“We will travel the world together. You’ll have diamonds and jewels and wealth beyond belief.”
All worthless, Michelle thought. What is the price of wealth without freedom and happiness?
“And you will have countless children with special gifts to bring you joy.”
Evil children, raised by a madman, Michelle countered in her mind. This was such a sad thought she vowed she would never let it come to pass.
“I can see you don’t understand yet what I’m offering you, Michelle. We will have everything you could ever want or need. We will travel the world, with beautiful homes in France, Italy, Spain, and anywhere else you want. Anything, Michelle. Beautiful designer clothes and servants to cater to your every whim. All will be yours. An opulent, wealth life, without strife or worry.”
“No,” Michelle said as loudly as she could, when she felt her eyes closing. She struggled to open them again but the lids seemed made of lead and she couldn’t even take a peek through her eyelashes.
As she fell asleep she could hear him droning on and on. She had a frightening thought; she’d heard that brainwashing can take place during sleep, when suggestions are repeated over and over, again and again. She didn’t want his evil, malevolent beliefs influencing her mind.
One thought popped in her mind though, effectively drowning Omar out. She remembered feeling vibrations in her feet from people coming up the stairs below her when she was in that dark stairwell earlier this evening, trying to get away from Omar. She didn’t only see them, and hear them, but she felt them.
Could a conjured hallucination cause physical vibrations? Could her friends really be here?
‘Good, good, good, good vibrations,’ she sang in her mind, from the old Beach Boys’ song.
Then she was totally out, helpless, and unconscious.
Chapter 21
Omar continued painting verbal pictures of the spectacular life he and Michelle would lead together in the future after she’d gone to sleep. The subconscious mind is always awake. He believed he could influence her while she slept.
After a while though, seeing her closed eyes with the long dark lashes, made him sleepy as well. She looked beautiful, lying there in repose, with her thick black hair spread out on the pillow.
He sighed, deciding to go back to his suite on the third floor. Get some sleep. He didn’t believe the four people who’d come take Michelle back to Hawaii could still be in the building. Especially now that the lights were back on. It was way past visiting hours, almost eleven o’clock. They couldn’t possibly still be sneaking around, trying to sabotage his plans.
The nurse, Dondi, came in the room to say she was leaving for the night. Another nurse was taking over the night shift.
Omar gave instructions that he wanted Michelle watched closely.
Dondi shook her head, “I’m so sorry about your wife. Maybe she got scared when the lights went out. She’s been experiencing some memory loss. She couldn’t remember why she was here; that she was having surgery. Maybe she panicked, and that’s why she was wandering around in the dark when you found her.”
“Well, I don’t want it to happen again,” Omar said sternly. “She’s not to be disturbed by anyone. No visitors. I want her to have complete rest for the next few days. Make a note at the nursing station about my instructions so the other care-givers here can follow-up. She could have been hurt.”
Dondi nodded mutely, appearing abject that she had been remiss in her duties.
Omar was satisfied as he went down to the third floor. His instructions should be perfectly clear by now. Maybe it was a good thing that Michelle had wandered around. She would be watched more closely and thoroughly sedated. By the time she was allowed visitors, he would have moved her to another location. Her friends would never find her.
As he was preparing for sleep in his room a little later, Omar remembered Lucifer, who had hidden himself under Michelle’s bed. Damn cat. He’d just have to stay there. Omar was pretty sure the cat wouldn’t come out if doctors or nurses entered Michelle’s room. Lucifer was leery of strangers. Most likely, he hide. There was a chance he’d attack if he thought Michelle was being threatened, but Omar was tired and didn’t want to bother with the animal. He’d probably have to crawl under Michelle’s hospital bed to get the damn cat. It was beneath his dignity to even attempt such a thing.
Omar opened his suitcase and pulled out the toiletry case to get his toothbrush. He frowned in surprise, and then turned the case over, pouring all the items, his comb, nail clipper, slippers, toothpaste, and hairbrush on the bed.
No! He’d hidden the diamond in there.
He mashed the case in his hands, squeezing hard. Nothing. He turned the leather case inside out to check any crevices. It couldn’t be missing. But it was.
Omar gave a gigantic sigh and quickly started dressing in his street clothes again. He’d have to go upstairs, back to Michelle’s room. Those diamonds were tricky. It was meant for Michelle. Somehow it had changed locations. He knew this could happen with magical spirits embedded in solid objects.
This one was evidently a doozy, he thought, a little alarmed. He hadn’t expected it to be so active. There must be a very powerful spirit sleeping inside that was awakened. Now it was attached to Michelle, in the way that a baby chick is imprinted to its mommy duck.
An even more alarming thought: the diamond was attracted to Michelle because she was so formidable. The worst possibility was that the diamond spirit could use Michelle herself for its own purposes of anger or revenge. These spirits were not usually benign. The other negative possibility was that Michelle could put its power to work for herself. If she didn’t, the diamond would take control of her.
Omar practically jogged out of his room to the elevator in his haste. The spirit was too dangerous
