Visions: The Mystical Encounter Series (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 1) (17 page)

Once inside, I let out a deep breath before saying good–night to my mom. I went straight to my bedroom and flopped on top of my bed. Not caring about changing my clothes, I snuggled with my blanket, a little too excited about the prospect of sleep.

I was one hundred percent sure I would have a solid night’s rest since everything was resolved now.
What more could Johnny possibly want with me?
Closing my eyes, I drifted quickly off to sleep.

So much for my assumption, I thought, as Johnny stood before me.

This time, the dream was completely different. He stood in front of me with a white glow surrounding him, peering at me with his icy blues. As our eyes connected, he smiled really wide. “Thanks” echoed through the air before he evaporated into the light.

Immediately waking up, I scanned my room. There wasn’t anything there except total darkness. But I wasn’t anxious. Instead, there was a peacefulness that pulsated through me. It was as if his soul had finally been released, and he wanted to thank me before going up to the heavens, or wherever you go after you die. One thing, for sure, that experience taught me there was definitely an afterlife.

Lying back down, I closed my eyes with a feeling of serenity, drifting off into the best night’s rest I’ve had since moving here.

~~~~~

Grateful that today was Saturday, I woke up around noon. As I sat up in bed, I took in my surroundings. My room hadn’t changed since Mom repainted, but for some reason, it seemed brighter that morning. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted, and I grinned at the thought of finally having my room to myself.

Though I was content to stay in bed the rest of the day, I reluctantly got up.

I found Mom in the kitchen fixing her lunch as I poured myself some milk for my breakfast. I knew she must be dying to ask me tons of questions, so I sat down beside her.

Strangely, she remained quiet until I finally spoke.

“What all happened while I was gone?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Well, I came home and didn’t know what to think when I saw all the cop cars. Of course, my first thought was something must have happened to you.” She shuddered at the thought, but continued, “Barry and Nicole were waiting on his grandmother’s front porch and immediately came over to explain what was going on. Although knowing what happened helped, it was still hard for me to calm down, knowing you were out there with some crazy lunatic.”

Watching me, she softened her tone before asking, “You’ve been having nightmares about the boy? Johnny?”

With a sigh, I answered, “Yes.” Then I proceeded to tell her about my dreams. I could tell by her facial expressions she was uncomfortable hearing that, which was why I hid it from her in the first place. I had to give her credit, though, because she actually sat there and listened. I guessed maybe we were making progress after all.

My former therapist would be proud.

When I was through, she simply said, “Ah, baby, I’m sorry this happened to you. I had no idea it was that bad. God, I feel awful since I’m the reason we moved here in the first place.”

“No…‌Mom, this was the best decision you’ve ever made,” I interrupted, surprising myself with the declaration. “I mean, look at what we’ve accomplished. We solved a ten–year–old homicide, reconnected a missing child with his parents, possibly saving his life, and I’ve made actual friends. Real friends. I would have still been isolated back there.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, but these were tears of pride. She reached over to give me a hug and simply said, “I love you.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

It felt strange saying those words to her because I hardly ever said them. I knew my mom loved me, but she didn’t express it much. Part of it was my fault, because I didn’t let people get close to me, but I’d never felt unloved. Maybe misunderstood, but never unloved.

I had to admit, it felt good hearing it.

“Oh, before I forget…‌Detective Tanner called me earlier and wanted me tell you there was a reward for information leading to Johnny’s whereabouts. He said the reward was for fifteen thousand dollars and Johnny’s family wants you to have it.”

Stunned, I gaped at her in disbelief. After a couple of seconds to recoup, I repeated, “Fifteen thousand dollars?”

She nodded saying, “That’s what he said.”

“Wow.” I didn’t know what else to say. “Mom, I don’t feel right taking that money. I shouldn’t be rewarded that much. I didn’t do anything.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. If you feel that uncomfortable about it, I trust you’ll be able to think of something to do with the money. Think it over, honey.”

