Part eight.
Seven teens sat in a tiny apartment. The absence of one weighed heavily on them. It was the one thing that had the power to bring them all back together – after something even more powerful had torn them apart – destiny.
"I'll need a picture of Maria. Do you have one?" Isabel asked all of them.
"We can get one," Alex said standing up.
"Will a painting do?" Michael's words stopped him in his tracks.
Isabel looked slightly surprised, "Yes."
Michael stood up and went into the other room. He came out holding a big painting. The others waited for him to turn it around. None of them, except for Max and Isabel knew that he could paint , but even they didn't know that he still did it.
Michael handed the painting to Isabel. She gasped, and everyone crowded around her to see. The painting showed a border of darkness and overcast clouds with this bright ray of sunshine in the middle spreading towards the edges. In the centre, was a girl with a pixie haircut sitting on a swing, her eyes huge, her slight smile beautiful. The way Michael saw her. His ray of sunshine. His happiness. His Maria. It was beautiful.
Again no one knew quite what to say. There was no words to describe the painting. It was like seeing through someone's soul – extremely private, seeing exactly how they felt. They felt like voyeurs.
Liz went up to Michael and wrapped her arms around him. It was a thank you for loving Maria. It was a thank you for showing them Maria in his eyes. He thought it was because she missed Maria. He patted her back awkwardly.
"It's amazing, Michael," Isabel said eventually.
"Thank you," Michael was too worried at this stage to care what they thought of the painting. Another time perhaps. But then again… after the first time he showed them a painting of his, their reaction had not exactly inclined him to make any further disclosures.
It was time to begin the dreamwalk. Although it was day time, Isabel was confident that she could dreamwalk Maria – after all she had done it before and she had been practising all summer to remain undetected. Isabel stared at the painting intently while sitting on the couch, one hand in Alex's hand. The picture wavered slightly and then she fell back, her eyes closed. The rest watched anxiously.
Maria got into her car and waved to Riverdog, Eddie and the rest of the Indians who had come to see her of. She turned the car towards Roswell and turned the music up singing along as she drove. She was going home.
Why, Maria wasn't quite sure – maybe it was all the exercises, the meditation, the vision quests she went on with Riverdog – whatever the reason, she felt Isabel almost immediately.
"Hello Isabel."
Isabel sat in the passenger seat of the car. She looked surprised when Maria greeted her.
"You felt me – how?"
Maria ignored the question.
"Is something wrong. Did something happen to Michael?" she asked worriedly.
"No. Everyone is fine, except for you. Do you have any idea how worried we are about you?"
"You know," Maria stated flatly.
"Know what – that you aren't in Florida. Yeah we know that. Are you okay? Where are you?" Isabel decided to get straight to the point. This conversation was strange enough as it was. Isabel liked to be in control and this dreamwalk had slipped from her control right at the start when Maria has somehow sensed her.
"I'm fine," Maria answered like it was obvious. In a way it was. After all Isabel was sitting next to her.
"Maria," Isabel said, impatience lacing her voice.
"Yes?"
"It's been two months, Maria. You lied to us."
"I needed to leave. I did phone."
"Where have you been. Where are you now?"
"I'm near Roswell," Maria answered after a pause.
'Michael was right," Isabel thought. It was obvious Maria wasn't going to tell her anything. She made the decision to go further into Maria's mind. It was the wrong decision. It didn't work. Maria felt Isabel pushing into her mind immediately and blocked her.
"Not going to happen, Izzy," Maria said.
Isabel winced. Maria sounded mad at the invasion into her mind, and being blocked wasn't a fun experience. It had never happened before except with Michael and Tess who was way more advanced with her powers than they were.
"I have to concentrate on driving," Maria said and that was the last thing Isabel heard Maria say before she woke up, rather in shock.
"I can't believe it," Isabel said surprise, shock and anger was evident in her voice.
"She threw me out. Actually threw me out," she continued, jumping of the couch.
The teens surrounding her watched as Isabel began pacing.
"Isabel," Alex called. She ignored them.
