When it was finally closing time, she noticed that Barbara’s car was gone. Having said their goodbyes that morning, Becky wasn’t bothered at all by the fact that her sister left without stopping by the shop.
Chapter 14
After the busy workday, Becky once again drove to Peyton’s home. Tonight, she’d meet Peyton’s fiancé, Russ Daniels. When Peyton had called to set the meeting, she’d been extremely anxious. Therefore, Becky wasn’t sure how the appointment would play out or what she’d find when she arrived.
“Thank you for coming, Becky,” Peyton greeted her at the front entrance with another check. “I didn’t tell Russ anything except that you could help. I simply couldn’t bring myself to mention Sharrone to him. Come with me, please.”
Becky tried to push the check back into Peyton’s hand, “I can’t accept that, Peyton. You’ve already paid for my services. When I set a price, it covers the work I do until the job is done,” Becky explained.
“No, I insist that you keep this payment too,” Peyton declared.” Consider it a token of my gratitude. You see, I didn’t explain anything to Russ. You’ll have to start over. It’ll be like you were never here the first time, believe me.”
When they entered the cozy study, Becky was surprised by Russ’s incredible image standing before the fireplace. He was tall, strong, and extremely handsome. His clothing appeared to be tailor made for his stunningly fit body. His dark hair dipped slightly down, falling over even darker eyes. However, his smile was quick and genuine when he gazed at Peyton, causing his eyes to twinkle as if he had a secret. Becky could fully understand how Peyton had fallen for him so quickly.
Russ came forward with outstretched hand, “Hello, Becky Tibbs. Peyton has been singing your praises for two days now. Let’s get started, shall we?” He said as he led Becky to the same armchair she’d sat in before. Russ and Peyton sat beside each other on the matching leather sofa. He clasped Peyton’s hand in his, pulled her hand to his lips and gently kissed her fingertips. Then, he leaned back, relaxed and unworried. It was obvious to Becky that Russ felt self-assured and in control of the situation. She wondered how he would behave when Sharrone appeared.
“You’re not from around here are you?” Becky inquired as she closely looked at Russ.
“What gave it away?” he laughed.
“Well… just about everything about you.”
“I actually grew up in New York, but my family owns a second home here. I spend quite a bit of time here, especially now,” Russ lovingly beheld Peyton.
Satisfied with his answer, Becky took a deep breath to center herself as Zetmeh had instructed her to do when working with all spirits, especially unfriendly ones. Then, she said, “Your fiancée is being haunted by a woman named Sharrone. Sharrone is from London. Russ, is this someone from your past?”
Russ stared at Becky in surprise. He wondered how she knew about Sharrone. Had she dug up some newspaper articles from his past? That’s what these people do, he angrily thought, they find out secrets and present them as if they received it from some higher source.
Russ remained silent for Peyton’s benefit. She was certain that Becky Tibbs was a real medium and he didn’t want to lambast his fiancée’s new best friend. He cared too much for Peyton.
The lamps flickered and the logs on the hearth spluttered and crackled loudly as Sharrone made her presence known. She still wore the soggy clothing from the previous eerie visit only this time her wet footprints left visible evidence that even Russ and Peyton could see.
Peyton gasped when she saw the outline of bare feet on the polished hardwood floor.
Russ sat up straighter when he realized that this was either an elaborate scheme or that Becky Tibbs was the real-deal. Peyton had said she was, but he didn’t really believe it. In fact, he’d agreed to the meeting only to placate Peyton. He’d traveled the world during his still young life and he’d seen and heard many amazing things, but this experience was suddenly at the top of his list.
“She is here,” Becky confirmed.
Chapter 15
Russ remained silent. The proceedings were truly unnerving so far, but what amazed him even more than the eerie display in Peyton’s home was that Becky’s face changed shape right before his eyes. One moment she was a cute young woman with freckled, ivory complexion and a head full of coppery colored hair; the next she appeared to be a crone. Her red hair was streaked with silver and her eyes were filled with wisdom and mysticism.
