The Reluctant Medium

by GG Anderson

  I swallowed hard. The search results first entry read, “Hennessy/ Derringer… Derringer’s girlfriend was attending a camp on The College of Idaho campus…. Karson Hennessy died from her injuries”

  I exhaled deeply and clicked on the story.

  Brock Derringer and Karson Hennessy had been high school sweethearts. Brock graduated from Kuna High School when Karson was a sophomore. They continued their relationship after he graduated, but as Hennessey approached her senior year, Derringer became even more jealous and possessive, stating once that he would never let her leave him. He would kill her first. In June of her senior year, Hennessy won a prestigious science competition, resulting in an invitation for a science camp program held at The College of Idaho. Days before leaving for the camp, it is said that Hennessy broke up with Derringer.

  On the night in question, Hennessy is reported telling friends that Derringer had called her many times and had even called her parents trying to contact her. Hennessy admitted to a friend that she was a bit nervous as to what would happen when they saw each other again.

  Late that night, students heard screams at the end of the hallway and found Hennessy in the corner of a dorm room, with Derringer on top of her, stabbing her repeatedly.

  The students called 911 and Derringer fled the scene.

  Karson Hennessy died from her injuries, and Derringer was later found dead of an apparent overdose.”

  I sat back and inhaled slowly.

  This was not exactly what I expected to find today. Karson was still here, still avoiding Brock after all this time.

  My feet felt numb.

  I closed my computer. Yeah, enough new discoveries for the day. I reached for my phone, tentatively. I couldn’t call Tyler; he was out with friends. Camryn was at a track thing, some kind of bonding deal. I really didn’t want to walk across campus by myself, even though my dorm was right next door. I shook off my silly fear. He was dead, it wasn’t like he could hurt me, right? In truth, I hadn’t ever dealt with an evil spirit like him. I slung the bag over my shoulder.

  At the doors, I headed away from my dorm. Something drew me to the dining hall area, even though it would be closed. Maybe since I knew Karson’s story, maybe I would be able to connect with her, help her move on.

  I approached the doors of the cafeteria. My feet were numb because of the frigid temperatures that permeated my shoes. I stomped them a bit to try and get the circulation to reach them again.

  I looked around, making sure no students were catching me just standing on the frozen sidewalk. Movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention. It was Elizabeth. She sat on her front stairs, staring at me.

  I inhaled and grounded myself. Taking a small step towards her, I smiled, “Hi Elizabeth, I was just working on finding out what happened to your mom.”

  Her little face crinkled with annoyance. “You haven’t come back to see me in a long time.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been trying to find out what happened.” Ok it wasn’t totally a lie.

  She stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Well, that wasn’t very nice. You should have come over.”

  I took another step closer, “I know, and I am sorry. I will come back very soon, I promise.”

  “Come play with me now,” she stepped down one more stair, and I felt the energy intensify. I focused on staying upright, looking for something to lean on.

  “I can’t Elizabeth, I am meeting someone.”

  Her face wrinkled again, “That boy? Are you meeting that boy?”

  “No, I am meeting another friend. Her name is Karson, do you know her?”

  Her head shook side to side. “No. Will she come play with me?”

  I tipped my head, “No Elizabeth, I don’t think she can. It’s good to see you. I will come back soon, I promise,” I stepped back, exhaling, and relaxing a bit with the reduction of energy.

  “Fine, don’t come play with me.” Her little body disappeared, and I instantly felt the energy cord snap loose.

  I turned back towards the empty cafeteria and made my way back to the dorm.

  Reaching my floor, I felt the electricity intensify. Brock was there. I took a deep breath. I swung the stair door open, stepping into the hall, knowing I would see him.

  He stood with his back against the wall opposite my room. He’d been waiting. My stomach flipped slightly. Now that I knew the whole story about him, bile filled my mouth. The terrors that must have consumed Karson. The absolute fear, and pain. I wondered if she knew she was dying. I wondered if she was more shocked that he would actually stab her.

