Christmas break came and went. Before I knew it, students were moving their Christmas presents into their dorms. Most of them got new comforters for their beds. Others got more obscure items, like bean bag chairs. Students hugged their families goodbye outside the dorms and waved as their families drove back home. Spring break wasn't until April, three months away, so it would be a while before they saw their families again.
I noticed a familiar auburn haired girl walking into the dorms. "Hailey!" I called out.
She turned and smiled to me as I caught up to her.
"How was your break? Was Mr. Johnson nice to you?" I asked.
"It was good! They were very accommodating. I should get them something to say 'thank you'."
I smiled at her sentiment. "I'm sure you just telling them 'thank you' is more than enough. But, if you really want to get them something, I'll take you shopping this weekend."
"I did have one instance, though."
We stopped walking. "An instance?"
She looked off into the distance. "I sleepwalk some nights. Most of the time, I walk around the dorm or around campus. But, a couple of nights ago, I was somewhere else."
Her bottom lip trembled. Whatever she had seen, it troubled her. I gently grabbed her shoulder. "Why don't we talk this over together with Miss James."
She nodded as she wiped away an escaped tear. Cece would be able talk her through this better than I ever could.
"Thank you for taking us in so short notice, Miss James."
Cece gave me a look but smiled to Hailey. "Of course!" She led us to her couch and shut the door behind us. "So, tell me what happened. Start from the beginning for me."
Hailey took a breath, then started. "Normally, when I sleepwalk, I stay close to where I fell asleep. But, a couple of nights ago, I woke up in a place I had never been before. It was like a hospital. The walls were white, the floors were white tile, and the lights were so bright." Hailey took a breath, and Cece nodded her along. "I walked through the hallway, and there was a room on my right. I looked into it, and there was Danny, bleeding and chained to a wall." Cece and I made eye contact. "He couldn't touch me, but I could touch him." Cece wrote in her notebook. "We talked for a few minutes, then I could hear footsteps coming down the hall. Danny told me to go. After I told him goodbye, I woke up back in my bed."
Cece finished writing, then looked up at us. "Was that the only time that happened?"
Hailey shook her head. "I've gone there every night since. Only for shorter amounts of time. Sometimes I talk to Danny, other nights I don't."
Cece nodded as Hailey spoke. "When you go back there, do you walk the same path? Down the hall and straight to Danny's room. Or, do you explore other areas?"
"I walk to other rooms, but they're either empty or locked."
Cece sat back in her chair. "Astral projection."
"What?" I asked. "What is that?"
"It's an out-of-body experience. Your conscious self leaves your physical body and goes where it wants, or where it feels it needs to go."
Hailey and I looked at each other.
"We need to talk to Elise."