Reunion (A Psychological Suspense with Murder, Mystery and the Paranormal) (18 page)

Lana kept her eyes on the contract and answered, “Yeah. This isn’t anything out of the ordinary. As far as I’m concerned, it’s free publicity. But unless you have any objections to having your name and face splashed across the news, I think it’s fine. I’m signing.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” Kate signed the contract and looked up to address the others. “Hey guys, Lana says it looks good!”

Maria and the others nodded and signed as well.

Julie sat down in her director’s chair and shouted, “Okay everyone, Jake will get you all a bottle of water and we’ll get started in just a few minutes.” Julie directed her assistant to get the drinks.

Kate felt nervous about Nick waiting and watching. She took a sip from her water bottle and waited for Julie to begin.

Julie looked at her video team and counted, “Five, four, three…” She counted silently with her fingers for the remaining numbers and turned toward the group as she began her interview. Kate leaned forward and looked at her classmates. They seemed glad to be there. She watched Nick sitting in his truck and wished she were somewhere else.

“Hello. This is Julie Divulge from Channel Six News, and I have the honor of interviewing five of the survivors from the Crescent Falls High School final graduating class, in Crescent Falls, Idaho. Sitting with me today are Tanner Khan, Lana Jones, Kate Tooley, Bryan Jacobs and Maria Vasquez.” Julie smiled as the camera panned across each face respectively.

Tanner and Lana beamed, taking advantage of the promotional freebee. The others forced out a grin, squeezing it past their nervousness.

“Twenty years after one of America’s most notorious school shootings, these brave souls are embarking upon an incredibly courageous event. Most people would consider their twentieth reunion an ordinary and casual affair. Yet these survivors have not seen each other for two decades because of their horrendous experience. For some, this is the first time they have returned since the terrible moment when David Ray went on a shooting spree inside this building.” Julie pointed toward the school. The camera zoomed in on the marquee near the front of the school.

“These folks have graciously agreed to this interview because they passionately feel that Crescent Falls and the rest of the world need to know what life is like after living through one of the worst nightmares in American history.” Julie turned toward Bryan. “Bryan, may I begin by asking you a few questions?”

Bryan smiled an awkward smile and said, “Sure.”

“Great. To begin with, I’m curious, as a sheriff’s deputy, how have you managed to cope with your experience?”

“Well, I think what happened twenty years ago is what guided me into law enforcement. The shooting is what drives me to serve and protect.”

“Have you encountered any sort of undue stress in your daily responsibilities?”

Bryan chuckled. “Yes…at times. I carry a gun, but I have never had to use it. And honestly, I really prefer not to. I still get pretty anxious when I hear gunshots.”

“I understand.”

Turning toward Kate, Julie continued. “How about you, Kate? You’ve remained in the community ever since that tragic day. What is it like living only blocks away from the very place where you witnessed the murder of some of your best friends?”

Kate froze momentarily and looked out into the parking lot. In a flash, she remembered how Nick had protected her body from the bullets but then she thought of his drunken tantrums. Although her thoughts seemed to last minutes, she replied within seconds to Julie’s question.

“Well, it’s…it’s been very difficult at times,” she said. “And obviously, there are reminders everywhere: like the school, a familiar face, and of course my own memories. Sometimes I run into the people who were permanently disabled. It’s always hard to see them, to watch them in their wheelchairs, because they have to live with the pain in a way I don’t have to.” Kate paused and stared at Nick in the distance and thought, but if you only knew what I have had to live with every day. I wish I could tell you. I wish I could tell the world.

Julie said, “I see. And how do you deal with those reminders?”

“Me? Well, I just have to cope with the memories and occasional flashbacks. And from time to time, I also have to suffer through my husband’s pain as well. He lost his twin brother and that was extremely traumatic for him—for both of us. But overall, I feel pretty safe with our local law enforcement around. They do a good job.”

Everyone in the group chuckled and Kate then worried what Nick must be thinking as he sat watching them.

Julie continued. “It seems that each one of you has come out of this with a completely different experience. Maria…you work with victims of post-traumatic stress disorder. How does your background in the mental-health field correlate with what you and your friends have been through?”

