Stolen Dreams (14 page)

“Yeah, it wasn’t interested in you or Sol,” Mike said to
Marty. “It was interested in Mary.”

“Interested?” Bradley asked. “What do you mean interested?”

Mike paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and then he
met Bradley’s eyes. “The other side isn’t crazy about the work Mary is doing,”
he said. “They would just as soon have her out of the picture.”

“The other side?”
Bradley
asked,
his frustration and fear evident. “This is what you
were talking about earlier.
 
This is why
you don’t use séances or Ouija boards. So, why does someone else’s mistake
affect Mary?”

“Because it wasn’t just a mistake, was it Mike?” Mary asked.
“It was a plan.
 
This was their
plan.
 
They put things in motion so
someday,
somehow, I would walk into that room and confront
them.”

He nodded. “Yeah, these are very intelligent beings we are
dealing with,” he said.
“And very powerful.
And they
got time on their side. This demon, Crocell, he’s a leader in the army, not
just an infantry guy.”

“So they called in the big guns to ambush Mary,” Ian said.

Mary shivered and took a sip of her tea. “So, I’m not ready
to throw a victory party,” she said, “but I did walk out of there, this time.
So, what do we do next?”

“You stay the hell away from that house,” Bradley said.
“That’s what you do.”

“But Bradley…” Mary began.

Bradley turned and stared at her. “Are you kidding me?” he
asked. “You were nearly killed, nearly suffocated, and you can even contemplate
going back there?”

“But Marty…” she said.

Bradley stood up and towered over her. “No, Marty and Sol
were the ones that allowed the creature through the door,” he said. “I’m sorry
that Marty has to pay for it, but there’s no way you’re going back there
again.”

Ian released a long sigh and walked over to Bradley. “I
agree with everything you’ve said here,” he said. “And I totally agree with
protecting the people you love above all else. But unless I’m mistaken, the
damage is already done, and because this demon has made contact with Mary, just
like the spirits she helps, it’s no longer contained in that dining room.
 
Am I right,
Mike
?”

Mike nodded. “Yeah, it’s not that easy,” he replied. “The
only reason the demon was staying in the dining room was because it wanted to
stay there.
 
There is no power holding it
there.
 
It chose to pretend it was caught
so Sol and Marty would continue to come to the house. It needed to bait a trap
and it was willing to wait until one or the other of them rose to the
occasion.”

“So, this thing can come into our home?” Bradley asked. “And
we can’t stop it.”

Mary shook her head. “No, I had the house blessed when I
first moved in,” she said. “That should prevent it from coming here.”

“But that won’t prevent it from coming after Mary in any
other way it can,” Mike said.

Bradley paced angrily across the room, running his hand
through his hair. “I can’t tell you how frustrating this is to me,” he
exclaimed and then he turned to Mike. “And you, you told me she was being
watched over.
 
She was being protected.
What kind of protection did she get today?”

“She got protection once she asked for it,” Mike replied
softly.

“What the hell does that mean?” Bradley shouted.

“I prayed,” Mary said quietly. “Once I prayed, Mike was
there.
 
Once I prayed, the demon lost
power over me.”

“I get that it’s frustrating, Bradley, but this whole world
is built on the premise of agency,” Mike explained. “God doesn’t force you to
do His Will. You get to make
choices, which means
that
unless you ask for help, His hands are tied.”

“But He’s God,” Bradley said. “He makes the rules.”

“And He abides by them,” Mike replied.

Sinking down onto the couch, Bradley cradled his head in his
hands for a moment. Finally, he sighed, then lifted his head and looked over at
Mary. “So, we fight?” he asked her.

She smiled at him and nodded. “Yes, we fight.”

“Well, I’m in,” Ian replied. “I’ve never fought a demon
before.
Should be exciting.”

“Hey, Mary, you don’t have to worry about me,” Marty said.
“You got enough stuff on your plate. I can hang around on the earth for a while
longer.”

Mary put her teacup down, pushed the blanket off her lap,
stood up and walked over to Marty. “Did you ever consider that the reason the
demon targeted you and Sol was because he was trying to get to me all along?”
she asked. “We’re connected in this whole thing. So, I’m still in if you’re
still in.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, at once hopeful and hesitant.

“Positive,” Mary replied and then she turned to Mike. “Okay,
what’s next?”

