“Mom, I need the truck. Please…just go get it.” I begged as soon as I realized she had stopped talking. My voice, clearly frustrated, sounded exhausted. And I was tired of many things, including this argument.
“Fine…” Throwing her hands up in defeat, she reluctantly agreed. “I don’t understand why you want to torture yourself,” she mumbled as she left the room.
I hated arguing with her because she’d never be able to understand. Why even try to explain since she doesn’t listen? She only wanted to hear positive things, not reality. Well, not my reality anyway. Frustrated, I scanned the counter noticing my bag lying there. Quickly snatching it up, I stormed out the backdoor letting it slam behind me. After plopping down on the top step, I sat there for a minute staring off into the woods as they continued to entice me.
The rain tapered into a slight drizzle, making everything wet and refreshing. When I inhaled deeply, the earthly scent heightened my awareness, tempting me to run away from here as fast as my legs could carry me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go anywhere until I made Mother understand my need for the truck.
How can I make her understand without frightening her? The boy, Johnny, haunts my dreams every night. If she knew this, she’d get it, but knowing would upset her. What should I do?
The entire situation was crazy. She wouldn’t handle knowing my dreams were being invaded. No…The best way, for now, was to remain quiet, and let her think I was being difficult.
Johnny’s disappearance had taken its toll on Barry and his grandmother. They were very close to him, and in a sense had lost a family member. As Barry shared his memories, it was obvious that had been a dark period for them. Barry told me his grandmother used to sit and peer out her window toward my house while silently praying.
The pain everyone endured during that time was unthinkable.
Johnny went missing on a Saturday while playing in his backyard, which coincided with the vision. The police searched for several months, but without any clues, the case went cold. Although I had a hunch he knew his killer, I needed to have another vision to confirm. I stopped Barry from telling me anymore because I didn’t want to cloud any future visions.
After we stopped talking about Johnny last night, the mood was too heavy to focus on the movie…at least for me anyway. The little boy was all I could think about, and how to help him. Part of that help was going forward with another vision, which was why Barry’s coming over later. It was crucial I get the truck because he’d be here in a couple of hours.
While reaching for my pack of cigarettes, I let out a frustrated moan. I just wanted to put an end to this craziness. As I pulled a single stick out and started to light it, I heard a noise sounding like feet fast approaching. My head jerked to the left, thinking Barry had come early. All I saw was an empty yard. I stilled in hopes of hearing it again, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The barking of a neighbor’s dog, along with a diesel truck roaring to life, sounded in the distance. The soft patter of raindrops hitting the ground was the one other noise. Finally dismissing it as nothing more than the wind, I lit my cigarette. As I inhaled a puff, I wondered if my nerves were playing tricks with my brain. I was anxious since Barry would be with me while I try having another vision.
I was grateful for his help. He’d be able to decipher part of the clues since he was familiar with the case. But at the same time, I was apprehensive about having another vision in front of him. What if I do something that totally freaks him out? I could only hope he could handle it. Deep down, I knew it was the right thing, but my vulnerability weighed heavily on me.
Should I trust him? My thoughts conflicted with my actions as I questioned what I was obviously going to do.
Another point to consider was talking to the police. Eventually, I was going to have to get them involved, but I couldn’t yet. It was too soon. I have nothing to contribute, other than the fact that I had a couple of visions and consistent dreams. Maybe after this next vision, I’d have more information that could be useful.
“Heather, I put the truck on your desk in your bedroom,” Mother said, bringing me back to the present. “I understand the need for going through with this. I do. If there’s a slight chance of you helping, then I suppose it’s for the best. But you’re my daughter. I hate seeing the harm inflicted on you, so I think it’s best if I leave. There are several errands I need to do, so I’ll be gone awhile.” After a long pause, she raised her voice adding, “And you really need to quit smoking.”
