Burned to a Crisp

by K A Miltimore

  “What did she look like?” Ana took over the questioning.

  “Dark eyes, pitch black and no light at all. Long reddish hair, I think, but the eyes were all I could see. I heard crows cawing as she spoke.” Ren gave a slight shudder as he remembered those black eyes.

  “What did she do then?” Hedy knew why he seemed shaken; she had seen those eyes herself.

  “I came out from the shrubs, I still had the mole by the scruff of his neck in my teeth, and then I felt her hand around my neck. I couldn’t move. I tried to move, to run, but it was like I was trapped in those eyes of hers. She held me by the neck and I felt limp. She asked me where the woman with the white hair had hidden the box.”

  “How did you know?” Bren found himself questioning a fox and he wasn’t sure he had ever been in a more surreal conversation.

  “I saw you both place the box behind that door. You weren’t exactly quiet about it. With my ears, I could have heard you a block away. I told the woman what she wanted to know and then I felt her tighten her hold on me. Then I woke up in here.” He took another sip of water and gingerly moved his neck one more time.

  “I’m sorry that happened to you, Ren. She used you to get what she wanted from me. We thought hiding it in the cellar would be the last place she would look but we obviously didn’t give her enough credit.” Hedy took the empty saucer from the table and headed back toward the open pocket doors.

  “You are welcome to stay inside tonight, you should rest up.” She looked back at the fox but she could tell he was anxious to leave the house; he was done with humans for the night.

  “Thank you, but no, I would rather go to my den. My family is no doubt worried about me. I hope never to lay eyes on that woman again. I’m sorry if telling your secret has caused you any problem.” Ren hopped down from the table and followed Hedy into the hallway.

  “That’s just it, we don’t know why she wanted that box, and now I’m afraid to find out.” Hedy opened the front door and Ren passed through to the front porch and into the night, away from the house.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Hedy was up earlier than usual, busy in the kitchen and busy in her thoughts. She hadn’t been able to sleep. Lyssa’s assault against the fox and taking the crate from the cellar made it clear that more danger was to come. She had decided to accept no more travelers for the time being; she had already called the Concierge to let them know that, for now, the Enumclaw waystation was closed. Now she had to decide whether to ask Ana and Bren to leave.

  Her hands were kneading the dough and her mind was playing out the conversation. They would object, they would be hurt, they would argue against why sending them away made sense. And in truth, all their arguments would make sense. They knew the danger and if they chose to stay, that was their informed choice. But Hedy felt certain it was the wrong choice. Her gut told her that Lyssa wasn’t done with them and every time she had dismissed her gut, she had been sorry - both now and in the past.

  “No peace I feel in this house.” Adelaide’s voice drifted into the kitchen, which was unusual; she usually kept to the second floor or the entry at most.

  “You are right, Adelaide. No peace indeed.” She had hoped making bread would calm her down, the rhythm of the kneading, the feel of the smooth dough under her floured hands, but she still felt on edge.

  “Danger is here, I feel it. Danger to she, danger from he.” Adelaide’s voice drifted away, leaving Hedy even more frustrated than before.

  “Why must you speak in riddles, Adelaide? That is no help!” The ghost didn’t answer and Hedy slammed the dough into the countertop and walked away.

  Who was the ‘she’? Was it Hedy, was it Mel or Ana? Maybe it was someone who hadn’t even arrived yet. And the ‘he’? The police had a man in custody for the fires. Did she mean Bren or Jeffries? And why no mention of Lyssa? Nothing Adelaide had said made any sense.

  “Hedy? Everything alright?” Ana came into the kitchen and surveyed the scene.

  “No, Ana. Everything isn’t alright, unfortunately. There is too much danger around this house right now. I think it might be best if you and Bren went on to your next waystations, away from here.”

