by Geof Johnson
“I already told you, if we give her to the DSS right now, they’ll probably send her back to her foster family, and she may end up with more than just bruises on her back.”
Garrett’s brow drew down sharply. “What?”
“She’s got bruises on her back,” Larry said. “Fred saw them when she put Sammi in the bath last night.”
Garrett’s face grew hard. “Her foster father did that?”
Carl nodded. “That’s what Sammi says.”
“Well, you need to do something about that, Carl. He should go to jail for that, shouldn’t he?”
“It’s hard to prove it was him, if the foster mother won’t back up the story, and Fred thinks she won’t. At least that’s what Sammi’s telling her.”
“You gotta do something, though.”
“I’ll get Fred or Lisa to take a picture of it, so we’ll have some evidence of abuse. But this isn’t my jurisdiction, and I’m pretty sure it’s up to the DSS to do something about it, if someone’s going to bring criminal charges.”
“Well, they can at least take Sammi away from the Gundys.” Garrett nodded firmly. “They can put her in a better home, right?”
“But it would probably be in Bartram County, and Sammi’s convinced that Mr. Gundy will snatch her. She told Fred some things that make me think he might do that. He sounds like he’s obsessed with Sammi.”
“Sounds like a creepy pervert,” Garrett said, and he turned to Larry, still sitting beside him on the sofa. “We’ll take Sammi. Adele and I will put her up.”
“Lisa will kill me,” Larry said in a low voice, staring at the muted television. “She wants Sammi to stay here. She feels responsible for her.”
Carl sat on the other side of Larry and put his beer on the coffee table. “It should only be for a few days, just ’till we can figure out the best thing to do.”
Garrett gestured with one finger. “And we don’t want to see her name in the paper. Did you read that article last Sunday about all the kids who have been dying in Georgia’s foster care system? The last girl was starved to death, and then her body was burned and tossed in a dumpster.”
Larry covered his eyes with one hand and took a deep breath. “All right, enough already. She can stay here.” He dropped his hand and looked at his friends. “As long as it’s not permanent, okay?”
“One more thing,” Carl said. “Make sure everybody knows that we can’t be seen in public with Sammi. Nobody can know she’s with us, at least for now.”
“So what do we do say if somebody asks?” Garrett said. “One of our neighbors is bound to see her.”
“Just say she’s a friend of the family and she’s spending a few days here.”
“Which family?” Larry asked.
Carl patted him on the knee and smiled thinly. “Yours, Larry.”
Fred’s house was silent when she got home from Bryce’s party. She let herself in the front door, closing it quietly behind her. She turned off the light in the foyer, slipped off her sandals and tiptoed up the stairs, careful of the squeaky third and seventh steps.
The guest bedroom — Sammi’s, for now — was the first one she passed when she reached the top. The door was partway open, so she decided to sneak inside and look in on the girl. Maybe she’s still awake, Fred thought hopefully.
A nightlight glowed from one corner of the room. Mom must have put that there so Sammi wouldn’t be scared. Fred nearly jumped when she saw the figure standing near the bed, wearing pajamas. “Dad?” she whispered.
He turned suddenly and put his hand over his heart. “You scared me,” he whispered back.
“What are you doing?”
“Just, uh, checking up on her, making sure she’s sleeping okay. Lisa stayed with her for a long time.” He cleared his throat softly. “Did you have fun at the party?”
“Yes, but I left before it was over. I was hoping to catch Sammi before she fell asleep.”
“You’re too late. She’s sleeping like a rock, now.”
They both turned to gaze at the slumbering form under the covers. Sammi lay on her side, her small face angelic in the soft light. “She sure is cute, isn’t she?” Fred said. Her father took a deep breath but didn’t answer. Fred nodded toward the door, and he followed her out into the hall.
Fred put her hand on the doorknob, but Larry whispered, “No. She wants it open.”
He started to turn toward his bedroom, but paused with his lips pressed together. He took another deep breath before saying, “She’s going to stay with us. Just for a few days. Okay?”
