DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and
owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by
Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is
intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot
elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the
movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively.
Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It
is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it
was intended to be.
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN
By Kevin Haynes
CHAPTER 2
Tia was feeling much more optimistic within hours of returning to Witch Mountain. While she still carried some concern for Tony's well being, he seemed like his old self immediately upon touching down. After the weekend they had had, the best possible therapy for him was to be with his own people, where he could be himself, as well as to be away from the city. When they were younger, Tony seemed to adapt to city life much better than Tia did, but after living on Witch Mountain, both were now much more comfortable in the great outdoors. Nature - trees, plants, animals . in fact, all living things - were so much a part of them, and always had been. Now they could just enjoy that every day without having to explain to humans why they were able to adapt to nature much more easily than other people on earth.
Another thing Tia noticed was that Tony seemed to be much more sure of his "other-worldly" abilities after returning from the city. He was able to use his mind to move much heavier objects than he had ever attempted without his harmonica. He spoke more with her without using his voice than he ever had before. She also noticed that he seemed to almost relish being with others and helping whenever possible.
One night, after the evening meal, Tony excused himself to go sit outside. Tia waited a few minutes and then followed him. They shared a dwelling with Uncle Bené and his sister Bria, whom they affectionately called "Aunt Bri." Tony was sitting on a fairly large rock a short ways down the path that led to their dwelling. His back was to her, and he was watching the nearly full moon as it rose over the trees. The moon cast a quiet glow over the woodland on Witch Mountain. Tia enjoyed the sight as well. In fact, she never got tired of it.
Afraid of disturbing him, she "whispered" his name. It was her people's mental version of gently tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention - it wasn't intrusive, but let someone know you were there. Tony didn't turn around at all, and his lips didn't move, but Tia heard him say, "Come on over, sis."
"Did you know I was coming out here?" she asked him silently.
He smiled, still not looking at her, and said, "I could actually sense you've been wanting to get me alone for a while now."
Tia's brow knotted as she shot back, "I wasn't that obvious, was I?"
He actually laughed and said, "Not really. Come on over. We need to talk."
As she sat on the large boulder next to him, she blurted out, "Tony, are you OK? I've been so concerned about you!" She mentally kicked herself. That wasn't how she wanted to begin the conversation! But, if anyone knew her and her emotional impulsiveness, it was her brother.
He rested his hand on hers and said, "It's okay, Tia. You had a right to be concerned. Despite the way things turned out, who wouldn't be messed up by all that Dr. Gannon and Letha did? I mean, they controlled my mind, kidnapped me, made me fight you." At this point he quit talking, and Tia saw a tear make his way down his face.
She leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Oh Tony, it's really alright! I know you didn't mean to do any of it, and I don't think you could have really hurt me if you had wanted to! I just know you, know your heart, and I believe you could not have really hurt me."
Tony was sobbing now. He could hardly speak. "Maybe, Tia. Maybe. But all I can remember is the look of absolute fear on your face as I almost crushed you! Oh, how can you forgive me? How can you trust me? You should be scared of me!" He began crying even harder.
What Tia did next she didn't expect to do. She didn't even know how she had done it. When she had finally found Tony and broke the control Dr. Gannon had over him, as she and Tony touched they exchanged thoughts - there was no other way to describe it. He saw mental pictures of what she had been through, and she saw his memories as well. It was instantaneous, and unprecedented. They had never exchanged memories like that, and hadn't heard of anyone in their group who had.
However, it happened again as Tia sat there. As she hugged Tony, she just wanted to comfort him, hold him, help him know for sure that it was OK. And that's what she did. The only way she could describe it was like giving someone a mental "hug." She wrapped her thoughts around him just as her arms were wrapped around him. She felt his pain and his fear. And, like water being poured over a candle, she extinguished the fear and pain. She actually saw them begin to subside, felt herself reassuring Tony that all was forgiven and that she not only trusted him but also loved him.
Tony was blown away. He had never felt anything so deep or profound. It was like the best memories of his life were rolled up into one wonderful moment. He felt as if his heart had been gashed, just like he had torn open his knee when he first tried to ride a bike, and Tia was gently rubbing ointment on the wound, and it was getting better, just as his knee felt so much better under Granny Malone's gentle ministrations.
His crying subsided, and they were surrounded by silence. More than silence - it was peace. The first peace Tony had felt since they had left Witch Mountain for the city. He was safe, protected, and home.
