by Paris Morgan
“Hmph. I can meditate in kick-ass boots the same as I can in sneakers.” I wanted to walk away, but I hadn’t actually talked to them yet. “What’s the security look like?”
“Pretty good for this kind of place. There aren’t really any guards walking around, and you have to put a passcode in at the gate. But if you wanted to sneak out or in, it wouldn’t really be that hard to do.”
I smiled. “Thanks for making sure I can leave when I want to.”
“Young lady!” Ryan shook a playful finger at me. “Don’t make me put a GPS tag on you.”
“How do I know you haven’t done that already?”
“Because I’ve got you on the psychic LoJack, and don’t need all these fancy tools to keep an eye on you.” Adam walked past the pool, not noticing that all the women had focused their attention on him.
“He’s oblivious, isn’t he?” Ryan looked around at all the drooling faces.
“Mostly, but some of that is aimed at you, buddy. They can smell when a man is unavailable, and suddenly it’s like he’s wearing catnip to all the women around.”
“That’s not true,” Ryan protested.
I shook my head at him. “It’s completely true, and when you start carrying that baby around, you’ll be even more attractive because women are drawn to guys that know how to take care of their kids. It’s a thing. Ask Shea, she’ll agree with me.”
“Oh, hey! There you are.” Kara, the blonde with the floral accents from earlier, waved at us. “I was hoping to run into you again.” She lifted hand to cover her mouth. “I mean, not literally, but how do you like it here?”
“It’s pretty. I haven’t been here long enough to have a real opinion yet.”
“Are you going to the meditation class? The teacher is just the most amazing person. She’ll help you get in the groove. It’s the most relaxing thing, and you’ll find that it helps you to let go of all that stress,” Kara gushed. “Please say you’ll come.”
I shot the guys an incredulous look. “How could I refuse an offer like that? Lead the way.”
She let out a giggle and grabbed my hand, pulling me along with her.
There was really no way that someone could be that cheerful all the time. Maybe if I watched her a little closer, I’d find out what she was hiding.
The meditation room was completely open, and incense were strategically placed throughout to help with the ambiance.
A petite redhead was standing in the front of the room, talking to one of the faculty staff.
“Psst,” Kara whispered. “Here’s a mat for you.”
In her hand was a bamboo mat that didn’t look comfortable at all.
“Thanks.” I had to say something, but we’d see how thankful I really was after sitting on it for an hour.
“They were special ordered from a monastery in Canada. They help with focus and good vibes. Plus, it’s only for about ten to fifteen minutes.”
I tried not to snicker. Poor Kara would believe anything, and heaven forbid a salesman try to offer her land where she could make lots of money, sight unseen, because she was the perfect target for that kind of thing.
“We’ll see, and I’ll tell you if the mat helped with meditation.”
She led me to a spot front and center of the room where we could see the ringlets in our leader’s hair.
“If everyone will take a seat, we’ll get started.” She clapped her hands to get the room to quiet down.
“I’m Shelly, your meditation instructor, and we’ll be using the next few minutes to clear our minds of any and everything that troubles us. For those of you who are new to the idea of meditation, it’s a way for us to reconcile our inner selves and focus on recharging our energies. No matter how much we exercise or work on our mental health, if we don’t do some mental cleansing, then we’ll have a gorgeous looking exterior but be a mess inside. First, let’s get comfortable on our mats and into a position with your feet touching, giving you a circle to contain your energy.” Shelly glanced around the room, making sure that everyone was following directions.
“Second, close your eyes and imagine yourself floating in a cloud. Now, anything that tries to get inside your cloud needs to respect your boundaries. Breathe deeply, and just focus on keeping away the distractions while your natural instincts take over. I’m going to start the music. When you feel completely relaxed, or have completed your normal routine, you may leave quietly.”
A melody filled the air that reminded me of being out in the woods chasing butterflies as a kid.
Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on clearing everything out, but it was difficult. Every time I’d come close to imagining a fluffy cloud, I’d see a murder. That wasn’t the way to get me calm and focused.
I built fluffy walls that looked more like cotton candy surrounding me. When something tried to get past the walls, it would just bounce off, allowing me to focus on my breathing and the main purpose to not think about anything.
A woman appeared in the middle of my cloud and looked at the walls. She burst out laughing.
“Well, would you look at that? The girl cop has to get her girly things done in the brain so the guys won’t think she’s a wuss.”
“Excuse me,” I huffed, walking up to her. “Who are you?”
“Mary Ann. Just because you put me into a closet, doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with me at some point.”
“Closet? What are you talking about? You don’t look anything like Mary Ann.” I was puzzled because this woman held no resemblance to the giant lumberjack who had died.
“Yes. When you and Adam put me away so I couldn’t jabber at you all the time, it was like being put in a closet. Prison cells have windows, but closets don’t.” Mary Ann conjured up a chair and took a seat.
“Why me? Why did you decide to pick on me? I’ve got a lot of stuff going on, and I don’t need you jabbering in my head.”