Russ’s face paled and his breathing grew shallow. He suddenly realized that this occurrence had happened twice before. Not that he’d previously met with a medium, but similar bizarre events such as Peyton described had occurred some years ago with Julie and Amy.
The realization that Sharrone was responsible for scaring his girlfriends away was a harsh reality to accept. Admittedly, he hadn’t proposed to either one of the young women, but he’d grown close to each one until something mysterious had frightened both of them away. Russ had discounted it then as foolishness and insecurity on their part, but he couldn’t deny it now.
“I can’t do this,” he muttered. “I can’t go through this again.”
“What do you mean again?” Peyton asked as her heart beat erratically in her chest. How many fiancées has Russ had before me?
“He means that he loved me and he won’t love anyone else again!” Sharrone snarled. “I won’t let him. How dare he!”
“She won’t allow me to have any peace!” Russ cried out. “Each time I get close to someone, this begins. This is madness. Insanity! I had nothing to do with her death, but she blames me anyway.”
“I understand that neither of you can hear what Sharrone says, but you should be able to follow along by listening to my side of the conversation. Russ, she is determined to keep you to herself,” Becky affirmed, “but, that is why we are all here at this time. This must be sorted out for each of you. I know this is uncomfortable and quite painful, Russ, but you must tell the story of Sharrone. If I know why she is attached to you, I can help you. Trust me,” the crone-image of Becky Tibbs urged.
“This might sound like rubbish, but I was only a child, barely fourteen,” Russ haltingly began as he looked deeply into Becky’s amazing green eyes that seemed to crackle with fire. “Sharrone was a teacher at my boarding school and nearly twice my age. She seduced me, but it wasn’t entirely her fault. I was eager to learn what all the fuss was about… We had a torrid affair for a few weeks, during which I thought I was in love with her. She was my first sexual experience, and of course, hormones told me I was in love with her.
“It wasn’t real which soon became apparent when we were outed. The school faculty found out. My parents were notified. It was a bloody disaster. After a lengthy and embarrassing hearing where I was forced to give testimony, Sharrone was sacked and permanently stripped of her license.
“As my punishment, I was transferred to a different private school some distance away from all my friends. I had to start over and claw my way back to some kind of status in sports and my studies. Later, Sharrone’s car was found in the River Thames. Everyone said it was an accident, but it has always been my belief that she killed herself out of shame.”
“No! You idiot child. From a broken heart!” Sharrone screeched.
The energy the ghost projected was so harsh that Peyton covered her ears. The chandelier overhead rattled and shook from Sharrone’s wrath. A crackling log rolled out of the fireplace and onto a beautiful oriental rug. Russ jumped up to push the blazing wood back inside the firebox and stamped out the embers that seared the rug.
“Is she trying to kill us?” he demanded in worry and exasperation.
“If I can’t have him, no one will!” Sharrone viciously declared. “His pretty little girlfriend should have run when she had the chance! I’ll boil her simpering brain!”
“Sharrone!” Becky ordered. “Stop this now! None of this can be resolved unless you control your anger. Will you desist? Will you communicate wit
h Russ as an adult?”
Moments passed before Sharrone hissed back, “Yes, dammit!”
The blazing fire calmed immediately.
“Has she haunted you before, Russ? Has she interfered with any other relationships?”
“Yes, twice; but until tonight I didn’t make the connection. Now, that I see what she is doing here, what she’s capable of doing, I supposed she scared Julie and Amy away. It was early in our relationships and I didn’t put a lot of stock in the things either one told me. Now, that it’s started up again with Peyton, I understand. She played the same pranks on them and I didn’t really believe it. Still, my declaration of love for Sharrone was made when I was only a young boy… It was just that – young love, puppy love, first love – blame it on testosterone or youth – but it’s not worthy of this torment.”
“Can you concede that Russ was only fourteen and technically a child?” Becky directed the probing question to Sharrone.
