A Spirited Emergence Episode 8: Hide and Seek by D.L. Copyright  © 2010 D.L. All Rights Reserved. Having the ability to change appearance, and view things remotely, can come in handy.

In the last few months, a couple of jerks have been giving me trouble. Dwain and Freddy, or Dimwit and Thicky as I prefer to call them, have been hassling me. First, they tried to blackmail me. When that didn’t work, they tried more violent tactics.

Unfortunately, they have photographic evidence of me in a dress. I have seen the photo, it was taken at a fancy dress party when I was eleven. I went as Alice in Wonderland. I was supposed to go as Robin Hood, however for some reason that nobody has ever worked out, Susan’s and my costumes somehow got switched and we were both fully dressed and running late before the ‘mistake’ was noticed by our parents.

Dimwit tried to blackmail me by threatening to show the photo to everybody. I told him to go ahead. That really pissed him off, especially since I did it in a loud voice in the middle of the canteen. That got the attention of several teachers eating at a table nearby and landed Dimwit in detention for attempted blackmail. They have both been on my case since then.

Openly admitting to several instances of cross-dressing at Halloween and various other costume parties does at least deflect away from my more serious reasons for cross-dressing.

Most of our classes are divided by ability level. I am in the higher-level classes for most subjects and these two troublemakers are in lower sets. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include geography, which is one of the few lessons I have with these idiots.

Tracy delayed me leaving the room at the end of the lesson, as she wanted to copy some of my notes. She has been late to school a couple of times in the past week, and has missed some classes. Tracy is lactose intolerant. She can only consume limited quantities of milk-based products before suffering with stomach upsets, nausea and diarrhoea. Her condition has been playing up recently causing her to be ill some mornings.

These two decided to wait behind and hassle me.

“Hey, Daisy, have you been avoiding us?” Dimwit asked.

“You owe us some lunch,” Thicky added.

At this point, I have my bag packed and I’m closer to the door than they are. I decide now would be a good time to make an exit. I dash out the door and down the hallway. Our teacher has disappeared and there are no adults about. It seems Dimwit and Thicky realise this and give chase. The geography classroom is close to the gym so I head in the direction of the coaches’ office, in the hope it will be occupied.

As I approach the office I quickly glance in through the wall, but the room is empty. The coaches are probably in the changing rooms evicting the students who are being slow to get dressed. I am about to run into the boys’ facilities when I have a better idea.

Instead of going into the boys’ changing room, I carry on past and enter into the girls’ room instead, figuring they won’t dare follow. For privacy, there are two doors to go through to reach the inner sanctum of the girl only zone. As soon as I pass the outer door, I morph my appearance into Susan.

I dash through the inner door and into the changing room interior. There are six girls still in the room in various stages of undress, along with Coach Sanders. Coming to a halt, I stand leaning against the wall to get my breath back.

Coach Sanders starts to ask, “What are you doing in...” but never finishes the sentence as Dimwit bursts into the room. The other girls weren’t bothered when I entered the room, but several of them scream as they madly tried to cover themselves up seeing a boy burst in.

“What the fuck are you doing in here?” The coach yells at the top of her voice, which is very loud. It is very rare to hear one of the teachers swearing, so she must have been caught by surprise. “Get out and stand outside my office. Now!” Coach Sanders is a tall muscular woman, very athletic looking. The best description of her is scary, and that’s when she’s in a good mood. When angry she’s nothing short of terrifying.

Dimwit looks both shocked and scared as he suddenly realises exactly where he’s chased me. He looks across at me and is his eyes get even wider when he realises it’s Susan, not David, staring back at him. Dwain quickly retreats out the door as he’s bombarded with gym shoes and aerosol cans. Several girls have decided to throw things at him while shouting, “Pervert” and “Asshole.”

I turn back to Coach Sanders, “Sorry for barging in miss, but Dimwit and Thicky were chasing me. I never thought they would actually follow me in here though.”

“I take it Dimwit is Dwain Scott, who’s Thicky?” she asks.

“Freddy Forrester Miss Sanders,” I reply.

“Good nicknames,” she chuckles to herself, “why were they after you?”

“I think they may have mistaken me for my cousin, David Palmer. They have been bullying him lately. We do look alike, especially from behind. To be honest I didn’t stick around to find out.”

