The 45th Parallel

by Maureen Hands

  “Don’t ever apologize for taking your clothes off in front of me.” He smiled but did not look away. “Do you need any help?”

  Kat pulled the clean T-shirt on over her bra. “Actually, I need help getting these jeans off over this bandage,” she admitted.

  He reached over and helped her slide her pants down. Kat sat there in her underwear waiting for him to hand her the shorts.

  “This is not how I envisioned the first time I got your pants off,” he said softly.

  “I’m sure I look very attractive,” Kat said sarcastically.

  “You are beautiful,” John said as he helped slide the shorts up her legs. “But I will behave…under the circumstances.” John stood up and started walking toward the kitchen. Kat reached out and grabbed his arm.

  “Can you stay with me?” As long as she was touching him, she wouldn’t think about Crowley. John paused a moment, then he lay next to Kat on the couch and put his arm around her. She rested her head against his chest and listened to his heart beating. Lying next to him made her entire body warm. He gently stroked her hair. Kat reached up and began to unbutton his shirt. Once his shirt was open, she ran her hand over his smooth, muscular chest then down his abdomen to his waist. He reached over and took her hand, pulled it to his lips, and kissed it.

  “You are making it very difficult to behave,” John said. “I think you need to rest.”

  Kat pulled herself up to look into his handsome face. “Kiss me,” she said.

  John looked into her eyes, leaned over, and kissed her. At first his kiss was tentative, but after a moment the kiss became deep and passionate. He slid his hand up the back of Kat’s uninjured leg and underneath her shorts. The front door bell rang, but John did not pull away until they heard the door open.

  “John,” Kat heard Patrick call. “Are you home?”

  John quickly sat up. “We’re in the great room,” he called back. He looked over at Kat and said, “You were saved by the bell.”

  “Saved is not the word I would use,” Kat said breathlessly.

  Anna, Helene, and Patrick walked in with worried expressions on their faces. Apparently John had called them when they were driving back from the urgent care. Kat went through the whole story, starting from the text message from John, and ending with the doctor sewing up her leg.

  “If John didn’t send the message, then who did?” Anna asked.

  “That is the one million dollar question,” Martine said as she walked in from the front entry.

  “You called Martine too?” Kat asked looking at John.

  “Martine can help us. She knows a little about black magic,” he answered.

  “Black magic?” Kat said.

  “John, can I speak with you in private please,” Martine said grimly.

  “All right,” John said as he followed Martine out onto the front porch.

   •●• 

  Once they were on the porch, Martine turned and said, “How do you know Kat really saw Crowley? You said she told you she has a lot of visions. How do we know Crowley was really there?”

  “I don’t know for certain what she saw.”

  “If someone brought Crowley back from the dead, then we are dealing with something very powerful and very evil. Maybe your parents weren’t crazy after all,” Martine said as she stared out into the woods. “You realize there is no turning back for any of us.”

  “There was never any turning back for me,” John said.

  “If you want to fully utilize her powers, you will have to keep your relationship platonic. I need her full focus and we don’t have a lot of time.”

  “I can do that but I’m still not sure she will agree to help us,” John said quietly.

  “At this point, I don’t think she has much choice,” Martine said as she turned and went back into the house.

   •●• 

  Kat looked at Martine as she came into the great room and asked, “Should we call the police or something?”

  “Unfortunately, we can’t call the police for this. They would think we were insane. We have to use other means of trying to find out who sent Crowley,” Martine said as she turned to Kat. “Means you will not like.”

  “I’m not sure it can get worse than being chased by a zombie or a large black hellhound.”

  “Hellhound? You didn’t tell us anything about a hellhound.” Helene said.

  “I rode my bike to the lighthouse one morning by myself. A large black animal that looked like a wolf but was the size of a bear, came out of the woods and chased me. I hit a patch of gravel and went down. I thought I was dead when some other bikers came into view. I turned and the animal was gone.” Martine, Kat’s cousins, and John all exchanged looks. “Was that real? Am I losing my mind?”

  “If the hellhound and Crowley were figments of your imagination, then Crowley will still be in his grave. John, you and Patrick can go check tonight,” Martine said.

  “Great,” Patrick mumbled.

  “If Crowley is not in his grave, we will have to send him back,” Martine said.

  “Why would someone raise Crowley from the dead?” Anna asked.

  “I think whoever sent Crowley does not want you to discover the truth about what really happened to John’s parents and Kat’s mom. The five of you together have very strong psychic energy. If you can learn to channel it, you can use it to see who is behind this.” Martine turned and looked at Kat and said, “You must learn to lose your fear.”

  “That will be difficult,” Kat said looking down at her leg.

  “When you open doors with fear in your heart, you will draw evil to you,” Martine said as her fingers absentmindedly touched her amulet.

  “What do you mean by opening doors?” Kat asked.

  “You must allow yourself to see beyond your senses. You must allow yourself to see beyond the veil of the spirit world.”

  “I have seen, up-close and personal, what is under that veil, and I would like to keep it down!” Kat said.

  “Unfortunately, I don’t think we have much choice.” Martine finished speaking then she crossed her arms and looked at John. “I need everyone’s full focus.”

