A Whispered Darkness

by Vanessa Barger

  “Sorry if Mom was abrupt, Mrs. Wilton. She’s had a rough couple months,” I mumbled.

  The nurse clucked and shook her head. “Don’t go apologizing for her, my dear. She’s a grown woman and perfectly capable of taking responsibility for her own behavior.”

  Her clipped tone surprised me. I wondered what Mom said. She waved a hand. “Now, get her home. She needs rest.”

  Haven jumped from his seat. “Sure thing. Thanks.”

  It took all my concentration not to trip over my feet, and I let him lead me to his car. He took my bag and dumped our stuff in the trunk while I climbed inside. An ache pulsed at my temples, and I rubbed my head.

  Haven started the car and backed out. “We’re going to my house.”

  “Okay.”

  He glanced at me, brows raised with surprise. “You must be tired. No argument?”

  I shrugged. “I’m too tired to complain. Just drive.”

  Somewhere between the school and his house, I fell asleep. I didn’t remember anything until I woke up, curled into Haven’s side in the dark. We were tucked into his bed, still dressed. Dim light from a television set to a barely audible level flickered over Haven’s face.

  “Hi,” I whispered.

  He looked down and smiled. “Lovely to see you.”

  “How long have I been asleep?”

  He turned to look at the clock on his other side. “About fourteen hours, give or take. It’s a little after midnight.”

  I groaned and buried my face against his chest.

  “You needed it.”

  Glancing back up at him, I rubbed a hand over my face. “Yeah, so I can be well-rested when my mother kills me.”

  “You’re assuming she knows you’re here,” Haven said with a grin. He waved his cell phone. “However, your brother was all too willing to help. As far as your mother knows, you’ve both been camping with a group of friends from school all night.”

  “Camping?” I stared at him. “She bought it? What about Grant?” The thought of him, alone, made my heart pound.

  “Chill. He’s with Jeremy and Carlos. They’ve gone to a concert with Carlos’s older brother, and then they’re dropping him off. They won’t even get back until three or four in the morning. He’ll be all right for a few hours. You did have Bryan ward the room, after all.”

  “You really did cover all the bases, didn’t you?”

  With a chuckle, he said, “Of course. I know how to cover my tracks. With Grandma being who she is, I’ve learned.”

  Yawning, I sat up. Now that I’d slept for a while, the difference in how I felt was indescribable. I stretched and smiled. “Thank you. I feel better than I have in days.”

  “Good.”

  Another thought struck me. It was midnight, and he wasn’t asleep. “Aren’t you tired?”

  “I was thinking about going to bed soon.” When I tried to meet his eyes, he looked away.

  Crossing my arms, I pushed back to get a better look at his face. “Now who’s being stubborn? You have to sleep too, or we’re just switching roles. Are your nightmares so bad?”

  When I asked, he shifted. “No, no. It’s not that. Disturbing dreams are my norm. I can’t shake the feeling if I fall asleep with you, Grandma will suddenly know, come home, and murder us both.”

  For once, I couldn’t tell if he lied, or if that really was his only reason. I knew his dreams bothered him, he’d said so often enough. He never mentioned what happened unless it bothered him a lot. All I could do was hope he wasn’t hiding anything. We needed all the help we could get.

  Putting a hand over another yawn, I slid back down into the bed. “Sad as it is, I need to use the bathroom and then I want to go back to sleep. This time, you are too.”

  He pointed me in the direction of the bathroom. As I rolled out of his bed, he tapped my shoulder. “Here,” he said, thrusting a stack of clothes at me. “You can wear these to sleep in.”

  I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his mouth, then took the clothes. “Thanks.”

  When I came back, he’d changed into a pair of lounge pants and a tee with his favorite band logo on it. He moved around his room, unaware as I peeked in the doorway. I’d never paid attention to how fluid his movements were before. The way his body filled out the shirt made my pulse soar.

