DEADLY WISHES

by Marianne Spitzer

  Lance laughed again, “I don’t find this situation humorous, but I wish I could have seen the look on his face as he flew through the air.”

  “Me, too,” Kellie smiled the first genuine smile since she received the call from the girl’s teacher.

  “Kellie, I have an idea. Remember when Claudia told you the girls couldn't be hurt, but the evil may try and scare them? I can’t imagine Ronnie Donahue believed he could pick up two wiggly, screaming six-year-olds from school and not get caught. It was a ploy to try and frighten them and you.”

  “Well, it scared the hell out of Max and me, but the girls think they are superheroes of some sort because of what they can do. He didn’t scare them much. Faith was more upset about the scrape to her knee than the fact he grabbed her. Both of them seemed to be angry and not traumatized.”

  “I’ll talk to Claudia tonight, and if there is anything important, I’ll text you. Take care, Kellie.”

  “Good night, Lance.” Kellie pushed the end button on her phone and placed it back in the charger. She dropped her head into her hands and rubbed her forehead. Kellie needed to talk to Max. He needed to listen to her about standing by her side through whatever she felt coming. She loved him more than words could express. They needed to be together. She stood and strode into the living room ready to speak her mind, but she found the room dark and empty. She walked upstairs and saw the guest room door closed. She knocked twice quietly. She listened and could hear music and Max moving around. She knocked harder and still no answer. Biting back her anger she reached for the doorknob and tried to open it. Locked. She spun on her heel and went to her room. A hot shower to relax her would hopefully stop the pain she felt in her heart. How could he shut her out this way?

  Max sat on the bed and listened to Kellie’s knock at the door. It took all his willpower not to answer it and pull her into his arms. He had to remain strong and show her he meant what he said. He couldn’t do this again. Everyone he loved was at stake. Why couldn’t Kellie understand that?

  ~ * ~

  Life returned to normal quickly for the Noles except that Max wasn’t around much. Kellie answered her girl’s questions with a pat answer, “They need daddy to work extra shifts because someone isn’t feeling well.” A little white lie, but she couldn’t tell them the truth. Even with asking for extra shifts, Max was forced to take a certain amount of time off, and he had a day off on Sunday. Kellie tried to make it special with a big breakfast for Max and the girl’s favorite waffles.

  While Kellie fried bacon, Max mentioned that he planned to spend the day taking in a movie or visiting a friend alone.

  Kellie looked at him out of the corner of her eye trying to rein in her anger. “Hope and Faith wanted to drive out into the country to take a hike after church. The leaves are turning, and it’s a beautiful day. We don’t know when the cold will hit and days looking at leaves will have to wait for next year. I think they need to spend some time with their father. You may want to avoid me, but they still need you.” She lifted the bacon from the pan and placed the plate on the counter without looking at him.

  Max stood and didn’t answer her. Hope and Faith ran into the kitchen and said, “Let’s eat, Daddy. We’re going to walk and find pretty leaves after church.”

  “Mommy,” Faith said. “Can we take a picnic?”

  “It’s too cold for a picnic. But we could find a nice place to eat lunch.”

  “With ice cream?”

  Kellie laughed, “I think we could get ice cream.”

  “Sit down and say grace Daddy so we can eat. I’m hungry,” Hope said.

  Kellie could hear Max sigh from across the room, but he sat at the table and said grace. Kellie and Max were quiet through the meal, but the girls ate and talked excitedly about finding the perfect leaf during their nature walk.

  Kellie looked across the table at Max and said, “Ethan told the girls that Hunter and Taylor were going to Holy Hill today to look at the leaves, the gorgeous view, and visit the church. They asked if we could go for a walk and I thought it would be a nice idea.”

  Max mumbled something and pushed a large piece of waffle in his mouth. Kellie was pleased she couldn’t understand what he said.

  He was quiet and didn’t smile all through the church service. He finally spoke when he started the car after the church service, “Where do you want to go hiking?”

