A Day in The Life of a Seer - 2. Wedding Day

I sat in the corner of my couch, breathing in the heavenly aroma of my morning coffee and waiting for the phone to ring. I could almost count it down in my head, in five, in four, in three, in two, in … Ring.

“Calm down Tabby. Your veil is in the bottom of the bag, under the wedding dress.”

I could see the look she was giving me in my mind. God, Tabitha was so like our mother sometimes, and I knew her too well. The damn visions only helped to make it clearer to me than it already was.

“You know. the fact that you got Mom’s powers still irks the shit out of me.”

She should only realize how much of a joy it was for me. I knew, unfortunately, that she was just nervous and was eternally grateful this didn’t end up in her lap.

“Right. Anytime you want them, Tabby, just tell me how to give them to you.”

“Ugh. Sometimes you are such a pain in the ass.”

Sisters, love them or not they are with you ‘til you die, or if you are the seer in the family, maybe beyond that. Tabitha was going to have a really beautiful wedding, and she would look completely stunning in the dress her best friend had created just for her. I might be an ass, but even I could admit when my sister looked good.

I looked across the room to where my gray tuxedo hung, waiting for me to get dressed.

“Tom, just tell me that this isn’t a mistake.”

I could hear the nervousness in her voice. My older sister never got nervous, but I guess there is a first time for everything.

“Look, Tabby, nothing in life is perfect. You and Marcos will have good times and bad times. The thing is, if you want it, this is going to be a good thing for you.”

As much as I loved her, I didn’t want to freak her out by telling her I would end up being an uncle five times because of her. Tab might be many things, but she sure as hell wasn’t maternal, at least not yet. The thought of her and the kids brought a smile to my face.

I heard the soft sigh. I knew I’d done my job for my nervous sister.

“Just remember, Tom, if something goes wrong, this is entirely your fault. It is because of you we met.”

Right, like I wouldn’t remember that. I mean the two of them met because of me. Alright, to be honest it was due to one of my visions because of my paying job. I worked at the local university as an English Professor. My area of expertise is early literature, and inevitably, I had to deal with the Greek and Roman myths. Sometimes, I really had to wonder if there was such a thing as myths. It seemed the more we learned about the world and the past, the more myths seemed to have more than just a grain of truth in them.

I wasn’t much for vanity, but my classes were popular. Only my students hated one thing about me. I always scheduled my exams and papers around the surprise snow storms, weird power outages, and when I would be away. They knew if I said a paper was due, the paper was due and there would be no extensions. Drove them all nuts; however, it never seemed to put a dent in my course load. My classes always were offered, I would be told I would need at least twenty students to keep it, and always they were filled to the maximum with a waiting list. It gave me a steady paycheck while my “other” job often stripped me of my savings.

Case in point was when I first got the job at the university, five years ago. I was brand new, and a week into classes, Nick Carriage disappeared off the campus. He was one of my students, and naturally, when one of my other students passed me in the hallway, he mentioned the name and bam that was it.

The gray fog slowly filled my vision. Nick was walking back toward his room and his knapsack was slung over his shoulder. He was wearing headphones and holding the iPod in his hand. He was bopping along, enjoying the music, when suddenly, he was hit so hard that the iPod was flung from his hand into the bushes, while his bag was torn right off his shoulder. Nick lay there unmoving as the dark figure moved towards him and reached for his face.

“Mr. Cleary? Mr. Cleary are you alright?”

Anita Maccon, the head of the department, stood before me. She was a short blonde woman who took no prisoners. She told me from the moment she hired me that she wasn’t sure I would fit in and she would be keeping a very careful watch on me. I knew she was right, but I also knew that eventually she would see me as a benefit to the department, if not the university itself.

“Sorry Mrs. Maccon. I was just lost in thought. One of the students mentioned Nick Carriage was missing. He is a student in my class.”

“Yeah, I know all about it already. He is a freshman. I hope it is just a case of homesickness where he went back without letting anyone know, but his parents haven’t heard from him, and he isn’t answering his phone.”

Hard to answer what you no longer have, and Nick’s phone was in his bag. This meant I was naturally going to get involved to help the kid. Of course this is also how I met Maisy. She sure as hell doesn’t believe in me or my powers, but she also has no way to explain what I do, either. Of course, this case introduced us, and not in any fun sort of way.

I knew, and not from a vision for a change, that the police would question everyone, including Nick’s teachers, in an attempt to find out more information. I’d seen similar things happen when my mother had gotten involved in cases due to her visions. It didn’t take long before I had two officers knocking on my door, asking if they could talk to me about one of my students.

“Sure. I’m Tom Cleary, and Nick is in my Classics 101 course. I only had one class with him on Mondays.”

