Grabbing a trowel from a bucket full of gardening tools, Cal stepped forward. “I’ll help you Yuki,” he said.
“No Calvin, you will not,” said Simon looking deadly serious. “This is part of Yuki’s training and so for today she will work the land by herself.”
I still had no idea what he was trying to do. “Uh, Simon could you maybe clarify what I’m supposed to be doing here?” I asked.
Simon met my eyes and it was all I could do not to flinch.
“You are going to till this soil and plant those seeds with your bare hands,” Simon ordered.
My bare hands? This just keeps getting worse.
“While you do this, you are going to reach out and listen to the land and if you are lucky the land will tell you her secrets,” Simon said. “Learn to listen to the land and you will be one step closer to listening to Calvin’s wolf spirit,” Simon added, “and to hearing the call of your spirit guide.”
My spirit guide?
“Do you mean my spirit animal?” I asked. I was really confused now.
“Your animal totem will be your guide,” Simon said, “listen to her wisdom if you wish to survive Samhain, when the dead walk the earth.”
I shivered. So I was going to get dirty and hope my spirit animal would send me some kind of sign? I wasn’t feeling very confident about Samhain. I looked to Calvin but he just shrugged.
“Sorry Yuki, I’ll be back at the main house if you need a ride home later,” Cal said.
I faced the patch of dirt, and kneeling down, I began to dig. “I think I’d rather drink a gallon of Emma’s tea than do this,” I grumbled.
Simon tipped his head back and let forth a belly laugh. I had forgotten about his heightened wolf hearing. I’m beginning to hate you old man.
Chapter 35
Cal was as good as his word and drove me home that evening. I was sweaty and covered with dirt, so we skipped our usual cuddle time in the truck. After a shower, and what felt like hours of scrubbing my hands with a nail brush and soap, I threw myself on my bed and groaned. Muscles ached that I didn’t even know I had before today. I wasn’t sure what today’s assignment had to do with communicating with my spirit animal, but I was determined not to let Simon win. If this was another one of his tests, then I would just go along with it for now. I sank blissfully into the covers and drifted off to sleep.
I was on a sun baked plain of dry grasses and dusty soil. Was I dreaming again? I looked for Calvin’s wolf spirit, turning is a complete circle, but he was nowhere to be seen. The ground suddenly shook and I fell to my knees. As my hands touched the dry dirt, I suddenly felt connected to something, or someone, almost as though they were calling out to me. A large shiny carapace then appeared, rising up from a hole in the earth. A huge scarab stood before me moving its arms in a strange motion while spinning something between what I guessed were its hands.
“I am busy little one,” the scarab’s voice echoed in my head. “Why have you called upon me?”
Had I somehow called my spirit animal by working with the soil in Simon’s garden?
“Uh, sorry about that,” I said. “I’m not sure how this works yet.”
“Yes little one, you are still young,” the scarab said, “and have yet to learn the way to walk the world of dreams and darkness. Call for me again when you have learned the way of such things.”
The whole time the scarab was speaking its hands never ceased their strange movement and a sphere was growing between them.
“Wait, I think I need your help now,” I said. “I don’t know how to call on the wolf spirit who is supposed to shield me and I’ve been told that in a month I’ll be attacked by spirits of the dead.”
The scarab turned its head to the side. Was it looking at me? It was hard to tell.
“It is true that the spirits of the dead plague those like you once their power has awakened,” the scarab’s words echoed. “If the night the dead walk your world is nearing, then head my words. Drum a beat to gain your wolf’s attention. Focus your thoughts on what you require of him and continue to lead him with your drumming. If the situation is urgent, then drum the beat with your feet as you dance. Lead your wolf to your side, then become the flickering flame that leads the spirits of the dead out of darkness.”
The sphere that the scarab had been spinning was now larger than her. I realized suddenly that it was a huge ball of manure. She then bowed to me and turned facing the horizon. The sun had begun to set as we had talked and she started rolling her ball of manure towards the setting sun, her silhouette black against a rose colored sky. A dung beetle sunset. I never imaged that such a thing could be so beautiful.
