Secrets Beyond the Moon: Strangers from the sky

by NB Blackbell

  Secrets Beyond The Moon

  Strangers from the sky

  NB Blackbell

  Copyright © 2020 by NB Blackbell

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For my Family

  You are my rock

  You light my path

  You carry me through

  Hard times

  And keep me sane

  I love you!

  I also dedicate this to those reading this, you are the best. Thank you.

  Contents

  Introduction

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Afterword

  Introduction

  How aware are you?

  Do you think we’re alone?

  What if you were the only ones who could see a threat against the world, would you save it?

  In a world that rides a shade of grey, what would it take for you to miss that second when something shifts?

  When darkness intertwines itself with the world, and you are the light.

  Can you find the answers before time runs out?

  Chapter One

  Dark clouds moved quickly across the sky as the pitter-patter of the rain hit the ground, rolling across the grey sidewalks. Jasper rushed into the doctor's office. She was already late, even though she had never been late a single day in her life. "I'm here," she whispered anxiously. Marcy, the secretary, looked up and smiled," Great to see you." Jasper looked around and spotted an empty seat near the window. As she sat down, she gazed out at the city. She moved here at twenty, fresh out of college. The municipality still looked the same as the first day she stepped into it almost seven years ago. In one direction, there was the vast blue ocean, and in the other, the rugged mountains. In between, was a playground for the children of business professionals. This is the city she learned to love and trust. She didn't have many memories before she moved to the big city of Richmond, BC. "Jasper, you can go in now." The secretary uttered in a soft but firm voice.

  As Jasper entered Dr. Jake Davenport's office, her eyes swung across the room until her eyes met his. "Hi,” Jake looked up at her and smiled. "Good morning, how are you today?" Before responding, Jasper threw herself down in the chair, flopped her head to the side and then looked at Jake. "Don't you mean, 'How are the voices today?' Giggling, she quickly added. "I haven't heard them today, so today is a good day. It has been two days since they've spoken. Besides, they never seem to make sense. Isabel asked about you; she wanted me to find out what you are doing this weekend. So, what are you doing?" Jake grinned, "I'll call her tonight. Let's keep it professional in the office."

  Jasper let out a sigh, "Okay. The voices have been quiet, and I still have no idea why I'm hearing them or what they're talking about," she laughed softly. Jake, chewing on his pen, looked over at Jasper. Slowly removing the pen from his mouth. "It doesn't matter if they make sense or not, we need to figure out why you hear them. This isn't normal, yet I don't sense any mental illness. It would be different if they were speaking to you, but they're talking to each other. I want to be there when you hear them, so I can get a sense of the atmosphere you are in, and perhaps we can figure out where they're coming from. What do you think about meeting out of the office?" Jasper nodded, "That's a good idea. I'm heading to kickboxing class tomorrow, but on Wednesday, I'm working at the cafe. Maybe we can meet there?" Jake grabbed his pen and wrote it down in his book. "Sounds good. I'll see you then." As Jasper headed to the door, she glanced back and said, "See you then, Jake."

  The rain fell gently as Jasper slowly headed home. The sidewalks were still wet, but the skies looked forgiving as the sun gently peeked around the clouds. Jasper had a lot on her mind, and with everything going on in the city nowadays, she was always a little wary about walking by herself, especially at night. There were several reports of people missing, many later found dead. Police have been unable to solve the mystery. No one ever seems to see anything, and the crime scenes lack evidence, leaving the cops feeling frustrated, and the public frightened. Jasper refused to feel like a prisoner in the city she loved and continued living each day to the fullest. She lived in a world of her own, oblivious to her surroundings. It was as if there wasn't a threat to the people of Richmond. The pepper spray she secretly carried in her pocket provided her with the security she needed.

  Monday and Tuesday passed quickly. It was already early Wednesday morning. The alarm was buzzing loudly as Jasper forced her eyes open. Buddy jumped up on the bed and onto Jasper, licking her face, letting her know that he was happy to see her. "Buddy, stop! Not my mouth! Ew!" Buddy heeded Jasper's commands and lay down next to her. "It's okay, boy. I still love you," she said in a soft, calm voice. She jumped out of bed and headed to the kitchen. Isabel was sitting at the table with her coffee, reading the newspaper. She turned to talk to Jasper, "Morning. Breakfast is in the microwave if you're interested." Nookers ran across the room, meowing as if he was chasing an invisible mouse. Jasper giggled, "When did Nookers get here?" Isabel swallowed her toast. "He came last night. Jesse dropped him off before he headed out for his camping trip." Jasper smiled and responded quietly, "Nice, it will give Buddy someone to play with for the week."

  Glancing over at Isabel, Jasper inquired, "Are you going to be at the cafe later?" Isabel quickly nodded. "Yes, there's no school today. Too many kids missing class, I guess. It's crazy, but have you noticed how many people are disappearing lately?" Jasper shook her head in dismay. "It's not just the kids; every time we turn around, someone is missing. This city has turned into the Bermuda Triangle. There are a lot of crazy things happening everywhere, but I love this city, so I hope they figure out what's going on soon. I heard another plane crashed on Monday evening. They think it's terrorism, but they cannot prove it yet." Isabel shook her head softly. "Whatever is going on will hopefully stop soon. You can't tell me whoever is doing this is smarter than a whole police force put together."

