Merlin had gone back to the pool and
studied it and the area around it very carefully. There was Kat’s sparkling light blue aura. It had been present in the suite, paler with
the passage of time but also brighter, stronger than it was at the pool. She scanned the area and saw an iridescent
green aura near the blue one. She
returned to the suite and, yes, there it was again. Someone had been with Kat when she’d come back up here. Merlin traced where it had gone. The blue streak had gone into Kat’s bedroom,
the green one had waited in the lounge.
She checked Kat’s bedroom. The
swim costume had been hastily discarded, tossed onto a chair. Merlin assumed that Kat had dressed in
something else – if she hadn’t, she’d be real easy to find – and had gone off
with the owner of the iridescent green aura.
Now .. why would she do that?
There didn’t seem to be any sign of
struggle or coercion. Kat’s aura
indicated peace, tranquility, a little excitement, not fear or a sense of
danger. Neither was there any lingering
stench to indicate the presence of evil.
Time now was important. Merlin could track by aura but it faded with
time. She returned to the foyer, paused
there for a moment to pick up the trail, and headed out to the street.
*****
“This is fun,” Kat grinned.
“Yeah. Strange but I never thought, y’know, I’d find someone my sister’s
age to be good company,” James remarked.
“But .. don’t take this wrong, you seem older than what you are.”
Kat shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“I guess it’s having a Mom who’s a
shrink,” he went on. “Kinda makes you
grow up fast.”
“I guess,” Kat agreed tactfully.
“Or was it the magic?” James carefully
inquired as they strolled along the beachfront. “I know it made me see the world in a different light. I discovered responsibility before I really
had to.”
Kat nodded. “You have to know what you’re doing an’ why.”
“Why’d you get out of it?” he asked.
“Mainly because it was dangerous. People were getting hurt. I was nearly lost. It’s a long story but my Mom an’ her friends saved me.”
“Wow … ”
“Yeah. It was nasty. A real bad
time. I got mixed up with the wrong
people and .. y’know how it is. You
think you know enough an’ you don’t. You
believe you can handle it an’ you can’t.
Well .. I could but it was getting too strong for me. An’ the person who was encouraging me,
teaching me, had her own agenda which I didn’t know about. I thought she was like me only she knew a
little more, but she wasn’t. She was
really old an’ she wanted to take over my body.”
James was staring. “I can see why you backed off.”
“It was the only thing I could do,”
Kat replied. “To be honest, it scared
me. I realized I was way too young to be getting mixed up in
witchcraft. So I just stopped.”
He nodded. “I’m glad you helped my sister.”
“I wasn’t helping her, I was trying to
help my Mom. Georgia was a bonus.”
“You scared her but good,” James
grinned. “An’ your friend scared me.”
“Oh, Peri’s okay,” Kat dismissed. “You just gotta know her.”
*****
Merlin was walking fast. Tracking like this, one eye seeing the real
world, the other seeing the colored traces of everyone on the street both past
and present, was fine over a short distance.
Longer distances and longer time periods gave her a thumping
headache. She had one growing now,
behind her eyes. Her vision was like
everything was slightly out of focus the whole time. One or the other, she could have done, no problem, but tracking
auras meant she kept colliding with people so it had to be both
simultaneously. She wasn’t angry with
Kat for disappearing and not leaving a message. Merlin was angry with herself for not being more precise with the
ground rules. And she was anxious that,
although she would find Kat, she wouldn’t be able to find her in time for
Rachel’s call. That meant Rachel would
shout at Merlin and probably abandon the conference to fly to Honolulu to
assist in the search. She would never
trust Merlin again.
I am not here to save the world, and I
am not here to police teenage girls who want to go off exploring, Merlin
thought, and yet I have to play good cop, bad cop all on my own. Jeez, she could’ve left me a note! Something!
When I find her, I am gonna come down on her so hard … It’ll ruin my vacation and Kat will just
wanna go home. This is one reason why I
am so glad I am not a parent … And as for the owner of this green aura …
*****
They strolled into a mall. The air conditioning was icy after the heat
of outside. Kat would have liked to
look round the stores but James suggested a soda and something to eat. Kat agreed, figuring she had all day. The stores could be a way to pass the
afternoon. She’d taken careful note of
the route so, even if James said he had to leave, she could find her way back
to the hotel.
“You ever tempted to use magic again?”
she asked as they sat down in a booth.
“Me?
