Forgotten (In The Shadows, Book One)

by Catherine Gardiner

“What about all the blood loss?” Katrina inquired.

  Mr. Danvers smiled warmly at Katrina. “I know it must have been quite a shock but she has only minor scrapes and flesh wounds. As I said, after a couple of days she will be fine again. Just remember to change her bandage twice a day and keep her indoors for at least a week.”

  “We had better get going if we want to get home before nightfall. Please tell Sarah and Victoria that we called upon you,” Katrina said, picking up Bonnie from the chair she was lying on. Apologizing for their abrupt departure, she thanked the Danvers and said goodbye.

  The walk back was long and tiresome, and the sun was just beginning to dip behind the trees when they finally reached home. As soon as they had, Suzanne went straight to her room and slammed the door shut. Katrina took Bonnie into the laundry room and placed her on some old sheets, then went back into the kitchen to get some food scraps off the cook. When she came back, Bonnie was fast asleep. Katrina put the food scraps in a bowl and placed it on the floor next to her beloved pet. She patted Bonnie gently on the head before deciding it was time that she went to bed.

  As Katrina passed the parlor, her mother came out and asked if she could have a quick word. Once inside her mother motioned for Katrina to sit down before she began to speak.

  “Katrina, is Bonnie all right?” Mrs. Harvey asked with genuine concern.

  “Yes,” Katrina replied, “Mr. Danvers helped me patch Bonnie up, but she’ll be sore for a couple of days.”

  “I hope you and Suzanne thanked the Danvers for their help,” Mrs. Harvey said with a serious look on her face.

  “Mother, what’s wrong?”

  “We, your father and I, want to know if you had that chat with your sister regarding the ball.”

  “Yes, I did as you both asked, but I don’t understand what she has done wrong.”

  “Your sister hasn’t done anything wrong, but your father and I were made aware of certain events.”

  Katrina furrowed her brow. “What kind of events?”

  A worried look clouded Mrs. Harvey’s eyes. “You have always looked out for your sister, but you must keep a watchful eye on her now more than ever.”

  “Mother, I really don’t understand. What are you not telling me? Does it involve Suzanne and why she cannot attend the Midsummer Ball?”

  “Katrina, it concerns both of you.”

  Katrina just sat staring at her mother in shocked silence.

  When Mr. Harvey walked into the parlor five minutes later, he sat behind his desk beside the window. Katrina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, hoping her father might shed more light on the situation.

  “Have you told Katrina?” Mr. Harvey asked, breaking the silence.

  “No, I thought it was best if I waited for you,” Mrs. Harvey replied, exchanging looks with her husband, “but Katrina knows that it also concerns herself as well.”

  Mr. Harvey leaned forward in his chair and perched his elbows on his knees, his fingers in a steeple position. “Katrina,” Mr. Harvey began, “you have always made your mother and I proud, especially when it comes to you keeping an eye on your sister. We know how willful she can be at times and we do tend to forget how young you both are, but what I am about to tell can not leave this room, do you understand?”

  Katrina nodded.

  “Around a week ago I was made aware that some local girls had disappeared. At first it was believed that they had eloped, or simply run away. However, last Friday Mary Camberley’s body was found. She had been murdered.”

  “Mary Camberley has been murdered …” Katrina’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “We first thought that it might have been a highwayman or, worse still, a footpad.”

  “Father, I thought our roads were safe from those sorts? I seem to recall hearing that a highwayman robbed the Buckingham to Oxford coach, but that was last year!”

  “We live in dangerous times, but you are right, we don’t normally get footpads around here. That is why this murder was so shocking.”

  “It is also why we think it is best for Suzanne to stay at home,” Mrs. Harvey interjected.

  “I don’t think this is fair!” Katrina blurted out, surprising herself as well as her parents. “I think you’re being too harsh on Suzanne. You both know that she has been really looking forward to the ball for weeks, and to punish her because of something out of her control isn’t right. Nothing would happen with so many guests and chaperones around!” Katrina continued, feeling the anger begin to bubble inside her.