My jaw clamped shut, preventing regrettable words from escaping. As I smashed the cigarette into the concrete, twisting it back and forth, I managed to say, “Thanks, Mom.” Not turning around to look at her, I continued staring straight ahead. A couple of moments passed before she turned around and left without saying another word.
After sitting there a couple of minutes, the magnetic attraction of the woods was too powerful for me to resist. Funny how there was a strong sensation of familiarity with the woods, when in truth I’d been there only once. Whenever I stared out into the landscaping, that odd sense of belonging was always present. I smirked, thinking that a bunch of trees that held no meaning to me were now my sanctuary.
Oh, the irony.
As I walked along the imaginary path carved in my mind, I brushed aside the branches from the saplings that grew everywhere. I kept replaying the argument with my mother as I continued pressing forward. The pressure was easy enough to handle, I guess, but I wished she’d let up. The last thing I wanted to do was start up therapy sessions, but it had been the most successful way to communicate.
By the time I stumbled across my familiar log, I was deep in thought. Briefly wondering how I found the area, a hint of a smile crossed my face when a strange sense of reprieve washed through me. Without further thought, I went straight over and sat. As I ran my hands along the rough bark, I bit my lower lip when my palms became tacky from the damp wood. Quickly dismissing the worry about my clothes getting wet or ruined, I curled up into a ball against the tree. It was confusing as to where the contentment came from, because the last time I sat there was unnerving. The reason might have been unclear, but I was definitely affected by these woods.
As I took in my surroundings, I thought how quiet it was out here. Could that be the reason? I needed this serenity to balance my crazy life? I took a deep breath before closing my eyes for a second. While releasing the negative feelings about Mother, my thoughts shifted to my current dreams. Last night was a little different. It started out the same as the rest, but it ended differently. As he opened his mouth to speak, the word woods rang through my head before I woke rather abruptly. It seemed these woods played a significant role, which started shaping the corner pieces of my imaginary puzzle. The entire picture had yet to be figured out, stressing the importance of finding out what happened to him.
The longer I sat, the more my body relaxed. I tried to fight the effects of my lack of sleep, but even the cold dampness wasn’t enough to keep me awake, and soon I drifted off.
A noise sent a jolt of adrenaline racing through me as my eyes popped open, sharply turning toward my right. The drowsiness of just a few seconds ago became a distant memory. The noise was unmistakable, a little kid laughing. I saw something too. A small shadowy figure ran by and then vanished, but nobody was there. Trying to come up with a rationalization, I thought perhaps my eyes were blurry from opening them quickly.
“Johnny?” I called, feeling foolish as the words flew out. How could it be him? I sat there for a second, holding my breath, desperate to hear that noise again, but silence surrounded me.
I walked over to where I saw the shadowy figure dissipate, hoping to find some animal or something that made sense. Once I got there, the only thing to be seen was the tall, brown bark of the trees. Mixed in the picture were a few wild flowers and dried leaves blanketing the ground, freakishly undisturbed. That alone was unnerving. I thought perhaps whatever it was had run down the ravine, so I scooted toward the edge to pe
er over. As I approached, disappointment set in. The slope, filled with thick patches of briars, made it impossible for any human to tackle. I began to wonder if I was starting to imagine things and decided to head back toward my house.
As I started walking out, that same chilling sensation I felt earlier in the week ran down my spine. I shifted my eyes sideways before picking up my pace, anxious to get home and be with Barry.
~7~
Secrets
“Are you sure about this?” Barry asked. While trying to disguise his apprehension, the tiny lines creasing his forehead striped with worry.
“Yeah, I have to.”
What a pair we made—trying to act as though we’re tough while hiding our own insecurities. Although trying my hardest at sounding casual, my shaky voice had to alert him to my apprehension. Not recovered from being in the woods, the hot shower and change of clothes did little to calm me.
