Ranger Kate coughed through the dust, but it settled when a rain sheet poured down. She felt like a complete failure. What ranger got tricked by a Spirit on Red Squirrel Lake? The dumb ones, that’s who. She should’ve known something was up. She guessed why Ranger Amelia decided to start work during the 24-Hour Ghost of Ontario Challenge. She wanted to find the ghost and chase him away from his homeland. Kate had to do something, and that something was to get Ihaan’s leaf whistle back.
Ranger Kate pulled soggy hair out of her face and hurried to Ihaan, who struggled to sit.
Ro ordered her friends to chase after Amelia while she and a moose Spirit, Dempsey, stayed behind. They wanted to ensure Ihaan was okay.
He was, but just barely. However, he found he could not sit up because his foot hurt so much. At the sight of Ranger Kate, he quickly crawled away, afraid she would hurt him, too.
“You can trust her, Ihaan,” said Ro.
Ihaan wondered if Ranger Kate could hear her, too.
She sank before him and said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, Ihaan! I can’t believe I allowed myself to get tricked like that! It’s just that for ten years now, all I’ve wanted is to find my son again. I never paid attention to the people I worked with.”
Her son? Who was he? Ihaan was so confused.
Ranger Kate must’ve noticed that because she explained in a shaky voice, “Ten years ago, a little boy went missing on Red Squirrel Lake after a horrific storm. Most people believe he died and became the Ghost of Ontario.” She pulled out the picture Ihaan was interested in. “That boy was my son. Ever since the accident, I’ve dedicated my life to finding him again, and look where my clumsiness got me.”
“Please don’t worry, Ranger Kate. We can fix this,” said Ro. “All we need to do is get Ihaan’s leaf whistle back. Luckily, Dempsey and I know where Amelia’s going. Right, Dempsey?”
Beside her, Dempsey nodded.
Now, it became clear that Ranger Kate could hear Ro. She must have had a talent for talking with Spirits.
Ihaan wondered if she’d always had that talent. However, was he a ghost? Currently, he wasn’t sure what to believe. That was why he needed to get his leaf whistle back.
Clenching his teeth, he struggled to stand but put no weight on his right foot. He must’ve injured it a long time ago. Amelia didn’t even hit him that hard, but it was enough to make him feel like his foot was about to fall off. He had to get to his canoe, but how would he in his condition? Luckily, Ranger Kate came to his rescue.
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders and nodded at Dempsey.
He nodded back.
Ro lifted into the sky and soared beside him as he and she led the boy and ranger to Ihaan’s canoe. They could barely see through the rain but refused to give up.
***
“Wow, when did you get a canoe? Have you always had one?” Ranger Kate asked while Ihaan pulled it from the plants and settled into the stern.
Ro landed on a thwart.
Dempsey waded in the shallow water.
Ihaan held his hand out to Ranger Kate, but she hesitated to take it.
He wanted her to join him in the canoe, but just looking at it and the worsening storm, terrible memories flashed through her brain. For ten years, she had been scared of canoes. However, Ihaan couldn’t succeed alone. Kate was the one who got him in the mess in the first place. It was time she did something right. Therefore, she took his hand.
He nodded and gently pulled her into the canoe’s bow.
Ranger Kate shivered with fear. She thought about backing out and returning to dry land but then remembered why she was there in the first place. It was the 24-Hour Ghost of Ontario Challenge. She was also a ranger, and rangers protected their peers.
Keeping that in mind, Kate took a deep breath and gestured for Ihaan to get a move on.
Dempsey jumped into the water and began to swim.
Ro remained in the canoe. The meat of her trial was just around the corner, but would Ihaan and Kate win? Ro’s work for them was over. Once they returned to the island where the shrine was, it was up to Ihaan and Kate to finish what she started.
Sure enough, Dempsey led Ihaan and Kate to the island Ihaan woke on.
He, again, had no idea why canoeing came so naturally to him, but it was difficult with the storm’s onslaught. Constantly, he and Kate bounced over waves.
They prayed that lightning wouldn’t strike the lake. After all, water conducted electricity.
Weird, why did the storm also feel familiar? Why did Ihaan fear it wasn’t the first time he’d experienced something like it? He also wondered why Ranger Kate looked so scared to be on a canoe.
She hid behind her hands the whole journey across the lake. She set the picture of her son beside her seat.
Every once in a while, Ihaan glanced at it. Like everything else that happened to him that day, he felt it wasn’t the first time he’d seen the son. What intrigued him most about him was his Native American-style outfit. Ihaan wore very similar clothes to him. He also couldn’t help but notice both he and Ranger Kate looked alike. It was almost as if... No. That was impossible.
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