by Crymsyn Hart
He can’t be a ghost. There’s no way. As she made her way down the steps, she heard more giggling and the light footfalls of the little girl she had seen earlier. She froze in her tracks when she stepped into the hall.
There was the girl. Behind her stood Dustin. Only this time, he was transparent like a mirage. Before she had time to react, they both disappeared.
Chapter Four
I know what I saw. They just disappeared in front of me. Her first instinct was to run from the house and never look back, but she pushed that aside.
Nothing is going to run me out of my home. She thought back to what Jarvis said about the story that occurred behind the house. It was creepy, but if they really were ghosts, then it seemed like they didn’t want to hurt her. It’s not like they’ve gone all Poltergeist on me and are throwing plates around. Maybe they want to be friends. Dustin did pull me out of the room. The ghosts at Mom’s old place were never violent either.
She drew in a deep breath. “I’ll deal with you later. Right now I’m going into town to get something to eat. If you really are here to watch out for the house, make sure no one steals anything,” she muttered and went downstairs.
Natalie drove down unfamiliar roads and ended up in the small center of town where the buildings were half empty, and those that were occupied were going out of business. Small towns everywhere were hard hit because of the economy. She was lucky to sell her old house and get such a great deal on the one she had bought. Now I see why it was a great deal.
She drove through the town stopping at its one stoplight and then eased into a parking lot a few blocks down that was full of cars. It looked to be a bar, but she also smelled food. At least it was live people and civilization. That was all that mattered.
Once inside, she found the roadhouse to be filled with families and others line dancing on the small dance floor in the back. She sat at the bar and a waitress handed her a menu. She ordered a burger and a beer.
The big screen TV on the wall was showing clips from the NASCAR race that occurred earlier in the day. It didn’t garner her attention long. Mostly she tuned out the noise, and her thoughts turned inward to what she had heard and experienced. For the first time in a long time, she expected to be living alone in sweet, calm bliss, when she ended up with unexpected roommates. The waitress returned with her beer. She gripped the neck and took a long sip.
“When you’re done with that why don’t you try wrapping those lips of yours around something fatter?”
Natalie rolled her eyes and looked at the man leaning on the bar next to her. He was dressed in worn jeans, a raggedy shirt, and the grime of the day still on him. He was in his mid-twenties and tan from working outside. She gave him a small smile before answering. “I think I’ll pass. I can get more satisfaction from the beer than with what you’ve got. Do you mind?”
“What did you say to me?”
This is all I need. An asshole who assumes he can put me in my place. Why do all rednecks think they can boss women around? Natalie stared right back at him. “You heard what I said. I want to be left alone. I didn’t come in here to be picked up by some asshole. Now turn around and head back to the hovel you crawled out of.”
He slammed his beer down on the counter and pushed closer to her. The vein in his jaw throbbed. From the blast of his breath, it was obvious he was intoxicated. “You think you can insult me? You—”
A large hand clamped down on his shoulder. He turned and stared at the man behind him. Natalie noticed he was tall, over six feet, well built, but had an angry scar running down the left side of his face. His features were drawn with angled cheek bones. Short black hair was buzzed close to his head. He was dressed in black jeans and a leather vest. She noticed the tattoo of a feather and a wolf on his neck.
“Jimmy, the lady asked you to go sit back down and leave her alone. Can’t you see she doesn’t want some cow turd hitting on her? Go back over there before I tell your father you’re disrespecting women. I’ll bet he’ll tan your hide good once he hears about it.”
Jimmy didn’t respond but backpedaled out of the way. The waitress returned with Natalie’s meal. She took a swig of her beer and looked at the other man. He was waiting for her to say something to him. “Thanks. I’m not in the mood to deal with him tonight.”
“You’re welcome. I’m Scott Redhawk. You mind if I join you?”
She gave him a smile. I could tell him to get lost, but I need to talk to someone living. I can’t be dealing with the dead all the time. “Sure. Why not? I’m Natalie Bear. I just moved into town.”
He sat down and his face paled. “You’re the woman that bought the old Carin place. There’s been a lot of buzz about you. I’m your general contractor. Sorry I couldn’t make it to the house today.”
A light went off in her head. She remembered talking to him on the phone now. “That’s right. No problem. Let me guess everyone wants to know if I’ve seen any ghosts yet, right?”
He laughed. It was deep and warmed her insides. “Yeah. There’s been a lot of rumors already. Actually, I’ve had some trouble getting people to work on your place. They’re all too chicken shit. But many of them need the money. They all want to leave before dark though.”
This time, she laughed and nearly choked on her burger. “Afraid of Casper. Please. I’ve seen worse than ghosts in my day.” She wasn’t about to tell him the truth or verify the rumors. No one was going to call her crazy.
“I’m not afraid of what’s up there. My ancestors’ spirits reside there, trapped by things the settlers did to them. On the outskirts of your property line is a burial ground. Sacred ground. Some of my tribe has gone up there to try and make peace, but the land was cursed. Many of the spirits still remain. Actually, I was going to speak to you when I came to the house, but now might be a better time. Come on; let’s get one of the booths.”
