Left in the Dark: Mind Bending Series, #2

By Lynn Tincher

Paige Aldridge's adventures continue as she learns more of her developing powers, while she deepens her relationships with her partner and her sister. Can she regain control of her own mind before the powers that threaten to tear her apart claim her sanity and the life of a ten-year-old girl? Past, present, and future all collide with fear in this chilling sequel.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hydra Publications
• Release date: Jun 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393631668

Book preview

Chapter One

S tay out of my head ! Hannah Nalley, a beautiful, blonde, ten-year-old girl, screamed as she ran from the living room in her foster parent's home. When she reached the kitchen, she grabbed a can of Coke from the counter and threw it at the sink, causing the Coke to spray the wall behind the faucet like a Wyoming geyser. Tears streamed down her face. I didn't do it, she repeated as she nervously paced across the kitchen floor, trying not to slip on the Coke. The more she paced the madder she became.

Randy, her guardian, walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. That's what I'm trying to find out. If you don't let me help you, how will I know for sure?

Hannah's face turned red with rage. I want you to stay out of my head. Leave me alone, she said through clenched teeth as she turned her defiant little body toward him. Her face was now a brilliant scarlet red.

Randy scratched his forehead as he reached for the paper towels. You know, if you don't let me in, nothing will change. We will have to stay like this for a long time. I need to see what happened to you.

I hate you! she yelled as she ignored him and ran back to the living room. Hannah threw herself face down on the couch and cried.

You don't know what I can do, but you are about to find out, a voice much deeper than a ten year old girl came from her little body. Suddenly, she sat up on the couch, staring at Randy as she grabbed her feet and held them under her. She rocked back and forth as if she was in a focused trance. Her eyes became dark, which accentuated the black circles that were already under them. Her breath became heavy, almost picking up a wheezing sound.

Unnerved, Randy took two steps back. The hatred in Hannah's eyes seemed to reach out across the room and grab him by the throat. His hands covered it as he gasped for air. He made himself look away from her eyes. He knew better than to look into them; what they could do. He struggled hard to regain composure. He’d let her get to him.

---

No! Junna Breck screamed as she sat straight up in her bed. She tried to steady her breath as she looked around the room trying to figure out where in the world she was. Gasping for air, Junna cried as her hands reached up to feel her throat and focused her eyes, looking for something familiar. After she had realized she was safe in her own bed, she rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands and looked at the clock. It was six thirty-four. Her alarm was due to go off at seven.

Another dream. I wonder if Paige is up, she thought to herself as she swung her legs off of the bed.

Junna stood up and made her way to the kitchen as she pulled her light blue robe over her shoulders. She yawned and turned on the coffee pot. As she wandered about, visions of the little girl's eyes kept swimming into the front of her mind. Who is this little girl? she whispered out loud as she rubbed a dishtowel between her fingers. Thinking of Randy, she felt as if her throat was closed off. She struggled to swallow to try to help shake off that feeling.

This was not the first time Junna had dreamt of the girl. Dreams of her had become at least a weekly, if not nightly event for nearly a month. Each dream different yet is ending with the same scene of the girl's eyes. How could a young girl have so much power in them? Junna whispered out loud again. Where are you and what's going on? Junna tried to concentrate on Hannah, listening for her, looking for her in the collective conscious. Junna always came up empty when trying to find her. She was only able to see her through Randy.

She let out a deep breath and fought back the tears that began to sting her eyelids. With shaking hands, Junna reached for her cell phone and pushed the link to dial her sister.

Paige answered the phone.

Hi, Paige. What's up? Junna asked while trying to sound as if nothing was wrong, but her voice was shaky at best.

Just crawled out of the bed. Jay's been up for a while. Are you okay?

Is it that obvious? Junna half sighed, wishing she could force herself to sound lighter. Junna wore her emotions on her sleeve. It was difficult for her to hide her true feelings; especially in the tone of her voice. Every emotion vibrated in her throat no matter how hard she tried to cover it.

Just a little. I can hear it in the sound of your voice. Did you have another nightmare? Paige yawned and Junna could tell she was stretching. She’d obviously woke her up.

Yes, the same thing. When I'm awake, I can't find her, but when I'm sleeping, she's all I see. It really makes me wonder if it is real, Junna said, wishing for an instant resolution. I can still see her eyes. It's like the image of them is burned in my mind. How can this lovely little girl have such an evil power in them? They seem to suck the life right out of you.

I wish I had an answer, Paige said. I haven't had any luck trying to find in the collective conscious her either. Have you talked with Agent Riggs yet? Does he know what's going on?

Not yet. I am trying to get a grip on it before I do. This type of thing is definitely not anything like what we've been trained for so far, Junna felt her lungs fight to breathe. She took a drink of her coffee in hopes that it would help open her throat up again.

