Wicked Lies

by Michelle Areaux

  "How do you know about my William?" she snapped, the rage filling her voice again. If I didn’t know any better, it almost seemed as if she was jealous of the fact I even knew about his existence.

  I tried a much softer approach, knowing that the only way I’d get this girl to believe me was to stop being so defensive and start being kinder with respect to her situation. I was going to have to really try hard– this girl had tried to kill me, and now I had to act like I was her friend.

  "I saw pictures, in the attic, of your family. There were several with you and William in them. You all looked very happy and in love." I paused, letting my words settle in. She seemed to calm down as I spoke, so I knew it was okay to continue. "I read a few of the letters he sent you while he was away. I know he was in the war and he died fighting for something he believed in. You can let go now and move on. He’s gone. You can go find him now."

  Bethany threw her head back and screamed hard enough to make the trees violently sway as if in a fast-moving wind. Her voice boomed like thunder. Her eyes seemed to strike me like lightning. She yelled, "William has to come back for me. I can’t move on until I see him again, until I am able to explain everything to him. I have haunted every family that has attempted to live in that home, afraid their presence would keep him away. That house is the only house he would ever come back to. I destroyed parts of this town to seek revenge for the love I lost.

  "This town didn’t understand me. I was laughed at, mocked, and blamed for the death of someone who was evil. You will just become another victim unless you do as I say.

  "I am not leaving that home until William returns to me. Do as I say, or you will die too." Her words seemed to linger long after she’d disappeared into the wind.

  The sudden storm that had materialized with Bethany slowly died down and the bitterness in the air faded until the heat and humidity of the day returned. Trembling, I needed a moment to catch my breath and regain my composure.

  Bethany was not going to leave until she found William. I knew what I had to do next: I had to find out what happened to William, how he died, and where he was buried. What I didn’t know was if he had already moved on without her. I needed to research both of their deaths and find out what destruction she’d caused. I made mental notes about what I needed to do and ran back to Aunt Morgan’s house.

  Once safely inside, I called to Lucy and explained to her what had just happened. Lucy was scared, but she agreed that we had to begin by looking into what had happened to William.

  I took a quick shower and dressed before we decided to head into town. All we had to drive was an old, beat-up Ford truck my uncle used around the farm. It was ugly, but it drove.

  Once in town, we stopped at the library. Here we go again, I said to myself, as I parked the truck.

  Inside the library, we made our way to the archives section in the back. I typed William’s name and the date of his death into the computer and several articles came up. Lucy and I started to read and take notes.

  During the Civil War, William and several other men had joined the Army in 1863 to fight the South and abolish slavery. He spent a great deal of his time at Camp Nelson in Nicholasville. Established around 1863, Camp Nelson was used as a supply depot for the Union Army. Anyone who wanted to fight in the war–escaped slaves included–went to Camp Nelson.

  William died just before the end of the war, without seeing how his fight for justice prevailed. He was buried in Camp Nelson’s cemetery.

  "Wow, William was a brave man. We should see about visiting his grave. Maybe you can conjure him up and talk to him."

  I laughed as I thought about what Lucy had said. "I don’t conjure the dead–they just kind of come to me. But you’re right: visiting his grave might help."

  I typed Bethany’s name into my Google search and a few articles appeared about her death, as well. Apparently, a local farmer found her lifeless body under a bridge. Some thought she might have fallen, others speculated she’d jumped because of William’s death. The family assumed she’d ended her own life when she became angry and distraught after William’s death and refused to believe he was dead.

  "That explains why Bethany’s so angry. She thinks William’s going to come back home to her. I doubt she knows how much time has passed since both of their deaths," I said, recording the information using a notes app on my iPhone.

  "Look." Lucy pointed to the screen. A new article had come up about several business fires and people who had been attacked by unknown forces. "You said Bethany claimed to have caused destruction–I bet she did all of this."

  I read through the old newspaper articles and the speculations about how arson had been to blame for at least three business fires in Nicholasville around 1865. One building that had burned was the old jailhouse, the place where soldiers who had gone against the Union were detained. The building had also been occupied by troops after the war.

  There was another article that told the stories of the families who had lived in Aunt Morgan’s house who had claimed to experience strange noises, unexplainable bruising and marks on their bodies, and someone whispering for them to leave in the night. One woman was even sent to an insane asylum by her family after she swore she saw Bethany’s ghost in the house.

  "This is it, Lucy," I exclaimed. "Bethany has destroyed everything she believes has kept her from William. She’s scared everyone who has lived in that house away. Aunt Morgan joked that it was haunted, and I bet that if we ask her, she’ll tell us she’s heard strange noises, too."

  "So, what do we do?" Lucy asked, examining our notes.

  "We have to find a way to contact William. If we can get him to come back for Bethany, she can move on with him." I paused, deep in thought. "The only problem is: I don’t know how to bring spirits to me. They usually just appear and tell me what I need to do."

  "I think we need to visit William’s grave tomorrow, but for now, we need to go home and get ready. It’s already after five in the evening." She showed me the clock on her phone and we rushed to gather our things before heading back to the house.

