Chapter 3

Worried about Cryn, Little Cat decided to pay a visit after a late breakfast. When no answer came from knocking on her door, he crept in through an open window into her apartment.

"Cathryn?" he softly called. "Are you here?" He walked to the back room to find her motionless in her bed. He became slightly alarmed. "Cathryn, wake up." He gently shook her and was relieved when she groaned.

"Leave me bee, I just fell asleep."

"Cryn, it's noon."

"What?!" Groggily awake, she sat up in bed. Medium length hair impossibly tousled. The time startled her. "I swear I just went to bed!" She looked out the window. "Why is the sun up?" She couldn't understand it, but outside her window was the noonday sun. "How…"

"Did you see the Shaman?" asked Cat.

Cryn wasn't registering her situation, or Cat's question. There was no possible way for it to be NOON! "I…I… don't understand." Was all she could muster. Her mind was trying to make sense of the situation, going over the events of the day prior and of last night. She was just as tired as when she went to bed early last night. She finally had to take things at face value and wait for an explanation later.

Cat grew impatient. "CRYN!" He barked. "Did you see the Shaw-man!" He drawled out his last word with a child's characteristic drama.

Cryn looked down at him with at furrowed brow.

"No, I…I saw the… heavens."

"It is a calling. A great spirit is calling you."

"I don't know what it is. It always seems to be at the tip of my mind, but I lose any memory and am left with only dejavu. Besides, I can't get any sleep. The moment my head hits the pillow is the moment I am supposed to get up!" Cryn felt exhausted.

"It travels your spirit. Your body sleeps, but not your mind." Cat nodded his head as he spoke in the way that such knowledgeable young people do when they know they are right.

Cryn suddenly realized that there was a six year old in her room. "Cat!"

"Uh, yeah." He sarcastically replied.

"How…? Did you sneak in here?"

"Uh, yeah, I was the one talking to you just a few minutes ago." He looked confused and leaned forward to take her hand. "Are you ok?"

She smiled and squeezed his small hand. "Yeah, it's just, I don't know who I am talking to anymore. At least I don't have to work today." She relaxed. This boy has so much information. "Where do you learn about these things?" She wasn't quite convinced yet, but the man in the gift shop yesterday and the combination of these dreams just was too taxing on her to not investigate.

"My Great Grandfather who lives near the canyon. He is a Shaman of my ancestors. He tells me our history and stuff. My parents don't believe that he is a Shaman. They just consider him a wise man with stories."

"Could I go see him?" Cryn asked.

"Sure, he loves it when people visit. He will be able to help understand this spirit and let you live at ease with it." Cat seemed proud of ability to help Cryn. He wanted to show off his abilities.

"How about tonight? I will talk to your mother to see if you can come."

Cat nearly leaped out of his skin. "Lets go now!" He shouted, getting up and jumping on Cryn's bed.

She laughed at her little friend. "Alright, let me get dressed and washed already. I will meet you at four outside your house ok?" She laughed again at the child's excitement, and she was also charged by it.

"Ok, see you then. Bye." Once again he was off, but this time he used the door.

Cryn chuckled again and shook her head. She had other acquaintances in town, but after moving to the opposite side of the North American land mass, friends just don't pop out of nowhere. She liked the low stress life she had. It gave her time to read. And do the ridiculous online assignments she had to keep up with.

She came back down to the present. 'What am I doing? I am going to see a Shaman about my bad dreams? I should be going to a shrink.' Cryn slipped her lithe form out of bed and gingerly stepped into the bathroom. 'But I guess this is cheaper. Besides, one can never get used to the Grand Canyon. I'll spend the rest of my time there.'

She turned on the shower, and tested its temperature. While waiting for it to turn to bathing temp, she brushed her teeth. After rinsing and wiping her face clear of moisture she stared into the economically sized mirror. She looked different than she remembered. True, she hadn't looked in a mirror to seriously in a long time, but there seemed something odd about her features, even with the dark circles that had taken residence under her eyes. It unnerved her.

The reflection staring back had the same brunette mane and greenish hazel eyes. The same pale, soft pink lips on pale skin, but there was nothing childlike to her face anymore. She reached a slender hand to touch her cheek for contrast and comfort that it was still she that gazed back at her. The light through the back window picked out the fiery highlights the Arizona sun had bestowed to her slightly wavy locks.

She stood there, absently staring at herself until the steam of the newly warmed shower poured steamy mist onto her reflection window. Just before the mirror became too opaque, there was a flash of person superimposed upon her features. A woman Cryn thought had striking resemblance to herself, if not an older twin. Blinking, Cryn tore herself away from the mirror and disrobed for the soothing shower. Her nerves were unsettled, but her demeanor surprisingly calm. She felt out of herself, but herself.

The blessed water on her face seemed to bring her back to a familiar norm, though she almost wanted to resist the reversion. She decided to pick up Cat early and find out some answers as soon as possible.

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Cryn gathered her backpack and filled it with things she might need for trip to the Canyon. She wouldn't mind sleeping in her clothes if they spent the night, but she did put a couple of Nutri-grain bars in her pack, some pencils and her sketch book. She grabbed an extra hair tie, and some suntan lotion, though the bottle was almost empty..

They left at four, with a picnic dinner provided by Cat's mom and her permission for Cat to spend the night out there if it got late.

Cryn had no idea what to expect.