Read Online The Glimpsing by James L. Black, Mary Byrnes - Free Book Online Page B

sure there's a logical explanation for all of this.”
    “Like?”
    “Like… I don't know.   Maybe Gabrielle did it.”
    “Did the two of you have a fight before you went to sleep?”
    He shook his head.   “No.”
    “Then obviously she had nothing to do with the marks on your face.”
    “Maybe she did it accidentally, in her sleep.”
    “She struck you hard enough to leave a mark and yet you didn't wake up from it?   I seriously doubt that, Jack.”
    He looked up into the mirror, studying the pinkish bruise again.   “Why would I be glimpsing?” he asked sullenly.
    "That's a very good question.   Glimpsing is an extremely rare phenomenon.   A person could live several lifetimes and never once have it happen to them.”
    “Then why is it happening to me?”
    “Because someone wants it to happen?”
    Jack looked at her, puzzled.   “Who?”
    “Portia, of course.”
    “Portia?   Why would she want me to glimpse?”
    “Isn’t it obvious?   Because she knows, Jack.”
    "You mean about me and Gabrielle?”
    “Yes.”
    “She doesn't know," Jack said plainly.
    "How can you be so sure?”
    "Because I saw her.   Late last night she came here.   She wasn't angry or bitter about anything.   In fact, she gave me the painting as a gift for my birthday.   Does that sound like something she’d do if she knew I was having an affair with their best friend?"
    " Jack, did it ever cross your mind that maybe Portia wanted you to have that painting."
    "For what?"
    "Because she knows it will cause you to glimpse.”
    Jack glanced at the painting.   “That?   You think that’s what’s causing all of this?”
    “Possibly.   I think Portia brought it to you because she knew it would bring Rose out.”
    Jack chuckled.   “And what exactly is Rose supposed to do, kill me?”
    "If Portia brought her here because she knows about you and Gabrielle, then you may have much more than that to fear.”
    Jack gazed at Janice wordlessly for some time.   Finally he said:     "How do you know about glimpsing?   You've had one yourself?"
    "Me?   No, never.   As I told you, it’s extremely rare.”
    “Then how do you know it even exists.”
    “I was told about it in great detail by a woman I knew some time ago.   Her name was Angela.   She was very special."
    "Special how?   She had a glimpse."
    "No, Angela didn't just have a glimpse.”   She paused.   “Angela glimpsed all the time."
    Jack only stared.
    "I know this is all very hard to believe.   I had trouble believing it myself, at first.   Angela had always been prone to seeing things.   Everyone, including myself, just passed them off as wild hallucinations.   But in the course of time, I came to realize that she wasn’t hallucinating at all.   The things she was seeing were real.”
    "Where did you meet this … Angela?"
    Janice seemed to falter.   She remained silent.
    “Where did you meet her?” Jack repeated, his suspicion rising.
    “At Bedford,” Janice finally admitted.
    “The mental institution?”
    “Yes.   I know how it sounds, Jack.”
    “You couldn’t possibly,” Jack said with an air of amused disbelief.   “This glimpsing business you’ve been telling me came from some lunatic?”
    “She wasn’t a lunatic,” Janice insisted.   “She was gifted.”
    “She was crazy, Janice!”
    “She was Portia’s mother, Jack!”
    Jack’s face took on amazement.   “Portia’s mother?”
    “Yes.   It’s very likely that she learned—”
    “No more of this,” Jack said, interrupting her.
    “Jack I—”
    “No—more,” he repeated sternly.   “I’ve heard enough fairy tales for one day.”
    Janice grew silent.
    He calmly walked to the dresser, retrieved the painting, and brought it back to Janice.   “Now would you please do me a favor and find somewhere to hang this up.”
    Janice started to protest, but Jack held the painting out to her.   “Please.”
    Janice gave a capitulating sigh, then took the painting.
    He