The Beat - Chapter 7 - Rated PG-13

[Penina Spinka]

I hope some of you are reading this. If you like it and would like more, please send comments. Thank you, Penina

The Beat – Chapter 7


We found Sam’s grandmother behind the house at a picnic table, sitting with Sam’s mother and what I took to be her daughters. When she saw us, she looked up and gave us a welcoming nod. “Bring Mick over here to us, Sam,” she said.

Mrs. Birchtree wore a dark leather dress and an embroidered shawl with beads worked into designs on the shoulders, and moccasins laced nearly to her knees. A fancy fringed and beaded purse hung by straps looped over her arm and a fan hung at her belt. The women were sitting in direct sunlight. I was glad I put on my sunglasses. Most of the women wore current forms of clothing. Last night, when they welcomed us, Mrs. Birchtree and the others had been in nightgowns, robes and slippers.

Sam walked up to his mother, aunts and grandmother. I came closer, but remained mostly in the house’s shade. “Good afternoon,” I said. I nodded my head and touched my cap brim to Mrs. Birchtree and the others.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m dressed like this,” she said. I admitted that was true. “It’s called regalia. I’m dressed in the manner of our ancestors before your people, the English, came over to change us and take our land.” I wondered if she picked that up from my mind, or if she realized I have a different people I owe my allegiance to now.

“Sorry about that,” I said, as if I was personally responsible for the loss of her ancestors’ land. “My people actually were English and Scottish a few centuries back.”

She smiled a little. “I’m not blaming you for what your ancestors did. That was several centuries ago. I doubt if you were around yet.”

“I wasn’t.” Had she been talking to my four hundred year old friend Josef, she couldn’t have accurately said what she did. He had been around then, even if his people weren’t English. They were busy with their own wars in Poland, not squabbling over territory in the New World. Josef still liked to call America that.

“There’s going to be a meeting of the elders in the ceremonial longhouse this evening, together with those candidates who show promise to take over as head shaman here in our village. The younger folks are clearing the longhouse out now, airing it and sprinkling sweet pine needles on the floor. The clan matrons will light the central fire at sundown. As Sam’s guest, I expect you to attend, Mick. He says you are sensitive to certain emotions, and that you can tell when someone is being false. I hope you will share your impressions with us.”

I mentally thanked her for her restraint in not saying more in front of the others. “My gift in reading people is small besides yours and Sam’s. I can’t hear thoughts.”

“Neither can I if they’re blocking me. If we have enemies planning harm to Matthew or to any of us, they will know how to shield their thoughts from us. I doubt, however, if they can hide their emotions from you.”

“I’ll do what I can to protect you and your family,” I promised. I owed them for their hospitality and their acceptance. I don’t know exactly what Mrs. Birchtree knew about me, but I had been made to feel welcome and safe in her house, even if it was only for Sam’s sake.

“I’m aware that our problems are not yours. You’ll be leaving us to go back to your own life soon. I’m heading over to Matthew’s house now to be sure he’s prepared for later. Will you and Sam be good enough to come with us?”

It wasn’t really a question. “Of course.”

She told her daughters she would see them later and the women dispersed. Sam and I followed after Mrs. Birchtree and her granddaughter, Matthew’s mother. She opened the front door and the four of us walked inside.

Matthew was waiting for his great grandmother in the kitchen, nursing a cold cup of coffee. He rose when he saw us. “I’m not ready,” he said, gesturing with one hand to his clothing. “I planned to put on my regalia before the ceremony.”

“I’m glad you planned to change,” she said. “Ceremonies require ceremonial clothing.”
Sam said, “I’m not dressed for it myself, but considering my secondary role, just backing up my cousin, I’m as dressed as I’m gonna get.” He was wearing jeans, a dark flannel shirt, his fur-lined jacket and hiking boots.

I felt disapproval and resignation roll off his grandmother at Sam’s attitude, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she pulled up a kitchen chair and sat down beside her great grandson. “I’m not going to insist on anything for you,” she told Matthew. “You’re young yet, unpracticed and without experience. If the Turtles put up Jacques, I’ll accept him. I have no doubt you would have been better then him in a few years, but excluding Sam, Jacques is the best we have in the community. Sam will be leaving us shortly. He has his own life to lead, in a different place.”

Sam accepted her praise with mixed feelings, but her last sentence set him on edge. Although he worked to calm his heartbeat and slow his breathing, he couldn’t control his sweaty palms. I smelled his agitation. That was the kind of sensitivity Mrs. Birchtree was looking for from me, the vampire lie detector. Agitation or excitement – they both had the same effect on vital signs. Without knowing the provocation of anyone who attended the council meeting, I couldn’t be sure of the reason for the response. I did not yet know how I could be of help.

