Redwood Violet

by Robin Mahle

  From the moment she entered the dreamlike state, something strange began to happen; something that felt familiar and frightening. Her mind took her to that dark place; cold and damp. She was afraid, crouching on the forest floor, behind a tree. The scarf tied around her neck was wet with tears. She remembered pulling it off her eyes so she could see to run from him.

  “Katie, where are you? Are you safe?” asked the doctor.

  Katie shook her head. “I’m lost. I don’t know how to get out of here. He’s going to find me.” Her voice was small and fragile. “Where’s my mommy and daddy?”

  “Where are you, Katie?” the doctor asked again.

  “I don’t know. I just ran away from him. There are a lot of trees and it’s dirty on the ground. My feet hurt, but I have to run before he finds me.”

  “Before who finds you?” Dr. Reyes asked.

  “The man that took me. He’s looking for me and I have to go. Oh no, he’s coming.” Katie began to scream.

  Dr. Reyes worked quickly to bring her back. “Kate, you’re safe. Wake up now.”

  Katie could hear the doctor somewhere off in the distance telling her she was safe, but all she could see were branches brushing past her, scratching her as she ran. The sky began to transform along with the entire forest. Soon, she was back on the sofa and could hear Dr. Reyes clearly.

  Katie opened her eyes and slowly sat upright. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh my God. Dr. Reyes. Somebody took me when I was a kid.”

  “Calm down, Katie, that might be a bit of a leap. This could simply be a manifestation of some other stressor. I can’t explain, though, why it is that when you reach that suggestible state where I would normally continue with the relaxation techniques, you drift off into these nightmares. It’s like they’re right there at the surface, waiting to be exposed.”

  “Do you think it’s possible that something could have happened when I was young? Some traumatic event?”

  “I suppose it’s a possibility, but that is something you should discuss with your parents first. I don’t think you should jump to any conclusions before speaking to them. At least then, you could rule it out and we could continue to look for the source of the stress that’s bringing on these frightening dreams.”

  “It was more than a dream, Dr. Reyes. It has to be.”

  5

  SPENCER SAT ON the edge of their bed, listening as Katie retold the events that occurred at Dr. Reyes’ office.

  “You think you may have been kidnapped as a child? Don’t you think you’d remember something like that or at least that your parents would have said something to you?” Spencer appeared tense, almost as frightened as she had been.

  “Look, I know this must sound crazy, but you don’t know what it felt like inside that dream. I’m telling you, it felt more like a memory, Spencer. I don’t know how else to describe it. When I woke up, I swear my arms were still stinging from the branches that scratched me.”

  “I’m sorry, Katie, but it does seem a little outrageous. What did the doctor say?”

  “She said I should talk to my parents so I could ‘rule it out’ and continue with the treatments.”

  “So she’s not entirely convinced something happened to you either?”

  “Well, no, but it would make sense. I’ve told you how miserable it was at home for me, but it wasn’t always like that. We used to be happy; we used to have fun. I don’t remember when all that changed, but it did. Why are you having such a hard time believing me? It’s like I’ve been missing this piece in a puzzle my whole life and now finally I have it.”

  “You’re convinced of this? That you were taken from your family, escaped, and no one ever told you and you didn’t remember before now?”

  He didn’t believe her. The doctor didn’t believe her, but she knew it was fact. How could he not stand by her now when she needed him most?

  Katie pushed herself off the bed in anger and began pacing the room. “Look, I don’t know what I believe right now. I’m beyond freaked out. All I’m saying is that something bad may have happened to me when I was a kid and I’d like to find out the truth so I can move on with my life; with our life. For God’s sake, Spencer, why can’t you be on my side?”

  “Because it scares me, okay?” he shouted, pounding his fist on the mattress. “You think I want to know that someone might have hurt you a long time ago? Don’t you see? I can’t help you with this. I can’t fix this for you.” He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Katie, I just want you to be okay and for us to be okay. What good is it going to do if you try to start digging up something from the past? If this really happened, you didn’t remember and no one told you probably for very good reasons. You need to let it go and move on.”

  She was completely taken aback by his position. “You don’t get it. I need to find out what happened so I can move on.” Katie walked towards the bedroom door. “I’m going to book a flight home as soon as I can.” She walked out, leaving him alone in the room.

  * * *

  The familiar flight left Katie feeling worn out and her argument with Spencer made the situation even more difficult. He wasn’t happy with her decision to go home, but in the end, he did not try to stop her. What choice did he have? She was going to go with or without his blessing.

  It was all Katie could think about until the moment she saw Sam waiting for her in baggage claim. Her welcoming smile and warm embrace was comforting and made Katie feel safe. She was back home, which to her meant back home with Sam.

  “Come on, Katie, let’s get you out of here.” Sam helped her with her bags.

  On the drive to Sam’s, Katie didn’t say much and Sam didn’t push her. The weather was only slightly warmer than it had been on her last visit and maybe a little drier, but still cold by Katie’s standards. She untied the sweater from her waist and pulled it on. “Hasn’t warmed up much since I was here last month.”

  “Did you forget what it was like here in April? You have been gone too long, spent too much time in the SoCal sun,” Sam replied.

