`MIND POWER`

Jana Nolan

Earth Star Publications www.earthstarpublications.com

FIRST EDITION

ISBN 0-944851-10-X

Chapter 1

As the funeral car passed through the cemetery, I turned my head in disbelief toward the window. I had chosen to look one last time at the grave site surrounded by fresh bouquets of flowers.

My eyes were filled with tears of sorrow and grief. The person who was lying still and silent in the ground in her coffin was very dear to me. She was my grandmother.

I felt like a big part of my world had been taken from me too soon. Her wisdom, smile, and cheerful laugh I would miss deeply.

A few weeks ago, while I was visiting a town in Ireland, I was offered a job at one of the hospitals. I had been a doctor in L.A. for several years and was having doubts about leaving my home to move to a new place and country.

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My name is Amy Peterson. I'm 26 years old, tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. I would give myself a six on a scale of one to ten. My dad, Jim Peterson, would definitely disagree. He always told me that I was as pretty as a rising sunset.

I'm the youngest of three siblings. My oldest sister, Karen, was always the one in school to excel in every-day activities --- and life itself. Her genetics are similar to those of our father. She has blond hair, blue eyes and a great smile. In her senior year she was voted prom queen, cheerleader, and the most popular girl in her class. I, on the other hand, was the one stuck in the lab, working on a project for biology. After high school Karen married a man she had met at the university that she was attending. He came from a rich family that had made their money from selling textiles.

My older brother, Mark, is also a successful business man. Like myself, Mark remains single --- at least for now. He's a quiet man who doesn't talk much. When our father and mother retired from the Ridgewood Times newspaper, they decided to buy the company. My father asked Mark to take over as executive manager and he accepted.

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Today, as we drove slowly through the old cemetery, I was reminded of a time from my past. My friends and I would spend countless hours playing and hiding behind different tombstones of those people who were before us. When night time came, there were shadows from the trees that would scare my friends. Most of the time they would leave. None of them could understand how I could stay in there all alone.

I would say to them, "Why be afraid? We all know that someday we will end up here."

The thought of death never scared me. I believe that no one really dies, that each person lying motionless in the cemetery cannot only see me, but will also keep me company while I am there with them. Now you are probably thinking, "Girl, you are really weird!" Well, there's a good chance that you are right! I come from newspaper people. Everyone knows that a good news reporter has to have a good imagination. Otherwise, where in the world would they get some of those strange stories they write about?

Today, though, when we laid my grandmother to rest, I felt empty inside. I wasn't ready to say goodbye. I knew that she couldn't stay alive forever, but I wanted her to try!

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The day before my grandmother's death, I had gone over to talk to her about Ireland. I had decided to leave L.A. and move there. I woke up early that morning and, for some reason, I was having doubts about whether or not I was doing the right thing. After much thought, I left my condo and drove up to Santa Barbara to talk to her about it.

I climbed out of my car and walked up her sidewalk to the front door. When she opened it, she had cookie dough on her fingers.

We went into her kitchen, where I watched her make cookies, and in there we talked about a lot of different things. Occasionally I would take a piece of dough and put it in my mouth.

Grandmother would softly tap my hand and say, "Amy, you are a doctor! You know that eating raw dough isn't good for you!" She was right --- I did know better.

While the cookies were baking, she sat down beside me and said, "Amy, there is something that I need to talk to you about. I'm an old woman that's not too sure how much time she has left to spend with you. I've had a good life. Plus, I yearn to be with your grandfather again. As you know, you are the image of your mother. There has always been something special about you. We both know what it is that I am talking about."

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I smiled back at her. I knew what she was saying. I knew that I was different from Karen and Mark. I didn't want to talk to her about death, so I changed the subject to something else.

She encouraged me to take the job in Ireland. She told me that there was a time in her life when she wanted to visit that country. It was after she married my grandfather. He worked at a mine in Henderson, Colorado. They had a friend who was Irish, and they would sit for hours talking to him and listening to his Irish brogue.

She said that my eyes were her eyes, and she could look through a window into the very soul of me. She said that she knew what I wanted to say or think before I did. She was more than a grandmother to me, she was a big part of my being! She then put cookie dough on the end of my nose and we laughed and joked about everything.

