The house looked so small next to the giant pine covered
hill that rose up behind it, Mariana thought as she walked along the driveway
next to the riding arena. She had just finished her chores with the horses and
wanted to see how Jordan was coming with the house.
She couldn’t wait until it was finished. They had been
living in a small cabin on her folk’s property until they could purchase the
adjoining land. Of course, after the purchase, the horse barns and riding arena
came first. Now it was finally time for their home.
The two story cabin style blended in with the cedar and sage
scenery around it. As she stood there, blocking the sun from her eyes, she
heard the gust of wind whipping the trees as it moved across the canyon. She
didn’t react fast enough. The strong breeze hit her, forcing her to take step
back. She turned and felt the sting of her long hair repeatedly slapping her
face.
When it died down, she walked to the edge of the canyon. She
could feel it. That negative energy that seemed to permeate from the deep crack
in the ground. It had always bothered her. She wondered if it had anything to
do with Chief Joseph and his tribe who had traveled through the canyon in their
escape from the Calvary. After all, a large battle had taken place at the mouth
of the canyon. It could also have
something to do with the horse thieves that had roamed the canyon, Calamity
Jane being one of them. Or was it
something more ancient? She would have a smudging ceremony before they moved
into the house.
A few days later, she was working on the main floor interior
of the house. The front door opened and
closed as though someone had walked in. She could feel someone watching her,
but the ghost was not yet comfortable enough to show himself to her. She went
about her business and the entity eventually got tired of watching and moved
on.
The next few days were uneventful. Then one afternoon, Mariana was working on
taping and compounding the downstairs walls when she heard the nail gun shooting
upstairs. Jordan was out getting a load of rock for the landscaping, so she
knew it wasn’t him.
She carefully climbed the flight of stairs, the rail not yet
installed. The nail gun was lying on the floor, unplugged. Thinking she was
just hearing things, she went back down and began to clean once again. Again,
she distinctly heard the nail gun going off. She went back upstairs, only to
find the power tool lying in the same place, same position, still unplugged.
She went back to her work downstairs. The third time it sounded, she ignored it
and loudly announced to the ethereal prankster to stop messing with her.
A few minutes later, she felt the presence come down the
stairs and watch over her curiously. She asked him what his name was. “Eli,”
was his response.
As the months passed, Mariana, Jordan and the Saint Bernards
settled into their new home. (Mariana and Jordan show Saint Bernards and are
also on the foster parent list for those that don’t have homes.) Eli’s presence
was felt numerous times. The dogs reacted by wagging their tails as they
appeared to being pet by someone. Because dogs are known for their keen sense
of personality when it comes to humans, Mariana and Jordan figured Eli must be
a good guy and ok to keep around.
Now, I must explain that Jordan does not see spirits, he
just sees the repercussions of having them around. Of course, he knows they are
around by the way the dogs act. With Eli, it would appear as though there is a
human there, giving them all kinds of attention, while other spirits will cause
them to bark at what appears to be nothing. However, Mariana needs to confirm
if it is an apparition and let Jordan know whether he needs to run out to see
if there is a mountain lion outside or to just ignore the visiting ghost.
One day, Jordan was working on the landscape outside while
the dogs wandered around and rested in the sunshine. He looked up and saw Rita, one of the show
dogs, walking up the driveway as though she had a leash on her. He called out
for her to come. She stopped, looked at him, then appeared to look up at an
invisible entity, before continuing her walk.
Again, Jordan called out for her to come. Again, she stopped
and looked at him, then at her dog walker, before continuing her hike up the
driveway. After the third time, Jordan figured Eli was not going to bring her
back and she wasn’t going to come back on her own, so he ran up to grab her.
Was Eli trying to take her home to where he used to live in
the area? Was he just practicing what he saw Jordan and Mariana doing with her?
Was Rita just out for a walk and Eli was with her to keep an eye on her? Eli
really does care for the dogs, as you will read in future posts. He is a good
guardian ghost to have around.
