18 Josh’s confession

The next day would be a busy day as all the kids prepared for school. Evan and Yuri said they enjoyed the sleepover and the experiment they did.

"It worked for us. I am sure it will work for you, too," Jan told Evan, who until now believed that science was everything. He had called psychics pseudo-scientists. "Trance only works for somebody who believes. It's blanking out your mind like a tabula rasa. That's the key."

Then, baby Michael along with Zen and Ellie emerged in the dining room.

"Good morning baby," greeted Evan.

Zen put Michael on the floor. The baby went around the table talking to them. He was carrying a tablet and was pointing to some YouTube channel that had nursery rhymes imitating another toddler on the screen.

Isabella prepared breakfast for her visitors. She had said that she would love to have them often in the house, probably to cover the loneliness that crept inside her every time her children left for school, and there was only baby Michael and the maids to attend to.

Aaron was also up; he greeted everybody.

Josh talked to Jan and Fr. Robert in the living room.

"I saw the man when we were having a trance."

Jan and Fr. Robert looked at him, examining his face whether he was telling the truth.

"I didn't tell you because I don't want them to know because they don't believe me."

"How did he look?" the priest was curious.

"He was the man we saw at the lake," Josh was trying to tell them that there was something with that guy he could feel. "Maybe he is the same man that's rumored to be seen with my mom."

Jan and Fr. Robert looked at each other. They weren't serious about dealing with the Lee's issue. They thought it was garbage, gimmickry, or some erroneous slip of the tongue by people who had no better use of their lives but spread false information, until the trance because they also felt some invisible presence, and until the specter at the balustrade. Now, this is serious, thought the two. Although there was nothing that changed with Isabella, many things changed with Aaron. Josh was affected. Suzy was affected. The whole family was affected. Dad was no longer always home like he used to. Dad wasn't that cheerful unlike in the past. Dad was becoming an alcoholic. He had become grumpy. Dad and mom had not been talking like before. Mom was pretending through it all because she did not know what to do. She had been strong, so far. The baby did not know anything. He did not want to think of a worse scenario. Josh had confessed.

Jan and Fr. Robert now understood the seriousness of the problem. If in the beginning, they had no idea of the gravity of the situation, now they understood. They were touched by Josh's sincerity. He was concerned with his family. He wanted to keep his family.

Then, baby Michael was pointing at something.

"What does he want?" Jan asked.

Michael continued to point his finger at the wall. Was he seeing something?

Josh asked: "Hey, what is it Michael?" The baby went on pointing his finger on the wall. He made a cooing sound, while Zoraida meowed and Jackson barked.

All the people in the house had left, but Jackson's continued yapping was annoying. His sight was glued on the wall. Isabella called one of the boys, Dante.

"Give him a bath. Maybe he feels hot." Dante obeyed Isabella.