Haunted Memories

by Phoebe Rivers

  “Now tell me, what is happening in that school of yours?” Lady Azura placed a pitcher of pink lemonade, a package of Vienna Fingers, and a bowl of Skittles on the table in front of us. She liked sugar.

  “Well, it just started last week, so no tests yet.” Lily took a sip from her glass and grimaced slightly. Lady Azura always poured too much pink powder into the water. “The Harvest Festival is at the end of the month.”

  “Of course! Why should anything change?” Lady Azura gave a low chuckle. “Did you know that I was Harvest Queen when I was your age?” A wistful look came over her. “Everyone said my rule was like no other.”

  Lily leaned across the linoleum table. “I can see you in the tiara and riding on the float.”

  “Would you like to?” Without waiting for an answer, Lady Azura left the room, heels clicking on the worn wooden floors.

  “Harvest what?” I asked. I carefully picked through the bowl, making sure I didn’t grab any orange Skittles. Orange candies make me gag.

  “Harvest Festival,” Lily explained. “Happens every year in Stellamar since, well, I guess since she was young, which is, like, a hundred years ago. There’s a huge parade, and one girl is chosen to ride a big float and be queen of the middle school dance. There’s lots of other stuff that day too. Carnival games, pie contests, things like that. Most of it is pretty lame.”

  “Here I am.” Lady Azura returned, still steady on heels even though by my dad’s guess, she was past eighty. “Walk down memory lane with me for a moment, girls,” she said with a smile as she handed us a black-and-white photograph, yellowed with age. A young girl wearing a rhinestone tiara stood on the back of a pickup truck decorated with crepe paper and waved a thin arm as if she were truly royalty. I recognized the girl’s determined gaze. Lady Azura hadn’t outgrown that.

  We listened politely to the story of her victory. “I was special, even back then. I didn’t need a crown to prove it, although I do love sparkly accessories. You realize, of course, I knew I had won before they announced the vote.”

  “You can see the future? For real?” Lily asked.

  “I can see where people are going and the journeys that have led them there,” she said.

  I tapped the table impatiently. Lady Azura always spoke like this—in riddles. Was she for real or were her powers, as she called them, completely fake? I had no idea.

  “Could you tell our futures?” Lily smiled the smile that made teachers want to give her A’s and old ladies tell her fortune.

  “Certainly, my child.” Lady Azura blotted her lips on the paper napkin, leaving behind a thin, uneven red print. “I’ve already glimpsed Sara’s future, though.”

  “You never told me about that!” Lily turned to me, incredulous.

  I wrinkled my nose. “It was nothing. I kind of forgot about it.” My eyes wandered down to my sneakers, avoiding her gaze. I hadn’t forgotten. In fact, I thought about it all the time. About him all the time. “She said I would meet a tall, dark, and handsome boy.” It sounded ridiculous when I heard myself say it. But the vision I’d had of him when Lady Azura pressed a ruby crystal against my palm flashed before my eyes.

  More than a vision.

  The warmth of his breath as he stood by my locker at school. The faint smell of almond soap mingled with peanut butter. He helped me gather the binders that had tumbled into the hall, his eyes locking with mine. A bond.

  I bit my lip. It wasn’t real, I reminded myself. School had started, and there was no boy who looked like him. No boy who looked at me the way he did. Lady Azura made it up and you fell for it, I scolded myself.

  I hated that I fell for it. I hated that I tucked the ruby crystal under my pillow and that I slept with it every night. I knew, even tonight, I’d still keep it there. Lady Azura had told me that the ruby crystal would make love bloom. I knew it was nonsense, but a tiny part of me so very much wanted it to be true.

  Well, maybe not that tiny a part.

  “Follow me.” Lady Azura led the way out of the kitchen. “Goodness knows I could use a little practice. It’s been weeks now. Summer tourists leave and business dries up.” She shook her head. “Seasons come and go and yet we must press on. We must find ways to use our gifts. To remain at our potential.”

