Onwaachige the Dreamer Read online

  Catherine moved to intercept Joshua’s mad dash for the woods. She didn’t want him getting away with his childish behavior a second time. But Black Crow had been watching closely and deduced what she intended to do. He stood in her way, blocking her from stopping Joshua, allowing him to escape into the forest. Catherine grabbed Black Crow angrily by the wrists and shouted, “Get out of my way, you savage heathen!”

  Black Crow was visibly shaking with anger. “You want to take me on, you witch?” he shouted, obviously up for the challenge. “Because I assure you, I won’t be fleeing into the woods.”

  “Black Crow!” Gentle Eagle called, issuing an unusually aggressive command.

  Black Crow removed his glare from Catherine and eyed Gentle Eagle, reluctantly backing down.

  Catherine shot Gentle Eagle a powerful glare and followed it with an equally potent accusation. “So this is what you are teaching them?” she said, referring to Black Crow’s behavior. And then she ran off into the woods after her son.

  “Are you going to just let her go after him?” Black Crow asked in disbelief.

  “She won’t find him now,” Gentle Eagle said. “She’ll never find him.”

  Only then did the two realize that Mokwa and Little Deer had vanished as well.

  JOSHUA RACED up the trail to the lakefront, dodging branches and leaping over fallen logs. His senses heightened, he detected thumping sounds from the trail behind him. He knew who it was. “Don’t follow me again, Mokwa,” Joshua shouted, still enraged at his mother. “You won’t bring me back again like you did last time. I never should have left this place. I never should have listened to you!”

  Mokwa caught up with Joshua, matching his pace, as he ran alongside him toward the lake. “I’m not following you, Pukawiss,” he said gently. “I’m coming with you.”

  Joshua slowed down a bit, wondering if he was sincere. “Really?” he asked.

  “I go wherever you go,” Mokwa affirmed.

  “Where are we going exactly?” Little Deer asked, having caught up with the two without either noticing.

  Joshua stopped for a moment, as his mind raced to consider his impromptu plan. It didn’t take long before he knew exactly what he had to do and where he had to go to accomplish it. “To the interns’ campsite,” Joshua said. “Follow me.”

  A few moments later, the three boys arrived at the campsite. Joshua observed that all the interns were still fast asleep from the previous night’s excitement.

  Caleb opened his eyes, apparently roused by their noisy approach.

  The boys headed straight for a small shelter covered by a tarp that constituted a makeshift kitchen for the interns. “There, grab some of that,” Joshua whispered, pointing to a coffee can filled with nuts and raisins. “We’ll need food.”

  Mokwa grabbed the can and shoved it into a backpack lying in the kitchen area.

  “Water,” Mokwa whispered, pointing to several plastic bottles stashed away in a cabinet. “We’ll need those too.”

  Caleb got up and walked over to the boys as they frantically raided the interns’ kitchen. “Don’t forget the kitchen sink,” he joked, not quite getting the seriousness of the situation yet.

  The boys ignored him as they kept rummaging through the place, stockpiling random supplies.

  “Getting ready for a picnic?” Caleb asked, fishing for answers as he caught on that something was wrong.

  “We’re leaving,” Little Deer said.

  “Pukawiss,” Caleb said, trying to get Joshua’s attention. “Did you have a dream?”

  “A nightmare,” Joshua said.

  “That bad?”

  “Only after I woke up,” Joshua said. “I don’t have time to explain.” He paused and looked Caleb directly in the eyes. “I need you to do something for me.”

  Caleb looked reluctant, but he didn’t want to let down his newest friend. “Yeah, sure, anything. What is it?”

  “I need you to take care of Pywacky for me. I’m begging you.”

  Caleb paused, visibly taken aback by the unexpected request. “Of course,” he said.

  Joshua stared deep into Caleb’s eyes, trying to decipher any sign of insincerity. “No, promise me,” he pressed.

  Caleb gulped as he realized the moment required something more serious. “I promise you,” Caleb said. “He’ll be safe.”

  Joshua could tell he was sincere, and so he continued rummaging for supplies. “Thanks,” he said to Caleb. “I wish I knew more Christians like you.”

