Mind Fray

by Alexie Aaron

  Mia felt Ted’s hand on her back. He had been monitoring her heartbeat with the necklace she wore that was feeding data to his iPad. They normally used this to keep track of her vitals during an out of body journey, but lately she found him monitoring her every move.

  “Deep breaths, Mia,” he said softly.

  She complied and extracted her emotions from Max’s and became an observer instead of Max himself.

  “I found the key and opened the door…”

  The room was empty. It looked like a whirlwind had gone through it.

  “Kim!” he called as he checked out the closet. “You’re scaring me.” The sound of water running alerted him. He looked over at the closed door to the bathroom. He reached it in a few strides and found the door locked. Max pushed in the key he still held in his hand and opened the door. Inside, the air was freezing. A fog rose as the hot steam from the running hot water reached the frigid air. The shower started running, adding more steam to the room.

  Mia watched as Max fumbled around in the thick fog and managed to turn off the water. The shower stopped. Mia heard the hot water start to drain. Max reached for the light and turned it on. Something began to form in the corner behind the shower curtain of the bathtub. Once again Mia witnessed the bubbling column of gray smoke, but this time it had achieved human form.

  “Kim, you scared the crap out of me…” Max started to say when he realized that it wasn’t Kim in the bathtub. “Who the hell are you!” he asked the one-eyed man who stood bone-dry, raising a long-bladed knife. Max picked up a wood and loofa back scrubber and waved it at the entity. “Get out of my house!”

  “That ain’t neighborly of you,” the entity growled, his eye turning red.

  Frightened, Max waved the back brush wildly, snagging it in the shower curtain. He pulled back hard, and the curtain and rod came crashing down on the glass shelving over the tub. The contents of the shelf fell down, bursting as they hit the marble slab. Colorful sea salt crystals rolled out of the broken jars and into the tub.

  The entity screamed and disappeared.

  “I found Kim holding Peachy, hiding under the twin sinks in the cabinet. I pulled the thing apart until I could get her out. She wasn’t acting right. I feared shock. I got her to the bed in the guestroom, and that’s when we heard the scratching at the door again. Kim seemed for one brief minute to come around, and she told me not to answer the door. Those were the last words she spoke to me.”

  Mia let go of his hand and was quiet for a few minutes with her eyes closed. When she opened them, her pupils returned to normal size. She looked at Max and said, “You are a very brave man. It was a ghost you encountered, a very strong one. Tell me, does your home have a history of hauntings or previous violence?”

  I know that our house had several owners before we purchased it, but it was well cared for and didn’t have a bad feel to it.”

  “Explain feel?” Mia urged.

  “I don’t know? What are you asking?”

  “Sorry, you said the house didn’t have a bad feel to it,” she said. “Have you been in houses that did have bad feelings attached to them?”

  “Oh yes, we looked at a few foreclosures. I could hardly breathe in one of the houses. Kim thought it was my imagination. You see, my parents lost our house when I was a kid. We were forced to live with my aunt. She wasn’t very kind.”

  “But this house didn’t feel bad,” Mia repeated.

  “No, it was a happy house. My cat Peachy ran around it like no tomorrow for a few minutes when we moved in and then settled nicely. She’s a bit sensitive. She doesn’t like Kim, and Kim doesn’t like her. I’m sorry, that’s too much information. I tend to babble when I’m nervous,” he apologized.

  “No information is too much,” Ted assured the man.

  “Do you believe me?” he asked.

  “I have no reason not to,” Mia said. “I’d like to ask your wife a few questions when she is able to speak. She must have gone through hell.”

  “Kim isn’t what you’d call a strong person, Mrs. Martin. She’s never completely gotten over a childhood trauma. Don’t get me wrong. She goes to work, laughs, and we’ve had some great times together, but she falls into depression easily. She is under the care of a professional. Dr. Henley,” Max said, looking at Doctor Walters.

  “I know him. He’s a good man,” Walters confirmed.

  “Do you want us and our associates to check out your home?” Ted asked.

  “Yes. I’m not sure I can afford you though,” Max admitted. “My parents may be able to help.”