“Mom, Detective Tanner has asked me to do some consultant work if the need arises. How do you feel about that?” I asked, anxious to hear her opinion.

While I sat there quietly for a second, I wondered if she was going to answer. Finally she spoke, “Well I’m not sure I like you being a modern–day Nancy Drew, but I suppose it would depend on the case.”

“Who?” I asked.

“Nancy…‌Oh, never mind,” she grunted. With a slight shake of her head, she came over and kissed me on top of my head before heading out toward the backdoor. Still shocked from the news about the money, I rose up a little dazed and went to get ready for the day.

~18~

Let Down

As I took my shower, I stood there longer than usual, soaking up the warm water as it beat into my back. The tension I’d been carrying for the past month soothed away as the water dripped off. I imagined all the negativity and worry being washed away, swirling into the dark abyss of the drain. When I exited the shower, I was completely refreshed from the inside out.

Drying off, the reward money laid heavily in the back of my mind. As tempting as it was to keep it all to myself, I wondered if I should share it with Barry, and Nicole. It was, after all, a team effort.

Part of me wanted to keep the money intact in order to do something useful with it, like some type of memorial in Johnny’s honor. There had to be some good use for it, something that everyone could benefit from. Surely they wouldn’t be opposed to that. No, I think they would love that idea. I just needed to come up with something that would be spectacular.

After wrapping the surrounding towel, I wiped the steam off the mirror and stood there. With my reflection beaming back at me, I studied myself. My appearance was never a concern for me. I’d always fixed my hair to be presentable, but it never went beyond that. Now, as I stared, I couldn’t help but wonder what people saw as they looked at me.
What does Barry see?
I’d never cared before until now.

Truthfully, I’d never cared since I thought I’d always be alone. Not once did I ever picture myself with friends, let alone the possibility of a boyfriend. At my other school, nobody would give me a second glance, even before the big freak show. Afterwards, I was taboo. Although I hated it, I grew to accept the fact that my life would be one of solitude. The desire to be pretty? Not ever a concern.

Funny, how things changed. As I viewed my reflection, I noticed my hair needed trimmed and styled. I should also let Mom show me how to apply make–up, which would thrill her. I’d never worn it before, and I briefly wondered if Barry liked girls who wore make–up.
What a silly question. Of course he would
. Most girls did wear it. I just wasn’t sure how I would look with it.

The faint ringtone of my phone chimed through the air as I started to comb my hair. I tossed the brush down before rushing into my bedroom. Quickly snatching it up, I couldn’t help but smile at Barry’s name displayed across the screen.
What the heck is wrong with me?
There wasn’t any reason to feel that giddy. But for some reason, the simple knowledge that Barry cared about me, stirred my insides.

“Hey, are you finally up?” Barry asked.

“Yes…‌I was just getting dressed. What’s going on?”

“Just waiting for you,” he answered jokingly, but something was off with his voice. There seemed to be an underlying tone of sadness to it. “Can I come over and pick you up now?”

“Um…‌sure,” I stammered out. Catching another glimpse of myself in my dresser mirror, I panicked slightly, realizing I looked like a drowned rat. Not the impression I wanted to go with. “Um…‌Give me about ten minutes. I just got out of the shower.”

“Okay.” He chuckled.

After hanging up the phone, I rushed around as quickly as I could and got dressed. Racing back into the bathroom, I hastily brushed my hair before placing it into a ponytail. There wasn’t any time to be nervous, but for some reason my heart was racing. The anticipation of seeing him made me excited, and I couldn’t wait to talk to him. There was much to tell. First, I wanted to fill him in about last night, and second, I couldn’t wait to explain my dream.

As I finished, I glanced one more time in the mirror. I was far from presenting my best, but there wasn’t any time to care. I’d just have to work on improving my appearance a different day.

I hurried into the kitchen to inform Mom about leaving with Barry. Right as the words left my mouth, the doorbell rang, sending a jolt of excitement through my body.

I tried not to run to the door like an adolescent child. Instead, I walked as fast as my legs would carry me. Once I opened the door, the sight of Barry brought a smile to my face. He had his back toward me, but he was still handsome as ever just standing there.

