by Emmett Swan
What if she could really make this happen? What if she could be a heroine? She imagined how happy the boys would be to be flesh and bone again. Restoring life—not ending it. What a complete turnaround.
And, for the first time that day, her mind went back to that day on the lake.
While trying to find Curtis in the water, she had prayed and hoped she would find him alive. But in the end, there was only abysmal, tragic disappointment. Later, she would play the scenario over in her head. She imagined pulling him from the lake, flailing and choking and spewing water, but alive. She dreamed of people helping drag him onto a boat to safety. She’d fantasized about sitting with his parents and Caroline, seeing the relief on their faces and their love for their son, whom Jessica had saved. And there, in the presence of redemption, was self-forgiveness.
But it was just a fantasy. The dark cloud of remorse always returned. It returned now, its familiar density obscuring hopeful thoughts.
The vehicle halting in front of the house jolted Jessica back to the present.
They were the only guests for dinner, so Uncle Basil parked the car directly in front of the house rather than in the large parking area outside the manor’s stone fence. The Peterson House was a grander place than Connaree Manor. It towered three stories high and was made of pale white stone, with tall stone chimneys at each end. Two rows of neatly trimmed boxwood hedges encircled the property, all inside a low-lying dry-stone fence. Two tasteful topiaries stood on either side of the first step of the stairs leading to the front door.
The Petersons met them at the front door with a warm greeting. Shelly and Grace stood nearby in the foyer and were equally polite and gracious to Jessica and Riley. After the initial exchange of pleasantries, they led Jessica and Riley on a tour of the house. Uncle Basil and Aunt Noreen, who had been in the house many times, went to the living room to sit with Shelly and Grace’s parents.
As the four teenagers wandered through the three stories of the big house, the Peterson girls were friendly enough. But Jessica detected a distant tone in their voices as if they were going through the motions of being polite. Their language was formal, and their smiles didn’t extend to their eyes. That was fine—perfect, in fact. She and Riley did the same thing. Making nice for the parents. They could do this for as long as it took to get the hell out.
“These are our bedrooms,” said Shelly, gesturing to the open doorways as if she were on a game show. Jessica looked into the neat, feminine rooms, accented with toile and lace. They reminded her of Molly’s and Emma’s rooms back in Connaree Manor, but even more frilly.
“Lovely rooms,” she said, returning Shelly’s formality.
“Very pretty,” said Riley. Jessica detected the sarcastic tone in his voice. She hoped it wasn’t obvious to Shelly and Grace.
“What’s on the third floor?” asked Riley, pointing to the narrow staircase that wound upward.
“Oh, we keep the door up top closed off,” said Grace. “It’s cold and musty up there.”
“It’s just a few smaller bedrooms,” added Shelly. “We use it for storage, but in the old days the house servants lived up there.”
“Nowadays, our servants live in their own houses,” said Grace, “and come here to work.”
Jessica couldn’t help herself. “Don’t you think it’s better that way? I wouldn’t want servant types just hanging around during their off hours.”
Shelly shrugged, her tone smug. “I think in those days they really didn’t have off hours. Serving the family was an all-day job.”
“One of the rooms was the guest room,” added Grace.
“You mean guests would stay across the hall from the servants’ rooms?” asked Jessica, trying to convey a slight sense of alarm.
“And use the same bathrooms?” asked Riley. “How gross.” Now his sarcasm was obvious to anyone. He smiled at Jessica, who gave him a warning scowl. But the girls didn’t have a chance to respond. Any potential awkwardness was defused by the tinkle of the dinner bell. Jessica and Riley silently followed Shelly and Grace to the main stairway and down to the dining room, where Uncle Basil, Aunt Noreen, and the Petersons were already seated.
Dinner was formal, with fine china and flatware, and with two servants bringing out and serving the dishes. The Petersons were friendly and warm and seemed to get along well with Uncle Basil and Aunt Noreen, so Jessica found herself enjoying the meal more than she expected. Even their servants, a man and a woman, seemed cheerful compared to Gerald and Meeda.
