Empathica

by Ruth Watson

  “Oh, for God sake!” Laryssa thought to herself.

  Luckily a knock came at the door; it was another guest, a relative of the soon to be unlucky Mrs Barker.

  “Hello, sorry to be a nuisance, I was just wondering if the caterers are coming with the cake soon.” She said.

  “Oh, for goodness sake mother!” Sandi said pulling down her dress, tidying her crumpled hair, she retrieved her little jacket which had been disguarded on the floor and it was placed back on.

  “Oh, please do excuse my intrusion…” Her mother began, looking a little red faced.

  Mrs Philips that’s absolutely fine.” Jaydan said, walking over and taking her hand.

  She looked like a bright red beacon; her face went redder than her daughter Sandi’s dress.

  Laryssa’s eye raised, but as it did, she caught a glimpse of something on the floor it was a large key fob.

  The keys…

  Jaydan and family left the office.

  Was this some kind of trick? Laryssa couldn’t believe her luck, the key fob had the desk key on it, she quickly put on a glove she had slipped into her pocket before leaving for the party, and picked up the keys, now which one was to the bloody desk?

  She heard a voice; Jaydan was coming back so she quickly unlocked the desk and dropped the keys back on the floor, jumping behind the curtains again.

  Jaydan walked in, “One minute my love, I will be with you.” He searched and picked up the keys. As he began to bend down Laryssa noticed her foot was showing from under the curtain.

  “Shit!” she thought to herself and quickly pulled it back in.

  Jaydan looked her way; did he see the curtain move?

  Laryssa held her breath.

  He carried on picking up the keys and then walked back to the door, smiling, he locked the door behind him.

  “Oh, shit! Now what?” she said to herself.

  She was going to be there for more than a bathroom break!

  *

  After what seemed like a long night, Laryssa heard the key go in the door. It was the cleaner.

  Nosey old woman. She polished, moved items, put small valuable ones in her pocket, hunched her shoulders, sighed and left.

  Bloody hell, what did he pay her for? Laryssa was quite amused that his cleaner was ripping him off, now of course, the room was unlocked, so once the cleaner had gone she was free to leave.

  How the hell was she explaining this to Niam?

  She had plenty of time to think about what she could do next to get into the vault, she pulled the passkey out of the unlocked drawer, and had pocketed that during her stay behind the curtain. She was pretty exhausted.

  Climbing into the lift she thought of a great lie, but suddenly remembered Niam was an Empath. Oh God, she couldn’t lie, he would know she was telling him a big fat porky.

  The truth? Okay, but perhaps she needed to just skip around details and work her way around half truth, then she wasn’t lying as such just skipping out a lot of the details.

  Best option.

  What a way to be in a relationship, let’s tell half-truths! Not good, not good at all.

  Climbing out of the lift, Niam was sat in his chair; he jumped to his feet as relief fell on his face.

  “Where have you been, I was so worried!” He said.

  “Oh, God… Look at his concern!” she was tired, her brain crashed and she just burst into tears.

  Niam ran to her, he was devastated she was so upset. His senses picked up fear as well, he took her in his arms.

  “It’s okay my darling, come on, sit here with me. Let me calm you down.” He said, gently.

  “Oh my God, she was such a bitch, she was over tired, exhausted due to fear of Jaydan walking back into the room during the night, she daren’t go to sleep. Now she had to try and not lie to her man, who quite frankly was just so amazing and sensitive, how the hell was she going to manage this?” She thought, whilst he sat beside her holding her into his chest and stroking her hair.

  She just lay there remaining silent, trying to get the strength to not just blurt out the whole stupid incident exactly how and why it had happened.

  “I…I,” She began. “walked into the wrong room, it was an office. I heard noise and Jaydan and his ‘wife to be’ were fumbling on the desk… I had hidden behind the curtain; I felt a bit silly and didn’t want people to think I was up to something!” She began to cry.

  Niam laughed, “and were you?” he said, joking.

  “Was I what?”

  “Up to no good!” he laughed.

  Laryssa didn’t see the funny side, “no I certainly wasn’t.” she said, pushing him away very seriously.

  “Okay, okay baby girl, don’t get so intense!” Niam could sense she was hiding something, he wasn’t about to push it. “You look exhausted, go have a lie down, perhaps later you can tell me what happened.” He said.

  God, he was so understanding, she really didn’t deserve his kindness…

  “I know, but lucky for you, I’m in love with you and to be fair, you would never cheat, so when you are ready to say, I am sure you will tell me the truth… all of it!” Niam said.

  “Oh, blank mind, blank mind!!!” she said, smiling at him.

  She would tell him the truth, because he needed to understand.

  Niam smiled, he loved these new powers, nothing hidden in this relationship, he even knew when she hated his tie, so would go and change it!

  After all, she brought him into this strange way of being, he was still getting used to the world he thought was familiar.

  He smiled; he was a lawyer with the powers to see the truth! This was going to make his job a million times easier.

  Nothing could have been better as far as he could see he was a Lawyer who had just had a major ‘see the lie’ upgrade!

  He watched as Laryssa just lay on the bed still fully clothed, she struggled to fall asleep so he played her favourite piece of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, he then left her to quietly to sleep.

