Mira looked at Dr. Barns who was quietly seated next to her with his legs crossed and a folded newspaper resting in his lap. He was blankly staring straight ahead.
“Are you all right?” she asked.
As if jolted out of a reverie, he uncrossed his legs, caught the newspaper that had nearly fallen from his lap and adjusted his eyeglasses on his face. “Yes. Yes, I’m fine; thank you,” he replied.
Mira had her doubts. The situation involving his niece was clearly bothering him—and perhaps, something else. She forced a smile, then turned toward the window, leaving him to his thoughts.
After landing in Nirvana, Barns rented a small sedan and they headed straight to Hufton’s Mental Health Facility. The entire drive, Barns rehearsed in his mind what he would say to his sister and how he would act. After playing out several scenarios, he came up empty—completely unsure of anything. He mentally prepared himself to just appear and however it goes, he’d be fine with it. He undoubtedly knew that seeing Rachelle for the first time in years would be awkward—possibly for both of them. Nothing less could be expected. He only hoped she had retained most of her senses and that the blows of life hadn’t mentally incapacitated her to the point she couldn’t hold an intelligent conversation.
“Here we are,” Barns said as they pulled into the parking lot of the psychiatric hospital. He shifted the gear to ‘park’, shut off the engine, and stared at the large edifice in front of them.
“Are you okay?” Mira asked.
He took a deep sigh. “I’d be lying right now if I tell you I am,” he replied. “This all just happened so suddenly. I was back at home living my life with nothing major on my mind and now I’m here, and have to face things again that I don’t want to face. Priscilla’s still not here, so I have mixed emotions about whether coming all the way here is worthwhile or not.”
“Your sister’s here,” Mira reminded him. “And she needs you.”
“I doubt it’s me that she needs. It’s not like I’m going to stay here with her forever. In a few days, I’ll be back home again and she’ll have to somehow carry on with her life, as she’s been doing. I’m only here for moral support, Mira, because she is my sister, and to check on the investigation concerning Priscilla’s disappearance…and, of course, what might be happening to Rachelle in terms of what I heard. But when that’s all said and done, Rachelle is going to have to pick herself up the best way she can and go on with life. I can’t do it for her. No one can.” He spoke passionately.
Barns reached for his hat from the dashboard and looked at her. “You’re ready?”
Mira nodded.
“Let’s go, then.”
6
_________________
The hospital was kept in immaculate condition as it was rated one of the top psychiatric centers in the country. Rachelle had good insurance coverage, which came in handy each time she had to be admitted there or found herself driving to the A&E of the local hospital because she could swear she was having a panic attack. That scary feeling of nervousness and agitation seemed to have ingrained itself into her life and she was never sure how to shake it. Doctors only prescribed pills that made her even more anxious than she already was. Rachelle had started to believe that she’d been cursed—cursed by someone who blamed her for Priscilla’s plight or some other misdeed, or cursed by God. Regardless of the reason behind it, she felt she was doomed; life was now meaningless and she would have to exist in her weakening fleshly shell as long as it enabled her to continue breathing. How she wished it would release her into the unknown! At least, she deduced, the unknown was a better option than having to continue in a life that had turned upside down and left her completely alone.
The razor blade marks on both of her wrists were lasting evidence of her futile attempts to end it all. No one had known she’d even considered suicide until she was admitted to Hufton’s the first time around and healthcare workers noticed the signs as clear as day. For some reason, she never went deep enough, maybe because the option of the unknown, though in her mind perhaps better than her current state of being, was rather frightening.
Could there really be a Hell? She wondered that day as she made a semi-sharp cut across her wrist that barely was effective enough in causing any blood to seep through to the skin. The only thing she knew for sure was she wasn’t yet ready to find out. After attempting suicide four months after Priscilla went missing, she never tried again even in the face of all the emotional anguish she suffered. There was suddenly something that gave her another reason to stay and tough it out—her hope that by some miracle Priscilla would walk through the front door of their house again as she’d done so many times before. That hope was more comparable to a flicker of light, but the flicker in itself gave her something to look forward to—even if it never came.
Crystal Randolph was at the reception desk when Dr. Barns and Mira walked in. She was a slender lady in her mid-fifties with a calm and pleasant mien.
Barns approached the desk as Crystal welcomed him with a smile.
“Good afternoon,” he started. “I’m David Barns; I called this morning. I’m here to see my sister, Rachelle Wigby.”
Crystal immediately got up and started around to the front of her desk. “Yes, Doctor Barns. I was informed that you were coming. Your sister’s expecting you. Would you please follow me?”
Wearing shiny black high-heeled shoes and a blue fitted dress, she led them down a wide hallway. Barns’ heart was thumping with each step as he anticipated the reunion, and Mira could sense how uncomfortable he was as she walked beside him.
At the end of the hallway were two tall mahogany doors. Now standing in front of them, Crystal glanced back at Dr. Barns.
“She’s in here.”
He nodded and took a deep breath in.
Crystal opened the door.
