by Ruby Raine
“Goodbye, Riley,” she bemoaned, walking away before either her courage or her legs failed her.
“Okay. Yeah. Goodbye, Melinda. I have to go too,” he muttered, sounding annoyed. “My feeling is telling me there’s somewhere else I need to be anyway.”
Melinda spun around. “Meaning you have to save someone?”
“Um, not necessarily. Sometimes it leads me to nowhere. Sometimes it’s really stupid stuff like saving someone from spilling a hot coffee on themselves.”
“But it’s still saving someone, from something?”
“I guess. But no.”
She stood, staring at him, waiting for him to explain.
“Sorry, other than my brother I’ve never told anyone about this thing I do. I just don’t really know the proper way to explain it.”
“But it’s good things? Helping people? Normally?” she reiterated.
“Sure, it’s always helping something. This one time I had this need to spend six hours sitting at a bus stop. Until finally, this bus pulled up and this old lady got off and needed help getting her bags to her apartment, and there was no one around but me.”
“Oh,” Melinda said. “But that’s still kind of sweet.”
“Extra sweet if you ask me because the lady was so happy for the help she eagerly spent another hour telling me her entire life story.”
Melinda could not help but chuckle and bit her lip to stop. She sighed, making a decision. Protecting The Demon Isle was a job for the Howards. Perhaps she should help Riley, keep an eye on him, for the Isle’s sake...
“Well, I should probably go,” said Riley, turning to leave.
“Yeah, um, I think I’ll come with you,” she spouted.
“What?”
“I know the island better. You might need my help.”
He tossed her a confused look, trying to curtail the smile he couldn’t help but flash. “Probably won’t need any help, but as you say you do know the island better than me.”
“Let’s go then,” she pressed, impatiently motioning for him to lead the way. “But just so we’re clear, this isn’t any kind of date. Or hanging out. Or even being friends, or anything like that.”
“Your wish is my command,” he remarked. Although more sheepishly than he had in the previous days.
She rolled her eyes, but followed, telling herself that she believed every word she’d just said.
MICHAEL AND WILLIAM finished checking out their second lighthouse, located at the far end of Bloodsucker Bay. This lighthouse had been built into the rock that made up the marshy bay, where both fresh water and salt water mixed into swirling streams that swam through the bay. They drove past the area Michael and Charlie had dived into a week prior, once again finding no clues to help in the disappearance of Anthony Jordan.
Michael’s phone rang. “Hiya Charlie,” he shouted over the hum of the jeep.
“Where you guys at?”
“Just leaving the Bloodsucker Bay Light, heading toward our rendezvous point.”
“Perfect, we’re just leaving the Breakwater Light. Didn’t find anything at our first two. Mack was actually just pulling in as we left, going to question some of the tourists. Breakwater’s crawling with people.”
“Well it is the most popular light on the Isle, seeing as it’s right near the ferry landing and all. So no luck yet?” Michael confirmed.
“Not a thing. You?”
“Ditto. Nothing.”
“Well, still one to go,” Charlie spoke heartily.
Even over the phone, Michael could tell his brother was saying this for Eva’s sake.
“Yeah, see you in a bit,” said Michael, hanging up.
“I have to say I’m rather perplexed over Mr. Jordan’s whereabouts,” admitted William.
“Yeah, I could tell in Charlie’s voice they are feeling the same.”
William stared out of the jeep, deep in thought, as Michael drove them toward the final lighthouse.
EMILY MORGAN STEPPED into the Wicked Muddy Café.
“Well hello to you,” greeted Grace from behind the counter.
“Just fill it half way this time, Grace. I’m too wired for more.”
As Emily spoke, she glanced around the café until she saw the man she was searching for. She nodded toward Freddy Collier and he grinned widely, waving back, happy for the attention. Grace could not help but notice.
“You be easy on dear old Freddy there. He’s liable to go havin’ a heart attack if you keep smilin’ at him like that.”
Emily giggled sweetly. “I actually need to speak with Freddy. I’m so glad he’s here.”