Chapter 36
After two weekends of training with Simon, three if you count the first weekend at Wolf Camp, he decided that I was ready to attempt communicating with Jackson Green. I had never forgotten about Jackson, his vinegar smell was hard to ignore, but I had promised Cal that I wouldn’t reach out to Jackson’s ghost until Cal and I were both ready.
Calvin was making progress speaking with his wolf spirit. They didn’t really speak yet in words, but they could pass feelings along to one another and occasionally Calvin could focus his intention to make a request.
I was learning how to focus on the location of spirits of the dead, so that I could pinpoint Jackson’s location rather than a vague smell impression. I had also learned to reach out to Calvin’s wolf spirit. This was really difficult and it didn’t help that my concentration was shattered around Cal. It was hard for me to block out Calvin’s face, voice, and smell and focus on touching his wolf spirit.
It was also difficult for me to get over my shyness about dancing in front of other people, especially Cal. I would have been fine on a dance floor filled with other dancers, or heck if there had at least been music to dance to. When calling spirit, however, I had learned that I had to provide the beat. I would be calling Calvin’s wolf spirit to me and though slapping my hands together would occasionally catch its attention, we had discovered through trial and error that dancing was the most reliable method. My spirit animal had been right. Dancing created a much stronger link to Cal’s wolf spirit. I would just have to learn to get over the embarrassment.
Calvin and I had finally made progress though and Simon said that we needed to practice against a potential threat. He didn’t need to remind us that we had to be ready to face multiple threats very, very soon. Samhain was only a month away. That was something never far from our minds.
I remembered Emma being with us the first time we tried my Ouija board way of communicating with Jackson’s ghost. I felt a twinge of regret that she couldn’t be with us now. I hoped that we could confide in Emma some time soon. Until then it was just me and Cal…and Simon. Simon was here to watch, though Calvin assured me that if something started to go wrong Simon could provide emergency backup. I was going to be dealing with only one lost soul, so I wasn’t worried about whether Simon could provide assistance but whether or not he would. He had some strange ideas about how to define a learning experience. Hopefully he wouldn’t think that letting part of my own spirit essence slip away into the light was just an acceptable way to learn a lesson.
Simon, Cal and I had met at the cabin and moved the few pieces of furniture against one wall, giving us a small, clear area in which to do our thing. Cal and Simon each sat in a corner facing me while I stood in the open space. Though I would begin by stomping out a beat with my foot, it would end up leading into the dance to call Cal’s wolf spirit.
I’m still not sure why only Calvin’s wolf spirit responds to my call. Cal seems to think it has something to do with our being soul mates. Perhaps it was our feelings for each other that formed a deeper connection on some spiritual level. I may not fully understand how I was able to call his wolf, but I did know that we had been having good results.
It was time to test our training when a ghost was involved. I took a deep breath to clear my mind and then tried to focus on the image of Calvin’s wo
lf. Stomping my left foot against the wood floor I clapped in time to the beat. Once I had the beat set I stopped clapping and raised my arms out wide at shoulder height. In my mind’s eye I called out to Calvin’s wolf spirit and heard a howl in return.
It was hard not to look over to Cal for confirmation. I knew that he often flinched when a connection was made, but looking at Calvin could make me lose his wolf’s attention. It could also make me fall flat on my face. I am so not going to look at you Calvin Miller.
Picturing Cal’s wolf spirit striding towards me, I began to walk in a clockwise circle. I never stopped stomping my left foot to keep the beat as I circled. I swayed a bit, probably more from dizziness than from any particular dance move, and began to pick up my pace. As the beat increased in cadence I pictured Calvin’s wolf switch from an easy lope to a run. Running and running, stomping and stomping until suddenly I felt the hair on my arms and the back of my neck rise. I felt sure that Calvin’s wolf was now here with me. It was something I knew without needing confirmation from Cal.
