by S S Bazinet
When he entered his physical vessel, it was with a terrible, bone-breaking force. He’d never had that sort of return before. He usually came back more slowly. Body and spirit usually readjusted with ease. This was different. It was a crash landing that shattered any sense of wellbeing. Every cell in his body shrieked out in pain. Their cries, a chorus of torment, sounded inside his mind but couldn’t be voiced. He had no breath. His lungs wouldn’t take in any air. They couldn’t. They had collapsed and were useless.
He hoped his sight functioned. Perhaps if he could see, he could connect with someone. When he opened his eyes, a face came into focus. William was leaning over him, shaking him roughly, shaking his broken bones. The result was so unbearable he almost passed out. Rolphe came to his rescue.
“William, let him be!” Rolphe pleaded. “Can’t you see what’s happening? You’ll kill him if you’re not careful!”
Rolphe took William’s place. He was leaning over Arel now, his face close and his eyes wide with worry. “It’s not real, Arel. Your body isn’t broken. Col is tormenting you, feeding you lies!”
A moment later, William seconded the statement. “Rolphe is right, Arel. I just tuned into your astral body. Col’s black thoughts are trying to take over. You have to shut him out before your body goes into shock.”
Arel tried to understand what he was supposed to do, but his mind felt as useless as his lungs. Finally, he remembered someone. He remembered his mentor, his friend, Michael. But the powerful angel couldn’t intervene unless he was given permission. Recently he’d come to William’s rescue. Now, it was Arel’s turn to summon the angel.
Arel mouthed three words. “Help me, Michael.”
Fifteen
AFTER AREL RETURNED to the physical world, there was no time for a full recovery. He had to settle for being somewhat functional. There was another crisis at hand. Everyone advised him to rest a little longer, but that wasn’t an option. He couldn’t let anything matter but Peggy. She was Col’s newest victim.
Fortunately, Michael had helped to exorcise Col from Arel’s mind, but the damage had been done. All the doubt and fears he’d had about himself in the past were back. Not only that, but his body was fighting him. His hands weren’t working the way they should as he tried to pack. Folding a shirt properly was out of the question. Even if he didn’t have any broken bones or collapsed lungs, even if those were just suggestions Col had planted, his physical vessel was definitely suffering severe aftereffects.
No matter how he felt, he had to put aside his physical woes and find a way to help Peggy. He’d booked the first available flight back to Chicago. Carey was already there, trying to help as much as possible. But Peggy was a lot like Arel. They were both easily goaded into self-condemnation. When her guilt was activated, Peggy closed herself off. She refused Carey’s help, and when Arel had phoned her, she shut him out too. She was inconsolable on all fronts. But Carey promised to keep trying to reach her.
Michael knocked on the bedroom door, opened it and peeked in. “How are you doing?”
Arel shrugged. “I’m wishing I didn’t have to wait to get back to Chicago. I should be on a plane right now.”
Michael went to the closet and took a shirt off its hanger. “Why don’t you let me do the packing?”
“Michael, is it true? Am I responsible for all the hell my friends have gone through? Is their suffering my fault? That’s one of the thoughts I had when I was coming back to my body.”
“If that were true, it would mean they had no say or choice in the matter. There would be no such thing as free will.”
“Yes, but what about William. I bullied him into having your blood coursing in his veins.”
William came walking into the room. “Oh please, Arel, stop always thinking you’re the bad guy.”
Arel glanced at him and looked away. “Before you say that, Will, there’s something you should know.”
William stiffened. “What now?”
Arel put a shaky hand on a wool jacket that was lying on the bed. He brushed a trembling finger over the woven fabric. “After getting the business with Col settled, I should have returned immediately. But I didn’t want to come back. I wanted to stay where I was. I was ready to abandon Elise and you just like that.” He tried to snap his fingers and couldn’t manage it.
William continued to stare back. “What was so great about this place you’re talking about?”
