Connections of the Mind

Back Cover

A Novel by Roseanne Dowell

Strange, realistic dreams and visions disrupt Rebecca Brennan’s life, especially when she actually feels someone’s pain. Determined to find who shares her mind, Rebecca takes a leave of absence from work to search for her mind connection. Her search leads her to a small town filled with Victorian homes and interesting people.

Connections of the Mind

Roseanne Dowell

MuseItUp Publishing

www.museituppublishing.com

Chapter One

“No!” Rebecca sprang up in bed. Hot searing pain bore into her shoulder. What was happening to her? A warm sticky substance flowed from her shoulder. Oh God, there was going to be blood. From the feel of it, lots of blood. Half afraid to look, her hand trembled as she slowly brought it in front of her face and looked at it. Dry, no blood. What was going on? These kinds of things happened way too often lately. Okay, they were dreams but still.
They’re so damn real.

Rebecca eased off the bed. Her feet felt like lead weights as she walked to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. After a big gulp, she hurried back to bed. Shivers racked her body even with the blanket pulled up to her chin. A minute ago sweat soaked her skin. Now she couldn’t get warm. Someone’s life had invaded her mind. She didn’t know who or where they lived. And she sure as heck didn’t like it. These were more than dreams. Most of her visions happened while she slept, but they were real. Besides, too many occurred during the day.

The pain eased, but fear and danger lingered. Curling up, she pulled the blanket tighter, closed her eyes, and willed herself to sleep. Strange visions played in her mind. Red, white, and blue flashing lights, fire engines, and ambulances, and police rushed around calling instructions, trying to control panic and hysteria at the scene.

Rebecca rubbed her eyes, trying to erase the visions.

“If only I knew how to find this person. Maybe then I’d find out what these dreams and visions mean.” Her voice startled her in the quiet room. Snuggling deeper in bed, pushing the thoughts away, she tried to sleep.

But sleep wouldn’t come. Her mind wouldn’t be still. The visions persisted. Was she going crazy? Maybe Allison was right to force her to see a parapsychologist.

“I think you’re experiencing a psychic phenomenon.” Allison had suggested. “Like ESP or something.”

The next morning Rebecca, once again, sat in Bernard Clark’s office. Something about the heavy-set, middle-aged man with salt and pepper hair and scruffy beard reminded her of her grandfather. As usual, he listened to her story with a serious expression.

Was this really helping? How many hours had she spent sitting across from the mammoth mahogany desk, staring at the book-lined shelves behind him? And so far, she didn’t know anything more than before. Once more, that’s it. If nothing changed today, she’d quit coming. Maybe he was a quack, like her brother said. Rebecca took a breath and relaxed in the comfortable atmosphere, inhaled the smell of new leather that clung to the chair, and leaned back. Okay, maybe she did have a deep extra sensory perception connection with someone like Bernard said. The question was with whom.

“I think you need to find this person,” Dr. Clark suggested. “It’s possible the physic mind is reaching out to you for help.”

“How?” That’s why she was here. If he didn’t help her figure it out, that was it. No more visits. Besides, it cost money, and who could afford it? If Allison hadn’t agreed to pay half, well that was another story. Dr. Bernard’s voice brought her back.

“Start with the dreams,” he suggested. “Tell me about them again.”

“I see scenes with emergency vehicles. Last night someone got shot,” she told him for what seemed like the hundredth time. “I wonder if he has something to do with law enforcement or other emergency operations. I'd recognize the town if I ever saw it in person. It’s so vivid in my mind.”

“Would you consider hypnotism?” Bernard fingered his beard. Intense blue eyes stared into hers. “Maybe your sub conscious mind will reveal the place, or person, or something to help you find it.”

Leary about being hypnotized, but desperate to find who shared her mind, Rebecca agreed.

Under her hypnotic trance, she revealed the name of a shoe factory. A place called Booth’s Boots, and she repeated the name, Morris, over and over.

“It’s not much to go on,” Rebecca told Allison later,” but it’s more than I knew before. Maybe Morris is my mind connection.”

Encouraged by the information, she spent the better part of the day doing research. Using the Internet, Rebecca keyed in Booth’s Boots. Instantly, several websites popped up.

“Okay, let’s check out Boothsboots.com.”

A website, showing various types of boots from hunting to work boots, popped up.

“This is great. Let’s see what this says.” She clicked on News and Events. “No help there. Okay, let’s try Outlet Stores.” She almost jumped out of her chair. “There it is!” A factory, located in Morrisville, Ohio.

“Morrisville, could that explain the name Morris?” A prickly sensation went up her spine. She was getting close; she could feel it.

“Okay, let’s try this.” Rebecca didn’t care she was talking to herself. Besides, it wasn’t the first time. Keying Morrisville into the search engine, she held her breath, more determined than ever to find the town. If it took all day, then so be it. A site popped up with several suggestions. “Okay, let’s see what this one is about.” Morrisville.net homepage popped up, and further down the page, it showed–Pictures taken around Morrisville.

