Erasing: Shadows Read online

  "I…I'm…not really four?" she asked Ada Jo, her eyes questioning.

  It was Ada Jo's turn to look down. She never knew what to say in these situations.

  Mira said it again, with more authority. "I'm not really four!" At that, she suddenly filled out and grew. Mira was twelve. Just like that.

  Ada Jo didn't seem surprised.

  Mira looked at her. "Wow."

  Ada Jo smiled. "Yeah, wow."

  Then Mira had a troubling thought. "But I'm still a child here. That means something isn't done."

  "Very astute! That's my word of the day. Astute! And astute you are! Don't worry," Ada Jo said, putting her arm around the newly taller Mira. It made for a comical scene; a four-year-old advising a twelve-year-old. "We will figure it all out together, in time." She smiled again. "I don't get much company you know. It's been kinda nice having you here."

  "Aww," said Mira.

  "Okay, enough of that!" commanded Ada Jo. "Next stop, Teachers Mountain. That's another place we won't go up but I want you to see it. It's just a little bit over to the left from where we are, and then it's back across Main Street."

  "You sure know your way around," said Mira.

  "Like the back of my hand," said Ada Jo. "Like the back of my hand."

  ***

  Meanwhile, Michael and Jonathan were not having an easy time of it, mostly due to Michael.

  "Michael!" yelled Jonathan, "I'm telling you, the forest was getting better, and now it's getting worse. You have got to control your worry. We're gonna make everything okay. But your fears will do nothing but slow us down." Indeed, the forest was becoming thick with worry brambles, stemming from Michael. The two men were stumbling every few steps.

  Michael stopped. "I know it, you're right. I had forgotten how water-like this atmosphere is. The slightest thought…but I can't stop worrying."

  Jonathan put a hand across his brother's back. "You know the old saying, 'think happy thoughts'?" said Jonathan. "Well I am deadly serious. Here, I'll start. Think about Mira's smile."

  "Right," said Michael. He concentrated and thought about Mira's smile. He thought about when they were younger. Mira had a crush on him, and he used to pretend that he didn't have one on her too. He thought about their trip to New York. He thought about the birth of Madison and the kids. He thought about long conversations over coffee on the porch when they were up early in the morning before the kids awoke. He pictured how Mira's glasses perched on her nose when she was reading in bed. He felt his heart area get warm. The brambles started to ease up. He concentrated on the happy thoughts and nothing else and tried to march with no forethought and no attention to his surroundings.

  Jonathan smiled. His strategy had only been a guess, from some basics Stu had taught. Thank goodness, he'd been right. The path was abruptly clear, except for the usual things you'd find in a light, wooded area.

  ***

  After Teacher's Mountain, the girls, currently ages four and twelve, re-crossed Main Street and headed straight in between two obvious Circles of….something. Ada Jo warned Mira, "Stay close to me, and whatever you do, don't step into either of these circles." For there was a circle on each side of them and while one looked horrible, the other looked fairly normal with buildings and traffic. If Ada Jo hadn't warned her, Mira could see she just might have stepped inside out of curiosity.

  "This area is the world of drug users," said Ada Jo, pointing to an ugly circle on their left, a conglomeration that looked like a bunch of smoke over miles of field. "These areas are all kinda circles, but big. The people come here accidentally, and they are like arrows right to the circles. I mean I guess some people come on purpose but I wouldn't know why. Anyway, sure makes it easier on the rest of us—or at least me."

  "How does the arrow thing happen?" asked Mira.

  "I'm not sure," said Ada Jo, "but the rumor is that the Ancients set it up that way."

  "Who were those Ancients?"

  "I don't know much about them. Only that this was a big nightmare-all chaos and people's minds uncontrolled and scary—much scarier than even your forest—"

  "Ooh." Mira cringed.

  "But the Ancients came and put some order to it, so now there is a place for everything and everything in its place."

  "But you have your own space, you said."

  "That's right!" Ada Jo said with satisfaction. "I can control my mind and myself so no one messes with me. That's all it takes here. I can hold my own space."

