She glared back at Zachary, who was being led out of the library. A sigh of relief escaped her lips. He was going to be trouble.
Alex McKenna caught himself as his chin slid down his left hand. Nodding off in class was beginning to be a habit. The past few weeks after the Geranium murders had been rough on sleep. Playing the vision of losing Tom Kirkpatrick to the dark spirit over and over in his head left little time to relax. It was his self- appointed restitution for his part in Tom's demise. Alex glanced out of one of the large rectangular windows in the classroom. The grey, dingy shadow looming over the parking lot was not the scenic view Alex had expected. But his math class faced east, the stunning asphalt view was its reward. As his glare intensified, the black top of the ground below mesmerized him. Lulling his tired body into a light trance. He hadn't noticed the sudden drop in temperature surrounding him, until a gust of cold air graced the nape of his neck.
Twitching, it sent shivers down his vertebrae. From the corner of his right eye, a shadow danced across the room. Alex whipped his head around; the air was still. Was this his mind screaming desperately for sleep, or was there something here? He inhaled a deep breath through his nose and exhaled through his mouth to calm his senses. Nothing. He just might be going crazy from lack of REM sleep.
Popping a breath freshener in his mouth, he prayed the minty freshness would keep sleep at bay.
2
Ghosts Take A Shower?
Ophelia shot up, tossing her fluffy down comforter aside, it draped to the floor. A ripple of fear stroked her ghostly spine and she shuddered. Padding her feet on the cherry wood floor, the cold cut through them like a knife. What was happening to her? She tried to cast off her latest dream, but she couldn't. Haven was out there somewhere, waiting for her to come. Normally her visions were safe. Haven playing with her toys, Ophelia teaching her how to ride a bike, fun things. But this time it was different. A black haze surrounded the little girl, closing in, it covered her tiny body until there was nothing left.
Days like this were the hardest. The guilt surrounding Haven’s abduction overwhelmed her. She brought her hands to her head and squeezed, the vice grip did little to alleviate the pressure that was building like a geyser in her brain. If she were like everyone else, sleep would alleviate the pain she felt. But she wasn't. It wasn't clear why she still felt the warmth of the sun, or the simple pleasure of a shower each morning. No one else in the Academy still had human ties to life like she did. Her friends tried to understand. Amry, her best friend, did better than most. However, people often fear what they don't understand. That was something her father used to say.
She decided to take a trip to see the resident healer at the Academy. Dominique Dunworthy had started her beginning about a year ago. Transitioning between the living and the ever after, her soul was sent to the Academy to wait. Being a trained psychiatrist, the council thought it would be wise to use her skills for some of the younger souls that were having difficulty.
Ms. Dunworthy had a small office on the other side of campus behind the library. Normally an appointment was preferred, but Ms. Dunworthy often made an exception for Ophelia. Considering her strange ties with the living world, the doctor was both intrigued and concerned, therefore she gave Ophelia an open-door policy.
Normally she would wait, but this morning her insides were twisted in knots. This dream was too much to handle on her own, she needed help.
Three knocks on the red door gained entrance to the one person equipped to answer Ophelia's questions.
"Good morning Ophelia, come, sit down. You caught me at just the right time. I don't have another appointment for thirty minutes. How are you doing?"
Ms. Dunworthy sat in a large black leather chair that swiveled when she pushed the ground with her feet. Her blonde hair lay loose, cascading over the top of her shoulders, and gold rim glasses surrounded her soft brown, almond shaped eyes. Insisting on a white lab coat when she met her beginning, the staff conceded because she was a doctor. Normally, no one got a choice. You're given an outfit from the time period you lived in; they say it helps to keep a newly transitioned soul more comfortable.
A well-kept secret, everyone arrives in their birthday suit.
"I'm okay. Not really. I had a dream last night that really upset me." Ophelia fidgeted with the hem of her dress.
"Hmm. I'm still getting used to hearing you say that," Ms. Dunworthy said gently.
"What?" Ophelia cocked her head.
"You were dreaming. One day we're going to figure that out. For now, though, let's address what's upsetting you. Tell me about the dream."
"I see Haven. At first, she's smiling and happy. The sun is shining and there's a golden glow surrounding her. But something startles her, she twitches, and the darkness begins to devour the light. Inch by inch it crawls closer to her. She collapses on the ground and draws her knees to her chest. Then she tucks her head down, not looking at the shadows that are about to swallow her. She yells out a name, Alex! And then she's gone. The blackness takes her."
Ophelia waited for a response, but Ms. Dunworthy just sat for a moment with her eyes narrowed, and back stiff. When she finally spoke, the explanation frightened Ophelia more than the dream.
"Did either of you know anyone by that name in life?" The doctor leaned forward.
"No. Why do you ask?" Ophelia squirmed in her chair.
"I don't believe this was a dream. I believe your sister was reaching out."
"Why do you say that?"
"The name. If you had both known an Alex in life, I'd say coincidence perhaps. But you didn't. Therefore, I think this is someone Haven wants you to know about, or maybe it's the name of the man holding her. Either way, I strongly believe she is attempting communication."
Ophelia's brow furrowed. This was not the explanations she'd expected.
"What can I do? I've tried every avenue I know to find her, but I have nothing." Ophelia quaked inside.
"Wait and see if she comes to you again, but this time, try communicating with her. Be aware of yourself in the vision. She’s searching for you, but you're the beacon. That gives you more control than you realize. Try to find out who Alex is."
Ms. Dunworthy stood up and walked over to Ophelia. She bent down and gently squeezed her hand.
"You will find her. I feel it. Pay attention Ophelia, the answers are there if you let them in."
Ophelia forced a smile before getting up and thanking the doctor for her help. Floating back to her dorm room, she trembled from the unsettling weight in her chest. Something told her she was running out of time.
Amry was lying on her bed when Ophelia got home. She was quiet, avoided her usual greeting as Ophelia closed the door. Another, less pressing issue than Haven's whereabouts was Amry's change in personality the past week. Normally, Amry was, well—Amry. Smiles and happiness were a daily outfit, but Ophelia wondered what was really going on inside, when the glee turned to gloom. Amry had taken an interest in a junior, Jeffrey Wright. They started spending nights together in the courtyard just outside Ophelia and Amry's dorm window. But without warning one evening, just after they kissed goodnight, Jeffrey took the light. Amry was stunned. She never mentioned a word about him again. Ophelia tried to gently coax her friend to confide in her what might have happened, but it was useless.