Back at camp, I pulled on a plain grey tank, then kipped up on the table for a smoke. I mentioned I had another use for the kid. I was ready to lay it out.

"Lemme ask ya, Jamie," I breathed out a clove-scented cloud. "Can you get doses?"

"You mean trip?" Whatever. "Yeah, I think. You do that?" He seemed a little frightened. Like what I'd had him run last night wasn't way worse. These days though - I guess they don't know that.

"Uh huh." I nodded. "Need about ten, I think. Unless you want some." I knew his eyes were gonna be saucers at that. Didn't even look, just leaned back and smoked.

"You want me to trip with you?" he asked, nervously. I sat up, laid it out straight. Straight as I could, anyway.

"Well, here's the deal. First, you ever done it before? See any weird shit?" He nodded. "I got to tell you, you ain't seen jack, alright?" Now, how do I explain this?

"Maybe you've noticed this, but, I'm not like most people you know. When I go in, I go in. And I take other people with me." I ground out the clove and sat up straighter.

"Listen. I don't know what you think about spirits. Let me just tell you - they're real, I see them, they see me. And sometimes - they want to talk."

"Like in 'Sixth Sense'?" Oh, hooray for Hollywood. Children used to learn their myths at grandma's knee around a fire; now they learn them in a darkened theater. At least they learn, I guess.

"A little like that. Only the ones I see aren't dead people. They're alive, they're just not - people. Not like you think." THE People, maybe. If you ask them.

"Anyway, there's one trying to get my attention, real bad. Sometimes I can blow them off, if it isn't too important. You know, if they're just sight-seeing, tapping on the cages to get us to look up." Never really thought about it until just then, but that was exactly how it was. Sometimes.

"This one, though.." I trailed off. "Wait, what day is it?"

"Uhh, Friday?" I shot him a look. "Oh. The twenty-third, I think."

I went to the van, fished a battered datebook from between the seats. Oh yeah. It figures. Twenty-third and a full moon too. I swore under my breath. This one really picked her time, alright.

"So here's the thing. I've got to go see what they want. Maybe do something for them, I don't know. That's why the doses, though. Wanna make sure I'm on their level."

"Now, you can come along if you want. But if you do - well, if you're with me, they might SEE you. They see you, they might want to talk, or have you do something for them too, or who knows. Only thing for sure is, it'll be a rough ride to morning."

"Shit, I'm game," Jamie shrugged. "Not like any better offer is going to come down the strip, yanno?"

I leaned up against the van, thinking. The kid was around for the visit last night - of course, he was kinda occupied at the time. And he did seem to feel it when I Touched him in the van before that. He might be helpful, he might give me double the burden they were gonna lay down. I decided to do a little research.

"Tell you what," I ventured. "Let's you and me do a little replay of last night. Not that part - " The Grin came out for a bow. "Necessarily. But I want to see how you handle weird shit if I throw it at you. You manage that, you can come along tonight. Deal?"

"You're on." He jumped off the picnic table, ready to go. Was that the puppy routine, or - who knows. Grabbed my coat, patted the pocket to make sure the baggie was still there, and set off.

Once I've been a place, I can generally find it again. What seemed a twisting, remote journey last night turned out to be a lot closer to the camp than I'd realized. Hell - maybe we gave some snoozing old fisherman an eyeful. Still, it was far enough for today's exercise.

I jumped down, settling back in my same spot. Rolled another, repeated the routine. Only this time when it was done, our clothes stayed on; not to say the weed didn't make my jeans a little tighter. But it always does that.

I moved forward, onto the sand, sitting cross-legged. Got the kid to do the same across from me. Closed my eyes, and Reached. He got it; I felt him jump, but he kept his seat. Opened my eyes as he opened his. And I heard him whisper -

"Holy shit." I didn't blink, didn't flinch, just kept my ice blues locked on him.

"What do you see, Jamie?" Revved up a little as I asked, showing off, I suppose.

"You - you - you've got wings, and they're on fire!" he gasped. I pulled my hands away from his, pulled back my consciousness, reeled in the manifestations.

"The fuck, kid, not telling me you had the Sight!" I wasn't offended. Pissed, maybe, but at myself. I should have Seen that, if I wasn't so busy trying to hide myself.

"I - I'm sorry - " he stammered. "Don't be mad, Steve, I didn't really know!"

"No - don't worry, I'm not pissed at you." I tried lamely to reassure him. "Look, I can see you're going to be involved in this, whether I think it's a good idea or not." Was involved already, make that.

"I gotta tell you, Jamie, not many people at all have ever seen what you just did. It means you've Got It, in a big way. And people like me - we're supposed to look for people like you. Help them, if we can; so you wind up being what you're meant to be, and not - well, not someone like me."

I knew the niceties of this speech were lost on him; as far as he was concerned, I had been helping him. Hell, I might as well have traded the trench for ivory armor, size 36. "Do me a favor, don't ask any questions. Let's get through tonight, and if we're here this time tomorrow, and in one piece, maybe I can explain more then."

"New topic." I held up a hand. "You ever been over where the old drive-in used to be? Up 534 a little way?"

"Well sure, Steve," he said. "I kinda got a camp back there." Oh, it figures, all right. I got up, started to climb the little bluff.

"Show me." I said. "That's where we're going to be tonight."

