Hannah spoke up, “Can’t you refuse to press charges? After all, she’s a Wallace. Olivia just wanted to snoop around her relative’s attic and found something interesting. She didn’t use a gun or terrorize anyone. Most teens would love to investigate the attic in an old house.”
“I can do that,” Kirby said. “I can insist they give it back to me for sentimental reasons before it’s damaged. I’ll refuse to press charges because when it comes right down to it, Olivia should have every right to see what’s in the house. If it wasn’t for the foolish feud our grandfathers had, we might have all gone through the house together.” He stood and stretched. “I’ll run down there now. Where can I get ahold of you?”
Lance said, “I’m staying at the motel next to the diner.” He also gave Kirby his cell number.
The men shook hands and Hannah hugged Kirby.
“Thanks, Mr. Wallace. You’re the best,” she insisted before heading toward Lance’s car.
~ * ~
“Well,” Hannah said. “What will we do if Kirby gets the diary? How will you find out how to destroy it?”
“I’m not sure. I know the answer will come to me one way or the other.”
Lance’s phone dinged. Before he started the engine, he read the text.
“I was right. I have a bit more info.” He held up the phone. “The text was from Kellie. We have a friend who is the curator of Kellie’s local museum. She asked him about the symbol carved in that boy’s chest. It was difficult to identify since it was crudely carved.”
Hannah shuddered. “And?”
Lance started the car and drove back down the dirt road to the highway. “Reginald believes it is most likely early Mesopotamian. He saw a similar symbol on a battle shield in one of his reference books. The shield was carried into war to avenge a wrong. Perhaps to fight for the return of land previously lost in battle.”
“Or revenge?” Hannah asked.
“Precisely. Kellie and I both knew this was an ancient evil. I never imagined the spirit existed nearly from the beginning of civilization.”
“Hey,” Hannah said twisting in her seat to look at Lance. “If this thing or spirit or whatever only kills one or two people at a time in response to a summoning, could it be possible it’s only for protection. Maybe it isn’t evil. Maybe it’s the spirit of a warrior meant to protect his people. It’s been centuries, and he doesn’t know exactly who his people are so he helps whoever summons him.”
“That’s an idea I never considered. I’ll need to do a bit more research and maybe contact Claudia and Kellie. It might also help to find a way to destroy it.”
“If it isn’t evil, should you destroy it? If it sleeps between summonings and you destroy the diary, won’t it rest in peace or whatever a spirit does when not awake?”
“You have a good heart, Hannah, and you have a good question. It might be easier just to let it rest.”
Lance pulled into the motel parking lot and turned toward Hannah. “I have a bit of research to do and then how about we get that burger? We might learn a bit more about the legend even though Kirby was more helpful than I expected.”
“Sounds perfect,” Hannah agreed.
Lance opened the door to the room, and the desk phone rang. “Who in the world would call the room,” he wondered glancing at Hannah.
She shrugged.” I hope it isn’t my mom.”
Lance frowned and answered. “Hello.”
He listened for a minute and then spoke,” What do you mean a witch is looking for me?”
“What?” Hannah exclaimed jumping out of her chair.
A grin crossed his face when he heard the voice of the person yelling at the desk clerk. Lance strode to the room door and opened it. “Tell her it’s okay and she can come up.”
He stood in the doorway with Hannah staring over his shoulder and watched Claudia storm out of the motel office, her black cloak billowing behind her as she crossed the parking lot to the stairs leading to Lance’s room.
He held the door open wide for her and Claudia breezed in. “Hello, Lance. Hello, Hannah. Sit; we must talk.”
“How does she know my name?” Hannah whispered?
“Claudia knows everything. Make it easy on yourself and accept it,” he smiled what he hoped was a reassuring smile.
Claudia looked at Lance, “Can you believe the nerve of that desk clerk. He called me a witch. He knows now what the difference between a psychic and witch are. I doubt he’ll forget.” A small smile crossed her face.