  “Katrina, calm down before you wake the entire household!” her mother cautioned.

  Katrina, ignoring her mother’s warning, stood up and stormed out of the parlor, making sure the door slammed behind her.

  “Katrina!” her father called when she was halfway up the main staircase.

  Stopping, Katrina turned. “Yes, Father,” she replied, wiping away the tears that were swelling in her eyes with her lace handkerchief.

  “Firstly I’d like to apologize for the way I acted concerning Bonnie. It is understandable that you would be upset given my lack of tact and for that reason I will convince myself your hot-headedness this evening was due to that. Secondly, the matter at hand: I know how much you care for your sister. It is because we care for her that we believe she will be safer staying at home.”

  “But, Father!” Katrina pleaded desperately.

  “The matter is closed. Suzanne will stay at home tomorrow night with me. If you wish, you may still go with your mother. I trust you and know you will refrain from doing anything reckless, however I cannot count on your sister doing the same.” And without another word, her father turned and returned to the parlor.

  At her father’s harsh words, Katrina turned and fled to her bedroom, where she fell onto her bed, crying. Suzanne appeared in the doorway a few moments later.

  “What’s wrong, Katrina?” Suzanne asked as she sat on the bed next to Katrina, putting her arm around her sister’s shoulders to give her a reassuring hug.

  “Nothing is wrong,” Katrina replied, her voice quiet.

  “Then why are you crying?” Suzanne asked, waiting for a plausible answer.

  “I’m just overwrought with everything that’s happened today. It’s just finally got to me, that’s all,” Katrina answered, secretly wishing that Suzanne would leave so she could be left in peace.

  “Well, if you’re sure you’ll be all right,” Suzanne said as she stood up.

  “Yes, I will be,” Katrina said, breaking into a smile. “I just need a good night’s sleep. So go to bed already!”

  Katrina tossed a pillow at her sister, missing by a few short inches. Suzanne volleyed it back playfully before the sisters said their goodnights and Suzanne left to go back to her own room. After Suzanne had gone, Katrina got ready for bed and slipped under her warm covers.

  In the dark of her bedroom, the events of the day came back to haunt Katrina and, after hours of tossing and turning, she finally fell into a restless and dreamless sleep.

  Three

  Katrina stared at the television screen in Doctor Clairmont’s office, unable to believe what she was seeing. Doctor Clairmont had brought Katrina back from her trance just over an hour ago and had put on what she had just recorded of Katrina under hypnosis.

  “Katrina, are you all right?” Doctor Clairmont paused the camcorder from where she was sitting behind her desk.

  “I think so! Well, actually, I am not really sure.” Katrina couldn’t take her eyes off the flickering television screen. “This is all too much to take in. I mean, what just happened? Why was I talking like that? This is all so confusing.”

  “I know this is all new and frightening to you, but we are making progress. I think that you need time to let what you just experienced sink in. We will talk about that in our next session. I don’t want you to become too overwhelmed by all this. Remember, we are taking baby steps.”

  Crossing to the window, Katrina looked out. The busy street was now empty.

/>   “Is there anything you want to talk about, Katrina?” Doctor Clairmont appeared next to Katrina at the window.

  “I’m scared!” Katrina whispered as she unconsciously started picking at the tassels of the gray cashmere throw that was draped over the back of the leather couch, fraying the edges.

  “What are you scared about?”

  Katrina paused and thought for a moment, “About everything!”

  “Would you like to talk about it?”

  “Well,” Katrina hesitated, “this is going to sound really stupid, but I’m terrified about going back to school.”

  “And why do you think that is?” Doctor Clairmont asked, reached for a notebook and pen from a nearby coffee table as she began to take down notes.

  “I don’t know.” Katrina shrugged. “Maybe it’s got something to do with my attack,” Katrina chewed on her bottom lip, frustrated at not being able to explain what she meant.

