“Daddy left for work already, but we can eat together,” Kellie said
Faith asked, “Mommy, Halloween is only a week away, and we don't have costumes yet. I want to be a fairy princess.”
Hope giggled, “You were a fairy princess last year. Don't you want to be something more fun? I want to be something scary like the creepy clowns we saw in the fog.”
“No one is going to be a creepy clown,” Kelly insisted. “Faith can be a princess if she wants and you can find a costume that isn't scary. We can go shopping after school if you want.”
Both girls clapped their hands, blonde pigtails and braids bouncing, and jumped up and down saying, “Please Mommy, let's go shopping.”
Kellie laughed at their excitement. “Yes, we’ll go after school. Now, finish eating and get your things together. It’s Auntie Taylor’s day to drive you to school. Wear your warm jackets today. It’s going to be chilly.”
“Aww Mommy, my warm jacket makes my backpack hurt my shoulders,” Faith whined.
“I’ll adjust the straps. Go on. Soon you’ll need your winter coats and snowsuits.”
Faith answered, “I want a pink snowsuit again.”
“Not me, I want a green one,” Hope replied.
Kellie smiled at the girl's difference in color choices. It was the first time they disagreed on a color or outfit style. Their individual personalities were emerging.
Both girls headed upstairs with scowls on their faces. Kellie smiled and adjusted their backpack straps musing, “When I was in first grade I think all I needed were crayons.”
Hope and Faith stomped back down the stairs wearing their warmer coats and frowns.
“Smile,” Kellie said. “You’ll be happy you have them when you step outside. If you stay grumpy, I might not feel like going costume shopping after school.”
Both girls turned and placed their most charming smiles on their faces.
“You two are adorable double trouble,” Kellie commented as she hugged them. “I want you to remember not to mention fog or scary clowns on your way to school. Remember, it upsets your Auntie Taylor a lot.”
“We’ll remember.”
“Okay, let’s go.” Kellie opened the front door, and the girls ran across the yards to Taylor’s driveway. Kellie followed hearing the crunch of dried leaves under her feet. She wrapped her arms around herself thinking she should have grabbed a coat, too. Taylor, carrying Kayla, and Ethan emerged from the garage.
“Good morning, girls, Taylor said. A gust of wind blew a few leaves toward her, and Kayla grabbed one in her small hand. Taylor pulled it away just before Kayla pushed the leaf into her mouth.
“Good morning, Auntie Taylor,” Faith answered her blue eyes sparkling with excitement. “After school, we’re going to buy Halloween costumes. I’m going to be a fairy princess again.”
“Of course you are,” Taylor smiled.
Ethan jumped up and down. “Mom, Mom, Mom, can we go, too. I need a costume. I want to be a firefighter or a pirate or maybe an astronaut. Please, Mom.”
Kellie said, “It’s my day to pick them up. Do you want to come along and shop with Ethan or go another day?”
“No, Mom’s taking Kayla for the day. I have two reports to do for work, but I’ll finish by the time they get out of school. We can all go.”
Three voices cheered, and Hope spoke, “Mommy, I know what I want to be. I want to get a costume and be an old-fashioned English lady like Miss Annabelle.”
Taylor and Kellie looked at each other, and Kellie shrugged, “I think we can do that.”
Hope hugged Kellie’s legs. “Thanks, Mommy.”
“Let’s go,” Taylor said,” Or you’ll be late.”
Kellie and Taylor buckled the four children into the car seats of the SUV Taylor finally decided to buy after realizing her beloved sedan wouldn’t hold all the children.
Kellie waved from her front porch as the SUV pulled out onto the street.
~ * ~
Kellie loaded the dishwasher and poured another cup of coffee just as the front doorbell chimed. Rufus sprang to his feet and barked.
“You’ll never understand that I can hear it, too will you,” she laughed and rubbed his head. Opening the door, she smiled, and Rufus barked a welcome bark. She pushed the storm door open and said, “Welcome back, Lance. Come on in.” She looked around him and asked,” Where’s Hannah?”
