Secrets: The Truth is Slowly Revealed

Devin’s parents were sitting on the porch when the SUV pulled up in front of the cabin.  As we were getting out, we said a quick hello to them first, before we started getting our belongings out of the SUV, and then Devin’s dad spoke.   

“We’re glad you boys are back and it’s great to see you again, but we didn’t expect you to return so soon.” 

“I know and we’ll tell you all about it in a minute,” Devin replied, “but we need to get our things out of the SUV so Gramps and Pops can head home to their wives.” 

Devin and I understood how Gramps and Pops felt and how eager they were to see their wives again, since they’d been with us and away from their wives for nearly two months.  We definitely would have felt the same way if we’d been apart for that long.

As soon as we had everything, they drove off and Devin and I sat down on the porch with his parents so we could tell them a little about the trip.  We started out by informing them about the ceremony the Navajo Nation held the first night we were there to welcome us, as well as to make me a member of the tribe. 

“Didn’t they make all of you members of the tribe?” Devin’s mom asked.

“No, Pops was made a member of the tribe when he went through the ritual more than 150 years ago,” I replied, “and then Gramps and Devin became members of the tribe when they were born.  All of Pop’s descendents are automatically members of the Navajo Nation, so it was only necessary to make me a member.”

“Yeah, even though we didn’t know it, Gramps, Dad, and I are all members of the tribe too,” Devin added.

“Does the automatic membership include wives?” his mom asked. 

“Yes, as soon as one of us gets married it includes our spouse as well.”

She seemed pleased that she had been included in something this time, and now that she was satisfied, his dad asked a question. 

“So, you’re both calling my father and grandfather Gramps and Pops now?”

“Yes, because it was easier to explain who they were to the others on the reservation, seeing Pops looks younger than Gramps,” Devin answered.  “They both agreed it was ok with them if we did that.”

“I take it that Pops is Isaac and Gramps is Jacob?” his mom asked to clarify the situation. 

“Yes, that’s correct,” I confirmed, “but now I have something to ask both of you.  I believe you already know that I think of both of you as my second parents, right?”

“Yes, honey, and we think of you as another son,” his mom replied. 

“Then would you mind if I called you Ma and Pa from now on?”

They glanced at each other quickly before they responded.  “That will be fine,” she agreed. 

“And I’m going to ask Mac’s parents if I can call them Ma and Pa too,” Devin added. 

“I have a feeling that Mike and Cindy won’t have a problem with you doing it either.”

“Good,” Devin stated, and then we told them about the shaman. 

“Mac spent more time with the shaman than the rest of us, but he was a really neat old guy that knew a whole lot of stuff, but he used Gramps and Pops to answer some of our questions as well.  Oh, and the shaman is even older than Pops.”

“Wow, that’s amazing, because I always thought your father’s grandfather was probably the oldest man on earth,” his mom stated.

“Nope, not quite, and the shaman cooked our meals when it was just the two of us.  Sometimes he did if for the rest of them too, if they were with us at meal time and he had enough food for everyone.” 

“You mean you weren’t together all of the time?” Ma asked.

“No, they were just with me on some of the weekends or whenever the shaman wanted them to help out.”

“So, where did they stay when they weren’t with you and the shaman?”

“They stayed at the shaman’s personal hogan, while the shaman and I stayed at the ceremonial hogan.”  I said it like this because I didn’t want to explain the term hohrahn to Ma. 

“I’m glad they also had a place to stay then.”

“Yeah, and the shaman made these really awesome sand paintings when he performed each ritual on me, although he’d always destroy it once he finished using it.”

“Why did he do that?”

“He said that once he used a sand painting to heal an illness he would destroy the sand painting as a way to eliminate the illness completely.  And when he used the sand paintings for other reasons, he would still destroy it when he was done.  That’s because he told me that all of the rituals he performed were to remove something from the body that had to be eradicated, so the sand painting needed to be destroyed as well.”

“Were the sand paintings nice or did they look like something a small child might draw?”

“No, they were really awesome and he drew different animals in each one.”

“Then it seems strange that he would create a beautiful sand painting only to destroy it.”

“That’s what I thought too, because he did a great job creating them, and when I asked why he did it, he merely responded that it’s just the way it is and has to be.”

“It still seems a shame, but we have other things to discuss now,” Ma relented.  “I didn’t realize you boys were going to be returning this soon.  Are you hungry, because if you are I’ll fix you a snack?”