No way. I’ll help, if there’s a
need, because .. well, I’ve been there an’ done some of that, an’ I know what
to expect, most of the time anyway, but doing it for myself … ” He shook his head. “I never got into the really powerful stuff. I just wanted an easy life. Smooth out some of the bumps, y’know. That sounds shallow .. an’ it is. I won’t deny it. It got me a long way an’ that’s who I was back then. But then I guess I grew up an’ realized that
I was at the top of a long, slippery slope an’ the only way I could go was
down.”
“How old were you?” Kat asked in a
solemn voice.
James shook his head and shrugged
slightly. “Twelve, thirteen, I guess.”
“About the same age I was.”
He grinned quickly. “Something else we got in common.”
*****
Merlin strode into the mall and,
without warning, staggered slightly.
People glanced at her and she felt her face burn with embarrassment.
Aquila, you go find Kat. I’ll wait here, get my eyesight an’ balance
back. Go! She’s more important.
Merlin felt a sense of weakness but
then a sense of relief as her vision snapped back to normal and the headache faded.
“You okay?” someone asked her.
“Touch of sun. I’ll be fine. I just need to sit an’ rest for a few minutes,” she replied,
smiling. Or did you want me to take
some kind of ‘walking under the influence’ test? Or it could’ve been narcotics.
Whatever, you’d never guess the real reason.
Merlin found a bench and sank onto it,
her eyes closing, her shoulders sagging.
Aquila had moved on a distance before
becoming visible. It was amazing really
that no one commented on this. It just
proved that the brain was remarkable at filtering and rationalizing. It was patently impossible for people to
just appear .. therefore no one saw it even though it had happened in their
midst.
She zeroed in on the diner like a heat
seeking missile. She glimpsed Kat’s
head. She saw another head opposite and
it was one she recognized .. from the limo she’d seen earlier that day.
I know where else I’ve seen you, she
thought.
“So .. this friend you’re with,” James
was saying. “You said she’s working?”
“Yeah. She’s collecting something from the university. In fact,” Kat abruptly realized, “she should
be back by now.”
“And wondering where the hell you’ve
disappeared to,” James concluded.
“But now she knows.”
Kat looked up. “Oh.”
She swallowed. “Hi, Peri.”
James twisted round, his heart
suddenly rising to choke him. “P-Peri
… I-I never meant – We were just – ”
“Why didn’t you leave a note?” Aquila
asked.
“I never thought of that, “Kat
answered. “It would’ve saved a lot of
worry, wouldn’t it?”
“Yes, it would. I trusted you to act responsibly while I was
gone. You failed that trust.”
“C’mon!” James cut in. “We only – ”
“You will be quiet,” Aquila stated,
glancing at him.
“Like hell I will! This isn’t – ”
“You’ll get your chance to speak ..
next.” She swung back to Kat. “Well?”
“I’m sorry,” Kat said promptly. “James asked me if I wanted to go
exploring. We only went for a walk,
Peri. I should’ve left you a note. I’m sorry.
Really.” She hesitated. “Will you tell my Mom?”
“No.
No harm has been done. I’ve
found you in time.”
“In time for what?” Kat frowned.
“Your mother’s phone call. If you are wise, you will remain silent
about this matter.”
Kat slowly nodded. “If I tell her .. we’ll both get in trouble.”
“Exactly,” Aquila agreed in a somber
tone, then she turned to James again.
“What do you have to say?”
“It was my idea, to leave the
hotel. Kat shouldn’t be blamed. It isn’t her fault.” He shrugged. “It’s mine.”
“Very commendable of you to say
so. Nonetheless, she should’ve informed
me. A note. A phone call. She
should’ve told me she was with you, where she was going, and what time she
would be back. I would have let her
go.”
“Peri’s right,” Kat supported. “I failed the trust.”
“But you’ve learned from it,” Aquila
commented. “You won’t do it again ..
will you?”
Kat shook her head.
“As for you,” Aquila went on, looking
back at James, “have you practiced any magic recently?”
“No, I haven’t,” he answered, meeting
her eyes.
“Not recently,” she said.
“No.”
“We should start back,” Aquila
declared. “You can tell me how you got
to be in a limo as we walk.”
James rose slowly to his feet. “You don’t scare me. I got something to hold over you now. You give me any trouble, I’ll tell Kat’s Mom
that – ”
Aquila leaned in closer. “You want to try that,” she purred, her eyes
totally black, “go ahead and then face
the consequences.”