  Isabel frowned. "Sure seems so. Did Jake call you? I told him you asked about him." Isabel Smiled, "Yes. He is dropping by this weekend we might catch a movie. I'm looking forward to it." Jasper smiled, "I'm so happy you two are finally admitting you guys like each other. Now maybe you guys can just admit you are right for each other." Isabel shook her head, "Maybe you can give dating another chance?" Jasper shook her head, "I don't think so. I'm fussy, and until the right man comes along, I'm not interested. I'm heading into the shower and then out with Buddy. We can chat more at the cafe." Without hesitating, Jasper headed to the shower.

  The sun was shining brighter than it had been in days. Jasper and Buddy entered the park where she loved to walk him. Up ahead, she could see beautiful flowers of all colours, planted on mounds of bright green grass. Squirrels were running across the field and up the side of an oak tree. Buddy loved to stop and sniff every bush and flower, checking it out as if it were the social media world of the four-legged society. He would lift his leg and leave a message anytime he got a chance. It made
Jasper laugh. She loved that little guy; he was a mixture of toy Yorke and Pug. He wasn't a huge dog, but he had a deep love for life and was quiet. She never had to worry about taking him anywhere; he always just lay down quietly. They spent so much time checking out all the flowers and following the squirrels as Buddy pretended to hunt them. He always thought he could catch them, forgetting about the leash wrapped around his neck. They usually watched them munch down peanuts as Jasper kept some in her pocket to feed them for their walks. About twenty minutes later, they came to the end of the park. Jasper reached down and scratched Buddy. "Did you enjoy your walk, boy? Let's head down to the café. We'll take a shortcut by the bridge." Jasper walked towards the bridge with Buddy.

  The smell of the ocean carried in the breeze. It was so refreshing, and it relaxed her. She couldn't imagine living anywhere else. Besides, how many places have both the ocean and the mountains within proximity? 'Today feels like a perfect day,' thought Jasper It's about a twenty-minute walk there, so by the time she arrived at the cafe, it would be time for a break. Jasper sat on a rock down by the bridge. The view was spectacular. She pulled out her sketchbook and thought, 'I should probably work on this, Buddy, since it's due Monday.' Jasper took an art class on Monday evenings. Most of the time, she sketched whatever came to mind, but sometimes she drew stuff for no reason at all, like stuff from Isabel's dreams. It was freaky when she did that but cool at the same time. Jasper reached down and scratched Buddy. "Good boy, Buddy. It's a beautiful day. It makes you wish it would last forever. Life seems easier when it's just you and me." She gazed out at the rolling waves, "I don't know why Isabel is so determined to have me date, it only ever leads to trouble." She smiled at the puppy, "Do you think there's anyone out there for me? Probably not, but it's all for the best, isn't it? It's always better when it's just us." Jasper leaned back against a pillar and looked at her sketchbook. "We'll stay here for a bit then head to the cafe." She picked up her pencil and started sketching.

  Later, at the cafe, Jasper walked in, smiled and waved to Faith. "Hey, Faith, how are you?" Faith looked at her as she walked over to grab Jasper her coffee. "I was wondering if you would be in today, Isabel's already here. She has a table near the window." Jasper smiled and said, "Thanks," and started walking over to the table where Isabel sat. Isabel looked up from her book and smiled. "Hey, where have you been? I figured you would've been here by the time I got here?" Jasper reached down and pulled out a chair. Sitting down, she replied, "Buddy, and I hit up the park, then we stopped for a while down by the bridge. I had to sketch for a bit. I have an art assignment due for class." As soon as Jasper put her art book on the table, Isabel reached over and picked it up. Opening it to see what her best friend drew today, she gasped. "When did you draw this? This was in my dream last night." Jasper looked at the picture. "I drew this today by the bridge. I couldn't get the image out of my head."

  During their conversation, Jasper became distracted. Something drew her attention towards the window. Something outside caught the corner of her eye. This had happened many times before. "Isabel, did you see that? It happened again." Isabel looked up. You mean that weird thing with the face? Jasper glared, "Yes, it looks like his face is changing." Jasper sat looking out the window, watching the guy whose face one minute looked human, and the next minute looked like a snake. Jasper knew this was impossible, so why did she think she saw it? But then again, it's no different from her hearing voices. "Oh, my God, I forgot I'm supposed to call Jake. He wanted to come down to the café to see if he could figure out where the voices were coming from." Isabel looked a bit worried and, trying to comfort her friend, quietly replied, "Well, then you better call him now. Maybe he can figure out why you see the faces shift." Jasper immediately picked up the phone and dialled his number.

  The phone rang for a quick second, and suddenly she heard.

  ”Hello, this is Jake Davenport." "Hi, this is Jasper. I was wondering if you would like to come down to the café?" Jake paused as he looked at his calendar. "I don't have anything happening right now. I'll head down there as soon as possible."