“It’s truly a lovely house,” offered Jessica in the middle of a discussion about the age of the home. She had noticed the copious trim of dark woods, the coffered ceiling, and the parquet floor design around the edges of the room. “Has it changed much over the years?”
“Hardly at all,” said Mr. Peterson, who seemed pleased by her interest. “Of course, many of the furnishings are relatively new. But little has been done to the structure itself other than adding wiring and improving windows to keep the chill out.”
“Well, let’s not forget the fire,” offered Mrs. Peterson. “About a century ago. Several upstairs rooms had to be rebuilt.”
“Two servants died,” said Grace in a partial whisper.
“Unfortunate but true,” said Mr. Peterson. “This house has a long history, with a few dark moments along the way.”
“An old noble family lived here for centuries,” said Mrs. Peterson. “It used to be called the Kyne House.” Jessica’s fork dropped from her hand with a loud metal clank.
“Excuse me,” she asked once she had recovered. “Kyne?”
“Yes. They built the house and many generations were born here. But then one day, three sons just disappeared. Their parents were so distraught they moved away from the area.”
“Then the O’Malleys bought it,” added Mr. Peterson. “Then the Seigelsteins. We bought it from them and moved in eighteen years ago. Shelly and Grace were born here.”
“The Seigelsteins were lovely people,” said Aunt Noreen. “Lydia and I were close friends. We still write.”
“But how did the boys disappear?” asked Jessica, suddenly fascinated with the house’s history.
“No one knows,” said Shelly. “Some say they froze to death. Others say wolves got them.”
“Wolves?” asked Riley. “Really?”
“Well, only back then,” said Uncle Basil. “No wolves around here these days.”
“That’s right,” said Mr. Peterson. “But back then there were plenty. Legend has it they were in pursuit of a thief, so there could have been a clash of arms. Or maybe it was just the cold. But their bodies were never found.”
“They were chasing a ghost,” giggled Grace.
“That’s the story,” said Mr. Peterson. “An invisible ghost. Anyway, the Kyne family gave up these lands and moved away. Their family still lives in Galway these days. They occasionally drop by to visit their old family home.”
Jessica’s curiosity burned. She looked around the elegant home with new eyes. Did the tree boys really live here at one time? It was hard to imagine. She wondered what they would look like. And what they would do if she managed to break the curse. Would they go after Thallach now? She supposed they would. And she would help. Though she would stop short of harming anyone herself.
She found the unexpected connections exciting. More details to help her put together the big picture.
As the evening wore on, Jessica’s mind returned again and again to the brothers in the forest. She became anxious to continue their mission. The minutes dragged on. Still, she kept her comments cheerful and engaged. The teens were all perfectly behaved, and no one would have known there were ever harsh words between them. Jessica was thankful nothing controversial had come up, and Riley seemed at ease with them too.
Just maybe they’re okay, after all.
As they all got up to leave, everyone exchanged friendly smiles and pleasant good nights. Uncle Basil, Aunt Noreen, Jessica, and Riley returned to their car and h
eaded home.
Uncle Basil and Aunt Noreen yawned in the front seat as they drove down the dirt lane. Jessica’s heart was racing with excitement. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. When they walked into Connaree Manor, she announced that she was tired and headed straight for her bedroom, as did Riley. Jessica changed clothes and laid her head on her pillow to wait. Excited and restless, she couldn’t stop thinking about the Kyne brothers. In a matter of hours, she and Riley would, with a little luck, release them from their curse. Maybe this time, her involvement would lead to help instead of someone’s demise. Perhaps this was her penance for Curtis’s death. That thought catapulted her straight up in bed, fully clothed.
“That’s it!” she said. “Penance! This is my penance, and after that, redemption. Finally! The dark cloud may be lifted!”
She felt lighter already. Now to make it happen.
Twenty-Eight
Hours later, after the house had been still for some time, Jessica heard Riley’s soft knock on her door. She let him in and turned on a small lamp.
