The Legend of the Firewalker (24 page)

“Oh,” said Linda, looking slightly surprised, “he probably got a few scuffs and scrapes climbing trees.” She smiled. “You know, just being a typical nine-year-old. His father was so good at keeping him in line and watching after him when he played outside. It’s just been so diff
icult for Bobby, and for Jonas too, I’m sure.” 

“Wait,” said Nathan. “I know that Jonas is close to his brother, but why has it been so hard for him?”

Linda looked confused. “Wait. What?” she said. She paused for a second and then suddenly placed her hand to her mouth. “You don’t know, do you?” she asked. “I thought Jonas had told you.”

Nathan felt clueless. He turned to Malick, who only shrugged.

“Told us what?” Nathan asked.

Linda looked as if she was fighting back tears. “They lost their father not too long ago.” she said. Her nose b
egan to run and she started to sniffle.

Malick grabbed a tissue from the nearby end table and handed it to her.

“The police believe he may have been murdered,” she said.

“Jonas hasn’t said anything,” said Nathan in a somber tone. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”

“It’s okay,” she said. “That’s why I don’t want to be so hard on Bobby. I’m sure climbing trees and playing video games is his way of dealing with losing his father.” Linda blew her nose into the tissue. “They need time. I want them to be able to grieve in their own way.”

Nathan could feel his cell phone vibrate in his pocket again. He quickly placed his hand in his pocket to turn it off. “I apo
logize for asking this,” he said. “Do you mind saying what happened?”

A tear ran down her face and she blew her nose again.

“See Bart —” she said.

“Bart?” interrupted Nathan.

“Yes. Bart, my husband, used to work late.” She paused and then smiled. “In fact, he liked to work late. See, Bart was a little bit of an insomniac. Bobby reminds me of him; I think he works better at night too.” Linda’s smile faded away and her face became more somber. “He would often work on projects when he couldn’t sleep, sometimes even driving to the office late at night,” she said. “I didn’t notice it at first, but Bart’s nightly disappearances were really starting to affect Jonas.”

Nathan looked confused again. “Why did it bother J
onas?”

“Jonas is a light sleeper, unlike me,” she said. “And he would often wake up to the sound of Bart’s car leaving the driveway. Jonas knew this was typical of his father, but would try to stay up until his father returned, an
yway.”

Nathan looked concerned. “Did this affect Jonas in school?”

“No,” said Linda. “Bart would come home to find Jonas asleep on the sofa. And again, Jonas is a light sleeper, so sometimes after Jonas had woken up, they would end up talking, particularly about basketball.” Tears were building in her eyes. “But that was before things got worse,” she said. She blew her nose and wiped the tears. “Bart would return back home extremely tired and sometimes bewildered or confused. It got to the point that I begged him to see somebody, to see a doctor, but he wouldn’t listen.”

“About his insomnia?” asked Nathan.

Linda nodded and her crooked gold-rimmed glasses started to slip down her nose. “He insisted that it was just stress from work, that things would get better. But things didn’t get better. See, one night Jonas woke up from what he said sounded like a train; I think he said it was about midnight. Jonas walked the house like he normally does after he wakes up and noticed that his father was gone, but Bart’s car was still in the driveway.”

A few creases formed on Nathan’s forehead. “Where did he go?” he asked. 

There was angst in her voice. “We don’t know,” she said. “We looked everywhere, but we couldn’t find him.” Linda paused to look down at her hands. “It had snowed that day. Jonas’s hands and feet were so blue from searching all day and night. We got a call from the police about a week later; they found Bart’s body somewhere out on Route 7.”

She sobbed and Malick handed her another tissue.

“I know they miss their father,” she sniffled. “The last gift Bart gave Jonas was an autographed basketball from Jonas’s favorite player. Jonas still carries it around with him.”

“I am so sorry about your husband,” said Nathan. “How long ago did this happen?”

“Back in December,” Linda sobbed. “Of last year.” She removed her glasses and dabbed her eyes. “The police have no leads, but the case is still open.”

Laughter suddenly filled the room as Jonas and Bobby filed in.

“I beat you fair and square!” shouted Jonas.

“How about a rematch?” asked Bobby. “I know my wa
rriors will take out your wizards!”

Jonas attempted to grab his brother and tickle him. “I’ll give you a rematch,” he said.

Nathan watched Jonas roughhouse with his little brother. He was still astonished by what he’d just learned.

Malick stood up and stretched, and Lacey suddenly ran away.

