Possessed (Pagan Light Book 1)

by JoAnne Keltner

“I knew back when people were petitioning against me. At first, I was angry that after all these years that I practiced my craft, I was being persecuted because of this child who came along and saw the Virgin. I watched you whenever I saw you in town or at the grocery store with your mother. Instead of feeling jealous, I sensed a frightened girl. A girl frightened of the gift she possessed and punishing herself for it and for the lie she told.”

  “My lie did a lot of damage. My parents got divorced because of it.”

  “If their marriage had any solid foundation, the incidents your little lie had caused would have brought them closer together.”

  “But what about Grandma? She died of a broken heart because of me.”

  “That’s what you called a heart attack as a child. She had a bad heart. It would have happened eventually. You need to accept what you are and quit blaming yourself.”

  “But I don’t want to be a healer, I—”

  “You already are,” she snapped. “And through that gift, you will be able to help your friend Jason. With your positive energy, you can heal the house.”

  “The house? Seriously?”

  “There are certain areas on earth and objects that contain imprints, or emotions, of past events, typically when something traumatic has occurred. The trauma leaves an imprint on surrounding objects. If the emotion is strong enough, the traumatic event that caused it plays out. The energy particles from the solar storm made these energy fields stronger.”

  “But, you said something the last time I was here about the susceptible. I thought you were talking about people.”

  “I was. Some people are more susceptible than others to the energy particles. It drives them crazy and makes them violent. It typically affects people who have these tendencies. The energy particles make the tendency stronger. Put them near imprinted objects, and they’re powerless over their actions.”

  “So that’s why Jason and his parents were caught in a script.”

  “They were caught in the energy left behind from some traumatic event that occurred in that house. The energy is affecting Jason’s family and playing out through them. Heal the energy, and you will heal Jason’s family.”

  “So, what do I need to do?”

  “The first, and most important, thing you need to do is to learn how to protect yourself. I sense that you are in danger, more than when you were curled up on the sidewalk being kicked to death or when you were struck in the head. It’s going to get worse for you. You need to be ready.”

  Normally, Jackie would have taken this as psychic mumbo jumbo, except that she thought Babu had been trying to tell her the same thing.

  “Fine,” she said. “Let’s do it.”

  “Good girl.” Madam Sophie rubbed her tiny, boney hands together. “Let’s start with protection techniques. You need to learn how to spiritually zip yourself up to keep out the negative energy when you’re in a highly emotional situation.”

  Jackie looked at her like she was nuts.

  “It’s just an imaginary zipper that you pull up from your pubic bone to your lower lip, like this.” She pinched her thumb and index finger together and demonstrated.

  “You’re serious?”

  “Of course, I’m serious. The area you are zipping is one of the energy pathways in your body. This area is capable of receiving negative energies. This is where your sickness is coming from when you’re absorbing stray emotions. Zipping yourself up will allow you to block negative energies and to basically shut off your psychic ability. Try it.”

  “All right then.” Jackie imagined a huge zipper running from her pelvis area to her lip. She pulled the imaginary zipper tab upward and imaged herself being safely zipped inside her body and all external emotions blocked out. If this really worked, she’d kiss Madam Sophie’s butt on Main Street and give her an hour to draw a crowd.

  “It will work if you believe it will work,” Madam Sophie said. “Now, let’s practice expelling the negative energies from your body. Sit up straight with both feet flat on the floor, your hands on your thighs. Take a deep breath. Hold it, letting your breath absorb the negative energy that is inside your body. Then exhale, imagining the negative energy flowing out your feet and into the floor.”

  Sitting erect with her feet flat on the floor, she did as Madam Sophie said. The breath she held grew denser and more tumultuous by the second. It pressed against her lungs. She held it inside until she could no longer contain it. She slowly pushed it from her lungs, imagining the airy beast sliding down her legs and seeping into the floor.

  “Wow. I feel relaxed.”

  “Good. Let’s work on turning your psychic power on and off. Rub your hands together like this.” Madam Sophie moved her open hands back and forth against each other. “This will sensitize your palms before taking a reading.”