“Well, you are wearing a black dress and cloak,” Lance answered.
“I didn’t want to look conspicuous. I decided against my brightly colored and rainbow colored cloaks for this one. Maybe I should have worn brown.”
Hannah smiled and nodded.
“Why did you drive all the way here? What’s going on that we couldn’t discuss over the phone?” Lance inquired.
“There’s evil in this town. It isn’t a spirit. I need to find it before you or Kellie are injured or worse. The danger is human and just as deadly. We need to stop both the human and spirit.”
Lance’s cell rang.
“That won’t be good news.”
He answered and listened. When he ended the call, he took a deep breath. “It was Kirby. He insisted on the diary’s return to his family. The police said it needed to remain at the station because it’s evidence. He asked to see it and make sure it was properly stored since it’s a valuable antique. The police couldn’t find it. Someone took it.”
“And so it begins again,” Claudia murmured.
~ * ~
Olivia hurried into the library and headed to the table where Evan sat. She dropped into the chair next to him and whispered, “My mom said I only have an hour. I’m still grounded. It took me awhile to convince her that reading would be good for me while grounded. Do you have it?”
A sly grin crossed Evan’s face, and his eyes stared at Olivia’s breasts. “Yes.”
“Show me,” Olivia insisted.
He opened the binder on the table, and Olivia saw the edge of the diary. She reached for it.
“Not so fast,” Evan said as he slipped the binder into his backpack.
“Hey,” Olivia whisper shouted. “It’s mine.”
“And you’re mine for the summer,” he replied. “Come on.” He pulled her off the chair and headed for the back of the library.
When he was sure they were out of view of the other patrons, he pushed her against a stack of books and did his best to grab her breast.
“Hey, no,” Olivia said.
“You don’t have a choice. You’re mine for the summer, or I’ll take this back and let the police arrest you. I heard my step-dad say they can charge you with murder for using witchcraft to kill. That’s premeditated murder.” He grinned and reached for her breast again.
“No, it isn’t. If I did, I could turn you into the pig you are. I thought you cared about me,” Olivia said trying not to cry.
“Oh I do, but I especially love your body. What a great summer we’ll have. You are mine. When I leave for college at the end of summer, you can have the diary back. Until then you’ll do whatever I want.”
“I hate you.”
“I don’t care. You don’t have to like me.” He pushed himself against her again.
“No, I won’t do it. I changed my mind. I’m going to tell my mom what you said and did. She told me that there is a spirit hunter in town and that some lady named Kellie Conley might come to town, too. She kills ghosts. I’ll tell them, too.”
“They’ll never believe you.” He pulled the diary from the backpack. “I looked at this thing and saw where you spilled ketchup on the page. I know which spell you used. I think I’ll use it now and show you I can control you.” He scowled at her and mumbled through the seven words written on the ketchup stained page.
Olivia cringed.
The library shelves shook hard enough for books to tumble to the floor. Someone screamed “earthquake” and the fe
w people in the library headed toward the door. Evan grabbed Olivia’s arm and tugged her toward the rear emergency exit. A bolt of lightning crossed above their heads and thunder nearly broke their eardrums before they escaped the horror in the library. Olivia saw the spirit before the door closed behind her. It was exactly what she saw that night at the lake.
“Run,” Evan yelled and pushed her. He paused for a second when he realized he left the diary in the library. “Damn,” he muttered. There went his summer fun. Anger burned red hot in his veins, and he swore he’d make sure whoever ruined his summer paid the price.
~ * ~
Claudia looked at Lance. “It’s back. I see books. Rows of books.”
“Whoever took the diary summoned it,” Lance said. “Books huh? Bookstore?”
“Library,” Claudia answered. “You go. I’ll wait here. I think I might frighten people especially if the spirit killed again which I believe it has.”
Hannah took Lance’s hand. “The library is only a block away. We can run faster than drive.” He followed her out of the room, down the stairs, and out to the street. By the time they turned in the direction of the library, they heard sirens.