“Yeah, that would be great, because we haven’t had anything since breakfast,” Devin replied. 

“Ok, then I’ll fix enough so Aaron and I can join you.”

While Ma was working on our snack, Devin and I went outside with Pa and wandered away from the cabin so we could discuss the trip in more detail with him.  As soon as we were out of hearing range, Pa wanted to know which animals I’d transitioned into while I was there, and then he suggested the three of us could go out for a run as dogs later.

“I know you didn’t mention transitioning into a dog yet, but it should be easy for you to do, since you’ve already transitioned into a wolf and a coyote.”

“Yeah, that’s what Devin told me too, and he says you guys will have to work with me on transitioning into other animals and humans as well, and possibly some other stuff too.”

“We can do that if you want, but I’m not sure what other animals Devin has in mind.”

“I thought we could work with him on birds and help him with the feathers and flying.” Devin responded, “and maybe fish too, but he’ll have to learn to breathe through gills.”

“Ok, we can do those things, although I’m not certain how much we’ll be able to accomplish during the short time you boys will be here.  Transitioning into another human should be easy for you, though, after all of the other animals that you’ve transitioned into.  You’ll just be required to have a clear image in your mind of what you want to look like, and then the actual change won’t be very difficult at all.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think it would be as hard as the other stuff I had to do.”

“Why don’t you just pick someone you’re really familiar with and then you can try transitioning into that person first.”

“That’s easy, because it would have to be Devin.  I know him better than anyone else.”

“Ok, then let me see you transition into Devin.”

Devin and Pa watched as I did this and the expressions on their faces told me that I’d done well. 

“Damn, I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between you two, if I hadn’t seen you do this,” Pa said. 

“Do I sound like him too?”

“Yes, when you duplicated his body you also altered your vocal cords so you sound like him as well,” Pa agreed, and then he offered a suggestion. “I want you to go into the cabin alone so we can see if my wife notices any differences between you imitating Devin and her actual son.”

“You really think I should do that?”

“Yeah, it will be a blast to see how she reacts,” Devin stated.

“And we’ll wait on the porch and listen through the screen door to see what she has to say.”

“Ok, if you don’t think she’ll get upset.”

“No, she’s been better about dealing with these things since you talked to her about it when the rest of us were going out for a run.”

“I’m surprised, because all I said was that being able to do those things had its advantages and she should feel safer knowing what you guys could do to protect her.”

“I guess that’s all it took then.”

We walked back to the cabin after we finished our discussion, but they waited on the porch as I went inside. 

“Is our snack ready yet?” I asked as I entered the cabin. 

“Not yet, honey, so why don’t you come give me a hand.  I’ve missed you while you were gone and this will give us a chance to spend some time together.”

“Yeah, I’d like that too, Ma,” I replied, and she immediately stopped what she was doing and eyed me suspiciously for several seconds. 

“Why did you just call me Ma, like Mac just asked to do, and why are you wearing his clothes?”

“Because he’s not me,” Devin said as he came through the screen door laughing, followed by his dad.

“So, you’re able to do all of the same things that they do now?” she asked with a twinge of bitterness in her voice as she pointed at her son and husband. 

“Yes, that’s why I went to New Mexico.  The shaman performed the same rituals on me that had been performed on Pops and taught me how to do a bunch of the same things they can do.”

“I see, but I didn’t know you could do EVERYTHING they can,” she replied, but this time she didn’t sound upset, just confused. 

“I can’t, but I can do a lot of the same things they do.  Does it bother you that I can do these things now?”

“No, and I’ll just have to get used to it, since I understand why you wanted to do this.”

Even though she said she understood why I did this, it seems as if I have unintentionally hit a sore spot, so I wanted to make up for it.  After I transitioned back into my own body again, I spoke. 

“What can I do to help you?”

She hesitated before she replied, but then finally she answered.  “You can set the table with the small plates and glasses for you and Devin.  Aaron and I already have our coffee cups.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” I said. 

I washed my hands before I took the dishes out of the cupboard, and while I was doing that, Devin went over to give his mom a hug and a kiss.  His mom seemed to relax even more after he did it, so he asked what he could do to help. 

“Will you watch the mac and cheese for me so it doesn’t burn while I have a chat with your father,” she said, and then she encouraged Pa to go outside with her so they could talk. 

