his now slow responsive left side and his nagging knee injury, the combination of the three made it clear he was going to need someone close to help out in basic needs.
“I am really sorry for the intrusion Peter boy and I don’t know how to thank you for the understanding of the living arraignments. I promise once we get healed up you will have your place back”.
Clearing out a few personal items of my own, I relocated to the up stares where I made it clear to Frank that I was ok with sleeping out on living room sofa. With how life was beginning to pan out with work and now the living conditions, I reasoned that with in a months’ time, my relocation back to Denver was a sure bet. Breaking the moment’s thoughts, my cell phone rang with Sharon on the other end who instantly revealed the distressed tone to her voice.
“Hi Peter, do you have time to meet me at the clinic”?
“I…can, what is it Sharon”?
“It’s Annie again, she had a few interesting things to say and you need to hear them”.
“It will take me about a half hour but I will see you soon”.
Relocating Franks television set down to the lower unite, gave me some comfort in knowing that the old guy had something to keep himself occupied with. Now comfortably situated on the couch, Frank began to nod off just as I was mentioning to him that I had to run down to the clinic and that I would check with him when I got back.
Meeting Sharon in the break room, we sat for time while she needed a moment to finalize the notes from her last session with Annie. She than sat up looking baffled and her eyes shifted about, evidently perplexed by the swift barrage of all the new revelations now occurring.
“Can we talk about it”?
Turning, she re-positioned her chair in close and began to speak in soft voice.
“I just finished another routine session of monitoring Annie in her lucid dream state. As I have stated, she has the habit of being very verbal while in this state which makes it very interesting for us who are studying the phenomenon of OBE. Anyway, outside of the fascinating details I mentioned the last time we spoke, normally most of what is said is a kaleidoscope of fairy-tale visions of people and places with seldom any real apparent connections. Well, come to find that it now seems our Annie has interest in becoming a therapist of her own. How do I know this”?
Referring to her note pad, she began to brush her hand over the top of her notes taken.
“Look at all these first names. These are all the people she appears to be having conversations with. I just finished going through her list of names and matching those up with our patient names and there is a high eighth-percent relative match rate. But the interesting change is there seems to be dialogue going on albeit I am only hearing one side of it as she tends to go in to pause as if waiting for the answer to come to her”.
“Yes interesting, but just names that match…so”?
Interrupting me, Sharon pulled a small recorder from her coat pocket and set it upon the table.
“Peter, listen to this recording of a snippet of a conversation from an hour ago”.
Sharon sat back with arms folded and waited for my reaction as abruptly the voice of that being Annie came through the recorder in calm soothing tone.
“I know it don’t seem right... You must tell him who you are…this will only complicate your life cycle…Peter does need to know, and soon”.
“O.K.… my question to you…is there another Peter in the house as maybe this correlation we are thinking it is, might in fact just be directed at another or it could be incoherent ramblings as well. On top of this all, cant we just play this back to her in hopes of getting some reaction out of her that might shed some light on who she is referring too, it’s worth a try don’t you think”?
Already shaking her head in disagreement, Sharon raised her hands and fended off the idea.
“You would think under normal conditions this would be possible, however we are dealing with Annie who is in fact inflicted with a unique aspect of schizophrenia”.
“I just thought you might have found this all interesting being the correlations that have been adding up as of late”.
Staring blankly at nothing in particular, I was busy in my mind trying to analyze all the loose ends that where spinning around within my head.
“I do find this intriguing yes; I am just trying to figure out where to go from here”.
“Well I am going to be heading into one more session with her later tonight. I will let you know of my finding tomorrow”.
“What time are you going into session with her”?
“She seems to head into sleep time every night at the same time, always between nine-thirty and ten”.
Arriving back at the house, all was dark with an exception of the faint blue light of the television, emanating from the lower units window. Stepping inside, I slowly moved into the living room to find Frank resting peacefully on the sofa. Switching the television off, Frank briefly awoke, wincing with pain as he re-positioned himself.
“Would you prefer to be in the bedroom Frank”?
With no reply, I entered the hallway and climbed to the upstairs dwelling and readied myself for sleep as well. As I lay idle, I began to notice that right away the feel of Frank’s living space held a different energy. The calming effect and soothing atmosphere that occupied the down stairs unit, especially that of the guest bedroom, was nowhere to be found in this upstairs portion of the house. It wasn’t a bad feeling; it just felt void of any particular feeling at all.
