Spiritus, a Paranormal Romance (Spiritus Series, Book #1)

by Dana Michelle Burnett

  I blushed. I’d been dreading this conversation. Would they hate me for what I had?

  “Not exactly.” I explained. “After my Mom died, Dad said he realized what was important. He was a partner in his law firm, owned a little real estate around the city, and stuff like that but he sold everything and moved us here.”

  “So, he’s retired?” Billie pressed.

  I could see they were trying to decide if they were going to be jealous of me or not.

  “He’s not exactly retired,” I said. “But he made enough that he doesn’t have to work for a while.”

  That seemed to satisfy their curiosity. Ally even added that her own father took a year off from the pharmacy when she was born.

  “He said that was one of the benefits of owning your own business.” She said.

  I could relax then, confident I was not going to be labeled the “rich” girl. From what I saw already though, money wasn’t quite as important here as it was in Indianapolis.

  “So Billie, what does your Dad do?” I asked.

  She shrugged, “I live with my Mom and she works up at the library.”

  Billie explained her Dad went out for bread and milk ten years ago and had yet to return. She spoke of her father with indifference, but I heard her admiration for her hard working mother in her voice.

  Our conversation then became more casual. We talked about books we had read, movies we had seen, and music we liked. I reveled in this sudden immersion in female camaraderie. It was something so new to me that I had always thought only belonged between cheerleaders.

  “So what’s the story with that Ashley girl?” I asked, remembering her loud laughter in the cafeteria.

  “Not much of a story.” Ally said, “Her and her little pompom minions try to rule the school, but no one really pays any attention to them.”

  “You know the type,” Billie added. “They want everyone to think that the whole world revolves around them.”

  “We had some girls like that at my old school.”

  Ally nodded as if by admitting I knew the type I was somehow agreeing with her over something. “So you know all about it. She’s got perfect hair and perfect skin, but then she’s a complete hater.”

  “The sad thing is that some of the guys at school treat her like a goddess or something.” Billie complained. I wondered if there wasn’t a particular boy that she had in mind.

  Ally giggled, “Some of the guys, but definitely not Jonah. He wants nothing to do with her.”

  “Which makes her want him that much more.” Billie added. “It’s sort of like watching Karma in action.”

  I had to laugh with them over that. If my first impression of Ashley was correct, she and I were in different leagues. It was nice to have proof that someone like her could strike out too, like it balanced the universe or something. Maybe Billie was right and it was Karma.

  There was more idle chatter about celebrities and clothes, then Ally let out a dramatic sigh. “So are we doing this or not?”

  “Might as well get started.” Billie agreed.

  I didn’t really care about the séance, but I wanted to hold onto this rare moment of female bonding so I agreed.

  “So what all do we need?” I asked

  Billie looked puzzled, “Haven’t you ever done one of these before?”

  “Not really.” I confessed.

  Ally clapped her hands together like a little girl, almost bouncing on the bed. “Oh, this will be fun.”

  I brought the candles they requested and hoped the spirits didn’t mind the scent of vanilla bean. As commanded, I joined the circle the two of them had started on the floor.

  “Now only one person should talk at a time.” Billie explained. “We don’t want to confuse the spirits.”

  Playing along, I nodded. I didn’t really expect anything to happen, but it was fun to at last take part in this ritual.

  “Now join hands.” Billie commanded. “And no matter what happens, don’t let go.”

  It seemed a little overly dramatic, but I took each of their hands. Since I never did this before, who was I to judge?

  “Now look into the candle flame and focus all your energy to that one spot,” Billie instructed.

  Again, it seemed a little over the tops, but I did as I was told and stared at the flickering flame of the candle.

  Billie closed her eyes and tilted her head back, “Spirits, hear us now.”

  “If you’re able to hear us,” she went on. “Please give us a sign.”

  I watched the flame of the candle and waited. All of this was a little ridiculous, but it was still kind of fun to play around with the idea.

  “Let me try,” Ally suggested after a few more minutes. “Please give us a sign of your presence.”

  Again, nothing.

  I strained to listen for any sound in the house, but for such an old house it was oddly quiet. I actually expected to hear the typical boards squeaking and such, but there was nothing.

  “Why don’t you try?” Ally proposed to me.

  “What? I wouldn’t even know what to say.”

  “Just say the things we said.” Billie offered.

  “But I’ve never done this before.” I argued.

  Ally squeezed my hand, “There’s nothing to it. Just try.”

  I took a deep breath and gave it a try even though I felt very foolish.

  “Spirits,” I began. “I know you can hear me. Give us some sign to prove to us that you are listening.”

