Les Gris - TI4 Read online

  The laughter was infuriating. It mocked her.

  No, you're not stupid, so quit acting like it – and stop feeling sorry for yourself. It's time to take your life back.

  It was Belle's turn to laugh. The bitterness behind it almost choked her.

  "Yeah, right! Well, perhaps no one's told you I'm blind, so just how am I supposed to do that?"

  You have me. I'll help you.

  "You? Are you going to be my seeing-eye dog? Lead me by the hand everywhere? Pretend to be my eyes?"

  Yes! That's exactly what I will be. Your eyes.

  It wasn't the answer Belle expected, and she didn't know how to respond.

  "Who are you?"

  You know who I am, Belle. There was once a time when we played together, but that was a long time ago.

  "When? I don't remember you."

  Again the laughter, only this time it was gentler.

  Like I said, it was a long time ago. You were just a child and far more believing than you are today.

  Belle frowned, trying to remember her younger years and then her sightless eyes opened wide as visions of the past flashed before her like a movie playing in reverse.

  * * *

  Tamara O'Reilly shook her head as she put the covered dish in the refrigerator. She was at her wit's end. Walking into the living room, she plopped down on the couch next to her husband, causing him to knock his teeth on the beer bottle he had just placed against his lips.

  "Sorry," she muttered and patted his cheek affectionately.

  Gripping his front tooth with his fingers, he checked it to see if it had damaged the cap protecting the stub.

  "Thas okay," he replied, releasing the tooth. "She's still being difficult, I take it."

  "Yeah. I'm not sure what to do anymore. If she doesn't start school next week, the board says they'll have to take some type of action. I wish we could afford a tutor."

  "I know, but we're barely making ends meet as it is. I suppose I could ask Grams for a loan," he offered hesitantly. He knew what that would entail. His grandmother would gladly give him what he needed. Unfortunately, she always exacted a heavy price from anyone in her debt. Harvey felt like it was selling his soul; she would expect him to be at her beck and call from then on.

  "Not after seeing what Sally went through," Tamara growled. "Grams can keep her damn money. We'll figure something..."

  Before she could finish the reply, the sound of a door slamming startled them. Glancing toward the stairs, Tamara and Harvey were surprised to see their daughter standing at the head of the steps.

  "Are you alright, honey?" Tamara called out, jumping to her feet.

  "Yes, mother," Belle replied, sounding exasperated.

  Tamara looked at Harvey nervously. It was rare their daughter left her room.

  "I want to go to ChisolmPark," Belle announced.

  "Umm, it's almost six o'clock. It'll be dark in about an hour or so."

  "Really, mother. What difference does that make to me?"

  Realizing the stupidity of her comment, Tamara's eyes welled up with tears.

  "What your mom means, honey, is that the park may not be safe," Harvey said, wanting to diffuse the situation. "Tomorrow's Saturday. Can we go then?"

  "No, I want to go now. I have to go now."

  The desperation in Belle's voice was enough to convince Tamara. Harvey, however, still wasn't convinced of the necessity of risking his family's safety in an area that had become somewhat questionable as far as security. Seeing his hesitation, his wife touched his arm gently.

  "Please," she mouthed.

  Giving up, he nodded.

  "Okay, get your jackets and we'll go, but we're not staying once the sun sets."

  Thirty minutes later, Tamara and Harvey watched their daughter walk toward the merry-go-round.

  "It's like she can see," Harvey whispered, not wanting to be overheard.

  "She spent a lot of time here when she was a kid. I guess she can remember a lot about it."

  "I guess. It still seems freaky, though."

  "I know."

  Moving to sit on a bench, they glanced around to see who else was at the park. Standing near a street light, a cop was talking into his shoulder mic. An older couple was moving toward their car, the man leaning heavily on his cane while the woman gripped his arm. It was obvious she was guiding him.

  "That's us in thirty years," Harvey said and smiled.

  "Oh, I think we'll have a few more years than that before we reach that stage," Tamara said and sliding closer to her husband.

  "I can only hope. Why do you think Belle wanted to come here now? I mean, this is the first time she's shown an interest in doing anything."

  "I don't know, sweetie. This was one of her favorite spots to play. Maybe she's just trying to recapture those moments."

  "I guess."

  They both continued watching Belle, remembering fondly the times their daughter ran up and down the park, chasing her invisible friend.

  "Do you remember..." Harvey started to ask but couldn't think of the friend's name.

  "Looney!" Tamara supplied and then laughed. "How could I forget? Those two were inseparable."

  "I should hope so. After all, she was imaginary."

  "Well, imaginary or not, Belle loved her. That's all that mattered then."

