“Just answer me, damn it, are you Liz?” she bawled, swinging her fist at her face.
A grin stretched across the creature's face as she ducked and said, “Yeah, you got it right this time, but the soul that Claire saved wasn’t me, it was Maddie Ann. She escaped Hell and I took her place.”
Jennifer’s body trembled. She wanted to throw up.
“Wha…what? You’re lying—you’re lying, it’s not true! Claire took the right one. I know she did, I saw her.”
Liz shook her head. “Claire couldn’t understand why I felt so different from the rest of the girls the moment she passed through me, except it wasn’t Liz’s spirit. Maddie Ann was much stronger than I, don’t you get it?” Liz asked her.
Tears rained down Jennifer’s face. Her heart sank into her stomach. How could something like this happen? She didn’t want her life to end this way. Claire promised Jennifer that everything would be just fine, that nothing would ever hurt her again. Her mind drifted and she couldn’t think clearly. Somehow, she had to get Claire before she could no longer hear her cries.
“Claire, help me,” she bellowed. “I’m going to die.”
This maddened Liz to the point she shook Jennifer like a rug. She jerked her hard enough to watch her head bobble back and forth. Wretched doom settled on her stomach.
“You want to scream,” Liz asked. “All right, then you can scream on the way down.”
This was it, the last moments of Jennifer’s life. She could do nothing but let it pass just like Mitch told her. Closing her eyes, she braced herself for the short-lived pain any second. She felt the fingernail hook release from her back and a blast of wind pushed her down. She fell so quickly, she flipped in the air, tumbling headfirst. Her eyes popped open as something grabbed her right before she hit, safely taking her to the earth’s surface and placing her body gently on the grass. Gazing up to see who rescued her, she saw Liz wrestling with someone above the trees.
“Who’s there?” Jennifer wailed, leaping to her feet.
“Run, Jenny. Now,” she heard a voice yell out.
Were her ears deceiving her? Claire, she heard her loud and clear.
“Claire, listen to me…you took Maddie Ann, not Liz.”
Before she heard a response, like a flash of speeding light, Claire raced past Jennifer as she stood in the open field. Terrified for her best friend, she watched as Claire soared ever higher above her head and headed toward the edge of town.
I bet she’s taking her to the cemetery.
Jennifer rushed toward the car and jumped in, digging for the keys in her pocket. She pulled them out, fumbling with shaking hands for the right key, then jabbed it in the ignition and started the car. Peeling out of the parking lot, Jennifer took off down the road going out of town.
She turned on the high beams, and kept a sharp eye out for the gravel road. As she stared straight ahead, she noticed the sign and slowed down. She turned onto the desolate dirt road and drove slowly toward the cemetery. Please Claire, get out of there, she prayed. Liz isn’t worth losing your soul over.
Driving the car up over the grassy knob, she parked, got out, and ran up the hill only to stop at the iron gates. Voices rang out from inside the cemetery.
“I should have known I couldn't save you, but I won’t make the same mistake twice,” Claire shouted, hooking the dead flesh on Liz’s face.
“It’s too late for you Claire. Give it up. You’ll never defeat Maddie Ann or me. She will always outsmart you.”
Jennifer heard their struggle in the air. She paced back and forth along the fence line in dire straits. Although she couldn't see them, she heard every word as Claire and Liz fought for their souls.
Here again, Jennifer previously swore never to give the Watson's another chance to hurt her. The temptation overtook her. She returned to the godforsaken cemetery. Besides the red glowing eyes warning her to keep her distance, she had to go to Claire. Her best friend helped her when no one else would. Now, she understood Claire did not have a selfish bone in her body. She cared for others before caring for herself. The guilt caused Jennifer’s stomach to ache from the horrible things she said earlier.
Did Claire hear her shout she hated her? That it didn’t matter if she died? The more she thought about it, the more her stomach hurt. The rocking pain went clear through to her back. Jennifer doubled over, panting. Without realizing her actions, she reached up, taking hold of one bar of the ruined iron gates and felt the evil vibrations surge through her. Now she understood the true strength the Watson's held.
Jennifer leaned inward to peek into the unholy grounds. Darkness greeted her, with a chilling cold wind that blew a rotting stench into her face. The evil still lurked inside these grounds; she felt it in her bones. As her hand slid down to grasp the old padlock, something hairy with massive bloody boils covering its body mashed against the fence. Jennifer recoiled. She slapped her shaky hand over her chest and tried catching her breath.
“Get out of here, Jenny,” a small gruff voice warned. “The Tempter will pick your bones clean if you stay. Now that Maddie Ann no longer rules the cemetery, he will reign over it and he knows who you are.”
Jennifer whirled to see a young girl standing a few yards inside the grounds. She could see the trees through her translucent body. “Who are you and how do you know my name?” Jennifer's heart thumped against her chest.
“I’m Maddie Ann’s cousin, Alisa Kay. You and Claire stood by my grave and admired the wooden bench my papa carved for me the day I died.”
