Nikki noticed that Henry didn’t say “if we need you again,” which she could tell from Simon’s expression helped him feel better about things.
Simon took a moment to make eye contact with the three of them before nodding, offering a smile, then vanishing.
Within moments, Ian peddled out of his neighborhood. He crested a ridge, waited at a light, then crossed the road and coasted downhill. It wasn’t long before he rode into a park with a lake in its center, rimmed with a paved path divided for walking and cycling. They floated next to him as he joined the flow of cyclists circling the lake, picking up speed and pumping his pedals as if right now what he needed most was this release of energy.
“What’s going on with him?” Jamie said. “What’s he thinking?”
The fact was, Ian wasn’t thinking much in that moment. He’d entered a meditative state where thoughts weren’t being verbalized or even latched onto as he kept breathing in and out while pedaling faster and faster. Still, Nikki caught images as they drifted through his mind, images she felt sure Ian wasn’t consciously aware of as he gazed out at people walking and pushing strollers in the opposite direction while remaining aware of his proximity to other cyclists on his side of the path. She nearly gasped as she realized who were in some of those images. She saw her face, Henry’s and Jamie’s. She saw Simon, Naomi and Martha. A collage of images swirling in a fog of other images from his present life and what she could only guess was his last or even others before that. How was it possible that his subconscious seemed capable of mixing these worlds together without him somehow realizing?
“He’s thinking about us,” Nikki said. “Well, not thinking exactly. He’s just relaxing, blowing off steam. The feeling I’m getting is that the thing back at his house rattled him a little. The part about his mother asking him not to go shopping. But I just saw images of us go through his mind.”
“Seriously?” Jamie said. “That’s really cool. I mean, that he remembers us. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
Nikki knew exactly what he meant but didn’t have time to respond before Henry said, “You mean, that we remember somehow on this side too.”
“Yeah, exactly,” Jamie said. “I never realized before.”
Ian slowed, letting other cyclists pass him as he coasted now. Somehow, Nikki knew. “Hang on. Let me read him again.” She closed her eyes and concentrated, this time hearing thoughts expressed as words, seeing images she instinctively knew Ian was now aware of. At first Nikki didn’t recognize the young woman Ian remembered sitting on a sofa across from him, or the setting—an apartment with paintings and photographs lining its walls. Nikki didn’t hear the woman’s words. Instead, she felt Ian’s confusion in that moment, whenever it took place. She heard him replaying her words inside his head while both trying to deny that they could have any meaning for him while at the same time knowing they did.
I’m getting something else now… Someone you knew on the other side. I’m getting H. His name begins with H… Also, N. Do you know anyone whose name begins with N?
An instant later, Ian’s mind flipped to a different image and Nikki made the connections. She saw the same woman stepping back from the window while Ian sat in his car. Nikki knew what their next move had to be.
~~~
When they arrived at the apartment, Julie had just opened the door for a woman who looked to be about ten years older than herself— in her late thirties, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, face still red from the cold outside. Despite Julie’s welcoming smile, the woman hesitated, glancing nervously past Julie to see inside the apartment.
Julie opened the door wider. “You must be Wendy. Please, come in. Is it cold outside?”
“Looks like it might rain.”
“Of course. That snow was nice the other night, though, wasn’t it?”
“That really was pretty.” Wendy unzipped her jacket and Julie held out her hand, offering to take it.
Julie hung the jacket on a peg by the door. “I’ve always been a big fan of snow. Would you like some tea? I just made a pot.”
Wendy hesitated just a moment, then said, “That would be nice. Thank you.”
Julie walked toward the kitchen. “Please, make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”
“Wendy’s not sure what to think,” Nikki said. “Apparently, one of her friends told her about Julie but she has her doubts about the whole psychic thing.”
“Yeah, understandable,” Jamie said. “Kind of a weird deal.”
Nikki leveled him with a flat stare. “Says the ghost.”
Henry chuckled. “Do you think she’s for real? What did you get off of Ian about her?”
“Well, whatever happened here, Ian’s continued to think about it,” Nikki said. “That’s for sure.”
A moment later, Julie returned with two mugs and sat across from Wendy on one of the sofas. “So, I’m guessing you might have a few things on your mind.”
Wendy took a tentative sip of tea and nodded. “For a while now.”
Julie smiled. “People usually wait a while before coming to me. Believe me, I understand. It’s kind of a big step and often people aren’t entirely comfortable with the idea. There was a time when I wouldn’t have considered it either.”
Wendy straightened in her seat, regarding Julie with raised eyebrows. “Really?”
“Absolutely. There was a time when I couldn’t have imagined someone just getting feelings about things they shouldn’t be able to know about. I mean, I’d heard about it, of course, but it didn’t seem likely to be real.”
“What happened?”
“I started to get feelings about things I shouldn’t be able to know about.”
Wendy laughed and started to relax. “Have you been doing this long? I mean, seeing people professionally?”
Julie shook her head. “Not too long. A few years and I’m not sure I’m really all that professional. So, do you feel ready to get started?”
Wendy set her mug down on the coffee table. “Um, I guess so. What do I do?”