Glancing at my watch, it read a quarter passed nine, just about the time that the next round of therapeutic observation was to begin with Annie. Over the next period time, I resorted to a technique I was taught some time ago by Michelle on how to dissolve all unwanted thoughts from my mind. This involved deep breathing into the eight main energy points of the body. This focused intention was timely as I was being heavily burdened by all the random and useless chatter going on continuously in my mind. It had been sometime since the practice had been put to any real use and now was the time to re-implement the process.
With eyes closed I began the deep rhythmic, cyclical breathing that initially encompassed just the body but then extended out far beyond the earth and down into the core of the planet. With each cycle of breath, I imagined that all the body was now a conduit vessel for all incoming and outgoing streams of light force energy. At some random point, time became an unknown and soon my perceived surrounding disintegrated into something else entirely.
Sitting up suddenly, I was for a moment confused and caught off guard by finding myself in Frank’s apartment. Drifting over to the window, I looked out over the vacant yard to see that the light of day had yet to show. My concern was suddenly with Frank, as I knew he would need help at least in these first few or so days.
Moving down the passageway, the loud sound of creaking floorboards gave indication as to my whereabouts as my subtle steps found me to the lower unit. Arriving, I was slightly surprised to find Frank not either on the couch nor in his wheel chair.
“Frank”?
An instant later, my attention veered to the far end of the hall way, filling the otherwise dark passageway was the yellow light from the guest bedroom. Pacing slowly in anticipation of what Frank might be doing, I found my eyes needed a moment of adjustment from the bright light emitted.
Peering around the corner, I quickly backed off as I caught sight of Annie who was sitting idly on the bed while Frank remained standing stationary looking out the window beside her. With his arms folded to the front of his body, he cradled what appeared to be a rifle. Not feeling sure about what to do, I steadied myself trying hard to conceal the sounds of my breath for fear of becoming exposed. Surprised by his sudden appearance, Mr. Tucker bolted from within the bedroom, passed right to the front of me and disappeared in a feverish pace into the blackness beyond.
Sitting up suddenly, I was again faced with the same feeling and confusion of being in Franks up stars unit. This ended shortly as Franks muffled voice was calling out from the dark below. Getting quickly to my feet, I raced towards the down stairs and arrived at Frank’s side. He still remained on the couch though his breathing sounded hard and laborious.
“Is all ok Frank, I am here now”.
Still disoriented, I could just make out his horizontal figure that was quieting down back into silence. Maneuvering slowly beyond him, I relocated onto the guest bedroom so as to re-enact in my mind, what I had witnessed just moments ago in. Dislocating me from my attempt, Franks delayed response broke the silence within the home as I could hear him re-positioning himself to a more comfortable position.
“I’ve been better that’s for sure, but no son; I’ll be ok, don’t make a fuss over me. I will see you in the morning”.
Checking my watch, it was just before five am and I desired to be back into dream time observation mode but I knew my mind and body where too awake now. Writing my visions down while I sat on the couch, I was eager to share my new observations with Sharon but it would have to wait for another few hours.
Idle and in the dark inside living room of Frank’s upstairs apartment, I was moved with curiosity about his private living space. Not in search of anything in particular but all the same in hopes of giving me a glimpse of maybe a side of Frank I didn’t know.
Turning on the light to the living room it again struck me as strange as to why he lived in such a bare environment. The fine antique furniture sat around the periphery of the room and seemed perfectly polished and permanently placed. All shelves and table were void of any reference to family and friends. Even that of reading material was nowhere to be found. Other than the old fashion turn table, which by all indications, only played one song ever, it was as if the static place was set up as a show room that was never meant to be seen by anyone but himself.
Illuminating the hallway, I walked slowly brushing my hands over the bare walls to both sides of me. The faint multi-colored wallpaper of flowers remained in perfect condition though it was stylishly evident, it was from another time. Entering his room, again, it was a place with an air of sterility that lent itself to having no real indication of someone living there.
Across the room, I focused on one lone painting that remained hanging on the far wall. On a closer inspection, the crude abstract, another piece that was technically inferior to that of "The Reminder", was similar in that it was also a painting of a lady figure, but different again in that her face remained mostly hidden behind the wide brim of her hat. By now it was quite evident that this obsession with this female figure was in fact the one that got away and the one that Frank could never seem to let go of after all these years. It perhaps gave reason to the fact of why his place of living remained free of change from years gone by. He never wanted to move beyond that time in life and so aspects of his sanctuary remained untouched from that special time period long ago.
