Death
"You don't listen do you child!" "Young man take all your clothes off now!" Andrew, a little hesitant starts to disrobe. "Hurry boy no time for modesty." Once Andrew was naked Ms. Bea started to rub an oil onto his skin starting from his neck downward. The whole time she was doing this she was chanting something in a language maybe her own. I just stood there in silence feeling helpless. When she was done she went into her kitchen and brought out a large wooden bowl that had what looked like pieces of muslin inside. They were soaking in some concoction that had flowers and herbs also. She began chanting again as she wrapped him in the cloth. As I wondered what Andrew must be thinking, Ms. Bea must have been reading my mind. "I will explain everything later," she said. Once she was done Drew kind of looked like a mummy. She led him into a back room that I obviously had never seen before. It was some sort of spell work room. There was a long table in the center of the room and there were cabinets and shelves with all different items contained inside. Some were jars with feathers, stones, crystals, herbs and powders. There definitely was more to Ms. Bea than meets the eye.
She asks me to help Andrew get on top of the table and I do as I'm told. Once he's on top of the table Ms. Bea grabs one of the largest feather's I have ever seen. Andrew when I start doing this you will begin to get drowsy then fall into a deep sleep. You will awaken when the ritual is done. I will explain everything then. Andrew looks at me and then back at Ms. Bea and nods that he is ready. She begins chanting again as she shakes the feathers around Andrew. I can see after a few moments he is beginning to get sleepy. A few more minutes go by and Andrew is asleep.
Ms. Bea leads me to the couch in her waiting area. I sit down spent, and begin to cry. Ms. Bea sits down beside me and puts her arms around me. Drink this, it will make you feel better. She handed me a cup of hot tea. It tasted wonderful. It had a caramel flavor to it with some sort of herbs as well. I asked Ms. Bea what was in the tea I don't even recall what she said because I drifted off into a deep sleep. It was dark outside when I woke up. How long had I been asleep? Andrew! I hastily jump off the couch and head toward the room that he was in. Ms. Bea directs me toward the kitchen. Andrew is sitting at the table fully dressed as if nothing ever happened. I'm so confused. I...I think I have to work tonight? What time is it? "Time for you to sit down and me to talk to you both." As for your work...taken care of. Just then I get a text from Gigi the charge nurse for tonight that we have a low census. No one wants to go home so I can stay home if I want. I look up at Ms. Bea and she just winks. Andrew pulls out a chair so I can sit down. Ms. B after taking a sip of her tea speaks "I know the events that have happened over these last few weeks have been unexplainable to say the least. There are a lot of things going on in this world that we can't explain. I'm not sure why Rose gave you those cards, it seems like they did a lot more harm than good."
Ms Bea taking another sip of her tea asks us if we know how tarot cards work? Andrew speaks first "No, but when I was younger; I recall my mother using them. I didn't know what they were at the time. I was young when my mother passed. So I didn't get to ask her why or what she was doing." " Andrew I knew your mother. She was a very gifted reader among other things." "You knew my mom?" "Yes I did but we will get to that. Back to the cards. These cards work off energy as well as accessing information from the Akashic record. The Akashic record can be explained as a vast library with our record of current, past and future events if that makes sense to you. We all have certain life paths we can take based on the choices we make. Tarot cards read our current energy and based on that give us information on what could be next for us. If we change one thing the path changes.
"Infinite possibilities" I say. "Yes and No."
"You also have fate. Destiny. Those things will never change. Those things are meant to happen no matter what occurs. So you can have delays or postponements but it will still happen."
"Andrew's fate was chosen with the death card. Punishment maybe for playing out of turn touching the cards. But the death card is also about transformation. So I performed a ritual spell for Andrew that if his life would end here he would be suspended in another."
"Ms. Bea ... What does this all mean? What do we do now?" "Wait...my children. Just wait."
Andrew and I decided to go to the bookstore near the hospital to see if we could find anything else to help the situation. "Andrew you are dealing with this rather well." "Zoe I have always had an open mind and I'm not scared at all, maybe whatever Ms Bea did calmed my spirit so I can get through this. My only fear is being without you."
