The Spirit Who Loved Me: Spirit Whispers Book One

by Stacey Virginia Longmuir

  Clap, clap, clap.

  Startled by the clapping, I lost my hold on the poker, and it fell to the floor with an angry bang, black ash and soot, leaving ugly marks on the wood. I hoped they’d come out easy enough. The applause continued, clap, clap, clap. I stiffened my spine, angry at Abel. How could he make fun of me at a time like this? I returned the poker to its rightful place, spinning around ready to battle with Abel over his lack of manners, my hands placed firmly on my hips.

  I stared. I just stopped and stared, the words that just had been on the tip of my tongue, forgotten.

  Hello, beautiful. You called?

  I looked over my shoulder before I could help myself.

  There’s no else here is there?

  I shook my head, partially in answer, partially in disbelief.

  Cat got your tongue, darling?

  Um, yeah, I thought, not really for him to hear, but of course he did. I heard him chuckle deep within his throat. Where had I heard that before? I stared at him. I know it was rude, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away. He was sitting Indian style on the top of my grandmother’s dining table for goodness sake. He was cut, not huge like a body builder, but every one of his muscles stood out in contrast from the rest of his mighty fine self. His black hair was clipped close to his head and he had a pencil thin mustache and beard to match. I wasn’t sure about the color of his eyes from where I stood, but they sparkled with amusement. Shameless, I peeked again at his ripped stomach, counting. No, not a six pack. An eight pack. Lord have mercy on my soul.

  I shook my head again, this time in frustration with myself, willing, begging myself even, to speak. When that didn’t work, I did the only other logical thing and pinched the crap out my leg. Yep, I was awake.

  Well, that was certainly interesting. The stranger raised his eyebrows, scrunching up his forehead. Do you always behave like such a masochist? The way that his eyes traveled over my body had my cheeks turning scarlet, my eyes dropping to the floor.

  I took a deep breath. “Who the hell are you?” Furious when my voice came out shaky and uncertain.

  Don’t you know?

  I stared at him blankly.

  He picked my notebook, holding it so I could see my pathetic preschool like drawings before placing it back down.

  “You! It was you at the book store,” I accused.

  Clap, clap, clap.

  “Enough, with the damned clapping.”

  I’m only applauding a job well done, darling.

  “Um, thank you. I think. You still didn’t tell me your name?”

  “You know it already.” His voice was deep and rich, silky even, as it whispered in my ear. The kind of voice that could talk you into almost anything. “Krystal, you know more than you think you know.” He stared intently into my eyes causing me to blush again. We’re going to have to work on that.

  “Work on what?”

  Getting you to trust your instincts. What is my name?

  I glanced at my notebook sitting on the table next to him. I glanced over the drawings, my eyes finally settling on my writing at the top.

  “Spiral Spider.”

  Clap, clap, clap.

  “Seriously? Your name is….” laughter bubbled from my mouth. “Spiral…..spider?” I belly laughed more. “Who names their child that?”

  It is not a name given to me during an Earthy incarnation. Spiral Spider is my soul’s chosen name.”

  The absolute seriousness on his face killed my laughter. “Do I have a name like that too?”

  He nodded. You do.

  “What is it? Oh, wait,” I said as I held the palm of my hands out. “Please don’t tell me it has spider in it.”

  No, it doesn’t have spider in it, he flashed me a sly grin. But if you really want to know the name of your highest self, you’ll have to discover it for yourself.

  “How?”

  Meditate on it. Look within. You already know. It is your soul’s name after all.

  “Meditating doesn’t work out all that well for me.”

  So you say.

  “So? You’re here because….” I let my words trail off.

  You completed the exercise.

  “Okay. Well, what I was kind of meaning was, who are you to me? Are you another Spirit Guide person or something?”

  Spiritual Teacher. Effortlessly, he slid from the table top and gave me a little bow. At your service. All I noticed was how, now that he was standing, his ivory linen pants were hanging at a most indecent level, causing me to avert my eyes.

  “You need to pull your britches up, Mr. Spiritual Teacher.”

  Does that make you uncomfortable?

  “Um, no shit Sherlock.”

  I don’t remember you being such a prude.

  “I’ve known you before?”

  Of course.

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  I felt something hot on my shoulder.

  Hello, Krystal.

  “Abel, I see you finally decided to show up.” Butterflies danced in my stomach just at the sight of him. But then I did a double take when I saw the look on Abel’s face, which was decidedly not happy.

  Spiral. I caught the cold undercurrent from Abel, even telepathically.

  Abel. Spiral looked like he was about to laugh.

  I wondered what I was missing. There was something else to this story for sure, and I figured I’d have to ask Abel about it later when we were alone.

