Free The Somnibus: Book I - Finding the Mark (A Paranormal Thriller) by Craig McGray Page B

gathered my keys,
and headed out the door. I had to do something, and I had a plan.

-Chapter
20-
     
    B arnes stood from his desk and met me in the middle
of the lobby.
    “Can I help you, Michael?”
    “I need to get into my vault again.”
    “Sure, follow me.”
    He led me down the hallway and let me into the
private elevator. I made my way to the vault and grabbed the remaining
pictures. The metal box sat in the middle of the floor, and I pulled at the
latch, but it remained locked. I had no key, so my attention went back to the
photos. I put the box under my arm and made my way back through the maze and
into the lobby.
    “Thanks.” I waved my right hand, pushed my way
through the doors, and sped home.
    An extreme sense of purpose engulfed me as I
grabbed my mother’s trace from my pocket and sat on the floor. I held the
letter that Mort had written in my lap. I wouldn’t hide anymore, and I wanted
answers as to why my parents had died. I didn’t know if I would get all of the
answers, but I knew where to start.
    Closing my eyes and allowing my mind to relax, my
thoughts remained clear and focused. My mind’s eye recalled the close-up
versions of the Somnibus ; the metallic stench and the
yawning sockets of Mallen when he’d attacked me the first time. I thought of
the suffering he’d put my parents through when he’d murdered them. My thoughts
intensified as I waited for the energy to blast me to that awful place. An
eternity seemed to drag by and I nearly gave up when the green flash assaulted
my eyes.
    My chest burned as I flew through the darkness. I
opened my eyes and took a deep breath when the pain subsided. The green
periphery told me I had bridged, but this time was different. I had no control
of my situation, as though being led through the dingy memories of someone
else’s mind.
    The desolate, gray landscape filled the dark
place, but it wasn’t the location of the Somnibus. Sadness sunk into me like I’d never experienced before; more of a depression. My
eyes squinted while trying to make sense of my surroundings.
    I stood on a dirt road facing what appeared to be a
rundown barn and made my way toward the splintered structure—a passenger in
someone else’s mind and body. I’d bridged somewhere, but not to Mallen or any
other Somnibus, having become a person with real feelings. Studying my hands,
examining each side I noticed a mark in the center of one palm, different from
mine.
    The barn got closer as I wandered down the dusty
road. I searched for clues as to whose body I’d possessed. I focused on taking
control of the body, but my mind screamed with a stabbing pain deep in the base
of my skull. The pain overwhelmed me, so I relaxed my thoughts and waited for
the scene to evolve.
    Approaching the open door to the barn, I stepped
inside. The smell of manure and hay hung heavy in the air even though there
weren’t any animals. Shadows filled the scarcely lit building. A dirty light
hung in a room at the far end of the barn. I passed empty stalls while being
drawn toward the faint light. Trying once again to seize control, the searing
pain forced me to stop. I stepped into the room and into the face of a
stranger.
    The image peering back from the mirror was that of
a tall, lanky young man, dressed in torn clothing. Powerless to make any moves,
I remained a passenger trapped in his mind and body, whoever he was. I struggled
to find the energy to eject myself from his body, but my efforts were useless.
    The longer I stood in front of the mirror, the
clearer the reflection became. The man behind the mirror was a young Mort. His
face had no emotion while he held his right palm to the mirror, revealing not
only the mark at the center of the hand, but other marks too.
    Several vertical slits in his wrist ran from the
base of his palm to his mid forearm. His left wrist rose to reveal the same. A
horrific pain pulsed as I tried to escape from the horrid place. Depression
strangled my desire to fight,