Julie closed her eyes and after a few moments she nodded. She kept her eyes closed as she spoke. “There are some money problems. And worry. I’m getting that there’s lots of worry.” A few seconds passed. “And sadness. I feel that now too. Oh, I’m sorry. That’s going on too but it’s not why you’re here. This is really about loss. It hasn’t been long at all.”
Wendy perched forward and opened her mouth to speak but Julie continued. “Wow, yeah, this is really strong. It happened suddenly, didn’t it? Yes, it did. I’m so sorry. She…she…okay, right…at first I thought it was the accident but she didn’t pass right away. That wasn’t the direct cause. There were complications while he was in the hospital. You both thought she was going to be fine.”
Wendy’s eyes grew wide even as Julie’s remained closed.
“I see it now. She was your mother. Oh, I’m feeling her worry too. She’s worried about you. She wants you to know she’s okay.”
Nikki, Henry and Jamie exchanged glances.
“Sorry to say this,” Jamie said, “but we already know the psychic chick knows one of her friends. She could have easily—”
“You mother wants you to know she’s okay now,” Julie said. “She’s between lives again. She says it’s really nice where she is.”
Nikki cut her eyes at Jamie and Henry did the same.
Jamie shrugged and looked at the floor. “Of course, there is the possibility I might be wrong. That can happen too. Not often. Just saying.”
“Oh, she thinks you’d really like this part,” Julie said, her tone lightening to where it sounded as if she might laugh. “She’s younger now. She didn’t have to be. It was up to her. But she chose to be in her thirties and she lives in a cottage near other people all about her same age. They can do whatever they like as they review their last life and prepare for what’s next.”
A tear slid down Wendy’s cheek, although she appeared not to notice as she continued to stare
at Julie.
“She also wants you to know that you’ll see each other again in the future. You’ll be able to share other lives.”
Jamie cleared his throat. “Okay, she might be for real. Then again, she might be just winging it so she can make a few—”
“There’s one more thing,” Julie said. “Your mother said her advisor warned her about crossing over too often because it will result in her staying longer on the other side. It’s not a punishment, she says, it’s just an effect. It’s like telling the universe you’re not ready to move on.”
“Okay, holy crap,” Jamie said. “I got freaking shivers on that one. Is Wendy’s mom like hanging out with Martha or something?”
Henry laughed.
Nikki cracked a smile. “I’m thinking she must have her own version of Martha.”
“Right, cool,” Jamie said. “What do you think the thirty-year-old crowd does on our side of things? Like sit in cubicles or something so they feel at home?”
“Nice,” Henry said. “Like they’re all worried about getting promoted to manager or something.”
Jamie reached out for a fist-bump. “Exactly.”
Nikki shook her head impatiently. “Can you two please, just for once—”
Julie gasped and raised her face to the ceiling, her eyes still closed. “There’s someone else here.”
Wendy perched forward now too, wiping her eyes. “Who? Is it someone my mother knows?”
“I’m not sure. There’s more than one. It’s almost like there’s a few…” Julie waited, as if listening, then shook her head.
Nikki glanced at Henry and Jamie, pressing a finger to her lips.
Jamie grinned and mouthed silent, exaggerated words. No freaking way!
Nikki narrowed her eyes to slits as she stared back at him, then Henry. All the same, they fist-bumped again. Really? Of course. Nikki tried not to grin but couldn’t help herself. After all, wasn’t she herself guilty of the Ouija board move? Yes, she had actually done that. She felt sure she was blushing now just thinking about it.
“Maybe I was wrong,” Julie said. She waited a few more seconds, then said, “I must have been.”
After that, they listened as Julie continued to give her reading to Wendy. They spent another half hour as Julie told Wendy a little more of what she knew about her mother. According to Julie, her mother had returned to the other side again but not before reassuring Wendy that she loved her and that she would always remain close. Nikki didn’t doubt Julie’s words but at the same time wondered how it could be that Wendy’s mother could be here with them while they remained unable to hear or see each other. Even more, how was it possible that Julie could hear Wendy’s mother and, evidently, her own group as well? All Nikki could imagine was that it might have something to do with frequencies or dimensions that somehow overlapped. But she had no way of knowing and it was just one more mystery to add to her ever-growing list.
After Julie saw Wendy out, she went into the kitchen carrying the mugs she retrieved from the coffee table. When Nikki heard the faucet start, she thought it was probably safe for them to talk again, although she kept her voice low. “Well, we know that she can hear us, so that’s good.”
“How the hell is that possible?” Jamie said. “It wasn’t like Henry was even speaking to her.”
“Some people can hear spirits,” Nikki said. “You already know that. Granted, it’s rare.”
“It felt different somehow,” Henry said.
“Right, because you can’t just turn it off and on.” Nikki thought for a moment. “On the other hand, how well can she hear us?”
Julie emerged from the kitchen, drying her hands on a dishtowel and looking around the room. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”
“Something tells me pretty well,” Jamie said.
“Evidently,” Nikki said.
“Damn, I feel so creepy all of a sudden,” Jamie said. “I’m almost scared of myself.”
Henry burst out laughing.