  “How long have you felt this way?”

  Pulling a face as she calculated, Katrina turned to Doctor Clairmont. “Since the beginning of summer.” She paused. “I think some time in June.”

  “Katrina, it’s only natural to feel a little anxious about returning to school, especially after everything that you’ve been through in the past year or so.”

  “But that doesn’t explain why I feel like I’m different in some way.”

  “You were brutally assaulted and left for dead; if you felt perfectly fine I’d start to worry. After all, when you lost your memory, you were also left with the feeling that you lost your identity. Of the two, that’s often harder to get back.”

  Katrina shivered at the doctor’s words. What her memory allowed her to remember about the night she had been attacked was still foggy and confusing.

  Katrina closed her eyes and slowly slipped back in time, until she saw herself walking across the football field at Clayton Falls High. She remembered how unnaturally cold and still it was, then the sudden the explosion of pain in her head followed by nothingness, until she regained consciousness in hospital two months later, weak, confused and not able to remember a single thing about her past.

  “Katrina!”

  Katrina opened her eyes and saw Doctor Clairmont looking at her, a concerned look on her face.

  “Are you okay?” Doctor Clairmont asked.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry if I startled you.”

  “What just happened?”

  “I don’t really know. One minute I was listening to what you was saying, then the next I saw myself walking across a football field.” Sighing, she dropped heavily onto the couch.

  “Is this the first time something like this has occurred?” Doctor Clairmont asked, taking up the space beside Katrina.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, if it happens again be sure to make a note of it. I always find keeping a journal helps keep track of everything. On the topic of keeping track, do you know when you will be starting school?”

  “I think in two weeks’ time.”

  “And do you know which school you’ll be going to?”

  “I believe the school’s called Sycamore Heights High.”

  “Which year you’ll be in when you start?”

  “I’ll be a senior with Jessica but Mrs. Sinclair says she’ll have a word with the vice principal, Mr. Flattery, about me and Jessica being in the same homeroom.”

  “Well, that’s good!” Doctor Clairmont said enthusiastically, moving off the couch to go back to her desk.

  “Doctor Clairmont, are you keeping something from me?” Katrina asked suddenly.

  “Funny you should ask that.”

  “Why?”

  “I didn’t know how to proceed with what we were discussing last time, before I brought up hypnosis.”

  “You mean about Suzanne?” Katrina’s hand unconsciously went up to the silver pendant she was wearing.

  “Yes. Have you thought any more about whom that may be?”

  “I am probably wrong … I just feel that she is my sister – but I think the locket was threaded with black silk when she gave it to me, not with a silver chain.”

  “How do you feel about the possibility of having a sister somewhere?”

  “A little confused, because no one has come looking for me.”

  “We can discuss that more in our next session! Actually, I have a book that might be able to help you.” Doctor Clairmont stood up and moved to a nearby bookcase.

  “Help me?” She eyed the book Doctor Clairmont withdrew, but was unable to read its title. “How will this book help me sort out my confusion?”

  “I wish you hadn’t asked me that, because if I’m right I don’t think I’ll be able to answer it.”

  “I don’t understand, what do you mean?” Katrina asked, bewildered.

  “Here, take a look for yourself.” Doctor Clairmont handed the book she was holding to Katrina and then sat down in a nearby chair. “I hope it will be of some use to you.”

  Katrina took the book and began to examine the front cover. It was deep blue with the title ‘Past Lives’ written in bold gold lettering. The author was Prof. D. G. Wolanczach. Placing the book on the coffee table, she asked, “Why did you just give me a book about past lives?”

  “Because of what you said earlier when you were under hypnosis, and if my suspicions are correct, I think the book I’ve just given you might come in useful, especially with what I’m about to tell you.”

  “I’m sorry, but I still don’t see what this book on past lives has got to do with me or my sister,” Katrina interrupted.