“Yeah, sure. Thanks. Who’s staying with her in the morning?”
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll work that out when we get up.”
He went into his bedroom, and Fred felt a big sense of relief.
Sammi opened her eyes to find Fred sitting on the edge of the bed.
“Hey, Fred. Is it morning already?”
“No, it’s the middle of the night. You’re dreaming.”
“Oh, wow!” Sammi sat up against the headboard and brushed her hand over the top sheet. “Are you sure? It...it feels so real. Everything looks so real.” She glanced around the room, and it appeared the same. Cardboard boxes were stacked on the other side of the bed under the window, and suitcases were lined up next to the closet, a few dresses draped over them like blankets. Piled in one corner were black plastic bags stuffed full of clothes intended for charity.
“I’m sure.” Fred smiled warmly. “I’m using my magic right now. I’m asleep, too.”
“You’re the Dream Fairy. You talk to Jamie in his dreams all the time.”
“You know about that?”
“Unh hunh. I heard you talking about it, with my magic.”
Fred narrowed her eyes. “You’re not listening in on our dreams, are you?”
“I can’t do that. I can’t even hear normal people at night, most of the time. People don’t go in shadows at night. They want to stay where it’s light.”
“I never thought about that.” Fred furrowed her brow. “But this whole side of the Earth is in a shadow at night. Why can’t you hear people then?”
“I don’t know why it’s that way.”
“Okay, so it has to be daytime and people have to be in a strong shadow?”
“The stronger it is, the better I can hear them.”
“What if it’s not a real strong one? Or what if they’re only partway in it?”
“Their voices are quieter, mostly.”
“Jamie’s going to want to know all about that. My science-geek boyfriend will probably want to do some experiments with you, so be ready for that.”
“That’s okay. I need to know the extent of my power, right?”
“Oh gosh, you really have been listening to us, haven’t you?”
“Unh hunh. All the time.”
Fred scratched her cheek and grimaced. “Sammi, um...we need to talk about that.” She gave Sammi a steady look. “I want you to stop eavesdropping on us, at least for now. It kinda freaks everybody out, especially my dad, so I think it would be better if you only listen to us the old-fashioned way.”
She felt her face grow warm. “Okay. I’m already here, anyway. I don’t need to listen to you...I mean, with my magic...that kind of listening...I mean, I’ll hear you and everything, it’s just—”
Fred patted Sammi’s arm. “Relax. It’s all right.” Fred smiled at her with her lips together for a long moment before saying, “Sammi, why did you come here? Of all the families in the world, why did you pick us?”
“Because you know about magic, and I won’t have to hide it, or....” She frowned. “Or get put in the hospital.”
“What?”
“The county social workers were going to put me in it ’cause I hear voices and everything, but I really do hear them!” she said earnestly. “It’s not in my head.”
Fred’s expression turned somber. “They’d probably pump you full of medication.”
“Unh hunh, like this girl I
lived with in my first foster home. She cut herself on her arms and cried a lot, and they gave her lots of pills that made her real slow and woozy all the time.”
“So what happened with that foster family?”
“They wanted me to get pills too, but the social services lady found another home for me.”
“Was that the Gundys?”
“No. I was in two more before them.”
“That’s a lot of foster homes.”
“It happens to some kids. I lived with another girl who’d been in three others before I met her.”
“Oh, boy.” Fred shook her head. “So, if they put you in the hospital, what would happen to you after you got out?”
“They’d put me a special foster home with other special kids.” She made air quotes with her fingers and Fred chuckled. “That means other crazy kids. That’s what this other girl told me, the one who cut herself. But I’m not crazy, honest! I’m a good kid, I’m normal and everything. Really, I am! I’ve just got magic, that’s all.”
Fred patted Sammi’s arm again and said, “I know, Sammi, I know. It’s hard, being a witch. Momma Sue will probably tell you about that when we see her tomorrow. She’s got some interesting stories about her childhood, and it sounds like it was hard for her.”
