The Cornelius Saga Series Box Set 2

by Tanya R. Taylor

  “Everything was good. Quiet,” Sara replied. “How was your trip? And did you find your wedding dress?”

  “The trip was fine.” Mira crossed her legs. “And yes, I found a beautiful wedding dress.”

  Sara was beyond thrilled. “Where is it? I wanna see it.”

  Mira got up. “Come, let me show you.” She turned to Rosie. “Rosie, you wanna come see my wedding dress?”

  “Yeah!” Rosie couldn’t dismount the stool fast enough.

  Sara and Rosie eagerly followed Mira to her room while Bobby stayed and played with Max.

  “It’s absolutely lovely!” Sara exclaimed as Mira laid the white sleeveless gown with shimmering beads across her bed.

  Rosie was speechless at first, then softly said, “Mom, it’s so beautiful!”

  Mira saw Sara’s eyes brimming with tears. “Mom, stop that!” she cried. “I’m not even walking down the aisle yet and you’re already tearing up!”

  Rosie went and hugged her grandma.

  “I’m just so happy for you!” Sara exclaimed. “I was beginning to wonder if this day would ever come. You don’t know how happy all this has made me.” The tears were flowing now.

  Mira was smiling and she hated to know watching her mother get so emotional had caused a tear or two to slide down her cheeks as well. She quickly dried them. “Enough of this! Time to put the dress away.” She picked it up and hung it in the closet. That’s when Rosie returned out front to keep Bobby company.

  Sara sat on the bed. “Eight weeks more, huh?” she said.

  “Uh huh. About there,” Mira replied.

  “It would be so good to see Wade, Norma and Tommy again. Everyone will be together again.”

  “Yes.” Mira sat down as well.

  “I’m so proud of you, Sweet Pea.” Sara looked into her eyes.

  “I’m proud of you too, Mom.”

  “For what?” Sara was puzzled.

  “For being a good Mom to me and an equally wonderful grandma to Rosie. For being strong after all the difficult situations you’ve been through in life, especially after...”

  Sara patted Mira’s knee. “I know. I know what you mean, honey.” She sensed the sadness in Mira’s heart. “You and I both know your dad won’t be missing anything, right?” She searched her daughter’s eyes. “No one knows that better than you and Rosie.”

  Mira nodded slowly.

  “So, cheer up! This is a happy time–not a sad one. Everything’s going to be just perfect.”

  “I know. Thanks, Mom.” She cleared her throat and opted to change the subject. “I see they’ve finally sold Mrs. Sinclair’s house, huh?”

  “Yep. We’ve got new neighbors.”

  “I thought so. Have you met them?”

  “Uh huh.” Sara nodded.

  She gave Mira the rundown on the Morrisons and what she should expect. She knew it was all her daughter needed to hear to steer clear of Cindy Morrison, in particular.

  “She sounds like a real tyrant!” Mira said.

  “Seems so. Either her husband is an angel or he’s just got the patience of Job to be able to deal with her. But you know what they say, ‘for better or worse’.”

  “Well, that won’t entirely apply to me when we’ve tied the knot. Just letting you know.”

  “What do you mean, Mira?”

  “I’m walking down the aisle based on what I was presented with when I made that step. If Bobby is loving and kind toward me before we went and got married, that’s precisely what I expect after the wedding. If he suddenly turns into a tyrant, deal’s off! It’s as simple as that.”

  Mira could tell she’d stunned her mother.

  “Don’t get me wrong, Mom!” She quickly sought to clarify herself. “If Bobby continues to treat me well, I’d stand by him no matter what. He’d have to be sure to honor his own vows to love and cherish me. Sorry, it’s just the way I see it and there’s nothing you can say to change my mind, Mom.”

  Sara shook her head. “I’ll be praying for you, honey. I’ll be praying every day.”

  Mira chuckled.