  I swallowed, stepping forward.

  He caught my eye and began walking toward me.

  A boy stepped out of his room, directly into Brock. The boy looked at me, looked down the hall and turned away, visibly shivering. Brock turned back to me, stepping slowly, intentionally.

  “Brock, I am not afraid of you, and even if I knew where Karson was, I would not tell you. You are a bully, a jerk, an abuser, and a murderer. You have no place here. Just leave.” My words echoed off the empty corridor. I imagined the screams in the hallway that was described by the witnesses. I wondered which room it has actually been in; did she still hang out there? Did Brock?

  He stopped for a minute, looking at me.

  I walked forward, “Leave, you do not belong on this earth. You took the cheap way out, you killed yourself so you wouldn’t have to deal with your actions. You’re nothing.” I thought of the room now, the aftermath that must have been left. I wondered how many coats of paint it took to cover up that type of crime. I wondered if the people quit shortly after, if the blood ever showed up in the small pores of the cinderblock.

  His image flickered. Were my words affecting him?

  I took another couple steps. “Leave. Seriously, Brock, you are pathetic. It is no wonder Karson broke up with you. She had a future without you, and you were so selfish, you couldn’t even let her have that.”

  “I won’t be without her!” His words were loud, but thinner somehow. “She is mine.”

  I laughed, albeit nervously, “Yeah, I don’t think so. Karson is not yours. Nothing is yours. You are dead, and you are alone.”

  He flickered the tiniest bit. “I have to find her. She has to be with me forever.”

  I stood in front of my door. Interesting, he was less than two feet from me, and I was holding it together. I rested my hand on my doorknob, placing my foot as close to the threshold as I could to make sure I had contact with the sea salt just in case. “So that’s your plan? Find her and force her to be with you in the afterlife? Wow, you killed her! How could you be so blind? She doesn’t want you. She broke up with you. She is over you. Move on alone. Because that is what you will always be. You made that choice.”

  “She has to be with me,” his words sounded weaker. Airier, maybe?

  “Why would she be with her killer? You murdered her! You killed her before her life even started! Go away Brock!!! You are not welcome here!” I sent energy towards him, expelling him from here, trying to push him over to the other side, visually trying to shove him through an imaginary door. I tightened my eyes, directing all my energy.

  I opened my eyes, and he was gone.

  I scanned the hallway, seeing two girls at the end of the corridor. “Sorry, everything is fine,” I said.

  They looked at each other, “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I just,” Just what? “I just was telling someone they needed to not be here.” I turned toward my door. Ugh.

  “Who were you talking to?” The one girl’s eyes were wide with wonder. They walked fast down the hall to get to me before I slipped into my door.

  What was I supposed to say? “Um, it’s complicated.”

  “You said Brock, right?” the wide-eyed girl asked.

  Awesome, they were not going to let this go. “Um, yeah.” I turned the key, trying to get the lock to open.

  “My mom went to school here in the early 80’s. She told me stori
es about some guy named Brock. He was crazy.”

  I got the door open. “That’s wild. Same name. I gotta go.” I shut the door in their faces, smiling nicely. I tossed myself on my bed. Even though it wasn’t that late, I felt completely wiped out. Super naturals drained me completely. I closed my eyes, just thinking about everything that had transpired.

  What a day.

  My phone woke me up.

  I groggily reached for it, disorientated. I didn’t remember falling asleep. I had no idea how long it had been.

  Tyler was checking in, as he said he would. He sounded like he’d had a few drinks with the guys. I told him good night, and we made plans to connect the next day. We still hadn’t been able to get very far with his grandpa, and I was determined to try again.

  I stood just inside the doors of the auditorium building. I hadn’t been able to sleep in like I wanted, but I imagined that Tyler had needed the extra rest. I sat in one of the tall chairs in the foyer with my feet curled up under me. The wall of windows made the building chilly. I played on my phone, casually waiting for him to get there.

