The Ghost of Ontario (Part 1) (10 Grade Draft)

Chapter 28: Dreams and Gifts

        A great blast of wind washed out Ihaan's words. All I heard was "Soaring on the Wind." I didn't hear the other name. I'm actually kind of glad I didn't. It was still a little early to bring it in. I know that's what he said, though, because Ihaan told me later on. The leaf whistle was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my entire life. My mind couldn't leave it. Thanks to "Soaring on the Wind," I calmed down. I thought about it on the way back to the island. It was a fairly quiet ride. The water was extremely calm, and Ihaan almost made no sound with his paddle. He mostly just let the current and breeze push us in.

Ro led the way back. With every wing beat, she looked like a goddess. That was how graceful she flew.

When we were about three quarters of the way in, I finally decided to speak, and guess what, I asked a couple more questions. It's just, I had to learn more about Ihaan. As I mentioned before, I decided to ask him about the name "Dempsey" and the flowers I wore. Turning to him, I took a deep breath and said, "Ihaan, lately, I've been confused about something."

"The Ghost of Ontario?" he asked. With his boot, he pushed his bow forward a bit.

I shook my head and answered, "No. Well, maybe a little, but mainly, I've heard you mention the name 'Dempsey' a few times. So, I guess what I'm trying to ask is, well, who's Dempsey? Is he like your pet eagle there?" I pointed at soaring Ro.

"She's not a pet, Little Red." Ihaan said in a slightly annoyed voice. "Don't say that. She's a friend, my friend, and her name is Ro."

I waved my hand and snootily said, "Whatever. What I'm trying to say, Ihaan, is this Dempsey your 'friend?'"

"He is. Both Ro and Dempsey, Little Red, come from dreams I have. When I was much younger, I always dreamed about eventually having special animal friends. Or, at least, I think I did. Hm." He confusingly tapped his beardless chin. "Did I?"

I stared at him.

Ihaan continued to tap his chin. Then, he smiled at me and said, "I call them Dreams of Nature, Little Red. Everyone in the world dreams of befriending animals at least once in their lives. Trust me, I know."

"What kind of animal is Dempsey, Ihaan?" I asked. "I mean, Ro is an eagle. What is he?"

However, before Ihaan could answer, from the sky, Ro called to us.

Ihaan stuck his paddle in the water and stopped us. "What do you see, Ro?" he called.

I gripped the edges of the canoe and focused my attention on the eagle.

Seeming to smile, she peered over her shoulder at us and pointed her claws at the island.

"What's wrong with her?" I asked mysterious Ihaan. I noticed that we had just hit the shallow water of the lake, and we were heading towards the small beach where Ihaan dropped me off after he rescued me from the water. Glancing back at him, I noticed that he was chuckling.

"Oh, Ro," he said, "You never change. I don't want you to worry, Little Red. Ro is just saying that she has found the island where you belong. She is trying to get attention. I promised her that if she finds your island, then I will get her another fish later."

"Can't she do it herself?"

"She can, but you see, she's been doing all the hunting lately, so it's time I gave her a break. I was sick not so long ago, so she hunted for me."

"Sick? Are you better?"

"Oh, I'm terrific. It was just the common cold. I get it about twice a spring, summer, fall, and winter. No big deal."

I slowly nodded. Wow, Ihaan and Ro were closer than I thought.

        He and I spent about another minute or two on the lake, and then we hit the sand.