  Once home, Lucy and I took turns getting ready. We decided to wear jean shorts and loose cotton t-shirts since the air was still quite humid. As I ran a brush through my hair and pulled it up into a tight bun on top of my head, I glanced at myself in the mirror to see a tanned face and strong smile looking back at me. So much had changed in the past year, and I was grateful to have my friends with me through it all.

  My phone chimed, and Noah’s silly face appeared on my screen. I answered and felt a large smile grow on my face when I heard his voice.

  "Hey, babe," he said loudly.

  "Hey, Noah, I’m so glad to hear from you. I really miss you," I stated, and my heart sank a little in my chest. I’d been so busy trying to find answers for Bethany that I hadn’t had time to really miss Noah, and that filled me with guilt.

  "I miss you, too. So, any news on that crazy ghost chick? She hasn’t tried to hurt you again, has she?" he asked, a slight hint of anger rising in his tone. "I found tons of information about her. Long

  story short: her fiancé, William, died during the Civil War. Bethany committed suicide she’s still angry because she wants William to return to her. I’m trying to find a way to contact William, but right now I don’t have any more answers." I rushed through the points, making sure to exclude how Bethany totally freaked me out on my run.

  "Wow, it sounds like you and Lucy are busy. I hope you guys find some time to have fun, too."

  "We’re not really that busy. Aunt Morgan gave us some time off to have fun and enjoy ourselves. We’re even going to a party tonight. This girl, Hailey, that lives next door, invited us," I mused.

  Outside the bedroom window, I could already hear the cars pulling into Hailey’s gravel driveway. Loud music had begun to boom through the evening air, but it was the noise on the other side of the phone that sparked my attention. It sounded like there were voices were in the distance, and I heard something ove
r an intercom call out a time.

  "What’s all the noise?" I asked.

  My tone must have given off a hint of curiosity because silence filled the air between us. A few moments passed where neither of us said anything. The unfamiliarity of the situation made me nervous, and I felt my heart inching its way up my throat where it felt as if it might jump out of my mouth any second.

  He exhaled before beginning. "Oh, that was nothing, just someone from the office calling out the next departure for the evening’s water cruises. You know: summer brings out all the crazy tourists trying to get a glimpse of a witch or two." He laughed, but he sounded strange, almost distant, like he was hiding something.

  "Okay," I said, apparently too brusquely. "Sadie, everything is fine. I hope you have fun,

  but be safe." His voice sounded normal again and my heart eased a little as it crept back down to my chest.

  "So, are there going to be any guys there tonight?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

  "I don’t know who’s going to be there, but don’t worry: the only guy I care to see tonight is thousands of miles away in Salem." I snickered, trying to keep the conversation light.

  "Tell me his name, and I’ll go beat him up," Noah joked back. And just like that, we were back to being Noah and Sadie, two crazy kids in love.

  Lucy rushed into the room and motioned for me to hang up. "Hey, Noah," she said into the speaker, "Sadie misses and loves you. Now, hang up so we can go have some fun." She turned and walked away.

  "Well, I guess you heard: I need to go," I stated. "I’ll call you tomorrow."

  After we said our goodbyes, I ran downstairs and walked across my aunt’s large yard to Hailey’s house. What I found on the other side of the yard was nothing at all what I’d expected.

  Chapter Thirteen

  When we pushed through the trees and brush separating the property lines, I found myself in the middle of what could only be described as a Southern rave. Large diesel trucks had been parked lining the driveway and scattered throughout the grass. Girls were dancing to the sounds of Luke Bryan, the music blaring from a loudspeaker system set up by the pool. A group of guys were starting the bonfire, making stacks of chopped wood in the middle of a big hole and dousing it with lighter fluid. It didn’t look safe–none of it did–but we continued our journey toward the madness.

  "Wow," Lucy said breathily as she took in the sight before us. "This is wild."

  "We can turn around now and leave; no one has seen us yet," I whispered, secretly hoping she’d chicken out and go back home to watch Netflix.

  "Are you kidding? How many parties do we go to?" she asked, pulling me forward.

  We made our way past the guys about to cause an explosion, given the amount of lighter fluid they were pouring on the already soaked firewood. They didn’t seem to notice our presence as we passed, involved in their discussion of plans for the large fire. Hailey was dancing in the center of a group of scandalously-clad girls. I felt suddenly out of place.

  Lucy and I had dressed for what we’d assumed would be a low-key bonfire. We’d both anticipated sitting on the ground and eating s’mores, but what we’d walked into was something neither of us was prepared for.

  A huge grin spread across Lucy’s face as she took in the sights. Hailey noticed us through the crowd surrounding her and flailed her arms to call Lucy and me to join her dance party. I sighed, forced a smile, and began the short journey to where Hailey was still dancing and calling our names.

  "Y’all made it!" she wailed as she jumped through the crowd to meet us.

  She threw her arms around my neck and swayed to the beat of the country song. Without the chance to get away, I had no choice but to allow my body to move in sync with hers. Hailey reached out and pulled Lucy into our dance, laughing as she tried to sing the words to the song.

  "Thanks for inviting us," I yelled over the music. "Who are all these people?" I asked, noticing that the group of teens seemed to be multiplying exponentially. Everywhere I looked there were more kids, dancing or talking.

