[Anthology] The Paranormal 13- now With a Bonus 14th Novel!

by Dima Zales

  I’m coughing and shaking. I have to get control of myself. Keep talking, keep him talking. “You can’t bring your wife back this way,” I manage to get out. “You can’t get your job back. It won’t work.”

  He kicks me in my side, again. I definitely pass out for a moment there. When I come to, he’s still standing over me. Rebecca’s still crying. Keep his attention on me. Beth will come through. The police will be here. I know it. “You can’t fix everything that went wrong this way.”

  He snorts. “Next you’ll tell me that if I just say I’m sorry and let you go, that’ll make everything right again.”

  “No,” I whisper. My voice is going. My throat is so sore. It hurts to breathe. It’s a struggle to say anything, but I have to. “You can’t make it right. But you can make it not any more wrong than it already is. You’ve still got the chance for that.”

  “No. It’s gone too far. Too far,” he says, and he looks ready to kick me again – and that’s when it happens. He freezes.

  We all hear it, Dr. Walters and Rebecca and I, at the same time. The sirens. He looks down at his hands, as though he’s surprised to find them empty. His eyes dart around the basement in a panic. There’s no exit down here, no way for him to escape. No weapons. He steps over me, and as he’s running up the stairs I can hear footsteps above me, more than one set of them – lots of them.

  It has to be the police. Beth came through for me. I knew she would.

  There’s a thump, then another one. I hear breaking glass, shouting, more shouting, and finally a thud that shakes the ceiling. And then I pass out for good…

  I don’t know where I am. It’s white. Bright. It smells like – cleaner. Not bleach, but something like that. There’s someone standing over me, looking down at me.

  “Dad?”

  I think it’s him. He’s talking to someone behind him. “She’s awake,” he says to them.

  “Dad?”

  “I’m here, Sara. You’re fine. You’re in the hospital.” He looks really tired. I can just see, there’s Mom standing right behind him. And Beth is next to her, I think.

  I must have laughed. “What’s so funny?” Beth asks. It’s definitely probably her.

  “Mom’s the same height as me, did you know that? She looks just like me, and you look just like you, so you look like you and me standing next to each other.”

  Dad whispers something to them. I think I hear the words “pain medication” but I’m not sure.

  “Why am I in the hospital?” Did something happen to me? Why does my right leg look so much bigger than my left? I’m really confused…

  I remember everything, right up to the moment when the police came. Beth is sitting next to me, and she’s just now filling me in on what happened after that. She doesn’t wait for me to ask about Brian; that’s the first thing she tells me.

  “He’s fine. He had a concussion, but that was all. They kept him overnight, but they made him go home yesterday.” She squeezes my hand. “He wanted to stay, but you were still in Intensive Care and they wouldn’t let him, and then his father showed up and took him back to campus.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Downstairs in the gift shop. Buying you flowers, I think.” Of course he is.

  I love him.

  “What about – what about Rebecca?” I want to ask if she talked about what happened before we found her but I don’t think I want to know.

  “She’s going to be fine, too.” Beth knows what I’m not asking. “He didn’t – didn’t do anything. I mean, besides what we saw.” I sigh. That’s something, anyway. Actually, it’s a lot.

  “And Dr. Walters is in jail,” she continues. I don’t really want to know any more than that. I don’t ever want to think about him ever again, if I can help it.

  “And – this is important,” she says, whispering now. “I told the police what happened. I told them I wanted to visit him, because he was my favorite professor. You and Brian came with me and when we got to the front door we heard Rebecca, and the door was open so we went inside.”

  What a load of crap. Not that I would have done any better. “They believed that?”

  She grins. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think they really cared why we were there. But it’s better if you tell them the same thing. I already told Brian.”

  I just now notice her left hand is bandaged. “What happened to you?”

  “Oh,” she shrugs. “Nobody was home in either house next door, or across the street. Then he drove up, and I kind of freaked out. I picked up a garden gnome and smashed the living room window of that house across the street, and I called 911 from there. I cut myself climbing in through the broken window.”

  That actually is kind of funny, but I don’t have the energy to laugh. “So what happened to me?”

  That’s less funny. “Your right ankle is broken, you’re probably going to have that cast for six weeks or so. And you’ve got some bruised ribs. And,” she’s fighting to suppress a giggle. “A laceration of your left buttock. You landed on a nail when you went down the stairs.”

  “I don’t understand. That’s not funny.” I don’t think I appreciate her laughing at my injuries.

  “No, it’s not.” Except obviously it somehow is. “Just – I guess you better not ever break up with Brian, otherwise you’ll have to explain to your next boyfriend why you’ve got a scar on your butt.” If I had enough energy, I’d try to sit up and smack her.

  Brian picks that moment to walk in the door, bouquet in hand. “Those are so pretty,” I say. “So nice. Come here.”

  Beth takes the flowers out of his hand as he leans over me. I can’t pull myself up, but – I don’t have to. Brian’s found the lever to raise me up, and now my head is level with his, and he kisses me.