“Well, I think we need to go at this in a twofold manner,”
he said. “We really do need you to solve the murder so Marty goes to the
light.
 
Having his wandering spirit
around the house is only giving the demon more energy.”

“Okay, so we continue with the original plan,” Ian said.

“With a couple exceptions,” Mike added.

“What are those?” Bradley asked.

“First, demons feed on fear and like to manipulate you,” Mike
said. “They really don’t have any more power than you give them.” He turned to
Mary. “What were you feeling when you walked down the hallway towards the
dining room?”

“Fear,” she admitted. “The house was dark and the atmosphere
oppressive.
 
It’s funny. I remember
thinking that Sol must have placed some kind of subliminal mood transformer in
the area, like a high-pitched, sound wave to make me feel anxious.”

“Exactly,” Mike said. “Setting a scary mood to make you feel
anxious and heighten your fear levels. So, what do we do to combat that?”

“Well, we need a noise that counters that,” she said, and
then she turned and grinned at Ian. “Tomorrow we’re bringing Motown.”

Bradley looked down at his watch and then looked up at his
wife. “You have things to do,” she said before he could comment.

“Yeah,” he replied with uncertainty. “I’ve got some
meetings, but I could cancel—”

“Bradley, I’m fine,” she interrupted. “Actually, more than
fine, I feel a little exhilarated, like after you get off a rollercoaster and
you realize you survived.”

“Well, I’d rather you not get back on that particular
rollercoaster again,” he said, still not certain he should leave her. “We don’t
really know how this affected you or the baby.”

“I’m fine,” she reiterated and then she took his hand and
placed it on her belly so he could feel the baby kick. “And Mikey is kicking up
a storm in there. So, he’s good, too.”

“I’m still…”

“I’ll stay with her for the rest of the day,” Ian said. “I
won’t let her out of my sight.
 
And if we
need to go anywhere, I’ll drive.”

“But…” Mary started to protest.

“Darling, this has nothing to do with your driving ability,”
Ian said. “And I’ve been driven by you more than once.
 
But if that demon decides to come visiting
inside your head again, I’d rather not have you at the wheel.”

Mary turned to Mike. “Could it do that?” she asked. “Come
back?”

Mike shrugged. “Well, it’s made a connection with you, like
the ghosts you help,” he said. “So, potentially that could happen. Although I
think it’s stronger at the house in Pearl City.”

“So, you and Ian are going to stay away from the house for the
rest of the day,” Bradley said. “Just to make sure there aren’t any residual
effects.”

Mary nodded.
 
“Actually,
that works,” she agreed. “I wanted to take a trip back up to Wisconsin this
afternoon and visit the convent again.
 
If there’s one place a demon might feel uncomfortable it’s on the ground
of a Catholic convent.”

“Aye, that sounds like a good place to visit,” Ian said.
“I’m interested in meeting the nun you told me about.”

“Yeah, and if you see her, remind her that the bathroom is
off limits,” Bradley said. “It’s really uncomfortable not knowing if a nun is
going to pop in when you’re getting out of the shower.”

Mary grinned at him and winked. “And once she got a look at
you, she’d probably never leave us alone again,” she teased.

Chuckling at his blush, she leaned over and kissed him. “I
will mention to her that bathroom visits are off limits,” she said, “if she
happens to appear to me again.”

“Thank you,” he replied. “I really appreciate it.”

He stood up, helped her to her feet and put his arms around
her. “You will take care of yourself and not do anything dangerous?” he asked.

She nodded. “Okay, I’ll take shimmying up the outside of the
convent walls and breaking into the third floor offices off the list of things
I wanted to do today,” she said with a sigh, as she held back a smile. “Other
than that, the rest of the list is fairly mundane.”

Bradley inhaled deeply and shook his head. “Why did I think
that being married to you would be easy?” he asked.

She laughed and shook her head. “Oh, be honest, you never
believed that.”

He bent down and kissed her. “You’re right,” he agreed. “I
knew it would never be easy but would always be interesting.”

He looked over her shoulder to Ian. “You’ll watch over her?”
he asked.

“Aye,” he replied. “And it’s relieved I am that we won’t be
climbing up the outsides of convents today. I get in more trouble that way.”

Bradley looked over at Mike. “What do you think?”

Mike hesitated for a moment. “I think she’s in no more
danger going up to Wisconsin than she is staying here at the house,” he replied
evenly.

