Spirit Mountain and Other Tales

By Arielle Masin

Fantasy or Reality? which is it? do they meet somewhere in the middle? A bridge? These are tales that reflect both. Some offer mystery and intrigue, some pure fun and a hint of romance, and others? Perhaps they will make you think, and ask, "what if...?"

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Dec 21, 2022
• ISBN: 9798765237038

Arielle Masin

"As an artist, a painter of worlds of reality and fantasy, Arielle has used some of these visual inspirations to create a collection of tales that connect both these worlds."

Book preview

Copyright © 2022 ARIELLE MASIN.

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.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue

in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

844-682-1282

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 Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 979-8-7652-3702-1 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-7652-3704-5 (hc)

ISBN: 979-8-7652-3703-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922326

Balboa Press rev. date:  12/08/2022

CONTENTS

Spirit Mountain

Soulmate

Parrot Treasure

Children of the Forest and Shore

Bodyguard

The Dragon’s Daughter

The Split-Aparts

1%20-%20Spirit%20Mountain%20-%20bw%206x9.jpg

SPIRIT MOUNTAIN

38115.png

M t. Shasta….I had heard of it, of course…maybe read something? Well, whatever… this would still be quite an experience. And after all, they said my safety was now the most important thing. Witness Protection? Geez. Like some kind of FBI intrigue…when I found those documents and turned them into the police, I had no idea I would end up with something like this. Damn! But I saw the guy and identified him. So now I was stuck; couldn’t back out now. I was actually witness to a murder. And then saw the documents. Why couldn’t I have just been at the local hamburger joint, minding my own business? I stayed late to finish up work; figures…no good deed ever goes unpunished. Actually, it’s the US Marshals Service that handles witness protection, but since the bank fraud case was part of an FBI matter, they agreed to release me to the FBI, as long as I returned for the trial.

So here I was on a plane, heading to some god-forsaken mountain town in California. California was certainly cool, but why couldn’t it be San Francisco? I could go for that ! And it would be fairly easy to disappear into the broad spectrum of San Francisco culture. The food, the wine, the art, and cooler-than-cool little streets, the fog…. I adored San Francisco. I wonder if they would take a suggestion to change their plans. Yeah, right. Well, I guess I could ask.

So I did. The answer was no. Apparently, any large city could pose a possible danger. At least they didn’t make me change my looks too much, except for trading my contact lenses for glasses. Hadn’t worn glasses in years, but it did make me look different. And I consented to go even lighter blonde. Hey why not? I was planning to do that anyway, one of these days.

But now some po-dunk mountain town? What was I supposed to do here? Sure my expenses were paid, but while I was stuck there, how would I pass the time? Hunting moose? Oh, god, were there moose there? Probably bears too ! Good grief, I’m a city girl. What the heck did I get myself into? Next thing, I’ll be expected to grow my own food! Oh, man. They had to have food stores, right? At least they gave me a computer so that I could write things…but no email, no texting, nothing but my special phone that would call only my special agent. Always thought that term was funny; special agent... I guess they all thought they were pretty special. I was also allowed to speak to my best friend, Gloria, through my agent. But that was it. No one could know where I was. I just started dating this guy, too. Nothing major yet, but it had been awhile since my divorce, and I was out of practice. Maybe Gloria could tell him I was away on some kind of secret assignment. Yeah, sure. A secret accounting assignment. hahaha

Well after the plane ride, I was driven to this little town. It was pretty, the scenery and all, right there by this unbelievable mountain. Wow. We came to a really cute little house/cabin with a porch on 3 sides…at least I had a great view. Inside, it was surprisingly nice. Had a fireplace in a large but cozy living room, a tiny bath, a kitchen that looked pretty modern, and an extra room off the living room that I could use as my office…ha ha ha….as though I really had something to do there. I could write a novel, I guess. Then there was a large bedroom and full bath on the 2nd floor. The neighbors weren’t too close, but it wasn’t as isolated as I had feared. You know, moose and bears…..

