731

Touch of Cold

  "Why does she always have to ignore me? I just want to check on her. You know her break-up with John was rough. It was stressful on the entire group dynamic. Now I am here in the rain because she won't answer her phone". Alex was agitated with his sister. Bethany the voice of reason for all of them stopped him by touching his shoulder, "Sweets, you know we all got in late last night. We chose to walk here, the weather was a surprise. You would walk through snow for your sister and don't deny it". 

    Alex begrudgingly agreed and was on the verge of another barrage of complaints when he saw the red sneaker he knew Stella was wearing the night before. He began to run to her door to see it was open with only the shoe before the entryway. He was going to go inside when Bethany grabbed his arm. 

    "Don't go in", she hissed, "this is a crime scene". Nodding he backed up and reached for his phone, but Bethany was faster and was giving the address to the 911 operator. Feeling helpless he backed away to the front of the driveway and sat down. A cold tingle went down his spine. He looked around and saw no one watching him, even Bethany had her back turned to him while she conversed with the operator.

    He was unable to shake the feeling of being watched, he recalled his mother telling him the feeling was of a ghost close by. He never wanted to believe it growing up. His father forbade such fantasy, but his mother told him he had a gift and was wasting it. He was no longer afraid of this gift. Stella convinced him his mother was correct because she was able to feel ghosts as well. This prompted them to start a paranormal investigation business. They had a friends who were either gifted with spirits or electronics that had joined. The business wasn't making much money yet, but Anthony was gifted on editing videos and posting them online and using various social media outlets to get them in the public eye.

    Fearing that this feeling was Stella reaching from the dead, Alex closed his eyes and tried to feel the tingle again. Reaching out from where ever he could to get an answer of some sort. There was an odd smell that permeated the air and sounds of screaming. "That doesn't make sense", he pondered aloud. He had just seen no one was in the neighborhood. Then up to his elbow became excessively cold. It was painful. Opening his eyes he stared at his arm and found it odd that it was a pale as if no blood was there and burned, but cold at the same time. The pain was becoming intense and he began to sweat wondering if he would pass out or scream first. Then sirens pierced the air and he saw the ambulance racing down to the house with the police close behind.

    "Bethany! Bethany!", his girlfriend came running at the sound of panic in his voice. "Oh my God!", she exclaimed, "What did you do?"

    "Nothing! I swear!", he extended his arm away from his body like he could prevent it spreading to the rest of him. "I was sitting down and had one of those feelings I do and next thing I know my arm began this burning cold sensation." The ambulance had pulled in by this time and she was guiding him to them. His fingers looked like they were turning blue. He nearly forgot about Stella with the pain overwhelming his senses. 

    The EMT ran to him and began looking over his arm. He had a puzzled look on his face. "Have you touched dry ice?", he asked. Alex was bewildered and told the man no. "Well, we will be getting you to the hospital immediately before this gets any worse". "Worse?", Alex gulped. The damn arm hurt enough without becoming worse. "What is this and why is it happening?" he asked in fear. The lack of sensation he had in his hand was causing him to wonder if he would lose any of the appendages. "Sir, I only know what it looks like, but not why it is occurring, if I could get you into the ambulance I can get you to a doctor who can help you", the EMT said in a firm voice. 

    "Alex, go to the hospital and I will meet with police about Stella," Bethany told him. Alex could tell by the look on her face that she was concerned and confused by what was going on with his arm, but still worried about his sister. They were close friends. Bethany also knew he would not leave without speaking with the police about the disappearance of Stella. "Alright Bethany, I will go, but ask all the questions you can and answer whatever they ask," he finished as the police siren sounded in the air. He gave her a quick peck on the lips and climbed into the ambulance as she started for the police car.

    He laid down on the stretcher in the back of the ambulance while the EMT started on his vitals and asking him more questions. He had a feeling his arm was related somehow to whatever happened to Stella. Wording that thought aloud was something he wasn't sure how to accomplish. Who would believe that he believed his sister was trying to contact him from the beyond because she was dead. She had to let him know somehow. Alex just could not make out why he was going to lost the use of his arm for her to tell her she was forced from the world.

    Then the question of who murdered her. He knew she had been killed when he saw the open door and red shoe. He was concentrating so hard on what could have happened to Stella he did not realize his heart had slowed and the EMT was trying to make sure his heart kept beating on the way to the hospital. Then Alex passed out.