02: Asking Nana

When Allah loves a servant, He tests him.

Mahhamad

She answered on the third ring.

“Laura? This is Alison. Do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, a few. No hot dates pending. What’s up?”

“I was researching what Dan said about Energy Medicine. While I’m familiar with regular EM techniques, psychic energy is apparently the latest thing, and few people are experienced in it. I got several leads and ... I’ve scheduled a physic reading.”

“Whoa, girl, hold on. What’s this about? Didn’t Dan convince you this is legit, or are you checking up on him? And most importantly, did you mention it to him?”

“That’s the thing. I’m not doing this for myself, I’m curious why, with so many spirits speaking to him, he still can’t make any headway. So, I’ll ask for a personal intervention.”

“From someone your professional medical experts recommended?”

“No, from my grandmother, Jenny. She’s already aware I’m involved with him, so I’m hoping to get a slightly more nuanced answer from her than he’s receiving.”

“I don’t know, his answers were pretty darn specific.”

“I’m not asking about my future. I’m inquiring about him. I want to determine why these spirits won’t explain what they’re so concerned about.”

Laura was silent for a moment, so Alison checked her signal to ensure she hadn’t lost the connection. “That’s ... ballsy. And what do you think he’ll say when he finds out?”

“I’m more worried about him than I am about myself. If I can get more information about what he’s facing, I trust it’s easier begging forgiveness than asking permission.”

“It makes sense, so why are you calling me and not your new connection?” She paused. “Is this legit, not some street-corner shop or a 900 number?”

“No, she came into this from the medical field, so she’s as cautious of these things as we are. But I thought you might be interested in what she says. After all, it concerns Dan, and you’ve got as much right to the information as I do. Plus, I’m only asking one question, so if you have some of your own, now’s your chance.”

“I don’t know, this seems pretty underhanded, but I’m intrigued. Count me in. Do you need me to help cover it?”

“Nah, it’s already set up. I’m having a Zoom meeting with her in another hour, so it’ll give you time to consider what you want to know.”

“Personally, I’m not convinced your granny will be receptive to me asking her questions about your new boyfriend.”

“Our boyfriend,” she said, chuckling.

“Count me in then. If nothing else, I’m intrigued to see how this works.”

“Good, I’ll loop you in when I make the call. Here’s the link.”

Alison opened the Zoom window to see an attractive and professional young woman—younger than either of them. Laura popped up on the display a moment later.

“Ms. Abbert?”

“You must be Alison Ford. And please, call me Jennifer. Are you familiar with Energy Medicine’s physic readings?”

“Not at all, but I’ve heard quite a bit about it recently. But we’re looking for specific information.”

“You and ... Ms. Wells? Do you mind me asking how you’re related? Not that it matters, but it may help me if I know your relationship to the inquiry.”

“That’s a thousand-dollar question,” Laura said.

“We’re looking for data on a friend of ours. Laura and I are his potential girlfriends.”

“Potential? That’s certainly a term rife with questions.”

“Trust me, it’s as complicated as you’re imagining, but it seems he was contacted by our deceased relatives, but they aren’t providing the answers he’s after?”

“This isn’t sounding like a standard physic reading. If you want to know about a boyfriend, why not do a web search or ask an ex-girlfriend.”

“It’s our next step, but I’m hoping to ask my Nana—the one who provided the information about me—whether she can give me the straight dope on him.”

“Interesting. So, what do you want me to ask her?”

“I only have a single question: why she can’t give me a direct message? Why are the messages he’s getting so cryptic and confusing?”

“My first impulse is to say, if a new boyfriend is giving you unclear psychic reports, he’s probably a scam artist. But honestly, these things are never straightforward. After all, it’s not like you can call the afterworld directly, and those you contact often have other concerns. Why don’t you ask him if he’s an expert?”

“He’s not. Instead, after a few near-death experiences, his deceased relatives won’t leave him alone. But he’s been at this for some time, at least several years, and it cost him his previous relationship. So, we’re curious. If these spirits are so insistent, why they can’t be more straightforward?”

“Normally, these things take time, as I’ll need to prepare myself. But, if it’s such a simple question, maybe I can do it now. So, who’s your grandmother?”