“Hey,” I said as he turned to stare at me.

“Hey.” Catching sight of me, a tiny smile spread across his face, but his eyes didn’t match the sentiment. They seemed to be weighted down with the same sadness that laced his voice earlier.

It was peculiar seeing him struggle with maintaining a happy persona. Every time I’d been around him, he was always upbeat, greeting me with his boyish, grin that I’d grown to love. With the whole ordeal being over, I expected him to be in a better mood. Clearly that wasn’t the case. Brushing the worry aside, I offered to let him come inside, but he made no attempt to move. Somewhat puzzled by his aloofness, I noticed his car running in the driveway.

“Did you want to go somewhere?” I asked and then remembered he did say he’d pick me up. But he was so quiet; I’d ask anything to try getting him to communicate.
What on earth was wrong with him?

With a shrug, he finally spoke. “I’d thought we could go to the park and talk.” Glancing toward Mr. Barton’s house, his eyes slanted into an evil glare. “I just need to get out of here.”

“Okay, let me grab my phone,” I said in a cheerful tone, trying to mask my concern.

As I went over to pick it up, I genuinely felt sorry for Barry. Still coming off my high from bringing Ryan home safely, and knowing that Johnny’s finally free, I’d neglected Barry’s feelings. I wanted to kick myself for being too insensitive. It had to be difficult for him every time he glanced at that house. Especially after learning that the entire time they searched for Johnny, he was in the house next door.

As I turned back toward him, I smiled tentatively as we walked toward his car.

~19~

Realizations

With the drive to the park short, our conversation was light. In fact, we hardly said anything at all. The only person talking was me, and all I asked was if the park was very big. With a nod, he replied, “It’s decent.” Without contributing anything else, worry began to set in.

When we pulled into the parking lot, Barry killed the engine. Sitting there for a second, he sucked in a breath, and let it out slowly.
What the heck is going through his mind?
The way he acted, I couldn’t tell what kind of mood he was in. He seemed…‌depressed. Hopefully, he’d open up to me soon because the silence was beginning to wear on me.

After I let myself out of the car, I walked around to where he was standing, waiting for me. When I rounded the quarter panel, he took off walking without me. I had to quicken my step in order to catch up with him.

That wasn’t like Barry. He’d always been considerate to me. Today, he was cold and distant, making me wonder if he wanted to break–up. One problem with that, though, we weren’t actually going together. In fact, we still haven’t been on an official date.

Maybe with all that happened, it was finally too much for him, and he wanted to disassociate himself from me. That had been a concern of mine from the very beginning. And who could blame him? I certainly couldn’t. Hanging around me wasn’t fun, there are too many issues. I admit, I wasn’t the easiest person to be around.

A lump formed in my throat at the possibility he brought me here to tell me good–bye.

As we continued walking along, my stomach knotted at the growing suspicion. Not only was the silence stifling, but his lack of physical contact also contributed to my worry. His hands were deep seated in his pockets, making no attempt to hold mine. Since my very first encounter with him, he’d always found some excuse to touch me. His absence of touch only heightened my nerves.

My joyful mood from earlier quickly faded away as suspicion and doubt crept in the further we walked beside each other. Tears threatened to surface, but I blinked them away. The last thing I would do was cry in front of him.

When we came across a perforated metal bench nestled under a maple tree, Barry went over and sat down. Before I joined him, I paused, examining his features. Staring straight ahead, his eyes were still a turmoil of thought. Unable to make out those thoughts, anger began to surface at his continued silence. If he wanted to end our friendship, he needed to get it over with.

Humoring him for now, I settled beside him. Refusing to be the first person to talk, I panned the area noticing for the first time how nice the park actually was. It was decent sized, offering plenty open areas for people to play, or whatever. The area we walked passed was the baseball fields, which were kept in decent shape. The playground was off to our left. There was a section dedicated for smaller children, but the equipment was older. Regardless, there were kids running around playing. Straight ahead were pavilions for family gatherings with trees spread across offering shade. This was a beautiful park. One I could’ve enjoyed more, if I wasn’t worrying about Barry.