The Haunted

by J. A. Templeton

I backed away from the door. I’d heard Shane come home minutes after me, and immediately he’d turned on his music.

  Freezing cold air enveloped me, along with a feeling of impending doom.

  Slowly, I turned to face the malevolent spirit.

  “You have no idea what I am capable of,” Laria said, in a creepy disembodied voice.

  “Shane!” I yelled.

  I heard him lower the stereo volume.

  “Shane!” I yelled again, and I heard something hit the floor and then his footsteps running toward me.

  He tried the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Riley?”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but Laria moved faster. Her hand clamped over my mouth.

  “Open the door, Riley!” Shane said, the knob rattling as he tried to open the door.

  “I’ll kick it down if you don’t open it in two seconds.”

  Laria released me abruptly and walked straight through the door.

  The doorknob immediately stopped turning.

  “Shane,” I said, my heart hammering in my chest when I received no reply.

  “Shane?” I tried the doorknob and it opened immediately.

  Shane stood in the hallway, hands at his sides, frowning. “What the hell was that about?”

  “Sorry, I freaked out when I couldn’t open the door. I guess I just spooked myself.”

  “Why didn’t you say anything when I was talking to you? For fuck’s sake, you about gave me a heart attack.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him about Laria. I knew he’d felt her before and I wondered if he felt her around today. Then again, he was finally spending more time at home and the last thing he needed was to hear about a ghost who was haunting me.

  His gaze shifted to my arm. “Where did the scratches come from?”

  Did you scratch yourself? I could see the unspoken question in his eyes.

  I shook my head. “I didn’t do it.”

  He watched me for a second and nodded, but the way his gaze lingered on my arm made me wonder if he believed me. “Well, it’s been a long night. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay, goodnight.” I shut the door and walked to my bed, furious at Laria and terrified at the same time. She had said I had no idea what she was capable of…and yet I had a horrible feeling I was about to find out.

  ***

  I woke up to find Ian standing by my bed.

  He was as beautiful as I remembered. Tall, broad-shouldered, amazing bone structure, and a face that brought women to their knees, myself included.

  “You called me.” His lips curved into a wide smile, showing those deep dimples that I loved. “I told you I’d be here whenever you needed me.”

  Relieved to see him, I reached out. He took my hand and lay down on the bed beside me. I melted into him. “I miss you so much.”

  His fingers slid through mine, his thumb brushing along the side of my index finger. “I’m right here, Riley. I’m always here.”

  I snuggled closer, closed my eyes and inhaled the woodsy, sandalwood scent of him. “I had the worst day today. Laria is back.”

  “She can only hurt you if you allow her to.”

  “I don’t know what to do, Ian. She’s so much stronger than I am.”

  “Shhh, do not worry.” He kissed the top of my head. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  I opened my eyes. I had forgotten how long his eyelashes were, or that heavy-lidded look that came into those beautiful blue eyes of his whenever he looked at me.

  “You are smarter than she is, Riley.”

  I wasn’t so sure about that.

  He ran his fingers slowly up my spine, and I smiled. His touch felt like heaven.

  With his other hand, he lifted my chin with gentle fingers and I stared into his brilliant blue eyes. He leaned in for a kiss. My eyes closed again. His lips were petal soft against mine. God, how I missed that kiss. How I missed this…just being with him, taking the comfort only he could give me.

  “You cannot beat her,” he said against my lips, but it wasn’t his voice.

  A bony hand curled around the back of my neck. My heart dropped to my toes, and I slowly opened my eyes to find Laria staring back at me.

  Chapter 5

  I woke in the morning feeling exhausted. Last night’s dream had been more than a little unsettling. For that short time I had felt Ian with me, and it had been amazing…until I found myself staring into Laria’s dark eyes.

  Thank God when I did wake from that nightmare there had been no Laria in sight. I’d turned on the light in the bathroom, went back to bed and counted backward from a hundred.

  Now, as I entered the school, I could only hope she would keep her distance.

  “I need to talk to Milo before the bell rings,” Megan said. “I’ll meet up with you at lunch, okay?”

  “Sounds good.” I walked to my locker, opened it up, and took out my textbooks. Something fell and clattered on the floor by my feet.

  Glancing down, I saw a razor blade.

  Every muscle in my body tensed. Oh my God.

  Someone had to have slid the blade through one of the locker’s three vents. At first I wondered if it was Laria since she’d already taunted me with my matchbox full of razor blades. But something told me it had been someone living, specifically Dana who had questioned the scratches on my arm last night. Obviously she’d seen the old scars and put two and two together.

  I glanced over my shoulder, and was relieved to see that no one was paying any attention. Picking up the blade, I closed my locker and that’s when I saw Dana a few feet away, talking with friends…but all of them were looking at me.

  “How’s that scratch feeling today?” Dana said, loud enough for anyone within a thirty-yard radius to hear.

  I opened my mouth, ready to respond when I heard She’s not worth it.

  It sounded like my mom’s voice. Thank God. I needed her support more than ever right now. I took a deep breath and kept walking. I heard snickers come from Dana’s direction. I scratched the back of my head using my middle finger.

  Hearing gasps, I smiled.

