Living a Nightmare

SUMMONING JANE - MARKUS

At sundown, we are all gathered in the living room, ready to summon Jane's spirit.

"Okay Markus, listen carefully. These are the words I am going to ask you to repeat in a minute. Spirit show yourself, spirit reveal, spirit come to me so I know you are real! You got that?"

I nod and Cedric motions for me to stand in front of them.

"Right, now clear your mind and think only of Jane. And whatever you do, do not think about anything else but Jane, understand?" Cedric orders.

I nod again to show that I know what I have to do. I stand very still.

"Okay, when you are ready, say the words."

I take a deep breath, nervous about what will happen when I finish saying out loud the words that Cedric instructed me to say a few moments ago. "Spirit show yourself, spirit reveal, spirit come to me so I know you are real!" I chant at the top of my voice.

We all stand very still, waiting for Jane to appear. But nothing happens.

"Maybe he has to keep repeating it until Jane shows up," Jay calls to Cedric, who is standing on the left side of the living room, opposite Jay and Riley.

"Yeah, or maybe it's just not working," Riley whispers, but her voice is loud enough for all of us to hear as the whole house is dead quiet. But as soon as her words are spoken, the floor starts to shake, like a small earthquake, and Jane appears, hovering just a few feet in front of me.

"Jane. It's me, Markus, your husband. Please don't disappear on me again", my voice is calm, but inside I am shaking, afraid that I will frighten her away again.

The others just stand behind me, frozen, unsure of what will happen next. Everyone is holding their breath. Jay grabs Riley's left hand and squeezes it tightly, reassuring her that he is there and that Jane cannot hurt her like she did before. Riley gives him a quick smile as a thank you.

Jane stares at me all this time, but does not move.

"I need to know what happened to you all those years ago, when you just disappeared," I continue explaining. "I looked for you for years. But I never found you. It started to hurt too much for me to stay here. Everything reminded me of you. So, I had to go back to Germany. I needed a fresh start. It was the only way I could survive and start over again... But believe me, not a day went by that I didn't spend thinking of you. I have never forgotten you, my beautiful Jane."

There are tears in my eyes now, but I do my best not to let them escape.

Throughout my explanation, Jane seems to be listening very carefully to every word. As if she understood what I was saying.

'It is time for you to know the truth about that night,' I hear Jane's beautiful voice in my mind. I have not heard that voice for so many years and hearing it now, brings back so many memories and so many emotions that I cannot help but let a tear escape from my eye.

I turn to the others who are still standing behind me, unsure if they have heard her voice as well. But they seem to have heard nothing and have no idea why I am staring at them.

'They cannot hear you, my love,' Jane's words ring so clearly in my ears.

'How can they not hear her?'

At these words, I turn back to her and then back to the others who are still clueless and confused.

"She said that she would show me what happened that night," I explain, a kind of relief in my voice. "Finally, after all these years, I will be able to solve this case, the only one I have never been able to solve!"

"Wait, Markus. Are you sure about this? Do you really want to know what happened? You don't know what you might find out," Jay asks cautiously, clearly a little unsure of what might happen next.

"I am sure, my boy. It has been too long," I reply with certainty before turning back to Jane who still has not moved an inch. She just hovers there, staring at us all. It seems to frighten Riley and I see her squeeze Jay's hand. He squeezes it back reassuringly and she seems to loosen up again a bit.

"I am ready," I tell Jane, meaning every word.