  It was mid-afternoon when they arrived at Sam’s house. The tall oaks loomed over her craftsman-style home, throwing odd-shaped shadows against the covered porch. Katie thought how lucky Sam was to have such a perfect little house in a perfect little neighborhood. It was similar to Sam’s parents’ home, where Katie had spent so much time.

  “Come on in,” Sam opened the front door. The scent of blooming flowers was everywhere. Sam took pride in her rose bushes and always had them freshly cut in vases throughout the house.

  “You know where the guest room is. I’ll put some coffee on, if you’d like.”

  “That’d be great, thanks. I’ll go put my stuff down.” Katie walked up the stairs through the hallway to her room. She hadn’t expected to be back here so soon and certainly not for this reason. She would have to tell Sam everything.

  Katie freshened up, threw on some comfortable clothes, and followed the scent of coffee towards the kitchen.

  Sam held two mugs, placing one in front of Kate on the breakfast table. “So, are you ready to talk yet? I’m guessing you’re not here to talk about your wedding plans?” Sam pulled out a chair and sat across from Katie, taking a sip of coffee.

  Her mind raced as she tried to figure out the best place to start. “No, not exactly.” She took a sip as well and began retelling all the events of the past several weeks.

  Sam sighed heavily. “So, what do you think now? You think maybe someone really did take you when you were little? Why wouldn’t your parents have told you?”

  “I don’t know, Sam. Maybe because I didn’t remember anything, they decided not to tell me. I mean, I couldn’t have been more than like, what five, maybe six?”

  “I guess, but you need to sit down and talk to them. I know that’s not easy for you, but you have to know what happened. It could have been anything and, maybe it just appeared as dreams of you trying to escape from someone. Did Dr. Reyes suggest that you could have been kidnapped,
or did you?”

  “I did. She said not to rush to conclusions.” Katie wrapped her hands around the warm mug.

  “Exactly. You can’t just jump to conclusions like that. It could be anything that your subconscious is trying to deal with. The best thing you can do is speak to your parents. Whatever it is, I’m sure they can shed some light on the situation. After that, you can go back home to Spencer and finish planning your wedding.”

  Katie’s half-hearted smile wasn’t going to convince anyone. “You’re right. Thank you.”

  “Now, let’s go get ready. You and me are having a girls’ night out!”

  “Oh, I don’t know if I’m up for that, Sam.”

  “Sure you are. Come on, nothing too crazy. I just thought it would be nice to go into town, catch a movie, maybe have some sushi and a few drinks. Don’t worry, I won’t have you out partying all night. Besides, I’m married now. Not much point in trolling the bars anymore, right?” Sam winked as she placed her cup on the kitchen counter.

  “All right. What time is it, five o’clock? I might catch a quick nap first, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course. Take all the time you need. The movie doesn’t start till 7:30, so you’ve got plenty of time to relax first. You go ahead. I’ve got a few things to take care of around here anyway.”

  * * *

  Friday night in a small town meant the few restaurants they had would be busy and the sushi bar was packed.

  “So, Jarrod doesn’t mind you going out on your own?” Katie was feeling better after the shot of Sake Sam had ordered.

  “Um, no. Why would he? It’s not like I’m out every weekend. It’s usually pretty quiet for us. His work keeps him busy, even when he’s at home. He’s always online video conferencing someone. Guess that’s the beauty of a global economy. Someone’s always working somewhere.” Sam worked to pick up the California Roll with her chopsticks. It wasn’t going well.

  “You okay with that?” Katie asked.

  “I have to be. It’s not like I didn’t know he was a techie. I do work at the same company, even if it’s in a different department.”

  “So, are things different now that you two are married? I mean, they say that the whole sex thing kind of slows down. Is that true?” Katie poked around at her food, a little more adept at using chopsticks.

  “What? No, it’s not true. Geez, we’ve only been married five minutes. Give me a few years and ask me then, or better yet, tell me if you and Spencer have slowed down by then.”

  It had been a long time since the two of them had been out together. Katie was glad to be blowing off some steam. Tomorrow would be a difficult day and she didn’t know what to expect, but for now, she was having fun.

  * * *

  The cab dropped them back at Sam’s house. It was nearly 1 a.m. and Katie’s third glass of wine finally caught up with her. She wasn’t much of a drinker, so she wasn’t feeling particularly great at that moment. Sam wasn’t in much better shape, but she was able to pay the cab driver and managed to guide them up the walkway to the front door. Katie felt an eerie sense of familiarity as they approached. Maybe it was because as teenagers, she and Sam had their share of these kind of late nights.

  “You okay?” Sam asked as she steadied herself on the porch column.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just need to get into bed.”

  “Come on. Let’s get you inside then.”

  Sam opened the door and helped Katie up the stairs and into bed. “You’re not gonna be sick, are you?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I just need to sleep.” Katie pulled the covers over her and rolled on her side.

  “Goodnight.” Sam shut off the light and closed the door.

