by Kasi Blake
Something surprising was waiting for her in her room on the following day, a third roommate. Bay-Lee was juggling a pile of books borrowed from the library and trying to grasp the doorknob when the door popped open. Lucy introduced herself with a confident smile. With red hair and freckles, the girl was more cute than pretty. She only had a small box of things and her clothes were already neatly put away in the dresser.
They talked for over an hour about Lucy’s softball team back home, her old boyfriend who dumped her for a cheerleader, and why she’d eagerly joined the hunting community. Turns out the new roommate was a tom-boy with a dry sense of humor. By the time the conversation switched to crossing over, Bay-Lee was relaxed and content with the idea of sharing her room again. The best thing about Lucy was that her birthday wasn’t for months, so Bay-Lee didn’t have to worry about her dying.
“Someone told me you can cross over,” Lucy said.
Bay-Lee went to her bed and sat in the center of the thin mattress. “It’s all about relaxation.”
“I know. I took the class.” Lucy took a slight pause before explaining her stance on the issue. “The teacher told us we have to learn to relax no matter what is happening around us. According to him some hunters have died because monsters were chasing them and they couldn’t cross back over, couldn’t relax enough to do it. So how do you do it? That’s the one thing he didn’t really explain. How do you relax enough to cross over?”
“Practice.”
“Will you show me how? Please?”
Bay-Lee hesitated. “Crossing over can be dangerous.”
“Help me out here and I’ll owe you big time.” Lucy grinned. “None of my friends have been there yet. I want to be the first.”
“Lay back and close your eyes then.” Against her better judgment she was going to give the girl a lesson, but she was going to make sure they didn’t actually go to the Realm. A quick plan presented itself. She would lead the girl halfway there and yank her back before they finished the transition. All she had to do was make a loud noise. That would be enough to shock Lucy awake.
Lucy fluffed the pillow before resting her head on it.
Bay-Lee continued to speak in a low, calm voice. “Spread your legs a bit so they aren’t touching, and move your arms away from the rest of your body. Anything can distract you, even the feel of your own flesh. Take three deep, cleansing breaths to begin.”
Bay-Lee followed her own instructions. After the third breath, Bay-Lee said, “Fill your mind with a blank screen like in a movie theater. It has to be so huge that there isn’t room for anything else. You’re sitting in the front row of the theater, alone, and it’s quiet. All you see is this huge blank screen.
“Concentrate on your breaths. They should be slow and steady now. Picture the oxygen entering your lungs through your mouth as light blue smoke. When you exhale, the smoke exits your body in a soothing dark blue cloud. Watch your breath swirl in gentle circles as it rises to the ceiling and fades away.”
Bay-Lee continued to talk, leading the girl to relax with the sound of her voice. Her body sank into the mattress until the bed sprouted arms and wrapped around her. She was caught in the middle between realities. She looked at Lucy to see if the girl was freaking out about the dream-like state. They could pull themselves to either side now.
Bay-Lee prepared to yell.
A loud clicking sound filled her ears, signaling ghouls were coming. She wondered if Lucy knew about the ghouls and how to avoid them. In retrospect she should have told the girl about them before teaching her how to relax, but she hadn’t expected them to even make it this far.
Claws reached for Lucy’s hand. The girl screamed. It was the earsplitting sound of someone being murdered. The noise was enough to knock them both from the transitional state. They woke up in the dorm room. Lucy shot out of bed, still screaming.
Bay-Lee jumped to her feet. “You’re okay. They’re gone. See?”
Lucy opened the hallway door before shouting at Bay-Lee. “I should have listened to them when they told me not to agree to be your roommate! You’re a freak. Stay the hell away from me.”
Taken aback, Bay-Lee stared at the girl for a moment, her tongue frozen to the roof of her mouth as students gathered in the hallway while others poked their heads out of their rooms. This was the last thing she needed. She’d been trying to help Lucy, trying to teach her something, and her good deed was going to further ruin her reputation.
Lucy continued to rant at the top of her lungs. “You did it on purpose! You wanted those things to get me, didn’t you? Is that what you did to Tessa?”
Curious gazes settled on her, waiting for an explanation... or a confession.
She’d broken a record this time, found and lost a roommate within hours.
Mike and Keisha appeared at the rear of the crowd. They asked someone what was going on. They only got a negative point of view from a person who wasn’t even in the room when Lucy freaked out and had no idea what they were talking about. “I think Van Helsing’s daughter tried to kill another roommate.”
Jordan arrived in time to add kindling to the fire. “Told you. Van Helsing’s daughter is insane and can’t be trusted.”
A bright light exploded behind Bay-Lee. Before she could turn around she was grabbed by extra strong supernatural arms, and frightened gazes filled in the blanks for her. It was a monster. Something had crossed over to get her. She was yanked backwards and flew across the room to the closet. Her feet never touched the ground. The door slammed behind them and a flash of light blinded her. The monster forced her to cross over. It was all over for her.
She’d never been forcibly crossed over before. Nick’s warning returned in an eerie echo. “If you don’t relax, it will hurt… seriously. It will hurt bad.”
Too late.
Chapter Twenty-One
THE ORDER OF THE SPIRIT REALM