"Isabel," Michael yelled louder, "Where is she? Is she okay?"
Isabel stopped and looked at the people watching her anxiously.
"You were right. She is near Roswell. At least that's what she said – before she threw me out." Her voice rose with indignation.
"Threw you out?" Tess asked, "How – she's only human?"
"I don't know but she felt me when I arrived and when I tried to go further into her conscious to see where she was, she blocked me. Then she threw me out." Several smiles were suppressed at the sheer shock in Isabel's voice every time she repeated the last phrase.
"Start from the beginning," Alex said reasonably when he saw Isabel begin to pace again. And so Isabel started the tale from the beginning.
When she was finished, "She threw you out," Tess said in shock. Everyone groaned.
"Please don't get her started again," Max said. They all laughed and then quieted when they remembered the circumstances.
"She's okay, right?" Liz said, half statement, half question. No one answered.
"She is," Isabel finally said. "She said she just needed to go. I'm sure she'll be home soon." Isabel hugged Liz.
"I'm not waiting," Michael said decisively. "I'm going to get her now." He stood up.
"Michael"
"No, Maxwell. We tried Isabel's way. Even if she is fine, I want her home. I'm going to get her."
"I'm coming with you," Kyle said. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.
"Me too," Alex said.
"We'll all go," Max said. Michael looked shocked.
"What? She's one of my best friends. I want her home as much as you do," Max said defensively.
"Didn't say anything, Maxwell," Michael smirked.
They all waked out. Michael jumped into the front seat of the jeep. Max handed him the keys. Liz , Alex and Isabel got into the back and Max took the passenger seat. Kyle and Tess took Kyle's car and followed the jeep as it pulled on to the freeway.
"Where to?" Alex asked after 15 minutes.
"I don't know," Michael replied. No one said anything after that.
They drove for about 20 minutes more well into the desert. Near a few rock formations Michael pulled the jeep up and everyone piled out. Kyle and Tess joined them a minute later and there they all stood, waiting.
End Part Eight.
Seven teens sat in a tiny apartment. The absence of one weighed heavily on them. It was the one thing that had the power to bring them all back together – after something even more powerful had torn them apart – destiny.
"I'll need a picture of Maria. Do you have one?" Isabel asked all of them.
"We can get one," Alex said standing up.
"Will a painting do?" Michael's words stopped him in his tracks.
Isabel looked slightly surprised, "Yes."
Michael stood up and went into the other room. He came out holding a big painting. The others waited for him to turn it around. None of them, except for Max and Isabel knew that he could paint , but even they didn't know that he still did it.
Michael handed the painting to Isabel. She gasped, and everyone crowded around her to see. The painting showed a border of darkness and overcast clouds with this bright ray of sunshine in the middle spreading towards the edges. In the centre, was a girl with a pixie haircut sitting on a swing, her eyes huge, her slight smile beautiful. The way Michael saw her. His ray of sunshine. His happiness. His Maria. It was beautiful.
Again no one knew quite what to say. There was no words to describe the painting. It was like seeing through someone's soul – extremely private, seeing exactly how they felt. They felt like voyeurs.
Liz went up to Michael and wrapped her arms around him. It was a thank you for loving Maria. It was a thank you for showing them Maria in his eyes. He thought it was because she missed Maria. He patted her back awkwardly.
"It's amazing, Michael," Isabel said eventually.
"Thank you," Michael was too worried at this stage to care what they thought of the painting. Another time perhaps. But then again… after the first time he showed them a painting of his, their reaction had not exactly inclined him to make any further disclosures.
It was time to begin the dreamwalk. Although it was day time, Isabel was confident that she could dreamwalk Maria – after all she had done it before and she had been practising all summer to remain undetected. Isabel stared at the painting intently while sitting on the couch, one hand in Alex's hand. The picture wavered slightly and then she fell back, her eyes closed. The rest watched anxiously.
Maria got into her car and waved to Riverdog, Eddie and the rest of the Indians who had come to see her of. She turned the car towards Roswell and turned the music up singing along as she drove. She was going home.
