"Be careful, though," I warned, "it's really hot out here. Southern heat's a lot different than Northern heat." I fanned myself with the broom I'd been using to sweep around the office deck.
We'd already been working for two weeks on the farm. Lucy and I landed secretary jobs working with my aunt in her office while her regular workers were taking their much-needed vacations. We spent our days answering calls, completing cattle orders, and cleaning around the office. Noah, who had volunteered to work outside, regretted his choice. He spent his days mowing fields, feeding animals and helping farmhands to clean the stables. If it weren’t for the generous checks my aunt and uncle paid us, we might all have run back home screaming.
Aunt Morgan detected our fatigue as she stepped out onto the porch and sat down on the swing hanging in the corner, which creaked from her weight as she sat. "You know what?" she asked, taking a sip of the sweet tea she held in her Mason jar glass. "I think you kids need a night off. The Jessamine County Fair is going on down at the City County Park by the baseball fields in town. You all should go and have some fun. They have rides, food, and entertainment there."
I looked over at Noah and Lucy who watched me carefully. "Sounds great!" I exclaimed. I knew we could use the break and the way Noah and Lucy eyed me, I was almost afraid to turn down the offer.
Later that evening after dinner, Noah, Lucy, and I showered and dressed before leaving for the fair. Noah came down to the kitchen wearing a pair of khaki shorts and a plain, gray t-shirt. His hair was still damp from his shower and thin strands stuck to his forehead. Lucy was sitting at the kitchen table talking to her mom on her phone, wearing a pair of short jean shorts and a floral tank top. I checked myself out in the hall mirror as I tied my hair into a tight bun on the top of my head. My yellow t-shirt matched my Converse sneakers and my jean shorts accentuated the dark, golden tan I was working on from my time in the summer sun.
After double-checking our directions with my aunt, we piled into the farm truck and made our way into town.
Though the town was small, it was bustling with excitement as people walked along Main Street, entered its quaint diners, and talked. Storefront windows were decorated with paintings by local artists, reflecting the culture of the town and the people in it. Tall streetlamps glowed above, providing light in the growing darkness of the evening sky. In the distance, I saw a rainbow of lights flashing skyward from the fairgrounds.
We drove through the newer part of town, passing by an Applebee’s and a Dairy Queen before approaching the heart of Nicholasville, where the old architectural designs and the well-kept brick buildings make it clear the town had dated back centuries. The large courthouse was strategically placed in the heart of downtown Nicholasville. It was beautifully manicured, with colorful flowers in full bloom and cement benches on the freshly cut lawn. We slowly passed by a quaint restaurant called J’s Place, bursting at the seams with people of all ages. Teens chatted while sipping tea and coffee on the sidewalk patio, while families sat down together to family meals inside. A few men wearing business suits sat at the small, patio wine bar, enjoying the summer air as they sipped their beverages and talked.
The large Jessamine Public Library was on a hill, beautifully renovated and looking too high-tech for such a small town. I felt the urge to explore it as soon as I saw it, but I knew it would have to wait for another time. Main Street stretched the entire length of the downtown core, and from the modern designs of trendy fast food restaurants and shops, through to the historical section of town, we traveled it until we came to a suburban neighborhood. If we stayed on the street it would lead us out of town and into a more open area where the Jessamine County Fair was being held.
When we finally arrived at our destination, we quickly realized just how popular the fair was in the town. Cars lined the street leading to the fair and we had to park several streets away. The buzz from the attractions seemed to scream out as we heard people laughing from high up on the Ferris wheel. I smelled the sweet aroma of funnel cake as I walked past a little boy devouring one. My mouth watered as the smell demanded I get one.
Noah and I walked hand in hand, with Lucy trailing closely beside us. Swarms of people surrounded us as we walked through the large, open area. I led the way, following the aromas. Before I knew it we were standing in front of a small trailer with a long line of people.
"What are we doing here?" Lucy asked, standing on her tip-toes to observe the writing on the side of the colorful trailer.
