Graveyard Shift

by Michelle Dorey

“Mom?” Kelly tugged at her mother. “MOM! Something’s wrong with the old lady!” Mom! Wake up!”

  FORTY TWO

  Two Weeks Later…

  SITTING ON THEIR SOFA AT HOME, Amanda’s hand rested softly on her stomach. She watched tears glisten in Linda’s eyes while the older nurse talked.

  “I’m very sorry, Amanda. I should have done something sooner so that you and your baby weren’t put at risk. When Carmel lapsed into French, spewing curses at me I strongly suspected she wasn’t who she pretended to be.”

  Will entered the room carrying mugs of tea for the two women. He handed one to Linda and paused, looking into her eyes, “Many people speak French. I don’t understand how you could have known anything from just that.”

  Linda’s hands cupped the mug and she looked down for a few beats collecting herself. “It brought me back to my time in Haiti. Everything about her made me think of what happened there.”

  Amanda looked over at Kelly and squeezed her hand. She’d come so close to losing her. It was crazy, beyond anything rational to think that Carmel had done this. But she had. There was no doubt about that. She still didn’t understand how or why and maybe she never would. But Linda understood. She’d helped save Kelly.

  Will took a seat on Amanda’s other side, passing the tea to her. He turned to Linda, “What happened in Haiti, Linda? We’re still trying to make sense of all this.”

  Linda’s eyes closed for a moment and then she spoke softly, “I was in my thirties, a nursing Sister sent to help there after the hurricane. That was where I met Lucien. He was a doctor from France. We worked side by side in a remote village.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing. “We each fought it but it was inevitable. We fell in love. I also met Etienne, a young orphan who we were going to adopt when we married.”

  Kelly surprised Amanda when she spoke, “What happened to him?”

  Linda smiled for the first time since sitting down. “Etienne’s alive. I’ve kind of adopted him. I send money for his schooling and he keeps in touch. There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t receive an email or letter from him.”

  Amanda felt for the broken woman sitting across from her. It was obvious she was fighting back tears recalling sad memories. “What happened to Lucien? What happened in Haiti that you knew Carmel had been there?”

  “I met Carmel there.” She sighed, “Well, not her exactly, but someone just like her—a witch practicing Vodou. A young girl went missing from the orphanage in the village where we were working. The locals knew what had happened and why. I tracked this woman and found her and the girl a mile deep in the forest. We fought.” She made the sign of the cross over her forehead and heart, “Or rather the Lord did battle and won. Still, I barely escaped with the child.” She smiled ruefully. “That beast of a woman came back to the village the next day…and I…” she shrugged. “I rebuked her in front of the village…and I thought she went into some kind of exile.”

  “You banished her?”

  “I guess. It didn’t seem that way at the time, but she ran away.”

  Amanda snorted. “Ain’t easy going up against you—that I can vouch for!”

  Linda took a long sip of tea and her eyes took on a far-away look. “But it cost me. Lucien and I were to be married shortly after that happened. The night we were to elope, he died in a car accident on his way to pick me up. It was really strange. On a flat clear part of the road, the car swerved suddenly and hit a tree. An old man saw the whole thing. There wasn’t an obstruction, no animal or person that Lucien needed to avoid. The car just turned and hit a tree. It was the witch. I can’t prove it but I know in my bones it was her revenge on me.”

  “I’m so sorry, Linda. That must have been really hard for you.” Amanda could feel tears sting the back of her eyes. For so long she’d hated this woman and had never known the hurt that she’d suffered. It explained why she lashed out at people and didn’t have friends. She had been through things that no one would understand. She’d become bitter, never trusting to be whole again.

  “It was very hard. I left Haiti and the church after that. I came here and started work at Serenity Lodge. Funny how the past can catch up with you even though you try to run from it.” Linda set the mug on the table next to her. “That witch in Haiti was rumored to be over four hundred years old. Carmel had learned from the best. God knows how many times she’s done this.”

  Once more Kelly surprised her when she spoke, “At least three times, I think. I saw her past. I don’t know for sure, but I feel it was the way she was able to lull me into some kind of sleepy state—that let her do to me what she’d done to those other girls.”

  Amanda’s heart ached at how close she’d come to losing her daughter. The fact that she had helped set it up made it even worse, if that was possible.

  Linda nodded and gazed at Kelly, “Thank God you’re safe—that it didn’t happen this time.” She turned to Amanda again, “Dr. Stone was part of all this.”

  “That jerk took Neil! I can’t believe Neil bought his story about Mom asking to see him. But then again, he is a doctor—”

  “How is Neil doing?” Linda asked.

  Will burst out laughing. “Oh… he’s doing great! Just great!” He shot a look at Kelly with a cheese grin. “Him and Kelly are stuck on each other like glue!”

  “Daaad!”

  Amanda held up her hand to silence Will’s teasing. “Neil fully recovered. He’s over here a lot. We’ve known him all his life…”

  Will nodded. “Yeah, he’s a good kid…” he looked over to Kelly. “He’s a good guy. We both watch sports together when he comes over sometimes.”

  Kelly sniffed. “Hmph! He comes over to see me and is planted in front of the TV with you!”

