M Sellars - Harm none

“I’m going to go change shoes,” Felicity eventually said. “If we’re going to do this, I plan on being as comfortable as possible.” With that, she pulled the door open and headed for the Jeep.

She had only been gone a few moments when Ben broke his thoughtful silence. He broadcast his current state of mind by smoothing back his hair and letting out a short sigh.

“Ya’know,” he spoke, holding his hand at the back of his neck. “Even if you do ‘see’ somethin’, it’s inadmissible as evidence. There’s no way I can trot you in to the D.A. and say ‘here’s an eyewitness’… You realize that don’t ya’?”

”I know,” I answered. “But if I see something, and it gives us a clue or some place to start looking, it’s worth the risk.”

“I can’t ask ya’ ta’ do this.”

“You’re not,” I told him. “I’m volunteering.”

He shuffled about in place. “So, how long is this gonna take?”

“If it all goes as planned, it shouldn’t take more than ten minutes or so.”

“What can I do ta’ help?”

“Make sure no one disturbs us.” I paused for a moment, and then added, “And I wouldn’t be opposed to you keeping your fingers crossed.”

The door once again creaked open, and Felicity reentered minus the pumps and sporting her aerobics sneakers.

“I don’t want to hear it,” she told us as she came through the door. “I know the shoes don’t match the outfit, but they’re comfortable. So, how do you want to do this?”

“Ben,” I said as I turned back to him, “if you’ll just watch the door and take notes if necessary…”

“You got it,” he replied, backing up to the door and taking out his notebook.

I took a position near the washbasin and motioned for Felicity to join me. I selected this point in the room for its obvious proximity to the once-intact mirror. The simple fact was that I wasn’t necessarily ecstatic about what I was going to do either. I wanted to be in and out as quickly as possible, so I planned to use every advantage available. If my idea worked, physically positioning myself here would allow me to enter the vision close to the point I wanted to see and then get out quickly, before Karen Barnes took me into death with her.

“Simple cone,” I told my wife. “Raise it and project a rope. One end of it should be around my waist, and you should have the other end. I’ll try to stay with you, but if necessary, I’m going to let myself fully immerse in the regression, so it’s up to you to pull me out if you sense that I’m in trouble…You gonna be able to handle this?”

“Let’s do it,” she replied, nodding in assent.

We joined hands, left palm up, right palm down. Felicity and I relaxed in unison, our breathing falling easily into sync. We had cast many a circle together, just she and I, and this process had become nothing if not automatic. We both centered ourselves and grounded with the earth, feeling ethereal forces swirl about us in an ever growing, ever tightening, choreographed helix. Energy began flowing from her left arm and into my right. It rushed throughout my body, coursing through muscles, arteries, veins, and nerves, and worked its way around until it completed the circuit, flowing out of my left arm and into Felicity’s right. The connection continued, rapidly increasing until the current appeared to us as a solid blur.

I began imagining a rope fixed securely about my waist, the free end anchored here in the physical plane, held fast by my wife. I knew she would be imagining something very similar within her own mind as well. The image solidified, and it was time for me to go.

“Are you ready?” I whispered.

“I’m ready,” Felicity answered, her own voice held low.

“Do me a favor and don’t let go,” I told her, then allowed my inner self to fall backwards into the void.

Colors came and went in a tumultuous blizzard, much as they had when I had done this at Ariel’s apartment. Sound slowed and faded, melting into the darkness, then returned as a loud rushing in my ears. Light poured in and the scene before me began to coalesce. It formed in harsh blacks and whites, like a picture on a television screen with the contrast turned to maximum. The brightness slowly dimmed, and color flooded into the apparition until it achieved an appearance of something just the other side of normal.

“ Buster, settle down,” her voice, my voice, our voice was saying.

A Jack Russell terrier is dancing around our ankles. We’re trying to sidestep him as he rings the leash around our legs.

“ Buster, sit!” our voice orders the small dog.

He sits and holds one paw up. He whines lightly.

We’re turning on the water now. The handle on the faucet squeaks. How many times have we heard that before? It’s such a familiar sound. We’ve been here before. We are washing our hands now; Buster is still whining.

A sound. The door is creaking; someone else is coming in to use the restroom. We hope she doesn’t have a dog with her; Buster will freak out. We’re turning off the water. Buster is growling. She must have a dog with her.

“ Buster, stay!” our voice orders him.

We’ll be out of here in just a second. DEAR GOD, what’s happening? Let me go! What are you doing? We are struggling. Someone has grabbed us from behind. Buster is barking. Stop that! There is something over our face now. It smells strange. Our ears are ringing. We’re weak. The room is getting dark.

Look in the mirror, Karen, I told her… or myself… or whatever we had become.

He let go. We have to turn around. We have to run. We’re falling. No, push up on the basin. The room is spinning. Ouch, something stuck us on the arm. We’re pushing up on the basin. Our knees are weak. We have to stand up. We’re looking at the mirror. What is that over our shoulder? It’s moving. Who is that?

I strained to see through Karen Barnes’ eyes the reflection in the mirror. I concentrated and let myself enter into the vision with all my being.

Darkness.

Silence.

My head is killing me, what happened? I can’t move. This bed is hard. Light. I can see. Wait a minute. I’ve been here before. This isn’t home, it’s…I can’t remember. I’ve been here before though. Where’s Buster? Why can’t I move? My arms are numb. I wish I could move them. What’s going on? Who am I?

Did I just see someone move? Who are you? Where are you? Where am I?

What is that smell? It’s strange. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it before. It’s like…It’s like burning roses. My head is really killing me. Where’s Buster?

I’m in the park. I’m in the restroom in the park! Now I remember. Someone grabbed me. My God, am I paralyzed? Somebody help me.

Who am I? Karen? Yes, that’s it. I’m Karen.

That movement again. I can hear something. Something shuffling. What is it? Wait a minute. There’s something over my mouth. Why is there something covering my mouth. A rapist. I’m being attacked by a rapist! Please, somebody come in and help me. Somebody stop him.

Where is my husband? He isn’t home yet. Somebody help me. Where is Buster? My head is killing me. Please somebody help me. Don’t let him rape me.

What is that? Something is on top of me. No, SOMEONE is on top of me. What are you doing? Don’t rape me, please don’t rape me. Why are you wearing that robe? What is that in your hand? Your eyes, I can see your eyes. I’ve never seen eyes that grey. They’re so cold.

NOooo!

He’s cutting me. My skin is on fire.

NOooo!

Pain. Pain beyond all.

Fear.

Darkness.

What is that tugging at me? Who am I? Karen? No, that’s not right, Karen’s dead…If Karen is dead then who am I? There’s that tugging again. It’s coming from my waist. A rope. I’m tied to a rope. Who is that? She’s pretty. What beautiful red hair she has. What is that she’s saying? I can’t hear you. Speak louder. Do you know who I am? Are you the one that is pulling on the rope?