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It was time for me to stop thinking about the past and return to what was happening that day. The funeral car stopped in front of my parents' house. I turned my head and looked at my family. Karen was wiping her eyes and nose. She continued to sob while her husband, Ted, held her hand and tried his best to comfort her and wipe away the tears that filled her eyes. There was no way that anyone could stop the pain that was running through our hearts.

Mark was staring out the window with his pipe firmly in his mouth. He, too, was trying not to show his true emotions. He had a sick idea that a real man never cried. When he didn't think anyone was watching, a tear drop would fall from his eyes.

My mother's head was resting snugly on my father's shoulder. She had a soft smile on her lips. I could tell that she, too, was thinking about Grandmother.

When we took turns getting out of the funeral car, my father put his arms firmly around my mother's waist. Ted held onto Karen, and Mark walked with me into the house after I thanked the driver for bringing us home. Life would never be the same without Grandmother there to lead the way for all of us.

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When we walked through the door, I noticed that the mirror in the entrance way was tilted. I went over to straighten it. As I looked at the glass, I saw what I believed to be an apparition of Grandmother staring back at me! I thought that maybe my imagination was making me see something that I wanted to see one more time.

When I looked back at the mirror, the apparition had vanished! I wanted to tell my family what I thought I saw. Instead, I decided to wait until another time and place.

My father took my mother into the living room to rest. Karen kept telling Ted how she should have spent more time with Grandmother, and Mark stood at the fireplace puffing on his pipe. He still looked very distant.

After dinner, I told everyone that I was leaving. From there I drove to Grandmother's house in hopes of seeing her again. As I drove down the freeway, I could feel the wind blowing my hair against my face.

When I arrived at the house, I parked in the driveway and walked to the back of the house. Under the WELCOME mat was a spare key. I let myself in. On the shelf inside the back door were candles that she kept in case of an emergency. I took a match and lit one. Then I walked through the house and up the stairs to her bedroom.

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As I stood there looking around the room, I saw many things that reminded me of Grandmother. I walked over to a stool in front of her big dresser mirror that I knew so well. That was the place where she would sit to brush her long hair. We spent many hours in there talking.

When I gazed into the mirror, I saw an image start to appear. It was the image of Grandmother. She had come back once more to me. I looked at her eyes and said, "Grandmother, what is it that you want to say to me?"

I thought that some way she would speak to me and I could hear her voice again. I waited to hear her talk to me. I heard nothing.

Then I knew that there was only one way I would be able to hear her words. That way was for me to use the one thing that we both shared. That certain thing was called Mind Power.

I looked deep into her eyes and listened with my mind. I could hear her say, "Amy, my darling granddaughter, I have come back to you to tell you that our family is in horrible danger! When you were small, your mother and father told you the story about their trip to Henderson, Colorado. I'm not sure that you believed them. What they told you about it is true!

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"When they left there, they thought they had destroyed all of the evil that was down in the old Henderson Mine. Later on when they returned to L.A., at their wedding, your mother talked with her mind to a man who had been transformed into one of the creatures of the night. He liked your mother before he was killed and never forgot about her, even in death. He told her that some of the evil ones had escaped! The one that was feared the most was not destroyed. He also escaped! He swore to get even with every member of our family. It is time now! They want the revenge that they didn't get at the time of the fire and explosion.

"What I am saying, Amy, is this --- the Nosferatu are back! Karen and Mark are too weak. They would only be at their mercy. Your mother and father are too old to fight them again. It is up to you now to save your family! If the time comes when you need help, Amy, you can bring me back to help you. Be brave, and don't trust anyone unless you know that they are safe!"

I watched Grandmother vanish. I stayed there on her stool, staring at the mirror, hoping she would return. She didn't.

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I had known all my life that I was different from Karen and Mark. I was born with mental telepathy. I guess that's why I could communicate with other people without them knowing it. I was also blessed with something that my grandmother and mother called Mind Power. All three of us shared it. With this power I could control objects in a manner that would benefit myself or a purpose.

During my life I never found a need to use this power until now. It was up to me to protect the ones I loved.

