More Connections (Part II)

In the rear view mirror, Dennis and Jasper's eyes met. He was sitting on the backseat of the car waiting for his father's reply. Would Dennis finally acknowledge his prodigy child to another person? Dennis believed that if he didn't speak about his son's abilities that somehow his son could just be a normal kid.

Understanding, now, that Jasper was destined to be more than just normal Dennis took a deep breath and finally replied.

"Well, uh...you see...this may sound funny, but my son, Jasper, here knew you'd be here. We're going to get your truck fixed, but first we're going to see a shaman to discuss why you and my son are supposed to meet."

Suddenly, the inside of the car felt like the inside of a preheating oven and Piper's palms began to sweat. The ear-piercing silence that followed Dennis' response made her uneasy. What would have provoked him to believe that she, of all people, was destined to meet his son? How could they have known precisely where and when her truck was going to break down? These thoughts raced inside Piper's head and she was so stricken with shock that she felt as though someone was clenching at her spine. A throbbing headache started to buzz with every new thought conjured inside of her. At first she worried that these two were not as they seemed. Perhaps the father was some crazed killer trying to teach his son how to cautiously perform a kill. Maybe they were thieves and planned on robbing and then abandoning her in the middle of nowhere. Her entire body became covered in a pin-poking tension, but she managed to shift her eyes to the passenger's side mirror. Gazing into the mirror she could see Jasper sitting behind her. How could she ever doubt this young gentleman? She knew just by looking at him that their meeting was destined. A fresh, calming thought flashed into her head: the shaman. Could they very well be trying to contact the same person? Slightly more at ease with the young gentleman sitting behind her, her motor skills started to come back. She turned toward Dennis and asked who this shaman was that they were going to see.

According to Dennis, he didn't know exactly who this shaman was either. Anticipating her next question, he told her that his son's special abilities and intuition were guiding them.

"Jasper has been gifted, you see. He can sometimes see into the future. He saw this shaman calling out to others like him."

"Others?," Piper asked. It was hard to believe there was another person with special abilities who would end up seeking her out, but it was even harder to believe there could be others.

Jasper had decided to remain silent because he wanted to hear his dad finally talk to someone else about his abilities. Ever since his mom passed, Jasper sensed fear in his dad. Dennis was afraid that, it was only a matter of time, before he would lose his son too. He took great measures to keep Jasper safe. He priavely tutored him to keep him away from kids that might try to take advantage of Jasper's abilities. Dennis had also blamed himself for his wife's death. He felt that had he not been working so much he would have learned about Jasper, the premonitions, and could have helped Jennifer live a longer life. As a result of all his fear and self-guilt, Dennis clung to the only family he had left and never spoke to anyone else about family matters. Feeling at peace with the progress they were making, Jasper once again shut his eyes and fell asleep as the conversation continued.

"Please, tell me that you know what I'm talking about. I'd really hate for you to think me mad. Others...you know...others, just like Jasper and you. You are one of them, aren't you? Jasper told me that a young woman would be needing help because her pick up would break down. He said something about you hearing us coming from several miles away. What did he mean?"

"Wow. Um. I'm sorry, this is just very weird for me."

"Oh god, you think I'm nuts don't you?"

"No, no, no. You're actually incredibly accurate about everything. It just caught me off guard because I never met anyone like me or ever told anyone about my audio deja vu."

"Audio deja vu?"

"Yeah. Well, that's what I call it anyway. You know how you mentioned that Jasper can sometimes see into the future? Well, I can sort of hear into the future. It's weird and I really can't piece it together just yet."

"So Jasper and you really have a lot more in common than I realized."

"I guess so. It's nice being able to finally talk to someone about this. I always feared that if I told anyone they would think I was crazy."

"Piper, I do not think you're crazy at all. Though, I can relate to how you've felt. I never told anyone about Jasper either because I didn't want him to be treated like his gifts were something to be ridiculed or instigated."

"Since we're really getting to know each other, I think there is something else you should know."

"Uh oh. Should I be worried?"

