Visions Through the Veil

By Gwendolyn Davis

Annie had a simple life in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. She owned her home, her business, and had good friends. One beautiful fall day after meeting a friend for lunch, her simple life would take a turn. Throwing her and her friend into a world of excitement and adventure beyond anything either has ever experienced.

 

Nomad was a friend of Annie and Serena's. After he went missing Serena began having visions of her friend. Each time he appeared he would give her clues as to what happened to him. Soon after the first apparition, Annie began seeing his ghostly presence as well. With each visit more and more information was given. As the women begin investigating the clues, they come to believe that Nomad is dead. Because seeing his ghost wasn't enough.

 

As the two set out to discover the truth they become involved with Jack, a reporter from Santa Fe. Eventually, Jack is on board and begins to help unravel the mystery. As he and Annie get closer he also begins to see apparitions. It takes a leap of faith but he falls in step and is quickly woven into the mystery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chile Line Books
• Release date: Mar 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9798985018554

Book preview

For my mom who was always

my biggest fan!

Visions Through the Veil

Gwendolyn Davis

Chapter 1

It had been a beautiful fall day, much like today, when she first arrived in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. That was three years ago. Thinking back, Annie couldn’t imagine who she was such a short lifetime ago. Indeed it seemed she had lived a few lifetimes within this one. She had been a young single mother who had raised a grown young man, and a student for more years than she cared to remember. She had been a loving partner to various men over the years. For some reason she and relationships didn’t seem to agree, so she moved on, thankful to not be in an unfulfilling relationship. Annie always tried to take the opportunity to learn from all her experiences, thankful for the ability to embrace the change that comes with moving forward. In doing so, she managed to channel her energy productively and became a successful sculptor, business owner, and at age 40 she finally felt free.

She breathed in deeply and followed the trail from her front door down to where her car was parked. The trail was once grass but she had worn a footpath down to bare dirt. The wet earth, damp grass, dewy aspens, and tall ponderosa pines all released their glorious fragrance and intoxicated her. She loved the place she lived, geographically speaking. Altitude was a key factor. She simply didn’t feel physically comfortable below a 5000 foot elevation. Pagosa was at 7079 ft. and the area was overwhelmingly beautiful with the majestic Rocky Mountains outside the window every day. At this time of year, the mountains all around were covered in a blanket of fall colors. The air and the light seem different in higher altitudes. Maybe it was the lack of oxygen to the brain, but it was a very free feeling living in high places. The light was brighter and the sky was bluer. The rest of the world looked dull in comparison.

Although her footpath from her front door to her car was only about 30 feet long, as the crow flies, it curved gently like a snake and slithered between tall ponderosa pines and golden aspens that hadn’t turned colors yet. Its design served multiple purposes. First, it was fabulous feng shui. Second, it gave the illusion of being hidden far back in the forest and provided privacy. Third and maybe most importantly, when she walked to her car every morning she was energized by the amazing beauty and wonderful energy that nature gave so freely every day.

This day was no different than most others and Annie was grateful every time she walked through the trees to her car. She never took for granted how lucky she was to live in such a beautiful place. Annie worked hard but managed to have a good balance in life. This day she was on her way into town to meet with her friend Serena. They often met to have a meal together, and today it was at Kip's. Serena was beautiful and vivacious with blonde flowing hair and light she exuded everywhere she went from her always smiling face. Her life had not been easy but she had managed to successfully raise four adopted children, all of whom now lived in various locations around the state of Colorado. She would let out little bits and pieces of her past now and then, many descriptions of which often left Annie with her mouth hanging open in disbelief. It was simply amazing how different all our lives were.

