by Patricia Fry
“Unless what?”
“Well, unless he was freed from being stuck here when his suspected killer died.” She spoke more quietly. “Iris thinks there are a lot of ghosts here.”
“In this house?”
She nodded. “She thinks it would be fun to live with them. Michael, you don’t believe we have ghosts, do you?”
Before he could respond, they heard knocking.
Savannah recoiled, but quickly recovered, saying, “Oh, I guess someone’s here.” Michael smiled at her as she stood up and walked to the door. “Rochelle! Peter!” She greeted. “Come in.”
“Hey,” Michael said, joining them with Teddy in one arm. “Welcome,” he said, hugging Rochelle.
She reached for the infant.
When Teddy turned away from her, Michael said, “What’s wrong, buddy? You’d rather stay with Daddy than go to a beautiful woman?”
“Well, thank you,” Rochelle said. She waved her hand in the air. “Oh, he’ll warm up to me later. He just needs time to remember us.”
“Looks like the cat would welcome some attention,” Peter said when he saw Rags rubbing against his wife’s legs.
“Hi, Rags,” Rochelle said. She leaned over and began scratching him around the neck. She looked up at Savannah. “I hear he’s going with us tonight.” She chuckled. “This’ll be the first time I’ve had a feline assistant.”
Savannah grinned. “Maybe he’ll communicate with all the farm animals and pets that have lived on that property over the years.”
Peter burst out laughing. “Now that would be wild. Imagine the room filled with moos, neighs, hee-haws, baas, and clucks as they all try to share their heavenly experiences.”
Savannah stared at him for a moment. “Now that would really freak me out.” She turned to Rochelle, “That won’t happen, will it?”
Rochelle joined Peter in laughter. “I don’t think so. But you never know what to expect in one of these sessions.” She looked down at Rags, who was now lying in a traditional sphinx pose. “…especially with him involved.”
****
Iris gleefully greeted Savannah and Rochelle just after six that evening. “Good, you brought the spiritual cat,” Iris said. “Come in. I have the table set and the salad’s chilling.” She grinned. “So is the wine.”
Rochelle hesitated, then said, “Why don’t we save the wine until after we…um…talk to your Ernie.”
“Good idea,” Iris agreed.
“Yeah, I’d like to keep a clear channel; I think we’ll have better results.”
“I’m hoping for results,” Iris said. She looked down at Rags. “Just let him go if you want to, Savannah. I told Tommy he was coming.”
Rochelle smiled at Rags. “He certainly made himself presentable for his visit here tonight.” When Iris looked puzzled, she explained, “He just spent the last half hour giving himself a lick-bath.”
Once Savannah had removed Rags’s harness, she followed the other women into the dining room. “What a beautiful table setting,” she said. “I don’t remember seeing these dishes before.”
“They were stored in that shed behind our other house. They were my grandmother’s.” Giddily she said, “Thank you for noticing.”
“How could we not?” Savannah remarked. “They’re striking.”
“Stunning,” Rochelle agreed, “especially next to that beautiful vase of roses.” She winked. “You’d think you were a decorator or something.”
Savannah nodded, “Are the roses from your garden?”
“Yes,” Iris said. “Pretty, aren’t they?” She had walked into the adjoining kitchen to retrieve the salad when she heard Rochelle gasp.
Savannah reacted, but not in time to prevent a near disaster. “Raaags!” she complained, reaching for the cat as he leaped from the tabletop to a nearby counter.
“He’s after a moth!” Rochelle exclaimed. “Get that moth!”
Savannah was able to grab the cat and she held onto him while Rochelle and Iris frantically slapped at the air, trying to catch the flying intruder.
Once the critter was captured under a dish towel, Rochelle scooped it up and headed for the front door, shouting, “Open it! Open it! Someone open the door!”
Iris ran past her, pulled the door open, and watched as Rochelle shook the moth from the towel.
“It must have come in with us,” Rochelle said, returning with Iris to the scene of Rags’s crime.
“My beautiful table,” Iris cried.
