Stolen Dreams - A Mary O'Reilly Paranormal Mystery - Book Fourteen

by Terri Reid

  “The other side?” Bradley asked, his frustration and fear evident. “This is what you were talking about earlier. This is why you don’t use séances or Ouija boards. So, why does someone else’s mistake affect Mary?”

  “Because it wasn’t just a mistake, was it Mike?” Mary asked. “It was a plan. This was their plan. They put things in motion so someday, somehow, I would walk into that room and confront them.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, these are very intelligent beings we are dealing with,” he said. “And very powerful. And they got time on their side. This demon, Crocell, he’s a leader in the army, not just an infantry guy.”

  “So they called in the big guns to ambush Mary,” Ian said.

  Mary shivered and took a sip of her tea. “So, I’m not ready to throw a victory party,” she said, “but I did walk out of there, this time. So, what do we do next?”

  “You stay the hell away from that house,” Bradley said. “That’s what you do.”

  “But Bradley…” Mary began.

  Bradley turned and stared at her. “Are you kidding me?” he asked. “You were nearly killed, nearly suffocated, and you can even contemplate going back there?”

  “But Marty…” she said.

  Bradley stood up and towered over her. “No, Marty and Sol were the ones that allowed the creature through the door,” he said. “I’m sorry that Marty has to pay for it, but there’s no way you’re going back there again.”

  Ian released a long sigh and walked over to Bradley. “I agree with everything you’ve said here,” he said. “And I totally agree with protecting the people you love above all else. But unless I’m mistaken, the damage is already done, and because this demon has made contact with Mary, just like the spirits she helps, it’s no longer contained in that dining room. Am I right, Mike?”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah, it’s not that easy,” he replied. “The only reason the demon was staying in the dining room was because it wanted to stay there. There is no power holding it there. It chose to pretend it was caught so Sol and Marty would continue to come to the house. It needed to bait a trap and it was willing to wait until one or the other of them rose to the occasion.”

  “So, this thing can come into our home?” Bradley asked. “And we can’t stop it.”

  Mary shook her head. “No, I had the house blessed when I first moved in,” she said. “That should prevent it from coming here.”

  “But that won’t prevent it from coming after Mary in any other way it can,” Mike said.

  Bradley paced angrily across the room, running his hand through his hair. “I can’t tell you how frustrating this is to me,” he exclaimed and then he turned to Mike. “And you, you told me she was being watched over. She was being protected. What kind of protection did she get today?”

  “She got protection once she asked for it,” Mike replied softly.

  “What the hell does that mean?” Bradley shouted.

  “I prayed,” Mary said quietly. “Once I prayed, Mike was there. Once I prayed, the demon lost power over me.”

  “I get that it’s frustrating, Bradley, but this whole world is built on the premise of agency,” Mike explained. “God doesn’t force you to do His Will. You get to make choices, which means that unless you ask for help, His hands are tied.”

  “But He’s God,” Bradley said. “He makes the rules.”

  “And He abides by them,” Mike replied.

  Sinking down onto the couch, Bradley cradled his head in his hands for a moment. Finally, he sighed, then lifted his head and looked over at Mary. “So, we fight?” he asked her.

  She smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, we fight.”

  “Well, I’m in,” Ian replied. “I’ve never fought a demon before. Should be exciting.”

  “Hey, Mary, you don’t have to worry about me,” Marty said. “You got enough stuff on your plate. I can hang around on the earth for a while longer.”

  Mary put her teacup down, pushed the blanket off her lap, stood up and walked over to Marty. “Did you ever consider that the reason the demon targeted you and Sol was because he was trying to get to me all along?” she asked. “We’re connected in this whole thing. So, I’m still in if you’re still in.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, at once hopeful and hesitant.

  “Positive,” Mary replied and then she turned to Mike. “Okay, what’s next?”