  Jackie rubbed her palms together several times and then stopped.

  “Do you feel it?” Madam Sophie asked. “Do you feel the energy flowing through your palms?”

  “Yeah, it’s sort of tingly.”

  “Exactly.”

  “But, I don’t want to be a fortune-teller. I just want to be able to fix Jason’s problem.”

  “You won’t be able to protect yourself if you don’t learn how to turn your psychic powers on and off.”

  Madam Sophie had her practice on various objects that had belonged to clients of hers. With each object Jackie held, she had to tell Madam Sophie if the object exuded happiness or sadness, if the object belonged to a male or a female, and if any images, such as colors, symbols, or locations, came to mind. This was a cinch for Jackie. But after she held each object, she had to stop during the reading to zip herself up and to do the breathing exercise to cleanse herself of the energies she picked up. This was hard. She couldn’t shake the mood of the impressions.

  “You need to practice,” Madam Sophie said, “on people. Start with a friend. Then, when you’ve mastered shutting off your psychic powers and cleansing yourself, come back and we’ll develop your ability to heal.”

  “All right,” Jackie said. She already knew the friend she was going to practice on was Jason.

  Chapter 31

  Before leaving Madam Sophie’s, Jackie called Jason. “Jas, meet me at my house.”

  “I can’t,” he said. “I don’t want to leave Mom alone. She’s so depressed. I’m afraid she’ll go into the basement and freak out while I’m not here.”

  “That’s why I need you to come over. I think I can help her. I hate to say it, but you were right about something not being right in your basement.”

  “Ha! I knew it. But how do you know?”

  “Madam Sophie.”

  “So you are seeing Madam Sophie!”

  “I am now. She’s teaching me how to deal with the emotions. And”—Jackie swallowed—“she says I can heal your house.”

  “Is this Jackie I’m talking to? What happened to all the denial?”

  “I’m doing this for you… and to protect myself. Besides, it can’t hurt to try. If it works, there must be some scientific basis as to why it works.”

  “Then, why don’t you just come here and heal the house?”

  “Because I don’t know how. Not yet. I’m kind of in training, and I need your help to develop my… uh… abilities.”

  “I’m there,” he said. “Dad’s been staying at some dumpy hotel on the outskirts of town. If you can fix what’s been driving us all nuts, then maybe he can come home. He’s not the nicest guy to be around, but he is my dad, and he’s never been that abusive. I mean, he hasn’t been for a long time.”

  ***

  Jason showed at about seven thirty, when Babu was watching Dancing with the Stars and Mom was tucked away in her room. Jackie took him up to her bedroom and closed the door so Mom wouldn’t know what she and Jason were up to. As far as having Jason in her room with the door closed, well, she didn’t think Mom would care. Mom knew they were just friends.

  They sat cross-legged on the carpet, facing each oth
er.

  “All right Jas. I want you to think of something, a single thing. I want you to feel it emotionally. Okay?”

  Jason’s fingers tensed. They looked like spider legs ready to creep across the carpet. “Okay.”

  “Then, I’m going to take your hands and read your thoughts.”

  “I thought you said you weren’t psychic.”

  “In that way, I guess I am. I’m just not a fortune-teller. I mean, I can’t predict the future.”

  “But you—”

  “Just don’t use the word psychic. Okay? If I didn’t think I could help you in some way with this so-called talent, I wouldn’t be using it.”

  He hunched his shoulders. “You can’t change who you are. You can dye your hair, change your clothing style, but you’ll still be Jackie. And that’s not so bad. I think she’s a great person.”

  Her heart warmed. “Thanks, Jas. Okay, then, let’s start. Close your eyes and think of something you attach a lot of emotion to, like anger when your truck quits on you.” She hoped he wouldn’t concentrate on his emotional pain. She couldn’t bear it. Not even for the short time she intended to read his emotions and then shut them out.

  Jason closed his eyes.

  “Nod when you’re fully immersed in the feeling.”

