I plopped down on his bed and ripped his ear buds out of his ears. He shot up in a karate type stance, ready to cut me down. I laughed so hard I rolled off his bed. He caught me before I hit the hardwood floor. He sat me down gently and held me in his warm arms. The September wind blew against his window as his kisses took me to a happier place, one where I didn’t see the dead and I didn’t have to worry about witches coming back for revenge.
“So, first day being a senior. Was it all you hoped it would be?” he asked jokingly.
I rolled my eyes in answer and he nodded like he understood all too well. Only last year he was in my shoes. I looked up at him as he skimmed his fingers over my face and down my neck. He looked older this year, and not just because he was now nineteen, but because losing Lyn had aged him. His once bright blue eyes, that once reminded me of the ocean, now looked stormy and exhausted. I informed him that I took Lyn to school with me and he shook his head in disappointment. I knew he wouldn’t be too happy with the idea, especially with the Mayhew boys running around. He had only just found out she was here, trapped in the house like the others.
I rushed through my explanation, trying to make him understand. “Ephraim, she was looking at the roses in the garden this morning. She was just there, like she was waiting to be part of this day with me. I couldn’t leave her alone and I don’t understand fully where she goes exactly.”
It was the truth. When she wasn’t with us, where was she trapped? Was she with the others in this house, on their separate plane? Or was she trapped in her own plane? I would have to ask her later. But for now, I had to make Ephraim feel better. I reached up and pulled his face toward mine. I slowly kissed his lips until finally he relaxed, his kiss becoming more insistent and eager. I let myself go. No worries, just Ephraim. He slid over me and pressed himself on top of me. I could feel every part of him covering me. He belonged here, touching me in every way. His hands began tangling in my hair. I reached up and pulled him closer, even though there was no way we could get any closer than we already were.
“Ahem!”
I jumped and startled Ephraim. He couldn’t hear Lynley’s interruption, but I did. He looked at me, confused. “Your sister is here,” I informed him as I motioned toward the door where Lyn stood with a smug grin. He slid off the bed and stood, as if looking for a sign of her. Except, for him, there would never be one. And for that I was sorry. He would never see his sister again, even though she stood right here with us. “You both are gross!” she said with a laugh.
“Hey, we’re teenagers, right?” I informed her, slightly embarrassed. Ephraim still looked puzzled. “She says we’re gross,” I explained. He laughed quietly, as if to himself, before he sat on the bed in confusion.
“Look, I know this can’t be easy for either of you. Ephraim, you can’t see her even though she’s right in front of you. And Lyn, you can talk to him and never get a response.” Realization settled across their faces. What I had said sank in, maybe a bit too deeply.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to be so harsh guys,” I admitted to them. “I think you both need to … talk.”
“How do we do that?” Ephraim asked, baffled.
“Just talk, she’ll hear you and she will listen. Right Lynley?”
“Of course I’ll listen,” she answered.
Ephraim patted the side of the bed and even though he didn’t see it, Lyn sat next to him.
“I have to go call Hala. I’ll give you both some time,” I announced. Ephraim nodded and, as I walked into the kitchen, I could hear him talking to her, as well as Lyn’s laughter. This was definitely going to take some getting used to, but we could make it work.
Chapter 2
I met Hala during the summer. I hadn’t planned on meeting her that day. Lyn and I were just walking the boardwalk, looking at swimsuits. When I’d had enough shopping, I took a break and left to walk the boards alone.
Hala found me and pulled me into her shop that day, even though I was terribly nervous. I had been warned about Gypsies and their tricks, but Hala was the real deal. She knew who I was and what I could do. The best thing of all, she knew the Barclay sisters from experience and had helped me figure out the riddle that was Evangeline.
I made a promise to Hala, if she helped me with the Barclay sisters then I would help her friends. The thing was, her friends wanted my help contacting dead loved ones. We weren’t talking afternoon tea. We were talking more ghosts and more pressure than I cared for. She left the scheduling up to me and told me to call her when I was ready. Well, I never was actually ready, but I called while Ephraim talked to Lyn, figuring there was no time like the present.