Savannah grimaced and lowered the cat to the floor. “Darn it, Rags.” She picked up the vase and the roses and hurried to the sink. Rochelle used the towel to soak up some of the water that had spilled and Iris picked up two glasses that had tipped and looked them over.
“Nothing’s broken,” Rochelle said. “He may be high-spirited and apt to react with abandon, but he doesn’t seem to be terribly clumsy.”
“He’s a bull in a china shop,” Iris complained. “But yes, it could have been worse. Thank you for that, Rags.” She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Okay, shall we try this again? Please sit down ladies, and let me serve you the salad.”
****
An hour later Iris dimmed the lights in the master bedroom and the three women sat cross-legged on the floor. Rags snooped around the room as Iris’s cat Tommy watched from atop a cat tree.
“Rags, now don’t get into any more trouble, okay?” Savannah said.
“Just ignore the cats for now,” Rochelle suggested in a calming voice. Close your eyes and clear your mind of clutter. I’m going to presume that the entity here is Ronnie Griffith.” She looked at Iris. “That’s who you think it is, right? That’s the name of the young construction worker who went missing all those years ago?”
Iris nodded, and Rochelle continued, “Try to keep an open mind and avoid blocking communication. Push any opposing thoughts out of your consciousness. If you see or sense something that alarms you, try not to react. Know that I’m probably aware of it. Just sit quietly and let me work.”
Savannah gulped. “Are you saying that if a being comes out of nowhere and attacks us with one of Iris’s stilettos, we…?”
“Oh, Savannah,” Iris whined.
“But if it does,” Savannah insisted, “or if he releases a barrel of bats into the room…”
Rochelle put a hand on Savannah’s arm and looked into her eyes. “That’s not going to happen. If you become aware of something, it will simply be as if there’s an entity in the room with us. It’s nothing to fear. I can tell you there is nothing evil here, or I wouldn’t have let either of you join in.” When Rochelle was convinced that both women were calm and relatively relaxed, she returned to her sitting position and asked, “Are we set?”
Savannah and Iris both closed their eyes and nodded.
After several minutes, Rochelle said, “Ronnie Griffith.” She sat silently for another minute or two. “Ronnie Griffith, we are here for you. We want to help you find what you’re seeking.” She cocked her head as if listening, then bowed and appeared to be asleep.
A good ten minutes passed before Iris and Savannah heard Rochelle take a deep breath. They opened their eyes and looked at her. “What happened?” Iris asked. “What did Ronnie tell you? Did he talk about his murder?”
When Savannah could see that Rochelle appeared exhausted, she put her hand on Iris’s arm and whispered, “Give her a few minutes.”
“I’m okay,” Rochelle said, her voice raspy. “Can I have a glass of water?” She slowly raised herself to a standing position, stretched, and sat down in an arm chair.
Iris, in the meantime, turned on the overhead light and reached for the water bottles she’d carried in earlier. She handed one to Rochelle, offered Savannah one, then sat on the edge of the bed. Savannah also stood and stretched before perching on the bed next to Iris.
Rochelle took a couple of swigs of water, then looked at the others. “Did you sense him at all?”
Savannah pulled back a little and shook her head.
“No. No, not me.”
“Iris?” Rochelle questioned.
“Well, I…um…I’m not sure,” she stuttered. “I was aware of something. Maybe it was Ernie…I mean Ronnie.” She faced Rochelle and asked eagerly, “Did you talk to him? What did he say? Did he tell you who killed him?”
“Actually,” Rochelle said slowly, “I don’t know who the entity is or how she fits into the scenario here, but she came in like gangbusters.”
“She?” Iris screeched.
Rochelle looked at her. “Yes. Iris, did you sense male energy just now? What about the other times you felt the…energy, did it seem male to you?”
“Uh…well, I’m not sure. I knew about the worker who had gone missing and I guess I just figured it was him. It isn’t him?” Her eyes wide, she faced Savannah. “Unless…”
“Unless what?” Savannah questioned.
