The Curse of the Old Woods

by Elizabeth Andre

  Maya noticed that the name on his tag was Norton.

  “Was your uncle Gale Norton?” asked Maya.

  “Yeah. Do you know him?”

  “Not really. I know of him,” Maya said.

  The paramedic began maneuvering the gurney holding Mrs. Forcier out of the barn. “He said it was a good job, being caretaker here, but this place just creeped him out so badly that it wasn’t worth it, so he quit.”

  Maya followed the paramedics out of the barn. “Well, you can tell him these woods are no longer haunted.”

  The paramedic waved at her and pushed the gurney away from the barn. Maya watched him and his colleagues take Mrs. Forcier and Mike to waiting ambulances. At that moment, she felt incredibly proud of what she and the others had achieved. She realized that she really could make a go of this paranormal investigations thing, even if she could only do it part-time for the moment.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Two funerals and a new start

  Mrs. Forcier recovered quickly and was discharged within twenty-four hours. According to her doctor, the cold, damp air of the barn combined with stress, anxiety, and some allergens had triggered a severe asthma attack. Julie and Maya picked her up from the hospital and took her home. Like the paramedic the night before, one of the nurses was curious as to why they were out in the Promontory Woods anyway. I’d always heard they were haunted, she said. Maya and Julie looked at each other.

  “Not so much anymore after last night,” Maya said.

  Mike regained consciousness two days after the events in the woods. The doctors couldn’t explain why he wouldn’t wake up, but Julie and Maya agreed that he was probably recovering from being used by Dr. Hargreaves. His thigh muscle had been damaged by the salt bullet but would eventually heal. The doctors were particularly concerned about Mike’s mental state. He couldn’t remember anything from that night in the barn.

  “It’s odd, but he also can’t seem to remember much from when he first started working at Promontory Woods, which I think was around 1980, and until, well, now really. He also looks older now than he did when I first saw him yesterday,” the doctor said and looked at Maya and Julie expectantly.

  They knew exactly why Mike’s memory was patchy at best and why he was aging. Since 1980, he’d been Dr. Hargreaves vessel. That had arrested the aging process and frequently suppressed parts of his mind. They didn’t think the doctor would believe the truth.

  “Stress maybe? We don’t really know him all that well,” Maya said.

  A puzzled look briefly crossed the doctor’s face. Mike stayed in the hospital for a few more days for some more tests before the doctors decided they couldn’t do anything more for him. Other than his spotty memory, he was in pretty good shape.

  Maya and Julie picked him up from the hospital. While he sat in the front passenger seat of Maya’s car, they gave him a severely abridged version of how he ended up there.

  “Ghosts, eh?” He scratched behind his ear. “I’d always heard those woods were haunted. It was true, huh?”

  From the back seat, Julie chuckled. “All true, but they’re gone now.”

  Mike didn’t respond, so silence settled over the car.

  “Are you okay?” Maya asked.

  “Oh yeah. Sort of. I mean, why can’t I remember more about working there?”

  Julie leaned forward from the back seat. “What do you remember?”

  Mike scratched behind his ear again with his index finger and then rested his arm on the car door. “Bits and pieces of things. It’s hard to explain. The harder I try to remember, the harder it is to remember. That doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Yeah, it does. It’s like when I wake up from a dream and immediately, it begins to fade. The harder I try to remember the dream, the fainter the memory of it gets. I always thought that meant that some things aren’t meant to be remembered,” Maya said.

  As she turned into the driveway that would take them through the woods to the caretaker’s cottage, everything—the trees, the grass, the dirt—looked just like they did when they’d first gone there to find Katie. Maya wasn’t sure what she expected, but she was both relieved and disappointed. The colors of the woods were just as vivid as they’d been when they had been haunted. She assumed that something should be different.

  “So, what now?” Maya asked.

  “As soon as my leg is healed I’m retiring to Florida,” he said. “Turns out I have enough years in.”

  Julie said, “Just keep your eyes peeled for gators. There’s lots of gators down in Florida, according to my grandmother.”