“Okay, are you ready?” she whispered.
“I’m ready. Do you have the vial?”
“It’s right here in my pocket. Now,” she continued, tapping her finger on her chin, “we need a marker of some kind, like a permanent magic marker.”
“A marker. For what?”
“Don’t you remember what the Lady of the Mist said? We have to draw that symbol on the bark of the tree people and then drop the blue elixir on it.”
“Oh, so now you’re calling them tree people too?”
“The Kyne brothers.”
Riley surveyed the room. “I haven’t seen a marker anywhere.”
“Hmm.” Jessica rummaged around Molly’s drawers in the dim lamplight and, before long, pulled out a tube with a purple cap.
“It’s purple,” she said, “but I guess that won’t matter.” She looked up at Riley. “Well, let’s go release the curse.”
They opened the window, stepped onto the brick ledge, grabbed the tree limb, and scampered down the tree to the ground. The sky was littered with clouds this evening, so the moonlight was uneven. But by now they knew the way pretty well, even in the dark, and had no problem reaching the creek.
They removed their shoes and waded down the shallow stream until they reached the forest.
“I wonder how old they were when they were cursed?” she asked. “Isn’t it crazy that we were just in their home earlier? Can you believe it? More data pointing us to proceed, Riles!” She chattered on without giving Riley time to respond. “Disappeared without a trace! Did you hear that? Chasing an invisible ghost. No bodies found because they had become trees! Incredible!”
Jessica looked up at the sky. The moon was hidden behind clouds. They climbed up on the mossy bank and there stood the three trees. And, as expected, they were standing still like normal trees. She looked at Riley.
“Do you have your phone?”
“My phone?” replied Riley. “We can’t get a signal, so why would I have my phone with me?”
Jessica didn’t blink. “Riley, do you have your phone?” She couldn’t see Riley’s face turn red in the darkness, but she easily imagined it. Riley’s phone was his link to his world back home, and she knew it gave him comfort. A sort of friend for someone who had so few.
“Okay, okay,” he said. “Of course I have it. We’re connected at the hip.”
Jessica could just make out the black rectangle in the dim light. “Okay,” she said. “Turn on the flashlight and point it to the tree while I draw the symbol.”
Riley held the light on the tree’s bark while Jessica pulled out her purple marker. She recalled the description of the rune given to them by the Lady of the Mist and drew an L with three dots along the stem. Though she could smell the ink’s chemical odor, it was difficult to see the drawing against the dark bark. Jessica hoped the dimness of lines wouldn’t affect the elixir’s power.
“Okay,” said Jessica, pulling out the blue vial. “Here it goes.” She took a deep breath and faced the tree.
“Just one drop. Or we won’t have enough for the others,” Riley warned.
“I know. I’ll be careful.” She was beside herself with excitement. Her hand shook in anticipation as she fumbled with the small vial.
“How are you going to get the drop to fall sideways?” asked Riley just before she opened the vial. “Are you going to fling it?”
Jessica shrugged. “Hmm, I better not. I might miss the symbol.” She paused and thought. “I’ll just drop it on my finger and then smear it on the bark.”
Jessica removed the applicator from the vial and held it over her fingertip. Under the cell phone’s light, Jessica and Riley watched a pale droplet slowly form at the tip, glowing with a dim blue light. The scent of metal washed over them. The drop finally released onto Jessica’s fingertip and wiped it on the tree’s bark where she had drawn the rune. They stood back and looked up at the tree expectantly. But nothing happened.
“Maybe you shouldn’t have put it on your finger first,” offered Riley.
“How else could I have got it on there?” snapped Jessica.
Riley shrugged. “You could have flung it, like I said.”
“It probably takes a few minutes to work. We may as well do the others.”
“But what if you’re messing it up?” worried Riley.
“I’m not messing it up. Shut up! Damn!” Jessica didn’t need this criticism from him.
