Threshold

By Angela J. Reynolds

Terra's little brother is very sick, so she goes to spend the summer with family friends in Cape Breton. There she finds mysteries, treasure, and a world of beings she had never thought existed. And, just maybe, a way to make her brother better.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moose House Publications
• Release date: Jul 24, 2022
• ISBN: 9781990187391

Angela J. Reynolds

Angela J. Reynolds is a librarian working in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley. She and her husband live in the woods with a persnickety cat, a dancing duck, and a couple of recalcitrant hens. Angela has been in love with reading since the day she learned to decode "Green Eggs and Ham"; she has been a children's book reviewer, student of folktales, and served on the 2015 Caldecott Committee.Angela has written several articles for library journals, including "The Better to See You With", published in Children and Libraries.When she is not reading or writing, Angela is likely to be sewing, painting on cardboard, or gluing things together and covering them with glitter. You might also see her walking the beach, searching for mermaid's tears.You can follow her on Twitter @AngelaJWrites.

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© 2022 Angela J. Reynolds

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cover and interior art: Lauren Soloy

Cover layout: Rebekah Wetmore

Editor: Andrew Wetmore

ISBN: 978-1-990187-39-1

First print edition June, 2022

Ebook edition July, 2022

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2475 Perotte Road

Perotte

Annapolis County, NS

B0S 1A0

moosehousepress.com

[e-mail]

We live and work in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaw people. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship which Mi’kmaw and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) people first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) title and establish-ed the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship between nations. We are all Treaty people.

In memory of my own little brother, Chris. I wish the mermaids could have been there for you.

Christopher Dean Reynolds

March 31, 1967 - January 8, 2021

This is a work of fiction. The author has created the characters, conversations, interactions, and events; and any resemblance of any character to any real person is coincidental.

Contents

1: Chunks and slices

2: Sea glass

3: A moon rope

4: I can hold the Glamour

5: Someone to cry to

6: You shimmer

7: Follow me

8: A low hum

9: Cold chill of danger

10: The Prophecy

11: The heavy weight

12: Spitting words

13: Green eyes staring

14: The problem with the plan

15: What's that sound?

16: Magical hearing

17: Go and make ready

18: Songs in the old language

19: Hot salt

20: She really did it

20: She really did it

Acknowledgements

About the author

1: Chunks and slices

The boy’s eyelids were blue. His skin was so transparent, she could see veins and muscles through it. He was disappearing.

A hot, breathy voice whispered in her ear, He’s going to die, Terra. He’s going to die. That’s why they sent you away this summer.

She sat up in bed, her heart knocking a steady beat in her ears. At first she could not tell where she was, the turquoise walls out of place and yet familiar.

Then it flooded in, the whole day before: the plane ride, Kendall’s gift of the blue sunflower dress, Chicken Burger on the way to Cape Breton, seeing Moon Mist Cottage all freshly painted like an ice cream cone. She was at the beach, at Kendall’s house, and her summer vacation was starting. 

The voice from her dream still echoed in her head, a crashing boom of sadness and fear, like water in a sea cave.

She was just thinking about how Kendall had given her the bunkie for the summer when there was a muffled tap and the door opened.

You awake yet? I brought milky tea. Kendall pushed through the door carrying a tray with two steaming mugs and a plate of oatcakes.

Terra rubbed her eyes, still in the space between dream and waking. Kendall sat the tray on the dresser, and Terra leaned forward to accept the mug, warming her hands and breathing in flowers and honey. Lady Grey with lots of milk, just how she liked it.

She was so focused on the tea, trying to shake the whisper in her head, that she missed what Kendall was saying. Hey, sleepyhead, did you even hear me? After a quick morning on the beach, let’s head to town. I want you to meet GennyV and Alise.

Terra’s face must have given her away, because Kendall crinkled her forehead in that all-knowing way that some adults do when they’re reading your mind. What’s wrong? You don’t want to go the beach? Now she really was reading Terra’s mind, because Kendall’s voice held back a laugh.

I only want to go to the beach. All day. That’s all I want to do. Can’t they come over for supper or something? And wait, who’s Alise?

Your mom didn’t tell you that Gen has a daughter? She’s only a year or so older than you. Turning 14 this fall.

Terra thought about what her mom had told her. That Kendall had a girlfriend and Terra would probably be seeing a lot of her this summer. It felt like her mom had left out a lot. Maybe the dream was a prophecy that held her mother’s betrayal.

Is Dylan going to die? Is that why Mom sent me here alone this summer, so I wouldn’t see it? She wants him all to herself while he’s still alive.

Kendall set her tea down on the tray and moved over to sit on the bed next to Terra. Honey, we don’t know what’s wrong with Dylan. Your mom is with him at the hospital so they can do tests. She thought you’d like a break from doctors and illness. You know this.

But he’s so sick. I think he’s going to die.  The tears rolled out, shaking her. She slopped tea onto the blankets as her hand trembled, and Kendall took the mug from her, then held her in a bear hug. As Terra cried herself out, Kendall just held her, like she had done when Terra was a toddler with a scraped knee.

Finally, Kendall whispered, Okay, let’s spend the day on the beach. Just the two of us. I’ll tell GennyV to come over for supper. I think you need some sand and water to clear your head.

