by Kevin Guest
**Tornado Warning: Southern Dallas County**
Her face lit up with excitement; the worse the weather, the happier she was. Without wasting a single second, she ran into the clearing just past the snack bar, near the hayride road. The clouds, not quite on top of her, were dark with a greenish tint.
She scanned the sky, looking for anything that might give her the location of the twister, but it was no use; Southern Dallas County was too big an area for her to be so lucky. She walked back to the pavilion to rest and enjoy the storm.
As she sat back, something to her right caught her eye: a dust cloud. She ran to the fence, the eastern most part of the property, fully opposite the morgue. She climbed it and there, to her delight, was the funnel cloud! It was dancing in a field, not bothering a soul. She smiled at the sight: how majestic in its form and how destructive its power. She watched it, as if it was dancing just for her.
It seemed to go on for hours, whipping back and forth, turning unpredictably. The awesome sight was mesmerizing. Weather was the only event her senses could not predict. It was the only surprise she ever got. She held up her iPhone and recorded the wondrous spectacle. She closed her eyes and thought, A memory to last a lifetime.
As fast as it came, it was gone. Suddenly, the sky opened and rain poured down. The air temperature plummeted as she dashed for the pavilion. Jessie watched her, laughing, unaware of the magnificent destruction that spared their lives.
Amy walked over to her, but Jessie got the first word. “Do you really believe this place is haunted?”
Amy knew something was causing her disruptions, but decided to continue with Anderson’s strategy. “At times I can sense powerful memories and strange energies throughout the house.”
That was not what Jessie wanted to hear. She wanted it to be a hoax, to get paid and get out early. “Do you think it’s safe for us to stay?”
Amy wanted to comfort Jessie, but it was not her place to skew Anderson’s data. Because of her screw-up in the past, she felt a sense of loyalty to him. “I don’t know. These types of events can impact the mind in strange ways. Sometimes it all depends on the person.”
The conversation stalled as the rain intensified. The thunder and lightning were so frequent it seemed they were fighting each other for control. Jessie listened to the sounds of the storm. She bit her lip. Better to be here than at home, she thought.
Amy listened to the storm for an entirely different reason. In her mind, she encouraged the storm to act up. She wanted the weather to be violent. To her, when the sky was at its darkest, it was at its most interesting.
A moment later, she looked at Jessie. “There’s no way we can eat out here; want to try the dining room again?”
Jessie was not quite on board with that suggestion. “I don’t know. I would like to eat in peace this time.”
Amy smiled. “For some reason the house is very quiet, so I think it will be ok.”
Jessie continued preparing dinner as Amy brought the chairs into the house. As she passed Anderson, he was pleased. “Good idea, we may be able to catch something on film this time. I think I have worked everything out!”
She rolled her eyes and moved on. Only he would want another poltergeist incident.
Jessie brought in the dinner. She had made chicken pasta with a variety of vegetables. “Sorry for making pasta again, but it’s what’s been provided.”
Fletcher walked over and smelled the pot. The aroma was intoxicating. He had been starved for hours. “No need for an apology; this will do wonders for me!”
She smiled at him. Amy had finished setting up the table and chairs. There were no decorations, just the basics.
Anderson walked in, grabbed his plate, filled it with the pasta and sat down. He began eating, ignoring everyone else.
How rude, Amy thought. The rest sat down and passed their plates to Jessie, who portioned out the remainder.
Fletcher looked at Anderson. “Shall we wake Mary?”
“No, let her sleep. She deserves the rest.”
He raised his eyebrows but did not press the matter. What the rest of the group did not know was that Anderson had been in the bedroom. He had felt how cold it was. He was hoping something would happen to Mary.
As the group finished, Anderson could not help himself. He raised his glass. “To James Sharp!”
Nothing happened.
He did it again.
Nothing.
“To James Junior!”
Nothing.
“To Alfred Helm!”
Nothing.
“To the Maybricks!”
Again, nothing happened. The group watched him. There was extreme disappointment in his eyes as his attempts failed.
Jessie looked at Amy. Her expression said it all: What an idiot.
Directly above them, Mary had heard the comments. She rolled on her back as her breathing became labored. In a man’s voice she said, “How dare you tempt me. I will give you more than you’re asking for, I guarantee it.”
After the group was done eating, Jessie cleaned the dishes and kitchen, with Amy’s help. Afterwards, the girls decided to turn in early for bed. Fletcher took his turn at monitoring the equipment with Anderson. As second in command, he also thought he needed to be more hands-on with the technical side of the investigation. He was wrong; Anderson neither asked for his help nor wanted it. He seemed to be showing signs of stress. Fletcher continued to wonder if the house was having an effect on him.
Anderson thought, Tomorrow is the halfway point, and I have yet to gather any significant evidence of the haunting. I must stay awake until I am successful.
Day 3