Moving back through the hallway, I paused for a moment at the entrance to the kitchen where my eyes where led again to the wall decorated with Franks flowery art. Stepping in closer for more a detailed look, I examined the dried pieces of foliage that covered over the various cards. With one finger, I lightly flipped open the cover face of one of the cards to see two finger prints spread over the tiny space. One print that was green, was that of an infant and the other of blue, was that of an adult. Below both finger stamps were two tiny handwritten words that read – “To Daddy”. Disengaging my focus from the wall, my wondering eyes took quick note of a nearby wall drawer that remained partially left opened.
Stepping close and looking down into the contents, I quickly reached in and extracted the group of missing images that I had brought over from Graces home. The top image was that of the beautiful brunette looking back over her shoulder, caught in a poised position with a paint brush in hand. One the canvas laid exposed the partially finished painting of The Reminder.
By eight a.m., I was back at the clinic where things where just getting back to normal after pandemonium had broken out in the early morning hours at the patients quarters. Sharon seemed as usual to be in the middle of all the action and quickly signaled to me that she wanted to meet in ten minuets for a coffee.
Setting down with her bundle of papers, she looked over and around both shoulders to observing several new staff members that were pacing about, still appearing out of sort by the incident that occurred just prior to my arrival. Dropping her head into her open palms, she exhaled loudly while trying to collect herself again.
“Lets get to the car; I need some distance from this place”.
Both of us now settled with in the open confines of her jeep, Sharon re-positioned the vehicle under the shade of a large tree just adjacent to the office building.
‘You first Sharon, what’s going on”?
Looking to me with out even batting an eye, Sharon reclined her seat and let out a big sigh of relief.
“It seems our Mr. Tucker tried to take his own life this early morning. He some how got a hold of and ingested four times the amount of his proscribed medication. We are not sure if he going to pull through with this one”.
Settling my head back against the seat, I rolled away finally fixing my worn out gaze upon the outside of the clinic building.
“This is too crazy”.
“Yeh well it get better, it seems our Annie has inside information because while at roughly the same time as Mr. Tucker was trying to end it all, she suddenly began blurting manically, stop room c three, stop room c three. I was busy trying to calm her with an injection and could not comprehend at the time what she was referring to. I know I should have picked up on it. By the time we got to his room, he had already been dosed up for at least a half hour”.
“Wait two things; first, double apparent over dose attempts in the same week and by might I add, the very two men I am and have been in close contact with. Second, my last dream involved all three of these individuals taking place at the same location which was again the house. Look, there are too many synchronicities happening all over the place here. What have I got myself in the middle of”?
“Peter, do you believe in reincarnation”?
Giving her a flat stare, she caught me off guard by the seemingly unrelated question.
“I don’t know…I haven’t given it much thought at all, why”?
“I have been brushing up on regression studies that cover this topic extensively. From what has been observed through years of numerous regressions documented, it’s been observed that when looking at the concept of reincarnation, that some souls have shared many lives and experiences and wish to continue relationships, sometime as different people…as in parents or children, friends, relatives, coworkers”.
Shaking my head in confusion, I wasn’t seeing the connection Sharon was trying put forth.
“Just bare with Peter…it has been noted that sometimes members of the same cluster group can be united for long periods of time. Research goes to point out that these groups are often composed of like-minded souls with common objectives which they continually work out with each other over lifetimes of experience”.
“But how and why does my life presently pertain to the topic you are bringing to the table”?
Sharon continued her reading while holding up one hand, fending off my question.
“Agreements are made before leaving the spirit world. Usually between lives is when individuals choose the characters they plan on being in the next incarnation. A cooperative venture is embarked on by the overall grouping. All agree to pursue and be part of the same general kind of experience. In many cases studied, it has been shown that friends made in this incarnation may in fact be families that have reincarnate, taking on different relationships to each other in order to discover and enact agreed upon missions long before meeting in this present life. It’s been documented that the relationships created for multiple lifetimes can involve telepathic and sometimes dream related communications”.
Taking a breather, Sharon touched the water glass to her lips while her eyes widened with speculation.
“Listen to this Peter”!
“Oftentimes four or five individuals will set themselves a given challenge, and assign various members different parts to play. Then in a physical existence the roles will be worked out”.
Shaking my head slowly, I was having a hard time denying that much of what was being related seemed to fit the puzzle well.
“Frank is right; we are in prisons of our own making”.