  “Don’t worry, we’re not here to make money off of you,” Ted assured him. “Neither are we here to exploit you or your wife. As our lead investigator is fond of saying, ‘We’re here to help.’ We have in the past exchanged the right to show the footage of the investigation on television instead of payment, but since there is an emotional element here, I think we’ll find a way to absorb the cost.”

  Mia reached over and squeezed Ted’s hand. She knew that the cost would be absorbed by the two of them. Her generous husband didn’t have to ask her permission to do this; he knew Mia’s heart, and she knew his.

  ~

  Margaret Mary gently shook the young woman who had begun to moan. “Mrs. Madison,” she cooed. “Kim… Kim, wake up.”

  The young woman opened her eyes and jerked her head back and forth, searching the room.

  “There’s no one here but you and I. I’m Margaret Mary. I’m the nurse in charge of your case. The kids call me M&Ms. I’ve written my name on the white board over there.”

  “Max?”

  “He’s here at the hospital. I’ll call him.” Margaret Mary picked up her cell and tapped in the number. “Doctor, yes, this is Margaret Mary. Kim is awake and asking for her husband. Yes, I’ll tell her.” She looked over at Kim and said, “Max is on his way.”

  “Peachy.”

  “Yes, it’s good news,” Margaret said oddly, confused by the young woman’s attitude.

  “No, Peachy is my husband’s,” she said and then quickly corrected, “our cat.”

  “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to ask your husband about your cat,” Margaret Mary said.

  The door opened and Max ran over to his wife. “I was so worried. How are you?”

  “I’ve got a whale of a stiff neck,” Kim said rubbing it. “Peachy! You didn’t leave her in the house?” she asked upset.

  “No, Mrs. Mullens came out when the ambulance arrived. She said she would care for Peachy until we get back home.”

  “How’s my patient, Margaret?” Doctor Walters asked as he strode in, followed by Ted and Mia.

  “She’s complaining of a stiff neck. Otherwise, her vitals are good for all the valium you pumped into her.”

  Walters decided to ignore his favorite nurse’s comment. He examined Kim and wrote up an order for a CT scan of her neck. “Just to be safe,” he said. “I’ll leave you to rest up until the transport people take you for the scan.” He turned to Mia and Ted and ordered, “Don’t rile her up.”

  “Jawohl,” Ted said, snapping to attention.

  Mia tried not to smile. She hid it with her gloved hand.

  “Martins, my eyes are on you two,” Walters said and left the room.

  “Did I get you in trouble?” Max asked.

  “No, we’re always in trouble,” Mia said. “We kind of spend most of our broken bone time here. He called us in, so I think we’re alright.”

  Kim looked puzzled.

  Margaret Mary finished disengaging the IV and left the room, closing the door after her.

  “These are the Martins. They are from a paranormal investigation group called PEEPs. Your doctor called them to consult with us about our… our…”

  “Ghost,” Mia finished. “I understand you had a visitation last night.”

  Kim paled and began to shake.

  Mia walked over and laid a comforting hand on her. “If it is too hard to talk about, don’t. Push it away right now,” s
he encouraged.

  “No, I have to tell someone. It was Peter Zimmer, my old next door neighbor. The… the…”

  “The peeping Tom?” Max asked. “That son of a bitch, I’ll kill him!”

  “Kim, are you certain?” Mia asked.

  “It looked like him. Of course, I was a child when it happened, but he said, ‘So nice to see you again, Kimmy.’ And then when I didn’t speak, he said, ‘Come on, Kimmy, aren’t you glad to see old Peter?’ Why would he call himself Peter unless it was Peter Zimmer?” she asked.

  “Sometimes an entity will sense your greatest fear and use it against you,” Mia explained. “But I’m not going to dismiss that this couldn’t be Peter Zimmer until we investigate. PEEPs has a stellar researcher. We’ll find out soon enough if there is a possibility that Peter Zimmer’s ghost is haunting you. If not, we’ll figure out what is going on and encourage the entity to leave.”

  Kim looked like she was going to say something but stopped.