  Harvey nodded. Before he could say anything else, he saw his daughter grab the handle of the merry-go-round and give it a spin. Then she turned and started walking toward them.

  "We can go now," Belle called out. "I'm hungry. Can we get a Chicken-Taco wrap?"

  Surprised, neither parent answered for several seconds. Finally, Tamara stuttered a weak "yes" and grabbed her husband's hand squeezing it. Something miraculous had happened, but neither of them wanted to question what or how.

  * * *

  That had been eighteen years ago. Since then, she had graduated from college after earning a degree in literature with a minor in paranormal psychology. When an assistant professorship job opened up at her alma mater, a friend encouraged her to apply. With Lunara's help, the interview went smoothly and she was quickly hired. Now at thirty-seven, she had full tenure as a professor of literature. Although the pay wasn't great, it gave her enough for a comfortable life and the time to pursue a second career.

  You call this a career? Lunara asked, laughing softly.

  "Well, it is... sort of. Granted it's not exactly a textbook job, but at least I know I've helped a few people and their life partners. I wish I had been able to save all of them."

  Me too, but some humans are too far gone. It's bad enough when the two are out of sync but if the Shadow is lost or detached, only a blood moon can re-establish the connection. There are so many unbalanced life partners and so few of us to help them. Tonight we're lucky. This human's life partner has been able to control the man's urges up till now. I doubt if he could have lasted much longer, though.

  Belle nodded as she listened to the sound of steps several feet behind her. Although she couldn't hear his Shadow's thoughts, Lunara could.

  They are badly out of sync. I'm not sure we can resolve it entirely.

  "We have to try. Even a partial victory may be enough to stop him from hurting someone. You said he was a predator. To fail with him isn't an option. Others will be harmed. I'm surprised he hasn't hurt anyone already."

  Luscian wouldn't permit it!

  "Luscian?"

  His life partner. He has been warning the other Les Gris whenever he could. They have made sure their humans avoided him.

  "Is Luscian stable?"

  He's damaged but not irreparably so. If we can re-sync them, it should be enough to minimize the man's urges to a controllable level.

  Belle chuckled softly.

  "You always say we as if I really have much to do with that. You're the one who takes the risks. It can't be easy prying into a stranger's mind, searching for the causes of the imbalances. I don't think I could stand being that intimate with human neurosis and p
sychosis... and the phobias... well, they are..." Belle let the sentence drop, remembering her own fear as a child. How ironic that she had suffered achluophobia, fear of the dark, and now her entire world was exactly that most of the time.

  There were moments, however, when she could share Lunara's vision of the world. The first occurred during solar eclipses when light rays from the sun were temporarily blocked. Normally a world in darkness weakened the Shadows' vision but the ionization of the atmosphere and refractive rays of the sun could create anomalies that enhanced the light waves, fracturing them into kaleidoscopic colors. This was what Belle would see through the eyes and mind of Lunara. During those moments their energies temporarily fused, providing each with an almost orgasmic pleasure. It was only when they were suddenly ripped apart by the waning eclipse and resumed their normal existence, that both understood the pain and anguish of the detached or out of sync.

  More often than the eclipse, though, was when Rainbow popped in to chat with Lunara. Highly animated, she always made seeing an interesting experience. Then again, what did one expect from a Boreal?

  CHAPTER 6

  The Invisible Friend

  HIS FAMILY HAD ALWAYS thought he was a little crazy, but had attributed it to his premature birth. The doctors had warned them there were often complications from a poorly developed respiratory system. As a toddler, he seemed withdrawn and fearful, and later complained about a ghost hiding under his bed. No matter how hard they tried to assure him it was only his imagination, he refused to believe them. The voice proved him right.

  Thomas would never forget the night it had first appeared. His mom had just tucked him into bed and kissed him goodnight. She left the room, turning the light off behind her. Closing his eyes, Thomas wrapped his arms around Carlton the bear and smiled.

  "Thomas," a voice whispered in the dark.

  Opening his eyes, he looked around the room, expecting to see his mom. When he didn't see her, he frowned.

  "Mom?"

  "Thomas," the voice said again.

  Sliding deeper into the sheets, he peeked over the edge. A small nightlight lit the room but there was nothing unusual to be seen.

  "Don't be afraid, Thomas. I'm your friend, your magical friend."

  The voice was soft and reassuring.

  "Oh!"

  "You don't remember me?"

  "Ummm, nooo," Thomas replied hesitantly.

  "That saddens me. We used to play together when you were younger. Remember when you would make little animal shadows on the walls with your hands before your mother turned out the lights?"

  "Uh huh."