  “I do too,” Caleb said.

  As they finished stashing supplies into the backpack, the three quickly disappeared up the trail.

  “Who was that?” Christie asked Caleb, disturbed by all the racket. Her eyes were still closed, too heavy from exhaustion to bother opening them.

  “Pukawiss,” Caleb answered.

  “Pukawiss? The Manitou?” she asked, still not fully awake.

  “No, Pukawiss the outcast,” Caleb replied as he watched Joshua disappear up the trail. “Just go back to sleep.”

  Christie turned on her side, wrapping herself tightly with her sleeping bag.

  Caleb waited for Joshua to disappear completely before staring at the immense wilderness around him. Now how do I find that cat? he thought, overwhelmed at the enormity of the task he was charged with.

  “JOSHUA! YOU get back here!” Joshua heard his mother’s voice scream in the distance from the depths of the forest. It had the opposite of its intended effect, only serving to further motivate Joshua for the task at hand. He continued gathering needed supplies, this time from the Indian Skills site, willfully ignoring his mother’s raging commands. He could keep this up indefinitely, raiding different sites at the village for supplies, all while easily evading his mother. While the entire village was relatively small, his mother got lost the second she left the Trading Post. Without Pastor Martin to guide her, she would likely walk around in circles all day. She needed buildings and pavement, any sign of civilization, to orient herself. Everything else to her was pagan, mysterious, and terrifying.

  “Joshua!” she yelled again, the anger in her voice turning to fright and confusion. “Where are you?”

  After finishing up at the Indian Skills site, Joshua ran back up the trail, this time heading to the lakefront. Mokwa and Little Deer followed, still not quite knowing what Joshua was up to.

  As the boys arrived at the lakefront, the embers from the previous night’s campfire were still red. Joshua filled up a birchbark basket with water from the lake and poured it over the glowing hot wood, extinguishing the remaining ashes. Smoke fled the hot residue as if being liberated from its prison.

  “Joshua!” Catherine called out, sounding as though she was in a complete panic.

  “She’s getting closer,” Little Deer said stoically, assessing the situation.

  “Okay,” Joshua whispered, looking up at his two best friends. “It’s now or never.”

  “So we’re not going to back out?” Mokwa asked, as if finally realizing that Joshua intended to go through with this.

  “Let’s go,” Little Deer said.

  “Go where exactly?” Mokwa asked.

  “The voice in my dream came from this way,” Joshua said. He pointed toward the forest opposite the lake.

  “Dude, there are no trails there. We’ll be leaving the village.”

  “I know,” Joshua said, heading toward the woods anyway. “But we have no choice.” He stopped and took a moment to look around the lakefront one last time. “Pywacky,” he called out, careful not to get his mother’s attention. “I’ll be back, little guy. Don’t worry.”

  “Bye, Pywacky,” Little Deer whispered.

  And with that, the three slipped silently into the immensity of the majestic Northwoods.

  BLACK CROW was still furious as he walked up the trail toward the Wisdom Lodge in the direction of Catherine’s desperate, whiny voice. He didn’t enjoy being anyone’s gopher, least of all having to go for this witch. If he had his way, he
’d simply let her wander around aimlessly in the forest until she collapsed from exhaustion. That would teach her, Black Crow felt, as he thought about Joshua and the poor, innocent creature she had so cruelly abused.

  As he approached the Wisdom Lodge, he saw Catherine sitting on a tree stump that had been placed there as a chair for the volunteers to rest on in between sessions with tourists. She looked completely defeated, as though her soul had been drained from her. Black Crow didn’t care. He was going to milk this for all it was worth. “So, the savage heathen is here to save you,” he said to Catherine, careful not to spare an ounce of sarcasm.

  His blatant disdain only awakened Catherine’s stubborn and argumentative spirit. “I don’t need your help!” she called back, not even looking up to see who was there.

  “Fine with me!” Black Crow said, impatient with the woman’s attitude. He got back on the trail and started toward the Trading Post. Wait for it, he thought.

