“All right.” Jessie took a deep breath and began, singing to the rhythm of the swing.
“Swing me up a little bit higher,
Obadiah, do.
Swing me up a little bit higher,
Say you love me too.
Swing me over the garden wall,
Tie me up so I’ll never fall.
Swing me up a little bit higher,
Obadiah, do!”
Nadiah was enchanted by the quality of the girl’s voice. It was and rich and melodious—utterly enthralling. It was no wonder the little boy liked hearing her sing.
He loved her voice and her long red hair, she thought, watching the two of them together. She smelled like fresh cut flowers. She meant everything to him but she’s gone now. She’s been gone for years. Somehow she knew that the scene she was viewing wasn’t something that was happening now, nor was it something that was yet to come. No, the vision that was coming to her at this moment was of the past of more than twenty Earth years ago.
At last the boy gave a wild yell and jumped off the swing just as it reached its highest arc. Nadiah’s heart leapt up into her throat—she was certain he would break his neck! But he rolled on the neatly trimmed green grass and came up laughing in the bright sunshine.
“You’re crazy! If Mom saw you do that it would give her a heart attack.” But Jessie was laughing as she said it. She slung an arm around her little brother’s skinny shoulders and he looked up at her adoringly.
“Jessie, why can’t I come with you tonight? I went to all your other birthday parties.”
“Yes, but this is a grownup party. I’m eighteen now—you know that.”
“I don’t see what’s so great about being eighteen,” he grumbled. “You’d just rather hang out with your stupid friends than me. Especially that dumb Mark Hains.”
Jessie blushed, her creamy cheeks going pink. “Don’t be a brat. Besides, Mark is nice—I like him. And…and I think he likes me.”
“He likes you all right but he’s not a good guy.” The boy’s mood suddenly turned dark. “Stay away from him, Jessie. I get bad feelings when he looks at you. Really bad.”
“Don’t talk like that.” She frowned. “You know it freaks people out when you talk about your ‘feelings’.”
“You’re the only one I talk to about them,” the boy protested. “And besides, you know I’m right. I’m always right.”
“Not this time.” She ruffled his hair. “C’mon, let’s get something cold to drink. It’s too hot out here.”
“Okay.” The boy leaned against her side and she gave him a squeeze as they walked toward the back door of the big white house. “Just be careful. I love you, Jessie.”
“Love you too, kiddo.” She dropped a kiss on the top of his head and they went into the house disappeared from Nadiah’s line of sight. Suddenly a voice spoke in her ear.
“Remember. Remember and tell him all you have seen. Then he cannot help but believe.”
Then it was gone and Nadiah felt herself drifting deeper, into the darkest reaches of sleep where there are no dreams.
* * * * *
“Do we really have to do this again?” Adam Rast ran a hand through his hair and glared at her. It had been a week since their last encounter and Nadiah hadn’t been sure he would meet her at the HKR building again, but she’d decided to take a chance. To her surprise, he had actually shown up when she called.
“Thank you for coming,” she said coolly, straightening her tharp which had shaped itself into a close approximation of an Earth skirt and blouse today. She wanted to look calm and collected—professional.
“I only came to tell you one thing,” he growled. “Stop bothering me, Nadiah, I have work to do.”
“Because another girl has disappeared, right?” She arched an eyebrow at him and he glared at her.
“Yeah, good for you. Did you read that on the NewsFeed this morning or did you have another vision about the missing girl?”
“I have had a vision.” She gave him a level look. “But not about the girl you’re looking for. Last night in my dreams I saw a girl who’s been missing for the past twenty of your Earth years.”
“What? Now you’re having visions about cold cases?” Rast shook his head. “Seriously, I don’t have time for this! Good bye, Nadiah. Have a nice life and don’t call me again.” He turned away, striding over the grey carpet of the HKR building, heading for the double glass doors.
“Her name was Jessie,” Nadiah said, raising her voice to be heard over the murmuring of the Earth brides and the Kindred warriors who had called them. “She had long, auburn hair.”