by Alicia Rades
Copyright © 2016 Alicia Rades
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever without written permission from the author except in brief quotations used in articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
Published by PaperPlane Publishing.
Produced in the United States of America.
Cover design by Clarissa Yeo.
ISBN: 978-0-9974862-0-9
To my mother-in-law Deb, who constantly encourages and inspires.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
1
My fingers quivered as I reached for the dress’s zipper and a wave of nausea hit me. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, hoping the dizziness would pass. The dressing room spun around me, and I braced myself against the bench in the corner for support. I opened my eyes and fixed them on a spot on the floor. Then the realization of what was happening hit me.
Not again, I thought. Not now.
The last few months had been fairly passive as far as my psychic abilities went. I had been practicing how to use them in case something like this happened again, but to have it happen now of all times was a bit of a shock. I was becoming a better psychic, and I had almost fully mastered the little things, but I still didn’t know how to control my body when a ghost came around.
I lowered myself to the bench. The lavender dress still hung loose around my shoulders. I took a deep breath to steady myself, and when I looked up, there she was.
I could tell she was dead, partly due to the feeling I was getting. The other reason I knew she was dead was because I could see straight through her like she wasn’t entirely there. Judging by how transparent she was, I knew she didn’t have much time.
She had long brown hair, but nothing about her was particularly striking. I probably wouldn’t remember her if I saw her on the street.
“Crystal?” she asked.
I didn’t know how, but whenever a ghost came to me for help, he or she always knew my name and could tell that I could see them.
I wanted to help her. I always wanted to help anyone who came to me, but I was hoping I could enjoy a day of shopping with my mom for my maid of honor dress without any interruptions. Now that she was here, though, I couldn’t push her away, not when she needed my help.
“What?” I managed breathlessly in almost a whisper so no one else would hear.
“My name is Melissa,” the girl said. “And I need your help.”
I swallowed. “How? How can I help you?” I tried to keep my tone as friendly as I could, but it came out sounding more urgent than I wanted it to.
“You need to save her.”
“Save who?” Ghosts always had this way of telling me what to do without actually telling me what to do.
“Sage.”
Sage? I didn’t know any Sage. How could I help someone I didn’t even know? I knew that fact alone would make this mission difficult.
“Sage Anderson,” Melissa clarified.
“How? How can I save her? What’s wrong with her?” I kept my voice to a low whisper.
Melissa blinked and shook her head in sadness. “She’s too young. I don’t want her to suffer the same fate.”
“Huh?” was all I could say.
Then Melissa’s eyes locked on mine. “If you can’t save Sage, she’s going to die. She’ll take her last breath the next time you wear that dress. That is, unless you can save her.”
My breath caught in my chest the same moment Melissa vanished. Something about her words, the way they seemed so final, told me she wasn’t coming back. That was the first and last time I would see her.
A million questions raced through my head. Who is Sage? How is she going to die? How can I save her? Will I be able to save her?
A knock at the dressing room door startled me from my thoughts.
“Crystal, are you okay? What’s taking so long?” my mother asked.
“Yeah,” I called back, my voice wavering. I took a quick breath to calm my nerves. “I’m fine. I just . . . I can’t reach the zipper.” I unlocked the dressing room door and held it open a crack. “Can you help me?”
My mom pushed her way into the dressing room. It was a tight fit, but we were both small people. She was dressed in her regular jeans and tee since she’d already picked out her dress weeks ago. Now, with only four weeks left until the wedding, it felt like we were getting down to crunch time. It’s not like the wedding was going to be huge or anything. It was just going to be family and close friends at one of the hotels here in the city.
My body shook slightly as my mom zipped up my dress and I thought about a girl whose life supposedly depended on me. I tried not to let it show, and even though I was always bad at hiding things, I didn’t think my mother noticed my unease.
“How does that feel?” she asked once she had my zipper up.
I smoothed down the fabric and took a look at myself in the mirror. The dress had a tank-style lace top with a ribbon around the waist. The skirt fell just above my knees. It looked so good on me that I hardly noticed my nonexistent hips and flat chest. Best of all, the lace top complemented my mother’s gown.
“I love it,” I told her, but Melissa’s words still echoed in my head. She’ll take her last breath the next time you wear that dress. That meant that if we went with this one, I had until the wedding to save a girl I didn’t even know. A mere month’s time didn’t seem like enough. “But, I don’t know,” I added. “Maybe we should keep looking.” It didn’t seem right to wear this dress and seal in Sage’s fate.
“Well, come on,” I heard Sophie’s voice from outside the dressing room. “Let’s see it on you!”