My agent said he would show me around town and get me a vehicle that I could use. I did notice a few shops, some art galleries, a real food store, and a gas station with a restaurant which looked rather busy…a good sign. Down some side streets we saw couple of bars and another restaurant, and surprisingly a good-sized bookstore. Well that had possibilities. I guess it was kind of a cute place to hide out for awhile. My agent, Blake Somers, said he had a room in a nearby guesthouse and I could reach him 24/7 on my special phone. My cover was supposed to be as a writer on vacation for the summer. Maybe writing that novel wasn’t such a bad idea. Me a writer. Ha ha ha I was an accountant. A very bored one. Maybe a career change was in order.

I settled into my cabin, locked the door, and was happy to see a tv. Well, I was still in civilization at least. Unpacking didn’t take too long, and tired as I was, I just fell asleep on the sofa, with some half-unpacked boxes scattered around me.

The morning light woke me, and I happily realized the refrigerator was well stocked and I wouldn’t even have to worry about food shopping yet. There were even a couple bottles of wine! Well, thank you, Agent Somers! I guess the FBI figured they would keep their witnesses happy so they wouldn’t run off. To where, I couldn’t imagine. I am sure the old jeep they gave me would suffice for now, but I doubted it would get me too far. No, I was here as long as I had to be, and there were worse places I guess. Heck, I could be in Kansas, or Oklahoma! shudder. The air was clean and fresh here, and the scenery was unbelievable ! I could walk to town, and I am sure moose and bear didn’t hang out on the streets, right?

I had some tea and toast on the porch watching the birds and squirrels chatter and run about. I did feel safe, and kind of like being on vacation. My thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of my special phone. Good morning, Agent Somers. We talked about my plans for the day. I told him I would walk around and familiarize myself with my temporary home.

Okay. Just remember, no mention of Dallas; you are from San Francisco. Since you said you had been there often and knew the area fairly well, it shouldn’t be too hard. And you are no longer Elizabeth Franklin, bank accountant; you are now Ellie Phillips, budding writer. Your parents left you enough money that you can afford to give up your meaningless secretarial jobs and pursue a dream. Okay? And you need to call me every other day to check in, and anytime you need something.

Yes, I’ll remember. Thanks for everything.

So I put on some jeans and a shirt and left the house, heading into town. People waved in a friendly way, and an older lady tending her flower garden stopped her work to say hello. I admired her garden, and she said if I ever needed some flowers or plants, she had plenty to give away. I told her I was new here, and planned to stay the summer, and might take her up on it. I continued walking. So far so good.

I went to look at the art galleries…some amazing paintings of the area, and that incredible mountain. I should buy one, as a remembrance of my alternative life, for when I went back to my old one, which now seemed so far away. I decided to head to the bookstore, figuring they’d have some books about the area, since they did get tourists at the nearby resorts. Indeed, there were many books about the area. This would certainly keep me busy for awhile. As I was checking out with the friendly clerk, Nancy, a man around my age came in and said, Hi Mom! Mom? She hardly looked old enough. Maybe this fresh mountain air did some good things. I told her she looked too young. She laughed and introduced me to her son, Ethan. When he spoke, the sound of dogs barking came from the back room.

Oh dear, as soon as they hear his voice…do you mind if I let them out? I loved dogs and watched as a Golden Retriever and 3 pups came bounding out, obviously eager to see Ethan. They were as adorable as could be. Nancy mentioned that they get lonely at home alone, and Ethan had been gone for a few days, so she was watching them. I made sure I pet and fussed over each one, then paid for my book, and started to walk toward the door. One of the pups followed me.

No no, you can’t leave, I said, laughing. Then Nancy said she could leave if I wanted her to. What? Oh dear…did she mean I could have the dog? Well, it would be great company for me, but… But what? What else did I have to do?

Are you selling her? I asked. Nancy said no, but she would give her away.

Are you serious? I asked.

Well, she obviously likes you, so yes. And I have good vibes from you.

Ethan picked up the pup and said, where to? Oh my, I didn’t have a leash or food or anything. Ethan offered to drive me to the grocery store, and we picked up the necessary items, including a cozy bed.