“Did I upset her?” I asked Devin.

“Not intentionally, and I think she’s probably asking him about how involved you will be with the things that he, I, and my grandfathers do.  I think she always liked it when you stayed with her and the two of you talked while the rest of us went out for a run.”   

“Yeah, I think she liked that too, but didn’t she know that your dad could do this stuff when she married him?”

“Yes, she knew about it before they got married, but not when they first started dating.  Dad didn’t tell her until after he’d proposed and she had accepted, and once she agreed to marry him, he told her the truth and even demonstrated what he could do.  He told me that he knew he was taking a big chance by doing this, but he didn’t feel they could get married unless she knew the truth.”

“But she still married him, right?”

“Obviously!  She married him because they were in love and nothing could change that, but it didn’t mean she was happy about his ability.  Dad said he felt she was hoping that she could get him to stop doing those things or maybe just do them less often.”

“And did he tell her that if they had a child it would be a boy and he would have the same abilities when he got older?”

“Yes, but I believe she was hoping the ability would skip me.  She was really upset that day when I came back to the cabin and told Dad that I’d changed into a bear.  She was hoping I’d never be able to do those things, especially not when I was still that young.”

“Then I guess I shouldn’t have listened to you and your dad and done that to her.” 

“It didn’t really matter, because she would have seen what you can do eventually.  Dad just thought it would be better if she knew it now, rather than later.”

“So, what do you think they’re talking about?”

“My guess would be that they’re talking about what abilities you have and if you will be doing the same things as the rest of us from now on, like going with us for a run while you’re here.  She might also ask him if you’re going to tell your parents about what you’re able to do.”

“Then I hope he tells her that I’m NOT going to tell my mom and dad about this, because I don’t want her spilling the beans either.”

“Don’t worry.  She won’t do that.  I’m sure she’ll feel that they’re better off not knowing that you can do these things.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought too, so I hope she doesn’t mess this up for me.”

“I’m convinced she won’t want them to have to deal with the same concerns that she’s had about it.” 

“I certainly hope you’re right.”

When Ma and Pa came back to the cabin, she finished preparing the mac and cheese and we sat down to eat our snack.  Devin and I put a little mac and cheese on several saltine crackers to make it a little more filling, and the conversation was more upbeat than I expected.  Devin and I talked about our return to campus and when we’d be leaving for Fort Collins, and Ma and Pa would make comments every now and then.

“Mac’s going to stay with us until August 2^nd, and then I’ll be going with him to his place.  That means he’ll be here with us for 15 days, and then we’ll spend 15 days at his house, then leave for campus on August 17^th.”

“It sounds as if you boys divided the time up equally between both families.  I guess that makes sense, since none of us have seen you for very long over your summer vacation.”

“Yeah, we divided the time as equally as possible,” I replied.  “I was only going to spend a week here, but when we realized how long we had before we returned to campus I extended it to 15 days.”

“That was very generous of you, but I suppose it also has something to do with Devin and Aaron working with you a little more.”

“Yes, and Gramps and Pops will probably be coming here to help me as well.”

After we finished our snack, Devin and I helped Ma wash the dishes and cooking utensils, and then we put everything away before we sat down with her and Pa so we could chat a little more.  When Ma decided to get up a couple of hours later and start working on supper, Devin and I headed outside with Pa so we could go for a run. 

After we walked to the shed where they usually got undressed, we left our clothes there and got ready to transition.  Devin and Pa let me know that they wanted to watch me transition into a dog first, before they did the same thing.  I think Pa was surprised when I transitioned into a Siberian husky, either that or he was shocked that I’d done it so well. 

“That’s a beautiful looking dog,” Pa said, “and you’ve done really well mimicking what it should look like.”

I was pleased with his compliment, and now that I had transitioned, Devin and Pa did as well.  Devin transitioned into a really nice looking black lab, while Pa transitioned into a German shepherd.  Once we were all dogs, we started out on a run through the forest. 

We ran around for about an hour before Pa barked to let Devin and I know that he thought we should be heading back to the shed so we could transition and get dressed.  Once we were human again, he informed us that he felt Ma would have supper ready by now and he didn’t want to upset her by being late.   As we walked back to the cabin, I asked Pa a question. 

“Does your dog have a name?”

“Yes, it’s Rolf.”

“Rolf?”