  Kellie shrugged. “How about the woods out by the Women and Children’s Center. It’s a quiet area, but safe and close to town.”

  “Sure,” Max nodded and headed the vehicle in the direction of the woods. He pulled onto the same backroad that Lance used when he and Kellie practiced summoning the elements.

  They started toward the same path she and Lance used when Hope stopped, pointed, and said, “Who’s that?”

  Kellie looked up, and her heart skipped a beat. “Twenty yards ahead of them stood a woman dressed in a flowing red robe. Her long black hair hung nearly to her waist and jewels glistened in a band across her forehead. She stood in a circle of flames that followed the movement of her hands. Next to her was what resembled a white angora cat except it was at least ten times larger than any house cat Kellie ever saw.

  “Don’t worry girls; she can’t see us. Let’s just get back into the SUV and leave. We can find a nicer place to look at leaves.”

  The cat creature hissed at them; it’s yellow teeth bared. Foam and gray saliva dripped from its mouth as it moved toward them.

  “I thought it couldn’t see us. Get in the car girls, now,” Max snapped.

  “It can’t, we’re shielded from any and all evil,” Kellie said walking backward with her eye on the creature.

  “Evidently not. I knew those ridiculous amulets and coins were worthless. What good is it doing for you now?”

  Cold fear gripped Kellie. “Where’s your coin, Max?”

  “At home in a drawer where it’s doing as much good as it would if I had it here.”

  Kellie knew the girls were safe. The creature couldn’t see them, and it couldn’t see her, but Max was in danger. The cat creature ran forward and leaped at Max. Kellie screamed and threw herself in front of Max. Before she hit the ground, she pushed the cat away with her white light. It ran off, and the woman disappeared, but Kellie suffered the effects of the attack meant for Max.

  Kellie lay on the ground bleeding profusely from several deep, long claw marks covering her face and chest. Max ran to get the first aid kit from the car. Hope and Faith raced to their mom’s side. When Max returned, he stood there speechless. Hope and Faith had placed their hands on Kellie’s wounds. He watched as the light coming from their fingertips not only stopped the blood flow but healed Kellie’s skin.

  Faith looked up and smiled. “Don’t worry, Daddy. Hope and I fixed Mommy. She’s all better.”

  Kellie opened her eyes, hugged the girls, and sat up remembering the attack. She felt her face where she knew the creature clawed her but felt nothing but unbroken skin. She looked at her jacket and saw the shredded front but knew she had no wounds.

  Max stared and then spoke, “I don’t know how, but the girls healed you. I saw the white light come out of their fingertips and you stopped bleeding. Then your skin closed and healed without a scar. I don’t understand it. I also can’t figure out what happened. You said you were protected. You weren’t.” He glared at her. “I told you this was foolish. If you aren’t protected than neither are the girls.”

  Kellie fought the tears she felt forming in her eyes and looked up at him. “I thought I could fight that creature with my white light which I did. You were unprotected. I threw my protection on you to keep you safe.”

  Max threw his hands in the air. “If that’s true, why would you do something so stupid? You could have been killed.”

  “You might have been killed.”

  “I wasn’t.”

  “Because I gave you my protection.”

  “Why,” he grumbled.

  Kellie couldn’t stop her tears when
she looked at him and said, “Because I love you.”

  Max dropped to his knees and pulled her close. Kellie melted into his arms. He whispered into her hair, “I love you and the girls more than my life. I almost lost you because I didn’t believe in you. It won’t happen again.”

  “I love you, too more than I can say.”

  Faith giggled. “Mommy and Daddy are kissing.”

  Hope asked, “Mommy, Daddy, we both found a nice leaf. We can go now. Can we have lunch and ice cream.”

  Max picked her up and said, “You can have whatever you want.” He held out his hand and helped pull Kellie to her feet.

  She looked at her jacket, tugged it off, and said, “I have a spare jogging suit in my car. Let me pull the sweatshirt over my blouse. I don’t want to try and explain the slashes.”