  I pushed open the door, putting my folded clothes on the chair in front of his desk. He turned and laughed. I stuck out my tongue, tugging on the waistband of the pants. “They’re a little long is all.”

  The grin only grew wider. “You look really cute in my clothes. Even if the pants are seriously too big.”

  Hopping into the bed, I wiggled under the covers. He didn’t have a huge bed, but at least it wasn’t a twin like mine. We weren’t squished when he got in after me. “You’ve apparently been my good luck charm,” I told him, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Maybe I can be yours. Sleep well, without any bad dreams to distract you.”

  He slid a hand to the nape of my neck and teased my lips with his. When he finally released me, I sagged into him, my breath coming in pants. He smirked. “That should help. Good night, Claire.”

  He spooned against me, his hand resting at my waist and I smiled to myself. “Night.”

  ***

  I woke when a text message from Grant buzzed under my pillow.

  Hope you had a lovely evening. You might want to come home now.

  There was nothing in the message to send me into a panic, but all the same, my heart beat quicker, and worry crept into my chest and nestled there. Beside me, one arm thrown over his face, Haven stirred.

  “What?”

  “I’ve got to get home.”

  Haven rolled over, still mostly asleep. “You’re supposed to be camping, remember?”

  I grabbed my clothes from the chair and headed for the bathroom to change. The sense of urgency grew stronger, and I almost whimpered. It was like a compulsion, beating in my chest. I had to, had to, get home. Now.

  When I came back in, Haven pulled on a shirt and turned to face me, his golden hair in disarray. “What’s wrong?”

  If the sight of his abs disappearing under his shirt didn’t make me swoon, I knew something was wrong. “I have to get home. Grant sent a text message.”

  “Your Mom?”

  I shook my head, glanced at the clock. It was nearly eleven. “No, he said I might want to come home now.”

  Haven frowned, then shook his head. “Okay.”

  “Hand me my phone, will you? It’s next to the bed.”

  When his fingers curled around the plastic case, he jerked. “Whoa.”

  I took it, searched his face for a sign of what he thought.

  “He’s really upset.”

  “I thought your specialties lay elsewhere.” I pulled on my shoes.

  “They do. That’s what I mean. If I can feel it, he’s upset.”

  I caught the phone he tossed to me and shoved it in my pocket. While Haven found some shoes, I bounced on my toes, ready to take off.

  When we turned into the driveway to the house, two unfamiliar black SUVs blocked the way. Relief warred with alarm. My shrink drove a safe, two door Honda. Gas guzzlers offended his earth-loving sensibilities.

  “Any idea who it is?” I asked.

  Haven put the car into park. “Not a clue. You want me to stay?”

  I shook my head. “No. If I get lucky, she won’t notice your car and I can keep up the camping charade. She gets really ticked off when she knows I’ve been with you instead of Bryan.” I leaned over and kissed him, then slid out of the car.

  “Call me and let me know what’s going on.” Haven waved and I shut the car door.

  He backed out and I headed inside. The television was on in the living room and I headed there first. Grant sat on the couch, his head turned toward the screen, but his attention wasn’t on it.

  “They’re upstairs, getting a tour of the third floor.”

&
nbsp; Dumping my purse in the chair near the door, I asked, “Who? Why are they touring the house?”

  Grant got up, moved into the hall. I followed.

  “Bryan and a couple of his buddies from the Spirit Searchers team are here.”

  “What? Who called them?” Anger flared in my gut. “And what about camping? How long have you been back?”

  “Don’t worry. She thinks there was a large group. It’s natural some of the cars got separated.” He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. “As for the ghost hunters, I assume Mom called. That’s not even the worst of it.”

  “There’s something worse?”

  He looked up at me, and then glanced upward, as if he could see through the floor. For a second his face went slack. His eyelids fluttered and he returned his gaze to me.

  I almost thought I saw a flash of something otherworldly in his eyes, and my heart rate sped up. “Grant?”

  He blinked again and it was gone. “You’ll understand when you see Mom.”