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Chapter 2

The moment passed. I could see that she wasn't coming back. There in front of me, all over her room, were a lot of items that were special to her. She had old pictures on the walls of our family. On the night stand was a locket that my grandfather had given her just a few weeks before he was killed. Inside it was a picture of Grandmother and my mother together. Grandmother liked to wear it often. She always said that it gave her good luck.

I picked up the locket and put it around my neck. I knew that she would want me to keep it. I wanted both of them close to my heart forever.

On the shelf next to the bed was a gold music box. When Karen was small, Grandmother would open it and play the song for her. I would give that to Karen. Each object that I touched brought back memories for me. Even though I knew Grandmother was no longer in this room, I knew that wherever she was she would watch after me always.

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There was nothing left for me to do at her old house. I walked back downstairs. While standing at the door, I turned and looked one last time. Even though I knew that I would never be going back to Grandmother's house, there would be a day when I would return to L.A. from Ireland. I knew that for now my future was decided for me.

I left the house and the memories behind me. I climbed back into my car and drove back to Santa Monica to my condo.

After I returned to my home, I parked my car and started walking to my front door. When I approached it, I could see that someone had been there! The front door was left cracked open and the lock appeared to be broken.

Quietly I opened the door and softly entered with caution, since I didn't know who or what could still be inside waiting for me! I looked through each room, expecting to find someone lurking around the area. Whoever it was had invaded my privacy! However, there was no one still there.

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I turned on lights and started walking back to my living room. There, in the middle of the floor, was a puddle of blood! The Nosferatu had been there, and they had left a message for me! They were telling me that if I went to find them, the next puddle of blood would be none other than my own. Several years ago the Nosferatu couldn't enter a room or a house without an invitation. Those of today are more powerful than those that have passed before them.

That night I couldn't sleep. I kept hoping that my mind would tell me where they could be found. Even if it did, I knew that the Nosferatu that was their leader would leave the rest of them. In order for me to make everything safe for my family, I had to destroy the leader first!

As the night progressed, I still found it hard to sleep. I got out of bed and went to my desk. Inside was my grandfather's old journal that he used when he was a miner in the small town of Henderson, Colorado. I opened it and read several pages that were filled with his thoughts.

While reading, I saw a section that I had overlooked. It read, "Those that destroy, destroy themselves! There's no turning back!" Somehow the Nosferatu must have told my grandfather that the day he saw him down in the mine.

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When my mother and father destroyed a lot of them, they jeopardized the life of our family. Not knowing this is why we were in danger now! I had to find out what it was going to take to get rid of them. My biggest question was, is my mind strong enough to do this?

I stayed awake until morning. Then I left home to go back to my parents' house. When I arrived, Karen and Ted were already there. Earlier that day Karen had found out that she and Ted were expecting a baby. My grandmother was taken from us, and now something good was going to be given to us in return. This was all the more reason why I had to find the right way to protect my family.

When I looked at my brother Mark, I could see that he was still very quiet. He never was a man of many words, but I could tell that something was hurting him real bad. So, I went over to him and said, "Mark, are you all right? The last few days you have been quieter than usual. Is there something else going on that I should know about?"

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"No, Amy," he said. "I'm all right. At least where Grandmother is concerned. She was an old woman and was going to pass on sooner or later anyway. I'm sorry she died, but I'm not surprised. I have just been thinking about you, Amy. You are my baby sister and I hate to see you go so far away from us. I know that this is your decision, and that you need your own space. I just wish that there was something that I could say or do to change your mind!"

"I'm sorry to see you so sad," I said. "You will see, I will come back home so often that you won't have a chance to miss me! Don't worry, I will be fine. I will miss all of you, too, but this is something that I have to do. Someday you will understand." A tear ran down my face.

I caught a glimpse of my father when I was hugging Mark. He, too, looked very solemn. I told Mark that I would talk to him about my leaving later, and walked over to talk to Dad.

I didn't want to bother him with problems about the past. There was nothing that he could do to help me. So I said, "Hi, Dad! How is it going? Is Mom feeling better? How are you holding up?"