Nikki looked at the two of them. “Really?”
Julie cocked her head and gazed up at the ceiling.
Nikki waved her arms from the other side of the room, where they still stood next to the sofas. “Hello? Over here!”
Julie didn’t look in their direction. Instead, she crossed the room and ran her finger across the top of one of the framed photos. Dust motes scattered and swirled in the sunlight. “Okay, it could be my imagination but I don’t think so.” Julie turned to face the room, crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes. She lowered her voice to little more than a whisper. “Who are you and how can I help?”
Nikki elbowed Henry. “I guess you’re on. Try not to screw this up.”
Henry shot Nikki a look, then stepped toward Julie. “Hi, I’m Henry,” he said.
Julie’s eyes flew open and she jumped back. “Holy shit.”
Henry winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. It’s sort of a thing.”
Julie stared at the exact spot where Henry now stood. “You said your name is Henry, right?”
“Yes. I’m Henry. We need to talk to you.”
Julie glanced around again, trying to see but clearly she couldn’t. “I thought there was more than one of you. How many are here?”
“Three,” Henry said. “Myself, Nikki and Jamie. We’re friends.”
Julie craned forward, squinting. “This is different. I don’t know why I can hear you like this. I don’t even have to try.”
“Jamie, emerge,” Nikki said.
“Are you sure?” Jamie said.
“Did I just say it?”
“No need to get all testy.”
A moment later, Nikki felt that familiar charge of energy telling her that someone invisible to people on this side had just become visible.
“Whoa,” Julie said. “Nice mohawk. How old are you guys?”
The buzz from Jamie’s emergence faded and he turned to Nikki. “I like her.”
“Get over yourself.” But how to answer Julie’s question, as basic as it was?
“We’re teenagers,” Henry said.
“For how long?” Julie said.
Obviously, Julie understood. Nikki had never imagined they’d ever be able to get through to someone like this. She felt her pulse starting to race, thinking that—despite what happened earlier—they still might be able to intervene and make things come out right.
“It’s different for each of us,” Henry said. “But this is about our friend. You know him as Ian.”
Suddenly, Julie’s energy shifted. Nikki felt it. Instantly, Julie backed away emotionally. Images shot through Julie’s mind. Not clear. Nothing like what they’d experienced. But the impact was the same. Darkness. Violence. Fear. Julie crossed the room and sat on one of the sofas. She hunched over and buried her face in her hands. After a few moments, she looked up again. “What are you asking for?”
Henry collected himself and turned from where Julie had been to where she now sat. He took a breath, then spoke softly. “Something bad is going to happen.”
“I know!”
“We need to stop it.”
Julie shook her head, her face still buried in her hands. “You can’t! I can’t. No one can stop what’s meant to be.” Tears streamed down her cheeks when she raised her eyes again. “I’m sorry, but you need to leave. Whoever you are.”
Henry took another step toward her. “I’m—”
Julie jumped up, this time her voice a hiss. “It doesn’t matter who you are. You can’t do what you’re trying to do. Leave. Now!”
~~~
An instant later, Nikki winced against the blaring alarm. She looked around, knowing where they suddenly stood but completely unsure how it had happened. Within seconds, that kid dodged around the corner, eyes wide as he bolted toward the door, suddenly finding himself trapped.
The cop strode toward him, gun drawn. “Drop your weapon!”
Ian saw the woman as her daughter broke free. He rushed to push her out of the
way.
The gun blast exploded like thunder.
This time, the woman spun back. She fell as her daughter turned and shrieked. Ian lurched toward where she’d been, arms still outstretched, stumbling forward. He broke his momentum and dropped to his knees next to her, oblivious to the gunman while others fled.
The cop fired his gun, responding thunder booming against hard walls.
A moment of darkness and then Nikki felt herself rushing through a tunnel of light with no idea where she was or who’d grabbed hold of her.
14
Butterflies and Horses
To say that someone had grabbed her wouldn’t exactly explain what Nikki felt. She didn’t feel anyone actually touching her but she also knew she couldn’t get away. Whatever had hold of her wasn’t about to let go. Then she found herself standing in her garden looking up at the sky as some presence—she knew it was there even though she couldn’t see it—rushed away again. She blinked against sunlight, the scene still playing out inside her mind. The gun blast, the woman falling even as Ian ran toward her, the child screaming. How was it possible? What had changed and what was real now? Why had she been forced away and by who? How is it that in one moment, they’d been talking to Julie and in the next they’d been in that future scene that had somehow been altered?
She walked toward the fence gate, barely noticing the roses or dragonflies flittering about. She numbly registered Henry, then Jamie, walking down the street toward Halfway House, both ambling along in a similar state of confusion.
She waited for them to catch up and they stood in front of the house.
“Okay, that was weird,” Henry said, his voice numb. “Where did you guys end up? Never mind. Let me put it this way—was it somewhere you like to go and be alone?”
Nikki and Jamie both nodded.
“And just to be sure, since it all happened in like the blink of an eye, we were talking to Julie and then we were at the mall.”
Memories from a Different Future: Jump When Ready, Book 2 Page 11