by Rose Pressey
“She seemed really happy,” Marilyn said as we walked down the sidewalk. “You help a lot of people, don’t you?”
I grinned. “I try.”
Once I made it to the car, I found Roger waiting in the front seat. I slipped behind the wheel. Marilyn motioned for him to move to the back seat. Of course, he immediately complied. If I’d asked him, I would have gotten nothing but grief.
“What took you so long? I didn’t know you were going to stay all day,” he said in a huffed breath.
I started the ignition. “I was only in there for fifteen minutes.”
“While you were in there having fun, I was sure I saw that shadow again.” He gestured toward the sidewalk.
I whipped around to look at him. “Where did you see it? Did it go inside the house?” I couldn’t let that thing get back into Elisa’s again.
“No, it was right here by the car, as if it was waiting for you.” Roger shook his head, clearly exasperated with me.
“Where did it go?” I asked.
He shrugged. “How should I know? I don’t want the thing around me.”
I stared at him. “Well, I thought you might have watched to see where it went.”
Roger sighed as if I’d told him to go to his room.
“The thing just disappeared, okay? I couldn’t watch where it went,” he snapped.
I sighed and looked around for any sign of the dark spirit. Thank goodness I didn’t see it, but I was still worried the evil entity might try to get to Elisa again even though I was almost certain the dark spirit wanted me now. That was fine. I was a lot more capable of handling this thing. I had years of experience.
I steered the car away from the curb and took off down the road. When I passed the street where I’d spotted Stone, I wondered if I would ever find him again. My cell rang and I pulled over so I could answer.
“Hey, honey. Just wanted to see how you’re doing.” Callahan’s sexy voice reverberated through me like a lingering kiss. “How about lunch?”
I couldn’t risk seeing him right now, but it hurt to tell him no.
“Actually, I have a few appointments.”
“Oh. I understand. We’ll catch up later?” Disappointment sounded in his voice.
“I’ll call you soon,” I said and then hung up quickly.
“You can’t avoid him forever.” Marilyn warned with a wave of her hand.
“He’ll think you’re dumping him,” Roger said with laughter in his voice.
I knew all too well what Callahan would think. I didn’t need to be reminded. I would have to think of something to tell him soon. If I told him the truth, he would insist he was strong enough to fight off this dark shadow. Soon, I might have no choice but to divulge the truth to him, but until then, I would try to solve this problem on my own.
“Everything will be fine, Larue,” Marilyn said. “Don’t worry.”
Not worrying was impossible.
Chapter 11
Darkness surrounded me. Stars twinkled in the velvety sky. The silvery moon cast a glow over the gravestones that dotted the landscape. A large house loomed in the distance. It looked exactly like the house that all the kids would dare each other to step foot in… abandoned long ago. But, was it really empty? The lights illuminating from the windows served as beacons in the night and made me think someone must live there.
Where was I? I’d never been here before and had no idea how I’d gotten here. A bat fluttered from a nearby tree and I ducked in order to miss it. Stepping through the creaky old iron gate, I walked into the graveyard. I weaved around headstones and headed toward the old house. Since I had no idea where I was, I had to find help. The cemetery was a good distance from the house, but it was my only hope at the moment.
When I finally reached the brick three-story, I stepped up to the old weathered front door. My knock echoed across the night air. No one answered. Steadying my shaky hand, I managed to wrap my knuckles on the tarnished brass doorknob. When I twisted it, it immediately opened. Nerves danced in my stomach. I inched the door wider and then stepped inside the foyer. In stark contrast to the darkness outside, the rooms were brightly lit. There was no furniture, nothing. The cracked walls had peeling paint and falling wallpaper. Cobwebs hung in the corners of the rooms. I moved toward the room to the right. Before reaching the threshold, the lights went out. I froze on the spot. What would I do now?
Since I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, I called out. “Hello?”
Of course, no one answered. What had I expected?
After turning around in the direction where I thought the door had been, I inched my way forward, one baby step at a time. A noise came from my left. It was right beside my ear and sounded as if someone was breathing heavily. Panic surged through me. I raced forward so I could get away from whoever or whatever was in the room with me. Before making it to the door, I stumbled and fell to the ground, landing on my face. The heavy breathing was right beside my ear again. Terror rushed through my body. I wanted to scream, but the sound was lodged in my throat. I fumbled to get up from the floor, but I couldn’t get my footing. The sound of the breathing grew even louder in my ear.
After finally making it to my feet, I ran forward, hoping I would make it to the door and out of the house. I glanced back. Why I wasn’t sure, since I couldn’t see anything. I guess I wanted to know what was there with me. It was probably for the best that I couldn’t see who or what this thing was. I didn’t know if I was going to be attacked by a living person or a ghost. I had to get out of there and get home.