My mom and I emerged from the changing room. I glanced through the shop windows. The sun hung low in the sky. Since Mom ran a business with Sophie and Diane, her two best friends and bridesmaids, we had to go shopping when their shop was closed and everyone could get together away from work. On a normal day, the setting sun might bring thoughts of Robin to my mind and make me wonder how much time I would have to spend with him tonight before my curfew. But today, the setting sun only made me feel like time was already running out to save a girl I didn’t even know.
Sophie and Diane were wearing the same dress I was. I eyed them and couldn’t help but wonder if they could somehow assist me before it was too late for Sage. Like me, mom and her friends were all psychic. It’s how they became friends in college and ended up opening their Halloween-themed shop, Divination, in my hometown.
Maybe, I thought, they can help me figure out what Melissa meant and who she was talking about. The thing was that in the past when they’d tried to help—like when I’d found a little girl named Hope who’d been abducted—they couldn’t see anything about the situation
. It was like the universe wanted me to do it all on my own.
“I like them,” Diane said, twirling around in her own dress. She was a bigger woman, but the dress still looked great on her. In fact, it looked fantastic on all of us.
“It looks like we’ve found the one,” Sophie agreed.
They both admired their new wedding attire in the full-length mirrors on the dressing room doors. I followed their gazes and noticed my fallen face. We couldn’t choose this one, could we?
She’ll take her last breath the next time you wear that dress.
If I never wore this dress again, that would mean she wouldn’t die, right? I tried to put on a smile, but I wasn’t sure how successful I was at it. Should I tell them? Is it worth ruining this special day?
Sophie turned to me. “Crystal, are you okay?”
I was never good at hiding my emotions with anyone, but it was impossible to hide behind a smile in front of Sophie. She was an empath, which meant she could feel other people’s emotions and influence them.
I felt the tears stinging at my eyes already. I bit my lip to hold them back, but I couldn’t help it. I flung myself into Sophie’s arms and let a tear fall down my cheek. I shook my head. “No,” I answered. “I’m not okay.”
Suddenly, everyone was at my side. I didn’t know where the lady who was helping us earlier went, but right now, it was just me, Mom, Sophie, and Diane, and I was grateful for that. I needed the privacy.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?” my mom asked.
Everyone went quiet for a beat while I composed myself. After I released Sophie, she led me over to one of the nearby chairs and sat me down.
I took a deep breath. “It’s happening again. I—I saw someone in the dressing room.”
They all exchanged glances, looking for something to say. My mother knelt beside me and took my hand. “It’s okay. You can tell us.”
I nodded. I knew that much. It was a secret we all shared together. The thing was that I was the only one of all of us who could see ghosts. It felt like an overwhelming responsibility.
“She said her name was Melissa. She warned me that someone was going to die and that I needed to help her. I really don’t want to see someone die if there’s something I can do about it.” I didn’t add what I really wanted to say: I’m terrified.
“Sweetie, you know we’re always here for you, right?” my mom said.
I nodded again, but I knew there was meaning behind those words that she wouldn’t voice aloud. They were there for me emotionally, but their abilities couldn’t help me.
“Did she say anything else?” Diane asked.
I nodded again and spoke so softly that even if someone was close by, they wouldn’t overhear. “She said that the girl who needed help was named—”
“How are you ladies liking that dress?” a voice interrupted. The woman who was helping us before returned.
We all shifted to look at her. A girl a little older than me with dark red hair, pale skin, and freckles across her nose stood next to her.
“I’m terribly sorry,” the lady said, “but I have a family emergency. If you need anything, you can ask Sage.” The lady gestured to the young woman beside her.
My heart stopped.
2
I forced down the lump in my throat. This had to be the girl Melissa was talking about. I mean, how common is the name Sage, and why would I meet this girl here immediately after I received a warning if it wasn’t her? I knew it was her and that if I didn’t do anything, she was going to die.
Sage put on a friendly smile and introduced herself to each of us. I wasn’t as good as Sophie was at it, but I could get feelings about people’s emotions if I touched them. When Sage held out her hand to me, I rose from my seat and put on my best smile. I shook her hand, hoping to learn something from it.
I must have thought I would get all my answers right away, like how she was going to die, but all I got was a feeling of terror—her terror—when I touched her. She was afraid of something or someone, only I didn’t know what or who.
How are you going to die, Sage? I wondered. How can I help?
But what was I supposed to do? I couldn’t tell her she was going to die and hope she’d let me know how. Surely, she wouldn’t believe me, and it would only make things worse as far as my involvement went. I had to find some way to get close to her so I could investigate her impending death, except I had no idea how to do that.
