by Dale Mayer
“Stefan?”
He controlled his mirth, realizing how odd this must be for her. How scary. “It’s all right.”
“How is this all right?” she snapped. “I can see you. Almost clearly.” She sounded dazed. “I don’t understand.”
He pulled her close, letting his energy blend with hers in a quick hug, then with his arms still around her he said, “Look behind you.”
She gave him a quick confused look, turned around and glanced back – at her body.
She shrieked and slammed back into her body.
Just as she shifted on the etheric plane Stefan thought he heard a voice say, You will pay for this.
*
Sam walked through to the back of the vet’s office, loving to see such welcoming animals. Sure, there were a couple not happy to be here, but as she’d learned so much from Stefan and the others she could send a little calming energy to help the poor things adapt. It wasn’t easy on animals or humans to have surgery, or to deal with the trauma of being in a vet office. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her neck, letting a bit of that same healing energy slip down her spine. She needed more sleep, and that was the one thing she could not seem to get. Every couple of days, narrowing to every day, there was at least one incident waking her up.
It made no sense. There were too many incidents and it was all happening too fast. Her developing senses allowed her to leave the visions before the victim died, and she worried that this was hindering her ability to learn anything useful. If she were forced to stay until the end there was a chance of gaining more information about the killer. But staying longer hurt her in many other ways, and so far she’d worked hard at getting out as fast as she could.
She had a journal full of notes on these connected cases. And as Stefan didn’t need more on his plate, he was likely the one she needed to make this all stop.
Hearing a whimper behind her, she turned to watch a small pug press his flat face up against the wire mesh. His eyes were hopeful.
She grinned. “Hey, Pogo, how are you?” She reached for the latch on his door when the burning started.
She groaned. Please, not here.
Then she collapsed to her knees as her lower legs gave out. Her head hit the cage, then the cage no longer existed. In front of her was a kitchen counter, old-fashioned and worn though the years. Sam cried out in her vision. Her legs were burning from the inside out. She stared down at thick ankles and thicker calves encased in tight hose – support hose. There were no injuries to them. No outside flames affected her, but the woman cried out in agony as fire licked up her legs to her hips and higher.
Sam struggled against her instinctive reaction to run and the need to solve this mystery.
She closed her eyes inside the woman’s energy and forced her senses to take stock. She writhed in pain as her legs kicked out in agony. The woman fell sideways to the floor, crying out for help.
Sam realized another sad truth as she heard the woman’s cries. There was no one to hear her cries. And the phone on the wall was too far away. Too high to reach, and the woman too damaged to cross the short distance.
Trying to see into the woman’s mind, which had been completely consumed in fear as the pain rolled upward to the woman’s heart, Sam knew what was happening but she couldn’t hold back that tsunami of events that would overwhelm this poor woman. For some reason Sam felt she had to stay this time. There was no rushing desire to race away. The pain was horrific, but slightly distanced from her so that she understood and suffered along with the woman.
But she couldn’t leave. Only as she heard the last few whimpers of the woman’s prayers to be delivered into her Savior’s hands did Sam understand.
There was no one for this woman to call for help because she lived alone. And as she lived alone…Sam hadn’t been able to let her die alone.
Sending her as much loving energy as she could, Sam pleaded with her to let go.
She watched as the pain receded and the old woman slumped into death. Sam lay inside the poor woman for a long moment, wondering why she wasn’t being instantly snapped back to her body when she felt something odd – she felt the energy of the body lift. The release was a physical sensation. Sam stared out through the glazed eyes and recognized the woman’s soul rising above her, glorious light and peace in her aura and the whispered words, “Thank you.”
And she was gone.
Tears in her eyes, Sam came back to her own body, now stiff and chilled on the cold floor in the vet’s office and wondered. She didn’t feel the same pain and horror she so often felt after a vision. Nor the agonizing understanding of what one human had done to another. Instead, there was a sense of peace. A sense of rightness.
Did that mean the old woman had died a natural death? Sam really didn’t want to start connecting with just anyone whose time had come – that would be too many visions for her to deal with.
Or was it that Sam’s presence had made a difference, and she had been given a gift by seeing for the first time the aftermath of this woman’s death and the rebirth of her soul to the next step?
At the end the woman had been grateful for death – then again, who wouldn’t want that horror to stop? But this time it was as if she knew Sam had been keeping a watchful vigil at her side.
Keeping her company so her final moments weren’t as lonely as the rest of her life.
Sam wiped away a tear and reached for her phone. Brandt needed to hear this one.
Before she could dial Stefan stepped into her mind. Sam? Are you okay?
*
He shifted the remaining energy into a better position. What a difference now compared to when he first started. When his energy was so sprawled out, the removal of one small piece made no difference. The smaller pieces also created very little havoc – more of a damp squid of an event. Not the explosion of chaos he had envisioned.
