Something amazing happened that night on Red Squirrel Lake, but before it did, the night was cool and windy. I had a very rough time falling asleep. My mind was too focused on the Ghost of Ontario and the mysterious Ihaan. I had to get Mom to believe me. But how? As I lied snug in my sleeping bag, with Annie under my arm and blanket on my back, I thought about this. Thinking about it made me tired, and after forever so long, my eyes started to droop. However, just before I could doze off, from out of the blue, there was a gush of wind outside. I heard another crack of a stick. I gasped and opened my eyes.
"Oh no." I whispered. I thought I heard a "Whoo." It was the Ghost of Ontario! He was here to take me and drown me! I mean, that's what I thought at first. Lightly screaming, I pulled Annie close to me and started to pant. I waited.
Very gradually, I could hear leaves rustling, and a faint, orange light appeared on my tent from outside. Feet came towards it, and gripping Uncle Bart's whistle, I listened as they came closer and closer. I started to shudder. Peering forward to the back of my tent, I gasped at what I saw. It was him! An ominous shadow of a person holding the orange light hovered outside it. I held my breath.
Very slowly, the ominous shadow lifted its free fist and tapped on the tent's cloth a couple of times.
Whimpering, with shaky hands, I brought the whistle to my lips and prepared to blow it. This was petrifying! The Ghost of Ontario was standing just outside my tent! I had to be ready. I wasn't ready to die yet! Tears ran down my cheeks, and still whimpering, I put my whistle in between my teeth.
I was just getting ready to blow it when suddenly, from outside, the ominous shadow asked, "Kylie?" in a rather familiar voice, and I screamed.
The whistle dropped out of my mouth. Dropping Annie, I immediately begged for mercy. "Please, Ghost of Ontario, don't drown me! I'm not ready to die yet! I'm only fifteen years old!" Sobbing, I buried my face in my hands.
After a bit, from outside, the shadow said, "No, Kylie, you have it all wrong. It's me!"
"Huh?" I asked. Finally, I recognized the voice. It was Ihaan the Hermit! I unburied my face, rubbed my eyes, and asked, "Ihaan?" in a whisper, "Ihaan, is that you?" Ah ha, audience, I did tell you that Ihaan would be staying from this point on, right? That night, he showed me one of the most remarkable things ever.
After I asked if the shadow was him, he answered, "Yes, it's Ihaan, and I can assure you that I am no ghost." That was true. Ihaan was not dead. He was alive, very alive.
"Ihaan!" I whispered, shocked, "What are you doing here?!" I quickly pulled off my sleeping bag and crawled to the back of my tent, placing my palms on its cloth. "I thought you were scared of humans!"
"I am," Ihaan's shadow spoke, "and I apologize if I startled you, Kylie, but I have come back to ask you something."
Ask me something? What did he want to ask me? Don't tell me he wanted to ask me to marry him! Oh goodness! No way! He was way too young! I wouldn't mind if he just asked me to go on a date with him, though. He, however, didn't. Poor me.
"Ask me what, Ihaan?" I asked, and I felt myself blushing.
"Kylie," Ihaan said in a nervous voice, "wo-would you like to see something amazing with me?"
"A-Amazing?" I questioned in a shaky voice. "Like what?"
I heard Ihaan sigh. Strange, his sigh actually sounded a little sad. For about a minute or two, he went quiet, and after that minute was up, he finally answered, "A star canopy," and his orange light waved a bit. I guessed that light was his torch. Now, I feel stupid for not knowing what a star canopy was, but I didn't know. I mean, isn't it obvious?
"Star canopy?" I stupidly asked young Ihaan. "What's a star canopy?"
"Don't ask questions, Kylie. Please, just let me show you." I wasn't sure. Could I trust Ihaan? I could, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to go out at the Ghost of Ontario's rush hour. Ihaan must've sensed my fear because he suddenly said, "You can trust me, Kylie. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. I promise."
"Cross your heart?"
