Ka-thunk!

  Kalia dropped my car on a dirt road somewhere in the countryside near Lake Superior. Felicity rocks in her seat as the car settles from its long flight from Turkey. I am sitting in the passenger seat this time in my green sweats, sunglasses, black baseball cap, and black earbuds to limit the stimulation clawing at my nerves. If I had occasional anxiety before, it has been a constant state of mind since we left Selene's cave. Felicity regains her composure, getting ready to drive.

  Kalia hopped off the hood of my car as the sun peeked over the trees. Her dark blue dress flutters in the gentle breeze of summer. “We have arrived in the States, Little Wolf.”

  “Where in the states?” I ask.

  Fe pulls out her phone and points to the GPS map. “Minnesota,” She answers. She squints and taps at her phone. “Looks like there’s a town ten miles east of here.”

  “Seems like you’re all set here with the human navigator. You’ll find your spirit wolf around here somewhere.” Felicity grinned at the nymph as if she had been given a compliment. “May Fate be on your side, Korinne. I’ll check on you soon.”

  “Bye, Nymphie.” I wave through the window at the blue wrecking ball. She zooms up into the sky and far off into the dawn.

  Felicity spends a few minutes finding us a room in this little trucking and hunting town called Canis Falls on her phone. She showed me pictures of this little motel that was advertised as the best place to stay in Canis Falls. They have eighteen-wheeler parking in the back, which seems like their best selling point. It’s a run-down inn styled in golds, reds, and browns. She books us a room with double beds for a reasonable price and sets the address on the map. Her phone is set in the cupholder and starts the car up.

  “Well, we aren’t stranded in Turkey anymore.” Fe starts. “Although, I never thought I would end up in Minnesota.”

  “I never thought I would end up in Turkey,” I responded. “From what I can see, this place isn’t super populated.”

  “Best place for a spirit wolf to hide, right?” She was trying to be encouraging, but my task was hard to complete.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  “That’s the hope.” I agreed.

  Everything else after that conversation felt like a blur. On the hilltops, we could see the Lake Superior shoreline. If I had to describe this area, I would say it looks like an enchanted forest from a storybook. Nature was fully in control of this area. I could feel on the summer breeze that this land belonged to the creatures of the forest. I was on autopilot as we pulled into the small town in the middle of a wild forest with hills and mountains in every direction. The town was decorated with colorful buildings and small businesses along the main street. I was surprised at how modern everything looked compared to the photos of the small motel on the internet. People were scrambling about the town, but I couldn’t focus on any of the faces we passed. It was a lot to take in although there wasn’t much there.

  “Look, Kori,” Fe pointed out my window to the local library. “I bet we can start our search there.”

  I nod. Kalia suggested that I spend time learning about this area and the local myths. There was a lot we could learn in the library, but I had a feeling the best place to learn about the Northern Shore of Lake Superior was in a bar where the locals hang out. There has to be a place where everyone goes on a Friday night to shake off the stress of the week. I am betting that will be where we hear the oral history of the town. Talking to random new people wasn’t my strong suit. Felicity would be my saving grace on this one.

  The car rolled up to the motel about a mile down from the town’s center. I was surprised to see an updated-looking cream-colored building as we went to park the car. The sign read ‘Superior Stay Motel” on the front of the creamy building. The single-story building was lined with doors on the side. Each door had a little porch area with potted plants framing them. It seemed quaint for a small motel. No murder happens here vibes were hitting me, so I figured we were safe enough. I pulled my phone off the charger and tucked it into my hoodie’s pocket. One last look in the mirror of the visor to make sure I didn’t look messy or creepierish.

  “Kori, you're fine. Just leave your earbuds in, so you can function.” Felicity said as she exited my car.

  I took a deep breath and put the visor back up. It was time to see normal people again instead of nymphs and centaurs who served a grumpy old goddess. Getting out of the car, I followed Felicity who was walking through the door of the motel lobby. I try to catch up, but she’s already at the desk with an older man checking us in. The man reminds me of Felicity’s grandpa with his worn sweater and white beard. His wife comes and kisses him on the cheek, and she’s overjoyed to see some new young people visiting their small town. Her hair is long and white against her olive skin and her brown dress with a pink rose print on it. Her eyes were full of joy to see us.

  “I’m Betty Sue,” The wife introduces herself as I join Felicity at the check-in desk. “And, you met my husband, Tommy Sue. We just want to welcome you to our little town in the north.” Her accent was as thick as the forests of Minnesota.

  “Thank you,” I smile at the overly cheerful woman.

  Betty Sue tells us all about the good people in town. There’s a diner in town with the best burgers on Lake Superior shores according to her. She says we should check out the Mini Soda Bar off 3rd Street where the younger crowd hangs out in the evenings because they have pool tables and country line dancing on Saturday night. Tommy Sue grumbles about a small grocery store on 2nd Street where we can find most of everything. There were a few more small shops near the library on Main Street. They draw us a map to all the places they mentioned and suggest I tone down my dark clothing or I might get some strange looks in town.

  Fe and I made it to our room. There’s two double beds, a small coffee station with a fridge and microwave, a full bathroom, and a small desk where we can set up our computers. A medium size TV is hung on the wall with a few paintings. We claim our beds and unpack a bit. I have a feeling we will be here for a while. Finding my spirit wolf won’t be easy in this place full of endless forests. Being around normal people felt strange in my weird state. I am worried my condition may be a problem in this small town. I almost miss Selene's cave. Almost.