Hidden Agenda Trilogy, Entry One
Chapter One: Home, Disturbed
The shadow hovered above her for quite some time until she realized. Then, she let out such a blood curdling scream, it could be heard a few houses down. It was a small town; one in which everyone knew everyone else’s business. So it was obvious that this scream would garnish much attention, as well as drama.
Mrs. Shankar thought she was about to have heart failure when Crantz from next door came barrelling in. “What’s going on? Are you okay Mrs. Shanks?”
“Would you stop calling me that?” Mrs. Shankar mustered the little energy she had left to yell at Crantz. Crantz was the kind of middle-aged man who had not grown into his age as of yet. He loved using pet names for all of the townsfolk, but Mrs. Shankar would not have it. She did not want to be known as a part of a cow.
“Did you see him? He was just here. Thank god you came in; I felt like I was going to die!” Mrs. Shankar ran on. It was the middle of the day and Mrs. Shankar was napping like she usually does at this time. She didn’t close the dark brown velvet drapes, so it was bright in her room.
“See who? I just heard you screaming and I thought you burned yourself on your chai again like you did last week. Do you have any chai left? I would love to have some of that delicious concoction.”
Mrs. Shankar stared deeply into Crantz but then she remembered what she was afraid about. “No. I was having a nap and I suddenly awoke to someone standing over me. I swear he would have done something to me if I had not screamed so loudly when I saw him. I was scared because of all that is going on in this town, you know? It is all very scary.”
“Oh my! Are you sure you weren’t dreaming? I didn’t see anyone leave from here and I ran in as soon as I heard you. No one was here, I assure you”, replied Crantz.
“I bet my beloved hand-carved cane from Jaipur on it that someone was here. A man with white hair, some big muscles and glowing eyes--.” Mrs. Shankar now thought that she may be seeing things as she heard her description out loud. “Oh, dear, maybe I should make an appointment to see Dr. Nays this afternoon. I will do it right away. Please stay with me, Crantz, until my daughter gets here. I am very afraid. Also, please get me the phone.”
“I will call Dr. Nays for you myself. I will stay if you make some chai!” Crantz let out loud laughter that sent Mrs. Shankar’s nerves rattling once more.
“Okay, thank you. I have to make sense of this.” Mrs. Shankar uttered.
Chapter Two: A Guilty Verdict
The courtroom was cold in temperature and appearance. Ralph felt like throwing up all over his defense attorney. He was innocent. He was never capable of committing such a brutal crime. But he fit the description they were looking for. His family was not liked in the community. They were the type of family that was a bit off the beaten path, literally.
Ralph still lived with his parents and their living conditions were looked at as crude. They lived in an older looking house which was not taken care of over the ages. In the front and backyard there were piles of junk laid strewn about here and there. Ralph was targeted more than any other member of his family.
There was a long and wide chicken pen in the backyard made of wire and wood. This contained some chickens, hens and chicks which were used for eggs and meat.
Then there was a big red barn which was host to some loud family parties involving their tight knit extended family and some friends from a neighbouring town. Sometimes those barn doors were open and sometimes they were closed. The family lived in a rural part of town which contained many fields and forests around them but the sounds carried through the air. People would talk. Stories would pass through town about barn goings-on.
What do people do when they don’t understand others and their actions? They talk. The talk was mainly about the daily lives of Ralph Connor and his family. About their parties, their junk, their un-kept house, their pens and their chickens. Then there was the talk about the barn. Because the family sometimes used chickens for food and didn’t really use the best techniques or sanitary conditions; there was talk about sacrifice. The kind of animal sacrifice performed for purposes that were deemed as “black magic”.
So it was not a shock that Ralph was arrested and brought in for questioning when that Millie girl went missing.
Millie was young, six years of age, who loved to wander, to her parent’s dismay. She was a bit of a free spirit but sometimes got a little carried away with her imagination and pretend play. She dreamed up elaborate tea parties and glorious scavenger hunts that sometimes took her off her parent’s property. She lived in her own world. But she was always found not too far away. However one day Millie didn’t come home. Millie’s mom, Sandy, called her name over and over again that day until her throat was sore and her voice was raspy. When it was getting dark Millie’s parents knew there was something wrong.