“I don’t blame you,” she replies, “leave those two to me. I can’t do much to Freddy, as I didn’t see him, but Dimwit Dwain is going to regret it.” The coach turns to the other girls still left in the room. “If you lot had actually gotten a move on instead of dawdling, Dwain wouldn’t have had anything to see. Now move it!”

The girls speed up what they are doing. Miss Sanders then walks to the door and holds it open for me. I go through and open the second door into the corridor. When we both enter the corridor, a very nervous Dwain is standing next to the office door, trembling. There is no sign of Freddy.

The coach opens the office door. “Mr Scott, take a seat. Thank you Miss Potter, you may go.” She follows Dwain into the office and closes the door.

I look round, the corridor is empty and nobody is watching. I quickly change projection to look like the real me, Jennifer, not David. I don’t want turn back into David, in case Freddy is still around waiting to jump me. Staying as Susan isn’t a good idea, I don’t want to meet anybody we know and I now need to speak to Susan. I need to let her know what’s just happened and two Susans would look suspicious.

I quickly locate Susan with my remote vision and head to the common room where she is sat talking with Tracy and Mary. I deposit my bag in my locker on the way. She spots me at the door and excuses herself. I turn and head outside before anybody else can get a good look at me. Susan follows me to a secluded location.

She asks, “What’s going on?” I explain the incident and Susan bursts out laughing, “Serves him right for being so stupid!”

We both have a good laugh at Dimwit’s expense. I just hope he won’t be stupid enough to try to take revenge.

Once we have calmed down, I cease my projection. After using the bathroom and eating some lunch, I take a snooze on my sun lounger. Five minutes before the end of lunch, I start remote viewing to scout for a location to appear. David emerges out from behind a bookshelf in the Library.

I head to my locker and retrieve my rucksack. After collecting my belongings, I hurry to my homeroom for afternoon registration, arriving just as the bell rings. Our teacher, Mr Francis, is already in the room. Thicky is sat by himself, as Dwain’s chair is empty. Freddy glares in my direction. He doesn’t look happy. As roll call is completed, Dwain’s name isn’t called.

A number of whispers start going round the room. It seems the grapevine has been working overtime in the past hour.

Mr Francis addresses the class, “For those of you wondering where Mr Scott is this afternoon, he has been temporarily suspended following a serious incident of inappropriate behaviour.”

When the bell rings, we head off to our next lesson. I make sure to stay in a group with some other girls and avoid Freddy.

The rest of the day passes without incident. I think Freddy has been warned to keep his distance. Dwain is due to return school tomorrow, but is going to have break, lunch, and after school detentions for the rest of the next five school days.

I arrive home tired but satisfied. I change into a denim skirt and head down to the kitchen as Susan arrives. We are settling down at the kitchen table when the front doorbell rings. I slump over in my chair and project David into the room. I proceed to the front door and answer it. Susan follows me through into the hall.

It is Audrey Pyke from number five. She frantically asks, “Have you seen Becky, she’s disappeared?” Rebecca is her nine-year-old daughter. “We had an argument and I sent her to her room an hour ago, but when I went to check on her she’d gone. I was hoping that she might be with one of you.”

“She’s not here,” Susan comes forward, “but we will help look for her if you like.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what to do! I thought about phoning the police, but I am not sure they would do anything this soon,” Mrs Pyke responds. “They would probably tell me to wait for her to come home by herself.”

“I assume you don’t have any idea where she may have headed?” I ask.

“Two thoughts, she is either with one of her friends, or she may be out walking along one of the paths. I do hope she’s sensible enough not to get lost or fall in the river.” Audrey is getting upset with worry. Becky is a sensible girl and knows to stay away from the river’s edge. Susan has taken her walking down there several times, so she knows where and where not to go.

“Why don’t you go home and wait for her there, phone round her friends to see if any of them know where she’s gone? We’ll look round the river and woods. She may have gone to one of the quiet spots to cool down. What’s she wearing?” I ask.

“A blue denim romper suit over a pale blue blouse, her hair is in twin plaits,” Mrs Pyke answers before dashing off home leaving us to search out her daughter. I shut the door and cease my projection, while Susan returns to the kitchen.

“I can cover the area quicker remotely. I can do a low level aerial search from the tree tops,” I tell Susan.

“OK,” Susan replies, “I will take my phone and head out down the usual path we take, phone me if you find her and I will meet up.”

