Spirits In the Trees

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  A dragonfly adorned her pierced belly button. In her ears she wore silver hoop earrings and every finger had a ring on it. Her crystal blue eyes almost disappeared when she smiled. Maddy pegged her to be about her own age, late twenties.

  “Hi! You must be Maddy, the woman renovating the old Heller place. It’s nice to finally meet you. I’m Angie,” she said as her hand jutted out.

  Maddy took it, immediately deciding she liked this woman. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “So, what can I do you for?” Angie smiled while she planted her hands on her hips.

  “I’m painting the inside of the house, so I’ll need paint as well as all the supplies.”

  “No problemo, come on back.”

  As she followed the woman, she noticed a Celtic knot tattoo sticking out of the back of her pants.

  “Here, you decide on the color, while I collect the items you’ll need,” Angie said, before she took off.

  Angie set about selecting supplies. Once she had finished, she came over to Maddy who was holding two paint swatches. “How’s it going?” she asked.

  “Well, I’ve narrowed it down to Eggshell or Navajo White,” Maddy replied.

  “We have a lot more Eggshell, if that helps any.”

  “Eggshell it is.” Maddy smiled.

  “I’ve got five gallons. I’ll order more and by the time you’ve finished with those you’ll have a better idea how many more gallons you’ll need, if any.”

  “Sounds great. Oh, I was wondering how I could get my hands on something to strip the existing wallpaper,” Maddy asked.

  “Mrs. Winston has a steamer. I’ll bet she’ll let you borrow it. She used to be an interior decorator in her day. It was more of a hobby; she didn’t really need the money. I’ll take you over and introduce you when we’ve finished here.”

  “Thanks. I’d really appreciate that.”

  After ringing up the supplies, Angie helped Maddy load everything into her trunk, then stuck her head through the hardware store’s door and yelled.

  “Hey, Lanny, I’m taking Maddy over to Mrs. Winston’s!”

  “When will you be back?”

  “I’ll see ya, when I see ya!”

  “Ang, wait!” Lanny yelled, but she was halfway across the parking lot by then.

  Sitting behind the wheel of her red Jeep Wrangler, Angie yelled out the open window, “Follow me!”

  Maddy had barely turned the ignition in her car, when Angie took off. Maddy floored the accelerator and tried to keep up. Angie sped through town, sending pedestrians fleeing for their lives. She wove in and out of traffic, while Maddy struggled to keep her in her sights.

  Fifteen minutes later, the red jeep screeched to a halt in front of a large Victorian house surrounded by beautiful gardens. Maddy was relieved Mr. Toad’s wild ride had finally come to an end. By the time she put the car in park, Angie was already knocking on the front door. She ran to catch up with her.

  Just as she reached her side on the porch, the door opened. An elegant woman about her grandmother’s age stood before them. A warm smile graced her lips.

  “Why Angela Henderson, what a lovely surprise. Who’s your friend?”

  “This is Maddy, Mrs. Winston. She’s renovating the old Heller place. She was wondering if she could use your steamer to strip off the old wallpaper.”

  “Oh, Maddy, it’s so nice to meet you. You girls do come in.” Mrs. Winston stepped aside and motioned them toward the parlor.

  After they were all seated, Mrs. Winston said, “Well girls, I don’t know if that old thing still works. If I remember correctly, Leonard was always having a dickens of a time with it. But, you’re more than welcome to borrow it just the same.”

  She raised a bell off the table next to her and rang it. “Will you stay and have tea with me?”

  “We’d love to, but we have a lot of work to do. Could we take a rain check?” Angie said, with genuine regret.

  “Certainly, dear.” Mrs. Winston rang the bell with more vivacity. A petite woman appeared in the doorway, she looked decidedly older than her employer.

  “Yes, ma’am?”

  “Ethel, would you please go out in the shed and see if you can dig up that old wallpaper steamer for these girls?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Ethel turned to leave.

  “I’ll help you.” Angie jumped up and ran after the maid.

