A Girl Beyond (War of the Witches Book 2)

by Marjorie Weismantel

  Belinda glanced over at me. “She’s right, Tess.”

  “What are you saying? Should we do this today?” I squeaked.

  “There’s still plenty of time today. Why don’t we call your mom and see if you can come over for a while. Sooner would be better than later,” Mercy asserted.

  “All right, all right, but I’d rather stop by my house and ask my mom personally. I snuck out earlier so she may not be too receptive,” I responded, feeling anxious.

  “By the way,” I asked, “will I be going back to an earlier life?”

  “Tessie, dear, it’s most important that we don’t rush things. Regression sessions should be thorough and they should proceed in a chronological order. I’m afraid there’s other information in your background that we should continue to uncover before we start going back even further. If it isn’t done properly, you’ll be plagued by confusion, doubt and fear. It will take one more session after this one, trust me,” Belinda stated, eyes straight ahead.

  30. Misfortune, Tragedy

  My aunt finally let me go to Mercy’s after I made all these promises about not overdoing it. She knows how stubborn I can get when my mind is set on something and she usually gives in to me. I admit that my aunt has always been too much of a softie with me and as a teenager and I can’t help but take advantage of it. As I was leaving the house Grandma was shaking her head while staring at me disapprovingly. She doesn’t agree with Aunt Amy’s philosophy of child rearing, but fortunately she’s not in charge of me.

  I found myself seated in Mercy’s house as I was before. Belinda was facing me and I was lying back in their most comfortable chair with a delicious cup of the earthy Pu’erh tea in my hand.

  “There’s one more thing I would like to mention before we get started. There’s something I’ve been thinking about since the last regression. I believe that you skipped some of your past lives,” Belinda informed me.

  “Why would you think that I skipped some past lives?” I asked.

  “The first past life that you regressed to was in the 1600s. Wouldn’t it be likely that you lived sometime between now and then?”

  “Then why didn’t I regress to one of those lives?” I questioned.

  “Sometimes it is more difficult to regress to certain past lives. I’m not exactly sure why. Perhaps they are less memorable, or it’s possible that our subconscious mind is blocking a memory. You also displayed an odd hesitation as you went through the light and the dark of The Between. That may be an indication that you skipped over a life that was short.” Belinda looked at me expectantly.

  “What do you mean by a short life?” I asked.

  She responded gently, “It means that you may have died as a child.”

  “Oh!” I didn’t think of that.

  “I will talk you through the process more slowly and I think we can at least get to the short life. You may need more of an expert in hypnotic regression to reach any lives that you skipped. Is that OK, Tess?” Belinda tilted her head, smiling at me reassuringly.

  “Yes,” I sighed.

  “Now, put down your tea and take a deep breath. As you exhale, close your eyes and feel yourself relaxing. Take another breath and slowly release it. As you breathe, feel your muscles become loose and limp, ever more so with each breath. Your eyelids will become heavier and heavier. They become so heavy they are hard to open.” Belinda continued speaking in a low voice. I was only vaguely aware of what she was saying until I suddenly heard a snap.

  I looked up at her. I knew I was awake but I felt like I was in some kind of twilight existence.

  “Hello, Tess. Are you feeling all right?” Belinda asked softly.

  “Yes,” I answered quietly.

  “We’re going to go into your past, Tess, just like we discussed, OK?”

  “That’s fine,” I responded.

  “Tess, can you remember your first Christmas?” Belinda leaned in to hear me.

  “Oh yes,” I responded, my voice rising. “I remember that Santa scared me.”

  “Why did he scare you, Tess?”

  “Cause he was so loud and he had that big white beard. He was so funny.” I grinned, thinking about how Santa looked.

  “Did your mom sing to you when you were a baby?” Belinda smiled brightly as she asked me.

  “Yeah, she sang the Nighty-night lullaby to me when I cried. I used to love it when mommy sang to me,” I answered wistfully.

