Of That Day and Hour: A psychological thriller (17 page)

“A different place?”

“Yes.” Jeff snaps himself
from his momentary daze. “The washroom was gilded, it had paneled walls and
chandeliers. The people wore dinner jackets, and there was a bathroom attendant
dressed in a blue uniform.”

“Were you able to interact
with them, or were you simply an invisible presence?”

“No, I interacted.” His
eyebrows raise. “Just like I am now with you.”

“Who did you speak to and
what did they say?”

“I overheard one of the
passengers say that he’d had a bad dream, a premonition that his daughter was
left on Southampton docks, crying that she wouldn’t see her father again. When
I spoke to the attendant and asked him where I was, he said that I’d knocked my
head hard, and that we were in the gentlemen’s room aboard the
Titanic
.”

“Fascinating.” Marcus’s
excitement is
expressed in his glance to Sarah. “Were
you able to explore the ship?”

“No, I found myself back in
the cubicle in the library.”

“Did you discover the
connection? Was there any reason behind your time slip?”

“Time slip?” Jeff hadn’t
contemplated the notion.

“Yes, a time slip is a
paranormal phenomenon. Many physicists believe that the separation between the
past, present and future is merely a convincing illusion. When a person or
group of people slip in time they briefly enter another period in time. This
can be explained by the multiple universe theory, so what you experienced was
simply an alternate version of our present reality. We deal with and document
this kind of stuff all the time.”

“So was it real or an
illusion?”

“What do you think?”

“It was real?” It’s plain
for all to see that Jeff’s confused.

“Precisely, although some
people experience a time slip as an almost lifeless experience, with a visual
flatness and dim lighting. This is often followed by a depressive, uneasy
feeling. However, you interacted with the time visited, and have been
privileged to be able to speak to those in that time. It’s also quite typical
for your time there to only last a few minutes, although there have been those
who have spent several hours before returning. My guess is some have never
returned.”

“Never returned?” Jeff and
Eve simultaneously frown at the suggestion.

“We have around one hundred
thousand active missing person cases in the U.S. today. Although many have
undoubtedly started a new life, or have fallen prey to some others misdeed,
others I’ve made various conjectures about. We may never know the truth.”

“I see.” Jeff’s academic
mind can’t compute the idea that he may not have returned.

“So what was the
connection?” Marcus brings him back to the present.

“When I got back to the
library we searched books pertaining to the disaster, searching for
premonitions. What I eventually found, though, was in a photograph, a
photograph of the bathroom attendant I spoke to, taken as he stood on the docks
before they set sail.”

“Wonderful.” Marcus is
enthused. “You couldn’t ask for better confirmation. Is there anything else you
can give me?”

“The day we left Aimee’s
house, that’s Casey’s mom, Eve asked could we visit her again? She replied no;
she was going on a journey, and was going to catch up with relatives.”

“A common statement.”

“Not when they’re all dead.
When I lost my footing on the stairs, I also lost my phone. The following day
we went back to retrieve it; she was deceased and her body was being removed
from the house.”

“What did Casey make of the
news?”

“He already knew, in fact he
was trying to comfort me.”

“This may seem a strange
question, did she visit you?”

“Yes.” Jeff’s surprised that
Marcus anticipated she might. “I was alone and outside on the porch, it was
around two in the morning. I was drinking coffee, looking up at the stars and
trying to get my head around everything. At first I thought I saw the shadow of
an animal around the barn, or that it was just my mind playing tricks. Then the
shadow stepped out and I thought there was an intruder.”

“What happened?”

“I froze, but not out of
fear, I froze because I couldn’t move.” He shudders at the thought. “The closer
she came the heavier the pressure was on my chest.”

“Was this a dream?”

“At the time no, but then I
believed so because when I could move again, my coffee was cold.”

“It doesn’t make it any less
real. If you’re being contacted by a spirit whether you’re fully awake or
asleep there’s always a reason. What was the message?”

 
“She told me not to trust him.”

“Casey?”

“That’s what I thought, but
no.”

“Then who?”

“White. The government agent
who overseas our work with Casey.”

“Ah.” Marcus recognizes the
name.

“Do you know him?”