“He loved me like a man,” Sharrone sarcastically replied.
“But he wasn’t a man. Do you acknowledge that?”
“Yes.”
“He was fourteen. How old were you?” Becky asked next.
“Having just completed university and training, I was twenty-seven.”
“What did you hope would happen?” Becky dug deeper into the old wounds. “Did you hope he would leave school, get a job, buy you a home, and support you?”
“Well, no. Not exactly. I only fell in love with him. I didn’t think that far ahead.”
“Did you consider what a physical life might be like for the two of you if he had done those things?” Becky gently nudged. She knew the wound had to be opened, the splinter removed, and the tissue cleaned, before it would heal. “I don’t know about London, but here in our country, a child can’t be gainfully employed until he is sixteen. A child cannot rent or buy a home. A child can’t hope to support a wife and possibly a baby. If you really loved him, surely you would not have placed those burdens on him.”
“But, I fell in love with him. I thought he loved me too.”
“I’m sure that Russ loved you as well as he could at that age; he has admitted as much. However, he was in no position to provide for you, to buck his parents or society for you. He was too young to strike out on his own in such a manner. He had to obey his parents. He didn’t want to change schools, but he was forced to do that by the decisions you made for him.”
“I didn’t make those decisions for him! He made them when he came into my bed!” Sharrone loudly argued. “Then, he abandoned me and left me to pay the price of our love alone! The things I suffered were horrible!”
“You did make decisions for him, Sharrone. You went against natural laws. You had an affair with an underage student. Russ was too young to consent. It is illegal in almost every country to have sexual relations with anyone under the age of sixteen,” Becky firmly explained. “Let’s be fair… Reverse the roles in this scenario. If you had been a fourteen year old girl, would it have been acceptable for you to consent to an affair with a twenty-seven year old male teacher?”
“It would’ve been wrong,” Sharrone bitterly admitted. “He would’ve lost his job and credibility the same as I did.”
“And, just as you did all those years ago, you must make the decision now to leave Russ and Peyton alone. What happened to you was unfortunate, but you have to accept responsibility for those decisions. You must accept the consequences of your actions and let go of the strong attachment you have for Russ. You have to let it go. Let Russ go so you can move on too,” Becky encouraged.
Something shifted in Sharrone. Something that now allowed her to consider that Becky’s points were valid. She’d been so angry about the aftermath, the repercussions of her indiscretion – she’d lost her job, Russ, and her life all within only a few weeks. Now, after these investigative and pointed questions, Sharrone recognized Becky’s keen insight for what it was – help that she really needed.
Sharrone began to recall that after it had happened, she had truly felt ashamed of herself for having an affair with a young student. In fact, she’d been so humiliated that she’d driven her car into Regent’s Canal, a snaking nine-mile waterway off the River Thames, as an escape from the taunting voices of the faculty and other students. The slurs and accusations had been terrible, more horrible than she could bear.
Her friends and family had turned their backs on her as well. Then, Russ had been quickly shipped off to God only knew where and she’d been alone and desolate. She’d come to the realization at that time that everything was her fault, but in death, she’d somehow lost the reality of that understanding. In death, everything had become tangled and muddied like her hair and clothing.
Sharrone silently acknowledged that she’d gone for long periods of time without thinking about Russ, but something always brought him back to mind. This time it was his happiness at finding love with Peyton. In her misguided rage, she’d wanted to destroy that love as well as the woman he loved.
“I’m sorry,” Sharrone finally said as the stark reality of the mess she’d made washed over her. “I’m so sorry. I really buggered this one up quite badly.”
As soon as she’d said those words, her appearance changed. She was no longer in static black and white. Her clothing returned to its original state before she’d drowned. Her hair was once again a rich, wavy blonde. Her cheeks and lips grew rosy.
“Are you ready to say your goodbyes and crossover to the light?” Becky asked.