  “Is there something you want to tell us?” Mia asked.

  “If Peter Zimmer is dead, it’s because my father finally found him and killed him,” she said.

  “But Kim,” Max interrupted.

  “Daddy killed him,” she insisted.

  “He couldn’t have,” Max insisted. “It’s impossible.”

  Ted took in the situation and asked, “Why? Why is it impossible?”

  “Kim, tell him,” Max insisted.

  “My father died five years ago.”

  Chapter Three

  Sabine stared down at Brian, letting her tears flow freely down her alabaster skin. “Don’t leave us,” she pleaded.

  Brian, with much effort, managed to smile. “Dear, sweet Sabine, I must follow the path that has been chosen for me. It’s time for me to go,” he said barely above a whisper.

  Sabine looked over at Judy, her eyes asking for yet another miracle. Judy sadly shook her head. “It’s time to say goodbye, Sabine. He will be leaving us soon,” she counseled.

  Sabine nodded and turned to Holly whose face was also washed in tears. The two women hugged each other for a moment. Holly moved to the bedside, and Sabine walked out of the room where Brian’s parents were minding their three daughters. Mia and Ted looked over at her, Mia asking silently if she could somehow help. Sabine sunk to her knees in despair. Ted ran to her and lifted her in his arms. He walked over and set her gently on the sofa beside Mia.

  “Don’t coddle the girl,” Bev’s voice said firmly from the doorway. “She’s known her knight was going to leave her the moment they met.” Bev walked over, ignoring the outraged looks of Brian’s parents. She knelt beside her daughter and lifted her chin. “Sabine, Brian wants to move on to a place where he can move freely. To a world that is waiting for him. There’s a place set for him at a very important round table. Do not make his leaving a sad one. He’s been there for you every day since you’ve met. Be there for him now. Give him the best sendoff imaginable,” she coaxed. “There will be time for mourning later. Let him see how brave you are.”

  Mia got up and walked over to Lois and Stewart Norwood and offered to watch the children while they went inside to be with their son. Lois looked up at the blonde cousin of their Sabine and said, “Yes, that would be most kind.” She got up and handed Mia Leta who smiled widely at the familiar face. “Bum,” she said before breaking into giggles.

  Lois took a moment to lean in and whisper, “So you’re the one who taught my granddaughter that word.”

  “Guilty. I had no idea the kid could speak. I have a lot to learn about babies,” Mia admitted.

  “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it. When is yours due?”

  “February,” Ted answered for Mia as he gathered Maisha and Nura from Stewart’s lap, balancing each on a hip. “Hello, babies, let me tell you all about your second cousin Mia and a dog named Maggie,” he said as he danced over to the big rocking chair. He sat down, positioning each child on his lap with a secure arm around them and began, “Once upon a time there was…”

  Mia listened for a moment to Ted’s story before following the parents to the doorway. She looked in and waited until she caught Judy’s eye. The healer walked over to Mia. “How long?” Mia asked her.

  “Moments. Give the child to me. I think you should be the one to cross him,” she suggested. “Sabine is in no shape, and Beverly is rather brash. She may offend the Norwoods.”

  Mia turned back to look at Bev, and her aunt nodded her assent. Mia handed Leta to Judy. “Be good, Leta, or your aunt Judy will turn you into a pumpkin,” Mia warned.

  This brought another onslaught of giggles from the child who, after a few tries, said, “Pumpkin.”

  Mia walked over to Sabine and put out her hand. “Come,” she said simply. Her cousin rose on wobbly legs. Bev stood up and steadied her daughter.

  The three women walked into Brian’s room where Holly and her parents had just finished saying their goodbyes. Holly walked over to Sabine and gathered her in her arms. “My sweet sister, thank you for making our Brian’s last years so happy.”

  Lois turned to her husband and buried her face into his chest and sobbed. The Norwoods had been dreading this day from the moment Brian’s condition was diagnosed. They had done their best to give him the best life they could. His older sister Holly was the driving force in his care, demanding that they give him a normal life and not spoil her brother. Now as they watched Sabine’s sensitive cousin approach the bed, the realization hit both of them that Brian would be leaving them soon.

