Part 66: Day 12
Mia gently opened her eyes. She was staring at a carved figurine in a drug store window. She leaned up, realizing she was back home. Turning around, she felt of the comfort and smell of her father’s overcoat. She was strong enough to realize she was dreaming again. But was it just a simple dream or the visions she was having? She looked around at the old town, remembering it as it was before the development tore most of it down. Mia then gasped when she saw across the street, seeing Cecil sitting on a bench, drinking a beer. Why would he be in her dream?
Then from the side entrance of the store he was near walking out an old woman with long silver hair. She wore her sunglasses and her cane like she was did. Mia grinned from ear to ear at the sight of her Grandmother. She began to walk across the street to join her. Cecil looked at the old woman and took another sip of his beer. “It’s hot today,” the old lady said, “I’ve seen many things on a hot day. I see bugs deep fry on the pavement. I’ve seen a rooster peck itself to death due to the heat. But a white man, you know how he’s going to get himself killed? Look for a piece of ass, that’s how!”
Cecil looked at her in anger. Mia stopped by the street light, smiling at the whole scene. Her Grandmother stopped at the bench, placing down her pack. “You know how it’s going to happen?” she asked, then pretending like she was kissing somebody, “No, no. Little kissy, little kissy, little smoochie there, you see it coming. And that’s going to be the death of him.”
Cecil got up and began to walk away, “Yeah, well, maybe when I am old and decrepit, I’ll sit on a corner and spout wise.”
“Something tells me you’re not going to live that long, piss head.” She said, sitting down.
Mia watched as Cecil continued to walk away, wondering what her grandmother would say next. “There are consequences, Cecil!” she screamed, “Don’t you understand you can’t take something away and not give something in return! You keep taking and taking and eventually, the Mother Earth will take something from you.”
Mia stilled waited for Cecil to say something but he didn’t. He just kept walking. The young Lakota girl then ran over to the nearest Coke Vending machine. She pulled out some change from her father’s overcoat like she always knew was there. After pulling out the specific drink, she ran over to where her grandmother was sitting. “Hey, granny,” she smiled.
“Mia?” the old woman asked.
Mia took her blind grandmother’s hand and gently placed the bottle into her hands. “Mello Yellow. Ice cold, just like you like it on a hot day,” she smiled.
“Oh, my little sunshine, “she said, wrapping her arm around her, and kissing her on the forehead, “My little Mia. You always knew how to take care of your granny.”
Mia parted from her grandmother and curled up her legs, sitting on the bench. Her elder sipped on the bottle and relished it. The young Lakota girl just smiled, so very happy to see her grandmother again. She knew this was a dream. She knew she was really dead but it was enough for her. “So, Mia,” her grandmother turned to her, “Why you come see your granny again, eh? You in need of wisdom?”
“No, granny,” Mia sighed, “Wisdom you said I would find alone.”
“That’s my girl. You paid attention more than your father did, God keep his soul.”
“Can you give me knowledge, Granny? Can you tell me anything about the island?” Mia asked.
“I can’t tell you anything about the island that you don’t already know. You must find the answers within yourself to cope with what lies ahead.”
“What does lie ahead?”
“Pain, child. Pain and grief.” Her grandmother said coldly.
”Pain and grief go hand in hand with the circle of life. Is this pain and grief going to affect me?”
“Only if you let it, my little sunshine. You must be strong, cause you will be needed soon. People will flock toward your strength, especially your friends.” Her grandmother replied.
“I am not strong, granny. I just want to be safe.” Mia whispered, resting her chin on her curled up legs.
“You are stronger than you know, Mia. You think your granny doesn’t know how strong you are?” her elder sipped on her soda, “How is your older brother still hasn’t been able to cope with your father’s death but you have? Because of your strength.”
“But granny . . .I think I’ve lost my faith. I didn’t want to lost Dad or you.”
“But you were going to lose us eventually, girl! Whether it was we died when we did or 30 years from now, what does it matter? That should not effect your faith in the slightest.”
“Then . . .how do I regain my faith?”
“You need to open your eyes to the island. Find the beauty that is around you. Perhaps, you think the key to regaining your faith is by finding the bald man, eh?”
Mia turned to look at her blind grandmother directly. “Who is he, granny? Who is the bald man?”
“Who is he is not you should be asking. You need to ask a different question about him.” Her grandmother smiled.
“What . . .what question, he . . .wait, the hatch! Do you know what is in the hatch, granny?” Mia asked.
“No, honey. You are still asking the wrong question. Think, Mia, think. What is it about this man you remember the most?”
Mia then rubbed her forehead, trying to think what her granny was talking about. Then she heard a squeaking noise, like a bicycle that needed it’s wheels oiled. The young Lakota woman looked up and saw an empty wheel chair coming down the street. She watched it continuing to glide down the asphalt road and come to a stop as it collided with a stop sign. Mia blinked at the sight of the silver chair. “He . .he was in a wheelchair at the Walkabout Station.” She whispered.
