Chapter Fourteen – The Psych-Man Town
When morning came, Sky and Nick gathered everyone around to describe what they found. Despite everything that happened recently, jaws dropped in shock.
"You gave Skylar an amulet that belonged to a goddess?" Katherine snapped at Nick.
"I didn't know!" Nick said.
"What are the odds?" Sparky breathed.
"Odds or Fate, who cares?" Sky said. "We have the amulet. Now we just have to find the Goddess of Psyche. We can go to her now and get the wish."
"But your dream about a dwelling place didn't lead to anything specific." Harley reminded her.
"It was a lake with trees and hills around it." Sky said. "That can't be that many places, right?"
"Sky, that could literally be anywhere in the world." Harley said. "Do you remember anything else about the forest? Anything that could lead us to a definite location?"
Sky thought back to her dream. "I don't know. The hills across the lake had a little snow on them. The trees were pines and evergreens. There wasn't anything else."
"What about that little fairy house?" Nick asked.
"Fairy house?" Blade repeated, confused.
"What fairy house?" Sky asked.
"The one sitting under the tree where the Goddess disappeared." Nick said. "It looked like one of those homemade fairy houses you put in your backyard. It had a thatch roof and was painted pink."
"That may help us find the specific tree, but it doesn't tell us where to go." Sky said.
"Raven, I think this is the time to go see Nathan and talk to him." Blade said.
"I agree." Sky nodded. "His tribe is on the edge of the Tahoe National Forest. I'll give him a call and then pack a bag."
"Harley, Katherine, Leland, and I will go with you." Finn offered. "You'll need Harley's healing and Katherine's spirit-speaking on your side."
"And they never travel without us." Leland chuckled.
"I'll come too!" Sparky said. "Just to keep an eye on you."
"I'm coming, too." Blade decided.
"But, Blade, don't you have a job to do here?" Sky asked.
"My focus has been leaning towards you and Nick so often that I can't do my job." Blade said. "Maru already forced me into what he calls 'mental health leave.' Right now, my job is to make sure you and Nick will be all right."
"The sooner we get to Nathan, the better." Nick added.
"Then we better start packing." Harley suggested.
Siddeley flew Harley, Finn, Katherine, Leland, and Sparky to the airport closest to the Tahoe National Forest. Blade carried Sky in his hoist hatch, and Nick stuck close by. They flew over the forest, Blade eyeing his GPS as they neared the coordinates Nathan gave them. Once they landed, the rest of their traveling party would hopefully arrive soon after them. Nick and Sky switched a couple times on the way, but Nick flew close enough to Blade that Sky could hold onto him if she couldn't fly while in spirit form.
"Hey Sky." Blade said over the radio. "Does that look familiar to you?" Sky and Nick looked down, and they got a good look at Lake Tahoe and the forest and hills surrounding it. The scene was just too familiar. Flying a bit farther, they came upon a tiny town sitting right on the edge of the forest. A group of cars parked a safe distance from the town honked their horns and flashed their lights to direct Blade to a safe landing spot. With all the commotion, the townsfolk took notice of newcomers, and they headed for the landing site.
The second Blade touched down, Sky hopped out of the hoist hatch. Nick disappeared, and he and Sky prayed they wouldn't switch in front of all these people. Sky still hadn't mastered how to turn invisible while in spirit form. Nathan elbowed his way to the front of the crowd, picking up Sky in a tight hug.
"I was so thrilled to hear you wanted to come visit." Nathan said. "Everyone is excited to meet you."
"I can tell." Sky laughed, looking out to the psyche humans and vehicles who gathered around and murmured enthusiastically.
"Welcome to my homeland, Sky." Nathan said. "And, of course, it's good to see at least one of your Soul Connect Partners."
"Good to see you too, Nathan." Blade greeted.
"Come. Let's get you settled in while we wait for your friends." Nathan guided Sky and Blade into the town. The townsfolk greeted Sky on their way back to their business.
