“Yeah, me too.” Rosemary drew her sweater around her murmuring her thoughts, more I think, to herself than to me. “I worried about my mama's soul when he died.” She looked at me and there was curiosity in her gaze. “Do you think he found her and continued the abuse?”
I shook my head and reached to touch Rosemary’s arm, squeezing it with gentle reassurance. She was so tense with fear I wished there was something I could do to help her. “No, Rosemary. He surely would not be allowed near her. Besides, it sounds like your father had a lot to make up for. No doubt he is suffering now for his sins.”
“In hell you mean?” Rosemary closed her eyes and sank back against her chair. “I don’t know if I believe in that anymore, Tess. To believe in hell you must believe in heaven and if you believe in those two things then you must believe in God and I do not.”
“You don’t believe in God?” Her feeling that way was not surprising yet how despairing it must be to live that way. How does one function in a life in which they do not believe in something that offers hope?
“My understanding about God, and trust me I know very little in that department, is that he is loving and kind and merciful. Well, I told you that I prayed to him night after night but who opened my bedroom door after those prayers were said? My father. There was no mercy given to me. None. I was just a child, Tess. I couldn’t have done anything so horrible to deserve what I got.”
Tears clogged my throat and I couldn’t speak. What to say?
“I even went for help at a couple of those churches in town but the people there would stare at me like I was some sort of strange creature. I hated them looking at me like that. Because of my age, I was placed in a foster home and it was there that I discovered some boys don’t give a fig for a girl’s situation just so long as she has the right equipment.” Rosemary shrugged defensively and met my gaze as if she expected no less than disgust from me. “I did what I had to do to live. None of it means anything. It’s just … it is what it is and nothing more.”
“You said this island belonged to your grandparents?”
“Yes. It was there little getaway. Although they didn't live far from here, they loved coming out to the island, being surrounded by water. Until my mother died, we saw them as often as we could though it wasn't enough. We managed to come here with them once in a while though we couldn't do that after mama got sick." Rosemary looked around, smiling fondly. "I loved it when we were here. My father was afraid of the water so he wouldn’t come. It was the best part of my life. But after my mother died, he wouldn’t let me see my grandparents anymore. They had my mama late in life and so were quite old by then. There wasn’t anything they could do. When I finally ran away, they were dead. I learned later, a few years after Grace was born, that they left their house and this island to me, setting up a small trust to take care of the taxes and upkeep. I'm not sure where they got the money, perhaps from their life insurance? I just don't know. In any case, my grandparents were worried my father would try to sell them out from under me so I was not to receive the deeds until my twenty-first birthday. Grace was five by then.”
So Rosemary gave birth to Grace when she was just sixteen. How hard it must have been for her to be so young and yet be responsible for a baby. “What about Grace’s father?”
Rosemary raised her gray eyebrows in what could almost pass as amusement. “I have no idea who her father was nor did I care. Grace is mine and only mine.” Once she saw I was not going to express an opinion one way or the other, she went on. “Until we moved to my grandparents' house, we lived in a tiny apartment in town. It has since been torn down. I earned money by cleaning different businesses that were close enough for me to walk to. Government assistance helped buy groceries. It wasn't much but it was enough. I took Grace with me everywhere I went. She was a good girl, so sweet. I was so very thankful for her.”
I could only manage a wobbly smile at this point. Rosemary’s life was just so sad. And now she was here on this island, all alone and dealing with dead people. Was her life to be one hardship after another? Was her negativity luring spirits here who were of like mind?
As Rosemary talked the light coming through the windows grew dimmer, which made no sense since it was still early in the day. The air stilled to an almost stifling degree, becoming heavy and thick. An unpleasant cold began coating me, spreading through my skin, making goose bumps break out on my arms. Unease fluttered around in my chest, making my heart skip and jump, prompting me to put my imaginary light of protection in place. Even so, the dark seeped through, dimming the room. It seemed to me the spirits were rallying around Rosemary, protecting her from my influence. It was rather unsettling and somewhat uncomfortable being in this position of defense, but it was nothing like the unpleasantness Kade and I put up with when we first moved into my new house. Whoever they were haunting this place, they weren’t evil. So who were they and why did they want me gone?
