Spirits In the Trees

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  Different scenarios flew through her head at a million-miles-per-hour. They all ended with the same conclusion: she needed a weapon. She scanned the room once, then twice, but came up empty. In the end she settled on the hand mirror and held it firmly like a ping-pong paddle.

  It was better than nothing.

  On tip-toes Maddy reached the bedroom door and peered out. Nothing. She let out a pent up breath. She continued silently to the top of the stairs and stood with her back to the wall. Still as a statue, she waited and watched the shadows down below. When nothing moved, she descended the stairs slowly with only the moonlight to guide her. Her eyes scanned the downstairs as she moved.

  When she hit the landing, her foot crunched on something and she glanced down. Colored glass surrounded her. “Damn those kids!” Quickly, but carefully, she made her way past the broken shards and down the stairs.

  Maddy unlocked the front door and dramatically swung it open hoping to catch the kids in the act, only to find herself alone. She flicked on the light, stepped onto the porch and yelled out at the dark night. “Hey, you kids, you’d better get out of here before I call the cops!”

  While searching the yard, she listened for movement. All that greeted her was silence, not even a giggle. After a minute she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill and went inside.

  She closed and locked the front door, but decided to keep the porch light on. At least now they knew someone was staying in the house, she hoped that would deter them from further vandalism.

  Too tired to clean up the mess, she carefully made her way past the glass when something made her stop mid-stride. A whisper of fear assaulted her senses. Chills ran up her spine. Maddy raced up the rest of the stairs and slammed the bedroom door behind her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Morning found Maddy staring at a large dark stain on the ceiling. “Great, the roof leaks.”

  She yawned and stretched, then jumped out of bed. She yanked open the tattered lace curtains and looked out on a glorious day. The water sparkled like a chandelier, and a light breeze tickled the branches of the surrounding trees.

  Exhilarated, she dressed, pulled her hair into a high ponytail, and then bounded down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she stopped, turned on her heels and walked back up to the landing. No broken glass. She glanced up and inspected the window. No damage.

  Had it been just a dream?

  She walked back down the stairs, the bounce gone from her step. The moment she hit the kitchen, she rummaged through the cupboards looking for something to brew coffee. Unfortunately all she found was an old percolator.

  No filters anywhere. Does this ancient device even use them? She filled the bottom with water, dumped coffee in the top, then placed the percolator on the stove.

  The kitchen lacked all the modern conveniences; no microwave, no electric coffee-maker, and certainly no dishwasher. She felt as if she were camping.

  As she waited for the coffee to perk, she inspected the downstairs portion of the house and made notes in her head of all the things that needed to be done. Number one was replacing the windows, of course. The wood in the floor looked as if it might need to be sanded and re-stained. A good mopping would tell her that.

  There were some obvious cracks in the ceiling. Then there was the matter of the ungodly wallpaper throughout. She should strip that off and paint the walls a basic white. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, she felt energized.

  When the first pang of hunger hit, she realized she hadn’t eaten since lunch yesterday. She made herself some toast, prepared a cup of coffee, and stood in front of the back window to enjoy her breakfast. Half-way through her first cup she frowned, the gritty feeling of coffee grounds were in her mouth. After writing coffee-maker on her grocery list, she fixed herself another cup and decided to enjoy it on the back porch.

  She leaned against the railing and gazed out at the waves gently caressing the shore. Around her she could hear birds in song. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her turn her head toward the woods across the cove. There she spotted a deer foraging for its breakfast. It was so beautiful and peaceful she wished she could stand there all day.

  She heard her name and looked up in time to see Doug walking around from the side of the house.

  “Hey, I was just about to leave when I decided to check back here.”

  Straightening, Maddy said, “Sorry, I was just admiring the view.” She opened the screen door. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

  He grabbed the handle. “Sure,” he said as he followed her into the house. “How was your night?”

  “Great. This place is spectacular, you must love living here.” She made her way around the kitchen counter.

  “I do, but then again I’ve been here most of my life.” Doug sat down at the kitchen table.

  “How old were you when your family moved here?” Maddy reached up and grabbed a mug from the cupboard by the sink.

  “We moved to the island when I was about eight. I left for a couple of years when I went away to college. When my father got sick I quit to came home and help out.”

  Maddy poured the coffee into the mug, then fixed herself another cup before joining him at the table. She noticed him staring down at the coffee grounds floating around the top and cringed. He took a big gulp, then looked up at her when she asked, “You’re an only child then?”

  “No, I have a younger sister. She couldn’t come home. Scott was two, and Ariel was only a month-old at the time.”

  “Did you ever go back and finish college?”

  “No, after my father passed, I stayed on to help my mother. Eventually she moved back east to live with my sister. I bought the house from her.”

  “What was your major in college?”

  “I was studying to be a veterinarian.”

  Doug drained the rest of his coffee and stood. “I should get started.” He disappeared through the door.

  Maddy began to search for a vacuum. She wanted to go over the floor in front of the windows to make sure there were no lingering splinters of glass. She finally found one in a little closet under the stairs. Dragging it out, she wondered if the archaic beast still worked. She plugged it in, turned it on and got her answer.