“Freddy? What on earth for?”
“Come and see. I’m sure he won’t mind. It’s for the Howards,” Emily explained, leaning in. “I’m on a case.”
“Oooh,” bleated Grace, her eyes lighting up. “Takin’ a break!” Her shout rang out to her crew behind the coffee bar. She threw her apron onto the counter, grabbing a coffee of her own and joined Emily, now approaching Freddy.
“Hello Mr. Collier. How are you today?”
“Why fine, just fine. Looky at you, just the prettiest young thing, isn’t she?” Freddy said, aiming his words at Grace, his eyes never leaving Emily.
“Oh, all right now, enough of that you old codger.”
Emily could not help but snort. She loved how easily Grace could just be herself around anyone. The café owner pulled out a chair for Emily and took a seat herself.
“The pretty miss here needs to talk to you, Freddy.”
“To me?”
“Yes, Mr. Collier.”
“Oh, don’t call me that. Please, it’s just Freddy.”
“Okay, Freddy. I am here to talk to you. I wanted to ask you about something that happened a very long time ago when you were just a boy.”
Freddy’s smile waned as he sat back in his chair.
“I believe I’m privy to what thing you’d be talkin’ ‘bout, Missy.”
“I’m sure it was very scary for you, but do you mind telling me about it?”
“Everything’s been told. You can read ‘bout it in the old newspaper archives.”
“Yes, I already did. But I wanted to hear the story straight from you. You see, Freddy, I realize a lot of people didn’t believe you, but I’m not most people.” She winked as if to tell him, you get my drift.
Freddy glanced at Grace and she nodded in approval.
“Well, why do ya wanna know?” he prodded.
“Because it might have happened again,” Emily informed him.
“To another boy?”
“No, not a boy. A man.”
Freddy pinched his eyebrows and sucked in a deep breath. “I see,” he exhaled. “Well then, I’m guess’in I can tell ya.” He squirmed in his seat, getting comfortable. “It happened at the Suicide Light. I was playin’ with some friends. All dead now,” he spoke, sidetracking. “Every single one of them, all old and dead.”
Emily smiled politely.
“Oh get on with it Freddy, or we’ll all be dead and still not heard what you got to say!”
“God-dammah, Grace. Give an old man a break, would ya?” he frowned. “Anyway, as I said, I was at the Suicide Light. You’ve heard the stories about the place, it being haunted by the spirit of a young woman and all. Well, one of my friends dared me to sneak inside. There was never a full time keeper at that light, so it was pretty easy to hang around without gettin’ into trouble,” he stopped and grunted. “What I shoulda said is, pretty easy not gettin’ caught gettin’ in trouble. We were always in trouble!”
A low chuckle escaped Grace’s throat and Emily giggled. Freddy continued.
“I remember it was evenin’ when it happened, just startin’ to get dark. It was peak leaf season, close to Halloween. My friends dared me to sneak inside the lighthouse and once I was in, they locked the dang door on me. Oh, let me tell you it was dark in there! Ink black! Couldn’t see a thing.” He slapped his hand onto the table for emphasis.
&nbs
p; “I pounded on that door, beggin’em to let me out. They didn’t of course. Had me by the short hairs they did.” He shook his head, a nostalgic gleam in his eye. “And that is when I saw her... the ghost.”
“No,” Grace refused to believe.
“Ayuh. Sure ‘nough did. Just as clear as I see the two of ya now. Funny thing was, she didn’t scare me. She seemed... curious, just floated there in front of me. I tried talkin’ to her, but she didn’t reply. Then again, I don’t know how often ghosts do talk.”
Emily just shrugged. She was familiar with one method of talking, and that was if she allowed a spirit to use her body as a vessel. She shuddered and listened to Freddy continue.