Susan heads out the back door, across the garden, and out the back gate, disappearing down the alley towards the river. I head up to my bedroom, boot up my computer, and sit down. Closing my eyes, I start remotely viewing the surrounding area for signs of Becky. As I told Susan, I start soaring up and down the river valley at a fast running pace, looking down from about fifteen feet in the air, carefully listening for sounds of life. I quickly cover the open ground along the river edge. There is a band of marshland between the river and the woods, and it is easy to spot people from quite a way off. There is no sign of Becky, so I start a grid search of the woodland on the side of the valley.

After ten minutes, I pick up the sound of someone sobbing. Homing in on the noise, I see Becky laying face down at the bottom of a slope. Her left leg is obviously broken as it is bent in half, part way between her knee and ankle. I look directly down at the ground then zoom upwards as high as I can manage before my vision goes blurred. I have Google Earth running and cross-reference what I can see on screen with my remote vision. I am able to pinpoint the exact latitude and longitude.

I project myself as my father. I figure the emergency services will take me more seriously if I sound older. I call 911 on my cell phone and request an ambulance. I give the co-ordinates of where Becky can be found. I end the call pretending my phone is out of battery life. I make sure to turn off the phone.

Locating Susan and appearing on the path in front of her, I instruct her to turn round and head back to Mrs Pyke. I describe as accurately as possible what I can see and where Becky can be found. Susan runs back to our street to update Mrs Pyke on the situation.

I run to the kitchen and pour a glass of water. Fetching the container of sugar, I start pouring it in, stirring until no more sugar can be dissolved. I swallow the sickly substance as fast as possible. It tastes disgusting, but I figure I will need the extra energy a sugar high can provide.

I decide to project as David. Becky knows me, not Jenny, and it will prevent awkward questions later, especially as I have already said I have found her. I appear a few yards behind her and shout her name, quickly running up to where she is lying. Becky is lying face down at the bottom of a short slope. Her dungarees and panties are round her ankles, and her left leg is obviously broken. Her bare legs, bottom, and back are covered with scratches.

“What happened?” I ask, fearful that she may have been sexually assaulted.

“I needed a pee, so I left the path to find a spot where I wouldn’t be seen,” she sobs, “I saw this branch hanging over the slope. I pushed it with my foot and it seemed solid so I sat on it, using it as a toilet seat. I was in mid flow when the branch snapped and I tumbled backwards down the hill. My leg’s broken and I can’t move my right arm, it’s too painful.”

“Your left leg is definitely broken,” I tell her and she nods, “I’m going to feel your legs and arms to check for any other breaks.” She nods again and I carefully feel my way over her body. I also try to look through her body with my remote vision; however, I wasn’t able to see inside of her. My remote vision isn’t capable of seeing inside solid objects and I don’t have x-ray vision. I can only see what I would normally be able to see if I was standing in the location being remote viewed.

“I think you may have dislocated your right shoulder. I can’t feel any other breaks, and there is no sign of blood, so I think you will be OK,” I reassure her, “Help is on the way, we simply have to wait for it to get here.”

I have deliberately projected myself wearing a thick fleece jacket, figuring I would need to keep Becky warm. She is half-naked, and the evening breeze is turning cold. If it leaves contact with my body then it will fade out of existence, however I have a plan on how to use it. The thermometer the nurse used shows that my projected form can produce a degree of warmth. I carefully lay down beside Becky and wrap my fleece round her back. I hope the fleece and my projected body heat will keep her warm. I am optimistic that they have the same thermal properties as the real thing.

Although I can’t project in two places, I can still remote view another location while projecting. Actually I can remote view many places at the same time, however this isn’t very practical, as having multiple visions and sounds coming at me is too confusing, and gives me a migraine, so normally I only concentrate on one place at a time.

I look back to our street and see Susan talking with her parents and Mrs Pyke. They get into my uncle’s car and head round to the nearest access point into the woods. They arrive just after the ambulance. The paramedics grab their medical gear and a stretcher and Susan leads them in a quick jog. The paramedics have GPS, but Susan is more familiar with the terrain and can show them the quickest route. I am also not sure how accurate my co-ordinates are. I hope that they are within a hundred yards.

I whisper in Becky’s ear, “Help will be here soon”. She murmurs an answer, but is rapidly falling asleep. I am aware that this is not a good idea, so make her wake up again. Knowing Becky is a big Abba fan since the film ‘Mamma Mia’ came out, I start singing Abba songs and make Becky join in with me.