“Yes, since I like to transition into a German shepherd, I felt it should have a German name.”

“Do you have a name for your dog?” Devin followed. 

“Yes, I thought I’d call him Buck.”

“Did you get that name from the Jack London novel?” Pa asked. 

“Yes, I named him after Buck from Call of the Wild.  He was a strong dog and I thought it would inspire me to be brave if I ever had to change into a dog in a dangerous situation.”

“But in the story, Buck is a St. Bernard mix, while Spitz is the husky and the lead dog.”

“I know, but Spitz was a mean dog and wasn’t very nice to the other dogs, so I chose the name Buck instead.”

“Ok, I guess that makes sense.”

“It looks like my dog is the only one without a name,” Devin said.  “I used to transition into a German shepherd like my dad, but I thought it was time for me to be different and it would be easier for you to tell us apart.”

“Did your old dog have a name?”

“Yeah, Fritz.”

“I don’t think that would be appropriate for a black Lab, so why don’t you call him Bear, in honor of the bear that saved me from being attacked by the mountain lion.”

“Yeah, I like that idea, so Bear it is.”

We reached the cabin as we finished our discussion and we could immediately tell that Ma wasn’t in a good mood.  It seems as if we didn’t get back in time after all, so in order to put her in a better mood, I suggested to Devin that we set the table to help out. 

“Don’t you dare do it until you wash your hands first!” she shrieked as we were heading into the kitchen.  “God only knows where your hands or paws have been while you were out tramping through the woods.”

We were only going to wash our hands in the kitchen sink, but after her comment Devin dragged me off to the bathroom to do it in there instead. 

“What’s bothering her?  She knows we always wash our hands in the kitchen sink before we set the table,” I said.  “So why did she snap at us like that?”

“She used to do things like this when Dad, my grandfathers, and I returned from a run, but you got her to act differently when you stayed with her and talked while we were gone.  I guess she’s just upset you won’t be able to do that any longer and that we returned late for supper, so maybe we should start going out for a run after supper or after she goes to bed.”

“Yeah, that would probably be better, and I’m glad we won’t have that problem when we’re married.”

“I know, and I’m happy about that as well.  I’m not sure if I would have been able to handle it if you weren’t a skinwalker and you got upset whenever I went out for a run.  I don’t have as much patience as my dad.”

“Yeah, I know,” I said with a smirk.  “And it makes me glad that I decided to become a skinwalker as well.”

After we set the table, we helped Ma carry the food in and then we all sat down to eat.  Ma’s mood seemed to improve a little after we did those things, and it improved even more when we helped her clear off the table and wash the dishes when we finished eating.  In fact, she was in such a better mood that we asked if she wanted to play a game, and she agreed.  Devin and I got out the Uno deck and the Rack-O game, which are different types of card games, and then we all sat around the table to play.

Ma’s mood seemed to improve even more as she played the games with us, and Devin and I felt this was because we were all able to do it together.  For that reason, Devin and I agreed that we would ask Ma and Pa to go for a walk in the woods with us tomorrow afternoon, since that was something else we could all do together. 

After we ate breakfast the next morning, Devin and I helped Ma clear off the table and wash the dishes and other items again, and then we all sat down to chat.  That’s when we mentioned the idea about going for a walk in the afternoon, and Ma immediately liked the idea.  Of course, Pa quickly followed suit, so we had a plan for today.

The walk started off as a leisurely stroll along one of the trails, and we had just meandered onto another trail when Ma spotted something farther up the trail. 

“Oh, look!  There’s a big deer up ahead of us with her fawns,” she shouted. 

“That’s not a deer, honey,” Pa corrected.  “It’s an elk with her calves, and even though elks usually only have one calf at a time, this one apparently had a rare set of twins.” 

“And she looks upset that we’re here,” Devin added.  “She must think we are way too close to her calves and she’s getting ready to charge us.” 

Even though I wasn’t sure what to do, Devin and Pa sprang into action.  Devin quickly transitioned into a mountain lion while his dad transitioned into a bear.  It stopped the mother elk dead in her tracks when she saw the mountain lion and heard it snarl, and then she spotted the bear and heard it growl.  She immediately turned around and headed off in the other direction with her calves following closely behind. 

As the elk was moving away from us, I looked over at Devin and burst out laughing.  That’s because when he’d transitioned into a mountain lion he hadn’t undress first, so the mountain lion was now wearing his clothes.  Pa, on the other hand, had completely destroyed his clothing when he transitioned into a bear. 