  9

  _________________

  After Bobby left that night, Mira immediately went to bed. Since arriving home from the airport, she managed to get no more than a twenty minute catnap, while Bobby chatted with Rosie and Sara. Mira always had trouble falling asleep in the daytime. She was convinced it was because her mind wasn’t settled as it considered everything that was still left to be done and sometimes because a ghostly visitor managed to infiltrate her quiet time. Nevertheless, on those rare occasions when she was able to drift off, it was amazing what even a few minutes of shuteye did for her. Her body’s reaction to a mere twenty minutes’ snooze was similar to how it reacted to a two or three hour sleep. But that night, as Mira stared up at the ceiling, she realized dreamtime wasn’t coming anytime soon. A full hour had passed and she was completely restless.

  She sat up, slipped on her bedroom slippers and decided to get a glass of milk.

  While walking through the living room, she went over to close one of the curtains that had been left open. It was then that she noticed something outside in the dark—in the Morrison’s yard, right out front where the For Sale sign used to be. Something appeared to be protruding from the ground. Mira moved closer to the window. The nearest streetlamp on that side of the road was standing at least twenty-five feet away from the Morrisons’ house, yet it emitted enough light for her to see what she could have sworn looked like…a human hand. Thinking that mere exhaustion was temporarily playing tricks with her mind, she shut her eyes, then opened them again. This time, whatever she saw was moving and it was evident that more of it had protruded. First, there were the fingers, then the forearm all the way to the elbow.

  “My God!” Mira gasped.

  She kept her focus on the limb that was wiggling out of the compacted dirt into the still air. Then suddenly, she saw another hand pop right out of the ground as if the earth on that side was softer. She knew this was not fatigue-related, but was stark reality. Suddenly, a head popped out. It appeared to be that of a woman’s. Her hair was long and matted with what looked like slime or mud. She was twisting her head from side to side as if trying to work a crick out of her neck. Convinced it was one of the most terrifying sights she’d ever seen, Mira stood and watched as this entity pushed its way completely out of the ground, got down on all fours, and crawled away in crab-like fashion. It was just as fast as those little critters too, as she watched it quickly head toward the Morrisons’ front door.

  It remained on the dimly-lit porch for at least thirty seconds, apparently contemplating its next move, when suddenly it sprang up on top of the roof, then climbed up the shingles toward an open window. To Mira’s surprise, the woman looked back at her before she crept right in.

  Mira was horrified by what she’d witnessed, knowing it was a very bad sign. For a while, she stared up at the window the woman climbed into and cringed inside for whomever inhabited that room.

  What crossed her mind was that she’d never sensed any paranormal activity on that property for as long as she lived in the neighborhood. However, she knew that night was going to be a busy night for whomever the ghostly intruder had come to see.

  As troubling thoughts consumed her mind, Mira finally drifted off to sleep around midnight. She’d found herself worrying about the Morrisons—the neighbors she never met, and based on her mother’s accounts pertaining to the wife, whom she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to meet.

  10

  _________________

  A few days later…

  Barely a word was spoken at breakfast. John was reading the newspaper and Ashley mostly fiddled with her pancakes.

  “Is there something the matter, Ashley?” Cindy asked. “You’ve barely touched your pancakes.”

  Ashley didn’t care to respond. After all, she’d had a hard night—the whispers, the sudden drop in temperature inside her bedroom again, clawing on the window and no matter how many time
s she got up to check, nothing was ever there. She’d barely slept a wink and realized there was no use running to her parents again. After all, no one believed her and she was pretty sure that no one really cared. Her mother’s subtle threat of taking her to see a “professional” was enough to keep whatever she was going through to herself. In her mind, going to see a “professional” usually paved the way for a weird diagnosis and ended in the person’s confinement in a mental facility. That was not going to be her. After all, even if her father wasn’t convinced she was totally nuts, he’d likely go along with whatever her mother’s wishes were. She refused to go down like that.

