Sinister Awakenings

by Marianne Spitzer

  Sinister Awakenings

  (A Kellie Conley/Lance Cain Mystery)

  By Marianne Spitzer

  © March 2016

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons living or dead, events, locations, or organizations are purely coincidental. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced without the written consent of the author.

  Acknowledgements

  There are many people I would like to thank for their help and understanding while I wrote this book, but first and foremost, I want to thank God for all His blessings. I also wish to thank my family and friends for their patience when I disappear into my writing world especially my son, Lance, for his unwavering support. Last, but by no means least, I wish to thank my readers. Without your reviews, e-mails, and Face Book posts, I would have no idea if you enjoyed my book. Much love and blessings to all of you. Cover designed by the talented Laura at LLPix Designs.

  Sinister Awakenings

  Chapter One

  Kellie smiled as she watched her Aunt Rita bouncing Nathaniel on her knee while he giggled at the book he held. Planning a moms and babies day had been an excellent idea. Inviting Aunt Rita added extra joy to Kellie’s day.

  Taylor walked in from the living room and said, “Ethan is finally asleep.”

  Kellie turned toward her and said, “The girls are asleep, too. I think watching Nathaniel toddling around the room wore all of them out.”

  “He certainly wears me out,” Andrea quipped.

  Kellie’s phone chirped. “Max texted me and said he and the police received a call to Claudia’s house. He sent me a video.”

  She placed the phone on the table where they could all see it and played the video.

  “What the hell?” Taylor asked. “What is that?”

  “Claudia’s house,” Andrea whispered clapping a hand over her mouth.

  “Evil, pure evil. I have to go,” Kellie insisted. “Can one of you watch the girls?”

  Taylor and Andrea looked at each other and then at Rita.

  Rita said, “All three of you go. I can handle three sleeping infants and a ten-month-old for a couple hours.”

  The three friends smiled at Rita and headed for Kellie’s SUV.

  ~ * ~

  Kellie parked a block from Claudia’s house. The police department set up barriers and all she could see beyond them were the flashing blue and red lights of several emergency vehicles and police cruisers.

  The three young women ran to the barrier and Kellie insisted, “I have to get closer.” The three raced around the barrier headed for Claudia’s house.

  Kellie stopped when she heard her name called. She turned to see a reporter from the local television station. “Why are you here?” the woman shouted. Kellie continued to run.

  A police officer tried to stop her, but let her through when he recognized her. Taylor and Andrea followed. Kellie saw Max and her Uncle Mike standing across the street from Claudia’s house. She raced to Max’s side.

  “How long has it been this way,” she gasped trying to catch her breath.

  “The first 911 call came in approximately thirty minutes ago,” Mike answered.

  Kellie began to cross the street when Max grabbed her arm.

  “You can’t go any closer. We don’t know what it is.”

  “I do,” Kellie answered. “I also know how to stop it.”

  Kellie pulled away from her Uncle Mike when he tried to stop her, too and walked to the sidewalk directly in front of Claudia’s house.

  She gazed up at the gorgeous white Victorian home trimmed in candy colors that was now covered in a black web filled with inky mist. The house barely visible behind the web glowed with a soft golden light.

  Kellie turned to speak to Taylor and Andrea. “Claudia’s safe. The golden light will protect her, but she’s trapped in the house by the darkness.”

  Andrea’s eyes widened, and she pointed to the roof.

  “What is it?” Kellie asked.

  Andrea answered, “A figure surrounded by black mist is floating just above the rooftop.”

  “I can’t see it.” Kellie yanked the protective amulet from her neck, and handed it to Taylor. Once removed, she saw the figure clearly.

  Kellie spun around and lifted her hand. White light flew from her palm as she screamed, “Enough.” The figure disappeared.

  Mike groaned when he noticed the camera operator filming Kellie’s every move. “Go stop him,” he ordered the young officer standing next to him.

  “She’ll be on the evening news,” Max said shaking his head.

