Hearing her words brought my wall of strength tumbling down, and I sobbed into her shoulder, grateful for her forgiveness and love. I didn’t deserve any of it, but I'd take all she wanted to give.
Mom laughed, grabbed Noah and Lucy, and motioned for my aunt and uncle to join us and we all stood there, hugging and laughing and crying.
The next morning, I hugged my aunt and uncle and thanked them for giving me the opportunity to work on their farm and learn more about the history of the South. I also asked for their forgiveness for the trouble I'd caused and promised to send them my next few paychecks at the local coffee shop I'd be working at to pay for the damage I'd caused to their farm truck. "I'm really sorry for any trouble I caused," I said as we loaded the cab with our luggage.
Aunt Morgan reached out, pulled me in for a tight hug, and kissed me on the top of my head. "Sadie, I was so glad you were able to come visit us this summer. Yes, it didn’t go exactly as we'd expected, but you gave us a good story to tell," she joked as she wiped away a tear that had fallen.
Aunt Morgan motioned for Noah and Lucy to join us in the hug and asked us to come back again sometime. Uncle Johnny added that maybe next time it would be with a little less drama. I patted Max on the head and waved goodbye once more as I closed the cab door as well as another chapter in my journey as a messenger to the dead.
When we boarded the plane later that morning, I couldn’t help but watch the sunrise as I sat waiting for the plane to take off. The image of my mom and aunt from the night before had stayed with me. I couldn’t explain in words what I thought I saw, but I'd seen enough to understand that my mom and aunt were hiding something from me. I guess I'd just have to find out what their dirty little secrets were another time.
I leaned my head back on the headrest, closed my eyes, and drifted into a deep sleep. I knew that once I'd arrived back home, I'd have to get busy finishing my article for the paper. I had more than enough information to write my story about Bethany, William, and the soldiers who lie in rest at Camp Nelson.
Part of me worried people in Salem wouldn’t care about a story from Nicholasville, Kentucky, but I couldn’t let that fear hold me back. This was going to be more than an informational article about people who lived hundreds of years ago–this was going to be a story detailing the lives of two people who died loving each other. It would chronicle a devastating murder, the destruction of a town based on theories and fear, and the war that brought a group of people together.
As the plane lifted higher and higher into the sky, I fell deeper and deeper into a calming and much- needed sleep.
It was strange how, when I first arrived in Salem a year ago, I detested the thought of having to live there as I didn’t know what the town had in store for me. Now I couldn’t imagine anywhere else I'd rather be. Salem had become my home and was filled with the people and things I loved.
When we got back home, I was, of course, grounded until I was a hundred years old, or at least until I could prove to my parents, I was able to follow the rules and not get myself killed. Being grounded sucked, but there could have been a worse consequence. I'd expected to be locked away like Rapunzel, never being allowed out of my parents' sight. Instead, I was given permission to go to work and come home, but nothing more. Noah and Lucy were allowed to come over and hang out, but we were prohibited from going anywhere without my parents’ supervision. They were treating me like a child, but I guess I deserved it.
Being grounded gave me more than enough time to find time to write my article and submit it to the journalism teacher at school.
My mom drove me to school since my car was permanently parked in my driveway until further notice. As we drove down the street, I glanced out the window and took in the beautiful sights of Salem in the summer. Green trees lined the street and flowerpots full of reds and oranges hung from the streetlights. Birds chirped from above as people walked along the sidewalks.
When we reached the school, my mom parked out front. "Good luck," she offered as she settled in her seat.
"Thanks," I replied as I opened the car door
and stepped out. There were only a few cars scattered throughout the faculty parking lot. I spotted Lucy as I walked through the large front doors. The school looked vastly different without the hordes of students filling the large space.
Lucy waved and ran over to me. "So, I see you’re allowed to leave your house now," she joked, and she gave me a quick hug.
"Only for a little while, but my mom drove and she's waiting for me in the parking lot." I pointed through the open doors.
Lucy waved to my mom. "Of course." She giggled. "So, are you ready to turn in your story? I think it's really good," she noted, pushing me further down the hall toward the guidance offices.
"I hope they like it. My parents are going to let me continue to try for the spot on the school's paper, even though they've grounded me forever."
We stepped inside the guidance office and submitted our applications to our guidance counselors. Handing over the application was like having a heavy load lifted from my shoulders. I'd put every ounce of myself into that article. I'd almost died trying to uncover the mystery surrounding my story. I could only hope that when the newspaper staff read through it, they'd feel the emotion I'd put into each and every word.
As we left the school, I felt calm for once.
Everything seemed to be falling into place.
Three days later, I heard back that my story had intrigued the staff and they'd be publishing it in the first newspaper of the school year. It turns out one of my language arts teachers is from Kentucky, so she really pushed for the article to be published. She said I had a real future with a writing career, and I sort of hoped she was right.
Lucy’s photos were also accepted, and she was going to be the paper's new photographer, since the last photographer had graduated. My last year in high school would be spent working with my best friend, my boyfriend by my side, helping me with anything I needed.
"Hey, Sadie," Noah yelled as he ran, almost tripping as he made his way to where I was sitting on a bench overlooking the harbor. My mom had agreed to take me for coffee after I'd received the news about my story. Unfortunately, it meant I'd have to be chaperoned from a distance. Noah waved to my mom as he ran past her car toward me.
