Seekers

The Meeting of a Kindred Spirit

As I showered that morning, I could only think about what I had said to the exorcist. 

"You are so weird..." It felt strange. It had just sort of left my tongue--almost as if I could not hold it in. I rinsed my hair in the streams of water dripping down. There was no time to let myself down. I needed to focus for today--put on a good image that did not make myself look bad. 

I put on my go-lucky t-shirt and jeans. When I looked in the mirror, I breathed a deep sigh. My hair was straight. I had pearls for ear-rings. There was nothing bothering me today.

"We need to go now, Rebecca," my mother said, looking down at her watch. "Maybe you could pack yourself something to eat." Pouring in oatmeal squares in a Ziploc bag, I hurried out the door and entered the car.

                                                                      ***

"So you say that you miss the Southern Wales ever since your father moved for the military?" the Dr. Rumford, the clinical psychologist, I was talking to. 

I nodded, but sometimes I wondered if this was a really legitimate reason to be upset. The psychologist kept scribbling and scribbling, and I kept talking and talking; however, there was nothing new for me to say.

                                                                 ***

The smog was thick throughout the woods, but I still made my way. I was determined not to let anything get in my way. I saw Matt shivering in the forest as I went closer.

"You again!" he shouted. "You were the one that yelled at the exorcist herself!" he stated with rage.

"Don't worry; I am sure I can resolve it," I replied. "And you were the one that abandoned me back there!" He did not say anything to me. Instead I watched as he seemed to morph himself into a blob. What stood before me was a little miniature praying mantis. I was speechless as he crept away.

                                                                   ***

"I just wanted to let you know that I am sorry," I said. Initially there was no answer that came to the door. Well, maybe she really isn't there, i thought. Then the door began to open, and there she was, wrapped in the same robe that I had seen her in. Her skin looked rather a yellowish-white that it made her seem ghoulish with her dark hair; however, the face of a little girl still shined on her face, the body of youth.

"Come in," she ushered. "It does sometimes get rather quiet--a bit too quiet--when nobody is around."

                                                            ****

"So just out of curiosity, why is it that you choose to live here all by yourself?" I asked. The exorcist looked at me; this time her hazel eyes rang with an air of mystery as they stared into mine.

"It is quite a tale to share," she said in a whisper. "Maybe I can share it some other time." I was a little taken aback by the sudden cynicism I was greeted with. 

"For now, all you must know is that I lurk within these forests," she said. Something about her tone was at ease and less mystical as it had been before. While this probably should have made her more likable, still I found that this made me feel somewhat uneasy.

"O-k," I said. "Ummm, I just came here to make an apology."

"Alright, so you have made your apology," she said. "Now let us continue with our training from where we left off." This made me feel very angry and distraught. I had come all the way out here to say that I was sorry, and here she was making all these awkward remarks. Maybe the sincerity wasn't there.

"Look, I am really, really sorry," I said. "I did not mean to get you hurt the other day, and whatever is going on with you (I don't know what), it really means the world to me when we get to hang out even though it isn't in the most natural way." The exorcist turned around and our eyes met. For the first time, we really saw each other.

     "Caroline," she said. "That's my name." A bond formed between us.