  Jason’s face was pale and innocent, his closed eyelids as big as quarters.

  He nodded.

  “Keep your eyes closed, and keep thinking about it,” she said.

  She worked her fingers beneath his hands. His hands were soft. His fingers wrapped around hers like tendrils. It was the first time, ever, that she had held Jason’s hands. Sweat broke across her forehead and temples. She took in a few deep breaths and exhaled to relax, and then she closed her eyes and let the energy flow from his body into hers.

  A taut vibration, like that from a bow sliding across the strings of a violin, grew in her gut. The vibration rose from its center and resonated in her heart. Her arms tingled, and her hands warmed.

  The room was quiet, except for Jason’s breathing and her heart pounding. It felt like her heart was between her ears because her ears were throbbing. An image of a beating heart flashed in her mind. Is this what Jason was thinking? She wasn’t sure if she should ask, but Madam Sophie said she should spout out anything that came to mind, even if it didn’t make sense.

  All right. Here goes. “This may sound weird, but I see a heart beating inside my head.”

  Jason’s fingers tightened around her hands.

  The heart beat faster. Its warmth ebbed and flowed inside her, and she was immobilized by its rhythm.

  “What do you feel?” Jason asked. His voice was the final paralyzing force.

  Zipping herself up occurred to her, but even her will was subdued. Jason pulled her forward and pressed his lips to hers. Consumed with passion, she didn’t resist. They rolled together onto the floor, smothering each other in passionate kisses.

  A knock on the door broke the spell. Her eyes snapped open.

  The handle wriggled. “Jackie, what are you doing in there?” Mom asked.

  “Nothing, Mom,” Jackie said, her voice switching octaves. “We’re just studying.”

  “Well, study with the door open, or come downstairs.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Get off of me,” she whispered to Jason.

  Jason rolled off her. Kneeling before her, he looked at her with puppy-dog eyes. Jackie slowly raised her trembling body from the floor, using the bed for support. She hobbled to the door and unlocked it. When she opened the door, Mom was gone. She imagined the heat of her and Jason’s passion pouring out of her room and into the cold hallway for everyone to see.

  She dropped down on the bed beside Jason. “What were you thinking?” Dumb question.

  “How I felt about you. I guess I got carried away with the kiss. But, you didn’t resist.”

  “I was supposed to shut off the incoming emotions and then cleanse myself. That was the whole purpose of this exercise.”

  “Maybe, you didn’t want to.”

  The memory of holding David in the church filled her head. “What just happened between us wasn’t real.”

  “It was to me.” His fawn eyes focused on the floor.

  She wanted to touch him, but she was afraid to. “You have to understand, I get so caught up in other people’s emotions, I don’t know which emotions belong to me and which don’t.” She felt Jason’s spirit slipping into sulk mode. “I need to learn how to control this ‘emotions’ thing. Just give me some time. Okay?”

  “I promised I wouldn’t get mad again, didn’t I?”

  “Yeah, you did. And we are friends, Jas, which means you’re stuck with me, good or bad. Just, from now on, no more reading your thoughts.”

  Chapter 32

  In American Lit, Jason sat slightly turned in his desk chair looking at Jackie. When their eyes met, his gaze lingered on hers. She looked away and fiddled with her pen, beating it against her notebook.

  “Miss Turov,” Mr. Davis snapped. “Do you mind?”

  Mr. Davis looked like hell. His eyes were bloodshot, and he had bags under them as if he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep in days. There was something about his emotions that made her stomach tighten and fold into a fetal position. Something dark about him. And it had something to do with his wife passing.

  “Sorry.” She twisted the pen, squeezed it, and tried to bend it. Jason’s energy kept floating her way. She coughed and cleared her throat.

  “Is something wrong?” Mr. Davis looked agitated.

  “No, Mr. Davis. Nothing at all.”

  Everyone was staring at her as Jason’s thoughts flowed uninterrupted. He was thinking about their bedroom scene. She mentally zipped herself up.

  The imaginary zipper held and protected her for about two seconds and then busted open.

