Visions: The Mystical Encounter Series (The Mystical Encounter Series Book 1) (6 page)

Not once, in all my therapy sessions, did that angle ever occur to me. The surrounding air lightened as his simple words lifted the guilt weighing me down. My conscience may not be clear, but the pressure had diminished at least. Tears welled up in my eyes again, but this time I didn’t care if he saw. “Thanks.” I managed to squeak out.

“You’re welcome. Do you think you can help Johnny?” he asked tenderly. Although he still appeared apprehensive, there seemed to be an odd sense of hope in his eyes.

“I don’t know, but I’m going to try. My gut instinct tells me it needs to be done. It will help to know a few more facts.”

“I’ll definitely help if you want. I don’t like the idea of you being alone when the visions occur. They seem scary.”

I sat in disbelief from the amount of sincerity pouring from his face. His unwavering self–control amazed me, but offering to help…? That was beyond shocking. And it wasn’t an act either, he honestly wanted to.

Not knowing quite how to respond, I just nodded. Barry surprised me on so many levels that I was beginning to believe he truly was a great guy.

~6~

Revelations

While standing in my kitchen, the argument with my mother was wearing on me. I turned so I wouldn’t have to face her anymore, hoping that would encourage her to be quiet. My plan backfired; however, as that seemed to heighten her relentless nagging. As I stood motionless, waiting for her rant to be finished, I stared out the back door screen, watching the raindrops fall gently to the ground.

Bit by bit, I began to tune her out as my mind started drifting toward the picturesque view in front of me. The green foliage mixed in with splashes of brown hues was rather refreshing. I found that strange because I’d never cared about forest scenes before. They’re trees, for crying out loud. But for some reason, these particular woods had an allure that made me want to run into them and escape. Maybe find the fallen log I claimed as my personal refuge spot from the other day. As the trees swayed from the light breeze, I sighed at the thought. Of course, anything sounded better than quarreling with my mother.

“Mom, I need the truck. Please…‌just go get it.” I begged as soon as I realized she had stopped talking. My voice, clearly frustrated, sounded exhausted. And I was tired of many things, including this argument.

“Fine…” Throwing her hands up in defeat, she reluctantly agreed. “I don’t understand why you want to torture yourself,” she mumbled as she left the room.

I hated arguing with her because she’d never be able to understand.
Why even try to explain since she doesn’t listen?
She only wanted to hear positive things, not reality. Well, not my reality anyway. Frustrated, I scanned the counter noticing my bag lying there. Quickly snatching it up, I stormed out the backdoor letting it slam behind me. After plopping down on the top step, I sat there for a minute staring off into the woods as they continued to entice me.

The rain tapered into a slight drizzle, making everything wet and refreshing. When I inhaled deeply, the earthly scent heightened my awareness, tempting me to run away from here as fast as my legs could carry me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t go anywhere until I made Mother understand my need for the truck.

How can I make her understand without frightening her? The boy, Johnny, haunts my dreams every night. If she knew this, she’d get it, but knowing would upset her.
What should I do?

The entire situation was crazy. She wouldn’t handle knowing my dreams were being invaded. No…‌The best way, for now, was to remain quiet, and let her think I was being difficult.

Johnny’s disappearance had taken its toll on Barry and his grandmother. They were very close to him, and in a sense had lost a family member. As Barry shared his memories, it was obvious that had been a dark period for them. Barry told me his grandmother used to sit and peer out her window toward my house while silently praying.

The pain everyone endured during that time was unthinkable.

Johnny went missing on a Saturday while playing in his backyard, which coincided with the vision. The police searched for several months, but without any clues, the case went cold. Although I had a hunch he knew his killer, I needed to have another vision to confirm. I stopped Barry from telling me anymore because I didn’t want to cloud any future visions.

After we stopped talking about Johnny last night, the mood was too heavy to focus on the movie…‌at least for me anyway. The little boy was all I could think about, and how to help him. Part of that help was going forward with another vision, which was why Barry’s coming over later. It was crucial I get the truck because he’d be here in a couple of hours.

