Beyond the Divide: Aicil Paranormal Files #2

Chapter 5

Kaylyn

So, what do you do when the normally open and often overly bubbly one shuts down and locks you out? I wonder, staring silently at my sister's back.

We find Leon and Raymond chatting in the kitchen. Apparently, our absence had been noted, but neither of the men seem concerned. The two are chatting about plans for the farm—work that needed done on the fields and structures by the end of the year—before Leon directed the conversation back to the details of the case.

"The only thing we've experienced on the second floor is the noises," Raymond explains. "And they usually seem to come from the attic."

I rub my temple, feeling an oncoming headache that I desperately want to avoid. "You mentioned a lot of things you didn't consider to be paranormal at first. Is there any way we can speak with the rest of your family? Maybe there are other clues we can work from."

"After last night, I don't feel comfortable bringing them home. My brother said he'd never experienced anything like that—there isn't a rational explanation."

"What exactly did happen to him?" Leon asks, leaning against the banister to the stairs.

Leon has down the role perfectly, just enough inquiry mixed with his relatable demeanor and concerned expression. Laid back enough to make anyone feel comfortable. Enough urgency to assure them that he'll handle it. I've watched clients from all backgrounds relax and open up around him, even when he calls into question their claims, or offers explanations that contradicts their beliefs. Answers and solutions are easy. My problem is tact.

"He was sleeping up there. We were with the kids at a school concert, but he didn't feel up to going—he'd been working all day, fixing up the attic. He said he went to bed early then started to hear voices. He woke up and thought we'd come home, so he came downstairs and no one was here. It was quiet again, so he went back to bed. The next time he woke up, he said it felt like something was strangling him—now, how would someone explain something as crazy as that?"

"Sleep paralysis," I murmur, feeling a thud in my gut as I realize too late that I've blurted it out.

Raymond glares at me—apparently, he's in the category of those who do not want a rational explanation.

"Just pointing out that there could be non-paranormal explanations—" I stumble for words. "Doesn't mean we'll rule out his story, but it can make someone feel like he's being held down or strangled, and the ensuing panic can exacerbate the feeling."

"We should definitely look at the attic," Leon says, stepping between me and Raymond to take control of the situation.

Raymond nods and bypasses him to climb the stairs. "We have three bedrooms on the second floor and a bathroom, but we haven't directly experienced anything there."

He points out each room as we pass until we reached the stairs at the end of the hallway. The stairs lead up to a white door, but Raymond didn't begin the climb. Instead, he turned back to face the three investigators. "He said he fought with it for a few minutes. When he made it out, he came downstairs and went out to sleep in his car until we got home. We didn't stay here last night. We went into town to stay with a friend."

His voice shakes slightly as he continues, "We thought that maybe someone was breaking into the house and coming in the attic, so we put a dowel rod in the window to keep anyone from climbing in, then, just to be safe, we put a case knife in the attic door to hold it closed. My brother—Archie—and I searched the whole house and locked it up before we left. When we came back this morning everything was still locked," he pauses staring at each investigator in turn. "But the dowel rod and case knife were laying on the top step, right outside the attic door."