Destiny's Gate (15 page)

Thinking fast on my feet, I responded, “Must be women’s intuition. I hadn’t seen Dexter for awhile and decided to check in on
him.”

Grandma left the foyer without waiting for any further
explanation.

Reflecting on our conversation, I watched, horrified, as the brass doorknob turned to the left and the door creaked open. I froze and my heart skipped a beat until I saw Dexter’s wife poke her head back inside and whispered, “Paige, I must speak with you at once. Meet me at the guest house. You are in danger, all of you.” She slammed the door
shut.

On auto-pilot, I ran to the kitchen, grabbed my jacket off the coat rack and raced through the kitchen door. I did not stop to answer Hanna as she asked me where I was
headed.

Trudging through the snow banks to the guest house was treacherous. The stone bridge was icy. I managed to hold onto the concrete railing to avoid slipping. Yet, there was the blonde woman standing outside Dexter’s temporary residence, in the snowfall, with a black lab seated beside her. Not sure if the dog was friendly, I called out to the woman asking her what she wanted. She said not to mind the dog, she was friendly, and asked me to come inside and she would explain. I was a bit hesitant returning to the scene where Dexter’s bloodied body had lain, but gathered my courage and boldly stepped
inside.

“Paige, I’m Dexter’s wife. I mean was...Delia is my name. Before Dexter died, he told me about some of the events of the past month or so and said he was influenced by a dark power that he could not control. He also confessed that he attempted to harm you and your family as forced to by this entity. Whatever or whomever that dark soul is...it has probably found its way into another unsuspecting human body. You must not trust anyone on the estate right now. Even coming to see me could have put your life in danger. I had to warn you before the funeral. Make sure that Peggy and Carole attend tomorrow so they can help protect you. I spoke to Peggy and asked her to come. Say your protection prayers, Paige. And keep saying them until you fall asleep. Include your family in the prayers as well. None of us are safe now.” Delia paused and put her hand on my right
shoulder.

I was grateful that Delia was such a kind soul who should have been worrying more about herself and her situation than about me or my family. Impulsively, I scanned the dog’s eyes and noticed flecks of red and stepped
back.

“Don’t worry, Paige, Trixie won’t bite. She has always had reddish looking eyes. That does not mean she has the devil inside. Bye for now.” And the two disappeared into the
forest.

A cold breeze blew over me. Shivering, I turned on my heels in the direction of the manor. Disbelieving my own eyes, there, before me, stood Dexter on the stone bridge.
How could this possibly be? I mean, he just died, did he not?
Rubbing my eyes, heart pounding and beads of sweat dripping from my forehead, I knew something supernatural was
happening.

Dexter smiled at me and said, “I am thrilled you finally met the love of my life. Delia was so good to me. She will be a good friend to you, Paige. I am eternally sorry for trying to harm you and your grandparents. I wasn’t in my right mind. You have to understand. I was the protector of the estate and somewhere along the line, grew resentful being the servant of sorts and of all the material things your family has. I was filled with jealousy and rage. I should have known something negative was influencing me. My thoughts turned dark — that’s not me. I only wish I had seen this
coming.”

“How did you die, Dexter?” I asked, hands
shaking.

“Something evil is coming to the manor and it’s bigger than even I can comprehend.” Sadly, Dexter started to fade away. His last words were, “Keep in touch with Peggy and Grey Owl. They will know what to
do.”

I fell to my knees and shuddered from the fear of Dexter’s warning. Hearing a noise in the bushes, I glanced up directly into Blue-Eyes’ face. It was all too much for me and I passed
out.

I awoke to nudging on my backside. Goosebumps raged from head to toe and I dreaded to see what stood behind me. Then I heard a low growl and instinctively huddled in a fetal position, covering my head. I did not want to turn around but the suspense was more than I could bear; I stole a look behind me. There sat Dexter’s dog, Trixie. She rested her head on my stomach and I began to pet her. This was not what I had expected in my chaotic life right now; it seemed I had two new friends. Thrilled as I was, I knew I had to hurry back to my parents. Trixie accompanied me all the way home. She seemed kind, although it struck me as odd that I would consider a dog, kind. It was almost as if she had human qualities but that was silly.
A dog is just a dog,
right?

As I opened the kitchen door to the manor, I looked down expecting to smile at Trixie but was disappointed; she had vanished. I did not see her tracks in the snow either, and wondered,
was she really here with me at all?
Mom helped me in through the door and asked what I was doing outside when I was supposed to be asleep in my bedroom. I shivered and ignored the question. She helped me take off my jacket and led me into the living room where we sat on the elongated couch together, my head on mom’s shoulder and her arm intertwined with mine. Dad walked into the room and grabbed a throw blanket, carefully wrapped it around us and slipped out of the room again. I would cherish this moment for days to come. It was so nice that we did not have to exchange words to know exactly how we were feeling, thankful to have each other to love and lean
on.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Funeral

That night as I lay in bed, it seemed like my heart jumped into my throat. I wanted to cry so desperately but lacked the energy. I felt partly relieved Dexter was gone and felt guilty for that, especially when I thought of Delia and Trixie. I had to remind myself that Dexter was under another’s dark and powerful influence. He was, in fact, a true family friend and hero. After all, we had survived the attack over
Halloween.