  “Stop it already,” she said to Jason.

  “Sorry, I can’t help it,” he whispered.

  “Is something going on between you two?” Mr. Davis asked, crabbily.

  Jason, slack-jawed, slouched in his chair. “No, sir.”

  The class laughed.

  Jackie grimaced.

  Mr. Davis tapped his finger on her desk. “I want to see you after class.”

  Great. She dreaded being near him with the awful emotions he was exuding, and she didn’t want him in her business. She eyed the clock above the whiteboard. There were fifteen minutes left before the bell. Hopefully, he’d forget by then.

  At the end of class, three classmates surrounded Mr. Davis with questions. Jackie slipped out the door.

  ***

  At lunch, Jason sat down beside Jackie and scooted his chair close to hers. He was smiling. He dug into his crumpled lunch bag. His mother reused the bags until they disintegrated, and he ate the same lunch every day—salami on white bread with mustard and barbequed chips.

  Zeta’s eyes narrowed as she studied Jason. “What’s up, Jas?” she asked with a smirk. “Bet I know what.”

  “Bet your mind’s in the gutter,” he replied.

  “It lives there.”

  Jackie shook her head in disgust.

  She startled when she saw Trish, who was standing at the head of the table, her lips rolled into a pout. Trish glared at Jackie and then walked up to Jason.

  “What’s this?” Trish asked Jason. “I thought you weren’t talking to her.” She said it like Jackie wasn’t present.

  He shrugged. “We made up.”

  “I’ll bet you did.” She turned to Jackie. “Bitch.” She stormed out into the hall. Jason chased after her.

  “Wow. Since when did Jason become such a Don Juan?” Zeta asked.

  “Since he sidled up with Trish, I guess.”

  “You think they did it?”

  “Trish did something to him. He’s been awful frisky lately.”

  “Frisky,” Zeta said. “Ha, like a puppy.”

  They both laughed.

  Jason returned five minutes before lunch was over. He
looked distraught, until he saw Jackie. Then, the color slowly returned to his cheeks.

  “Sorry,” he said to her as if she was expecting an apology.

  She kind of missed the old, sullen Jason. He was… safer.

  “Can we get together tonight?” he asked. “To work on your stuff?”

  Zeta fanned her face. “This is really getting hot.”

  “That’s not what he’s talking about, are you Jason?”

  “No, I’m talking about, like… your skills, so you can help me with my problem.”

  Zeta smacked the table. “Enough already.”

  “Zeta, would you just stop?” Jackie asked.

  “We could do it in my basement tomorrow morning,” he said. “My dad still hasn’t come home, and my mom will be out running errands and doing her grocery shopping. It’ll be safe.”

  Clutching her stomach, Zeta rolled with laughter.

  “Stop it already, Z,” Jackie said.

  “Oh, I forgot. It’s VQ I’m talking to.” Zeta scooted back her chair and stood up. “Got to go. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  “That doesn’t leave much,” Jackie said, trying to match her satire. When Zeta left, Jackie attempted to have a normal conversation with Jason. “I don’t know if I’m ready. I still feel so vulnerable.”

  He clenched the hair draped over the side of his face. “Please, Jackie. I want my dad to come home. If we could at least find out what’s been going on with the house, it may be a good start in solving this problem.”

  She sighed. “All right.”

  Chapter 33

  When Jackie stepped into Jason’s basement, the hair on her arms rose. “Do you feel that?” she asked Jason.

  “What?”

  “The energy.”

  “It’s hot down here.”

  “Let me see your arms.”

  Jason pulled up his sleeves.

  “Look, your hair is rising too,” she said.

  “Goose bumps? In a hot basement?”

  “More like static electricity.”

  Jackie stepped farther into the room. The energy was strongest in the center. She felt agitated, like the air around her was brushing her the wrong way. She stopped and took a deep breath and imagined the air in her lungs sponging the negative energy inside her. Then she exhaled, expelling the negative energy–filled air. She inhaled and exhaled two more times like this.