“I’m hoping we can find something out too, but I’m more concerned about the toll it takes on you. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Barry’s concern for my welfare was touching, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I had to admit, it was nice having someone caring about me. But as nice as it felt, I was afraid the pain would be doubled when he decided he was done and began to ignore me. Not allowing my mind to go there, I dismissed the unpleasant thought as much as possible before nodding in reply, “Yeah…I’m sure.” Total lie. “Come on, we need the truck. Follow me…Mom put it in my room.”
I took off toward my bedroom with Barry trailing close behind. When reaching the doorway, I was about to enter when noticing he had come to an abrupt stop. As I turned, Barry stood there slightly pale–faced. Expressionless. Confused to what brought this sudden distress, I asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Um…, Nothing.” As he eyeballed the room, his eyes were the only body part moving. I studied him while he remained standing still, unwilling to budge. Afraid of speaking, I remained quiet in fear of interrupting whatever he needed to process. After what seemed like forever, he released the breath he was holding. I was surprised he didn’t pass out since much time had passed. “I’m sorry, it’s…It’s just odd being in this house after all this time, I guess. Old memories keep flashing back. The last thing I want to do is scare you, but…” He hesitated before blurting out, “You’re sleeping in Johnny’s bedroom.”
“My nightmares,” I whispered. “Of course. This room is why he keeps visiting my dreams.” It didn’t occur to me that we had shared the same bedroom. In fact, I didn’t even think about the possibility of where he had slept. Wow. That’s the missing connection.
“Wait…What nightmares?” Barry asked, interrupting my revelation.
His stare penetrated through me as our eyes connected. The guilt from not telling him began to overshadow any excitement when his brows furrowed together in concern. “I haven’t mentioned them, have I?”
In slow motion, he dragged his head back and forth without uttering a word. The tightness of his jaw was enough to show his anger, but the reasoning behind it confused me. Was he upset about my dreams being invaded or my refusal of telling him? Maybe it was a combination of both. I chastised myself for revealing my secret. But finding the link between the nightmares and Johnny was significant. It was yet another important piece to my imaginary puzzle.
Barry, still staring, waited for an explanation. Out of nervousness, I chewed on my bottom lip before admitting, “Every night since that first vision, I’ve had a reoccurring dream. That was until last night. I think he’s trying to tell me something, but I always wake up before he says it. My last dream was different, though. I clearly heard the word woods before awaking.”
Barry’s jaw loosened as his brows smoothed out. The coloring in his face washed out again, leaving behind paleness. Instead of being angry, he seemed dismayed. I let out a small humorless laugh. “Now, who’s scaring who?”
“No. You’re not. I mean…I’m fine.” He stumbled on his words, putting on a brave front trying in vain to hide his fear. “You amaze me. I don’t know how you can stand here and act as if nothing bothers you. If it was me, I’d totally be freaked out.”
“It’s not bravery, believe me. More like…survival,” I replied. “I’ve been different my whole life, so I guess I learned to deal with the weirdness a long time ago.”
The exhaustion was taking over, and before continuing our conversation, I needed to sit. Not knowing if he’d follow me or not, I went over to my bed and sat on the edge. To my surprise, he followed sitting beside me. His curiosity must have been piqued because he no longer appeared afraid. That was good because it was taking all my strength to disclose any part of my history. If there were any trace of the fear being of me, I would shut completely down. Not usually sharing personal information, especially secrets, I found myself in new territory.
With a slight tilt of his head, his consuming stare stirred something deep inside me, and it took all my willpower to stop myself from reaching out to touch him. He confused me, but he also made me feel safe, which confused me even more. I blinked, trying to focus before continuing, “When I was little, I’d be playing with my friends. When one of them would touch my hand or arm, I’d visualize them in their home setting. It would be an argument they had with their parents the night before, or a happy occasion like playing in the park. Whatever strong emotion stirred inside of them was what I would see. Of course back then, I didn’t worry about it. I thought it was normal until I entered junior high.
