THE
RELUCTANT PSYCHIC
By: M. A. Kersey
Tim Havens works at the local post office and tries to live a normal
life yet his life is anything but normal. As long as he can remember Timothy
has always seen ghosts or have dreams about things before they happen.
But the ghosts came and went and never bothered him. The dreams
he dismissed as nightmares. Then he starts having nightmares about a young
man who is murdered. Tim tries to shake off the dream but is is very vivid
and very violent.
The following night he wakes up in a cold sweat after he dreams
that he is the young man and that he is being murdered. Finally, Tim confronts
the ghost, “Who are you and why are you here?” There was silence then he
heard a voice. “My name is Josh Rainfield and I need you to solve my murder.”
“Why me?”, Tim queried. “Because you were chosen.”, the ghost replied.
“Because I was chosen?” “What if I say no?” “That would not be a wise decision
for you,” said Josh. “I cannot possibly do such a thing,” Tim replied with
finality.
After a long week, Friday finally came. Timothy and his girlfriend
Debbie Burch go out to dinner that night. He asks her to spend the weekend
with him. “I would love to Debbie returns with a smile”. Later at Tim’s
apartment the couple are in bed. Debbie is sound asleep. Tim gets up to
go to the bathroom. He relieves himself, flushes the toilet and washes
his hands. That’s when he heard Debbie scream! Tim bolted back to the bedroom
to find her very shaken.”Honey, what’s wrong?" Tim, I heard a man’s voice.
I thought it was you but it wasn’t. I saw a man standing at the foot of
the bed then he just disappeared.” “Oh, no”, Tim thought. “Take me home”,
Debbie said loudly.
At her apartment Debbie asks Tim to stay with her. “Ok”, he replied.
When Tim returned home the next day he tries to call out the ghost. “Ok
mister!”, “You crossed the line scaring my girlfriend. Now show your face!”
There was silence then Tim hears a voice from behind. “I didn’t want to
do that but you left me no choice.” Swinging around Tim comes almost eyeball
to eyeball with Josh.” “If you solve my murder then I will have peace and
your life will go back to normal." I don’t believe that but,” Tim sighed
with defeat. “You show me how I can solve your murder.”
That night Tim sleeps like a baby with no dreams disturbing his
slumber. The night after visions of Josh’s murder came floating through
Tim’s head again and Tim gets his first clue. Tim presents this information
to the police. They try to dismiss him. Then Tim gives them information
that only the police would have known about. They can’t hold him as a suspect
because the crime took place while Tim was still in pre-school. Making
this clear one of the officers said, “You are one lucky son of a gun.”
In a way a bridge had been crossed and Tim and the police began
to work together to solve this cold case. With Josh’s help Tim even produces
a composite sketch of the killer. “This is all fine and dandy,” said one
detective, “but it’s no smoking gun." This doesn’t tell us who killed Josh
Reilly.” Tim left the police station feeling frustrated. The investigation
had begun with promise but now there was a road block and they weren’t
going anywhere. At home Tim settled in for the night in front of the TV
with a Salisbury Steak dinner fresh from the microwave. He wolfed down
the meal. Two hours later he was asleep on the couch.
Josh shows up in a dream. In his mind’s eye Tim saw Josh and a
young woman in bed. They are sleeping. The doorbell rings. Josh gets up
to answer it. A man appears with a gun. He shoots Josh then leaves the
scene. The smoking gun then came as he was driving away. Tim saw the license
plate numbers. Case solved.
Six months later on his 30th. birthday Tim and Debbie got married.
For their honeymoon they checked into a beach side inn. It’s a nice room,
kind of cozy and not too pricey. Tim goes to run a bubble bath for them.
That’s when he hears Debbie scream once again. He ran back into the room."
What's wrong honey?””It’s him!" It's him, Tim, Debbie cried pointing to
the picture on the bed. Tim picks up the picture. It’s a snapshot of their
wedding day and in the background there’s Josh!
It’s the guy I saw at your apartment that night.” Oh, no, thought
Tim.
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