Disneyland

Kimberly’s eyes grew wide as she pulled herself up the last rungs. If she hadn’t known better, she would have sworn she was in Walt’s apartment over the Fire Station, but that was on the other side of Main Street. They were above the Market House, having entered a door that was always locked. “This is amazing.”

Peter and Catie ran from one piece of furniture to the next as they pulled off the covering sheets. In their excitement, Kimberly and Beth guessed they probably didn’t even realize what had been uncovered.

“Slow down, you two! What do you make of this?”

“Mom, Walt left us an apartment just like his!” Peter happily threw himself onto the Victorian armchair set in the middle of a red, floral rug. His blonde hair was instantly haloed by dust, the swirling motes going in and out of the dusky light filtering in through the lace curtains.

Beth stifled a sneeze. “Hope Walt left a vacuum…. Hold on, you two. Let’s take these covers off a little more slowly, please. Who knows how long they’ve been in place. Catie, help me with this one. It’s pretty big.”

The next piece that emerged from its shroud was a red velvet sofa flanked by two lovely antique tables. If the furniture did mirror what was in Walt’s apartment, it would probably be a sleeper sofa.

Kimberly emerged from exploring the back of the apartment. “There’s a tiny bathroom and shower back there. This really is an apartment!”

“And it’s ours! We can stay overnight at Disneyland any time we want to!”

“Mom, can we….”

“No, it’s a school night.” Beth pulled open a set of white folding doors. “Here’s a small kitchenette. Look, there’s even a two-slice toaster. This is so…so cool!” She turned a full circle and compared what she was seeing to what she remembered about Walt’s apartment. “This is really close to what Walt’s place looks like. The furniture isn’t exactly the same, though. Close, but I can tell these are reproductions while Walt’s are true antiques.”

“There aren’t any pictures on the walls or any thingys on the tables like at home.” Peter, finally pausing to take a breath, pointed at the bare, antique white walls.

“Hmm, you’re right.” Kimberly nodded as she looked around. “Probably because Walt figured whoever found it would want to decorate it themselves.”

Catie called them over. “Hey, look at this! It was in the closet. It’s heavy.”

“What is it?”

Beth looked over their shoulders as Catie set the copper-colored item on the coffee table. “That looks like brass. Why would he leave a flower arrangement?”

“Remember, Beth? There used to be a flower market just a few steps from here on East Center Street.”

Beth wasn’t listening. Intent on the item and a piece of trivia in the back of her mind, she wanted to see the vase. “It’s so oddly shaped. Would you mind if I take out the flowers?” Since Peter and Catie were the new owners of the apartment, she directed the question to them.

The two kids just shrugged. “I guess.”

“Oh, my!” Beth’s hand went to her mouth as the vase was completely revealed. “I heard about this years ago. I never thought I’d get to see it.”

“It’s a hat.”

Beth had to smile at the unenthusiastic tone of Peter’s voice. “Not just a hat. This was one of Walt’s fedoras! Come sit on the sofa and I’ll tell you about it.” She saw the look exchanged by the kids. “Hey, it won’t take that long. Come and sit.”

“Well, I’m curious, even if they’re not. What’s the story, Beth?”

Happy to dig into her vast knowledge of Disney history, Beth ignored Peter’s bored expression. “Walt and Lillian had a friendly, long-running argument over the hats Walt wore. He loved them all crumpled up and she didn’t like the ones he always chose to wear. Once she even pulled his hat off his head and tossed it out of the convertible he was driving. Walt had to stop the car to run back and get it. He crammed it back on his head and they went on their way.” Beth went back to the table and picked up the bronze hat. “Then, later, in 1941, Walt did something very special. He had the brim of a different hat—one that Lillian had tossed into a bull fight ring—shaped into a heart and had the whole thing bronzed. It was filled with violets and given to Lillian as a present. This is that present.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet.”

Beth smiled at her daughter. “I thought you’d like it, Catie.”

“Gosh, one more story like that and I’ll cry.”

Startled by the new voice, their heads jerked toward the ladder opening. Omah pulled herself into the room and looked around the apartment, ignoring the startled faces around her. “So this is what he did.” Walt had never shown her the final prize. The muttering continued as she stalked over to the window and jerked it open. “So greedy to see what they got that they don’t even let some fresh air in.”

“What are you doing here!? You promised to stay away. How did you find us?”

The sharp blue eyes narrowed at Kimberly as Omah came to the center of the room. “So many questions. So few answers you deserve. If you don’t want people to know you’re going to Main Street, don’t announce that you’re going to Main Street.”

“I don’t care how you found us. Get out! Keep away from us!”

Her attention focused on the speaker, Beth. “Do not tell me what to do.” She suddenly turned and pointed at Peter who took a step back. “And you! You ruined everything!”

They could see a glint of silver from her hand. Not knowing if the angry woman was armed, Beth stood in front of the children. “Get out and get out now. Wolf will be here any moment.”

“Wolf.” The word was almost spat out. “I’ve watched you ever since you got here. No sign of your precious Wolf.” Her attention went back to the startled boy. “You had to butt in and spoil it. He…he said nothing mattered since you figured out the clue anyway. It didn’t matter if I got the mermaid back or not! You ruined it!”

“Who are you talking about?” Kimberly’s heart had started to pound in her chest. They all had assumed Wolf was watching from the shadows. She felt she needed to keep this woman talking so she couldn’t act on what she obviously came to do. “Who said it didn’t matter? Who are you talking about?”