  “Tess, we’re going to leave this time in your life. We’re going to your previous life. I want you to go back slowly. Go back to the light, then to the time of The Between. After The Between, comes the darkness and the light again. Remember you can stop, rewind, go forward or back. You can control it. Go back to a time that is very distinct in your memory,” Belinda said while staring at me with quiet intensity.

  I let myself slowly drift back. I was less nervous about my journey this time. I could see the golden light and sense The Between. Suddenly things accelerated and I perceived rapid flashes of darkness and light. I felt Belinda’s hand on mine and I made a conscious effort to slow it down. Finally, the soft darkness flowed into a harsh light. I let myself move forward a little more until I felt it was time to stop and see what was around me.

  I said tentatively, “I can see big mountains in the distance. I also see what looks like huge fields of blue ice. It smells bad here.”

  “That sounds like glaciers. You must be in the far North, Tess. Are there any people around you?” Brenda inquired.

  “There is a boy here. I think he is my brother.”

  “Can you tell me more about him?”

  “He is younger than I am. I believe he is known as Unnar.”

  “What can you tell me about yourself?” Belinda probed.

  “I am Asa. I am seven years old,” I answered in a high voice.

  “Can you describe what is going on, Asa?”

  “We feel the very cold air in this place. We are covered in skins from a red deer. Our feet are in the bear skin wrapped around with green twigs.”

  Brenda inquired, “Do you know when this is?”

  “No, but the people are running to us. They are screaming and the smell is getting very bad. The air is filled with some powder. And I see blood, bright orange blood coming from the mountain.” I was breathing heavy and my heart was beating hard.

  Belinda quietly turned to Mercy and whispered, “You can find out when and where Tess is. Look up a volcanic eruption in an Arctic country in either the 17th or 18th century. It would have to be after the time of Salem.”

  “Momma, my eyes hurt! My throat is burning! Momma, where are you?” I screamed in a raspy voice. I couldn’t breathe because the air was on fire.

  Belinda immediately took Tess’s head in her hands and looked her in the eyes. “It is time to go from this place. Leave right now. Go back and travel through the brightness and The Between. Then, you must go through the blackness and back to the light.”

  Tess sat very still, her eyes open but not seeing.

  Belinda continued, “We know about your time in Woodley. We wanted to hear about your life after you left Woodley.”

  I sat for a time, letting events slip by. Eventually I spoke in a level tone. “As you know, my mother departed from this life and I moved in with those who would have me, the Quakers. Mother left me with some coins so that I may travel to Maine to reside with her relations when it was the right time.”

  “Are you Elsa?” asked Belinda.

  “Yes, I am Elsa,” I answered.

  “You can continue with your story, Elsa.”

  “At the age of thirteen, I determined myself to be old enough to commence my travels to the cousin of my mother. I was afraid of traveling to the wilderness of Maine, but I knew it was time. I rode on the baker’s cart to Boston where I paid for passage on a ship to Prout’s Neck, Maine.”

  Belinda inquired, “How was your life in Maine?”

  “Twas quiet and peaceful there, least in the beginning. My mother’s
cousin, Ezra, along with his wife, Virginia, were of a kindly nature. I was to assist them with the harvest of the fields and in the care of their young babe, Thomas. After a time, I was able to forget the suspicious and fearful looks I had hitherto endured from the Woodley townsfolk.”

  “So you were happy in Maine?” Belinda pressed.

  “Yes, but I had fears that a great calamity would beset us,” I stated.

  “What do you mean, Elsa?”

  “I have always been a seer. I knew something of what was to come.”

  “What happened?” Belinda asked gently.

  “One day I was scrubbing the clothes in the river when I saw smoke arise in the sky. At first it was not of concern, but then I heard the screams and a shot. Then I knew. We were being attacked by Indians. I thought about running away, but I just could not.” I paused and took a shuddering breath.