She held her breath and clicked on one. The first picture that came up was a log cabin. No help there. “Okay, how about this one? The Square. “ It looked familiar. Shivers ran up her spine. “Okay, how about Hotel Darby. Yes! I’ve seen this place.” One more. She drew in her breath and clicked on Victorian.

“Oh my God, that’s it! That’s the house.” She almost jumped out of her seat. The Queen Anne house in her dreams showed on the screen big as life.
Where is this place?
Clicking back to the homepage, she found it on the map. “Not far from Wattsburg; only a three hour drive from here. I have to go there.”

“Allie.” Rebecca phoned her friend. “I found it, I searched the net, and I found it. Even pictures of the town. I recognized all the buildings right down to the house.”

“Calm down…”

“I have to go there. It’s only a three hour drive.” Not waiting for Allison’s response, Rebecca continued. “I have to find out who I’m connected with.”

“What are you going to do?” Allison asked. “Walk into the little town and say hey, someone here is connected to my mind.”

Rebecca laughed at her friend’s wit. “I have a plan. First I’ll go to the newspaper office and check for stories about someone being shot on Friday. Then I’ll try to find out where he is. I’m sure he’s alive.” Her intuition told her danger still lingered, but she couldn’t explain that to her friend.

“Maybe it’s a she,” Allison said. “What makes you say he?”

“I don’t know.” Rebecca paced the living room. “It’s just a feeling I have. It doesn’t matter; whoever it is, I have to go.” Okay, it was a crazy scheme, but feelings like this couldn’t be ignored. “There’s no turning back now, Al, I have to find him.”

“Would you like me to go with you?”

“I have to do this myself.”

“I don’t like this, Beck. You shouldn’t be doing this alone. What if it’s dangerous? I mean you see cop cars and stuff. What if he’s a criminal?”

Rebecca shivered. God, what if he
was
a criminal? No, something told her that wasn’t the case. Call it a gut feeling or intuition, whatever it was, Rebecca would bet her life he wasn’t a criminal.

“I’m sorry, Al. Thanks for the offer, but no. I have to do this on my own. I’ll be fine. Really.”

Chapter Two

Monday, Rebecca arranged to take a two-week vacation. After work, she called her brother, Les. He wouldn’t like the idea of little sister going off alone into the big bad world, small town or not, but he’d just have to deal with it. He wasn’t going to stop her.

“Are you crazy? You can’t go off half-cocked alone. This is insane, Rebecca. You’re not going, and that’s that.”

“I’m twenty-five, Les, and old enough to take care of myself.” His argument didn’t surprise her. He thought that because she only stood a mere five feet two—she couldn’t take care of herself. Silence from her brother annoyed her.

“Come on, Lester, remember I have a black belt in karate. No one’s going to mess with me.” Why did he always have to do this? His silent treatment made her babble. He knew most of the time she backed down, but not this time. This time she was sticking to her guns. Two can play this game. She became silent, too.

Thinking back, Rebecca remembered when their parents died eight years earlier. Lester, only four years older, took it upon himself to father her. Les had comforted her. Okay, it’s not that she was ungrateful, she needed the support and strength of her older brother back then, but now she was old enough to fend for myself. He wasn’t going to make her feel guilty. As usual, the silence became too much. She had enough, wanted to hang up, but something stopped her.

“Talk to me, Lester. Wish me luck, I’m going no matter what you say.”

“Rebecca Lynne, this is insane. Why are you going off on a wild-goose chase?”

Rebecca hated when he used her full name.

“Quit treating me like a child. I’m not a teenager anymore. I don’t need your permission. I’m going, and that’s final.” Rebecca stamped her foot. Darn it, he made her so mad. Always the father figure. Why couldn’t he be her friend for a change? Support her instead of arguing with her.

Thank goodness, after arguing with him for about ten minutes, he finally got it through his head. Rebecca heard the resignation in his voice. “How about I go with you, give me a week to wrap up my deal, and we’ll go together.”

“I know you’re concerned about me, but I’ll be fine.” Lord, when would he let her grow up? “I have my cellphone, and I’ll call you every day, I promise I’ll keep in touch.”

“But if what you’re saying is true, and you are connected with someone who’s in danger, then
you
may be in danger too, Beck.”

Rebecca chuckled. Good last ditch effort. Lester didn’t believe she had ESP. He thought Bernard a fraud.

“I promise I’ll only be gone a week, maybe less.” No need to let him know the truth, he’d only argue more. Besides, her stay depended on whether she found the person, and how he received her. Something told her she’d be gone longer than a week. A lot longer. Too many times ignoring these visions taught her not to question her feelings or hunches. Or whatever you wanted to call them.

Rebecca hung up the phone, picked up her bags, packed her car, and started out on her trip. She hummed along with the CD. The sun, shining on the colorful leaves gave a spectacular show of reds, greens, gold, and rusts. The crisp autumn air rejuvenated her.
What a beautiful time of year.
The smell of burning leaves wafted through the window.
This is the life.