“She’s my Nana, Jenny Ford, though her maiden name was Taylor.”

Jennifer didn’t answer, closing her eyes, taking a deep calming breath and waiting. A moment later, her eyes reopened. “She says you should ask him when he last time died.”

“What does that mean?” Laura asked.

“I haven’t the slightest clue. As I said, messages from the afterlife usually only have meaning to those connected to them.”

“Actually, it sounds like a legitimate answer, so we’re not questioning you. Dan told us he’s had several near-death experiences, but ... it seems they weren’t so distant. Maybe they’re more frequent than he’s admitting? I foresee an awkward dinner conversation tomorrow night,” Laura teased.

“Since you answered that so quickly, can I ask another?”

“Is it to the same person?”

“No, and this one is a little unusual.”

“Trust me, that one was plenty unusual,” Jennifer said, grinning.

“Because these are all related to death, and my Nana thinks he actually died, I’d like you to do psychic reading on Dan. I’m not really expecting anything since he’s ... still living. But my Nana gave us a potential lead, and I’d like to pursue it while the information is hot.”

“Well, you’re right. It is a unique request. Psychic readings on the living aren’t uncommon but addressing them as if they no longer are, is. Because it is so extraordinary, I assume it’ll be more difficult, so I’ll have to charge you for another session.”

“I’ve got no problem with that. But as we said, we’re curious why the messages—from so many otherwise clear sources—aren’t more straightforward. So, do what you can. And if you can’t get meaningful answers, don’t worry about it. But as her previous answer was so rapid and direct, I’m guessing she’s onto something.”

“Give me a day. This is so irregular, it’ll likely take more concentration, so I’d like to spend time preparing. I’ll call you tomorrow evening.”

“It’s going to be difficult, because we’ll be having dinner with him, and if things go well, it may be an extended night. I’ll tell you what though, rather than a Zoom call, why not phone me directly on my cell. I’m assuming you can tell me if you got anything or not. That way I can slip away to discuss what you learned in more detail.”

“It sounds like a plan. And I must say that I’m intrigued. I keep learning new things in this field, as this will be the first time I’ve tried contacting a living person. That’s not to say I haven’t done psychic readings on people before, but it’s the first time attempting to contact them on the spiritual plane. Hopefully I can learn something useful from it.”

Laura drove on their way to dinner when Alison’s cellphone rang. “Hello?” she answered, trusting it was Dan.

“Alison, this is Jennifer Abbert. I wanted to reach you before you met him again.”

“We’re just on our way. Are you finished? What did you discover?”

“It was horrendous! I’ve done this for years, and was never terrified by a single encounter, but I’ve never faced anything this horrific.”

“Whoa! Catch your breath girl. Relax and tell me what this is about.”

“I prepared myself, clearing my mind and emptying my mind of any negative influences, and then did as you asked, reaching out to him. It happened immediately. I was sucked in and it took every ounce of strength I possessed to escape. I nearly didn’t. Whatever you do, don’t meet him, and I’d avoid him if you and Laura hope to survive!”

“What did you see? What did you encounter?”

“That’s just it, it was nothing. The entire scene was as black as pitch. He wasn’t experiencing or seeing anything, but I was staring into the inky maw of death itself!”

“What are you suggesting?”

“He’s decay and destruction incarnate! I couldn’t feel any life in him at all. There was nothing in his entire existence, and it sucked the life from everything around it like a black hole consumes nearby stars.”

“Isn’t that a tad extreme?”

“Do whatever you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. The man isn’t just evil, he’s your annihilation! I never want to experience that again and will probably be in therapy for years for simply attempting a simple reading. But I’m done. I don’t want to ever face something so terrifying again!”

When the phone went dead, Alison turned to Laura, who hearing only one side of the discussion had pulled over and was sitting by the curb. “What was it about?”

“I have no idea. Ms. Abbert, our EM specialist, just stated that Dan is Satan and devours souls. I suspect we just ended her career!”

“If she’s spouting such nonsense, she was hanging on by a thread as it was.”

“She seemed pretty coherent yesterday.”