She is weaned, of course, house trained, and has her puppy shots, Ethan said. If she gets lonely, just give her some attention and she should be fine. Call me if you need help. Here’s my number. I live in the apartment over the store. My mom lives just up the street with my grandmother.

I said bye to Ethan, and he said he would check back with us in a few days to see how things were going. Holy smoke. How fast all this happened. Now I had a new identity AND a dog. The pup ran all over the living room, checking out everything. I guess you want to get your scent on everything, huh? I think we both need a snack. And you need a name!

I fixed myself some wine and cheese, and a dog snack for the pup, who loved the cheese best, of course. She was fairly light colored, kind of a sandy color.

That’s it ! Sandie is your name! She wagged her tail furiously, so I guess she was happy with my choice. Whew! What a day this turned out to be. My new roommate curled up on the carpet near the sofa and dozed off. I poured another glass of wine and opened the book.

There was certainly a lot of historical information about this site. South of the Oregon border, in Siskiyou County, and about three hours’ drive north of Sacramento, it seems Mt. Shasta holds the distinction of being one of the world’s preeminent sacred mountains. I read that it is recognized as an eligible Native American cultural and cosmological property on the National Register of Historic Places. Wow. Artifacts found in the area have been dated almost 14,000 years ago. The mountain rises to an altitude of over 14,000 feet and is part of the thousand mile long Cascade Range and one of the largest volcanoes in the world and can be seen from over 100 miles away.

Wait. What? A Volcano? And I was worried about moose and bear? Surely its dormant.

Ah, no. Turns out geologists consider Mt. Shasta to be a very dangerous, high threat volcano, which someday will wake up and erupt again. Oh Joy. It is part of the chain of volcanoes that encompass the Pacific Basin’s notorious Ring of Fire, along which the majority of the planet’s earthquakes and eruptions occur.

Oh. My. God. Why did they dump me here? Kansas and Oklahoma were starting to look good. Well, no, not really….but surely this was one of those maybe someday things. That didn’t make me feel much better, and a 3rd glass of wine found its way onto my coffee table. At this rate I might as well just drink straight out of the bottle.

More reading: Native Americans have observed Mt. Shasta as a sacred mountain; they viewed the mountain and its surroundings as holy ground. It was thought to be one of the first places created by the Great Spirit. In the past, no one but medicine men or women climbed up the mountain beyond the tree line. It was thought to be too powerful for ordinary people to visit and inhabited by hosts of potentially dangerous spirits and guardians who could harm a person who traveled up the mountain unprepared.

Wow. Actually, this was all pretty cool, as long as I didn’t hear rumblings in the night. I needed to digest all this and decided to see about some dinner. Thank goodness I had a microwave! Cooking was not one of my highest achievements, unless you consider cheese melted on cold cuts and bread as cooking. I could melt cheese on just about anything and call it dinner! Afterward, I took Sandie for a walk, and then watched some TV, mostly local tourist stuff, and some news, and old repeated episodes of Law and Order or Frasier…. then went to bed. Though I put Sandie’s bed close to mine, she decided mine was better, so she just curled up behind my knees.

She snores. And growls and whimpers in her sleep. Oh well, I needed the company, and she was adorable.

After breakfast, we took another walk around the surrounding property. Quite lovely actually. A great place to retire, I would imagine. I called Agent Somers and told him about my new companion and my day of adventure. I asked him about funds, and he said the debit card would handle everything I needed. But if I wanted to open a local account, my fake drivers’ license and I.D.’s would suffice. He said since I was pretty well set financially, anything above the necessaries would come from my own funds. Ok. Works for me. I had some money my parents left me and also what I saved from my job. I guess it was time to get to a bank. He said he would manage the withdrawal and transfer, since no one could know where I was. Next time I called him, he said it would be a done deal. He also had another phone for me if I needed to make local calls, in my new identity, of course. The special phone was only to call him.

I was about to relax on the porch when Ethan showed up. Sandie ran to greet him

How nice to see you, I said. Sandie is doing great. How’s your mom?

"Just great. Grandmother is a