  I immediately went straight to the bathroom where I wrapped the razor blade in a paper towel and tossed it in the trash.

  Unfortunately, I had forgotten Dana was in my first period class until I walked into the room. She wore a smug smile. My nails bit into my palms.

  As the minutes ticked away, I tried to concentrate on what the teacher was saying, but I couldn’t focus. I kept feeling a strange ripple, like someone was watching me. Someone not living.

  I hoped for a visual of some kind, but nothing…

  I did know that the spirit’s energy didn’t feel familiar to me.

  No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get anything else, so I assumed that maybe it was a spirit just passing through.

  I did think back on something Anne Marie had told me once about being able to tap into people’s thoughts. I tried it with the boy in front of me. As the teacher droned on, I focused my attention on the paper and clutched the pen in my hand.

  I saw of all things, a puppy. A black mutt with white spots and round, ice blue eyes. Next I saw a Frisbee, and the boy in front of me throwing it at the dog, trying to teach it to fetch.

  Toby.

  I hadn’t realized I said the name until the boy turned around. He was cute, with curly blonde hair and caramel-colored eyes. “What did you say?”

  I swallowed hard. “Nothing.”

  “No, you said Toby. That’s my dog’s name.”

  I felt a myriad of emotions, mostly elation that I’d nailed it.

  “Mr. Johnson, is there something you or Miss Williams would like to share with the rest of the class?” Mr. Monahan asked, staring at us from over the rim of his black-framed glasses.

  The boy in front of me turned to face the front. “No, sir.”

  Snickers and laughter sounded throughout the room.

  “Miss Williams?”

  I shook my head. �
��No.”

  By the time class ended, I had tried head-tapping a few other students, including Dana. I got random information, like she was the baby of the family, pampered and never told “no” a day in her life. I received mostly fragmented thoughts, but I felt a sense of empowerment knowing that I could pick up certain information.

  The bell rang and I stood. The boy in front of me turned. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble.”

  “No worries,” I said, tossing my notebook and pen into my backpack.

  “My name is Aaron, by the way.”

  “Hey,” I said. “I’m Riley.”

  “Ah, the American I’ve been hearing so much about.”

  My brows lifted.

  “Nothing bad, I assure you,” he said, laughing under his breath.

  I was relieved to hear that. “That’s good.”

  “What class do you have next?”

  “Science.”

  “That would be in the three hundred block. I’m headed that way, too. I’ll walk with you…if that’s okay.”

  I gathered up my things, actually glad to have someone walk with me. “Sure.”

  He followed me out the door, and fell into step beside me.

  “Again, I’m sorry about getting you in trouble. I thought you said Toby, my puppy’s name.”

  “What kind of puppy is Toby?” I asked.

  “He’s a mix. Lab and Collie.”

  “Have you taught him to play fetch?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “Not yet.”

  My heart sank. Why had I seen the Frisbee?

  “But I have high hopes that he’ll pick up on it fast. I was playing Frisbee with friends the other day, and he kept chasing after it.”

  I could have hugged him. That small validation felt incredible and I grinned up at him. He looked a little surprised by my reaction, but he grinned back at me.

  I glanced up the steps and saw Kade coming toward us. Seeing me, he smiled. “Hey you,” he said, his gaze shifting to Aaron before settling back on me again.

  “Hi Kade.”

  The crowd moved us along, not giving either one of us a chance to stand and chat. “See you at lunch?” he said.

  “Sure,” I replied.

  Aaron didn’t miss a beat. He kept talking, and all I had to do was nod. I got that he was an only child to older parents who expected a lot out of him.

  When we got to my next class, he opened the door for me.

  I could hear a few snickers.

  The warning bell sounded. “Thanks,” I said.

  “See you around,” he said.

  Cait was sitting in the back row. “What’s with you and violin boy?”

  I frowned. “Violin boy?”

  “Aaron is a prodigy. He wrote his first song when he was like seven years old.”

  I was impressed. I’d never met a prodigy before.

  “Well, what gives?” she asked, brows lifted high.

  “Nothing. He walked me to class, that’s all.”

  “How sweet,” she muttered under her breath.

  The bell rang and I took my seat in the second row. The teacher’s accent was so thick I had a tough time understanding her. She had a habit of walking up and down the rows, her way of making sure we were all paying attention.

  “Open your textbooks to page 309,” the teacher said from behind me.

  I flipped open my book to page 309 and my heart skipped a beat.

  The razor blade.

  How was that even possible? I’d just thrown it away.

  Footsteps sounded beside me. I slammed the book shut and reached for my backpack.

  “Forget something, Miss Williams?”

  “Pencil,” I said, feeling my cheeks turn hot as everyone stared.

  I didn’t want to think what would happen if she saw the razor blade.

  Thankfully, she continued to walk past me, and asked a boy in the first row to start reading the text.

  I kept my left hand over the razor blade while I wrote notes with the other. When the class flipped the pages, I did the same and finally relaxed.

  Twenty minutes into class, I felt the familiar sensation of once again being watched. Staring at the paper on my desk, I focused. The good news was, the spirit didn’t have a heavy or dark feel to it.