Maria answered in a matter-of-fact manner. “Well, I can’t speak for everyone here, but it seems that we’re all victims of this disorder. You see, PTSD is an anxiety disorder. A person may begin to show symptoms after exposure to a terrifying event in which physical harm was experienced or threatened, such as violent assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents, or combat. Some of the symptoms are panic attacks, depression, substance abuse and feelings of suicide.”

“And how exactly can you help someone who has gone through a traumatic experience such as this?”

Maria crossed her legs and leaned forward to reply. The cameras cut to a close-up of her face. “That depends. I mainly help my patients with talk therapy. Extreme cases require lifelong therapy, medications, or both. But everyone’s different. What works for one person may not work for another.”

“I see. And what is the most common thread among your patients?”

“I see patients who range from veterans to people who have gone through physical abuse, and every one of them experiences their trauma through a different set of lenses. So, it’s important for anyone with PTSD to work with a mental-health professional. Some people with post-traumatic stress disorder need to try different treatments to find what works best for their symptoms.”

“Thank you, Maria. That was extremely helpful. I hope anyone out there who has been through an experience, such as you’ve described, will seek help, if they haven’t already.” The group nodded their heads in agreement. Julie turned her eyes toward Tanner.

Kate noticed the way Julie batted her eyelashes. “Pfft.” What a flirt, she thought.

“What about you, Tanner? Didn’t you just break a world record in hiking the Grand Canyon?”

Tanner nodded and smiled.

“Tell me, how have you found the strength to overcome your fears?”

Tanner fiddled with the red baseball cap on his head, and paused as he considered what to say. He took a deep breath. “You know, I think that’s a question that we’re all still trying to figure out for ourselves. And to be honest with you, Julie, it’s not really black and white. There’s a lot of grey.

“I mean, I’ve had some successes and have overcome a lot of my fears, but it’s been a long process of therapy and self-examination. It’s not like you go out and get fixed and come back ready to take on the world. In fact, much of my success has been the result of trying to overcome the anxiety and fears that still haunt me.”

Tanner finished by saying, “I don’t think any of us will truly be healed from the trauma we experienced.” He glanced at the tree to his left. “We’re like that old maple tree; some days our leaves are strong and green. But sometimes, they turn brown and fall. Fortunately, there’s always spring.” He turned back toward Julie. “And that’s how we keep going.”

Everyone present remained silent as Tanner’s words sank in. No one replied other than to quietly nod their heads in agreement.

Julie broke the short silence.

“Thank you, Tanner. Well said. And how about you, Lana? You’ve written several books about your experience and how you’ve overcome it. Briefly, what do you tell your readers and the folks at your speaking engagements?”

Lana chuckled. “How do I condense several books and hundreds of speaking engagements into a few sentences? Well, I don’t know. Suddenly, I’m speechless!” Everyone laughed at her response. Lana threw her hands in the air and relished the laughter.

• • •

Nick watched the building through his truck’s windshield. Something in one of the windows moved. What was that? He sat up and took a closer look. A shadow ran past one window and stopped at the next. Oh no! Oh no! He’s back! He blasted up in his seat, absolutely petrified. He looked at the video crew and Kate and Bryan. No one seemed to notice. Without thinking, from inside the truck, he pointed at the window and shouted, “Hey! Look up there, in the window!”

Still, there was no response.

He started to get sweaty palms and nervously squirmed in his seat at the thought of walking into the crowd. His beer bottle tipped over and spilled onto the floor. “Shit!” He slid to one side to avoid the liquid and looked back at Kate in case he had missed something. He noticed that she was looking in his direction and wondered if she could see him.

“Kate! Get out of there!” he said, waving his arms. Why was she staring at him, he wondered? She’s got to get out of there! He opened the door and stepped out of the truck, with his eyes fixed on the window. The figure seemed to be looking back at him.