  There was a loud rumble, then the machine started to shake. Dirt shot straight up into her face, she shut her eyes and fumbled around for the switch. By the time it turned off, she was certain the bag had all but emptied its contents on her.

  “What the hell was that racket?” Doug rounded the corner at the bottom of the stairs. Gales of laughter filled the room.

  “It’s not funny,” she whined.

  “It’s a little bit funny,” he said. “Come here.” He grabbed her hand and carefully led her out the front door.

  Maddy caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and cringed. Two eyes looked out from a gray canvas. She was covered head to toe in dust. Once out on the driveway, Doug brushed off her backside, while she worked on her front.

  “I guess I need to buy a vacuum,” she said in defeat.

  Doug smiled. “I’ll let you use mine.”

  After they were done, Maddy grabbed the broom and dustpan to sweep up the mess. While she had the broom in hand, she decided to tackle the cobwebs. She’d just about finished when Doug appeared.

  “Okay, I’ve got all the measurements I need. Do you want to go into town with me to see about the windows?”

  “Be right back.” Maddy ran upstairs to clean herself up a bit and change her clothes.

  They had been riding in Doug’s truck a little while before he spoke, “Besides the windows, it looks like some of the floor boards need to be replaced. The roof leaks. You’re probably going to need a new one.”

  “And the good news?” she asked.

  After a pause he added, “The foundation appears to be intact.”

  “Great,” she said, sarcastically. Then with a little hope in her voice, “Do you know anyone I could hire to help me with all this?
”

  “I might.”

  “If you could give me his number, I would truly appreciate it. By the way, how’s your porch coming?”

  “Fine. It’s kind of an ongoing project.”

  They rode the rest of the way in silence.

  He parked the truck in front of the hardware store. Each went their separate ways, pledging to meet back up at the café where they had eaten the day before.

  After picking up a few items, including a coffee maker, Maddy set her bags in the cab of Doug’s truck before heading toward Hazel’s. She stood just inside the door as she scanned the tables and spotted him sitting in a booth next to a window.

  Naturally Shelly hovered ever so close. She giggled and played with her hair with one hand, the other held her trusty coffee pot at the ready. Maddy raised her chin, took a deep breath, then strode right up behind the waitress and said a cheerful, “Hello.” The girl mumbled something, then turned away.

  “Something tells me that Shelly doesn’t care for me too much.” Maddy slid into the booth.

  “Oh, she’ll warm up to you once she gets to know you.”

  “Yeah, sure,” she said under her breath.

  “A lot of people in this town are--,” Doug stopped and leaned closer. “Huh?”

  “I said,” Maddy raised her voice. “That must be great for the tourist trade.” She painted a phony smile on her face.

  Doug laughed.

  He ordered a cheeseburger to go along with his coffee, and she decided on a club sandwich with iced tea. Shelly was refilling Doug’s cup for the second time, so Maddy asked again for her drink.

  The waitress huffed off and returned with the tea, sans the ice. Maddy frowned as she looked down at her glass. Doug eyed her glass, then called to Shelly and requested a cup of ice.

  The ice arrived immediately.

  Maddy started scooping ice into her glass, she hoped the girl hadn’t spit in her tea. “So who can I get to help me with the house?”

  “That would be me. I’ve done all the work on my house myself,” he answered eying her over his coffee cup.

  “Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that. You’re doing so much for me already.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  “You weren’t asking. Besides, it’s me or the Thompson brothers and they’re usually pretty booked up.”

  “Don’t you have a job?” Maddy was certain that once he had a minute to think about it, he would change his mind. After all, he had seen the house.

  “Don’t worry, I have plenty of down time.” He picked up his burger and took a big bite.

  She decided not to press her luck. “What do you do?”

  Doug waited until he had finished chewing before he answered, “I’m a fireman on the mainland.”

  “Oh,” was all she could manage as the image of the fireman who had lost his life trying to save her daughter came to mind. She looked down and played with her fries.

  A moment of silence ensued. When she looked up, Doug was focused on her. She gathered her thoughts. “Why on the mainland?” She took a bite off a fry.

  “I volunteer here, of course, but the department on the island is small, primarily made up of volunteers.”

  Just then he looked over her shoulder and yelled, “Wayne!” He waved him over. “I’d like you to meet Maddy Anderson.”

  Her head turned in time to see a heavy-set man of about sixty walk up, and behind him stood a giant of a man with salt and pepper hair.

  “She’s renovating the old Heller place,” Doug finished.

  “Nice to meet you, Miss Anderson.” Wayne took her hand in his. “So, you’re settling on our fine little island.”

  “Actually the house belongs to my great-aunt. I’m just getting it ready to put on the market.” Her words rushed out.

  “Too bad, we could use a lovely addition such as yourself.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it.

  “Wayne’s the Mayor, you can see why.” Doug laughed. “And behind him is the sheriff, Grady.”

  “It’s nice to meet you both.” Maddy shook the Sheriff’s hand.

  “Likewise,” Grady said, a man of few words.