  “Well, Katrina. As I explained earlier, you have two types of amnesia, retrograde and dissociative, which makes your case a very rare and interesting one. It is my suspicion that in your haste to dissociate yourself from your own past, you have exchanged it with someone else’s.”

  “What do you mean?” Katrina asked, anxiously touching the silver pendant around her neck.

  “I think that your pendant is proof that you knew someone called Suzanne who cared for you deeply, and she may even be your sister as you suspect but, as it picked up on the video tape while you were under hypnosis, your memory is piecing together events from a different time and place, and possibly mixing up real memories with false memories. It’s possible it’s exchanged with a plotline of a film or novel, or perhaps, however unorthodox this may sound, one of your past lives.”

  Katrina shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Doctor Clairmont pressed on. “The book I want you to read is by a leading expert in the field who believes that the questions we have in this life can be answered by previous lives, and if you give it a chance it may help you discover what your memory is trying to keep from you. Some of my clients in similar situations to yours have found it beneficial to process certain aspects of what we discuss in a setting where they feel more comfortable and can go through it at their own pace, and a book on the topic can help with that. As soon as I realized there was a possibility that you had regressed to a previous life I knew you would have many questions, but I’m unable to answer them all for you right now. Rather than letting you leave wondering what it all means, I think the book by Prof. D. G. Wolanczach might be able to help you figure out some things on your own until we can properly talk it all over next week. Give it a chance; you might be surprised at what you will discover about yourself. Unfortunately, we are running slightly over time, but I’d like it if we could pick up from here in our next appointment.”

  Suddenly tears began to well up in Katrina’s eyes and she felt a strong need to get out of Doctor Clairmont’s office. Standing up, Katrina walked around the coffee table and toward the door.

  “Katrina, please don’t upset yourself over this,” Doctor Clairmont said, as she met Katrina at the door and handing over the book that Katrina had left on the coffee table.

  “I am not upset,” Katrina replied, her voice emotionless.

  Doctor Clairmont opened the office door, letting Katrina out. “Same time next week?” D
octor Clairmont asked. Katrina stopped momentarily as she passed to give a nod, then made her way down the hall to the elevators.

  As the elevator doors began to close behind her, the first hot tears began to roll softly down her cheeks.

  Four

  Wiping the tears from her face, Katrina removed a mirror from her pocket and checked herself. Only when she was satisfied that Mrs. Sinclair could not tell that she had been crying did she enter her office.

  “Hi, Mom!”

  Mrs. Sinclair was sitting behind her desk, talking on the phone, case files scattered in front of her. Looking up, she waved Katrina in to sit down. Closing the door behind her, Katrina obliged.

  “Hi, sweetheart,” Mrs. Sinclair said, covering the mouthpiece, “I’ll only be a minute,” Mrs. Sinclair continued before returning to her call.

  Katrina nodded an acknowledgement, then, taking this opportunity to some quiet time while Mrs. Sinclair was on the phone, looked at the book her hands. Turning it, she started to read the back cover.

  Reincarnation: fact or fiction? This book tries to find out the truth with the help of Professor Wolanczach, a leading expert in the study of the past-life phenomenon, and explains the theories behind its rising popularity.

  Katrina rolled her eyes and groaned silently to herself.

  “Katrina, what’s wrong?” Mrs. Sinclair asked, putting the phone back in its cradle.

  Katrina jerked in surprise, dropping the book. “Why should there be anything wrong?”

  “I don’t know; maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that you’re awfully quiet and jumpy?”

  “Mom, I’m okay. It’s just today’s session with Doctor Clairmont has made me really tired and all I want to do is go home.”

  “Alright, I’ll just finish up here and then we can go,” Mrs. Sinclair said as she started to put case files back into the filing cabinet. Turning off her computer and picking up her purse and a case file that she was still working on, she turned to Katrina. “Are you ready?”

  “Yeah,” Katrina replied, getting up out of the chair. She reached down to retrieve her book from the floor and followed Mrs. Sinclair out of the office.