“Claudia’s right. I think it’s back. Who would be stupid enough to summon it when they know it kills?”
“I wish I knew,” Hannah answered.
They arrived at the library moments after the police and ambulance. A small group of bystanders gathered near the library steps. The librarian sat on the steps tears streaming down her face. She looked at the officer standing in front of her and spoke through her tears.
“It was quiet and then it thundered in the library. The bookshelves shook. We thought it was an earthquake until lightning flashed. Everyone ran. I turned just before leaving and saw old Mr. Handling. He couldn’t run; he needs his walker.” Sobs shook her shoulders. “I saw a tall, muscular man dressed in rags or loose clothing. He carried a shield and large knife. When he raised the knife over Mr. Handling, I ran out. I couldn’t do anything to help him.” She broke into sobs again and leaned over on the steps. A man pushed through the crowd to get to her side, and she collapsed in his arms.
“That’s her husband,” Hannah whispered.
Lance nodded. “It was here, and Claudia may be right. I think he killed again. That woman may know more than she remembers. Do you know her?”
“Yeah, everyone knows Terry. She’s been the head librarian for years.”
“We may need to speak to her, but first, I need to let the police know they have to find that diary.”
Lance’s phone chirped. He read the text and turned to look at Hannah. “Kellie had a vision of sorts. She says she can decipher the writings in the diary. She plans to drive up here tomorrow.”
“Vision?” Hannah questioned.
“She’s able to communicate with spirits similar to what Claudia does. Kellie usually sees a ghost or hears them directly. Claudia senses them more than sees them. She’s been protected from spirits since she became pregnant and had her twins, but if Kellie wants to communicate with one, she can. She must have decided that it was necessary. We’ll find out tomorrow.”
“Can you see ghosts?” Hannah whispered in his ear.
“Yes,” he whispered back.
“Okay,” she smiled and then bit her lip. She took his hand. “Come on; I’ll introduce you to the police chief, and you can tell him about the diary.”
Hannah stopped speaking, and tears filled her eyes when she saw the EMTs carry the body of Mr. Handling down the library steps to the waiting ambulance.
Hannah leaned against Lance. “He was a nice man,” she said. “You have to stop whatever it is.”
Chapter Seventeen
It was a perfect night to hide in plain sight. A new moon darkened the sky and clouds covered the stars. A light fog settled over Malone Springs and not a soul stirred on Kellie’s street. The houses were dark except for the occasional security light or night light visible behind closed drapes.
He killed the engine on his motorcycle and rolled to a stop at the edge of Kellie’s driveway. Glancing around to be sure no one watched, he slung his leg over the motorcycle seat and stood. He removed the gallon jug from the basket along with the paper wrapped glass beer bottle. He removed the paper meant to keep the bottle from breaking and shoved the paper back into the basket. He strode toward Kellie’s house.
He crept up to the front porch and placed the bottle on the railing. He poured half of the gasoline from the jug along the front of the house including the attached garage. He ran around the back of the house and poured most of the gas along the back edge of the house. What little he had left, he poured in a trail to connect the gas surrounding the front and back.
He hurried back to the front of the house and retrieved the beer bottle. He struck a match and lit the rag he had pushed into the bottle. As he threw it toward the large picture window of Kellie’s home, he tossed the match into the stream of gas he poured on the porch. Before he reached his motorcycle, the window broke, and he saw flames shoot up inside the house, and the trail of fire surround the house. The sound of smoke detectors broke the silence as he raced away from Kellie’s home.
Kellie woke to what she thought was breaking glass. A moment later, she heard her security alarm sound followed by the beeping of smoke detectors. Rufus barked and ran out of the bedroom toward the staircase leading to the living room. Jumping out of bed she grabbed her phone as she raced to the girl’s bedroom. Her babies slept through the noise, but every sound clawed at Kellie. The sound of her cell phone ring made her jump. It was her security company. She hit the speaker button as she pulled the girls into her arms and headed for the stairs.