She proceeded to draw the same rune on the two other trees and applied the blue elixir. Then they stepped back and waited.
Still, nothing happened. And with every passing moment, Jessica felt more panicked and disappointed. She tried not to think that she had messed it up, but maybe she had. Damn! Why can’t you do anything right? This was your one chance! There’s not enough elixir for another application!
She began pacing with apprehension in front of the largest tree, chewing on the marker top while the voice in her head scolded her. You should have found a permanent black marker! This stuff probably doesn’t even work with markers! It’s not from this world.
She stared hard at the trees, hoping to see subtle changes in the trees’ surface. Then she thought she saw something happening. Moving next to the tree, she stood perfectly still and waited. Nothing. She realized it was the play of moonlight and shadows from the leaves above.
“Damn!” she cried. “Come on! Where are you?” She held her breath and kept staring, then pacing, staring, then pacing, then cursing. “Come on, please.”
Another half hour passed and there was no change.
Jessica shook her head and sat down. “I may have messed it up,” she admitted.
“I knew you messed it up. I told you not to do it that way.”
Jessica was near tears. Riley’s words just echoed her own disheartening thoughts. “It was probably the purple marker. The rune was too light.” She sighed in defeat and looked up at the tree named Conall. “Maybe we can go back to the Lady of the Mist and get more elixir.”
“And clearer instructions,” added Riley.
Jessica blew a puff of air from her cheeks. “I guess we’ll borrow Dottie and Grey Girl again tomorrow morning and—”
Jessica, still looking up at the tree in exasperation, stopped speaking mid-sentence. Above her head, one of the tree’s branches started to sway.
“I saw it move!” she cried and jumped to her feet. The branch stopped moving and she stared at it, begging quietly. “Come on. Come on and move.” But it didn’t. “It must have been the wind,” said Jessica, her head drooping.
“But there’s no wind,” Riley corrected. “Hey! It is moving.” He cast the phone’s light at the tree, pointing at it like a little kid. “Look!”
All the branches had begun swaying and shaking. Then, after a minute of movement, they stared in amazement as slivers of blue light began flashing out from various places on the tree. A glow pulsated beneath the bark.
There was no d
oubt. Something was happening now.
Jessica heard a low moan, as if a person was in great pain. The blue flashes became more frequent, and the pulsing glow strengthened until it was constant. Then there was the sound of rushing wind as the flashes of light enveloped the tree in a giant vortex of blue.
The overwhelming display of color and sound continued for a few seconds but then, abruptly, the light and sound disappeared. The figure of a teenage boy lay where the tree once stood. From what they could see in the dim light, he was barely clothed in aged, tattered rags, with his knees folded up to his chest. Though it wasn’t cold, he was shivering. His face was contorted in a grimace.
“Are you okay?” she asked, placing her hand on his shoulder ever so gently.
The boy didn’t answer. Then the other two trees moved their branches and slivers of blue light emerged from them as well. Jessica and Riley watched, mesmerized, as one by one, giant whirlpools of glowing and pulsing light formed. Just as before, the light vanished and two more boys replaced the trees, lying on the ground in tattered clothes.
Riley watched the newcomers moan in obvious agony. “They’re hurting!” he cried. “We gotta do something.”
“It subsides,” said a croaky voice, and they turned to the first boy, who had managed to sit up. He was covered in dirt with bits of forest litter stuck to his tattered clothes. He tried to stand, faltering, and Jessica ran to his aid.
“Here, let me help you,” she said, tucking her shoulder under his armpit. She looked up at him. “Are you okay?”
He was taller than medium height, with an athletic physique. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. Jessica found it awkward but warming at the same time. Her curiosity of his appearance was finally rewarded.
He swayed back and forth, obviously unsteady.
“Hold on to me,” she said. “Until you’re ready to stand on your own.”
The boy put his hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “You are Jessica,” he said. He partially bowed. “I am Conall Kyne. Most pleased to make your acquaintance.” He spoke formally and with a heavy Irish accent.