“I didn’t have a care or concern about anyone. Maybe it’s what some call heaven.”
“I’ve been there too, remember? And I had the same feeling.”
Arel’s face flushed red. “And I threw you out of that place.”
“Yes, you did. But in your case, you were alone, right? What made you change your mind?”
“I heard you calling me and got mad. As soon as I did, I wasn’t able to stay where I was.”
“You could have ignored my call.”
“No, I couldn’t.” Arel sat down on the bed and thought about hearing William’s pleas. “I was in a place where everything was perfect.” He let out a heavy breath. “I felt perfect too, like a child who’d never been tainted by life. But hearing you—”
William laughed. “Hearing me, you threw yourself out of heaven, Arel. So don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Arel looked up and saw the glint of mischief in William’s eyes. “It was a hell of a fall, especially when Col started telling me how rotten I am.”
“I’m sorry you had to experience that. You went off trying to save my butt and ended up getting your own kicked.”
“At least I accomplished something. You look like you’re feeling better. On the other hand, now Col has started in on Peggy. If I weren’t in this condition, maybe I could do a little more astral traveling, find him and—”
“And do what? Get your butt kicked again or worse?” William walked over to where Arel was sitting and glared down at him. “You need to think about how to stay ahead of this monster. And that means letting go of the guilt trip you’re on. It’s your Achilles’ heel, a weakness that can be exploited. Col has already taken advantage of it. Don’t give him that opportunity again.”
Arel straightened his shoulders and tried to forget how exhausted he still felt. “You’re right. I’ll go back to Chicago, help Peggy and stay focused from now on.”
William’s face turned resolute. “And I’m coming with you.”
“And so am I,” a deep voice called from the doorway. It was Rolphe’s voice.
“Don’t think you’re leaving me behind,” Annabel said as she pushed past Rolphe.
Arel held up his hands. “No, you should all stay here and get on with your lives. Michael and I can handle Col.”
“Peggy’s welfare is important to us,” Annabel insisted. “Plus, I think Elise needs a friend. She must be going crazy. She’s been trying to reach you again, and you never returned her calls.”
Arel jumped up, teetered back and forth unsteadily and quickly sat back down. “Elise! I totally forgot about her again.”
Michael had been quietly packing Arel’s shirts, but he paused and looked at Arel. “If you’d like, I can tell Elise you’ve been very ill. After all, it’s the truth. You almost died a few hours ago.”
Arel blinked back. “Coming from you, it might ease things between us. On the other hand, I don’t want her worrying about my health. I better handle it myself.”
William stared back. “Good luck with that.”
* * * * *
Carey stood close to Peggy’s bed. The master bedroom was dimly lit. Blinds guarded the windows, keeping out the glare of afternoon sunlight. Peggy was huddled in her husband’s arms. Tim was rocking her gently.
It wasn’t easy to get through the thick curtain of self-blame that walled Peggy in. She’d listened to suggestions that Col had planted in her mind. When she thought she was guilty of the crimes he accused her of, she’d allowed herself to be drawn into his web of deceit.
Carey knew it was an appalling
place to be. Peggy imagined herself a prisoner, a captive who’d been thrown into a foul dungeon, a living hell. But her name wasn’t Peggy in that long-ago lifetime. It was Elvina, and Arel wasn’t just a friend, he was her brother, Aelred. Her brother was only a couple of years older than Elvina, but he’d always protected her. They’d grown up in an abusive home, and Aelred had put his own gentle, young body between her and their drunken father’s pitiless beatings. But Aelred couldn’t protect her when they were both arrested.
Col had resurrected that life by projecting scenes of extreme cruelty into Peggy’s receptive mind. Her normal reality was cast aside, and the new version was filled with horrors and pain that Col continued to program in. Visions of merciless inquisitors felt so tangible that Peggy was sure that she and her brother were both experiencing the most excruciating forms of torment.
