Echoes of the Past (8 page)

“How did you know
that? My family isn’t even certain it’s true. If I have any Native American
blood, it’s pretty diluted. According to family history, we had an ancestor who
was Nanticoke from North Carolina. He escaped to Canada with his brother during
the Revolutionary War.”

The old man smiled
and nodded his head.

“Your family spoke
the truth. The spirits talk to me.
Now.
Tell me why
you’re upset.” The command in the elder’s voice was subtle, but Tony heard it
and found himself relaying all the details of the strange things that had
happened to him since arriving at the resort.

Chapter
Four

Tony finished
relating the erotic dreams, nightmares, and visions of the woman walking along
the lake. Joseph nodded his head and pursed his lips. There wasn’t any sign of
surprise or incredulity on his face.

“You came to the
lake as a child, did you not?”

“I did. That’s where
my fascination with the lake all started. Every year as a kid, we’d come from
Toronto to spend two weeks camping on the sandbanks. The summer the first
winery opened on the island, my folks decided to check it out. We found the Lake
of the Mountain by accident. My mother loved it, and after that year, we came
at least once a summer just to look at the water. She was an artist. Her
painting of the lake is my most prized possession.”

Tony didn’t want to
talk about the past. He wanted Joseph’s take on the present, but he knew the
old man couldn’t be hurried. He sipped the last of the bitter tea Maggie had
brought him, surprised to discover it had eased his headache.

“This stuff works.
Thanks.”

“The old ways are
still often the best. Tell me what happened when you fell into the lake as a
child.”

“How did you know
about that?” Tony’s brow furrowed. He’d never told anyone about his frightening
encounter. Talking to Joseph was only slightly less confusing than everything
else happening to him.

Joseph smiled. “I
told you. The spirits talk to me.”

“The lake called to
me as much as it did to my mother.” Tony chuckled. “My dad wasn’t quite as
impressed with the place, but he’d do anything to make her happy. I’d heard the
stories about sea monsters, and I wanted to see one so badly. One day, I was
out canoeing with my cousin Joe, and we were fooling around. We decided to tip
the canoes and flip them the way we’d learned to do at summer camp. I swear I
felt something touch my leg when I went underwater. It wasn’t a fish. It almost
felt like hands trying to pull me down, and it scared the bejesus out of me. I
know now it was probably some water plant, but I got back in that canoe faster
than I would have thought possible. When we got back to shore, my mother
thought I had sunstroke. I was pale, wet, and clammy. I never took a canoe out
on the lake again, and I didn’t swim in it either, not even where I could touch
bottom. I’m not a strong swimmer. I had nightmares of drowning for weeks after.
Mom died that winter, and I didn’t come back to the island until the summer
before I left to start my graduate studies out west.”

He ran his hand
through his hair, unable to keep his frustration at bay any longer.

“What does any of
this have to do with what’s happening to me now?”

“Patience,
my son.
Before a doctor
diagnoses an illness, he needs to know all the symptoms. Indulge me.”

There was kindness
and understanding in Joseph’s eyes, and Tony relaxed. Maybe he wasn’t crazy. It
didn’t seem as if Joseph thought so.

Tony stood. He
couldn’t sit still any longer. He walked over to the window and watched the
rain pound against it. He turned back to the room. Joseph sat as he had all
through his story. The old man hadn’t moved and reminded Tony of a beautifully
carved statue he’d seen at the Museum of Civilization in Ottawa.

“I’d decided to
study hydrology and came back to visit Uncle Pierce to say goodbye. I knew the
lake and I were connected somehow. I thought I’d either find the monster
located on the bottom, or discover the water’s source. I never thought I’d end
up with two dead students and my career in jeopardy. Despite everything, the
lake still calls to me as if it’s alive. Damn it, Joseph. I feel like I’m going
crazy, and this morning’s hallucination is the icing on the cake.”

“You aren’t going
crazy. Everything is happening as it should. Tell me what happened this
morning.”

Tony laughed
ruefully. “I guess I should since it’s the real reason I’m here.” He described
the vision he’d had. “She spoke to me. I’m sure she’s never said a word in any
of the dreams I’ve had.”

Joseph was alert,
suddenly animated. “What did she say? Can you remember the words?”

“I can. It’s as if
they’re seared on my mind. I have an ear for languages. I almost became a
linguist instead of a scientist. She touched my lips and said
Tohsa
sata
:ti
.
Then she touched my ears and uttered the word,
Satahon'satat
.
Finally, she said
Senehia
:rak
Eniorhen'ne
iotohetston
nen:tie
.
Senehia
:rak
.
Does it mean
anything, or is it all gibberish?”

Joseph grinned and
rubbed the palms of his hands together in satisfaction. He looked like someone
who’d just heard great news.

Glad he’s excited about it. I suppose one of
us should be.

“It isn’t gibberish.
It’s Mohawk, pronounced in the old way. It means be quiet and listen. Remember.
Tomorrow afternoon. Remember. Did she say anything else?”

“What the hell does
that mean? Be quiet and listen, I’d figured out for myself. Tomorrow afternoon?
What’s going to happen tomorrow afternoon? Remember? Remember what? Yeah, she
said one more thing. I asked her name. She answered
Tayouroughay
. Is that a name or
something else?”

The elder threw back
his head and laughed. Anger rose in Tony.

“Look, this isn’t a
joke. Two kids are dead, and I’m losing my mind. The mayor thinks I had
something to do with their deaths. What the hell’s going on?” He realized his
voice was loud in the silence of the room, and felt his cheeks heat. The last
thing he needed was Mike and Maggie running in to defend their father against a
lunatic.

Joseph sobered. “No,
it isn’t a joke. It’s a sad and serious thing, but it’s also an old man’s most
cherished dream come true. Let me tell you a story.” He raised his hand before
Tony could interrupt. “I believe all your questions will be answered. Now sit.
Be quiet and listen. Remember.”

