Novel – Dream Walker

DREAM WALKER – Synopsis
by Larry Prosor

Thanks to surfing one-last-wave-twelve-more-times near Rocky Point on California’s central coast, Peter Martinez arrives late for work at his tribe’s Indian casino. Hustling to the grand entry in full Indian warrior costume, he’s confronted by an obnoxious patron and raises his fake rubber tomahawk. Despite his questionable self-defense argument about the incident, he’s fired by the casino manager — his mother. But a better opportunity arises for Peter, who, as a direct descendent of the Noqoto tribe that once called Rocky Point and its environs home, is working on his thesis about local, forgotten Indian tribes. His thesis supervisor and head of the Santa Barbara Natural History museum, Doctor Evans, asks Peter to complete the first stage of an archaeological survey of Rocky Point. If something historically significant about the area can be unearthed, they can put the brakes on oil giant ENRG’s plans to erect a massive petrochemical facility there, defacing and destroying the pristine – and sacred – coastal land. 

Seeking clues at a museum display of coastal tribe history, aspiring archaeologist Peter briefly crosses paths with biologist Linda Diaz. Despite the brevity of their encounter, they connect, environmentally and spiritually, given their mutual interest in protecting vanishing reserves of coastal sanctuaries. Peter next seeks advice from his soul surfer Grandfather, who questions Peter’s grave-robber occupational pursuits. When Peter tells his grandfather of a vision he had—that led to his recent discovery of an Indian skull at Mission Los Santos— Grandfather gives Peter an ancient dolphin talisman of greenstone, imbued with power to guide him on Dream Walks. And Peter promises he will carry out his beloved Grandfather’s request to, after his grandfather’s passing, scatter his ashes from sacred Rocky Point.

Peter sets up camp near ENRG’s gates guarding Rocky Point and begins his field work, searching for ancestral clues to his surroundings. His presence noted, in swoops ENRG’s slick, helicopter-shuttling point man, Richard Thorne, who offers Peter a lucrative job for ENGR, attempting to dissuade him from discovering antiquities that could halt the project. Peter considers this better job offer, but his desire to investigate tribal history and stay true to his ancestors keeps him on point.

When rising swells strike the coast, Peter enjoys a gourmet lunch of tasty waves surfing below the cliffs of Rocky Point. While paddling back up the point, he spots a fresh rock slide that reveals a small portal worth investigating. Roped and climbing the vertical cliff face, Peter discovers a hidden burial cave containing remains of his ancestors. With captured photos and his dolphin amulet in hand, Peter exits the cave culturally conflicted by revealing the contents to others, or to stay silent and preserve the burial site’s sanctity. Stepping away from the cliff, his rope goes limp, plunging him down into the ocean. Blacked out, he regains partial consciousness to find his animal saviour—his dolphin amulet has come to life. Hanging tight to the dorsal fin offered, Peter is pulled by his guardian dolphin into a very timely wave.