Millie had green eyes and beautiful flowing red hair. A strand of that same beautiful red hair was found in Ralph’s barn. See, that was the first place the investigators looked. The strand was found in plain sight. Just as the investigators walked into the barn, there was the snippet of hair. The strand shone like gold in the light of their flashlights, right at their feet. What placement.
So Ralph sat in that cold courtroom to hear the ruling that was read out by the judge that fateful day. No hung jury, it was a quick decision, clear and concise. There sat 12 jurors who delivered a unanimous guilty on all three counts. Ralph sat motionless. He was helpless. What else could he do but lower his head and vomit all over the floor below him.
His fate was sealed.
Chapter 3: Dr. Nay’s Office
Dr. Nay’s office was bright and sterile. The walls were white but there were hints of colour from fresh flowers placed in planned locations. Just enough colour and flowers to make one feel comfortable.
Mrs. Shankar’s daughter, Reema, brought her in and they checked in at reception. The receptionist always had a bit of an eerie grin on her face thought Mrs. Shankar. But Mrs. Shankar was with Reema. She felt at ease and taken care of. They sat and waited for their turn.
Reema brought up the court case of Ralph Connor. “upho, do we really have to talk about that now?” Mrs. Shankar uttered. “Mummy, you never want to talk about these things. You would rather just forget about all of it and pretend it never existed.” “Really? Is that what you think?” Mrs. Shankar sat in silence for a moment and pondered about that thought. “I don’t know,” she continued “there is just so much bad in this world and I have been through so much in my life then, yes, I don’t like thinking about even more bad and evil when I can take my mind to other places and try to make myself calm and at peace in other ways.” “Yes, but mummy…you see…I know you have been through some very rough times….”Reema struggled for the words. She started realizing that maybe her mother was correct to want to forget about the bad and live her life oblivious to it. She finally saw her mother’s perspective.
“I don’t know mummy, maybe you are right then.” Reema felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She always tried to fight an upstream battle with her mother, always tried to make her see things differently. However at this moment, Reema learned to adjust her own perspective and it felt quite satisfying. Mrs. Shankar had to pick her jaw off of the ground. She also was silent but had tears in her eyes. “I cannot believe it! I will not gloat but I will say this makes me truly happy.” They both smiled and then each took a magazine off the table beside them to read.
10 minutes later the assistant called them into ro
om number 1. They went in, sat and waited an additional 10 minutes until Dr. Nays arrived. “Well, good day you two! What can I help you with today?” Dr. Nays was always very bubbly and in good spirits. He was tall, dark brown hair, glasses, olive complexion and those eyes. Eyes are the windows to the soul but if you stared in Dr. Nays’ eyes for too long you could definitely see a glimpse of something tangible.
Mrs. Shankar started explaining her story and felt like it was happening all over again. “Tell me doc, am I going crazy?” “Well it sounds to me like you are going through some stress. I am not going to say there was no one there because I wasn’t there myself. However it may also be visual hallucinations. So I am not quite sure what happened. However, it sounds like you are very clearly upset. Perhaps even afraid to be alone. This type of anxiety is not uncommon, given the circumstances. I will prescribe some medication to clear your mind and help you sleep. Reema, can someone stay with your mum during the day?”
“Well, I suppose I can call on some friends to help out. Take some shifts, as you may. We have a very supportive circle of friends. It will be no problem. I don’t want mummy to feel alone and anxious.” Mrs. Lalita Shankar and Reema Shankar had developed in-roads in their relationship that day. It was very comforting to the both of them.
“No road is too long with good company. This is a Turkish proverb I learned in my years lived in Turkey. Beautiful country and beautiful words indeed.” Dr. Nays always had a spectacular and fitting quote that capped off visits with him. One could never be sure if he made them up on the spot or there really was a great background story. “I will see you two soon and don’t forget to fill your prescription. Use the pharmacy next door. They will have what you need and you will find that it really helps you.” Dr. Nays was very convincing in his discourse.
