Connected Minds

By C. C. Long

After spending her life bouncing from one disaster to the next, Vanessa began to crave a normal life. Once she is back home, she is finding out that normal is hard to come by. With the lives of her loved ones evolving around her, she finds herself in the middle of a world she knows nothing about, but Vanessa Riggs is a quick study. As she is beginning to discover herself, she is also learning that those around her are finding themselves as well.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Nov 22, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504369688

C. C. Long

C. C. Long is the author of Connected Minds. She lives in Southern New Mexico with her husband and three children.

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Copyright © 2016 Crystale Long.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-5043-6969-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-6970-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5043-6968-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016918821

Balboa Press rev. date: 11/15/2016

Contents

Intro

1 Functionally Dysfunctional

2 Planes Don’t Wait

3 Strut Like a Peacock

4 A Spark

5 Family Reunion

6 Nun or Naughty

7 Thinking of You

8 Not Much of Anything

9 The Chills

10 Quirks

11 Stacked

12 Live With Crazy

13 Short of Kidnap

14 A Few Blank Spots

15 A Warning

16 Off the Table

17 Get a Shrink

18 Kinks to Work Out

19 Find Myself First

20 Does Your Friend Fish?

21 Abnormally Normal

22 More of This Anytime

23 Celebrate

24 Always and Forever

At Home

Acknowledgments

About the Author

To my beautiful children, may your creativity and imagination never lose its spark. You each inspire me to be great, every day.

Never settle for the moon when you are reaching for the stars.

-Unknown

Intro

You are my oldest and dearest friend. You know me better than I know myself. I am confident that you will not only be expecting this but that you will understand.

People have changed so drastically over the last few decades. It had become too difficult to simply exist beside them. It is evident this is just who or what they are. It seems the nature of human beings is to conquer or destroy anything and everything they set their sights on. With the technology developing so swiftly, my hope for them is fleeting. The abuse amongst each other, the neglect of their surroundings, and the blatant disrespect of the land and nature, how can they be what holds the hope of our future? The kind acts, the compassion I once adored, have faded into simple stories they tell their offspring. The love, oh the love I crave so desperately, they squander and abuse it, never knowing how superbly lucky they are to have ever had any love at all.

I have begun to despise them and their lack of respect for all things—once again. We both know where this road will take me. I need the silence and peace that comes after. The nothingness I experience in the hereafter. With the feeling of hope now gone, I have nothing but the pain of loss and the darkness left to hold onto. If this path we have been waiting for does not open up soon, I am afraid I will no longer have the will to continue. If people can push me to the edge so easily, Am-heh shall have no problems. I cannot allow that.

We both know of the changes to come. I am sure you will have all the preparations in order when it is time for us to be together again. I do look forward to seeing you again in Idaho (of course, it would have to be the western U.S. I hate the damn cold).

Until then, my friend, remember I trust Samuel for this next task. He may have a simple mind, but he has a pure heart. I will benefit from his influences. It is possible I won’t recognize you right away. Please try to be more patient with me than usual. I am counting on you to point me to the right choice. Let us hope we are right about this. I am not sure I can handle another century in this gutter-like stalemate. I miss you already.

Your Dear Friend,

Vanessa Jean

1

FUNCTIONALLY DYSFUNCTIONAL

I finished packing the last crate into the Mobile Help Center and got everything latched down then locked the door. As I stepped around the truck, Pablo, a local boy who had been hanging around the Center, kicked his tattered old soccer ball my way.

Play futbol Nessa? he asked me in the broken English I have grown to love.

I stopped the ball with my foot and picked it up as he ran toward me to collect his ball. When he was close enough for me to hear him better, he pleaded with me to play for a while. I enjoyed spending time with him and since it was my last day there I agreed. I only have fifteen minutes, I told him in perfect Spanish.

Sam and I have been in Guatemala since the landslide in the village of El Cambray Dos back in October. We tried to stay in Santa Catarina or Guatemala City when we could, but most of the time we slept in the travel trailer sent with the Help Center. It has been eight months, and I have grown to love the people, especially the kids like Pablo who are too young to have experienced such a tragedy, yet somehow they still hold the strength to endure.