  “As long as they aren’t ghost gators, I’ll be fine,” Mike said and guffawed.

  Soon, the caretaker’s cottage came into view. Maya parked in the space closest to the cottage. Julie handed Mike his crutches. He took a few steps and then turned back to them.

  “Thanks for everything,” he said. “You’re probably right about some things not needing to be remembered. The past won’t weigh me down. Now, I have a chance to really do some living.”

  He hobbled away.

  The next day Maya attempted to use her ghost talking ability proactively, rather than waiting for a ghost to decide to take advantage of her “affinity” as Mike had called it. She was visiting Mrs. Forcier in her home. She had fully recovered from their adventure in the woods, although her ongoing cancer treatments were taking a toll. Maya had really developed a fondness for her. After a few cups of tea and a couple of cookies, Maya managed to contact Katie. She was hard to see, but definitely there. She joined them at the table and thanked Maya for helping to free her.

  “Your life is about to change,” Katie said to Maya.

  Maya tried to be polite and hide her skepticism. Her relationship with Charlie was at the very beginning. She wasn’t sure where it was going. Mrs. Forcier had paid Maya and Julie, but a new case had not appeared. Maya had another shift at Zaxy-Mart in a few hours.

  “Trust me,” said Katie.

  Then the two sisters had a long chat about their mother, what had happened to their childhood friends, and how life had changed over the years.

  About a week later, on the anniversary of Katie’s disappearance, Mrs. Forcier had Katie’s bones dug up from the well. She had them buried in the family plot. Maya, Penny, Steve, Eddie, Julie, and Jason attended the small graveside service. The planned construction work for Promontory Woods stalled. It turned out Katie was not the only one with bones in the old well or even in the woods. Construction was halted until a team of forensic pathologists could sort it all out.

  After the funeral, Maya found she could no longer call on Katie, no matter how hard she tried.

  “She truly has moved on,” said Mrs. Forcier as she choked back tears at the post funeral repast. “But I’ll be with her soon.”

  Maya got a queasy feeling in her stomach. “I hope you’re with us for a long time.”

  Mrs. Forcier smiled and looked happier and more peaceful than Maya had ever seen her. Still, Maya worried. The older woman also looked frailer. Maya chalked it up to stress and perhaps lingering anxiety from their adventure in the woods.

  Two weeks later, she learned that this new friend of hers was indeed frailer because the cancer had spread. Maya and the gang visited Mrs. Forcier who had decided not to continue with treatment. Her doctors had told her that there was nothing more they could do for her. She would live out the time she had left in her own home with palliative care. A nurse was with her at all times. Her bedroom reflected the woman herself—uncluttered, spare, elegant. Maya could imagine that, in happier times, Mrs. Forcier would have spent a lot of time in such a restful room.

  Mrs. Forcier lay on her bed, looking as comfortable as Maya had ever seen her. She smiled faintly. Maya sat close to her, holding her hand. Julie sat on the other side holding Mrs. Forcier’s other hand.

  “When your time comes,” Mrs. Forcier said, “you really should consider hospice. The drugs are marvelous.”

  Julie laughed, and de
spite the otherwise somber atmosphere, Maya laughed, too.

  “Rock on, Mrs. Forcier,” Jason said.

  Even Mrs. Forcier laughed at that. “There’s not much ‘rocking on’ left in me, I’m afraid, but I’ve had a good run, and I did what I promised my mother I’d do. I found Katie, with your help, of course.”

  Maya felt the older woman squeeze her hand weakly. She hadn’t wanted to deal with it, but the weakness of Mrs. Forcier’s grip forced her to confront the fact that her new friend was dying. Mrs. Forcier closed her eyes briefly.

  “Hey, Mrs. F, you were the driving force behind finding your sister,” Steve said.

  “Yeah, if you hadn’t forced me to work with Maya... “ Julie started to say.

  “Hey now. I remember it as you being foisted on me.” Maya emphasized this by pointing at Julie and then at herself.

  Maya smiled, hoping Julie picked up on the playful tone. She seemed to, as she returned Maya’s smile.

