she had changed.
“Mira?” asked Trina, heart pounding. “Is that you?”
Trina had not known Mira as a child, and it was dark, but what other explanation was there? She knew that people traveled here at the age of their core self. Her news about Paul must have literally shocked Mira beyond recognition. Trina was at a loss. Here she was dead, and Mira was standing in front of her, only four years old.
***
Four-year-old Mira was having none of it, however. All she remembered of Trina was as someone yelling at her. With a trembling lower lip, she turned around.
“Mira!” shouted Trina, but that was the wrong thing to do.
Mira ran. She ran so fast Trina barely stood up before she saw the landscape change beyond the Emergency Meeting Place. Mira was running and was too young to control her environment. In place of what had been the town and Mira’s family’s farm was a dark forest. The sky over the forest was starless, and there was no moon. And Mira ran directly into it. Trina had always heard that Mira was a prodigy and her presence powerful. Now she saw Mira’s effect in real time. Even the McArthur house, which the gang themselves had created a just a few days ago, disappeared.
Back at the Emergency Meeting Place, Trina was distraught. Not only had she lost her own life, but also the emotional impact of what she had told Mira had resulted in a dramatic regression. Trina had no way to get help, and she guessed her whole gang sat back in the real-world living their normal lives. Trina plopped down again on the gravel, put her face to her knees, wrapped her arms around them, and began to cry.
***
Mira ran from the girl who had yelled, but as she ran, she found the landscape changing in front of her. What had been a pleasant night with a gentle breeze turned into a dark and moonless sky before her eyes. Still she ran. Deeper and deeper into the woods, she ran as if running for her life. She no longer remembered why she was running, or whether there might be a place to run to. Mira finally stopped at one of the large trees in the forest out of exhaustion. The breeze had turned to a cold chill, and she could barely see the sky beyond the thick undergrowth. She was lost. She didn’t even know how old she was or where home might be. All around her were dark and cold things. Mira sat on the ground and started crying.
***
Michael sat up in bed with a start. At first he was disoriented. Mira wasn’t there. They hadn’t slept apart in over ten years. He was used to her stealing the covers and the feel of her feet on his legs. The emptiness on her side of the bed threw him.
Then he sensed a change in his heart area. Something had happened with her. Something beyond her previous situation. That was why he had woken up. He could no longer wait until morning; he had to take action immediately. As he was thinking about Mira, the sickening realization about Trina came slowly back to him. For one second he hadn’t remembered she was gone. He slumped over, head in his hands. Then he heard a soft tapping on his bedroom door.
It was his mother and Madison. Madison was crying. “Something’s happened to Mom,” she sobbed. “Please keep her safe, Dad.”
Mrs. Ross stroked Madison’s hair and said, looking at Michael, “Your dad felt it too, honey.” And then, to Michael, “Madison dreamt about her mom vividly.” She stroked her granddaughter’s hair again and said with pride, “She’s growing up to be quite a young lady.”
This was the first Michael had heard that Madison had any awareness of the astral. Considering the turmoil in motion right now, he would just as soon that she didn’t. But this was not what his mother had come to debate.
“You need to call Stu and Jon,” she said to Michael. She was in no mood for discussion or disagreement, not that he had any mind to. Those two had been his first thought as well.
Then to Madison Mrs. Ross said, “Don’t worry, honey, this is nothing like Trina. Your
“Mira?” asked Trina, heart pounding. “Is that you?”
Trina had not known Mira as a child, and it was dark, but what other explanation was there? She knew that people traveled here at the age of their core self. Her news about Paul must have literally shocked Mira beyond recognition. Trina was at a loss. Here she was dead, and Mira was standing in front of her, only four years old.
***
Four-year-old Mira was having none of it, however. All she remembered of Trina was as someone yelling at her. With a trembling lower lip, she turned around.
“Mira!” shouted Trina, but that was the wrong thing to do.
Mira ran. She ran so fast Trina barely stood up before she saw the landscape change beyond the Emergency Meeting Place. Mira was running and was too young to control her environment. In place of what had been the town and Mira’s family’s farm was a dark forest. The sky over the forest was starless, and there was no moon. And Mira ran directly into it. Trina had always heard that Mira was a prodigy and her presence powerful. Now she saw Mira’s effect in real time. Even the McArthur house, which the gang themselves had created a just a few days ago, disappeared.
Back at the Emergency Meeting Place, Trina was distraught. Not only had she lost her own life, but also the emotional impact of what she had told Mira had resulted in a dramatic regression. Trina had no way to get help, and she guessed her whole gang sat back in the real-world living their normal lives. Trina plopped down again on the gravel, put her face to her knees, wrapped her arms around them, and began to cry.
***
Mira ran from the girl who had yelled, but as she ran, she found the landscape changing in front of her. What had been a pleasant night with a gentle breeze turned into a dark and moonless sky before her eyes. Still she ran. Deeper and deeper into the woods, she ran as if running for her life. She no longer remembered why she was running, or whether there might be a place to run to. Mira finally stopped at one of the large trees in the forest out of exhaustion. The breeze had turned to a cold chill, and she could barely see the sky beyond the thick undergrowth. She was lost. She didn’t even know how old she was or where home might be. All around her were dark and cold things. Mira sat on the ground and started crying.
***
Michael sat up in bed with a start. At first he was disoriented. Mira wasn’t there. They hadn’t slept apart in over ten years. He was used to her stealing the covers and the feel of her feet on his legs. The emptiness on her side of the bed threw him.
Then he sensed a change in his heart area. Something had happened with her. Something beyond her previous situation. That was why he had woken up. He could no longer wait until morning; he had to take action immediately. As he was thinking about Mira, the sickening realization about Trina came slowly back to him. For one second he hadn’t remembered she was gone. He slumped over, head in his hands. Then he heard a soft tapping on his bedroom door.
It was his mother and Madison. Madison was crying. “Something’s happened to Mom,” she sobbed. “Please keep her safe, Dad.”
Mrs. Ross stroked Madison’s hair and said, looking at Michael, “Your dad felt it too, honey.” And then, to Michael, “Madison dreamt about her mom vividly.” She stroked her granddaughter’s hair again and said with pride, “She’s growing up to be quite a young lady.”
This was the first Michael had heard that Madison had any awareness of the astral. Considering the turmoil in motion right now, he would just as soon that she didn’t. But this was not what his mother had come to debate.
“You need to call Stu and Jon,” she said to Michael. She was in no mood for discussion or disagreement, not that he had any mind to. Those two had been his first thought as well.
Then to Madison Mrs. Ross said, “Don’t worry, honey, this is nothing like Trina. Your
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