"No. It was nothing like a dream. The characters were as tangible as all of us standing in this room. I looked left and right and everything was there. At no time were the images blurred or fuzzy. I was someplace. All I could think about was my time in a coma. Was this what I experienced for three years? I was desperate to get away from there and back to now!"
I took the floor. "But you did wake up . . . come back, or whatever you call it, quite easily." Howie nodded. "So I guess the questions is this; where were you? Do you think the woman and the girl were people from your past; relatives?"
"No. It was far too long ago; before I was born."
"How did you know that?" Quinn asked.
"I sensed it, I guess. Their clothing was old fashioned and there was a kerosene lamp on a table."
"Maybe it was someplace you visited," I offered.
He shook his head. "I've spent a lot of time discussing my past with my mother. We never travelled much except to come up here to New Hampshire a few times. She didn't mention any trips to the country. The few family relatives I had were city people, for generations."
"Perhaps your mind remembered something you read?" Betsy offered.
"Not recently," he answered.
"Ah," said Betsy. "This is becoming a rainy afternoon mystery. Howie, I'm sorry if this vision was disturbing, but it's really interesting. Thanks for sharing it with us."
He smiled and looked somewhat relieved. "That's not all of it," he said. I made myself comfortable on the sofa, my arm around Betsy, as we all waited for him to continue. I could tell Quinn wanted to change the subject.
"I came downstairs and tried to figure out what happened and then I talked to Ben and it calmed me down. I was really tired, so I went back to bed. I was nervous so it took me longer to fall asleep." He took a deep breath. "It happened a second time."
Martha broke the pause. "Did you dream of the same house and people?"
"No. I was outside, in a field. I could see a man and a boy some distance away, pitching hay into a horse drawn wagon. I guess it was summer time. They were mopping their brows."
"Nobody spoke, either time?" I asked.
He shook his head. "No, but there were sounds. I could hear birds chirping and earlier, the woman humming. It was just as real as the first time. I woke up again. I came down here and napped on the sofa for a few hours. I went back up and dressed and took a walk out on the pier."