“Hmm…why did I pick you?” She swung her foot, seeming to enjoy herself. “You just so happened to be the only one there right then. And besides, I liked you.”
“Liked me, as in past tense?” I was suddenly hurt and offended that a ghost in my head didn’t like me.
“Well, you did lock me in a closet with only my own voice to talk to for a while. Honestly, it’s a good thing I like my own company enough that I didn’t go crazy.” Mary Ann smiled at me.
“Can’t you go pick on someone else?”
“Nope. The Zodiac Master isn’t done with you, and I think I can help you stay ahead of him.”
“How are you going to do that? You’re dead.”
She didn’t get the chance to answer, because Shelly tapped me on the shoulder.
“Ma’am? Are you okay?”
I opened my eyes in exasperation. “Yes. Why?”
“Well, the meditation session has been over for about thirty minutes, and the yoga class is going to be needing the space soon.”
“Oh, gracious, I’m so sorry. I’ll get out of your hair.” I jumped up and started rolling the bamboo mat up.
“No, we love it when our guests are able to zone out and connect with their inner selves for longer than just a few minutes.”
Smiling tightly, I nodded and went back to my room. I hoped I didn’t run into Kara again, because I was embarrassed that I’d been more involved in talking with a ghost than paying attention to my surroundings.
They expected their guests to dress up for dinner, and I wanted a nice long shower before I tried to get all nice and pretty.
***
This was so out of my comfort zone. I mean, I could get dressed with the best of them and have a nice elegant evening, but why? It was one of the crazy things in life I just never really got into: the whole obsession with clothes, make-up, and jewelry. Give me a pair of boots, any style would do, and a truck with some barbeque and I was good to go.
The dress fit easily, but I’d had to shave my legs and lotion them so I didn’t feel like a bear in the city. A few dabs of eyeliner and li
pstick completed my dressed-up look. I had drawn the line at heels because if something happened and I had to chase someone—which was reasonable considering the past few weeks—I didn’t want to break an ankle at the same time. Strappy sandals were my compromise, and if I stayed more than a week, I was going to need a few more things.
It was like the first day of school all over again as I appraised all the people pouring into the dining room.
“They put place settings out so you have to find your name every night and see who you’re sitting next to. It’s a fun way to meet new people,” Kara whispered from my side.
She was almost ninja-like in the way she just appeared next to me.
“Uh, thanks.” I began walking around the table, looking for my name, when Kara squealed.
“Leslie, we’re sitting together!” She waved from farther down the table. “Shelly’s here too.”
“Oh, yay!” I replied sarcastically.
Either Kara didn’t get sarcasm or she was just ignoring it, but Shelly smiled at me as I stood at the seat in between them.
“How are you settling in?” Shelly asked.
“Okay so far.” I started to pull out the chair, but noticed Kara shake her head.
“We have to wait for the dinner bell to ring before we can take our seats.”
“Right, I should have known.”
This place had more rules than a prison. I couldn’t believe that people actually came here and they stayed. So far, no one was running away screaming.
A bell dinged, and all the women standing behind their chairs bowed their heads.
I followed, but kept my eyes open, looking around. I hadn’t considered that this was a religious environment.
After about thirty seconds, the lady at the head of the table pulled her chair out, and everyone followed suit.
“Is praying a normal part of the rituals?”
“Oh, it’s not a ritual. We just want everyone to feel free to say a blessing to whatever or whomever they want. If they aren’t into any special deity, then they can just observe a moment of silence,” Shelly explained, placing a napkin over her lap.
I’d always thought our family had manners, but this dinner thing upped my game to a whole new level.
Kara and Shelly both talked over me, making sure to include me as they discussed their plans for the next day.
“From what I’m hearing both of you say, most of what we do here is pamper ourselves and exercise. How is this grief therapy?”
“Happy Hills Facility isn’t just for those who are grieving, it’s for those that are stressed or overwhelmed. It’s an escape from the real world. The idea is that everyone is kept busy, even if it’s being busy with relaxing things to keep your mind off of your problems.” Shelly beamed with enthusiasm.
She’d certainly drank the Kool-Aid with this place.
“I was having such a hard time with taking care of my mother, and then working as well. We have so many bills, and they just seem so overwhelming. With my mom being in a rehabilitation center after her hip surgery, this was my chance to get out and hit the restart button.” Kara beamed. “You should have seen me only three days ago.”
“Did they inject you with a happy potion?” I muttered, but Shelly heard and answered me seriously.
“They’re really against the use of prescriptions and medications. The staff are here to help us adjust with natural solutions if at all possible. That way, when we go back out into the world, we’ll have an extra set of skills to help with coping to our regular lives.”
“What’s the normal length of stay here?” I asked, still skeptical of this facility and all they were selling us.
“Oh, most stay about a month. Unless there are lasting problems, it’s a pretty quick turnaround for the residents. With therapy, grief and stress can be managed easily within a short amount of time. The grief never goes away, but the pain associated with it fades.” Shelly eyed the dessert trays making the rounds. “For me, grief can be overcome with good food, and I can feel myself getting happier by the moment.” Shelly let them take her plate so that dessert could be served.
