On the night before our scheduled departure to Houghton Lake, I was seated on the couch, exhausted from another long day of work and a long night of baseball. Ryans team scored a lot of runs that night but so did the other team, who eventually beat our team with a big rally in the last inning. Ryan was devastated and I was emotionally drained. I put the hard working baseball player to bed and let McKenna stay up a little longer with me as I watched another episode of Jonathon Edward.

About halfway through the show, I was battling to keep my eyes open and McKenna had successfully dozed off leaning against my arm. I heard a noise coming from Ryans room. It was garbled at first and then I realized that Ryan was crying. I hoped it was only a nightmare and that he wasnt still upset about the game. I carefully moved McKenna, enabling her to stretch out on the couch, and went to Ryans room.

It was dark, with the only light coming from the small nightlight next to the bed. By the time I reached his side the crying had stopped. I knelt down beside Ryan to see if I needed to wipe his face. There were no tears no sign of any crying not even a damp pillowcase. I thought that was a little strange because I was sure he had been crying -- crying loudly.

Just then I heard a noise coming from the living room. McKenna was now crying. I left Ryans room, puzzled, and went to comfort McKenna. When I arrived at her side the crying had stopped. Like Ryan, McKenna showed no sign of dampness on the face or couch pillow. But I knew she had been crying. Was it possible that both children had been having nightmares at the same time?

I got up and paced the floor between Ryans bedroom and the living room. Something wasnt right. Then a gentle breeze swept down the dark hallway and I felt the sensation of Janet, passing through me again. I could feel my heart pounding so hard and fast that it seemed it would explode out of my chest.

And then there was nothing. Dead quiet. All I could hear was the ticking of the clock. I couldnt even hear the TV. What happened to the volume? I walked back into the living room, shaking wildly, almost unable to stand. What was Janet doing to me? WHAT was she trying to tell me?

I picked up the TV remote and tried to turn up the volume. The control wasnt working. I checked the mute button the mute was off. I tried changing channels. Still no response. Okay, it must need a new battery.
I reached over and hit the OFF button. The TV wouldnt respond. I still saw Jonathon Edward mouthing a conversation with an audience member but no words came out. Then I heard a voice.

John Hall. It was coming from the TV set.

John Hall, I have a message for you.

Jonathon Edward was speaking to me, right through the television screen.

John Hall, if you can hear me, Janet is here. She has a message for you. She keeps repeating HL, HL. She wants you to look for HL.

I couldnt believe what I was hearing or seeing. My mind was a blur now. Who or what was crying? Did Janet pass through me in the hallway? Was Jonathon Edward really talking to me or was I suffering from some sort of delusion, hopeful that Janet was really trying to communicate with me.

My thought process was shattered by the sound of the telephone ringing. Was this my imagination too? I picked it up and was relieved to hear my brother Georges voice.

John, are you okay?

What do you mean?

The power has been out in Livonia for the past fifteen minutes just came back on. John, John?