Control of the Supernaturals_ On Hold

10) The ignored clue

"Kathleen, honey, are you alright?" Kathleen's mother asked in an anxious voice.

"No, I mean yes. Yes ... I'm fine, Mom."

She was standing on the doorstep. She had just returned from her gym class. Her mother had opened the door and had realised anyone that something was wrong.

"What happened, dear?" she asked, guiding her to the sofa in the living room.

"I'm just thinking about something, that's all," she replied.

"What, dear?" asked her mother.

"It was .... It was an accident. An old woman was hit by a car," she lied.

"Oh! Did she get hurt? Was she taken to the hospital?" asked her mother.

"She wasn't hurt that much. The car wasn't very fast," said Kathleen.

"That's okay then. How was your class?"

"Good."

"I bet you liked Mr. Tony. I've heard he is the best. Isn't he?"

"He's nice."

"How was ..."

"Mom! I'm tired. I'm going to my room. I'll talk to you later and give you all the details," said Kathleen.

"I was just concerned, that's all," said her mother.

"Don't worry, I'm fine, great, awesome, fantastic. Love you," said Kathleen quickly, and for once walked to her room swiftly.

Her mother noticed her swift movement and mumbled to herself, "she's getting better already."

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

One the eve of her fourteenth birthday Kathleen slept as a normal girl. She had the strangest dream imaginable.

She found herself standing in the middle of nowhere. There were several stumps of cut down trees and and few large stones. The otherwise bare sandy ground stretched beyond the horizon.

The sand in front of her raised up without any wind and started swirling. Out of the swirling sand appeared an old man. His silver beard and dark eyes were shining in the moon light. He handed her a packet and stepped back into the swirling sand.

She looked at the parcel and then at the fading figure of the old man. As soon as he disappeared, the sand fell down as if gravity suddenly started working on it.

She looked at the packet, trying to make something out of the whole episode, when blackness engulfed her.

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and found herself safe and sound in bed.

She slept through the night and woke up at the sound of the 'Happy Birthday' song being played on her tape recorder. She guessed that her mother had something to do with the whole song thing.

She got out of bed, full of spirit, not remembering anything about her strange dream. Then she noticed a packet on the bedside table. She picked it up, thinking that her mother put it there. It felt very light. Suddenly, she realised that it was the same packet from her dream.

She opened it curiously and found only a single paper inside it.

It said:

Do as you are told.

Take deep breath though your nose and let it out through your mouth.

Close your eyes, relax, and let your mind go blank.