When Annie arrived at Kip's it was about 1:45 in the afternoon. The lunch crowd had cleared out, but the place was packed all the same. Serena was sitting at the bar waiting with a Corona Light in hand. She will be nursing that until the end of lunch, Annie thought, Serena wasn’t much of a drinker. Kip’s was a tiny place. The bar was filled with surf memorabilia on the walls, odd in the mountains when the nearest ocean is 1500 miles away. The owner had lived in Hawaii for many years. The place had a good feel with one long bar and about five tables inside, but it was more of a patio place. The waitress called Serena’s name and ushered them out onto the patio. It was fall but felt more like an Indian summer. The temperature was a perfect, 73 degrees, the sun was shining warmly, and the sky was its usual brilliant blue. It wasn’t yet a true Indian summer, however, since there hadn’t been the first frost, but it sure felt good. They were seated under a large oak tree. All of the seating on the patio was under a tree of some kind, and this tree had lost only about half of its leaves. Every once in a while, a breeze would blow and Annie and Serena would be showered upon with shimmering colors floating gently to their end for the season.

Immediately Annie could tell something was wrong. Serena’s beer was almost gone and she had just ordered a second one for herself and one for Annie as well.

Trust me, she said, you’re gonna need it.

Okay, what was up now? Pagosa Springs was a small town with all its small-town charm and all its small-town problems. Negatives, Annie preferred to call them.

So how’re you doing? What’s going on? Annie asked, not knowing what to expect from Serena. She had never seen Serena so distraught before.

Oh, Annie, I’m worried about Nomad.

Nomad? Why?

No one has seen him for three days. He’s a very private person, but he wouldn’t just disappear.

No, but he has taken off before, hasn’t he?

Well, yes, I suppose so, but he usually tells someone that he's leaving.

The look on Serena’s face was so out of character from her usual happy self that Annie leaned in and touched Serena’s arm, and said, Did you see something?

Serena was at times what most people would call psychic. She was comfortable with this gift but had learned how to control it and shut it off when she wanted to. Annie was intuitive though she didn’t consider herself psychic. She could only feel things or sense a presence or read vibes. Serena was much more developed. By the look on Serena’s face, Annie knew her well enough to know she had seen something. Serena leaned closer to her.

I think he’s been killed.

What? No way! Nomad can’t be dead. Tell me what you saw.

Well, this morning I was rinsing my coffee cup at the sink, and I swear I felt someone standing behind me. When I turned around it was Nomad. He had an angelic look on his face and he held his hand out to me. Then in my head I saw him lying near a body of water, he was bloody and dirty, and the sun was beating down. When I focused on the kitchen again, he was gone. I don’t know what to do.

Annie sat for a moment in disbelief at what she had just heard. Serena had had a vision. How the hell do you respond to that?

Finally, she said, Wow, what a trip! Do you think he’s dead because he felt dead, or because he had an angelic look on his face?

Serena pondered the question for a moment as she recollected the experience.

Actually both. Seeing him lying there bloody he felt dead, but seeing him looking so angelic he seemed to be saying he’s in a better place and he’s okay. But you still have to be dead to get there. Right?

Man, I don’t know. It’s all so freaky. What should we do? Call the cops?

Hell no. And tell them what? ‘I had a vision so go investigate?’ They think I'm enough of a troublemaker already. They aren’t going to believe me, let alone help me.

Yeah, I guess you’re right. So what now? Annie took a large swallow of her beer.

Well, I don’t know, but I had to tell somebody.

Whew, thanks for sharing.

