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The couple sitting in front of me stared, the young woman teary eyed, and the man with a blank expression and dark bags under his eyes. They had their hands stretched out on the dark wooden table between us, reaching out for mine. As my fingers touched their cold skin, a shock of electricity ran through my veins that only I felt.
So much energy ran through me at the touch that the lights a round us flickered and went dead. I understood why they looked around the library room skeptically, it looked like a stunt straight from a movie set, but it wasn't.
"No matter what you hear, do not let go of my hands. I need to keep contact with you if you want me to find your son," I told them quietly.
"We won't," the woman replied.
I gave her a smile to let her know it was going to be okay. Once she returned it, I began to let their emotions and memories flow through me, our entwined hands being the bridge of that information.
They were in so much unbearable pain. The death of their ten year old son was too much for them to handle. Their relationship became rocky, unstable, past the point of happiness and forgiveness. But I could see that they still loved each other and wanted peace, a way to heal so that no matter what they had gone through, they could still come out on the other side of the dark tunnel to find the light.
Their son was killed in a robbery. He was shot, but accidentally. Some stupid teenager tried to steal his parent's belongings, while pointing a loaded gun at them. Since the teenager was just that . . .a teenager, the parents tried to fight back thinking they had greater strength but the gun accidentally fired when they pushed the teenager, killing the young boy instantly, not even a chance to fight for his life.
"I need his name," I asked.
"Noah," the man said.
"Noah," I called out.
My voice sent an echo of whispers that bounced off the four walls of the large study room. As my soothing voice traveled, it changed my world and flipped it upside down. My library was drained of color, instead it looked ashy and burnt, like a fire had swept through my home, destroying any sign of life.
The couple was still in front of me, but they were also colorless,pale and gray looking. They did not belong to this world, so their bodies were transparent. I on the other hand, was full of life and warmth. My brown skin, black hair, and even dark clothes were untouched by the ominous atmosphere.
I stood up from my chair and left a mirrored image of my body behind. It wasn't an illusion, it was me on the human world. But now my conscious was here, in the realm of the dead. I paced around the room, looking for my voice. This plane wasn't like our reality, sound here didn't travel unless there was a human.
And for this moment, I was that human. My voice calling out to the child was the key to finding him. When my hands connected with the parents, I was able to reach out to the child, but only when I called his name could he hear me and find me.
