The Eternal Tenant-part 8

"An astral projector?" I said with such a confusion in my voice that made her repeat her words. "Yes darling, an astral projector, an out-of-body- experiencer, you can..." Eveline hesitated a bit "You can leave your body as you wish and come back as you wish!"

The room fell quiet for a bit. All three of us were dazzled and shocked, Henry looking at me with confusion and a hint of uneasiness, and Eveline looking at me like a concerned mother. I couldn't stand any longer, I had to sit down. The gentle warmth of the fireplace flames caressed my face, and I could taste the wood in my mouth. Perhaps she was right, perhaps I was truly alive, I could still...Feel!

A minute went by in silence. Then I looked at Eveline again: "You have to understand that I can't simply believe you; this all feels unbelievable and outside of my usual beliefs. How can you expect me to accept that I'm an...ASTRAL projector? Just a few days ago, I was just an ordinary girl with an ordinary life!"

Eveline looked down and sighed, then looked into my eyes and said: "Trust me darling I know. Throughout my days, I have had so many clients wishing to see the spirit of their loved ones one more time. Even though they asked for it, believing it was something else...", "But this is not your normal ghost sessions! This is about me, my life, my death, my whatever the hell this nightmare is!" I interrupted her angrily.

She replied: "Forgive me for being insensitive towards you, I can only imagine how you must be feeling right now. But I am willing to help you with all my powers to ease your pain, to help you scape this nightmare...". "So you're saying that I didn't die, that somehow I projected out of my body that night?" I asked. Then Eveline replied "Yes darling, let me explain. That night Henry...scared you..." I interrupted her instantly "KILLED ME!" and corrected her with a subtle warning in my tone to Henry and her, "Killed you..." Eveline corrected herself feeling a bit embarrassed and then continued "That night you were under immense fear and pressure, in a life-threatening situation. In such moments the soul is full of energy and in a cases like yours, an...astral projector, the energy is enough to kickstart the process of projection involuntarily. You didn't mean to...eject yourself from your mortal vessel, but your soul, your powers felt the need to protect you.". "So,...you're telling me that...I just ejected my soul and now I can go back to my body?" I said, hope was starting to appear in my eyes, I was too eager for her to just say yes, when she said "It's not that easy...It...it...requires a process...a ritual of sorts...I...I can help...with this part!"

Again the stutters appeared in her words. She was giving me an uneasy feeling, maybe she wasn't sure she could do that? or maybe she was afraid of something she'd never done before? Whatever it was, it didn't matter, she was the expert and I had no one else to help me, this was the only way, but to make sure one last time I asked her once more "Are you sure you're able to do this?", She smiled nervously and said "I will do everything to the best of my ability, we can help each other..." suddenly she ate her words as if she had said something she shouldn't have!

I wanted to ask, but she got up and went to the door quickly as if she was in a hurry. "I need to bring some items from my house, I will be back in a few..." Eveline said and went out the door, Henry followed her to his car to give her a lift.

There I was, all alone again, questions rummaging through my head but one stronger than the others:

Was Eveline hiding something?