by Dale Mayer
“Grayscale,” came the terrified whisper.
Shit, that place was tough for anyone, but if Trevor was in there, there was a reason, and it was never a good one. It always meant someone was in need of assistance. Stefan shifted realities, wondering at the ease he could do so. There was a large door in front of him. He knocked lightly.
“Come in,” Trevor said. “And fast.”
Stefan walked into Trevor’s landscape and froze.
“What the hell…” he whispered in fascination.
“Yeah, like what the hell.”
Hannah sat frozen, in a grayscale, but the rest couldn’t be possible. To start with, her head – not her face – but the rest of her head – appeared to be moving, shifting, as tiny pieces sought to find their proper place.
“Tell me what happened, right now,” Stefan demanded in a low tone, not wanting anything to disturb the process in front of him.
“I just woke up to feeling like I was having a heart attack, raced outside and saw her talking with someone but couldn’t see to whom. Then as if she were frozen in place, her head exploded. I was afraid someone took a shotgun to her head. Next thing I knew the pieces of her essence started to fly around as if putting Humpty Dumpty back together again – literally. By the time I got here, it was as if some fine tuning was taking place.”
They stared as the pieces slowed their movements and Hannah did a full body wiggle as everything settled into place. As if to accent the new state, Hannah gave a big sigh and her body relaxed.
“It’s done, whatever that was.”
“It was a full realignment,” Stefan said in an awed voice.
“If that’s special, I’m sorry Maddy didn’t see it,” Trevor said.
“I did. I just don’t quite believe it,” Dr. Maddy said in a soft voice from inside Stefan’s aura. It was always special to have her visit in this way. Grayscale was weird in that you didn’t actually see what you thought you saw and all movement acted differently. He hadn’t heard her arrive. But he’d sensed her.
“Maddy? You can walk in grayscale?” Trevor asked in surprise.
“Technically I’m not. I’m using Stefan to port in and out. I can’t walk in here or do anything but observe. Still, what I just saw…”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Stefan said, his vocal tone so damn close to Maddy’s now that he wasn’t sure if she was her own grayscale entity here or if she was using his ethereal image to communicate. Things got especially confusing when two powerful energy workers came together.
He glanced at Trevor. As a graywalker in his own world, Trevor had just experienced a view into someone else’s world but with an inability to help. As they watched, she slowly got up from her chair and reappeared long moments later as she made her way back to her bed. In her room and looking as normal as anyone could after what she’d been through in greyscale, she relaxed into her body and slept. The pieces of her head slowly sank into position – but were they in the right positions?
Trevor, his voice barely audible, asked, “Can we do anything for her?”
“That depends.” Stefan said. “Maddy, your take?”
“It depends on what reality those pieces put her head back together as…”
*
Now that was more like it. She was splintering once again. A weird and wonderful process he’d seen time and time again. He’d done his best to bring it to fruition, but instead it happened without any push from him.
Although when it happened it always triggered alarms. Sometimes he managed to get there in time to see it. But he wished he knew what caused it – so he could make it happen. But so far he’d failed at every attempt. Was it fear on her part? He’d tried to scare her into doing this, but with no success. He wanted it to happen when he called, when he was close enough to see it in person, not this window into her world, that let him see only from a distance. Then he was accessing that window through the blocks in her head. Not a direct link that might have allowed him to do more.
That bothered him. He’d love to be able to cause something like that at his will. Imagine being in a business meeting, or how about an international summit and have all the world leaders disintegrate in front of him. He’d rule the world if he could. He could do something so very similar now, but he had to be too close, have a history with the victim to make it last. He was getting stronger, so much so but not to the extent of controlling on a global basis. But he entertained the thought fondly. He had money enough for his needs at this point but could always use more. And then there was the power issue – no one ever had enough of that.
Still, he couldn’t spend all his day on his games. He needed information. Now. This man, this Trevor, was pissing in his backyard. No one did that. Who would have thought the past could return like that? Hannah married? And to this man?
But he refused to let it upset him. This was a challenge. And those kept him on his toes and put a smile on his face.
It couldn’t be allowed to continue of course but in the short term, hey, it kept boredom away.
He couldn’t wait until the information came in. Just what had his old friend been up to?
Chapter 15
Hannah woke and was moving in the same instant that her mind regained consciousness. Already dressed, but not recognizing anything around her, she responded to the instinct that screamed at her to run.
Someone was yelling at her to escape.
To run. The instinct was too strong to ignore, and she picked up her feet and ran. Out the door, down the hall and through the exit. The stairs ahead of her had no bearing on her actions. She didn’t slow. Instead she used the railing to run and the faster she ran the more her heart pounded and her hands slipped with sweat on the railing. Someone, or several someones, were after her. She didn’t know why. Or who.
But they’d been after her before. She knew they had.
If only she could remember who they were.
She bolted out of the exit and dashed into the backyard. She ignored all the curious onlookers seated at the small patio tables to enjoy the early morning sunshine.