  "Wow!" said Mira looking up at the blue sky. "But you're so young! You're as young as me, err as I was."

  "Well, first, I'm not sure how old you actually are. We've already seen you grow, and, second, I've been here forever. I don't know how old I am in your world, but in this world, I'm really old. Like thirty!" said Ada Jo with triumph.

  In a flash, an arm appeared from inside the smoky circle. It was followed by a body in a crumpled suit.

  The man looked scruffy, not completely there, and menacing. Mira shrank back. He held open a shaking hand toward the two girls as if wanting them to put something there. Ada Jo put her left hand out in front of Mira to back her up. Then she put her right hand in her pocket and took out something Mira couldn't see. Then she blew, right through her hand and immediately dozens and dozens of beautiful butterflies came swirling out toward the man. His head seemed to be completely engulfed in them. Mira watched them with amazement. They were all sorts of colors and sizes. The man shook his head and headed back inside the circle.

  "And that, is how you get rid of those people," said Ada Jo with some pride.

  "That was beautiful!" exclaimed Mira.

  "Not everything has to be scary. Even if it seems like it sometimes." Ada Jo smiled and took Mira's hand again, the four-year-old urging the twelve-year-old farther on down the path. "Now," Ada Jo pointed again to the other normal looking circle on their right. "Don't ever go in there and don't ever let anyone you care about go in there. Understand?"

  "It looks so normal!" said Mira.

  "Exactly!" said Ada Jo, "And that's why it's so dangerous. People can lose their whole lives in there and never know it."

  "Oh my!" said Mira, taken aback. "What is it?"

  "It's the Circle of Illusion," said Ada Jo. "Only it's much bigger on the inside when you are there, or so I've heard. I only know a few people who have escaped it. It's a whole world, and you think you're in 'your' real world, only you aren't, so people waste their whole lives there, living in a false reality. Sometimes people can't accept a real reality and other times people just end up there accidentally."

  "I thought the Ancients fixed all those problems?" said Mira

  "Well, they couldn't control down to every individual , could they? They created that world for people who were too dangerous for this world, their minds would create havoc, but in a replica of the world they are used to, they are okay."

  "Wow. These Ancients thought of everything!" exclaimed Mira. "Have you ever met one?"

  "I'm not positive I would know if I had…." Ada Jo said pondering, and left it at that.

  "Where to next?" asked Mira. She was enjoying this tour, scary parts and all, as long as she was with Ada Jo. She smiled.

  "Good, I'm glad you're feelin' better than before, that means I won't have to do as much work." Ada Jo laughed.

  "Oh, I'm sorry I caused problems," said Mira.

  "It's okay, Mira, really," said Ada Jo. "Sometimes I think that's what I'm here for—people like you." Then she turned serious. "But Mira, there's some reason you are twelve and not in the Circle of Lost Children. We have to find that out eventually, and it might be…hard."

  "I understand," said Mira. "Oh my gosh, I might be old! Like twenty!"

  "You never know." But first," said Ada Jo, all seriousness gone from her voice. "My place and teacakes!"

  Past the World of Illusion, a little farther down the footpath was Ada Jo's circle. Unlike the others, her circle did not have noticeable borders, but she assured Mira that should anything
unwanted try to get in, they would get the shock of their lives. Inside her area was a lovely gingerbread looking house with a garden outside and flowers everywhere. There were also little garden statues and a watering can sitting in the corner next to what looked like a pond, only the pond was self-filling and moved like it had current.

  Ada Jo saw Mira's amazed expression and pointed to her own head. "It's amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it," she reminded Mira.

  Mira was speechless. Inside the little house were a comfortable sofa and dining table and chairs and another room she assumed was a bedroom. There was also a loft and peering down from the loft was a tabby cat. "That's Whiskers," said Ada Jo. "He likes company." Sure enough, Whiskers jumped down from the loft ladder right into Mira's lap. Mira had never petted an astral cat before. It was like something was kinda there and kinda not. She tried to stroke where she thought the cat was.