  Jasper hung up the phone and looked at Isabel. "I sure hope I'm not crazy." Isabel laid her hand upon Jasper's. "Don't worry about it if he hasn't found you crazy yet; he won't think you are now." Just then, Faith came over to see if the girls wanted a refill. "Yes, please," Isabel said politely. Jasper nodded in agreement.

  Twenty minutes later, Jake walked in the door, his eyes searching the room looking for Jasper. Walking over towards her, he announced in a firm but a polite voice, "Hey, sorry I took so long. Traffic was mad out there." He laughed, pulled out a chair and sat down next to Jasper "So, what's up, Girls? Are you okay, Jasper?" Jasper tried to smile, but it looked more like a grimace. "You're going to think I'm crazy. Sometimes when I look out this window, I see people standing around, and when I watch them, their faces change."

  Jake looked a bit worried. "What do they look like?" "Well," Jasper paused, "One minute they look human and the next minute like a snake. Tell me I'm not crazy." Gazing out the window, Jake comforted her. "If you were crazy, I would have locked you up long ago. You've been coming to me for years, saying that you hear voices that speak to each other. I've told you that wasn't normal, and that I've never seen anything like it, but I've always been supportive of you. So, if you say you see a man's face change, I will sit here and watch this guy with you; if it does, we'll see it together."

  Jasper smiled approvingly. She knew that Jake believed her, and that was all she needed. The three of them sat there for quite some time, peering out the window to see if they saw what Jasper saw. Jake was just about to give up when a guy sitting by the fountain looked up from his newspaper, and as he did, there was a glimmer on his face. He almost looked reptilian. Jake's mouth fell open. "Oh my God, Jasper! I saw it! It's real! But what the hell did I just see?" Isabel looked at Jake and then at Jasper. "What? Am I the only one not getting to see this?" Jake was too frazzled to answer, and so was Jasper.

  The two of them sat there for the longest time. Watching for the shimmer of change in an individual was like an addiction. They wanted to see how many more times they could spot this. Within that time, they noticed there was more than one. Breaking the silence, Jasper exclaimed, "What the heck are we seeing? I mean surely to God, this isn't normal, is it? We know there's no way everybody at this table is losing their mind." Jake looked at Jasper "I have to head back to the office. I need to figure this out. I mean, what exactly are we seeing?" Jasper nodded. She was happy to find out she wasn't crazy, but at the same time, she was confused about what they were seeing. Isabel grabbed Jake's hand and said, "Before you go, you need to see this." She picked up Jasper's sketchbook and showed him what Jasper had drawn in the morning. Jake looked at her. "It's nice. Good job.” Before Jasper responded, Isabel emphatically stated, "No! No! No! That's not the point! The point is this was in my dream last night, and I never told her about it. This seems to happen more and more, and I know this isn't normal." Jake looked puzzled, "We'll figure this out." Jake turned and headed for the door, then glanced back at the girls before he exited the café.

  Jasper looked at Isabel and uttered, "I'm not even sure what this means. We have no idea if this is something that's been around forever or if this is something new, if it's a threat or if it's safe. Look at all the weird things happening lately, accidents, people missing, people dying. How do we know it's not linked to this? Do you think anybody else knows about this? I wonder if the police would even believe us?" Glaring back at Jasper, Isabel responded, "We need to leave this alone until Jake figures this out."

  Back at the office, Jake was sorting through his files. He now had other patients that claimed to see faces change, or what they called shape shifting. Until now, he didn't really believe them. After some intense searching, Jake gathered two files together. He grabbed a piece of paper and jotted something down for his secretary. He grabbed the paper and the data and brought them to Marcy. "Please cancel all my appointme
nts for tomorrow and get a hold of patients in these files. Have them all come in tomorrow and the next day. It's imperative." Showing her the paper, Jake added, "Here's what you say." He smiled, then turned and walked away, yelling, "Thanks, Marcy." When he got back to his desk, he picked up the phone to call Jasper. The phone rang for a few minutes before Jasper picked up.

  "Hello." Jake took a breath and told her the news. I was looking through my files and noticed that there are several people who've seen the same thing we did. I'm setting up appointments for tomorrow and the day after to talk to them. I need to know what they know. I'll call you in two days. Will you be okay until then?" Without hesitation, Jasper answered, “Yeah, I'll be okay, but I really wish I knew what we're up against and why strange things are happening in the city right now. I'll talk to you in a few days."

  Jasper hung up the phone and then looked at Isabel. "I'm heading home now." She reached down and grabbed Buddy. Isabel piped up. "I'm coming. Just give me half a second." She swiftly gathered her stuff together. The two girls waved to Faith and headed home.

  Early the next day, right after finishing their walk, Jasper and Buddy walked into the cafe. Jasper had to write an article for work. She worked for a magazine company that featured the aftereffects of life. Topics included showing people how to get over jet lag, how to move past life hurdles, and how to make the most of the day. Writing is something she truly enjoyed doing. She grabbed a table by the window. She always sat there. Occasionally, it was taken, but more often, it was there waiting for her. Faith hurried over to her as Jasper sat down. "Hi, hun. I'm so happy to see you." Jasper looked up, "What's up, Faith? You look a bit frazzled."