  Once they were alone, Mrs. Winston turned to her with a warm smile, “So, Maddy, will you be living here alone, or do you have a family?”

  “Actually, I’m just getting the house ready to sell. It belongs to my great-aunt. I volunteered to come take care of it for her.”

  “Oh, I see. And who is your great-aunt, dear?”

  “Madeline Heller was her name back then; she lived here with her husband and his parents.”

  “I see. That was some time ago if I remember correctly.”

  “Yes, ma’am. My grandmother and I just ran across the deed recently. We have no idea why my aunt hadn’t sold the house long ago.”

  “Why don’t you ask her?”

  “Unfortunately, she has Alzheimer’s.”

  “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry to hear that. I remember your aunt now, she was very quiet. She rarely went to town. When she did, it was always on the arm of her husband. He was quite a bit older as I recall. I believe you resemble her my dear, if you don’t mind me saying so?”

  “Not at all, I was named for her I’m proud to say.”

  “As you should be.” Mrs. Winston patted her knee.

  Just then Angie appeared, pushing an old rusty machine.

  “We’re in business! A little spit and polish, it should be good as new.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Mrs. Winston said as her eyes landed on Angie with her antique find.

  Maddy stood to join her new friend.

  “Thank you so much for letting me borrow this, Mrs. Winston. I’ll have it back to you as soon as possible.”

  “No hurry, dear. I don’t suppose I’ll be using it anytime in the near future. Now you girls promise to come back and have tea with me real soon.” She walked them to the door.

  “You bet. Do you still get those scones sent over from Canada?”

  “Why, yes, Angela. If you call in advance, I’ll make sure we have your favorites.” She patted her on the shoulder.

  “It’s a deal!” Angie kissed Mrs. Winston on the cheek and hugged her.

  “Thanks again, Mrs. Winston. I look forward to tea.” Maddy reached out her hand.

  “Nonsense, you hug me like everyone else.” She took Maddy in her frail arms.

  Maddy gently hugged the woman back before heading out the door.

  “It was good to see you girls. Now come back real soon,” Mrs. Winston said from the doorway.

  “We will!” Angie said, loading the steamer in the back of her Jeep. She slid behind the wheel. “See ya at the house!” Angie yelled back with a flick of her hand, then she was off.

  Maddy jumped into her car as quickly as she could and tried to catch up to Angie. She didn’t have a chance. She pulled into the drive, noticed the red jeep, but no Angie.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Maddy found Angie on the back stoop scrubbing the old machine. The rain had stopped and the sun had broken through the clouds.

  “How’d you get in?” Maddy asked.

  “The door was standing wide open. I’ve heard of an open door policy before, but I’d say that was taking it just a little too far.” Angie looked up, laughing.

  “I closed and locked the doors when I left.” Maddy exclaimed. “I swear this house hates me!”

  Angie stared at her a moment. Finally, she said, “Yeah, my house hates me too.”

  At first Maddy just looked at her, then she realized how silly that sounded and laughed.

  Angie said, “I hope you don’t mind, but I helped myself to some of your cleaning supplies.”

  “Of course not, use whatever you need. I’m grateful for the help.”
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br />   “It’s cleaning up mighty nice, look at that,” Angie said, standing to the side.

  “Yeah, but will it work?” Maddy had her doubts.

  “You don’t know who you’re talking to. I’m a better mechanic than most men on this island. If anyone can get this old antique to work, it’s me.”

  “Then I’m glad I found you.” Maddy smiled. “Can I get you some lemonade or iced tea?”

  “Iced tea would be great, thanks.”

  Maddy went into the kitchen and returned with a large glass of iced tea with a sprig of mint she’d found growing at the side of the yard. Angie drank half the glass before setting it down.

  Maddy busied herself unloading the car. She placed the paint cans in the shade on the porch, then put the rest of the supplies in the house. Just as she had set down the last of it, she found Angie behind her.

  “Do you have any tools?”

  “I don’t know. Let’s go out and check in the shed,” Maddy answered.

