Ghost Washed

Chapter 4: Snoop Over

Bradley stood in the time-warp room, whispering to me, telling me his visit was urgent. His face registered genuine concern and he sat on the creaking bed covered in Granny's quilts to explain why he'd showed up so late. "The people who have Joe, they're not good. In fact, they're about as bad as it gets in water time."

"I thought I'd seen the worst it could get in Pandora. Trying to drown a child to escape?"

"True, maybe as bad. My dad was in his office tonight when Ah came home from delivering flowers to the funeral home an he was in his office talking on the phone. He said, 'Keep him alive, or no deal on the Rock.' Ah can't believe he's involved but that must be Joe."

"Well, to be clear, did you hear him say the name Joe?" I crossed my arms, pacing in front of him.

"Naw, but Ah know the people he's been dealing with. Bad folks who'll do anything to get their greedy hands on our land." He looked at me with those smoldering hazel eyes full of worry and the intensity I used to feel around him washed over me. I shook my head to clear it.

"Ah want you to have this," he said, handing me a small box which I held between us for a few seconds, allowing his hand to touch mine. "It's to keep you safe." he explained.

I opened it and saw a familiar shape, silver and rounded with a broad nose and stubby tail. "A bear," I said. It dangled from a chain as I picked it up.

"It's the bear from the Cherokee legend of Healing Waters. This bear will protect you, Ah believe. Apparently, it saved my great grandmother once. She was Cherokee."

"Wow, I don't know the legend, but this is an incredible gift, Bradley. Are you sure you want someone outside your family to have it?"

"You are family. We grew up together. It sucks that our folks fight, but you and I are still good, right? You're too close to the epicenter of this conflict. If Ah had a way to protect you and didn't use it, Ah'd feel terrible if anything happened. But Ah do, so here, wear it--at all times."

"Yes, Sir." He stared at me and a river of questions floated by, none making much sense.

"Anyway, Ah was hoping we could have a snoop over."

I smiled. When we were little, that's what we called it when our parents got together for dinner. There we'd be in his giant house as he gave me a tour of all the rooms and secret passageways that allowed us to snoop on the grownups. Everything was mysterious back then. "This time, it'll be a real snoop over, to see what we can find out in Dad's office. But it'll have to be in the daylight, while he's golfing. Should give us plenty of--"

"--snooping time. "

Hours later I woke from a dream so real it was hard to get a firm grip on where I actually was as the aromas of sausage and maple syrup wafted over Granny's quilts. I had been in Pandora and had smelled something much less appetizing: smoke. A cigarette burned on the ground, catching dry pine needles. Smoke billowed and grew higher and higher up to a colossal ceiling  of wooden beams. An intricate tapestry on the wall depicting a forest scene caught fire and erupted into hot searing flames. Somone coughed, and I knew who it was as I pulled back the covers and headed down the hall following the scent of all things comforting.

Granny was bustling about the kitchen as I went to get coffee. "Mornin, howd' ja sleep?" she said and reached to hug me with the hand not attached to the spatula. "Fresh berries ova there for ya."

"Morning, Granny, thanks."

"Heard you had a visitor last night, or was that an owl?" She winked at me, and her sparkling eyes lingered on my neck. "Oh wow, Nancy's bear."