The Presage

Part 9

Tom couldn't move,he felt as if his hands and legs were tied and  he struggled to break free.Then at last with an effort, he  peeled his eyes open to see that he was indeed tied to the chair in his very own room.But the strange thing was he could also see himself sleeping on the bed.Which one is the real Tom,he thought dazed.That is when he saw the mystery man,the fake Mr Reeds, standing beside him with a sinister smile on his face.

"Who are you?What do you want?" Tom asked him.

"Well if you want the story boy,I will tell you.After all you are going to replace me,aren't you?"he said smugly.

Tom swallowed,trying to get free.May be if he kept him talking he could escape.

"I don't know what you are talking about.If you free me I can get Mr Reeds to help you.We are already working on it." Tom said.

"No boy,they can't help me only you can,just as I helped Shelly." his face grew grim when he said that,he paused before continuing in a happier tone.

"Have you heard about Dr Daniels,Tom,the one who carried out Shelly's autopsy?That is me.I had been at the top of my game until her case came along,the best forensic expert of our time.But after I published her inquest results, I became the laughing stock.My colleagues saw this as a chance to get back at me and take my place.No one believed in me or my judgement anymore. I was sure of the results myself,but I always wanted to prove it to the ton,make them realize their mistake.I obsessed over it,ready to do anything to get back on top" He stopped staring off into the distance.

"But you where right,weren't you  Dr Daniels,you didn't have to prove anything to them." Tom said feeling sorry for the man who had just tied him to the chair.

  Dr Daniels looked at him,as if remembering he was present there suddenly.May be it was a wrong move to make,Tom thought ruefully,he would have been better off without drawing any attention to himself. Dr Daniels turned to him with a small smile on his face,before saying.

"You are right Tom,I didn't have to prove anything but I wanted to do it all the same.So that is how I ended up with Shelly's journal,soon she showed herself to me.She said I was the only person who could see her.I was  her anchor in the physical plane,the one who was to take her place in the astral plane so she could escape.But for that I had to die,killed by someone other than her.I don't know who shot me but soon I found myself in the astral plane without any way out.I didn't ask for it anymore than you did Tom."he said almost apologetically.

"But Dr Daniels there must be some other way to help you,please don't do this.Let me go." Tom pleaded,knowing fully that it was useless.

"Can't do that Tom,you are my only chance.Now watch yourself shoot your parents before you are shot dead your self." Dr Daniels said with a sneer.

"Please Mr Daniels not my parents let them go.I will do anything, please don't hurt them." Tom begged.He could almost see how this was going to end,very much like the dreams he had been having.

"Well,I tried to do that didn't I but you disrupted my first attempt.I just wanted to keep your father away for sometime.Enough time to let your mother find his blood stained shirt hidden under your floor boards and kill you herself.But you had to intervene and play the hero." Dr Daniels said growing more and more angry.

Tom watched helplessly as his sleeping counterpart rose from the bed,he looked into his own eyes to see that they were blank and unfocused.He realized with a jolt that it was his astral form tied to the chair and that his physical form is being controlled by Mr Reeds.He watched as Mr Reeds made him pick up the gun which was hidden under a floor board,then he headed over to the door,opening it and disappearing from sight.

No, don't do it Tom,they are your parents,don't,no....no,Tom kept chanting in his head.He tried to get back into his body,concentrating hard picturing himself back in his own body.Then suddenly he was looking through the eyes of his physical counterpart.He saw his parents cowering before him,looking frightfully at the gun which was pointed at them.Then Tom quickly took control of his own body,throwing the gun as far from him as possible.He told his parents to quickly tie him up.He watched then hesitate before doing as he asked,he told them to call Mr Reeds before, he again lost control of himself.Then he started struggling  with the bonds and he watched his parents struggle with their indecision, not knowing if they should free him or not.These continued for sometime,whenever he was back in control,he told them not to free him no matter what he said and at other times he watched himself resort to all means just to get free.

Then at last Mr Reeds arrived,he quickly comforted his parents telling them everything was under control.He saw Mr Reeds coming closer to him,he sat before him on the floor where he was lying bound.He watched as Mr Reeds helped him get control over his body,slowly instructing him to concentrate on his breathing,to feel his chest move up and down with each breath he took and at last he was finally in control of himself. 

Tom lost consciousness after this as he was clearly exhausted by this ordeal.When he woke up he heard Mr Reeds explain to his parents all that had taken place.He saw his parents sitting  in front of Mr Reeds at the kitchen table,listening to the things he said with expressions of shock and disbelief on their faces.

Tom was lying on the couch nearby and he got staggering to his feet moving towards them.

"I am sorry mom and dad.I am sorry I tried to kill you.Please don't hate me."Tom said heart broken.

His parents wrapped their arms around him, ensuring him that they knew he was not to blame for anything.They said that it was only because of Tom that they were alive right now. Tom breathed a sigh of relief ,at least his parents were safe he thought.He knew he could deal with anything as long as this stayed true.