“Did you notice anything in particular about him? Was there anyone he was talking to or hanging around with?” The older cop seemed sort of bored and was asking the questions like he had uttered them a thousand times before. It was his partner that, unfortunately, blew my cover and put me right in the middle of a suspected kidnapping.

“Is there anything you can remember? We know he was always carrying his bag and it was …”

Gray fog coated my eyes and I found myself speaking the vision to them.

“Dark green with a Superman pin in the strap. He carried his phone in the left side. When he was taken he was carrying it and was busy with his iPod. The impact knocked him off his feet and spun the iPod under the bushes. The strap broke, the bag fell off his back and his head hit the ground hard. Before he could recover, he was taken.”

Shit! I hate it when I end up speaking the vision. It always freaks people out, and most of the time, I am not even sure what the hell I tell people. Well, when my vision ended and I could see again, I found myself looking down the barrel of a gun, while the other officer rapidly was reading me my Miranda rights. Handcuffs were slapped on me and I was dragged out to the police car. It wasn’t long before I was sitting uncomfortably in a cell at 3 Police Road. Yeah, I know, a police station on Police Road, who would have thought it? Sorry, I was always a sarcastic bastard, and it always gets worse when I am stressed.

Anyway, I sat there in a room alone for twenty minutes while they hoped to make me nervous so I would break, and tell them where I had put Nick. Meanwhile, I knew some of what Nick knew, but I sure as hell didn’t have anything to do with his being kidnapped. It was just a case of me waiting so I could make a phone call and get a lawyer. I didn’t do anything, but I needed help and considering I hadn’t made a connection yet, I was going to need help and quick. Then in walked Maisy.

“So, Tom … where the hell is Nick?”

Maisy Andres was all of five foot three. Most people would see her short stature and ignore her as a threat. That is one advantage of my second “job”, I see beyond the mask people wear. Here was a woman who could handle any situation. She had a black belt, was an expert shot, and used her height to disarm people. Too bad I knew all her secrets, including the fact that she hadn’t done laundry and was wearing her emergency granny panties that were far too big for her tiny figure.

“I honestly don’t know, and right now, you don’t believe me at all. I want my phone call, please, and by the way, I’d change your underwear in the next half hour before the elastic lets go.”

The look she shot me would have withered a lesser being. Unfortunately for Maisy she had never met my mother, so she had no way of knowing her look meant nothing to me.

The call, naturally, was carefully watched. I knew there was only one person to call, Tabitha. In my family you didn’t call for a lawyer because you did something wrong, you called because you were accused of knowing too much to not have something to do with it. I knew she would pick up on the second ring.

“Tabitha, I need a lawyer, and I need them now.”

“Already? For crying out loud, Tom, you just got there.”

“I know. Just get me one quick. Fill them in, so they know what they are getting into.”

“Any suggestions about who to …”

Gotta love that gray mist. I could see her finger move down the list of lawyers. Normally, I could care less, but if the fact that her asking me who to pick triggered a vision, well – Actionalas, Adams, Adonto, Aegis. Wait, Aegis? That is the one she has to call and it is important not only for me, but for her. Joy, a lawyer named for the Greek shield of Zeus. Why am I not surprised?

“Call? I mean, it isn’t like I can just run my fingers down the list of names and have one jump out and say pick me.”

“Actually, that is exactly what you did just now and the one you want is Marcos Aegis. Don’t ask me why; I just know you have to pick him.”

Yeah, I don’t exactly like to announce I am having a vision. Tends to put people off and they think I am nuts, and considering I’m standing in a jail being accused of kidnapping one of my students, better to keep that to myself.

“I’m on it. Don’t worry, I’ll have him there as fast as I can.”

“Thanks.”

Fast is a relative term, I’ve come to learn. I sat in the jail cell for an hour and a half before Tabby showed up with Mr. Aegis. When the two of them came into view together, it clicked in my head, these two were meant for each other. Now I knew why my mother occasionally played matchmaker, and it always worked out. It was because she already knew it would.

While Maisy did her best to tie me to the crime, Marcos did his best to keep me silent and out of the way. It was interesting watching how these two slung terms and police procedures back and forth like most people toss a tennis ball around. Things might have continued if it hadn’t been for the cops finally locating the knapsack and iPod, which Maisy took as proof of my involvement. Lucky for me, Nick had been downloading a song and it was asking for an okay to proceed. The site had kept asking and stated it was now asking for thirty three hours. Back tracking time wise put me in the middle of the library with ten students who were already trying to get a jump on the semester. I made it a habit to hang out in the library so my students could find me easily. I didn’t have an office to have office hours in yet, my first year.

