No one else was in line at the register, and I walked right on up to pay. The balding man had been replaced by a perky looking college student, her blond ponytail bobbing happily behind her head. She didn’t even look twice at the titles of the books. I wondered if she just didn’t care or if people bought far out titles like this all the time. Not that it really mattered.
I handed her the money, my fingers brushing hers much in the same way they had Travis’s at Time-Out. I knew she was actually rather sad, suffering from bouts of home sickness, and she hid it beneath a mask of perkiness for all it was worth. I didn’t really know what to say, so I smiled extra bright and said, “Thank you” when she handed me my change. I made straight for the exit.
Tell her.
The voice was sharp and immediately made me pause. I stepped to the side, out of the way, and pretended to look over my receipt.
Excuse me?
Tell her she doesn’t need to feel so lonely. Nana’s always watching over her.
The wrinkly face of an elderly woman filled my mind. She wore golden wire rimmed glasses, framing clear sky blue eyes like her granddaughter’s. Her white hair was permed into tight curls around her head. I felt my attention drawn around her neck to a lovely cameo necklace that seemed important somehow. Suddenly, I raised my hand to my chest when I felt a sharp pain radiate from my heart. I sucked in a deep breath, afraid I would have a panic attack.
Try to relax, Krystal. It was Abel. She is trying to help you understand how she died, so her granddaughter will know what you impart is truth.
I don’t like that.
It’s not real, Krystal. She died from a heart attack which is why you felt it in your chest.
My name is Violet. The woman told me. My granddaughter’s name is Sabrina. Tell her I am so proud of her. She will be a mighty fine doctor one day.
I took a quick look around the store from where I stood. Not too many customers. I still hesitated. I knew my friends had to be waiting, and I really didn’t know how I was supposed to do this. Just walk up to… ahem, Sabrina and say, your dead granny doesn’t want you to be lonely? Because, you don’t need to be! She’s floating around you all the time?
Exactly, Abel seemed to breathe the answer into my ear.
A couple of choice swear words came to mind, and I bit the side of my mouth to hold them back.
Sorry, Abel added. I can hear the train of your thoughts. Basically, that’s what you will do. First, you will ask Sabrina permission to pass along the message. Some people don’t want to know. You will give her proof, tell her a couple of things you couldn’t possibly know to prove the validity of the message.
Like sharing her grandmother’s name? And that she died from a heart attack? I thought.
Yes.
When Sabrina finished ringing up another customer, I gathered up my courage and went back to the counter before I could talk myself out of it.
“Oh, hello again,” she said. “Is everything okay with your purchase?”
I looked down at the bag of books I was carrying. I had forgotten about them.
“Um, that’s fine.” I paused wondering what to say next, “So? You’re not from around here, are you?” That seemed safe.
“No. I’m from Ellsworth, Kansas. I transferred to UNC for school this year.”
I nodded my head trying to play it cool. “That must get real lonely.”
Sabrina eyed me as if she were trying to decide something. “I miss home,” she said simply. “Look, you’re um, rather pretty.” Sabrina lowered her voice, “But I’m into guys, you know.”
I felt my cheeks get hot as understanding began to dawn on me. “Me t-t-too,” I stuttered. “Into guys, I mean. It’s just, well, you seemed. Sad? Kind of?”
Ask her if she lost someone on her mother’s side recently, Abel suggested.
“Did someone on your mother’s side pass away recently?” Timidly, I added, “like a grandmother?”
“Why?” A distinct edge crept into Sabrina’s voice.
I took a deep breath. “Well, I have…this gift,” using air quotation marks when I said gift, “and a certain someone is concerned that you’re quite lonely.”
She wants to drop out of school. The grandmother told me.
“And you’re thinking about dropping out.”
Sabrina stared wide eyed at me.
“Would you like me to continue?”
She gave a small nod.
“So, did you lose a female family member recently?”
“Yes, my grandmother.”
“She said her name is Violet. Was that your grandmother’s name?”
“Yes,” Sabrina’s voice was hoarse and her eyes were getting watery.
“She said she passed away from a heart attack. Is this correct?”
“It was all of a sudden,” Sabrina croaked, her voice thick with tears.
“Did she have cameo necklace she used to wear often? I keep seeing her wearing one. I’ve never seen one like it. It has a light blue background on it, and it looks like an antique.” I tilted my head to the side.
I left it to Sabrina’s mother. Sabrina loved it as a little girl so her mother told Sabrina she could have it. I wrote my will many years ago, when she was too young for the cameo. I am glad that Jean gave it Sabrina. She is responsible enough for it now.
“Okay, she says she left it to your mother, Jean? But your mother gave it to you?”
Sabrina raised her hand to her mouth, and the tears that threatened finally spilled over in rivulets down her face. She fumbled around in her pocket and held up the cameo for me to see.
