Chapter 2

Dream Walker: it is when someone, who is able to walk through dreams, other worlds, or even other realms.  One who dream walks is someone who seeks answers to problems.  Also known as a vision quest.

“Well, I’m not a young man trying to prove that I’m a warrior.”

Spirit Walkers: a spiritual leader who mediators between the spirit world and man.

“But I’m not a Shaman.”

A voice called out from behind her.  “You’re from a long line of Shaman women.  Including myself.”

  Ava turned towards the voice and found that she was not surprised to see Willow standing nearby.  The living woman yawned.  She had been reading for quite some time.  “Do you have any questions for me?”

“Yeah.  I saw something in the dream walkers information.  Something about Skin Walkers?”

  “You’re not one of them,” stated the elder woman.  “At least not from my side of the family.”

Ava’s eyes popped open.  ‘Am I really hearing this right?’  She looked towards the ghost and asked, “I’m a shapeshifter?” Willow’s lips were sucked in.  Trying to prevent herself from telling Ava anything more. “You have to tell me,” stated Ava harshly.

“Fine, but you have gotten it from your father’s family.  They came from a long line of Vikings.  With their own beliefs and capabilities, I would not know what they could do.  But I have seen you sleep and noticing you changing your body turn into an animal's.  And I’m not telling you which one.”

Ava groaned lightly, “I’m starting to not like you.”  She raked her fingers through her hair, while she sat at her desk.  “Why,” she moaned.  “Why are you doing this to me?”

“It’s time for you to understand things,” Willow stated with no feeling in her voice.  “Time for you to embrace your gifts.”

Tears leaked from Ava’s eyes, “I’m scared.”

“I would have called you a fool if you weren’t.”

The young woman turned towards the floating ghost.  “What about my schooling?”

“You’ll still have a normal life, Ava.  But it is up to you to face what comes to you.  Even the White Spirit has plans for you and I don’t know what they are.”

“Hasn’t God done enough in my life, as it is?”

The elder woman smiled warmly.  “He loves all his creations, child.  He will never give up on you, not even when you give up on Him.  He loves all, his children.”

Ava closed her eyes for a moment.  “Then why do I feel like I’m in the dark?”

“During our darkest times, we find the spark of light.  The kind of light that we are always searching for.”  The elder woman shook her head.  “That light is love, child.  And he loves you, just as much as he loves me.”

“AVA,” called out a voice from downstairs.  Causing her to get up and make her way towards the stair rails.  She saw that it was her mother.  “Ava, dear.  You have school first thing in the morning.  You should start thinking about going to bed, soon.”

“I’m working on it, mom.”

“Is everything alright,” June asked.  She gave her daughter a worried look.  “You look pale.”

“It’s fine mom.  I am only tired.  I was doing some last-minute reading for one of my classes.”  She did not know why, but she did not want her mother to know that she was seeing ghosts again.

“You’re not seeing that man again, are you?  The one from your younger years.”

Ava shook her head.  “No mom.”

“Are you sure?  Because I was going to go out and get you some dream catchers after work, tomorrow.”

“That would be a good idea,” stated Willow.  “You’re going to need them after tonight.”

June acted like she did not hear Willow.  Making Ava speak up, “I would like that mom.  You never know...”

“Okay,” June spoke cheerfully.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night, mom.”

Ava then turned back towards her bedroom.  Where she closed her bedroom door.  Leaning against the door.  “I really hate to lie to her.”

“You’re not really lying to her.  She just not able to handle the knowledge that I’m giving you.”

The young woman went into her bathroom and came out in her nightgown.  Ready for sleep that she hoped that she would get.

“So, what am I supposed to do?”

“Lay in your bed.” Ava climbed into her bed.  Covers and all.  Just as the stars sparkled across the sky. “Close your eyes.” Again, Ava did what she was told.  Just as she found the right place to lay her head on the pillow.

“Allow the stress of the world go.”  The elder woman waited for a moment.  “Feel every inch of your body weighing itself down.  Feel your body sinking into your bed.  Deeper than it was before.”

The young woman could not believe it.  She was feeling everything that Grandmother Willow wanted her to.  She was feeling the true meaning of rest.  At least that was what she believed.

“Now, let your soul free.  Let it float up away from your body.  Feeling a rope tied around your ankle.  A lifeline back to your body.”

Ava felt a sense of flying.  But she could not believe the feeling.  She had never experienced such lightness before.  She opened her eyes and saw her body glow.  A white/yellow light.  Causing her to feel warmth in her heart.

“Wow,” Ava gasped out.  “I feel free.”

Willow stood before her.  With folded arms across her chest.  “Like you should be, but there is a catch.  Your soul cannot live exceptionally long away from your body.  You must find a way back to your body before the first raise of the new day!”

Ava was looking around her.  She was enjoying the new sensations that she was experiencing.  It was like nothing that she had ever known before.

“Do you hear me,” yelled out the elder woman.  “You HAVE to find a way back to YOUR body before sunrise!”

“I heard you,” groan Ava.  “But why before sunrise?”

“Because,” Willow was on her last nerve with her great-grandchild.  “Because the forces of darkness will do anything to make sure that you don’t come back to the world of the living.  Even the red-eyed demon would do whatever he can to make sure of that.”  The elder woman huffed.  “You are more powerful than any demon that walks through the spirit world.”

Ava gave her a worried look.  “I don’t have magic.”

Willow smirked, “You don’t need magic to have power, child.”  She shook her head.  “Your soul is much stronger than any other soul.  You walk between worlds.  As long as, you learn the ways of a Spirit Walker, you will have the energy to push another soul away from you.”

Ava smiled.  It was a true smile.  It was something that always hit Willow’s soul.  Not seeing the young woman smile and she knew why.  It was because of the memory of the demon that nearly killed her.  As well as the bullies that tormented her so.  

Willow had tripped those said bullies in the halls at the high school.  Far enough away from Ava, to where they would not believe that she did anything towards them.  Willow did not want her classmates to believe that she was a witch.  When all honesty, she was not.  

“What can I do in the spirit world?”

“Whatever you want,” stated Willow.  “As long as you don’t get yourself killed.  Because when your soul dies, so does your body.  No one understands how it works, but it does.”

Ava glanced out of her bedroom window.  She saw something that she had never thought she would ever see before her eyes.  “Are those werewolves?”

Willow walked towards the window, looking at Ava’s shoulder.  “Those would be a mixture of things, child.  But I don’t think you’re ready for any of that.”

“No,” stated a faraway voice.  “If I’m to learn.  I must know.”

Willow sighed deeply, “You’re right.”  She closed her eyes for a moment.  “They are a mixture of things.  Just like I have told you.  Shapeshifters, werewolves, even vampires can change their shape into a large wolf.”

Ava turned towards the elder woman, with questions within her eyes.  “How?  I had thought that they were myths and legends.  Even Hollywood had their miss match of things.”

A laugh sounded for the young woman’s troubles.  “You would be surprised what the moving pictures are based on truth.”

‘If Hollywood was telling the truth about werewolves...’ Ava asked allowed; with sorrow within her eyes, “What about dragons?”

“Demon, child.  Just demons making themselves scarier than they really are.”  Willow glanced out of the window once more.  “I don’t think it’s wise to venture out tonight.  Get some sleep, you’ll need it tomorrow.”

Ava knew when not to push things.  So, she turned towards her body and lay above it.  Causing her soul to sink back into her body.  She allowed sleep to overtake her.  Not realizing that spirit walking can take a lot of energy out of people, for the first time.