Page 23 of In Her Dreams
Jake leaned forward slightly.“Any mention of new friends?New interests?”
“Not specifically,” Cassie replied, tilting her head and looking back and forth from Jake to Jenna.“But is there something else …?”
Jenna nodded.“There’s been another death.Anita Palmer.First-grade teacher at Trentville Elementary.”
The mug in Cassie’s hands wobbled slightly, tea sloshing close to the rim.“Anita?But she’s so young!What happened?”
“Same as Richard Winters.Apparent heart failure, but...”Jenna hesitated, choosing her words carefully.“She died terrified, Cassie.Both of them did.Their expressions—”
“Wait.”Cassie set her mug down on the table with a sharp click.“You’re saying they both died of fright?Like, literally scared to death?”
“That’s what it looks like.Melissa’s still running tests, but the preliminary findings show massive cardiac events consistent with extreme fear responses.”
“That’s...”Cassie shook her head, clearly disturbed.“That’s not natural.”
“No,” Jenna agreed.“It’s not.And there’s something else.”She took out her cell phone and held it up for Cassie to see.She brought up two photos, one after the other.“These were found in their bedrooms.One in Richard’s, one in Anita’s.”
Cassie leaned forward, studying the images of the dreamcatchers.Her face, normally so expressive, went very still.When she looked up, the usual sparkle in her eyes had dimmed.
“These aren’t dreamcatchers,” she said softly.“At least, not in the traditional sense.”
“What do you mean?”Jake asked, his skepticism momentarily set aside.“I thought they might have some connection with Native American ceremonies.”
“Not any that I’m familiar with,” Cassie replied.“But I’m not an expert in that area.”She looked at the images again.“Any dreamcatcher I know of is meant to protect.To filter.These...”She shook her head.“The design is all wrong.The pattern should flow, creating spaces where good dreams can pass through while the bad ones get caught.These webs look deliberate—like they’re designed to trap rather than filter.”
Jenna leaned closer.“And these?”She pointed to the objects woven into the rim.
“In Richard’s, they look like...teeth?”Cassie’s nose wrinkled in distaste.“And in Anita’s, those almost look like bird beaks.I think they must have been added to look threatening.”
Jake shot Jenna a significant look.Cassie was reading those details the same way that she had.
“Cassie,” Jenna said carefully, “what would you say if I told you Richard Winters suffered from claustrophobia and Anita Palmer had a severe fear of birds?”
Cassie’s eyes widened.“I’d say that someone has twisted the protective purpose of dreamcatchers into something...malevolent.This is—” She gestured at the photographs, then gave the phone back to Jenna.“This feels mishandled.That kind of thing can be dangerous.”
Jake shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable with the turn in conversation.“Let’s stick with what we can prove,” he said, his voice tight.
Cassie didn’t seem offended.“Of course.But even from a purely anthropological perspective, these objects are significant.They’ve been crafted with specific intent.”
She studied the photographs again.“You know, I could do a reading.The cards might offer some insight …”
Jenna knew that the conversation was about to veer off in a direction that neither she nor Jake would find productive.
“Actually,” Jenna interjected gently, “we were hoping you might know someone with more academic knowledge about these kinds of objects.Someone who might recognize the cultural significance or origin.”
Cassie’s expression brightened.“You need to talk to Olivia Summers at Ozark State.She’s an ethnology professor.”A slight edge entered her voice.“We’ve had our...differences of opinion on certain matters, but she knows her stuff.Written several books on shamanic practices across cultures.”
“You know her well?”Jenna asked, noting the subtle shift in Cassie’s tone.
“We’ve crossed paths at various seminars and workshops,” Cassie said, straightening the bangles on her wrists.“She’s brilliant but dismissive of modern practitioners.Thinks we’re all playing pretend with sacred traditions.”A small, defiant smile curved her lips.“I may have called her an academic vampire once, feeding off spiritual traditions without respecting their living essence.”
“So she’s not a fan of new age practices?”Jake asked.
“Oh, she’s fascinated by them—as anthropological curiosities.But she doesn’t believe in their efficacy.”Cassie shrugged.“Still, when it comes to identifying unusual ritual objects, especially those with potentially indigenous origins, she’s your best bet.”
Jenna tucked her cellphone away.“Would you mind if I mentioned your name when I contact her?”
A mischievous light danced in Cassie’s eyes.“By all means.Tell her I sent you specifically because these …things …look nothing like anything in modern practice.I guess you’ll have to refer to them as “dreamcatchers” because I don’t have another word for them.That should pique her interest.”