“I can’t crossover. I killed myself. Everything is blocked to me. I am damned,” Sharrone tearfully lamented. “I destroyed my life and I also ruined my death and afterlife.”
“No, Sharrone, you didn’t,” Becky encouraged. “I will show you.”
Becky called down the light and Sharrone moved closer so she could see through the veil. “Oh, I see my Aunt Ruby and my grandmother, Sadie. They are smiling at me. , They’re waving joyfully and calling to me. Are you sure I can go to them?”
“Nothing is blocking you, Sharrone. Go. Go to them,” Becky urged.
“Do you think he’ll be all right?”
“He’ll be fine and so will you,” Becky smiled.
“Goodbye Russ. I’m sorry for causing you so much trouble. I wish you well.”
With that final farewell, Sharrone disappeared into the other side and the curtain closed behind her.
Chapter 16
Becky arrived at the antique shop an hour early on Saturday. She needed the extra time to price inventory and to unpack a shipment of office supplies that had arrived on Friday. She’d been in such a rush to keep the appointment with Russ and Peyton that she hadn’t put anything away and the unopened box still sat on the counter.
Although the next few weeks through Christmas would be hectic with frantic shoppers, currently the streets were deserted and only a few cars were parked in the area. Asheville was a town that liked to ‘sleep-in.’
Becky looked forward to the solitude after the past busy week. Even so, as she parked in front of her store, she noticed a heavyset woman wearing a bright floral muumuu style housedress anxiously pacing back and forth on the sidewalk. With her hair in large pink curlers, she looked as if she was lost or had just gotten out of bed. The woman, in her sixties with gray streaked brown hair, wrung her hands in anxiety. For her size and age, however, she moved vigorously near Becky’s storefront.
Becky had hardly gotten out of her truck when the woman was upon her, tightly grabbing her by both arms. “Are you Becky Tibbs, the owner of the antique store?” she anxiously implored.
“That’s me,” Becky replied with a hesitant smile as she tried to dispel the discomfort she felt at this bizarre greeting. It felt like an attack, but Becky tried to think the best of folks and pushed the notion away. Still, she was unsuccessful as she tried to disentangle herself.
That’s when Becky felt someone at her back. Although she couldn’t see who was there, a chill ran down her spine. The large woman facin
g her had a vice grip on her arms and refused to loosen her hold.
“Get back in the truck, Miss Tibbs,” a female voice whispered in her ear. “Don’t scream. Don’t do anything foolish. Just slide right back inside the vehicle. We need your help and we’re determined to get it right now.”
“If you think this is necessary, then you don’t know me at all. I help…,” Becky began, but the woman behind her quickly wrapped strong arms around Becky’s middle and used something similar to the Heimlich maneuver to crush the remaining words from Becky’s lips. Her breath explosively rushed out and Becky was certain that one of her ribs was broken from the force of the stronghold.
Becky felt weak, disoriented, and compliant.
“Just zip it and we won’t have any problems,” the elderly woman facing her replied. Even though the words she spoke were an order, her voice remained kind and filled with concern. “Now get back inside the truck and scoot over to the middle,” she directed. “Henrietta, you drive. I’ll ride shotgun.”
Becky did as she was told, but was relieved to see Jacob’s concerned face peering out the window. Knowing that she’d planned to come in early to put away the new shipment, he had listened for her truck. When she didn’t come inside, he checked to see what held her up.
When Jacob witnessed the scene outside, he rushed to the sidewalk where he could clearly see what happened to her. Seconds later, he jumped inside the truck and said, “Oh, Becky, this is terrible. What do they want?”
“I don’t know,” Becky fearfully cried out.
“I said to keep it down,” Henrietta ordered as she elbowed Becky in the side.
“Don’t say anything else, Becky, because they might hurt you even more,” Jacob urged. “I’ll let Bobby know about this. Keep calm. I’ll find you again.” Jacob glared at the two women before he vanished, but the passenger and driver were not mediums. They neither saw nor heard the helper ghost’s conversation with Becky.
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