by Loni Lynne
Righting herself, she realized why Camden had halted so suddenly. Standing at the doorway was the boy from the other night. The one she’d run from at the restaurant. Heart racing, she tried to back up and leave, but Jared was still behind her.
“Hey, is that your son?” Jared asked Camden. “What’s his name?”
He could see him, too?
“I…I don’t…no…um…” Camden stuttered, unsure about everything.
Did Jared know the kid wasn’t a real entity? He could see him? Was it because they were of the same energy pattern?
Jared stepped around her to greet the kid.
Panic set in, but Tonya forced herself to push it back. She was the only one who understood what was going on, she needed to step up to the plate.
“Hi, kid,” Jared got down on his level. “What’s your name?”
The kid looked warily at each of them in turn and back to Jared. “Joshua.” The name burst from the kid’s mouth like an explosion, sudden and startling with all the power to rock reality from its foundation.
“Well, that’s a mighty fine name, son.” Jared squatted to his level. “I’m Jared and these are my friends, Camden and Miss Tonya.” He reached out his hand for the boy to shake.
Tonya held her breath. What would he do if he realized this kid wasn’t a real flesh and blood entity but an element of energy and time? She watched as Joshua tentatively reached his hand out and took Jared’s larger one. She could see it if no one else could, the shimmering, electric-blue aura haloing around their extended hands. The light traveled from Joshua’s small hand up his arm and radiated like a visible fever, tracing the outline of his scrawny body.
No one except her appeared too noticed. Still, Tonya’s heart raced erratically as if she too was a part of the energy link. She shouldn’t be alarmed or overwhelmed by this new concept. After all, hadn’t she been the vessel for Millie’s soul and came into contact with the paranormal on a regular basis? This wasn’t anything she shouldn’t be unaware of, but it was different with each new experience. She was never sure what to expect or be prepared for.
“Can he come in?” Jared asked, turning to Camden.
Camden looked to her. She didn’t know what to expect. Maybe it was better not to get the boy involved.
“Sure. I’ll order a pizza to be delivered and we can sit and talk,” Camden decided when she couldn’t mouth a suggestion one way or the other.
The three guys entered his apartment and she just stood there, her uncertainty battling with her natural curiosity.
“You coming in or standing out there in the heat?” Camden asked.
Taking a fortifying breath, she mustered up the courage to see what could possibly go wrong.
#
Jared and the kid weren’t sure what to do with the triangular slabs of pepperoni and extra cheese pizza on their plates. Trying to drink the bubbly soda was bad enough. Both of them gasped and sputtered until they got the hang of carbonation.
Camden showed them how to eat the pizza, and before long, the men had devoured most of the large pizza and the free medium one. Tonya was only able to handle a slice or two. She still was battling stress…and she wasn’t a stress eater unless chocolate was involved.
“So where are your parents, Joshua?” Camden asked. “I haven’t seen them with you at all.”
“Don’t got none. And I ain’t goin’ back to the orphanage. And you can’t make me.” The boy defiantly crossed his arms over his chest.
“What orphanage?” Camden asked.
“Miss Carmichael’s…in Gettysburg.”
The blood in Tonya’s veins turned to ice. She’d heard about the headmistress, Rosa Carmichael, at The National Soldiers Orphans’ Homestead. The horrors of what the disciplinarian had done to some of the children was unspeakable. It was one of the most haunted buildings in Gettysburg.
That also meant the kid was from the post Battle of Gettysburg era. That could identify his clothing and appearance. But what was he doing around Kings Mill?
“I ran away. She had Trevor beat us with a stick…”
“So you ran away to Kings Mill?” Camden asked cautiously.
Joshua shrugged. “Don’t know. I just ran for days until I fell asleep.”
Did he mean he fell asleep or death? Either way, he would be gone. But knowing he’d been alone tore at Tonya’s heart.
“Do you remember anything before being at the orphanage?”