  Ana was shaking her head before Hedy even finished speaking. “No, I don’t want to leave. Whatever this Lyssa creature wants, I’m not leaving you to the danger alone. You are mortal, Hedy. At least I think you are…” Ana gave a cheeky smile, which made Hedy smile in return. “Your best defense against whatever Lyssa has planned is to have some extra help from me and Bren. I’m staying even if you toss me out.” She took both of Hedy’s flour-covered hands in hers and gave them a squeeze.

  “Ana, I appreciate that, I really do, but if something happened to you or Bren, or anyone connected with this house, I wouldn’t forgive myself. I’m hoping that now that she has the box, she’ll move on and leave us alone but what if she doesn’t? What if there is more she has planned? It is too much to ask.”

  “No, it isn’t.” Bren had entered the room and he chimed in before Ana could speak. “I assume you are trying to persuade Ana to leave. I can’t speak for her but I am not leaving, not while this woman is still around here.” He joined them at the kitchen table, looking like he too hadn’t slept much.

  “You both are very kind, really. But I want you to think about this today and really be sure. I would feel relieved if you decide to leave, then I would know you were safe.”

  “Well, call me selfish then, but I am not leaving and you will just have to know that someone has your back.” Ana gave Hedy a hug and then let go awkwardly; she wasn’t adept at physical affection.

  “Agreed. I’m in this until the end.” Bren said simply.

  “I can see that talking to you two is getting me nowhere, so I’ll get back to my bread.” But she said it with a soft voice, her eyes close to tears. She had relied on herself alone for so long, after everything that had happened to her over the years, it felt unnatural to have friends who would stand by her side even in danger.

  “Hedy, do you have a traveler mug?” Ana chuckled at the unintended pun. “Mel has another test this morning, so I am going to walk to the school and wait for her to finish. I thought I would take some coffee with me.”

  “Hmmm, yes, I think I might have one. I think the bank gave it to me when I opened an account last year.” Hedy rummaged around in the cupboards until she found an insulated tumbler. Hedy hated drinking out of plastic, so it had never been used. She gave it a rinse from the tap and filled it up with hot coffee.

  “Maybe I should walk with you. I could pick up a newspaper to see if there are any updates on the man in custody.” Bren still had the arsonist on his mind.

  “Oh, I can bring you back a paper. You should stay here and keep an eye on things. I’ll be back with Mel in a little while; she only has the one test to take. I will be fine.” Ana hadn’t told them about the encounter with Stuart.

  Bren nodded and poured himself a cup of coffee. He felt better with the idea of being close by the house. He didn’t want to worry Hedy but he didn’t think Lyssa was done with them yet.

  “Alright then, see you later then.” Ana raised her tumbler in farewell and headed toward the front door.

  ✽✽✽

  The morning bustled by, faster than Hedy could believe. She was busy with baking, with customers, and with Darro who seemed to have a million questions about what kinds of bulbs she wanted planted for the spring. She hadn’t had time to notice that Mel and Ana hadn’t yet returned.

  Bren had spent his morning exploring Hedy’s library, looking particularly for any books on Greek mythology. Now and then, a cold breeze would ruffle the pages of his book but there were no other signs of Adelaide’s presence in the room. It wasn’t until his stomach started to grumble that he realized it was late morning.

  Coming down the stairs, he saw the front door open and Mel come in. “Hello, Mel. How was the test?” She waited for him to reach her and they went into the shop together.

  “You
mean tests. I had two today. I told Ana there was no sense in waiting for me, I would just meet her here when they were over. Where is she?” Hedy had joined them from behind the counter.

  “She isn’t back. We thought she was with you. When did you see her?”

  Mel looked at her watch. “It’s one-thirty now, I saw her at the break between the tests, about two hours ago. She was heading back then.” Mel and Hedy both looked worried; there was no way it would take two hours to walk back from the school.

  Bren spoke up. “Let’s not panic, alright? She might have decided to window shop or stop by the library or get a bite to eat. I’ll take the car and look around town while you both wait here for her.” Hedy walked over to the small drawer by the cash register and pulled out the keys for Bren.

  “I should go with you.” Mel started toward the door but Hedy reached out and held onto her arm.