I heard Ihaan chuckle. "Cross my heart," he answered. I saw him cross his heart outside with his free hand, but I still wasn't sure about going out. Ihaan sensed my fear again, and I heard him sigh for the second time. "You see, Little Red," he explained, "I just have never had someone else to share the star canopy with, and it really is a beautiful phenomenon."
I inhaled. Then exhaled. I could trust Ihaan. I knew he wouldn't do anything nasty to me. He never did. He was Ihaan the Hermit, the boy of my dreams. Finally, I nodded and whispered, "I'll come see the star canopy with you, Ihaan, as long as you get me back before my parents wake up."
"Oh thank you, Kylie!" he excitedly announced. "Thank you! I promise I will!"
"Come around to the front of the tent," I said, "and I'll crawl out and meet you."
"Huh." Ihaan's lighted shadow spoke. "Quite strange." He tapped the tent's cloth with his free fist again. "I thought this was the front."
I chuckled. "No, Ihaan. That's the back. I'll be out in a minute. Just let me get my headlamp."
"Oh, that won't not be necessary," spoke Ihaan's shadow. I saw him lift his torch. "We're going to use the torch. I'm looking forward to this, Little Red. I'm looking forward to sharing the star canopy with someone else besides Ro."
I still wondered what he meant by a "star canopy." I know, I'm super stupid. However, I decided not to ask him. I wanted it to be a surprise. Okay, so I wouldn't need my headlamp. I trusted Ihaan had his torch all under control.
I watched as his shadow limped around the tent, and he ran his left palm across its cloth. It actually looked like his limp was getting worse. I worried about him. I really wanted to figure out what had hurt him. Opening my clothes bag, I pulled out my green jacket and slipped it on. I then crawled to my tent's entrance and unzipped it. I swatted another mosquito away.
When I finally managed to get my legs out of my tent, I zipped it back up and focused ahead on the fly. I nodded and took a deep breath. Reaching forward, I undid the Velcro, opened the fly, and crawled out to the Death Lake's campground. Once ready, I stood up straight and rubbed myself down, peering ahead. I jumped. Ihaan was standing directly in front of me, with his pouch on, and his lit torch was pointed away from my tent. He wasn't wearing his bear costume, but even without it on, he still startled me.
"Ihaan!" I yelped, and I placed my hand to my heart.
"Sorry for scaring you, Kylie," he said.
Relaxing, I dropped my hand and spoke, "You're okay, Ihaan. I forgive you. This lake just gives me the creeps." I peered around the dark, empty campground and shivered. "Who knows when this Ghost of Ontario will grab me and take me to the ghost world!"
"This whole Ghost of Ontario thing is still not totally clear to me," Ihaan explained, "but I can assure you that I am no ghost." He also peered around the campground.
I soon backed him up and said, "Watch it with that thing, Ihaan," and pointed at the torch. "You're going to set my tent on fire if you're not careful!"
Suddenly chuckling, Ihaan explained, "I once saw a tent catch on fire and melt. Since nobody got hurt, it was kind of funny." He continued to chuckle.
I glared. That was no laughing manner.
Ihaan soon noticed my face, and he cleared his throat. "Anyway," He turned back to me, "do you still want to see the star canopy with me, Little Red?"
I immediately warmed up to him again. Blushing, I squeaked, "Yes!"
"All right!" he whispered in his excited, young voice. "Then let's boogie! I promise you're going to really like this, Little Red!"
"I'm sure I am." I chuckled. "Well, Ihaan, lead the way to this star canopy."
"Kay, kay, but stay close to me."
"All right." I merely nodded.
Suddenly, the wind whistled, and I snatched Ihaan's arm. I checked for the Ghost of Ontario, but I didn't see anything. All I saw was Ihaan.
He led me back to the forestry path that led to the latrine. I continued to hold his arm, and I gulped when I heard the owls hooting. "Oh!" I groaned. "I hate being tormented by two Canadian rangers!"