“Nah, I was raised there. At first it was nice. Mrs. Humiston was real nice. But then Miss Carmichael…she was mean!”
Tonya figured Joshua was an orphan, like many of the men who died at Gettysburg. That was why The National Soldiers Orphans’ Homestead was founded.
“Do you know where you are now?” Tonya had to know. Did the kid still think he was in his time?
“I’m not quite sure, but I know I’m not in 1876.”
“Why have you been following me?” Camden spoke up.
“Don’t know…just knew that I had to.” Joshua looked down at his plate. “Thank you for the meal.”
He had to? But why?
“So can I stay here with you all?” He looked expectantly around at the rest of the group. “I ain’t got nowhere’s else to go.”
“Sure you can stay here,” Camden piped up. “We’ll take care of you. Right, Tonya?”
Oh dear God. Was she becoming a caregiver to wayward ghosts? She really needed to talk to Vickie. Unfortunately, she wasn’t sure what the woman would say to her now.
Chapter Ten
For the next two weeks, Tonya transported Jared and Joshua to Vickie’s while her and Camden worked on their special projects at the historical society. Telling Vickie about the additional guest had been another nail in Tonya’s coffin. She swore the woman was going to tie her down, so she could no longer be around anyone living or dead.
What was worse, she hadn’t told her father anything about what was going on. Virginia had explained the less her father knew, the better. It wasn’t really an issue since he wasn’t home a great deal lately. In charge of overseeing one of Sean and Kenneth’s developments near Washington D.C., her father figured staying closer to work at the extended stay hotel down there would be easier. Thank God! She wasn’t ready to try to explain any more paranormal events to him.
“So what have you guys been up to lately?” Tonya hadn’t been over to Camden’s in a few days other than to pick everyone up in the morning and drive them home. The last time she’d gone over was Friday afternoon. They’d all gone to the pool while it was relatively empty and grilled hot dogs and hamburgers at the community center patio afterwards.
“Playing checkers and cards, mostly…at least Jared and Joshua have. Oh, and eating pizza.”
“Really?” So Jared liked checkers. Maybe she’d be able to interest him in a game after work while Camden took Joshua to the pool. She was still trying to figure out their connection. Was Fate trying to put her together with her ghost? If so, nothing appeared to be happening. When she’d tried to talk to him with any form of interest, he only replied politely and moved on to see if the guys wanted to do something.
“What? Would you rather have me get an Xbox and teach them how to play video games? Maybe take them to a movie?” Camden sneered.
“No. I just…never mind.”
Tonya buried herself into the research she’d invested herself in to find some answers on her two subjects. She’d come across Joshua’s name in some historical data from The National Soldiers Orphans’ Homestead but nothing about dates or birth records, his parents, or who might have dropped him off.
“What are you working on? Your research paper for Dr. Moreland?”
Camden looked up from his notes. “No. I’ve actually decided to look further into the hardships of the Confederates under General Lee’s Northern Virginia command. I thought it might be an interesting subject, especially since I have actual reference material to work with.”
“Good call.” Tonya grinned.
>
“So you think it’s a better choice then what I had?”
“I just think it’s a more exciting choice than talking about the economic and political Reconstruction time frame.” She tried to see his notes. “Anything exciting so far?”
“I’m just detailing some of the battles around the area for now, leading up to Gettysburg. I didn’t realize being this close to all the northward movement during the summer of 1863, there were so many little skirmishes.”
“South Mountain was one of the biggest areas between Lee’s men and the Union forces of the Potomac. Since the range stretches from Northern Virginia all the way up to Southern Pennsylvania, it was one of the most important strategic points of territorial supremacy. Both sides had formed communication outposts along its various gaps and passes.”
Where Camden would’ve rolled his eyes at her once, today he truly appeared to be interested in what she had to say. She knew she could be overwhelming at times in her Historical prattling’s, even Tony used to change the subject on her, sometimes before she even got to talk. Most of her dates ended when she exhibited more knowledge on the subject than the guy she was dating.