"You're going to love it here!" a teenage boy said. "We're totally in the middle of nowhere. We're like Amish, but with technology!" He waved his cell phone around to emphasize his point.
One of the boy's friends shoved him playfully. "We are not like the Amish. I'm pretty sure that's offensive."
"All right, boys. Run along." Nathan encouraged, and the boys laughed as they ran off. "We really aren't as off-the-grid as you think. Our children go to the schools in the area, we have internet access, and all the modern comforts. We're just a whole community of psych-mans and their Partners."
"It's so cool." Sky breathed. She let Nathan guide her as her head swiveled around the look at everything. Almost every building was a log cabin of some kind. There was a small library, and a mess hall for community events. The town backed up against the forest, and there were signs pointing out trails. The psych-mans and vehicles interacted as normal communities do. But at least half of the psych-mans were practicing their powers and doing things to enhance their connection with their Partners. The tribe had a couple hundred members, give or take a few. It amazed Sky to see so many people with strong powers like hers.
"Is anyone here not a psych-man?" Blade asked.
"Only one or two." Nathan said. "We are simply a small community slowly getting bigger, keeping old traditions alive. One of those traditions is that, normally, only psych-mans live in the tribe."
"But could a non-psych-man live here if they wanted to?" Sky asked.
"I don't know why they would want to." Nathan said. "Our mission is to help psych-mans understand the full extent of their powers. Now, that's not to say psych-mans don't marry non-psych-mans; but, based on what I've seen, psych-mans are sort of attracted to one another."
Sky nodded slowly in understanding. She wished she could've lived here when she was a child. It might've saved her a lot of heartache.
Nathan led them to his home, and they sat in the living room so Nick could appear. Sky and Nick explained their dilemma, and got about halfway through their story when Harley, Finn, Katherine, Leland, and Sparky arrived. Nathan listened silently, save for a question or two. Nick and Sky even switched in the middle of Sky talking.
"The Goddess of Psyche? A deity of the Megami-Hito people." Nathan mused.
"The dreams told us that this is the amulet of the Goddess." Sky said, holding up the amulet. "It can't be a coincidence."
"No, I agree." Nathan said. "Believe it or not, there are still several amongst us who still worship these spirits. But finding the dwelling place of such a deity…that's a tough issue."
"Is there anything that would point us in the right direction?" Harley asked. "A symbol to look for?"
"I'm not sure." Nathan said. "Though, one would think that a deity would want their dwelling place hard to find so to decrease their chances of being found."
"What if we just went out into the woods and held the amulet out like bait?" Leland suggested. "The Goddess could come to us."
"If the legend is true, Leland, then she won't be able to see us without that amulet." Finn said. "Also, I'm not sure a goddess will appreciate being teased."
"Good point." Leland nodded.
"I wish I could be of more help." Nathan said.
"That's okay, Grandpa." Sky sighed. "It was worth a shot."
Nick noticed something behind Nathan, and he floated over to the desk pushed up against the wall. "Nathan, what's this?"
Nathan turned to see Nick nodding to the half-painted, thatch-roof, tiny house on his desk. "That? It's just a fairy house."
"A fairy house?" Sparky asked in confusion.
"Yes. We may be a modern tribe, but we do hold the old ways close." Nathan explained. "Many believe that spirits and fairies frolic in the forest. We build them fairy houses that act like rest stops."
"Cuervo, that's the same little house I saw in that dream! The one where the Goddess went into that tree!" Nick said.
"You're sure?" Sky asked.
"Positive." Nick nodded. "We need to get out into the forest! We'll find the Goddess no problem!"
"Maybe." Katherine nodded slowly. "But if that's the house you saw in the dream, then it can't be the house leading to the Goddess's dwelling place."
"Let's split up." Finn suggested. "Some of us can do research here and others can search the forest."
"Finn and I can stay here and take advantage of the Wi-Fi." Katherine suggested.
"I'll stay, too." Sparky said. "I don't hike very well anymore."
"Then Nick, Blade, and I will go into the forest." Sky said.