I licked my lips, my body still craving one of those sweet treats. "I have to get one of those funnel cakes," I demanded, already taking a step closer to the window where a gray-haired woman was taking orders.
"Awesome!" Noah exclaimed, pulling his wallet out of his back pocket. I knew if it meant food, Noah would be ready to join in.
At the window, I placed my order and was rewarded with a golden brown, fluffy cake, showered with soft, white, sugary powder.
We sat at a nearby picnic table and began to devour the delicious cake, which disappeared in mere moments. I couldn’t believe I'd never tried a funnel cake before!
We threw our plate into a nearby garbage container and resumed our walk around the area.
I felt like a young kid again as the excitement building inside of me prompted for me to run to every game, food vendor, and ride.
When we finally decided to give in to our desires, we rushed up to a ride where there was a long line and loud music blaring from overhead speakers to take a ride on the Zipper.
We were placed into a blue, metal cart and strapped down. As the music began to blare from the speakers once more, the ride started to move, slowly picking up intensity. We were thrown from left to right, and then turned upside down. My hair splattered against my face as I laughed and threw my hands into the air. Lucy, who doing the same, screamed for the ride to go faster. Noah, who stood and watched from the gate eating his weight in junk food, laughed and waved as we flew by.
An hour had passed, and the three of us were still enjoying the beautiful night out. We laughed and joked as we walked through the hordes of people. At one point, Lucy squeezed my hand and pulled me toward the Ferris wheel in the center of the excitement.
Noah stopped mid-step and shook his head as he observed the ride's massive height.
"Nope. Not going to happen," he stated as he stood in place.
"You don’t want to ride with us?" I asked, watching his eyes rotate with the wheel. I tried to hold back my laughter. Noah was scared of a silly carnival ride‒I couldn’t believe it!
"No, you two go ahead." He motioned and pushed Lucy and me away from where he stood.
"I'll stand down here and watch."
I chuckled again. I couldn’t believe it: Noah was actually afraid of something!
I laughed again. "Come on, you big baby." "Nope, you all are not going to get me on that
thing. I have a bad feeling about this. It doesn’t look safe," he rebutted, pointing to the ride. "It looks like they just put that thing together in an hour. I don’t want to die riding a Ferris wheel." He blinked a few times, trying to hide his overwhelming fear.
Lucy laughed off the idea and went ahead to find a place in the line. I stood on my tip toes and graced his lips with mine before telling him I'd be back shortly, and then left him behind to join Lucy in line.
I scanned the area as we waited our turn. Bright lights covered the rides and booths which were filled with happy people. Luckily, the line for the giant ride was short.
As we approached the red car, an overwhelming feeling of dread took over. I searched through the crowds of people, but nothing seemed wrong. Everyone around me still smiled and laughed as families enjoyed time together. Nearby was a miniature teacup ride, encircled by parents who were watching their children laugh and scream with excitement as they wheeled around. Teenagers still held hands as they walked through the crowd, bumped into one another and made small talk. Everything about the place seemed wholesome, but something inside me felt off. N
oah’s trepidation about riding the Ferris wheel had been funny at first, but I'd started to feel uneasy about it too.
Shaking the feeling, I stepped onto the car that would take me and Lucy around the large Ferris wheel’s circumference. A large man wearing a dirty flannel shirt and a long beard helped me into the red car. My face must have shown my reluctance because Lucy gave me a quick glance before shaking her head.
"Oh, come on, Sadie. You fight ghosts for a living. You can’t tell me you're afraid of a silly carnival ride, too. Look, Noah's down there waiting for us, waving. Just smile and enjoy the ride." Lucy patted my knee for comfort.
I laughed off the feeling, settled into my seat, and began watching the sights below. She was right. I deal with angry dead girls all the time. A little ride wasn't enough to spook me.
Just as I found myself calming down, a strong gust of wind rattled our car, and I reached for the metal handles, holding on as our car shook violently, threatening to tip backward.
"Oh, no!" Lucy screamed as she held onto the side of our car. Her face had turned pale, and her eyes had grown to the size of saucers.