After sharing the wonderful silence and just being together, they began to talk. Tony wanted to describe the change that had taken place in him. Always an optimist, Tony had found some good from the horrible time they had in the city, even though he almost hated to admit it. He had discovered that being under Dr. Gannon's hypnotic control had opened up possibilities to Tony that he had never considered. After Jason O'Day had helped them get to Witch Mountain, Tony began to grow and improve in his abilities. Soon he had been able to do many things without his harmonica that he had never attempted without it before.
But he still was afraid of trying new things. After years of living with humans who made fun of you if you were different, he was afraid, even with his own people, of trying new "abilities" out. For example, what if he tried to lift a heavy object with his mind, and couldn't do it? What would his people think of him? So he had forced himself to be content with what he could do, even though deep inside he really wasn't.
Dr. Gannon changed all of that. He forced Tony to go beyond his own preconceived abilities. Under the doctor's power, Tony had moved and levitated all kinds of things. He moved railroad cars and buses. He magnified the sun's light. At the museum he had "energized" dozens of things at once and never lost track of any of them. He had levitated thousands of pounds of gold. And he had contacted Tia telepathically over a very long distance and led her to him. At the power plant he had lifted objects heavier than he had ever attempted before, and without effort.
Once he was out of Dr. Gannon's control, Tony had begun to think about all he had done. While he was wracked with guilt over the thought of helping an evil man and trying to hurt his own sister, he was amazed at the abilities that apparently had been in him all along. So, when they returned to Witch Mountain, he had resolved to not hold back anymore. At all. If someone needed help with something, he would help. If he attempted something and wasn't able to do it, then it would be a lesson learned. But he would never know unless he tried.
And after almost losing his freedom and his sister, he had determined to appreciate those in his life like never before. He didn't want to ever take a day for granted again, nor any person for that matter. He found that he now relished the small things - hearing Aunt Bri sing to herself as she prepared breakfast for all of them; watching Tia try to communicate with every squirrel she could see all at one time; greeting people from Home and talking with them. He didn't want to ever feel that he had wasted the opportunity to appreciate anything in his life.
After talking deep into the night, Tony and Tia finally headed to bed. That night, Tony slept like a baby. And he greeted each new day as if it was a great big gift waiting to be unwrapped. The bond that Tony and Tia shared grew even stronger, if that were possible. They became inseparable and talked about everything. Life was finally as it should be.
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN
By Kevin Haynes
CHAPTER 2
Tia was feeling much more optimistic within hours of returning to Witch Mountain. While she still carried some concern for Tony's well being, he seemed like his old self immediately upon touching down. After the weekend they had had, the best possible therapy for him was to be with his own people, where he could be himself, as well as to be away from the city. When they were younger, Tony seemed to adapt to city life much better than Tia did, but after living on Witch Mountain, both were now much more comfortable in the great outdoors. Nature - trees, plants, animals . in fact, all living things - were so much a part of them, and always had been. Now they could just enjoy that every day without having to explain to humans why they were able to adapt to nature much more easily than other people on earth.
Another thing Tia noticed was that Tony seemed to be much more sure of his "other-worldly" abilities after returning from the city. He was able to use his mind to move much heavier objects than he had ever attempted without his harmonica. He spoke more with her without using his voice than he ever had before. She also noticed that he seemed to almost relish being with others and helping whenever possible.
One night, after the evening meal, Tony excused himself to go sit outside. Tia waited a few minutes and then followed him. They shared a dwelling with Uncle Bené and his sister Bria, whom they affectionately called "Aunt Bri." Tony was sitting on a fairly large rock a short ways down the path that led to their dwelling. His back was to her, and he was watching the nearly full moon as it rose over the trees. The moon cast a quiet glow over the woodland on Witch Mountain. Tia enjoyed the sight as well. In fact, she never got tired of it.
Afraid of disturbing him, she "whispered" his name. It was her people's mental version of gently tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention - it wasn't intrusive, but let someone know you were there. Tony didn't turn around at all, and his lips didn't move, but Tia heard him say, "Come on over, sis."
"Did you know I was coming out here?" she asked him silently.
He smiled, still not looking at her, and said, "I could actually sense you've been wanting to get me alone for a while now."
Tia's brow knotted as she shot back, "I wasn't that obvious, was I?"
He actually laughed and said, "Not really. Come on over. We need to talk."
As she sat on the large boulder next to him, she blurted out, "Tony, are you OK? I've been so concerned about you!" She mentally kicked herself. That wasn't how she wanted to begin the conversation! But, if anyone knew her and her emotional impulsiveness, it was her brother.
