Witness: See Series (Volume 1)(72)

“Have you met him before? Wesley?” I asked as I parked on the street in front of his house.

“Only for like a second when he first came here. He was really nervous, so he didn’t say much,” Madison said as she pulled her bandage off and rubbed a cream across her Ankh.

I could only imagine how nerve-wracking it must be for those who live in Chara, how they travel through that passage and step into a world that’s foreign to them – only chasing an emotion. It seemed to unreal to me when it was first explained, but now I found myself holding this dimension and all those who came from there with a high respect. Unlike most of the people I knew in the world around me, they knew what really mattered: love...love for who you’re with and what you do.

I took in a deep breath and climbed out of my car. It was an adorable little house. Most of the houses that were this close to downtown were; they all seemed to be caught in a different era. The yard was short, but there was a wide porch that was decorated for the fall season. There were no cars in the driveway, though, so I hoped at least Wesley was there; maybe he had his car in the garage. I smirked as the thought crossed my mind that he may not know how to drive...if I remembered correctly, Draven had remarked that he barely knew how to text when I saw him at the diner.

Madison knocked on the door as I paced back and forth on the porch. I heard a dog barking, and a second later the door opened. It was Wesley, holding a beautiful large boxer back from eagerly greeting us. When my eyes met his, calm instantly came to me. Austin usually had the same effect on me. Wesley didn’t seem to be as well-traveled as Austin, but behind his hazel eyes I could see peace emanating – like he didn’t have a fear in the world. He pushed his long bangs out of his eyes and smiled warmly.

“Madison, Charlie, how are you?”

“You remember us?” I asked, somewhat surprised.

He laughed. “Remember you? You guys are the only ones I know here that aren’t friends with Erica.”

“Is she here?” Madison asked as she knelt down to pet the overly anxious boxer.

Wesley’s smile faded. “No, sorry. I’m going to pick her up in a few hours, though. Is there something I can you help with?”

“Actually, we wanted to talk to you – well, we need Austin,” I said, fighting to remain calm.

“Come in,” Wesley said as he opened the door wider.

We followed him into the living room, which was off to the left. He turned off the TV, that had a video game paused, and picked up a Coke can and a plate from the coffee table. “Have a seat. I’m going to put these away. Do you guys want something to drink?” he asked.

We both shook our heads no as we sat on the small loveseat. The boxer immediately climbed into Madison’s lap, and she laughed out loud; the dog was exactly the same size as her. Wesley rushed back into the room and pulled the dog down.

“Princess, no, leave the pretty girls alone. Go to your bed,” Wesley said in a firm, yet playful voice. The boxer sneezed, then lowered her head before walking to the large dog bed beside the lager couch and circled a few times before finally settling.

“Wow, you have her trained really well,” I said, amazed that he’d managed to calm such a large animal down with just a few words.

“She’s still a baby, almost six months, so we’re still working on our manners,” he said as he winked at the dog. She let out a little whine, as if she didn’t want to be on her bed.

“Listen, I really need Austin. Tell me he’s back, or will be back, like, today,” I said, bringing us back to the reason I was there.

Wesley took a seat on the long couch in front of us. His eyes were still smiling, but he wasn’t. “No, sorry. I’m not sure when he’ll be back. From what I understand, the travelers have been preoccupied recently.”

“What if there was an emergency, though? Like, what if you had to leave here? Could you? What would you do?” I asked impatiently.

Wesley furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you girls OK?”

Madison nodded to reassure him. “Just being proactive.”

Wesley’s eyes widened slightly. “Well, if there was an emergency, I’d have to weather it out here; there’s no way I could lead Erica or anyone else through the string.”

“Not even if your life depended on it?” I asked.

Madison elbowed me, and I knew I was sounding ruder than I intended.

Wesley smiled sympathetically. “Stepping into that string unguided would mean death – so I guess if my life depended on it, it would be a choice of how I would die.”

“How does Austin know how to navigate the string?” Madison asked nervously. “I mean, what makes a traveler like Austin or that Landen guy?”

“You know Landen?” Wesley said as he smiled.

“Not yet – do you?” Madison asked.

“Only from a distance. He comes from one of the most respected families in my home. The entire family are travelers, the only family that has occurred in – not to mention his added insight.”

“Insight? What do you mean they’re all travelers? Can you not be trained to be one?” I asked.

Wesley shook his head. “No, travelers are old souls, believed to have lived countless lives before. They see all passages, but someone like me can only see the one I meant to find my soulmate in. You’re born with the instinct to travel; it cannot be taught.”