  Ada Jo went to get the teacakes from a little kitchen on the side. She came back with an overflowing tray of all kinds of cakes and cookies and bottles of water for both her and Mira. She was careful to move one side of the tray toward Mira and gave her one of the bottles. "You eat from that side," she said. "They are imported."

  "Imported?" Mira was at a loss again.

  "From your world, silly!" laughed Ada Jo. "They will give you some energy; my side is from here and wouldn't do you much good, but I love them."

  'Oh!" said Mira. There was so much to all this multiple world business. Yet, to another part of her, it all seemed familiar.

  ***

  Michael and Jonathan, now having an easier time of it, had made it to the main road and stopped at the re-materialized McArthur house for some water. Luckily, some of the refreshments were left from the previous get together there. Dusty, but real. The brothers wolfed them down. Then they had a decision to make.

  "I know you will feel more where Mira might be—" started Jonathan

  "Actually," said Michael, "I don't have a clue.. I thought I sensed her presence earlier, but not anymore—nothing.'"

  "Well, as uncomfortable as that is, it makes what I am about to tell you a little bit easier," confessed Jonathan.

  "What is it?" asked Michael, prepared for anything after all they'd been through.

  "I can tell you where we cannot go, and I can assure you that Mira isn't in any of those places, but I can't give you any reasonable explanation as to why I know," said Jonathan.

  "Because Stu told you," guessed Michael.

  Jonathan wolfed down more crackers. "Yeths," he said, mouth full. "But you have to believe me."

  "I do, Jon. I know Stu is advanced. If he says not to go somewhere, I am sure there is good reason."

  "There is," said Jonathan. "The circles are bad places. If you're not there already, you shouldn't be there, simple as that. But we do need to watch ourselves as we pass by them."

  "Are we even passing by them? Which way are we even going?" Michael thought a minute then continued, "I think our best bet is to go to Mira's family farm, maybe then to the Emergency Meeting Place. If we don't run into Mira on this whole trek around, then my guess is she will be at one of those places. I have nothing to go on, just a feeling."

  "Hey, bro, that's as good as it gets sometimes," said Jonathan.

  The brothers took the remaining bottles of water with them and set off again. Crossing Main Street, they looked at two circles in the distance. "Want to steer clear—" Jonathan started to say, but they had missed the obvious—Michael stepped a foot, just one foot, in a non-descript circle near them. It was the Nothing Circle. "Michael!" screamed Jonathan. In an instant, Michael was sucked into the Nothingness.

  Screaming again, he knew it was useless. Michael would already be inside. He wished Stu were here. Jonathan thought for a minute. Is it better if I get lost in there too, looking for my brother or stay out here, trusting that Michael will figure a way out. He searched his soul and put his trust in his brother. Michael would figure it out, and Jonathan would be here waiting for him. He planted himself on the grass and looked at the sky. It was starting to get dark. Another day was going by. He knew Mira didn't have many left.

  ***

  "Here, I want to show you something," said Ada Jo after she and Mira had their fill of teacakes. Mira wiped off crumbs from her chin. Whiskers seemed to lap them up, though she wasn't entirely sure how. She followed Ada Jo outside to her window boxes and gardens of flowers all around. Ada Jo pointed at a flower near her door. "Touch the flower."

  Mira bent over and picked the flower, but before it was even half-way out she heard Ada Jo scream and—was it possible— she heard that eeeek in her head again.

  Ada Jo grabbed the flower out of Mira's hand. "I didn't mean for you to pick it!" She was upset. Mira looked at her blankly.

  "Okay," said Ada Jo, calming down. "Give me a minute here. I have to put things right." She bent over the ground where the flower came from, and Mira couldn't tell what she was doing but it sounded like—was she talking to the flower and the ground? Yes, she was sure that's what Ada Jo was doing, but she couldn't hear what she said.

  Mira was looking the whole time but would swear she didn't see it. The flower once again was in the ground right where it was before, as if nothing had happened. Ada Jo said to her, "It knows your action wasn't intentionally hurtful. Nevertheless, I don't think I'm going to be able to show you what I wanted. Now they're all wary of you. I guess I can show you another way."