• • •

Lana continued. “As Maria has said, we all look at what happened to us through different lenses. What happened to me was life changing. But early on, I refused to let David Ray turn my life into the living hell that I witnessed all around me. He had an opportunity to choose right from wrong like anyone else, but obviously made a terrible choice, altering the course of many of our lives. I decided to turn what was meant to be a punishment for us, into an opportunity to help others. That way, he loses, and I win—we all win. I guess my work has been my therapy. And maybe I’ve made a difference along the way.”

“Oh, I think you have,” said Julie. “I’m a big fan of your books and can tell you firsthand that I’ve been very inspired.”

The camera zoomed in on Lana as she graciously said, “Thank you.” She smiled, but thought about the emptiness that remained—the
pull
that tugged at her heart.

• • •

Nick kept his eyes focused on the window and the form that he saw hovering behind the glass. It appeared to be the same image he had seen the other night. He had to let the others know. He had to protect Kate from the thing that lurked behind the glass. They need me, he reasoned. Kate needs me.

He pushed back his fears, slammed the truck door closed and walked briskly toward the crowd around the cameras.

• • •

Julie continued. “Now, twenty years later, you’re coming together again. What do you hope to accomplish by reuniting after all these years? And why did you choose to have it here at the school? For some, that seems to be a very precarious decision.”

The question jolted Kate. Oh, God. Bryan doesn’t know. She glanced at him. He looked confused. He opened his mouth as if he were going to speak. Kate’s heart felt as if it sank into her gut.

“Bryan, did you have something to add?” asked Julie.

“I, well, no. No, I was just going to mention that I didn’t…I didn’t know we were having the reunion here. That’s all.” He looked away from the group, visibly shell-shocked.

Kate spoke up. “Oh, that’s right. I’m sorry. You got a call the night we all talked about this. We decided after you left. I forgot to tell—”

“I see,” Bryan said.

Kate took her eyes off Bryan and noticed Nick rapidly approaching. He walked as if in a daze, like a zombie rushing toward its prey, arms pumping like a train. She tapped Bryan’s knee and pointed at Nick. Nick’s pace quickened and he started to shout and wave his arms.

Tanner answered Julie’s question as well. “I have to admit, having the reunion here was my idea. When I first heard that we were going to—”

Tanner stopped midsentence. Nick’s presence could no longer be ignored.

Nick accelerated and shouted, “Stop! Stop! Stop! There he is! Look! See, I told you!”

Julie and the others seemed startled by the interruption. Nick waved his arms, pointing toward the window. The interview came to an abrupt stop as the entire group turned to look and see what all the commotion was about. Kate felt dead inside.
Please, Nick. Not now. Please don’t do this to me
, she thought.

“Look up there! It’s…he’s…he’s there!” Nick came close enough that Kate could see his unshaven whiskers and disheveled hair. He looked extremely distressed. The others looked confused by the sudden interruption. Still unaware of what he was trying to say, the group stared in disbelief. As Nick got closer, his words became clearer.

“Look! It’s David Ray!” Nick pointed at the window where he saw the figure. Everybody turned to look, but there was nothing there.

Nick threw his arms in the air and shouted up at the windows, “Hey! Come back!”

Kate sat rigid in her chair, embarrassed by her husband’s behavior.

Nick continued pointing. “He was right there! I saw him myself!” Apparently bewildered by the ghost’s sudden disappearance, he grabbed at his hair out of frustration, like a zombie gone mad.

Kate covered her face with her hands. She couldn’t bear to look at his foolishness.

“Didn’t you see him? He…he was in the window above the science room. I swear! He was watching like he always does. He always looks out of the windows, waiting to get us!”

• • •

Bryan stood up, ready to charge if necessary. Nick pointed at the window and ran here and there, trying to convince the crowd of David’s appearance. Bryan looked at the window. He didn’t see anything, even though he knew Nick was likely telling the truth. The look in Nick’s eyes gave him an eerie feeling. The hair on Bryan’s arms stood straight up. He looked at the other windows and doors.

Nothing.

After the two previous incidents, he too could sense that David’s spirit hovered nearby. It felt as if his energy were all around, cooling the air, cooling his thoughts. He looked at Kate to see how she was holding up.