I’m just curious, but why didn’t you go to a place in Tulsa? Why’d you choose Dallas?”
Sonya paused, as if she was trying to compose a proper answer. “This is going to sound stupid.”
“Try me. I’m all about stupid.”
She chuckled. I must’ve been doing something right for a change. “Cassandra was afraid of Dallas.”
The startled look on my face was genuine. The fact that the Skinwalker was afraid of this place was noteworthy.
Sonya shook her head, misinterpreting my reaction. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“No,” I tried to reassure her. “I believe you. Tell me more about Cassandra.”
“Well, the doctors say that she was a manifestation of a split-personality and that Don’s death traumatized that part of my psyche and allowed me to regain control. I came here because I thought I’d be safe from her in Dallas.”
“Any idea what’s special about Dallas?”
“No. Everything is kind of foggy. It’s like I watched my life on TV.”
“Was I at least the comic relief?” I sort of borrowed the line from Amos in hopes of keeping the tone from getting too tense.
She scrunched her nose and replied, “No, you were my husband’s idiot best friend. Now, how about you? They said you wanted to talk to me about Don.”
It was my turn to pause. Sonya deserves some honesty. She’d lost entire years from her life.
“Not really. I want to know more about Cassandra Von Eckels and Skinwalkers.”
Sonya sat up straight and went rigid. “She … they don’t exist! My doctors told me.”
I motioned for her to calm down. “Sonya, listen to me. I bet you haven’t told your doctors all the things you remember – things like hanging around in graveyards and speaking with the dead.”
The color drained from her face and her left hand had a death grip on the armrest.
“Look, I know that Cassandra was a ghost who possessed you. I know that she’s real. She and Don tried to come after me when she left you, but I beat them.”
“No, they’re not real,” she repeated in a hushed whisper.
“Remember sending me Don’s dog tags?”
“I never …,” she stopped and trailed off before her eyes opened wide. “I did do that, didn’t I?”
“That was Cassandra doing it, Sonya.”
“You said you beat her. How?”
I shrugged and felt strangely self-conscious. “I’m a Ferryman.”
“Ferryman? Ferryman? Cassandra was once in love with a Ferryman, but they don’t exist anymore.”
“William. Yes, I know they had something together. It turns out I’m related to William and Edgar.”
Her posture lost some of its stiffness. My words were getting through to things buried in Sonya’s subconscious. “Ferryman … they send ghosts on. Did you send her on?”
“Not yet, that’s why I’m here. I want to make sure she’s gone.”
“You can’t let her know where I am!”
Aw hell! She was getting louder. Nurse Forrester on the other side of the room was looking at us.
“I won’t. If she’s afraid to come to Dallas, you’re safe. Tell me about her. Where would she go? Is there an object that she’s very possessive of?”
Sonya seemed to shrink back into the cushions. “I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to be Cassandra anymore! I’m Sonya! I need to be Sonya.”
“C’mon Sonya, give me something about her that I can use. I’ll make sure she never finds you again.”
“You can’t look for her. I don’t want her to find me!”
“I can get rid of her once and for all. Just give me something, anything.”
The approaching footsteps told me I didn’t have long. Two orderlies and the Nurse arrived on scene. “Mr. Ross, I’m going to have to cut this short. Sonya let’s go back to your suite.”
Sonya fought as the two men helped her stand. She didn’t have the size or strength to mess with these two hulks, but she was getting an “A” for effort.
After about ten seconds, she sagged in their arms. Her head snapped up and she locked eyes with me.
Sonya paused, as if she was trying to compose a proper answer. “This is going to sound stupid.”
“Try me. I’m all about stupid.”
She chuckled. I must’ve been doing something right for a change. “Cassandra was afraid of Dallas.”
The startled look on my face was genuine. The fact that the Skinwalker was afraid of this place was noteworthy.
Sonya shook her head, misinterpreting my reaction. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me.”
“No,” I tried to reassure her. “I believe you. Tell me more about Cassandra.”
“Well, the doctors say that she was a manifestation of a split-personality and that Don’s death traumatized that part of my psyche and allowed me to regain control. I came here because I thought I’d be safe from her in Dallas.”
“Any idea what’s special about Dallas?”
“No. Everything is kind of foggy. It’s like I watched my life on TV.”
“Was I at least the comic relief?” I sort of borrowed the line from Amos in hopes of keeping the tone from getting too tense.
She scrunched her nose and replied, “No, you were my husband’s idiot best friend. Now, how about you? They said you wanted to talk to me about Don.”
It was my turn to pause. Sonya deserves some honesty. She’d lost entire years from her life.
“Not really. I want to know more about Cassandra Von Eckels and Skinwalkers.”
Sonya sat up straight and went rigid. “She … they don’t exist! My doctors told me.”
I motioned for her to calm down. “Sonya, listen to me. I bet you haven’t told your doctors all the things you remember – things like hanging around in graveyards and speaking with the dead.”
The color drained from her face and her left hand had a death grip on the armrest.
“Look, I know that Cassandra was a ghost who possessed you. I know that she’s real. She and Don tried to come after me when she left you, but I beat them.”
“No, they’re not real,” she repeated in a hushed whisper.
“Remember sending me Don’s dog tags?”
“I never …,” she stopped and trailed off before her eyes opened wide. “I did do that, didn’t I?”
“That was Cassandra doing it, Sonya.”
“You said you beat her. How?”
I shrugged and felt strangely self-conscious. “I’m a Ferryman.”
“Ferryman? Ferryman? Cassandra was once in love with a Ferryman, but they don’t exist anymore.”
“William. Yes, I know they had something together. It turns out I’m related to William and Edgar.”
Her posture lost some of its stiffness. My words were getting through to things buried in Sonya’s subconscious. “Ferryman … they send ghosts on. Did you send her on?”
“Not yet, that’s why I’m here. I want to make sure she’s gone.”
“You can’t let her know where I am!”
Aw hell! She was getting louder. Nurse Forrester on the other side of the room was looking at us.
“I won’t. If she’s afraid to come to Dallas, you’re safe. Tell me about her. Where would she go? Is there an object that she’s very possessive of?”
Sonya seemed to shrink back into the cushions. “I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to be Cassandra anymore! I’m Sonya! I need to be Sonya.”
“C’mon Sonya, give me something about her that I can use. I’ll make sure she never finds you again.”
“You can’t look for her. I don’t want her to find me!”
“I can get rid of her once and for all. Just give me something, anything.”
The approaching footsteps told me I didn’t have long. Two orderlies and the Nurse arrived on scene. “Mr. Ross, I’m going to have to cut this short. Sonya let’s go back to your suite.”
Sonya fought as the two men helped her stand. She didn’t have the size or strength to mess with these two hulks, but she was getting an “A” for effort.
After about ten seconds, she sagged in their arms. Her head snapped up and she locked eyes with me.
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