“Does Grace still live in your grandparent's house?”
“Yes she does. All is well with her. She fared through life much better than me. I am so thankful for that. She’s a good girl. If you stay long enough you should meet her. She comes every day, weather permitting.”
“Tell me about the ghosts. What have they been doing? Has this cabin always been haunted?”
“No, not always. The ghosts showed up a few years ago and they seem to be getting worse as times goes on. My daughter tells me that I should talk to them … that maybe they have a message for me but I’m afraid to do that.”
“So your daughter believes it’s haunted too? Has she experienced anything?”
“She believes in ghosts and she believes me when I tell her about their shenanigans but they are pretty quiet when she's around. She keeps telling me to stop being afraid but I can’t help it. I can’t imagine there is anything good about ghosts. These ones are not very nice at all. They knock on my door, they knock on my window. They take my things and move them. I even hear them call my name sometimes. They shake my bed, they shake me awake, they knock things down. It is almost constant. In fact, these few minutes since you've been here are the longest I’ve gone without anything happening.”
Things might be quiet at the moment but the dull throb of pain in the back of my head was a good reminder for me to keep vigilant. Though I detected an increase in spiritual energy, I was not aware of the spirit that whispered directly into my ear. Something was different about this haunting and I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. “Have you ever gotten hurt from anything they did?”
Her eyes widening in alarm, Rosemary grabbed the top button of her sweater and twisted it repeatedly, revealing the anxiety agitating her. “No. Then you think they might hurt me?”
Since her other hand was gripping the arm of her rocking chair, I leaned forward to cover it with my own. Her fingers were ice cold and no wonder … the air around her was freezing! I pulled away and closed my eyes to better focus on what I needed to do. Obviously the spirits were surrounding her, probably in an attempt to block my influence. Well not if I had anything to say about it!
Although I had to really focus on conjuring a clear image in my mind, I managed to picture Rosemary surrounded with light. But once again my imagery ran into interference for images of the energy swirling around her became a wall between the two of us, blocking my light. Not to be deterred, I imagined myself walking up to what was basically a force field and pushed against it with my hands. A zap of energy shot up my arms, making me gasp in surprise. It honestly felt as if I’d just touched a live wire. Unnerved by the experience, I opened my eyes and jumped to my feet.
Rosemary jumped up as well, her eyes crinkling with worry as she took a step toward me. “What is it? Are they bothering you?”
I stood there indecisive, staring at Rosemary with both sympathy and wariness. I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with this situation and yet, how could I leave her here alone with all this going on? The right thing to do was help her. And yet I had a really st
rong feeling this was a little out of my league. Then again, the evil that tried to take over my house was pretty strong too and we managed to overcome that. Surely I could do the same here. But I didn’t have Kade with me this time and that really was the crux of my worry.
“Rosemary, I need to make a quick call to someone. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll just be out on the front porch.”
Although she looked a little confused about my request, she must have decided to let it pass for she gave a nod toward the kitchen. "Okay. How about I refill our teacups and butter some muffins I just made before you got here. They are still warm I think."
“Yes, that’s sounds like a great idea. I’ll only be a minute.” Once I stepped out on the porch, I sat down on the top step and pulled my cellphone from my pocket. Kade answered on the first ring.
“Where are you? I’ve called twice and the phone has gone straight to voicemail.”
I pulled the phone away from my ear to look at the screen. There was no indication of missed calls. “I didn’t hear it ring and my phone is not showing any missed calls. Sorry.”
“So where are you?”
“I’ve met someone that needs my help. I’m not sure if I can help her or not but I’ve got to try. I’ll probably turn my cell phone off for a while so I don’t want you to freak out if you can’t reach me.”