  Kellie lifted both of her hands, and white light encircled Claudia’s house. A clap of thunder reverberated through the area. Those watching covered their ears. A second clap of thunder louder than the first rocked the area.

  “I said enough,” Kellie screamed again. The light from her palms grew brighter as the black mist lightened.

  For ten minutes, Kellie battled the black mist. Finally, it faded and disappeared. The figure in black from the roof appeared on Claudia’s front porch.

  Kellie took a step forward and yelled, “I said it is over.” Before the white light could reach the figure, its voice cut through the air.

  “I will decide when this is over child of my child.” Then the figure disappeared.

  Andrea and Taylor hurried to her side. “It called you ‘child of my child’,” Andrea stammered. “Was that…?”

  “I think it’s my grandfather, Frederick Malone. Somehow he’s back,” Kellie said swallowing the fear she felt creep up her throat.

  Max rushed to her side and carried her to the paramedic van. He insisted on checking her out. “Everyone saw the black web and the black figure. We could hear it speak. The news filmed it. Why did it speak to you?”

  “It must be my grandfather. I told you he wanted our girls. I’m sure of it now. I’m thankful they’re home with Aunt Rita and that Claudia protected the house and the girls as soon as those pink roses appeared.” She leaned against him trying to slow her racing heart.

  “Kellie look,” Max said.

  She looked toward Claudia’s house and saw the door open. Claudia and Lance stepped out onto the porch.

  Kellie pulled out of Max’s arms and raced across the street. She bounded up the stairs and threw her arms around Lance. “Are you okay?” He nodded.

  Kellie turned toward Claudia. “Are you okay, too. Was that my grandfather? Why was he here?”

  Claudia took her hands and assured her she was fine. “Come in and bring the other ladies.”

  Kellie turned and motioned to Taylor and Andrea, who were still standing on the sidewalk staring at the house.

  They nodded and hurried to follow Kellie, Claudia, and Lance into the house.

  Max turned to Mike. “Looks like we’re going to have to wait longer to find out what’s going on here.”

  Mike pressed his fingers against his temples. “At least the news crew is down the street. I wonder how much they filmed.”

  Max glanced around and answered, “Even if they didn’t film it all, they’ll get more than enough cell phone video. I can imagine everyone around filmed this.”

  ~ * ~

  Claudia closed the door behind them and said, “Come. Sit in the kitchen. We need tea to calm our nerves.” Her warm smile reassured the three young women.

  Kellie sat and asked again, “Was that my grandfather? How can he be back from hell? I thought he was thrown into hell by my mother.”

  “He was,” Claudia said. “He’s still there. That wasn’t his spirit.”

  “But he called me ‘child of my child.’ That would mean grandchild, a
nd I’m his grandchild.”

  “Yes, you are,” Claudia agreed. “However, any spirit you communicated with before you wore the amulet that protects you knows your greatest fear. They can use it against you.” She set a cup of tea in front of Kellie. “Drink and let me explain.”

  ~ * ~

  An hour later Kellie and her friends left Claudia’s house. They agreed to explain things to their families at the same time. Andrea and Taylor texted Cole and Hunter and asked them to meet them at Kellie’s for dinner. Max would be home for dinner, too and Mike guaranteed he’d stop by for a complete explanation.

  Kellie drove to their favorite deli to buy everything needed for a filling buffet style dinner since none of the friends felt like cooking. While Taylor and Kellie purchased more than they thought they needed, Andrea popped into the bakery next door for dessert. She met them at the car carrying a large bakery box and a smaller white bag.

  They stored their purchases safely in the back of Kellie’s SUV and Andrea kept the small bag in her hand.

  “What did you buy for dessert,” Taylor asked.

  “The largest triple chocolate cake they had with chocolate icing and sprinkles,” Andrea smiled.

  “What’s in the bag?”

  Andrea reached into the bag and said, “Three giant chocolaty butterscotch and chocolate chip cookies.” She handed one to Taylor and Kellie.

