A Wishing Moon Read Free Page A

anything with you Lea and Kathy might have recently touched or something you would consider special to them?” Rachel reached into her purse and began taking out items. Arabella realized Rachel remembered what she had seen a much younger Arabella do at the birthday sleepover nearly ten years ago. As a form of entertainment, Arabella had taken turns reading items the other girls had given her and told them things she couldn’t possibly have known by normal means. This had thrilled and mystified the girls, but Rachel Townsend had been horrified and sent a humiliated and embarrassed Arabella home right in the middle of the party.
    Rachel relinquished a pair of sunglasses and a toy mermaid—a small Ariel doll, which had seen much wear at the hands of a little girl. Slowly, Arabella reached out her hand to accept the pitiful offerings. First the sunglasses; she ran her fingers over the rims and lingered longer on the pieces that fit over the ears and the part which set over the bridge of the nose. These were the areas of the glasses that came into greater contact with Kathy’s face and carried the most lingering vibrations. As she touched the frames, she closed her eyes and tuned into the connection, which bound Kathy McLemore with something she had worn every day. A warm sensation began to flow from the object into her hands. As always, with her eyes closed, she began to see images and started to experience emotions she had no, legitimate, reason to feel. Waves of fear and panic began to seize Arabella as she saw Kathy shout at the little girl to Run, Lea, Run! Rough hands threw Kathy to the ground and a sudden blow to the head sent the whole vision into blackness.
    Waiting a few moments and trying to get her blood pressure back to normal; Arabella took a few deep breaths. She knew Rachel was literally sitting on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear what Arabella had seen. She dreaded telling her the truth, but the truth was all she had to offer. “I saw Kathy tell Lea to run, and I felt big, rough hands grab and strike Kathy down. Rachel, Kathy and Lea were first attacked in your kitchen.”
    Rachel Townsend looked flabbergasted. “There were absolutely no signs of a struggle, not a thing looked out of place.” Her tone did not infer she doubted Arabella, only that she was trying to make sense out of the dreadful news she was hearing.
    “ Apparently, someone set everything back into order.” Arabella tried to help Rachel with an explanation. “How about Kathy’s purse and keys, were those left behind?”
    “ No, both of those things were missing. The police asked me about the keys and her handbag right off the bat, and when I told them they were gone, they said it was likely she left of her own free will.”
    Rachel held out the small doll and Arabella took the toy, dreading this part most of all.
    She held the mermaid and touched the small figure the way a little child would, clutching it tightly to her breast, reaching down and rubbing the head and hair on her face. Confusion and terror washed over Arabella and the vision, which came to her eyes, focused on the backyard of Rachel’s house. Lea had been running from someone. Out of nowhere, a hand snatched her off the ground and she felt Lea’s small legs and arms flailing against her attacker. Arabella felt her mouth being covered by a large, rough palm and the airflow being cut off from her nostrils. Coming out of the trance-like state, she choked and coughed, sadly laying the loved, worn doll down on the table. “Lea has been taken, also. I can tell the attacker is a large man, I received no glimpse of his face, but his hands were unusually rough and calloused.”
    “ Oh, this is terrible,” Rachel wailed. “I prayed the police were right, but I knew in my heart Kathy and Lea would have never left without telling me. We hadn’t had any serious disagreements, they were not unhappy, and we were making plans for Christmas. Kathy and I had already bought toys