Descent

15 - "Shit's fucked up"

Tommy told Arjun everything, starting from the first dream in the moving van up to yesterday evening's revelation of affecting the past. He explained what they were doing with the books, but when it was time to explain what to do next, he came up short.

"I thought maybe we could see the place where she died, maybe that would, I don't know... jump start something?" He trailed off. This news about a murder in the present, in his time, had really shaken him up.

Arjun was completely still. His mouth was agape. "You're psychic."

"What?" Tommy shook his head, "No." He shrugged, "I dunno."

"You're a psychic. You talk to ghosts."

"I don't..." Tommy was having a hard time wrapping his head around this, "Talk. To ghosts."

"All this has been happening to me, too," Leslie chimed in, "By the way."

"You're both psychic." Arjun nodded at each of them in turn, "You're Deanna Troi, you're The Shining."

"How come I'm Deanna Troi?" Leslie's brow was tight but she was smiling a little, "I mean, I'll take it but, like--I'm a person and he's a movie?"

"I don't get it either." Tommy offered. Arjun sucked on his teeth.

"Yeah it doesn't make any sense..." Leslie continued.

"I don't know why this is happening to me, or her, or what it means." Tommy was still speaking to Arjun, "But, I have to do something about it."

"Why?"

Leslie raised her hand just a little, "I've been wondering that too."

Tommy looked over at her, "You have?"

"Yeah. I've been having these dreams longer than you and I don't see why it's so important to you to try and stop things from happening."

"She dies!"

"Died. Over a hundred years ago! It happens to my guy, too, but-"

"Who are you dreaming of?"

"Wow, he finally takes an interest in someone else!"

Tommy didn't know what to say, but Leslie cut him off: "I'm Charles."

Tomy's mouth went dry. He didn't know why, but he'd assumed Leslie had been dreaming about someone else, someone far away. It had never occurred to him that Leslie would have been dreaming about someone Clara had known. "What happens to him?" He asked.

Leslie looked like she was angry with him, but then out came those kind eyes again, "He dies, Tommy," She started playing with the corner of one of the books on the table, "Father slams his head on the table over and over again and he dies." Her voice faltered a bit, then she finished with: "You've seen what happens after."

Tommy sat and thought for a moment, then reached over to the table and picked up one of the books: Rosshaven History: Post War to 1980. He flipped to the back and found "Murder" and a list of page numbers.

"What are you looking for?" Arjun asked, trying to peer over his shoulder.

Tommy ignored him until he'd read all four entries, then picked up another book (Rosshaven History: Founding to WW2) and skimmed for murders there, too.

"How many people live in this town?" Tommy asked.

Arjun shrugged, "A million?"

"Less than 10,000." She looked at Arjun, "Didn't you take the test, either?"

"I got a exemption."

"In almost a hundred and fifty years, you know how many murders there have been in this town?"