“She knew we had a lot to discuss and work to accomplish, so she drove up north to visit her parents. They still aren’t happy she became a freelance writer rather than a journalist at an established paper. They aren’t pleased we’re together,” he answered and walked into the house. He dropped to one knee and ruffled Rufus’ fur.
“That’s a shame,” Kellie answered closing the door. “I love her articles. She has quite a following. Writing about your battles against evil was a brilliant idea. I’ve heard of people who think it’s fiction and some who believe it’s true. Either way, I’ve only heard good things.”
“I’m glad,” Lance said rising to his feet and brushing Rufus’ fur off his jeans. “She hopes to sway her family to her side by sharing her financial info. She’s doing better than she’d ever do behind a desk.”
“Let’s hope she does. Families can be difficult at times. Would you like some coffee or anything to eat?”
“No, thanks. We ate just before I drove over. I have something to show you. Claudia told me we have a new evil to battle that loves fire. I found a new use for my ability and I think you can do it, too.”
Lance walked over to the sink and turned on the water. “Cup your hands and fill your hands with the water.”
Kellie pursed her lips and stared at him a moment before doing as Lance asked. “Okay, now what?”
“Close your eyes and concentrate on the water. Use the same process you use to summon your white light, but use it to freeze the water in your hands.”
Kellie thought Lance might have spent too much time in the California sun, but she did as he suggested. The water in her hand felt colder, and she peeked at her hands. They opened wide as she watched the handful of water turn to ice.
“How did I do that?” Kellie asked dropping the glob of ice into the sink.
“Glasses, glasses, glasses,” Lance mumbled as he opened Kellie’s oak cabinet doors. “Oh, here they are.” He pulled a plastic tumbler out and handed it to her. “Fill this half-way and come outside with me.”
Kellie looked at Lance out of the corner of her eye not sure what just happened, but her curiosity won out. She filled the glass but asked him to wait before walking outside. “I need a jacket.”
Lance waited on the back deck and smiled when she joined him with the glass. “Now, do your best to summon the same power you felt in the kitchen and toss the water out of the glass.”
She tilted her head to the side and pulled at the power that now answered her without effort. As it spread through her body and down her arm, she tossed the water out of the glass and watched as it turned to snow and fluttered softly to the ground.
“Well, I’ll be,” Kellie murmured.
Lance laughed. “We’ll need water and cold to fight the fire and heat this new evil surrounds herself with and possibly a great deal of it. Later, we’ll go somewhere without prying eyes, and I’ll show you how to draw the water we’ll need right out of the ground. Fire is an essential element. We need to fight it with one.”
Kellie turned to look at him, “How? I wasn’t aware I could do this. How did you learn?”
“You may not believe me, but I met a man living in a cave in the mountains. He claimed to be over one-hundred-years-old and taught himself the ways of every mystical culture he could. He taught me how to harness the abilities I have and how to help you with yours. He told me there would be trouble before it happened and before Claudia explained anything to me.”
Kellie dropped into a dark green metal patio chair on her deck and answered, “After everything we’ve been through why would you think I wo
uldn’t believe you learned new abilities from an elderly cave dweller?”
Lance sat in a chair across the matching patio table and spoke to Kellie. “Claudia has no idea where this evil being is hiding. I hate to sit and wait until she makes her next move. Our amulets hide our comings and goings. I think we should use the time to hone our skills and learn new strengths. I heard about the fog that surrounded the house, and since it never broached the property, it shows Claudia’s protection works against this new evil.”
Kellie stood, “Let’s finish talking inside. I’m getting cold. Winter will be here soon.”
“The cold may play in our favor. She pulls strength from heat. It’s harder to accomplish in the cold.” He said following her into the house.
Kellie stopped when she saw Max standing in the kitchen. He glared at her. “I forgot my phone. I didn’t know you had a visitor. I take it this means you plan on fighting this thing whatever it is whether I care or not.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Kellie insisted. “We’re in danger.”