Sunshine? Why sunshine? She was supposed to be in the dark? At night? Running from a faceless stalker – right?
Images, voices, sensations rippled through her. She was so damned confused. And scared.
What was happening to her?
“Do you need help, dearie?” A little old lady asked beside her, only her eyes were like onyx, dark and compelling. “So many little girls need help.” She reached out a hand as if to reassure Hannah she’d be fine. Her hand went to rest on Hanna’s arm, but Hannah stepped back so the woman couldn’t touch her. There was something…well, creepy about her. Hannah backed away.
“Who are you?” she cried out in confusion. “And where am I?”
They were attracting attention from several other people sitting and relaxing.
“I’m the same as you. You’ll be fine. Just relax.” The old lady gave her a genial smile. “And remember, it’s a good thing you are here. It’s a dangerous world out there. Some of them need our help, especially the little ones.”
Hannah backed away. She didn’t know anything about the world out there, but she was desperate to leave this one here. She glanced down at her clothing. She didn’t even recognize them and she always wore shoes. Not today apparently. She turned her back on the old lady and started to run.
“Wait, don’t go out there…” the old lady called, her voice stronger than it should have been for someone her age and size. “Not unless you have someone to watch you, to protect you.”
Seriously freaked out, Hannah raced into the trees surrounding the place. As she dove deeper and deeper into the trees, she finally slowed. Surely she was safe here? She stopped to catch her breath only to realize she wasn’t actually struggling to breathe hard. Did nothing make sense anymore? Then a booming started deep inside her skull, the pain making her groan, and it built and built. She fell to her knees, her hands to her head, trying to stop the sound from blowing
her head apart. That’s what it felt like. Something so strong, so powerful that her head would explode from the pressure and the sledge hammer inside would finally break free.
Instead of easing, the pain radiated down her back and her side. This wasn’t the first time she’d had a headache like this, but she couldn’t remember how to deal with it. There was a way. She’d found some trick to ease that pain, but she couldn’t remember what it was.
She started to breathe through her open mouth in slow regular breaths, waiting, her body shaking now as tremors slid down her spine.
In and out. She had to focus on her breathing. Someone important had told her that a long time ago. Who? She wracked her brain, trying to think about who, but like everything right now, the name eluded her.
Forget about everything. Just relax. Breathe slowly. In and then out. Stand quiet and let the pain slip away.
The voice…it was familiar…yet not. It was hers yet it wasn’t. Dear God. She really was crazy.
No. You aren’t. But somehow somewhere you’ve been nudged in this direction. We need to help you.
There is no help for me, she whispered. Listen to me, I’m crazy.
A different voice joined into the fray. Of course you’re crazy. You’ve always been crazy.
Yet another voice jumped in. No, of course you’re not. There was a light snigger. You’re just delicate.
She shuddered as the onslaught continued until she collapsed onto the ground in a heap. There, but not there. Conscious but not conscious. Awake but not awake.
But aware. So damn aware.
“We have to move her. Take her back to her room? Can anyone help her? Even here?” Was that Trevor’s voice?
“I can help and so can Dr. Maddy, but we have to find out what happened. What caused her to bolt the second time? We know panic makes her shatter, but what is the root of the panic in the first place?”
There was the sensation of being picked up and carried back inside. She opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out.
Then she heard a voice in her head. Hannah, lie quiet. We need to do something to help you deal with the energies that are sparking in your system.
Energies? Sparking? How was that possible? The voices continued. She could hear but not speak. The comprehension was damn slow too. Did they know she was listening?
“Is that what’s happening?” Trevor asked, surprise lacing his voice.
Hell, she was surprised too.
Dr. Maddy’s calm voice answered, “The barriers that have been in place for a long time are thinning, a few disintegrating. Either she’s getting stronger and is ripping them down herself or someone else is releasing their hold. Either way she’s getting bleed through, and getting bombarded by the overwhelming stimulus. Probably listening to voices, commands from yesterday or last week even. Honestly, they could be memories from years ago that are sending her running.”
Hmm, say what? Surely she hadn’t heard what she thought she’d heard? Not possible. It was just more crazy talk in her head. Right?
“So time is bleeding for her?” Trevor asked.
“Not time but I think it has to do with the pieces not going back into the same position, so she’s likely responding to a stimulus out of sync. A memory she hasn’t tucked away again. Likely recent.”
“So knowing that we are trying to escape from her father could have sent her running.”
“Exactly. Quite likely that was the trigger.”
“How do we keep her safe?”
“She needs tools. That could be in your realm.”
“The shattering is your domain.” Trevor snorted. “What the devil do we do with that?”
Shattering? Tools? What the hell were they talking about? And yet, there was a twinge of something…that made sense inside but not outside. If that didn’t prove her crazy nothing would. How bizarre because there was a sense of rightness, but her mind couldn’t grasp how.
“It’s her coping mechanism. I suggest you walk in her grayscale world and find what her triggers are.”
Now that didn’t sound good.
“I can’t walk in her grayscale, I can only visit.”