  “Stop!” Catherine shouted, obviously realizing that Black Crow really was going to leave her there alone. “What about me?” she pleaded.

  “Won’t your God show you the way back?” Black Crow asked, fuming with sarcasm.

  Catherine’s face went sour, though Black Crow could barely tell the difference. “What do you know about God?” she replied angrily.

  Black Crow started down the trail once again, sickened and indignant at the thought of even having an argument with this woman.

  “Wait!” Catherine said in an authoritative tone, acting as though she was totally in charge of the situation.

  But Black Crow was not going to play along. He was in charge out here, and slipping away into the woods was all he had to do to prove it. “Say it,” Black Crow ordered, not bothering to look back.

  “Say what?” Catherine said, visibly feigning ignorance.

  Black Crow started to walk again, this time speeding up his pace.

  “Please!” she shouted insincerely. “Don’t leave me out here,” she cried desperately, finally sounding humbled.

  Black Crow had gotten what he wanted, but still, he wasn’t quite done toying with her. “No, too late. Sorry,” he said as he continued hiking down the trail back toward the Trading Post.

  “Stop! Please!” Catherine begged, starting to cry. “Just get me back to the parking lot.”

  Black Crow stopped and turned around, staring directly into her defeated eyes. Her face was red and she was covered in sweat. She looked completely dispirited, a shadow of the woman he had seen just a few minutes before. It didn’t take long for nature to humble the civilized. Or rather, for her own fears to do so. It was time to be direct with this woman. “Look here,” he said sternly. “You’re in my world now. And you will respect me, or I’m content to let you rot right here. And your God will simply laugh at you as you pray to him for help.” That last line was a bit over the top, but he didn’t care.

  Catherine fell to her knees. “I’m sorry,” she cried desperately. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “I’m only here because Gentle Eagle, the man you so despise, ordered me to help you.” He wasn’t entirely sure if that was true. Maybe he would have helped her anyway. Maybe.

  “Please, I respect you, just take me back to the parking lot,” Catherine pleaded. She actually sounded halfway convincing that time.

  “Right this way,” Black Crow said, enjoying every second of this. He pointed straight through the woods, where anyone could easily make out the parking lot on the other side of the trees, just a few hundred feet away. Catherine fumed, as she gazed at the parking lot through the trees. “There is your civilization,” Black Crow said, still pointing through the woods. “But I could show you around the Wisdom Lodge first if you prefer.”

  Catherine looked befuddled, as though just becoming aware of her surroundings. “What is this place anyway?” she asked of the Wisdom Lodge.

  “It’s where we perform sacrifices to the devil,” Black Crow replied, barely containing his laughter.

  Catherine said nothing in response. She followed him back to the Trading Post looking dejected and dripping with humiliation.

  “I KNOW what you’re thinking, Gentle Eagle,” Pastor Martin said, concerned. The two waited together at the picnic table while Black Crow retrieved Catherine.

  “Do you?” Gentle Eagle said, renewing the previous day’s game.

  “There you go again with the questions.” Pastor Martin paused for a moment, expecting a response. Getting none, he continued, “You’re thinking I reneged on our deal, aren’t you? But I had to tell her something,” he pleaded. “I tried to convince her not to come up here—”

  “I don’t blame you,” Gentle Eagle interrupted. He sighed before pouring out his thoughts. “This is a complicated situation. We are on the same side. I know you did what you thought was best. I hope you know that I did as well. I know you are a good man.”

  Pastor Martin had never felt such a weight lifted from him before. He hadn’t realized until that moment how important Gentle Eagle’s approval was to him. “Well, I don’t know what to say. I appreciate—”

  “Are you two just going to sit there?” Catherine screeched as she stumbled over to them from the trail. Her old self quickly reasserted itself once she was out of the cursed forest.

  “I see Black Crow found you,” Gentle Eagle observed. He visibly resisted the urge to laugh.

  “You owe me big time, Gentle Eagle,” Black Crow said.

  “So, are you going to get my son out of this village of yours?” Catherine yelled. She practically spat as she said the word village.