  “Only on Sundays, Kel,” Will replied. “We’re both huge fans of the Buffalo Bills.”

  Amanda huffed good naturedly. “Would you two stop!” She turned back to Linda. “You asked about Dr. Stone. Somehow he was part of Carmel’s witchcraft. Mike Drogan says that he was mixed up somehow in killing pregnant women in order to slow his own aging process.”

  Linda’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  Amanda nodded. “There’s no doubt he’s an evil man. I spoke with Mike. When he was a cop forty years ago, Dr. Ryan Stone did an abortion on his sister-in-law that wound up killing her.”

  Linda shook her head. “Terminating a pregnancy’s not a life threatening procedure.”

  Amada nodded. “It is when Stone does it. He’s lost his grip in prison. He’s going around saying that with Carmel’s magic and an expectant mother he can live forever. He’s saying he’s a hundred and sixty six years old.”

  The room went silent until Will scoffed. “No way!”

  Amanda and Linda looked at each other, then to Will. “He’s probably telling the truth, hon,” Amanda said. “You look at what happened to us, and it’s not that hard to believe.”

  Nodding, Linda added, “The man that Mike investigated had somehow discovered some kind of fountain of youth. He should be an old man in his nineties but he’s still in the prime of life.”

  At Linda’s words, Amanda cupped her stomach protectively. This had to be tied in with how he’d managed to delay his aging process. The two of them, Carmel and Stone had probably stolen many lives. Which prompted her next question to Linda, “You saw the shadow people that night didn’t you.” It wasn’t a question rather a confirmation.

  “Yes. I saw them attack and kill Carmel. I did all I could, but it was those spirits who caused her death.” Linda snorted, “The official story is heart failure but I know what got her in the end.”

  Kelly murmured softly, “It was her victims who killed her. They were in the vision she put in my mind and then they appeared next to her—attacking her.”

  Amanda put her arm around Kelly pulling her closer. “It’s over now. You’re safe. I will never let anything like this happen to hurt you again, Kelly. I’m so sorry that—”

  “No,
Mom. You didn’t know. You can’t blame yourself.” Kelly looked up at her and brushed a tear from her eye.

  But Amanda shook her head. It was time to face some hard truths. “I saw these things before last night, Kelly. I should never have asked you to come in to visit. It could have turned out so much worse and it would have been my fault.”

  Linda edged forward in her chair, “You saw them? You and Carmel were the only ones they appeared to until last night. I think they may have been trying to warn you, Amanda. Even trying to scare you away if need be.”

  Amanda huffed, “Fat lot of good that did! I’m too stubborn for my own good. I didn’t believe in any of this when I first met Carmel. Even when I saw it with my own eyes, a part of me still felt couldn’t accept it. I thought I could manage everything, keeping Carmel safe. We all know how well that turned out.”

  Linda raised her voice, sounding more like the old Linda, “Stop it! Carmel was a master of manipulation. She learned it from years and years of experience. Centuries of it! You couldn’t have known. If anyone is to blame here, it’s me.”

  Will put his hand out like a traffic cop. “Both of you, stop! You’re still competing except this time it’s who’s more to blame. It happened and now it’s over. The real question is where do we go from here?”

  Amanda flashed a smile at him and then at her daughter. “Well, I’m going to carry this baby to term. I’m done with wanting that supervisor job. I’m content to let you have it, Linda.” She realized after the words were out how condescending it sounded and added quickly. “You’re really the best person for the job anyway. You would have won that competition hands down.”

  Linda let out a self conscious twitter, “I’m not so sure of that, which makes me glad I don’t have to compete with you anymore. I only wanted the job so that I’ll have more money for Etienne’s schooling. University isn’t cheap.”

  Will nodded. “Speaking of jobs, it’s time for me to return to work.” When Amanda’s mouth fell open staring at him, Will continued, “Don’t worry. It will be reduced hours at first but I’m sure I’ll soon be well enough for full time.” He smiled, “I have to. You’re cutting back on your hours from now on. This may be our last chance to have another child.”

  Kelly rose and reached for her mother’s empty mug, “If I’m going to be a big sister then I guess I’d better help around here more.” She went over and picked up Linda’s mug, “When we’re done here, I’m going over to Neil’s. I can’t wait to tell him all the news! He won’t believe it!”

  Amanda watched her daughter leave the room. The kid was becoming a responsible woman. It made her heart ache that her little girl had grown up so fast. But more than that, her chest was filled with pride at the woman Kelly was becoming.

  Linda looked over at Amanda, “You’re a lucky woman, Amanda. I was always a little jealous of you because of…” Her hands extended taking in the room and the couple across from her. “But now I know, you earned it.”

  Amanda put a hand on the older woman’s shoulder, “How do you feel about another job, Linda?” She snickered at the surprise in Linda’s wide eyes. “I need a godmother for this baby. From what I saw that night you’ve got the god angle covered.” She leaned in and kissed Linda’s cheek. “And you saved my kid already!”

  Linda laughed and looked over at Will. “The god angle? I think we still need to work on her, Will.”

