What The Eyes Can't See

AN: SpinLizard from fanfiction.net: Okay, hopefully this is a longer chapter for you. It is over 9 pages long, lol. Thanks so much for your reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy.

The plot bunnies are feeling particular lethargic lately (perhaps due to massive quantities of turkey ingested) so any reviews would be greatly appreciated.

As always, these chapters and this story would be riddled with grammatical errors without the ever vigilant Elfmaiden25. If you enjoy this story or even if you don’t, I highly recommend reading her stories at www.mystifyingdreams.com

Chapter 14

The scene that greeted the two men as they exited the kitchen was comical. Emily was once again sitting on the floor in front of the coffee table while the two older men sat side-by-side on the couch. Three miniature figurines graced the Monopoly board and a new game was in progress. Emily had both the ‘bank’ and all the properties beside her and was chatting happily with the men that remained in a state of confusion, unsure of what to say or do in front of the energetic little girl.

Jim held the dice in his hand but remained still as he listened to the rapidly speaking girl. Her monologue continued as Brian and Dan listened for a moment.

“…It was soooo untrue, cause Nate said he liked Mary but Mary thinks he likes Ann. So Ann is trying to make Nate go out with her. But than Nate asks Sara out because he thinks Mary doesn’t like him. Ugh, how stupid can a boy be…it’s obvious that Mary likes him and that Ann is just a big meanie…”

Brian decided to put a halt to the never-ending story. “Emily, could you come into the kitchen for a moment.”

Noting the serious expression on her brother’s face, she nodded silently and stood up, following her brother into the kitchen.

Once there, the siblings stood in the center of the room. Brian, wanting to speak with Emily at the same eye level, lifted her up to sit on the counter top. Looking intently into her eyes he began, “Emily, do you remember anything about what happened to Heidi several years ago.”

Sadness entered her eyes as she nodded her head slowly, “She was hurt.”

“Do you remember how she got hurt?” Brian continued, wanting to know how much he would have to explain to her before asking her that final question.

Again, she nodded, “A grown up hurt her.”

“Do you remember that you helped find Heidi?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

Brian exhaled softly, not really wanting to continue this conversation. “That man…he’s hurting other kids, Emily.”

Tears began to well up in Emily’s eyes and before Brian could continue, she asked, “Can I help?”

Filled with sadness and dread, Brian embraced his little sister. Kissing the top of her head, “Yes, sweetie. You can help, but there are several things I need to talk to you about before you do, okay?”

He could feel her nod against his shoulder, “First, we are going to try and find the man who hurt Heidi and the other kids. He’s a grown-up and I’m not sure if it will even work since you have only searched for little kids before. So, if it gets to be too much for you, just come home, okay?”

He pulled back to see her nod her head, “Second, you come home as soon as I say. No matter what’s happening, you come home. Not like what happened when you found Heidi, you come straight home as soon as I ask you to.” He stressed this point as much as he could without raising his voice.

Both siblings looked intently into the other’s eyes as Emily nodded in agreement.

“Dan wants Jim and Gil to watch. He’ll be retiring soon and he thinks that by having them here tonight, they could help us in the future if you find any other kids in your sleep. Is it okay for them to watch, Emily?”

“Yes, I trust them.”

Brian sighed in relief. Jim and Gil’s final test was getting approved by the ten year old. Brian knew that Emily had an uncanny ability to judge a person’s trustworthiness and if she had said she didn’t trust them, he would have literally kicked them out of his home.

“Okay, Emily. This is the most important part. If at any time you feel uncomfortable about this and you don’t want to do it anymore, you tell me. No matter what, you tell me that you changed your mind and I’ll stop it okay.”

The little girl nodded and reached for Brian, to give him a hug. He wasn’t sure who was comforting whom at that moment. Emily may have hugged him to get assurance from him or because she felt his own turmoil regarding this issue and was trying to make him feel better.

He clutched the little girl tightly to him. Worry, over the upcoming projection, filled him. His only hope was that Emily would be able to get the much needed information quickly and than be able to put this all behind her, without traumatizing the little girl for life.

*****

“Okay, Emily. Take several deep breaths and slowly feel yourself fall to sleep,” Brian said.

While Emily lay motionless on the couch, an attentive audience surrounded her. Brian had pulled one of the kitchen table chairs close to where her head laid. Dan sat on a twin chair behind the couch where he was able to watch and listen to Emily. The cordless phone and his notepad, opened to a new page, with a pen laid on his lap, ready for any information that Emily would dictate. Gil and Jim sat in the two sofa chairs that faced the sofa. They would be able to witness the proceedings without any obstacles in their way.

After taking several deep breaths, Emily’s body visible relaxed. As the minutes ticked by, the other occupants were able to see a physically difference in the small girl. Her cheeks lost their natural rosy color, the skin around her eyes and on her lips darkened to an almost blue color, her curl tresses began to dull and lose their curl. For those who were unfamiliar with the sight felt chills run through their body as they watched Emily’s ‘spirit’ leave her corporeal body behind.