Why, Maria wasn't quite sure – maybe it was all the exercises, the meditation, the vision quests she went on with Riverdog – whatever the reason, she felt Isabel almost immediately.
"Hello Isabel."
Isabel sat in the passenger seat of the car. She looked surprised when Maria greeted her.
"You felt me – how?"
Maria ignored the question.
"Is something wrong. Did something happen to Michael?" she asked worriedly.
"No. Everyone is fine, except for you. Do you have any idea how worried we are about you?"
"You know," Maria stated flatly.
"Know what – that you aren't in Florida. Yeah we know that. Are you okay? Where are you?" Isabel decided to get straight to the point. This conversation was strange enough as it was. Isabel liked to be in control and this dreamwalk had slipped from her control right at the start when Maria has somehow sensed her.
"I'm fine," Maria answered like it was obvious. In a way it was. After all Isabel was sitting next to her.
"Maria," Isabel said, impatience lacing her voice.
"Yes?"
"It's been two months, Maria. You lied to us."
"I needed to leave. I did phone."
"Where have you been. Where are you now?"
"I'm near Roswell," Maria answered after a pause.
'Michael was right," Isabel thought. It was obvious Maria wasn't going to tell her anything. She made the decision to go further into Maria's mind. It was the wrong decision. It didn't work. Maria felt Isabel pushing into her mind immediately and blocked her.
"Not going to happen, Izzy," Maria said.
Isabel winced. Maria sounded mad at the invasion into her mind, and being blocked wasn't a fun experience. It had never happened before except with Michael and Tess who was way more advanced with her powers than they were.
"I have to concentrate on driving," Maria said and that was the last thing Isabel heard Maria say before she woke up, rather in shock.
"I can't believe it," Isabel said surprise, shock and anger was evident in her voice.
"She threw me out. Actually threw me out," she continued, jumping of the couch.
The teens surrounding her watched as Isabel began pacing.
"Isabel," Alex called. She ignored them.
"Isabel," Michael yelled louder, "Where is she? Is she okay?"
Isabel stopped and looked at the people watching her anxiously.
"You were right. She is near Roswell. At least that's what she said – before she threw me out." Her voice rose with indignation.
"Threw you out?" Tess asked, "How – she's only human?"
"I don't know but she felt me when I arrived and when I tried to go further into her conscious to see where she was, she blocked me. Then she threw me out." Several smiles were suppressed at the sheer shock in Isabel's voice every time she repeated the last phrase.
"Start from the beginning," Alex said reasonably when he saw Isabel begin to pace again. And so Isabel started the tale from the beginning.
When she was finished, "She threw you out," Tess said in shock. Everyone groaned.
"Please don't get her started again," Max said. They all laughed and then quieted when they remembered the circumstances.
"She's okay, right?" Liz said, half statement, half question. No one answered.
"She is," Isabel finally said. "She said she just needed to go. I'm sure she'll be home soon." Isabel hugged Liz.
"I'm not waiting," Michael said decisively. "I'm going to get her now." He stood up.
"Michael"
"No, Maxwell. We tried Isabel's way. Even if she is fine, I want her home. I'm going to get her."
"I'm coming with you," Kyle said. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise.
"Me too," Alex said.
"We'll all go," Max said. Michael looked shocked.
"What? She's one of my best friends. I want her home as much as you do," Max said defensively.
"Didn't say anything, Maxwell," Michael smirked.
They all waked out. Michael jumped into the front seat of the jeep. Max handed him the keys. Liz , Alex and Isabel got into the back and Max took the passenger seat. Kyle and Tess took Kyle's car and followed the jeep as it pulled on to the freeway.
"Where to?" Alex asked after 15 minutes.
"I don't know," Michael replied. No one said anything after that.
They drove for about 20 minutes more well into the desert. Near a few rock formations Michael pulled the jeep up and everyone piled out. Kyle and Tess joined them a minute later and there they all stood, waiting.
End Part Eight.