“Oh, my gosh. This is it, isn’t it?” I asked in disbelief. Sure enough it was the very same necklace her grandmother had around her neck in the mental picture she’d sent me.
“I always carry it with me.”
“Your grandmother said she’s glad you have it. And she said you don’t need to be so lonely, she’s always with you.”
I sure enjoy college life! Violet did a dance, circling her fists together, moving her feet like a cha-cha.
“She just did a dance for me and said she’s enjoying college life.”
Sabrina gave a tearful laugh. “Sounds like her for sure. She was always the life of the party, living it up.”
“Well, I have to go. My friends are waiting for me.”
Tell her what I said about staying in school, and I love her!
“Oh, she wants you to stay in school. She said you’re going to make one helluva a doctor one day, and she’s real proud and all.” I took Sabrina’s hand in my own and gave it a gentle squeeze. “She sends her love.”
“I love you too, Grandma,” she said, looking up to the ceiling of the book store before turning her gaze back to me. “Thanks. And I’m sorry about you know, before.”
“Don’t worry about it. ‘Bye.” I gave a little wave as I turned around.
“Wait! What’s your name?”
I hadn’t even made it two steps. I wasn’t sure whether to answer Sabrina or pretend I hadn’t heard her and keep on walking. I sighed before looking over my shoulder.
“Krystal Haggart.” I noticed her scribble something on a scrap of paper, and I hoped my good deed wasn’t going to bite me in the ass.
The sky was already turning darker shades of gray when I finally walked out of the book store. Malcom and Tammy were sitting on the curb waiting for me. Tammy was fiddling with her phone, and Malcom looked like he was about to fall asleep. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me and wondered how long I’d been in there. Tammy looked up briefly, her face lighting up when she saw me. Least she wasn’t mad.
“How’d it go?” she asked in a hushed tone.
I held the bag up. “Success.”
Malcom started to stand up, stretching his arms out wide with a big yawn. “We ought to head home. Told my folks I’d be home by dinner time.”
“Malcom, you should call your mom and let her know we’re on our way,” said Tammy and handed him her phone.
> We started walking at a fast clip, in a hurry to get back to where Tammy’s little civic was parked, probably twenty minutes away on foot. I found the brisk air invigorating; it had an electric quality to it, like it was alive in and of itself. I was tickled when Malcom pulled out his find from the music store and held it up for me to see. It was an adorable little white tank with Florence Welch holding a fuzzy white bunny in her arms, emblazoned on the front with fancy gold lettering spelling out Florence and the machine. Yep, that was me, the “Rabbit Heart.” The irony hit me before he threw the tee at me.
“Happy Birthday, Kris!” I caught it, a little squeal escaping my lips. I waved it over my head like a lasso before hopping over to my friend to give him a squeeze.
“Thanks, Malcom. I love it! I’m gonna wear this tomorrow.”
A couple of blocks down, Tammy dug in my side with her elbow. “Well, aren’t you going to show me your finds from the book store?”
I rolled my eyes, but checked to make sure Malcom’s attention was elsewhere before opening the plastic bag so she could take a peek inside. Her eyes got huge before meeting mine. I could see her laughter just dying to be released. She put her fist in her mouth in an attempt to hold back, God Bless her heart.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I couldn’t believe it either.”
“That first one, just, wow.” I was pretty sure she was referring to the Psychic Boot Camp and didn’t bother to ask.
“Wasn’t up to me.” I held up my palm as if I were about to “solemnly swear.”
Before we knew it, we were piling back into Tammy’s Civic.
“I wish we could stay all night,” mused Malcom.
“Me, too,” Tammy answered back.
I pressed my lips together. I wanted to stay too, but I didn’t want to meet any more friends either. Funny thing though, you don’t always get what you wish for.
Chapter 14
We were well into night when we pulled into Malcom’s drive, his house lit like a Christmas tree. The garish face of a jack-0-lantern, its creepy smile greeting us as we walked up the steps, reminded me that Halloween was only a couple of weeks away.
“That’s one helluva jack-o-lantern, Malcom,” I commented as I took in the jaggedly toothy grin on the pumpkin.
“Candace really had her heart set on a scary pattern this year. She said it’d keep all the bad ghosts away.”
“What’d your parents say about that?” Tammy asked.
“Girl, I didn’t say anything to them. My folks went out for “date night,” he said using air quotations. “Candace and I worked on it.”
“Well, if scary was what ya’ll were going for, you sure succeeded.” I gave the jack one last look wondering how long it would last before someone came and busted the hell out of it.
As soon as Malcom could open the door, Candace was bounding over to her big brother, throwing her arms around his waist.
“Hey, Malcom. Hey, girls. Did you have a good time?” asked Mrs. White from the kitchen. Malcom’s mom looked like she was finishing up in the kitchen from dinner.