Jennifer eyes pinched together while she studied the little ghost. The name sounded familiar, but what if Maddie Ann posed as her? “I don’t believe who you say you are. Why should I? After they held me prisoner in this damnation and tortured me, I don’t believe anyone.”
The translucent girl walked through the gates and trudged toward Jennifer. A pitiful look shadowed her face. Tear marks traced down her cheeks. As the girl reached out to touch Jennifer’s hand, Jennifer jerked back and fell over a dead tree limb. “You stay away from me. The tyrant who reigns over this place will not hurt me again, because she won't get the chance,” Jennifer threatened.
The girl inched back, pressing her little body against the gates. She gazed into Jennifer’s deep brown eyes, and replied, “My intentions are good. I know how you’ve suffered at the hands of Maddie Ann, and I just want to help you. Please, listen to me. Maddie Ann has risen from Hell. Claire’s dealings did not include Liz; but with the dreaded one, Maddie Ann. She tricked you both. She plans to torture you until the blood drains from your veins.”
Jennifer’s eyes widened. Her heart throbbed in her temples causing her head to pound. The achy pain in her stomach intensified. “Oh God, you have to warn Claire. She has to get out of there,” Jennifer groaned. “I can’t deal with this again. Not now, after all I’ve endured.”
Jennifer paced back and forth in front of the girl. She yanked on the back of her hair in a nervous fit.
“I’ll rescue Claire if you leave this place right now. Don't ever come back here. Remember, Jennifer, you’re marked for eternity. The Tempter wants your soul to produce his offsprings. He has many horrible deeds in store for you. Watch yourself and beware with whom you trust,” Alisa said as she faded through the bars and into the darkness. “The darkness is watching you…”
***
Jennifer leaped over tall weeds racing to get back to the car. While she searched in the blinding darkness for the road, the young girl’s warnings worked on her mind. The thought of Maddie Ann having dominion over her soul sickened her. Anger coursed through her veins. Obviously she would not roam the heavens with her best friends as previously envisioned. The thought not only pissed her off, it scared her. How had this witch won? The fight had not finished; it had just started. How could Maddie Ann claim any victory over Jennifer if she never defeated her?
Feeling her way around in the gloom, her hand touched the still-warm hood. Suddenly, the surging stress drained from her. Jenni
fer traced the pinstripe along the side of the car to find the door handle. As her finger touched the icy cold metallic handle, she yanked the door open and flopped down in the seat behind the wheel. Calm down, Jennifer. Maddie Ann doesn’t have you yet. You have time to change the future, she thought. Claire will take care of me, so there’s no reason to worry. Jabbing the key in the ignition, she threw the car into drive and sped off down the dirt road, taking the back way into town.
The full moon hung low in the sky, brighter and larger than usual. Jennifer cracked the window just a tad to let in the night air and glanced out at the sky. She counted four rings around the moon. It meant heavy snow. Her grandpa taught her how to predict when snow would fall by studying the moon for rings. The thought of pristine white snow covering the ground excited her.
She loved fall, winter, and the holidays. Two months until Christmas. If she could get through the rest of the year, she’d have it made. Come January, Jennifer had a one-way pass to a college near Milwaukee. She’d finally leave this dreaded place behind and work toward a better future. Knowing what she had to look forward to, a smile spread across her face, while tears rained down her cheeks. Tears shed for the memories shared with Claire.
THE END
Look for the release of My Sweet Katie, The Playground Lives. Here’s a sample.
Chapter One
As the sun set over the campus pond with two white swans canoodling beneath the weeping willow, Keith Wellington stopped in the middle of the bridge crisscrossing the south end. He turned to his girlfriend of two years.
“Jennifer Leann Cravens—I can’t imagine spending my life without you. I think I fell in love the moment I met you. I still remember the scent of your perfume and the strawberry lip gloss you wore on your lips.” Keith got down on one knee and pulled a two-carat pear-shaped diamond out of his pocket. “Will you be my wife? And give me lots of babies?”
He stood up and Jennifer wrapped her arms around him, passionately kissing his adorable mouth. Tears traced down her cheeks. “Yes….” She nodded. A smile spread across her face. “I’ll marry you.” She buried her face in his shoulder.
The perfect church wedding she dreamed of since she turning ten years old flashed before her eyes. She pictured herself walking down the aisle surrounded by beautiful flowers arranged in many styles and colors, with little flower girls tossing rose pedals at her feet. Standing to the right of the preacher, the groomsmen, best man and her handsome Keith wore big smiles. To the left, she could see her lovely maid of honor, Claire, and her bridesmaids’, Kari, Lisa, Tina, and Liz. A piercing pain shot through her heart.
“Wait…this is all wrong,” she said coming back to reality. She stepped back and lowered her head.
Keith gingerly lifted her chin until she met his gaze. “What’s wrong? Are you scared about getting married or is something else troubling you?” he asked, wiping the tears from her face.