  We pushed through the thick, purple, crushed-velvet curtain that marked the entrance to Lady Azura’s rooms. “You never told me—” Lily stared at the room, momentarily speechless. An ornate tapestry patterned with celestial images. A huge crystal ball on a pedestal. Tarot cards arranged in the dim light of a fringed lamp. Twinkling gemstones and mysterious deep-hued liquids in glass bottles. Leather books with golden spines. “Why didn’t you tell me? It’s amazing.”

  She was right. With the heavy red curtains drawn over the front windows and the spicy scent of cinnamon from the huge multi-wicked candles, it felt as if we were entering a secret lair filled with promises and possibilities.

  “I didn’t know if you’d like it too,” I admitted.

  But there was more to it. Bringing Lady Azura and Lily together was like mixing Mentos with Pepsi. Lily was school and friends and being a normal twelve-year-old. Lady Azura was a kooky woman who promised the supernatural. I didn’t really believe she could deliver, but being around her made me acutely aware of my secret.

  I could deliver the supernatural.

  Mixing us all together, I feared, could blow up in my face.

  The three of us sat at the round table in the center of the room. Lady Azura, perched on the edge of a large armchair, reached across the red tablecloth for Lily’s hand. She gently turned it to reveal the network of lines etched into her palm.

  The repetitive tap, tap, tap of my foot filled the room as Lady Azura bent over, deep in concentration, sorting through the road map of Lily’s life.

  Bad idea. This is a bad idea. My foot tapped faster.

  “Here is your life line.” She pointed to a curved line. “You will have many great adventures.”

  “Really?” Lily peered at her palm as if it were one of those hidden picture puzzles. “What kind?”

  Lady Azura’s finger traced the faint lines. “You will travel. Many will know you. Your face will be seen far and wide.”

  Lily sucked in her breath. “I’m going to be famous!”

  “Fame is the echo of actions,” Lady Azura said in her raspy voice. “There will be a crossroads within the next six months. A time of decision. Choose wisely, my child. Be famous for the right thing.” She released Lily’s hand.

  That was it?

  Both feet solidly on the floor now. No more tapping. I’d been worried for nothing.

  Stars shone in Lily’s eyes. “Did you hear, Sara? I’m going to be famous!”

  “I know.” I didn’t have to read Lily’s palm to guess she’d be famous. She loved to sing and dance, and she brightened any room she entered. No magic there.

  “Let’s go up to my room,” I offered. “I took some great photos on the beach last week—”

  “What’s that?” Lily motioned to a cut-crystal bell with a graceful handle that rested on the side of the table.

  “This bell”—Lady Azura cupped it protectively—“is for summoning the departed.”

  “You mean, the dead?”

  My brain jumped ahead. We couldn’t go there. We just couldn’t. I quickly pushed back from the table, nearly knocking my spindly wooden chair to the ground. “Let’s go, Lil.”

  “Yes, the dead,” Lady Azura answered. “The bell is a conduit to the past.”

  Lily remained in her seat, transfixed on the bell. “Can you—? I mean, is it too much to ask to summon a dead . . . a departed person? My grandma Deb.” Lily was twitching with excitement. “I’ve got something to ask her.”

  “I don’t think—,” I began, already on my feet.

  “Of course, my child. You have such vitality. Together we shall work to reach across the great divide.” Lady Azura reached for Lily’s hand again. “Sara, why don’t you sit?”

&n
bsp; “But—”

  “Come on, Sara,” Lily pleaded, her eyes fixed on Lady Azura and the bell.

  I slipped back into my chair. The Skittles were suddenly swirling unpleasantly in my stomach.

  Lady Azura stood and switched off the lights, bathing the room in the flickering glow of candlelight. Shadows crept along the walls as she returned to the large chair, shut her eyes, and instructed us to do the same.

  Minutes passed in silence. My leg jerked, desperate to resume its soothing tap, tap, tap. I concentrated on remaining still. The faster we did this, the faster we could get out of here, I reasoned.

  Then I heard the bell. A full-bodied chime. Four times. “We ring this bell to the four corners of the earth. To the four seasons of the year. To the four directions of the wind.” She paused. “We wish to contact Deb, beloved grandmother of Lily.”

  I peeked. Lady Azura’s eyes were open, but she stared blankly into the distance, her face empty.

  “Deb . . . Deb . . .” Her voice wavered.

  My left foot began to tingle. Tiny pinpricks.