  They followed a path that led to a rickety old building that looked as if it would collapse at the first stiff wind. “I really haven’t had time to investigate the contents of this old thing. So I guess we’ll do it together,” Maddy said as she tugged on the warped door.

  Angie came around her to help, between the two, they were able to get it open. Angie ventured in first, flailing her arms about to break away the cobwebs as she made her way to the bare bulb in the middle of the room and pulled the chain. “There we go, that ought to make a difference.”

  “Not much.” Maddy observed as she squinted into the shadows. The room was filled with old equipment: a sawhorse, some rusty old stools, a workbench over which hung a window covered with cobwebs and mud. She thought if she only cleaned that window, it would make a world of difference regarding the visibility in here. The room smelled dank and moldy.

  Each sifted through the rubble searching for a toolbox. Maddy looked around, on the walls hung many tools. Hedge clippers, hammers, a rubber mallet, a hatchet, she made a mental note of the last item as she got an idea.

  “Here we go, found it!” Angie exclaimed from the other side of the room. Maddy made her way to the sound and found Angie had hit the mother lode. She was digging through a giant toolbox.

  “Here, would you hold these for me?” Angie asked as she handed her several screwdrivers in various sizes. Angie selected a few other items, then as an afterthought, grabbed the WD40.

  Maddy followed her out of the shed, snatching the rubber mallet on the way and tugging at the light chain.

  They made their way back through the kitchen, out the door to where Angie was working. Maddy deposited the screwdrivers on the porch next to Angie, then asked if she could spare one of them.

  “Hell, yes! Take any one you want. Something I can help you with?”

  “Not yet, but thanks.” Maddy grabbed the biggest screwdriver she could find and walked back into the kitchen. Manned with rubber mallet and screwdriver, she tackled the pesky kitchen door.

  Maddy dragged it outside, retrieved the sawhorses from the shed, and set them up in the middle of the gravel driveway, then centered the door in between the two ends. With a big smile on her face and ax in her hand, she happily started hacking away at the door. “Let’s see you come back after this!”

  Satisfied, she glanced around at her handiwork. What had once been a door was now piles of broken wood cast haphazardly about the driveway. She carried the wood into the house and dumped it in the fireplace.

  Angie appeared next to her. “Boy, you really do have a problem with the doors around this place, don’t you?” She laughed.

  “This door in particular.” If she only knew, Maddy thought.

  “Yeah, I can see that. Care to elaborate?”

  “Nope.” And risk it getting all over the island that she is a crazy person?

  “As you wish. The steamer’s ready. You want to start in the kitchen?” Angie asked.

  “Sure, it’s as good a place as any. I really appreciate the help, Angie, but don’t you need to get back to the store?”

  “Hell, no! I can count nuts and bolts any old time. Here I’m actually needed,” she said with conviction.

  “Okay, kitchen it is.” Maddy led the way through the house.

  The women worked side-by-side all day, stripping paper and preparing the walls. Maddy really liked Angie, she felt a sort of kinship with her and loved hearing all about her wild escapades. She wished she had the guts to do even half the things Angie had done.

  She wasn’t certain, but after spending the day with Angie, she thought she might be able to trust her with her problem. Weighing the pros and cons, Maddy decided to take the chance. She really needed someone to believe her, and better yet, give her some advice.

  The women sat eating a supper of cold sandwiches in the backyard when Maddy became quiet and stared at her new friend trying to figure out a way to start. Angie looked up from her plate, a frown creased her face. “What’s up?”

  Maddy didn’t know where to start. “I have a problem.”

  “Shoot.” Angie took another bite of her sandwich and waited.

  “Well, it’s actually a sensitive matter, it involves the door I cut up. Can I trust you to keep it just between the two of us?”

  “Of course! I know I joke a lot, but I would go to my grave with a secret. You can trust me,” she answered sincerely. “Hell, I told you about my lost weekend, no one knows about that one!” Angie ended with a nervous laugh.