“Well, maybe Ronnie’s a female.” When Savannah looked at her questioningly, she explained, “Maybe her name’s Veronica. Did that newspaper article actually say Ronnie was a guy?”
“I’m pretty sure it did,” Savannah confirmed.
Rochelle shook her head. “Well, Iris, you might have two spirits here, because the one who came through this evening is definitely a woman.”
Iris covered her mouth with her hands and whispered, “Wow!” She asked more eagerly, “So who was it; do you know? Did she tell you?”
Rochelle winced. “Not in so many words. She wanted me to know that she belongs here—that she has business here. She’s definitely on a mission. Does that make sense to you?”
Iris shook her head. “No. What does that mean? Where’d she come from?”
“I can’t be sure, but she seems to be aware of Ronnie Griffith’s disappearance. That was primary and foremost on her mind.”
“Ghost-spirits have minds?” Savannah asked.
“Of course they do,” Rochelle confirmed. “Otherwise, how could they cause so much havoc for those of us who’re still on the earth plane?” Before the others could comment, she added, “Iris, I’m not aware of an entity filling Ronnie’s profile, but I’m pretty sure that the woman I spoke with just now knows what happened to him.”
“So who is she?” Savannah asked. “Did she leave her name?”
“Ha-ha,” Iris said. “Did she leave her name? Good one, Savannah.”
Rochelle agreed. “I’ll have to remember that one. To answer your question, I got only a fragment with regard to her name—no real clarity there. I believe it’s Viola or Violet…maybe Vivian.” She shook her head. “I’m not sure. I don’t know who she is other than that. I didn’t get any insight as to how she might fit into the Ronnie Griffith mystery. I strongly sense that she has information, if only we could more clearly communicate with one another.”
“So are you saying you need to spend more time with her?” Iris asked. “Would that help you to get clarity?”
“Possibly,” Rochelle said, “but I can’t be certain.”
“What else did she say?” Savannah prompted. “Did she talk about anything else?”
“Oh, so you’re a believer now, are you?” Iris niggled.
“I don’t know. But I’d like to hear what Rochelle thinks she heard or saw or whatever.”
Rochelle smirked playfully at Savannah. “It’s more a sense—sensing, and what I sensed was that she’s been trying to communicate with you, Iris, or with someone. She seems to have a message.” When the others waited to hear more, she continued, “She did say one thing that kind of stunned me.”
“What?” Iris asked.
Savannah waited for Rochelle’s response as well.
Rochelle squinted and asked, “Do you know anyone named Abe?”
Iris shook her head. “Why?”
“This lady, I’ll call her Violet, seems to be afraid of him. She may believe that he’s responsible for her death or maybe someone else’s death. But for me to connect the dots from that impression to what might have happened to Ronnie Griffith is a stretch.”
“Do you know what time period she belongs in? Did she live when Ronnie Griffith did?” Savannah asked.
Rochelle looked at her and explained, “Time isn’t measured the same way in the spirit world as it is here. In fact, it has little meaning in the ethereal realm. But it seems to me that she crossed over maybe forty or fifty years ago.” Thinking out loud, Rochelle said, “And I do believe she has an interest in Ronnie Griffith.” She looked at the others. “I don’t know if that’s because she loved him while they were on the earth plane, or she loved someone else who had a love connection to him.”
“Wow!” Iris said.
Rochelle studied Iris. “Did you get any of this? What did you sense?”
She shook her head. “I sure didn’t. I was so interested in what was going on with you and
with Rags, that I didn’t tune in.”
“With Rags?” Savannah questioned. “What was Rags doing? I had my eyes closed. I thought you did too. Was he doing something?”
“Yeah, I wanted to see his reaction, so I peeked.”
“What did you see?” Savannah asked.
“He and Tommy were just staring, actually.” She raised a finger toward Savannah. “Like I told you, when cats stare at nothing, maybe it really is something that we can’t see.”
Rochelle smiled and asked, “Were they both staring in the same direction?”
Iris pointed. “Yeah, toward the window. But I have to admit there was a little light flicker in the same vicinity, coming from outside, I think. They both sat quietly and seemed to be watching that.” She turned to Rochelle. “So you didn’t run into Ronnie in the spirit world, huh?”