“I’m cool. It never happened. I’ve
forgotten everything,” he said quickly, backing away.
“You’ll do well in this world,” Aquila
declared. “Your survival instinct is
very sharp.”
They left the diner and went back thru
the mall. Kat looked longingly at the
stores.
“Peri, can we come back here? Tomorrow?”
Aquila glanced at her. “Yes.”
As they approached the entrance,
Aquila slowed, frowning. Merlin was
nowhere to be seen …
*****
Rachel woke at one in the morning and
thought about Toby Johnson. Yes, he was
a young man with obvious mental problems but she wondered why her mind had
settled on him first of all when there were other things to consider. Kat and Merlin, their vacation. The conference and the delegates, the other
speakers. The open forums. Her speech.
What Derek and Nick were doing back home. But, no. She’d thought of
Toby.
Why would I do that ..? Yes, he’s good looking. I could understand dreaming about him, she
reflected with a small smile. But for
him to be the first thing in my head …
Well, it’s either because he was the last
thing in my head or I’ve been thinking in my subconscious about him while the
rest of me’s been asleep.
Rachel sat up and sipped at a glass of
water then settled again. I’m
interrupting some important process, she thought. In the morning, I’ll .. have the answers. I’ll know how to treat his delusion. For now, I
am going back to sleep.
*****
“What is it?” Kat frowned.
“She isn’t here. She said she’d wait, that I should go on,
you were more important,” Aquila explained.
Kat blinked as understanding unlocked
a closed door. “Oh! Oh, right.”
“Who?” James asked. “You got another friend here?”
“Peri’s twin sister,” Kat
replied. “They work as a team.”
Aquila was checking around. “She was here, on this bench. She said she’d wait.”
“If she said that, why would she
leave?” James inquired. “Maybe she went
shopping.”
“She wasn’t feeling well,” Aquila
remarked.
“Oh, in that case, she’s hit the
stores,” James commented in a world weary voice. “My Mom always tells my Dad that retail therapy is the only
surefire cure when she’s sick.”
“Peri wouldn’t do that,” Kat told him.
“They’re both called Peri?” he queried, confused.
“Peri is a nickname we both respond
to,” Aquila said, holding back a sigh.
“Peri doesn’t usually get sick either,
although she does love shopping,” Kat added.
“I think James an’ I should go back to the hotel. We’ll wait in the suite until you get back
from looking.”
“I may be some time,” Aquila warned.
“I’ll be with Kat. If we go down to dinner, we’ll leave a
note,” James said. “And I’ll make sure
we’re there for when Kat’s Mom calls.”
“Except she’ll call Peri’s cell phone
.. and Peri won’t be there,” Kat realized.
“So .. we beat her to it. We’ll call her.”
“I don’t know where she’s staying,”
Kat pointed out.
“No problem. There’s a computer at the hotel; we’ll check on the net an’
contact the conference organizers,” James shrugged. “Peri will probably be back in plenty of time but, if she isn’t,
we’ll deal. Go on,” he said to Aquila. “We got it covered.”
Kat nodded. “I’ll be fine. Let me
earn back the trust, okay?”
“Okay,” Aquila accepted.
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
James headed toward the doors but Kat
hesitated. “Shall I put a candle in the
window?”
“I’d appreciate it,” Aquila smiled.
*****
Merlin opened her eyes to darkness,
heat, and a certain lack of air. It was
also bumpy. Warily, she lifted a hand
and managed maybe twelve inches before she hit a barrier.
What the f ..? I’m in the trunk of someone’s car … How the hell did I get here ..? I was sitting on the bench in the mall. I closed my eyes .. and then .. it all went
black. Blacker. The difference between closing the eyes and
becoming unconscious. If I fainted ..
which I doubt .. I don’t think much of the emergency service to the hospital.
Well, I’m here, I have no idea where I’m
going or who’s taking me there, or how long I’ve been out. I am seriously starting to get irritated by
today. I still haven’t had lunch. But .. the good thing is my headache’s
gone. I’ve gotten the artifact safely
from the university. I hope, by now,
that Aquila has found Kat so that, now, she can come find me. Maybe she could bring a hotdog or something
…
It’s no use trying to remember the
route because I don’t remember the start of the journey so I may as well chill
till I get there and find out more information. Then I’m gonna hit someone.
I think that’ll make me feel better.
