Page 67 of Terminal Voyage

I shrieked again in terror. My eyes blinked, and I found myself looking at Vanessa. She was where she had been all along.

I started to think I was going mad again.

"What is it?" she asked.

I shook it off. "Nothing. My mind is playing tricks on me.”

Suddenly, the room grew a little colder as the air conditioning kicked on.

I said, "You know, on second thought, I don't want to do this anymore."

"Why not? I'm kind of having fun. It reminds me of when we were in high school. Except then we were trying to conjure up hot guys.”

A chill ran down my spine. "You smell that?”

"Smell what?”

I sniffed the air. "Perfume?”

Vanessa indulged me by sniffing a deep breath. She thought about it for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. "No. I don't smell anything.”

"I could have sworn I smelled her perfume, but it's gone now.”

We sat in silence for a moment.

"Kate, if you're here, blow out the candle again."

I waited for a response, my skin tingling with nerves.

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The candle flickered but stayed lit.

I asked Kate one more time to blow it out, but nothing happened.

I looked at Vanessa. "You felt her presence, didn't you?"

Vanessa frowned. "No. I didn't feel anything.”

"Are you sure?”

"I'm positive.”

"How do you explain the window and the candle?"

"Random.”

"And the perfume?"

"I never smelled it.”

"I'm not crazy. I saw her. She was here for an instant. Sitting where you are.”

Vanessa gaveme a doubtful look.

"I know what I saw. I know what I felt.”

"Well, you’re way more sensitive than I am about this kind of thing. You always were. If you say she was here, then she was here.”