  Max pulled her into his arms again. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t your fault. I thought if you walked away the evil in this world would leave you alone. I should have known that it would seek you out since you are a formidable threat. I feel inadequate. Even our little ones can help you, and I can only stand by and watch.” He dropped his head against her shoulder.

  “Just love me, Max, and don’t leave me. Knowing you love me makes me stronger. A broken heart will inevitably weaken every part of me.”

  “Forgive me?”

  “Always.”

  He kissed her again until Hope called from the car. “Please, we’re hungry. No more kissing. You can kiss when we get home.”

  Max laughed and whispered in Kellie’s ear, “Count on more kissing later. I think we better feed our little heroes. They saved your life. You bled profusely. Even with my training, I’m not sure I could have stopped it until you could get to the E.R.”

  “I don’t remember much. I saw the creature pounce and then I was on the ground looking at Hope and Faith’s anxious faces.” She took Max’s hand, and they walked back to the SUV and two hungry little girls.

  Max started the vehicle and asked, “Where should we go?”

  “Kay’s,” Hope and Faith said in unison.

  “I should have known. She has the best ice cream in town. Kay’s it is,” he said as he turned the car around and drove back toward the highway.

  After lunch, while Max and the girls played a board game at the kitchen table, Kellie closed herself in her office and called Lance. It was time for more aggressive tactics before Cansha, or whoever the creature was, attacked one of them again. She thanked God she was there to save Max from an attack that would surely have killed him, but she fought the anger that he dismissed her advice about staying safe.

  “Hey, Kellie, are you all right? Claudia called and said her spirits informed her that our entity attacked Max.”

  “Yes, it did, but I threw my protection on him, and her catlike creature attacked me. Its claws slashed me, but the girls healed me while I lay on the ground. I don’t remember much. Max was in shock, and the girls have no idea how they knew what to do. They just did what they thought was right. I don’t know how to help them harness whatever abilities they have. I need to speak with Claudia.”

  “I agree, but I have some information that might help us. I did more research on the ancient belief of blood drinking and the possibility of the woman Cansha. I found an article written nearly thirty years ago by a professor in England. I searched for him on-line and found a website for his books and articles. Not sure if he would answer, I sent him an e-mail yesterday asking what he might know about Cansha. I received an answer today.”

  Kellie stood and walked to the window watching dark clouds move in from the West. The weather forecasted rain mixed with snow, and she hoped it would only rain. She wasn’t quite ready to deal with snow in October. “What did the professor say?”

  “He said he believed the ancient legends were true and if we were dealing with Cansha, we needed every ounce of strength and power we could find. Not only does Cansha gain strength from fire, but she also has no use for men other than to bleed them to death. He continued to explain that she was trapped in a time void for centuries and if we’re dealing with her it’s because she was released by the power of a spell and a wish which we figured because of the wishing well. One last thing, he said she could only be wished out of the void by a woman.”

  Kellie turned and leaned against the wall, “Then Ronnie didn’t wish her here, but he must have killed for her. Who wished her back? Was it his girlfriend, Alyssa, or another woman?”

  “Not sure,” Lance answered. “We have to speak to Ronnie and soon. You need to ask your uncle for permission to see him. I called the jail, and they said only his lawyer and select family members are allowed. I think your uncle could bend that rule, but you need to convince him.”

  “That’s easier said than done, but I’ll try. I’ll call you when I have an answer.”

  After a fifteen-minute chat with her Aunt Rita about the girls, holiday plans, and a new pumpkin pie recipe, Kellie’s Uncle Mike picked up the phone.”

  Kellie took a deep breath a few minutes into their small talk and said, “Uncle Mike I need a favor, and I don’t think you’ll like it.”

  “What now?” The silence coming from the other end of the phone line unnerved her.