The room was spacious. Heavy curtains tucked to the side allowed a gorgeous view of a lake and burgundy sofas adorned with tiny carnation imprints sat upon a beautiful Persian carpet. Rachelle was sitting alone, gazing out of the window. She looked in the direction of the doorway the moment the large door creaked open.
Barns’ eyes met hers and his first thought was how much older she looked. A few years had clearly taken its toll and the weariness in her eyes could not be concealed.
He glanced at Mira.
“Go ahead,” Mira told him. “I’ll wait right here.”
Crystal smiled, then left.
Barns entered the room and Rachelle immediately got up to meet him. As she was hurrying toward him, he saw the tears in her eyes and soon felt tears brimming in his own. This was not at all what he expected, even though he hadn’t a clue what to expect. All he knew was the inevitable awkwardness, which surprisingly, within that moment never appeared.
The siblings embraced tightly and for several moments—quietly while the tears freely fell.
“I’m sorry,” Barns eventually said. “I’m sorry I turned my back on you, Rachelle. It was a terrible thing to do in your time of despair. I know you loved her.”
She quickly shook her head. “Don’t feel badly, David. I understand why you did and I don’t blame you. If I’d done better by Priscilla, you wouldn’t have ever felt the need to turn away from me.” She dried his tears as hers still fell.
“I just...”
“Don’t. Let’s just leave it in the past, okay?” she softly said. “Water under the bridge?”
“Yeah. Water under the bridge.” He was beginning to compose himself. “How are you doing?”
Standing a little more than a foot apart now, Rachelle raised both hands. “Well, I’m here, so I guess I’m not doing so well.”
“What happened?” he asked, with real concern.
“A few days ago, I was in the grocery store picking up a few items when I started feeling overwhelmed like…like I just wanted to scream as loudly as I could,” she explained. “I know it sounds weird, but I couldn’t control it. So many things were rushing through my mind all a
t once that I felt by screaming, I could somehow release myself from them. So, I did. And I kept screaming right where I stood...and I don’t remember what happened after that. Next thing I knew is I woke up here in this hospital—right where I was a couple of years ago. I never thought I’d be back here again. I tried so hard to keep it together, David, but I just couldn’t. Believe me, I really tried.” She became emotional again.
“Come, let’s sit down.” Barns took her by the hand and they both sat together on one of the plush sofas.
“What you’re going through is tough. What happened isn’t an easy thing for anyone in the same shoes to handle. I’m sure you’re doing the best you can,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to help you?”
Rachelle slowly shook her head. “There’s nothing you can do, unless...”
He looked at her attentively. “Unless what?”
“Unless you can bring my Priscilla home and I know you can’t do that,” she replied sadly.
“Have you heard anything recently concerning the investigation into the disappearances? Do you know if they have any leads at all after all this time?”
She dried her eyes with the back of her hands. “Before coming here, I checked in at the precinct every week. I usually speak to Detective Paige Cleare down there. She’s been working on the case from the beginning. David, the police have absolutely nothing since that bus left my daughter’s school and never brought any of those children back. Nothing, I say. They’ve never even located the bus. Detective Cleare is nice and all, and she’s done everything she could, but they just didn’t make any headway. It’s so frustrating.”
“Look, Rachelle,” Barns leaned in closer. “I want you to meet someone. Her name’s Mira Cullen. She’s a doctor who works at the clinic along with me. But she’s more than a colleague—she’s a good friend of mine who happens to have an extraordinary gift.”
Rachelle had a befuddled look on her face.
“She has the ability to sense and see things that most people don’t.”
“You mean… she’s a psychic?”
“I guess you can say that, although she never refers to herself as such.”
Rachelle turned away for a moment. “I’ve seen every so-called psychic in this city. None of them helped. They all just took my money and told me to move on because my daughter was dead. They came up with all kinds of stories and sent me to different areas to locate her body. Nothing they said was true.”
“I understand, but Mira’s different,” Barns replied. “She’s never charged anyone and she’s even worked along with our local police to help them solve a case they couldn’t have otherwise.”
“I just don’t wanna get my hopes up, David. All the let-downs throughout the years are partly the reason I’m sitting here in this place. It’s just too stressful for me.”
“So, you don’t want to meet her?” Barns asked.
Rachelle shook her head. “I can’t. I can’t do it again.”
Barns sighed deeply, then eventually said, “Okay. I respect your wishes.”
After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Do you know how much longer you’ll be here?”
“They didn’t say. I guess until I’m told I’m better or my insurance runs out—whichever comes first.”
“Well, I’ll be here in town for a few days. I’ll come and see you again, okay?”
With a slight smile, she nodded. He started to get up and she gently took his hand from where she was sitting. “David, I have to tell you something.”
He immediately sat down again.
“I’ve been seeing her,” she said, softly.
“Seeing who?” Barns asked.
“Priscilla.”
He grimaced. “Priscilla? Where? You mean—you know where she is?”
Rachelle quickly shook her head. “No. No, I don’t know where she is. She’s been coming to see me.”