Daytime, you could park along the road there and no one seemed to mind. Come night, and we'd have a hike to get back to my campsite, if we needed to get here. But I couldn't do this in a state park, no way.

Jamie's place, if you can call it that, wasn't too far in; just far enough he could have a fire and not draw attention. A little hollow below the first rise, with a big old pine tree to shelter under. Good Feel to it too, but then, kid with his kind of sensitivity would naturally pick a spot with good energy to it.

I made him help gather all the garbage we could see. Lugged back a couple blankets, a few jugs of water; can of coffee, another of sugar, coffeepot, two plastic mugs. Collected kindling, hauled a couple bigger downed woods for firewood. I wanted to do some more prep, but needed to be alone, for that.

I arranged to drop him off near Eddie's, gave him the bills to get what I needed and a bit extra. Said I'd be back in two hours. Didn't worry if he'd be there.

This time, I parked over in the park picnic area, and walked across to the site. People dirtbiked back there, obviously; but I didn't care to point the van out to anyone dressed in blue.

Made my way back to the site. Sat for awhile, quiet. Let the place speak to me. When I had my center, I went to a bag Jamie hadn't noticed me bring back. Pulled out my supplies.

Seven stones - gathered along the lakeshore, mostly. A few of them mossy. I calculated north, then spaced them along the perimeter. Champa sticks and white feathers were next; these I stuck evenly along the eastern quarter.

After that, what looked like potpourri: sunflower, calendula, and monarda petals, dried. Seven little piles along the south. For the west, the tiny tin cups that held tea light candles, empty of wax, filled with lake water from a stoppered glass bottle.

In the center, a hand mirror. Held reflective side to the sky for a long moment, then carefully lowered to the ground, still facing up. The silvered back I shook over the apparent center spot before setting it into place.
When all was in place, I stepped outside the circle, to the blankets. Opened my awareness out - no need to fear being bushwhacked now; she knew I was coming - made sure no humans were nearby.

Safe, I stripped off my coat, tank, jeans, boots - everything but the tattoos and the rings in my nipples and ears. Now, I could step back in.

The hand mirror lay so that it caught the late afternoon sun. I stepped over it, into the beam of light. Eyes closed, palms open.

I didn't need acid to feel the deva spirits come sniffing around. I stayed still, let them check me out. They laughed and tickled; liked that I was naked like they were. When I was sure they knew Me, I stepped back out of the circle. Dressed. Went to get the kid.

The wind was kicking up a bit, already. I remembered seeing a place back on 84 that had a downed tree cut up & for sale. Decided to swing by and snag a couple bundles if they were still there.

They were, and I had Jamie toss them just out of sight while I idled along the verge. Then it was back to camp. I pulled off the tank, put on a long-sleeved thrift store dress shirt and black vest. Hey, they want to make this official, I'm gonna dress the part.

With that, the firewood and my trench, I knew I was ready for the night; but no matter which T-shirt you put on him, the kid still had pale skinny arms. Never fear - did I mention I often live out of this van? - there was a jean jacket in back, with a hoodie inside it.

Put both under the trench and I'm dressed for winter. Put em on the kid, and I don't feel so much like I'm dragging him into battle unarmed. That jacket had some juice in it still, even fifteen years later. But that's another tale.

So. Lock up the van, with my goodies inside (ok, except the baggie, which might be needed). Keys in the tent. Someone wants to raid me, they can, but I've got stuff pretty well warded. About half an hour 'til sunset, which gives us time to walk over while there's still light. And we're off.

I don't ask for the paper 'til we're back to his camp. I know the kid thinks I'm crazy, chewing up ten little squares of blotter, and maybe you do too. But I know that without the Dead shows to bring the good stuff in from the coast, anything around here lately has been crap. Way I see it, I did two, two and a half max; the kid was only chipping.

Before full dark fell, I showed him the circle I put up. One finger on my lips, no questions, alright? Start with the stones. Crouch down, by me, put your hands on one. Good. I pointed.

"North. Earth. Midnight, and winter. Ground, center, connect. Safest quadrant if things get too weird, ok?"
He nodded, eyes wide and solemn. Feathers next, and light a stick of champa. Wave a little smoke over him with the feather, have him do it to me. Put it back.

"East. Air. Mind. Dawn, springtime. Probably where I'll mostly be focused this evening."

The little clumps of flower petals were scattering in the breeze, but still definable. File that fact away, it might matter.

"South." I sifted some through my hands, then sacrificed one to the Zippo. "Fire, will, noon, and summer. You need a jumpstart for something, look over here."

The cups of water were tiny, placid pools. Dipped the middle finger of my left hand in one, then touched him between the eyes. Again, repeat the gesture for me. Like that, yes.

"West, water, emotions, sunset. If I start walking in this direction, let me go. If I don't come back - " I hesitated. Not a possibility I cared to consider. "Anything you want from the van is yours. But I don't think it will come to that."

Now to the center, mirror to the sky. Capture the first starlight in it, too early for the moon just yet.

"The Above. All things you have heard of Lightness. See anything up here, let me know about it." Put the mirror back down, same way as before. "And The Below. All things you have heard of darkness, only not quite like you've heard them. If anything comes from here, it better be in answer to something from above. If not - go. Away. Fast."