Lucy followed closely behind, shaking her head as she held a paper tray with three coffees.
"Hi, Mrs. Sanders," Lucy waved as she rolled her eyes at Noah. She continued making her way to where I was waiting by our new, favorite spot, a bench we'd found one afternoon by the water's edge. A beautiful oak tree sat nearby, affording us the perfect amount of shade.
"Thanks for the help, Noah," she chided as Noah plopped onto the bench next to me. He scooted closer to me and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek, ignoring Lucy’s remarks. Lucy handed each of us a coffee, pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and sat on the far edge of the bench.
"Don’t be mad, Lucy. Did you really want me to help, anyway? Think about what a disaster that could have been," Noah joked, reaching over and playfully shoving Lucy’s shoulder.
"What are you reading?" Lucy asked when she saw the folded paper on my lap.
"This is the final edition of my article that will run in the first school paper of the new school year," I said, pride gushing in my voice. Even though I'd been skeptical about writing the article at first, traveling to Kentucky, helping a deadly ghost, and…well, I could go on forever. I guess it's safe to say I'd been skeptical about many things in my life, but now, as I held another of my written pieces, the result of my motivation to help someone else and my passion to tell the story, I was proud of my accomplishment and everything I'd overcome.
"Let’s read it," Noah demanded. I'd been secretive with the story, as I wasn’t sure what reaction I'd get, but thankfully, as my teacher had informed me, it was great. I unfolded the paper and held it up, so we could read it together:
Town Once Destroyed by Fear, Now Rejoices in the
Truth
Over a century ago, the small town of Nicholasville, Kentucky was rocked when a local girl by the name of Bethany was found dead. Family and friends suspected suicide as she was still mourning the loss of her fiancé, William Henderson, a soldier who hadn't returned home after the Civil War. Brave and dedicated, William had left for war promising his young fiancée he would return to marry her one day. Sadly, their dream of a happily ever after never came true.
After the town had recovered from Bethany’s sudden death, they faced something far more severe than dealing with the loss of such young souls. Unexplained fires began destroying local businesses, and mysterious sightings and events plagued the quiet town for years. Some people claimed a ghost may be haunting the town. Others worried they were being attacked by some other force. Either way, the people in Nicholasville, Kentucky feared for their lives and their community.
Now, a century later, letters found in Bethany’s home reveal how her love for William was too strong to let her commit such a heinous crime against herself and her family. After researching these letters and the relationship between Bethany and her long-time childhood friend, Melanie, it was revealed to me by a private source that Melanie had killed Bethany in a villainous rage of jealousy. Melanie, who had fallen madly in love with William, had killed Bethany and planted her body to appear as if she had killed herself over the loss of her fiancé. As far as Melanie was concerned, her scheme would result in her and William reuniting once he had returned. She believed he would share in her love, however, she was dead wrong.
As my source explains, "Bethany and William shared a love that could not be broken. Nothing or no one could destroy their bond. They are together in the afterlife, living happily, as they should have been able to do while living on Earth." I will remain faithful to my source and not reveal his/her true identity, but I will provide you with this piece of vital information: this source is very, very close to the family of Bethany and William.
While uncovering the wicked lies behind Bethany’s death will not bring closure to her family now, it will help her rest in peace. The world now knows the truth: that Bethany died waiting for the love of her life to return home to her.
It is not uncommon for people to look for answers when faced with tragedy. It is human nature to want to understand why things in this world happen to any of us, but when those answers lead to hurt, anger, and more questions, we tend to retract ourselves and be content with the answers that make sense to us, or result in the least amount of hurt.
Please, let us stop that common trend. Let us not allow fear, jealousy, judgment, or anger to forge any lies that may blind us from the truth. When we are left with questions, we should investigate all sources and outlets. We may just discover that the truths we once believed, were actually lies all along.
Noah sighed when he finished reading. "Wow!
That was incredible."
"Sadie, you did a great job," Lucy agreed. "I especially like how you quoted from your 'private source.'" She laughed. "I'm sure Bethany and William are getting a kick out of that one."
I smiled, hoping they were right. I really hoped everyone would enjoy what I wrote. I also hoped Bethany and William knew I was keeping them safe in my heart. It was hard to imagine all of the terrible and crazy events I'd experienced only a few weeks ago.
We were all, for the most part, healed from our violent battle with the dead. I still had a few nasty bruises visible, but I was feeling much better. Noah’s head wound had left a nasty bruise on the top of his head and he had a few cuts on his arms. He jokingly told everyone he'd been in a knife fight, something he loved telling whoever would listen. Lucy appeared to only have had a few burns on her arms, but they'd almost healed.
I laughed, thinking about our crazy adventure and watching my friends’ goof around. My ring was still perfectly placed on my finger, reminding me of the love Noah and I shared. It was a promise for us to remain together. It was also a symbol of our love and our never-ending belief in one another. As I sipped my coffee, I looked from side to side, taking in the view of my best friend and boyfriend, two of the most important people in my life. As long as I had them by my side, I was home, and I was happy. Anything that dared to mess with me better watch out.
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Extras
Coming Soon!
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Wicked Lies Page 17