Captivation by Nicola Moriarty Page B

looked down just in time to see it swipe one paw at her ankle, scratching her so hard that it drew blood.
    Juliette jumped away – more from the surprise than the pain. Staring at the cat she was astonished to see that it was now just sitting back quite calmly, staring at her – almost challenging her to say something or to give it a reprimanding tap on the nose. Juliette did nothing, though – something about the way that cat was staring at her was making her more than a little uneasy.She turned and hurried down the hall, snatching up her basket on the way past. Just as she was unlocking her apartment door, she heard the door to twenty K open down the hall, and a pleased exclamation of delight from the woman within. Well, good, at least the cat was back with its owner now. Hopefully, she wouldn’t run into it in the hallways again. She wasn’t sure what had caused the cat to scratch her. Normally she got on perfectly well with animals. Never mind , thoughts of Danny were now pushing the cat far from her mind.
    Once safely inside, with the door firmly shut behind her, she tossed the basket to the side and kicked off her sandals.
    ‘Danny?’ she called out softly. ‘Honey, I’m back. I’m here.’ And she realised she was breathless with nerves and excitement.
    ‘Wow,’ she chatted as she walked down the hall to the kitchen, all the while preparing herself for Danny to suddenly materialise by her side – to begin stroking her arms, or to pull her into an embrace.
    ‘Is it just me or does it feel just like it’s the first time for you again too?’ She stopped still in the kitchen, grabbing a tissue from the box on the bench so that she could dab at the scratch on her ankle, as she waited for a response, waited for him to appear.
    Something was wrong, it began to dawn on her. She wasn’t getting any of the normal sensations. She couldn’t feel his presence, couldn’t detect his spirit, which had felt so strong when she’d left the apartment just fifteen minutes earlier.
    ‘Danny?’ she asked again, her voice starting to quaver. ‘Danny, please. Where are you?’ Her skin felt cold, her arms prickled with goose bumps. She began to rush from one room to the next, searching for him. He couldn’t be gone again – not when she had only just got him back. She tried to keep calm,to remember that he had told her he might still drift in and out. But why couldn’t she sense him at all?
    In the bedroom, as she was starting to become panicky, she realised that she could smell just the faintest hint of Danny’s aftershave. She stood still, not daring to move, and breathed it in deeply. Ever so slowly, the scent became stronger.
    ‘Danny,’ she whispered, a note of desperation in her hushed voice, ‘are you in here? Are you okay?’
    She squeezed her eyes shut tight and concentrated every fibre of her being on communicating with him. At least thirty seconds passed before she realised she could hear something – it was as though a voice was calling to her from far, far away. She curled her hands into tight fists, pushing her fingernails into the palms of her hands as she focused harder and harder on that far-off voice.
    Juliette?
    It was still so faint. And did he sound … frightened?
    ‘I’m here Danny, follow my voice, find your way back. I’m here.’
    I’m trying.
    Oh God , thought Juliette, he sounds so scared, as though he is in pain. What had happened in that short time that she had left him alone?
    ‘Come on, baby. You can do it. You can make it back to me.’ Keeping her eyes closed, she lifted her arms up and held her hands out in front of her, as though she could reach out and grab hold of him, pull him to her.
    Help me, Juliette, help me.
    His voice was growing stronger.
    ‘Take my hands,’ she called out desperately. ‘Take my hands, let me help you.’
    All at once, she felt fingers lace through her own. She closed her hands around them, held on tight and pulled. There was a rush of wind,