Although I had been cleared of being directly involved, it didn’t mean the police didn’t keep me under surveillance. Marcos wasn’t sure what sort of client he had taken on, but the mist ended up doing a lot to show him just who I was and that I could be trusted. Tab had to leave before I was released to get back to work, and I waved her on, knowing her part with Marcos would come much later. For Marcos, the truth began as soon as I was released from jail and he had to take me home.

“Look, your sister asked me to talk to you and you would explain everything. How did you know about the iPod and knapsack?”

I looked at him and shook my head slowly. “Did you get a chance to research me or my family at all?”

Marcos leaned against the kitchen counter and stared at me. “Honestly?”

That was all it took for another damn visit from the mist. I could see him sitting in a tee shirt and jeans earlier, trying hard to find things on me. He had done an exhaustive search on Thomas Cleary and come up empty, other than another teaching position I had held in Connecticut.

“So you came up empty. Would it help you to know Cleary wasn’t my original last name?”

Marcos looked at me for a moment. “Okay. So what was it?”

“My family name is actually Mantis.”

“Why does it that sound so familiar?” Marcos looked at me and loosened his tie. He walked over to his computer and a moment later leaned back. “So your mother was ….” His eyes were wide as he looked at me. “But the seers are always women. How could you have it?”

I laughed. “Ask my mother? Oh, right. She didn’t know either.”

“So your sister …” Marcos’ voice trailed off as he looked at me.

“Tabby is as normal as they come. She is the first female not to get the power. Pissed her off.”

“Are you sure you have it? I mean, I know …” Marcos was beginning to get a head of steam up.

The grey mist swirled before my eyes. “Marcos get off the ladder before you fall. Your grandfather is going to tan your hide for not listening to him. Look at your leg! You might need stitches.” There was a long gash on Marcos’ left upper leg that went from just above the back of his knee to his butt cheek.

“… people are always trying to prove things.”

“You have a scar on your left side from just above your knee to your butt. You really should have listened to your grandfather and stayed off the old ladder that went to the tree house. Surprised that is all the damage you did to yourself.” I shook my head at his surprised look.

“No one knows about that. How did you?”

“Vision. Sometimes, someone says something to me and I have one. It is what happened when they came to ask me about Nick.”

Marcos closed his mouth and just sat quietly.

“You okay, Marcos?”

“Why do I get the feeling you are going to be needing me as your lawyer a lot?”

I chuckled. “Because the seers in my family usually end up needing a lawyer.”

I headed home and was tailed by the worst set of police I have ever seen. They almost crashed into the back of my car when I stopped at a light. Maisy wasn’t going to let me out of her sight, ‘cause while she felt I hadn’t directly done the crime, she felt I knew too much, so I had to be involved.

My shadows followed me all the next day. I stopped for coffee and they followed me in. I went clothes shopping and there they were. I went to class and they stood in my classroom doorway. Things were just nuts. I could have kissed Maccon when she came to see me and gave me the vision I so needed.

“Jesus, Tom, what is going on? You have two cops following you everywhere on campus!”

“Sorry, Anita. I told you that I … uh … have some issues that pop up not related to my area of study.”

Anita crossed her arms and looked at me for a moment. “You mean the fact your mother is Andrea Mantis and you seem to have her abilities?”

I hadn’t told Anita exactly who I was, but I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised. “Uh, yeah.”

“I know all about you, Tom. I don’t hire anyone ‘til I know they won’t be able to hurt the university. So I take it this is about the missing boy, Nick Carriage?”

And as simple as that the mist took me. Nick was tied up in a basement. His shirt had been removed and there were marks all over his chest and arms. I could see a large bump on the side of his head and his eyes weren’t focusing. The room was cold, damp and silent. Nick lifted his head and I could just make out a faded image of a blue horse on the wall across from him. There appeared to be some faded writing by it and Velcro appeared to be on parts of the wall above Nick’s arms.

“Anita does a blue horse painted on a wall mean anything to you?”

“A blue horse?” She tilted her head and closed her eyes.

“Yeah, and it had some sort of slogan or something painted by it.”

“The old Tennyson High School used to have a horse for mascot. It is a three story eyesore on the edge of town. Building is condemned. Top floor had the roof ripped off in a tornado a few years ago. The first floor is a mess and I think the basement used to be the gym. School district sold the land, and I believe they are supposed to tear down the building later this summer.”

“I know where Nick is, then. Come on. It is time to put my body guards to use.”

Anita laughed as she followed me to the hall. The two cops tried to look nonchalant as they stood five feet from the doorway.

“Gentlemen, if you come with me. I think I know where Mr. Carriage is.”

The two cops looked at each other and then at me.

“What do we do?” The taller cop asked the shorter one.