As before, Brain waited about fifteen minutes for Emily to fall into a deep trance. After the time had passed, he looked toward Dan with doubt for his actions clearly showing. Dan’s look held the same emotion to a lesser degree but he encouraged Brian with a nod of his head.

“Emily, can you find the man who hurt Heidi?”

Brian, as well as the other three inhabitants in the room, held his breath as they waited for Emily to respond.

*****

Emily wouldn’t lie to herself by denying that she was scared. Shivers coursed through her as she waited for Brian to spur her in the right direction.

She remembered her first conversation with Dan regarding Heidi several years ago but had lied to the man, as well as her brother, when she said she couldn’t recall the events that took place. While she hadn’t seen the man clearly, she did remember what he had been doing, though had not really understood it at the time. Even now, his actions were still a little unclear in its purpose except that whatever he had been doing was obviously hurting her friend a great deal.

She remembered how she had tried to stop him from hurting Heidi but what terrified her the most, was that the man looked directly at her and grinned. All she remembered was that grin, which the memory of it continued to give her nightmares. Never before and never since than had an adult recognized her presence during a projection. And she never told anyone…not Heidi…nor Brian knew that this man had seen her.

She truly hoped that this time would be different and that the first time had been a fluke or better yet…he had just looked in her general direction and she assumed that he was looking at her.

“Emily, can you find the man who hurt Heidi?” She heard Brian whisper inside her mind.

Emily waited for her soul to travel to the person or place requested. Several minutes passed and nothing happened. Emily began to wonder if this would even work. She had never tried to find an adult, especially without a name. She started to think that maybe nothing would happen. She sighed a little, part in frustration and part in relief.

Suddenly she began to feel the pull. As her incorporeal self began to move through the city of Las Vegas, she stiffened slightly.

*****

Almost fifteen minutes had passed before her body reacted to the question. As time had passed, Brian too began to think many of the same thoughts Emily had. Would this work? Would Emily be able to find the man?

Doubt of Emily’s ability to project was erased when Brian noticed her body stiffen slightly. Whether or not she found the man, it was obvious to him that her ‘spirit’ was guiding her somewhere.

He looked over at Dan once again. He too had noticed the slight movement and was waiting for Emily to speak. Brian gave the other two witnesses in the living room a quick glance to gauge their reactions. Both men gazed at the little girl with doubt and confusion, watching for any other movements.

Brian returned his gaze to his little sister. He knew that at this moment, it was a waiting game.

*****

Emily’s first realization that she had arrived at her destination was the image of the interior of a house. She stood just inside the front door and from her vantage point, she could see a long hallway. A large archway stood several feet ahead of her on her left, directly across from it there was a smaller version. She assumed that the one on her left led to the living room and the one on her right lead to either the kitchen or dining area. Toward the end of the hallway was a set of stairs leading up to the second floor and a little further back, next to it, was a closed door.

She took several steps forward until she could peer into the living room. No lights were on and she could only make out shadows of furniture in the room. Looking to her left, she confirmed her assumption that the smaller, of the two archways, lead to a small dining room.

“I’m in a house, though I’m not sure if it’s his house,” She said out loud, letting those who watched over her body know what was occurring. “No one seems to be here, but I’m not sure.”

She looked toward the staircase and noticed numerous picture frames gracing the wall leading up the stairs. They looked like portraits and Emily hoped they would contain images of the man she was seeking. Describing him from a picture would be much nicer than trying to describe him in person.

She approached the staircase and began to look at the pictures that lined its wall. She was slightly confused, at first, when she saw that the pictures held images of children. Did this man have children of his own? Her stomach rolled a little at the thought, though her curiosity begged the question whether or not he hurt his own kids.

Emily’s confusion grew as the number of different children grew. As she slowly made her way up the stairs, she realized that there was no way all these kids were his. So, who were all these children?

Emily stopped suddenly and gasped. She was about half way up the stairs where two familiar faces caught her eye.

In one dark frame, hung an image of a little boy who was vaguely familiar. In the picture, the boy looked to be either walking to school or from school, since he had a pack strapped to his back. He was smiling at someone off camera, but by the angle, Emily could tell that it was not at the person who took the picture.

“Mikey?” Emily whispered, memories of her interaction with the boy slowly emerged.

“Emily, what’s going on?” Brian questioned, his words reverberating in her mind.

Emily didn’t answer as her gaze moved away from the framed photo of Mike Taylor to the one directly next to it.

Her best friend’s smiling eyes gazed back at her. Emily’s eyes welled up with tears as she gazed upon the picture of her, then, five year old friend. Heidi’s eyes no longer held that carefree look. It was now overshadowed by a haunting glare that never completely left, no matter how much she smiled or laughed.

*****

“Mikey?” Emily whispered.

Brian and Dan both looked at each other with shock. Emily hadn’t uttered that name since the first time she had spoken to Dan.

“Emily, what’s going on?” Brian asked, concern lacing his low voice.

