Chapter 26

Saturday came round far too quickly for Lucy, she wasn’t ready for this at all, on a totally selfish level she didn’t know whether she could cope with knowing anything more about Gabbie’s past. She wasn’t disgusted by what Gabbie had done, far from it, Gabbie had done nothing willingly, no she just didn’t think she’d be able to cope with hearing about the horrors that befell Gabbie.

She had to stay strong though, if Gabbie was strong enough to reveal her own past, god damn it she could be strong.

The four lessons on Saturday morning passed in a blur, she took notes, so something must have happened during the morning lessons, but she could not remember a thing, running purely on autopilot.

“Come on Lucy, let’s get you some dinner quick, Diane will be here soon.”

“What? Oh yeah, sorry.”

“Sweetie, you’ve been in a daze all morning, what’s the matter?”

“It’s this afternoon, I’m so nervous.”

“Shouldn’t it be me that’s nervous? I feel fine about it all, because what have I got to lose, the stuff has been done to me, whatever happened has happened, I just don’t remember any of it. Now I’ve got a chance to remember it, so I can start to forget it again, because that past is gone, today, tomorrow and the rest of time is for us. Can’t you see why I need to get rid of the past, so it’s not in the way.”

“I think so, it’s just I don’t think I can stand knowing what was done to you.”

“Are you disgusted by what I’ve done?” Gabbie sounded upset.

“Good god no! I’m sickened by what was done to you, the thought of what you went through tears my heart in two. It’s just I don’t think I could cope knowing exactly what happened, but I have to, because our lives are now shared, so I’ll be there for you, but I’m dreading it.”

“I’m dreading it too, I think we can be strong though, and between us we’ll find a way through.”

“I’ll do my best sweetie.”

“You’ve never failed me Lucy, I have 100% faith in you.”

They dashed back to their boarding house, where Millie was waiting for them outside the private entrance holding three paper sacks, packed lunches as they wouldn’t have time to eat in the dining room, Diane was due any minute.

“Oh, thanks Millie, but I really don’t think I can eat right now,” Gabbie told her, out of breath from running all the way from school.

“You might feel hungry on the way, so we’ll take them. You’d better dump your bags in your room quickly, it’s nearly one o’clock.”

Gabbie pricked up her ears, “you hear that Lucy, isn’t that Jerry’s Aston?”

“It certainly sounds like it, oh wow, a squirt along the road to the motorway in the Aston will definitely cheer us up.”

They both dashed into the house with their school bags, and were back changed into polo shirts, hoodies, jeans and Vans before Diane pulled onto the gravel.

“Nice,” Millie said over the V12’s burbling exhaust.

“Wow mum, how did you persuade Jerry to let you use his car?” Lucy asked.

“Pretty much the same way you did, puppy dog eyes and a flash of cleavage, never fails.”

“Haha, nice one,” Lucy laughed as she clambered into the back with Gabbie, Millie sat in the front with the three lunch sacks.

“I brought it to cheer you both up, I’m guessing it’s not going to be a good day, so at least we can have a bit of fun on the way there and back.”

Diane tapped the address in the sat nav, reversed onto the road and set off towards the motorway. She kept it steady until she left the town behind, then she floored it, the car flowing easily along the winding roads. There’s a narrow, single track bridge across the river about halfway between the town and the motorway; it doesn’t look it, but despite the cramped cabin the Aston is a very wide car, so Diane hit the control that folds the mirrors as she swung round the bend and onto the bridge. They all involuntarily breathed in, the doors were perilously close to the stone sides of the bridge.

As soon as Diane swung off the end of the bridge and onto the road, she floored it again. Lucy marvelled at how well Diane handled the big car, Steve had fought the car around the streets of Glasgow, but Diane seemed to be controlling it with her mind rather than her arms, quick flicks of her wrists were all that was required to weave the car through the hills and through the moorland to the M6.

“Wow mum, you drive this car so well,” Lucy said as they cruised down the mostly empty motorway towards Preston.

