Forgotten (In The Shadows, Book One)

by Catherine Gardiner

  Ten minutes later Mrs. Sinclair and Katrina were driving home. Katrina looked out of the window and let her mind wander back to what Doctor Clairmont had said to her.

  Why do I still have this damn amnesia? Katrina thought angrily. I feel so helpless!

  “Katrina, sweetheart?”

  Katrina looked over at Mrs. Sinclair and smiled faintly.

  “Are you sure that there’s nothing wrong?”

  “Well,” Katrina began nervously, wetting her lips, “Doctor Clairmont hypnotized me and regressed me back to a past life in today’s session.”

  Mrs. Sinclair suddenly braked at that. There came a chorus of blaring car horns around them. “Is that safe?”

  “Ow!” Katrina cried out, rubbing her right shoulder where her seat belt had cut into her when the car had jerked forward.

  “I’m sorry, Katrina,” Mrs. Sinclair replied guiltily, starting the car and easing back into the rush hour traffic. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

  “No, Mom, you didn’t hurt me. I was just a bit surprised. And yes, Doctor Clairmont assured me that she wouldn’t do anything that would put me in any kind of danger.”

  “So you were hypnotized and you’re sure it was safe, but why didn’t Doctor Clairmont inform me what she had planned? I was talking to her before your session this afternoon; she should have mentioned something to me; after all, I am your foster mother. I have a right to know these things …”

  “Mom! Please, you’re overreacting. Like I said, I was completely safe, and besides that …” Katrina stopped and looked out of her window, her palms beginning to sweat.

  The atmosphere in the car became uneasy. It was quiet for a while, until Mrs. Sinclair finally said, “Katrina,” breaking the silence.

  Katrina sighed and turned back toward Mrs. Sinclair. “I told Doctor Clairmont not to call you because I knew you would only worry.”

  “Has Jessica been giving you pointers?”

  Katrina smiled back faintly again.

  “So what happened?” Mrs. Sinclair asked, absently switching the car’s windshield wipers on as the heavens opened and rain started to lash down.

  “I said … well, I said some confusing things.” She rubbed her temples, sighing heavily.

  Mrs. Sinclair looked over at Katrina and stared wistfully at the sad expression etched on her face. “Katrina, what’s bothering you? I’d do anything to make you happy, but you have to talk to me.”

  Katrina managed a weak smile. “I know, Mom. Can we change the subject though? I’m just not feeling up to going into it at the moment.”

  “Okay. I’m here for you if you need me though, we all are.”

  As soon as Mrs. Sinclair had parked the car in their driveway, Katrina hopped out and hurried inside the house to avoid the rain.

  “Hi, Dad!” Katrina called as she passed the family room on her way to the kitchen.

  Mr. Sinclair was tall, slim, and good looking with short brown hair and gray eyes. Jessica often joked that her father should have been an actor instead of a lawyer like her mother, but unlike Mrs. Sinclair who worked nearby, Jessica’s father worked long hours over in Portland.

  “How did today’s session go, sweetheart?” Mr. Sinclair asked, looking up briefly from the television program he was watching to smile at Katrina.

  “It was okay, I guess. Can I tell you about it later?” Katrina said, reappearing briefly at the doorway before disappearing again to go back into the kitchen.

  Jessica was in the kitchen when Katrina walked in. “So, how did it really go?” she asked mischievously.

  Katrina sat down at the kitchen table and watched Jessica make herself a sandwich, her white West-Highland Terrier, Shelby, skipping around her feet.

  “Can you make me one of those?”

  “Sure. So how did the session go?” Jessica repeated, her head still inside the fridge.

  “Can I fill you in later? I’m not really in the mood to talk about it right now.”

  “Okay, sure,” Jessica shrugged.

  “So what are you doing tonight, Jess?”

  “Billy’s coming over; we thought we would watch a couple of movies.”

  “Oh.” Katrina sighed.