“You sorta have to be, or they’ll institutionalize you,” Laura countered. She considered her new friend. “So, what’re we doing? Ignore her or heed her advice? Turn back or damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead?”

“Knowing as little of Dan as we do, I can’t believe he’s anything like what she described, but he admitted he speaks with the dead frequently. And we were told to ask him when he last died, as apparently, he’s courting death on a regular basis. I doubt he’s lying, and he seems forthcoming, but it’s obvious there’s more to this than he’s let on.”

“That much was clear last week, when he kept trying to avoid discussing his earlier revelations. He said he didn’t want to terrify us, and Jennifer’s convincing over how scary what he’s facing is. So, I’ll ask again. Are we brave enough to risk our lives defending someone we barely know, or cut and run before we become too immersed to escape?”

“Dan could easily have lied, as it was his first inclination. He only changed his mind because everyone else in his life turned their backs on him. So, I’m sticking this out. You can quit, and I’ll defend you over it, but I think we need to discover just what he’s really facing.”

“That’s what I was thinking. I just wanted to be sure you weren’t getting cold feet. But given this, I’m seeing his ex in an entirely new light.”

“I don’t think she had any idea how deep this went. From the sounds of it, she withdrew as soon as he started hearing voices. And then, when he stopped discussing it, trying to protect her, she resented being frozen out of his life. Yet, she was never willing to face what he was dealing with. The faults in their relationship seem to cut both ways.”

“I agree, it puts it all in perspective, but I still can’t side with her in this. I still want to understand what’s behind it. I’ve known of several people who’ve had near death experiences, and I’ve never heard of anything like this. I’m not going to abandon someone who’s already on their last legs and is desperately clinging to the only available life raft.”

“Good,” Laura said, pulling back into traffic. “Because if we’re planning an immediate confrontation, I’d rather not show up late!”

When they arrived, Laura immediately flagged the waiter before sitting. “I think we’ll need some drinks. What do you say, Alison? Is wine sufficient, or do you prefer whiskey?”

“Do you even need to ask? And you might as well order a full bottle.”

Gio’s restaurant looked different than the other day. It was not only lively, it was packed. Dan’s friend had to be making a fortune based on the turnover alone. Gio hadn’t appeared yet, though the waiter and maître ‘d clearly recognized Dan.

“I’m guessing this is a harbinger of bad news,” he ventured, leaning back and adjusting his cuffs. “Are you bailing on me?”

“Not at all.” Laura sat, meeting his gaze rather than focusing on her seat or those surrounding them. “The fact we even showed up is evidence of your continuing good luck, but ... we received some disquieting news.”

The two had gone all out for the evening. While Vitale’s was hardly a formal dining establishment, they were nicely though informally dressed. Both wore jewelry, with Laura revealing additional curls while Alison put hers into braids, giving her a more refined look with a neater appearance. Dan wore a suit jacket, though without a tie

“Disquieting? Not unhappy or unsettling? You went straight for disquieting?”

“We had enough unsettling last Thursday,” Alison said as the waiter stopped by, handing them their menus. His eyes widened when they ordered a bottle of their best Scotch whiskey and three glass with no ice. But when Dan nodded, he hurried off to do their bidding, their looks brooking no dissent.

“So, what was the news?” he inquired.

“Having just learned about psychic energy from you, I decided we needed more information before we continued, so figured turnabout was fair play. So, we hired an EM consultant to do a reading on you.”

Rather than responding, Dan closed his eyes and sagged in his chair, groaning softly.

“Exactly. But it wasn’t so bad—at least not initially. Instead, since you asked my Nana Jenny about me, I figured it was only fair to ask her about you.”

“And?”

“She answered my question with her own, something she was hardly known for while alive. She suggested I ask when you last died?”

Rather than reacting, he cocked his head. “It’s a tricky issue.”

“Really?” Laura responded. “Either no or June the 23^rd are fairly simply answers.”

“As you’ve guessed, I’m not a simple man. But the easiest is last night.”

“Wow! I was expecting a surprising response, but not something so recent.”

“When I said I hear voices, I didn’t mean every now and then. I meant it’s constant. This is similar. It’s a nightly thing. What’s more, it lasts a long time, typically most of the night. Frankly, I doubt I’d even wake if there was a fire in the room. Though, I trust the spirits would warn me, since they seem so focused on me.”