  "That’s my boyfriend, Bret," she declared as she pointed to a cute, shaggy-haired blond boy standing by a black Ford truck. He had jeans on with rips and tears, that seemed to be perfectly fit to his style. His white t-shirt clung to his magnificently sculpted frame. He stood with one of his brown, leather boots propped against a jumbo-sized tire of his truck, talking with a group of boys dressed very similar to himself. He definitely fit the cowboy chic look that I’d expected from someone dating Hailey. "And, the rest of these people are either friends from school or people who decided to crash the party." She finished pointing to the groups of teens filling the large space behind her house.

  "Your parents don’t mind you having all these people here tonight?" I asked, remembering how my aunt and uncle were gone for the night.

  "My mom and step-dad are out of town, some type of business trip, I guess. Anyway, I always get the yard and house cleaned up before they come home, so they’ll never know," she disclosed with an almost slight laugh.

  "That’s awesome," Lucy exclaimed, continuing to sway to the music.

  Hailey motioned toward her back porch, pointing to a group of coolers. "There are drinks in the coolers–help yourself to anything you want." She was being hospitable, and I was starting to feel bad about doubting her earlier.

  "Thanks," I replied. "Do you have any sodas? Lucy and I don’t drink." I tried to whisper the last statement. My one and only experience with alcohol didn’t end well, and I totally wasn’t going to relive that moment again.

  "Sure, I think there are some Cokes and Mountain Dew and a few Ale-8s–no pressure to drink." She smiled. "I’m going to get back to my friends. Come dance with us if you want," she yelled as she immersed herself back into her dance party.

  Lucy and I made our way to the porch and we each grabbed a Mountain Dew. It was hard not to notice how almost everyone around us had a beer in their hands. I didn’t want this to be the cliché teen party, but that seemed to be what it was.

  "Hey, let’s stay for an hour, then we can leave," I declared, taking a sip of my drink. The bubbles from the sweet, fizzy liquid seemed to dance on my tongue and instantly cooled me from the insane, humid, night air.

  "That’s fine with me," Lucy answered.

  We sat watching the party unfold, feeling as if we were watching a scene from a movie, and we were sitting off-camera, in the background, observing the actors. I laughed as two guys had a beer-chugging contest, which they both lost after they began puking their guts out. I then turned my attention to a group of girls, all wearing Daisy Duke shorts and tight tank tops with cowboy boots, trying to out-dance each other. The scene was definitely comical.

  Suddenly, a ball of fire shot up into the sky, illuminating the space around us with bright oranges and reds. The guys who had been trying to create the bonfire had succeeded. As the sparks crackled, the crowd cheered, lifting their drinks and shouting into the black night. The heat from the fire reached me several feet away, but it was almost comforting. The colors dancing within the fire were alive and beautiful.

  I took another sip of my drink, admiring the glowing fire, my eyes focused on something moving by the edge of the tree line separating my aunt Morgan’s property from Hailey’s. I almost spit out my drink when recognition practically smacked me in the face.

  It was Bethany! She slowly walked out from behind the large trees hiding her from the party. My heart began to dance inside my chest as I feared she’d do something drastic to make me leave, and I didn’t want anyone to get hurt, especially if I could stop her.

  I took a step closer to Lucy, whispered in her ear that I’d be right back, and made my way toward Bethany who was standing at the treeline watching the teens dance under the glowing moonlight, her arms crossed.

  Once I found myself in front of her, I hesitated before speaking. I knew that I had to be careful with my choice of words where Bethany was concerned. Anything was liable to anger her and send he
r into a spiraling fit of rage. I knew the destruction she was capable of causing and I didn’t want anyone there getting hurt on my watch.

  "Hi, Bethany," I greeted her, trying to hold a fake smile. "What are you doing here?" I still heard the sounds of the party, alive with the laughter of teens and the crackle of a dancing fire behind me.

  "What am I doing here?" she mocked me, her tone sarcastic and angry. "I live here!" she shouted. I felt the ground shake under me at the rise of her voice.

  "Bethany, I told you: I’m trying to help you, but my aunt isn’t going to leave her home, but I think I have a way to get William to come back to you," I revealed.

  The anger and rage that had been growing inside Bethany began to diminish. A soft glow appeared on her face and for a moment, she looked almost human.

  "You can bring my William back?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

  "Yes," I exclaimed, "but you have to trust me.

  I’ll help you, but you have to stop trying to kill me."

  Bethany nodded her head, silently agreeing to my truce. "I will give you only a short amount of time to bring William back to me, but if you are lying to me, I will make you pay," she announced, anger returning to her voice.

  "I understand you’re scared and that you’re hesitant to trust me, but please, this is what I do. I help ghosts…um…I mean, girls like you find peace, so you can move on to the afterlife. I’ll need your help, though, in bringing William back. I’ll explain what we need to do to bring him back to you tomorrow, but for tonight, please leave these people alone." I gestured toward the party. "They’re innocent, and they’re just having fun."

  "Fine. I will leave you all alone tonight, but tomorrow I will meet you down by the barn. I expect you to explain everything you know."