by Robin Mahle
“Not officially, but I’d say this is a good start. I guess this would be considered more of an administrative position, but my fingers are crossed.”
His excitement was obvious and it made her feel guilty for being irritated about him going to work. “I’m glad for you, sweetie. It is a big deal. And don’t worry, I’ll handle the wedding plans. I just wish Sam was here to help me.”
“Why don’t you call one of the other girls?”
“Maybe.” She smiled and went back to making the coffee.
Katie arrived at the offices of The Big Day, Wedding & Event Planners. The lobby was filled with color boards showcasing a variety of themes, photos of couples, and beautiful flower arrangements. They were the most popular event planners in town, according to Jennifer at work.
Katie sat in the chair across from Megan, the head wedding planner. Her office, heavy with the smell of potpourri and parchment paper, was too frilly for Katie’s taste. This was supposed to be an exciting day, but she was having difficulty enjoying the moment, partly because she was alone and partly due to the distraction of unwelcome dreams. She found herself thinking about her next session with Dr. Reyes, and what it might bring.
“Is that all right with you, Katie?”
“I’m sorry, what was that?” She hadn’t realized the woman was deep in conversation.
“I was asking you about the shade of green on your invitations.” Megan paused for a moment. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I’ve just been so busy at work and now with Spencer getting called in today…well, I guess I just don’t feel like a bride right now.”
“I understand. It’s daunting, the work that goes into planning a wedding, but that’s why I’m here. Listen, why don’t we reschedule for another time, maybe next week? Then you and Spencer can both be here.” Megan began closing up the enormous book of invitation samples. “You’ve got plenty of time.”
“I appreciate that. I’m sorry for wasting your time.” Katie stood up to leave.
“Not at all; I’ve got plenty to do before my next appointment. I’ll see you next week.” She flipped through her schedule. “How does Thursday evening look for you?”
“Actually, I have something that night.” Katie remembered that was her appointment with Dr. Reyes. “Could we push it to next weekend?”
“Of course. I have an opening next Sunday afternoon. I’ll put you down for 2:00?”
“That would be great. Thank you so much.”
The sun had already begun its slow descent into the horizon when Katie arrived home after a short visit to the beach to clear her mind. She looked at the clock on the shelf, wedged between an ever-growing collection of law books. Spencer would be home soon and she looked forward to seeing him. His presence in her life was treasured and she would not see their life together suffer the same fate as her parents. They would be happy, raising their children in a house in the suburbs. She had always hoped for this life and now here was her chance to experience it. Nothing would change her desire for that future.
The handle of the front door jiggled. Katie closed the refrigerator door and looked toward the sound. Spencer entered and wore a smile on his face not seen since agreeing to marry him and it was the first thing she noticed. He held a bottle of champagne along with a beautiful bouquet of spring flowers.
“Wow! What’s with the champagne and flowers?” She walked over to greet him.
“Well, first of all, the flowers are for you as an apology for missing our appointment today, and the champagne is for us to celebrate.”
Katie waited with anticipation for him to continue.
“I was asked to officially join the team on the case. I’ve been offered an associate’s position.”
“That’s fantastic! I’m so happy for you!”
“For us,” he began. “They were impressed by my research while I was interning and it’s a chance for me to get in good with the partners.”
“Absolutely it is. So should we get take out, or do you want to go out to eat?” She took the bottle and flowers from him. The small vase in the cabinet below the sink would do the trick. Katie filled it with water and arranged the flowers.
Spencer dropped to the couch. “Let’s just stay in tonight. I don’t mind running out for some Chinese, if that’s all right with you? Besides, I want to hear about the appointment. I’m excited to see what you chose for the invitations.”
Katie cringed knowing she would have to tell him about rescheduling the appointment. “Well, actually, I got to Megan’s office and we had just gotten started when something came up and she had to reschedule us. So, you didn’t miss anything and we’re going next Sunday.”
“Oh, okay. I guess it turned out for the best, then. I didn’t miss anything after all. What did you do end up doing today?”
“I was going to head home after I left Megan’s, but it was such a nice day that I decided to stop at the beach. I hung out there for a while and then came home not long before you got here.” She continued trimming the ends of the flower stems and placed them in the vase.
“That sounds nice. I’m sure it felt good just to relax. You probably needed some time on your own.”
He was right. It had been exactly what she needed. Their lives were going exactly as she had planned now that Spencer had been offered a job. These dreams, this little hiccup, would be resolved soon enough.
Katie waited in the lobby and flipped through a fairly recent copy of People, its content still somewhat relevant. Not long after, Dr. Reyes poked her head out and motioned for her to enter.
“Hi, Katie. How are you doing?”
“I have to say, Dr. Reyes, I haven’t slept this well in some time. I really believe the hypnosis worked. In fact, Spencer had to convince me to come here tonight.”
“I’m thrilled you’ve had such positive results from our first session. But I think you’ll benefit from a few more. Let’s see how we do tonight. Go ahead and lie down on the couch and we’ll get started.”