Playing with Pablo reminded me of how short I am and how challenging my size can be. He was about three inches shorter than me, but I could barely see over his head. Pablo is only nine whereas I am almost seventeen and only five feet tall. I used to be short and slim, twiglike, but over the last two years puberty has been overly kind to me, giving me a curvy shape–much like a winding road. I have grown my light-brown hair down to my waist in an atempt to hide my curves. When I am working on location, I wear oversized tee shirts and baggy jeans to disguise my disproportionate body. I have learned that adults have a hard time taking me seriously given the way I look. They either see me as a child given my height or view me as a woman because I have a rather mature shape, stature, and personality. Not wearing clothes that highlight my features provides me with a fair medium, working with the foundations that we do, I need people realize I am neither child nor adult.

I had been playing soccer with Pablo and his friends for thirty minutes. I really had to get going, and still I spent another half hour saying goodbye to the kids and anyone else I could find. Inevitably, I got into the truck and drove away from Santa Caterina for the last time.

This is always the hardest part—leaving the people behind after you have spent so much time with them, after holding their hands as they faced the most difficult things life can give a person: disaster and tragedy. It hurts deeply to have to leave. No matter where we go, I am always amazed by the unity that devastation can provide. When people have lost everything material to them, it is each other that they hold onto. I have met few people who value humanity the way Pablo and his neighbors do. They have clung to one another in the face of tragedy. I can’t say they have prevailed, but I do believe they have found something beautiful in place of what they have lost. I cannot help but reflect on my own connections to the people in my life.

Technically I am an orphan; my mother died shortly after I was born and my mom’s friend Sam, was left to raise me. He is the only father I have ever known. Sam is a skilled contractor who works with several foundations like FEMA and World Help to help rebuild after a natural disaster has wreaked havoc somewhere. It is from his compassion for others that I have learned many of the values of life, yet he and I can go days without sharing an in-depth conversation. We mostly live a minimal life, going from one location to the next only intending on doing our best to help where we can. On the other side is my stepmom, Grace. Her perky personality and ability to hold a conversation with anyone from toddlers to elders has shown me the joy there is to be had in every encounter a person can have with another. Having the two of them in my life has been a blessing not many people get. I also have the twins Tommy and Torri, who are not family but are my two best and practically only friends. They are a few months younger than I am and share most of my best memories. With the two of them in my life, I know I will never truly lose myself or my youth no matter what my actual age is. They are the best friends a girl could have.

On the road spending my time in a world of devastation and grown-up problems, I have gained the mentality of an old woman. I have taken on responsibilities that most people do not have in their thirties. I have had to be able to work through any emotions I may be having to keep a strong face while still holding on to the compassion that drives me to continue doing this work. I can hold my own in a room full of adults with more brains than money or a room full of grown children with more money than sense and anywhere in between. This is just something that happens when you grow up in an environment meant for the strong willed. If I wanted to help, I had to learn how to function in a serious adult world at a young age.

My family keeps me grounded. They remind me that I can be selfish at times, and it is allowed. In fact, I am expected to and doing what I want to do is not wrong or does not make me a selfish person but helps me learn what I want to become and what kind of person I want to be. Without them, I would have bailed out of this lifestyle a long time ago. I would have chosen to stay put and become a mainstream kid without ever learning all that I was capable of. Sam and Grace support me in just about every way they can; I am lucky to have such people in my life. Just thinking about my family made me miss them and wish to be home. I took a heavy breath forcing my thoughts to the back of my mind… just one more day.

I have never missed home as much as I have this trip. It has been the longest we have ever been on an assignment. Sam and I even pulled some of our own resources to be able to stay a bit longer. Even though I wanted to be here, I have been homesick since we arrived. Perhaps I have finally started craving the activities of simple day-to-day living that home provides me.

Sam was waiting for me in the hotel lobby. Hey, kiddo. You okay? he asked as he got up from the over fluffy couch he was sitting on. He put his arm around me in that fatherly hug he gives me when he knows I am in pain. Sam is well aware of my tendency to get overly attached. I am not ready to leave this place, but the funds have run dry, and we are out of time. Besides, I need to spend some time in a happier setting before this life choice gets to be too much. Tomorrow we will put the Mobile Help Center and travel trailer in a shipping container to be freighted to Utah, whereas we will be flying home to McCall, Idaho.

I looked up at Sam, I’m okay, Dad. I just wish we could have helped more. I said, forcing my sadness to the back of my mind.

Let’s get you upstairs so you can get a shower. Some food might help you feel better too. Sam led the way up the stairs to our room.