  We were all silent; patiently waiting for something that we knew wasn’t going to happen. The clock in the hall ticked the minutes away.

  “Try one more time.” Billie ordered, “I think the flame on the candle changed.”

  While I was skeptical, I tried again. “Spirits, I know you are there. Give me a sign to show that you can hear me.”

  The flame of the candle did nothing unusual. It danced and flickered as always, not changing in any unexpected way.

  I sat there, wondering how long we were going to wait before admitting that it didn’t work. Ally and Billie were still looking into the flame and tilting their heads trying to hear something.

  “Am I the only one that feels like an idiot?” I asked.

  We all looked at each other for a brief moment before we burst out laughing. Billie had us count to three and then we released hands all at the same time.

  “I don’t think anything is going to happen, but better to be safe than sorry.” She explained.

  I leaned forward to blow out the candle, but it went out before I could even draw a breath. I stopped short and looked down at the blackened nub, debating if it really did go out on its own. There was no real proof other than the thin line of smoke still coming up from the wick.

  Thinking it must have just been a random draft, I gathered the candles up and put them away. We ordered in pizza and watched television until it started getting late. Billie and Ally gathered their books and promised to see me tomorrow at school. I was waving to them from the door when Dad came home.

  “New friends already?” Dad asked as he carried a box of newspaper wrapped treasures past me.

  “Yeah.” I answered as I watched them turn at the corner while holding the door open for him.

  “So how bad was it?” Dad asked as he stepped past me and into the house.

  I smiled and followed him inside, “Actually, it wasn’t half bad.”

  I filled him in on my day and then admired his antiques as he unwrapped them one by one. He was still unpacking when I excused myself to go to bed. It was nice to see him so happy and pleased with himself. Maybe this move would be good for us.

  I lay in bed, looking around my room. I wondered again how long it would be before this room really felt like mine. The only thing that was familiar was the scent of vanilla bean left over from the candles.

  It was well after midnight when I awoke. Someone was in the room with me. I didn’t know what it was at first that tipped me off, but I was certain that I
was not alone.

  I sat up in bed and listened. Someone was very close in the dark room, close enough to set off my intuition, but far enough away to be able to hide in the shadows.

  Out of the corner of my eye I spotted movement. I froze, moving only my eyes to see a man standing in the dark corner across from the bed.

  He was young, in his early twenties, just standing there staring at me. His blue eyes were almost glowing in the dim light.

  As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could make out a tousle of bronze hair and his plain button down shirt and some sort of vest. Even as I turned my head toward him, he refused to move. It was as if he had no fear of me screaming and him being discovered.

  He kept staring at me. His stance was nonthreatening and his expression was a strange mix of sadness and something else I couldn’t name. Why was he just standing there?

  “Who are you?” I demanded, surprising myself in that I didn’t feel the need to scream. “What do you want?”

  The man said nothing, but continued to stare at me with those intense blue eyes.

  I opened my mouth to speak and then it happened. There was a shift in the air, like that weird feeling of intense gravity before a storm, and then he was gone.

  It was so strange. He was right there and then he just wasn’t. He just faded away and I was left staring at a frightenly empty corner.

  Without thinking, I got out of bed and went over to the corner. No one was there, but the air was frigid and cold.

  I was afraid then, so afraid that my teeth began to chatter. I didn’t understand what just happened. I bit my lip to keep from screaming, the last thing I wanted to do was scare Dad, but part of me wished I was still small enough to scream and have him come running.

  I settled for returning to my own bed. I lay in the dark and watched that vacant corner, trying to convince myself that I imagined the whole thing.

  When sleep did return, it was filled with dreams of clear blue eyes staring at me from the darkness.

  Chapter 3

  The alarm woke me to what, for all appearances, was a normal morning. I switched on my lamp and looked around the room, more than a little confused. I half expected the room to be in complete disarray, but nothing was out of order.

  I stared into the corner where he appeared, trying to recall every detail. The more I tried to remember, the more questions I had. What was it that woke me last night? Was it the intensity of his gaze? Who and what was he to show up in my room like that? Was he really some restless spirit we called back from hell or was he just a figment of my imagination?

  The memory of the eerie glow of his eyes staring out at me from that dark corner sent a shiver up my spine. It just couldn’t be real. One minute he was there, and the next he was gone. Things like that just didn’t happen.

  In the light of the morning, the room seemed too bright, too vivid, like the walls and the furniture were waiting for something to happen. The whole house seemed to be pensive, ready for some unknown event. I listened, waiting to hear something, anything to prove to myself that I wasn’t losing my mind.

  “Are you there?” I called out into the sleeping silence.