  “Wait here with me, OK, Mel? Bren can search and you can be here when she walks through that front door. I’m sure she’ll be here any time.” Hedy lied with conviction. Mel didn’t believe Hedy but they both nodded and watched Bren take off through the front door.

  “Let’s have some tea and you can tell me how dinner went last night with your mother.”

  ✽✽✽

  Bren came back after a long hour with no news of Ana. He had hoped to find her, but it seemed a bit of long shot. Ana didn’t strike him as the kind of girl who would window shop in a small town. He had only really held out hope that she was at the library, perhaps doing some research as he had been, but there was no sign of her and when asked about a small young woman with long dark hair, the librarian hadn’t seen her.

  “No luck? We haven’t heard anything.” Hedy met him at the door. Ana didn’t have a cell phone, as many of those like her did not. Modern technology held less appeal to elementals and those of a supernatural nature. Bren was beginning to think that was a mistake on their part.

  “We better call the police.” Bren came into the shop, watching the fretful Mel as she quickly scanned her phone for any shred of news she might find.

  “And tell them that an undine has gone missing?” Mel didn’t look up from her phone as she spoke. Clearly, she knew the truth about Ana.

  “The fact that she is an undine doesn’t have to be discussed, only that she is missing. We can use their help to find her.” Bren sat down at the table with Mel who still didn’t look up.

  “Maybe she left town. Maybe she decided this was all too much and she would rather just move on.” Mel had tears at the corners of her eyes, ready to flow at any moment.

  “I checked her room. Her things are still here. She wouldn’t leave her things. And she wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. You know that.” Hedy came over to the table to try to keep Mel calm.

  “Let’s retrace her steps. Let’s walk to the school on the route she would use and see if we can find anything that will help.” Bren took the phone from Mel’s hands and she finally looked up.

  “OK, let’s try that.” She replied in a small voice and left her phone on the table as she gathered up her coat. The three of them headed out to the sidewalk.

  “Everything a'ight?” Darro came up from the back of the house where he had been working for the last few hours.

  “No, our friend Ana is missing. She walked to the high school and she hasn’t come back yet.” Bren kept his voice measured and calm as he spoke, hoping it would help Mel’s nerves.

  “Oh, that’s terrible. Shall I come w’ ye?” He dropped the spade he was holding and dusted his hands off on his coveralls.

  “No, but it would be helpful if you stayed here in case she comes back. It shouldn’t take us that long to walk the route. If we don’t find anything, we’ll be back and call the police.”

  “Well, keep your head, young miss. It will turn out right, I have a feeling in my gut, and you can trust a gut this size.” Darro slapped his belly but Mel couldn’t muster a smile.

  The trio took off in the afternoon light, heading along Griffin Avenue toward the high school, looking for any sign of Anahita on the way.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Mel had led them along the route they had taken before, walking to Garfield Street, then down to Roosevelt, and finally Semanski Street. It wasn’t a long walk, through the residential neighborhood but the group moved slowly, looking for any sign of Ana on the way. A few people were out in their yards and Hedy took the opportunity to ask them if they had seen Ana. Mel kicked herself that she hadn’t brought her phone because she could have shown them a picture, the selfie they had taken together just last night at dinner.

  “No, I haven’t seen anyone who looks like that,” the older woman sweeping her walkway said when asked. “I’d remember someone who looks like that, certainly. Girls today all have those short haircuts that look like boys, like yours,” gesturing to Mel. Hedy thanked her and they continued on toward the school.

  Class was out for the day and students were milling around, waiting for buses or cars to pick them up. Mel showed them the bench where she had met Ana just that morning, and she sat down in the spot where Ana had been waiting for her.

  Bren looked around and saw there really wasn’t anything around them that would have caught Ana’s eye, no shops or places of interest that she would have wandered over to instead of heading back to the shop. They did a small sweep around the bench, fanning out in a circle to make sure nothing was there, but it didn’t take long to see that Ana had left no trace there at the school. Mel even hunted down Stuart to ask if he knew anything, but as she expected, he was no help.

