Vision Again
“Mom, I feel like I've lived this day before. It started just before orientation. I ran into Tim and Tom, and they immediately put me on alert. I could smell fear and angst. Then I felt a cool breeze, and my hair wrapped around me like a blanket as they ran full speed ahead, almost right into me.
“They suddenly turned back as if they didn't expect anyone else to be there and asked if I could help with a very serious situation.
“When we reached their dorm, the smell of human life liquid was so pungent I could practically taste it. I could hear heavy drops plopping down from somewhere inside.
“I thought, What a great way to start my first day of college—and I haven't even made it to orientation yet.”
“Beth, honey, is this dream like all the others? Did you have it while sleeping?” Mom asked.
“Yes, and it was just as vivid,” Beth replied.
“Okay. What were the differences between your dream and today?” Mom inquired.
“In my dream, the crime scene tape hadn't been put up yet, and I was able to go inside,” Beth answered.
“Wait, I'm confused. Didn't you say the boys were looking for someone to help? So how did the tape get there?” Mom asked.
“Mom, it is W.I.P. tape,” Beth stated.
“That explains why the boys wouldn't have seen it,” Mom replied.
“Thanks, Mom. Just to be safe, can you hypnotize me? I need to see the dream again in case I missed something.”
“Sure. Let's go somewhere we won't be bothered. When I tap my foot, you will remember your dream in detail and see it again. When I howl, you will come out of hypnosis and tell me all the details,” Mom explained.
Beth closed her eyes.
The vision returned.
A young woman stood outside Tim and Tom's dorm.
The reflection of the crime scene tape was absent.
After a brief pause, her shoulders rose and fell as she took a breath. Then she rapped on the door.
“Hello? Is anyone in there?”
She waited.
And waited.
It seemed like an eternity.
Then she heard scraping.
A metallic screech followed as the door slowly glided open.
Inside, the living area was covered in dark, sticky, dripping streaks, giving a gruesome appearance to what had otherwise been a beautiful pastel grape-colored room.
The body had been torn apart.
The body cavity was exposed.
Arms and legs lay scattered throughout the room.
Bones and pieces of skin were everywhere.
This weird would never feel the warmth of the sun on her face again.
The young woman suddenly heard sounds coming from downstairs.
She quickly left the apartment and waited outside the door.
A moment later, Tim and Tom approached.
Once they were inside, the young woman placed electric-pink crime scene tape across the doorway.
The tape was standard issue for all senior hunters in the Woman in Pink group.
She stepped back.
Five.
Four.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Ahh!”
The scream came from both boys at once.
Stereo.
The young woman knocked.
The door opened hurriedly.
Their ghostly porcelain-white faces said everything.
“Hi! You look like you've seen a ghost. Can I help?” the young woman asked.
“We're not sure if you can,” Tim and Tom replied.
“Why don't you let me be the judge of that?” the young woman said, raising her eyebrows questioningly.
“See for yourself,” Tom said.
He slowly nudged the door open a little farther with his index finger.
“What happened?” the young woman asked.
“We don't know. We saw her right before the party,” Tim said, shivering.
“Last night, she said she was going to meet her boyfriend somewhere and that she would catch up with us later,” Tom added.
Goosebumps appeared along his glistening, golden, hairy forearms.
“Do you know anyone who wanted to harm her or who could have done this?” the young woman asked, focusing on their faces and watching carefully for any signs of deception.
“No,” Tim and Tom answered together.
They were clueless.
The young woman reached into her pocket and pulled out a card.
“Here is my card. If you think of anything, please call me.”
She held it out, not letting go until one of the boys took it from her naturally manicured fingers.
The card was simple.
Her name.
Her phone number.
Her occupation.
“Wait,” Tim said. “Her boyfriend is a bit shady. He refused to meet any of her friends. He didn't want us to know his name. He's always having her over or taking her on outings, but he won't tell her where they're going.”
“Thanks,” the young woman replied with a gracious smile.
“We'll call you if we think of anything else,” Tim and Tom said together.
The young woman walked away.
Behind her, the boys picked up the phone.
“911, what's your emergency?”
“Our roommate is missing, and our apartment is covered in blood,” Tom replied gravely.
“Someone is on their way there.”
The young woman overheard the conversation.
Just great.
The regular authorities were coming to muddle everything up.
She pulled out another phone.
“119, what's your ER?”
“BH triple nine. Trouble to be had with 911. We need our investigative and cleanup team,” the young woman said.