Aquila ..? Can you hear me ..?
Back at the mall, Aquila was staring
at the bench and reading the auras.
There was Merlin’s – unmistakably.
A silver white streak, threaded thru with strands of pale yellow – the
proof of her headache. The auras all
around it were normal, routine. Typical
for this place and time of day. Bright,
sparkling traces of children. Darker,
heavier streaks for adults. The
emotions were clear too. Happiness,
impatience, irritation, joy, some pain, some worry. But nothing remotely near to the bench which would indicate why
Merlin had vanished. Her aura hadn’t
moved. It was as if she’d simply been
snatched into thin air.
Then she stiffened slightly. Where are you?
Well .. I don’t know where I am. I’m in the trunk of a car which is
moving. And, before you ask, I don’t
know how I got here, who put me here, or who’s taking me wherever the fuck it
is I’m going. Soon as I have any of the
answers, you’ll be the second to know about it.
Aquila turned toward the door and the
parking lot. How did it happen?
I just told you – I don’t know, Merlin
replied patiently.
You must remember something. I’m at the mall. I can see your aura. It hasn’t
moved from the bench.
I think I got knocked out. I had a headache. My balance was off. I sat
down and closed my eyes. Then I think
someone hit me.
There’s no evidence of that. No one approached you. There are no signs of alarm. Surely, even with the world in the state
it’s in, someone would have reacted to a woman being attacked. There isn’t.
Oh.
Well, I can’t explain it. One
moment, I was on the bench. The next,
as far as I’m aware, I’m waking up in the trunk of a car. Look farther afield.
Aquila lifted her eyes and turned
slowly, scanning for .. something. It
wasn’t impossible for Merlin to be incapacitated. Aquila hadn’t been there and, without the spirit, the shell was
vulnerable. If she had expected an
attack, Merlin would have protected herself.
In a mall, in the middle of the afternoon, sitting quietly on a bench
and surrounded by people going about their business … No. No precautions. A mistake.
Of course, if Kat hadn’t decided to go exploring, none of this would
have happened. But it was unfair to
blame Kat, and Aquila knew it. It was a
mean little thought and she regretted thinking it.
Her eyes narrowed and she took four
steps to her right. Just on the bend,
about thirty yards ahead, there was a dark aura. Darker than a normal adult trace. It lingered there like a sullen cloud. Not black with evil but dark with power. She hurried toward it, rounded the bend and
came to a halt.
The darkness headed away from her and,
shrouded by it, almost hidden by it, was Merlin’s silver white streak. A knot of people moved by her and Aquila
winked out. She could move faster this
way. She followed the trace to another
exit and into the parking lot. It
shrank into a small ball as it entered the empty space where a vehicle had been,
then shot away toward the road.
Found anything?
Yes.
I’m on your trail. Merlin, be
careful. Whoever took you has
power. It hit you from a distance and
masked your capture, as well as its approach and retreat.
Are we talking evil power here?
No.
Just bad.
Aquila heard a long, profound sigh.
Damn, Merlin’s voice echoed. Guess I’ll have to pull my punches.
I’ll be with you as soon as I
can. Soon as you know where you are,
tell me.
Okay.
I’ll just .. lay here an’ think of food while I try not to suffocate.
*****
“That has to be the place,” James
said. “When you gonna call?”
“Well, I can’t call yet,” Kat
replied. “London’s ten hours ahead of
us. My Mom’s asleep right now. She’d probably call me .. around eight our
time so .. just before eight.”
James checked the time. “Couple of hours to wait. Wonder where Peri’s gotten to. If she has
gone to the stores, this is serious shopping.”
Kat giggled. “Peri knows all about
serious shopping.”
He grinned too. “You like her, don’t you?”
“Yeah, why shouldn’t I? Oh, I know she can be scary an’ look mean
but she is awesome. She’s a good friend
to have, James.”
“She some kinda witch?” he ventured.
“No-o but she’s some kinda
something. It’s best not to ask. If you do, she won’t answer.”
James clutched at Kat’s arm. “Was she the one encouraging you? The one with an agenda?”
Kat shook his hand away. “The only thing Peri encourages me to do is
.. be careful. Assess the risk and, if
you believe it’s an acceptable one, go ahead.
If not, back off an’ leave well alone.”
“Okay, there’s no need to go defensive
on me. Peri strikes me as the kinda
person who doesn’t need defending. She
can do that for herself.”