  “I took the path to the village and beheld a most hellish sight. Most of the menfolk were butchered and stripped naked. The cruel and barbarous savages were riding around, shrieking and holding the dripping scalps. Cousin Ezra was lying down in his own blood, his head mangled. The women were scattered everywhere. I saw the babe, Thomas, sitting there screaming so I ran to take him. A heathen rode to me and knocked me with the back of his hatchet. That was the last I ever saw of my kinfolk. When I awoke, I was tied to a horse. I was a captive of the Wanaki Indians.” I stopped speaking, a tear running down my cheek.

  Belinda studied Tess and then said sympathetically, “I think this session is over. I am going to count down from ten. When I get to one, you will wake up. Are you ready?”

  “Yes,” I answered woodenly.

  “Ten.., nine…, eight…, seven…, six…, five…, four…, three…, two…, one.”

  Blink, blink. I sat there for a time to clear my mind and enter the present. Mercy and Belinda were watching me with concern on their faces.

  “How did I do?” I finally asked.

  Belinda touched my arm and said, “You were great, Tess. We learned quite a bit about your past two lives. What do you recall?”

  “You were right about another life, Belinda. I was killed by a volcanic eruption as a young child. I don’t know where that was. I remember the huge fields of blue ice. They were unbelievable, along with that volcano. It smelled terrible, like burning chemicals.”

  Mercy cleared her throat and referred to her computer. “You were in Iceland near Laki, a volcanic fissure that erupted over an eight month time frame in 1783. You talked about ‘fire in the air’. You were breathing poisonous gases that were emitted from the volcano which must have been what killed you.”

  Tess responded in amazement, “I lived in Iceland in 1783?”

  Mercy smiled and answered, “Yes, and that was a very nasty volcano. You didn’t have a chance. It killed 10,000 people in Iceland and because of the massive haze it spread out over the Northern Hemisphere, global temperatures dropped, causing crop failures and droughts for a long time. It says here that 6 million people died as a result.”

  I asked, “Did witches live in Iceland?”

  Belinda chuckled, “Witches can live anywhere, although Iceland isn’t exactly a witch hotspot. I will point out that Iceland was originally populated by descendants of Celtic people. It is believed that a relatively high proportion of Celtics have witch blood.”

  “Do you know what happened to you after being taken by the Wanaki Natives?” Mercy asked.

  Tess answered with a sad smile, “Yes. I was with them for a while. They ended up treating me quite well. They learned that I had special gifts along with being a healer. Unlike the white man at that time, Native Americans placed a high value on witch powers. It was the first time during that life that I felt I had some value for other humans. Unfortunately, the tribe was affected by a smallpox epidemic. I was able to save a few of them. Most of the others eventually died, including me.”

  31. Poor Ian

  I was finally able to visit Ian the following day, although I was told that I couldn’t stay too long due to the seriousness of his concussion. His mom was very explicit about that. Annie left me off at Ian’s on the way to her job at The Chic Shack. She got a job there last week and loves it. How shocking is that for my make-up, hair obsessed sister? I managed to slip off the neck brace before I left. There was no way I was wearing that thing over there. My aunt said she’d pick me up after she was done in the greenhouse. She’ll yell about the lack of a brace but by then it won’t matter.

  “Where’s your neck brace, cuz?” Annie asked.

  “Annie, you’re freaking me out. You’re starting to sound like Eve,” I responded. I said that because I don’t need THREE mothers. Two are enough.

  “What? I am NOT like Eve!” Annie glared at me. “By the way, how’re you getting home?”

  “Aunt Amy said she’d pick me up when she’s done in the greenhouse,” I replied.

  “She’s gonna yell about the brace, Tess,” Annie remarked.

  “After I visit Ian, I don’t care what she says. I just don’t want to wear it over there. It looks lame and I don’t want people going on about how I must feel, blah, blah, blah..,” I responded, glaring at Annie.

  “Whatever,” she grumbled.

  As I got out of the car, I suddenly became aware of the weather. I planned on starting to walk home if I had to leave before my aunt got here. That may not be feasible because it looked like a storm was brewing.