  Amanda felt Will’s hand on her shoulder when he came up behind them on the couch. and spoke, “Amen to that. We’d be honored to have you as our son’s godmother.”

  Kelly came back into the room and dropped onto the couch on the other side of Amanda. “What’s that mean, we’re going to church now?”

  “Maybe,” Amanda said. “One thing at a time, okay?” She turned back to Will and Linda. “As for this god business...let’s just say I’m open to it. After what I’ve experienced...dark shadow people, a Vodou witch and a crazed, evil doctor...The God team seems like a better bet than the other side.”

  Will winked at Linda, “That’s a good start.”

  “Drogan…” Amanda shook her head. What’s that guy’s story I wonder? That shit storm happened and all he said was “This ain’t my first rodeo.”

  “He’s a very good man,” Linda said. “In fact, he got me in touch with a friend of his, Dr. Rebecca Sloan. She’s out in California. I’m doing some long put off therapy with her.” Linda’s eyes misted. We’re doing it by telephone appointment. For no charge. She says it’s a favor she owes Mike.”

  “PTSD from Haiti?” Amanda asked. She put her arm around Linda.

  “A little bit of that, maybe. She’s super understanding about paranormal stuff.” Linda sighed. “But the real work isn’t that.”

  “Oh? I thought that what we’d just been through would be a real dilly. Getting past what happened with Carmel?”

  “No.” Linda’s hands flew to her face and she began to sob. “Grief counseling! I…I…” she dropped her hands and looked at Will. “I never cried for him! In all these years I’ve never cried for Lucien!” She wailed and keened for love lost long ago.

  Amanda and her family gathered around Linda. Kelly sat to one side, Amanda to the other, and from behind them, Will encircled the three women in his arms. Nobody ‘shuusshed’ her. Nobody said that useless platitude ‘there, there’. Instead, they silently took her sorrow and grief. They held her and lifted her up with their hearts.

  It is said that joy shared is joy multiplied Sorrow shared is sorrow divided. In that working class neighborhood, on a well worn sofa, the miracle of healing began.

  ***

  As the Ennis family welcomed Linda into their hearts and lives, Mike Drogan was on the phone with Dr. Rebecca Sloan in California.

  “I just wanted to say thanks for taking her on as a client, Becks,” he said.

  “Puh-leeze Mike!” Becky replied with a laugh. “You never asked for anything from us for what you did for us back in the Catskills!”

  “No, I didn’t.” He chuckled. “But didn’t stop you and your friends from dropping some serious coin in my bank account though, did it?” Shortly after the episode when Mike and his protégé and sidekick Adam Rafferty helped pull Becky and her two besties from her college days out of a spectral jam an anonymous deposit was made to his checking account. Adam got the same.

  “My lips are sealed about that, Mike.”

  “Okay, I’ll drop it. How’s Linda doing?”

  “I can’t tell you anything! Confidentiality and all that!”

  “Becks, is she going to be okay?”

  There was a pause on the line. “Okay, let me put it this way—keep her on your Christmas card list, okay?”

  “What makes you think I send Christmas cards?”

  “Maybe you ought to start!” They both laughed.

  “Thanks, Becks. I will.”

  When the call ended, Mike slid his cell phone in his pocket and got up from his desk. It was quitting time and Hilda promised Sauerbraten for dinner tonight as a reward for him sticking with his diet. He buttoned up the office and headed downstairs to his car.

  He was pensive driving home. Ever since he met his friend Adam for the first time, he had a series of incidents involving the…the inexplicable. He looked at the homes and apartments as he drove along the city streets. Was it something in the air or something? In the last two years crazy stuff had sure happened.

  Crazy’s not the right word, but it would do for now as far as he was concerned. He was kind of worried. Was more of this stuff going to come his way?

  He snorted. “Who gives a damn?” he said out loud to himself. Life is life, even if there was a lot he didn’t know about until he was up to his eyeballs in it. Ghosts, Vodou Mambos, devil worshippers, what the hell? Whatever. Life goes on… He barked a laugh. At least the good guys are winning!

  So far.

  THE End

  Author’s Note:

  In February of 2019 my only sibling, my sister Corliss became gravely i
ll. She’s since made a wonderful recovery. When she was in the Intensive Care Unit I spent nights at her bedside holding her hand. During that time I met and chatted with many nurses. The care they provided for my sister will leave me in awe for the rest of my days.

  During those long winter nights I chatted with several nurses. When they learned I was an author of paranormal stories, every single one of them had a story to tell of strange and wondrous things they witnessed while performing their duties.

  And so the seed for this book was planted.

  Thank you so much for reading my work. I put my best effort into creating a tale for you to enjoy. Many hours went into this effort to create a tale for you to enjoy. I hope I hit the mark for you, my valued reader.

  If you could please leave a review for this book, I’d be very grateful. Honest reviews from readers are ambrosia for authors, yes. They help us tremendously in establishing our careers. But more importantly, they help readers just like you make their choices for their ‘next book’.

  I deeply appreciate it.

  If you’re more interested in learning about the back story of Mike Drogan, Adam and Dr. Rebecca Sloan, please feel free to read the earlier books in this series. There are links down below for the other episodes of ‘The Haunted Ones’.

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