"Hold on!" I yelled, my voice frantic as I looked around for something‒or‒someone to help, but it seemed as if our car had been the only one affected by the sudden burst of wind.
Down below an angry voice screamed, "Hey girls, stop shaking your car or you're going to fall out!" at us. It was the man who had been working the ride. He was looking up and shaking his fist in the air at us. Several people had stopped to see what the commotion was about, talking amongst themselves and pointing to where our car convulsed in midair.
The world around me became a blur, and I tried to focus my eyes. Lucy had closed her eyes and was struggling to hold onto the car's handles. Tears streamed down her face as she pleaded for the violent motion to stop. I scanned the crowd and found Noah, standing statue-like, almost as if he were paralyzed. He had a terrified expression on his face as he watched our car shake violently against the black, night sky.
Suddenly, and without warning, my gaze found a pair of mesmerizing blue eyes, piercing through the coal, night sky. Fear crippled me. My heart pounded deep inside my chest, threatening to beat right through my chest wall. The revelation that these were the same eyes I'd seen at the pond and the ones that had haunted my dreams startled me. I stopped, afraid to look at anything but those eyes. They seemed to be beckoning to me, but at the same time, they terrified me to the depths of my soul.
Just as I felt the pull of those evil eyes, everything came crashing down. Just as suddenly as the violent wind had begun, tossing Lucy and me around in the car like rag dolls, it stopped. The car slowly stopped rocking and the Ferris wheel began to turn once more, bringing us back down to earth.
Still shaking with fear, Lucy jumped out of the car as soon as it stopped and ran over to Noah who reached out for the both of us. Her eyes were red and puffy from the crying and her body shook uncontrollably.
Noah checked both us over to make sure we weren’t physically hurt.
"Are you two all right?" he asked, hugging me tightly. "That looked crazy. What happened?" He pointed to the car and the baffled patrons watching us.
"I don’t know what happened," I whispered. A lone tear trailed down my cheek, and I swiped it quickly away before anyone could see.
The sky was calm and peaceful, the complete opposite of the terror I'd experienced only moments before. The crowds shortly returned to whatever their activity was before the drama on the Ferris wheel had occurred.
Lucy wiped her eyes and eyed me cautiously. "That was really scary, but it was also weird, Sadie. You stopped and stared into the night while the car was shaking. You seemed almost paralyzed. Did you see something while we were up there?"
Her interrogation hit hard. I wasn’t ready to start telling my friends the truth‒again. "I don’t know what you're talking about," I lied. "I was just as afraid as you were. I don’t know why the wind started shaking us, or why it was only our car." I offered a slight smile as I looked from Lucy to Noah. Both of their faces seemed skeptical–they knew me all too well. "You're a terrible liar," Lucy said, sneering, her
voice rising with anger and frustration. "Come on: I’m ready to go." And with that, Lucy and Noah walked toward the exit. I followed close behind, giving my friends some space to deal with the fact that things just had just got complicated.
Chapter Eight
"Are you seriously not going to talk about it?" Noah asked as we drove back to my aunt's, his brows furrowed in anger as he eyed me closely. The fun- loving, calm Noah had been replaced by a frustrated Noah. The car ride was growing tenser and tenser as I kept dodging their questions.
Lucy was still shaking as she sat next to me in the truck. I was still totally freaked out but tried to display a calm demeanor. I didn't want to think about what I'd witnessed on that Ferris wheel, and I tried to ignore their glares and the growing tension between us. I especially didn’t want to think that the wicked souls that haunted me in Salem could possibly have followed me to Kentucky.
"Seriously, just drop it," I demanded, my tone sounding more severe than I'd anticipated.
Noah huffed, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and kept his gaze straight ahead. I knew he was upset, but he knew me well enough to let things go. When we got to Aunt Morgan’s, Noah and Lucy went straight to bed, both of them angry at my refusal to discuss what had happened that night.
Unsure of what I should say or do, I decided to take a long, warm bath. Uncle Johnny and Aunt Morgan were already sleeping, so I knew I wouldn’t be disturbing anyone. I sat there, watching the oval, porcelain tub fill with steaming, hot water. After spending the day cleaning out horse stalls and trying to forget about the cryptic message that had been left on the barn, I wanted nothing more than to soak my troubles away in a nice, relaxing bath.