  “I can sense her presence.”

  So could I. The nerves along my leg quivered. Mini rubber bands flicking under my skin. The air grew stale. Hot.

  “What is your question for Grandma Deb?” Lady Azura remained stiff and detached.

  Lily opened her eyes. She frantically searched the dim room. “Is she here?”

  “She is.” Lady Azura nodded toward the right corner by the shelves.

  We both turned. I gulped.

  A woman shimmered in the corner, her outline faint. Fainter than other spirits I’d seen.

  Lady Azura has powers! I realized. I couldn’t pretend anymore that maybe she didn’t. She made a dead person appear!

  Lily raised her eyebrows at me, clearly not believing her grandmother was in the room. “Grandma Deb, uh, you know that prize-winning chocolate cake you were so famous for baking?”

  I stared at the faded form of Grandma Deb. She had thick hair and wide-set eyes like Lily.

  “You never told anyone the secret ingredient, and now no one can make the cake. It would be really nice to bake it to remember you. . . .” Lily’s voice trailed off uncertainly.

  “The secret ingredient,” Lady Azura repeated.

  The spirit began to chuckle. “That cake? All these years and you people still care about Deb’s cake?”

  “Some secrets are dear,” Lady Azura was saying to Lily. “Your grandma fears revealing her secret.”

  “Why?” Lily asked.

  I didn’t hear the answer. I was listening to the spirit.

  “My banana bread was far superior to Deb’s cake. But no, people would say, ‘Fran, your sister makes the best cake. What’s in it?’ ” The spirit waved her arms, as if gathering oxygen. I pushed my fingernails into my palms as it became hard to breathe.

  Lady Azura began to hum. “A spice, she is saying.”

  The spirit wasn’t Grandma Deb, I realized. My lungs contracted painfully.

  “Deb thought she was keeping such a big secret . . . sisters know . . .” the spirit ranted.

  “I’m losing Grandma Deb,” Lady Azura intoned.

  Wheezing. I could hear the choked wheezing coming from my mouth. I needed air.

  The spirit shook her head. “Tomatoes. Canned tomatoes.”

  “She says it is an exotic spice—”

  “No! It’s tomatoes!” I burst out. “It isn’t even your grandma. It’s her sister, Fran, and she says it was canned tomatoes.”

  And with that the spirit was gone. Sweet, fresh air filled the room. Filled my lungs.

  Lily burst into laughter. “Tomatoes? Sara, you are too funny!”

  I licked my dry lips and tried to slow my breathing, to stop wheezing, so I could think clearer.

  “It was just a joke,” I mumbled.

  “How did you know I had a great-aunt Fran?”

  I could feel Lady Azura’s eyes burning into me. I refused to look at her.

  “Your mother . . . um . . . mentioned her once,” I fumbled.

  Lily shrugged. “Well, that was truly funny.” She turned to Lady Azura. “Thanks a lot for trying. I’m sure it’s hard to . . .” Lily stood, unsure how to finish.

  I glanced up. A peculiar grin spread across Lady Azura’s face. “Sara, may I have a minute? In private?”

  “Lily and I have to go to her house,” I announced with sudden urgency. “I, uh, left my flip-flops there, and I need them.” I grabbed Lily’s hand and pushed her through the door.

  “Sara.” Lady Azura’s voice floated after me.

  I turned slightly. Lily was already in the foyer.

  “I know what you can do.”

  I didn’t answer.

  For years I’d wished for someone to share my secret with, someone who would understand. Now Lady Azura knew.

  And I was petrified of what came next.

  CHAPTER 3

  “Do you remember where your locker is? And your first class?” Lily asked as we climbed the concrete steps to the middle school the next morning.

  “Got it.” I shifted the weight of my canvas book bag. “First period is science. Miss Klingert. Room—” I thought for a minute. “Room 142.”

  “Okay. I’m impressed.” Lily grinned at me. “Much less dazed and confused today.”

  “What do you mean?” I demanded, searching my wrists for a hair band. Nothing. The six-block walk to school in the early September heat had matted my hair to the back of my neck.

  “I’m just saying you seemed a little weird yesterday, that’s all.” Lily’s thick dark hair was tied back in two loose braids. “I never found your flip-flops. I did look.”