“Brylee, you’re calling me to schedule, are you not?” she asked.
I sighed into the phone. “Yes. I’m ready when you are,” I lied.
“Wonderful. Tonight then.”
“So soon?” I asked her.
“Brylee, these women have been waiting months for this. I know you’re nervous, but better to get it done, right?” she queried.
“Sure, I guess. I’ll tell my parents I’m going to the library or something.”
“Brylee, I know you’re nervous but I can assure you that this will be good for you. A great learning experience for a dead talker,” she assured me.
“Hala, it’s not that I don’t want to learn more. I do, I want to learn to harness this talent that I have, but it’s a room full of women who are expecting so much from me,” I admitted. It felt freeing to tell Hala how I had been feeling. The thought of meeting with these women and trying to contact the dead for them made my stomach flip-flop.
Hala laughed. “You have no idea what talent you have, Brylee. I believe in you and these women believe in you, too. They need your help, desperately.”
If that was true, that they did need my help, then I had to do this. I couldn’t imagine not seeing Lyn again. If that were the case and I could communicate with her through someone like me, then I would do it.
“Okay, well, for them I’ll do it. I’ll see you tonight.”
Just as I hung up, Ephraim came in. He looked immensely better after a few minutes alone with Lyn. He sat down at the table and peeled a banana.
“Well, I have to go see Hala’s friends tonight. Can you cover for me?”
“Sure. I’ll drive you and we’ll tell your folks we’re going out to the movies,” he said with his mouth full of food. “Thanks, you know, for back there.”
“For what?”
“Making me talk to her. I’m not sure what she said back, but I think it was one of the best conversations we’ve ever had.”
I could tell he was making a joke by the light in his eyes. Lynley could tell, too. “Jerk. He’s only saying that because I couldn’t interrupt him. Ugh, he is still so selfish,” she told me. “But, I know that he loves me and misses me. Will you tell him I love him?”
I sat at the table and held his hand. “She loves you. She wanted me to tell you that.”
“I know she does. I just … I just miss hearing her say it. Ya know?” He put the banana down while tears pooled in his eyes. They went from bright to dark again. I could feel the emotions building in myself. How were we ever going to get through this?
“Brylee, tell him not to cry. I can’t stand to see him this way,” Lyn pleaded. “Please. I don’t want to see you guys grieving over me. I’m fine, trust me.”
I passed on her message, but he still cried. He hung his head as he held my hands from across the table. Then I felt Lyn’s hands over ours. She was crying too.
“Lyn, don’t get upset. We just need to get used to this. That’s all,” I told her through tears of my own.
Ephraim raised his head and looked at me. “Tell her I’ll be okay. I just need time. Oh, and ask her where she goes, you know?”
I knew. He meant where she went when she wasn’t with us.
“Ephraim, I can hear you,” Lyn reminded him.
“She says she can hear you. I’ll be the interpreter for her, okay?”
He nodded.
Lyn backed up and hopped up onto the counter top. “You want to know where I go, right? Like when I’m gone from your sight?” I nodded. “I am still here, but you guys are all gone. I’m alone with the others. Just not all of the others, at least I don’t think so. When it first happened, I was here all alone, with no one else. But after a while, others started to show up. Some of them acknowledge me and others don’t. It’s like they know I’m different.
“Sometimes they’re cooking and it’s a full kitchen with all the family and other times they pace the halls like, well, ghosts.”
It was hard to hear, but I was glad to know she wasn’t alone. After I passed on what she said to Ephraim, I asked her, “Do you ever see us and not be able to communicate?”
“No. When I see you, you see me. But I think there are times that I am walking around and I can feel your presence, but I can’t see you. Does that make sense?” It did, almost.
