The Psychic Within

Chapter 25: Deja Vu

I awoke gasping, hungry for air. I lunged forward as my eager breaths turned into coughs... Hard, painful coughs that shook my entire body, trying to expel water that wasn't there. My vision went blurry as tears formed from the force of it.

It only took a single minute for the fit to pass, but that was enough. When it was over, m throat was tender, raw, like I had swallowed steel wool. Blinking away the tears, I tried to get my bearings of where I was... And a coldness creeped in on me when I realized just where I had landed.

I was back in the den, laid out on the couch, just like before.

Just like in my dream...

A shiver passed through me.

Deja vu.

The lingering memory of the dream sent more shivers up my spine, like I was still submerged in that dark, cold water. Though I had plenty of nightmares, this one felt... Different. It couldn't put my finger on exactly why... It wasn't just the fact that I had drowned in it. No, there was something else...

It felt...

Something clattered behind me, off in the distance of Polly's sprawling house. I froze. I wanted to turn around, to look, but...

What if the foyer was dark again?

What if I was back at the beginning of the dream?

My hands shook in my lap, but I had to look. I turned, slowly, and my breath caught in my still aching chest, half-expecting that strange impenetrable darkness...

It wasn't dark. The lights were on. The held breath escaped, rushing out of me in a relieved sigh.

Just as I wondered what the sound had been, more sounds echoing through the house. More banging, more clattering, but also footsteps and... Tory's usual incessant chatter.

He's okay, I thought with another rush of relief, pushing myself off the couch. Though I'd never admit it to him—or to anyone—I had been worried. Sure, he was an annoying puppy, but no one wants a puppy to get hurt.

I headed for the foyer, following his voice—then. Knowing him, he was probably with Luc, and I had questions. A lot of questions, actually. Mostly about what had happened after I passed out, but also my strange new dream. My lingering feeling was quickly turning into a theory...

Just I reached the entrance, another voice joined Tory's. Ethan was talking, too.

No, wait. Not talking. Arguing.

"—and after everything that just happened, why would you want to stay?" I heard Ethan snap just as they came into view, walking out from the corridor under the stairs. Ethan had his coat on and his bag in hand; he looked ready to leave. Tory had his back to me, facing his angry partner.

"Because he needs me!" Tory shot back. "This is my job, remember?"

"No job," Ethan spat the word, his face scrunching like it left a bad taste, "is worth getting yourself killed!"

"I'm fine," Tory said. "Luc said he'd heal me, which is another reason I need to stay here..."

Ethan muttered something under his breath that I couldn't hear.

"Hey!" I called, striding over.

Apparently they hadn't even noticed I was there; Ethan's head snapped up, and Tory jolted before he turned to look at me.

"Hey, Rach!" he said cheerily. "Nice to see you up!"

My mouth dropped open and I took a step back.