Lucas did as he was told. “I’m confused, Starkey. I’ve been off the drugs for a long time and I’m thinking differently. Back in those days, with you and the people vanishing stuff, I was just a crazy, angry, confused man.”

“And you’re confused again, as you say.”

“Huh?”

“You said you’re as confused now as you were back then too.”

“It’s a different confusion. I need to get back there. The longer I’m away, the worse it’s going to get.”

A beeping noise caught Lucas’s attention. He looked at the phone on the cradle. A message displayed on the digital screen: Isabella calling.

“You need to pay attention to this.” Starkey said, tapping his smartphone.

<°)))><

Lucas rubbed his head and decided prison was stress free, and he needed to get back there.

A cute oval shaped face with longish deep brown hair brushed neatly to the sides appeared on the phone’s digital screen. Her deep-set brown eyes gave a hint of mystery although she looked worn out. Even so, she had still made an effort with her appearance. A small silver cross hung from her neck.

“Hello, Gramps.”

“Hello, Isabella, my little darling.”

A smallish smile appeared which just raised the cheeks slightly.

“Just wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to visit,” she said. “I’m coming soon, like today. Is it okay to stay a few days? Things are a bit rocky here at the moment.” Her head turned down. She raised it again and looked straight ahead. Her eyes were watery. “Yep, things are a bit rocky.”

Lucas felt for this girl.

“You’re more than welcome. You can stay as long as you like. Are you coming by bus or driving?”

“Bus, I would say. I’ll text you when I get to Lilydale station. Most probably be close to dinner time. Can you make me one of your famous dishes that my mum would brag to me about?”

“Which one?”

“Surprise me. You sure it’s okay for me to come?’

“Of course. We’ll be expecting you for dinner.”

“We?”

“The dogs, the cats, the birds, and the bees.”

“Oh. You certainly have lots of them. Mum told me that too. I’ll see you then. Bye.”

Lucas had not heard any dogs barking nor seen any cats.

Starkey was up, retrieved some items out of the shopping bags, and headed towards a door, indicating for Lucas to follow. The door led them to a sunroom. Large glass panels provided views of the outside world. Lucas now heard dogs barking and watched as two Border Collies came running up toward the house.

“They heard us come out and are after some food.” Starkey poured some food into two stainless steel bowls and opened the sunroom door. The dogs came in and gave Lucas a quick sniffing over but decided food was more important. Starkey gave them both a pat. “That’s my granddaughter. We speak everyday. Pretty thing, hey?”

Starkey gestured towards the seats.

Lucas sat down. “You’ve kept me here too long, Starkey. I’m going to be in trouble with the authorities. I want you to send me back.”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“Sorry?”

“Do you think she’s pretty?”

“Sort of. Is she okay, not sick or anything?” Lucas looked down as a cat rubbed its fur against his leg.

“She suffers from depression. She’s been put on some medication and it’s screwing up her head. You know your mate in prison, Windsor? Well I know he’s into religion and that’s the path Isabella took. And it was doing great things for her. She loved church and all that stuff. But she lost her Mum and Dad in an accident not too long ago. Some doctor put her on these drugs to help her cope but she’s gone backwards. She disconnected with church. I asked her why. She gave a strange response.”

“What was that?” Lucas watched as the dogs positioned themselves for their naptime. A cat was now heading towards the food bowls.

“She said it was like something had been turned off in her head. She lost the desire to worship God.”

“Well, I’m sure that happens sometimes. Some just lose interest, like a passing fad.”

The cat gave the bowls a quick sniff and moved on.

“I know what you’re saying, Lucas. But she’s telling me she’s hearing voices she hadn’t heard before. She seems to be having more battles in her head. She's getting suicidal. The voices are leading her that way, and I want to stop anything from happening to her. I love that girl. I don’t want to lose her. The loss of her mother, my daughter, has knocked me around a bit. I don’t want to lose, Isabella.”

10 – Real pesky things

PESKY THINGS, THOSE VOICES. They frightened Lucas. He’d seen them in the realm with that short visit he had. He now knew angels and demons were real. The other people—Mackenzie and Joshua—had the same experience. That’s why Lucas went to the Governor’s Bible classes—he wanted protection from the demons, ugly, bony, scrawny things. God’s protection, like Mackenzie had told him when she visited him in prison.

“You gotta get her off the drugs,” Lucas said to Starkey. “That’s what my problem was. Those things are real, Starkey. Angels. Demons. I’ve seen them. The drugs seem to do something to the head. It’s like it gives them access to your mind. But that’s all you can do—get her off the drugs she’s taking.”

“I understand that.”

Lucas paused. Why was he here? “Is she the reason why you’ve brought me here, Starkey? There’s nothing I can do.”

“Yes, she is the reason. And there is something you can do.”

“Just find a good doctor, Starkey. That’s all you need. Someone you trust, who can manage her withdrawal.”

“I’ll do that.”

“Now that’s solved, send me back.”

“It’s not that simple, Lucas. She may or may not come today. I hope she does, but she’s got motivational issues. She’s never had these before. She’s dropping off in mental sharpness and getting quite lethargic, and it’s all because of her medication. You say get her off the drugs. But not many doctors will do that.”

“You’ll find a doctor. Now, please, send me back.” Lucas didn’t know what to do. Anger was something Lucas had learnt to deal with in prison, but his chest was tightening up and he felt he needed to get some kind of release. He stood up and considered sending one of those food bowls skyward. He looked at his feet and raised his toes—they were cold. Some of the prisoners wore socks with their thongs in the winter months but that was something that just didn’t sit right with Lucas. Besides, Queensland was a lot warmer than this place.

The dogs lifted themselves up from their quick nap and moved towards the door.