  “Let’s head back. She would have walked the same route I expect.” Mel nodded yes to the question; it was the only route that Ana knew.

  “If she isn’t back at the shop, let’s call the police.” Bren led the way, with Mel to his left and Hedy looking toward the right. It was still daylight but the light was getting a bit dimmer in the later afternoon. Soon it would be night.

  There wasn’t a trace of Ana on Semanski, or Roosevelt or Garfield, and they turned back onto Griffin Avenue, heading back to the shop. They had to pass Jeffries’ house and Hedy noticed that it was dark, not so much as a porch light on in the darkening afternoon light. While she was noticing this fact, she saw it, there by the front gate.

  Hedy stopped, kneeling down and pushing back the leaf that partially obscured the necklace. Ana’s small vial of water, the one she wore around her neck at all times, was on the sidewalk next to Jeffries’ gate. They had missed it earlier.

  “What have you found?” Mel squatted down and then make a small gasp. She immediately recognized the necklace.

  “Ana’s necklace.” Hedy picked it up and held it out in her palm for Bren. The silver chain was snapped in half.

  “She was here, she must have made it all the way back and something happened here.” Bren picked up the vial and turned it over in his hand.

  Before Hedy or Bren knew what was happening, Mel had run passed Jeffries’ gate and was pounding on his front door.

  “Open up. Hey, open up!” She yelled at the door, loud enough that Darro heard her and came running around from the side of the house.

  The house was dark and Mel’s pounding went unanswered.

  “I dinna think he is at home. Quite a bit before you came out for your walk, I saw his station wagon heading down the street at a brisk pace. He drove like the devil himself was chasing him, the daft codger.”

  Mel let Hedy lead her off the porch and they walked back over to the house to consider what to do next.

  Bren was the first to speak. “OK, I think we can say that Jeffries might know something about Ana since the necklace was found right by his gate. I think I should go inside the house and look around. Maybe there will be something that will lead us to Ana.”

  “You are gonna break in, then?” Darro seemed surprise that someone as prim and proper as Bren would consider breaking and entering.

  “I don’t think we have a choice. We could call the p
olice, tell them about the necklace but that doesn’t give them enough evidence to go inside. They will say she could have lost it on her way to the school. There is nothing connecting her to Jeffries.”

  “Do it. We’ll keep watch for him coming back. Take my phone and we’ll call you from Hedy’s house phone if he returns.” Mel said before she ran inside and returned with her phone from the table.

  Bren took the phone, sliding it into his pocket. He walked back toward Jeffries’ yard. He was hoping there was a back door to the small bungalow, and sure enough, as he made his way around the meticulous side garden, he saw a back porch and wooden door leading into the back of the house.

  Bren climbed the stairs and peered into the dark window next to the door, making sure there was no one inside. He took a deep breath and placed his hand on the metal knob, gripping it tightly. Focusing all his energy on his hand, he felt the knob heat up and saw the faint glow of the metal. It was now malleable enough to bend and he gave the knob a sharp twist, making the knob torque out of shape and the lock snap in half. The door pulled open.

  Bren entered what appeared to be a kitchen and found a light switch on the wall. The light came on and he could see that the house hadn’t been updated since it was built in the 1920s. Rather than charming, it had a neglected and worn look about it that was depressing. He passed through the small opening into a dining room and found another light switch. The dining room table was strewn with papers and clippings from the local paper. It looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in years; even the air smelled like layers of dust and cobwebs. But there was another scent that Bren recognized; the scent of coming fire.

  Bren glanced over the papers and saw clippings about the legalization of marijuana, Washington’s marriage equality act, news from a gay pride parade, the opening of the Sandy Bottoms bikini barista stand, and right on top, articles about the recent fires. Each article was marked up with a red pen, words circled or crossed out, lines drawn and scrawled phrases of “hell is coming” and “trash” in large letters.