They sat and had tacos, trying to sort out different ideas about what should happen next. They thought about Nomad. He was an eccentric man who most considered to be homeless. He wasn’t, but the general public didn’t know for sure. He was always clean and very well-mannered. He didn’t work at a conventional job and could often be found standing on a big rock outside the little strip mall in town. Dressed in a long white robe often with a turban on his head and a long staff in his hand, he would speak of things he felt the need to pass along to anyone who would listen. Annie and Serena had both listened to a few of his dedications, as he called them, dedications of wisdom I give to you freely and with love, Nomad always said. Sometimes they were way over their heads, but other times they were comforting and on some level resonated. Or he would say something that would strike a chord of understanding and it would be like a light bulb going off and suddenly life made perfect sense. Annie enjoyed listening to Nomad but she had to be in the right frame of mind. His words came in their own good time, so patience was required. He often paused between orations mid-sentence, for as long as 10 minutes, while he seemed to ponder, then continued with his words of wisdom. He could have been a law professor or a physicist. He was highly intelligent. Neither Annie nor Serena knew much about his life before he came to Pagosa, and since coming here he had always been Nomad, the speaker on the rock. When he wasn’t speaking on the rock, he pretty much kept to himself. Other than his dedications he didn’t talk much other than pleasantries. He could be persuaded to stop by one's home on occasion to have dinner. Not anyone’s home, mind you, just the lucky few whom he knew well and went back many years with. Serena was one of those friends and it was how Annie had met him.

Serena had first met Nomad at Serena’s house one day in the summer a couple of years earlier. A rapping came on the front door. Not a knock so much but a rap, as with a hard object. Serena smiled widely and said, Come in Nomad. He filled the doorway with his silhouette as the bright day back lit him until he blocked all the light. He was a large black man who appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He was, however, a couple of decades older. He had a round, innocent-looking face and the bluest eyes Annie had ever seen. As he entered the room the energy changed. It felt warm and happy and very strong. He was a man with an imposing presence, but the intense goodness that he emanated would put everyone at ease.

Annie and Serena sat for a while and lingered over a couple more beers. Three beers in a row was more than Annie had drunk in years. But, considering the circumstances, at least three beers were necessary. She was feeling tipsy so she quit the beer and switched to water.

Serena was going on about a bad feeling she was having when Annie noticed a guy sitting across the patio. He was wearing a double-breasted suit, rather formal for Pagosa. He was wearing dark sunglasses so she couldn’t see exactly where he was looking but she got the distinct feeling he was boring a hole through her and Serena.

Hey, Serena, check out that guy over there, she said, gesturing with her eyes, ... in the suit. Does he seem like he's watching us?

Serena had been sitting with her back to him and she had to switch chairs. She acted like the sun was bothering her and moved to a seat next to Annie that was more shaded and offered a chance to glance in his direction.

So what do you think?

Yeah, he looks a little out of place, Serena said

Yes, but do you think he's watching us?

Oh, I don’t know, Annie. Serena was a little tipsy and more unsure of herself than Annie had ever seen her.

Let’s go, Annie said. Although she was not accustomed to drinking and driving, they were leaving nonetheless. She suddenly felt fear from that man and became sober as a judge. It was like fight or flight went into action and the adrenaline rushed. Serena followed Annie out the door obediently. Annie drove her home and dropped her off without realizing she had been followed despite being on high alert.

I'll come back this evening and we will go and pick up your car.

Okay, Serena said and went into her house without another word.

After they went their separate ways, they both pondered what to do next. You don’t go to the cops, especially with no evidence, let alone with something that would amount to nothing more than a gut feeling.

Annie was pulling away from Serena’s when she noticed a large dark blue sedan pulling into the street behind her. She decided to make a couple of stops along the way to see if it was following her. She was getting paranoid and that in itself was unusual. She turned off onto Piedra Rd. and pulled into the drive-in. The sedan turned and pulled into the gas station across the street. Annie sat in the stall waiting for the carhop to bring the soda she had ordered. She had a thousand thoughts running through her head. Who the hell was this guy and why was he following her? A lifted pickup truck pulled into the drive-thru, blocking him from her view and her from his. She backed out quickly and left via a side road. When she looked back she could see him looking around for her. She stepped on the gas and slipped away. He pulled out and drove back towards town. She turned west heading in the opposite direction when a horrifying feeling suddenly hit her. He hadn’t followed her home but he knew where Serena lived. Annie pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store to use their phone. She had quit carrying a cell phone when she moved here and up until now hadn’t needed one. Now the minutes it took for her to get to a phone and warn Serena was like an eternity. She dialed the number and Serena answered right away.