As she became more and more caught up in Col’s treachery, she barely acknowledged the fact that she wasn’t Elvina. Everything felt as if it were happening in her present life. She didn’t know how to get back to that person named Peggy Werner, wife of Tim Werner.
It was Carey’s job to try to reach her in spite of how she felt. That meant he had to find a way into her mind, that place that seemed to hold nothing but misery.
Tim was also trying to break the spell that had hold of Peggy. He looked up at Carey. “I know about nightmares and how real they can be. I once had one that was so horrid that I thought I was going crazy. Thank goodness Arel was there to help me come back to myself. But with Peggy, it seems so much worse. She mumbled something about a voice in her head.”
Carey paused. Since Tim wasn’t aware of Carey’s angelic side, he had to explain things in a way that seemed plausible. “I don’t know if you believe in ghosts, but I think a malicious one has hold of Peggy.”
Tim’s eyes widened with shock and concern. “You think she’s possessed? Is that possible?”
“If people have a hard time believing in themselves, their minds can think the worst. In some cases, they’re more open to entities who prey on the misery of others.”
“That’s so cruel. If some damnable entity has hold of Peggy, what can we do to help?”
“Don’t lose hope. Keep talking to her. Keep telling her how much you love her. Let the love you have for her override the fears that you have.”
“I’ll do anything to help her.”
“I’ll do everything I can, too,” Carey promised. “Peggy is a beautiful friend who needs to know her true worth.”
Tim stared back with weary eyes. “She’s the best. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her.”
“Don’t think about losing her, please. You have to remain the strong one. That means believing in yourself too.”
Tim sucked in some air. “I believe in both of us.”
Carey smiled. “I do too.” After that, he remained alert and waited for an opportunity to intervene. His chance came when he felt Peggy’s mind still for the briefest moment. It was just long enough for him to slip in between the darkness she was in and a glimmer of light that Tim’s loving pleas had created. In that in-between space, he used his energy to send Peggy’s mind a message. “I can help you find your way out of this place. I can help to stop the suffering you and your brother are experiencing.”
Luckily, Peggy heard his offer, but she needed further convincing.
“How can anyone help us? I can’t escape! My brother can’t escape!”
Carey replied very quickly. “I know an angel who can help. If you look in front of you, you’ll see him.”
Peggy finally let out a whimper. “Yes, he’s here. He’s reaching out to me.”
Carey smiled as he continued to project a beautiful version of himself into Peggy’s mind. “Let him bring his light into the darkness. Let him make the men who are hurting you and your brother go away.”
Peggy’s reply was a little stronger. “Please, that’s what I want. Please, ask him to help us.”
After that, Carey was able to replace Col’s lies with a beautiful light. As Peggy continued to allow the angel to intercede, the light grew brighter and brighter.
Shortly after that, Peggy opened her eyes and looked at Tim. As Tim rocked her, Peggy began to cry, but this time her tears were those of relief. She’d escaped her nightmare and was coming back to herself.
Carey knew he had to remain vigilant and looked at Tim. “Is it alright if I stay here with you and Peggy for a little while?”
Tim nodded. “Maybe that’s a good idea. I think we could both use some support.”
“We’ll keep watch together,” Carey said with a smile.
Carey held Peggy’s hand, putting a barrier between Peggy and Col’s power. Still, his energy would only work for so long. Peggy was the only one who could permanently release herself from the past, a past Col would continue to use if given the chance.
Sixteen
CAROL SAT AT her kitchen table with Elise and Kevin. They were all watching the children. Toddlers, Sara and Ariel, were on the floor, playing with their colorful, plastic blocks.
Carol and Kevin’s son, Ariel, took after his dad. He was a big child for his age, and his block design was dedicated to height. He was carefully balancing one block atop another. Peggy and Tim’s little girl, Sara, was his opposite. Small and delicate, she seemed intent on using her blocks to replicate the Great Wall of China. The children were close in age, but they were both so busy with their projects they barely noticed one another. Except for the occasional squabble over a coveted color block, they were content in being junior architects.