Sage complimented our dress choice and made a few suggestions for accessories before I had a chance to fully process the situation. Diane seemed suddenly interested in what Sage had to say and led her over to a rack of sashes while asking questions. Diane shot us back a glance that said she was giving us privacy.
I returned to my chair, and my mom and Sophie stood on either side of me. “That’s her,” I whispered, stealing a glance at Sage. “The girl in the dressing room said Sage was going to die. That has to be her.”
Sophie nodded in understanding. “I can feel her fear. She’s afraid of something.”
“I know,” I agreed. “Only, I don’t know what.”
Sophie bit her lip. “Me, either.”
My mother rubbed my shoulder sympathetically. “I’m sorry, but maybe I can give a bit of advice. She’s about your age. Why not try making friends with her? You might find out a bit more.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to say to her.” I pressed my lips together nervously and peered at Diane and Sage again. Diane was successfully keeping her preoccupied.
“Mom, Melissa—the ghost girl in the dressing room—said I have until the wedding to save Sage. Well, what she said is that I have until the next time I wear this dress. I don’t think we should get these ones. Then maybe Melissa’s prophecy won’t come true.”
Sophie shook her head. “I don’t think it works that way. I don’t think it will matter what dresses we get. The good news is that you have a clear timeline.”
“And you know who the girl is,” my mom added. “We’ll try to help you the best we can, but when it comes to interfering with another psychic’s mission, the rest of us are just normal people.”
I understood all too well what she was saying. Each time the universe had picked me for a mission, none of them saw what I saw. Sure, they’d been helpful, and I’d learned a lot about my abilities from them, but I knew any new piece to the puzzle would have to come from me.
Then I realized something. They had all helped me with a séance before, and it had worked. What if we tried contacting Melissa to get more answers?
That seemed like a good idea, so I mentioned it to them. They both agreed that we could try contacting her when we returned home. I smiled, mostly to reassure myself I could do this but also because I was glad to have their support.
“Why not try to get some answers from Sage first?” my mom suggested.
“Okay,” I agreed. “Just give me a few minutes.”
I took a deep breath and rose from my seat. I casually strolled over to the jewelry and tried to make it look like I was interested in the earrings. What I was really doing was stealing glances at Sage and Diane. When it seemed like they were finally done talking about accessories, I cleared my throat.
“Um, Sage?” I asked.
“Yeah?” She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I’m curious if you have any suggestions for jewelry.” My voice wavered a little, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“Oh, sure.”
“I’m Crystal, by the way.”
“Crystal. That’s a pretty name.”
I tucked a long strand of blonde hair behind my ear. “My boyfriend says my name is really special because it’s like my first name is an adjective and my last name is a noun. Crystal Frost is my full name.”
Sage tilted her head slightly. “He’s right. That is really cool.” She held out a pair of earrings to me. They dangled and were adorned with a purple gem atop a pearl. “These would look great with your dress. We also sell a
matching necklace.”
I lightly touched the owl necklace hanging around my neck. It was the one Teddy had given me when he proposed to my mom. I rarely took it off. I knew it was kind of dumb, but I felt like it gave me good luck.
“I already have a necklace in mind for the wedding,” I told her, “but I really like the earrings.”
“Do you want to see them on you?” she offered.
“Really?”
“Sure.” She held them up to me.
I placed them in my ears and looked into the mirror next to the jewelry. “I really like them.”
Hopefully I was connecting with her on some level. I wanted to see some indication of how I was going to save her, but I knew I couldn’t push it. The universe had a way of showing things to me when it thought I was ready. Still, I couldn’t help but want the answers right away.
“So, uh, this must be a pretty cool job, huh?” I asked. “You help women pick out dresses and accessories. It’s like every girl’s fashion dream.”
Sage gave a light laugh. “Not really. I’m just saving up money for after high school. It’s kind of tough since I only work on the weekends, but it’s something.”
“Well, you’re lucky your job probably pays well,” I said. “All I have is a babysitting job that pays only a few dollars an hour.” I didn’t bother mentioning that I loved babysitting Hope and would probably do it for free, but I was mostly aiming to find a common element between us. Perhaps that would give me a reason to talk with her more and learn more about her predicted death. When she didn’t say anything, I tried another route. “Apart from that, I’m usually busy with extracurricular activities. Do you do anything fun at school?”
She shook her head. “No, not really.”
“I play volleyball in the fall, and I’m in the band. I play clarinet. You don’t play anything?”
She shook her head again. “I, uh, used to, but not anymore. But I still like music.”
Disappointment washed over me. How much more could I say before I only pushed her away? Maybe I could fake a dress emergency during the week and come back here. Wait. That wouldn’t work because she said she only worked on weekends.