Bradley nodded. “Okay, good,” he said. “That makes me feel
better.”

He gave Mary another quick kiss and then walked over to the
door. “I’ll pick up something for dinner tonight,” he said.

“Great, thanks,” Mary replied, eager for him to leave so she
could question Mike on his enigmatic response. “I’ll see you later,
sweetheart.”

Once the door was closed, Mary turned to Mike. “Okay, what
did you really mean by I’m no more in danger by going up there than by staying
here?” she asked. “Did you really mean I’m in danger here?”

“Yeah.
You’re in danger here or
there,” he said. “You’ve been marked, Mary. They don’t like what you’re doing
and you’re on a kind of hit list.”

She nodded slowly. “Are Bradley and Clarissa in danger?” she
asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said. “Well, let
me add a stipulation to that statement.
 
They are in no more danger than any of the rest of the human race who
are trying their best to live good lives and help other people.
 
That whole ‘doing good’ thing is not what
demons want to have happen on the earth. So, there are obstacles thrown up in
the way of good people everywhere.”

“Obstacles,” Ian said. “But not attacks like what happened
to Mary.”

Mike nodded. “Right,” he said. “Those are rare because
generally and unfortunately, the obstacles are enough to change a person’s
attitude and have them become depressed, overwhelmed, unhappy or sad. The
positive ends, the negative begins and the demons win. But Mary is a totally
different case.
 
She not only is a good
person, she is helping confused spirits gain their eternal reward.
 
So, she’s much more of a threat to them.”

“So, I just need to be constantly aware,” she said.

“Yeah,” Mike said. “Situational awareness is what we used to
call it in the fire department.
 
Always
be aware of where you are, what you’re doing and the possible threats in any
situation. Pay attention to your feelings.
 
And, if your intuition warns you away from a situation, listen to it.”

“Like the feeling I had when I approached that dining room
door,” she replied, “when I thought I ought to get Ian.”

He nodded. “Exactly,” he said. “God will answer your prayers
and help you, but he also sends you warnings beforehand. You just have to
listen to those warnings.”

“Okay, I’m on high alert,” she said. “But I can’t let these
threats stop me from doing what I’m supposed to do.”

“As long as you remember to be cautious,” he said. “And
always have someone with you, at least for now.”

“So, am I correct in assuming
you’ll
be joining our little group for the next few days?” Ian asked Mike.

Mike smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I will,” he said. “And I’m
not even worried that you’re used to driving on the wrong side of the road.”

“Because you know I’m a good driver?” Ian asked.

“No,” Mike replied.
“Because I’m already
dead.”

“Really, Christmas music?”
Ian
complained. “It isn’t even Halloween yet.”

Mary stopped singing the chorus about Christmastime in the
city and turned to Ian. “What in the world is more hopeful and heartwarming
than Christmas music?” she asked. “This ought to chase any demons away.”

“Aren’t there Halloween songs we could sing?” he asked.

“I don’t think those would have the same kind of
light-hearted spirit to them,” she replied.

“I’ve got one,” Mike suggested.

“What?” Mary asked.

Mike immediately began singing “Thriller” using a high,
falsetto voice and acting out the motions in the back of the SUV. Laughing,
Mary joined in the words as well as the motions while Ian just shook his head
and reached over to turn up the Christmas carols playing on the radio.

Laughing even harder, Mary leaned back in the seat and wiped
away the tears forming in her eyes. “I feel so much better,” she breathed.
“Thank you. I needed this.”

“No problem,” Ian said. “It’s good to see you laugh. Now,
what are we going to do once we get to the convent?”

Mary shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said.

Ian glanced over at her. “So, we’re making it up as we go
along?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow in her direction.

She nodded sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess,” she said.

Mike leaned back and smiled. “So, what you’re saying is that
we’re following the usual and customary procedure of an O’Reilly
investigation.”

“Okay, that was rude,” Mary said, twisting around in her
seat and glaring at Mike.

“Aye darling, but the truth hurts,” Ian added.

Mary turned and looked at Ian. “You, too?” she asked. “And
here I thought all along I had you both fooled into thinking I was well organized
and logical.”

Mike snorted. “No, I think of you as more of a go-for-it
person,” he said.

“That’s good, right?” she asked.

Ian grinned. “Let’s just say that you’re more intuitive than
administrative,” he said diplomatically. “And we both appreciate that side of
you.”