“I’ve only driven it a few times before, it’s quite easy once you get used to the engine, it reacts to the slightest touch of the throttle.”

She demonstrated by flooring it for a few seconds and they all got forced back into their seats.

“How was Steve’s driving?”

“He was ok, took it easy for a while then drove about this speed,” Gabbie said, then she looked at the speedo, which was showing a speed some way north of 100mph, “actually, maybe a bit slower than this.”

They reached Preston in plenty of time, but as Lucy had suspected, traffic was heavy on a Saturday afternoon, so it took a while for Diane to drive into the city centre, then another 15 minutes to find a parking space where she felt comfortable leaving Jerry’s pride and joy.

As Millie wouldn’t be allowed into the room during the session she decided to go off and do some shopping.

Despite the struggle to park they still had plenty of time before their appointment, so they didn’t have to rush over to Sylvie’s office, which would have left Gabbie in totally the wrong frame of mind.

The reception was empty, so Gabbie led them upstairs, where Sylvie’s office door was standing open, the office was dark, the blinds closed, the only lighting was a lamp on Sylvie’s glass desk.

“Come in everyone, we’re ready for you,” Sylvie called out to them.

Sylvie was at her desk, there was an older woman standing by the bookcase, Gabbie assumed this was Allison the hypnotherapist, she was tall, slim and had an open friendly face.

Sylvie stood as Gabbie entered the room, she stepped round her desk and held her hand out to Diane, shaking hands she said, “I’m assuming you’re Gabbie’s guardian.”

“Yes, Diane, we prefer mum to guardian, sounds more friendly, you know. And I prefer Diane over mum.”

“Excellent, let me introduce you all to Allison, I’ve worked with her many times over the years for all kinds of hypnotherapy, she specialises in age regression therapy, so I feel comfortable bringing her in to help you.”

After they’d all introduced themselves to Allison, they sat down on the sofas while Allison explained the process, then Sylvie invited Gabbie to move over to the reclining chair while Lucy helped Allison light a number of candles around the room.

“These candles contain sandalwood and ambergris essential oils,” Allison told them as she lit the candles, “the sandalwood will help Gabbie destress, the ambergris helps with memory and concentration.”

“I can smell cigar smoke in here as well,’ Lucy said after she’d lit the last candle.

“Yes, there is some Cuban tobacco in the candle as well, helps with the relaxation side of things as well. When you get my bill at the end, please note these candles are horribly expensive.”

“I won’t even look at the bill,” Diane said, “Gabbie is all that matters right now.”

“Ahh, good job I prepared the bill before you arrived, I could be tempted to pad it after you said that.”

“Hahaha, I have a rough idea of the rate for a session like this.”

“I wouldn’t even dream of it; my rates are available on my website.”

With all the candles lit Sylvie turned off the desk lamp, with the window blinds completely blocking out the light from outside, and the office door providing a light-tight seal to the outer office the only light in the room was provided by the ten scented candles.

Allison spoke through the gloom, “before we start, I would like to ask if you agree to me recording this session, I can make my notes much more accurately if I can refer the recording. Additionally, I have to ask, if you reveal memories of crimes that may help a police investigation, am I allowed to give the police access to the recordings.”

“Oh wow, I didn’t think of that,” Gabbie said, “Diane, what do you think?”

“Well, it’s not my mum in prison, but personally, I guess I’d put justice above family.”

“Yes,” Gabbie said firmly, “to both counts. I have a business card in my purse, DCI Kyle Morris, he’s in charge of the investigation, I’ll give you his number afterwards”

With that sorted Allison pulled out a couple of voice recorders and mounted each one on a small tripod on the desk, “I use two just in case,” she said as she switched each one on and started the recording, “I’ll give you access to the file afterwards, so you have a record of the session.”

Allison checked both recorders were working using a small torch so she could see the screens, satisfied she moved next to Gabbie.