I removed my bathrobe and stepped into the warm water, resting my head on the edge of the tub once I'd sunk deep enough. I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds of the countryside through the open window–crickets chirped, horses whinnied in the barn, and the faint humming of bees created a lullaby that helped me drift off into a calm, relaxing sleep.
A creak startled me. My eyes shot quickly open as I searched the room for an intruder. I swear I heard someone walking along the wooden floor of the bathroom, but–much to my relief–no one was in the room with me.
"Max?" I called, hoping to see the big, white dog waddle out from the corner shadow, but there was nothing. I glanced at the door to see the lock was still in place. My aunt was right: this house definitely had some interesting sounds. I must have imagined the footsteps as I dreamed of Noah and me spending a long afternoon down by the lake.
Having calmed myself, I closed my eyes and played over the memory of Noah and me over the last year. Just as I felt myself drifting away, I heard a growl come from the other side of the door. It sounded like a dog, but Max hadn’t so much as barked in front of me in the whole time we'd been there, I couldn’t image him growling. I felt something push my shoulders deep down, into the water. I had only a brief moment of time to gasp for air before my head plunged underwater. I struggled to push myself up, but whatever was holding me down was much stronger than myself. My hands reached for anything to grab to help me pull my face above water, and I grasped what felt like two thin arms. My eyes shot open like fireworks had been set off underneath me, and I looked down into the water to see a pair of icy blue eyes staring back at me.
Adrenaline shot through my body like a cannonball, and I launched myself out of the water long enough to scream for help before my body was slammed back down into the water. My head banged against the edge of the tub, sending a numbing sensation through me. I could no longer fight, and I gave in to the pressure that was holding me down, staring into those blue eyes all the while. They were mesmerizing and calming at once, rendering me paralyzed by them, unable to fight.
I was in a trance, unable to think of anyone or anything else. N
othing would ever be able to pull me from their spell. As I resigned myself to the darkness, I was pulled from the water by such a sharp movement that it felt as if my body had been thrown to the ground.
"Sadie, what are you doing?" Lucy screamed my name as she wrapped a towel around my convulsing body. I hadn’t even realized I was out of the water until I felt the cool air form goosebumps on my skin.
Noah stood in the doorway, looking at me like I was deranged. I was scared at how he seemed to keep distant from me. Max stood next to him, the hairs on his body standing up, and his face formed into a frown. "Lucy, thank you. You just saved my life!" I
stammered through chattering teeth.
My eyes stayed glued to Noah’s as he watched Lucy help me out of the tub. I wasn’t sure if it was the fear of what had just happened or the fact that Noah hadn’t spoken a word or stepped foot in the room, but my body was still shaking, and showing no sign of stopping.
Lucy held me tightly, rubbing my arms for warmth. "Sadie, your lips are blue. What happened? I heard you scream. I was sitting on the porch talking to my mom on the phone and you sounded so panicked, I yelled for Noah. It took both of us to knock the door down to get to you." Her eyes moistened as the fear had left her and confusion set in.
"Something pushed me down into the water, and I couldn’t get myself back up. "I whispered, fearing that someone–or something–may still be lurking. "I felt arms and then I saw these eyes…They were the most beautiful and terrifying things I have ever seen." I closed my eyes, trying to erase the memory.
"What do you mean something held you down?" Noah asked in a steady and calm voice. "The door was locked." He motioned to the now broken door, with the lock still in place.
His tone and lack of sympathy made me angry, and I directed everything I was feeling right at him. "I don’t know what I mean, Noah. Something held me down. I felt it, and I saw it!" I was shouting, and my anger was close to reaching its boiling point.
"It’s okay, Sadie. We believe you." Lucy glared at Noah, seeming to dare him with her eyes to speak again. I'd never seen Lucy so angry before–a part of me wanted to hug and high-five her.
Wicked Lies Page 6