All the Shiny Things: A Kate Reid Novel (Kate Reid Series Book 1) (5 page)

“Where are you, Katie?” Dr. Reyes asked.

“At the beach.”

“Are you comfortable?”

“Yes. It’s warm and sunny and I’m on my favorite towel.”

“Sounds wonderful. Now, I want you to take a deep breath and exhale.”

The sound of Dr. Reyes’ voice seemed to become even more distant. Katie felt the warmth of the sun penetrate her skin as it began to tingle. Her mind opened to the doctor’s suggestions and her body sank further and further. Soon, Dr. Reyes’ voice became muffled and barely audible, as if her words were fading to a whisper until finally they were gone.

Katie searched for the doctor on the beach, but could only see wave after wave breaking against the shore. Time seemed nonexistent, but it felt as though only moments passed when the towel beneath her dissolved into the sand and then the sand turned to mud. Everything around her was transforming, filling Katie with that familiar sense of terror once again. Massive trees erupted from the water and the ocean vanished, having been replaced by a dense forest. Her own body was morphing, as her limbs were no longer her own, but appearing like those of a young child.

Behind her, in the distance, came a horrific, quaking mass lumbering toward her.
No, not again
. The events happening around her felt very real; more real than even the most terrifying dream she had experienced so far. She ran as quickly as she could through the forest, away from the giant and screamed for help, but no help was coming. A loud clap sounded in her right ear. Muffled sounds soon became clear again. It was Dr. Reyes telling her to wake up.

Her eyes opened and she quickly scanned the room. She had to be sure it was gone.

“You’re safe, Katie,” Dr. Reyes said.

She rose from the couch and began to cry. “What happened?”

“I don’t know. You were there, and we were talking, and then you were—gone. I think we may be dealing with something a little deeper here.”

» » »

Katie was still
visibly shaken by the time Spencer arrived home. She had been sitting in the dark, with only the television casting a dim glow in the apartment when he flipped on the lights. She squinted at the sudden brightness.

“Katie, are you all right?” He moved to the sofa and sat down, gently placing his hand on her thigh.

Her eyes were red and swollen, drained of tears. Spencer’s face transformed, filling with distress at the sight of her up close. “What’s wrong? Did something happen in therapy?” He reached out to comfort her, but she was stiff and did not move toward him.

“What the hell is wrong with me, Spencer?” She tried hard not to start crying again. “Dr. Reyes wants me to come back for another session next week. It was so strange, different from any other time before; more…real, I guess. I don’t know. The doctor said I didn’t behave the way most of her patients under hypnosis behaved.”

“What does that mean?” Spencer’s voice took on a confusing, almost defensive tone.

“I don’t know. What should have been a simple relaxation exercise turned into this horrible vision that was terrifying. I can’t explain it any better than that. It was so much more than a dream.”

“I’m not sure I understand. You’re going to go through this hypnosis thing again and what; continue to relive the nightmare? Wasn’t this supposed to just be a way to help you sleep?”

He was upset, Katie could see it, but then there was reason to be. “She just wants to get to the bottom of whatever this is, and honestly, so do I. You have no idea what this feels like. I’m exhausted, but afraid to sleep. It’s affecting me in ways I haven’t told anyone, not even you. I need to know what’s going on; whether it’s stress or fear of the future or whatever it is.”

“Fear of the future? Is that what has brought all this on?” Spencer pulled his hand from hers and lowered his gaze.

“You know this started long before we got engaged. This has nothing to do with you, or us.”

Spencer closed his eyes. “I just want you to be okay. I want things to be normal. We’re supposed to be planning our wedding and this thing seems to be taking over. I’m sorry, Katie. I don’t mean to sound like a jerk.”

“No, you don’t. Believe me; I want this to go away more than you know. And, I’m trying. I think Dr. Reyes will help me figure all this out. Then, we can get on with our lives, our future.”

“Okay. We’ll handle it together.” Spencer kissed Katie’s lips. “You haven’t forgotten about Saturday, right? We’re meeting with the wedding planner.”

Katie had forgotten, but didn’t dare say as much. This was his way of diverting from the fear he felt. “Of course not.”

» » »

Her rare and peaceful sleep was disrupted by the vibration of Spencer’s cell phone, bouncing off of his nightstand. Katie glanced at her clock, blinking until it came into focus. A dull light that seeped through the curtains suggested it was early. When the clock was clearer, its amber numbers glowed 6:00. Was it a weekday? No, it was Saturday. Who in their right mind would be calling him at this time on a Saturday morning?

Spencer began mumbling into his phone, not realizing she had already been awakened. A restful sleep awoken by the sounds of Spencer’s boss calling him into work on a Saturday. Never mind that they were supposed to meet with the wedding planner. Katie lay on her side, facing away from him. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. The bed shifted as he sat up. His footsteps were soft and Katie knew he was trying hard not to wake her. A moment later, the sound of the running shower told her he would be going into work. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

“Guess I’ll be meeting the wedding planner on my own,” she whispered.

Katie was making coffee when Spencer walked into the kitchen.

“I thought you were asleep,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist.

“I was, but I heard the shower. So, you’re going into the office?” She continued scooping the coffee into the filter.

“Looks like it. I did some research on this case and now it’s finally been scheduled to go to trial and they want me on the team. It’s kind of a big deal.”

“So what does this mean? You’ve been offered an associate’s position?”

“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.”

“I get it. 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, Megan. 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’ did. They would be happy, raising their children in a house in the suburbs. She had always hoped she would have 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 wore a smile on his face she had 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 as an intern and it’s a chance for me to get in good with the partners.”

“Absolutely, it is. So, should we get some take out, or do you want to go out to eat?” she asked, taking 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. So, 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, flipping 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 a 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?” asked the doctor.

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 again.

“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?” Dr. Reyes asked.

“The man who took me. He’s looking for me and I have to go. Oh no, he’s coming.” Katie began to scream, her arms flailed and her legs thrashed.

Dr. Reyes worked quickly to bring her back. “Kate, you’re safe. Wake up now.”

Katie could hear the doctor somewhere off in the distance telling her she was safe, but all she could see 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. Dr. Reyes, 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.”