He rested his hand on hers and said, "It's okay, Tia. You had a right to be concerned. Despite the way things turned out, who wouldn't be messed up by all that Dr. Gannon and Letha did? I mean, they controlled my mind, kidnapped me, made me fight you." At this point he quit talking, and Tia saw a tear make his way down his face.
She leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Oh Tony, it's really alright! I know you didn't mean to do any of it, and I don't think you could have really hurt me if you had wanted to! I just know you, know your heart, and I believe you could not have really hurt me."
Tony was sobbing now. He could hardly speak. "Maybe, Tia. Maybe. But all I can remember is the look of absolute fear on your face as I almost crushed you! Oh, how can you forgive me? How can you trust me? You should be scared of me!" He began crying even harder.
What Tia did next she didn't expect to do. She didn't even know how she had done it. When she had finally found Tony and broke the control Dr. Gannon had over him, as she and Tony touched they exchanged thoughts - there was no other way to describe it. He saw mental pictures of what she had been through, and she saw his memories as well. It was instantaneous, and unprecedented. They had never exchanged memories like that, and hadn't heard of anyone in their group who had.
However, it happened again as Tia sat there. As she hugged Tony, she just wanted to comfort him, hold him, help him know for sure that it was OK. And that's what she did. The only way she could describe it was like giving someone a mental "hug." She wrapped her thoughts around him just as her arms were wrapped around him. She felt his pain and his fear. And, like water being poured over a candle, she extinguished the fear and pain. She actually saw them begin to subside, felt herself reassuring Tony that all was forgiven and that she not only trusted him but also loved him.
Tony was blown away. He had never felt anything so deep or profound. It was like the best memories of his life were rolled up into one wonderful moment. He felt as if his heart had been gashed, just like he had torn open his knee when he first tried to ride a bike, and Tia was gently rubbing ointment on the wound, and it was getting better, just as his knee felt so much better under Granny Malone's gentle ministrations.
His crying subsided, and they were surrounded by silence. More than silence - it was peace. The first peace Tony had felt since they had left Witch Mountain for the city. He was safe, protected, and home.
After sharing the wonderful silence and just being together, they began to talk. Tony wanted to describe the change that had taken place in him. Always an optimist, Tony had found some good from the horrible time they had in the city, even though he almost hated to admit it. He had discovered that being under Dr. Gannon's hypnotic control had opened up possibilities to Tony that he had never considered. After Jason O'Day had helped them get to Witch Mountain, Tony began to grow and improve in his abilities. Soon he had been able to do many things without his harmonica that he had never attempted without it before.
But he still was afraid of trying new things. After years of living with humans who made fun of you if you were different, he was afraid, even with his own people, of trying new "abilities" out. For example, what if he tried to lift a heavy object with his mind, and couldn't do it? What would his people think of him? So he had forced himself to be content with what he could do, even though deep inside he really wasn't.
Dr. Gannon changed all of that. He forced Tony to go beyond his own preconceived abilities. Under the doctor's power, Tony had moved and levitated all kinds of things. He moved railroad cars and buses. He magnified the sun's light. At the museum he had "energized" dozens of things at once and never lost track of any of them. He had levitated thousands of pounds of gold. And he had contacted Tia telepathically over a very long distance and led her to him. At the power plant he had lifted objects heavier than he had ever attempted before, and without effort.
Once he was out of Dr. Gannon's control, Tony had begun to think about all he had done. While he was wracked with guilt over the thought of helping an evil man and trying to hurt his own sister, he was amazed at the abilities that apparently had been in him all along. So, when they returned to Witch Mountain, he had resolved to not hold back anymore. At all. If someone needed help with something, he would help. If he attempted something and wasn't able to do it, then it would be a lesson learned. But he would never know unless he tried.
And after almost losing his freedom and his sister, he had determined to appreciate those in his life like never before. He didn't want to ever take a day for granted again, nor any person for that matter. He found that he now relished the small things - hearing Aunt Bri sing to herself as she prepared breakfast for all of them; watching Tia try to communicate with every squirrel she could see all at one time; greeting people from Home and talking with them. He didn't want to ever feel that he had wasted the opportunity to appreciate anything in his life.
After talking deep into the night, Tony and Tia finally headed to bed. That night, Tony slept like a baby. And he greeted each new day as if it was a great big gift waiting to be unwrapped. The bond that Tony and Tia shared grew even stronger, if that were possible. They became inseparable and talked about everything. Life was finally as it should be.