I stopped dancing and sat on the floor facing Calvin and Simon. Reaching to my right I pulled out my makeshift Ouija board and took a steadying breath. Jackson time.
“Jackson, do you wish for me to turn our murder evidence over to the police?” I asked.
O.k. calling it evidence was a bit of a stretch. We really just had some wild theories, copies of newspaper articles from the library and Internet, a box full of legal documents, and pictures of what we assumed was a poisonous plant growing in Grace Green’s herb garden. It wasn’t enough to convict someone of murder, not by a long shot, but it did have the potential to open an investigation. Was that something Jackson would want? I was about to find out.
Holding my hand over my notepad I pointed at YES. Nothing. No vinegar smell or dizziness. I waited a moment then moved my finger to point at MAYBE. Again nothing. Bracing myself for what was to come next I moved my hand to point at NO. The sensation was overwhelming. I felt as though I was drowning in a sea of noxious vinegar and couldn’t tell which direction was up. Working as I had trained with Simon, I fought to call up an image of Cal’s wolf spirit and my intention. Help me. The vertigo was gone as fast as it had begun and the vinegar smell had faded. Thank you.
“So that’s a definite no on sending evidence to the police,” I said trying to sound calm. “O.k. Jackson next question,” I said. “Do you wish for me to send your box of cash and legal documents to your wife, Grace?” I asked.
I was expecting a big no on this one. Jackson may not want to drag his wife into a murder investigation, but I couldn’t imagine him wanting her to profit from his murder. I held my hand out to point at the word YES. My head was flooded with vinegar smell and dizziness. Son of a dung beetle. Jackson had forgiven his wife after all. I called on Cal’s wolf spirit faster this time, banishing the smell impression and dizziness.
Shifting my focus, I looked at Simon and Calvin who sat across from me on the floor. “Any other questions for Jackson?” I asked.
Calvin shrugged and shook his head in the negative while Simon just stared at me. No help from that department. Figures. I placed my makeshift Ouija board outside of my invisible circle and pushed myself to my feet. I began stomping out a beat again, stomp stomp, stomp stomp, and moved widdershins, or counter clockwise. I danced and pictured Calvin’s wolf spirit loping home. When I could no longer feel his presence I stopped moving and faced Simon and Cal.
“Not bad kitten,” Simon said with a wink.
Kitten? With the energy unraveling from me I was too tired for a fight. You just wait old man.
Chapter 37
The following two days were a blur of action, followed by an agony of waiting. I had called Emma to tell her that Cal and I had done an impromptu séance with Jackson Green and that we were going to be sending his papers to his wife Grace. Emma still wanted Grace to fry, but settled on writing a scathing article about the Green farm’s treatment of bees for the school paper. Calvin and I had rushed to follow Jackson’s wishes and then we had to sit back and wait for the results.
The first day Emma and I had tried giving each other beauty treatments to kill time and take our minds off the waiting. By the next day I had chewed nearly all the black polish off my fingers and looked longingly at my cup full of pens. I wasn’t quite that desperate yet. On the third day I woke up to an amazing thing. Fresh, clean, vinegar free air.
The lost spirit of Jackson Green was gone. I phoned Calvin who agreed to pick me up early for waffles with ice cream at the nearby diner. Celebrating my non-haunted status by eating waffles dripping with vanilla ice cream had to rank as one of my best moments of all time. It didn’t hurt that Calvin was sitting across from me wearing his toothy grin. After mopping up every last bit of breakfast, I sighed. I was in post waffle bliss. Calvin laughed and I sighed again.
“O.k. Yuki, time to go to school,” Cal said.
So much for bliss.