  Your theatrics could have burned the house down. She could have been hurt.

  She was in no real danger. I would have stepped in if necessary. On that note, I will take my leave. A pleasure seeing you again, really, my dear.

  Spiral walked up to me, causing Abel to stiffen, and lifted my hand, kissing it. Spiral’s eyes grew cold as he stared Abel down for the briefest of seconds, before he raised his hand to my hair, brushing it behind my ear with his fingers and leaning in close.

  Next time when someone calls you beautiful, Krystal, don’t ever look behind you.

  I looked into the depths of his eyes, momentarily feeling I could drown within the dark pools. “No one has ever said I was beautiful before,” the words escaped before I could stop them.

  You had better get used to it then, and he gave me a sly wink.

  In between one blink and the next, Spiral Spider was gone.

  “So, what the hell was that all about?” I asked, turning around. “Abel?”

  But my spirit guide was nowhere to be seen.

  Chapter 17

  I blinked several times waiting for my eyes to adjust. The overhead florescent lights were blinding, and I used my hand to shade my eyes. Looking about myself, I realized that I was in a hallway of some sort.

  “This seems so familiar,” I said to myself. I tapped my temple in an attempt to jar my memory. Nothing. Oh, well, maybe it will come to me.

  Double doors lined each side of the hallway, which seemed to stretch into infinity. I stole a look behind me to be sure, and it too stretched as far as my eyes could see. I shrugged my shoulders and started walking. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. I hummed along in time to the echoes of my footsteps. I continued to pass door after door without a care, nary a pause, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  Up head, as far as I could see, the bright lights dimmed and flickered. I started to walk slightly faster, curious about any difference whatsoever in this strange monochromic place. After what felt like hours, I found myself standing on the edge between the light and darkness. I took one hesitant step forward. When nothing happened, I took another and then another. I waited. I turned around, facing back the way I’d come, the brightness already beginning to hurt my eyes, already apparently adjusting to the dark. I had no desire to go back. I turned myself around and started walking again with only the sounds of my echoing footsteps to keep me company.

  Minutes later, I felt compelled by one of the doors on the right; I stared at it curiously as if I were seeing one for the first time. How many ti
mes have you used a door and never really looked at it? I placed my hands on the cool, silver metal of the double door, giving the handle a gentle push.

  Air heavy with moisture and the scent of salt washed over me, a brisk wind pulling my hair horizontal behind me. A pregnant moon sat low in a starlit sky. White capped waves rolled on the shoreline. I kicked off my sneakers, already full of coarse sand, immediately running over to place my toes in the salt water. I loved the sensation as the waves returned to the body of the ocean, pulling the sand out from underneath my feet, tickling them. I began to walk along the shoreline in the moonlight, sloshing in the water. I saw the light of a fire a short distance away and knew that was where I was supposed to be.

  “What took you so long, girl? Get over here and give me some sugar!”

  I started running over to my granny, throwing my arms around her before kissing her on the cheek.

  “What are you doing here, Granny?”

  “You asked me.”

  “I did?”

  She laughed. “You did. Come on, morning will be breaking soon.”

  I followed her across the cool sand towards the fire.

  “Well, this is interesting.”

  “You’re telling me. But this is your special place. It’s your very own creation.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “My creation?”

  “This is one of your soul’s most favorite places to be.” My granny beamed. “When you were traveling down the hallway In-Between, you crossed one of the thresholds of consciousness. You’re becoming more aware of your true nature.”

  “Oh, you mean, when the hallway changed from the brightness to the darkness?”

  My grandmother had walked around to the other side of the fire, and sat down heavily on a rich mahogany colored leather couch. “Oh, this just feels wonderful.” She turned her attention back to me. “Yes, ma’am.” She patted the leather next to her. “You should come sit.”

  “In a minute.” I walked around the fire, gazing transfixed at the ocean, the moonlight playing on the surface.

  “So what did you want to talk about, Krystal?”

  What did I want to talk about? I wondered myself. Why had my soul asked my granny to be here? And why didn’t I remember? I turned back around, facing Granny. My fingers brushed against the back of another leather couch, this one smaller and the size of a loveseat. The leather was soft like butter, and I imagined what it would feel like to melt into the seats.

  “So I met this Spiral Spider yesterday. Abel hates him, I can tell he does. Why?”

  Granny shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Abel doesn’t hate him. Abel just doesn’t approve of Spiral’s methodology all the time.” She paused and added as an afterthought, “Most of the time, really.” She stiffened her spine and looked me in the eyes. “Spiral’s a good teacher, but he can be tricky. Don’t forget that.”