  “I’m not that hungry,” Ashley replied, nonchalantly, leaning on the table.

  “Elbows off!” Cindy snarled. “You know better than that, young lady.”

  Ashley rolled her eyes as she removed her arm.

  The teeth of Cindy’s fork came to a screeching halt on her plate. “Did you roll your eyes at me?” The look on her face was intimidating.

  John lowered his newspaper. “Cindy, give the kid a break, will you?”

  On that, she rested her fork down. “Give her a break? From what, John? This family? Is that what she needs a break from? This young lady was given everything she ever needed and most things she wanted from she was a little child. Many children out there would kill to have a family like ours and all that comes with it. This beautiful house, two loving parents, a very good education, new clothes on her back. Yet, this girl is obviously dissatisfied.”

  “I never said that!” Ashley interjected.

  “You didn’t have to! Your actions speak very loudly.”

  Cindy turned to John again. “And how dare you undermine my efforts when it comes to my daughter? It’s only because of me that this family hasn’t fallen completely apart! If it were up to you, God knows where we would’ve been!”

  “I agree with that,” John returned. “Maybe if I’d put my foot down around here from the get-go things would be better.”

  “What are you saying, John? Do explain.”

  He folded the paper, wiped his mouth with a hand towel and started to get up.

  “Where are you going, John? We haven’t finished our little conversation here.”

  “I’m going to work.”

  He went over to Ashley and kissed her on the forehead. “I’ll see you later.”

  “Bye, Dad,” Ashley said.

  She was used to her mother’s sudden tirades and her father quickly leaving the situation before the hot water boiled over. She wondered how he’d managed to stay with a woman who was so controlling and demeaning to him as a man. Although she deeply loved her mother, most times Ashley could barely stand her and yearned for the day she could escape their “perfect” life by taking off to college. One more year and she’d be as free as a bird, she dreamed. Away from a domineering mom and away from this house they’d probably never leave, unless someone decided they needed a new start again.

  “Go on, then! Run off. Run away like you always do!” Cindy roared. “You’d better thank your lucky stars you have a wife like me who stuck by you after everything you’ve done.”

  John was almost at the front door when he turned back around and approached his wife. “Everything I’ve done like what?” The anger in his eyes was evident.

  “You think I don’t know, but I know everything. You can’t hide anything from me no matter how hard you try.”

  His keys were jiggling in his hand. “I have no idea what you’re getting at.”

  “Oh, you know!” Her stare could have pierced his eyes, while Ashley sat clueless to what they were talking about.

  “This is stupid!” John gave up and headed for the door again.

  “You think you married an idiot, but you’re mistaken.”

  “Delusional!” He said as he opened the door, resisting the temptation to slam it behind him.

  Cindy never left the table during the heated exchange and neither did Ashley.

  “Finish eating your breakfast,” she said to her daughter. “No need to let a perfectly good meal go to waste. Hurry now! You don’t want to be late for school.”

  Ashley was always amazed at how her mother could calm down so easily after an argument. It was as if she left the heat of the moment within the moment. Even though it seemed rather cold to her, she was impressed by Cindy’s ability to control her emotions, regardless of the situation.

  As he drove to work, John’s heart was heavy and his eyes brimming with tears. Cindy’s subtle accusation had made him wonder if the decision he’d made before leaving Colonsboro was the right one. Granted, he’d do anything for Ashley, but he questioned whether sacrificing his happiness at this late stage in the game was really necessary. Besides, Ashley was no longer too young to understand; she was practically a woman and he’d hoped if anyone in the world could understand his reasoning, it should be her.

  He slid out his cell phone and pressed the speed dial. The person he attempted to reach would be the only one in the world worth giving up everything he’d worked so hard to keep. More than ever before, he needed to hear that special voice and whether or not she wanted to speak with him would determine what major step he’d make next.

