What neither one of us had noticed was that we weren't alone. As Jeremy raised his voice he let go of me and just started screaming at me. He was out of control. That was when I felt there was somebody standing behind me.
All of a sudden he stopped, closed his eyes, and composed himself. He stood there with his eyes closed. I could see the tension drained out of his body. What I wasn't prepared for was the look on his face when he finally opened his eyes.
"Ann, I'm really sorry for the way I acted. Please forgive…" At that point his eyes went wide open, his face went paler than it already looked, and his mouth dropped open. "Ahh!...Noooo!" And he turned and ran up the road toward the upper parking lot. A few minutes later I heard him scream again and he came running back to the car.
He jumped in the car and started the engine; I realized that he was about to leave me standing there alone in the empty parking lot. I ran over and pounded on the window until he realized I was standing there. He recognized me just long enough that I grabbed the door handle and jumped in. I buckled in as he turned the car around and headed to the highway. We did meet that truck as I said before and taking that curve was very frightening as it was close enough to scrape paint with the trucks rear bumper. I have never been that scared for so long. He was still going too fast when we got to Durango and we got picked up by Officer Mellon.
Jeremy had calmed down by then and he pulled the car into the nearest parking lot and shut off the engine.
When Officer Mellon asked him why he was going so fast Jeremy told him there were spooks up there and they were following us. I didn't say anything, but I hadn't seen anything behind us all the way back. Officer Mellon gave us both a breathalyzer test before issuing him a citation and a warning. But, that wasn't the end of it.
The stop had allowed Jeremy to compose himself. He tossed the citation on the floor and took a deep breath before looking at me. "Sorry about that back there. I don't know what came over me." He looked mystified. "I've never done that before. I didn't hurt you did I?" He sounded sincere, but I'd come to distrust his moods.
"No, but why were you screaming up there? I didn't see anything." I didn't mention that I felt there was someone watching us.
"I must have been tired, I thought I saw an old Indian standing behind you." He laughed half-heartedly. "Even looked a lot like that guitar player friend of yours in the band. He was glowing in the dark and he pointed his finger at me with the meanest look I've ever seen." His voice was starting to go hysterical again. Then I was running and there he was again, right in front of me."
He started shaking all over again. "Next thing I know you're pounding on the window of the car and I'm about to leave you behind."
"Jeremy, calm down! There was no one there." I was shaking his shoulder trying to get him to stop shaking. Then his eyes seemed to focus on me as he calmed down.
"How about a kiss then?"
"You're incorrigible" I replied exasperatedly as I moved over toward the door and sat looking straight ahead. "Take me home; now!" I demanded.
"And what about…" He stopped abruptly.
I turned to see what was wrong with him this time. He was staring into the back seat in total fear. He fumbled for his seat belt and bolted from the car leaving me sitting there in the dark; now what has gotten into him?
"Jeremy!" I hollered after him, "Where are you going?"
That was when I noticed a glow coming from the back seat; must be a car behind us. Probably the officer coming back to see why we were still sitting here. I turned around to look out the back window.
The voice was surprisingly silent. I now remember clearly what I saw when I looked behind me. It wasn't the lights from a car shining through the rear window; the glow was coming from a ghostly figure sitting on the back seat, none other then the visage of my old friend Silent Runner just sitting there smiling at me. Just before I passed out I thought I heard him say something to me.
"Relax Quiet Flower; he is not the one for you." Then with great wisdom, "You will know when the right one comes along, you already know who he is and he will come to you." His voice faded as I spiraled into unconsciousness.
Those words were the last thing I remember before waking up nearly an hour later to a tapping on the window. I don't remember closing the door and locking the car or, for that matter, where did the blanket I was wrapped in come from? Then the tapping came again.
"Yes?" I called back. It was a different officer shining his flashlight into the car.
"Miss" he called again. "You can't park here. You're going to have to move along."
I groggily looked around but he was the only other person in the parking lot, there was no sign of Jeremy anywhere. "Yes officer" I thought fast. "I was just a little tired" I told him.
I tossed the blanket into the back and walked around the car to the driver's side and climbed in; fortunately Jeremy had run off without taking the keys with him. Aunt Margaret was going to go ballistic when I get home. Slowly I left the parking lot and drove Jeremy's car home. I'm glad the officer didn't ask for my license, I didn't have one yet.
The light in the kitchen window, as I pulled into the yard, let me know that she was up and waiting for me. I checked my watch, only a half hour late. I shuddered to think what she would do to Jeremy when she caught up with him. I left the keys in the car and just left it there in the driveway and went into the house.
Chapter 26: Inquisition
I woke up feeling much better than I had in years. Previously suppressed memories became crystal clear. I remembered where I was, why I was there, and who the mysterious voice was.
"OK Doctor Howland, am I all better now?" I asked. Strange, he was completely silent. Angered that he had fallen asleep I jumped up off the couch and faced him. No, he wasn't asleep, or at least he didn't have his eyes closed.
"Doctor Howland? Doctor Jesse Howland? Hello in there. Is this also part of the therapy session?"
He didn't respond so I moved over closer to him. He had his watch around his finger. That was his favorite thing to do when he was distracting you from what he was really doing.
Doctor Howland was a Psychiatrist friend of mine. We had dated a couple of times in grad school, but it became obvious to both of us that nothing more would ever develop. On our second or third date we decided it would be our last. It was also his professional opinion that I had a childhood problem which was interfering with my social development. So I had come to him for help. Not so much because I knew and trusted him, but I knew he was the best, and I did trust him.