Ihaan chuckled and asked as we made our way through the forest by following the path, "Were they the ones who told you about this so-called Ghost of Ontario?"
I nodded, "Yes," as we stepped out to the wide open area where I first met him, "and you've seriously never heard of it before?" I found that really hard to believe.
Ihaan shook his head no and explained, "You see, the facts are like this, Little Red. I have always seen the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park as a beautiful place. Not a terrible, haunting place." He led me towards the forest again and continued. "I also don't really dig ghost stories, so that's probably the reason why this so-called Ghost of Ontario is unfamiliar to me. All right, now stick close to me."
However, from out of nowhere, a flock of loons zoomed by my head, and I screamed. I shoved Ihaan's back and knocked him to the ground.
"Whoa!" he yelled. His torch flew from his hand and crashed to the ground.
I gasped. I was totally freaking out.
Ihaan calmed me down. He got up on hands and knees and lifted his hand, saying, "Wow. You are very strong." He noticed my distress. I was crying, literally crying; I was so scared. "Little Red!" he called, "Calm down!"
"I can't!" I cried. I sank to my knees. "I just can't, Ihaan! The Ghost of Ontario!"
"I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Ihaan said. "I promised. Remember? Please." He stood up and reached his hand out to me. "Come with me."
I studied his hand and peered into his face. Oh, he was so beautiful! It was the eyes! The eyes! I calmed down a bit, knowing that he wouldn't hurt me. Taking his hand, Ihaan pulled me to my feet.
He then reached down and picked up his torch. "Shall we?" he asked. "I promise, Little Red, that the star canopy is going to calm you down."
"I sure hope you're right."
"I promise." The young hermit led me to the forest, and before long, we were standing in front of a cluster of trees.
I gulped and pointed at it, asking, "You mean we have to go through that?" I did not want to. The cluster looked like a perfect hiding place for the Ghost of Ontario.
Ihaan nodded and said, "Yes, Kylie, but the hike's not that long. You see, my canoe is on the other side of this island on a very small beach."
Surprised, I asked, "Your canoe? Wait a minute, you have your own canoe?"
Ihaan smirked and answered in a slightly conceited voice, "I do."
"But how?" I was very bewildered. Ihaan had his own canoe?
"Well, Little Red, it's like this," he said, "I found it."
"Found it?"
Ihaan nodded. "Yes. When I was much younger, Dempsey took me for a tour of the park, and we stumbled upon a small beach that had a lost canoe with a paddle in it on it. I decided to keep them, and the canoe is my main vehicle I use to travel these lakes and islands."
I nodded slowly. Ihaan was amazing. Wow. I finally recognized the name "Dempsey." Wait a minute, I heard a Dempsey back at Finlayson! Who was he? Was Ihaan the one who had given me the flowers? I decided to ask him all these questions out on the lake. For now, I just wanted to see Ihaan's canoe. I'll be honest, I actually grew a little excited. I mean, who wouldn't be excited if you were with Ihaan the Hermit?
He pointed at the forest and spoke, "Come on, Kylie. It really is not a bad walk. Just stick close to me, okay?"
"Okay."
Ihaan and I took a step closer to the cluster, and Ihaan finally said, "All right, here goes." With that, both of us marched into the cluster and disappeared in the forest.
"You're safe with me, Kylie." Ihaan kept on telling me as we ventured through the forest.
I followed him. The entire time we hiked, I noticed that Ihaan was smiling. Since it was nighttime, the bugs, including the mosquitoes were all fast asleep. I was relieved. Finally! No bugs! It was a beacon from Heaven! While Ihaan and I hiked, I decided to ask him a question. You see, I wanted to know exactly how long he had been in the wilderness. Therefore, I took a deep breath and asked, "Ihaan?"
"Little Red?" He stepped over a log, and I mimicked.
"Do you by any chance know how many times the winters have come over you?" I continued. I thought that was an easier question rather than, How many years have you been alone in the wilderness?
Ihaan shrugged and answered, "About ten."