  Feeling brave, I mentally asked the spirit to come closer.

  I decided the presence felt male. I got an image of kids playing ball outside in the schoolyard, but oddly the picture was in black and white, and the clothes went back generations. Interesting. I wrote down what I was seeing and tried to push the spirit for more.

  From the corner of my eye I saw something, or someone, move. They moved so fast though, that by the time I turned to look, there was nothing there.

  Chapter 6

  I met my friends at lunch.

  My back was to the doors leading into the cafeteria, but I knew when Kade walked in because Megan glanced past my shoulder, then looked at me and grinned.

  I didn’t glance back, even though I wanted to.

  “Is this seat taken?” Kade asked, motioning to the spot beside me.

  My heart gave a little skip. “No, go ahead.”

  He slid in beside me, and sat so close our thighs touched. I noticed he always had a slightly disheveled look about his hair—like he was constantly running his fingers through the dark strands. “Did you have fun last night?” he asked, twisting the top off his juice and taking a drink.

  “I did. What about you?”

  “I had a great time…except for one thing.”

  I reached for my spoon, almost dreading his answer. “What thing?”

  One side of his mouth lifted. “I didn’t get your mobile number.”

  I released the breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. It was tough to play it cool when I was so elated. Kade MacKinnon was asking for my cell number. “I’ll give you my number…if I can get yours?” I was surprised I’d said that, but glad I had when his eyes lit up.

  While we were exchanging phone numbers, Johan joined us, followed by Tom. The minute he sat down Cassandra bailed, saying she had to go to the library to get a research paper done.

  Tom watched her leave, and although he’d been a dick to me since I’d met him, I actually felt sorry for him. He had it bad for her, and Cassandra obviously didn’t feel the same.

  “Are you coming to the game on Friday?” Kade asked, his voice sounding hopeful.

  “I plan on it.” It had been a while since I’d seen Shane play, and I wasn’t going to miss it. Plus, any excuse to see Kade was a good enough reason to go.

  He lifted his hand and brushed at my lips with his index finger. “You have a crumb there.”

  His touch was electric, sending a current through my entire body.

  He dropped his hand to his side. We fell into silence for a few minutes, and I wished we’d have some time alone.

  “So Kade, are you going to Milo’s party this weekend?” Megan asked, spearing a peach with a plastic fork.

  “Definitely. What time?”

  “Eight or nine. His band is playing at ten, so make sure you’re there by then.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it. Thanks.” He glanced at me. “You’ll be there, right?”

  I was encouraged that he had asked me first about the game and now about Milo’s party. “I’ll be there.”

  I remembered the last party at Milo’s—how Laria had been there, terrorizing me, touching Shane, and how Ian had saved the day. I no longer had Ian, but I did have a friend in Kade. I felt comforted by him, the familiarity whenever we were together, and I also had my friends. They would be there for me. I knew it.

  ***

  After school, I had Megan drop me off at the end of Anne Marie’s driveway.

  There was a newspaper in the middle of the gravel drive, and as I picked it up, I could hear Diggs, Anne Marie’s dog, barking.

  I walked up the steps and knocked on the door. To the right, the steel mailbox was crammed fu
ll of mail.

  My stomach tightened in a knot. I didn’t know Anne Marie all that well, but what I did know about her, she didn’t come across as the kind to let her mailbox overflow…or ignore phone calls from her friends.

  Miss Akin hadn’t mentioned anything about Anne Marie leaving town. Plus, she’d never leave Diggs.

  I rang the doorbell and heard barking again.

  At first there was nothing but silence, and then I heard movement in the house. I waited for a minute, then another, surprised when she didn’t answer.

  I rang the doorbell again and finally looked through the front window. Nothing seemed out of place. The small living room appeared just as I remembered it—cluttered and lived in, even down to the teacup sitting on the side table next to the rocker Anne Marie had sat in when I’d last visited her.

  Maybe she was just taking a nap, I thought to myself. But wouldn’t she wake up to the doorbell and to Digg’s barking?

  In my peripheral vision I saw what looked like someone standing in the entryway near the front door but in the shadows. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. It could be Anne Marie, but why would she hide and not say anything?

  “Anne Marie, it’s me—Riley.”

  I felt a sudden pressure in my chest, and had the unmistakable feeling that something was very wrong. Maybe the person hiding wasn’t Anne Marie at all. What if it was a robber…or a spirit?

  A part of me wanted to break down the door, and the other wanted to run and never look back.

  “Can I help you?”

  I gasped and whipped around to find a man wearing coveralls standing on the first step. He had a crowbar clenched tight in his fist.

  “Um—I’m looking for Anne Marie.”

  “She’s gone to visit her daughter.”

  “She left Diggs?”

  “Of course not,” he said, looking at me like I was crazy to even suggest such a thing. “She’d never leave Diggs behind. That dog is like one of her kids.”

  “Maybe I was just hearing things.”

  “Could be you were hearing one of my mutts.” He pointed to an old stone cottage that was barely visible through the trees. “I have five.”

  That would explain the barking…if it hadn’t have sounded like it was coming from inside the house. I was tempted to mention the figure standing in the entry, but decided against it.