She nodded. “Okay.” She grabbed her plate and her beer and wove through the crowd to a semi-quieter part of the bar. Once she settled down, she took another bite of her burger. As she swallowed, she eyed him. “So what did you want to ask me?”
“My sister’s the tribe’s healer. We were hoping that you’d continue to let us come to the graveyard and make offerings to our ancestors. It would mean a lot to us.” He took a swig of his beer and didn’t take his eyes from her. His stare bored into her soul and for an instant she felt some kind of pull toward him she didn’t quite understand. Something tugged on her conscious telling her that she should know this man on a primal level. It was the same kind of connection she had felt with Dustin earlier. Although, Scott seemed more controlled than Dustin did. Whatever that edge was, she wanted to know more. The physical attraction she had for him set her heart pumping faster. Her palms began to sweat. He would be another one she could easily see herself in bed with to ease her dry spell.
Natalie pushed the lustful thoughts away and stared back without flinching. Because of her Native American heritage, she understood the importance of honoring family. Her mother and father had always taught her to respect the past. But she wasn’t sure how well she liked the idea of strangers coming onto her land. Still it was for the good of appeasing the spirits.
God, what am I thinking? Here we go again about ghosts. Does that make my house and the land that goes with it spook central? “Look, I don’t have a problem with you wanting to honor your ancestors. I’m a quarter Cherokee on my mother’s side and a quarter Sioux on my father’s side. So I get it. Both of my parents were very spiritual. The only thing I’m concerned about is having strangers on my land. Being new in town and not knowing who is who. I’m sure you can understand.”
Scott nodded. “I can understand that. How about, in a few weeks, when you’re more settled, I’ll invite you to come down and meet everyone? Until then, I’ll ask them to lay low. Some of the older members can be a little overzealous.”
“Are you the chief or something?”
“No. I’m the shaman. The holy man.”
Nat
alie choked on her beer and began coughing. She grabbed a napkin to wipe up the beer she spit onto the table.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Just went down the wrong way. So you can contact the dead and all?”
He chuckled and laid his hand on hers. “I can. Why? Did you have someone in mind? Someone in your house maybe?”
“No. I was just curious. But sure. After I’m settled in. Meeting everyone—that’s fine. It’d be nice to get to know some people around here. Is there a big Native American population here?”
“Big enough we get noticed. Not big enough we can run around scalping women who live all by themselves.”
Natalie drew back and pulled her hand away at his statement. “That wasn’t funny.”
His mouth pulled back into a frown. Small wrinkles appeared at the bridge of his nose. The scar on his cheek elongated from his tense expression. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Natalie stared at her half eaten burger, her appetite lost. She grabbed her wallet and threw down some cash. “Nice to meet you and all. Give me a call about meeting everyone. Excuse me.” She rushed out of the bar and into the night air.
For a moment, the look on Scott’s face had reminded her of Michael’s right before he got into a rage. Leaning against her car, she drew in a few deep breaths to clear her head. Her ears rang from the music volume and the cacophony of voices inside.
The night was much quieter. Hardly a cricket chirped. It helped to ease her anxiety. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Without thinking, she turned and brought her knee up into her attacker’s groin. With a low moan, the man hit the gravel. She fumbled for her keys when she glanced over to see Scott on the ground, clutching his balls. Oh shit! She knelt down to help him up.
“Oh my God! I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was you. I thought you were the jerk who hit on me earlier.”
He grabbed the bumper of her car and hoisted himself up but leaned against the car. Tears glistened in his eyes. “You got one hell of an aim.” He took in a few more breaths before trying to stand upright.
“Sorry.”
He rubbed his crotch. “I was coming out to see if you were okay. You seemed pretty spooked.”
She lifted her hair off her neck and looked past him.
“Hey, what happened there?”
Quickly she pulled her hair back down to hide the blemish on her neck. “Nothing.”
“That nothing looks like a nasty scar. Trust me nothing gave me this permanent beauty. Look, I’m not trying to interfere with your life, but if I were to guess I’d say you’d been put through the wringer. Here.” He reached into his wallet and pulled out a card and handed it to her. “If you ever want to talk about anything. Just give me a call. Day or night. Of course, this would not be about the house.”
She eyed the card and then looked back at him. “I’m not ready to get involved with anyone yet or even consider dating. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He stepped forward and slid the card across the hood of her car. “No strings attached. Honest. Friends. We can all use some of those, right?”
She bit her lip, picked up the card, and slipped it into her pocket. “Yeah. We can all use friends. Thanks, Scott. Sorry I kicked you. It was nice to meet you.” With that she got into her car and headed back toward the house. The toll of the day was weighing on her, and she wanted to sleep.
When she arrived, she went inside expecting to find the doors slamming or things floating in mid-air.
But a calm essence welcomed her. Getting ready for bed, she didn’t feel anyone or anything around her. She wrapped herself in a sheet and shivered. The nights were getting colder. She had to get the gas turned on, but couldn’t do that until Monday.
The movers were coming in the morning to deliver what little furniture she had. Mostly boxes of books, her bedroom furnishings, a futon, and a few other things she was able to salvage from the house.