“Yes, she can,” Kat declared. “Why did you ask if she was a witch?”
“Besides the way she can make her eyes
go black like that?” He gestured with
his head. “Candle in the window. Some kinda ritual, I’m guessing.”
Kat glanced at it too. “More a mark of friendship an’ support. It’s so she can find her way home.”
*****
Aquila had the vehicle in sight
now. It was quite a distance ahead and
she couldn’t see who was driving but the aura trace ended there. The car was cruising and unreeling a ribbon
of dark behind it like it had a faulty exhaust. She was close enough to be able to move in fast when the time
came, far enough away not to be spotted by those with that type of gift. She doubted very much if they’d even be
looking out for her.
Merlin had switched her hopes from
lunch to dinner. Occasionally, she
checked the time and sighed when she saw the hours creeping away. It was nearly six forty now.
Where the hell are they taking
me? The island isn’t that big. It isn’t as if there is
an edge to the world where I can be dropped over, it just feels that I’m
heading there. Am I being
kidnapped? Is it because someone wants
the artifact? It’s nothing
special. Pretty, intricate, nicely
painted, beautifully carved, but no inherent power. Historically significant, and that’s about all I can say for
it. Certainly not worth kidnapping the
courier for. So .. has to be another
reason. Ex-Legacy is a
possibility. No one really knows about
us. But .. ex-Legacy usually means
black heart and soul. Sold out to the
big boss downstairs. Aquila said not
evil, just bad. Still, it could be a
disgruntled ex-Legacy member who just wants a little payback. Jeez.
I just hope they’re gonna feed me first …
*****
Kat finished eating dinner and pushed
her plate away. She felt guilty. If she hadn’t gone out with James, Merlin
wouldn’t have had to come look for her .. and she wouldn’t have disappeared.
“Should we go look?” James asked.
Kat shook her head. “No.
If Peri comes back an’ we’re not here, it’ll just start everything over
again. Besides, she could be miles away
by now. Probably is, after all this
time.” She looked at him. “You don’t have to stay. It’s late now. Your friend must be wondering where you are.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“Haven’t you learned anything
today? It does matter.”
James flushed. “I guess it does. I can come back.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll call my Mom, get ready for bed, watch
some TV. If Peri isn’t back by ..
eleven, I’ll go to sleep.” She sounded
like she was being brave.
“How about I swing by in the morning?”
James suggested lightly.
“That’d be good,” Kat quickly agreed.
“And, if Peri still isn’t back, you
could always hang with me an’ Laurence.
I think his folks are hitting some museums or something. They won’t mind another tagging along.”
She thought it over. “Okay.
If I’m with other adults, Peri can’t really object, can she?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Kat went with him to the door.
“Thanks for today an’ for waiting with me.”
“I got a free dinner .. an’ some good
company. Sleep tight,” he grinned.
“You too,” Kat smiled and firmly
closed the door.
*****
Rachel woke again and checked the time
on her travel clock. A quarter before
six. She stretched and yawned, then lay
still and listened to the sounds of the world outside. Birds were singing. There was a muted noise of car engines. But it was mostly quiet. Relaxing.
She waited for the results of the night’s considerations to be presented
to her.
The phone rang and she jumped. Scooping up the receiver, she murmured,
“Hello?”
“Hi, Mom.”
“Kat?
What is it? Why are you calling
me?” Rachel asked, her eyes widening and her heart leaping into frantic action
as she sat up.
“Nothing. You were gonna call me at eight but Peri’s not here – ”
“Where is she?”
“Gone downstairs to check on
something. She has her cell phone with
her. So I thought I’d call you.”
“Oh .. okay. How was your day?” Rachel inquired, relaxing again.
“It was good. I read my book by the pool. I think I got a bit of a suntan but I was
careful. I met a friend. We went exploring together, to the local
mall.”
“A friend ..?” Rachel smiled.
“Yeah.” Kat sounded hesitant.
“James. He’s the brother of
someone in some of my classes at school.
He’s over here on vacation too.”
“Older brother?” Rachel queried.
“He’s eighteen, Mom, an’ don’t read
anything into that. We just talked an’
went to the mall. We had lunch there,
then came back.”
“And Peri was with you?”
“Part of the time, yeah,” Kat
answered. “How’s the conference going?”
“It hasn’t really started yet but it
will in a few hours. I’m pleased you’re
having a good time. It takes a lot off
my mind knowing that.”