“Mrs. Noles, we received an alert that both your security alarm and smoke detectors have sounded. We’ve notified the police and fire departments. Please get out of your home. Are you able to find a safe exit?”
Rufus ran toward the girls’ room barking furiously at Kellie and the stranger’s voice.
“No,” Kellie answered as she started down the stairs leading to the living room and front door. Flames were licking at the bottom of the stairs and creeping up the carpeting. She ran back to her bedroom and her sliding glass doors leading to the second-floor deck.
“Oh my God,” Kellie yelled hoping the voice at the other end of the call could hear her. She had pressed her phone against her chest when she gathered both girls to her. She set the girls on her bed and spoke into the phone. “My way downstairs is blocked by flames. I can’t get out on my back deck because flames and smoke are climbing from the patio below. Flames are surrounding my house.”
As she listened to the voice tell her the fire department was just moments from arriving, she wet a large towel and pushed it against the bottom of her bedroom door hoping to keep as much smoke away from her small girls as possible. Rufus climbed on her bed and curled around the girls. Faith and Hope tried to climb off the bed. Kellie could hear his low growl of warning. Both girls sat back down on the bed and watched their mom.
“Please, God save my girls. They are so small. A little smoke can harm them. Save us,” she cried as she picked the phone up when the voice asked her a question.
“Yes, we’re okay right now. Tell them to hurry. I don’t know where the fire is or when it will reach me. I have two babies with me. I’m in my bedroom. It faces the back of the house and is the one with the deck outside. They need to hurry.”
The voice did his best to reassure her, but Kellie tried to quiet her girls. Both had begun to cry when Kellie pulled them from their beds. “Hush, girls, mommy’s here. It’s okay. I’ll take care of you, I promise. I hear sirens. If the fire department is coming, then daddy knows we’re here, and he’ll save us. Don’t cry, please,” she said as she wiped her own tears from her eyes.
Kellie pulled the drapes open and gasped when she saw flames begin to climb the wooden rail on her deck. What’s happening? She thought. How can we be surrounded by fire inside and out?
Just then she heard the voice tell her the fire department had arrived, and a few moments later, she watched as an enormous stream of water washed the flames off her deck. Clasping both girls to her chest, she smiled when she saw a firefighter’s head appear at the top of the ladder just off the deck. When he climbed onto the deck, she slid the patio door open.
“You’re safe now, ma’am. I’m here to help you and your babies out of the house. We’ll have to go down the ladder. They’re still working on the fire inside your house. Please hurry. Hand me, one baby,” he said.
Rufus stood at Kellie’s side and growled at the firefighter.
“It’s okay, boy. He’s here to help us.” Kellie spoke calmly to quiet Rufus.
She hesitated but handed Faith to the firefighter. He turned and handed Faith to a second firefighter on the ladder. Kellie wasn’t sure when he appeared. She was just grateful someone carried one of her daughters to safety. As soon as she handed Hope to the firefighter and the second firefighter disappeared down the ladder, the first turned to her and said, “Your turn. It’s okay. You can do this; I’ll help you.”
“Rufus,” she looked at her brave dog. “Help him, too, please.”
“We will, but you first.”
He was true to his word and soon Kellie was climbing down the ladder, each step bringing her closer to the ground and safety. Two firefighters helped her off the ladder, and before she could take a step, Max’s arms were around her. “You’re safe. I have you. Come on. I need to have you checked out. The girls are with the paramedics out front. They’re fine.” She collapsed in his arms, and he lifted her up in his strong arms and carried her to the van.
Faith and Hope were screaming at the top of their lungs when Max set Kellie down outside the paramedic van.
The paramedic doing her best to calm the girls looked at Kellie and Max. “Their lungs sound clear and crying is the best for them right now. Let them cry and cough up any smoke they may have inhaled. I think they’ll be okay, but I want to take all three of you to the hospital.”
Sinister Awakenings Page 16