  “And of course, I was right. I knew you two would work perfectly together,” Mrs. Forcier said. “But don’t ever call me Mrs. F.”

  Maya saw Mrs. Forcier wince as if she felt some pain. “Where does it hurt? Do you need more morphine or whatever it is they’re giving you?”

  “Maybe someone should get the nurse,” Steve said and started heading toward the door.

  Mrs. Forcier shook her head. “No, I’m all right. Don’t fuss. Just help me sit up, please.”

  Carefully, Julie, Maya, and Jason eased the older woman up into a sitting position while Penny set a few pillows behind her to prop her up.

  “That’s better.” Mrs. Forcier took deep, measured breaths before speaking again. “Now, I can never truly repay what you’ve done for me and my family.”

  Maya, who was holding Mrs. Forcier’s hand once more, said, “No need. It was a great adventure and our pleasure.”

  “Maya’s right,” Julie said. “We were glad to do it. You should rest now.”

  Mrs. Forcier smiled faintly. “Oh, don’t worry. I do intend to rest now. I’m going to see Katie again.”

  Penny, sounding distressed, said, “Wait. What?”

  But Maya knew exactly what Mrs. Forcier meant. She watched as the older woman closed her eyes for the last time. The rise and fall of her chest became slower, shallower until she exhaled with a quiet finality.

  “Is she...?” asked Penny.

  Maya, feeling no pulse along Mrs. Forcier’s wrist, said, “Yes, she is.”

  Jason hung his head. Maya thought she heard him sniffle. Eddie hummed a tune that sounded like a hymn while Steve sat down on the loveseat near the bay window. Penny crossed her arms across her chest and stared down at Mrs. Forcier. Maya couldn’t read any sort of emotion from Penny’s face. Julie got up from the chair she was sitting in and slowly paced around the room until she came to the bay window where she sat on the ledge. Maya kept hold of Mrs. Forcier’s hand. She felt nothing. Mrs. Forcier was really gone. Maya felt her eyes watering and rubbed them with the back of her free hand. For several moments, the only sound was Eddie’s humming.

  “I should go tell the nurse,” Julie said and left.

  The nurse, a petite, tidy woman, strode in purposefully with Julie following in her wake. Maya and the others left shortly after. They gathered in driveway.

  “Now this investigation is well and truly over,” Jason said.

  Eddie, nodding at Maya and Julie said, “Has this convinced you two to work together?”

  Julie glanced at Maya and shrugged. “This worked out, but I have a feeling that’s because Mrs. Forcier really pushed us to make it work.”

  Maya knew that she left unsaid the fact that now that Mrs. Forcier wouldn’t be around anymore, the two of them would have little incentive to work together. Besides, Maya felt Julie’s attraction to her. Maya felt a pull towards her, too, but she doubted they could date each other and work together. Fortunately, Maya had Charlie, who was awfully appealing, to think about, and it didn’t seem like Julie was all that available anyway.

  “Yeah, Mrs. Forcier was the driving force behind us doing this together, but never say never, you know?” Maya said.

  Maya and Penny drove back to their apartment mostly in silence.

  “You all right?” asked Maya.

  “I think so. Or I will be,” Penny said. “This has been amazing, and I’m sad she passed, but you know what? If you ever get another case, I’m in. I wanna do this.”

  Maya smiled. “Okay. You’re in.”

  ****

  Maya had never been to two funerals in one month. It was exhausting. Although Katie had been dead for decades, Maya had really grown to like her in the brief time she’d known her. She’d only worked with Mrs. Forcier for a few weeks, but it had been an intense experience. She missed their regular meetings and chats.

  Still, there was work to do. With no clients calling for her paranormal detective services, she took a few extra shifts at Zaxy-Mart.

  She was coming home one afternoon when her phone rang with two phone calls. One was from Julie asking if she’d received a letter from Mrs. Forcier that she had mailed before her death.

  “Seriously. Call me the minute you get it.” She hung up.