“I still wanna go to the Florida Keys,
y’know. You promised.”
“Yeah, I did, didn’t I?” Rachel
laughed. “Before you head back to
school, we will definitely go to the Keys.”
“Okay. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, sweetie. Sleep tight.”
“Will you call tomorrow?” Kat asked.
“I don’t think that’s necessary, do
you?” Rachel remarked. “Maybe in a
couple of days.”
“Okay. Bye. Good luck with your
speech.”
“Thank you, honey. Bye.”
The line clicked and went dead. Rachel replaced the phone on the hook and
smiled to herself even as she felt a pang of regret. Kat had a friend, an eighteen year old boy. Not a boyfriend but still a friend of the
opposite sex. It had to happen at some
time, she realized. And Kat was nearly
fifteen. So long as Merlin was there to
act as chaperone, Rachel was okay with the idea. She just felt very old.
She sat up, swung her feet to the
carpet and rose to start her day. And
then she realized that any subconscious deliberations had been pushed aside by
the early morning call.
Rachel padded into the bathroom and
turned on the shower. She paused for a
moment but Toby Johnson was just a name and a mental condition. She shook her head. It couldn’t be helped. If it was that important, the ideas would
come back. If it wasn’t, she’d never
know.
*****
Where are they taking me? What kinda area are we in?
Countryside, Aquila replied. Forests.
There isn’t much traffic around now.
How are you doing?
The carpet in this trunk is starting
to look incredibly tasty.
You should eat breakfast. You’d last longer.
Thank you, Betty Crocker. I’ll remember that next time someone throws
me in the trunk of their car and takes the scenic route to nowhere.
The world suddenly became rough and
bumpy. Merlin braced herself as best
she could.
It’s turned off onto a track, Aquila
reported. Might be journey’s end
sometime soon.
If the evidence so far is any reliable
sign, I’m not holding my breath.
There’s no point, I’m just about outta air in here. I’m gonna use up what’s left talking with
Rachel.
Kat’s got that covered; don’t worry.
She’s a smart kid who isn’t exactly a
kid anymore, Merlin replied, wincing as the car bounced over some ruts.
It turned again, quite sharply,
bounced on for a while longer, turned again, and, finally, halted.
Here we go, Merlin thought. Aquila, stay close.
I’m ready whenever you need me.
She heard the door open and slam
shut. Then the other door. Two of them, she reasoned. Footsteps came deliberately toward the
trunk. She heard the key enter the lock
and turn. The mechanism clicked. The trunk began to lift and Merlin sucked in
clean, fresh air. It was still light
outside but the light was gloomy under the thick canopy of tropical trees. She braced herself for the first glimpse of
her captors.
The trunk opened all the way and
Merlin gazed up.
“Why am I not surprised?” she asked in
a flat voice.
“Last two times, you kicked our
asses. Well, we’ve been practicing,”
Marcus smiled. “It’s time for a
rematch.”
*****
Rachel made notes during the morning’s
presentations. Derek would want a
comprehensive debrief when she got home.
It wasn’t strictly the work the Legacy did. This wasn’t a conference on the paranormal as such, rather the
parapsychology behind it but it was still relevant and interesting. He’d want to know how scientists in the West
were approaching this most nebulous of subjects.
During the morning coffee break,
Rachel had idly scanned for a sight of Toby Johnson hovering on the fringes but
he hadn’t shown up. She wasn’t
surprised. She felt she’d been targeted
in some way and a little piece of Rachel Corrigan resented that her small
allocation of genuinely free time had been hijacked. Fortunately, the majority of Dr
Rachel Corrigan wanted to help him and she willingly gave up that free time to
do it. So far, beyond looking for him,
Rachel had done nothing more. She
hadn’t formulated any kind of therapy and she hadn’t heard a thing from her
subconscious. She knew dwelling
deliberately on the profound silence would only drive any hints or suggestions
deeper into her mind. Better by far to
concentrate on the late morning sessions and the open forum which followed.
It happened during the answer to the
second question in the forum. It was an
interesting question and Rachel was keen to listen to the answer. Instead, the conversation became muted and an
echo of Toby’s voice drifted thru her mind.
She frowned, trying to concentrate on the real life events but the voice
repeated the words.
Okay, you want me to examine
this. So let’s examine it. He said ‘we shouldn’t speak here, people
will get the wrong idea, they’ll talk.’
