Paranormal Case 9

Chapter Fourteen

As expected, the Leon house came back to life at 7:00 AM when Valeria heard movement in the kitchen. Lupe looked in on her and seemed surprised to see Valeria awake and siting on the sofa with her computer open.

"I'll have some coffee for us in a little while," she said cordially. "Any activity last night? My mother never woke me."

"Yeah. It was an interesting night," Valeria replied, somewhat as an understatement.

"Really? Come into the kitchen. Tell me while I get Natty and Luis' breakfast ready. They're up and getting dressed."

Valeria closed her laptop and went into the kitchen where the smell of coffee was fresh and welcomed. Lupe had set out two bowls and poured breakfast cereal into each. A carton of milk was nearby on the table, as were two glasses of juice for the Children.

Valeria sat at the end of the table as Lupe brought her a cup of coffee.

"I managed to speak with Natalia during her dream," she told her, a bit cautiously. "She was fine with it. Answered a few questions before she woke up. Pretty easily. And then went back to sleep."

Lupe stood still. "Oh, my gosh. She didn't freak out? Did you learn anything?"

"No. She was fine. I learned only that your daughter has some even more amazing insight." Valeria tried not to show her emotional stress over the encounter.

"Well, unfortunately we all know that. But did she . . ."

"Yes. She provided me with some unexpected details . . ."

"About?"

"Well. About my family, actually. My distant relatives. Back in New Mexico."

"What? . . . Jesus, Natty . . ."

"But . . . I suppose more importantly to your daughter's case, I asked where she was getting this information."

Lupe sat down at the table. "Really? And what did she tell you"

"Well, Ortencia was there. We both heard her give . . . a name."

"What name?"

"She told us . . . sort of reluctantly, the name was . . . Ruby. Does that name make any sense to you?"

"Ruby? Just Ruby?"

"Yes. No other identification. She also said this 'Ruby' would be angry with her, if she told her name."

"Oh my God. What do you think that means? Who would this Ruby be? We know no one by that name."

"Often in these cases, someone else's energy speaks through a person. They are usually involved but unaware of it. This seems to be the situation with Natty."

Just then the two children entered the room. Brother and sister. Luis bounded in first as a typical four-year old boy. He wore a bright red T-shirt with a blue dinosaur on it and went right to his seat—careful not to make eye-contact with Valeria as an unexpected stranger sitting at his breakfast table. Behind him came Natalia. She smiled at Valeria in a friendly manner and greeted her mother. Wearing her tight jeans, a white cotton top and bright pink athletic shoes, she seemed upbeat and ready to take-on her routine school day. Valeria could detect no awareness of the disturbing subjects she had discussed in her sleep that night.

Both children ate their breakfast in a typically rushed fashion and went back to their rooms to get book bags, then ran out the door, ostensibly to go to a nearby bus stop.

"They're such cute kids," Valeria said, keeping her calm and sipping her coffee.

"Yes. One very normal, and one . . . extremely different than other children." Her mother said this with sadness in her voice.