“Sort of like, I can feel you, but not see you?” I asked her and she nodded. We were like ghosts to her in those times, she sensed we were there, but couldn’t tell for sure.
Just as we were getting all of our questions answered, my mom walked in the front door. Lyn turned to look at her and grinned. “Your mom looks good. I like her new haircut.” I smiled at Lyn then faced my mom.
“Hey, what’s going on guys? Everything okay?” She looked at Ephraim’s tear stained face and our joined hands, frowning.
“Just talking. We want to go see a movie tonight, is that cool?” I asked.
“Sure, just don’t stay out late. You have school tomorrow.” How could I forget?
“I’ll have her back at a decent hour,” Ephraim promised. “I think I’ll shower before we go,” he said as he rose to his feet and headed for the stairs.
“What’s really going on? Is he okay?” Mom pressed.
“Yes, just talking about Lyn. He’ll be fine Mom.” I stood and placed a hand on her shoulder. “He needs time to adjust. With this being the first day of senior year, it’s a little tough for both of us. She … she should have been there.” Even though she was there, she should have been there alive. She should have been sitting next to me, writing notes in first period.
It hit me again that she was really gone. My mom placed her arms around me and hugged me tightly.
“Life will never be the same for either of you. But, I am glad you have each other.” It was the first time she had really acknowledged that the two of us were a real couple and not just dating. Our relationship had turned serious sooner than we had expected it to. Definitely more serious than my parents had thought it would. I’m sure they thought we would be just two silly kids in love, but it was more than that. We both knew we were happy with each other and we saw a future for ourselves. I was completely content being his girl, as long as he wanted me to be.
Once Ephraim had showered, we left my house. Lyn stayed behind, saying she just wanted to hang out with my mom while she cooked dinner for my dad. I honestly think she was giving us some time alone. This wasn’t a real date though, but I would take it. We took my car and once we hit the interstate, I felt a chill on the back of my neck. Without looking, I rubbed the goose bumps, hoping the feeling would fade away. But after about five minutes of near constant tickling and chills, I turned around to face a dead girl in my back seat.
Chapter 3
Kayla’s face had been hidden in the shadows and, at first, I squealed. She, of course, found this hilarious. Especially since my squeal scared Ephraim and made him hit the rumble strip on the side of the highway.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, panicked.
I thumbed the back seat, where Kayla was now snickering. “It’s Kayla playing a not so funny joke on me!” I reached back and smacked her.
“Hey, not fair. I was just being amusing not violent!” She cracked up while I fumed in the front seat.
When we pulled into Hala’s driveway, I had finally forgiven her. How could I not? She hadn’t been around in a while.
“Where have you been?” I asked her.
“You know, here and there. You’re not the only one leading such a riveting life, Brylee. I, too, have excitement.”
I rolled my eyes. “For real, where have you been?” If anyone had a boring afterlife, it was Kayla. She was stuck here, wandering around for days at a time. Some days she forgot who she was and others she didn’t remember that she was dead. She explained to me once that I had helped keep her grounded and aware of the fact that she was a ghost.
“I lost a few days. No big deal. Just drop it,” she snapped.
“No, I won’t drop it. Not now, Kayla, you lost a few days. That’s not normal,” I told her. Then I explained it to clueless Ephraim who sat waiting patiently while his girlfriend talked to yet another dead person.
“Go. Talk to your buddy Hala. We’ll talk more later.” And with that she slumped against the back seat.
“Fine, but this isn’t over yet.” I got out with Ephraim and Hala greeted us at the front door. I was starting to feel nerves attack my empty stomach. I should have eaten first. Her house smelled strongly of hummus, with maybe a hint of patchouli. She was wearing a beautiful gold sari. I felt dowdy and rumpled in comparison, dressed in plain shorts and a hoodie. I really should’ve dressed up for this. People were here to meet their loved ones and I hadn’t had the decency to dress nicely.
“Sorry. I should have dressed … better.”
