Chapter 4
Per Cat's directions, they pulled up beside a cabin around six. Cat was out of the car even before the vehicle was in park and ran to the ancient, but strangely fit looking man in the cabin's doorway. The old man picked him up and started to tickle Cat with his free hand. Cat laughed and squealed until his Grandfather put him down again. Even though he looked ancient, he also seemed powerful in a way, both physically and mentally. 'Well, as close as he lives to the edge of the canyon, he must be mentally tough.' Cryn thought as she eyed the distance discrepancy behind the cabin while exiting her car.
Cat had said that his Grandfather lived up by the canyon, but Cryn knew that the discrepancy was the start of the canyon, only seen horizontally. He lived on the canyon. The first break in the ground not more than 1000 feet away. 'Sheesh' she thought, 'what with erosion and everything, why does he stay here?'
As she was looking North, Grandfather came up behind her to answer her question. "I stay, because I have fought with the park service for my right to stay." His voice was warm, and cultured. Not quite what Cryn had in mind, but it was pleasantly surprising.
She turned to him with a slightly puzzled look, but first apologized for not introducing herself first. "I'm sorry, my name's Cathryn, or Cryn." She paused and continued, "how'd you kn…"
"Know that you were thinking about me so close to the canyon?" He chuckled. "Everyone who comes to see me stares at the distance between me and that wonderful canyon." He clasped her out stretched hand and continued. "You can call me Grandfather. I know you have no family left, so you can use me for a substitute." He smiled again, and Cryn felt strangely at ease. She liked this man, and trusted him though she wasn't entirely sure why. 'Well at least he'll be easy to talk to. Hopefully he is believing too.' She wanted this man…Grandfather, to help.
They entered the rustic and natural looking cabin. There was a deerskin bench in the middle of the single room and Grandfather motioned her to have a seat. Cat seemed content in a corner, looking at some handwritten books with great interest. Grandfather went to put a teakettle on the stove in a kitchen that was simply another corner of the room, by the fireplace. As she looked about the rest of the cabin, it gave her the impression of simplistic elegance. There was a double bed in the corner, a table between her and another chair and various cabinets and pantries around the other walls. A beautifully decorated, porcupine quill box sat in the middle of the coffee table. She resisted the urge to touch and open the box, and tried to satisfy herself with only looking at it.
"I fear my dear, that you'll have to use the outhouse instead of a bathroom. The canyon being so near and all, I couldn't put in a septic system even if I wanted to." Grandfather broke her mental studies.
"Oh, that's fine. I couldn't see it any other way." Cryn replied. She liked the cabin. It was so cozy and…warm. It gave her an unexplained sense of ease and protection. Just like Grandfather.
"So, why has this journey brought you here, my child?" He sauntered to an opposite chair to her and started a pipe that surprisingly smelled lovely.
Cryn took a deep breath and decided to test the waters. She started rubbing her hands slowly out in front of her.
"I've had some periodic episodes of insomnia. Or, at least I think I'm going to sleep, but the moment I close my eyes, it is time for me to rise again. I am left with only fleeting memories of these nights and a nagging at the back of my head during the day when I encounter certain coincidental situations or even conversations." Cryn looked up at Grandfather to see his initial reaction. He nodded and motioned for her to continue.
She sucked in a deep breath and started again, "There was a man who came to where I work yesterday. He came… in the morning. I had just opened shop and…" Cryn blanked. "Well, then the next thing I remember is that man talking to me in the afternoon. Late afternoon." Cryn concentrated on her memory for anything else, but was interrupted by Grandfather. "My dear, you were visited by a creature not of this world. Cat and I both felt his presence, though I am uncertain of his true agenda, I know he did not mean you any harm. He was looking for something else.
Cryn listened intently with a furrowed brow. 'Creature not of this world?' she thought to herself, and while Grandfather attended to the whistling teakettle she replied, "He was there the whole time I was out, and...he had the oddest aura about him, if you could call it that."
Grandfather seemed to understand everything she was trying to say. "He was observing you. Nothing more. I sensed his curiosity. He had an object that affected you. It seems he was giving you a test of some sort."
He poured the water over the tea strainer on top of the two mugs and brought them over. "Sugar or cream?" he inquired.
"Thank you" Cryn replied but blinked her eyes in search of her memory. 'An object…' She couldn't recall any object. "Grandfather, I don't recall anything out of the ordinary other than him and the loss of that day."
He nodded again and closed his eyes. "There is a Great Spirit calling to you Cryn. That man had some sort of knowledge of this Spirit and knew of a way to spark a reaction. Perhaps he just wondered if it were you that the Spirit was calling to."
"Oh." Was all she could say. She took a long sip of her tea. It was incredibly good. "How do you know? I mean, how do you know if that is all he wanted, or if it was this…Spirit" She had to push out the final word. Her doubts of such entities pulling through.