“And in your vision?” Grandma smiled.
“He’s walking!” she gasped, “Does the fact that he’s walking in my vision mean something, granny?”
“Well, now, Honey, you won’t know that till you find him, yes?”
Mia smiled a very satisfied smile. “He’s on the island, isn’t he? I knew it! I just knew it!”
“You see, my little sunshine? I knew you were strong. You just have to look inward to find the answers.”
Mia hugged her grandmother. “Thank you, granny. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Mia, more than I’ll ever be able to say.” The old woman kissed her on the cheek.
As Mia parted, her grandmother then grabbed her by the wrist. “Please, Mia. Try to find the knowledge of other cultures. You won’t be able to stop it.”
“Stop what, granny?” she asked.
The old woman pointed into the distance. Mia turned and nearly gagged at what she saw. It was her friend Brendon. He was on his knees, covered in blood. He had his blood soaked sword in one hand and he was screaming at the top of his lungs. After he was done, he couldn’t stop crying. Mia then saw another man, who bore the resemblance of an armored samurai walked up to him. Brendon then tore off his shirt and tossed it to the side. In one fluid motion, he flipped his sword around and stabbed himself in the belly. Mia screamed at the sight of what she was seeing. The armored one then raised his sword and brought it completely across Brendon’s neck. “KIAI!” the other man screamed.
Mia ran toward them as Brendon’s head bounced in the street. She grabbed the armored man, and tore off his face mask. Mia thought like she was going to puke.
The armored samurai was Seth.
Mia coughed as she spit up sand. She had done it again. The young Lakota girl twisted and turned in her sleep so much she landed on the cold sand. She wiped it off her face, as she leaned up.
She looked to her sleeping friends, making sure she didn’t disturb them. Quickly, she grabbed a pen and a piece of torn paper, then began to write down everything she remembered about her dream. She was worried that some of it might happen. Her grandmother warned her to learn about other cultures. The moment she said that, Brendon stabbed himself and Seth cut off his head. What did that all mean?
Mia shook it out of her head, realizing it couldn’t mean that Seth was going to kill Brendon. It was just too fantastic to believe. The young Lakota girl leaned back into her makeshift bed, thinking about everything else that her granny warned her about. She had all but confirmed her suspicions that the bald man was indeed on the island somewhere. Plus, she made it perfectly clear about Cecil and the word consequences.
She was at that moment almost certain the old man was not going to make it off the island alive.
Then from the side entrance of the store he was near walking out an old woman with long silver hair. She wore her sunglasses and her cane like she was did. Mia grinned from ear to ear at the sight of her Grandmother. She began to walk across the street to join her. Cecil looked at the old woman and took another sip of his beer. “It’s hot today,” the old lady said, “I’ve seen many things on a hot day. I see bugs deep fry on the pavement. I’ve seen a rooster peck itself to death due to the heat. But a white man, you know how he’s going to get himself killed? Look for a piece of ass, that’s how!”
Cecil looked at her in anger. Mia stopped by the street light, smiling at the whole scene. Her Grandmother stopped at the bench, placing down her pack. “You know how it’s going to happen?” she asked, then pretending like she was kissing somebody, “No, no. Little kissy, little kissy, little smoochie there, you see it coming. And that’s going to be the death of him.”
Cecil got up and began to walk away, “Yeah, well, maybe when I am old and decrepit, I’ll sit on a corner and spout wise.”
“Something tells me you’re not going to live that long, piss head.” She said, sitting down.
Mia watched as Cecil continued to walk away, wondering what her grandmother would say next. “There are consequences, Cecil!” she screamed, “Don’t you understand you can’t take something away and not give something in return! You keep taking and taking and eventually, the Mother Earth will take something from you.”
Mia stilled waited for Cecil to say something but he didn’t. He just kept walking. The young Lakota girl then ran over to the nearest Coke Vending machine. She pulled out some change from her father’s overcoat like she always knew was there. After pulling out the specific drink, she ran over to where her grandmother was sitting. “Hey, granny,” she smiled.
“Mia?” the old woman asked.
Mia took her blind grandmother’s hand and gently placed the bottle into her hands. “Mello Yellow. Ice cold, just like you like it on a hot day,” she smiled.
“Oh, my little sunshine, “she said, wrapping her arm around her, and kissing her on the forehead, “My little Mia. You always knew how to take care of your granny.”
Mia parted from her grandmother and curled up her legs, sitting on the bench. Her elder sipped on the bottle and relished it. The young Lakota girl just smiled, so very happy to see her grandmother again. She knew this was a dream. She knew she was really dead but it was enough for her. “So, Mia,” her grandmother turned to her, “Why you come see your granny again, eh? You in need of wisdom?”
