Raging Spirits

by Angel Smits

  She looked around and found the old woman sitting on the step of the fire truck. A blanket was wrapped around her and she smiled at them through the strobing lights and din.

  Clarissa glanced over at David and saw the pain in his eyes as the flames devoured the building. She saw the loss grow in his eyes and her heart ached for him.

  THE DAYS GREW into weeks, the weeks became a month. David returned to work at the bank. Clarissa spent her time here at the coffee shop, but she cut back her hours and gave them to Linda who proved to be her best employee yet. Even Faith admitted she made a better triple mocha, something she only said once at the risk of losing her “friend of Clarissa” discount.

  She didn’t have prophetic dreams anymore, and she hadn’t had a full impact vision since that last one where she’d seen David at the mansion before the fire. It seemed like years instead of only a few short weeks had passed. She’d probably never forget the events of that night.

  And if David had his way, it would be erased. He refused to discuss it. Even though he assured her that part of his life was over, she knew it still nagged at him, still filled his thoughts. Still stood between them.

  She’d walked into the living room last night after he’d come to dinner to find him staring into the fireplace flames as if not really seeing them. The mansion now sat silent and empty, the kitchen, the den and the foyer nothing more than burned out ruins. The rest of the house was intact, though water and smoke damaged. He hadn’t even wanted to return to remove the pictures, knickknacks and other belongings that were his. It was as if he wanted no part of that past.

  Clarissa couldn’t let go nearly as easily. She’d sensed the bond between David and his home. He needed to mend the pain of the past if he was ever going to face the future.

  He’d sold the Dove’s Hollow house. It was the beginning of a renewal project he had encouraged the bank to become involved in. Already, several low-income families worked together to build a neighborhood in the boarded-up old homes.

  Clarissa hoped that someday when she returned to Dove’s Hollow she’d feel spirits and happiness instead of the dreadful emptiness she’d found there. Even the diner was prospering with the new activity, and they’d replaced the broken neon sign.

  Clarissa closed her eyes, realizing she was tired. She hadn’t slept much lately. The delicious things David did to her until the wee hours of the morning sent charging hormones through her bloodstream. Even though she was alone in her office now, she blushed. Opening her eyes, she snapped the ledger shut and stood. It was time to go home. The paperwork could wait.

  She’d learned so much in the past few weeks, not the least of which was the priority paperwork should take in her life. She hadn’t taken a piece of it home since the fire.

  Well, she had once, but it had languished in her briefcase from neglect. She didn’t even bother after that.

  As she reached for her jacket on the back of the door, a blast of cold air slid over her. She shivered and glanced at the air conditioner. It was silent.

  It had been so long since she’d had a vision that she didn’t expect it. She didn’t even know how to react. Her barriers were down, and the vision took over her mind too clearly and powerfully.

  The mansion sat in the field, empty and lonely in the late afternoon sun. Come home, a voice whispered through the trees, almost as if carried on the breeze.

  Clarissa saw herself driving up the winding road to the house and pulling to a halt before the charred double doors. David stood in the open doorway, his arms outstretched, welcoming her into the haven of his home and heart.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked him. He just smiled and beckoned for her to follow him. She did, and just as she stepped through the doors into the dimly lit foyer, the vision vanished.

  “Trust your instincts,” a voice whispered around her.

  Her office came back into view and she shivered. Was it a trick? Or was it an answer to the upheaval they’d been experiencing lately? She didn’t know what to think, but she did know one thing.

  She had to go to the mansion.

  Leaving Linda in charge of the shop, she raced to her car. Driving through the city, she headed toward the house. Even from the bottom of the hill, she saw the dark façade high upon it.

  She continued to hear the words echo in her mind, and she knew this was the right thing to do. When she reached the ornamental gates, she had to get out of her car to push them open. The “For Sale” sign had been wired to hold them shut. She twisted two wires loose and pushed. The hinges squealed in protest.

  She climbed back into the car, and once on the other side of the gates, Clarissa braked. She stepped out of the car and gasped at the sight before her.

  The mansion sat nestled among the charred trees. A few brave wild flowers were trying to peek out of the ashes and the lawn was an odd mixture of black and new green.

  It was oddly beautiful.

  Even the wild animals, butterflies and birds were filling what seemed to be a new meadow. For several long minutes Clarissa stared sadly at the tranquil scene.

  Such a waste. Such a lovely waste. David’s father had built this house to be enjoyed and to be filled with a family. As she walked along the winding road toward the house, her heart lifted. She’d been called here for a reason today and something told her it would be good.

  The front door stood open in a frame that no longer had any walls around it. Soot and dust covered the once polished tile and tiny animal footprints tracked across the grimy surface.

  There was a silence here, but it was a peaceful silence, nothing like the tomblike quiet that had once held the house in its grip. Slowly, carefully, she walked through the rooms. She didn’t sense anything other than the peace and quiet all around her.

  The living room door was also open and she remembered when David had given her the first tour. She’d seen such happy visions, and now she felt compelled to go inside.