"Leland and I will go with you." Harley offered. "To cover more ground."
"Great idea." Leland nodded.
Blade took to the skies while Harley, Sky, and the ghosts of the group hiked up the trails. They checked every tree they passed as they went deeper and deeper into the forest. Blade scanned the trees part of the time while keeping an eye on Sky for most of the flight. He also kept a sharp eye out for any wild creatures nearby. He wasn't familiar with this area, but he knew what kinds of animals lived in the forest.
"Found another fairy house." Harley announced, looking over the tree the house rested in.
"That's, what, our seventh one?" Sky asked.
"Eighth." Leland corrected.
"I counted nine." Nick said.
"I lost count." Harley sighed. "I got nothing."
Sky groaned, leaning her head back. "We've been out here for three hours. How are we going to find the Goddess at this rate?"
"Are we just going to search every tree until we find her?" Leland asked.
"Well, that doesn't sound too crazy." Harley shrugged.
Sky raised an eyebrow at her. "Really?"
"You're actually agreeing with such an irrational idea?" Leland gawked a little. "That's not like you."
"We're dealing with an irrational situation. I see no reason we can't try an irrational idea." Harley said.
Sky hummed in thought. Harley was no stranger to crazy, eccentric ideas, but she never did anything as irrational as searching every tree in a forest. She would think of something more creative, something that made at least a little sense. Harley avoided Sky's questioning look, further arousing Sky's suspicion.
"Nick, Leland, why don't you guys go search the treetops for any sign of the Goddess?" Sky suggested.
"What do you think we're going to find up there?" Nick asked.
Leland understood Sky's pointed look. "Come on, Lopez. Let's go."
"But—hey!" Nick yelped when Leland shoved him upwards, and the two ghosts disappeared out of hearing range.
"All right, Hudson, start talking." Sky said.
"What do you mean?" Harley asked with a forced chuckle.
"You could've stayed back in town to help with the research, but you came out here instead." Sky said.
"I thought we could cover more ground."
"Then why have you stuck by me like we're glued at the hip?"
"So I don't get lost."
"You grew up in a desert and learned practically the whole area like the back of your hand."
"Deserts are different from forests."
Sky put a hand on Harley's shoulder and turned her around. "Harley, come on. We're friends, aren't we?"
Harley stared at Sky, and then sighed. "It's going to sound dumb, and very selfish, but I wanted to be with you so I could find the Goddess too. I want some credit for returning the amulet, so that I can have a wish, too."
"Really?" Sky was confused rather than angry. "What are you going to wish for?"
Harley looked skyward, towards Leland and Nick who still couldn't hear them. "I want to wish for Leland to come back to life, so Finn can be happy again." She fiddled with one of the blue streaks in her hair. "Don't get me wrong. It's great to have Leland around in spirit. But there are times when I see that Finn forgets Leland is dead. I just thought that, if I could bring Leland back for real, maybe Finn wouldn't be so somber when he talks to his old friend."
Sky smiled. "Hey, that doesn't sound selfish at all."
"You sure?" Harley asked. "You were the one who found the amulet. You did all that dream work."
"And you helped me with the research." Sky said. "I couldn't have done all that on my own. Harley, you don't sound selfish at all."
"You sure?" Harley asked.
"You want to use the wish for Leland, not for yourself." Sky said. "That's what I hope to do for Nick, too. If I can, I don't want to just separate our spirits from my body. I want to give Nick another chance at life. He deserves that. He died too young. I would be happy to share the credit of returning the amulet, Harley. You and even Katherine deserve credit for it. We all chipped in to find the amulet. If we could all get credit, that would be awesome."
Harley smiled. "Thanks, Sky. We should keep looking. Maybe we'll have better luck when we get closer to the lake."
Finn, Katherine, and Sparky joined Nathan at the library to do their research. The library was small, but it had the strongest internet signal and even had a small collection of books related to the Megami-Hito.
"What a fascinating culture." Finn said as he read.