“We probably should be heading back,” he said.

Nathan glanced at the yellow-and-silver trimmed clock on the wall. “You’re right,” he said. “We probably should get g
oing.”

Linda’s glasses lay crooked on her nose again as she smiled. “Okay,” she said. “I am so glad you got a chance to visit, N
athan. It was so nice to finally meet you. And you too, Malick.” 

Malick grinned. “You too, Mrs. Riley,” he said, while nodding his head.

Linda took Nathan by the hand. “Thank you for bringing Jonas home,” she said.

“No problem,” replied Nathan.

“Okay, bro,” said Jonas. “I’ll see you in about a week, and then we’ll see about that rematch.”

Bobby smiled.

Linda opened the front door, and Lacey darted outside. Nathan quickly raised his leg to avoid stepping on her.

“Will you be coming to the closing ceremony on Satu
rday?” he asked Linda.

“Yes,” she smiled. “I’ll be there.”

“What about Bobby?” asked Jonas.

Bobby awaited a response, intently.

Linda looked down and peered over her glasses. “We’ll have to see,” she said. “It depends on whether Bobby intends to keep turning in his homework.”

“You heard it, bro,” said Jonas. “If you want to come, you will have to finish your homework.”

“I got it,” said Bobby confidently. “Done!”

Jonas glared at him incredulously.

Bobby laughed. “I’m serious,” he said.

“Cool,” said Jonas, hugging his brother.

Malick fired up the silver Camaro once again, and Jonas waved good-bye to his brother and mother. Nathan reached inside his pocket to turn on his cell phone; it was vibrating furiously.

“Look at all these text messages,” he said nervously. “Lafonda’s going to kill me!”

16

PNEUMA NOVO

Nathan spent most of the day by himself. It was Saturday and almost the end of June, so although it had rained heavily pra
ctically all the previous week, this was summer. And not just any summer, but a blistering hot and humid Illinois one, which meant no trace of water anywhere. The moist and muddy ground beneath Nathan’s feet had already started to form dry cracks.

Nathan stepped out of the woods and onto the small pe
bble-and-rock beach surrounding Lake Charleston. The heavily wooded trail leading to the lake provided a much-welcomed shade from the sun, but he got no relief from the evening sun when he walked over to the edge of the lake.

Nathan glanced into a few fire pits; some were dry, but some were still damp. He didn’t know how LaDonda e
xpected them to have a bonfire just a day after it stopped raining. He reached into the pockets of his shorts to pull out his cell phone. “Not a single call or text,” he murmured. “Lafonda is definitely upset with me.”

Lafonda was upset with him for leaving camp the night before. He wasn’t surprised that she had kept it secret from L
aDonda. Since they were kids, they’d had an unwritten rule to cover for each other if it meant saving the other person from being in major trouble. She had figured out that he had left with Malick and Jonas, but she wanted to know where they had gone. Nathan knew that he had made matters worse when he repeatedly dodged her questions. 

He sighed. Just thinking about having to hide more things from her was starting to get to him, but he was convinced the less she knew the better. He was dete
rmined to prevent his dream at Grimm Cemetery from coming true, even if it meant having Lafonda upset with him for keeping her in the dark.

He watched the motion of the water as it made small waves around the lake. Besides the occasional birds and splashing sounds made by fish, it was quiet. Nathan found a dry patch and sat down. He had a little time b
efore Malick would show up to help with the bonfires, and he figured it would be a while before Argus appeared with his wheelbarrow and bad jokes. Nathan looked down at his hands. It had been a week since he followed Jonas into the pseudo stairway and discovered that he too had a power. But he still didn’t have answers to why Jonas was in a trance, why he felt his brother was there with them, and who or what those creatures were.

Nathan picked up a rock and skipped it across the lake.
But those same creatures were there in the beginning,
he thought.
They were there in my dreams about Leah.

“What do they want?” he murmured. “What do they want with Jonas and Leah?”

He stopped searching for rocks and paused to look at his hands.

“How did Leah end up all those times in the pseudo real
ity?” he asked himself. “Does Leah have a power too?” He felt himself becoming more frustrated. “Where are Malick and Argus, anyway?” He looked down at his hands again; they were a little dirty, but they looked normal. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was apprehensive about using his powers again. He glanced over his shoulder and then around the lake and chuckled. “I wonder if I can get this to work without my life being in danger”

Nathan stood over one of the fire pits. “How did I get that blue spark to come out of my hands before? I know I set my bed on fire. I just don’t know how I did it.”