“Who is it? Anyone I know?”
“No, we have not met her before. Her name is Rosemary. She has several spirits here haunting her and she’s very frightened. I don’t get the impression they are bad spirits though.” I thought briefly about telling him how one of them caused me to fall but knew that would worry him so decided against it. I’d tell him afterwards … once I got this situation with Rosemary cleared up.
“Just be careful. I don’t like you dealing with that stuff alone.”
I had to smile at that. He thought of us as a team now and really, that is exactly what we’ve been since our first meeting. “I’ll be careful and I promise not to try anything too daring on my own.” I knew that was his biggest worry. Considering what happened at Sea Willow Haven where we first met, I didn’t blame him. But this situation wasn’t as volatile as that one. How I knew this to be the case, I don’t know, but the conviction of it went a long way toward relaxing me. I had a pretty good idea that the situation with Rosemary had to do with her terrible childhood. People who went through the kinds of trauma she endured were bound to collect spiritual beings along the way. Some to protect her and some to exploit her. I needed to figure out which category these spirits fell into.
“So how long will we be without communication?”
“I’m not sure. As long as it takes. You know I can’t risk being interrupted by phone calls when I’m in the middle of a vision or … or something.”
“Promise to call me if it gets to be more than you expected. And if you need help, call Mary.”
“I will, Kade. Don’t worry. Have a good time at the show, sell lots of paintings then hurry home to me.”
Kade's low, soft chuckle made my toes curl. I loved his voice, his laugh … everything about him, except maybe his over-protectiveness. And he could get really stubborn about things. But then again, it was his protective instincts that helped me through some bad situations. “I’m getting lots of offers on your painting and some very disappointed looks when I tell them it's not for sale.”
“Well, I don’t care how much they offer, don’t you dare sell it!” When Kade told me he wanted to take the painting he gave me, the one we named “The Magical Cottage”, I was apprehensive about the idea. It was a magical picture, oozing an air of mysticism that seemed to affect everyone who saw it making them want it for themselves. Our friend Mary even tried to get us to sell it to her. Her pleas even now echoed through my thoughts.
“Kade can paint you another one, Tess. There’s something about it that speaks to my soul. I would really love to have it in my own home.”
Though I loved pleasing my friends, I remained resolute against her pleas. The painting was done in a bout of inspiration from spirit and it meant a lot to me. There was no way I was going to let anyone else have it. Though the cottage in the picture perished in a fire many years ago, so long ago that no one even knew of its existence, Kade brought it back with his paintbrush. His gift for channeling spirit through his paintings was the first thing that truly brought us together. It also made us a pretty strong team. A pity I wasn’t going to be able to use his talents here.
“I would never sell something that doesn’t belong to me. I gave it to you, it is yours. And I am thankful you let me bring it along to share with the crowd.”
The phone started crackling and I pulled it away from my ear to look at it. One bar. It seemed our signal was weakening. “I’ve got to go, Kade. I love you.”
“I love you too. But before you go … where are you?”
I opened my mouth to tell him when there was a loud buzz and then total silence. “Kade?” No answer. I looked at the phone. It had completely shut down. Frowning with concern over the idea of being without the means of calling anyone, I tried to turn it back on. Nothing. Great. Did the spirits drain the battery? It wouldn't surprise me if that was the case. It was a common occurrence in active hauntings. Darn it all.
Rosemary pushed open the door and stepped out onto the porch. “Tess, is everything okay?
I put the phone in my pocket and turned to smile at her. “Yes. Everything is fine.” But when I rose to a stand, a wave of dizziness made me sway on my feet.
Rosemary rushed forward and grabbed my flailing hand. "Oh dear, oh no. I don’t think you are fine at all.”
Maybe that bump on my head was worse than I thought. “I just need to sit down for a bit and drink some more tea.” Though concerned about the dizziness which was thankfully subsiding, I didn’t want Rosemary to worry. She had enough to deal with. “Are the muffins ready? I think that will help as well.”