  Billy Kendle was five foot ten inches tall, with broad shoulders and a muscular chest. His hair was brown with blond highlights, and it hung straight down to his collar. His eyes were an intense gray in color. Katrina had met him after a basketball game for the Sycamore Wolves that he played for; she had felt that there was something not quite right about him, especially his eyes, which sometimes had a feral look to them that made Katrina shiver.

  “You didn’t have anything planned for us to do together that I’ve forgotten about, like go and see a movie or something, did you?”

  “No,” Katrina said absently, still thinking about Billy.

  Jessica placed a ham sandwich on the table in front of Katrina and then sat down across from her.

  “Why don’t you like Billy?” Jessica asked, taking a bite out of her sandwich.

  “I wouldn’t say that I don’t like him.”

  “Then what would you say?” Jessica said.

  “It’s hard to explain.”

  Jessica got up from the table and went to get two cans of Pepsi out of the fridge. Sitting back in her seat, she handed one to Katrina. “Try me,” she instructed.

  “I don’t trust him.”

  “That’s only because you don’t know him. If you got to know him you would find out what a great and sensitive guy he really is.” Jessica paused and took a drink of her soda before continuing, “Besides, I’ve known Billy since kindergarten and we’ve been dating since we were both freshmen. I’d know if there was something not to trust about him.”

  “I’m still not convinced.”

  “Katrina, I’m not trying to convince you. It’s just that I want you and Billy to get along.”

  “I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”

  Her sandwich finished, Jessica placed her empty plate in the sink. “You finished?”

  “Hmm, thank you,” Katrina said, passing her plate over. “That was delicious.”

  “So, what are you going to do tonight?” Jessica inquired, sitting back down at the kitchen table, Shelby jumping up onto her lap.

  “I haven’t really thought about it. I might watch some television in my room. Maybe I’ll read.”

  “How boring! I’ve got a better idea — do you want to watch some DVDs with Billy and me?”

  “Not really, Jess. But thanks for asking anyway.”

  “You’d be doing me a favor if you changed your mind!”

  “I would?”

  “Well, let’s just say that even though I love Billy I’m not in any mood for his raging hormones tonight!”

  “So you want me there so he doesn’t try anything?”

  “Exactly!” Jessica said happily, stroking Shelby.

  “Okay, you’ve twisted my arm, but you owe me one!”

  “Sure, anything. There is just one more thing.”

  “Go on,” Katrina said apprehensively.

  “Will you help me get ready?” Jessica asked hopefully.

  Shelby jumped off Jessica’s lap, disappearing down the hall.

  “Have I got a choice?”

  “Not really, no!” Jessica said, pulling Katrina to her feet.

  Giggling, the girls left the kitchen and made their way upstairs. Shelby bounded after them, yapping happily.

  Five

  Katrina sat on Jessica’s bed cross-legged and watched Jessica get ready.

  “I like it,” Katrina said after a while.

  “Are you sure? I don’t normally have my hair tied up.”

  “It’s fine, stop getting stressed.”

  Jessica looked in the mirror again; she was wearing her favorite blue sweater with a long blue skirt that she had bought that afternoon at the mall and her hair was in a French braid that Katrina had entwined with ribbon.

  Downstairs, the doorbell rang, f
ollowed swiftly by two sharp knocks.

  “That’s him!” Jessica cried happily, hurrying out of the bedroom.

  Katrina followed and waited at the top of the stairs until Billy had gone into the den, then, picking up Shelby, who had followed her out of Jessica’s bedroom, slowly made her way in after them.

  “You don’t mind if I join you?” Katrina asked casually from the doorway.

  Jessica gave Katrina a sly wink from behind Billy’s back. “Of course not. The more the merrier.”

  “I thought it was just you and me tonight, babe?” Billy whispered in Jessica’s ear. He slumped into the nearest armchair, a scowl on his face.

  “I’m sorry, but what can I do? She’s like a sister,” Jessica whispered back sweetly.

  Billy gave Jessica a look. Instantly his demeanor softened. Grinning, he pulled Jessica onto his lap and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

  Jessica giggled.