“We had a great time, Mom.” He walked over to her and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Guess what I got to do today?” Candace jumped up and down in her excitement to tell us, her braids making clinking sounds as the little plastic balls on the ends banged against one another.
“Hmmmm. I don’t know? What did you do today?” Tammy asked, leaning down to Candace’s level.
“I got to go to Chucky E Cheese!”
“Wow, Candace that sounds like a lot of…..” my voice dropped off.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tammy raise her smartphone. Candace grabbed my onto my hand, light heartedly swinging it back and forth. I indulged in glancing down at her, and she beamed me a bright smile, happy as she could be.
“Did you get that balloon today?” I asked Candace although I already knew the answer. It wasn’t like the big “Chucky E Cheese” printed on the side of the Mylar balloon gave it away or anything, but it felt like the right thing to do.
“Yep.” Candace gave a little jump.
“Hey, Mrs. White, Malcom, can you come over here?” I kept my voice as low as possible, the words almost coming from my lips like a hiss.
Dish rag in hand, Mrs. White walked over, Malcom following right behind her.
“Where’s your dad, Candace?” Tammy asked.
“In the potty.” She pointed down the hall.
Malcom and his mother came to stand on my right side. All of a sudden, I noticed the dish rag lying on the floor at our feet and figured Mrs. White had lost hold of it.
“Oh my God,” she whispered, and I could feel the panic beginning to rise up from her.
“Just take a deep breath,” I recommended.
“I thought the reverend took care of this,” Mrs. White lamented.
The balloon hovered about shoulder height, shoulder height for me anyway. It had floated out of Candace’s room, down the hallway and into the living room, before it stopped dead in the center, remaining unnaturally still, frozen in place. Then, it just rose up; you know what it looks like when you let a balloon go, right? Well, it was just like that. It came to a stop, bumping against the ceiling, coming to rest on its side. But before anyone could utter a single syllable, the balloon floated around the ceiling, moving around in little jerks. Done parading up high, it floated down low to the floor, hovering only an inch or two from the chestnut colored wood.
For shits and giggles, I asked, “Is the heat or the AC on?” I was wondering if we were just staring transfixed at something perfectly explainable.
As if to answer me, the balloon rose from the floor to shoulder height again, floated back down the hallway and turned into Candace’s room. We turned and looked at one another in turn.
“I guess that answers that question,” Tammy said wryly.
Down the hall, the door from the bathroom opened, Mr. White stepping through. “What’s going on?” He called.
Mrs. White tried to wave him back, but he didn’t see.
The balloon rounded the corner, floating from Candace’s room again, faster this time, bumping lightly into Mr. White, startling him as it did so, and I saw the whites around his eyes despite the distance between us. The balloon was being pulled by something. The balloon resisted the air as it flew along at a diagonal angle, finally coming to a stop mid hallway.
Slowly, but surely, a young girl began to appear, her form see through and watery, the balloon’s red ribbon in her small fist. She wore a lovely white bonnet edged in lace, covering perfect honey colored ringlets that fell to her shoulders. Her white dress, donned with the same lace as the bonnet, fell to halfway down her shins. She had on frilly bobby socks and fancy slippered shoes from eras past. Regardless, in this girl’s heyday she must have been well to do. A mischievous smile lit her face, her dark eyes dancing.
Next to me, Candace waved to her friend.
Timidly, I asked her, “Can you see what I see?”
Candace just flashed me a larger smile.
“What do you see, Kris?” Tammy asked in a hushed whisper.
I looked over to Malcom and his mother, trying to figure out what to do. I didn’t have much time to decide. Past the ghostly girl, I could see Mr. White, his face full of surprise and not a little fear. I sighed, breathing deep in my chest.
“A young girl, about Candace’s age. She’s wearing a white dress with a matching bonnet. She has brown eyes and honey colored hair. And she’s holding the balloon.” I glanced back towards my friend and his mom, and luckily, they didn’t seem fazed. I guess my little tid bit was overshadowed by the floating balloon. Whew.
The young girl, balloon in tow, began to walk towards us, her shoes clicking against the wooden floor. She stopped just short of me, and curtsied, the balloon bobbing next to her.
Happy Birthday, Krystal Haggart. She held the balloon out to me.
“Um, Thanks.” I took the balloon and passed it to Candace. I debated
whether to talk telepathically or out loud for the benefit of the Whites and Tammy.
Why are you here? I asked. Mind talk it would have to be.
The ghost girl pointed to Candace. I’m watching over her.
Why are you watching her? Are you her Spirit Guide? I asked skeptically. The girl looked too young to be a guide for someone, but how would I know?
I’m repaying a favor. She’s going to need me.
The Spirit Who Loved Me: Spirit Whispers Book One Page 11