  “Well, I think we need to go at this in a twofold manner,” he said. “We really do need you to solve the murder so Marty goes to the light. Having his wandering spirit around the house is only giving the demon more energy.”

  “Okay, so we continue with the original plan,” Ian said.

  “With a couple exceptions,” Mike added.

  “What are those?” Bradley asked.

  “First, demons feed on fear and like to manipulate you,” Mike said. “They really don’t have any more power than you give them.” He turned to Mary. “What were you feeling when you walked down the hallway towards the dining room?”

  “Fear,” she admitted. “The house was dark and the atmosphere oppressive. It’s funny. I remember thinking that Sol must have placed some kind of subliminal mood transformer in the area, like a high-pitched, sound wave to make me feel anxious.”

  “Exactly,” Mike said. “Setting a scary mood to make you feel anxious and heighten your fear levels. So, what do we do to combat that?”

  “Well, we need a noise that counters that,” she said, and then she turned and grinned at Ian. “Tomorrow we’re bringing Motown.”

  Chapter Thirty-seven

  Bradley looked down at his watch and then looked up at his wife. “You have things to do,” she said before he could comment.

  “Yeah,” he replied with uncertainty. “I’ve got some meetings, but I could cancel—”

  “Bradley, I’m fine,” she interrupted. “Actually, more than fine, I feel a little exhilarated, like after you get off a rollercoaster and you realize you survived.”

  “Well, I’d rather you not get back on that particular rollercoaster again,” he said, still not certain he should leave her. “We don’t really know how this affected you or the baby.”

  “I’m fine,” she reiterated and then she took his hand and placed it on her belly so he could feel the baby kick. “And Mikey is kicking up a storm in there. So, he’s good, too.”

  “I’m still…”

  “I’ll stay with her for the rest of the day,” Ian said. “I won’t let her out of my sight. And if we need to go anywhere, I’ll drive.”

  “But…” Mary started to protest.

  “Darling, this has nothing to do with your driving ability,” Ian said. “And I’ve been driven by you more than once. But if that demon decides to come visiting inside your head again, I’d rather not have you at the wheel.”

  Mary turned to Mike. “Could it do that?” she asked. “Come back?”

  Mike shrugged. “Well, it’s made a connection with you, like the ghosts you help,” he said. “So, potentially that could happen. Although I think it’s stronger at the house in Pearl City.”

  “So, you and Ian are going to stay away from the house for the rest of the day,” Bradley said. “Just to make sure there aren’t any residual effects.”

  Mary nodded. “Actually, that works,” she agreed. “I wanted to take a trip back up to Wisconsin this afternoon and visit the convent again. If there’s one place a demon might feel uncomfortable it’s on the ground of a Catholic convent.”

  “Aye, that sounds like a good place to visit,” Ian said. “I’m interested in meeting the nun you told me about.”

  “Yeah, and if you see her, remind her that the bathroom is off limits,” Bradley said. “It’s really uncomfortable not knowing if a nun is going to pop in when you’re getting out of the shower.”

  Mary grinned at him and winked. “And once she got a look at you, she’d probably never leave us alone again,” she teased.

  Chuckling at his blush, she leaned over and kissed him.
“I will mention to her that bathroom visits are off limits,” she said, “if she happens to appear to me again.”

  “Thank you,” he replied. “I really appreciate it.”

  He stood up, helped her to her feet and put his arms around her. “You will take care of yourself and not do anything dangerous?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Okay, I’ll take shimmying up the outside of the convent walls and breaking into the third floor offices off the list of things I wanted to do today,” she said with a sigh, as she held back a smile. “Other than that, the rest of the list is fairly mundane.”

  Bradley inhaled deeply and shook his head. “Why did I think that being married to you would be easy?” he asked.

  She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, be honest, you never believed that.”

  He bent down and kissed her. “You’re right,” he agreed. “I knew it would never be easy but would always be interesting.”

  He looked over her shoulder to Ian. “You’ll watch over her?” he asked.