Reema and Lalita listened but did not say a word. They left in silence and walked into the pharmacy next door to fill the prescription.
Chapter 4: Coffee Shop of Wonders
Clara Rodriguez loved the supernatural. She had such a fascination for things unseen and magical concoctions that she not only delivered coffees of the world to her patrons but she adorned her little shop with fanciful objects which connoted magic and wonder.
The walls were black with phosphorescent paint of the galaxy and stars on a feature wall. In the evenings when the lights were dim, this wall stood out and glowed in all its beauty. Unbeknownst to the customers, there were tiny pentagrams stamped under each of the tables. A secret only Clara herself took pride in knowing. All of the tables themselves were a rich scarlet colour with oppositional wooden, whimsical, but comfortable chairs and benches. Whimsical meaning they looked to many like they could stand up and start walking as animated trees.
There laid a big black caldron-like pot in front of the cash register on the raised bar area which contained books and newspapers for borrowing or buying. Glitter was Clara’s friend. She thought of glitter as “magic dust” and it could be found dusted about the cracks and crevices of the wooden bar.
Clara was definitely a character of extreme proportions. When new people came in, she would offer them a palm reading. If they refused, she would gleefully agree but held a little contempt like a lump in the back of her throat. It would dissipate eventually but she didn’t like others to deny her of something that brought her such excitement.
Clara heard a couple talking at a nearby table while she was re-stocking some cups. She hadn’t seen this group before. They seemed like they were from out of town. Clara did have some super-sonic hearing and she could tell they were being a little secretive but there was a buzz of excitement at the same time. She was drawn to this. She stocked the cups a little slower as she clued in and listened.
All she heard were a couple of keywords but those were enough to decipher. They talked about the forest, a bench, moon and stars, the cave, looking around and 730 tonight. Clara knew exactly what they were up to and her sense of adventure would take her to where this group was headed.
Chapter 5: The Conspiracy Club
At dusk, Clara wore grey clothing and a hooded sweater. She didn’t want anyone seeing her, of course. But if they did, she could just say she was on a hike and none would be the wiser. She also hid her face well in the over-sized hood so that if she were to run, it would not be easy to identify her. She took precautions because even though this was exciting, her psychic ability was telling her there was something more evil and sinister going on here.
Clara spotted the group from earlier that day and she hid behind some bushes. There stood the man and woman walking towards the bench with the moon and stars inscription. Clara knew exactly where this bench was because she remembered the astrological symbols inscribed there. The couple sat on the bench for some time. It got darker and darker.
The couple made out passionately for quite some time. Both the man and woman were getting quite aroused. Clara could tell because of the way they moved towards each other, very smoothly and slowly each time they kissed. Clara was enjoying the show but at the same time realized she was in the dark forest and she wondered why she was there. She almost felt stuck for a moment. There was a crackle in the forest ahead of her. She saw a dark figure headed towards the couple. “What the hell?” thought Clara.
The dark figure’s face was covered with a black opera mask. Clara could not make out anything, because it was so dark. No street lights, no stars or moonlight as it was overcast that night. The figure approached the couple and they said nothing to each other. The figure, ever so slightly and carefully, kissed the woman, on the lips and then kissed the man on the lips. They all then held hands and walked into what appeared to be some trees and then they headed towards some rocks and disappeared.
Clara sat in the grass motionless. She was very afraid and did not want to follow the group. This was unlike her. Her mind and body told her to freeze. She sat there motionless for quite some time, trying to make sense of what she just saw, waiting for the group to emerge and also afraid to make any move at all. Nothing happened. The group didn’t emerge; there was no more movement in the forest. Clara waited until dawn, struggling to keep awake. She then made her way back to her little apartment above the coffee shop. She wanted to get some sleep before she opened her business.