Rosemary smiled and patted my hand. “You are a dear. There is something quite special about you.” She tightened her grip when I made to pull away and insisted that she help me back to our respective chairs. A plate of steaming muffins was sitting on a small round end table between us and Rosemary had refilled our mugs with more tea as well.
We had no sooner sat down and started in on our muffins when we heard a voice calling from outside.
“Hello? Mama?”
Rosemary’s face lit up and suddenly she didn’t look so old. Although she couldn’t be much into her forties, the hard life she’d lived had aged her beyond her years. Some of it, though, fell away as she rushed to the door. “Grace! Come in, sweetheart. I have company.”
The woman who came through the door looked vibrant with life and energy. She was like a breath of fresh air to the still quiet around us. Her blond hair was cut in a short bob, bouncing about like a silken cloud with her every movement. Once she accepted her mother's hug, she pulled away to sniff at the air, doing so with animated enthusiasm. “You made muffins!” She touched her mother’s face in a gentle caress then turned her bright-eyed gaze on me, pinning me with her baby blues.
She didn’t like that I was here with her mother. I could see the sentiment as clear as day in her gaze. After hearing what Rosemary has been through, it was no surprise Grace felt protective of her. They obviously loved each other very much.
“Who is this, Mama?”
“This is Tess. She was out on the lake and I waved her over.” She touched Grace’s shoulder to regain her attention. “They were bothering me again. Really bad this time. I was so frightened, Grace. And then I looked out and saw Tess and she came right over to help me.”
Grace's stance stiffened in response to her mother's words while her eyes remained fixed on me, gaging my reaction. I knew she was concerned about my thoughts on her mother’s claims the cabin was haunted and hoped to put her at ease on the issue.
“I’m a medium, Grace, and I do believe your mother is being bothered by spirits. It’s so nice to meet y
ou. Your mother was hoping I would get the chance to do so.”
Grace said nothing in response. She just stood there staring at me, her gaze narrowed with distrust. I met her eyes and prayed she could read me well enough to know she had nothing to fear where I was concerned. For such a short, little thing, she was full of spunk and spitfire. Although I wasn't tall by any means, standing five feet two inches in my bare feet, Grace was a good two inches or more shorter. She was filled out quite nicely though and well-rounded in all the right places. No doubt she appealed to the boys and I wondered how well Rosemary took that.
Since Rosemary said she had Grace when in her teens and she looked to be in her forties now, Grace had to be close to thirty, but she looked much younger. Obviously the years were being very kind to her. As Rosemary said, Grace lived a good life and it showed.
“You say you are a medium? Can you see the ghosts haunting my mother?” There was a challenge in Grace’s voice and the way her eyes scanned the room made me wonder if she might be gifted herself.
“I cannot see them but I feel them.”
Grace narrowed her pretty blue eyes. “What do they feel like?”
“What are you doing, sweetheart? I don’t like the tone of your voice. Tess has been really kind to me, listening to my prattle so don’t you go being rude.” Rosemary tucked some of Grace’s blond hair behind an ear and tapped her affectionately on the nose. “How about some tea?”
“Okay, Mama. I’ve a box of supplies out in the boat. I’ll just go get them real quick.” With another glance at me and then to a spot just past my left shoulder, Grace turned and rushed out the door. No doubt she was in a hurry to get back to us for she was quite concerned for her mother and didn’t trust me. It was quite likely she planned to drill me a bit more when she returned. I sure hoped I passed that test because I knew that if I did not, she’d be ordering me off the island.
Out of curiosity, I took a couple steps to my left and a chill of air curled around me. Yes indeed. Grace had the gift. I wondered if Rosemary knew and then decided that she did not. Why, I wondered, was Grace keeping it a secret?
Rosemary's Ghosts (Tess Schafer-Medium) Page 3