  Over the next hour, Maddy told her everything that had happened to her since she’d arrived. By the time she’d finished, Angie was looking at her with her mouth open.

  When Angie finally found her voice, “Oh my God, Maddy, you must be petrified!”

  “So you believe there’s a ghost in this house?” Maddy couldn’t believe her ears.

  “Hell, yes! I’ve been hearing rumors for years. I must admit, that’s one of the reasons I was anxious to get over here. I wanted to see for myself. What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t have a clue. I was kind of hoping you might have an idea. I’m afraid Doug thinks I’m crazy.”

  “That’s just Doug. Between you and me, I think he’s a bit anal. Like most men, if it doesn’t come right up and bite them on the ass it’s not real.” They laughed. “Have you thought about asking the spirits what they want?”

  “I think that’s a bit obvious, don’t you? They want me gone.”

  “No, I mean besides that. I’m very interested in this kind of stuff; I read everything I can get my hands on. They say that these ghosts may not even know that they’re dead. The woman most likely sees you as a threat; maybe she wants to know why a strange woman is in her house?”

  “What about the voices? There seem to be several. What about the shadow in the bathroom? It was definitely tall, more like a man than a woman.”

  “I don’t know.” Angie looked pensive, then continued. “Maybe we can find out the history of this house, the people who lived here before. That’s what they do on all the ghost hunting shows. Ever seen one? I TIVO Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State and A Haunting, they’re fascinating!”

  “No, can’t say that I have. I didn’t even know there were such shows.”

  “Girlfriend, you are missing out! I’ve learned that there are many reasons that spirits are tied to this plane; lives cut short, suicides, violent deaths or murder. People who feel they have something left to do. Malevolent beings who have never taken human form. Whatever the case, maybe we can send them on their way.” Angie spoke like an expert.

  “How do we send ghosts away?”

  “Don’t know yet. First thing we have to do is find out why they’re still here. After that we can decide if simple prayer will work, or if we need to get a priest in here to bless the house or do an exorcism.”

  “And how are we going to accomplish that?”

  “We’re going to ask!” Angie said, excitedly. She jumped up and started dragging Maddy inside.

 
The house was almost dark when the women entered. Maddy was nervous about Angie’s exuberance. Her hip collided with the dining room table. “Ow! What are you doing?” Maddy yelled after her.

  They stopped in the living room. “You’ll see. Sit there.” She pushed Maddy down in a chair in front of the fireplace, then proceeded to feel around the top of the mantle until her hand landed on some matches. She lit one and placed it under the wood of the now deceased door.

  “May it rest in peace, or pieces in this case.” Angie giggled. “The paint should help to ignite the wood, it’s highly flammable.” She held the match there until it was close to burning her fingers, then tossed it in. “Or not. Damn, I may need some help here. Wait a sec.” She jumped up and disappeared through the front door.

  Maddy watched the whirling dervish that was Angie. A few minutes later she returned with an armful of twigs and pine needles. “This ought to help.” She strategically placed them in and around the wood. She lit another match. This time there was a crackle, a little smoke. She tossed in the match, then quickly closed the screen.

  The kindling started to burn, but the door did not catch on. In frustration Angie opened the screen, then whoosh! The wood exploded into flames and she landed on her butt on the floor.

  Maddy jumped up and quickly closed the screen.

  After a moment they looked at each other and burst into gales of laughter.

  “You should have seen your face!” Maddy yelled as she wiped tears from her eyes.

  “Mine, you should have seen yours!” Angie retorted.

  It took awhile for the laughter to die down enough for either of them to speak.

  “And your brilliant idea would be?” Maddy asked, smiling.

  Angie got off the floor, sat on the ottoman across from her and leaned over clasping her hands. “We’re going to have a séance, ask the spirits why they’re here.”

  Maddy jerked her hands back. “No way, you have no idea how scary this is. Believe me.”

  “Exactly. I’ve always wanted to see a ghost, now here’s my chance!” Angie tried to grab her hands again, but Maddy held them out of her reach.