“Wal…It’s none of your business who I mean. I have a score to settle with the boy.”

“You will not touch my son!”

The silver dropped lower and the edge of a blade was clearly visible. “I will do what I want.”

“Get away from the boy!” Wolf’s deep voice came from the opening in the floor.

Omah spun around to face the angry security guard as he jumped from the ladder into the room. “He ruined my life.”

“He did nothing. This is your own doing, Omah. Drop the knife.”

“That boy doesn’t deserve this prize. I want that key so he can never come back here again.”

“You get nothing.” Wolf slowly walked toward the woman, his glare boring into her.

Eyes wide, she backed away, knowing the small blade in her hand would not stop him. It took only one look around the room to reveal how she would get away. Wolf had the access to the ladder blocked. That left only one other exit.

With a sudden, fluid movement, she flung herself out the open window. Knowing an awning was there—and her only way out—the tight green material over the stairs broke her fall. With a bounce and the agility of an acrobat, she grabbed the edge of the awning and swung down onto Main Street. A crowd of startled, gaping onlookers scrambled out of her way.

Wolf flew down the ladder and quickly hit the hidden latch. As the door flew open, he ran out to the sidewalk. Looking both ways, unsure which way she had gone, Wolf was directed by several guests who pointed north on Main Street. As he took off, he finally spotted her close to the buildings, pushing people out of her way as she ran.

She knew he would follow, and she knew exactly where she was headed. Her breathing wasn’t even labored as she rounded the Matterhorn to run past the Submarine Lagoon.

Wolf started to gain ground as he pursued the woman. She wasn’t going to get away this time.

At the far end of the Motor Boat Cruise dock, Omah stopped running and turned to wait. It would be only moments before Wolf would reach her. With a sneering smile on her face, she knew exactly what she was going to do.

Expecting the dock to be empty, Wolf came to a skidding halt when he saw that Omah stood at the end. He could tell by her arrogant stance that she was waiting for him. There were a few people sitting on the benches in the shade provided by the overhead Monorail track. They had seen the woman race onto the dock and now, even more curiously, an extremely angry security guard just arrived. It took only a word from the guard to send them elsewhere, backward glances over their shoulders that showed they wondered at the drama that was apparently unfolding.

Once he made sure they were alone, Wolf slowly neared her position. “You aren’t going to get away this time, Omah. You won’t get past me again.”

“Only a fool goes into a place with just one exit. And I am no fool. Do not think you have the upper hand, Wolf.”

His blue eyes narrowed as he approached. It made him a little concerned that she was unafraid. People who think they are in complete control can be the most dangerous. He knew to proceed with caution. “I am always in control, Omah.”

She gave a low, uncaring chuckle. “You have no idea what I can do, Wolf. No idea.” She tilted her head to one side as she scrutinized him as if he was a bug under a glass. “You have this air about you. Tell me something, Wolf. What is your real name?”

That wasn’t a question he expected. His pace slowed as he watched her. She made no move to get away or showed any anxiety that he was almost upon her. “That isn’t important. This must end, Omah. You will not scare and threaten the children again.”

Arms folded across her chest, she ignored his warning. “Tell me your name. Or shall I guess?”

“It doesn’t matter what you do.”

The words were hissed. “Sumanitu Taka? Is that right, Wolf?”

That stopped him in his tracks. No one outside of his closest friends knew his Lakota name. “So you are clever and figured out my heritage. So what? That doesn’t change what will happen here.”

“You have no authority over me, Wolf.”

Her superior attitude finally got the better of him. “You will not be allowed to just walk away.”

“Are you not even a little curious about my name? Omah is just part of it. Would you like to hear the rest?”

“I don’t care what your name is.” He was within a couple of feet from her. If they had both extended their hands they could have touched.

“My, how angry you are. I can feel your hands around my throat, squeezing.”

“I haven’t touched you!”

“Ah, but you would like to, wouldn’t you? Are you that violent, Wolf? Is that what you have planned?”

She was attempting to goad him into action. He knew it, could feel it, but stood where he was, assessing his options.

She smiled at his silence. “Since you asked so nicely, I shall tell you.” Sarcasm dripped from her words. “My name is Omahkapi’si.”

It took a full minute for the word to register with him. His breath came more rapidly as he stared at her. “That’s a Blackfoot word. It means…wolf.”

Her eyes glared at him and the hidden knife dropped from her sleeve into her waiting hand. “Yes, it does. What are you going to do about it, Wolf?”

In a split second he saw the knife come straight at him. With the agility of his namesake, he jumped aside. When it was heard hitting the dock with a metallic clang, he gave a roar and leaped at the woman.

Eyes flashing in anger, she snarled at him, “So, you want to play rough, do you? I’ll show you rough!”

With his arms around her slender frame, the adversaries fell over the protective blue railing of the dock. Wolf closed his eyes and held his breath, expecting to hit the water at any moment.

There was no water beneath them as they hit hard ground and rolled over and over with the momentum.

With the awareness that came from centuries of travel, Wolf could feel the change come over him. It was the frantic, unwanted realization of the moment and then his transformation into a wolf was complete. Powerful legs still entwined around Omah, he refused to let go.

Wolf’s eyes flew open when he heard an angry growl and felt hot breath on his face.

He was no longer wrapped around the body of a woman.

He stared into the eyes of a large, snapping red wolf.