Tony shivered as
Joseph’s words echoed those the woman had spoken.

Joseph spoke, and
the hypnotic quality of his voice forced Tony to listen attentively.

“Long ago one of the
Mohawk gods, Sky Woman, lived high above the land, came to earth, and gave
birth to a daughter. Sadly, the child didn’t survive. In her grief, Sky Woman
buried the child, and from the child’s body sprung The Three Sisters, Corn,
Beans, and Squash, the great providers of life.

“The Three Sisters
chose to remain here and dwell in the special waters of
Onokenoga
—the
Lake of the Gods. The Mohawk people visited the lake often, making sacrifices,
offering thanks for the bountiful harvest, and requesting things like plenty of
fish and game. The Three Sisters answered their prayers and carried others up
to Manitou, the Great Creator.

“There was a chief
whose daughter was envied by all the other maidens. She was tall and gracious
with raven hair and kind eyes. Every brave wanted her for his bride. One brave,
Annosothka
, wanted her and went out of his way to please
her father. At first, the suit found favor with the chief’s daughter, but one
day when she was in the woods, she came upon an injured stranger, who called to
her heart, but he was her tribe’s sworn enemy. She nursed him, and they fell in
love. He would not leave the island without her, and eventually, he was
captured by the tribe and tortured.

“During the night,
she released the prisoner, and they made plans to leave the island together the
following night. They were to meet near the edge of the lake where the
waterfall went down the cliff side. The following evening, her father announced
he’d given her hand to
Annosothka
. There was no way
she could be the bride of any man, but Gowanda, her lover. She fled the village
to meet him and escape, but her uncle and new husband chased her out onto the
lake where she threw herself into the water and was swept over the waterfall.
Gowanda saw his love in the grips of the water and tried to save her, but The
Three Sisters pulled the enemy down into the depths of the water. Even in
death, their spirits were kept apart, and they have sought one another ever
since. Family lore says the maiden was from my clan. I have begged the spirits
to release her for years. The maiden’s name was
Tayouroughay
.”

Despair gripped Tony
as he realized what Joseph had said.

“She’s dead? The
woman I’ve been seeing on the beach and dreaming of really is a ghost?”
But I love her,
his heart cried out.

“She is.” Joseph’s
voice was sympathetic. “She comes to you as a messenger for The Three Sisters.
The spirits need your help. They spared you that day in the lake because they
knew this day would come. No one escapes their grip unless they release them.
Tell me, Professor, do you believe in reincarnation?”

* * * *

Michelle swallowed another mouthful of the bitter coffee she
didn’t really want in an effort to stave off the inevitable.

“Aren’t you finished yet? I’ve never seen you have three
cups of coffee at supper—even if it is decaf.”

Realizing she had no other choice, Michelle picked up her
cup, drained it, and stood to put on her coat.

“Dinner’s on you since this is your idea.”

Tasha smiled and reached for the check. She opened her purse
and pulled out the hot pink wallet Michelle had given her for her birthday last
June.

“Fine by me.
It’s stopped raining.
We can walk to the shop quicker than if we go back to the car and try to find
another parking space.”

Michelle nodded and waited for Tasha to settle the bill. It may
have stopped raining, but the temperature was unseasonably cold and the winds
strong. She zipped her jacket and wrapped the ivory scarf around her neck. She
put on the matching beret and donned her kidskin gloves.

“It’s ridiculous to have to bundle up like this. It’s only
the end of October. The kids will freeze trick or treating next Thursday
night.” Tasha pulled her knitted hat down and reached for her gloves. “I hope
this isn’t a sign of things to come. I hate the thought of a long winter. I
know you don’t think this will work, but think positive. Audra has helped
thousands.”

“I’m going, aren’t I? Don’t push it.”

They left The Copper Kettle, crossed the street, and walked
the three blocks to the small shop, Ages Past, where Audra held audiences and
sold unusual books and New Age paraphernalia.

Each step brought her closer to the shop and amplified
Michelle’s discomfort. Tasha had accused her earlier of ignoring the problem
she had with water, but she was wrong. Since it had gotten worse, she’d tried
to find an equitable solution to it, but nothing had worked. Not being able to
take a shower and wash her own hair was ridiculous, and she knew it.

Her
aquaphobia
had intensified
shortly after her arrival in Thunder Bay, about the same time she’d started
seeing Mohawk Madam. She’d tested her theory about the ghost being attached to
the motel rather than
herself
earlier when she’d tried
to wash her face in the tub. Just bringing her hands full of water toward her
face had almost brought on a panic attack. Thank goodness she could still use pre-moistened
towelettes
to remove what little makeup she wore and
keep her face clean. She could bathe and wet herself up to her neck, but what
would happen if the time came when she couldn’t?

She’d tried taking the bull by the horns and had gone the
municipal pool in Thunder Bay. When she’d tried to put her face underwater, her
terror had been so extreme one of the lifeguards had thought she was drowning
and jumped into the pool to save her. The ensuing scene would have been comical
had it involved anyone else. Michelle had been mortified. The lifeguard had
suggested she seek medical attention.

“We’re here.” Tasha’s words brought her back to the present.
Michelle looked at the storefront and shook her head. It didn’t look promising.
Curious, she peered in the window. The shelves and counters teemed with all
kinds of books, crystals, candles, and other objects apparently designed to
cure whatever ailed you and balance your spiritual self.

How can Tasha believe
in this stuff?

According to the poster on the door, Audra, a denizen of the
spirit world, was empowered to help those in this dimension. For twenty-five
dollars, she could contact the spirits and help you with whatever ailed you.
You could lose weight, quit smoking, end chronic pain, and overcome fears.