Katie’s familiarity with the process and the sound of Dr. Reyes’ voice allowed her to relax and leave behind the apprehension she felt on arrival. She began feeling the same sinking sensation as the first time and felt herself drift into a place of her own choosing. As before, the doctor’s voice grew distant as her body sank deeper into the sofa.
From the moment she entered the dreamlike state, something strange began to happen, something that felt familiar and frightening. Her mind took her to that dark place, cold and damp. She was afraid, crouching on the forest floor, behind a tree. The scarf tied around her neck was wet with tears. She remembered pulling it off her eyes so she could see to run from him.
“Katie, where are you? Are you safe?”
Katie shook her head. “I’m lost. I don’t know how to get out of here. He’s going to find me.” Her voice was small and fragile. “Where’s my mommy and daddy?”
“Where are you, Katie?” the doctor asked.
“I don’t know. I just ran away from him. There are a lot of trees and it’s dirty on the ground. My feet hurt, but I have to run before he finds me.”
“Before who finds you?”
“The man who took me. He’s looking for me and I have to go. Oh no, he’s coming.” Katie screamed; her arms flailed and her legs thrashed.
Dr. Reyes worked quickly to bring her back. “Katie, you’re safe. Wake up now.”
She could hear the doctor somewhere off in the distance telling her she was safe, but all around were branches brushing past her, scratching her as she ran. The sky began to transform along with the entire forest. Soon, she was back on the sofa and could hear Dr. Reyes clearly.
Katie opened her eyes and slowly sat upright. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh my God. Somebody took me when I was a kid.”
“Calm down, Katie, that might be a bit of a leap. This could simply be a manifestation of some other stressor. I can’t explain, though, why it is that when you reach that suggestible state where I
would normally continue with the relaxation techniques, you drift off into these nightmares. It’s like they’re right there at the surface, waiting to be exposed.”
“Do you think it’s possible that something could have happened when I was young? Some traumatic event?”
“I suppose it’s a possibility, but that is something you should discuss with your parents first. I don’t think you should jump to any conclusions before speaking to them. At least then, you could rule it out and we could continue to look for the source of the stress that’s bringing on these frightening dreams.”
“It was more than a dream, Dr. Reyes. It has to be.”
4
Spencer sat on the edge of their bed, listening as Katie retold the events that occurred at Dr. Reyes’ office. “You think you may have been kidnapped as a child? Don’t you think you’d remember something like that or at least that your parents would have said something to you?” Spencer appeared tense, almost as frightened as she had been.
“Look, I know this must sound crazy, but you don’t know what it felt like inside that dream. I’m telling you, it was more like a memory. I don’t know how else to describe it. When I woke up, I swear my arms were still stinging from the branches that scratched me.”
“I’m sorry, Katie, but it does seem a little bit out there. What did the doctor say?”
“She said I should talk to my parents so I could ‘rule it out’ and continue with the treatments.”
“So she’s not entirely convinced something happened to you?”
“Well, no, but it would make sense. I’ve told you how miserable it was at home for me, but it wasn’t always like that. We used to be happy; we used to have fun. I don’t remember when all that changed, but it did. Why are you having such a hard time believing me? It’s like I’ve been missing this piece in a puzzle my whole life and now finally I have it.”
“You’re convinced of this? That you were taken from your family, escaped, and no one ever told you and you didn’t remember before now?”
He didn’t believe her. The doctor didn’t believe her, but she knew it was fact. How could Spencer not stand by her now when she needed him the most?
Katie pushed herself off the bed feeling the anger well up inside her and began pacing the room. “Look, I don’t know what I believe right now. I’m beyond freaked out. All I’m saying is that something bad may have happened to me when I was a kid and I’d like to find out the truth so I can move on with my life, with our life. For God’s sake, Spencer, why can’t you be with me on this?”
“Because it scares me, okay?” He pounded his fist on the mattress. “You think I want to know that someone might have hurt you a long time ago? Don’t you see? I can’t help you with this. I can’t fix this for you.” He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. “Katie, I just want you to be okay and for us to be okay. What good is it going to do if you try to start digging up something from the past? If this really happened, you didn’t remember and no one told you probably for very good reasons. You need to let it go and move on.”
“You don’t get it. I need to find out what happened so I can move on.” Katie walked toward the bedroom door, ready to end this discussion. “I’m going to book a flight home as soon as I can.”
Katie wasted no time and was on a flight that evening. Worn out and exhausted from the journey, her argument with Spencer made the situation even more difficult. He wasn’t happy with her decision to go home, but in the end, he did not try to stop her. Instead, he merely stood by and watched her pack a bag. There was nothing he could say that would alter her decision. She was going to go with or without his blessing.
Those last moments before leaving home was all Katie could think about until she noticed Sam waiting for her in baggage claim in the Eureka airport. Her welcoming smile and warm embrace was comforting and made Katie feel safe. She was back home, which to her meant back home with Sam.
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.” Sam helped her with her bags.