He looked around again, to see if anyone was coming, and placed his hand over the fire pit. He focused on the charred pieces of wood and stiffened his hand, but nothing happened. “Ugh!” he moaned. “Why didn’t this gift come with instructions?” 

He took another deep breath and stretched his hand over the fire pit. This time, he thought about his dream at Grimm Cemetery. Images of the woman dressed in white and the silver dagger flooded his mind. Suddenly, the muscles in his hand twitched and he felt the cemetery steps crumbling b
eneath him again. His head rang with hissing sounds as the red-hooded figure with the crescent-shaped medallion closed in on him. The muscle fibers in his hand twitched again and his fingers and palms turned red. His arm went rigid and the muscles in his hand tightened, forcibly releasing a brilliant ball of blue light from his hand. 

Nathan quickly ducked as pieces of wood flew over his head. There was the sound of water splashing as several pieces hit the water. He slowly looked into the bin to exa
mine the remaining blown-up pieces. “Still no blue flame,” he grumbled. “But I guess this is a start.”

Nathan continued to concentrate and, with his hand stretched over the pit again, released another ball of blue light. This time, he quickly shielded his eyes as pieces of wood sprung from the fire pit. He smiled, but was suddenly distrac
ted by something shimmering in the sunlight: a gray-and-red aluminum can rested on top of one of the smaller wood bins. He raised his hand and a beam of light pierced the air, pulverizing the top of the wood bin and sending the pop can high into the air.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” he laughed. “But cool.”

“What on earth are you doing?” someone yelled.

Nathan jumped; he’d thought he was alone. He dropped his hand and spun around just in time to see Argus charging t
owards him.

“I can explain,” he said nervously. He pointed to the sha
ttered wood bin. “It’s not as bad it looks.” 

Argus placed the wheelbarrow he was pushing to the side. “Are you crazy?” he asked.

“It’s okay,” said Nathan. “It’s probably easy to fix … really.” Nathan attempted to demonstrate how it could be fixed, but the wood bin pieces crumbled in his hand.

Argus’s eyes burned red with anger. “This is not about some stupid wood bin,” he said.

“What?” asked Nathan.

“What are you doing using your powers so openly like that?” Argus demanded. “My brother must have lost his mind! Do you know what will happen if you are exposed? All the lives put in danger, and everything that would be lost?”

“Wait!” said Nathan. “My powers, your brother; you know about my powers? But how?”

Argus waved his arms in the air. “Of course I know about your powers! I’ve been keeping an eye on both of you.”

“Both of us?” asked Nathan.

Argus turned his head, and Nathan saw Malick hastily coming towards them.

“Why do you think I stopped leaving matches and hardly any lighter fluid?” Argus continued. “I wanted to be sure, but to actually catch you out in the open?”

Malick now stood behind Argus.

“And I’ve been watching you too,” Argus said, turning around. “I’ve had my eye on you since you got here. I know who you are.”

Argus picked up the handles to the wheelbarrow and rolled it beside one of the fire pits. He tossed in a bottle of lighter fluid and a box of matches from his back pocket. Then he leaned in and whispered angrily to Malick, “If you try anything, I promise you, you will regret it!”

Argus’s right eye trembled and he glared one last time at Nathan and then at Malick before storming up the trail to the Hiking and Camping Center.

“What the heck was that?” asked Nathan. “Why was he threatening you? And what did he mean by he knows who you are?”

Malick grabbed Nathan by the arm, pushing him backwards. “Who are you?” he asked. “Who is your family?” His grip tightened. “Are they a part of the Order?”

Nathan’s forehead wrinkled. “The Order? It’s just me and my grandfather.” He wrestled his arm free from Malick’s grip. “What are you talking about? What the heck is going on?”

Malick’s eyes bulged and bored into Nathan’s for a long time. Finally, he dropped his gaze and turned around. “Did you see the tattoo on Argus’s arm?” he asked. “Does it look familiar to you?”

Nathan’s forehead wrinkled again. “I’ve seen it before. But what does this have to do with anything?”

Malick sat down on one of the logs surrounding the fire pits. “It’s used as the symbol for the Order,” he said. “It’s a part of their crest.”

“Wait a minute,” said Nathan. “I know where else I’ve seen that symbol. At the first bonfire. Jonathan said it was one of the Cahokia symbols he had trouble deciphering.” 