  Mira wondered, even with all she'd seen, if Ada Jo was all there. I mean, she thought, what was wary of her? The flowers? As if they were little people?

  To answer what she knew Mira was thinking and to continue with her demonstration, Ada Jo walked Mira over to another part of the yard with different flowers. "Now," she said, her voice stern, "don't pick the flower. Just reach over and see if you can brush it with two of your fingers."

  Mira stood, feet planted in awkward positions, and bent her knees. She took her right hand and reaching with two fingers tried to touch one of the flowers. It moved away.

  Mira looked up. Was there a breeze? She looked at the sky; it was getting toward evening. But no breeze. She tried again. Again, the flower moved away. As soon as she took her fingers away, the flower moved back to center. She tried one more time. The flower, did it hesitate? It seemed to dawdle a moment and then moved away.

  Ada Jo smiled for the first time since the first flower had been pulled. "Well, you almost gained its trust. They hold grudges, plants do. It's because they're so fragile," she continued. "Mankind is always stomping all over hurting them, even without meaning to. Do you understand now?"

  Mira was trying to think what all this meant, but it was so bizarre. She shook her head no.

  "Everything has a consciousness, Mira. Even the flowers. Here, even more so. In my world, and even in the rest of this world outside my circle, everything is alive. That is why it is all affected so easily by your own thoughts and energies and" she added, "those of others."

  Mira sat down where she was and pondered this.

  "That grass you just sat on likes you," said Ada Jo.

  This was almost too much for Mira.

  "Don't think about it anymore," said Ada Jo. "It will give you a headache. It's just something to store away that's good to know. Besides, it's getting dark. You'll spend the night here; you can sleep in the loft. Whiskers will be glad for the company."

  Mira smiled.

  "Then tomorrow, Mira…" Ada Jo's voice trailed off.

  Mira looked up at Ada Jo's face; it was serious again.

  "Tomorrow we will go to another set of buildings, and we'll finish the astral tour."

  "You're not saying something," said Mira, who had grown to read this little girl who was wise beyond her years.

  Ada Jo looked at her with compassion. "Tomorrow, you will figure out who you are and what you're gonna do. One way or another, you will. Tomorrow."

  It sounded ominous to Mira.

  "Don't worry, I'll be there."
Ada Jo was smiling again, as if she had just thought of something, but said no more.

  "Okay," said Mira and both girls went in. It had been a long day. Both were asleep in minutes, Mira with Whiskers at her feet. Something about the cat at her feet made her feel at home.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Trina

  Trina had been waiting for what seemed like forever when Lu showed up. Stu had called Lu, and she made a fast hike to the Emergency Meeting Place. Trina and Lu hugged as much as a real person and an astral body could hug, for Lu had come in her real body. Even though Stu had relayed the danger, she didn't plan to be here that long and could come back in her astral body if she needed to. She was just so glad to see Trina. Trina and Lu were both crying and hugging when Stu showed up.

  Normally, he would have let the girls have their moment, but there was no time to waste. Before he could say anything, Zac and Onie appeared out of nowhere.

  "I can't believe all this is going on, and no one told us!" said Onie, hands on hips.

  Stu muttered something about time.

  "And what about Jonathan and Michael? We could have been helping them!" said Zac.

  Trina was the voice of reason. "I don't have much time left. Stu is trying to help. Please let him."

  With that, the rest of the gang shut up and turned the floor over to Stu.

  Stu had brought with him a large duffle sack. In front of everyone, he pulled out of it what looked like a body, only it was translucent and pliable, almost like a doll. It was a figure of Ed.

  The gang looked aghast.

  Stu looked back at them squarely. "This is the only plan to save Trina."

  The gang looked aghast and relieved at the same time.

  Trina was staring at the Ed figure. "Oh my God."

  ***

  Madison knocked on Mrs. Ross's bedroom door. She had Brandon with her. Brandon had wanted to see G'ama. When she opened the door a crack she could see Mrs. Ross laying down in a deep sleep. She opened her eyes at the intrusion. "Sweetie, Grandma needs a long private nap, but I have a few hours until I need another one," she said with a strange look in her eye.