  Taylor moaned as she took a bite. She mumbled with a mouth full of cookie, “I needed this.”

  Kellie nodded agreement and took another bite of cookie.

  When they pulled up to Kellie’s house, they saw their Aunt Rita looking out the front window. By the time Kellie parked in the garage, Rita was waiting in the doorway leading from the garage into the laundry room. Nathaniel wiggled in her arms when he saw Andrea.

  As soon as the young women stepped out of the car, Rita said, “Do you know you were on TV? Breaking news no less. They filmed the entire encounter. Your phone hasn’t stopped ringing. What happened? Are you alright?” She retreated into the kitchen when Kellie and her friends walked into the house arms full of dinner goodies.

  Kellie placed her bags on the counter and hugged Rita. “I'm okay. All the guys are coming for dinner including Uncle Mike and I’ll explain it to all of you at the same time.”

  “Okay,” Rita said handing the wiggly Nathaniel to Andrea. “I’ll wait, but you scared the heck out of me. The cameras panned the area, and I saw Mike. I can tell by the look on his face that he isn’t happy.” She dropped into a kitchen chair.

  “We’re all fine,” Kellie called as she hurried into the living room to see Hope and Faith. The girls were both lying on their sides babbling at each other.

  Taylor walked up holding Ethan and asked, “Do you think they’re talking? Each time I see them do that I swear they understand each other.”

  “From everything I’ve read,” Kellie answered, “it’s common for twins to babble like that. It makes Max a tad nervous seeing as I have the power to communicate with spirits. He thinks since my mother could do it, too that the girls might have inherited it. I hope he’s wrong.”

  Kellie heard the garage door open and said, “Max is home. The other guys will be here soon. Let’s set the food out on the counter and everyone can eat first.”

  “Great idea,” Taylor said. “They may not be hungry after you speak to them.”

  ~ * ~

  Kellie refused to explain about the activity at Claudia’s house until all the men ate and the children were settled. The men finally agreed and attacked the food.

  “Told ya it was a good idea to buy double the amount of potato salad. Hunter eats when he’s nervous. Just look at his plate,” Taylor commented.

  Kellie smiled and filled her plate. She joined Taylor, Andrea, and her Aunt Rita in the dining room while the men sat around the kitchen table discussing the day’s event. When everyone finished, and the leftover food placed in the refrigerator, Kellie joined the rest of her family and friends in the living room.

  Her eyes quickly scanned the room. Mike sat with his arms folded. Cole leaned forward as if he might miss a word. Hunter sat straight and stared at her. Max leaned back and smiled. It warmed her heart that he wasn’t angry with her.

  “Well,” Kellie began. “I know you all have questions, and I’ll answer any I can, but let me explain what happened today. First, have all of you seen the video on-line and the TV report?” All four men nodded.

  “Okay,” she continued shifting from one foot to the other. “Second, the most important thing is that it was not my grandfather that caused this. I was worried he was back when he called me ‘child of my child;’ however, it was just the spirit’s way of alarming me. They like to do that.”

  Kellie swallowed when she saw the glare in her Uncle Mike’s eyes. “Third, we are all safe here. If you watched the incident carefully today, you saw a golden glow surrounding Claudia’s house. It’s a protection from evil. That’s why the black mist couldn’t penetrate the house and injure her or Lance. There is one surrounding this house and Taylor’s along with the yards. We are safe here. Claudia placed the protection around the houses as soon as I received the pink roses with the black tear drop card. That also was meant to frighten me and make me believe it was Frederick Malone back from hell. Our amulets also protect us which is why I needed to remove mine before I could see and interact with the spirit.”

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Mike growled. “But this is not a good thing. Who is that Lance person? How do you know he didn’t cause this? What’s his last name?”

  “Lance is a friend and a sensitive.” Kellie shot back. “He’s helped me before. The dead speak to him, and he has unique gifts that may prove invaluable.”