“Look,” said Malick, “all you need to know is to stop using your powers in public or anywhere that isn’t safe.”

“What?” said Nathan. “How did you know? Are you watching me, or something?” The frown lines on N
athan’s forehead deepened. “And Argus said he has a brother; is he watching me too?”

Malick’s face had a slightly haughty expression on it as he raised his eyebrows. “I don’t know if they are watching you,” he said. “But chances are they are both a part of the Order.” Malick huffed. “And no, I am not watching you, but I did however, see you using Pneuma to destroy that wood bin.”

Nathan’s eyes were wide but skeptical. “Pneuma?” he asked. He folded his arms across his chest. “And for the record, I wasn’t aiming at the wood bin. I was trying to hit the soda can.”

Malick gave a quick glance at the destroyed wood bin. “Okay,” he chuckled. “Whatever you say.”

Nathan rolled his eyes in protest. 

“Pneuma is your life force, or your spirit energy,” Malick said finally through stifled chuckles.

“Life force? Spirit energy? Are you for real?”

“Um, are your powers real?” asked Malick.

Nathan twisted his lip to the side of his face and nodded. “Good point,” he said. “So what does this Pneuma have to do with me? Why am I able to do this stuff?”

“Everyone has Pneuma, Nathan, not just you,” Malick said with a grin. “Pneuma is everywhere: in the trees, the air, the water, in animals; even the Earth has Pneuma.”

Nathan had a sour look on his face. “Okay, I got it,” he said. “But you can answer the question without being condescending?”  

Malick lowered his voice. He suddenly had a serious look on his face. “What you just did is called Pneuma Novo,” he said. “And having the ability to manipulate your Pneuma is a rare gift and shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

Nathan took a seat next to him.

“Spirit energy manipulation can take many forms,” co
ntinued Malick. “And you just performed one of them.”

“What do you mean?”

“When you used Pneuma to hit the soda can, you were manipulating spirit energy to form a projectile of energy; sort of like a weapon.”  

Nathan looked impatient. “So why me? Why am I able to do this stuff?”

“I don’t know. It’s usually hereditary,” he said. “Are you sure no one in your family is a part of the Order?”

Nathan paused. “Not that I know of,” he said. “It’s just my grandfather and me.”

“What about your parents?” he asked. “Your mom or your dad?”

Nathan’s face grew soft. “I don’t know,” he said. “At least I don’t think so. My parents died shortly after I was born.”

Malick grew quiet as he gazed into the lake.

“So what does all this have to do with you?” Nathan i
nterrupted. “Why was Argus threatening you?”

Malick had a serious look on his face again. “Look,” he said, “I am not the person you should be worried about. There are dark and powerful forces out there looking for people like you and me.”

Nathan’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open. “You and me?” he asked. “Dark and powerful forces — what are you talking about?” Nervously, he rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you talking about the Order? What do they want from me?”

Malick had a strained tone. “Like I said before, all you need to know is to stop using your powers. The less you know the better, Nathan.” Malick’s expression lightened up and became reassuring. “Just stay low and don’t use your powers,” he said. “If you do that, you won’t have anything to worry about.”

He stood up and walked over to the wheelbarrow Argus had left behind. Nathan watched as Malick filled the pits.

Dark and powerful forces?
Nathan thought. His mind began to flood with images of Grimm Cemetery, the silver sword, Lafonda.

“Wait!” he blurted out, springing to his feet. 

Malick jumped, abruptly dropping the wood in his hands back into the wheelbarrow. As he slowly turned around to face Nathan, his eyebrows were raised.

“What do you know about dreams?” Nathan asked, sounding almost out of breath. “Can Pneuma be used to see the f
uture?”

Malick paused, but then continued to fill the fire pits. “Yes,” he answered slowly. “I assume you’re asking b
ecause you’re having dreams that are coming true.”

“Well, yeah!”

Malick looked surprised. “I’m impressed,” he said. “Your list of abilities is starting to rack up, and you are learning about them all on your own.”

A look of gloom washed over Nathan’s face. “Well, it hasn’t been all that great so far,” he said with a shrug. “And I wouldn’t say being different is necessarily a good thing.” 

Malick grinned. “Using Pneuma to see the past or future through dreams or premonitions is another form of spirit manipulation, or Pneuma Novo,” he said. “It’s not as common as some of the other forms of spirit manipulation, but it is one of them. Many Dream Walkers have a difficult time mastering it.”