Grandfather chuckled once again and took a long drag on his pipe. "Well My Dear, I can sense many emotions and intentions of many creatures. There is a field that surrounds us and connects us all in a way. It affects everyone differently and some creatures are more sensitive to it than others. Most all the animals can, at some level, utilize this field. But most humans are too loud to hear anyone but himself or herself. That's why I like it out here. It is quiet and undisturbed. I can sense many things here."
Cat nodded in the background but continued in his readings (or rather 'lookings'), confident that Grandfather would help his friend.
They talked for another few hours, about mind and body, mind and spirit. Cryn couldn't believe how readily she was receiving it all. Or at least wasn't initially rejecting it all at once. It was so…against science.
Before they had finished, Cryn was delighted when Grandfather motioned her to the decorated box in the middle of table. She gently reached for it and opened the hinged top. Inside was a myriad of various things. All were beautiful and enchanting. Some held a native flair, and others were simply mysterious. She picked out a little bag, and by the weight, overturned the contents into her hand.
Grandfather was watching her carefully, but encouraged her on as she looked for his approval in handling his possessions. She held the bag's contents up to the light and smiled at their tiny bodies. They were all stones, some round, some rough, others terribly irregular, and a couple where slightly transparent, but all where beautiful in color and appearance.
Grandfather broke the silence first, "You may keep what you have chosen. They are comfort stones." He examined his pipe and brought a match up to re-light it. "They really aren't anything incredibly unique, almost every culture has a counterpart to it. If you have any worries or troubles, simply choose a stone that strikes you as best fitting for the problem and separate it from the others. Keep it upon your person, but separate from the bag, and it will assist in ridding you of that worry." He chuckled, "I'd guarantee about 70% effectiveness."
Cryn smiled back and put the stones back into the pouch. She treasured the gift and placed it in her pocket. "Thank you." Was all she needed to say. He nodded and went to the kitchen for some more tea.
As the sun was setting, Cryn took a break and ventured out doors. Grandfather was teaching Cat some meditation techniques or whatnot, and so she decided on a walk so as to not disturb them. Before she left, she grabbed her bag out of her Alero and fumbled with it for her sketchbook. And though she finally raslled it out, she decided to keep it in the protective innards of her bag until she found a suitable spot.
The sunset was magnificent, and she felt drawn to the canyon to watch it finally set. The ledge was about 50 feet in front of her and stretched east to west. She sat down cross-legged (still a bit away from the actual ledge), to watch the outer light dip into the canyon before totally disappearing. Of course she wouldn't stare directly at the sun, but the outlying colors were fantastic. Feeling enchanted by the evening, she kept her bag on her back as she sat down for a little extra sitting support.
The yellows turned to oranges to reds and to purples and the temperature dropped fast. She sat there, absorbed in the still beauty around her, and only slightly feeling the time tick by. As the last of the color slipped entirely out of sight, she shed her light coating of the night dew that fell with the rapid temperature change. Cryn stood and gazed at all the stars that had exploded out across the sky all at once. The night was crystal clear, and there wasn't an obstruction or any light pollution to spoil her view. It was strangely familiar. She blinked and cocked her head to the side and for a brief second, wondered why she couldn't focus on a star.
Her body felt light, and her mind in a strange, happy calm. A southern breeze at her back broke her wonderment. It was soothing breeze still warm from the land relinquishing its daytime heat. She leaned her back into it, allowing wisps of her brunette hair to wrap her face. She was vaguely glad that her backpack hung from her shoulders and weighted her down. She felt as if she would blow with the breeze if it wasn't there to stable her.
As the breeze grew, she followed its gentle push north, towards the canyon. Spreading her arms out with fingers outstretched, she reached the edge of a sheer but beautiful drop. She smiled at her perspective and the unreal space sprawling just past her feet. 'It is so beautiful here. How can anything be as wondrous as this canyon?' She never noticed her thoughts were slowing.
As the breeze became a wind, she turned to face the oncoming rush of air, totally immersed in the sensation of it caressing her face and body. Her heels brushed some pebbles over the edge, cascading down into darkness.
Back in the cabin, Cat and Grandfather snapped their eyes open simultaneously. As nimble as felines they leaped to the cabin door and around to face the canyon.
Cat screamed Cryn's name, but the growing wind drowned out his warning pleas.
Cryn did see them running towards her, but she only smiled at her friends. There were whispers in her ear. Not understandable, but encouraging. Comforting.
As the southern wind grew to it's final climax, Cryn blew with it, over the edge of the Grand Canyon. Nothing and Everything moved. Silent and blissful, she hovered and plunged into the well of darkness with a seemingly endless bottom.