Chapter 6: Disturbance
Lalita took her medications on time. Once per day in the morning, upon waking. However this made her incredibly tired. There was no indication of drowsiness on the bottle. She felt incapacitated and had to lie down. When she awoke, it would be 3pm. The phone rang and she answered. It was Reema asking why she didn`t answer the door. Crantz was trying to get a hold of her for some time.
``I didn`t hear anything, Reema. But I`m ok, just very tired. I need to sleep. Please just let me sleep.`` ``ok.`` replied Reema. ``I will call Crantz and tell him not to worry about making it over to your place today. You will be ok?” asked Reema. Lalita replied: ``Yes, I am just fine. I don`t feel afraid or anxious at all. I just need to sleep`` replied Lalita. ``Alright, said Reema, I will be home soon. Lalita fell back into her deep sleep.
After an hour and hearing her snore, the figure approached her bed and looked over her. He then took out his syringe. He wiped her with a numbing agent and took a vial of her blood. At last, he thought. I finally have what I need.
Two hours later, Reema came home. She found Lalita still sleeping in bed. ``mummy, are you still sleeping?” You need to wake up now. It is five thirty. Have you been sleeping the whole day?” Lalita did not respond. Reema looked at the bed and found a spot of blood. She was suddenly alarmed. She decided to just spot clean the sheets and call Dr. Nays to do a home visit. She didn`t want her mom becoming more sick or worried about a little drop of blood. She kept that to herself. However that spot clung to her mind like a visual disturbance.
When Dr. Nays came he decided to take her off the medication and declared she would wake up soon. Dr. Nays then offered some over the counter options for easing her nerves instead of another prescription. R
eema listened and concurred.
The next morning Lalita woke up feeling very energized. Reema could not believe she had slept for so long. Reema explained the situation of Dr. Nays` visit and what he shared. Reema neglected to mention the blood in the sheets as she had washed them out the night earlier. Reema and Lalita didn`t talk about that day for a long time. Everything went back to normal, so to speak.
Chapter 7: Secret Admirer
Clara must have polished the mugs twenty times before she realized she was polishing mugs. She couldn’t remember the last time she was this tired. She decided to shut the coffee shop down for a couple of hours to rest up and it wasn’t that busy anyways.
Clara hurried upstairs to her apartment, hoping to just plop down on her sofa, drape her throw blanket on top of her body and cozy down in for a slumber. But her eyes would not shut. She was wired. So she decided to open up her laptop and checkout her website for the coffee shop.
Pulling up the page, she noticed that she had a new comment under the leave a message section. It was worded: “I’m keeping an eye on your shop, looks like a good place to sit and ponder life.” Usually Clara would take this as a compliment, but after last night’s events, she thought otherwise.
Clara got a nasty feeling in her gut. The kind of feeling that warranted a session with her spiritual pendulum. Clara didn’t like to take out the pendulum often as she wasn’t a believer in manipulating the cosmos. She felt like only using the pendulum to gain advice when needed. The pendulum connected Clara with her spiritual advisor. She always dreamt of her advisor when he had a message to send to her. However, when she called upon him, he responded right away and with great clarity.
The pendulum included a rose quartz crystal in the shape of a pointed elongated stone with a pentagram pendant attached. She kept it in a red velvet-lined black marble box in her bookcase.
Clara called on spirit “I intend to get in touch with my spirit guide, Ezequiel, the one with the green eyes who watches over me, protects and guides me through this life and this dimension of Earth.” She always repeated this three times and then held the pendulum over the board with markings to indicate ‘yes’, ‘no’, ‘maybe’ and ‘I don’t want to answer’. Clara then always asked a control question to make sure she had the right guide or entity. Her question always changed. It pertained to the last message and dream she had with her guide. This time she asked, “Was I standing beside a stream in our last encounter?” The pendulum swung left to right, to indicate ‘yes’. She knew she had Ezequiel.
The Hidden Agenda Triology: Entry One (The Hidden Agenda Trilogy Book 1) Page 1