  Eleven

  EARTH 2009 AD (dreaming).

  Her dreams were becoming so vivid now. She remembered this part of her world before very well.

  She had stood face to face with him, after being thrust together through work, and she had watched from a distance trying to find a way to fix what was broken.

  There was nothing she could do; avoidance was what she had been left with, too many years had passed, neither making an effort to make amends.

  He had spent the whole nine months either ignoring her existence, or was just too afraid to approach, once bitten type of thing. She didn’t blame him either way, it must have seemed harsh to him for her to just push him away. They had loved each other, she still loved him and knew in her heart she always would.

  He stood talking to her about a job they had both done. She had started the project and now she was leaving him again, he was going to be finishing her work alone, she was going back to her life without him.

  He was trying to feign indifference, ‘bless him’ she thought, nothing could be hidden, she knew this man very well, and he seemed to have forgotten that.

  Looking into his eyes (which she had avoided as much as she could), Laryssa could still read everything, his love for her was so strong, his heart ever hopeful but, hurt and anger smothered any chance of her ever apologising, or explaining why.

  Everything he had said about – ‘how he had felt about her’, was never to her, it had been to others, people she had distrusted and with good reason, as they indulged on his misfortune and gossiped, never taking his feelings seriously it was like he had no feelings at all.

  Sometimes (as she knew from this life) he was such a bad judge of character!

  He wanted back what they had before, but was too afraid to ever tell her this, because things had gone wrong.

  Laryssa had always loved him, but as she stood before him, Niam was still with the woman he had married and he had continued a life with her, despite trying to leave her in 2001.
There was nothing wrong with his relationship with her; he had proven that by going back to her.

  Laryssa had been replaced by a new car… insulting to believe that all she had been worth was an inanimate object.

  “Selfish man!” she said, to herself.

  Phoebe was suddenly there, they were sat at the table in their favourite café again, she wasn’t smiling…

  “Help me…”

  Laryssa woke up with a start!

  *

  NEW EARTH 2531 AD

  Her breathing was erratic, she was sweating, her friend needed her help, she instantly knew that it was to do with the vault.

  Laryssa had no choice now, she needed to get Niam clued in, after all, there was no other person she trusted more on this planet or any other, so the time had come. Let’s just hope he doesn’t find it all too amusing.

  Her dream had left her feeling shocked and worried about Phoebe, although she’d not come across her in this life, she had obviously been close enough to pick up her call for help.

  She felt a touch of sadness in her heart, her dream reminded her that in her other life it was almost the last time she had seen Niam, she remembered that she had put a small love heart tattoo on her shoulder, just to remind Laryssa of him. He would have hated that; he could be such a privileged snob when he wanted to be, but it was all another life time, a different world back then.

  Niam was due home in 25 minutes, she would call for take-out yet again and sit and talk to him.

  *

  “What’s this? Got some bad news to tell?” Niam asked, as he walked through the door to the smell of Chinese and to see the table set with lavish place settings, and it was just for two.

  “Oh, what’s the point in trying to hide it?” Laryssa said.

  She went through the dream, he looked down at the floor as she spilt out her old life story, he could see her point, he hadn’t been a very good example of a friend or prospective boyfriend in that life, but it had passed and he had made it up to her tenfold in this life.

  When she showed him the mobile photos of the blueprints, he didn’t look surprised; he just couldn’t get around how she had found them.

  He agreed to help her.

  “Jaydan has told me about the room behind his museum of war memorabilia, I always saw it as one of his secrets, but I guess I would like to know what it’s for. Do you know what? I am gonna ask him!” Niam said.

  “What if you don’t like his answer?” Laryssa said.

  After all these years, I am sure I won’t!” he replied.

  Laryssa’s mind span round and around, what if Jaydan becomes suspicious after Niam asks him? What if she puts him in harm’s way?

  “For God sake Larz, stop over thinking!” Niam said. “I can hear your brain ticking away from over here.

  Niam had gone and sat on the sofa in the middle of the lounge area.

  They eat the food that had now gone quite cold.

  “How can you ask me not to worry?” she said, annoyed.

  “I’m not sure whether an answer would get me a sharp kicking, so I won’t be attempting any kind of answer, unless it’s really good of course.” He said sarcastically.

  Laryssa smiled, she began to clear away the things from their dinner, her head full of anger. She knew he was on a roll and thought it would be better to say nothing for now, she kept forgetting that he could hear now.

  Niam smiled, watching. He knew better than to attempt the words ‘Do you want me to help’ only someone insane would ask her that right now, she turned into a giant shouty woman (that was his made up word for loud mouth)!

  *

  Niam decided to play it safe, he didn’t ask Jaydan outright, instead he waited.

  He held normal shop talk kind of conversations, then when Jaydan went to the museum he followed him, then watched carefully when he typed in the numbers.

  “I can trust you right buddy? Funny, I can’t find my spare pass key, someone appears to have taken it, or hidden it.” Jaydan said.

  “Jay you’re an ass, it’s probably put somewhere. You’ve forgotten where and now you are suspecting anyone who breathes and comes into your apartment!” Niam laughed.

