Page 51 of In Her Dreams
Dr.Mercer’s eyes met hers directly.“But there is a loophole of sorts.Let me explain it to you.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Jenna leaned forward in Dr.Mercer’s plush chair, her mind processing what the hypnotherapist had just said.The word “loophole” seemed to suggest answers to her questions about hypnosis.
Dr.Mercer continued, “During our sessions, Sam kept struggling to pronounce something that sounded like ‘ka-loot-ma’ or ‘kah-lut-ma’.His speech would become halting, almost as if...”She paused, searching for the right words.“Almost as if something was physically preventing him from articulating it clearly.”
Jake shifted in his chair.“What do you think he meant?”
“I think he might have meant a hallucinogenic plant ka’lutma,” Dr.Mercer said.“Originally used in shamanic rituals in pre-conquest Latin America.It’s been largely forgotten until recent ethnobotanical research rediscovered it.”
“How does this connect to Sam’s agoraphobia?”Jenna asked, keeping her voice level despite the urgency building inside her.“To his death?”
“This is speculation, Sheriff, but if Sam ingested ka’lutma, it could have made him highly susceptible to suggestion.The drug creates an altered state where the barriers between conscious and subconscious thought become...permeable.”
“Strengthening a posthypnotic suggestion,” Jake said quietly.
“Precisely,” Dr.Mercer nodded.“And that’s the loophole I was talking about—the exception to hypnosis not causing anyone to do anything against their will or nature.Someone could have implanted commands while Sam was under the influence—including a directive preventing him from ever speaking about the experience.”
Jenna felt a cold weight settle in her stomach.“Are you also saying that someone could have apparently recovered from a specific phobia but then have their worst fears triggered through this kind of suggestion?”
“It’s possible,” Dr.Mercer said, her voice softening.“From what I understand, ka’lutma induces a state more profound than standard hypnosis.Suggestions planted during this state could remain dormant until triggered, compelling the victim to act against their own survival instincts.”
Silence filled the room as the implications sank in.Jenna thought of Sam, trapped in his own home by agoraphobia, somehow driven to venture into a vast openness that terrified him.
“Is there a way to prove this?”Jake asked.
Dr.Mercer shook her head.“Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about the substance.It’s far outside my expertise.”
“Who would know more?”Jenna asked, already reaching for her notebook.
“There’s an alternative medicine shop here in Pinecrest—Thompson’s Apothecary.The owner, Lucas Thompson, sells ka’lutma.I believe it’s quite legal, at least for now.”Dr.Mercer wrote down an address on a slip of paper.“If anyone can tell you about its properties, it would be him.”
Jenna took the paper, her fingertips tingling with the electricity of a breakthrough.“Thank you, Dr.Mercer.You’ve been incredibly helpful.”
“I hope it leads somewhere,” the hypnotherapist said, standing to see them out.“And Sheriff?Be careful.Whoever is behind this—if my theory is correct—they’re manipulating people’s deepest fears.”
The warning followed Jenna and Jake as they walked to their car.
“What do you think?”Jake asked as they slid into the vehicle.
Jenna turned the key, welcoming the blast of air conditioning.“I think we finally have something solid.Three victims, all with dreamcatchers, all dying while confronting their worst fears.If this ka’lutma allowed someone to escalate those fears as triggers...”
“We need to find out who had access to all three victims,” Jake said, already typing Thompson’s Apothecary into his phone’s GPS.“And who knows enough about this drug to use it that way.”
The GPS pinged with directions, and Jenna pulled away from the curb.As they drove through Pinecrest’s leafy streets, another thought occurred to her.
“Dr.Summers,” she said suddenly.
Jake looked up from his phone.“The ethnology professor?What about her?”
“She studies ancient cultures, including their spiritual practices.If ka’lutma was used in traditional rituals, wouldn’t an ethnologist be the perfect person to ask about it?”
Jake nodded slowly.“It’s worth a shot.”
Jenna pulled over and dialed Dr.Summers’ number, putting the call on speaker.After several rings, the professor’s voice came through, carrying its familiar note of distracted intelligence.
“Dr.Summers speaking.”