“We’ve had our dealings.”
After a moment’s thought Marcus adds, “We don’t trust him ourselves, and we’re
not sure who he answers to.”

“We don’t like him either.
Any man who remains anonymous in my book can’t be trusted.”

“We agree.” Marcus is
curious though, why is Jeff here? “After your recent experiences, why do you
require validation from us?”

“I’m not here just for
validation.”

“Ah I did wonder. What else
did Casey Lee tell you?”

“That there was nothing for
me until I had swallowed my pride, and come here to see you first.”

“To see me.” Marcus frowns.
“Why?”

“He didn’t say, just that you
hold the key.”

“Hmm.” He’s wary. How does
this prisoner know him? “I think you’re being shown pieces of a jigsaw that one
day he’ll force you to face.”

“What do you think it will
be?”

“I can’t say what he has in
mind, but I’m envious, you’re on quite the journey. I think we can help you,
though.”

“Any help you can give will
be appreciated.”

“Yes.” Marcus can see that
Jeff’s genuine in his appreciation. “We’ll do our best. Now, how was the food?”

“It was lovely, thanks.”

“Eve?”

“Perfect, thank you.”

“Then it’s time for a little
parlor game.”

Marcus leads them
from the dining room and into the hallway. The cream walls serve as a backdrop
to beautiful oil on canvas paintings. Eve loves the surrounding artwork
representing the earth, gods, angels and all manner of deities.

“This is Sarah’s work.”

“Really?” Eve stops in her
tracks and focuses in on a Tibetan monk. “Wow, you’re talented.”

“Thanks.”

“Seriously, you could earn a
fortune.”

“Maybe.” Sarah’s flattered,
loving the attention. “It’s just a hobby.”

“Don’t believe a word.”
Marcus interrupts; he knows Sarah won’t sing her own praises. “She’s got her
own studio upstairs.”

“Do you sell many?” Eve
would love any one of these paintings.

“No.” Sarah shudders at the
thought. “I can’t bring myself to part with them.”

“That’s a shame.” Eve hears
herself sigh.

 
“Well if you don’t start selling them soon
we’ll run out of space.”

“Marcus.”

“Yes?”

 
“If we’re to make any progress tonight I
suggest we move along.”

“Of course.” Sarah’s raised
eyebrows and tone of voice tell him that he’s walking on egg shells. “Follow
me.”

 
At the end of the hall is a six paneled white
door, Marcus opens the door and invites them both in.

“Come in, we have something
very special that I wish to show you.”

The room is bare except for
a circular table, ebonized walnut and Egyptian copper relief, along with four
antique dining chairs upholstered in white. The room echoes with multiple
footsteps on the wood floor. They walk up to the table: both Jeff and Eve are
intrigued by what they see.

“A Ouija board?” Jeff
inwardly frowns, thinking to himself that this is utter nonsense.

“Not as such.” Marcus is
aware of Jeff’s initial skepticism. ”This is a very special Egyptian
communication board.”

“It’s different, I’ll give
you that.”

“I think it’s beautiful.”
Eve admires the craftsmanship.

“Only a select few know of
its existence.” Marcus runs the tips of his fingers affectionately across the
board. “However true knowledge has always been reserved for leaders and men
with great fortitude; in the wrong hands this will send lesser individuals insane.”

“I don’t wish to dispute
that claim.” Jeff feels awkward, but has to bring some objectivity into the
room. “The scholar in me has to mention that the Ouija has already been
discredited in laboratory experiments.”

“I presume you’re referring
to the ideomotor response?”

“Yes, studies have recreated
the effect. The messages spelled out were only what was going through the
operator's mind at that moment. It’s nothing more than involuntary movement.”

“We wouldn’t have it any
other way.” Marcus is smug; he knows Jeff will leave this room a very different
man. “It would be irresponsible for us to inform the public on such matters.
You’re an educated man and yet you’ve already visited a medical doctor; what
would a lesser mind do without the correct adaptations?”

“I understand what you’re
saying, but...”

“No buts.” Marcus interrupts
what he sees as Jeff’s meaningless twaddle. “It’s already happened. In 1920 the
sleepy town of El Cerrito, California went insane. The international headlines
at the time said the whole town was Ouija mad. The authorities had to arrest
several people who were reportedly driven insane through the use of the board.
One young lady was found running around the town naked, and her only
explanation was that she could communicate better with the spirits that way.”