Well .. he was a gatecrasher. Me
talking with someone not meant to be there might have given people the wrong
idea. There’s nothing remarkable in
those words.
But he wanted to go to an empty room
because he didn’t want anyone to see us talking. He had his reasons. What
were those reasons, I wonder … He
stared at me to get my attention. No
one else’s, just mine. I’m a
psychiatrist and Toby definitely has a problem, so, again, nothing
remarkable. He wanted to talk about
poltergeists. He asked what creates
them, and then he asked what gets rid of them.
And then he asked what if it doesn’t.
What if the child grows but the poltergeist doesn’t go away ..?
Rachel frowned slightly.
Then, later, he came to my room. He knew which room I was in but he said he
hadn’t been following me. And I never
saw him follow me. Well .. he could’ve
accessed the computer in reception.
Bribed someone to tell him. He
could just have watched me checking for any messages.
He said .. I was the only friend he
had. I can’t believe that. He is good enough to be a model. Toby .. is perfect. There is not one flaw on his face. His hair is thick and lustrous … He could earn a fortune. He must have hundreds of friends.
He agreed with everything I said about
poltergeists .. and that stuff isn’t generally available. Maybe he was just trying to score points.
And then .. he just said it. He believes he’s a ghost who used to be a
poltergeist. He can’t go where other
unwanted spirits go. And I said I’d
help him.
A very strange delusion … A course of therapy should help rid him of
that idea. He’s obviously alive. He even explained why he can .. open doors
just like a normal person. He can’t
conceive that he is a normal person,
albeit one with an odd belief system.
The forum came to an end and people
began to get up, to wander away in search of lunch. Rachel snapped back to reality and rose as well. She had a couple of hours to use up before
the afternoon got under way.
She ate a light meal and decided to
take a walk outside, the entire question of Toby Johnson continuing to dominate
her thinking.
I’ve reasoned it thru. I’ve examined the available evidence and
I’ve seen nothing to even remotely suggest another diagnosis. So why is it still on my mind? Usually, by this stage, I’ve moved on to
working out a course of treatment. I
seem to be stuck on the evidence. Have
I missed something ..?
Rachel went to the park, found a
bench, and sat down. Okay, back to the
beginning. The evidence I have consists
of two brief conversations and, yes, that is hardly an in depth
consultation. My gut says to me ..
delusion. But my mind appears to want a
second opinion. What am I missing?
She closed her eyes to picture the two
scenes again. The first had been the
pre-dinner reception last evening.
People in formal dress, black tie, cocktail gowns. People milling around, making idle yet
relevant small talk. Lots of
people. Her mind’s eye was drawn toward
the door. Toby Johnson had been
standing there. He hadn’t been in black
tie. In fact, he’d worn no tie at
all. And no one had noticed. No one had said a word to him. Almost like he wasn’t there …
Having presented her with this piece
of as yet unconsidered evidence, her subconscious faded back, leaving her to
think about it in the conscious mind.
Rachel went back to the start but,
before she began to reassess the conversation she’d had with him, she set aside
her skeptical scientist’s hat and, reluctantly, put on her Legacy member hat
and, with it, told herself to look at the evidence from the other point of
view. Look at it .. as Derek might
look.
What if Toby’s telling me the truth.
No one said anything to him. He was clearly out of place. He didn’t want to speak in that room. He didn’t say ‘I don’t want people to see us
talking’, he said ‘we shouldn’t speak here, people will get the wrong idea,
they’ll talk’. Why ..? Because .. I was the only person who could
see him. The other people in that room
would’ve seen me holding a conversation with nothing, talking to myself. The wrong idea would be that .. I’m not
totally sane. And they would have talked about that.
She blinked. My God .. what if it isn’t
a delusion, after all?
“Hi, Rachel.”
Rachel’s eyes flew open and she looked
round into the handsome, perfect face of Toby Johnson. And then the second, so far unconsidered,
piece of evidence hit her.
He never once touched me.
Rachel stretched out a hand. Toby tried to pull away but it was too
late. Her hand passed straight thru his
forearm. Rachel’s eyes widened still
more and she swallowed.
“I did tell you. I’m a ghost. Didn’t you believe me?” he asked softly.
“I wasn’t sure,” she admitted.
“You’re not going to faint, are you?”
Toby asked in an anxious voice.
Rachel shook her head. “No.
I’m going to help you .. just like I promised.”
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