The Storyteller's Muse  - Chapter 21, Pt. 1

"I'm not certain," David replied. "We walked in the room. You saw Margot and you fainted. Luckily, I had some smelling salts for Margot handy. Are you all right?"

"Yes, I guess. I just had a bad dream or vision or something." The episode with its eerie, yet romantic revelations had set her heart on fire. Touching her lip, the warmth of "Stephen's" sensuous kiss lingered. She studied David. His lively, intelligent face denied the stark implications of his graying hair. Did she love David as Jessica loved Stephen? Of course she did. She always had. It took a trip to another dimension for her to admit the simple truth.

"I called Margot's family in Britain. Her brother is flying over to take her back. I promised I'd meet him at the airport tonight around 10:00. You're welcome to come along if you'd like."

Sara nodded. She felt overwhelmed with the need to be near this remarkable man.

Driving Margot to the airport proved to be dreadful. The woman cried the entire time and no amount of comforting words helped. It was with great pleasure she and David turned Margot over to the care of her brother. Sara missed being in the quiet of her own car with only her old familiar Justin for company. That flighty spirit had pulled one of his disappearing acts again. She hadn't seen him since the surreal episode in the motel room. 

Later, in the car they finally got to speak frankly about what happened.

"I could tell from the energy in the room something was going on," David said.

"Well, you got that right," Sara replied. "Margot seemed to see everything."

"Well, after speaking with her brother, I discovered she has psychic powers of some sort." He turned to her. "She sees ghosts, in other words. She has always been the odd duck in the family."

"I wonder why she wasn't more open with us at my place when she first saw Justin."

"Well, her brother claims she has been ridiculed her entire life because she was 'different.' So she probably hesitated to admit it to us." He paused, then shot Sara a sideways glance. "So when are you going to tell me what was happening in that room? You fainted, for Gawd's sake."

Sara blushed. "Well," she stammered. "It was a sort of unreal experience...sort of a dream."

"Well, what was happening in this 'dream?' What frightened you enough to faint?"

"Justin was in it...he threatened to shoot a man I was with..."

"A man? What man?"

"You. Well, sort of. I mean, you had a different persona, but the spirit was you. Your name was Stephen. I was different too."

The car swerved as David lost control.  "Me?" His knuckles clutched the steering wheel.

"Well, it was a dream, that's all."

"And then what happened?"

"A woman and her brother and father arrived and talked him out of it. That was when I woke up."

David didn't reply at first, then spoke. "Sara, I've been meaning to tell you. Brenda has asked me for a divorce."