He waited for Emily to reply but she remained silent. He watched as she took in a startled breath and her closed eyes began to leak with tears.

“Heidi,” She whispered.

“Tell me what you see, Emily,” Brian said.

“Pictures,” she whispered, “They’re hanging on the wall. All of them, of little kids…Mikey’s and Heidi’s pictures are here too.”

Brian shifted his gaze to Dan, this time in shock. Dan’s eyes returned the sentiment. He quickly glanced down at his notepad and scribbled on it, then showed it to Brian.

“How many?”

“Emily, can you count how many pictures?”

Emily was silent for a moment, “Over 30.”

Dan’s whispered, “Jesus!” was echoed in all their minds.

Dan wrote in his pad, again showing it to Brian.

“Address”

“Okay, Emily. I want you to try and find out where you are.”

She nodded her head slightly.

*****

“Okay, Emily. I want you to try and find out where you are.”

Emily nodded her head and with one last look at the framed photos, of her friends, she began to walk back down to the entrance hallway.

She walked slowly toward the living room, believing that that would be the most likely place to find mail. The living room was pristine, as if no one ever entered the room. A plastic covering protected the floral print of the sofa. The side tables, at each end of the sofa, held nothing more than petite glass lamps. There was no TV or any electronics in the room. A framed oil painting hung directly over the sofa. The figure in the portrait seemed to be watching over the house’s absent occupants. The elderly lady gazed blankly into the room yet her eyes seemed real enough to stare directly at Emily.

Shivers coursed through Emily as she gazed at the woman portrayed in the picture. She turned away from the picture and continued to explore the room. There was nothing out of place, nothing to indicate the owner of the house.

“There’s nothing in the living room except a big painting of an old woman.”

She moved out of the living room and across the hall into the dining room. Like the living room, the eating area was pristine and as she moved into the kitchen she discovered the same. Nothing was out place with everything in order. The countertops were clear of clutter. Moving slowly, she opened each drawer expecting to find at least a ‘junk’ drawer like she and Brian had. Their ‘junk’ drawer contained numerous odds and ends, including pieces of mail containing advertisements and coupons. After opening and closing the five drawers, she discovered that there was no ‘junk’ drawer.

She exhaled in a puff of air, expressing her frustration, “I can’t find anything in the kitchen either.”

She walked back out into the hallway. She stood a couple of feet from the stairway and debated whether to go upstairs or continue into the closed room. Seeing a light underneath the doorjamb, she made her decision.

Passing the staircase, she walked slowly towards the closed door. Biting her lip in concentration, she turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Her eyes widen as she gazed into the small back room. This room seemed a complete contradiction to the rest of the house. Shelves lined three of the walls and the shelves were stuffed with books and papers. The desk, resting up against the farthest wall, was piled high with papers and what looked like even more pictures. The only slightly clear spot on the table was directly in the middle and it was covered with an open photo album. Several photos lay on top of it, waiting to be placed inside its protective sheets.

Emily looked more closely at the shelves, hoping to avoid entering the room. One of the bookshelves held several rows of different colored binders that she identified as photo albums. Though she was unable to read them, each one seemed to be labeled with a name and date.

“Emily…Sweetie…Are you okay?” She heard Brian.

“Yes…I’m okay…I’m still looking,” She whispered.

She took a deep breath to steel her nerves and took several steps into the room. Her gaze moved to the shelves that held the completed albums. Curiosity won over fear and she drew closer to the shelf. Tilting her head slightly to make it easier to read the labels that graced the binding, she scanned the labels that read several names. On the eighteenth or nineteenth album she read a familiar name.

“Mike Taylor, June 1980.”

A sensation of dread coursed through her body as she read the next label, “Heidi Waite, August 1980.”

Brian questioned Emily on what was going on, but Emily was unable to give him an answer. As if in a trance, she slowly reached for the album. She licked her lips with fear as she slowly drew the album, that held her friend’s name, off of the shelf. She opened the heavy cardboard cover to its first page.

She flipped through the first few pages and a smiling five-year-old Heidi stared at her from the frozen images. There were numerous pictures of Heidi…playing in front of her old home, laughing with other children in the schoolyard and even a picture of her and her mom at the park.

Her fingers lost all feeling as she turned the page. A crying Heidi replaced the Heidi with the smile. The despair and fear was evident in her eyes. Before her mind could register the dark images, the album slipped through her fingers.

Heated tears began to fall as Emily cried for the five year old Heidi and all the other names labeled on the photo albums.

The slam of the front door startled Emily. She held her breath as she listened to the sounds of someone walking into the kitchen.

“Emily, what’s wrong?” Brian’s voice questioned.

“He’s here.”

*****

Brian became slightly worried when he saw Emily’s tears seep through her closed lids but questioned her desperately when he heard her breathing hitch as if in fear.

“He’s here.” Emily whispered with a fear-laced voice.

Without hesitation, Brian said, “Come home, Emily.”

He waited for her to obey his gentle command but was disappointed when the little girl that lay before him, shook her head negatively.

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