The tide was in, leaving only a little strip to walk on, but Terra was on the beach, and that was all that mattered. The water was cold, bone-chilling according to her mother. But to Terra it felt good and she knew that on a hot afternoon she would be in this water in her swimsuit, once it warmed a bit and her bones got used to it. Her mother said she was part fish. If there was water, she would get in it. Pool, creek, river, ocean, bathtub, puddle, it did not matter. Terra loved water.

Sometimes she wished Kendall had bought a house near a warmer ocean, but if she had, there would likely be a lot of people on this beach. Instead, there were only the two of them at the edge of the world and the Atlantic Ocean was tickling her feet and she fell in love with this place all over again.

Kendall was looking for driftwood and pretty rocks, so Terra ran down a skinny sand path that had not been sucked in by the tide. She glanced at a few seals bobbing their heads up.

Whenever she saw seals, she thought of selkie stories. Their eyes were so human-like. One of the seals had the lightest eyes she’d ever seen. Almost blue—but how was that possible? Seals had dark eyes. Maybe these were a different kind of seal. She was just about to call for Kendall to come see when the seal slipped under a wave.

She stood for a few more minutes and suddenly her bones were numb in the knee-deep water. She didn’t remember wading this far, but now her shorts were soaked as she looked out into the waves for any sign of that strange seal. She saw no black heads; there had been at least three, but they had moved on, fishing and playing where no humans could walk.

Kendall’s voice shouting from down the beach broke her reverie. Terra! Let’s head back. Lunch time!

Terra looked up and saw that she was nearly where the rock face cut out into the water. This beach pretty much ended there at high tide, unless you wanted to take a little boat around the headland. It was nearly a cove, created by the big rock that jutted out into the sea. Up top you could walk almost to the end of it and look out into open ocean. But down here the rock was massive and there was no getting around it. She turned and ran back to where Kendall was standing.

Look at you! Isn’t that water frigid?

It is, but I got used to it pretty quickly. My bones warmed up in no time! She looked at what Kendall was holding. What is that? It was dark and glistening and smelled of fish, but also had a sweet scent trailing behind it.

A net. It washed up right next to me. I’ll spread it out in the yard and let it dry. I’m sure I can do something with it.

Oh look, there’s something stuck in it. Something shiny. Terra poked her finger at a round shape and it fell off. She picked it up, and held what must have been a smoothed shell, brownish purple, like iridescent pink chocolate.

Pretty, Kendall said. Your first Sea Treasure of the year. I’ve cleared a shelf in the bunkie for your treasures.

As they drew near the house, Terra looked up the path to see figures in the door. The taller one was waving, but the girl had her arms crossed, and, even without seeing her face, Terra could tell she was scowling.

They’re here already?

Yes. Gen has a meeting tonight, so she suggested lunch. I didn’t think you’d mind.

GennyV had put together lunch for them: chunks and slices. Chunks of cheese, slices of turkey and ham, chunks of apples and slices of pears, and crackers. There was fancy cheese, too, and West-Coast-style smoked salmon, but she’d leave the smelly cheese for the adults.

Kendall said this was actually called fromage and charcuterie, but Terra always thought of it as chunks and slices. There were even grapes and hummus, the finishing touch.

GennyV smiled at Kendall and gave her a hug. You must be Terra. I’d know you even if you were riding by on a bike without K near you.

GennyV’s voice was made of velvet, and Terra thought maybe Kendall had fallen in love with that voice, because she nearly did, looking at the dark woman with sleek black hair pulled into a long braid.

This is Alise, my daughter.

Terra looked at the girl, who was only a little taller than her, but obviously older. She was muscled, like an athlete, but still had girl curves. Her hair was black like her mother’s, cut short and choppy, and she was wearing dark purple lipstick, which made her face look pale.

Her mother nudged her, and Alise muttered a hello. Terra waved, and then looked at GennyV and the plates on the table. You made my favourite lunch. Did Kendall tell you? It came out as a whisper, as though Terra were a shy little girl.

Kendall jumped in. Nope. It happens to be Gen’s go-to meal. The first time she had me over for dinner she served this, and I said Oh, ‘chunks and slices’! It is one of the reasons I knew you two would get along.

Sweetness wafted through her head, then she looked up to see that Alise was smirking at her, jade-green eyes flashing with a hint of sky-blue when she looked at her mom. Something in her smile seemed more than friendly. Familiar, perhaps, with a tingling that made Terra feel embarrassed or uncomfortable. She couldn’t describe it, and then as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

Anyway, she was too hungry to care about this sullen teenager sitting across from her. She tucked in and let the voices of Kendall and GennyV fill the silence between them.

Then a thought struck her. Can I call Mom? she blurted out, mid-bite of cheese. She put her hand over her mouth, feeling rude and childish, her face warming red.

She’d stumbled upon a word in a book recently that stuck with her. Liminal. That’s how she was these days: on the threshold of two worlds. She would be so glad when that liminal feeling stopped.

Alise looked at her again, with the slightest roll of her pretty eyes. Terra had a quick thought that Alise would be really gorgeous if she were not so crabby-looking.

Kendall nodded her head and waved toward the phone