The mountains stood out against the night. In the distance, the same little balls of light started to dance and twirl around the tree line. She observed them for a little while and noticed there were some even on the edges of the field. A shiver ran up her back. The heaviness of the atmosphere weighed on her shoulders. It was the same feeling she used to get when she was a child in her mother’s old house. Sighing, it seemed there was no way around it. This place was haunted. I guess what Scott was saying is true.
Her heart thumped against her breastbone when she recalled staring into Scott’s eyes. The pull she had toward him ignited inside of her again. Not sure of what it was or where it came from, she tried to shove it aside. Only this time the feeling wasn’t going away. She started to imagine seeing him shirtless and watching his rippling muscles glistening in the sun. I have to get my mind off him. What have I gotten myself into?
Natalie settled down into bed and drew the sheet around her, wishing she had something warmer. The air mattress squelched the more she turned on it, trying to get comfortable.
She heard heavy footfalls. She waited for them to start running, but they stopped in front of her door. From the large crack underneath, she saw a shadow move.
Her curiosity almost got the better of her, but she wasn’t going to get up and see who was on the other side. Fear took over, but she didn’t hear any more footsteps, and no door handles rattled. It has to be Dustin checking on me before I go to sleep. She waited and resisted the urge to call out to him. Without another incident, she let sleep take over and drifted off.
Chapter Five
The next morning the sound of girlish laughter woke Natalie. When she opened her eyes, it took her a moment to realize she was nice and warm. A large brown and tan blanket was thrown over her. She ran her hand over the fabric and felt that it was wool. This was in the room under the stairs where I dropped it.
She heard running. Glancing over, she noticed her door was now open and a blur of brown was going down the hall. The little girl. What did Dustin say her name was? Jeannie. That’s right. Well, she and I are going to have to have a little talk about her running.
“Umm…little girl,” Natalie called.
The little girl continued up the stairs and past her room again completely ignoring her. Kids.
All of Natalie’s bones hurt as she got up slowly, but she knew there was more to do. She pulled on some clothes and tugged a brush through her hair. Checking her cell phone, she saw that it was almost time for the movers. A whoosh of cold went through her midsection when she went onto the landing. She ran her hands over her arms and then gripped the banister.
“Okay, Jeannie. I understand that you’re having fun, but I’m going to be having some people come to the house today and for the next couple of months to help me fix this place back up. I’m not going to be tearing anything down, but there’s a lot in here that needs to be replaced or your house is going to fall down. So if you can cool the running and scaring people while they’re here, I’d greatly appreciate it. And thanks for the blanket.”
The pounding on the stairs stopped when she had started talking. Natalie felt another breeze. This time the presence felt heavier and stood behind her. She turned slowly and saw Dustin a few feet away. He looked solid. He was dressed in the same outfit as before. With the sun coming in through the windows, she was able to make out his golden brown hair and how truly handsome he was.
The same feeling she had the day before when she touched him came over her. A deep pull toward him erupted in her being. She took a step toward him, but stopped herself when she realized what she was doing. I’m macking on a ghost. Get a grip.
“You’re welcome. About the blanket. It can get cold here at night if you’re not used to it.”
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“I’ll keep Jeannie in line. I hope you don’t mind if she plays while you’re gone. She loves to run.”
She stepped closer to Dustin. He didn’t waver or blink out. Her fingers slid along the banister until she was inches from his ha
nd. She didn’t feel any body heat coming from him, but he was there. He even cast a shadow. “No that’s fine. We can work out a schedule. Can I ask you something?”
He smiled. “Anything.”
“You were the one outside my bedroom door last night, right?”
He nodded. “I didn’t want to frighten you, but I wanted to be sure you were safe. When you came home you were troubled. You never know who else is lurking around here.”
“Do you mean other ghosts?”
Someone knocked on the door. The echo of the banging caused her to jump. She glanced downstairs, and when she looked back, Dustin was gone. Why doesn’t he stay around long enough so I can have a conversation with him?
Downstairs, she opened the door and there was the truck with her things. Relief washed over her, because at least she would have more clothes. The men backed closer to the door and pulled out the metal ramp to start unloading the furniture. One man chewed on his pencil and eyed her and then the house. “Can we start unloading?”
“Yeah. Sounds great. Come on.” Natalie waved them in. She glanced up at the house and saw Dustin staring down at them from the landing. She smiled up at him, but he was gone after a second.
For the next few hours, the movers moved the stuff into the house and placed her furniture where she directed. The chill in the air hadn’t worn off.
Even though she was sweating from emptying out the boxes, she couldn’t get rid of the chill. Toward the evening she was all alone again. It was nice to see the place start to have some life to it. All she needed now was to buy some essentials like a refrigerator and a stove.
She picked up her cell phone and ordered pepperoni pizza and a salad. She wanted to think long term. The delivery man was a different guy, but he wouldn’t come into the house. When she dug into her pocket, she also pulled out Scott’s card and thought about calling him, but decided against it. The kitchen was set up and her bedroom in some order.