  Katrina came into the room and sat down on the couch, placing Shelby next to her.

  “What movies did you get?” Katrina asked Billy.

  “Here!” Billy said, passing them to Katrina.

  Katrina looked at the cover of each DVD and grimaced. “They’re all horror!”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Billy asked innocently.

  “Why do you insist on watching junk like this?” Jessica exclaimed after she had looked at them herself.

  “They’re classic movies!”

  “Yeah, classically gross,” Katrina mumbled to herself.

  “Billy! How can you call these classics? They’re all the same.”

  “I would have to agree with Jessica,” Katrina interrupted.

  “Thank you!” Jessica said, exasperated, getting up from Billy’s lap and moving to sit at the other side of Katrina on the couch.

  “Is this gang-up-on-Billy day today or have I missed something?” he said defensively.

  “Billy, sometimes you can be so paranoid! We’re not ganging up on you. We’d just like to watch something different for a change.”

  “Like what?” Billy asked sarcastically.

  “Anything that doesn’t have blood or werewolves in would be a start!”

  “Oh, you mean something like this?” Billy reached into his jacket and withdrew one final DVD, which he passed to Jessica.

  “Exactly that!” Jessica said, jumping up off the couch to hug her boyfriend. “Thank you! It’s my favorite!”

  Later that night, in Katrina’s bedroom after Billy had left, Jessica was brushing her long blonde hair in front of her foster sister’s dressing table mirror. “Isn’t Billy just the best?” She dropped the hair brush and turned toward Katrina, who was lying on her bed, flicking through a fashion magazine. “Katrina, the house is on fire!”

  “Is it? Oh, that’s good,” Katrina replied without looking up.

  “Katrina!”

  “Mmm …”

  “Are you listening to me?”

  “Mmm …”

  “KATRINA!”

  “Yes?” Katrina said, turning her head toward Jessica.

  “I’ve been talking to you for over an hour and you haven’t heard a single word I’ve said, have you?” Jessica scolded, folding her arms across her chest.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jessica turned serious. “Is it Billy? He didn’t say anything to you when I went to get some more popcorn, did he?”

  Katrina hesitated.

  Should I tell her what Billy said? No, what’s the point in upsetting her? Besides, what did he even mean when he said that he ‘knows what I am’? Katrina thought.

  “No, nothing. You’re right; he is a great guy,” Katrina lied.

  “So if it isn’t Billy that’s troubling you, what is?”

  Thinking quickly, Katrina responded, “My sister.”

  “What have I done?” Jessica said, taken aback.

  “You haven’t done anything. What I meant to say is my real sister, Suzanne.”

  “Is this about what happened in today’s session with Doctor Clairmont?”

  “Yes, it wasn’t a good session today.”

  “Can you remember anything about your sister?” Jess asked.

  “Not much. The last time I saw her was over …” Katrina stopped talking and sat up, hugging her knees to her chest.

  Jessica crossed to her foster sister’s bed and sat down. “What’s wrong?”

  “Jessica, you’re going to find this really absurd, but I was going to say that the last time I saw Suzanne was over two hundred years ago.” She let out a little false laugh which turned into a sob. “I’m going crazy, aren’t I?”

  “No, you’re not crazy. Stop talking like that,” Jessica said firmly.

  “Then why do I have this feeling that she’s still alive somewhere?”

  “Because she probably is.”

  “But, Jessica …”

  “No buts. Suzanne’s alive and with my help you’re going to find her.” Jessica got off the bed and headed toward the door. “Didn’t you bring home some kind of book about Past Lives? Mom mentioned to me earlier that your doctor had regressed you to a previous life. I doubt she gave it to you for light reading. Do you think that it could help us?”

  “It could, I suppose, but I don’t know. Doctor Clairmont said that the author thinks that we can figure out things in this life if we look into what happened in previous lives.”

  “That sounds promising! Can you remember where it is?”

  “Either in the car, or Mom probably put it by the phone in the hall.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right back!” Jessica hurried from the room.