They talked about going to some of the nearby areas over the next few days and maybe even taking Jared and Joshua with them. Jared might be able to give them first hand insight into what had gone on in certain places.
April stopped by when they were deep in conversation and documentation over Confederate movement in the last days of June 1863.
“Everything going okay?” April appeared troubled. The biting of her lip was usually a dead giveaway.
“Better and better. What’s up?” Camden replied.
“Just heard from Dr. Moreland. He’s upping your time frame on your papers because he’s scheduled to be working on a new excavation site in the North Dakota Badlands in August and wants you all to have your papers in to him by the week of July twelfth so he can make his final decision before heading out west.”
“July twelfth? But that’s less than three weeks away.” Tonya moaned. She wasn’t even ready to begin her paper. Sure she had gathered a decent amount of data and research on the subject, but lately, she just didn’t have the time or dedication to focus.
Camden didn’t seem to share her concern. He was good at hiding his poker face or maybe he actually had things under control. How much did she really know of his study habits? She gathered herself. After all, he was still her competition for the scholarship. She needed to give the impression of having it all together, even though she didn’t have a single word written.
#
Trying to occupy himself with research, Camden knew there was no way he could make the deadline. Tonya had echoed his sentiments exactly, but he didn’t want to give her the upper hand in knowing he had no clue how to even write a paper. He knew he’d screwed himself over, but now was a matter of do or die and he had to do it himself. Taking notes was one thing, putting them into some semblance of order that made sense was completely out of his comfort zone. Where did you start? He was going to have to research writing a term paper, too?
Camden had asked Tonya if she’d be willing to show him some of the area’s he’d been researching after work. She didn’t mind, even knowing an important paper was due. Maybe she was procrastinating, too.
After picking up Jared and Joshua from Vickie’s, they drove on over to the George Washington Monument. Not the one everyone knew of in Washington D.C. but the stone, rounded tower shaped one atop South Mountain near the small, historic town of Boonsboro.
Hiking up the hillside to the monument, Joshua challenged him to a race up to the top, leaving Tonya and Jared lagging behind at a leisurely pace.
He noticed the subtle looks and flirtatious hints Tonya had been trying to stir up between her and Jared. As much as he witnessed the flirting himself when he worked the beach, he knew the signs. Her attitude around Jared kind of irked him that she was giving him all the attention and leaving work related things to him. Hadn’t he comforted her the other day? Didn’t that mean anything? Hell, she’d even curled up in his lap. Maybe she was no different than the other girls he’d known…just geekier.
“So, does this bring back any memories?” Camden asked when Jared had a few moments to take his surroundings in.
“I don’t think so. Should it?”
“Didn’t Longstreet’s men come into Boonsboro area and scout out up here?”
“Sure, but I wasn’t part of that unit…we came up from Martinsburg, West Virginia before meeting back up with the rest of our brigade south of Gettysburg the night of July first.”
Camden sighed heavily. He was hoping for some connection with Jared, something to base all of their history on.
“But the fact you brought me here, a part of where my brigade has been—well, that’s somethin’ real special, Cam.” Jared clapped him on the shoulder. “No, we were miserable until we reached Pennsylvania. Rain, low on supplies…moving on pure adrenaline. Morales were high, though. We’re gonna meet up with General Lee himself,” Jared said proudly.
“Truth be told, we don’t know where we are half the time. We’re just a bunch of young men following orders, which isn’t something we’re used to, being simple farmers and all. In camp, all we did was muster, drill, and wait around for orders to move out. We thrive on the excitement of battle. Knowing you’re a part of somethin’ great, a chance to be free— there’s nuthin’ like it. Our victory at Chancellorsville…ain’t nuthin’ gonna stop us. We will be victorious.”