"Ten?!" I questioned. "Wait, so you've been alone in the wilderness for ten years?!"
"No, Little Red. Remember, I have all the animals. The animals are my family."
"How old are you?" was my next question.
Ihaan shrugged and answered, "I am ten years old, Kylie."
"You are not ten!" This was even worse than I thought. I added with, "You are obviously a teenager! How old were you when you got separated from your family?"
"I have never been separated." Ihaan spoke. He peered back to me. "The animals are my family. I was born here in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, Little Red. I probably was born from a flower bud."
"No, you weren't! Every person is born from a mother, Ihaan! Who's your mother?"
"I don't have one!" Ihaan frustratingly answered. He was getting really tired of all these questions. I knew he was. He just wanted to show me the star canopy. "The animals are my family!" he continued. "They have raised me since I was little!"
"Whatever. Forget it. Just show me the star canopy."
"Thank you."
By the time Ihaan and I neared the back end of the island, we had to jump down a small ledge.
Ihaan jumped first. Once he landed, he put his torch in his left hand and offered me his right.
I took it, and he helped me hop down from the ledge. He was a real gentleman.
Once I landed, he let me go and explained, "Almost there, Kylie." He pointed his torch forward, and in the light of it, I saw a hill. Ihaan continued. "We just have to hike down that small hill."
"Lead the way, Ihaan," I spoke. "I'm right behind you." And I was.
Ihaan nodded, and without another word, he started to hike down the hill. I cautiously followed him, and I kept my eyes and ears open for the Ghost of Ontario. What if he was hiding in a tree above us right now? I had no idea how Ihaan had managed to survive the wilderness with a ghost on the loose. He must've been invincible. With every minute that passed, he became even more mysterious.
When we finally reached the bottom of the hill, I had Ihaan by the arm again, and he had to pull me of like Velcro; I was holding him so tightly. He pointed his torch forward to a cluster of bushes, and on the other side of them, I could hear small waves slapping the surface of, what I guessed was a small beach.
Peering back to me, Ihaan said, "Here we are," and I nervously nodded, "Please don't be shy, Kylie." With his free hand, he pushed the bushes aside and stepped out.
I followed him, shaking in my bones. However, when I stepped out of the bushes, I stopped, gasped, and announced, "Whoa!" at what I saw. It was incredible! Ihaan led me right to a small beach on the backside of the island.
I remember, it was a very beautiful, sandy beach. What was even more amazing was that resting on it was an old, brown, wooden canoe. Ihaan was telling the truth. He really did have his own canoe! I stared at it and mumbled, "He wasn't joking. He really does have his own canoe!"
I saw movement in the canoe, and Ihaan approached the area where the movement was coming from. Guess who was perched up on the thwart of the canoe? It was Ro! Ro the bald eagle! You know, the eagle that tried to kill me because I had Ihaan's pouch? Well, she was here. I always saw Ro. Ro was almost always with Ihaan when I spent time with him. That's how close they were. "It's her." I observed, and I took a step closer to Ihaan and his canoe.
He held his free arm out to the eagle, and flapping her wings, she lifted off the thwart and landed on his gauntlet. Ihaan and Ro looked so cute together. I could tell how much they loved each other.
Ro soon opened her wings again, and like arms, she wrapped them around Ihaan's neck.
He smiled sadly and scratched her under the bill. Hm, I wondered if he really was happy. Turning, he approached me and asked, "Well, what do you think, Little Red?"
"That's so cool that you have your own canoe, Ihaan." I admitted. And it was. However, this was only the beginning of Ihaan the Hermit's numerous talents. "Yeah," he soon spoke, "I try not to brag. Could you possibly hold something for me, Kylie, while I get her ready?"
"Sure. No problem. What do you want me to hold, Ihaan?"
With Ro's wings still wrapped around his neck, Ihaan approached his canoe again and pulled out an old, red dry bag.
He tossed it to me, and I caught it, saying, "Oh, okay."