As soon as the elk and her calves were completely out of sight, Devin transitioned back into his human form again, so I asked him why he’d decided to become a mountain lion this time. 

“It was so my mom wouldn’t see me naked when I transitioned back.  I knew if I transitioned into a bear that I’d tear my clothes apart and they wouldn’t be wearable when I transitioned back.  Dad didn’t have to worry about that, because she’s seen him naked plenty of times, and I transitioned into a mountain lion that would fit into my clothes.”

I guess that made sense, in a weird sort of way, but there was something else I was curious about. 

“How did you manage to fit the mountain lion’s tail into your shorts without ripping them?”

“I didn’t.  I transitioned into a bobtailed mountain lion instead.  My tail was basically just a stub, because I didn’t want to end up naked from the waist down if the tail ripped through my shorts.”  Damn, Devin really was a quick thinker. 

Pa opted to stay a bear as we walked back to the cabin, since it seemed he didn’t want to be seen walking naked through the woods.  That probably wouldn’t have happened though, because we didn’t see anyone else.  The question was, would someone who’d seen us walking with a naked man think it any stranger than seeing us walking with a bear?  Maybe they would just think he was nudist or the bear was our pet!   

Devin, however, was ruminating about something else while I was considering those issues, and during the walk he turned to his mother and spoke. 

“I know you don’t really like what we can do, but you’ve got to admit that it comes in handy sometimes.  Otherwise, we would have all been running and diving off the trail to avoid being trampled by a 500 pound (227 kg) mother elk.”

 

“Yes, I suppose you’re right and I’ve got to look at the positive aspects of what you can do, rather than feeling like the odd man out.  Or should I say the odd person out?”  

“Obviously, it would be the odd person, but I’m glad that you’re finally willing to admit that our ability isn’t a bad thing – just different.”

“I’ve actually known that for a long time, but I couldn’t get over the feeling that I was the only one who couldn’t do those things with the rest of you.”

“But Hope and Faith can’t do them either.”  

“I know, but they aren’t with us very often and they have each other for support, since they’re so close.”

“I guess I never looked at it that way.”

“Trust me.  I know how you feel, Ma,” I commiserated, “because I felt that way until I went to New Mexico and had the rituals performed on me.  Now that I can do these things as well, I look at it differently.”

“Yes, you had an option that wasn’t available to me, since only men are able to acquire the skill, but I’ll survive.  I’m just glad that you and Devin won’t have to go through being different and you’ll be able to share this in common.  I would have felt terrible if you had to endure the same feelings that I’ve gone through.”

“I can empathize with what you’re feeling, because I went through it temporarily, but hopefully it will get better for all of us.”

When we reached the cabin, Pa transitioned into his human form as we were standing in front of the cabin, and then he inside to get dressed before he rejoined us. 

“I was able to overhear your discussion on the way back,” he said, “and I’m glad this little encounter had a positive outcome.  It also gave me another idea when you mentioned Hope and Faith.  What would the three of you think about having a cookout next weekend and inviting my dad, granddad, and their wives?  That way, Doris will be able to hangout with Faith and Hope when the rest of us go out for a run.” 

Pa, Devin, and I all turned and looked at Ma to see how she was going to react to his suggestion. 

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” she responded after a brief pause.  “I haven’t seen either one in a while and will enjoy spending some time with them.”

“You mean you didn’t get together with them while we were gone?” Devin asked. 

“No.  I was convinced they were spending time with each other, and since your father was here with me, I didn’t bother to get in touch with them.”

“That’s too bad.  You probably should have.”

“You may be right about that, so this will give me a chance to make up for that oversight.”

“And I can mention this to my dad and granddad when I see them at work,” Pa offered.  “I should have their answer by the middle of the week, if they can make it.”

“If not, then we should do it for just the four of us.  I’m sure we will have a good time with or without the others,” Ma responded. 

“Yes, we’ll do it no matter what,” Pa concurred, “but I hope they’ll be able to join us.”

Now that we were all in agreement, we began to discuss what we were going to have to eat and what types of other activities we were going to do.  Pa put Devin and me in charge of the games, both outside and inside, and hopefully it won’t rain.  That would put a damper on things, but we’ll still have a great time no matter what, since we’ll be with at least part, if not all, of the family.