Christmas Eve, 2012
It was late Christmas Eve. Jim had gone to bed long ago, as
he usually did whenever I was eyeball-deep in a new story and lost all track of
time. I glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of the monitor and sighed.
Geez, no wonder I felt stiff. I'd been sitting here for nearly five hours
straight.
Reluctantly, I saved my work and powered down the computer. I started to reach for my cell phone, as it was my habit to plug it into the charger overnight in the bathroom, when the phone went off. The number wasn't one I knew, so I figured I'd let it go to voicemail. My number is one digit different than a local auto parts store, and I'm used to getting wrong calls, no matter what the time or day.
The call ceased. I waited. No voicemail ding occurred. I started to get up from my chair again when the phone rang a second time. Same number. All right, since I knew survey people and other phone nuisances don't call twice in a row, I thought I'd answer. Who felt it so urgent to call me this late on Christmas Eve?
"Hello?"
"Linda?" It was a warm, deep, well-modulated voice. A voice just perfect for commercials or radio work.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Don't faint, darling. This is Talon."
No. Freaking. Way.
I stared at my reflection in the dark monitor as the person on the other end chuckled. "All right. Who is this really?" I halfway demanded.
"John Eagletalon. Way up here in Colorado. By the way, the storm's passed, and the snow is beautiful. You ought to come up sometime and let us show you around the mountain."
"How? You're a figment of my imagination. You're not real."
"Actually, I am real, thanks to you."
"How?"
"Long story short? You somehow managed to tap into my subconscious. I don't know how or why, but you have a very uncanny gift, woman."
I swallowed hard. "So, if you're real, then so is Maja?"
I heard him cover the phone and speak to someone there with him. A moment later, a woman's voice spoke to me. "Hi, Linda. This is AEquana."
"The mermaid?"
Her laughter was like golden bells ringing. The pitch was unbelievably beautiful. "I told John you'd be surprised."
"Why are you calling me?" I was still having a hard time swallowing the whole story. Surely someone I knew, or maybe a fan who'd gotten hold of my phone number, had cooked up this whole scenario. Regardless, it gave me a warm glow all over to know that someone cared enough about me to pull this prank.
"To wish you a Merry Christmas. And to say thank you for bringing our story to light."
"You mean it? I mean, I thought you might be upset I put your story out there for people to read."
"Oh, it took some getting used to," she admitted. "Hold on. John wants the phone back."
"Linda? Just to let you know, I've had a couple of buddies of mine investigate this ability of yours. They say it's called Psychic Reception. Somehow, you latch onto a series of brain waves from a person, and you're able to visualize in your own mind what they're experiencing. It's a very rare gift."
"I would imagine." I laughed. I had no idea whether I was dreaming all of this, or if any of it was real, but I no longer cared. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks. "Listen, John, would it bother you if I wrote more about you and Maja in another book?"
"Not at all," the man told me in all sincerity.
My phone beeped. I glanced at the screen to see I had another incoming call. Again, it was from an unknown number. "John, God, I hate to do this. I have another call, but I would love to talk to you both again, if it's okay."
"You have my number now. Anytime, lady."
"And tell Buck I'd like to have a talk with him, too."
That got a laugh out of the man. "Sure will. Have a Merry Christmas, Linda. Talk to you again soon!"
I'd barely tapped the button to take the next call, when a male voice with an unusual accent spoke.
"Is this Linda?"
"This is she. Who is this?" I held my breath, unable to believe, but too afraid that if I didn't, the magic would disappear like cotton candy in the rain.
"This is Jeb. Jebaral Morr. Merry Christmas, Linda, from all of us here in Tumbril Harbor!"
Reluctantly, I saved my work and powered down the computer. I started to reach for my cell phone, as it was my habit to plug it into the charger overnight in the bathroom, when the phone went off. The number wasn't one I knew, so I figured I'd let it go to voicemail. My number is one digit different than a local auto parts store, and I'm used to getting wrong calls, no matter what the time or day.
The call ceased. I waited. No voicemail ding occurred. I started to get up from my chair again when the phone rang a second time. Same number. All right, since I knew survey people and other phone nuisances don't call twice in a row, I thought I'd answer. Who felt it so urgent to call me this late on Christmas Eve?
"Hello?"
"Linda?" It was a warm, deep, well-modulated voice. A voice just perfect for commercials or radio work.
"Yes. Who is this?"
"Don't faint, darling. This is Talon."
No. Freaking. Way.
I stared at my reflection in the dark monitor as the person on the other end chuckled. "All right. Who is this really?" I halfway demanded.
"John Eagletalon. Way up here in Colorado. By the way, the storm's passed, and the snow is beautiful. You ought to come up sometime and let us show you around the mountain."
"How? You're a figment of my imagination. You're not real."
"Actually, I am real, thanks to you."
"How?"
"Long story short? You somehow managed to tap into my subconscious. I don't know how or why, but you have a very uncanny gift, woman."
I swallowed hard. "So, if you're real, then so is Maja?"
I heard him cover the phone and speak to someone there with him. A moment later, a woman's voice spoke to me. "Hi, Linda. This is AEquana."
"The mermaid?"
Her laughter was like golden bells ringing. The pitch was unbelievably beautiful. "I told John you'd be surprised."
"Why are you calling me?" I was still having a hard time swallowing the whole story. Surely someone I knew, or maybe a fan who'd gotten hold of my phone number, had cooked up this whole scenario. Regardless, it gave me a warm glow all over to know that someone cared enough about me to pull this prank.
"To wish you a Merry Christmas. And to say thank you for bringing our story to light."
"You mean it? I mean, I thought you might be upset I put your story out there for people to read."
"Oh, it took some getting used to," she admitted. "Hold on. John wants the phone back."
"Linda? Just to let you know, I've had a couple of buddies of mine investigate this ability of yours. They say it's called Psychic Reception. Somehow, you latch onto a series of brain waves from a person, and you're able to visualize in your own mind what they're experiencing. It's a very rare gift."
"I would imagine." I laughed. I had no idea whether I was dreaming all of this, or if any of it was real, but I no longer cared. Tears were starting to roll down my cheeks. "Listen, John, would it bother you if I wrote more about you and Maja in another book?"
"Not at all," the man told me in all sincerity.
My phone beeped. I glanced at the screen to see I had another incoming call. Again, it was from an unknown number. "John, God, I hate to do this. I have another call, but I would love to talk to you both again, if it's okay."
"You have my number now. Anytime, lady."
"And tell Buck I'd like to have a talk with him, too."
That got a laugh out of the man. "Sure will. Have a Merry Christmas, Linda. Talk to you again soon!"
I'd barely tapped the button to take the next call, when a male voice with an unusual accent spoke.
"Is this Linda?"
"This is she. Who is this?" I held my breath, unable to believe, but too afraid that if I didn't, the magic would disappear like cotton candy in the rain.
"This is Jeb. Jebaral Morr. Merry Christmas, Linda, from all of us here in Tumbril Harbor!"
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