“Mick went out last night,” Sam said. Matthew and Mrs. Birchtree gave me their complete attention. “Tell them what you told me.”

This is why I had gone out. “I overheard a few people talking,” I said.

“That late? Where were you?” asked Mrs. Birchtree.

“High up in an oak tree in the Turtle neighborhood. I was safer there than waiting on the ground for them to come out and find me.” Mrs. Birchtree mentioned hearing the dog barking. They thought a bear had wondered into the village.

“Yes, the dog knew I was there, but he did me a favor. The talk from the Turtle families is that Jacques Turtle should be the next high shaman because Matthew is not yet qualified. People resent Sam for his new ideas and they don’t like to see him here. They’re afraid he’ll change his mind and want to take over. They won’t follow him into new ways.”

“How did you hear them and have them not see you?” Matthew asked. “Did they come outside in the middle of the night?”

How could I answer him without telling him more than I wanted him to know? Sam and his grandmother wouldn’t have questioned me. “They didn’t see me because I didn’t want them to. They were inside their houses. I have good hearing.”

Matthew looked directly at me, his thoughts working furiously in his expressive face. His eyes blinked fast as he searched me for thoughts. I didn’t try to hide them. He shook his head, not believing or accepting what was coming to him. “You aren’t human, are you?” he asked. He managed to control his voice, but his eyes were wide-open. I felt fear from him, but he held his ground. His mother’s heart rate began to climb.

“What do you mean, he isn’t not human?” she asked.

“He’s my friend,” Sam said. “Leave him alone.” I felt Sam’s dismay at his cousin’s question coupled with his desire to protect me. It was odd to think that I should need a protector, but if a few hundred humans discovered what Matthew just realized, I might find myself on the wrong side of a mob. There was one of me and many of them. I should have known better to come to this house and probably to the reservation, but here I was. I had to decide how to reply, and how to deal with the repercussions of what I might say.

Mrs. Birchtree took a cleansing breath and clenched her fingers. She extended them before she turned to face me. With Matthew, his mother and grandmother all waiting for my response, if I had a beating heart, it would have sped up. I looked back to Matthew, hesitating, unsure what to do or say.

Before I could speak, Matthew continued boldly. “You’re old, but you look hardly five years older than Sam. There’s more to you than what you show on the surface. You’re dangerous. Why are you here? What do you want with us?” He tried not to flinch, but I felt his fear building and his desire to get away from me. It was the fear of a rabbit with no escape, snarling defiance at a wolf.

Although I had no vital signs to lower, I’m pretty sure my skin paled, and I fought to keep from vamping. My basic nature played havoc with my control. By force of will, I retained my human appearance. There was no need to frighten Matthew more. Having won control of my inner monster, I said, “I’m here because Sam asked me to come. He thought my help might be needed.”

“Remember that Mick is my guest, Matthew. You can’t threaten him. He is a Protector,” said Mrs. Birchtree. “Calm yourself.”

I did not take my eyes off Matthew. “Some call me Protector,” I said. “Some call me by a different name.”

“Demon?”

“Sometimes.”

“You have no call for worry, Matthew,” Mrs. Birchtree said. “I searched Mick’s soul when he arrived last night.” Her calm was spreading to the rest of us, even to Matthew. “He won’t harm us.”

Backing up her words and hoping for the best, I said, “I will not harm anyone in your family, or this reservation Mrs. Birchtree, for Sam’s sake as well as yours. I’m at your service for the remainder of my visit. You have my word. Believe that, Matthew.”

The youth was still looking at me uncertainly, trying to judge the sincerity of my statement when we heard a loud noise, like a clap of thunder. There were shouts of shock, surprise and outrage. I was first out the door, running from Matthew’s house towards the sound of the noise. We ran in the direction of Mrs. Birchtree’s house and stopped short at the horrible sight. There had been an explosion. Half the house had caved in and flames were shooting from the remaining windows. An hour ago, I was in the shower. The women, Sam and I would be been engulfed in flames.

I ran at half the speed I was capable of, searching to find the footprints and scents of whoever had set the blast. I stopped in the remains of Sam’s room only long enough to see the remains of my cooler, its contents splashed and absorbed into the broken wooden floor and the earth underneath. The refrigerator was on its side, bent and molten. I had no blood left.