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"How's my little princess doing? I am doing fine," Dad said. "As for your mother, she has gone to her favorite place to think. I can tell that there is something bothering her, but she won't tell me what it is! She just says that she needs to talk to you. Please go to her, Amy. Maybe you can find out what it is that is hurting her so much."

"Don't give it another thought," I said. "I'll have her back to smiling in no time. I love you, Dad!"

I kissed Dad on the cheek and walked away. I went out the back door and down a path that led to the beach. My mother loved to sit on the beach and watch the ocean. This was her favorite place. When she sat there, she felt serene and at peace with herself.

I took off my shoes and walked toward the ocean. When I reached her, I could see her staring out at the water and smiling. There was something she was thinking about that was making her feel happy.

When I reached her, I sat down beside her. Then I said, "Mom, it's me --- Amy. I have something that I need to talk to you about."

"Yes, dear, I know the footsteps of my precious daughter," she said. "I have something important to talk to you about also."

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You see, I had failed to mention that my mother is very psychic when it comes to her children.

I didn't want to upset her in any way, but there was not an easy way of talking to her about the Nosferatu.

"The other day, when we returned from the cemetery, I noticed that the mirror in the entrance way was tilted," I told her. "I thought at first that it was my imagination. We both know what a big imagination I have. Anyway, it startled me. When I realized that it was real, I went over to her house in hopes of seeing her again. I went up to her bedroom and sat at her stool in front of her mirror. I waited for her to appear to me once again. She did. Then I talked to her with my mind. She told me that the Nosferatu are ready to get revenge for the explosion and fire in the mine. They know about my power and are afraid that I will try to destroy them again. Their leader wants us dead! I have been chosen to find them and destroy all of them before they destroy us. They want our blood!"

"Yes, Amy, I know that your grandmother came back to talk to you. She also visited me the night that she died. At that time she told me everything that she told you. She said that she was going to talk with you.

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"The man that came back to talk to me at my wedding was Jack Winters. He was a real good friend to your grandfather. When the first explosion and fire started, he was trapped inside the mine. The Nosferatu killed him and then later on he transformed into one of them. He walked the mine and town of Henderson as they did, looking for food and blood.

"Then when your dad and I went back there to do the story for the newspaper, we discovered what the town was so afraid of. You Aunt Carol confirmed it, and your father and I went down into the mine to take lots of pictures to send to our boss. We also had hopes of destroying the creatures of the night. Instead, at that time, we were captured and were going to be a feast for the Nosferatu that walked the mine.

"When I had just about given up hope, your dad got loose from the rope that was binding his hands together. Casey Smith, the Irish friend of Grandmother and Grandfather, came to the old Henderson Mine to help us. We managed to escape from there without any harm. The sheriff that was mean and evil was killed by Jack Winters and the other creatures.

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"He came back to me to let me know that someday the leader might want revenge. The time is near, Amy. He wants our family dead. You are the only one who can fight him. He knows that you are the blood of your dad and me. We destroyed his blood, so now he wants to destroy our blood before we destroy them. They are very evil, and will stop at nothing to get what they want!

"They are more modern than they were several years ago. It will be hard for you to know who they are unless you happen onto them while they are making a kill. They no longer can turn themselves into bats. It has been several years since they could do that. They still look inhuman when they are stalking their kill. They have bald heads, pointed ears, and their fingers look like claws. They are pale with dark circles around their eyes. They have sharp fangs that they use to bite and drink the blood of their victim.

"The only way, Amy, that they can be destroyed is with sunlight, or water. They may try to win you over and get you to join them. If you do, you, too, will burn in hell! Please be careful! Don't trust anyone until you are sure that you really know the person.

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"If you find that you need me to help you, I, too, will come to you. All you have to do is call me and tell me to come to Ireland." Mom held me close to her. She didn't want me to go, but she knew that I was the only one who could save the family.

I showed Mom the locket that was around my neck. I told her that I would never take if off. I said that I would get strength from Grandmother and her. My dad was right. I was the one who had brought a smile to her face.

We sat there together, playing in the sand. After a while Father came and sat down beside us. I told them that it was time for me to leave.

I stood up and walked away. I knew now how to end the existence of the Nosferatu throughout eternity.

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Chapter 3

The drive back to my home was ...

...

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