  * * *

  The morning sun was bright enough to bring Katie out of her sleep. Her head hurt, but otherwise, she’d had a restful night. No dreams, at least none that she could remember. Maybe there were advantages to indulging in drink insofar as it seemed to have dulled her subconscious. The headache was a minor side effect that she could handle.

  Katie tossed the covers aside and sat up on the edge of the bed. She rubbed her temples and began wondering what the day would bring. What would her parents say? Was any of it real? A deep breath and she was on her feet, ready to find out.

  The smell of bacon and eggs floated through the house. When Katie entered the kitchen, Sam and Jarrod were sitting at the table.

  “Good morning. How are you feeling?” Sam asked.

  “Probably about as good as you, I imagine.”

  “Well, so much for a quiet girls’ night. Sounds like you two had a good time, maybe too good?” Jarrod chimed in.

  “Yes, we did. It was a well-deserved break for both of us.” Sam smiled at Katie. “Come and have some breakfast. It’ll make you feel better.” Sam already had a glass of water with two tablets next to it on the counter for her.

  “For me?” Katie asked, pointing to the waiting remedy.

  “I thought you might need it. I’ve already had mine,”

  Katie took the pills, grabbed a plate, and sat down to breakfast. The three of them discussed most everything except why she was really there. That would be a conversation Sam and Jarrod would likely have after she left.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to your folks’ house? You’re still welcome to take my car. Jarrod’s going to be home all day, so it’s not like we’ll be without a vehicle.”

  “I appreciate that, Sam,” Katie replied. “I’ll just borrow your car, if that’s all right. No point in you driving me and picking me up again.”

  “Sure. No problem.”

  “Thanks. I’d probably better get going. I told my mom I’d be there around lunchtime. Of course, she’s probably laid out some huge spread just for the occasion. You know Deborah, ever the consummate host.”

  “All right, I’ll walk you out.”

  “Thanks for letting me crash here, Jarrod. It was good seeing you again.”

  “No problem, Katie. Take care and I’m sure I’ll see you before you leave.”

  Sam opened the front door. “Here are the keys. No rush; whenever you’re ready to come back.”

  Katie hugged Sam and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Thanks for last night; it was a lot of fun and I needed it. I’ll call you later and let you know how it went.”

  “It’ll be okay,” she whispered. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine.”

  Katie managed a thin smile, walked out into the crisp spring air, and smelled the roses as she walked down the porch steps. “Beautiful roses, Sam.” She didn’t turn around for a reply; only continued to the car, and drove away.

  6

  THE DRIVE TO her parents’ home, Katie’s childhood home, wasn’t long. Within about thirty minutes, she’d arrived. She hadn’t spoken of the reason for her visit other than that she’d planned a trip to see Sam and decided to swing by.

  Her father’s car wasn’t in the drive as she’d expected. Not really a surprise. He knew she was coming. Katie shut off the engine and sat in the car, waiting, staring at the house that used to be her home.

  The vision of herself as a young girl, sitting on the front steps, playing with her favorite doll flashed before her. It was a warm summer’s evening and the sun was setting. Her dad pulled onto the circular drive, home from work and he stopped short of her bike that was in his way.

  “Katie, how many times have I told you to keep your toys out of the drive?” he shouted. She dropped her doll and ran over to pick up her bike.

  “Sorry, Daddy.”

  He grunted, pulled forward, and got out of car. She stood in front of him, waiting for him to greet her, but he only patted her on the head and walked past her and into the house.

  The memory was gone and it wasn’t until she spotted her mother peeking out from behind the kitchen curtains that she knew she’d better go in.

  A soft knock on the door and her mother was there to greet her. Their embrace felt awkward and forced, as it usually did. />
  “Come in, sweetheart. I’ve made lunch.” Deborah guided her in and closed the door.

  The table was set with flowers, beautiful stemware, and amazing food. Katie had to snicker a little, as this was exactly as she imagined. She politely sat down as Deborah began serving lunch.

  “Do you need anything else, Katie?” Deborah asked.

  “No, Mom. Thank you. Can you please sit down? I’d like to talk.”

  “Certainly.” Deborah pulled out a chair. “What is it, honey? I was a little surprised when you said you were coming. I thought you and Spencer were planning on visiting together. Is everything all right? Are you two having troubles? Did he break off the engagement?”

  “No, Mom; Spencer and I are fine. I’m here about something else.” Katie thought of the various ways to bring up the topic, but could not find an easy path. “For the past few months, I guess it’s been, I’ve been having difficulty sleeping. To be more precise, I’ve been having nightmares.”

  Deborah furrowed her brow, listening to her daughter.

  “At first, I just chalked it up to stress because I was being stretched a little thin helping Sam with her wedding from San Diego, work…you know.” Then she realized, her mother probably had no idea what that felt like.

  “But then, they seemed to get worse; more intense. I started losing more sleep. So, Spencer and I talked about it and decided I would try hypnotherapy. People say it helps relieve stress, so I thought, what harm could it do?”

  Deborah seemed to be hanging on Katie’s every word now.

  “I started seeing Dr. Reyes. But, the hypnotherapy began bringing these dreams I’d been having to life almost, if that makes any sense. They felt—real.” Katie noticed her mother’s shifting body.