Somewhere In-Between ~ An Adventure in the Afterlife

CHAPTER 14 - VISITATION

While Lizzie's mom approached Mercy Hospital's front desk to get the room number, Lizzie waited with Max beyond hearing reach. "Max, I want you to know I'm going to have to ignore you as much as possible while we're here with Mom. She's already starting to get suspicious. She doesn't know I can talk to ghosts and I want to keep it that way. She's already worried about me, and forcing me to take therapy because of what happened to Dad. I don't need her thinking I'm crazy, too."

"Got it!" Max gave her two thumbs up.

Mrs. Boggs waved to her from the front desk, indicating Max's sister, Perry, was in room 317 and they followed her to the elevators. As the elevator rose, Max realized he wasn't moving up along with everyone else. The floor was moving right through him, and before he knew it, the floor was up to his armpits. Instinctively, he pushed all his energy against the floor, and was glad to see it worked to get entirely back inside the elevator. But when the elevator suddenly stopped, he kept on going through the ceiling.

"Max!" Lizzie shrieked as she watched him disappear through the ceiling of the elevator. She clapped her hands over her mouth as her mom turned to look at her.

"What?" Her mom asked.

Lizzie tried to play it cool. "That was a max elevator ride, Mom," she grinned as they exited the elevator to the third floor hallway.

As her mom led her down the hall to room 317, Lizzie grew increasingly self-conscious. What am I doing? She thought to herself. Max isn't even here! What am I going to say to these people? She could feel her stomach tightening.

As they approached the room, Mrs. Boggs realized she wasn't being followed anymore. She turned to see her daughter a few steps behind, holding her stomach. "Mom, I don't feel so good."

Her mother gave a heavy sigh. "I was afraid of this. It's your nerves again." She put an arm around her daughter. "Look, we'll just pop in to say hello, okay?"

"I don't know, Mom. I feel like I'm gonna be sick."

Mrs. Boggs sighed again, and looked at the open door of room 317. "Okay, I'll poke my head in and see if the family's in there. You just stay here, all right?"

Lizzie nodded. She watched her mom disappear into the room. "Max," she whispered, "where are you?"

"Stop!" Max called out helplessly, as if the word itself would do the trick. He tried grabbing the elevator cord, but it didn't work. He was just too desperate. He couldn't concentrate.

You need to calm down! Max heard a voice. It was a strong voice, and it seemed to come from all around him. Now, concentrate and hold the cord.

Max felt too helpless to wonder who was talking to him. He just knew the voice was right, and it gave him the encouragement he needed to find his strength enough to concentrate his energy. With all his might, he grabbed the cord to stop himself. He halted immediately. Good job! He heard. Now, the elevator is going to move again. You just let go, and allow the cabin to move through your area. Don't try holding on to anything until I tell you, okay?

"Okay," Max answered. He looked around and still couldn't see anyone. Where was that voice coming from?

The voice was right. The elevator was moving up again, and Max cringed, allowing it to move all the way through him. He looked up and saw the bottom of the cabin rise to the top floor of the hospital. "This is, like, so weird." Max muttered.

Okay, get ready! The voice prepared him. It's coming back down now. When the cabin comes down through you again, this time you need to hold on to one of the people inside.