"Yes, I've always found these people interesting." Nathan agreed. "So in touch with the natural world. They had deities and spirits for just about everything: travelers, psych-mans, bakers, children, you name it."
"Do they have a spirit for clowns?" Sparky joked.
Nathan flipped through the book he held. "Yes. Jokey, the blue-skinned god of tricksters."
Katherine giggled. "What are the odds? Sparky, why don't you help me get a few more books on mythology?" She and Sparky wheeled themselves deeper into the library. They found the mythology section, and Sparky helped Katherine gather some books.
"You think we'll find this dwelling place?" Sparky asked.
"I do worry about that." Katherine said. "Not just about finding it, but about getting in. I wonder if there is a way to summon the Goddess instead of searching for her."
"That would make things easier for us." Sparky said. "One would think she'd be desperate to have that thing back. Maybe we should take Leland's advice and go out into the forest with that thing. 'Here it is, Goddess of Psyche! Come and get it!'"
"And what if she takes it the wrong way and strikes us with a lightning bolt?" Katherine asked as they turned to leave. "I've seen ghosts get pretty ticked when someone teases them and thinks nothing will happen." She yelped when someone came around the corner and bumped into her wheelchair. "Oh, excuse me."
"Watch it, you bloody negro!" the person who ran into her growled, marching past Katherine.
Katherine stared after him, appalled and insulted. "Excuse me?"
"Geez, that was incredibly rude. Not to mention racist." Sparky muttered, glaring at the young man. The Caucasian man looked only a few years older than Sky, and had brown hair and hard blue eyes. He dressed in ratty jeans, sneakers, and a sweatshirt.
"I don't encounter such insults very often, but they do not bother me." Katherine assured. "Though, I must admit I am surprised by the hostility. We've been in this town for less than a day, but everyone has been so welcoming except him."
"It does seem a bit unusual, based on first expressions." Sparky said on their way back to Nathan and Finn.
"What was with the commotion?" Nathan asked. "I heard some books fall."
"Just ran into that gentleman at the checkout counter." Katherine said. Nathan and Finn glanced to the counter.
"Oh, that's Simon." Nathan said. "A very…well, rather irritable young man."
"He was racist to Katherine. Very rude." Sparky said.
Finn glared at Simon. The psych-man glared back on his way out the door. "Do I need to punish him accordingly?"
"Keep the AK-47s stowed, McMissile." Katherine said. "It's fine. But it seems strange for someone to be so hostile in this place."
"Simon is a strange character. Had a lot of bad luck in his life." Nathan explained. "It's made him very bitter." Silence came over the table as they kept reading. Several minutes later, Nathan shut his book. "You know, one of my closest friends practices wicca. Maybe she can help."
"Why don't you and Finn go check it out?" Katherine suggested. "Sparky and I will clean up."
"We'll discuss our findings at dinner." Finn said as he and Nathan left. Sparky and Katherine gathered up their books and took them up to the front counter. The librarian kindly instructed them to just leave the books on the counter, and she would take care of it. Then Katherine surprised Sparky by leading him towards the back of the library.
"What are we doing back here?" Sparky asked.
"I need to call Harley." Katherine said. "I thought I recognized that Simon fellow, but I did not remember until just a minute ago. I saw him when we came in. He was glaring at us. In fact, I saw him when Sky, Harley, and the others were heading for the forest. He glared at them, looked like he hated them already. He's been giving me a bad feeling ever since we arrived."
"You know, we're kind of way out in the middle of nowhere." Sparky noted. "Why are you calling Harley on your cell?"
"Because we don't want to advertise the fact that we're spies. I can explain my sleek-design wheelchair, but I can't explain a hi-tech watch that lets me make calls, even in low cell service." Katherine punched a number into her phone, and she put it to her ear. After a few rings, the call went to voicemail. "Figures. She probably doesn't have service out in the forest. Hey Harley, it's Katherine. We need to talk about someone who's making me suspicious. Then again, maybe you won't get this message until you get back into town. This guy Nathan called Simon has been hostile since we came, and it's making me nervous. I'm going to try a different way to call you. Hang on." Katherine hung up.