While I showered, Sam attempted to get settled in the room. Given the fact that he had no idea how to even turn on my computer or do any of the things that are involved with making sure we are ready to go in the morning, all he really did was find out the hotel restaurant was reasonably priced and highly rated. He was right, though. I did feel much better after a shower. Having clean hair and clothes was refreshing.I even brushed my teeth despite knowing we were going to eat. It seems obsessive, but given that I haven’t seen clean hot water and indoor plumbing all that much over the last eight months, I was quite compelled to take advantage of it. When I had finished, it was Sam’s turn to take a shower while I set up my computer. I completed our early check in for the fifteen-hour day we would have tomorrow. I then booked the rental car and sent the itinerary for the shipping container to the main office in Salt Lake City. I was just finishing checking in with my online classes when Sam was ready to go to dinner.I had eleven assignments to complete before the end of next week. That was not too bad considering I haven’t been all that focused on my schoolwork lately.

At dinner, we sat at a table close to the bar in the restaurant and enjoyed our first fresh hot meal in eight months. It is always so surreal coming off an assignment, after any length of time of living in a camper trailer amongst the muck and harsh conditions that usually bring us to a location. Being anywhere that has all the luxuries of a functioning civilization feels odd and requires some time to adjust to modern living. Sam and I were both half way through our meals before he asked, Are you excited to see your mom and the twins?

More anxious than anything. Mom and Torri have been hounding me a lot more lately about finishing school in Idaho. You know how they feel about all this. I gestured to him and our surroundings.

Grace is a force of nature all of her own, particularly when she is determined for someone to concede to her point of view. She and Sam divorced when I was seven, and she has stayed on, she is the only mother I have ever known. She felt it would be too hard for us both if she stopped being a mother to me. I love her more for it. Grace lives in McCall, Idaho, where it is cold yet green most of the year. It is mine and Sam’s home too, technically. We barely spend a month there every year. Grace has always wanted me to be closer to home but, I love the opportunities I get to experience traveling with Sam.

You know how I feel about it, Nessie. If it is what you want to do, then, by all means—go. Spend the school year with Grace. Try it out. We can have our little adventures when you get vacation time like everyone else does. Sam has always been supportive of my wants and needs. He took a deep breath then sighed, That lifestyle is healthy and is also a part of the world, you should experience it too. Honestly, I want you to know it is your choice. As he set his napkin on his plate, he added, Besides, there are a few things I need to do in Salt Lake City with central office, and I am going to settle out your mother’s estate while I am there. When you turn seventeen, you will be able to access the properties and the rest of your inheritance. It will all become yours. No questions asked.

I thought I had to be eighteen? Are you telling me I will have my own money? I had always known I had an inheritance. I just didn’t think it was enough to be an issue. I was curious, what did it matter which of us owned what? We would still use it all the same.

Sam was holding his chin with his fists as he took a deep breath. Well kiddo, there are a few details you and I need to go over before you make any decisions. But, you know, you are just so mature for your age. You have been handling all of the foundation business long enough, I just think it is time for a change—you are ready. Besides, it has never been mine. It was left for you. He said the last part more quietly and with a hint of shame on his face. I rolled my eyes at him; Sam always behaves oddly when my parents come up in conversation as if he is embarrassed or doesn’t want anyone to know I am not his child.

He is tall and stout with thin blond hair. My hair is light brown, and I have a ton of it. Sam has blue eyes. Mine are hazel. I am short and have little muscular definition. He and I have very few things in common genetically or otherwise. It has always been kind of obvious to me that we are not related. I am sure it is to other people too. This conversation was going nowhere, so I offered my only solution, Well, it is late, and we have a long day ahead of us, let’s get some rest.

He had relaxed now but did not move, Now. Nessie, you need to spend some time thinking about who you want to be. You will have a house and enough money to have a great start in life, but where and with who you spend your time is a big decision. Please, take some time make sure you make the right choices.

Awkward conversation not averted, I rolled my eyes again. I haven’t made any decisions yet. I have no need to right now. I still have a year of high school, and you know education is a priority for me. The only choice I have to make is whether to finish in a classroom or online.

Yes, but a lot is going to change for you soon. I just want you to understand that you can do whatever you want. I hope I have raised you to know what the right thing is for you. I have always feared when this time came, you would resent me or maybe rebel a bit because of the deception involved. There was a hint of avoidance in his words.

I did not understand why he felt the need to discuss this now, but I gave in and responded, Dad, I am okay with the no mother or father thing. The truth is you suck at deceiving me in the first place. As far as the money goes, I have always known about it. It’s not going to change who I am just because I don’t have to ask for it anymore. You may not be my biological dad, but you have been a great father to me, and so what if I am an orphan? I know you and Grace love me. That is all that really matters, isn’t it?