  Noises came from the basement, and I feared we were not alone. Listening intently, I tried to make out what they were saying. Slowly, I tiptoed over to the stairs, looking down to see if another group had the building booked.

  The door at the foot of the stairs was filled with light and music. The frosted window reflected lights, strobing. The rest of the basement was dark. I turned back toward my chair and smiled as I saw Tyler head towards the building. His hat pulled low and his shoulders slumped slightly, I laughed at his obvious hang-over look.

  I pushed the door open wide, allowing him to come in. He wrapped his arms around me as he entered, and I laughed again as his face found mine without a word. His lips smashed against mine, trailing to my ear and down my jaw.

  “Good morning,” I breathed at his obvious sidetracked plan.

  “Good morning” he broke from kissing me long enough to simply whisper the words.

  “Tyler, we are not alone,” I pushed him back slightly, glancing out the solid glass building front to see if anyone had caught out little show.

  He cocked his head, “We’re not?”

  I shook my head, pointing to the stairs and then my ear.

  He wrinkled his forehead. “I don’t hear anything.”

  My face smoothed as I listened again. I could clearly hear the bass of the music. I took his hand and walked quietly to the top of the stairs. The door reflected lights and music coming from the room. “See?” I pointed, wondering how hungover he was.

  “Savanah see what?” his words were not hushed. He spoke clearly, “I don’t hear anything, and I don’t see anything.”

  I looked at him and then looked back down the stairs. The window was dark, and the music had stopped.

  He dropped my hand and wrapped his arm around my waist. “So, I take it, you were the only one who could hear it?” His question didn’t need an answer. It was obvious now.

  He pulled me close again, “My very own circus act!” He kissed my forehead, “You are so cool.” He pulled me tighter, smiling against my hair.

  I rolled my eyes, although he couldn’t see. I hadn’t had any spiritual encounters in this building besides his grandpa. I gazed down at the door at the bottom of the stairs. It made me a bit uneasy when previously safe areas became not so quiet anymore.

  Then again, I faintly remembered that door filled with activity on another day. Maybe I had encountered it before and didn’t even realized it.

  “Let’s see what we can find out.”

  The door indeed, stood dark as we walked by it. No music, no light. I sat on the sofa still staring at the door. Maybe this was like the cadaver lab, casual spirits that didn’t really make any sense.

  Tyler took my hand again. “You ok?”

  I filed the idea away for further review at another time. It would keep. We were here to work through grandpa issues. I nodded.

  “You sure?” I met his gaze. He took my face gently in my hands, “We don’t have to do this.”

  I shook my head, “No, I’m fine. It’s just it is weird how many more interactions I’ve had lately.”

  He rubbed my arm lightly, “I thought things were going better?”

  I blushed lightly, “Yeah about that,” I proceeded to fill him in on all the details he had missed out on the night before. Until I rehashed it all, I didn’t realize how much really had gone on. “So, I avoided the girls and ducked into my room.” I laughed lightly, “But if campus wellness center contacts you about my strange behavior, just tell them I’m practicing for a play, that no one will ever see.”

  His face didn’t relax. “Holy shit! I don’t even know what to say, I mean holy crap babe.”

  I shrugged casually, “Yeah, I guess it was a pretty active day.” I smiled, “Ok, you ready to try this?”

  He dropped his hands, “Nope, you are not doing this. It’s too much.”

  “Tyler, I don’t think so. I have this gift, and I have a duty to use it. There is not too much. There is only actively controlling what I can control and handling the overload of energy.” As I said the words, I knew they were truer that I ever realized. I met his gaze, and I could tell he knew I was right.

  He touched my leg. “You really are cool, you know that?”

  I rolled my eyes, “Whatever.” I held my hands out with intention. “Let’s go.”

  He sighed and took my hands. I grounded myself, hoping his grandfather would feel like chatting. I focused on his face I had seen in other visions, tried to listen for his voice in the silence that surrounded us. Slowly I opened my eyes. The man stood over Tyler’s shoulder, but his image was thinner than usual. I squinted at him, trying to focus more of my “gift” towards him.