“How awful, is that true?”
Eve empathizes, the thought is appalling.

“Yes, Eve. I promise it did
happen.”

“She probably already
possessed a mental disorder.”

“This is serious.” Marcus
scorns Jeff’s humor. “Over the following days the insanity spread throughout
the town. A police officer also ripped his clothes off, and was found naked and
hysterical in the bank. Psychiatrists were brought in to oversee the town’s
population, and to prevent further chaos Ouija boards were banned from the town
of El Cerrito.”

“Eve, mass hysteria’s a
possibility, isn’t it?”

“Well, in psychological
terms, yes. Collective hysteria or group obsessional behavior would be a
plausible explanation; it spreads through rumors and fear.”

“Hysteria was also the
official version given to the media, however, many priests were called in
behind the scenes to purge the town and cleanse the population.”

“Was this an isolated case?”
Jeff probes with the intention of breaking down Marcus’s stance on the subject.

 
“No, but it was the largest recorded case. As
a criminal psychiatrist Eve’s in a better position than most to verify my next
point.”

“Which is?”

“Today the courts still
convict people for murder after the use of the Ouija.”

“Eve?” Jeff turns to her for
confirmation. “Is that correct?”

“Yes, they're labelled as
either insane or sociopathic.”

“So the Ouija is seen as an
excuse for murder rather than the cause?”

“Of course.” Eve smiles at
his naiveness. “They are murderers after all.”

“That’s the dark side of the
board.” Marcus is pleased that Eve, as far as he’s concerned, has collaborated
with him. “It doesn't only predict or entice death, though. The Ouija has many
positive applications for mankind.”

“Such as?” Jeff can’t see
any positives, only negative connotations for the Ouija.

“It’s prophesized many world
events; individuals have won the lottery, gained fame or caught out that
cheating spouse. Throughout history many of our greatest authors, poets and
musicians have attributed the Ouija for their artistic and literary efforts.”
Marcus softens his voice. “I do understand your skepticism, Jeff, but seeing
really is believing.”

“It is.” Jeff smiles; he’s
curious, can Marcus really pull this off?

“Before we begin I insist
that you look around the table, reassure yourself that there are no wires, no
magnets and no trickery here. You must be convinced that this is genuine.”

Jeff takes his time
inspecting the table and the board. Eve appreciates the sheer beauty and
craftsmanship, it holds, the dark oxidized wood indicating some age, possibly
olive or some other form of hardwood. The gold leaf, ochre and red pigment of
the hieroglyphics have now faded, and without restoration will soon be lost to
time. Still clearly vibrant is the blue outlining the Eye of Ra, and a large
crystal encircled within a golden flamed sun.

“What are the mirrors for?”
Jeff’s seen the Ouija before, but without mirrors.

“They focus the laser beam
into the crystal to create the energy required for manifestation. The Egyptians
would have used the sun.”

“Manifestation?” His
eyebrows raise. “Really?”

“Yes.” Marcus can’t hold
back the grin, and Sarah nods her head to Eve. “But you don’t have to take my
word for it, you’ll see it with your own eyes.”

“You’re telling us that
we’ll see a spirit manifest in this room?”

“Yes.”

“I’m looking forward to
this.” Jeff doesn’t believe a word. “How does it work?”

“Think of a solar cell as
the most direct way of storing energy. When sunlight or a laser beam passes
into the crystal a small amount of electricity is stored, and may be used by
the spirit to manifest.”

“Quartz crystal?”

“Yes.”

“How did the Egyptians
realize its conductive properties?”

“I don’t know. All I can
tell you is that this board is unique. It was discovered in Akhenaten’s tomb in
the Valley of the Kings.”

“How did you get it?”

“I’m afraid we can’t reveal
our sources.”

“I see.” Jeff feels
rebuffed.
 
“So do we really understand
what we’re dealing with?”

“We know how to operate it.
Some might call it ancient or lost technology. Who knows what other treasures
may have been discovered? We’re only privy to this one.”

“Is this dangerous?” Eve’s
not one for dabbling, and is becoming increasingly concerned.

“As far as communication
with the spirit world, this is about as dangerous as it gets.”