“No, granny,” Mia sighed, “Wisdom you said I would find alone.”
“That’s my girl. You paid attention more than your father did, God keep his soul.”
“Can you give me knowledge, Granny? Can you tell me anything about the island?” Mia asked.
“I can’t tell you anything about the island that you don’t already know. You must find the answers within yourself to cope with what lies ahead.”
“What does lie ahead?”
“Pain, child. Pain and grief.” Her grandmother said coldly.
”Pain and grief go hand in hand with the circle of life. Is this pain and grief going to affect me?”
“Only if you let it, my little sunshine. You must be strong, cause you will be needed soon. People will flock toward your strength, especially your friends.” Her grandmother replied.
“I am not strong, granny. I just want to be safe.” Mia whispered, resting her chin on her curled up legs.
“You are stronger than you know, Mia. You think your granny doesn’t know how strong you are?” her elder sipped on her soda, “How is your older brother still hasn’t been able to cope with your father’s death but you have? Because of your strength.”
“But granny . . .I think I’ve lost my faith. I didn’t want to lost Dad or you.”
“But you were going to lose us eventually, girl! Whether it was we died when we did or 30 years from now, what does it matter? That should not effect your faith in the slightest.”
“Then . . .how do I regain my faith?”
“You need to open your eyes to the island. Find the beauty that is around you. Perhaps, you think the key to regaining your faith is by finding the bald man, eh?”
Mia turned to look at her blind grandmother directly. “Who is he, granny? Who is the bald man?”
“Who is he is not you should be asking. You need to ask a different question about him.” Her grandmother smiled.
“What . . .what question, he . . .wait, the hatch! Do you know what is in the hatch, granny?” Mia asked.
“No, honey. You are still asking the wrong question. Think, Mia, think. What is it about this man you remember the most?”
Mia then rubbed her forehead, trying to think what her granny was talking about. Then she heard a squeaking noise, like a bicycle that needed it’s wheels oiled. The young Lakota woman looked up and saw an empty wheel chair coming down the street. She watched it continuing to glide down the asphalt road and come to a stop as it collided with a stop sign. Mia blinked at the sight of the silver chair. “He . .he was in a wheelchair at the Walkabout Station.” She whispered.
“And in your vision?” Grandma smiled.
“He’s walking!” she gasped, “Does the fact that he’s walking in my vision mean something, granny?”
“Well, now, Honey, you won’t know that till you find him, yes?”
Mia smiled a very satisfied smile. “He’s on the island, isn’t he? I knew it! I just knew it!”
“You see, my little sunshine? I knew you were strong. You just have to look inward to find the answers.”
Mia hugged her grandmother. “Thank you, granny. I love you so much.”
“I love you too, Mia, more than I’ll ever be able to say.” The old woman kissed her on the cheek.
As Mia parted, her grandmother then grabbed her by the wrist. “Please, Mia. Try to find the knowledge of other cultures. You won’t be able to stop it.”
“Stop what, granny?” she asked.
The old woman pointed into the distance. Mia turned and nearly gagged at what she saw. It was her friend Brendon. He was on his knees, covered in blood. He had his blood soaked sword in one hand and he was screaming at the top of his lungs. After he was done, he couldn’t stop crying. Mia then saw another man, who bore the resemblance of an armored samurai walked up to him. Brendon then tore off his shirt and tossed it to the side. In one fluid motion, he flipped his sword around and stabbed himself in the belly. Mia screamed at the sight of what she was seeing. The armored one then raised his sword and brought it completely across Brendon’s neck. “KIAI!” the other man screamed.
Mia ran toward them as Brendon’s head bounced in the street. She grabbed the armored man, and tore off his face mask. Mia thought like she was going to puke.
The armored samurai was Seth.
Mia coughed as she spit up sand. She had done it again. The young Lakota girl twisted and turned in her sleep so much she landed on the cold sand. She wiped it off her face, as she leaned up.
She looked to her sleeping friends, making sure she didn’t disturb them. Quickly, she grabbed a pen and a piece of torn paper, then began to write down everything she remembered about her dream. She was worried that some of it might happen. Her grandmother warned her to learn about other cultures. The moment she said that, Brendon stabbed himself and Seth cut off his head. What did that all mean?
Mia shook it out of her head, realizing it couldn’t mean that Seth was going to kill Brendon. It was just too fantastic to believe. The young Lakota girl leaned back into her makeshift bed, thinking about everything else that her granny warned her about. She had all but confirmed her suspicions that the bald man was indeed on the island somewhere. Plus, she made it perfectly clear about Cecil and the word consequences.
She was at that moment almost certain the old man was not going to make it off the island alive.
posted by Jason | 9:59 AM
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