  “Lance who?”

  “Lance Cain.”

  “Is that with a C or K?”

  “C. C-a-i-n.”

  Mike scribbled it into his notebook. “I’m going to run a check on that young man.”

  “That’s fine. Can I finish now?”

  “Yeah,” Mike mumbled.

  “Lastly,” Kellie said shuddering slightly. “The spirit responsible for today’s attack is Thomas. He’s the spirit we fought at the Gotz Manor House.”

  “I thought he was eliminated when the manor blew up,” Cole quipped.

  “No,” Kellie shook her head. “If you remember, he was attached to the house. He became part of the house. When it blew up and burned, he remained and was content. That is until a large corporation purchased the land for a warehouse. They filled the cellar with cement, and a large slab was poured over the cellar and surrounding area. It’s roughly the size of a football field and takes up nearly the entire property along with the area set aside for parking and truck docks. There was quite a bit of debris hauled away. It was scattered throughout the dump area and the ruins Thomas called home were eliminated. He’s angry and blames me. He got into my head when we were at the manor and knew of my fear of Frederick. He used it. Lance sensed danger and arrived at Claudia’s shortly before Thomas began his attack. Thomas couldn’t find me because of the amulet, but he knew I’d help Claudia.”

  Mike stood and began to pace. “So what you’re telling me is we have an evil spirit right here in Malone Springs that’s seeking revenge against you.”

  “Pretty much, but Lance is sure he can help, and we’ll defeat him for good this time. Last time I only had my own ability to battle him. Combined with Lance’s we should be able to send him to hell this time.”

  “Should?” Mike yelled. “That’s the operative word here. Should. What if he kills you? I don’t like this. I won’t have you doing anything dangerous. You have children for Pete's sake.”

  “Calm down, Uncle Mike. I’ll be okay. I’ve done this before, and if Lance and I don’t eliminate Thomas, he’ll come after people I love or my friends. The spirit is as evil as or worse than Frederick Malone ever was.”

  “What about the kids?” Hunter asked.

  “They’re innocents. He can’t harm
them, and Claudia is making sure she adds a layer of protection for all four of them.”

  “Four?” Cole interjected. “You think he’ll come after Nathaniel, too. Why? We don’t help you with spirits any longer.”

  “I know, but you and Andrea were at the Gotz Manor and fought him. Andrea was at Claudia’s today. Thomas saw all three of us,” Kellie said with as much compassion as she could muster.

  Andrea dropped her head in her hands. She finally looked at Kellie and said, “He must be stopped. I’ll never forget being trapped in that elevator filled with bugs and spiders or being dragged around by my hair. He’s evil and twisted.”

  “That he is,” Hunter agreed. “He possessed me and tried to kill Taylor using my body. It still gives me nightmares. I know it wasn’t me but just the thought that my hands could have hurt Taylor nearly drove me mad. It has to end.”

  “I agree,” whispered Taylor. “It’s terrifying.” Hunter wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

  Everyone began talking when the door chimes alerted Rufus and Kellie that someone was on the porch. Rufus ran to the door and barked until Kellie opened the door. A messenger stood on her porch. He handed her a padded envelope, said goodnight, and hurried to his car.

  Kellie closed the door and looked at the envelope. “It’s from Claudia.”

  She read the enclosed note and pulled out four amulets. Two were on golden chains, and she handed them to Rita and Andrea. The two on black cords she handed to Cole and Mike.”

  Mike jumped to his feet again. “What the hell is this for?”

  “It’ll protect you from Thomas. According to Claudia’s note, the golden protection is now surrounding Andrea and Cole’s house as well as yours, Uncle Mike. Your homes are safe. The amulet will protect you, and the children are safe.”

  Mike spun and looked at Max. “You have been too quiet. Aren’t you concerned? Forbid Kellie to do this. She’s your wife.”

  Kellie’s eyes grew big, and she bit her lip to keep from saying something she might regret.