  Tyler’s chuckle broke my concentration. I gave him a stern look. He lifted his hand slightly, “Sorry, but if you saw your face right now.”

  I tilted my head towards him and raised an eyebrow.

  “Sorry. “He shook his head, “My bad. Keep going.”

  I looked back over his shoulder and his grandpa stood completely stable. I smiled. “Hello sir, thank you for coming, we’ve missed you.”

  His grandfather looked from me to Tyler. “At least you are sitting respectably this time. I wasn’t coming back if all you did was neck.”

  I blushed lightly, “I’m sorry if that was uncomfortable.”

  He waved his hand dismissively. “Now, what is it you need from me?”

  I glanced from Tyler to him, wondering if he would react badly again.

  “Well speak up girl, you keep calling me here,” he looked around, “not sure where this is, honestly.” He focused back on me, “So there has to be a reason.”

  I swallowed hard, refusing to look at Tyler. I had to go for it. It was time.

  “Sir, your family needs to find a box that you hid some time ago. You see, they need to find it, so they can protect your land. It’s complicated, but really the challenge is they are just trying to do what you wanted done, but without that box, it isn’t going to be possible.”

  The man’s face screwed up into an expression of confusion, followed by calm and could it be, recognition.

  I pushed slightly. “I know you believe Tyler would want nothing but the best. He is a good boy, that’s why you still watch out for him.”

  His smile radiated as he looked down at Tyler again. His voice was soft as he spoke, “I think I know what box you are talking of.” His eyes didn’t leave Tyler, “If I can remember where I put it, are you sure that it will help keep things the way they are supposed to be?”

  I nodded my head. “It will help Tyler a great deal.”

  He met my eyes. “I have to really think, I remember I had found the perfect place to keep it.” He took a step away, hand on his hip, in a pensive state. “If I remember correctly, I had it under the stairs in the barn, but I know I moved it.” His eyes sparkled when he looked at me, “I really feared fire. That was the
first time I shifted it to another place.” He took another couple steps in thought, “I know at one point I had it in the drawer in the dining room, under the good linens, but I moved it from there too. I didn’t want just anyone to find it. I remember it was someplace that only I would really be able to know about.” He met my eyes, “Why does it feel so long ago?”

  I just smiled softly at him. I feared saying too much and stopping this progress we were making.

  He looked back down at Tyler, “You know, time moves so fast. I feel like he was just a little boy running in the backyard, collecting rocks, and playing with the empty bottles and tin cans.” He met my gaze, and complete nostalgia took over his face. “Then she was sick, we missed several games and I turned around and he was almost a grown man.” He squinted slightly, “I wasn’t there to tell him how proud of him I am, but boy am I. He wanted to play ball, and he did it. He wanted to go on to be a doctor and help people and he is going to. I just can’t be more proud of him.”

  “I think he knows,” I whispered quietly, “But I can tell him you said so, if you like.”

  “That would be nice, thank you,” he met my eyes again; they were sharper this time. “I don’t know you, but I feel that Tyler cares for you a great deal.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome, but honestly this is family business, and I can’t trust just anyone with the information. So, if they really need the box, they will have to follow my clues. He could always find things when he was a kid. He always called it going on an adventure. I think he can do it again.”

  My brow furrowed. “Ok, give me the clues you want to pass on.”

  His eyes twinkled; wisdom washed over his face “I’ve already given them all to you. If it is truly him who needs that box, well. He’ll know what to do.” He began walking away and then disappeared.

  My face fell slack and I let go of Tyler’s hands.

  “What? Did he tell you where the box is?”

  My head nodded and shook at the same time. I grabbed for my phone and tried to find the ap I was looking for.

  I clicked the record button, trying to capture every little detail and piece he had said. I prattled on, halting Tyler’s interruptions with my outstretched hand. Finally, I stopped the recording and looked up at Tyler.