  “That’s fine.” I felt bad that she’d spent time searching for something I knew was tucked in my closet.

  “Oh, hey, look at Tamara’s top! I almost bought the same one.” She pointed toward a gray-and-purple-striped back already slipping through the front doors. “My cousin Kim works in the store that has it. Maybe I should text her and see if it’s still there.” Lily grabbed my hand. “Let’s see how it looks on Tamara.”

  We chased her down to where the main hall split into three smaller hallways. I left to find my locker. It looked like all the others. Dull metallic cranberry. Circular combination lock. Number 303.

  But when I opened the door, it definitely wasn’t like all the others.

  I peered inside. Nothing. I hadn’t even decorated yet. No photos or mirrors or write-on boards. Just empty metallic walls. And a strange, cold breeze.

  Blowing from inside my locker.

  Other kids squatted alongside their lockers, pushing backpacks in and pulling binders out. No one seemed to be feeling what I felt. Strange.

  First-period bell sounded. I slammed the door shut and, shivering, hurried to science.

  Morning announcements were being broadcast on the huge white screen attached to the front wall. I perched on a stool by a lab table, doodling on my notebook.

  Community service club. Literary magazine. Parade float-building committee. Should I join something? I wondered. My pen traced the petals of a daisy. Perfect blue-inked ovals and a curlicue stem. I couldn’t, I realized. I’d promised to always come home and help Lady Azura.

  Lady Azura. The pebbles in my stomach grew into rocks. Heavy with dread. How long could I avoid her? I wondered.

  “Today we will be doing our first lab,” Miss Klingert announced. She stared expectantly at us. We all stared back, unsure what she was waiting for.

  “Our first lab, class.” She waved a yellow folder in the air. “Some excitement would be nice.”

  A bunch of kids cheered. Miss Klingert smiled, encouraged. Her brown hair was clipped back, and she retained the faint glow of a summer tan. “Earth science has great hands-on labs. I assume all of you read the chapter about moon phases in your textbook last night?”

  We all waited, perched on stools around lab tables.

  “I can’t hear you,” Miss Klingert chirped, hands
on her hips. “Did you read the chapter, class?”

  “Yes!” we all chanted.

  Miss Klingert beamed. “Excellent!”

  “She was definitely a cheerleader when she was in school,” a girl behind me whispered to someone.

  “Lab partners are listed on this sheet.” Miss Klingert waved a piece of paper above her head. “Go to the lab table assigned. I will pass out the materials and the worksheet that must be filled out by both of you. You will both share the grade and need to work closely together. Ready?”

  A few kids answered with a halfhearted “Ready.”

  “I know you can do better than that,” Miss Klingert scolded. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” we all cried.

  I made my way to the list slowly. Except for a girl named Marlee who sat at Lily’s lunch table, I didn’t know anyone.

  Sara Collins/Jayden Mendes—Table 3

  I turned toward the table by the window, my eyes searching out my lab partner. Two girls on one side and a boy on the other.

  A boy.

  The boy.

  The boy from my vision. Here. Now. Real.

  I couldn’t move. Just stare. I could only stare at him.

  Brown. He looked as if he’d been dipped in brown. Thick brown hair shaggy around the ears. Caramel skin with high cheekbones. Eyes the color of warm brownies. Even a shirt in the same deep hue.

  “I think we’re partners,” the Boy in Brown said.

  Jayden. Jayden Mendes was his name according to the lab partners sheet.

  I blinked rapidly, trying to kick my brain into action. What did it mean that he was real? He wasn’t by my locker like in my vision, but he looked the same. So was he the same? Had the ruby crystal under my pillow worked?

  “I’m going to just start this lab if you don’t . . .”

  “No, no. I’m here. I’m good. Ready for moon phases.” Suddenly springing into action, I bounded over to the table as I babbled on. “So what’s the lab about?”

  “The phases of the moon.”

  Oh, wow. He must really think I’m an idiot. And science is usually one of my best subjects. “I know that. I meant, what’s with the Oreos?” I pointed to Miss Klingert depositing handfuls of Oreos along with worksheets to each pair.