  Soot had settled on the white carpet and furniture, but their beauty and elegance still remained. She ran a hand over the back of the sofa and dark dust motes rose into the air. They were suspended on the air for an instant and then settled gently back down.

  Suddenly, the air grew cold and the dust settled as if plastered to the fabric. Clarissa felt her heart shake. No, she couldn’t have been fooled. Fear gnawed at her heart and she turned to run.

  But she wasn’t quick enough to escape the vision that insinuated itself into her mind. The room all around her wavered and returned to its earlier splendor. She gasped. It was even more beautiful than she remembered, and then she realized why.

  It was decorated for Christmas. In the corner beside the fireplace, next to the painting of David’s parents, now repaired and cleaned, sat an elegant glistening Christmas tree.

  The lights winked in a choreographed rhythm, and the angel perched on top sat in regal splendor. Under the boughs were dozens of gaily-wrapped presents with ribbons that reflected the myriad of lights from the tree and around the room.

  Spinning slowly, Clarissa took in all the splendor. The doors into the main dining room stood open and a golden candelabrum sat in the center of the table, its flickering light glistening off the gold-edged china and flatware.

  Distant giggles from children’s voices echoed through the room and Clarissa returned her gaze to the fireplace. Four bright red stockings hung from the mantle, and just below the center two sat a beautiful doll with golden hair and a bright red bicycle. Its chrome shimmered with the lights.

  She could even smell the scent of cinnamon and holly berries.

  “Mama! Mama!” two childish voices chimed. Clarissa turned, but not in time to see who the voices belonged to. Suddenly the vision faded. The grief at the loss of the happiness and beauty gouged through her.

  “No, come back.” She wanted the vision to return. Melancho
ly filled her heart.

  Slowly, she walked around the soot-covered room. She knew she couldn’t let David sell this place. It meant too much to him. And yet . . . he’d never come here. He’d never live here again, not on his own and without a lot of prodding.

  She pulled her cell phone from her purse. She was surprised when he answered instead of his secretary.

  “Hello, darling.” She couldn’t keep the excitement out of her voice. “You’ll never guess where I am.”

  “You’re right.” He sounded tired but happy to hear her voice. “I hope you’re at home, waiting for me.” His voice lowered suggestively. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

  Clarissa laughed softly, feeling the heat of his desire as it slid over her every nerve. “I’ve been thinking about you, too.”

  “Good thoughts, I hope.”

  “Mmm, could be. David?”

  “Yes?”

  “What are you going to do if the mansion doesn’t sell?”

  His end of the line went deadly silent. She knew she’d done as much damage with that statement as an argument would have.

  “I don’t think now is the time to discuss this.”

  “There never is a better time.” She turned and gazed out over the room, reliving the vision she’d just experienced. “I had a vision today,” she whispered.

  “What?” His fear pulsed through the phone. Clarissa wanted to ease his fears, but she knew that was impossible. There was no turning back now.

  “I had a vision. It called me here. I’m at the mansion.” Silence again met her ears. “Come to the house. There’s something I want to show you.” He didn’t answer. “David?” He still didn’t answer.

  “Clarissa?” A familiar woman’s voice came on the line and she realized David’s secretary had picked it up.

  “Yes?”

  “What did you say? He just ran out of here like the world was coming to an end. Are you all right?”

  “Oh, yes.” Clarissa smiled. “I’m fine. Would you do me a favor and let everyone know David won’t be in to work tomorrow?”

  Melinda’s familiar chuckle came through the line. Clarissa could hear the romantic wheels spinning in the woman’s head. “Bye, Melanie. We’ll be in touch.”

  Clarissa put her phone back in her purse. It wasn’t very long before she heard the squeal of David’s car outside as he slammed on the brakes.

  “Clarissa?” His voice was filled with worry and fear as it echoed around the clearing.

  Clarissa hugged herself, joy filling her. She knew what she was about to do was so right. So very right.

  “In here,” she called.

  He came through the doors of the living room before she’d even finished the short sentence. He stalked toward her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “Dreaming.”

  “Dreaming?” He looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “About what?”

  “Us. The future. This house.”

  “Well, two out of three ain’t bad, as the saying goes. This house has nothing to do with either of the other two.”

  “Oh, yes, it does. Yes, it does.”

  While she’d waited for David, she’d begun to plan. She’d mentally put the house back together and had even planned to redecorate the nursery to the grandeur it must have held when he was a baby.

  “Come on, we’re getting out of here. I don’t ever want you to come back here.”

  “Don’t give me orders, David.” Clarissa stood her ground. “I didn’t come here on a whim. I was called here.”

  “We escaped once. I’m not going through that again.”

  She watched as he looked down at his hands. There hadn’t been any more shifts since they’d destroyed the music box. She knew he wouldn’t shift, but did he truly believe it?

  “Let’s go.” His anger was tinged with fear and her heart hurt for him, but she wasn’t going to give in. That vision she’d just seen had been too real, too wonderful, and she wanted it. She knew it was meant to be.