  “Don’t yell until I finish explaining, please. I know you don’t want to hear about evils spirits, but there’s one roaming around Malone Springs and the general area right now. I believe it’s responsible for the two deaths where the men were drained of blood. Lance found a professor who understands what we’re dealing with and we need answers about how the spirit got here so we can send her back. We believe it’s something called a madness wraith that caused her victims to lose their sanity by slowly bleeding them to death. The few that survived, never recovered from the brain damage caused by the loss of blood. We believe Ronnie Donahue brought the wraith here. Lance and I need to speak with him. Could you arrange that?” Kellie waited for her uncle to explode. A minute passed, and Kellie had to ask if he was still on the line.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?”

  Kellie could hear his loud exhale, “Yes, against my better judgment, I’ll allow the two of you to see Donahue. I still don’t believe in your ghost story, but if there is any truth to it, I know you can stop it. I’ll meet you at the station in an hour.” The line went dead, and Kellie breathed a sigh of relief.

  Before she could call Lance back, her phone chirped with a text from Claudia.

  Remember, a wish made deep in the heart is powerful.

  Chapter Ten

  An hour later Kellie pulled into the visitor parking area of the police station. Her Uncle Mike told her that Ronnie was still in the city jail awaiting a court hearing. Lance was waiting for her leaning against the side of the building near the door.

  “Hi,” Kellie said. “Before I left, Claudia texted me, but I’m not sure of its meaning.”

  Lance held up his phone.

  Remember, a wish made deep in the heart is powerful.

  “I’m trying to figure that out myself. Claudia seems to want to believe wishes are real.”

  Kellie crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her elbows with her fingers. “We’ve seen things we never dreamed were true and were proved wrong. Claudia has Max wondering about the existence of the Yeti. Maybe wishes are real if said in the right way or place.”

  Lance smiled, “I heard about Claudia’s threat of spirits tossing Max to the Himalayas. Max partially believes because he knows what spirits are capable of and Ronnie Donahue must believe since he was involved in wishing Cansha here. Maybe we can weave a tale to scare him into revealing what he knows.”

  Kellie took a step toward the door. “Good idea. How do we do that?”

  Lance squinted his eyes in thought for a moment. “We act like good cop, bad cop. You try and get him to understand what Cansha might do to the people of Malone Springs, and I’ll make it personal. Maybe he’ll open up if he thinks Alyssa or his aunt are in danger. I can draw a gruesome picture f
or him. Make sure you shudder in all the right places. You’re the spirit fighter. If you’re afraid, he may open up.”

  Kellie nodded, “Nice plan. If you mention anything happening to Mrs. Donahue, I’ll cry for real. I love that sweet little lady.”

  Lance pulled out his phone and sent a text. He smiled at Kellie. Don’t worry about Mrs. Donahue. I texted Claudia and told her to protect Mrs. D since she may play a part in our battle.”

  His phone dinged. “She texted back.” He held up the phone for Kellie to read the text.

  Done. No worries. Mrs. D is safe.

  Lance pulled the door open for Kellie, and she said over her shoulder before entering, “Thanks for watching out for Mrs. D.”

  Kellie walked up to the front desk and asked for her uncle. Mike appeared in less than a minute and pulled her aside.

  “Listen, the two of you have fifteen minutes. He’s the only one we’re holding right now so I’ll take you back to his cell. Don’t touch him or give him anything. You’ll be alone, but there are security cameras, and I’ll watch your every move. If you learn anything, I expect you to share it with me. He won’t speak to us.” He stared straight into her eyes, and she nodded. “Follow me.”

  He turned and headed toward a door across the room. Kellie turned to follow, and Lance whispered to her. “This is a police station. They have cameras and microphones. Your uncle will hear every word we say.”

  Kellie whispered back, “Then let’s give him a good show.”

  Mike led them to the jail cells and reminded Kellie she has exactly fifteen minutes before he walked out and closed the door leaving Lance and Kellie alone with Ronnie.

  “Ronnie looked up from the cot in his cell where he sat. “Who the hell are you?”

  “I came here to help you,” Kellie answered taking a step closer to the cell but not close enough for Ronnie to reach out and touch her.

  Ronnie snorted.

  “I’d listen to her if I were you,” Lance said. “Your life depends on it.”