“Is Carriage alright?” The shorter cop stared at him

The mist immediately came back and swept me away. Nick’s head slammed into the wall behind him. “I’m getting tired of seeing you. You thought you were so cocky and didn’t need anyone else. Guess you learned the hard way no one needs you, Nicky boy.” Nick’s left eye was swollen shut, but he forced his right to open and look at the man before him. He still didn’t know who this guy was. He was a giant, standing over his six foot two frame. The face was still hidden in the deep hood from the hoodie he always wore. The only thing he knew for sure was the man was strong and had no problem beating the hell out of him.

“How fast can you get us and an ambulance to the old Tennyson High School?”

“Come on. Hurry up.” The short cop began to run toward the door. The other cop and I followed.

While the short cop jumped in the front, the tall cop opened the back for me and reached for his handcuffs.

“Don’t bother, Max. Get in here and call the captain. Request an ambulance and tell everyone no sirens.”

I sat in the back of the cop’s car listening as the cop known as Max called everything in. The car rushed across town, past streets and businesses I didn’t even know existed as we headed out to the school.

“Keep an eye on him. If Nick says he is part of this, arrest his ass on the spot!” Anita’s voice came through loud and clear on the car’s system. “I’m leaving the precinct now. I’ll meet you at the school.”

“Yes ma’am. We are pulling up now.” Max turned and kept an eye on me.

The car slid silently to a stop in front of the building.

“Come on, Cleary. You said you knew where to find him.” The shorter cop jerked the back door open for me.

“Barry, shouldn’t he be in cuffs?” Max took his off his belt.

“He doesn’t have a gun and he wanted us here. If something was going to happen he had chances before now.” Officer Barry shook his head. “Come on Cleary. We need you to lead us to Nick.”

I wasn’t expecting another vision but the grey mist once more swirled up and swallowed me. Nick was hanging from his shackles. He was weak and couldn’t take much more from his tormentor. The man had moved across the room and was digging through a bag he had set under the painting of the horse.

“We don’t have much time. How do we get to the basement?”

Barry took off like a shot and I did my best to keep up. Max ran behind and kept me in view.

I arrived a moment behind Barry who had his gun out and pointed at a huge behemoth of a man holding a baseball bat, raised to smash into Nick’s head.

“Drop the bat or I will shoot you!” Barry moved slowly into the room, his aim on the head of the guy with the bat.

“Nick, just don’t move. We’ll have you out of here in a few minutes.” I called out trying to comfort him.

A deep laugh filled the room and echoed off the walls. “Don’t know how you found us, but Nicky boy isn’t going anywhere.”

The behemoth turned and threw the bat at Officer Barry. The move was so fast and so on target that Barry never got to get off a shot as the bat slammed into his arm and a sickening crack filled the room. Barry dropped his gun and fell to his knees as the massive man began to run towards him.

I was so focused on Barry and Nick that I’d forgotten about Max until I heard the loud pop behind me. A moment later the giant lay on the ground.

I never got a chance to do much as it seemed Maisy and her fellow officers swarmed into the old gym. There were cops everywhere, and two more ambulances were called in. Nick ended up going in one, Barry in another and two cops covered the gigantic man who had caused all this with a sheet.

Maisy was pissed that she couldn’t tie me to any of it, but it wouldn’t be the last time I would come into a case she was dealing with. The colossal muscle-bound creep was half out of his mind and evidently thought Nick was out to take his place in life. Steroids and being manic depressive had him focusing on Nick because they were originally supposed to be roommates, until someone noted that Nick was a freshman and Dallas Weston was a senior.

As a way of thanking Marcos for his help keeping me out of trouble I invited him over for dinner, as well as my sister, Tabby. Once the two met in person in a social situation the sparks just flew. Within a year they were engaged. And now, here it was - the day the two of them were to tie the knot.

I sat drinking my coffee, waiting for the second call to come in. Yes, in four, in three, in two, in … RING!’

“Yes, Marcos, she has everything. Don’t forget your tie is still on the hook in your bathroom.”

“Grrr. Sometimes I don’t know why I put up with you at all, Tom.”

“Because I have a pretty face, and you are in love with my sister.” I tried not to laugh right into the phone.

“Bastard.”

“Occasionally. I’ll be over to get you in an hour. Need coffee or anything?” I smiled as I took a sip of my coffee.

“You are asking?” Marcos sounded surprised.

“Not really, but I figure I scare you often enough with my cases, so why drive you nuts on your wedding day.”

Marcos laughed. It was a good sign, considering he was marrying into the family of a seer.

“I know. Coffee, vanilla, light, no sugar, and you want an apple fritter.”

“No comment. See you in an hour.”

I smiled. At least, I wasn’t worried about getting married. After all, who wanted to marry a gay man who could see everything?