Hello

Hey, listen, she said, her heart beating hard in her chest as her words flowed breathlessly, that guy we saw at the bar, I think he followed us to your house. He followed me from your house and may be heading back there right now. Look outside and see if there is a dark blue sedan within sight. Annie waited impatiently while Serena went to look.

I don’t see anyone.

I'm feeling uneasy. Just keep an eye out, and lock your door. Annie looked around the store as if searching for help or meaning somewhere.

I will. What time are you coming so we can get my car? Serena responded as if Annie had not just issued a serious warning.

How about 7:00 pm? We can have dinner, Annie said with a little sarcasm in her voice, frustrated by how quickly Serena had dismissed her concerns.

Okay, see ya then. I’ll keep an eye out. Serena thought Annie was being overly cautious.

Bye. Annie felt a little better but the paranoia didn’t leave.

Chapter 2

Annie felt compelled to shop while at the grocery store, though she hadn’t planned to. She grabbed a cart and, upon entering the store, turned immediately to the right, as usual, heading towards the produce department. Homemade salsa sounded like a winner—it was always a good snack and wonderful comfort food. She needed some comfort. She hated feeling so out of control and threatened. There were some negative elements at work, she thought while rooting through the onion bin.

Just then Jack walked up next to her. He had come into her woodworking shop a few times when he was finishing up his deck and needed to cut some boards to size. They had gone to lunch once, and out for coffee once, but things were very casual, nothing more than coincidence ever brought them together, yet it had done so three times now.

Jack, we must stop meeting this way.

Well, if it isn’t my little Annabelle Lee, he said grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Now, Jack, I told you my name under one condition.

I know, I know. I’m sorry. Never to be uttered aloud again, ever.

You remember that, Mr. Jackson Rowdy Yates?

His mother had been a big Rawhide fan and just loved the Clint Eastwood character Rowdy Yates, and Yates being their last name, to her Rowdy just seemed like the logical choice. However, also being sympathetic to the hardships and cruelty of children in school she made it his middle name and gave him something more generic for his first name. He was ordinary enough. 5’11 with brown hair and blue eyes yet he also had a unique kind of sex appeal about him. Annie hadn’t been able to put her finger on it yet, but she liked him. They always had comfortable, easy conversations, often about nothing at all. He did know she had a 21-year-old son and she knew that he was a writer for a well-known outdoor magazine whose company was headquartered in Santa Fe. Other than that she knew very little about him.

Listen, I just got the deck all fixed up and I was wondering if you'd like to come over for dinner sometime and see the result.

Annie was taken a little off guard but managed to stammer out something.

Uh, well hmm yeah sure why not? I’d love to. Jack had a big old grin on his face and she didn’t quite know why. It was probably because she was so tongue-tied. Her thoughts were not on romance but on Nomad and Serena’s safety.

Well good. How ‘bout tonight?

Tonight? Well, okay. I guess I can bring the salsa, she said, gathering her thoughts quickly and getting the words out as she held up a bag of tomatoes.

He pulled out a business card and wrote down his cell number and address. Then he drew a tiny little map, being careful to write clearly on the small picture. Holding it out to her he instructed, When you get to the Y go left then immediately right. The right is kind of hidden behind a tree, but it’s there and just follow it up to the house and park anywhere.

Okay. What time should I be there? She fidgeted nervously, hoping he didn’t notice..

Give me a few hours. I have a few more errands to run. Looking at his watch, he said, Let’s say 6 o’clock.

See you then. Bye. She smiled broadly then went back to the onion bin as he walked away. It took a couple of seconds to hit her what had just transpired. She had a date. Oh, my god! It had been quite a little while since she had had a real date with a man she liked. She was finding herself looking forward to her evening with Jack. She had completely forgotten