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“Yeah, I guess not though I don’t know why. I brought her in, told the nurse I found her, and then I left. I guess no one ever reported it. They didn’t take my name.”
“Interesting.” I’ve spent enough time with Miss Jolly to know she’s not buying it, but again, she doesn’t push. “We’ve talked about hypnotherapy before. You know it isn’t always one hundred percent, but considering the dreams you’ve had since that time, I think we have a good chance at being successful.”
Miss Jolly has me lie back in a reclining chair while Deklan sits off to one side. She instructs him to remain quiet as she closes the blinds and dims the lights.
“Close your eyes,” she says. “Do you hear the clock ticking on the w
all?”
“Yes.” I hadn’t even noticed the large clock before or heard the ticking of the second hand, but now that the room is quiet and the sound has been brought to my attention, it’s very loud.
“Focus on the clock’s ticking. Relax into the rhythm and breathe slowly—in through your nose, out through your mouth. Take yourself back to that day.”
I do as she says. I remember going to school and being worried about an English test, but it ended up being pretty easy. We had a pep rally that day, so the last bell was cut off early.
“Picture yourself leaving school.” The ticking of the clock fades, and Miss Jolly’s soft voice is the only thing I hear. “Remember getting on the school bus. Think about who is around you, what you see and smell.”
“The bus is mostly empty,” I say as the image comes into my head. “We are the second to last stop. Heather is with me, and she’s going on about some guy she likes. I’m glad when we get to our corner because I can’t stand the guy she’s head over heels about.”
“What happens when you leave the bus stop?”
“I wave at Heather, and she goes off down the street. I’m walking home, listening to a new playlist.”
“What song?”
“‘In One Ear’ by Cage the Elephant.” The song plays through my head.
“There’s a man standing against the wall near the alley.”
“Do you know him?”
“I don’t know his name, but I’ve seen him before.”
“Where?” Deklan’s voice startles me.
“Please, Mr. Kearney, try not to speak. Go on, Kera. Tell me where you have seen the man before.”
“He’s been to our house. He didn’t come inside, but he was out on the porch when my father was talking to one of his clients. He kept puffing on one of those e-cigarette vaporizer things. He has it with him now.”
“Can you describe him?”
“His hair is blond, and he has high cheekbones. No, his cheeks and eyes are sunken; it just makes him look like his cheekbones are high. His teeth are really yellow.”
“That’s good, Kera. Keep going.”
“He says hello when I walk past, but I ignore him. He calls to me again, and I tell him to leave me alone, or I’ll tell my father he was bothering me. That’s when the van pulls out of the alley. The door opens, and another guy jumps out.”
My breaths become short and sharp, and I start feeling dizzy.
“What’s happening, Kera?”
“The first guy blocks my way, and the other one grabs my arms. I drop my book bag and try to turn to kick him, but he’s holding too tight. The other guy grabs my leg, and they push me into the van. Something’s placed over my eyes. I can’t see!”
“That’s all right, Kera. What do you hear? What do you smell?”
“The engine of the van is loud. It’s clicking like it needs an oil change. The van smells like grease. I scream, but I get punched in the head. It hurts and makes my ears ring. I get hit again…”
“What’s happening, Kera?”