A BH triple nine meant a big, horrific mess.
The triple nines meant nothing could be worse than what those two teams were about to find.
“Copy that. Double teams are en route.”
Beth's vision faded.
Her mother's howl echoed through the room.
Beth opened her eyes.
“Ah, woo!”
She sat upright.
Mom smiled.
“So, the next thing for you to do is find the huntress and the twins. You will all need to work together to solve this mystery.”
“I'll start with Tim and Tom. We just met this morning, and it looks like they can shed a little light on the young woman. They can at least give me a name,” Beth said.
She searched for a towel to wipe away the cold sweat and grabbed a jacket to warm herself from the nervous chills.
“I'll leave you to it, Bethanie. Let me know if you need more help,” Mom offered.
“Thanks, Mom. I have classes today. See you later.”
“Come on. Focus. I got straight A's all through high school, and I've had visions before. I can do this,” Beth thought.
Later that morning, Beth sat through class, trying to focus on anything other than the murder.
“Remember, your first speech introducing yourself is due next week. Please have a rough draft on my desk by midweek. See you next class,” her teacher said.
“So glad that's over.”
Beth looked around.
Where are Tim and Tom?
“Tim! Tom! Hey, how are you?”
“We're dealing,” Tom said.
“The university suggested therapy, and they're looking into what happened to our roommate, Katie. They plan to hold a memorial for her next week.”
“Do you remember anything else?” Beth asked.
“Yes,” Tim answered. “Right after we found Katie, a young woman knocked on our door. She asked us some official questions and left us her card.”
“Can I look at the card?” Beth asked.
“Sure. Tim can get it for you,” Tom replied.
“Hold on,” Tim said. “It's in here somewhere.”
He searched through his belongings.
“There. Right on the very bottom.”
He handed it to Beth.
“Here. You can keep it. We just want to block that sight from our minds. They put us in a different dorm until they're done processing our room.”
“Thanks. Do you need anything?” Beth asked.
“Just someone to talk to for now. Thanks,” Tom said.
“That is something I can do. Here's my card. Call me if you need anything. Please text me the best time to call if you want to talk.”
“Next up is Halthena. I've got to find out what she knows and see if we can work together. She's an official W.I.P. I just don't know which division,” Beth thought.
She picked up the phone.
“119, how can we help?”
“I'm calling about a gruesome murder of a weird that was discovered yesterday,” Beth said.
“We cannot give out information about ongoing investigations.”
“Can you tell me if Halthena Davis works for you?” Beth asked.
“Yes. She is one of our best bounty hunters. If she's on the case, you can bet your weird talents she'll solve it.”
“Thanks for all your help. Have a great day!”
“You have reached the voicemail box of Halthena Davis. I am unable to take your call. Please leave your name, number, and a brief detailed message. I'll get back to you as soon as possible.”
“Bethanie Wolfaery here. I know what happened in the dorm at the College of Dance. The boys who lived there are my friends. Please let me help.”
Beth ended the call.
“I hate sitting and waiting. I must find Halthena. She has to be here somewhere. She got here so fast after it happened.”
“Hey, Beth. We called your name ten times. Are you okay?” Tom asked.
“I'm sorry, guys. I was lost in thought. What's up?”
“We came running back because we figured out what we needed. We want to help you solve the mystery. We don't believe Halthena is who she says she is,” Tim and Tom said.
“You're in luck. Neither do I. I'll let you know when I find her.”
“Wait, what? We were hoping you would let us work with you,” Tom said.
“I'm afraid this one is a bit out of your league,” Beth replied.
“We absolutely insist. You can't do this alone, and we won't stop begging until you give in,” Tom insisted.
“No. You cannot. My family is helping me, and that's final,” Beth answered sternly.
“Okay. We will beg again tomorrow, and the next day, and so on. Until you say yes or the case is solved. Whichever comes first,” Tom said.
Beth returned to Tim and Tom's old dorm to see if she could track Halthena—or the killer.
The W.I.P. had not left a single piece of evidence that could reveal the secret of the weirds.
The pink tape was gone.
It had been replaced with yellow.
Beth sniffed the air.
There was a faint, strange scent.
But it stopped at the dormitory door.
Then the wind shifted.
Beth caught another scent.
Someone familiar.
Someone very close to her heart.
Tina.
Her scent was mixed with someone Beth did not recognize.
Beth rushed home.
She had to find her sister.
She needed to know who the new scent belonged to.
And she had a feeling she was about to find much more than she was looking for.