  “Hello, Brian,” Mia said softly. “You will always be the knight who stood tall and gallantly aided us in rescuing the fair Sabine. You have earned a noble rest. When you are ready to leave us, you will see a light. It is up to you whether you embrace your future and walk into it or not.”

  “I’ll be going, Mia,” Brian whispered. “I’ve been hearing the voices calling me for a while now. Take care of Sabine and the girls. They will need you,” Brian said. He looked over to Sabine who ran to the bed and took hold of her husband’s free hand.

  Brian looked over at his sister and parents for a moment. Then he looked into Sabine’s eyes and stopped breathing.

  Mia waited a moment before stepping away from the bed and holding out her hand to the knight who rose out of Brian’s body. He grasped the sensitive’s hand and gave a courtly bow.

  Mia felt the heat of the light upon her back. She looked over at Bev who directed Sabine’s face away from the calling light that had entered the room.

  “Brian Norwood, cherished son of Lois and Stewart, brother of Holly, husband to Sabine and father of Leta Ann, Maisha Violet and Nura Louise, leave this earthly plane, and go on your final quest. May you find the warmth of loved ones waiting for you,” Mia said and waited until Brian walked into the light before saying, “Go with God, Noble Knight.”

  Sabine let out a sob. Bev gathered her up in her arms and let her cry. The Norwoods huddled together. Mia walked out into the anteroom and said, “He’s passed out of this world.”

  “Bye bye,” Leta Ann said solemnly from Judy’s arms. Ted looked over at his wife and encouraged her to join him and the girls with a nod of his head. Mia did so, walking over and leaning in until her head rested against his forehead. She felt two sets of little hands touching her arms and hair. Nura cooed and Maisha burbled. Mia took this as permission from the young girls, and she began to cry.

  ~

  Mia and Ted drove away from the hospice. Ted had his arm around his wife and did his best to maintain the silence that Mia seemed to need. Each crossing changed her a little bit. Sometimes it was just physically draining, but this time however, the crossing brought on a melancholy that was understandable, considering Mia’s connection with Brian.

  Mia rolled her head and reached back and rubbed her neck. She was determined to pull herself out of the void she was being pulled into. “Ted, I’m not so sure I could be as brave as Sabine was, so promise me you’ll die last.”

  Ted s
crunched up his face. “That means I have to be brave,” he complained. “How about we leave together on the Starship Enterprise?”

  “Starship?” Mia questioned, looking at her husband with amusement.

  “You said each person has their own idea of what heaven is, and the universe acquiesces.”

  “Yes,” Mia said, interested to see where this was going.

  “My idea of heaven is being on a starship exploring new galaxies with my wife at my side.”

  Mia liked it when he referred to her as his wife. “So instead of walking into the light, we’ll…”

  “Have Scotty beam us up.”

  Mia eased back and felt the warmth of his arm around her. “I could live… er… die with that. I suppose I have to wear…”

  “Lieutenant Uhura’s uniform,” Ted finished.

  “Thank god,” she said and then explained, “I thought your idea of heaven was the bat cave, and I had to wear that Wonder Woman costume you have secreted away in the guest closet.”

  Ted blushed. “I could change my mind…”

  “No, Starship Enterprise will be fine with me, less scratchy. That bustier is a rib breaker. It takes more than a few stays to keep these boobs contained.”

  “I noticed,” Ted said huskily.

  Mia laughed. She snuggled closer to her husband who took the next exit and pulled into the nearest hotel parking lot. “Wait right here,” he ordered and ran into the lobby. He came out a few minutes later smiling.

  Mia tried to say something, but he put his finger to her lips. He started the truck, drove quickly to the first available space and parked it. He all but pulled her out of the cab. They ran through the lobby and into a well-timed, open elevator. Mia looked up at her husband who seemed to be using mind control to make the ride to the sixth floor quicker. The doors opened, and he swept Mia up in his arms. With several long strides, he was at their room. He tapped the keycard on the door, and before the click had finished sounding, he had the door open.