I ran toward the door when the thing grasped my shoulder from behind. It yanked me back and I landed on the ground again. The thing was on top of me now. I knew it was the dark shadow that had been following me around. I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten here though. Had I fallen asleep and this thing lured me here? Had I been sleepwalking? That had to be it. Right now, I just had to worry about getting away and not how this occurred. The spirit had its long arms stretched forward with his hands wrapped tightly around my neck. I gasped for air as I put my hands around its arms. I wasn’t sure if there was really skin, but it felt cold and clammy to the touch, which made my stomach turn. Trying to break free, I pushed as hard as I could.
Since the thing had its hands wrapped around my neck, I couldn’t scream. Nothing came out of my mouth. If I didn’t get away soon, it would be too late for me. I struggled, pushing as hard as I could. The more I fought it, the stronger it seemed to get. It felt as if there was no hope in getting away from this thing. Remaining positive would be hard, but I would try hard. I feared I was losing the battle. I tried to scream again as I kicked. The thing started to cackle now, a menacing and terrifying noise. It really felt as if it had the upper-hand.
I was stronger than this. I wouldn’t let him win. I had to fight harder. Using all my strength, I shoved the thing. To my surprise, it flew through the air. I screamed as loudly as I could and gasped for air now that it had loosened its grip.
That was when the sunlight streamed through the room and I opened my eyes. It wasn’t the old house and it was no longer dark. Daylight flooded the space and I was in the sanctuary of my bedroom. Well, it used to be my safe haven. Now, it was being invaded my demons that came for me in my dreams. This thing had to be demonic. Why else would it attack me like that? I was wide awake and knew that it had been a dream. A too real dream.
The book that I’d been reading to Marilyn dropped to the floor. It had been on my lap still from the night before. I had a tendency of falling asleep while reading. Marilyn and Roger ran into the room with panicked looks on their faces.
“Is everything okay, Larue? We heard you scream and it scared me to death… well, it scared me,” Marilyn said.
“Are you all right?” Roger asked with more concern in his voice than I had ever heard.
Was I okay? I glanced down at my body. Everything seemed to be fine.
I tossed the blanket off my body and kicked my legs over the side of the bed.<
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“I’m okay,” I said as I pushed to my feet. “Sorry if I scared you. I was having a bad dream.”
I didn’t want to tell them just how real that dream had been. Marilyn furrowed her brow and stared at me. By the look on her face, I knew she probably didn’t believe me. With the ghosts following behind me, I shuffled across the floor toward the kitchen. Even though it was a bright and sunny morning, I found it difficult to shake off the terrible feeling of what had gone down in the dream. It all seemed so real. With any luck, some coffee and breakfast would make me feel much better.
As I moved through the house, Marilyn and Roger continued to follow me. I knew they were watching me with suspicion. They wouldn’t let me get off with the simple explanation of a dream.
“What’s on your neck?” Roger asked as he pointed.
I grasped my throat. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, Larue, it’s bruised,” Marilyn leaned closer.
I ran over to the mirror hanging on the living room window. When I saw the dark black and blue bruises, I gasped. Hadn’t it been a dream? It had seemed so real, but how else would I explain the marks? This thing was getting through to me in my sleep and that was a bad thing.
***
After breakfast and a shower, I dressed in my favorite pair of black pants and pink and white blouse. To cover the bruises, I added a pink floral scarf around my neck. I was still trying for the glamorous look. Unfortunately, I didn’t think it was working. With the ghosts in the car with me, I headed toward the bookstore. I didn’t know what I had planned for the day, but it involved some kind of detective work. I had a long list of things I needed to look into.
When I pulled up to Book Nook, I glanced over and saw Callahan had already opened the coffee shop. Of course, he always opened a lot earlier than me. If I didn’t stop in, he would be over to check on me. However, I was afraid the dark shadow would show up again. For that reason, I walked right past his shop, avoiding peeping in the window at his handsome face.
As Marilyn and Roger wandered around my store, I settled into my work. With all the distraction, I was behind with everything bookstore related.
A couple minutes had passed when Marilyn said, “Larue, there is a man staring in the window.”
I looked up to see if it was the creepy shadow again. Marilyn pointed at the man with his hands cupped around his eyes and face pressed to the glass.
I walked toward the door. “It must be a customer who wonders if we are open yet.”
I had the open sign displayed in the door, but I guess he missed it.
“I’ll go see if he needs help,” I said.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk. Traffic had picked up since it was now rush hour so the street was noisier. I didn’t think the man had heard me come out. He had turned and was walking down the sidewalk away from the store. He wore tan pants, a white, short-sleeve shirt, and a beige Fedora. What was with all the hats?
“Excuse me, sir. Did you need help?” I called out.
As I suspected, he didn’t hear me.
I walked over and was just about to tap him on the shoulder when he turned around and eyed me up and down. “Were you checking to see if the bookstore is open?”
“I just wanted to see if you needed any help,” I added.
“Oh, good, it’s you,” he said.
Did I know this man?
He pointed at the Book Nook sign above the door. “I thought this was the place you went into. I’ve been trying to find you,” he said.
I smiled. “Well, here I am. The bookstore is open.”
I assumed he meant that he had been trying to find the bookstore.
He shook his head. “No, it’s not the bookstore I’ve been trying to find, it’s you. I’ve been searching for you.”