My mind wandered to what was coming and my breathing grew shallow. The familiar tightness in my chest returned and I dreaded the evil soon to be revealed. The word
stop
exploded in my mind which caught me off guard. Thankfully, I remembered meditation techniques from my old gym teacher in Scarborough. I took slow, deep breaths, counting one to four on the way in, hold one to four, and exhaled one to four, out through my mouth. I visualized a white, sandy beach with turquoise water and four pelicans coasting, one behind the other, slightly above the waterline. Slowly my body began to relax. At the time of learning this technique, I had labelled our teacher super lame.
Oh, how I would like to thank him
now
!

I fell into a troubled sleep with visions of Dexter lying in a pool of blood and Trixie barking nonstop next to him. I woke up to the feeling of sandpaper scratching my hand as it dangled over the edge of the bed. Beads of perspiration dripped onto my sheets. As I rolled over and peeked under the bed, I spied Trixie’s brown and red flecked eyes reflected in the darkness, and zoned out again. When I stirred the next morning, it startled me to think Trixie was in my room. Jumping out of bed to look underneath it, I spotted a pool of water. Trixie had been here after all and that made me feel comforted and so
happy.

Footsteps entered the room and I heard, “Paige, what are you doing under your bed? We have to get dressed for the funeral and you need to eat something first. We don’t want you passing out on us from lack of food, do we?” asked Hanna warmly. “Everyone is sitting at the dining room table. I will get your breakfast while you dress, okay?” Hanna waited patiently for my
answer.

Looking up, I nodded in agreement. Hanna whistled an upbeat tune as she headed back towards the kitchen. I could hear her footsteps echo in the corridor and remembered how lucky I was that she had my back. Mere months ago, I did not even know Hanna. She had become part of my inner circle despite the bumps in our relationship along the
way.

I threw on my comfy pink flannel robe, bolted to the dining room and came to an abrupt halt. Delia was seated at the head of the table with Trixie obediently at her side. Thrilled my family took Delia and Trixie in, I wondered again why we had not met sooner. It did not make sense,
somehow.

“Paige, so glad you’re up. We all need to eat something before this day begins. We’re pleased Delia and Trixie are here with us.” Grandpa looked down and smiled at the black lab who was obviously pleased as she wagged her tail enthusiastically. “Now we all need to support one another today. It’s not going to be easy. We miss Dexter terribly, Delia, but we cannot imagine how hard it must be for you, his wife. You are more than welcome to stay with us for a few days. I know your family lives in England and cannot attend. Please know we are all here for
you.”

Delia began to
cry.

“Here you go, Delia,” said Hanna, handing her a box of Kleenex. “You are not
alone.”

Grabbing a tissue, Delia began, “I am so grateful for all of you...I have something I must say. After the funeral, I am going back home for awhile. I’ve already bought a one-way ticket. I haven’t seen my parents in ten years and they insisted I return home.” Delia wept dabbing her tears away, and then continued, “I have to ask a favour of you, which isn’t easy for me...I cannot take Trixie with me and was wondering...” She broke down again. “It won’t be...easy to leave her...behind.” Delia pet Trixie as she
spoke.

Grandma surprised me as she jumped in and said, “Of course, dear. We will be happy to look after Trixie. Paige will love the company too. You’ll help out, won’t you
dear?”

All eyes were upon me. I nodded in agreement, unsure if Trixie could be trusted. Everyone went back to eating the porridge Hanna had insisted on making; it was delicious, made with chopped dates, walnuts and apples. Pretty easy on the stomach, she pronounced, on such a stressful
day.

Trixie crawled under the table to sit beside me and I began to scratch her behind the ears. She loved it and kept pushing her head into my hand. I felt a huge sense of relief in the midst of everything because it suddenly hit me; Dexter had left his dog behind as my new protector. I was certain Trixie had some sort of perceptive abilities but to what extent, I did not know.
I mean, come on, this was Dexter’s
dog!

While dressing for the funeral, I realized this was the first one I would be attending. I did not know what to expect. The car ride was short to the Protestant Church and part of me switched to autopilot. We entered the vestibule, and I shivered, as I methodically took my jacket off and hung it on the coat rack. I hesitated before entering the threshold to the parlour room where Dexter’s remains were on display in an open casket. As I walked towards him to have one last look and say my goodbyes, I lowered my head. I did not want to see him, lifeless. It seemed like a barbaric tradition to me. When I looked up, I gasped aloud as there was Dexter standing to the right of his casket, smiling. It dawned on me...he was helping me again through one of the toughest experiences in my life so far. Mom looked at me and then to the direction I was staring and back again. She smiled. It was comforting for me to understand that once someone dies, their body remains behind — ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but the spirit or soul lives on. It seemed suddenly strange — mourning the dead when their spirit has been freed. Obviously, this could not be the normal perception of death as I noticed many mourners in the room who were crying as if they would never see him again. What a gift I had
received.

