in six years. And if he did happen to touch me, it was always immediately followed by a visible shudder.
He wasn’t shuddering now. Why, I don’t know, and I certainly didn’t care. Danny was the least of my concerns.
Anthony was breathing lightly on his own. Occasionally his aura would flash yellow, but mostly it was a deep black. Interestingly, bigger flashes of light seemed to hover over his body, and then scuttle away again like frightened fish. I sensed these could be other entities. But I wasn’t sure. How could I be sure? I didn’t know what the hell was going on with myself half the time.
Another curious glob of light come over him, hovering briefly over his head, and then seemed to dart around my son almost hectically.
No, not hectically.
Playfully.
It was the spirit of a child, I realized. And I was suddenly certain this child had died in this hospital. A ghost child. Trying to play with my son.
I took in a lot of air but the sound was strangled and Danny glanced sharply over at me. He didn’t seem to know what to do with his hand now that I had removed it from his.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said. I had long ago learned not to share my supernatural experiences with Danny. Such experiences served only to freak him out and distance him even further. Now, I just didn’t care to share anything with him.
As I watched the amorphous light zigzag over my son’s inert body, I thought of another child. A girl who was being held prisoner by God knows who. A girl who was alone and scared and probably hurt.
I looked at Danny. “Will you stay with Anthony?”
My ex-husband blinked, and then his eyes narrowed. “Of course. Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes.”
“I want to talk to you about something, Sam,” he said, and I heard, amazingly, desperation and a hint of something else in his voice. What that hint was, I refused to believe.
“Can it wait?”
He almost reached out for my hand again, but stopped. I noticed a subtle ripple of revulsion pass through him, but he fought through it. “Yes, it can. When will you be back?”
I stood and grabbed my purse. I looked at my sleeping son. I looked at the impenetrable black halo that surrounded him. I decided against sharing any information with Danny, especially about the black halo. I also didn’t want to talk about the phone call with little Maddie . Danny had lost his intimacy privilege long ago, and was nowhere near my inner circle.
I said, “I might be out all night.”
He nodded. “It’s okay. I’ll be here. You have work to do. Anthony isn’t going anywhere. Are you working a case?”
“Yes.”
“An important case?”
“Very.”
He nodded again. “I’ll be here all night. I took half the day off tomorrow, too.” He motioned to the nearby, partially open window which showed a sliver of silver-tipped clouds in the night sky. “Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to have you sleeping here in the morning, right? Might raise a few suspicions.”
I fought through my own shock and surprise of Danny showing an ounce of consideration. I said, “I’ll try to make it back as soon as I can. Call me if anything comes up.”
He nodded, and almost reached for me. I shrank back.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Out,” I said, and left.
He wasn’t shuddering now. Why, I don’t know, and I certainly didn’t care. Danny was the least of my concerns.
Anthony was breathing lightly on his own. Occasionally his aura would flash yellow, but mostly it was a deep black. Interestingly, bigger flashes of light seemed to hover over his body, and then scuttle away again like frightened fish. I sensed these could be other entities. But I wasn’t sure. How could I be sure? I didn’t know what the hell was going on with myself half the time.
Another curious glob of light come over him, hovering briefly over his head, and then seemed to dart around my son almost hectically.
No, not hectically.
Playfully.
It was the spirit of a child, I realized. And I was suddenly certain this child had died in this hospital. A ghost child. Trying to play with my son.
I took in a lot of air but the sound was strangled and Danny glanced sharply over at me. He didn’t seem to know what to do with his hand now that I had removed it from his.
“What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said. I had long ago learned not to share my supernatural experiences with Danny. Such experiences served only to freak him out and distance him even further. Now, I just didn’t care to share anything with him.
As I watched the amorphous light zigzag over my son’s inert body, I thought of another child. A girl who was being held prisoner by God knows who. A girl who was alone and scared and probably hurt.
I looked at Danny. “Will you stay with Anthony?”
My ex-husband blinked, and then his eyes narrowed. “Of course. Are you going somewhere?”
“Yes.”
“I want to talk to you about something, Sam,” he said, and I heard, amazingly, desperation and a hint of something else in his voice. What that hint was, I refused to believe.
“Can it wait?”
He almost reached out for my hand again, but stopped. I noticed a subtle ripple of revulsion pass through him, but he fought through it. “Yes, it can. When will you be back?”
I stood and grabbed my purse. I looked at my sleeping son. I looked at the impenetrable black halo that surrounded him. I decided against sharing any information with Danny, especially about the black halo. I also didn’t want to talk about the phone call with little Maddie . Danny had lost his intimacy privilege long ago, and was nowhere near my inner circle.
I said, “I might be out all night.”
He nodded. “It’s okay. I’ll be here. You have work to do. Anthony isn’t going anywhere. Are you working a case?”
“Yes.”
“An important case?”
“Very.”
He nodded again. “I’ll be here all night. I took half the day off tomorrow, too.” He motioned to the nearby, partially open window which showed a sliver of silver-tipped clouds in the night sky. “Probably wouldn’t be a good idea to have you sleeping here in the morning, right? Might raise a few suspicions.”
I fought through my own shock and surprise of Danny showing an ounce of consideration. I said, “I’ll try to make it back as soon as I can. Call me if anything comes up.”
He nodded, and almost reached for me. I shrank back.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“Out,” I said, and left.
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