  By the time they left the cafe, Maddy felt as if she had met half the town. Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Wistfully she imagined how wonderful it would be to become a permanent resident of the island. And having a hot guy like Doug as a neighbor wouldn’t hurt either. Maybe she should buy the house. A smile warmed her face at the thought.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Doug paid their bill, seemingly oblivious to Shelly’s sour disposition. They crossed Main Street with Doug’s hand on Maddy’s lower back. “Lanny said he would have everything in the back of the pick-up by the time we’d finished lunch.” Doug opened the door for her.

  Entering the hardware store, Maddy was greeted by a jovial guy around Doug’s age. He wore overalls and his straight brown hair hung down past his collar. She thanked the man she now knew as Lanny and paid the bill with her credit card.

  Helping Maddy into the cab, Doug slammed the door and jumped into the truck himself. Before the door was closed, he turned the key in the ignition. “He only had four windows in stock, but he ordered the rest from the mainland.” He twisted his head to check behind them, and placed his arm on her seat as he backed up. “They should arrive in the next day or two. He’ll have someone drop them by.”

  “I can’t believe you just went in there and handed him a list.” Maddy wished she could do that in the grocery store.

  “You know small towns.” He smiled, put the truck in gear and they took off.

  “Wow, how great is that?” She looked out at the road ahead.

  “Yeah, Lanny’s a great guy. We went to school together. But their family has always done business that way.”

  They stopped at Doug’s house to pick up the vacuum. He ran in, while she waited in the truck with the motor running. The house, also Craftsman style, had two stories with a redwood-stained exterior.

  On the porch sat two Adirondack chairs turned slightly toward each other with a small table in-between. The house was surrounded with hydrangeas, azaleas, and begonias mixed with numerous types of ferns. Boston ferns hung in baskets across the front.

  Before she knew it, he appeared through the door carrying the vacuum. He set it in the back, climbed in, and backed down the driveway to the street.

  “Your home looks so warm and inviting,” Maddy said wistfully.

  “Thanks. I’ll have you over some night for dinner and give you the grand tour. But right now we need to get back to take advantage of the daylight.”

  It was after three p.m. before they arrived at the old Heller house. After unloading the truck, they each went their separate ways. Doug headed upstairs, while Maddy went straight to the kitchen to unload her groceries.

  As she strolled through the dining room, she noticed the swinging door to the kitchen was closed, again! She blew a stray lock of hair out of her face in a huff and backed into the room using her butt to open the door since her hands were full.

  After she deposited her bags on the counter, she spun around and searched the kitchen. Where the hell is that damn canister?

  “What the-,” Her words caught in her throat. She’d spotted the big flour canister, but not where she would have thought to look. Back on the counter. Right in its original spot next to the sugar as if it had never been moved.

  Maddy backed out of the kitchen without taking her eyes off the offending item. Once the door closed, she ran to the stairs and flew up them as if the devil himself were chasing her. She followed the sound of hammering until she found Doug in her bedroom. She came to a screeching halt on the braided rug behind him. It slid the extra couple of inches until she bumped into him and his body jerked.

  “Ahhh!” He spun around with the hammer held like a weapon. “What the hell are you doing? You scared the shit out of me. I almost clocked you with this hammer!”

  She put her finger to her lips in a gesture to quiet
him.

  The scowl left his face. “What is it? What’s wrong?” he whispered.

  “Someone has been in the house. They could still be here,” she whispered back.

  Doug stood and led with the hammer cocked back ready to strike. Silently he searched every room himself. Maddy stood in the middle of the hall and waited. Sweat broke out on her upper lip, even though the temperature in the house couldn’t be over seventy.

  Leaving the last room, Doug shook his head at her and headed to the top of the stairs. He tiptoed down with his back sliding down the wall, peeking over the banister as he moved. She followed close behind. There was no way she was going to be left alone. Together they explored the entire downstairs with him checking doors along the way.

  “It looks like whoever it was has gone. Unless…” Doug rushed back up the flight of stairs, looked at the ceiling, and reached for the rope hanging there. He gave it a good tug and a folded ladder appeared. Quietly, he straightened it out and slowly climbed the rungs. Adrenaline flowed through her body and made it hard for her to stand still.

  The moment Doug’s eyes reached above the floor, his head did a 360. He climbed a little further and pulled the chain on the light, then he disappeared into the attic. Maddy chewed on a fingernail as she waited.

  Before long he appeared and motioned her forward to join him. Maddy climbed the ladder with great trepidation. When she reached the top, he helped her up until she stood next to him. “Looks like they’re definitely gone now,” he said.

  She searched every nook and cranny to make sure he was right. There were boxes, steamer trunks, old lamps, and lots of cobwebs, but no intruder. A rat ran in front of her and she screamed. “I’m outta here.” Awkwardly she made her way down the rickety steps.

  Doug turned out the light before he followed. He pushed the stairs back up, and then turned to look at her. “Okay, tell me what happened.”

  “In the kitchen, let me show you.” She turned around, and bounded down the stairs with him in tow. When they got to the kitchen door, she pointed and said, “There. I had propped the door open with a large canister and when we came back it was closed.”