  “I don’t think you understand the situation exactly,” Gentle Eagle said.

  “What do you mean?” Pastor Martin asked, concerned by Gentle Eagle’s comment.

  “They are not at this village anymore.”

  “You mean they ran away?” Pastor Martin asked.

  “Wait, I’m confused,” Black Crow jumped in. “I thought Joshua had already run away.”

  “Yes, but this time deep into the Northwoods. And it’s going to be getting very cold out.”

  “I always knew that kid was hardcore,” Black Crow said admiringly as he gazed off into the surrounding forests.

  “Gentle Eagle, where are they going?” Pastor Martin asked, concerned.

  “To find my son.”

  Catherine’s irritation finally boiled over. She was obviously tired of listening to what she saw as a mystical nut. “Oh, I don’t believe this. My husband has been gone since the beginning of the summer. He’s probably back home in Eagle River, completely drunk by now.”

  “No, he is here. Somewhere,” Gentle Eagle insisted.

  Pastor Martin sympathized with Catherine, but he knew Gentle Eagle too well to dismiss him casually. “How do you know he’s here?”

  “From Joshua’s dreams,” Gentle Eagle said, finally deciding to let the truth out. “Your son is a dreamer, Catherine, just like his father.”

  “I’m not interested in your heresy! This is exactly why we left the reservation. And I see nothing has changed!”

  Gentle Eagle looked Catherine in the eyes, capturing her full attention. “You claim to follow God, yet you deny the miracle that is your own son. He is very special. The manitous talk to him.”

  “There are no such things!” Catherine screamed.

  “I have seen what he is capable of. And he’s even more powerful than his father.”

  “Are you just going to let them run away into the forest?” Catherine shouted, changing the subject back to something she understood.

  “My plan was to learn from Joshua’s dream,” he said. “If I had heard more of it, I would probably know by now what to do.”

  “Don’t you dare blame me for this—”

  “Let me take you into the Trading Post,” Pastor Martin offered, trying to calm her down. “There is a back room in there where you can get some rest.” He could tell she was exhausted, and when she was like this, it was pointless to argue with her. Besides, h
e could have an honest and sincere discussion with Gentle Eagle once she was out of the way. He put his arm around Catherine, trying to console her. “Come on, we’re getting you out of this scary place, and you can catch some sleep. You must be exhausted after driving all night. Don’t worry, I’ll get your son back.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Catherine said.

  “I know,” he said, gently guiding her to the Trading Post.

  She willingly followed, but not before shooting back a vicious glance at Gentle Eagle.

  PASTOR MARTIN guided Catherine with a gentle hand on her shoulder to the back room of the Trading Post, where Gentle Eagle had a cot set up for when he had to work late and spend the night at the village. Catherine didn’t seem to mind the basic accommodations, as she was exhausted from her drive from Rockford. She looked content, in fact, simply to be out of the woods.

  “Now you get some rest,” Pastor Martin said gently.

  “How can I rest knowing my son is out there in that godforsaken forest?”

  “We have some of the best trackers in Wisconsin here on the reservation. They’ll find him. I promise. And besides, those three boys will probably come back on their own any moment now. You’ll see.”

  Catherine appeared comforted by Pastor Martin’s words. Sensing an opening, he reached out with his hands to embrace her. She willingly returned the favor, and the two silently held each other, rocking back and forth, as if in a slow dance. Finally, Pastor Martin broke the embrace and kissed Catherine gently on the cheek. He wanted to do more, but he dared not. Now was not the time. Catherine was alone and vulnerable, and it would be wrong to take advantage of her in such a state. But his thoughts were interrupted as Catherine reached her arms around his neck, pulled him closer, and then proceeded with a long and passionate kiss. She’s married, for God’s sake! he scolded himself. But he couldn’t stop, as no shortage of justifications raced through his mind, preventing him from breaking off the kiss. Her marriage is already ruined, he told himself. Though not divorced, Catherine and her husband had been separated for months. Soon, Pastor Martin would be totally free to pursue a romantic relationship with the love of his life. This was simply a small taste of the inevitable. Certainly, there was no sin in it.