  11

  _________________

  Cindy was prepared for a full day ahead as she set out to do some chores around the house, as well as schedule a few viewings for the weekend. Working from home was new to her, but she was convinced it was the best move she could make at that stage of her life. She was willing to push harder than ever before because she could no longer depend on a salary and commission from a regular job. But she’d never been afraid of hard work and was determined to make her home-based realty business a huge success.

  She placed some calls to a few property owners and tried to match what they had for sale with prospective buyers. She was able to schedule three viewings for the coming Saturday and another two the following Monday. She was really now getting into the swing of things and she felt good.

  After getting “business” out of the way, she tied a head cloth on her head and started the laundry. While the clothes tumbled around inside the washer, she dried the dishes and mopped the kitchen floor.

  She’d almost finished mopping when she heard a beautiful classical melody fill the air. She was almost enraptured by it when it dawned on her that the music was emanating from her own piano and no one else was at home.

  She dropped the mop and dashed into the living room where she saw the piano and noticed the cushioned seat in front of it was unoccupied. Yet, the keys were being depressed on their own as the melody continued to play exceptionally well. Stunned by what she was seeing, her lungs filled with unutterable dread and for an unusually long second with her rational mind kicking in, she wondered if she was going insane. Then the music suddenly stopped; the piano silent. That’s when she heard a whooshing sound-what sounded like a cascade of water. She immediately ran off towards the downstairs bathroom, pushed open the door and there, behind the curtains, she could see the shower running. Slowly and cautiously, with every bit of courage she could muster while her heart thumped wildly, she pulled the curtain aside. To her profound relief, the bathtub was empty and she leaned over and turned off the faucet.

  Unable to adequately process what had just occurred, Cindy sauntered back through the hallway toward the living room. As crazy as it was, she was ready to dismiss it all until she heard the sound of water gushing again, close enough for her to surmise it must be coming from the kitchen. She proceeded to the kitchen and just as she’d thought, the faucet was on at full speed.

  “What the hell’s going on around here?” she muttered, as she hurried over to switch the faucet off.

  She looked around the room and shook her head, then decided it was probably time to take a break. She was certain she hadn’t been getting sufficient rest for the past few weeks. Maybe she wasn’t as mentally relaxed either and though her first inclination would have now been to find the piano and play one of
her favorites, she wasn’t quite sure it would be a good idea, considering what happened only minutes before—even if none of it was real, but only an illusion created by her frazzled, overworked mind.

  She headed upstairs to her bedroom, and was about to lie down when she heard the piano again, this time playing more softly. Then the faucets, yes—faucets were on again. But it sounded like…all of them, including that of the master bathroom. The sound was unusually loud as if the flow of water was forceful enough to burst through the very pipes in which it travelled.

  She got up and pressed her ear against the wall and could hear the water gushing from the outlets. The next thought she had was to pinch herself. That way, she’d know if she was really awake or if what she was hearing was a figment of her imagination. She did just that—pinched her forearm and shrieked from the fleeting pain. Yet, the music got louder and the sound of flowing water remained constant. She hurried into the master bathroom, shut off the faucet and made sure the drain stopper was pulled up, then she headed downstairs into the kitchen and shut off the faucet. Same thing with the other bathroom. More terrified than before, she walked toward the living room and stopped when she noticed the keys moving again on the piano, playing a most alluring melody. At last, the whooshing sound caught her ear again and the piano was playing faster and faster, and she felt like her neck was being squeezed by the force of an invisible hand. She could not breathe! She struggled toward the front door and used whatever strength she had left to get herself out of that house. She stumbled past the porch and onto the lawn with her hand at her throat, gasping for air.

  Sara, who’d just walked outside with Max dashed across the street and over to Cindy.

  “Are you all right?” She asked.

  Cindy nodded as quickly as she could. “I… I think so.”

  “What happened?”

  As terrified as she was, Cindy’s pride got in the way. “Nothing. I’m fine. I probably just need a bit of fresh air, so I’ll sit on the porch for a while.”