  The other call was from Penny saying that a letter had arrived from Mrs. Forcier and asking if she could open it. Maya told her to wait. Penny, who was still hurting from how little footage she filmed on their last day at Promontory Woods, went into an obvious sulk and hung up without saying goodbye.

  When Maya got home the cream-colored envelope had been thrown on her bed. Her address had been written on the front of it in Mrs. Forcier’s perfect cursive. Even in her final days everything about her was elegant, graceful, and strong. Maya paused for a moment to wonder if Mrs. Forcier had sent her some final words of wisdom.

  Maya got her uniform off and washed her face. She kicked her shoes off into a corner and curled up in the easy chair in the living room.

  “So, are you going to open that or what?” said Penny. “I’m dying here.”

  “Okay. Let’s do it.”

  Maya tore open the envelope, pulled out the letter, and read it. Her mouth fell open. Her eyes went wide. “Oh. My. God.”

  “What? What?” Penny tried to get in close, but Maya pushed her away. She stood up quickly not sure what she wanted to say first. She paced up and down the living room.

  “Say something. This is so unfair,” Penny said.

  “I need to call Julie and Steve.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  A last wish

  When Julie saw Maya’s name pop up on her phone, she answered it before the first ring finished.

  “What do you think?” said Julie.

  “I’m in,” said Maya.

  Julie could hear Penny clamoring in the background for some information about what was happening, and she didn’t blame her. She was going to call Jason when she could. Maya said she’d call Steve. Steve ended up inviting them all over for Maya and Julie to share their big news with all of them.

  At Steve and Eddie’s house, and with Penny and Jason present, Julie and Maya told them all about Mrs. Forcier’s last wish. The letters that both Maya and Julie had received said that they would inherit all of Mrs. Forcier’s money and her house, but there was a catch. Mrs. Forcier had no heirs and said that they had worked so well together that she wanted to make sure that they would continue to use their skills to help people like her. She didn’t want them distracted by meaningless jobs or clients with trivial concerns. Julie and Maya had to go to her lawyer tomorrow, and then, for the next five years, they would work together. They would receive a monthly salary from her estate and live rent free, if they wanted to, in her house. After the five years, they would inherit everything left, but could decide whether they wanted to continue together or go their own ways. If they stopped working together sooner, all her money would go to a charity that helped families of missing children.

  “It’s a five-year deal,” said Julie as if to caution.<
br />
  Maya nodded. “I know. I’m in.”

  Penny cheered.

  Jason gave them a thumbs up. “Five years’ guaranteed salary? Sounds fantastic.”

  Eddie smiled enigmatically.

  “You two working together?” Steve sounded skeptical. “For five years?”

  “Okay, I’ll admit that I was miffed when Mrs. Forcier hired both of us to investigate,” Julie said, “but it’s clear that Maya has some skills that will be useful.”

  Maya rolled her eyes. “I could say the same about you. But it worked out.”

  Penny bounced up from the sofa. “It worked out great! We can do some amazing stuff! We can do more videos for our channel.”

  Jason leaned back in the recliner. “You need to come up with a name. Something that stands out.”

  “I have an idea about that. How about instead of Nicholas and Associates we call our firm the Paranormal Grievance Committee?” Maya said looking around at her friends.

  Eddie gave a quick kiss to Steve and started to laugh. “Hey, if it’s good enough for a community cable access show, it’s good enough for a paranormal detective agency.”

  “Are you sure the title of a community access cable show is the best choice?” said Julie.

  “You got something better?” Steve asked.

  Julie shrugged and spread her hands. “Not really.”

  “I think it’s great,” Penny said. “It stands out.”

  Eddie got out a bottle of champagne. Steve found some plastic champagne flutes left over from a New Year’s Eve party and helped Eddie fill them. Maya made a toast.

  “To friends old and new, those who are still with us and those who have departed. May our journey together be exciting and fruitful,” she said.

  Eddie said, “And may you have lots of ghosts with grievances.”

  “Hear, hear!” Julie said.

  “Salud!” Penny said.

  After the champagne had been drunk and more joyous toasts made, Maya and Julie found themselves standing in an awkward silence on Steve and Eddie’s front lawn.