General Lee probable couldn’t have said it better or with more conviction. Camden hoped that the old man was looking down on this rebel soldier with great pride.
Joshua looked around at the scenery as Tonya showed him points of interest in the distance. A few hikers making their way along from the Appalachian Trail stopped by for pictures and views before heading on their way.
After a while, Jared took in the views, pointing out areas of historical references to Joshua. Tonya sat alone on the ground, her knees up, typing away at her phone. Here she was surrounded by history and she was on her phone? But when she looked up and their eyes met…it wasn’t good.
Camden walked over to her and sat down. “What’s up? Everything okay?”
The sudden spring of water in her eyes and the vigorous shake of her head spoke volumes when her throat kept bobbing, on the brink of crying. Nearly throwing the phone at him, she stood up and bolted down the trail, back the way they’d come.
The glare of the sunlight blinded the view on her phone. Camden moved to a shady part of the area. She’d been texting with April. The final message was from Dr. Miles…
…findings of a Corporeal Jared Evansworth from General Kershaw’s South Carolina unit…Deserter.
Camden looked over where the two historical figures were deep in conversation, unaware of anything…no, there was no way. Jared Evansworth would never desert his unit. There had to be some mistake.
Chapter Eleven
With new purpose behind him, Camden’s thesis for his paper went from economic restructuring to researching Jared Evansworth’s past so he could find out the truth. But days of historical research brought up only a name on an enlistment roster. It was as if the man existed as a number and nothing else.
He wished Tonya were here. She might be able to give him some insight, put him on a different track, anything. Hell, who was he kidding? He just wanted to be around her. But she’d been off for a couple of days, working with Vickie on understanding her gift and wondering how to get Jared back where he belonged…just so he could desert.
“Camden, I’m closing up the office.”
“I’ll only be a few more minutes, Dr. Miles.” Weary and frustrated, he didn’t look up from the latest site he continued to scan. A gentle hand landed on his shoulder, rubbing in a caressing motion.
“Anything new?” April asked, looking over his shoulder.
“No. Nothing.” He sighed, rubbing his gritty eyes. “This is so damn frustrati
ng.”
“I know. I’ve been there hoping to find answers to something which may or may not have happened years ago. That’s why history is so precious. We are the ones who need to tell the stories as they happened, so years from now the next generations can learn and help others. It’s why you are here.”
Camden didn’t agree. He knew why he was here…he was a fraud. That’s how he managed to get involved. “No, I’m here because I cheated.”
Her hand stopped its movement and she sat down next to him. Camden didn’t have to look away from the monitor screen to know she was waiting for an explanation.
His throat was tight with nerves, but he knew he had to tell her the truth. “I’ve been at William & Mary for the past two years on a football scholarship, so I might have a chance to get on the history program.”
“That’s a new one. Usually it’s the other way around.” April snorted.
Raking a hand through his hair, he leaned back in his chair. “My parents are always pushing me to be in professional football. My dad is a big supporter of college football and even the Panthers. I think I burnt out on football in high school. I just wanted something different. I always loved history, especially Civil War history. Thought I could take some easy classes and make my way, but…”
“But?”
He turned to face her. April’s expression was unreadable. She didn’t look angry or even sympathetic. She just listened, ticking him off so he wanted to explain his reasons for his failures. Camden folded his arms across his chest defiantly. “I’m not stupid. I can read the text books and answer simple questions. I can even give an oral report… I just suck at writing papers.”
“And yet, Dr. Moreland found your paper to be one of the few he chose for the scholarship program.” The sudden arch in April’s brow and quirk to her lips confused him.
He picked up his yellow legal pad. “I had sketched a whole pad full of notes on my topic, but I couldn’t find a coherent thought or sentence structure to put them all together.” Throwing the pad back down with a sharp slap on the desk, he looked her straight in the eye. “So I hired one of the English majors to write up my paper. For a couple hundred bucks, you can get just about anything from a struggling student.”