  “How long will this take, Martine?” John asked.

  “I don’t know, but we can start tomorrow.” Martine took a deep breath. “Kat, you have spent most of your life trying to suppress your ability. I want you to use that same determination and focus to learn to use it.”

  Martine looked down at her watch then over to John. “If you see Crowley is not in his grave, then, I will need you and Patrick to come with me to the cemetery after sunset tomorrow night.” Martine began to walk out of the great room toward the front door.

  “What are we going to do in the cemetery?” Patrick said.

  “I will have to get some help from an old acquaintance,” Martine said as she went out the front door, closing it behind her.

  John glanced over at Kat and said, “I am going to pick up something to eat. I think we all could use some food. Will you guys stay here with Kat?” Kat thought the tone of John’s voice had changed. There was a coldness that was not there before her cousins and Martine arrived.

  “Sure,” Patrick said. “We will keep her safe.” They sat in silence as John went out the front door.

  “I guess you are getting more than you bargained for this summer,” Patrick said softly.

  “I never imagined things would be so…exciting in Northport.”

  Helene came out of the kitchen. “Here you go,” she said as she handed Kat some tea.

  “Is this one of Mary’s herbal concoctions?” Kat asked.

  “Yes, it’s supposed to help you sleep.”

  “Can one of you sleep in the same room with me tonight?” Kat asked, looking over at Anna and Helene. “I don’t want to be alone.”

  “Don’t worry, I will bunk in with you,” Helene said.

  Kat didn’t wait for John to return with dinner. She was too exhausted. As Kat drifted off to sleep under the inf
luence of Mary’s tea, she hoped she would wake in the morning to realize this had all been a bad dream.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kat wasn’t sure what was in Mary’s tea, but she didn’t remember much after drinking it. She woke the next morning to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She had slept so soundly it took a few minutes to realize where she was.

  Kat looked around the strange room allowing her eyes to adjust to the early morning light filtering in through the white sheers. She felt movement behind her in bed and rolled over to see what had caused it. A sharp pain in her right thigh brought the memory of the trip to Crowley’s house flooding back.

  Helene was sitting on the edge of the bed. “I think Martine is here already this morning,” she said.

  Kat sat up slowly and swung her legs around so her feet were touching the floor. “Thanks for staying with me. That was the best night’s sleep I have had in quite some time.”

  “You hardly moved all night. I even checked to see if you were breathing a couple times. John stopped by Mary’s house and picked up some of your things,” she said motioning to a bag on the chair.

  “That was nice of him.” Kat limped over to the bathroom.

  “Do you need any help?” Helene asked.

  “No…I think I can manage.”

  Once in the bathroom, Kat looked at herself in the full length mirror on the back of the door. Her hair was sticking straight up and she had dark smudges under her eyes from mascara. Nice. She pulled off John’s baggy shorts and examined her leg.

  Any hope that Kat had yesterday it had all been a bad dream vanished when she saw her leg. Since she couldn’t take a shower without getting the stitches wet, she would have to try a bath. Kat filled the tub partially and lowered herself down into the warm water. It was challenging, but she managed to wash her hair and clean up. She changed the bandages on the wound.

  Kat limped out into the bedroom and looked in the bag John had brought her. It was strange to picture him packing a bag for her. She put on a pair of loose fitting workout shorts and a T-shirt. Kat was surprised John had even packed a blow dryer, make-up bag, and toothbrush. Once Kat felt human again, she ventured out into the kitchen. John was leaning against the counter drinking bottled water. He looked like he had been running. He was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. His hair and shirt were wet with sweat. He looked over at Kat, his eyes intense as usual.

  “Good morning. You look like you’re feeling better,” he said. Kat’s cousins and Martine were sitting at the kitchen table eating bagels and drinking coffee.

  “Good morning, I guess I am the last one up,” Kat said as she hobbled over to the coffee pot.

  “I’ll get you some coffee, Kat. Why don’t you sit down,” John said.

  Kat limped over to the table and sat next to Martine. Martine looked her over and gave her a tight smile. John brought Kat a cup of coffee and sat down in the chair next to her.

  “So, did you go to Crowley’s grave?” Kat asked Patrick.

  “We did, and it was empty.”

  “I’m not sure which is better. To think you are losing your mind or to realize there is a zombie running lose that wants to kill you,” Kat said.

  “How do we use our abilities to find out who or what is behind this?” Anna asked Martine.

  “First, you will have to learn how to quiet your minds. People today are rarely present in the moment. They are constantly bombarded by electronic devices and completely out of touch with nature and their surroundings. In this environment, it is very difficult for your mind to reach the depths of its full potential. Until you learn to clear your mind, and connect to the larger Universe, you will not be able to communicate with the other side. You will not be open to hearing the messages that are sent.”

  “What does all this have to do with figuring out what happened to John’s parents and Kat’s mom?” Helene asked.

  “We need to get all five of you on the same wavelength, and focus all of your powers on seeing the truth. In order to do this, you need to start with a clean slate, a clear mind.”

  “If you know so much about black magic, can’t you use it to tell us who killed John and Kat’s parents?” Helene asked.