  “I was so scared, when you fell. I saw you were breathing, but – God, I don’t ever want to lose you.” That was the worst moment out of all of it, that first instant when I didn’t know if he was – if he was alive.

  “I don’t want to lose you, either. Why don’t we just never lose each other, how about that?”

  I kiss him; it seems like a good answer.

  It’s all the answer either of us needs.

  Epilogue

  (May 31-June 1, 1990)

  I’m sitting on my bed, looking at my cast. I don’t know why I kept it, but there it is on the floor, over in the corner.

  I remember Beth telling me I’d have it for six weeks. I actually had it for nine, and I think I reminded her about that every single day past six weeks until it came off. She laughed, I think, every single time I did, too.

  I don’t know how I’ll ever pay her back for everything she did – for helping me around for nine weeks. For all of it. It’s funny, but I think the responsibility she took on in taking care of me really agrees with her. She must have thought so too, because she applied to be an RA next year.

  She wasn’t the only one who helped me, either. There was poor George, although that wasn’t really by choice. A week after – well, after “it” happened, he slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk and broke his leg in two places. Somehow hobbling around with a cast felt just a little bit easier knowing someone else in the dorm was going through it with me. And we became physical therapy buddies – three times a week right up until the semester ended.

  Then there was Mona, who took time out of her insanely busy schedule to help me study for the MCATs when it was – quite literally – painfully obvious that I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the official review sessions. Melanie and Janet joined me, in a very touching show of solidarity. Melanie and I buried the hatchet, too.

  Even so, I guess I should be honest and admit that I took great pleasure in scoring higher than Melanie. For the record, I did really well – a 73, which put me in the 96th percentile. Which means I’ll probably have my choice of where to go for medical school, and I’ve got a great shot at the Livingston scholarship, too.

  Jackie and her father helped by not
pushing me about exactly what happened or how I knew what I knew. I think, after Dr. Walters was caught, she finally understood how lucky she was just to be alive, and she took that to heart. Her father did, too; he also did everything in his power to get the police to accept the story Beth cooked up at face value.

  That was much easier after Dr. Walters pled guilty. According to the newspaper, he did it as part of a deal so that he would “only” get life plus fifty years in prison rather than the electric chair, or however they execute people these days. He’ll never, ever get out of prison, and that’s good enough for me.

  Beth and Brian and I all got harassed quite a bit by reporters, for a little while at least. Until another friend came to our aid. John convinced his friend Natalie the law student to try and get the reporters off our backs. I don’t know what she did or said – I think she might have gotten one of her professors to help, too – but it worked.

  It turns out I was right about the two of them, as well. Diana broke up with John, and he finally noticed that Natalie liked him. I’m glad, for her even more than for him – us older women with an eye for younger men have to stick together!

  Over and above everyone else, every single day, there was Brian. He was so patient, so kind. He was everything I needed – everything I still need.

  Life is pretty much back to normal. I’m just barely limping now; on good days you can’t even tell. On really good days, sometimes even I forget that I’ve got two metal screws in my foot and another one in my ankle.

  I still haven’t seen the other physical reminder of what happened – my new scar. Beth offered, repeatedly, to take a picture of it for me. Brian says it’s hardly noticeable at all; if you didn’t know it was there you wouldn’t even see it. I’m not really worried about that; nobody besides him is going to be seeing it anyway!

  I still think about it all, obviously. But it’s just memories now. They don’t have any power anymore. I don’t wake up screaming, I don’t walk around in terror. And most importantly, my nights belong to me again. I haven’t had a dream that’s not my own since that last night before we saved Rebecca…

  …Sara is in a backyard. The sun is shining, the grass is green. There’s a grill, with smoke issuing from it; there’s a little fountain gurgling away. There’s a big round metal table with an umbrella over it.

  She knows this place – it’s Brian’s backyard. And there he is, with his father, and Sara’s father.

  “I know how old I am!” Brian says. “And I know how old she is, too. She’s almost twenty two, and that’s the same age her Mom was when…” he says to Sara’s father.

  Sara’s father holds up a hand, interrupting him. “We’re not going to talk you out of it, I know better than that,” he says.

  “There’s no point,” he then says to Brian’s father. “Even if we did, she’d probably just go ahead and ask him.” Sara’s father produces a small box from his pocket. “As long as you’re going to do it, you may as well do it properly. This was my mother’s – her grandmother’s.”

  He hands the box to Brian…

  I wake up completely refreshed, completely relaxed. I shower and dress and the smell of bacon leads me down to the kitchen. Mom is just sitting down to her breakfast; Dad and Bob must have eaten already.

  I go to her and give her a hug. “What’s that for?” she asks, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

  “Nothing,” I say. “Just – could you take me over to the salon this morning? If you ask them, they’ll fit me in today, right?”

  She’s very suspicious now. “The salon? Why?”

  “No reason,” I answer. “Brian’s just coming over later, and – well, I want to look my best, that’s all.” It’s very important that I do. It’s time to let Gretchen out for a little while. “Oh, and can I borrow your diamond earrings again?”