“Do you know that for sure?” There was a thread of humor in Dr. Maddy’s voice.
Again Hannah tried to call out. To let them know she was here. But it was as if she were paralyzed and forced to listen.
“No, of course I don’t know. I tried that with someone else, remember…?” and bitterness roiled through his tone. “It wasn’t good. Poor Anita erupted and attacked Stefan. I know it wasn’t the child’s fault. I can only think it had to have been someone from her grayscale world lashing out.”
“Making that an entirely different scenario.”
“Was it?” He snorted with disgust. “It feels the same and I still screwed up.”
“It wasn’t a screw up. I don’t understand exactly what happened or why, but the child wasn’t hurt by the process. It just didn’t deliver the right response.”
“No, it sure didn’t.” Now there was pain in his voice. “But I can’t take the chance of hurting anyone in that way.”
Hannah wanted to reach out and stroke his hand. He’d done so much good. He’d helped out so much and lately he was always around, just being there for her. She wanted to be there for him. She poured as much strength as she could into her hand…and felt the impression of his hand in hers – faint contact as if she was just space and not body.
“Whoa?”
The three of them stopped.
“What’s the matter?”
“Her energy is getting hot. Like seriously hot.”
She wanted to laugh. That’s not what she wanted, but as far as getting his attention it was a start. She closed her eyes and did it again, harder, hotter, faster.
“Jesus.” And she was hustled down the hallway and laid gently back on her bed. That’s when she realized she could see – although her eyes were closed.
Dr. Maddy’s voice whispered through her mind. Open your eyes and settle your ethereal body back into the physical.
The instructions were gently said, but there was no doubt she was meant to do as she was told.
With a gentle sigh, Hannah struggled with the command. It made no sense and yet it made complete sense. She could see Trevor staring down at her with the loving supportive energy that said he’d be there forever if she wished. She wanted him to be. Needed him to be. Because so far in her world there were none who’d stayed. Which meant in reality, he wouldn’t either. It wasn’t possible. He didn’t know her, so why would he? Then neither was staring up at him with her eyes closed a possibility. So she had to trust. And she needed to take a step forward too.
Toward Trevor. Trust in him. He hadn’t hurt her yet.
And she opened her eyes.
*
Dr. Maddy smiled. “Good, there you are.”
Hannah reached out for Trevor’s hand. She cast a wary glance at Dr. Maddy. “I’m not sure what that was, but I’d just as soon not go through it again.”
Trevor sat down on the bed, his hand clasping Hannah’s to his chest.
Dr. Maddy smiled as she watched Hannah’s energy snuggle up against Trevor’s. He wouldn’t be able to see it, as his focus was on her, not her reaction to him. But as Trevor’s energy was opening and accepting, hugging Hannah’s energy, then he already knew. Acceptance happened on the etheric level way before it reached the physical.
“You were awake but in an altered state.”
“It felt like it,” she said with feeling. “I could hear you but what you were saying didn’t make any sense.”
“And yet, it probably made sense in a natural way.”
Dr. Maddy watched Hannah’s gaze narrow as she considered her world. “Maybe, but it also sounded a little too close to the gibberish I’ve listened to inside my head for so long.”
“Well, our conversation wasn’t gibberish. It was real and I’m going to sit down here and now and give you a few instructions. Because you ne
ed to learn what you are doing. And more than that, you need to understand at a cellular level that this is who you are. That you have power you are tapping into for a particular reason even if you don’t know it at this time. But it’s important for you to realize a couple of things. One, you are not crazy. Two, you are in control of your body, including the ethereal body you dissociate from. And three, you feel like you are being hunted always need to be running. I don’t know how true that last one is, but it’s important you honor the feeling for now and delve into the whys and whos. We can help you but you need to help yourself. You can access all of this information as soon as you give yourself permission,” she added, her tone casual yet certain.
Dr. Maddy stood up. She smiled at the two of them. “Now I think coffee and those beignets need their moment. I have to get back to work.”
And she walked out of the room. But inside she was smiling. They had no idea yet. But they were meant to be. They had a connection in the past, although she hadn’t delved in to see what or when. That was for them to figure out. Hopefully sooner than later.
*
Trevor knew when Maddy left the room. Then psychics were like that. Hannah’s gaze had locked on his face like a drowning person who’d glimpsed sight of a life raft. “Hey, don’t panic. It will make sense. Eventually.”
She gasped out a choked laugh. “The stupid thing is it almost does make sense, but it’s so far out there. My mother used to talk about stuff like that but only when no one was around to hear.”
“Your mother?” Oh, now that was interesting. And explained much. “She did energy work?”
Hannah frowned. “She didn’t work at all. My father wouldn’t have allowed it.”
He grinned. “Was she psychic? Read auras? Knew things before they happened?”
She stared at him in shock. “I don’t think so. I never heard her mention it.”
“So what did she talk about?” He studied her frown, seeing the worry collect between her eyebrows.
“Things about keeping my power in close, hiding what I could do from others. Presenting one face to the world and a different one inside.”