  He moved back to the couch and sat down. My gut twisted. As he sat down I noticed a black cord around his wrist. I retrieved my cell phone and tapped in a message to Haven.

  Something weird going on—Grant and I need to get out of the house. Mall this afternoon. HELP.

  I moved closer to the couch. If Grant had accepted a gift from the things in the house, I didn’t want them to know what was going on.

  “Haven asked if we want to take a trip to the mall later. I told him yes. Sound good to you?”

  He turned. “Yes. Sounds wonderful.”

  My pulse stuttered. Wonderful? Grant would never say anything like that.

  “What are you doing up so early, anyway? I thought you weren’t getting home until four.”

  His shoulder lifted and fell in a shrug. “I decided it was time to get up, I guess.”

  Before I could say anything else, footsteps clattered down the staircase and we moved to the hallway.

  Bryan, a burly man with sandy hair, and a petite redhead with tattoos peeking over the low collar of her shirt came down the stairs. Mom followed behind, a beatific smile on her face. It wasn’t her expression I found riveting. It was the Gibson girl inspired hairstyle and the sweeping skirt. Even her features seemed…changed.

  “Ah, Claire, how lovely of you to grace us with your presence.”

  Bryan turned from his conversation, his face lit with excitement. The woman next to him stepped forward, one hand outstretched. “We’ve heard so much about you.”

  I shook it automatically. “Funny, I can’t say the same.”

  “This is Laura Pierce, the founder of Spirit Searchers.” Bryan stepped to the side, and I shook hands with the other man. “This is her husband, Cain.”

  “Listen, I don’t want to seem rude, but what’s going on?”

  Bryan’s brow furrowed. “Your mom said this was your idea. You gave her my number to call.”

  Mom stood off to the side, a benign smile on her face. Only her eyes glittered with malice. I waffled. “Not that I remember, but I suppose I could have given it to her.”

  “You can’t take it back now,” Bryan snapped. “The arrangements have been made for Halloween.”

  My jaw dropped. “Halloween?”

  “Yes,” Laura said. “We’ll be here Friday afternoon for interviews, and then we’ll do a full investigation with six members.” She took my elbow, cutting a glance at her husband. “Let me explain what I have in mind.”

  Cain murmured something to Mom and flashed a wide smile. With a pointed glare at me, she followed him into the kitchen. Bryan, Laura, and I stepped outside onto the porch.

  “Bryan says you have reservations about this whole event.”

  Surprised, I nodded.

  Laura’s face was open and eager. “I can’t reassure you enough that we’re professionals. We know what we’re doing.”

  “Listen, Laura,” I said. “I don’t want to be a pain, but this place isn’t like anything anyone has ever seen before. I’m sure of it.”

  Her eyes swept over the porch. “Yes, I’ll admit it is a bit intimidating at first, but it’s not impossible.” A soft smile lit her face and she leaned against the wall. “It really has a charm to it, once you take a good look.”

  My jaw dropped. “Are you sure you and I are talking about the same house?”

  She laughed. “Maybe it’s because you’re too close to it to see its potential. All the history in the walls.”

  “Sure. There’s tons of history. In the walls, the floor, reaching out to grab you by the hair when you walk past.”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t get the sense of anything malevolent while we did the walk through.”

  I crossed my arms. “And you’ve been here for, what, half an hour?”

  Laura colored and looked away. “Just about. Initially we were going to video tape some interviews with you, but you weren’t home and we had some trouble with equipment. Unfortunately the backup batteries aren’t fully charged, as we had an investigation last night.”

  What else could I say to make her understand? I decided to try a different tactic. Prove that whatever she searched for, she wouldn’t find here. “What do you want to prove here? What is it you are hunting for?”

  “Proof of life after death. That the supernatural isn’t a hoax or someone’s overactive imagination. Tangible evidence there are things out there we can’t explain.”

  Oh, she’d find it. “And you believe this is the best place? Even if there are big risks involved?”

