Joanne's Cabin - Part 1

Big Wolf Cliff

Liz pats her dad’s shoulder and he stops the quad.

“Is that the path that leads to Joanne’s invisible cabin?”

“Yes. But it’s not invisible.”

“How come no one has seen it?”

“I’ve seen it.”

“You have?”

“Yes. I hiked up there regularly when I was your age. I was a curious kid. I know every abandoned shack in the bush.”

"Was it there each time?"

"No. I think it's only there if Joanne wants us to see it. In all the times I went, it was only visible once. "

“Oh, really? What was in the cabin?”

“I don’t know. I was too scared to investigate.”

“Has anyone gone inside?”

“Yes. Remember I told you how the lake was found?”

“Ya. Two university students working for CN Rail found it like fifty or sixty years ago.”

“Yes. Did I tell you how they found it?”

“You said it was a smoking hot day and they were trying to find water. They wandered through the bush until they ended up on Big Wolf Cliff. They jumped off the cliff right into the lake.”

“Yup. But that’s not exactly how they found it.”

“No?”

“One of the guys had a bit of the charm.”

“Charm...you mean like Mom?”

“Yes. He heard a voice in the wind and followed it to Big Wolf.”

“A voice?”

“Yes. He said it was like an echo. Once he heard it, he kept on calling and it would answer him. It led him to the lake.”

“Did he meet the person who was calling him? Was it Joanne?”

“I am almost positive he did but they were very hush hush about it. He was a medical student. He didn’t want to ruin his life following ghosts.”

“She’s a ghost?”

“No, but that is what folks would think.”

“If Mom has the charm, has she met Joanne?”

“No. She’s too superstitious to come.”

“Oh, I thought she just didn’t like heights.”

“Well, that too.”

“How do you know that her name is Joanne if no one else has met her and the two students kept their traps shut about it?”

“Your mom told me when we were younger.”

“What? I don’t get it. You said she was too superstitious to come here.”

“Yes but we called Joanne just like we do now in the boat on calm days.”

“Joanne doesn’t really say much. She just copies what we call out most of the time.”

“That’s what I hear too but your mom is a real good listener. She is also the one who told me that the CN boys visited Joanne.”

“Wow! I want to learn to listen like she does.”

“You will. I’m sure you have the charm too. We can try again next time we are in the boat on a calm day.”

“Yes, let’s.”

“Well, I think it’s time to get back to the cabin. We don’t want Mom to get worried.”

“If she's such a good listener can’t she just zone in on us using her radar charm?”

“I sure hope not or I’ll have to be extra careful when I’m hiding her birthday gifts.”

“You better.”

“Okay, let’s go, Lizzy.”