“I never mentioned being able to see segments of their life, partly because nobody had ever shared what they viewed, I thought it was a secret, like something that’s supposed to be private. I remained quiet about them until a vision revealed one of my friends getting abused by her father. After telling my mother about it…Let’s just say she didn’t handle it well. At first, she didn’t want to believe me. When the abuse became public knowledge, she sat me down and had me explain exactly what I had seen. Of course, doing what Mother does best, she decided to keep quiet about it, and told me never to mention what I could do to anyone.”
I broke eye contact focusing on my balled fist in my lap when self–consciousness started creeping in. I just couldn’t fathom the idea of him watching my face; I was so embarrassed to be displaying my life story.
In a tone barely over whisper, I continued, “That’s when I started to withdraw from people. I didn’t want to have these visions anymore and quit inviting friends over to avoid them. I made up excuses as to why I couldn’t go over to their houses until they eventually quit asking.”
I paused, wondering if I should admit this next part. Barry sat there patiently as I contemplated what to do. Never having trusted anyone to this extent before, I swallowed as I pressed forward. “I had a few friends that I talked to, but I didn’t consider them close. I kept everyone at a safe distance because I didn’t want to chance them finding out about my abilities. Mom made it seem like a curse, and I guess I did, too. I walked in the hallways of school, drifting along as an outcast among a sea of normal people.
“Everything seemed to be going okay. It wasn’t great, but it was decent enough. That was until April went missing, and her sweater touched me. The vision was too powerful and frightening for me to hide my expression. And, well…you know the rest.”
Still staring at my now white–knuckled hands, tears had begun to form. I tried to blink them away because the last thing I’d wanted to do was break down and cry in front of him. God, when did I become such a sap?
“Heather…” He came over, wrapping his arms around me, drawing me close to him. “Heather, I’m sorry you had to go through that. I’m here for you now if you want me to be.”
My heart started beating faster as I stared back at him. We were close, sitting here on my bed with his arms wrapped around me. It just felt right. Perhaps if we had known each other longer, or I knew if he liked me for more than friendship, we would have shared a kiss. My body wanted to lean
forward and let it happen naturally, but now wasn’t the time. Instead, I backed away from him as his hands slid down to my waist. His fingers skimmed along the curve of my hips, sending sensations through me. My thoughts jumbled together, making it difficult to concentrate. His stare was captivating and if I knew how to read him, I’d swear he wanted to return that kiss. But that was impossible, nobody wanted me. The heat rising in my cheeks, as I realized how ridiculous I was being, broke the moment. “Thanks, Barry. You’re a good friend to have.” Placing my hand on his chest, I raised up, pretending not to notice how his head dropped in what appeared to be disappointment. Before I could read too much into it, I quickly added, “We better get started.”
Barry quietly went over to my dresser picking up the truck as I took off toward the living room. If he was upset with me, he didn’t show it. Instead he followed me out as if nothing had happened. Maybe I had read too much into it because he wasn’t acting disappointed. What do I know about guys’ thoughts and feelings anyway—nothing, that’s what.
I went straight to the couch and sat down while never taking my eyes off the toy. This was really happening. I was voluntarily trying to have a vision while he sat right beside me. That thought made my stomach want to retch, as a choking sensation began deep in my throat. Barry must have sensed my anxiety because he asked me again if I was up to it. With the words “No, let’s forget the whole mess” on the tip of my tongue, I whispered “yes” instead.
I closed my eyes trying my best to clear my mind as he handed me the toy truck. No surprise, Johnny immediately flashed in front of me. He was in the backyard with his blue toy truck, the one I’m holding now. As a man approached him, he wasn’t scared. He eyed the guy for a second and went back to playing. He had seen that man before, perhaps knew him. “Come here Johnny, I need to show you something,” the guy said in a deep, husky voice. Johnny glanced at the guy then momentarily looked over to the house next door. “Come on, there isn’t much time,” the guy urged. Johnny glanced back at him before getting up to follow him into the woods, abandoning his toy.
Visions: The Mystical Encounter Series (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 1) Page 5