  Nothing answered. The only sound was the scratching of the tree against my window in the early morning breeze.

  “Enough of this.” I scolded myself for even considering such outlandish ideas. What was I thinking? Did I think the boogieman snuck up to my room?

  I threw back the covers and got out of bed. I tried to forget all about it as I got ready for school. I tried not to think about it anymore, but I stayed clear of the far corner of my room.

  After such a peculiar night, the day could only be better.

  It was better since I wasn’t quite so clueless as the day before. I recognized most of the students that passed me in the hall and a few even waved or said hello. It seemed like a small triumph, but I took what I could get.

  No matter how hard I tried, I was distracted. I was still thinking about the phantom visitor as I pulled books out of my locker. I was so engrossed in my own thoughts; I didn’t notice Ally bouncing up beside me.

  “Hey, back for more punishment?” She asked with a wide smile.

  “I guess.” I didn’t look up as I pulled books out, not even sure if they were the ones I needed.

  Ally took a History book from the top of my stack and put it back in my locker. “What’s with you?”

  “Nothing.” I said, shaking my head to clear it. “Why?”

  “I don’t know. You just seem blah.” Ally replied sticking out her tongue.

  I hesitated. Did I confess what I saw or not? After all, I only met this girl yesterday and she didn’t owe me any loyalty. I really didn’t want to serve my time in high school as the girl who sees things that aren’t there.

  “I was just thinking about last night.” I tried to move on to another subject. “Where’s Billie?”

  “Her first class is at the other end of the building.” Ally explained as she turned and walked down the hall with me. “Are you upset about last night or something?”

  “No, of course not.” I assured her with a nervous laugh.

  Ally didn’t seem convinced. She followed beside me with her bouncing stride. “Look, that stuff doesn’t always work and none of us really believe in it anyway, sometimes things happen and sometimes they don’t.”

  “And what if something did happen?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  The bell rang and saved me from any further explanation, but I saw the expression on her face. I gave her a quick wave and ran off to class. Great. It was only my second day and I’m already the crazy girl.

  I walked into Science in a daze, stumbling to my desk where I hoped I wouldn’t be noticed. I didn’t speak in class and I didn’t make contact with anyone. Of course that meant Mr. Coomes was bound and determined to call on me again and again.

  I did try to focus on what he was saying, but Science was never my favorite subject and I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering back to the ghostly figure in my room. I was certain I hadn’t imagined it, but how could it have been real?

  As much as I was hating Science, I kept willing the clock to move slower. I was dreading English class and Ally’s questions about what I had meant at my locker. Why did I have to open my big mouth?

  I went into Geometry and tried to pretend to pay attention, but I kept getting that sick feeling deep down in my stomach.

  When the bell rang, I took my time walking down the hall. Everyone moved past me in the hall, smiling and joking with each other. They were all completely unaware I was about to become the running joke of the day.

  Ashley Richardson was standing outside my English class, speaking with a few of her followers. She stared at me with curiosity as I approached. Had it already started? Had she already heard how crazy I was?

  She watched me as I approached the door, smirking to her court.

  “You’re new, aren’t you?” She asked as soon as I was close enough.

  At my old school, it would have been exciting for a cheerleader to speak to me, but my experiences there taught me to be wary. Cheerleaders were another breed and should always be approached with caution.

  “Yes,” I said, guarded. “I’m Becca McCalliseter.”

  “I didn’t ask what your name was loser.” Ashley snickered, obviously pleased with herself for the set up. Her friends giggled with her. I watched them turn and go down the hall only slightly stinging from their rejection.

  I was right, even here, cheerleaders are another breed. Could the day get any worse?

  I walked in as the bell rang, taking my seat just as Mrs. Temple began class. Ally turned in her seat to throw me a questioning look, but the teacher called on her and she had to face the front again. I breathed a sigh of relief, but I knew that my reprieve was short-lived.

  I was dreading lunch. I knew I had to say something to explain, but I wasn’t sure what it would be. Part of me wanted to just blurt out the entire story, but the more rat
ional part of me knew that it would be social suicide.

  Mrs. Temple began her introduction to the thematic elements of Hamlet. I tried to concentrate on the lesson, I really did, but my mind kept wandering between what to tell Ally and the mysterious apparition in my room. No matter what I did, I kept going back to that man standing in the shadows.

  Every detail was becoming clearer as the fear ebbed away. His skin, if that’s what it was supposed to be, was smooth and poreless. There was an illusion of stubble on his chin, but it was very faint. His brown hair had glittered with bronze as if an unseen light was playing across the strands. And then there were those eyes…Those soulful blue eyes that never wavered until he faded away into the blackness.