In the past, one of his efforts – although successful – had crashed his system for days and weeks until he could recover. Now it was as if each new adjustment rippled back and forth until the other energy settled into place. A place where he felt stronger, happier, more complete.
Who knew such a thing was possible?
He almost laughed, or he would have laughed if he’d had a mouth and a voice box. But he didn’t. He was endless energy. He stopped himself. No. Not quite. No longer endless. Now he could at least feel the outer edge of his existence. It still blew him away what had happened, but that didn’t make him any happier to be a prisoner here.
Maybe as he continued to grow in strength he could do more. For the moment though, he had no intention of taking her out.
After all, she was responsible for this hell.
Chapter 24
Celina opened her eyes then slammed them shut again. She’d seen something. And that couldn’t be allowed. She knew that made no sense, but to her mind…her thoughts were a jumble of confusion. A mess of contradiction and panic. Had she seen something?
She’d been attempting to demonstrate for Stefan and then what?
She gasped. She’d seen him. He’d stood up in front of her and held out his hand. She’d placed hers in his. That was when she’d realized something odd had happened, but she’d been able to see his face for the first time, and that bright clarity and color plus the rest of what had happened had shocked and overwhelmed her. Still stunned at the gray world and seeing Stefan for the first time – my God – he was…and she was lost for words. Then she’d seen her own body behind her.
She winced. Lord, she’d really screamed like a little girl and passed out. She never screamed. Never fainted. But then again, she dared the strongest out there to see what she’d just seen and not react in panic.
As expected the pain had hit right after. And the threat.
“He was just here,” she whispered.
“He was.” Stefan’s voice rolled across her face, the gentle brush of his breath soothing the pain and easing the panic inside. “He’s gone now.”
&n
bsp; She felt like she no longer understood the world she lived in. No longer knew the rules to follow, because while she’d been looking in another direction someone had changed them.
But she knew one thing. A tiny smile playing at the corner of her lips she murmured, “You’re beautiful.”
She felt his start of surprise, then his self-conscious laugh. “Glad to hear you could see, but I will admit there is something wrong with your eyesight.”
She grinned up at him. His hands were on the couch on either side of her, holding her in place. She really didn’t want to be anywhere else. “You are right there.” She went silent for a moment then asked, “What just happened?”
“Several things,” he said calmly. “First off, you left your physical body and stood with just your etheric body. That’s an awesome trick by the way, and the more you can learn to do that willfully the more you will enjoy the sensation of not being confined by the limitations of your physical body.”
She swallowed hard. “Was I like Jacob?”
“Somewhat. But he wasn’t out of his body willfully. You were. You just didn’t know what you were doing at the time.”
“And the pain?”
“Part of the pain was your abrupt reentry to your body. That can set up a nasty vibration headache, and for some people even paralysis for a long moment until things get back to normal.”
“Ugh.”
“Exactly,” he said, smiling. “Then there is the fact that you can see in that form and yet you can’t in the physical.”
She had to smile. “And for that I thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. You did that yourself.”
“But it’s never been so clear. So colorful. I could see only in muted blurry grays before. Why not this time?”
He hesitated.
“Tell me,” she demanded. “The only thing different was that you were there.”
He shifted so that he was sitting down beside her. “In that respect it was because I am here. And because I kept my hand on you.”
“You helped me to see better?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose, but I know that sometimes when I work with people I can help their energy to focus more. Better. Clearer.”
She nodded. “In a strange way that almost makes sense.”
“That is something you can learn to do on your own. As your energy learns how to fine-tune this out-of-body experience it won’t need my help.”
“It’s all so hard to believe,” she whispered.
“Yes, it is, but you are not alone. There are many of us that have these types of experiences every day.”
And she suddenly knew someone else. “Dr. Maddy, right?”
“Absolutely. It’s an aspect of her healing ability that allows her to make miracles happen.”
Celina understood on a mental level what had happened, but on a visceral level she was still in a state of wonderment. She’d actually been able to see. For just a few moments, but for the first time in over a year she’d actually been able to see. And damn if those tears didn’t start falling.
She wiped them again absently. “I want to do it again.”
“No.” he said, his voice strong and determined. “In all this discussion you haven’t mentioned one important thing.”
“Him.”
“Exactly. For whatever reason, having you do this out-of-body experience makes him feel threatened. And –” now she could hear him choose his words carefully, “until I know who and what this person is doing, we can’t take the chance of him trying to take over your body permanently.”
She gasped. “What?”
His noisy exhale was followed by an explanation of possession that terrified her. “Surely that’s not possible. How could a dead person take over a live body?”
“We don’t have absolutes in this world. I can only tell you that I’ve seen it happen over and over again. If your cord is detached from your physical body, you will no longer have a connection. It leaves the body open for others to come in and take up residence. At the same time, if you just leave and your cord is still attached, if they are stronger than you they can take up residence and be the dominant personality inside the same body. Sometimes the two personalities fight and we end up with really sad split personality profiles. But too often the intruder is dominant – after all, look at what he managed to do – and keeps the owner of the body under his control. Often they curl up in a corner of their own mind and more or less die.”