“Shelly, that’s not funny. Maybe Leslie is grieving and food isn’t the comfort option that you feel it is,” Kara reprimanded.
“No, she’s right. Food solves lots of problems, you just can’t let it overtake your whole life. It’s an exchange of one issue for another one. I did lose someone, or the idea of what that someone could have become,” I confessed.
Kara laid a sympathetic hand on my arm. “I’m so sorry.”
I brightened. “Just like you said, a few days can make a difference. Today already feels better, and I’m sure tomorrow will be another step in the right direction.”
Shelly lifted a forkful of delicious cheesecake. “I’ll toast to that.”
“Here, here!” I agreed, taking a bite of my own strawberry topped cheesecake.
If it had been under different circumstances, I’d never have looked twice at these ladies. Now, I was reconsidering that they might just be the ticket to fitting in and allowing me more time to do some deeper digging on the zodiac killer’s flavor of the month.
***
The next morning, I joined Adam and Ryan in their cottage the facility had placed them in, which we were going to use as our headquarters.
We were going to do some background checks on the residents, or guests of the facilities.
Each cottage was set up with its own little kitchen and living area, so there was room for us to spread out and not work on top of each other.
Kara and Shelly were moved to the top of my list because it was hard to stay away from either one of them.
The background information I pulled on Kara stated that she was an only child taking care of her mother. They were heavily in debt, but Kara was careful to pay the minimum required on each bill to keep them from taking all of her paychecks. There weren’t any red flags that I could find, except for the fact that she was a Virgo.
“Hey, as you guys do these searches, keep track of any Virgos. I have a feeling he’s put a group of them together. It may just be a distraction to keep me from looking for the real killer, so we have to stay on top of it.”
I punched in Shelly’s information and found a few more interesting things.
She had come to the Happy Hill Facility as a patient in early April to find help in dealing with a divorce. Now, five months later, she was still here and on staff.
From the court documents that were public, it had been really nasty, and she’d lost her kids due to drinking and neglect. There was always more to the story than what was on paper, but she was a prime suspect for being a killer.
We’d thought that the Zodiac Master had a pattern with alternating killers, but last month he’d used the same sex again. Now, we just had to wait and see which way he moved.
What I’d seen so far wasn’t really a woman that upset with the world, but anything could change that and become a trigger.
“You’re right. All of the current guests are Virgos. That can’t be a coincidence. The ones that aren’t were here before, and just haven’t left yet for whatever reason.”
“With what we know about the Zodiac Master, he knows where I’m at, but will he make a move this bold is the question?” I wondered aloud.
“Let’s hope he’s not because we want you to stay alive,” Ryan agreed, typing more names into the computer.
“Has Agent Watson given us anything to go on?”
“Nope,” Adam replied. “He wants you to rest and clear your mind. We’ve all been through a lot the past few months, and he’s hoping, as much as I have, that this will let you be able to engage your abilities again.”
“Yeah, about that…” I fidgeted a little bit. “Mary Ann’s voice was back when I tried to meditate yesterday.”
Adam stopped what he was doing, focusing all of his attention on me. “You’re just telling me this now?”
“Well, yes. I guess it’s on account of needing to be r
ehabilitated that it just slipped my mind.” My tone was defensive, and I’d unconsciously crossed my arms, waiting on his reaction.
“What did she have to say? How did she make it past your barriers that you put up?”
“When I cleared my mind, somehow she found a loophole that allowed her to be there. She called it a closet, and how it was worse than a prison, and I was going to need her help. I might’ve gotten further, but Shelly interrupted me before I could ask more questions.”
“Are you going to do meditation today?” Adam asked, his voice cautious, like he was afraid and had to handle me with kid gloves.
“No. I don’t like not being aware of my surroundings when I connect with the metaphysical world like that.”
“Did you believe what she was saying?” Ryan asked. Always the skeptic.
“Yes. I think whatever I did put her into a box, or closet-like structure. She acted like we were good friends until I’d done that to her, but she was willing to forget it if I let her out. Ghosts don’t normally lie, do they? I mean, what would they gain by doing something like that for? She looked younger, which is why I didn’t recognize her.”
“Ghosts tend to tell the truth, but that’s because they’re about getting absolution so they can move on. There have been instances where ghosts have tried to use the circumstances to affect certain outcomes. Those are normally considered malevolent spirits because they want to do evil to others,” Adam explained.
“That’s what I’m afraid of. There’s a good chance she’s haunting me to get back at us for her death. Then again, she may want to get back at the Zodiac Master and is willing to help us. Guess I won’t know until I have further conversations with her, huh?”
Ryan looked worried.
“Look, I can use the bedroom, and then if I’m in there too long, Adam can try to bring me back to the present.”
“Adam, you good with that?” Ryan asked.
“Yeah, It’s got to happen sooner or later. I think that might be part of what’s blocking your other abilities. Mary Ann is another consciousness within yours, and that can make things harder to do with your gift.”