  I rang the front door bell and a guy answered. He looked sort of like an Ian clone, only older and heavier. He waved me in and held up his index finger indicating one minute. He had a cell phone clamped to his ear so I waited quietly. He was on the phone for a while so I took advantage of his distraction to check him out. His aura practically shouted at me which was a little surprising because it was so different from Ian’s. He obviously wanted to be seen in a loud (obnoxious) and clear way. I was beginning to understand that HOW a person’s aura appears may reflect some aspect of their personality. Some auras flow in gradually, some pop out, and others try to keep it under wraps. The hidden auras have to be deliberately searched out. I can’t see Ian’s aura because he’s one to hold it real close to his chest. James is definitely a proud, showoff, in-your-face type. His aura was wavering between bright red and dark red with dark orange streaks. I read passionate, driven, quick tempered, impulsive, self-centered and competitive.

  He stepped up close, a bit too close, stuck his hand out and loudly announced, “Hi, I’m James, the older brother. You must be here to see Ian.” I shook his hand and looked him directly in the eye. He was openly appraising me with a little smirk on his face. I think my assessment of him was correct. I would also add that his arrogance took away from his physical attractiveness.

  “Yes, I’m Tess. You’re correct. I’m here to see Ian,” I responded coolly.

  “Were you at the fair with Ian? YOU sure got the better end of the deal,” he exclaimed, continuing to scrutinize me.

  I regarded him deliberately, smiled and shrugged my shoulders. I wasn’t going to dignify that with an answer.

  “I have to say, my little brother has good taste and he likes ‘em young. I heard you’re still in high school,” James remarked, his smirk almost a sneer.

  I kept my eyes blank, but I rearranged my features so it looked like I just caught a whiff of garbage and then I asked in a bored tone, “Can you please point me to Ian’s room?”

  He didn’t answer me for a second. I knew he was trying to figure out if there was some way he could bully me. Bullies like to cause a reaction and he hadn’t gotten one yet. He finally gave up, pointed up the stairs and said dismissively, “It’s the first door on the right.”

  I calmly walked by him and went up the stairs. I suppressed a desire to laugh in his face on the way up. I knew it would be foolish in the long run. He’ll be less likely to bother me again if I don’t rile him up now. It’s too bad Ian has such a jerk for a brother.

  The door was ajar but I knocked first.


  “Who’s there?” Ian asked in a tired voice.

  “Ian, it’s me, Tess,” I responded.

  “Oh, Tess, please come in.” Ian sounded happy to see me.

  Wow! Ian looked pretty bad. It was a shock. He had two black eyes, a misshapen nose and a bruised, swollen face. “Oh, Ian, I’m so sorry!” I went over and lightly touched his cheek.

  “Looks pretty bad, huh?” Ian remarked, looking chagrined and trying to smile.

  I sat down on the edge of his bed and tried to hold my feelings in. Some of the emotion that I had been holding in was starting to come to the surface. I felt like crying. I had thought about Ian after the horrible events at the fair, but things were so immediately crazy that I put him out of my mind once I heard that he wasn’t seriously injured. I didn’t realize it would be as bad as this. He looked terrible!

  He must have read my thoughts because he took my hand, “Oh, don’t worry, Tess. I certainly look worse than I feel. I have to admit that I was pretty shocked when I first saw myself in the mirror.”

  “It looks bad, Ian. I feel like I ignored you. I would have come yesterday but your mother said that only family could see you.”

  Ian grimaced, “Yeah, I’m not supposed to move much and my mom didn’t want any of my friends fooling around with me in this state. That’s not your fault.”

  “I don’t blame your mom. I just wanted you to know that I would have been here,” I said while taking his hand.

  I could tell that Ian was uncomfortable talking about his injuries so I let him change the subject. “So, Tess, what happened to you? I remember seeing you falling down from the Ferris wheel. I felt terrible because I didn’t know how to help you.”