"I thought you didn't want people to know about the…..." Sparky looked around, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Spy gear."
"Luckily, my wheelchair-com is synced with my earpiece." Katherine slid back a panel on the armrest of her wheelchair, pressed a few buttons, and then she pressed a button on her earpiece. She put her phone over her earpiece to imitate a cell call. "Roller Girl to Desert Flower. Come in, Desert Flower."
"Desert Flower?" Sparky laughed.
"Code names. They're fun." Katherine shrugged. "Harley, come in."
"Katherine?" Harley's response came through the static.
"Harley, if possible, I need a background check on someone." Katherine said. "All I got is his first name, though."
"What?" Harley's voice was fragmented. "Can't—you—what name?"
"Harley, do you read me?" Katherine asked.
"Low signal." Harley managed to get out. "Trouble? Find—dwelling place—more time. Need us—back?"
Once Katherine could properly deduce what Harley said, she figured out that Harley and the others still hadn't found the Goddess's dwelling place, and Harley wanted to know if they should start heading back.
"No. Stay out there and keep searching for the Goddess." Katherine said. "Repeat: search for the Goddess." She hung up, realizing the call was almost useless. "Well that didn't help."
"I'm sure it'll be fine." Sparky said. "Come on. Let's go ask around the town. If you really want to, we can ask about Simon."
"Yes, we should go." Katherine turned her chair to start rolling down the shelves.
Suddenly, the lights switched off. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, so they weren't completely in the dark.
"Huh. Guess the lightbulbs are dead." Sparky said.
Katherine looked around. "The lightbulbs of the entire hallway?" She asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow. Sparky shrugged sheepishly. "Let's just go."
Then, they heard footsteps, and they froze. "What was that?" Sparky whispered.
"Let's get out of here, Sparky." Katherine urged. She and Sparky turned to leave.
Before they could, they felt someone's hands on them, and something made their bodies go rigid. Darkness consumed them, and they fell into unconsciousness.
"Anything?" Sky called up the tree.
Nick flew down to her just in time for them to switch. "Didn't see anything."
Leland came down from circling the tree. "Nothing."
Harley sighed. "Well, let's keep going, then." They continued their hike. After walking the trails all afternoon, they decided to go off the beaten path and search the trees farther ahead. Harley kept a close eye on her compass and map so they would be able to get back to town. Every now and then, they'd see Blade fly overhead.
"This switching is getting more frequent." Nick said worriedly as he and Sky switched back.
"It's erratic." Harley observed. "We'll have to be careful when we're back in town."
"I don't think even a town of psych-mans will understand this." Sky said.
"To be honest, I don't fully understand this." Leland said. "But someone remind me to never possess anybody."
"Yeah, it's not nearly as fun as you think." Nick muttered.
"Hey guys! Come over this way!" Sky's voice called from deeper in the forest. When she had wandered off, no one knew. But they followed her voice until they reached the edge of the forest and a tiny, rocky beach on the lake.
"Wow. It's beautiful." Harley breathed.
"This is the same scene from my dream." Sky said. "But I don't see anything that looks like the tree where the Goddess left."
"That tree looks like every other tree in this forest." Nick said. "There's nothing here to lead us to the Goddess of Psyche."
"Well I'm not giving up!" Sky began patting the trees near the lake.
"Sky, stop it." Harley said. "We need to think rationally."
"Good luck with that." Sky said. She pulled off the amulet and held it up. "Hey Goddess! Over here! You want it? Here it is! Come and get it!"
Leland backed up. "Shall we prepare for her to get struck by lightning?"
Sky stared at the trees. She looked skyward. Please. I'll do anything. Just help us.
"Raven?" Blade's voice over Sky's radio startled her. "It's getting late. We need to head back to town. We'll search more tomorrow, I promise."
Sky sighed heavily. "Copy that." She glanced out to the lake. We'll search tomorrow…if Nick and I are both still around to.