  Five minutes later Jessica returned, book in one hand and two sodas in the other. Jessica handed the book and one of the sodas to Katrina, then lifted Shelby and climbed back onto the bed. Shelby made himself comfortable in Jessica’s lap.

  “So do you think it will help? The book, I mean,” Jessica asked as Katrina began flipping through.

  “I don’t know; most of it is just interviews. But maybe I’m missing something.”

  “Okay, well how about I look through for anything useful while you try and remember everything you can about Suzanne and the last time you saw her.”

  Katrina passed the book across and crossed her legs – but she couldn’t get comfortable, so she got off the bed and began to pace the room before sitting down on a cushioned stool in front of her dressing table.

  “Are you okay?” Jessica asked, looking up from the book.

  “Um, sure. Why do you ask?”

  “Because you’ve been pacing the room like a caged tiger.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize.”

  “Jessica, why are you helping me? Most people would just think I’m crazy and try and put me into a mental hospital or something.”

  Jessica closed the book and placed it next to her on the bed. Shelby jumped off Jessica’s lap and moved to Katrina’s pillows, curling back up, yawning and going back to sleep. Jessica leaned over and stroked him behind his ears.

  “Firstly,” Jessica started, returning her attention to Katrina, “I’m helping you because you happen to be my foster sister and I care about you. Secondly, because I’ve seen and heard some pretty strange things.”

  “Like what?” Katrina asked, leaning forward on her stool.

  “Well, to begin with, last year I was in the drama club and I was in the auditorium with some other people from the club, rehearsing. Suddenly, some lights came down and pinned a couple of students underneath them. The rest of us tried to lift the lights off them but they were too heavy, so a couple of people went off to get help and to call 911, and I was left to try and move it by myself.”

  “Jessica?” Katrina interrupted.

  “Yes?”

  “This does have a happy ending?”

  “Yes.”

  “One more thing.”

  “What?”

  “How heavy were the lights?”

  “I think they weighed over a ton.”<
br />
  “And you were left to try and move it by yourself?” Katrina asked, surprised.

  “Well I had to; the people that were trapped were starting to lose consciousness so I had to try and do something.”

  “So what happened?”

  “Well, I was there all alone and just when I thought no help was coming, two of my friends from the cheerleading squad were passing the auditorium and came to see if they could help. One of them, Madison Foxx, asked me if I could find some blankets in one of the prop rooms and, this is no word of a lie, I had just got some blankets and I was in the wings of the stage –” Jessica paused; she opened her soda and took a long drink – “when I saw Madison along with another cheerleader, Samantha Daniels, lift the lights clear off the people that were trapped and place them a safe distance away. It was as if the lights didn’t weigh a thing. So I confronted them about it – but they flatly denied it, said I must have been hallucinating. But I wasn’t.”

  “Wow,” Katrina managed to say after a few moments, “that’s amazing! Were the people who were trapped okay?”

  “That’s another weird thing; none of them had even a bruise to show for it. But that’s nothing compared to what happened at New Year’s!”

  “Why! What happened?”

  “Well, this is only what I’ve heard …”

  “Go on,” Katrina said impatiently.

  “Well, last New Year, Logan Vickers from the baseball team and his girlfriend, Ashley Conners, were coming home from a party when Logan lost control of his car on some ice that was on the road.”

  “That’s terrible – are they okay?” Chewing her bottom lip, she added, “They didn’t die, did they?”

  “No, but the car was totaled. Logan loved that car.”

  “What happened then?”

  “That’s where things get confusing. All that Ashley can remember is that one minute she’s trapped in the car, and the next she wakes up in hospital with Logan at her bedside.”

  “And what about Logan? Was he hurt?”

  “No, not a scratch, and according to the police reports he’s the one who got Ashley out of the car, then carried her three miles to the nearest hospital in the snow.”

  “How did he get her out?”

  “By tearing the passenger door off like it was a candy bar wrapper. The tow truck people found it lying next to the car when they went to collect it. It took three of them to lift the door and put it on the tow truck.”