"So maybe there's something here that can give us more info or help. I just found you. I can't lose you again." Mike's library in the coffee shop is rather extensive, having an up and downstairs. I ask one of the waitresses does Mike have a section for the occult. She takes us to the second floor to a corner section of the library. It's not very big but it may have something. We begin searching through books looking for something that might help. All of a sudden a green book with gold writing falls off the shelf. Andrew picks up the book. Haunted U.S. History. The book fell face down. Is open on a chapter talking about The olde pink house in Savannah, Georgia. Andrew begins reading out loud about the house:
"Maybe we need to go here. This book had to fall for a reason." "Ok Andrew, but it's not really telling us anything." "I know Zoe and this is all so crazy and happening so fast but I think this is a sign." "So when should we go?" "Tonight I don't have work until Tuesday,'' I say. "And I'm about to die soon so the sooner the better. Let's keep this book just in case." We check the book out with Mike and head to Andrew's house to pack and then we head to my house. Pulling up my driveway I notice my front door is ajar. I motion for Drew to stop the car. Maybe we left the door open when we left. No, I know we didn't. As I am getting out of the car to go inside so is Drew. "Hey stay here. I'm not sure what is going on and my door is open so why isn't Villain running around outside? I wonder. "I'm not staying here, and look at you being all tough! But you're not going in alone." Andrew and I both get out of the car and go inside. The reason why Villain wasn't running around outside is because he was sitting on the couch with Stephen.
"Stephen! What are you doing here!?!"
"I just wanted to talk to you Zoe." "How did you get in here?" "I made a copy of my key before I gave it back." "Who is he?" Stephen turns toward Andrew. I can tell he is agitated and has been drinking. " Stephen that's…" "I can speak for myself...I'm Andrew."
Stephen looks at the both of us and then back at me. He looks haggard like he has been up all night also. "Zoe please take me back. I want to come back home."
"Stephen, I really don't have time for this and we aren't getting back together. Please leave." Stephen standing now "I'm not going anywhere until you talk to me!" Andrew reaches for Stephens arm and Stephen abruptly snatched it away. "Get your fucking hands off me." They exchange words and a fight ensues. I try to break it up but I can't. They begin tussling on the floor and all of a sudden I hear a loud bang. "No no no!" I drop to my knees "Andrew!" Stephen is standing over his bloody gun in hand. But it's Andrew's blood. Andrew lies motionless on the floor. All of sudden everything is frozen. Suspended . I am awake and aware but can't move. The room begins to spin then bang again. Andrew and Stephen are gone. No blood. No furniture knocked over everything is right as rain. Standing in my living room shocked, dazed and confused there is a knock at my door.
"Hey Zoe!" It's Meka. I'm off today so I wanted to know what we were doing on our vacation? Vacation? I just had a vacation from work. Meka what are you...? and then I remembered everything that just happened what Ms. Bea said "everything was taken care of". She must have worked some sort of magic to give me the time off. What happened to Drew? Where was he? Where was Stephen? What the hell just happened? I grab my head because it feels like it's about to explode. "Zoe sit down, you don't look so good." Meka guides me arm and arm to the couch so I can sit. "Zoe what's going on?" "Meeks, I don't even know how to explain anything that has happened over the last 24 hours." "Well just start at the beginning." Just as I am about to start this wild tale there is another knock at my door. "I'll get it." I rush to the front door hoping it's Andrew and this was all just some weird dream. When I open the door standing there is Rose Donovan. "Rose!"
'In the flesh!" she says as she pushes past me into my living room.
For Rose to be so petite she is powerful. She was dressed in all black turtleneck and pants with a camel colored trench coat, her long red hair curly like mine now bone straight was pulled back tightly in a low bun.
"Rose what the hell is going on! Where did you and Peter move to? Why did you send the cards? What happened to Andrew?" "Well you sure are full of questions and I am full of answers but if you want to see Andrew again we have to hurry! We can talk on the way!" Reluctantly I grab my purse off my couch and tell Rose that I have to pack my bags. I remember that's why I came to my house in the first place. To get my bags. Maybe if I had just left with Andrew none of this would have even happened. Rose reading my thoughts says already taken care of and points to the front door. My bags are packed and sitting by the entrance. "Ok can someone explain to me what is going on?" Meeks says "Sure Rose" says "On the way" "As matter of fact you can come too, we need all the help we can get".
"So where are we going? I'm always up for an adventure." "The Olde Pink house in Savannah, Georgia" "Wait that's where Andrew and I were headed....That was you that made the book fall wasn't it?" Rose nods her head. "You are correct now let's go,'' she turns and marchs right out the front door. Grabbing my bags I head out behind her.
"Umm wait!" Meka says running behind us, "I heard about that place! It was a house that has a restaurant and it's supposed to be..
It's supposed to be haunted." "Yes that house is many things, one being a portal and if we don't hurry we might miss our chance at bringing Andrew back." Headed out the door I thought about how in these last few weeks my life had changed, I had changed. I got introduced to somethings I didn't even know existed. I think I found my true love and now I'm about to go rescue him from another dimension. How's that for "couple goals?"
And Just like that I was off on the first of many adventures, and that's how the Paranormal Detective Agency was born. Who knew I would be trading in my scrubs and searching for answers to explain the unexplainable? I guess when people say it's in the cards it is...Literally.
To Be Continued…..