  "That was me!"

  "You was the rabbit?"

  "Yes, I was the rabbit and the bird and the dog."

  "Mom says you was just shadows. It was a game."

  "That's because your mom doesn't know about me. She can't hear me like you can."

  "Oh!"

  "You see, I'm your friend, not hers. Only you can hear me."

  "Wow!"

  Thomas looked around for signs of the shadow animals he had made in the past. There was nothing.

  "How come I don' see you now? Where are you?"

  "There's not enough light, but I'm right here."

  "I want to see you," Thomas said, sitting up in his bed.

  "Not tonight, Thomas. Your mom has turned out the light."

  "I want to see you!" Thomas cried.

  "If you yell like that, your mom will come and then I will have to go. Do you want that?"

  "Nooo, but I want to see you now."

  "You will have to be patient, but if you do as I say, you can see me for a little while tomorrow."

  "Promise?"

  "Oh yes, I promise. We're going to spend a lot of time together, Thomas... a lot of time."

  "Okay. I wait cuz you promised."

  "Good! Now go to sleep."

  Nodding his head, Thomas slid beneath the blanket and closed his eyes.

  "That's good... very good," the voice whispered and then laughed softly.

  The next night Thomas waited anxiously for his friend to appear. His mother hadn't come in to turn off the light yet, so he walked around the room peeking in the closet and under the bed.

  "Where are you?" he asked hesitantly.

  "I'm here," the voice whispered.

  "I don' see you!" Thomas yelled.

  "Be quiet!" the voice ordered sternly. "If your mom comes in, I'll leave," it threatened.

  As tears welled up in his eyes, Thomas plopped down on the floor and whimpered.

  "I want to see you. You promised!"

  "Yes, but only if you did as I said. Stop crying. I don't like crybabies."

  Instantly the tears dried up.

  "That's good. Now, stand up and close your eyes."

  Thomas did as he was instructed.

  "Turn around and look at the wall."

  Doing as he was told, Thomas gasped when he saw the dark shadow before him.

  "Is that you?" His voice trembled with childish awe as he stared wide eyed at the gray form.

  At first the voice didn't answer. Moving forward, Thomas reached out to touch the shadow.

  "You forgot about me," the voice accused, almost poutingly.

  "I didn' mean to."

  "You hurt my feelings."

  "I'm sorry," Thomas replied, shuffling his right foot nervously. "I was born bad mom says. Maybe thas why, huh?"

  "Maybe," the voice conceded. "Only time will tell."

  "Tell what? I don' understand."

  "Never mind. I forgive you."

  "Phew!" Thomas said, relieved that he had been forgiven. His mom had told him many times that forgiveness meant everything would be okay again. "Are we going to play now?"

  "Yes, we can play."

  Clapping his hands gleefully, he sat on the floor and listened while the voice instructed him on how to make shadow figures. Occasionally, his animals would move differently from the way his hands moved. Laughing he would try to control the shadow.

  When his mom walked in, he jumped up and looked at her, a big smile on his face.

  "What are you doing?" she asked.

  "Playin’ with my friend."

  "Your friend?"

  "Yeah, mom, look!" he yelled enthusiastically. Turning, he made a shadow rabbit and laughed as he made its ears wiggle.

  "Oh, I see! Well, it's time to go to bed now so say good night to your friend."

  "Okay! Night!" Thomas said, waving at the shadow on the wall.

  Shaking her head, his mother waited patiently as he climbed into bed and under the sheets. Her son tried his best to be good but often lost his temper and would throw tantrums. She prayed every night he would grow out of them. It was moments like these that gave her hope.

  "Did you say your prayers?"

  "Oh, I forgot!"

  Bowing his head, Thomas whispered a quick prayer and then looked up expectantly. He loved his mom but there were times when he imagined doing awful things to her; especially when she was mean to him.

  "Good boy," his mom praised. Leaning down, she kissed him on the top of the head and then tucked the sheets around his shoulders.

  "Sleep well. I love you."

  "I love you, too, mom."

  After she had left, Thomas looked at the far wall for signs of the shadow. The darkness made it impossible to see anything.

  "You there?"

  "I'm here, Thomas,"

  "You didn' say night."

  "I know. I was waiting for you to finish your prayer."

  "Oh, yeah. I always say my prayer at night. Mom says I'll go to heaven when I die as long as I do it."

  "Do you believe in heaven, Thomas?"

  "Yes. Mom says thas where baby Jesus is. Daddy's with him."

  "I see."

  "Is your mom and dad in heaven?" Thomas asked, his eyes searching the darkened room for signs of the shadow. Other than the voice, there was nothing.