“Now Gabbie, I need you to be as relaxed as possible, so how we work the session is up to you. I’m going to stand here, I’ll be out of your eyeline, so you can concentrate solely on my voice. That’s fixed, but where you want other people is your decision. I understand how important Lucy is to you, do you need to see her, or is it ok just to know she’s here, and Diane, where do you need them to be?”

“I need Lucy to hold my hand, is that ok?”

“I’m afraid that by holding her hand you’ll reduce the effectiveness of the hypnosis. If she stays in your eyeline, so you are aware of her presence, will that be ok?”

“I guess so, Diane as well please.”

Sylvie brought two chairs round so Lucy and Diane could sit either side in front of Gabbie.

“Could I ask you to be as still as possible, so you don’t accidentally become a distraction,” Allison asked, “and some of this might be distressing, please don’t reach out to touch Gabbie, or make sudden movements, as hard as that may seem, bringing Gabbie out of the trance quickly may be psychologically harmful.”

“Is there, like, a safe word?” Gabbie asked.

“Well, I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way Gabbie,” Allison explained, “because you are speaking subconsciously, you won’t be fully aware of what you are saying, so you will have to trust us, especially Lucy and Diane. If they feel you are in distress and are being harmed by what you are revealing they will tell me, I will make a very quick judgement call based on my experience of hypnosis subjects, if I feel their concerns are valid, I will bring you out of the trance. If Diane or Lucy insist, I will bring you out.”

Gabbie looked at Lucy, “are you ok with this?” Gabbie asked.

“Well, obviously I’m nervous for you, but you need this, we’ll carry on.”

“You’ll keep me safe?”

“Of course I will, haven’t I promised that all along?”

“You have, I know you’ll protect me. Ok, I’m ready.”

“Ok, be still and we’ll start, remember Lucy, try to remain calm, no harm can come to Gabbie unless she snaps out mid-trance.”

“Do you use a watch, like in the films?” Gabbie asked.

“No dear, just my voice, now I want you to look at that candle over my shoulder, the one between me and Lucy, can you see it?”

“Yes, I can see it.”

“Now, watch the flame, and while you’re watching it, I want you to think about the squirrels in the woods,” Sylvie had spoken to Allison at length that morning, and pointed out the squirrels were one of Gabbie’s happiest memories, “the flame is a squirrel’s tail dancing as it climbs a tree. Can you see the squirrel, Gabbie?”

“Yes, I can see a squirrel.”

Allison spoke calmly about squirrels and trees, her voice becoming calmer, slower, gentler all the time until Gabbie stopped responding, she was in a trance.

Very quietly, Allison spoke to Lucy and Diane, “Gabbie is now under, her visual responses are vastly reduced, you can move now, but nothing sudden, no noises and please, do not touch Gabbie, especially you Lucy, she will respond more to your touch even if she doesn’t know it’s you, she has a psychic connection to you.”

That stunned Lucy, Gabbie would recognise Lucy’s touch even if she couldn’t see her, maybe Sophie was right about the aura stuff.

Allison continued speaking to Gabbie in a calm, measured voice, talking about the woods, asking Gabbie what she could see, Gabbie talked about trees, birds, and flowers.

“Ok Gabbie, can we go into the house now,” Allison asked.

“Ok,” Gabbie said in the same monotone as she’d used talking about the woods.

“I need you to go to your bedroom, on that first night Gabbie, can you do that for me please.”

“Ok,” a few moments later Gabbie added, “I’m here, in my room.”

“Describe what you see Gabbie, around the room.”

“Like, posters and things,” Gabbie asked.

“Anything that catches your eye, I’m trying to picture your room, I’ve never seen it,” Allison answered.

“There’s my bed, I’ve got my Twilight bedding, there’s a pile of CDs on the floor, Lana Del Rey on the top, that must be in the CD player. I’ve got some posters on the wall; Kelly Clarkson, Florence and the Machine and Ed Sheeran.”