We were all herded into the main part of the church. As the minister approached the pulpit, I helped Delia to her seat in the front row and sat next to her. We held hands throughout the service. It felt great knowing I had helped her in a small way through her time of need, not only for her sake but for Dexter’s as
well.

It was not long after the funeral luncheon, in the basement of the church, when Delia stood and said she must go and collect her luggage. Dad insisted on driving her home and then to the local airport; however, Delia declined. I guessed this was something she needed to do alone. She waved goodbye through tears and great sadness, and I wondered when I would see Delia
again.

That night, Trixie dutifully stayed by my side and I felt overjoyed I had a new BFF (best friend forever). My grandparents retired early — no one could blame them. They had lost Dexter, their most trusted protector, or so they thought. Now it was up to Hanna and me to watch out for their best interests. My parents would be flying out the next day and would not be around to do anything else for them. Mom and dad were needed back in Italy and as much as I did not want them to leave, I knew they had to go. They said a heartfelt goodnight and I decided to take Trixie out for a walk on this dark, frigid night, accepting that no matter what the weather conditions were, dogs needed their
exercise.

As soon as we stepped out the back door, Trixie took off into the shadows. I was afraid she might hurt herself until Trixie returned with a stick in her mouth. Dexter must have played this game with her often. It was the best way to end such an emotional roller coaster of a day. I had to tussle with his playful dog to get the stick from her clenched teeth. Eventually Trixie relented and let me throw it for her. We played for half an hour until I felt frost-bitten, and had an ‘a-ha’ moment.
Trixie must feel the same way too — her paws!
After a bit of coaxing, I finally got her to follow me back inside and parked her on the kitchen mat. I found a raggedy looking towel in the hall closet and rushed to the dryer, threw it in to warm it up, and then wrapped it around Trixie’s feet. Hanna had placed an old, brown velour blanket next to the door, I assumed, for Trixie’s bed. It touched my heart that after all we had been through, she was thinking of the black lab. When I finally got Trixie to settle down on her new bed, it was not seconds before she jumped up and tagged along with me to my room. Her pleading, red flecked brown eyes convinced me to let her sleep on my bed. It was cozy. Perhaps she was my new good luck charm to prevent dark energies from haunting
me.

The next morning I rolled out of bed refreshed and energized until I remembered Dexter was gone. Funny how the mind can play tricks and make you think everything is as it was. I said a little prayer for the safe transition of Dexter to the Other Side. As I stretched, I was astonished to see the tanned face man with long black braided hair, and black vest and jeans, standing in my bathroom doorway. He was a spiritwalker and I did not understand what that was all about yet. Was he human, like me, or someone from the Other Side? I dropped onto the bed as he approached. Without words, I knew not to fear him, and the closer he drew near, the more peaceful I felt. He touched the top of my head like he was blessing me, and disappeared just as mom entered the room. She let out a
gasp.

“Paige, what just happened? You have a white feather on the top of your head. Where did it come from?” She placed her hand on her cheek in
confusion.

“I’m not sure, mom. Don’t worry. Probably something Trixie brought in last night — sorry...she slept with me. I don’t know where she is
now.”

“She’s in the living room, being spoiled by your grandparents. They love having the dog here although they’ll say it’s for your benefit.” Mom gave a half-hearted
laugh.

“Well, I’ve never slept better, so she must agree with me, too. How are you and dad about
it?”

“We are leaving today so we don’t have much of a say. As long as you are okay with it? Most of the responsibility will fall on your shoulders,
Paige.”

“I know. Forget the dog...I’m really sad you are going.” Tears filled my eyes and even I was surprised by
it.

Mom sat next to me on the bed, wrapping her arms around me. “Don’t worry, Paige, we’ll be back at Christmas. I promise you. I’m hoping for a week. We’ll have to see about your dad’s obligations.” Her eyes welled
up.

Dad waltzed in and announced, “I knew the two of you would be in here together! Let me join in.” He pushed us both back on the bed and sprawled on top of us, mainly on mom. We all laughed. “The Maddisons — together again! Don’t worry, dear, we’ll be back in less than a month. Don’t get all emotional today. Ummm…sorry. That was rather insensitive of me considering Dexter…” Dad trailed
off.

We had a moment of silence until Trixie burst into the room. She certainly had perfect timing. We slid onto the floor and surrounded her, sitting upright, legs outstretched in V-formation, our feet touching. It was a triangle of love surrounding Trixie and she was thrilled, as she rolled around on her back and one by one, we each gave her a belly rub. It was just what we needed...to honour her
master.

Later that night, as I reflected on the day and the embarrassing outburst of emotion when I kissed and hugged my parents goodbye, Trixie jumped up on the bed beside me and lay down with her back flat against mine. It was a comforting moment in troubled
times.