Ihaan next hopped into his canoe and did a few adjustments. He got the seats ready and moved some stuff around.
I almost thought about checking out what was in the dry bag, but at the same time, I didn't want to upset Ro again. Therefore, I just hugged it to my chest.
Once Ihaan finished getting his canoe ready, he stood up straight and nodded, saying, "All right, that should work. Kylie, you've got to believe me. A star canopy is one of the most amazing things to experience in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park." He climbed out of his canoe and gestured for me to hand the dry bag back. I did, and Ihaan tossed it into his canoe. Next, he said, "I know you're feeling a little uneasy, Little Red but please," Here, he smiled and offered me his hand again. "Come with me. I promise you will not regret this."
Ro glanced at me and seemed to smile.
I fell even more in love with Ihaan. His smile was just so beautiful. Finally, I too smiled, and I took his hand.
He helped me into the bow of his canoe and handed me his torch.
I was amazed. I was holding a torch!
Before Ihaan pushed us out, he took Ro's wings off his neck and set her down on the thwart again.
I soon asked him, "Is she coming with us?"
Ihaan nodded and answered, "She always comes with me when I go out to see the star canopy, Little Red. I hope you don't not mind."
"I don't. Let's just go." I switched the torch to my left hand. The flame continued to wave. Ihaan really knew how to make his torches.
He soon pressed his hands up against the stern of his canoe, and he pushed us out.
I gripped the edge with my free hand and peered into the dark water. I gulped. Red Squirrel Lake. This was Red Squirrel Lake. I gulped. I was still freaking out about the Ghost of Ontario. However, I could trust Ihaan. Right?
Once the canoe was in the water, he climbed into the stern of it and plopped down on his seat. It rocked a bit, and I shivered. I did not want to fall in the lake again. Once was enough for me. When Ihaan was finally ready, he next dug out an old, wooden paddle and stuck it in the water. He started to paddle, and the second he did, the boat floated forward and started towards the deep darkness of Red Squirrel Lake.
Ro lightly screeched and opened her wings. She flapped them but didn't lift herself. It looked like she too was nervous about the Ghost of Ontario.
I watched as the island became smaller and smaller, and I gulped again. Um, exactly how far was Ihaan taking me? I remember, he was a very skilled canoeist. He canoed just as well as he climbed. I knew he had been doing it for a long time. Ten years worth in fact. Gee, had Ihaan really been in the wilderness that long? He took me to the very heart of Red Squirrel Lake, right over the shipwreck of the Ghost of Ontario, and stopped his canoe.
Putting down the paddle, he said, "All right, here we are," and held his hand out for the torch.
I handed it to him and asked, "Here? Where?" I didn't see anything. All I saw was the lake and the black figure of the island.
"You'll see," chuckled Ihaan. "All right, are you ready?" He smiled at me, but I was still super confused. What did Ihaan mean by a "star canopy?" My question was soon answered. Young Ihaan said, "Little Red, I present to you...Ontario's star canopy." With that, he blew out his torch, and he, Ro, and I all peered up at the sky.
I gasped. It was one of the most amazing things ever! The second Ihaan blew out his torch, billions and billions of stars appeared in the sky! It was so bright, so beautiful, it was all the light we needed. We didn't need the torch. Not as long as we had the stars. I had never seen this many stars before, despite all the camping trips I've done. Now I knew what Ihaan meant by a "star canopy." It was a canopy of stars. The Milky Way was visible, and I reached up to it. A shooting star zoomed across the sky, and I made a wish. Soon lowering my hand, I glanced at Ihaan who too was staring at the stars and admitted, "I never realized how beautiful the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park was."
"No," spoke Ihaan the Hermit. He set his torch down in his canoe and picked up Ro. Hugging her to his bare chest, he added with, "This is the beauty of Canada. You want to enjoy it while you can with your family this week. I have lived here for so long, and it is still as beautiful as ever. Out here, I feel wide open and free."
"So do I." I admitted, and I watched as another shooting star zoomed across the sky.