I quirked an eyebrow. Why was he looking for me?
“This guy is kind of weird,” Roger said.
I wouldn’t say weird. He was just a little eccentric.
“I followed you last night,” he said.
I shook my head. “I’m confused. Where did you follow me from?”
“The better question is why he followed you, Larue,” Marilyn said. “You can never be too careful.”
She was right, but this little old man surely couldn’t be dangerous. I eyed him expectantly. I hadn’t been anywhere last night other than around town.
He looked me in the eyes. “I was at the cemetery last night and saw you.”
I stared at him, speechless. My stomach twisted into knots.
Roger walked closer to the man. “What is he talking about?”
I was fearful of what he was talking about. Sure, I’d suspected what had really happened, but now I was finding out for sure. That wasn’t possible. It had been in my dream. Was I still dreaming?
I chuckled nervously. “I wasn’t at a cemetery last night.”
He adjusted his hat. “Yes, you were. I followed you.”
“Yes, you already said that, but it can’t be possible.” I glanced over my shoulder, planning how to get away from him.
The man continued, “You went into that house. I waited for you to come out and then followed you home.”
I searched his face. He seemed as if he was being completely serious. I was confused and didn’t know what to think. He knew I’d been in the house. Thank goodness a customer walked into the bookstore, so I had to get back inside.
“I have to go.” I motioned as I walked toward the door.
“I’ll go with you.” He trailed along right behind me.
“Who is this guy?” Roger whispered to Marilyn.
As I helped the customer, I noticed the man was talking to Marilyn. So, he was a ghost, too I had suspected that, which explained why he was at the cemetery. But it didn’t explain how he’d found me. I thought for sure it had been a dream. I’d woken up in my bed, so could I have been at the house in some kind of sleepwalking state? That was possible and a scary thought at the same time. When I finished with the customer, I headed over to the ghosts. They had become acquainted quickly.
The man was smiling and talking to Marilyn. I could tell he was shocked and excited to see her. When I walked up, they stopped chatting and peered my way.
“I’m glad you’re back. I suppose you want to know why I am here?” he said as he eyed me up and down.
I had a lot of questions, but that was certainly a good place to start.
“Why did you follow me?” I asked.
“I knew you could see and communicate with spirits, so I thought why not follow you and have someone to talk to.” The lines around his eyes deepened when he smiled.
“How did you know I could talk to spirits?” I asked.
He exchanged a look with Marilyn and Roger and then back to me. “You were speaking to the dark shadow. I knew you had to talk to spirits.”
“I wasn’t exactly talking to him,” I said nervously.
“What does he mean, Larue?” Marilyn asked.
I sighed. “Last night, in my dream, I went to a cemetery and a house. The dark shadow was there, but I guess maybe it wasn’t a dream after all. Who are you?”
“My name is James Hagerman.” He tipped his hat in a friendly gesture.
By the way he was dressed, I figured he was from the 1960s. The style of his shirt and pants seemed from probably around 1961 or 1962.
“My name is Larue Donavan. I guess you know Marilyn,” I said.
Marilyn waved and winked. James swooned. Roger made a gagging noise.
I rolled my eyes. “That’s Roger.”
“Nice to meet you,” James said, sticking his hand out toward Roger.
Roger folded his arms in front of his chest and stared at James. James seemed a bit uncomfortable by the glare, so he turned his attention back to me. There was no reason or Roger to act so immature.
“I’m sorry if I bothered you,” James added.
“I’m just trying to figure out what happened,” I said. “I don’t know how I got to the cemetery.”
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“Oh, that’s not good,” James said.
“I wouldn’t have gone there on my own,” I said. “I definitely wouldn’t have talked with the dark shadow.”
James shrugged his slender shoulders. “I know what I saw.”
“Do you know anything about this dark shadow?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want anything to do with it.”
That was understandable. I didn’t want to be involved with it either. What would I do you with another ghost? It was hard keeping up when it got to over two.
“I don’t know about this,” Roger said as he eyed James up and down.
“What is the problem, young man?” James used a stern voice.
Roger stormed away without answering.
“He’s moody,” I said.
James nodded. “I can see that.”
I got the feeling Roger didn’t like another ghost coming around.
“Can you take me back to the place where you found me last night?” I asked.
“Is that a good idea, Larue?” Marilyn asked.
“It’ll be okay.” I waved my hand.
“I suppose I could take you to the house. When would you like to go?” he asked.
“Right after I close the shop this evening,” I said.
He nodded. “Okay, it’s a date.”
I’d never seen this cemetery before and I had no idea where this house was. I thought I knew about all the places like that around here. I couldn’t wait to get a look at it. I hoped we could make it before it was dark.
The bell above the door announced that someone had entered. When I turned around, I saw Callahan walking toward me. His tan cargo pants and navy blue t-shirt hugged his muscular body in all the right places. His lips slipped into a charming grin.
“Talking to someone?” he asked.
I glanced at James. I didn’t think it was a good idea to tell Callahan about this ghost just yet.