The waiter returned, displaying a bottle of Glenmorangie Original ten-year-old Single Malt. Dan nodded and poured the three lowball glasses three-quarter full, before laying several bills on the table. “We might forget to tip you later, so here it is now. This doesn’t include dinner, as we may not get that far tonight.”

“Trust me,” Laura said. “This will take a while, so you’d best bring a few appetizers to absorb some of the alcohol. We have a lot to discuss, but it’s best done rationally.” She considered him. “There’s no sense learning your secrets only to forget them again.”

They each took a healthy swig, though wanting to retain a clear head, Dan’s was substantially smaller than the girls. “Let me see your arm,” Alison demanded. Looking perplexed, He rolled up his sleeve. She removed her expensive gold-colored smart watch, took his hand, adjusted it for his wrist and attached it.”

“She was playing with it for most of the ride over,” Laura explained.

“As you might guess, I never set up the heart monitor for myself, so I had to research how to program it. But we need to document this. Wear this tonight, as we should determine whether you actually die, or just fall into a deep sleep and merely dream of the afterworld.”

“I’m no zombie, so clearly, I’m not dead.”

“Maybe so, but most people don’t drop the word ‘die’ so casually either. This will establish if you do or not. By the way, I made a call earlier and hope to schedule a sleep clinic appointment for you.”

“I can tell you; I’m out the entire night. I sleep so well I don’t make a peep, as Chrissie could attest.” Dan glanced over their shoulders and shook his head no, so both women turned, and observed Gio heading back into the kitchen. Apparently, he was intent on meeting again, but Dan quickly disabused that notion, and Gio didn’t ask for details.”

“We’ll get to her soon,” Alison warned. “But the center, if we can fit you in soon enough, is equipped with heart and oxygen monitors.”

“I’m telling you now, those cardiac monitors will blare throughout the night.”

“It’s what I expect, but we’re interested in the actual numbers, not the default alarms. I’ll talk to the clinic managers and make special arrangements.”

“Is this all really necessary?” he pleaded.

“If your heart slows enough to register a stoppage, you could be doing substantial damage to your entire body. Yet the fact you haven’t indicates it isn’t. But it makes sense documenting what is occurring, so we’ll know whether it’s worsening or not.”

“Fine, I can accept that.” He took another sip. “But what’s the bad news?”

“That’s not dire enough?” Laura chuckled darkly, as she and Alison followed suit, making faces at the potent taste.

“You wouldn’t be saving it for last if there wasn’t something worse, probably much worse.”

“No, you’re right,” Alison confirmed. “My EM specialist did a reading on you, and as you seem to know, she was terrified. I’m guessing there will be one less psychic reader in the morning. She said not only didn’t she pick up any signs of your life or personality but was nearly devoured by your void. That your inner essence is utterly black, and nothing can escape, leaving nothing in its wake.”

“And yet, you’re both here. I’ll admit, I’m impressed. If it were anyone else, I’d never hear from them again, though you seem to be prepared for the worst.”

“We may not be ready yet, but we’ll get there eventually,” Laura clarified, raising her glass but not taking any more.

“All right, here’s the truth. I spent the majority of the time—at least overnight—on the cutting edge of the quick and the dead. Though I broach the divide, I remain living while venturing into the land of the deceased.”

“So, you don’t actually die?”

“Not literally, but you knew that the other night. Just as I’m not a zombie, I’m also no vampire.”

“Too bad,” Laura said, taking another sip. “From what I’ve seen in the movies, they’re pretty hot!”

“Hey, you two are the ones worried about my ticker!”

“If that’s the case, why didn’t she see any deceased spirits during her reading? Are you there alone, or was she just not able to see anything else?”

He shrugged, playing with his glass, tilting it and observing the whiskey dance along the edges. “It’s the nature of the divide. When you enter, you can’t see anything on either side. It’s just utter blackness. And it’s not the color black, it’s our inability to see anything. This land is truly a void, empty of anything marking it. As far as I can tell, nothing ever passes through here, aside from me.”