“Again, or should I say as usual,” Max snapped, spun on his heel and walked back out the door.
Lance stood still for a moment and said, “Claudia told me there was unrest in your life. I’m sorry. Is my presence making it worse?”
Kellie shrugged. “Five years of peace was wonderful. I know Max never expected this to happen again and to be honest, neither did I. He’ll come around when he realizes it’s something I can’t control, I hope. Did Claudia tell you about Miss Annabelle?”
Lance shook his head.
Kellie wiped down the kitchen counters from her breakfast preparations as she explained who and why Miss Annabelle resided in her home.
Lance wondered aloud, “If she’s here, it means the girls may have their own abilities and need an extra layer of protection. This evil might be stronger than we thought.”
When Kellie explained how the girls helped her dissolve the fog, Lance nodded.
“It makes sense that’s why the nanny is here. Whether she’s needed or not, she knew the girls had abilities before we did. The spirit world communicates at all levels all the time. She may prove invaluable at some point.”
“Max isn’t happy to share the house with a ghost,” Kellie confided.
“He loves you and the girls beyond reason. He’d lay down his life for any of you. He’ll understand in time. That’s what he needs…time. Give him some. He’ll come around,” Lance explained.
“Okay, I’ll try.” Kellie did her best to smile with her heavy heart. “The path along the river might be quiet enough to practice.”
Lance shook his head. “We need somewhere no one will see us or just happen across us. We’d be tomorrow’s headlines in the paper.”
The Women and Children’s Charity never cut down the woods behind the remodeled monastery. If we approach it from the far side, we’ll have the privacy we need, and no one should be out there. The children and staff don’t go into the woods. We put up a high fence to keep the kids out and safe.”
“Sounds like a good place. We can take my car.”
“Great, let me put on my hiking boots.”
Thirty minutes later, Lance pulled his car onto a small dirt road at the edge of the woods.
Kellie opened the car door and climbed out pushing her feet through the thick carpet of leaves at her feet. This far in the woods, the lower branches still hung onto their leaves. Glancing up, she saw the bare top branches blowing in the wind and clear of the leaves that were unable to withstand the assault of windy October days. Further down the trees, the gold, red, and occasional green leaves still clung to their branches before giving in to the inevitable end of their life span.
Lance slammed his car door and walked around the front of the car. “There’s a clearing up ahead. It should be a good spot to practice.”
Kellie and Lance walked quietly through the woods with the sound of crunching dry leaves scaring the small animals and birds from the area. Lance stopped just inside the clearing. “We can practice here.”
“I’m still not sure this will work,” Kellie admitted.
“You need a positive attitude.”
“I have one. I’m positive one of these days something stronger than me will win. Well, at least I’m positive I’m afraid it might happen. I don’t know. Before I had the girls, I didn’t worry much. Being a parent makes everything crystal clear. We have to beat this evil.” She threw her hands in the air and walked in a wide circle.
“We will. Have faith.” Lance smiled. “Watch this.”
He held out his hands palms down and closed his eyes. In less than a minute, a small puddle appeared near his feet. The longer he held out his hands, the larger the puddle grew. Lance looked up at Kellie. “Now watch.” He held out his hands again, and the puddle froze.
Kellie’s eyes widened as she watched Lance turn the puddle to ice. She hurried to his side and grabbed his hand. “Your hands aren’t cold. How?”
“It’s all in the mind. Our minds are an untapped source of power. Some of us can harness that power easily. Your turn to try. Concentrate and will the water from the ground.”
“You expect me to summon water the way someone with a divining rod might?”
“People with divining rods can find the water the same way you will, but you’re also able to control it,” Lance explained.
Kellie bit her lower lip and nodded. She held her hands out and willed the water to come to her much in the same way she summoned the white light. In a few moments, water bubbled up out of the dry earth. When the puddle grew a few inches deep, she forced her mind to grow cold and freeze the water. It obeyed, and she watched the puddle freeze over.