But now he was sitting in his chair almost like his brain was in neutral. I only took the one required course in Psych and confess that I only passed it because he helped me. That was when we had started going out together. It wasn't until four years later that I actually came to him for help.
I did check to see if he was still breathing, which he was. A couple of other thoughts crossed my mind, one of which was slapping him side the head. I've heard that some teachers used to do that to get their students attention. Whoops, I've a class in ten minutes.
"Jesse!" I hollered at him; it was all I could think of to do.
His eyes blinked as he came around. His head turned as he looked all around the room. He seemed confused.
"Are you alright?" I asked.
"Ah, what did I miss?" he still wasn't completely there yet.
"I've got to go. Professor Glaston will be furious if I don't cover his English Lit class, and it starts in ten minutes." I grabbed my stuff and headed to the door. I waved back at him as I went through the door. "I'll stop by later."
He feebly waved back and opened his mouth to say something but I was already out the door and running down the hall.
Chapter 27: Doctor's opinion
It was several hours later before I could get back to Jesse's office. I'd called and talked to his secretary but she said that he'd gone out right after I'd left but should be returning soon as he had another appointment at three this after
noon. I told her to tell him I'd be there at four-thirty, it was nearly three now, just time enough to run a few more errands.
I arrived at his office at four fifteen just as his secretary was leaving for the day. She said he was with someone but wanted me to wait. I had some thinking to do so I curled up in a chair by the window basking in the late spring sun.
I didn't have to wait long as his office door opened and I watched as he walked to the door with someone and let them out. He looked up and down the hallway before closing and locking the door. "Thanks for coming back so soon."
He ushered me into his office and we sat at a small table in the corner of his office. "You used hypnosis on me didn't you?" I accused him.
"Yes, you were way too agitated after we got started and you needed to be calm so we could get to the bottom of your problem." He dragged his pad of paper over and glanced at it. "OK, you were at the dance and had the altercation with Julie. She then went berserk and was carted off to the hospital. You and Jeremy left and went up to a lookout place. There was a gunfight and they followed you home. But when you got home it was a fake police officer. Then Aunt Margaret came out and pointed a shotgun at him until the real police arrived." He looked at me quizzically "is that all?"
"And then you said something like we're almost there and wanted me to go over it again which I did…" I looked at him closely. "Then I woke up and you were sitting at your desk looking just like you do now."
"Jesse!" I hollered at him. "Wake up!"
He shook his head and looked at his notes. "Ah what was that again?"
He seemed very confused. "Jesse, do you feel alright?"
He nodded. "I feel fine...I guess."
I had a scary thought. "Jesse, what do you remember about this morning when I was here?" I almost slapped him to see if his eyes would focus. "Tell me just what you remember. No! Don't look at your notes, just tell me what you remember when I told you about the dance. All of that is real, what did I say happened after that. Do it slowly."
"Well, you said that everybody was leaving so you and Jeremy went up to say goodbye to the band. I recall something about parking at a lookout place and Jeremy making advances at you…Ah I can't seem to remember what you said after that."
He looked totally lost. "Did we find out what was really bothering you? You seem much more yourself than I remember." He gave me a vague smile.
Poor Jesse, he had gotten me through the underlying problem but for some reason he doesn't remember it or I figured it out and didn't tell him. Which could it be?
I looked across the table at him as he was staring at his notes trying to find what wasn't in there. I watched him in the fading sunlight coming through the window as his eyes glazed over. The room brightened a little as his eyes finally closed. Suddenly I had the feeling that there was someone else in the room with us. Then I heard, either mentally or audibly, an ethereal voice whisper in my ear.
"He will remember nothing more than he needs Quiet Flower, for he is not the one for you. The one for you will come to you again and when he does you will be safe and I will no longer need to watch over you."
Slowly I turned around and looked behind me. It must be a trick of the light coming in through the window. I thought I could see a face floating in the air before me, the face of Silent Runner smiling back at me.
"Soon you will need to go home." For a short moment his face became very clear and distinct. His next words echoed through my head, "Remember my words little one" and he quickly vanished from sight, leaving the room in a dusty gloom.
Then Jesse woke up. "Now as I was saying" like he was in mid sentence. "We must be close to the cause of your problem." He motioned to the couch. "Please relax and we'll continue."
I stood up and picked up my coat and with a broad smile. "No need Dr. Howland, you've cured me. I have regained my faculties and am completely at peace with my world."
"But I don't have anything in my notes." Then he brightened. "And how am I going to put this in my next research paper? And you haven't told me what was in the box" as he smiled at me expectantly.
"To which box are you referring?" I replied coyly.
"Ah" as he scanned back through his notes, flipping pages but not finding what he was looking for. "I know it's in here somewhere…wait, here it is." He read it over carefully before continuing. "Ah the box that Jake left with Aunt Margaret."
"Oh, that box. I have no idea, she put it up in the attic and I haven't seen it since." I put on my coat and picked up my brief case. "I really must go now Jesse, I'm supposed to meet my one and only."
"Oh! And who is this lucky guy?" he replied slyly, "anyone I know?" He looked at me expectantly again.
"Poor Jesse" I told him with a sad smile. "No, it's not you. I don't know who it is yet, but I've already met him once." I finished cryptically as I waved goodbye to him and left his office.
THE END
Little Ann Page 7
