Aris Returns by Devin Morgan

look of concern
     made Sarah chuckle.
    “No, he’s not a gangster, just a troubled young man. His name is Carlos and he’s the
     most interesting past lifer I’ve ever treated.”
    “Tell us all about it.” They all settled in for a cozy breakfast as Sarah recounted
     what little she was able to share of the Carlos story, everything that is except that
     he had been a vampire in a previous life.
    #
    She was sound asleep in the guest bedroom when her cell phone rang. She glanced at
     the clock by the bed. It was two thirty in the morning.
    “Sarah, I need you. It’s Carlos. Weird crap is happening in my head.” His voice sounded
     strange, frightened. “I don’t get it. I’m not hypnotized and I still hear that vamp
     character in my mind.”
    “Carlos. Just a minute. Let me wake up.” She turned on the light and took a sip of
     water from the glass on the bedside table. “What are you talking about?”
    “See, I’m hanging with my brother. Suddenly I’m talking all this weird crap like I’m
     in session and back in England. He thought I was high again. Sarah, I haven’t touched
     anything since rehab. I don’t know what the hell is going on.”
    “Where are you Carlos?”
    “I’m sitting in an all-night diner. I don’t want to go home. And I sure as hell don’t
     want to go to sleep. I feel pretty strange.”
    She sat up, throwing the covers off her legs. “I can be back in the city in about
     an hour. Stay put and I’ll call you when I get close. Where are you? I’ll come and
     pick you up.”
    When he gave her the cross streets, she was surprised he was only a few blocks from
     her apartment. Her office was downtown andseveral miles away. She wondered if she would be safe taking him to her home. She
     decided she would be.
    Sarah threw her things into her bag and started to dress. “Don’t worry. I’m on my
     way. It’s all going to be fine. It’s just a residual thing that has happened. I’ll
     fix it as soon as I get there. Exactly what were you doing when this feeling came
     over you?”
    “Playing some stupid video game about knights and the round table. I don’t know if
     that’s what did it or not. I just sounded like somebody else and it freaked me out.”
    “Just hang in there. I’m on my way. I’ll call you soon and if you feel too strange
     before I get in touch with you, call me back. I’ll have my cell close all the time.
     See you before too long.”
    She closed her phone then tiptoed into her mother’s room. She touched her parent on
     the shoulder. Her mother opened her eyes, sitting up immediately. “What’s wrong honey?”
    “Mom, I’m sorry but one of my clients is having an emergency. I have to get back to
     the city tonight. I’ll call you in the morning.” Her mother rose from her bed, slipping
     into her warm robe against the chill of the house. “Honey, call me when you get home.
     I’m concerned with you driving alone this late at night.” She walked Sarah to the
     door. Wrapping her robe more closely around her, she waved to her daughter as she
     went down the steps to get into her car. “Call me,” she mouthed without sound so as
     not to wake her neighbors.
    “I will.” She mouthed back.“Love you.” Sarah shut the car door, turned the key in
     the ignition then backed down the driveway.
    #
    She opened the door of her apartment. Carlos followed her as they walked into the
     living room. She turned on a light then turned up the heat. She always turned it down
     when she was away from home.
    “Can I get you something from the kitchen?”
    “No. I drank enough coffee at the diner to float a boat. Look, I’m sorry I called
     you. It really is okay. It just freaked me out for a minute.”
    “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine.” She motioned him to sit down in the big brown chair
     by the fireplace. “I’ll light a fire and we can talk.” She picked up the remote, clicked
     the switch and the gas fireplace sprang to life. ”Modern