“Ah.” It’s noticed by all
that Eve goes quiet.

“Don’t worry, you’re in safe
hands.” Marcus tries to reassure her. “You’ve nothing to fear. We’ve spent many
nights in this room, and we haven’t come to any harm, have we?”

“Speak for yourself.” Sarah
gives Eve’s shoulder a rub. “Seriously, Eve you’ll be fine.”

“Thanks.” She takes a deep
breath and tries to relax. “What are you doing?”

“I’m preparing the incense.”

“Why?”

“The herbs create a
protective barrier. Think of it as a positive energy that can repel a negative
one.”

The herbs smolder; Sarah
places them into the waiting copper bowl. Marcus is waiting.

“Are we ready?”

“Yes.”

They take a seat whilst
Sarah turns out the light. Marcus makes one final adjustment, then a laser beam
cuts through the darkness and streaks from mirror to mirror. The crystal glows
with energy.

“This is scary.”

“You’ll be fine.” Jeff
reassures Eve. As far as he’s concerned this is nothing more than a light show.

Marcus joins the others at
the table. He looks around; all eyes are on him.

“I would be a fool to make
unsubstantiated claims, but you’re about to make a crossing that, once crossed,
you’ll never be able to return from.” He pauses for effect. “Are you both
ready?”

“Of course.” Jeff offers Eve
a reassuring smile. It will take more than amateur dramatics to scare him.

Eve looks across the table
to Sarah. From a psychiatrist’s point of view, she sees the eyes and the smile
of someone who loves experience for its own sake, along with the pursuit of
sensory pleasure. Eve’s correct in her assumptions; it’s a fact that Marcus
knows only too well. Without high levels of stimulation, Sarah’s restless and
easily bored, a dangerous combination. All four bow their heads and hold hands
as Marcus recites the Lord’s Prayer; on the last word, 'amen' they release
their grip.

“Place your hands on the
table in front of you.”

“Don’t we place our hands on
the planchette?” Jeff’s puzzled.

“Only if you wish to play a
board game. There’s no ideomotor effect here. A spirit has two choices, either
move the planchette or manifest.” Marcus raises his hands. “Now relax, clear
your mind and remember, no matter what you see or hear, you’re safe as long as
you follow my commands.”

Marcus takes a moment to
compose himself. With his eyes closed he breathes deeply in preparation. A wisp
of incense smoke drifts past and swirls through the beam of light. Minutes feel
like an eternity in this still, silent, strangely disturbing setting. The
thought of contact with spirits has Eve’s skin chilled, raised with goosebumps.
Marcus speaks out, the vibrations of his voice inviting past generations to
join them.

“I invite spirits with good
intentions to step forth from the shadows and communicate with us.” Marcus
waits for a response. “Is there anyone there? Step into the light, the light
will give you the energy to talk with us.”

Fascinated, Eve looks to
Marcus as he continues to speak. He’s the leading authority figure in this
setting, and she finds herself strangely attracted to him. For one fleeting
guilty moment the thought of him pinning her down to the table crosses her
mind, before sensing Sarah’s eyes are upon her. Eve swallows hard before
looking over to smile and conceal her inner thoughts. Sarah smiles back with a
knowing look.

Even a week ago Jeff
couldn’t have imagined being in this room. There seems to be a chill in the
air. The beam appears ever brighter and the shadows, in contrast, darker, then
with a slight twitch the planchette moves.

“Shit.” In her moment of
wonder and terror, Eve pulls her hands away from the table and the planchette
abruptly stops. “Jeff?”

“It’s okay.” Jeff’s trying
to work out how the illusion is performed, and looks to Marcus.

“Its fine, Eve.” Marcus
reinforces why they are here. “This is what you’re here to see, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Eve feels ashamed for
being so dramatic. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s quite alright, it's
to be expected.” His voice softens. “Are you good to continue?”

“Yes, of course, I’m sorry.”

“Then let’s continue.”
Marcus takes another deep breath. “Is there anybody here who wishes to speak to
us?”

There’s a tiny flicker
within the crystal itself, as if someone or something had just entered and
taken possession. Jeff watches closely, unsure if what he’s seeing is an
illusion. Then a white wisp spirals upwards and out from the crystal.