
"You're not wrong, not about this. I know you, Sean Taggart. I saw your face change. You believe whatever you've thought of will work. Please do what you can. That's all I ask."
Edited By TeNderLoin