Chapter 11

Bill woke up while they were gone, wandered around the house, checked the time on his Timex and started a pot of coffee.

The world was out of whack ... or maybe He was out of whack. Something wasn't right ... and it showed ... felt ... something. The woods felt quiet, like there was something slipping in...

He noticed he was talking out loud. "Jesus ... spooked myself. I wonder if I can get my job back? I liked working for the Marshals. The pay was decent, and the hours were good. Maybe I can get back on."

When the ladies popped back into the room, Bill was sitting in front of the TV sipping coffee ... he'd hooked up the computer to the flat screen and was watching the procedures DVD's. E'veen sat down next to him and, pretty soon, she was taking notes and just as into the protocol as he was.

Violet sighed, the one thing she hated about shamanism was the lack of friends. She was seldom in one place long enough to trust someone.

"I'm sorry Violet," confessed E'veen. "I can see Bill is going to try to get his old job back and my headaches have gone away."

"No, E'veen," said Violet, "it's my fault. I'll be back. I'm off to see Mina. She'll be interested in developments here.

"As far as time goes, you two have been only gone a couple of months. According to the rules and regulations you should be able to get back on."

She looked at her wrist, spoke where she wanted to go, "Auburn, Alabama, Mina's house. Thank you. It always pays to be polite to the watch ... it's an extension of the Powers that Be." She grinned, and said,"POOF!" She did ... poof. A little puff of smoke and a wicked little laugh and Violet was gone.

In the vacuum of her passing they heard, "hi Mina."

"Care for a walk in the moonlight before a wild ride in the hay?" E'veen asked.

"Sure," said Bill. "Let's check out the lake and make a run up to the cabin."

Not only did the land come with a 3 bedroom, three bath, huge kitchen, two car garage,16 acre lake and hardwoods, it also came with a two bedroom dovetail log cabin. The cabin was on the highest hill on the property.

Bill made Marx eyes at E'veen, "there's a bear skin rug up there with your name on it."

"Ooo," shivered E'veen, "fur on my ass ... I'm all for it."

She was halfway to the dock before she shouted, "race you!"

Bill was running behind her. He ran faster ... she was shedding clothes as fast as she could. Shiny butt cheeks in the moonlight. Straight off the dock and into 80 degree water.

Winter in Tyler is generally 15 days in January and 15 days in February ... not that it snows. The leaves turn and carpet the grass, but by the end of February there's buds and violets. People are done tilling and planting gardens and they're expecting vegetables by mid March.

Bill cuddled up to E'veen after.

"It's nice to have my Bill back," she said.

"I hain't been gone," Bill commented.

"Bill, you were too. Your mind was a million miles away."

"Nope, my mind was 275 years away."

"Huh?"

"I don't know what happened ... I wasn't happy with life. Pretty miserable, actually. I was mad at me for going ... I was mad at you for not stopping me FROM going. I was mad at Jake just for actually being there." He nuzzled her neck, "but mostly I was mad at Chessley for writing such a convincing story. AND then finding out it wasn't FICTION."

"I see," she said, and she did.

"My parents ... you know, I haven't thought about them for years ... my mother was caught up in the church ... my dad ... our dad was a crazy Marine ... but we had our moments. He always said, 'There's no such thing as an EX Marine ... you can take a man out of the Corps ... but you can't take the Corps out of the man.'

"I particularly remember Chas. Mears State Park in Pentwater. While daddy was trying to forget the Pacific ... we were building memories of tenting, tan sand, cold water and campfires. I remember so much, but I can never go there.

"The rising 17 year old Sutherland twins died in 1963, and were reborn in 2001 ... still rising 17. And, you, you should be 70 and never met me. I should be turned 60 ... except for that watch.

"What happened to the watch?"

"I gave it to Violet ... she lost it."

"I wonder what time it is?"

E'veen looked at her seventy-nine thousand dollar watch and said, "it's a couple of minutes past 1am. We should be sleeping ... unless you'd let me have another 'pony' ride."

"Woman, you're going to wear Mr. Big down to Wee Willy..." he looked at her sternly..."Oh, What the Hell, climb aboard."

"Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?"

The deer crossing the driveway on their nightly amble to the lake were startled by the scream of the whistle.