I guess you are right. Just know, Nessie, it has been my pleasure and my honor to be your dad. I will always be here if you need me. Sam has never been an emotional man. His declaration was touching. I got up and walked around the table to give him a hug.

I love you, Dad.

When the moment we were sharing had passed, we both got up and went to the room. It had been a long emotional day. I had said goodbye to some very special people, and Sam had acted rather odd at dinner. I was ready to get a solid night’s rest and put this day behind me. Tomorrow I could do some school work on the plane, and in the evening we would be at Grace’s house. I needed that reprieve, more than even I knew. Grace always has all sorts of things planned when I am home, and it is usually exhausting. This visit she also, wants me to meet her new boyfriend. I wonder what he will be like. What will he think of our little functioning dysfunctional family? For the first time since I could remember, I found myself looking forward to whatever Grace had planned.

2

PLANES DON’T WAIT

I meditated for about five minutes before I gave up. With Sam’s snoring, I wasn’t getting any clarity anyway. I got in bed, and as I closed my eyes, I silently asked myself for a dreamless night.

I was walking along a pebble stone road. I felt lost or as if I was looking for something or maybe someone. I stopped to look around, turning in a complete circle. I was on a side street in London, East End, I think. I looked down at myself. The dress I was wearing was late 1800s era. Great I am dreaming of the Jack-the-Ripper days. I thought to myself.

I glanced around again. At the end of the road, a familiar man was leaning against a wagon full of straw. He was wearing a bow tie, coat tails, and a top hat. I stood there watching him chew on the end of a smoking pipe while he watched me. He is tall and lean, with unruly straight hair that is light brown, like mine, his eyes are such a light brown they are almost green. He has a cleft chin, and a slightly pointed nose. He is handsome. Finally, I placed the man, he was my friend Matthias. I walked up the road to him with a smile on my face. He greeted me with a tip of his hat and returned my smile. Ms. Vanessa Jean, it is a fine time for an evening stroll. He pointed his elbow at me for me to take his arm.

As I rested my hand in the crook of his arm, I replied, I thought so myself, sir. Would you care to escort a lady home? We both chuckled as we stepped towards a side street.

I did not know what language he was using, but I understood him completely when he said: It would be my pleasure ma’am. It was not English of any kind nor was it a new language, but he and I continued walking and talking in this strange ancient language speaking of odd things, such as ‘Shifters’ and ‘Bloodlust’. The conversation made little sense to me, but I went along with it and found I was enjoying myself.

In a somber tone, he told me, A wolf has been left in Whitechapel. It has begun its attempt to consume the people. The animal is causing problems. Someone will need to intervene, before it gets out of hand. He said as we turned a corner.

I looked up to him, Yes, but first I must tell you of the encounter I had with Samuel, the hunter. I was eager to share my thoughts with Matthias, he always gives me proper insight.

As you wish my dear. He said, yet he seemed annoyed by my lack of interest in the wolf.

I rolled my eyes at him. You know as a guardian you can be rather childish. As I was saying, last night Samuel came to the tavern to show me some scrolls that have been discovered in the Southern Americas. They speak of the Goddess Isis. That she still lives as an immortal. Wouldn’t she be the oldest other being in this realm? Couldn’t she have the answers we seek? I questioned him. When I acknowledged his lack of interest, I pried, Why are you not more invested in this Matthias? I was upset he was not more excited about this new information. Do you not believe this to be at all helpful?

I do, but you know how focused I can get when there is a beast like that on the loose, and in such a densely populated area none the less. He was right he would never view this information properly while a werewolf was running around London. The last one almost drove him mad before we got to it, and now that the press has such an influence on the views of the people, it had not taken long for the city to be in an upheaval. We had to do something and soon.

Alright then, have it your way. We will begin our hunt tomorrow. I can have Samuel assist us if you like, but when it is over, you must promise me you will take the scrolls more seriously.

And why not tonight?

Because the sun will be setting soon and it will take more time to find the bastard beast without the light. I was sorry I had said it before I had finished speaking. I apologize for my rudeness. I did not mean to say it that way. Please forgive my lack of ladylikeness. I put on the most serious expression I could muster. Matthias did not appreciate the term bastard being directed at a werewolf, being that they were actual bastards created from a curse developed by a member of his original clan and they had no control over what had happened to them. The fact that I was once touched by the curse of the