When we arrived in the school parking lot I noticed an enormous banner hanging over the school entrance. I looked up at the banner and laughed. In huge red letters someone had painted the words Spirit Week. I laughed so hard that tears rolled down my face and I had to hold my stomach. Spirit Week? For the first time in over a month I wasn’t being haunted by a spirit and they were having Spirit Week at school? I laughed again. The irony was just too much. It was then that I noticed all of the students entering the building wearing red. I looked over at Cal whose broad chest was covered in a dark red t-shirt. What was I missing?
I had been so preoccupied by spirit training and trying to help Jackson’s ghost finally find peace that I hadn’t noticed that this was the week of homecoming. Spirit Week was a week of school events where students showed their school pride, such as by wearing school colors, followed by the big game and culminating in the homecoming dance. I was stunned by a thought. Where had September gone? Then my face burst with a huge smile. I get to wear my corset dress. This was going to be the best week ever.
Chapter 38
I was still basking in the non vinegar smelling air when I floated into the cafeteria later that day. Over at our table Emma waved me over.
“I knew you wouldn’t wear red,” Emma said smugly. She was wearing her usual gray and cream.
“Would you believe I didn’t even know it was Spirit Week?” I asked.
Emma laughed. “No way, you’re just a nonconformist,” Emma said, “like me.”
I had to agree with her.
“I have good news,” I announced, “No more Mr. Smelly.”
Emma gaped at me. “Really? Is that why you and Cal needed smootchy time this morning?” she asked.
I had texted her that morning to let her know I didn’t need a ride to school. Leave it to Emma to jump to conclusions.
“We weren’t smootching. We were eating,” I said. Well we were eating and kissing.
Looking around the room, Emma turned back to me and said, “I have something to tell you too, but I’m not sure how you’ll take it.”
I looked back at her wondering what could be so important.
“Yuki, I’ve been wanting to tell you, but it was never a good time,” Emma said while twirling her carrot stick.
I was trying to pay attention, but I had just noticed Cal wading through a sea of students near the lunch counter. He looked so good it was hard for me to concentrate on Emma’s words.
“The good news is that I don’t think it will bother you all that much anymore,” Emma said, getting my attention. “I heard that Garrett has a date for the homecoming dance.”
I waited to see if I felt upset. Nope, no lingering pangs of regret.
Cal looked back and winked at me as he piled his tray with burgers. I blushed and smiled from ear to ear.
“That’s cool. Who’s he going with?” I asked.
I didn’t really care now who Garrett went to the dance with. Why should I care when I was going to the dance with Calvin?
“Get this,” Emma said smugl
y, “he’s going with a cheerleader!” She looked totally scandalized.
“Poser,” I gloated.
“Total poser,” Emma laughed.
Then I caught a whiff of wet dog smell and Calvin sat down beside me so close our legs were touching.
“Hey Dung Beetle Princess, what’s so funny?” Cal asked.
His question only made us laugh harder.
“Sacred Scarab,” I corrected him through tears of laughter.
“Sacred Scarab,” Calvin said lovingly as he wiped a tear from my cheek. “My sacred scarab.”
This really was the best day ever.
Chapter 39
Friday night couldn’t come soon enough. The school was buzzing with excitement for the big game and the homecoming dance. I really couldn’t care less about the game, but I had been dreaming about the dance for weeks. The full moon was also fast approaching, but Calvin reassured me that we were going to the dance. He had been training with Simon every day after school and was making progress with self control and communicating with his wolf spirit. Cal had promised to pick me up early. I was running late.
I heard my mom let Calvin inside as I finished lacing up my boots. I surveyed my appearance in the bathroom mirror and smiled. Looking good Yuki. I was wearing my black strapless corset dress that laced up the back and then flared out in layers of tulle and strategically torn lace. The dress ended above the knee and my boots came just under. That left about two inches of red lace leggings to show my school spirit. I twirled, making the skirt layers float out around me. I felt like a princess, and not the dung beetle kind.
Grabbing my bag, I headed for the stairs. I started hopping down them nearly two at a time until I saw Cal. He had a stunned look on his face and my mom turned to see what he was looking at.