  “Well, the guy is out tomorrow, he’s changing the whole system for something a little more updated!” Jaydan said.

  “Good idea, better to be safe than sorry, especially if you have valuables in there.!” Niam said.

  Jaydan patted his friend on the shoulder “Curious?” he asked.

  “Mmm, no, not really. I best be getting back. I don’t want Laryssa moaning that I am spending too much time with my buddy and not her, now do I?”

  Jaydan smiled. “Give the ol’ ball and chain my love!” he said, laughing.

  “She wouldn’t except it! You know she loves you like a hole in her boot when it’s raining!”

  Jaydan laughed.

  “Oow, that much? Thought ‘despised’ was more how she felt?”

  The two friends parted on that and Niam left heading down those few floors, whilst Jaydan headed into the vault!

  *

  Nightfall came.

  The two watched nervously as they saw the bright red sports car leave the building’s garage.

  “Be careful, I’ll remain at the window to give you warning if he is coming back. Remember leave your phone on!” Niam said.

  Laryssa nodded.

  “The key code is 7716!” Niam said, “For God sake remember that!”

  She kissed him gently on the lips.

  “Come back to me safely, I am scared for you in fact, I am petrified and wish you would let me go.” Niam tried to smile.

  Laryssa knew she couldn’t let him go with her, she had insisted that he stayed at home. He was the one that needed to survive after this, she would be moving on soon, although he didn’t know that, she was sure he could sense something wasn’t right.

  She called the lift and went up in it; the door opened at Jaydan’s apartment as she entered all was silent.

  She moved as quickly as she could through the rooms and into the museum. She tapped to find the key pad, then entered her code.

  “7…7...1…6... come on open!” she whispered.

  The sound of air popping as this large silver metal door sprung open, she pushed at it, it was heavy.

  Oh God! What was that smell? She thought to herself.

  The room was large, it had large glass type jars, when I say large I mean bigger than a tall human size jars, the liquid inside was what gave off the smell, it was strange clear fluid, smelling almost vinegary.

  She put her hand on one of the tables unconsciously to catch her breath a little, the smell was quite strong. She retched, the first thing inside the door was an eye, it was attached to wires. Laryssa had a real phobia for eyes, so this was what she called ‘yacksville’! As her hand was very close, she quickly snatched it out of the way.

  She took a photo with her phone, sending it to Niam.

  “WHAT THE HELL IS IN THERE?” Niam texted back.

  “Hell isn’t a big enough word for what is down here!” she messaged back.

  Dark, dank, the room had corpse pieces, eyes, faces, ears, a bit of leg. Laryssa noticed something; all these things seemed to have a mark or mole, just something abnormal…

  She spotted a whole body, right at the back.

  This tank was bigger, the body floated sideways, wires everywhere… something familiar!!

  HER PHONE RANG!

  Laryssa jumped, as she did the eye on the body opened, just the one…

  “Oh my God! Phoebe!” Laryssa dropped her phone.

  She heard a sudden noise coming from outside the room, the vault door swung open!

  Her heart sank.

  It was Jaydan!

  Twelve

  Laryssa quickly managed to find a desk which she crawled under in the hope that Jaydan didn’t need to use it!

  He walked slowly around these grotesque exhibits fascinated. He smiled as he came down to the body inside the lar
ge container.

  “Good morning dear friend, so are we willing to talk today or am I going to have to just kill you anyway and experiment with that empathic brain of yours.

  The body struggled in its wire ties.

  Laryssa could feel her blood beginning to boil. She managed to remain calm enough to stay quiet; she knew her life depended on this. She was crouched under the desk lucky for him her movement was limited; she wanted to kill him right now. He walked further into the room; she held her breath as he approached the desk where she was hiding.

  Niam rushed in through the door almost falling over himself as he ran into the room behind Jaydan; he stopped and looked around panicking a little inside, brought himself to a calm standstill as he didn’t want to let Jay pick up anything that would make him feel suspicious.

  “I’m okay, behind this bloody desk though can you get him out of here?” Laryssa said, (telepathically).

  “I’ll try! Jesus Christ what is this place?”

  “Christ Jay, where the hell did you get all these weird things from?” Niam said. Jaydan jumped, he hadn’t realised he had been followed.

  “Bit odd, I know. But it’s good to find little anomalies every now and again.”

  “Shit man, isn’t that your old girlfriend’s eye?” Niam looked in disgust.

  “I did tell you I had some weird shit! I did wait for her to die before she donated it to science.” Jaydan said, with a laugh. “It’s all signed for and above board!”

  “Christ man, you’re fucking mental!” Niam wasn’t laughing.

  “What’s that down there?” Niam said, as he spotted the body, she was still staring out at Jaydan; Niam could barely keep himself together but if he didn’t Laryssa would be done for. He wasn’t sure, but did he just see the body twitch?

  “Oh, forget that, let’s go and have a drink. It’s a bit of a shock when you first see it, but give yourself time.” Jaydan put his hand on Niam’s shoulder and guided him back out, shutting the vault behind him.

  Laryssa climbed out from behind the gap behind the desk, she stepped back over to her friend and began trying to find a way to get her out.