While reaching for my pack of cigarettes, I let out a frustrated moan. I just wanted to put an end to this craziness. As I pulled a single stick out and started to light it, I heard a noise sounding like feet fast approaching. My head jerked to the left, thinking Barry had come early. All I saw was an empty yard. I stilled in hopes of hearing it again, but nothing out of the ordinary happened. The barking of a neighbor’s dog, along with a diesel truck roaring to life, sounded in the distance. The soft patter of raindrops hitting the ground was the one other noise. Finally dismissing it as nothing more than the wind, I lit my cigarette. As I inhaled a puff, I wondered if my nerves were playing tricks with my brain. I was anxious since Barry would be with me while I try having another vision.

I was grateful for his help. He’d be able to decipher part of the clues since he was familiar with the case. But at the same time, I was apprehensive about having another vision in front of him.
What if I do something that totally freaks him out?
I could only hope he could handle it. Deep down, I knew it was the right thing, but my vulnerability weighed heavily on me.

Should I trust him?
My thoughts conflicted with my actions as I questioned what I was obviously going to do.

Another point to consider was talking to the police. Eventually, I was going to have to get them involved, but I couldn’t yet. It was too soon. I have nothing to contribute, other than the fact that I had a couple of visions and consistent dreams. Maybe after this next vision, I’d have more information that could be useful.

“Heather, I put the truck on your desk in your bedroom,” Mother said, bringing me back to the present. “I understand the need for going through with this. I do. If there’s a slight chance of you helping, then I suppose it’s for the best. But you’re my daughter. I hate seeing the harm inflicted on you, so I think it’s best if I leave. There are several errands I need to do, so I’ll be gone awhile.” After a long pause, she raised her voice adding, “And you really need to quit smoking.”

My jaw clamped shut, preventing regrettable words from escaping. As I smashed the cigarette into the concrete, twisting it back and forth, I managed to say, “Thanks, Mom.” Not turning around to look at her, I continued staring straight ahead. A couple of moments passed before she turned around and left without saying another word.

After sitting there a couple of minutes, the magnetic attraction of the woods was too powerful for me to resist. Funny how there was a strong sensation of familiarity with the woods, when in truth I’d been there only once. Whenever I stared out into the landscaping, that odd sense of belonging was always present. I smirked, thinking that a bunch of trees that held no meaning to me were now my sanctuary.

Oh, the irony.

As I walked along the imaginary path carved in my mind, I brushed aside the branches from the saplings that grew everywhere. I kept replaying the argument with my mother as I continued pressing forward. The pressure was easy enough to handle, I guess, but I wished she’d let up. The last thing I wanted to do was start up therapy sessions, but it had been the most successful way to communicate.

By the time I stumbled across my familiar log, I was deep in thought. Briefly wondering how I found the area, a hint of a smile crossed my face when a strange sense of reprieve washed through me. Without further thought, I went straight over and sat. As I ran my hands along the rough bark, I bit my lower lip when my palms became tacky from the damp wood. Quickly dismissing the worry about my clothes getting wet or ruined, I curled up into a ball against the tree. It was confusing as to where the contentment came from, because the last time I sat there was unnerving. The reason might have been unclear, but I was definitely affected by these woods.

As I took in my surroundings, I thought how quiet it was out here.
Could that be the reason?
I needed this serenity to balance my crazy life? I took a deep breath before closing my eyes for a second. While releasing the negative feelings about Mother, my thoughts shifted to my current dreams. Last night was a little different. It started out the same as the rest, but it ended differently. As he opened his mouth to speak, the word
woods
rang through my head before I woke rather abruptly. It seemed these woods played a significant role, which started shaping the corner pieces of my imaginary puzzle. The entire picture had yet to be figured out, stressing the importance of finding out what happened to him.

The longer I sat, the more my body relaxed. I tried to fight the effects of my lack of sleep, but even the cold dampness wasn’t enough to keep me awake, and soon I drifted off.