“After a few minutes of starin’ at me, it was like she got bored, and she started to float away. I tried to follow, but like I said, it was pitch dark inside, and I fell. I crawled around on the floor hopin’ to find the way out again. Instead, I found a handle, to a door in the floor. I pulled at it, figuring, what could it hurt? It sure did surprise me when I pulled up the door, light started shinin’ in from below. Flames. Somebody had a fire burnin’ down below the lighthouse. Naturally, as any curious young lad, I wanted to see where the flames were comin’ from. I had never heard of there bein’ a basement below the Light, so I felt like I had made some sort of huge discovery. Found a buried treasure so to speak.”
“And what did you find?” Emily listened with patient eagerness.
“An archway, built into the stone underneath the lighthouse. There was a torch hangin’ on both sides of the arch. I looked through it but all I could see was darkness. That’s when the ghost girl reappeared. Prettineah scared me to death she did. So much so, I fell backwards right through that archway.”
He shook his head, letting out a huff. “I hardly still believe what happened next, even though I’m certain it did, but I wasn’t underneath that lighthouse anymore. I was somewhere else. I don’t get how. But I was.”
“Where were you, Freddy?” Grace asked, sitting on the very edge of her seat.
“To this day, I have no idea. But I was suddenly in a room with five tunnels, includin’ the one I’d just fell out of. The room was in the shape of a circle and I’m pretty sure I was underground, ‘cause the walls of the room were rooted and dirty. There were torches. I remember them all lit up. And in the center of the room was a tall wooden door. It just stood there. Not attached to a thing. I walked around and around it. Thinkin’ there had to be strings or somethin’ holdin’ it up. Not a thing. And I ain’t full of shit neither, Bub!” His eyes widened his tone defensive.
“You sure ‘bout that?” Grace returned. “Your eyes are lookin’ a wee bit brown Freddy.”
He frowned. “I’m speakin’ the truth, God-dammah.”
“All right. All right. Keep goin’,” Grace told him.
“The door had a knob on both sides. And I wanted desperately to open that door, but out of the blue, ghost girl reappeared, and she spoke to me. ‘Don’t go through that door,’ she warned me. ‘Evil lives there.’ Well, you can only imagine what my young mind was thinkin’ at this point.”
He leaned forward in his chair, his eyes narrowing in excited delight as he continued.
“At first I thought to myself, just turn ‘round and go right back where ya came from! Ah, but the young explorer in me wanted to find out what was through that door, so I stepped up, ignored the ghost girl and twisted the knob.”
Emily and Grace gasped.
“And what happened?” Emily needed to know.
“I found myself standin’ in front of a stone staircase. So I climbed it. To be honest, this part of the story is not as exciting as I’d hoped it would be at the time. At the top of the stairs, I found myself in someone’s basement. Can you imagine? A basement below a basement. I had no idea where the house was located but it seemed empty. Deserted. It didn’t look like anyone had been in the basement for a long time. The door was locked, so I couldn’t get out that way. I ended up goin’ back down the stone stairs, through the door and back into the room with the five tunnels. Only now, I had forgotten which tunnel I’d originally come from.”
“You must have been so scared,” assumed Emily.
“At this point, I have to admit I was gettin’ a little scared. I wasn’t really sure how to get out. How to get home. I walked around and peered into each tunnel, but all I could see was darkness. I stopped in front of the door with no frame again, this time I was going to try the opposite side, when a peculiar thing happened. I heard somethin’. I remember puttin’ my ear up against the door and hearin’ voices, and just starin’ at it for a God awful long time, before makin’ up my mind to open it.”
He stopped, pondering his next words carefully. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. Emily reached out and touched his hand. Freddy’s kind eyes caught hers and she saw guilt in them.
“What happened next,” he stopped again, shaking his head. He looked up and revealed, “What happened next, I have never told anyone.” He leaned in even closer.
Emily’s eyes widened.
What could have scared Freddy so much that he had not told anyone?
Grace’s cheeks started puffing up as if she were holding her breath.
“Once I opened that door, I was in another basement. But this time there were voices overhead. I ran to a dark corner and hid behind some boxes. And just in time, ‘cause someone came down into the basement, or more like, something. Even in the dark I could see it clearly. I don’t know what it was, but I’d never seen anything like it. It was this swirlin’ mass of blackness. It was cold. Death-like. It never took a solid form. There was no face, no hands or arms or feet, and yet someone spoke to it and it spoke back.”