  “No,” Martine said sharply as her hand clutched the black amulet around her neck in a protective motion. “I can help you to use your powers to find answers, but I cannot use black magic. I don’t want to hear of any of you using it either.”

  They all sat in silence until Anna finally said, “How do we get started?”

  “I want you to start by learning to meditate,” Martine continued.

  “You want us to sit cross-legged on the floor and say ooohhhmmm over and over?” Patrick asked sarcastically.

  “It’s not about how you are sitting, or what you are saying. It’s about learning to control and focus your thoughts, having the ability to block out all the noise in your life, and reaching an altered state of consciousness.” Martine paused and looked out the back windows to the lake. “I really need all of you to be serious about this. We don’t have a lot of time.”

  “We are all ears, Martine,” Patrick said.

  “Throughout the day, I want all of you to find a quiet moment. At first, you will truly need quiet. The more practiced you become, the easier it will be to focus no matter where you are. But for the time being, try to find a quiet place. Sit up straight in a relaxed position with your eyes closed. Take a deep breath through your nose and let it out slowly through your mouth. Clear your mind and focus only on the sound of your breathing.

  “Once you have learned to clear your mind, you must concentrate on focusing your particular talent. For Helene, this means being able to project when and where she wants to. For Anna it means being able to walk into a crowd and block out all the emotions from everyone except the person she wants to read. For Patrick it means being able to better control the movement of objects. For John it means being able to control the minds of more than one person at a time. For Kat that means being able to lose her fear and open her third eye.” Martine stood and pushed her chair in.

  “Where are you going?” Anna asked Martine.

  “I will be at the winery today. When night falls, I am going to visit Crowley’s grave. I need to perform a little ceremony to send him back to where he came from. I want Patrick and John to come with me.”

  “I am happy to escort you, but I don’t know anything about putting a zombie back in a grave,” Patrick said.

  “I will take care of sending Crowley back to his grave. I need you two to make sure I am not tempted,” Martine said.

  “Tempted by what?” Patrick asked.

  “Tempted by the spirit I will call upon.”

  They all sat in silence until it became clear Martine was not going to elaborate further.

  “I need to get in the shower and get to work. Anna, please make sure Kat is not alone,” John said.

  “Of course,” she answered.

  “I am scheduled to work today,” Kat said.

  “You can’t work today. You need to stay off that leg for at least a day or two,” John said.

  “Well…I guess I’ll call Jack.” Kat felt guilty about calling in sick. This was the height of tourist season, so everyone was already working long hours. While going to work would keep her from sitting around and thinking about the bizarre turn of events, she didn’t have the energy to argue about it.

  “You can stay here, or at your Uncle Kevin’s house until Mary gets back,” John said.

  “Thank you,” Kat said. John nodded slightly and stood up.

  Martine said good-bye and walked out of the kitchen to the front door and John went upstairs to shower.

  “I bet you didn’t think you would be babysitting me this summer?” Kat said.

  “It will be all right, Kat. Together we will figure out what is going on and things will get back to normal,” Helene said.

  Kat wasn’t sure if Helene was trying to convince Kat, or herself. They finished breakfast and star
ted cleaning up when John appeared in the kitchen again. He was wearing jeans and an un-tucked, short-sleeved, blue polo shirt. Looking at him, Kat wondered if he ever looked bad a day in his life.

  “I’m going to go to the winery. I will call and check on you later, Kat. Please don’t go anywhere by yourself.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

  With that, John grabbed his keys on the counter and headed out of the kitchen. Kat heard the front door close then the sound of John’s car engine as he drove off.

  “By the way,” Kat said, “what happened to my car. Is it still on the side of the road?”

  “John and I picked up your car last night and drove it back here,” Patrick said.

  “That tea must have really knocked me out. I don’t remember you leaving.”

  “You were out of it. I’m not sure you should be driving today anyway,” Anna said.

  “I feel fine. Did you happen to grab my purse?” Kat asked.

  “It’s over on the counter,” Anna said as she pointed to Kat’s purse.

  Kat walked over to the counter, rummaged through her purse, and finally looked up with annoyance. “I dropped my phone at Crowley’s house.” Kat looked around the kitchen till she located John’s phone and called Muldoon’s. “Jack, this is Kat. I had a little accident yesterday and I’ve got some stitches in my thigh. Well, yes I can walk.” Kat was silent as she listened to Jack on the other end. “Oh, that’s too bad. Well, I guess I can come in for a while and leave if it gets too uncomfortable. Okay, I’ll see you at four.”

  “That didn’t sound like you called in sick,” Helene said.

  “One of the other waitresses has the flu. They will be overwhelmed if I don’t go in.”

  “Let me drive you. You can call me when you want to be picked up,” Anna said.

  “I’m just going to drive over to Mary’s and grab some things. I want my car because I’m not sure what time I’ll be getting off work. If my leg is bothering me, I’d like to take off without having to wait for a ride.”

  “You are so stubborn, Kat,” Helene said. “Make sure you call us when you are leaving work.”

  “I will, I promise.”

  “I will go with you to Mary’s. I wanted to stop by the post office anyway,” Anna said.