Not at all...I wonder what the difference is. Paige paused. Have you thought about hypnosis? Maybe that will spur on a memory or a reading that is hidden in there someplace. It may help trigger something.

It crossed my mind. I just don't understand why I have such a block to get past when I'm awake. Why can I only see them while I'm sleeping? Part of me doesn’t want to doze back off, Junna added as again the vision reappeared. She continued as she tried to pull her hair up in her usual bun while balancing the phone on her shoulder. Is he manipulating her thoughts? Has she found out how to block them from being read? She did say I want you to stay out of my head! Junna hands shook as she straightened the clothes she had laid out across the chair the night before.

I don't know, Paige replied. It doesn't make much sense to me either. If this girl is good enough to block you from reading her, how is it that you can see what's going on at all? Maybe you are seeing things through the man’s eyes, or seeing a dream, or maybe seeing someone else.

Maybe. At least that’s how it seems. The only thing I've been able to come up with so far is that when she's asleep, her dreams are passing through the collective conscious and she doesn't realize it. Hell, for all I know, I could be imaging the whole thing. We have been working really hard lately, Junna added, thinking about the hours of training that she and Paige had been through so that they could help the FBI. They were two of only three readers on the Force with Agent Riggs being the head of the team, but not being one of the Readers himself. They had not met the third Reader or even knew who he or she was.

Ha! Paige laughed. I don't believe for a second that you are imagining anything; especially as often as you have been dreaming about her. Have you tried to focus in on the guy? What's his name?

Randy. Yes, I have tried, but I've not had much luck there either, Junna sighed again as she realized she didn’t get her shoes out of the closet the night before. All of the turmoil was messing with her routine. He must be good at blocking Readers as well. Of course, it’s possible that I really am just going plain crazy. Feeling defeated, Junna wanted to hurry and get off the phone. She was trying her best to busy herself so that she didn’t have to think too hard. This was a practice she had become accustomed to as she learned to block other Readers and this behavior had become second nature. It was not hard for her because her personality was similar to begin with. Well, I won't keep you. I just needed to talk for a second and clear my head.

Hey, I'm here if you need me, even if it’s the middle of the night. I don't like you going through this alone.

Thanks, dear. I know I'm not alone. I love you, sis.

Love you too, Paige returned as they both hung up the phone.

---

Junna paced the floor after pouring more coffee in her cup. She tried to think about the girl as she felt the warmth of the coffee cup and inhaled the wonderful aroma. She knew the girl's name was Hannah. She knew that Randy was trying to help her by trying to figure out what was going on by reading her. She just didn't know why or what had happened to the girl. and those eyes, those beautiful, horrible eyes. Junna doubted she would ever forget them, real or not. Every time Junna closed her eyes, it was like she was looking at a photograph of them. The image would not go away. She wondered why Paige was unable to read them too.

Tired of all the questions, Junna decided to take a walk around the neighborhood. She hoped the fresh air would help. If anything, she hoped it would make her feel better. The weather was a bit warm for this late in the year, but in Kentucky, that could change at any moment. She decided to grab a jacket on her way out of the door. Just in case.

Chapter Two

Clear Christmas lights surrounded the tops of all the shops lining the sidewalk of the Paddock Shops in Louisville, Kentucky. Detective Paige Aldridge tried to enjoy looking at them as she strolled from store to store, but she couldn’t concentrate like she needed to. Her thoughts kept drifting back to Junna and the dreams her sister was having. Even though the day had been bright and sunny, goose bumps covered her as she watched the sun slip out of sight just over the Gap store. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself as she walked and watched as the horse-drawn buggy toted shoppers from one store to the next. Paige wondered what it would have been like shopping for Christmas over two hundred years ago. Paige decided that back then, everyone probably made their Christmas gifts. She was glad she didn’t have to do that because she felt she didn’t have a creative bone in her body. Shopping was easier after all even though she detested fighting the mobs. Being the stubborn woman she was, she kept on.

After breezing through three of the shops, she decided to duck into the Starbuck’s on the corner so she could grab a coffee to help her warm up. She sat at a small table in the corner by the window where a cute couple had barley left. The seat was still warm and the aroma of fresh cookies still filled the space. This made her smile.

Paige dug through her purse for a moment, before finding her cell phone. She sent a quick text message to Junna to see if she could join her. When Junna replied and said that she couldn’t Paige leaned back in her seat to take a look around at the bustling crowd just outside of the window.

After a very warm start to the day, the temperature was dropping into the low twenties as the evening progressed. I can’t believe I’m out in this mess, she thought to herself; regretting driving over and fighting the crowds for the available parking spots then walking elbow to elbow with the myriad of other shoppers.

She drew in a deep breath and took a long drink of her coffee. Paige leaned back in her chair and tried to