Something about this story gave Emily chills. This thing he described sounded a lot like the thing responsible for the disappearance of Jack Howard. Was it possible they were one and the same? She didn’t understand how, seeing as what happened to Freddy took place long before the Howard’s parents met their demise.
She locked the thought away and listened to Freddy.
“This woman, an old woman, much older than even I am now, so very old, she stood at the bottom of the cellar stairs about ten feet or so in front of the door I’d just come through. She was givin’ the blasted thing orders. It was supposed to search for somethin’. When it spoke to her, it hurt me. Its voice vibrated into every nerve in my brain. All I heard it say, was it wouldn’t return until it had fulfilled its duties, and then the old woman waved her arm; the door opened, and what do ya know, that ghost girl appeared, ushering in the creature.”
Freddy sat back, catching his breath. He sucked in a sip of coffee.
“I held my breath while the old woman made her way back up the stairs, but even after she was gone I didn’t dare move. I mean, what WAS that thing? And if I went back through the door would I get to go home, or would I find myself facin’ a monster? So I waited. And waited. And it never returned. I heard movement above me, people walkin’ ‘round, talkin’. My gut was screamin’ at me that they were bad people, carryin’ on with the likes of a frightenin’ creature such as they did.” He paused, inhaling deeply. His aged eyes furrowed in disbelief.
Grace blew out a breath, shaking her head.
Emily’s mind swirled with hundreds of thoughts and questions. She could not wait to speak with Michael and tell him what she’d found out.
“After a while, hunger and thirst overruled my fears,” Freddy whispered. “I tiptoed over to the door and after a few very long minutes, I turned the handle and opened the door. You cannot imagine my relief when I did not see that monster, but the same dungeon with the five tunnels. I hopped back into that room where again, I was accosted by the ghost girl. It was odd, she looked forlorn. I asked her, as nicely as I could, if she could help me get out. She just pointed to one of the tunnels and I ran. As fast as I could run! Once I was inside the tunnel, I popped out of the archway, the very same archway that I’d initially fallen through. I climbed
back up into the lighthouse chamber, but it wasn’t dark anymore. The door was wide open. I got through that door as fast as my feet would take me.”
He knocked on the table with his knuckles.
“Once free of the lighthouse, I caused quite a scene. I’d been gone for an entire day! Nearly everyone on the Isle was searchin’ for me. After gettin’ checked out at the hospital and eatin’ some food –way more important to me at the time- I told the sheriff what’d happened, leavin’ out the part about the creature thing. They were havin’ enough trouble believin’ me as it was. The sheriff even called in the Howard’s, but guess what?”
“What?” both Emily and Grace asked.
“They did their own investigation, thinkin’ for sure there had to be a magical cause behind it all, but they found nothin’! The door in the floor of the lighthouse... GONE! Like it never even existed. It was just cold, hard cement when they searched the place.”
“So what happened? How did they explain it all?” Emily questioned him.
“The sheriff made up some story about young boys and their adventurous behavior and overactive imaginations, that I’d simply gotten lost and found my way back. To me, she told me that she believed me, but perhaps it was better if I just kept the story to myself. To be happy I was home and safe. I agreed with her on that count. I was never so happy to be home! And I ain’t lyin’ ‘bout that.”
“That was a wicked crazy tale, Freddy,” mumbled Grace.
“Very!” Emily nodded in agreement. “I can’t believe what happened to you.”
“Just an old man’s tale now.” His aged voice twisted in wistful reflection.
“One I’m so very glad I asked you to tell me,” insisted Emily. “I think this might help the search for the missing man.”
“Well, if anythin’ good can come from what I went through, it might just have made it worthwhile.” He winked and went to take a sip from his mug.
“Oh give me that, Freddy. It’s cold now, I’ll refill it.” Grace patted him on the back as she took his cup and headed back behind the counter.
“Thanks you so much, Freddy, for telling me your story.”