Carol was content to be an observer. Elise and Kevin seemed to be in a similar frame of mind. All three of them cradled their mugs. All of them wore expressions of relief. Peggy was finally better. Tim said he didn’t know what Carey did, but after his visit, Peggy was sleeping peacefully.
Carol fidgeted with her tea bag, swirling it around in the hot water. She kept thinking about her best friend, Peggy. When Tim had called her to babysit little Sara, he explained that Peggy wasn’t well. She hurried over to their house, but she was shocked by what she heard while she was there. Tim tried to hand over little Sara and usher Carol to the door, but he wasn’t quick enough. Before Carol could leave, she heard Peggy scream. It was a terrified scream that sent instant chills through Carol.
Tim explained that Peggy seemed to be reliving some past life experience. He didn’t know how to get through to her. Carol felt helpless too. She’d never let herself remember everything that had happened in the past life they had all shared, but her heart seemed to know all about the pain involved.
Now, sitting with Kevin and Elise, Peggy’s pitiful cry echoed in her mind and left her eyes filling with tears.
Kevin reached out for her hand. “You’ve been babysitting the kids long enough. We’ll watch them if you want to get some rest.”
Elise reached out too. “Yes, Carol, take a break. I’ll be happy to fix the children a snack and keep them occupied.”
Carol shook her head. “No, I don’t want to be alone. My mind is already in overdrive. I keep wondering why Peggy suddenly lost it. It doesn’t make sense.”
Elise gave her an encouraging smile. “I don’t know if it will help, but at least Arel is coming home. He’s very concerned about Peggy.”
Carol smiled back. “You have a good man, Elise. Arel has always tried to help if he thinks any of us are in trouble.”
Elise blushed. “Silly me, I wanted to be upset with him after he neglected my calls. But this situation with Peggy made me realize I don’t care about stuff like that. My only concern is that everyone is okay.”
Kevin got up to refill his coffee mug. “Tim’s always been the steady one, but he says Peggy’s condition is scaring the crap out of him. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if she has another episode. So let’s pray he doesn’t have to face any more craziness.”
* * * * *
Once the plane was in the air, and their little group was headed to Chicago, William h
oped for an uneventful flight. Happily, as they were boarding the plane, Arel got a message from Tim. Peggy was doing better.
William wanted to feel relieved, but he couldn’t dismiss Col and how powerful he could be. Burdened with that fact and the stress it caused, he was finding it hard to fully recover physically. If only he could forget everything for a while perhaps his body could get back to its former state of wellbeing.
He tried to get comfortable and shifted in his aisle seat. Arel sat next to him, and Rolphe sat on the other side of Arel. Annabel sat in one of the seats in front of them. Michael had his own angelic way of getting home.
Before boarding the plane, Annabel had insisted that William, Arel and Rolphe needed to confer on a game plan. Her suggestion added to William’s exhaustion. What kind of plan could they use to stop Col? The ogre knew how to play with their minds, even when they weren’t in direct contact with him. Rolphe admitted it had been going on for some time. Now, William wondered about himself and Arel. Had they all been victims of Col’s covert tactics in the recent past?
When he’d asked Michael about it, the angel said humans were often affected by negativity that existed in the astral realms. Whenever a person had a thought that came from fear, they opened themselves to more of the same. It seemed energies, positive or negative, had specific frequencies. The saying, like attracts like, applied. So it wasn’t just Col that could be affecting them.
However, with Col, William, Arel and Rolphe were experiencing a different sort of problem. Col was doing everything he could to initiate the process. If they let down their defenses, he seized the opportunity to promote his own dark agenda.
William stretched a long leg partially into the aisle and tried to let go of some of the tension in his body. He wanted to think he was the person who could be depended on in a crisis. It might have been true in the past, but recently he’d been the first to allow Col to take control. Now, he didn’t know if Col was messing with his mind, or if he was simply losing faith in himself. Either way, his nerves were on edge.