  “Sara Katarina Barnes, you tell me what’s going on!” She already knows, I think. She just can’t quite wrap her mind around it. I don’t blame her. It is kind of a big deal. It’s six months to the day that we met, and what more appropriate time is there than that?

  “There’s nothing going on, Mom. I want to look nice for my boyfriend, that’s all. And I guess I’m just in a good mood today. You know, I had the most wonderful dream last night…”

  The End

  The series continues with Dream Doctor.

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  Deception

  The Transformed: Book 1 - Stacy Claflin

  1

  My younger sister screamed.

  Natalie ran across the driveway and pulled open the driver's side door of the shiny, red BMW. She moved aside the red ribbon from the giant bow and climbed inside the car.

  The new-car scent wafted over to where I stood with our parents. I glanced over at my used, hard-earned Ford. It languished next to the glistening BMW.

  POP!

  POP!

  POP!

  Three of the six driveway lights exploded into tiny pieces and fell to the cement behind us.

  My oblivious sister sprinted back to our parents as her blonde ponytail swayed back and forth. She gave them each a big hug and a perfect smile. "Daddy, can I take it to practice and show my friends?"

  Natalie pleaded with her big doe eyes.

  "Of course, sweetheart. Let's get a picture first." My dad turned to me. "Alexis, will you take a picture of us in front of Natalie's new car?"

  "I'd rather get a selfie." Natalie pulled out her phone and held it out. "I can't wait to post this. You guys are the best."

  I counted backward from ten.

  POP!

  POP!

  POP!

  The other three driveway lights exploded into a glassy mess.

  My parents and sister looked like a picture-perfect family straight from a magazine. Without me.

  I trudged inside. Glancing back, it appeared no one noticed my absence. I went my room and did some homework to get my mind off the new car.

  A knock sounded on my door. I ignored it. The door opened, anyway.

  My mom walked in. "We're leaving to watch Natalie's practice."

  "Have fun." I didn't look up from my laptop.

  "Did you even get Natalie a present?"

  I took several deep breaths. "All my money goes toward car insurance and gas."

  POP!

  POP!

  Broken glass showered onto my bed and desk.

  "Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes." She left the room.

  I glanced at the calendar. College never looked so far away. Then I would have the option never to return. But for now, I had to go to my sister's practice and watch everyone gush over the BMW.

  All too soon, I was in my dad's Escalade with my parents.

  "Jack, two bulbs in Lexi's room exploded before we left," my mom said.

  I could almost hear him raise an eyebrow. "Those ones, too? I'll have to give Roger a call. Maybe he can help us figure it out."

  "Don't you think it's odd that the lights keep bursting?" It was more of a demand than a question.

  As soon as my dad parked, I got out and ran to the gym.

  Things went by in a blur as I ran. When I stopped at the doors, a group of kids stared at me, wide-eyed.

  I ignored them and went inside. At least half of our small town was there for nearly every game and practice. The girls' varsity team was Delphic Cove's pride and joy. They'd been the undefeated Washington state champions for years.

  This year appeared to be no exception, and my sister was one of the team all-stars. She was not only the favorite of our family, but of the school too—and she was only a sophomore.

  My two best friends sat in the bleachers near the middle. I joined them.

  Emma looked up from texting. "You avoid Natalie's games like the plague. What gives?"

  "It's Natalie's birthday and our family's here to give her a special birthday cheer."

  Emma laughed and slapped Amanda o
n the back.

  Amanda rolled her eyes. "So what did they get her this year, another Louis Vuitton purse?"

  "No. A thousand dollar purse is nothing compared to her new BMW."

  Emma and Amanda stared at me, both speechless.

  I pulled my laptop from my bag and started doing homework.

  Amanda and Emma whispered to each other, but I could hear them as if they were speaking into my ear, even above the noise of the gym.

  "There's something different about her," Amanda said.

  "Sure is," Emma agreed.

  "Like what?" I looked up at them.

  They exchanged a bewildered glance.

  "I—I… don't know exactly," Amanda stammered.

  Emma shrugged.

  My parents sat next to us. I groaned.

  "Hello girls," my mom said to Emma and Amanda. "Did you know that it's Natalie's birthday today? Her sweet sixteen." My mom beamed.

  "Is she having a big party?" Emma asked. "I didn't get an invite!" She was always obnoxious, and even worse to my parents because of their obvious favoritism toward Natalie.

  My mom shook her head. "Not this year."

  "I get it. I saw that new BMW in the parking lot," Emma lied. "What'd you get Alexis for her sweet sixteen last year? Wasn't it a Kindle?"

  My mom's face turned red, and she turned away from us.

  At the halftime break, my mom turned to me. "Since you didn't buy Natalie a present, get her a watermelon smoothie. It's her favorite."

  I opened my mouth to protest.

  "I'll go with you." Amanda grabbed my arm and dragged me to the concession stand. "Just think, after next year we graduate. Then you can go to any college as far away as you want. Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, or whatever. You've already got that full-ride science scholarship."