A heavy shaking made her teeth rattle and her hands tremble. She wrapped her arms around her chest. He hauled her up and over, and she suddenly found herself sitting on his lap and cuddled close to his chest.
Just where she wanted to be.
*
Stefan loved her acceptance of new concepts and experiences. She’d just had an incredible realization followed by a disconcerting warning. There was much she had to learn, but she’d gone down that pathway all on her own. He could help her get to a happier place, but they needed to get rid of the predator stalking her. He wasn’t sure how.
She snuggled deeper into his arms. He hugged her closer. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. I mean, a blind woman who steps out of her body and suddenly sees only to find out that she shouldn’t do that anymore in case a predator takes up residence while she’s enjoying this experience can handle anything, right?”
His laugher rolled out. “That’s the right way to look at this. Hold onto the thought that when this guy’s no longer doing whatever the hell he is doing, then I can show you how to leave and protect your body while you’re not in it.”
She turned her face into his chest, mumbling, “That sounds so odd.”
“It is, but it’s also great. He can’t torment you forever.”
“Really?” She pushed back her hands on his chest to hold herself up. “He’s been doing this for over a year now, so who says he can’t?”
“I do. I won’t let him.” Stefan was caught by the time frame. “Did you say a year? As in exactly a year, ten months, or closer to fifteen months?”
She lowered her face slightly, her lips twisting to the side as she thought about that. “I think it’s been just coming up on a year.” She raised her head to look at him. “Maybe eleven and a half months.”
“Did anything happen to you back then? Any particular event that might have brought this on?”
Her broken laugh made him wince. “It was three weeks after my fiance’s death that I had the accident that blinded me.” She winced. “I wasn’t in good shape emotionally or mentally when it happened, so I have no idea how long after this guy rolled into my life – if it was days or weeks or even a month later, but there’s no doubt it was close.”
“Then we have to go back and look at the details of your accident. If that’s when this started, then that’s where we have to begin.”
Stefan thought about the stack of papers he’d been going over for Brandt and realized a year ago was important for some reason. He just didn’t understand why.
“Why don’t I make us dinner, then afterwards we can work on a timeline? I’m consulting on another case that appears connected to yours. I don’t know if the timeline works, but if it does, we might have our first real break on the case.”
She sat back. “Food would be good. I’m really hungry.”
“Good. Come into the kitchen with me and you can give me a hand.” He stood, studying her energy. Tired and frazzled, nonetheless there was a robustness to it that would attract many sick and desperate souls. “I hate to ask as I know it’s a painful issue, but when did your fiancé pass away? Was it…close to the same time?”
She paused then nodded. “Yes. He had an aneurysm in the brain, but he was brain dead soon after.” She frowned and admitted, “I was pretty destroyed with his death.”
“I’m sorry. Losing someone you love is tough.”
“You don’t have to tell me about that. I’ve lost everyone, starting with my best friend when I was just a young girl, to b
oth my parents, then my fiancé.” Standing up, she said in a wry tone, “For a long time I figured there was something wrong with me. That I was so unlovable everyone was dying around me to get away.”
She shook her head. “It makes no sense, I know, but I felt betrayed. Then after my accident I realized how foolish I was being. I was still alone and lonely, but not quite so desperate to be with others. In fact, I think I felt overwhelmed and began pushing people away around that time.”
“Because of the blindness. You didn’t want to be a burden on anyone.”
She nodded. “Stupid, isn’t it? From desperate to not be alone to desperate to be alone.”
“Not stupid. Understandable.” And now that he had an inkling of the emotions behind her actions he understood both her music and the ghosts in her life. They were connected to her emotions and sense of loss. She’d started the one and used it to attract the other. Yet she had no idea what she’d done or how to reverse the process. That’s what led to her sense of being overwhelmed and why she pushed them all away. Without understanding that they’d been called to her, and until she released them they had nowhere else to go.
*
Brandt pinched the bridge of his nose. Sam had been devastated by this last vision. Not by the woman’s death, but by the loneliness she’d felt in the old woman’s energy. As if she’d been alone for a long time. There was so little Brandt could do to help her. And almost nothing to help the old woman. In true form Sam hadn’t been able to get any identifying marks to help pinpoint a location so that he could even begin to find the body. Until she was found he had only Sam’s word. He knew she’d be right but he might never see the result, depending on where the old woman lived. Sam’s abilities were getting stronger, and her reach farther. That made his job all that much harder.
He glanced up at the huge chart he’d started earlier. It was a vast amount of information, but again no pattern. At least not one he’d managed to determine. He stood up and added Female C – he already had Female A and B. Then entered the little bit of information he had available. The woman’s legs burning was new. He double-checked and realized in no other case had Sam picked up damage to the legs. Interesting. A picture was starting to form in his head. He gave himself a headshake.