Her wedding wouldn’t at all be what she dreamed. Without her friends by her side, how could she go through with it? “I miss my old friends,” she softly spoke. “We were supposed to be together when we got married. Now they’re gone, and it just won’t be the same without them.”
As Jennifer stood looking into his dark eyes, Keith opened his briefcase and handed her a piece of paper and pen. They’d met here on the bridge right after her very last class for what Jennifer thought was a congratulatory glass of champagne. This is where she’d met Keith. On the Fourth of July watching fireworks over the lake, a bunch of her friends commandeered the bridge to watch the spectacle. Her roommate introduced them.
“What’s this paper for?” she asked.
“I want you to write down the names of your friends so they can be at the wedding,” he explained with a smile. “Go ahead and start the guest list. I know it’s important to you.”
Jennifer took the piece of paper from him and crumpled it. “That won’t be necessary. They can’t be there because they all died almost five years ago. And if it’s okay with you, I’d rather not talk about it.”
Keith lowered his head, nodding. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t know. Please forgive me.”
“No apology needed. You had no idea,” she said. “Listen, I really need to go. My parents are coming in tomorrow for the graduation ceremony and I still have to clean the bathroom and do my dishes. Will you keep my ring until we tell them? I don’t want my mother to find it and freak out.”
He pulled her into his arms, embracing her like he’d never lay eyes on her again. “I’ll see you tomorrow after the ceremony, my beautiful girl. Get some rest and we’ll talk more about the wedding later.”
She smiled and waved, walking off toward her apartment complex not far from the campus.
***
The day before graduation found Jennifer ruminating as she cleaned her miniscule apartment. Her parents called as they left the house coming for her graduation. The idea of being an actual college graduate made the adrenaline pump through her. She’d get that job she always wanted, buy a house of her dreams, and someday have that family she longed for. But she also knew how much she’d struggled to get to this point. Her father believed she should wait for marriage until after she lived a little and traveled a lot. That meant putting Keith on hold and Jennifer had no intensions in following some stupid tradition her parents followed after graduation. She didn’t need to see the ancient castles of Germany to feel fulfilled. Besides, she worried Keith might move on without her and her heart couldn’t withstand the hurt.
Of course, she felt nervous knowing the responsibilities she’d face in the adult world, but telling her parent’s about Keith put more strain on her. She rehearsed the words over and over in her mind, searching for the best way to convince them what a wonderful and intelligent man she’d marry.
With that in mind, she worried that her father would object before she and Keith had time to explain their plans. Her apartment finally spotless, she sat at the small table in her galley kitchen, staring out the window, sipping on her hot tea and waiting for them to arrive. Her knees trembled and her stomach clenched with worry.
As she finished the last drop of her tea, she heard a knock on the door. Bracing herself for the worst, she opened the door to see her parents standing there, weighed down with luggage.
“Hey, Sweetie! Congratulations!” Cindy said as she hugged her.
Her dad slid past them and flopped down on the recliner in the living room. “Still in this tiny apartment, I see. No wonder you didn’t want the double recliner we offered you. There’s no room.”
“Thank you, Daddy. I’m glad you like it,” Jennifer said sarcastically, inviting her mother to sit on the convertible sofa. “I don’t care for the cluttered look.”
Her dad’s words went through her like a knife in the gut. He repeated himself over and again every time he’d visited. Nothing suited her parent’s and that angered her. However, to avoid hurt feelings, she held her tongue and acted like the responsible adult she became.
Silence engulfed the room with tension. The quietness seemed worse than insults. Say something, Jennifer thought. Tell them about Keith. She wanted to, but she couldn’t take that chance without Keith being there to defend himself.
“So, Baby, have you picked out your outfit for tomorrow yet?” Cindy asked, eyeing Jennifer’s bedroom.
Jennifer dreaded the subject of her clothes. Although she was a grown woman now, her mother still stuck her nose in her business and treated her like a child. “You know what, yes I have. I have my dress hanging up on the closet door if you’d like to take a look.” She got up and snatched the remote off the coffee table. “Here, Daddy, I think there’s a baseball game on channel 5.”
Steve gladly took her up on the offer, as she knew he would. Now all that he lacked was his chips, dip and beer. Too bad she didn’t have any of those items. Jennifer chuckled as she headed for the bedroom with her mother.
“What’s so funny, dear?” Cindy asked, taking a seat on the bed.
“Don’t tease him, Jenny. You know he has a sensitive stomach.”
Taking the dress off the hook above the door, Jennifer pulled off the plastic bag. Her mother’s sober expression disappointed her. “I hope you like it because this is what I’m wearing and I found shoes to match.”
Cindy clutched the bottom of the dress and scrunched her face. “Don’t you think this color is much too bright for this time of year?” she asked. “You’ll look like a school bus in this.”
“Mother, it’s yellow, and it’s May. What other color would you suggest?” Jennifer rolled her eyes.
“Well, maybe something less flashy. How about this pink flowered one? It’s lovely.”
Maddie Ann s Playground Page 51