”But the finding show that if in fact one is not pleased with the life they are leading, then it can be changed, however there are reasons as to why individuals are meeting again with those whom they have known before. Finally, observation of past lives while documenting loving and enriching contracts, have also exposed the desire for experiencing relationships of challenging and are even dangerous in nature. Not all reincarnated soul groups are beneficial or even close. Observations have been made of people who meet other people who are regarded as enemies again and again. If the people involved do not resolve this tension and ambivalence, it can carry over like a chronic disease in an endless cycle of fear and regret”.
Fascinated by her findings but still uncertain of how the subject tied perfectly in with me and the cast of characters within my present life situation, I stared down at my watch and found I was eager to continue on with the search inside the dream scape reality. Picking up on my momentary disconnect, Sharon shifted gears.
“Peter, what time did you actually go to bed last night”?
“It was after nine as I wanted to parallel Annie’s sleep pattern”.
“Did you happen to see if Frank was still sleeping just after you woke up”?
“I did check on him just after and it turns out he was awake”?
Sharon continued filling in her notes as I just let the words spill out as they came to me.
“Listen, in light of what you just relayed to me, you agree it seems as though Annie for whatever reason is tapping into the subconscious level of a group reality here. And she continues to adapt and expose the various personalities within these small groups. One question that comes to mind is have you come across studies that suggest there is the probability of two people being able to create or come together in one dream-time for a mutual purpose”?
“I can’t say that I have but I would imagine with enough discipline two might be able to do this. I am still not one-hundred percent convinced that our Annie is capable and perpetuating this, though it is becoming increasingly believable”.
“I am suggesting it possible primarily because it appears to be happening already”.
“Peter, I am just saying this because she can’t even hold a sentence or stay concentrated long enough to…”
“Yes Sharon in this reality, but in dream time its different right? She is showing us this difference. I have witnessed her now on three different occasions, maybe more, as a totally different person in dream state and you said it sounds as if she is having constructive conversations, but that you are only hearing one side of them. What are the chances that we in fact are witness to both side of a simultaneous dream state pattern”?
“Are you suggesting what I think you are suggesting and that is that Annie, once dreaming, has been having coherent back and forth interactions with others namely you and Frank and now Mr. Tucker”?
“Look it’s already happening as she has been reaching out to me directly. You said dream state seems to run in ninety minute intervals correct”?
“Yes… there about”.
“So give me a ring as soon as she goes under, and I will be by the clinic by the third round of dream time”.
I didn’t have any trouble locating substance abuse care center for the reason that I had just picked Frank up from the area the day before. I wanted to stop by and see what prognoses looked like for Mr. T.
After a wait of an hour, I reacquainted myself with the doctor who revealed to me that it appeared Mr. Tucker had slipped in to a state of coma toss. With a look of regret he mentioned he would give a phone call when something changed either way. He excused himself only to turn around again to get my attention.
“Mr. Olmstead, I mentioned to you yesterday about the possible need of closer look at Frank’s old leg injury. I was over looking a second scan of the injury and to my surprise it appears as if he still has what looks to be a bullet fragment lodged within the lower portion of his tibia. In my professional opinion, I think this should be addressed to reduce further complications. I have mentioned it to Mr. Henderson though he acknowledged he would be getting in touch at a future date. I am only mentioning it to you as a care giver and one who may be able to lend some advice”.
Pulling the car to a slow stop across the street from 21 Sheer Oaks, I sat for a few quiet moments compiling in my head all the quarks that made up the character of Frank. The latest being his attempts to obviously hide the true facts about his leg wound. With a wondering mind, I thought with fascination about how my whole career had been focusing on treating the mentally ill from only one side of the veil. The fact that it now seemed possible to access personalities through dream state was astonishing, especially if the aspect of traversing various time periods was possible.
For a moment, my mind disengaged and I took consideration that from where I parked, during daylight hours, I should actually be able to see just the top corner of the huge boulder that remained near the hilltop. I reasoned there was no rush to get back up there, as I knew Frank was in no condition to be climbing hills any time soon.
Wondering through the front door of the lower unit, Frank was seated in his wheel chair preoccupied doing a cross word puzzles.
“How you holding up Frank… can I help you with anything”?
Slightly to my surprise, Frank barely acknowledged my presence. With a slight sway of the head no he continued on with what he was doing with out looking up.
“Well if you do need anything, let me know”.
Settling up stairs, I resorted to some historical files Sharon handed over to me on Mr. Tucker. I had given them a brief overview when first dealing with him but I wanted to revisit his files for the sake that I may have missed something. The only question mark that was still out standing and was not detailed within the report was the domestic violence case. Sharon’s authorization to legally acquire the files was not an issue at this point, however the fact that he was now teetering near death’s door, added a certain time pressure to my research.