Hala waved her hands, “No worries. They care not what you wear but who you see for them. And Brylee, don’t be nervous.”
I nodded even though I was thinking, Easier said than done.
“Ephraim, you and I will go to the kitchen. My daughter has made a lovely dinner for us. Brylee, you are to go to the living room where our guests are waiting. You will be meeting Mrs. Hansen and Mrs. Jones. They are the women who are hoping to meet their loved ones that have moved on.” I swallowed hard. She held my hand and said, “Be brave.”
They both left me and I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.
I pushed open the French doors and there sat three women, two of which were in their later years in life. The two older women sat across from each other. The third woman, or girl, was in a chair in the middle of the other two, and was considerably younger. They all turned toward me and smiled. I felt a bit braver after seeing their smiling faces.
The lady closest to me stood and I noticed her bright red hair had several strands of white flowing through it. Her kind blue eyes looked exhausted. I could only imagine what sort of grieving she had been going through. “Delilah Hansen,” she said as she offered me her hand. I shook it and then Mrs. Jones introduced herself next. She had beautiful caramel skin and a shock of grey hair. They both seemed tired and sad. The woman in the middle smiled at me and I smiled back. She seemed more nervous than the other two.
I sat on the chaise lounge while Mrs. Hansen sat to my right and Mrs. Jones to my left, leaving the other woman in front of me. I had forgotten to get her name, but we had time to get to that.
“I have to admit this is my first time doing this, so I am a little nervous,” I admitted. “But I can assure you I have spoken to the dead before and should not have a hard time now.”
Mrs. Hansen handed me a necklace. “This was my oldest daughter’s. I hope having an item will help you see her.” I took the necklace and wrapped it around my fingers. I didn’t know if it would help, but it couldn’t hurt.
“I haven’t ever used an item, but I will try. Now, don’t tell me about her okay?” She nodded. I looked around hoping her daughter would show up and say ‘Hey, here I am,’ but after a few minutes nothing happened.
“The pearls are beautiful, aren’t they?” the woman in the middle asked me.
“Yes. They are beautiful. I didn’t get your name,” I told her.
“I’m Megan. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too. Did you know her daughter?” I asked. Megan nodded. “Yes, I did.”
I closed my eyes hoping to get a sense of any presence, but still, nothing.
“I used to always steal the pearls from my mom’s jewelry box,” Megan laughed. I realized she must be Mrs. Hansen’s other daughter, here supporting her mom. “That’s funny. My mom has a set of pearls I used to love to wear, too.”
“Yeah, finally she gave them to me,” Megan said.
“Brylee?” Mrs. Hansen asked. “Who are you talking to honey?” I looked at Mrs. Hansen then back at Megan, who sat boldly.
“Megan,” I told her. And it finally hit me, Megan was dead and she was Mrs. Hansen’s daughter.
“You tricked me, Megan,” I admitted to her. “They were your pearls.” I was putting the puzzle pieces together. In the meantime, Mrs. Hansen had tears streaming down her face and Mrs. Jones had a look of shock.
“I was wearing them when I was murdered. The coroner gave them to my mom as a way of identifying my body,” she informed me. “You see, my body was so stabbed up and terrible looking that they didn’t want to show it to her. With the pearls in her hands, she knew it was me. They are rare pearls. Not everyone owns a pair with my mom’s initials engraved in the clasp.”
I looked down at them in my hands and indeed saw initials on them.
“Your daughter was murdered, horrifically. They identified her with these,” I said as I held them up in my hands.
Mrs. Hansen nodded. She was barely able to speak. “Is she … is she okay?”
I looked to Megan, who nodded. “Tell her I’m okay. I was there for the hearings. All of them, and the man that was set free and found not guilty was the man that killed me.”
Shock hit me hard. The man that had killed her was set free to kill more women. I told Mrs. Hansen and the tears stopped. She became strong, almost like knowing the truth had set her free.
The White Door Page 2
