The Nexus

Chapter 20

Thomas watched as Emma slowly drifted off to what looked like sleep. He couldn't believe that she had admitted to being afraid of this. And the look she gave him just before Joan started to hypnotize her was enough to make him question whether or not this was a good idea. Her eyes had pleaded with him to reassure her, but he knew the look on his face had not.

Joan started to softly speak to Emma. "Emma, I want you to think back. Think back to a special time in your life. There is something you want to remember and I'm here to help guide you."

Emma's face relaxed and Thomas moved from his position on the couch to get a closer look.

"Emma, what is it that you want to remember? To tell us?"

Now Emma's lips curled up in a smile. The scene shocked Thomas to a place deep in his heart. She was laying there with a beautiful smile on her face with her eyes closed and she actually looked like an angel. She sighed a happy sigh.

"How are you feeling, Emma?"

"I'm so happy," she said, but it was not her voice. She sounded like a child and the affect was a little comical.

"Why are you happy today, Emma?"

"Why are you calling me that? I'm not Emma, I'm Bethany."

"Okay, Bethany," said Joan, "why are you so happy?"

"Because Mom is happy and it has been a long time since she has been nice."

"Where are you, Bethany?"

Still in a child's voice, Bethany/Emma answered, "We're at the park. We haven't even been outside for a long time. It's such a nice day and we have a picnic and everything." Emma sighed again. "I love Mommy, especially when she is nice and happy."

"Ahhh, that's so sweet," said Joan. "Bethany, why is this such a special day?"

Emma giggled, "Because this is the last day that it happened."

"What happened?" Joan asked.

"Well, it's hard to describe," said Emma. "Me and mommy are laying in the grass and laughing. She was just tickling me and we are breathing hard and need to lay down. The top of her head is touching the top of mine and we just lay there like that. I get to stare at the clouds in the sky. I'm so happy and I can feel the ground under me."

Thomas watched Emma and noticed something amazing was happening. He tapped Doug and pointed. Doug nodded at the sight of Emma. She was wearing blue jeans and a green shirt, but the parts of her body, including her arms that were touching the couch started turning the brown color of the couch. Joan had also noticed this and looked back at Doug and Thomas with wide eyes.

Emma sighed again, "I could feel the ground under me. And I started to melt. Because, you know, that's what happens sometimes. Things aren't always apart, they mush together. Everything is made from the same stuff."

The brown color of the couch began to creep up Emma's body. The part of her body that was touching the couch was actually becoming the couch.

"Do you know what is happening to you, Bethany?" asked Joan.

"Yeah," she replied with innocence. "I'm becoming the grass and the dirt, and everything. Like I said, things can mush together if you want them too. Except," Emma's eyebrows furrowed together and her original color seemed to seep back into her, "something's wrong."

"What's wrong, Bethany?" asked Joan gently.

Emma sighed and then turned her head, "Oh God!" she cried and her body jerked so hard she bounced up on the couch. Her body was now a completely separate entity from the couch.

"It's him," she cried again and now there were tears rolling down from her closed eyes. Her face was more youthful than usual and Thomas could tell exactly what she had looked like as a little girl.

"Who is it, Dear?" asked Joan.

"It's the man that gives mom her drugs. I know what they are, you know. They told me about drugs when I used to go to school." Her voice was still childish and sad. "Now I don't go anymore since the man came and moved us. And," she started to hiccough and sob, "now he hurts me. He is always hitting me and hurting me."

Emma sobbed uncontrollably for a few seconds and then seemed to get herself somewhat under control. "Please, mommy, make him stop hurting me," she whispered. "That's what I asked her that day."

The concern was all over Joan's face, "What did your mom say to that?" she asked.

"Mom sat up and looked at me and said, 'I can't, Bethany, don't bother me about this.'" Emma started to sob again and Thomas had had enough. He didn't want to hear any more about Emma's horrible childhood and wasn't sure that this was helping Emma in any way.

"Can we please stop this?" he asked.

Joan looked at him, her pained expression relaxed and she said, "Yeah, this might be too much."

Just then Emma's hand shot out and grabbed Joan's arm. "No!" she exclaimed. "There's one more thing."

"What is it, Dear?" Joan asked.

"It's the other one. I see the other one today."

"The other what?"

"The other man," Emma's eyes were now opened and she sat up. She was looking past Joan as if she could she far beyond the walls of the small room. It was giving Thomas the chills to know that she was seeing into the distant past and wasn't actually here with them.

"The other man is here," she repeated. "I see him in the car out in the parking lot of this little park. He's watching me. He knows I can see him." She squinted her eyes, "Wait, I don't..." her voice changed back into a woman's voice. Thomas could see the instant change on her face and could tell that she was no longer the little girl, Bethany. "His face, I think it just changed," she said. "I, I don't understand. The man. How is he two men? How is he the bad man? I've seen his other face before."

"We don't understand, Emma, or Bethany, what's going on?"

Emma stood up, but then immediately bent over throwing her arms around her her head. She closed her eyes and started screaming. It was a terrifying sound and someone from the hallway opened the door to see what was happening.

"Wake up, Emma!" Joan yelled.