“She’s nice even though she seems scary. Right?”
“Yes, she is. I sent her a message on the magic mirror and she said to bring you right away.”
“Can I see that? The mirror?”
“I’ll show you tomorrow. The message is still on it. But now I think it’s time for you to go back to your regular dreams.”
Fred let go of Sammi’s hand and Sammi said, “Fred? You asked me why I came here, but I didn’t tell you the whole reason. I came because you’re the best family in the whole world.”
Fred laughed. “I’m glad you think so, but you haven’t been listening to everything, it seems. We fuss a lot.”
“Everybody does. That’s normal.”
“How do you know that?” Sammi only shrugged, and Fred said, “Sammi, sometimes you don’t sound like a little kid.”
“That’s ’cause I hear grownups say things that most kids don’t hear.”
“But only if they’re talking about you, right? Or if it’s important to you.”
Sammi nodded, and she lowered her chin and said quietly, “They say I’m not normal.”
Fred smiled and shook her head. “Well, you’ve definitely come to the right place, because nobody’s normal around here.”
Sammi glanced up at Fred and turned her gaze back to her lap. “But you love each other. And Jamie’s family and Rollie’s family. Everybody loves each other. That’s why I came here.” She raised her chin and locked eyes with Fred. “Your families are a triad. A magical triad.”
Fred stared back at her with her mouth open. “What...what an amazing thing to say.” She squinted one eye and pursed her lips. “But you may be right. I bet Jamie hasn’t thought of that. Or Momma Sue, either, for that matter.”
“But it’s true, I can tell. I can feel it when I’m here. You love each other, and that’s why I came. I want to live here, Fred. Please let me stay! Please?”
“It’s not up to me, Sammi. It’s up to my parents, though I think my mom would go for it. My dad?” She shook her head softly and took a deep breath. “He’s going to take some convincing.”
“But if it were up to you, you’d let me stay forever, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course I would.” Fred gave a reassuring nod.
“And then I could be your sister.”
Fred laughed again. “Yeah, sure.” Then Fred’s face became serious. “But I’m afraid I’m getting your hopes up. They might turn you over to the county and you’d end up somewhere else.”
“You won’t let that happen, will you? Please talk your dad into letting me live here.”
“We’ll work on him together. I think you’re going to have to win him over with your non-magical powers, though.”
“What are those?”
“Just be your sweet and adorable self, okay? That’ll do the job, I’m sure.”
Chapter 3
The next morning, no one could agree on who was going to stay home from church with Sammi, so almost everybody did, except for Rollie’s family and Evelyn. She drove to the Callahans’ house after the service, stopping at Ingle’s Grocery on the way.
Lisa opened the door after Evelyn knocked and let her in. Lisa’shair looked disheveled, as if she’d run her hands through it many times, and she had a frazzled look in her eyes, so Evelyn handed her the Ingle’s bag. Lisa took it and inhaled deeply through her nose. “Is that fried chicken?”
“There’s potato salad and coleslaw in there, too.”
“Oh, bless you, Evelyn. Bryce and Melanie are on their way, and Adele and Garrett and Rollie, and —”
“And they’re all going to be hungry.” Evelyn nodded. “Where is everybody?”
“Jamie made a doorway to Eddan’s world for Carl a few minutes ago. Carl’s going to do some work on the new bathroom in the stone house, but Jamie’s coming right back. He’s got to make another doorway for Garrett when he gets here. Garrett’s going to help Carl install the vanity and sink.”
“Why isn’t Larry going?”
“There’s not enough room in the bathroom for three grown men to move around, and you know how Larry is. He’s a klutz with tools.”
“Where’s everybody else?”
“Rachel and Fred are in the kitchen, and Sammi is in the basement with Larry.”
“Oh, really?” Evelyn raised her eyebrows.
Lisa dropped her voice to a conspiratorial low. “Larry went down there do his genealogy thing on the computer, and Sammi went to see what it was all about. That was thirty minutes ago,” — she crossed her fingers— “and I haven’t been down there since. I thought I should leave well enough alone.”