She spun to look at Lance. “I can’t believe I did that. Water and ice can help us fight this fiery entity.”
“Yes, it can. Wind can whip a fire stronger and more intense, or it can snuff it out. Our next task is to practice summoning it.”
“You think I can summon the wind the way I summoned water? How is that possible?” Kellie’s face scrunched with doubt.
“It’s another element. I discovered from my friendly cave dweller that when I learned to soften rock that I was controlling earth which is also an element. He taught me to control all elements. He said you’re able to control them, too and have the added benefit of summoning the pure white light. We used softened rock and white light to trap Thomas for eternity. We use the elements for good which makes it easy for us to learn. We’re working with the world, not against it,” Lance assured her and sat on a nearby fallen log.
Kellie nodded in agreement and asked, “How do I learn to control the wind? It might be useful if we’re bothered by that fog again. It terrified Taylor. I need to do everything I can to keep the people I love safe.”
“It’s easier than you think,” Lance explained holding his arms up toward the sky. “Draw on the same energy you did when you summoned water from the earth and pull the wind down from the sky.”
Kellie wrapped her arms around herself as the wind picked up in the woods. She watched as Lance drew his hands down and spun his wrists in circles. A dust devil appeared in the clearing. With a quick twist of his wrist, it stopped spinning and disappeared.
Lance turned toward her, “Your turn.”
Kellie shrugged. “Okay, if you can do this I can, too. Is it harder than summoning water?”
“Actually, it’s easier. The wind doesn’t have to push its way through the earth the way water does.” He looked at her anticipating her reluctance, but she surprised him.
She raised her hands above her head and pulled them down slowly. With her arms came a cold breeze that blew across the clearing whipping leaves in its path. She pulled her arms back, and the wind grew in intensity. Kellie smiled as she strengthened the wind with her mind.
“You’re right; this was easier than pulling water. What else did your new friend teach you?”
“He taught me to control fire, but I don’t think that’s somet
hing we should practice out here. We might burn the woods down. Besides, I’m not sure if it will help us with our fire entity. Fire seems to be her strength, and I doubt this is a fight fire with fire type of situation,” Lance replied.
“I agree. At least we know what we can do if the need arises. I’m still amazed I could do this. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.”
“I think we’ll both need it before we beat the fire evil or force her back to wherever she came from. Did Claudia have any luck finding out what she is or why she’s here?”
Kellie shook her head. “No, the best she had to offer is someone wished her here through the wishing well in the park. I told you about the journal I found. No one has heard from Mrs. Donahue’s great-nephew, and I don’t know who his girlfriend or ‘Z’ are. If we could find out that information, I think we’d have a better idea what we’re facing.”
“They may be in hiding,” Lance offered. “If this entity craves blood and needed to consume a human brain and eyes for strength, it isn’t anything the average person wants to come face to face with at any point.”
“One thing is certain; we need to find them both and soon. Perhaps Claudia’s spirits can find them before they are killed or can do more damage. We don’t need another severed head or some sort of sacrifice.” She shuddered at her own words.
“We’ll find them and end the threat. I’m confidant of that fact. She can’t be worse than others you dealt with.”
“I pray your right.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to get back. Taylor and I are taking the kids Halloween costume shopping after school.”
“Good luck with that,” Lance said. “I haven’t been back to my apartment since Hannah and I arrived in town. I need to go home and see how the building is doing. I trust the manager I hired, but you never know.”
“Let’s go,” Kellie said walking back toward the car.
Chapter Seven
As Kellie and Taylor drove toward the costume shop, Max pulled up in front of Claudia’s house. He called in for a five-minute break, told his partner he’d be right back and bounded out of the paramedic van. He didn’t think he’d need more than five minutes to confront Claudia. Max ran across the sidewalk and up the stairs. Claudia had opened the front door before he made it to the top step.
DEADLY WISHES Page 6