  “Do I have to work with him? Can’t I just work with Abel?”

  “You would be surprised at the lengths we go to from Spirit to help you at times. It takes a village, Krystal. For every one of you living it can take a,” she stood from her seat, spanning her arms out wide, “a legion as numerous as the stars.”

  “That’s unbelievable.”

  “Doesn’t make it any less true,” she said sitting back down. “The world is a magical place to be, Krystal, if you’ll allow yourself to see it.”

  Turning away from her, I thumbed along the bookshelves bordering along the outer perimeter of the couches. If it were really true that I could create a special place of my own making this would be it: warm beach, moonlit night, a roaring fire with its embers reaching for the heavens, leather couches, and book shelves adorned with hundreds of titles. I was in love with this place.

  “It seems like there must be more to the story than Abel simply disagreeing with Spiral’s teaching methods. Abel didn’t show up for my lesson tonight either.”

  She sighed. “True, there is more to the story.” She looked at me wryly. “Getting too smart for your own britches there, sugar.”

  Finally giving in, I sat down in the loveseat. “Wow, this feels amazing.” I dug my toes into the sand. “So what happened?”

  “Not much I can really tell you. It mainly pertains to past life gibberish.”

  “So you’re not going to tell me?”

  “I don’t see where it’s going to do you much good. The past is past. People talk about past lives and seem to think learning about them will solve all their problems. That’s not true. Each life time has its own challenges and lessons. I’ve watched people get stuck in those past life memories, missing out on what this lifetime has to offer, and that’s just a shame. Besides this business you’re speaking of happened a long time ago, from the last time Spiral incarnated.”

  “From the last time he incarnated? How long ago was that?” My curiosity was peaked.

  Granny closed her eyes in thought. “Oh, Lord have mercy, must have been ‘bout 400, 500 B.C. Ancient Carthage if my memory serves me right.”

  “Wow. That was a long time ago. So, what does this have to do with me?”

  “It has everything to do with you and nothing to do with you, all at the same time,” she laughed and leaned forward. “You’ve known Abel and Spiral practically from the beginning of time itself.”

  “What do you mean?” I said in confusion. I could feel the beginning of a head ache blooming. “You just said past lives have no bearing on this life, but what you just said contradicts that.” I looked at her thoughtfully. “I think I have a right to know the truth, especially if it has something to do with me. Was I in Carthage?”

  My grandmother looked at me in a way she never had on Earth, as if she were sizing me up. “The truth? The truth will only complicate matters further and confuse you.” She continued to analyze me. “The memories, the feelings, those run deep. Your soul remembers. All you really need to know is they both love you and have your best interests at heart.”

  I wanted to scream in frustration. I stared at lump where my feet lay buried in the sand as I tried to get a hold of my temper. “All this talking in rhymes and riddles, doesn’t do me any good either. If anything it makes me more curious.”

  “Let it lie, Krystal. I’m asking you to trust me on this.”

  “I don’t know if I can.” I looked her in the eye. “If nothing else, tell me this. Who is Abel to me? Really? He’s more than my Spirit Guide, isn’t he?”

  “You need to understand for all inclusive purposes, souls work in groups. Like a great big family. The souls take turns taking on different roles depending on the areas a soul wants and needs to work on. You’ve worked with Abel numerous times in just as many numerous scenarios. Nothing to worry yourself over.”

  “Who said I was worried?”

  “Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?” Granny looked up the sky as it lightened, the stars now washed away in the growing brightness of a rising sun. “It’s almost time for you to wake up.”

  “Well, I was at Malcom’s yesterday, and his sister’s little spirit friend decided to put on a show for everybody. Candace said the spirit’s name was Cynthia Mae. Didn’t you know a lady with that name?”

  “Ha!” Granny crowed. “Cyndy Mae? I knew her from church. She passed on several years back before Candace was even a thought. Helped her out a time or two when she was sickly.”

  “Apparently, they go way back though. Cyndy Mae said that she was doing Candace a favor.”

  “That’s common, Krystal. We all take care of one another. I hadn’t realized those two were so connected. I guess I’ll have to go catch up with Miss Cynthia Mae.” She winked at me.

  “Cyndy also said something about me needing to be ready for something? Do have any idea what she meant?”

  Granny’ eyes darkened. “Well, Krystal, I reckon that means she still hasn’t learned to stop running her mouth. Guess some things never change,” she huffed. “I love you, Krystal. We’ll talk again soon.”

  “I don’t wan
t to go,” I lamented, my eyes grazing over the fire, couches and books. “I want to stay here.”

  Granny pulled me up to my feet and gave me a big hug. “This place is always here for you, as am I.” She kissed the center of my forehead.