  “Please, David. Stay.” The words were in Clarissa’s mind, but from his reaction, she knew he had heard them too. He spun around.

  There on the threshold of the room was a wispy white form. At first indistinct, it sharpened into two.

  Clarissa gasped. David stood silent, staring, his skin pale. The image was iridescent, and a smile pulled on Clarissa’s lips as she recognized them.

  “Listen to her. She’s offering you the life you deserve.” The man’s voice filled the air.

  “M . . . Mom? Dad?” David paused, then slowly walked toward the images.

  “Yes, it’s us. We’re nearly free.”

  “Nearly free?” David’s voice was barely a whisper.

  “The price has been paid. It’s time for us to move on, but you have to let us go.”

  “Let you go? I don’t understand.”

  “The music box was evil, son,” the man explained. “I brought it home and it destroyed everything.” Was that an ethereal sob?

  “You didn’t know, dear.” His mother soothed her husband.

  Then she told David, “You broke the spell when you destroyed the music box. Now it’s your pain and regrets binding us here.”

  David stood staring. Clarissa watched his throat move as he swallowed. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

  His mother’s spirit moved away from her husband. She hovered near David, and the pain on her face was that of a mother unable to touch her child. Unable to offer him the comfort she knew he wanted and needed.

  “Don’t be sorry. The evil is what killed us. Not each other.”

  “But I saw—” He pointed at his father. “I heard the arguments.”

  “It happened.” The man’s form moved forward, and he whispered, “Forgive me. Forgive us all.”

  “You have so much love to give. Take what she has to offer.” The woman moved closer, something suspiciously like tears glistening in her eyes.

  David’s hand moved through his hair, leaving a trail in the dark tresses. Clarissa longed to smooth away the sign of his distress, but she knew this was between David and his parents. There was no future until the past was dealt with.

  “We love you, son. But it’s time you let us go.” The man moved closer as well.

  “And Rachel?” The name was torn from David, as if he feared she’d join them with the mention of her name.

  “She made her own choices. Not choices of love, but of possession.”

  “She’s gone,” the woman whispered. “Forever.”

  David lifted his arm, as if trying to touch them, and then let it fall helplessly to his side.

  “Don’t regret, David. Don’t be afraid to love. Clarissa loves you. And you love her.” There was a silent pause, as his mother seemed to weigh her next words. “Give her the part of your heart you couldn’t give Rachel.”

  David’s head snapped up and he looked at the woman’s image in surprise. “How did you know?”

  She reached out, but then she let her hand drop, as if once again realizing she couldn’t touch him. “I can read your heart. I always could. I never really left you. Now go on with your life. Clarissa’s waiting. They’re waiting.”

  David stared at the images until they faded completely away. He stood for a very long time, silent and still.

  Clarissa, who had been attuned to his emotions for so long, felt as if she knew him better than she knew herself. The war was just ending between his guilt and his heart.

  His gaze met hers and the pained love she saw there took her breath away. His heart beat within the depths of his eyes, reflecting his love.

  “She’s gone. They’re gone.” Speaking the words helped make it real for him.

  “Yes.”

 
; “And you’re still here.” He indicated the room and the rest of the house with a slight incline of his head.

  “I’ll always be here. I’ll be wherever you are.” She opened her arms, knowing he needed to know she was there and wanted him. David pulled her into his arms.

  “You want to live here, don’t you?”

  Clarissa nodded, the vision of earlier appeared tantalizingly clear in her memory.

  “Who was she talking about when she said ‘they’re waiting?’”

  Clarissa’s heart did a little flip, and she suddenly knew the life she’d suspected might be there was indeed real. “I think she meant our family.”

  “Family?” David leaned back to stare into her eyes. The answering joy in her gaze gave him the answer. “A baby?”

  Clarissa nodded, tears of realization clogging her throat and filling her eyes. Suddenly the room behind David shimmered and swam, and Clarissa blinked to clear her eyes. She realized it wasn’t tears but a vision forming in the room before her.

  “Mama!” a golden-haired girl about seven years old cried at the top of her lungs. Clarissa saw herself rushing into the room.

  “What is all the hollering about?”

  “Mama, Davey is going to be bad tomorrow. It’s really going to be bad. Maybe you’d better punish him now and he won’t do it.”

  “I am not. Mama, will you tell her to stop using that magic she does to get me in trouble? It’s not fair!”

  Clarissa watched the little boy, who looked like an exact duplicate of the little girl, as he stuck his tongue out at her.

  The vision faded and Clarissa laughed. Yes, they would be so happy here.

  “What’s so funny?” David gazed down at her with love shining in his eyes.

  “Oh, nothing, just a passing thought.” She leaned close to David and reveled in the feel of his lips as they met hers. She didn’t tell him about the last vision. She knew it would be difficult enough for him to live with her psychic powers. She didn’t think he was ready for the news that they were having twins, much less the fact that his daughter would have her mother’s powers.