I swear we all looked very sheepish at that moment, caught again going off on a tangent. It feels as if we are the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff, picking up the casualties of our daily life. That can’t be a healthy strategy. Will we ever be able to act before we have to do a crash landing?
“Please, don’t feel bad about it. Dissociation is, after all, the ultimate avoidance. Stepping aside and re-directing the impact on another part of the Tribe is in our DNA. It’s not easy to fight against our nature. I didn’t realize Lilly had noticed the dark presence. I was about to ask you if anybody had. I hoped I was mistaken. It complicates things.” Sky rests her head on her hands and stares into the flames of the fireplace.
“I’ve noticed it when Maddie is getting lost in the past, but on other occasions too.” I try to remember which other occasions I felt this odd vibe. I don’t even know whether it is a vibe. It feels as if the temperature drops by at least fifty degrees, a dark shadowy mist rushes past and a skeletal hand presses on one’s windpipe. It’s like in those horror movies, where the heroine goes into a dark catacomb and you know mortal danger lurks around the corner. You want to shout, “Don’t go there. Go back.” But it’s all for nothing.
Sky must have read my thoughts because she nods. “You’re right. That’s what I pick up too. It’s been around Maddie from the beginning when she came to us.”
“I didn’t know that. I’ve felt it the last few months when Maddie struggled. Does she feel it too? I hate to think she’s exposed to such vile energy.” I can’t suppress my disgust. Whatever or whoever this evil energy is if you want to pick on us, pick on the grownups and not on little kids. It’s a disgusting cowardice.
Sky looks at me as if she’s studying a map that should be familiar but reveals unexpected surprises. “You are changing. I’m… I don’t know. You never used to involve yourself as much as you do lately.”
“You’re giving me too much credit. I care. That’s all.” I shrug and try to give the impression that it’s not a big deal for me. Inside, though, I feel as proud as punch that Sky notices the effort I’m making.
“The dark energy has been around for years. I’m worried because I feel it’s getting stronger.”
“Sky! You’re scaring me. What do you mean by it’s getting stronger, and it complicates things?” Luke is shifting uncomfortably on his pillow. There you have it. The problem of being a specialist. Luke knows all about fixing things, but he doesn’t pay attention to other things, like the stuff you can’t see. He likes to look the enemy in the eye.
Sky looks tired. It’s been only two days since we left Helen’s house. Since then a hell of a lot has happened. She’s been more involved in the last two days than in the last two years. Normally, she’s like her name, the sky, forever there but rarely involved.
“I wasn’t the only one who came when they murdered Elizabeth. Something else came with dangerous energy. I had the same sense of danger when Maddie had her flashback earlier today.” Sky pointed at me. “Lilly’s felt it too.”
Amadeus jumped up and paced the room with large strides. Everybody stops talking and waits to hear what he has to say. He looks like the Viking God, Odin. Honestly, I’m not kidding. His hair is falling in wild waves onto his shoulder. He hasn’t got the armor and the lance, but the signs of numerous fights are deeply carved into the plains of his face.
He’s not wearing a tunic like Odin in the pictures, but a black singlet, a black pair of jeans, and, if I’m not mistaken, steel capped workingman’s boots. He has muscles the size of a small pumpkin and is strong like a horse. His powder blue eyes can incinerate you with just one glance. I swear; one glance and you’re toast.
“Are you saying there is a part in here we don’t know yet? Like a sleeper?” Amadeus is short of staring a hole into Sky. Maybe we should tell him to ease up a little? But then, you don’t tell Amadeus stuff, he tells you.
“It’s possible.” I can tell Sky is not paying a lot of attention to Amadeus. She’s listening inside, trying to find a corner in our collective mind, where someone could hide from our view.
“If that asshole hasn’t shown its face for all these years we’ve lived with Horace, he, she, or it can piss off. We don’t need a coward showing up and complicating things now.” Yes, Amadeus is flexing his muscles. He’s in fighting mode. Unfortunately, that means he isn’t engaging his brain much. When he gets going, clear thinking is not part of the deal. His modus operandi is to shoot first, ask questions later. You can see that with most people. When angry, their capacity to use their intelligence is close to zero.
Miss Marple said once, “If you lot would express your angry feelings, Amadeus wouldn’t have to do it all for you and would be less of a loose cannon.” I don’t think he appreciated that comment. That was when whatever alliance those two had, went up in smoke. Puff! I could have told her Amadeus doesn’t take well to criticism.
I digress. I had a thought a moment ago and… it’s gone now. Ah, yes. The house.
“Sky, could it be that the energy we’ve felt has something to do with Wright’s Homestead? If we’ve lived here years ago, maybe there are triggers all over the place?” I was very proud of my observation and earned nods
