The Ghosts in You (A Zak Bagans Fanfic)

Chapter 56

Ameera put her phone down and took a few deep breaths. Trust but verify. She needed to see if this man was who he said he was. She knew only that whoever he was, he had Sara's phone, and knew something about that dream. She opened her laptop and Googled "Zak Bagans".

The first item that came up read: "Zak Bagans In Possible Fatal Car Accident". TMZ had been the first to break the story. Ameera clicked on the link, and studied several photos. She saw a Mercedes that looked to be more or less totaled. The passenger side of the vehicle had sustained the brunt of the impact. The pictures showed firefighters using the Jaws of Life to cut someone from that side of the car, and there were a few pictures of the person lying on the ground. The person appeared to be a female with dark hair. Well, the clothes look like something Sara would wear... Then Ameera saw it – she zoomed in on the victim's hand and saw the ring Sara often wore. Ameera knew that if Sara was wearing that particular ring, it was because she felt she needed the extra protection. Did Sara know this was coming?

Zak looked in the bag that held Sara's things. Her sweater, jeans, and shoes were inside. So was her clutch, along with the rosary he had asked her to wear at the museum. And there was a ring at the bottom of the bag. Zak took the ring out and held it, studying it; he had seen it on her earlier in the evening. It was a little on the heavy side, especially for someone with Sara's thin fingers. He traced his thumb over the embossed crucifix. It was a beautiful piece – its angles very abstract. Zak had never seen one like it.

He closed his hand around it. Sara, please don't leave me.

He opened his hand again, and slid the ring onto his pinky. It helped him to feel connected to her. The weight of this world and others pressed down on his shoulders. The adrenaline rush had abated, and Zak felt like he was about to collapse. The tears began to fall – hard. He couldn't fight it anymore. "Sara, please don't leave me," he said to the empty room.

Just then, the door to his room opened with a creak. Sara's doctor was back. "Mr. Bagans?"

"Yes?" Zak replied through his tears.

"I can take you to Sara now."

Zak wiped his face, trying to compose himself. He picked up the bag with Sara's belongings and followed the doctor.

"I have to warn you, Mr. Bagans, most of her right side is black and blue. Her head, her face, her entire arm as well as her right leg."

Zak nodded absently.

After turning down a few winding hallways, the doctor held the door open to Sara's room, gesturing for Zak to head inside. "We should be getting her test results any time now. I'll be back when I have them." The doctor left the room.

Zak walked over to the bed where Sara was laying. She looked peaceful. Her forehead had a large bandage on it. Zak could see some stitches poking out from underneath. Her right cheekbone was purple, as was most of the right side of her body.

He brushed the hair out of Sara's face. Although badly bruised, she was still beautiful. He pulled her hand up to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Stay with me baby, I can't lose you," he whispered, choking back tears.

"Mom, Dad," Sara mumbled. Zak saw a faint smile on Sara's lips.

Fuck! Zak remembered Ameera. I have to call Ameera! Zak opened Sara's phone again, and touched Ameera's name.

Ameera answered before the first ring could finish. "Zak?"

"Ameera, she's mumbling in her sleep, talking to her parents. She's been unconscious this whole time! I don't want her to let go now!" Zak was bouncing off the walls.

"Wow, okay...I need for you to calm down," Ameera replied.

"Okay, but what can I do? How do I keep her here with me?"

"I need for you to try and stay as calm as possible. I am preparing a light ritual, Zak." Ameera pressed.

"Can you help her?" Zak implored.

"Yes, Zak. I am helping, as we speak. Take her hand, lace your fingers through hers, lock your hands together. With your other hand, place your thumb over her pulse. The pulse of the hand you are holding." Zak did as Ameera directed him. "I need you to tune into her breathing. Breathe with her and start to relax."

Ameera sat her phone down and put it on speaker. She gathered her pendulum, stones of protection and healing as well as safe traveling. She lit a white candle and burned some sage to help clear her headspace for a deep, nearly hypnotic meditation process that would allow Ameera to contact Sara via the astral plane. "Zak?" Ameera asked calmly.

"Hmm?" 

Ameera could hear the calm in his tone. "You should feel your own heart beat in sync with hers. This is going to ground her, keeping her with us physically. I'm going to disappear for a minute, so just be calm. Talk to her with your mind. Don't speak out loud – she won't hear you that way."

Empathic communication did not have to be verbal. Empaths understood silence. Ameera knew Zak would listen and do as she asked.

She took in the scent of the sage, breathing in and out, carefully, slowly, counting down from ten, with only Sara in her thoughts. Ameera held one of her arms out slightly, holding her pendulum aloft but steady, her eyes shut. With each second that passed, Ameera fell deeper into a trance – her own form of hypnosis.