  “From what Bryan has said, yes.” She sighed. “Claire, I can understand your concern, honestly, but I don’t believe the incorporeal can harm me.”

  “Have you been to the basement yet?”

  She nodded.

  “Nothing?” When she shook her head, I asked, “I know you saw the third floor. You didn’t see anything there either?”

  She shook her head, and sympathy sparkled in her gaze. I wanted to smack the expression from her face and demand she pay attention to me. “Listen, I know things like this are sometimes frightening, but it’s no reason to warn us off. On the contrary, maybe we can help each other.”

  “Frightening? You have no idea what that means around here.” Scowling, I held up one finger. “What exactly has Bryan told you about this house?”

  “What do you mean?”

  He crossed his arms. “I didn’t tell her anything. She can’t know those kinds of things if she wants to be objective.”

  “Objective?” The look I shot him must’ve held more heat than I thought, because his mouth snapped shut. Returning my gaze to Laura, I debated briefly with myself. I didn’t want to give away my secrets—it went against the grain to reveal so much of myself to anyone, let alone a stranger.

  “Laura, I speak to the dead.”

  Bryan sucked in a huge breath, and I couldn’t tell if he was excited or upset. Laura didn’t hear another word. Excitement sparkled in her eyes, and she clapped her hands together. “Fantastic! You have to help us on the investigation!”

  “No.”

  “Don’t be like that, Claire,” Bryan whined. “Knowing this, I understand your reservations. We can help you!”

  Laura tilted her head, her attention fixed on me. “Why? This would be the perfect way to face your fears.”

  “My fears are the least of your problems. This place isn’t what you think. The spirits in there want things, and they’re willing to do anything to get it.”

  “What do they want?”

  “That’s the problem. I know they want us, but I don’t know for what or why. I can tell you whatever happened to them when they were alive has driven some of them to madness in death.”

  Instead of getting my fear of what might happen to people who went in too open to experiences across, I thought Laura would cry with sheer joy.

  I turned to Bryan, hoping for someone who would back me up. But his eyes were rivet
ed to the stairs, and the look on his face made my heart pound. His mouth was open, and his eyes were wide and glossy with tears. The expression on his face was a mixture of hope, regret, and terror. It made my skin prickle. Not because I thought the house had gotten to him—I knew it had. Because whatever connection he had with it did not involve the spirits claiming my family. This was something inside Bryan, something he created. The spirits had touched him, sometime, somehow, and they never completely let go.

  Laura wrapped her hands around mine and squeezed. “Really, it’s sweet of you to warn us, but we know what we’re getting into. It will be all right.”

  In a last effort, I grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “If you go in there on Halloween searching for ghosts, you’re going to find them. And they’re going to kill you.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Bryan grabbed my arm. “Trying to scare us off won’t work. I know you may find it hard to believe, but in the greater tri-state area, Laura, Cain, and I are pretty much the go-to people for supernatural issues. We aren’t amateurs and we aren’t going to come in without taking precautions.”

  “Bryan, listen to yourself. Arrogance will get you killed.”

  Frustration twisted his lips. Laura clasped my hand in hers. “Honest, Claire, we aren’t unaware of the hazards.”

  They were, and I knew it. There was no way to describe how dangerous the ghosts in the house were. I didn’t even know how many were there, or what they truly wanted, beyond us.

  I shook off Laura’s grasp. “Have you noticed how happy the spirits are to see Bryan when he comes in? It’s not normal.”

  “We’re going to use it to our advantage though.” Laura had a stubborn tilt to her head. “We’ll take every precaution, I assure you. But we will be here.”

  “I suppose since you’ve got Mom’s permission, I can’t stop you.” I took a step back and motioned toward the house. “But my conscience is clear. I gave you fair warning.”

  Laura went back inside, but Bryan stopped in the doorway, blocking my way. His face pulled into a dark scowl. “Was all the doom and gloom necessary? And why didn’t you tell me about your abilities?”