  “Aye,” he replied. “And it’s relieved I am that we won’t be climbing up the outsides of convents today. I get in more trouble that way.”

  Bradley looked over at Mike. “What do you think?”

  Mike hesitated for a moment. “I think she’s in no more danger going up to Wisconsin than she is staying here at the house,” he replied evenly.

  Bradley nodded. “Okay, good,” he said. “That makes me feel better.”

  He gave Mary another quick kiss and then walked over to the door. “I’ll pick up something for dinner tonight,” he said.

  “Great, thanks,” Mary replied, eager for him to leave so she could question Mike on his enigmatic response. “I’ll see you later, sweetheart.”

  Once the door was closed, Mary turned to Mike. “Okay, what did you really mean by I’m no more in danger by going up there than by staying here?” she asked. “Did you really mean I’m in danger here?”

  “Yeah. You’re in danger here or there,” he said. “You’ve been marked, Mary. They don’t like what you’re doing and you’re on a kind of hit list.”

  She nodded slowly. “Are Bradley and Clarissa in danger?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Well, let me add a stipulation to that statement. They are in no more danger than any of the rest of the human race who are trying their best to live good lives and help other people. That whole ‘doing good’ thing is not what demons want to have happen on the earth. So, there are obstacles thrown up in the way of good people everywhere.”

  “Obstacles,” Ian said. “But not attacks like what happened to Mary.”

  Mike nodded. “Right,” he said. “Those are rare because generally and unfortunately, the obstacles are enough to change a person’s attitude and have them become depressed, overwhelmed, unhappy or sad. The positive ends, the negative begins and the demons win. But Mary is a totally different case. She not only is a good person, she is helping confused spirits gain their eternal reward. So, she’s much more of a threat to them.”

  “So, I just need to be constantly aware,” she said.

  “Yeah,” Mike said. “Situational awareness is what we used to call it in the fire department. Always be aware of where you are, what you’re doing and the possible threats in any situation. Pay attention to your feelings. And, if your intuition warns you away from a situation, listen to it.”

  “Like the feeling I had when I approached that dining room door,” she replied, “when I thought I ought to get Ian.”

  He nodded. “Exactly,” he said. “God will answer your prayers and help you, but he also sends you warnings beforehand. You just have to listen to those warnings.”

  “Okay, I’m on high alert,” she said. “But I can’t let these threats stop me from doing what I’m supposed to do.”

  “As long as you remember to be cautious,” he said. “And always have someone with you, at least for now.”

  “So, am I correct in assuming you’ll be joining our little group for the next few days?” Ian asked Mike.

  Mike smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I will,” he said. “And I’m not even worried that you’re used to driving on the wrong side of the road.”

  “Because you know I’m a good driver?” Ian asked.

  “No,” Mike replied. “Because I’m already dead.”

  Chapter Thirty-eight

  “Really, Christmas music?” Ian complained. “It isn’t even Halloween yet.”

  Mary stopped singing the chorus about Christmastime in the city and turned to Ian. “What in the world is more hopeful and heartwarming than Christmas music?” she asked. “This ought to chase any demons away.”

  “Aren’t there Halloween songs we could sing?” he asked.

  “I don’t think those would have the same kind of light-hearted spirit to them,” she replied.

  “I’ve got one,” Mike suggested.

  “What?” Mary asked.

  Mike immediately began singing “Thriller” using a high, falsetto voice and acting out the motions in the back of the SUV. Laughing, Mary joined in the words as well as the motions while Ian just shook his head and reached over to turn up the Christmas carols playing on the radio.

  Laughing even harder, Mary leaned back in the seat and wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. “I feel so much better,” she breathed. “Thank you. I needed this.”

  “No problem,” Ian said. “It’s good to see you laugh. Now, what are we going to do once we get to the convent?”

  Mary shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said.