Evelyn walked toward the basement door. “This I’ve got to see.”
They went downstairs and found Sammi and Larry, sitting side-by-side at the computer desk in the corner. Sammi turned and smiled brightly at Evelyn, then pointed at the monitor. “Look! See what Mr. Callahan found?”
On the screen was a black-and-white photo of a beautiful woman in a bridal gown. She had dark hair and large, dark eyes, and a slightly turned up nose. “It’s my mommy,” Sammi said. “Mr. Callahan found her. Isn’t she beautiful?”
“She sure is,” Evelyn said. “She looks like you, Sammi.”
Larry turned in his seat to face them. “I was working on my family tree and Sammi got curious about it, so I tried to help her investigate hers a little bit. She told me her mom’s maiden name was Teague and she was from Savannah, so I went searching and....” He gestured at the screen. “I found this in the Savannah newspaper’s archive. I haven’t found a picture of Sammi’s dad, yet, but I might.” He looked at Sammi. “Want me to print this?”
Sammi clapped her hands softly. “Yes, please. I don’t have a picture of my mommy anywhere.”
“You should.” Larry reached up to the second shelf of the desk and flipped the power switch on the printer, and it clicked and hummed as the paper shuffled out. When it was finished, Larry handed the photo to her and said, “There you go.”
Sammi held it delicately in her small hands for a moment, as if it might break, then ran for the stairs and yelled, “Fred! Look what I got!”
Evelyn waited until the sound of Sammi’s footsteps had faded away before saying, “That was a nice thing you did, Larry.”
“I didn’t do much, really. I could’ve found more about her family if I knew something about her dad, but Sammi doesn’t know a whole lot. Her parents died when she was so young.” One side of his mouth turned up wryly. “She told me what happened to them.”
“Sammi already told us,” Lisa said. “Her father killed her mother and then killed himself.”
“But did she tell you why? Her father found out that her mother was a witch.”
“He didn’t know before they got married?” Evelyn said.
“I guess not.”
Lisa put her hand to her face. “What a terrible thing for a little girl to deal with.”
“Apparently, Sammi wasn’t supposed to find out, but she did anyway, because of her magic. I think she knows too much, sometimes.”
“Larry,” Evelyn said, “are you going to turn her over to the county tomorrow?”
“I don’t...I don’t think so. We’re going to keep her for a few days. Fred and Jamie think it’s important, in some weird magical way that I’ll never understand. We just need to figure out who’s going to babysit her. Everybody’s got to go to work tomorrow.”
“I’ll take her,” Evelyn said. “I need to do some things at the school on Eddan’s world, so she can come with me.”
“She’ll probably like that,” Lisa said. “Are you sure you won’t mind? You just had her all morning yesterday.”
“It’s not a problem. She’s a delightful little girl.”
Sammi held a tentative hand toward the clamshell mirror that Fred offered to her, while everyone else stood around, watching closely. Sammi knew this was important somehow, like a test, but no one was saying why.
“What do I do, Fred?” Sammi said.
“Just put your hand on it and tell me what you feel.”
Sammi did as she was told, and closed her eyes as her palm pressed against the polished metal case. She felt a slow, rhythmic throbbing, subtle, but undeniable. Sammi looked up at Fred. “It’s pulsing. Is that the right word?”
Fred grinned and turned to Jamie. “That’s it. She’s definitely a witch.”
“Cool,” Melanie said. “I didn’t feel a thing when I touched it.”
“Me either,” Bryce said.
Rollie gestured at it and said, “Go ahead. Show us the message, Fred. That’s the cool part.”
Fred flipped open the saucer-sized mirror and held it so that Sammi could see, and everyone else squeezed in to look over Sammi’s shoulders. Sammi saw her reflection in the round glass for only an instant before the image shimmered and a new one appeared. It was of an old woman, with dark, leathery skin and a wide nose. Her thick gray hair was pulled back from her face and her eyes were hard black marbles.
