Soul Catchers by Carrie Pulkinen

Author:Carrie Pulkinen [Pulkinen, Carrie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kindle Press
Published: 2018-03-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Two

Wren

The truck rolls to a stop behind an abandoned gas station, and Liam switches off the engine. Everything here is abandoned, so even mentioning the word seems redundant. This far from civilization, the world is eerily quiet. There’s no hum of any kind. No cars, no electricity flowing through the sagging wires above us, no chatter from passersby. None of the sounds of normal human life exist in this wasteland of once-strong Apache pride.

“This is the reservation my mom grew up on,” I say. He doesn’t have to tell me. I can feel the remnants of my ancestors’ energy hanging in the air. Once powerful, it now merely floats around me, softly tickling my skin. I turn to Liam, who looks just as awestruck as I feel. “Why are we here?”

“Missy thought it might help if you understood where you came from. She wants you to ‘water the roots so the tree can grow’ or something like that.” He waves his hand dismissively. “She knew your mom too.”

“She knew both my parents?”

“Yeah, but I don’t think she made the connection about your dad until you told her his name. She seemed surprised, anyway.”

I slide out of my seat. “Okay, let’s do some watering, then.”

I’m not sure I believe that Missy didn’t know who my dad was. My mom never talked about him, and as far as I know, she never told anyone else about him. But she could have. Mom insisted that my dad didn’t know I existed and that I was safer that way. Safe from what, though?

Sighing, I trudge up the dirt road with Liam following a few steps behind. I don’t know what Missy expects me to accomplish by coming here, but I have to admit, it’s neat to see where my mom grew up.

Dilapidated mobile homes interspersed with a few browning adobe structures make up the residential area of the reservation. Many of the houses face east so the front door can greet the sun each morning. Some of them don’t, though. I guess the old traditions were dying even before the Exodus.

The emptiness of this place reminds me I shouldn’t be here. The abandoned communities are strictly off-limits, but this is home. I can feel it in my soul. Missy’s right, I do need to see this place. If I’m going to stop fearing my gifts, if I’m going to learn to accept who I am, I have to know where I come from. This is where my roots are . . . or where they were until the government forced everyone into the cities.

A pack of wild dogs chases a rabbit in the distance, and Liam quickens his pace to catch up with me.

“You face giant wolves on a nightly basis, but you’re scared of a few dogs?” I playfully elbow him in the ribs.

“Only one giant wolf, and he happens to turn into a pretty girl during the day, so what can I say? Girls make guys do crazy things.” He puts his arm around my shoulders, then yanks it away.

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