  Ian glanced over at her. “So, we’re making it up as we go along?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow in her direction.

  She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess,” she said.

  Mike leaned back and smiled. “So, what you’re saying is that we’re following the usual and customary procedure of an O’Reilly investigation.”

  “Okay, that was rude,” Mary said, twisting around in her seat and glaring at Mike.

  “Aye darling, but the truth hurts,” Ian added.

  Mary turned and looked at Ian. “You, too?” she asked. “And here I thought all along I had you both fooled into thinking I was well organized and logical.”

  Mike snorted. “No, I think of you as more of a go-for-it person,” he said.

  “That’s good, right?” she asked.

  Ian grinned. “Let’s just say that you’re more intuitive than administrative,” he said diplomatically. “And we both appreciate that side of you.”

  She sighed dramatically and threw her hands over her head. “Well someone here needs to be spontaneous,” she grumbled.

  “Well, Madam Spontaneity,” Ian teased. “If you don’t tell me which way to turn up here, we are going to be very spontaneous.”

  “Take a right turn,” Mary replied. “And then it’s only a couple more miles. But, don’t worry, I’ll have come up with a plan.”

  Ian met Mike’s eyes in the review mirror and shook his head. Mike just grinned back.

  A few minutes later they pulled into the long driveway that led the way to the convent. Ian started to drive in when Mary placed her hand on his arm. “Wait,” she said. “Turn down this drive. It goes to the cemetery.”

  Following her directions, Ian pulled the vehicle up to the front of the cemetery a few minutes later. They got out of the car and walked towards the small plot of land. As soon as Mary neared the gate, she looked around, hoping to find the nun who had visited her the night before. But she was nowhere in sight.

  “Looking for someone?” Ian asked.

  Mary nodded. “Yes, there was a nun who appeared to me the last time I was here,” she said. “She wasn’t very helpful, but I felt that with enough time, she might just come over to our side.”

  “Why did you think that?” he asked.

  “Her sister was one of the girls here who died in childbirth,” she said. “I thought she might be sympathetic to the cause.”

  “Why don’t we try
to find the sister?” Mike asked. “She might still be hanging around.”

  They all entered the old cemetery. The gravestones were an array of old, nearly worn down marble headstones to modern, granite edifices. Large trees were scattered throughout the plot, their golden and red leaves still hanging to their branches but occasionally taking to flight when a strong wind blew through. The grass was still green, although it was beginning to fade slightly and brown with wrinkled leaves interspersed in the verdant shoots.

  “This would be a peaceful place to rest,” Mike said, looking at the view from the cemetery, which was situated at the top of a hill.

  “And by the looks of these headstones, this place has quite a history,” Ian said, slowly walking over to a tall, marble stone with a nearly smooth surface where the name and date used to be. He moved closer, squatted down and carefully brushed away some lichen that had grown on the stone. “This one is dated 1865, but the name is too faded out to read.”

  “Her name was Sister Agnes,” a sweet voice replied and Ian turned to find the ghost of a nun next to him.

  “Good morning, Sister,” Ian replied, standing up and nodding to her. She was dressed in the habits of nuns from the early 1900s, dark, voluminous and stiff. But her smiling eyes and calm composure softened the impression her clothing made. “I am Professor Ian McDougal.”

  “Good morning, young man,” the nun replied. “I am Sister Maria Magdaletta. I didn’t realize they were making professors so young these days.”

  Ian smiled and stepped closer to her. “Thank you, Sister Magdaletta.”

  “Oh, please, make it Sister Maria,” she insisted. “It’s so much easier to say.”

  “How long have you been here?” he asked.

  She looked fondly around the grounds and turned back to him. “I’ve been here nearly 150 years,” she replied. “I was one of the gardeners, so I took care of the cemetery plants. I used to love planting roses next to Sister Agnes’s gravestone. I was told she had a fondness for them.”

  “The cemetery is still lovely,” he replied.