"No, not at all. You mentioned that you are on your way to see a shaman. Well, I'm driving from Colorado for the very same. One of my most recent audio deja vu episodes stood out among the others. Unlike all the other premonitions I've heard there was one that stood about because the message was specifically directed to me. A man called out to me and said, "Piper, you will find me when you least expect. Journey to Arizona and your path will unfold. Set camp deep in the woods and call to me through fire. The answers you seek will be discovered should you choose to follow destiny's path." After this, I knew that I should at least try following my premonition to see where it would take me. I left my hometown in San Luis Valley just two days ago. It was last only last night when I decided to camp at the Apache National Forest. I made a campfire and waited for something extraordinary to happen. I feel foolish for telling you this, but I feel like I may have made a connection with the shaman through the fire. The fire grew and I saw what looked like the shadows of a man through the flames. The strangest thing was that I could have sworn someone spoke from the fire and asked, "Where are you?" I didn't know what any of it meant. On one hand I felt like I had made a connection, but on the other hand I thought that I had gone crazy from trying to keep the weight of such secrets to myself. I decided to head back home and that's when my pick up broke down and you two arrived. Surely you must think I'm crazy."

Hardly anything suprised Dennis anymore. After learning about his son's abilities he had a new awareness of improbable things being possible. Wanting to know more about their connections and what brought Piper into their lives, he asked, "What happened after the voice came from the fire? Was it the shaman?"

"That's just it...I don't really know. The fire blasted me back a few feet and went out. I heard a loud bang, which startled me. I latered discovered that the bang I heard was just my audio deja vu of my pick up's last words before he died."

"Hmm. That's very peculiar. Well, if Jasper doesn't wake up soon to tell me where we're going, then I'm afraid we'll just have to pull over to rest at the next stop. Hopefully there'll be coffee there, because I'm jonesing. Something tells me that we still have a lot to learn about each other but I really do believe that things will piece themselves together soon. It may not make sense, just yet, but everything is happening for some sort of reason or destiny. Just look...we found you!"

Both Dennis and Piper turned to look at Jasper who was in a deep sleep in the back of the car.

"You know what? I do believe we're on the right track too. We must be. It was destiny that the three of us meet. I definately could use a rest stop when we find one. And by the way, your little man back there really is a good kid. He's a real little gentleman."

"I know. I'm a lucky dad."

More Connections (Part I)

Hand glued to her knife and ready to strike, should the moment suggest, Piper rolled her window down only a hair. She needed a rush of cool air to calm her nerves, but she wasn't about to stick her head out in the face of danger. The gentleman walked to the driver's seat, looking tired and harmless.

"Miss, you look like you could use a hand."

Just then something slammed hard against the passenger's side window. There stood a young boy to her right with a look of thrilled anticipation upon his face. His enormous grin and childish innocence was a comfort to her, so she turned to face the gentleman at her door.

"How did you guess?" she finally replied with a crooked smile.

The boy quickly ran to meet his father and Piper at the driver's side of the truck.

"Hi, I'm Jasper! Can we give you a lift?"
"Seeing as I can't get far with a dead pick-up and it's cold and dark as death itself, I'll take you up on the offer."

Jasper ran quickly to the only working car in sight and opened the front passenger's door. "Ladies ride shotgun, so I'll sit in the back."

Piper made her way inside and sat comfortably in the seat taking a farewell glance at her travel companion, Willy. Then she turned to face Dennis who was now buckling himself in the driver's seat. "You've done well with him. He's quite the young gentleman." Curious to see whether Jasper was flattered or not, she turned to the young gentleman in the back seat and gave him a quick wink as he buckled himself in place. Dennis started the ignition, turned the steering wheel so the crunch of gravel under the tires was heard, and made for their next destination.

"Something tells me that it'd be pointless to ask where we're going," Piper had said matter of factly, although she secretly hoped for an answer from the young gentleman.

Dennis looked puzzled because he had never found himself involved with others in the oddities of his world. He was just starting to accept what his late wife must have struggled with before she died. How could he explain his anomaly of a son to anyone?