Barns was now relating partially to what Nurse Bella Carey had described. “Rachelle, what’re you talking about? I don’t understand. You said she comes to see you, but you don’t know where she is—it doesn’t make sense. You understand what I’m saying?”
“Allow me to explain, David.”
He sat back a bit.
“She’s been coming here to the hospital, but she never says a word. I wish you could see her, but no one else seems to.” She paused for a moment. “Do you think this means… she’s actually dead like those psychics said?”
Barns hated the sound of it, although he’d considered the possibility that his niece is deceased. “I don’t know, Rachelle. I don’t know what to think. Look, I’ve gotta go now, but I’ll be back again soon.”
“Where are you staying?” She asked.
“Mira and I are going to book a couple rooms at a hotel.” He glanced at his watch. “We need to do that before we don’t have anywhere to lay our heads tonight.”
“Why don’t you stay at my place? It’s just been sitting there empty all the while I’ve been gone.”
“Oh, I don’t want to intrude in your personal space, Rachelle. We can always get a room somewhere.”
“Why should you do that, David?” There was a serious expression on her face. “We’re family, remember? I’ve always kept the house nice and neat—if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“That’s not my concern at all; believe me,” he said. “Okay, we’ll stay there. I appreciate it.”
Rachelle smiled. “Please request my house key at Reception. The lady there would know where to locate it. And please tell your friend to feel right at home. She can use my bedroom. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer if no one sleeps in Priscilla’s room.”
“Not at all,” Barns replied, getting up again.
He wished she would have agreed to meet Mira, but understood her sensitive frame of mind.
She remained on the sofa as he left the room.
Closing the door behind him, he saw Mira sitting several feet away against the southern side of the hallway. As he headed over to her, a woman approached him.
“Excuse me, sir. Are you Doctor Barns?” she asked.
“I am,” he replied.
“I’m Bella.”
“Oh! I was hoping to meet you.”
“I’m so glad you came,” she said. “How long will you be in town?”
“Only for a couple of days. I have to take care of a few things, but I’ll be back to see Rachelle before I leave.”
“That’s nice. I’m sure your presence here for however long will do Rachelle some good.”
Mira soon approached them.
“Please allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine, Doctor Mira Cullen. She was very gracious to accompany me on this trip. Mira, this is Nurse Bella Carey. She’s been looking after Rachelle.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor Cullen,” Bella said.
“Nice meeting you too,” Mira replied. “May I say something to you which is gonna sound really odd?”
Bella glanced at Dr. Barns, then looked at Mira again. “Um… sure.”
“That short cut you take through Vanderville every morning on your way to work isn’t a really safe route to take anymore.”
“Pardon me. How do you know I take that short cut? Have we met before?”
“There’s a straggly, blonde-haired guy that sits on a bench on the side of the street near the stoplight. The stoplight is more on the side of the road instead of in the center. The guy is there some mornings when you pass.”
“Yeah. I know who you mean. I’ve seen him several times.”
“He’s not that stable, Bella. I’d advise you not to go that route anymore, okay?”
Puzzled as to what that conversation really was about, Bella grimaced. “Okay.”
“Trust me—take her advice,” Barns said.
“I will. I’ll just take another route to work.”
“By the way…” Mira continued, “…can you tell us where we can find the mother of the child who never boarded that school bus wi
th the other children?”
Barns was confused. He looked at Mira. “There was a child that was supposed to be on the bus that day who didn’t go?”
“Yes! She’s absolutely right,” Bella affirmed. “His name’s Johnny Baxter and his mother’s name is Angie. Their place is about a half hour drive from here. Everyone knows them. If you join me out front, I can jot down directions for you.”
“That would be wonderful,” Mira said. Her eyes then veered over to the double doors of the room where Rachelle was. Walking toward those doors was the same girl she’d seen on the TV screen a few days earlier—the one that was staring at her right after Barns had requested she join him in Nirvana; the one with the evil eyes.
Several strands of the girl’s dull, lifeless shoulder-length hair began to rise one by one. She stopped in front of the door and for a few long seconds, stood there. Then, as if being twisted like a wound-up toy, she slowly turned her head counter-clockwise until her face was perfectly aligned with her back, and with her neck steady, she looked out across the room at Mira. That same intense stare through those black, feline-like eyes greeted Mira. The girl’s head soon continued its counter-clockwise motion until it was facing the front again, leaving the neck strangely twisted and wrinkled.
Mira did not realize until the girl walked through the double doors, that all eyes were on her. Barns and Bella were both silently observing her.
“She’s in there,” Mira said.
“Who?” Barns’ curiosity was heightened.
“The little girl.”
Those words sent chills through Bella’s spine.
7
_________________
After signing for his sister’s key, Dr. Barns followed Mira out of the hospital. As soon as he sat behind the wheel of their rented car, he took a deep sigh. “Well, it’s surely nice to have gotten that over with.” He glanced at Mira. “Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mean it in a negative way. It’s just that I’ve been anticipating seeing her again and couldn’t help wondering how awkward it might have been for both of us.”
Wicked Little Saints Page 3