I’m starting to tire myself, as I have been projecting all day, and I’m trying to maintain the best projection I can while being near the limit of my range. I suddenly feel something brush my lips and I can taste honey. Realising that there is nothing here in the woods to cause that, I remotely view my bedroom. My father is sat by my bed smearing honey in my mouth. I can’t control my body and a projection at the same time, but I figure I can perhaps rapidly switch between the two. While concentrating hard on maintaining the projection I manage to make my body swallow the honey in my mouth, without fully fading out.

Becky is now half-asleep and doesn’t seem to notice anything. My father continues to dip his finger in the honey and I quickly begin sucking it off his finger. I immediately feel recharged, and after a minute of sucking, I am feeling much stronger.

I can hear the rescue party calling to me. I start shouting as loudly as I can. I lock onto them with my remote viewing and start shouting instructions as to which direction to turn. I see them reach the top of the slope and I call them down. There are two paramedics, Susan, Uncle Richard, and Audrey Pyke. The two paramedics, Dave and Jim, tell everyone else to remain at the top of the slope and they carefully slide down the incline.

I am still lying down with my fleece round Becky, both to keep her warm, and shield her modesty. I quickly explain the situation, and my assessment of her condition. A warm blanket is draped across Becky’s back and legs and I get up and sit nearby. The paramedics hand me a tinfoil blanket and tell me to wrap it around myself. They are concerned that I could also be chilled from lying on the ground. The medics fix neck and back braces on Becky, then the broken leg is carefully set in a splint. Becky is turned over onto her back on top of the stretcher. Becky’s shoes are taken off, and the remains of her torn and dirty clothes removed.

The medics shine light in her eyes, and take measurements of temperature and blood pressure. Becky is now drifting in and out of consciousness. A drip is fitted and an oxygen mask placed over her face. One of the paramedics is carrying a small oxygen bottle on his back. They call up to the other adults at the top of the slope to find another way down, that they can then use to carry Becky out without needed to climb steep slopes. I point them in the direction of a route that can be used. I have had time to scout remotely the quickest path out of here while waiting for them to reach us.

The stretcher is a light canvas one with two metal rods. Jim takes the front with Audrey Pyke, down by Becky’s feet, and Dave takes the other end with Uncle Richard. Susan is given the drip to carry. She walks alongside, holding the stretcher in one hand and the drip in the other making sure Becky is all right. Between them, they carry Becky out of the woods. I lead the way, making sure to warn them about any obstacles while choosing the quickest and flattest route back to the ambulance.

After assuring the paramedics I’m not suffering from hypothermia myself, I hand them back the tinfoil wrap and they leave for the hospital with Becky and Audrey on board. We return home, and David vanishes as soon as the front door closes.

My father is still sat on my bed as I sit up, so I give him a hug. I thank him for his assistance earlier.

“Janice told me what had happened and that you were with Becky. I knew you must have been projecting, so came to check on you. I saw the glass and sugar on the counter in the kitchen, so figured out what you were up too. I thought that you might require some more fuel. I know you’re not keen on honey, but thought you might need some,” he explains.

I thank him again and fill him in on what happened. I join my father for some pasta, and then opt for a very early night. It is only half past eight, but I’m exhausted.

The doorbell rings the next morning while we’re having breakfast. I get up from the kitchen table and head into the dining room while my father goes to answer the door. I follow him into the hall as David. Mrs Pyke is at the front door, carrying a small bag.

“Come in Audrey,” my father beckons her in.

“I just wanted to drop this over and say thanks,” she says, handing me a big box of chocolates and a card. “Becky asked me to give you these. She was kept in hospital last night, but will come home later today. Her leg is in plaster, and they had to pop her shoulder back in. She has quite a few bruises and is very embarrassed about what happened. Becky also asked me to thank you for not looking or taking advantage. She was worried who might find her lying in such a prone position.”

“Thank you, I’m glad she’s OK, I got quite worried when she started to drift off to sleep,” I reply.

“She had the onset of hypothermia from being exposed to the cold and damp. If you hadn’t kept her warm she might have been a lot worse, thank you,” Mrs Pyke expresses again.

After promising to call by after school, she leaves us to finish our breakfast. Mrs Pyke was heading back up the hospital with some fresh clothes so that she could bring her daughter home.

Susan and I, as David, drop round after school. We are both bombarded with hugs and kisses from Becky, especially me. She is embarrassed about the accident, but is thankful for her rescue. We promise not to tell anybody of the circumstances surrounding how she came to fall. We leave her to rest and go home to complete our homework.