Katie didn’t say much on the drive and was grateful her friend didn’t push the issue. The weather was only slightly warmer than it had been on her last visit and maybe a little drier, but still cold by Katie’s standards. She untied the sweater from her waist and pulled it on. “Hasn’t warmed up much since I was here last month.”
“Did you forget what it was like here in April? You have been gone too long, spent too much time in the SoCal sun,” Sam replied.
It was early morning when they arrived at Sam’s house. The tall oaks loomed over her home, casting odd-shaped shadows against the covered porch. Katie thought how lucky Sam was to have such a perfect little house in a perfect little neighborhood. It was similar to Sam’s parents’ home, where Katie had spent so much time.
“Come on in,” Sam opened the front door. The scent of blooming flowers was everywhere. Sam took pride in her rose bushes that stood majestically along the front of the home and always had them freshly cut and in vases throughout the house.
“You know where the guest room is. I’ll put some coffee on, if you’d like.”
“That’d be great, thanks. I’ll go put my stuff down.” Katie walked up the stairs through the hallway to her room. She hadn’t expected to be back here so soon and certainly not for this reason. She would have to tell Sam everything.
Katie freshened up, threw on some clean clothes, and followed the scent of coffee toward the kitchen.
Sam held two mugs, placing one in front of Katie on the breakfast table. “So, are you ready to talk yet? I’m guessing you’re not here to talk about your wedding plans?” Sam pulled out a chair and sat across from Katie, taking a sip of coffee.
Her mind raced as she tried to figure out the best place to start. “No, not exactly.” She took a sip as well and began retelling all the events of the past several weeks.
Sam exhaled with some despair. “So, what do you think now? You think maybe someone really did take you when you were little? Why wouldn’t your parents have told you?”
“I don’t know, Sam. Maybe because I didn’t remember anything, they decided not to tell me. I mean, I couldn’t have been more than what five, maybe six?”
“I guess, but you need to sit down and talk to them. I know that’s not easy for you, but you have to know what happened. It could have been anything and, maybe it just appeared as dreams of you trying to escape from someone. Did Dr. Reyes suggest that you could have been kidnapped, or did you?”
“I did. She said not to rush to conclusions.” Katie wrapped her hands around the warm mug.
“Exactly. You can’t just jump to conclusions like that. It could be anything that your subconscious is trying to deal with. The best thing you can do is speak to your parents. Whatever it is, I’m sure they can shed some light on the situation. After that, you can go back home to Spencer.”
Katie’s half-hearted smile wasn’t going to convince anyone. “You’re right. Thank you.” She finished her coffee and a short while later, stood up to leave.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to your folks’ house? You’re still welcome to take my car. Jarrod’s going to be home all day, so it’s not like we’ll be without a vehicle.”
“I appreciate that, Sam,” Katie began. “I’ll just borrow your car, if that’s all right. No point in you driving me and picking me up again.”
“Sure. No problem.”
“Thanks. I’d probably better get going. I told my mom I’d be there around lunchtime. Of course, she has probably laid out some huge spread just for the occasion. You know Deborah, ever the consummate host.”
“All right, I’ll walk you out.” Sam opened the front door. “Here are the keys. No rush, whenever you’re ready to come back.”
Katie hugged Sam and gave her a peck on the cheek. I’ll call you later and let you know how it went.”
“It’ll be okay,” she whispered. “I’m sure everything will turn out fine.”
A thin smile briefly appeared on Katie’s li
ps as she turned away and walked out into the crisp spring air. The scent of roses lingered as she stepped off the porch. “Beautiful roses, Sam.” She didn’t turn around for a reply, only continued to the car.
The drive to her parents’ home, Katie’s childhood home, wasn’t long. Within about thirty minutes, she’d arrived and now was unsure of what to do next. She made no mention of the reason for her visit other than that she’d planned a trip to see Sam and decided to swing by.
Her father’s car wasn’t in the drive as she’d expected, although this was no surprise. He knew she was coming. Katie shut off the engine and sat in the car, waiting, staring at the house that used to be her home.
The vision of herself as a young girl, sitting on the front steps, playing with her favorite doll flashed before her. It was a warm summer’s evening and the sun was setting. Her dad pulled onto the circular drive, home from work and he stopped short of her bike that was in his way.
“Katie, how many times have I told you to keep your toys out of the drive?” he shouted.
She dropped her doll and ran over to pick up her bike. “Sorry, Daddy.”
He grunted, pulled forward, and got out of the car. She stood in front of him, waiting for him to greet her, but he only patted her on the head and walked past her and into the house.
The memory was gone and it wasn’t until she spotted her mother peeking out from behind the kitchen curtains that she knew she’d better go in.
A soft knock on the door and her mother was there to greet her. Their embrace felt awkward and forced, as it usually did.
“Come in, sweetheart. I’ve made lunch.” Deborah guided her in and closed the door.
The table was set with flowers, beautiful stemware, and amazing food. Katie had to snicker a little, as this was exactly as she imagined. She politely sat down as Deborah began serving lunch.
“Do you need anything else, Katie?”
“No, Mom. Thank you. Can you please sit down? I’d like to talk.”