I couldn’t tell the scent of one human from another here, other than those I had met, but I caught the stench of fear. It was not fear of the blast, but the fear of being discovered, nervous and angry rather than shocked. I followed the scent until I found two sets of footprints running back in the direction of the Turtle homes.

Sam followed me as best he could, while Mrs. Birchtree stood like an old and gnarled tree, gazing at the destruction of her home and that of Sam’s parents. Her many offspring surrounded her, offering her comfort and love. Her sons and grandsons ran for water to quench the fire before it spread.

“There were two of them,” I called to Sam. “Young men, younger than you. They used explosives. Who could hate your grandmother that much?”

“She wasn’t in the house. I think they knew that and they were trying to kill me,” he said. I don’t think it mattered to them that I was there. I would have been collateral damage. “They thought I was the only one who could block their plan.”

I followed the two men by their smell, analyzing it further as I covered ground. The slightly sweet smell of gasoline clung to them. Whatever explosive they used, they had tried to accelerate its effects. I didn’t want to think about my personal problems. Fortunately, I had fed recently. For now, I had to find who had done this and help my new friends figure out the why’s and how’s.

I put on a burst of speed leaving Sam in the dust, when I saw two young men pausing to catch a breath. “You!” I shouted. They saw me and ran, but they could not outrun me. I leapt ahead and had them both immobilized when Sam caught up to us. “Help me get them back to the town. I think they need to explain themselves,” I said.

[coco]

I adore this section Penina:

Matthew looked directly at me, his thoughts working furiously in his expressive face. His eyes blinked fast as he searched me for thoughts. I didn’t try to hide them. He shook his head, not believing or accepting what was coming to him. “You aren’t human, are you?” he asked. He managed to control his voice, but his eyes were wide-open. I felt fear from him, but he held his ground. His mother’s heart rate began to climb.

“What do you mean, he isn’t not human?” she asked.

“He’s my friend,” Sam said. “Leave him alone.” I felt Sam’s dismay at his cousin’s question coupled with his desire to protect me. It was odd to think that I should need a protector, but if a few hundred humans discovered what Matthew just realized, I might find myself on the wrong side of a mob. There was one of me and many of them. I should have known better to come to this house and probably to the reservation, but here I was. I had to decide how to reply, and how to deal with the repercussions of what I might say.

Mrs. Birchtree took a cleansing breath and clenched her fingers. She extended them before she turned to face me. With Matthew, his mother and grandmother all waiting for my response, if I had a beating heart, it would have sped up. I looked back to Matthew, hesitating, unsure what to do or say.

Before I could speak, Matthew continued boldly. “You’re old, but you look hardly five years older than Sam. There’s more to you than what you show on the surface. You’re dangerous. Why are you here? What do you want with us?” He tried not to flinch, but I felt his fear building and his desire to get away from me. It was the fear of a rabbit with no escape, snarling defiance at a wolf.

Although I had no vital signs to lower, I’m pretty sure my skin paled, and I fought to keep from vamping. My basic nature played havoc with my control. By force of will, I retained my human appearance. There was no need to frighten Matthew more. Having won control of my inner monster, I said, “I’m here because Sam asked me to come. He thought my help might be needed.”

“Remember that Mick is my guest, Matthew. You can’t threaten him. He is a Protector,” said Mrs. Birchtree. “Calm yourself.”

I did not take my eyes off Matthew. “Some call me Protector,” I said. “Some call me by a different name.”

“Demon?”

“Sometimes.”

“You have no call for worry, Matthew,” Mrs. Birchtree said. “I searched Mick’s soul when he arrived last night.” Her calm was spreading to the rest of us, even to Matthew. “He won’t harm us.”

Backing up her words and hoping for the best, I said, “I will not harm anyone in your family, or this reservation Mrs. Birchtree, for Sam’s sake as well as yours. I’m at your service for the remainder of my visit. You have my word. Believe that, Matthew.”

[Penina Spinka]

Thank you for writing Coco. I missed you.
Penina

[redwinter101]

A great chapter - the confrontation between Mick and Matthew was incredibly tense - and then the explosion....

Red

[darkstarrising]

Penina,

Wonderful chapter! Mick tries to blend in as best he can, but Matthew knows that he is somehow different

I did not take my eyes off Matthew. “Some call me Protector,” I said. “Some call me by a different name.”

“Demon?”

“Sometimes.”

Hopefully, in the end, Matthew and his family will call Mick friend.

[Penina Spinka]

Dear Darkstarrising, I just read all 4 of the posts you sent for The Beat. You found the essence of each chapter and what I hoped would stand out. Thank you for reading it. I hope you will be enthusiastic about my other Sam related stories. All best, Penina