CHAPTER FIFTEEN

"She's in," Nathan breathed, leaning back in his wooden chair.

"How can you tell?" Raul anxiously asked him.

Nathan gave him a look. "Medium here, dude. She's in."

"She just looks like she's sleeping," Valentina murmured. Callie's expression seemed empty and calm – for now.

"Cow Cow Blues…?" Callie suddenly muttered under her breath.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raul asked no one in particular.

But Nozomi already had a touchpad in hand and was searching. She clicked on a clip and played the upbeat piano tune for them. She eyed the Sanchez family. "Sound familiar to anyone?"

"That's the music I've heard around here for a while," Raul revealed. He peered at Callie. "She's hearing it where she is now?"

Nathan nodded. "It would seem so. You have to be patient. Things aren't going to be straightforward for her in there. The world may also feed on her and try to lure her in deeper so spirits can get to her body too. She has a fight ahead of her."

Valentina started biting her nails. "I shouldn't have pushed her to do this."

Someone went to tell her it wasn't her fault, but Callie's voice cut them off again.

"Mom?"

Raul frowned. "That doesn't make any sense. Her mom's alive."

"Time is a funny thing, especially in there," Nathan said. "It moves in all directions. Just… give her a chance. Let her do this."

They heard Callie mutter Teresa's name. Asking her where she is, to call out, to come to her. Saying she was there to help her.

"What if she gets trapped too?" Marco asked, shifting from foot to foot.

"That's entirely possible," Shin droned from his wife's side.

Nathan gave him a look. "Not reassuring, Shin."

"What do we do now?" Marco asked. "What can we do?"

"Nothing," Nathan told him. "This is up to her now."

"Can she hear us?" Valentina asked.

"If we try to be heard," Nathan said with a nod. "I can try to break through to her like I would for any spirit. But that's not necessary yet. She's fine. She's looking for Teresa as we speak."

"You said yet," Raul pointed out. "That breaking through to her isn't necessary yet. When will it be necessary?"

"Hopefully never," Nathan said. "Look – I get that it's difficult to be the spectator, especially when the stakes are so high. It's hard for me too. But you have to trust her, and you have to remain as calm and relaxed as possible. It sounds impossible but it's important. We don't need to feed this space with more negative energy than what's already invaded it."

"Bet you wish we had some sage to burn now, huh?" Valentina weakly joked, peering at her older cousin.

Raul barely cracked a smile. But he tried. Just one corner of his mouth quirked up for a millisecond before he returned to staring between Callie and Teresa with increasing anxiety.

It felt like hours later, but was mere minutes, when Callie suddenly seized up in the chair, gritting her teeth together like she was in pain.

"What the hell?" Raul yelled.

Callie writhed in the chair, her toes kicking in the air weakly. She whimpered and tossed her head to the side, leaning over like she was trying to get away.

"What's happening to her?" Valentina cried out.

"She's struggling with something in that world," Nathan said, leaning closer to Callie to move her back onto the chair so she didn't hurt herself.

"Get off me!" Callie whined.

"Do something!" Raul shouted.

Nathan leaned close to Callie's face. "Remember that you are stronger than they are. You are the living; they are the dead! Fight back!"

Callie whimpered again and kicked her feet directly at the floor like she was about to stand up.

"Callie, fight them!" Raul shouted impulsively.

Callie's head, with a bead of sweat on it, slumped against the wing of the chair. But then her body seized up again and she was screaming. "Let me out! Let me out of here! Teresa!"

"You are stronger than they are, you are stronger than their world," Nathan insisted to her closed off face. "You're alive!"

Callie slumped suddenly; her limp lips pressed against the wing of the chair. Everyone saw her lips move, but only Nathan was close enough to hear what she was whispering.

"What is it?" Raul pushed.

Nathan leaned back solemnly and said, "She said, 'Oh God, Teresa'…"