She sighed dramatically and threw her hands over her head.
“Well someone here needs to be spontaneous,” she grumbled.

“Well, Madam Spontaneity,” Ian teased. “If you don’t tell me
which way to turn up here, we are going to be very spontaneous.”

“Take a right turn,” Mary replied. “And then it’s only a
couple more miles. But, don’t
worry,
I’ll have come up
with a plan.”

Ian met Mike’s eyes in the review mirror and shook his
head.
 
Mike just grinned back.

A few minutes later they pulled into the long driveway that
led the way to the convent.
 
Ian started
to drive in when Mary placed her hand on his arm. “Wait,” she said. “Turn down
this drive. It goes to the cemetery.”

Following her directions, Ian pulled the vehicle up to the
front of the cemetery a few minutes later.
 
They got out of the car and walked towards the small plot of land.
 
As soon as Mary neared the gate, she looked
around, hoping to find the nun who had visited her the night before. But she
was nowhere in sight.

“Looking for someone?” Ian asked.

Mary nodded. “Yes, there was a nun who appeared to me the
last time I was here,” she said. “She wasn’t very helpful, but I felt that with
enough time, she might just come over to our side.”

“Why did you think that?” he asked.

“Her sister was one of the girls here who died in
childbirth,” she said. “I thought she might be sympathetic to the cause.”

“Why don’t we try to find the sister?” Mike asked. “She
might still be hanging around.”

They all entered the old cemetery.
 
The gravestones were an array of old, nearly
worn down marble headstones to modern, granite edifices.
 
Large trees were scattered throughout the
plot, their golden and red leaves still hanging to their branches but
occasionally taking to flight when a strong wind blew through.
 
The grass was still green, although it was
beginning to fade slightly and brown with wrinkled leaves interspersed in the
verdant shoots.

“This would be a peaceful place to rest,” Mike said, looking
at the view from the cemetery, which was situated at the top of a hill.

 
“And by the looks of
these headstones, this place has quite a history,” Ian said, slowly walking
over to a tall, marble stone with a nearly smooth surface where the name and
date used to be. He moved closer, squatted down and carefully brushed away some
lichen that had grown on the stone. “This one is dated 1865, but the name is
too faded out to read.”

“Her name was Sister Agnes,” a sweet voice replied and Ian
turned to find the ghost of a nun next to him.

“Good morning, Sister,” Ian replied, standing up and nodding
to her. She was dressed in the habits of nuns from the early 1900s, dark,
voluminous and stiff. But her smiling eyes and calm composure softened the
impression her clothing made. “I am Professor Ian McDougal.”

“Good morning, young man,” the nun replied. “I am Sister Maria
Magdaletta. I didn’t realize they were making professors so young these days.”

Ian smiled and stepped closer to her. “Thank you, Sister
Magdaletta.”

“Oh, please, make it Sister Maria,” she insisted. “It’s so
much easier to say.”

“How long have you been here?” he asked.

She looked fondly around the grounds and turned back to him.
“I’ve been here nearly 150 years,” she replied. “I was one of the gardeners, so
I took care of the cemetery plants.
 
I
used to love planting roses next to Sister Agnes’s gravestone. I was told she
had a fondness for them.”

“The cemetery is still lovely,” he replied.

She shook her head. “Not like it was in the early days,” she
said wistfully. “Then it was a masterpiece.”

She studied him for a moment. “But you aren’t here to listen
to me reminisce, are you?” she asked. “Are you looking for someone?”

“It’s a long story,” he admitted. “But perhaps if you will
allow me to introduce you to my friends, we might be able to share it with you
and engage your help.”

“Of course,” she said.

Ian stepped to the side of her and looked across the
cemetery.
 
Mary and Mike were studying
the gravestones in a small section that was separated from the others.

“Oh, that’s the section where they buried all those poor
dears,” Sister Maria said.

“The unwed mothers?”
Ian asked.

She nodded slowly. “Perhaps they were unwed,” she replied.
“But didn’t Jesus himself say to the scribes and the Pharisees ‘He that is
without sin among you, let him first cast a stone?’”
 
She smiled up at him. “I’m sure that took
them off their high horses.”

 
“Aye, he did,” Ian
replied.

“I wonder when we moved away from saving souls to judging
them?” she asked him quietly and then she glided in front of him towards Mary
and Mike. “Come. Introduce me to your friends.”