A noise sent a jolt of adrenaline racing through me as my eyes popped open, sharply turning toward my right. The drowsiness of just a few seconds ago became a distant memory. The noise was unmistakable, a little kid laughing. I saw something too. A small shadowy figure ran by and then vanished, but nobody was there. Trying to come up with a rationalization, I thought perhaps my eyes were blurry from opening them quickly.

“Johnny?” I called, feeling foolish as the words flew out.
How could it be him?
I sat there for a second, holding my breath, desperate to hear that noise again, but silence surrounded me.

I walked over to where I saw the shadowy figure dissipate, hoping to find some animal or something that made sense. Once I got there, the only thing to be seen was the tall, brown bark of the trees. Mixed in the picture were a few wild flowers and dried leaves blanketing the ground, freakishly undisturbed. That alone was unnerving. I thought perhaps whatever it was had run down the ravine, so I scooted toward the edge to peer over. As I approached, disappointment set in. The slope, filled with thick patches of briars, made it impossible for any human to tackle. I began to wonder if I was starting to imagine things and decided to head back toward my house.

As I started walking out, that same chilling sensation I felt earlier in the week ran down my spine. I shifted my eyes sideways before picking up my pace, anxious to get home and be with Barry.

~7~

Secrets

“Are you sure about this?” Barry asked. While trying to disguise his apprehension, the tiny lines creasing his forehead striped with worry.

“Yeah, I have to.”

What a pair we made‌—‌trying to act as though we’re tough while hiding our own insecurities. Although trying my hardest at sounding casual, my shaky voice had to alert him to my apprehension. Not recovered from being in the woods, the hot shower and change of clothes did little to calm me.

“I’m hoping we can find something out too, but I’m more concerned about the toll it takes on you. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Barry’s concern for my welfare was touching, and I didn’t know how to handle it. I had to admit, it was nice having someone caring about me. But as nice as it felt, I was afraid the pain would be doubled when he decided he was done and began to ignore me. Not allowing my mind to go there, I dismissed the unpleasant thought as much as possible before nodding in reply, “Yeah…‌I’m sure.”
Total lie
. “Come on, we need the truck. Follow me…‌Mom put it in my room.”

I took off toward my bedroom with Barry trailing close behind. When reaching the doorway, I was about to enter when noticing he had come to an abrupt stop. As I turned, Barry stood there slightly pale–faced. Expressionless. Confused to what brought this sudden distress, I asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Um…, Nothing.” As he eyeballed the room, his eyes were the only body part moving. I studied him while he remained standing still, unwilling to budge. Afraid of speaking, I remained quiet in fear of interrupting whatever he needed to process. After what seemed like forever, he released the breath he was holding. I was surprised he didn’t pass out since much time had passed. “I’m sorry, it’s…‌It’s just odd being in this house after all this time, I guess. Old memories keep flashing back. The last thing I want to do is scare you, but…” He hesitated before blurting out, “You’re sleeping in Johnny’s bedroom.”

“My nightmares,” I whispered. “Of course. This room is why he keeps visiting my dreams.” It didn’t occur to me that we had shared the same bedroom. In fact, I didn’t even think about the possibility of where he had slept.
Wow.
That’s the missing connection.

“Wait…‌What nightmares?” Barry asked, interrupting my revelation.

His stare penetrated through me as our eyes connected. The guilt from not telling him began to overshadow any excitement when his brows furrowed together in concern. “I haven’t mentioned them, have I?”

In slow motion, he dragged his head back and forth without uttering a word. The tightness of his jaw was enough to show his anger, but the reasoning behind it confused me.
Was he upset about my dreams being invaded or my refusal of telling him?
Maybe it was a combination of both. I chastised myself for revealing my secret. But finding the link between the nightmares and Johnny was significant. It was yet another important piece to my imaginary puzzle.

Barry, still staring, waited for an explanation. Out of nervousness, I chewed on my bottom lip before admitting, “Every night since that first vision, I’ve had a reoccurring dream. That was until last night. I think he’s trying to tell me something, but I always wake up before he says it. My last dream was different, though. I clearly heard the word
woods
before awaking.”