The Seer by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 29

He chose a particularly quiet night to begin. With the children fast asleep, and Linda having drifted off on the couch, Tom used the sound recorder on his phone and walking slowly from room to room, spoke in a low tone. Between each question, he allowed a lengthy pause, enough time to record a response. Wandering up and down the second floor hallway, Tom held out his phone, away from his face to avoid recording the sound of his breathing. He walked into Zachary's room, and although Eleanor did not make an appearance, Tom was struck by the feeling of a presence, drifting unseen. But even though Zachary lay fast asleep, Tom continued speaking in a quiet, low voice, determined to establish something of a dialogue with his mother.

Kara's room seemed devoid of the impression Tom got in Zachary's room, and walking in just past the doorway, continued his questions. His goal was not complicated. All he was looking for was acknowledgment. 'Are you here?' If she decided to run on about other matters, so much the better, but Tom was only interested in making contact. After forty-five minutes, he was certain that something had found its way into the phone's recorder, and later that night, he listened intently through a pair of earbuds, straining to hear even the smallest sound. By the time he finished recording, Linda had wearily trudged up to bed, and lying next to her, Tom listened to the recording for the second time. It seemed that the more he listened, the more he heard. He knew that if one looks hard enough, one can see, or hear anything. But it was getting late, and his concentration had been compromised by a tired mind. Turning off his phone, he set it on his night table, rolled over, and quickly sank into a deep sleep. He would listen to the recording again in the morning, when his senses returned.