“Yeah,” Savannah asked, “is Violet…or…uh…Vivian the only ghost here?”
“I can’t be absolutely sure, but the woman came through strong. She wanted to be noticed, and I’m fairly certain she’s the same one I felt when I was here a few weeks ago.” She looked at Iris. “But you felt male energy?”
Iris waved her hand in the air. “Oh, I don’t know the difference between a girl ghost and a boy one. It’s not like I can see them or even hear them talking to me—at least I don’t think so. I just kind of guess or imagine what they’re telling me.”
Rochelle raised her eyebrows and nodded. “Well, that could be your higher self tuning in to them, Iris.”
“Really?” she asked excitedly. She giggled. “Well, if that’s true, the spirit I spoke with is Ronnie, and he was working here when they built this tract.”
“That’s probably because you were programmed to believe that,” Savannah suggested.
“Huh?”
“You knew that a worker went missing and you found out his name was Ronnie. He didn’t tell you any of that, did he? You were going on what you learned from your neighbor and what we confirmed at the library, right?”
Iris nodded. “Yeah, I guess.” She sat straighter. “But I felt something here even before I knew about Ronnie, remember?”
“Iris, tell me about your experiences with this being. Just relax and try to remember everything you felt and thought during those times when you seemed to be tapping into him or her. Can you do that?” she asked in her usual soothing tone.
“Sure,” Iris said.
“Just take your time and try to remember.” Rochelle glanced at Savannah. “Let’s be quiet and allow her to recall, okay?”
Savannah agreed.
Iris closed her eyes and sat quietly for a few moments, then she began to speak. “The first time I was sure I felt it was here in our bedroom. We hadn’t quite moved in yet. We’d brought a load of clothes and things over and I was putting them away. I thought I saw something move right there near the doorway. I looked in that direction expecting to see Craig, but then remembered he’d gone back to the house to get another load. I decided it was my imagination or that maybe I’d seen a light reflecting from the windshield of a passing car. Anyway, I confirmed that no one was here and I finished putting stuff away.”
<
br /> Iris looked at the others and continued, “It was what happened next that really got my attention. I started to unpack another box when I felt something. I was completely alone, yet I felt someone or something touch me.” She thought for a moment, then said, “I remember this happening once when I was much younger. Our grammar school class visited that old cemetery across town—you know, where there are graves from the 1800s.” She shivered. “I got the heebie-jeebies at that place.” She opened her eyes wide and said, “Seriously, I heard people talking—men and women both—and the thing is, there were no men with us that day. When I felt someone touch me, it really put a scare into me. No one was anywhere near me when it happened. I got the courage to tell my teacher about it later. Well, she noticed that something was wrong and she asked me what it was. I liked her and I felt safe talking to her. Do you know what she said?”
“What?” Savannah and Rochelle asked in unison.
“She said that there are such things as spirits, and that most of them are good. She told me that some people can see or sense them and she thought I might have that gift.”
“So it’s because of that teacher that you believe you can talk to dead people?” Savannah asked.
Rochelle put her hand on Savannah’s arm. “Now, she could be right. Let’s hear what else she has to say.”
Iris stared at Savannah for a moment before continuing. “Well, I didn’t actually believe everything Miss Lawton said that day. It was over my head and a bit frightening, but I’ve had enough spiritual encounters since then that I began to accept it.” She frowned. “I’ve never had a really strong sense before—just hints of a being now and then. This experience with Ronnie, or Violet, or whoever it is, was the strongest one yet, but I didn’t become a believer until the second time he visited me in this bedroom.”
She took a swig of water. “We’d moved in by then. Craig had gone to work and I was running late, so when I became aware of him, I just shined it on and continued dressing. It was when the missing worker popped into my mind that I realized maybe we were living with a very real spirit being. That thought gave me cause to pause and I decided to try speaking with him.” She swallowed hard. “I calmed myself and asked, ‘Who are you?’”