by Loni Lynne
“So were the ideas yours?”
Camden shrugged. “For the most part. When I read the finished paper, I didn’t feel too bad because if I could have written it, that was what I would’ve wanted it to say.”
“I see.” April sat back and exhaled sharply.
Camden jumped up, preparing for the lecture he knew was coming. “Look, I’ll understand if you want to send me packing. I’ve lied my way here, making you think I was the best of the best and all. I’ll try and pay back every dime you and Mr. Miles spent on me…” He turned away. “You must think me a total ass hat.”
“No, I don’t think you’re an ‘ass hat’,” April replied. “And I don’t think you’re stupid. Am I disappointed? Perhaps a bit, but not as disappointed as you seem to be with yourself. The truth comes and haunts us all at times. It’s the coming to terms with it that sets you free.”
Turning around, Camden squinted at her, trying to gauge her real reaction. “So you’re not sending me home? Why? I don’t serve any real purpose. I’ve been tagging along on Tonya’s coat tails thinking I’m her equal or better…when…” He blew out his breath sharply. “Shit…I’m such an ass.”
“You don’t think you have a purpose being here?” April asked with an astonished laugh. “I have a feeling a certain Confederate soldier would think otherwise if he knew what you were doing.”
“But I haven’t found anything—“
She stood up and picked up his notepad as if she were searching for clues. “No one ever has. You’re the first to try. You’re the first to give a damn.” She came over and tapped his legal pad against his chest. “I think Fate brought you here for that reason alone, despite all of your trials, which in the long run won’t amount to anything but a lost paper in someone’s slush pile.”
Camden glanced at yellow legal pad full of sites, notes, and potential links to one Jared Evansworth as she tapped it against his sternum. A man no one knew about, cared about, who died over a hundred years ago. Somewhere. He wondered about April’s theory.
“You think so?” He took the pad and glanced over his notes.
“Believe in Fate, Camden… Use it to trust in yourself. Let it guide you. You just might be surprised where you will end up.”
#
Somewhere between meditation and a migraine, Tonya decided to call it quits on her day with Vickie. They’d been over every chakra in her body to where she believed the energy inside her had created the horrible pain. All she wanted to do was go home and sleep. Her dark room and blasting air conditioning unit in her window had helped, but the residual still throbbed behind her eyeballs like tiny, evil miners with pick axes chiseling away at the sockets.
Using her meditation skills to help her relax, she tried to will herself to sleep, but her brain kept talking to her, telling her she needed to focus on her paper because time was running out. Somewhere along the way she’d managed to fall asleep only to suffer from odd nightmares of unknown people calling out to her, trying to get to her…and then to wake up screaming as an old, withered face suddenly appeared in front of her.
Her phone buzzed announcing she’d received a text from someone. She struggled with the effort to focus on her smartphone. Her heart still raced from the nightmare. It was Camden. He wanted her to pick him up from downtown before getting Jared and Joshua from Vickie’s. Groaning, she really had no intention of going anywhere.
No sooner had she finished texting him that she would be there shortly, her phone rang again. It was Vickie.
“Don’t worry about picking Jared and Joshua up. I have them with me. We’re heading over to the tavern. Are you picking up Camden?”
“Yes. He just texted me.” She hoped she didn’t sound as exasperated as she felt.
“Go pick up Camden. We are all going over to the tavern for a crab feast, Kenneth’s treat. Your dad and Sean will be there, too.”
Great. There was no getting out of this one. She would have to suck it up and move on or her dad would start asking questions. It was bad enough she would have to try to introduce Jared and Joshua’s existence to him.
Touching up her pale face with some make-up and changing from her comfy, sweat shorts and old tank top, she found a summer dress she’d bought for a friend’s wedding last year. It was just dressy enough to be sweet but not too overboard for a crab feast. Besides, if she showed a more demure side, maybe Jared would show an interest in her.
Camden waited for her outside the historical society. Looking as despondent as she felt, he got into the passenger seat.
“Nothing new, I take it?” she asked, knowing how he’d been struggling to find answers to Jared’s demise.
“No. I just want to go home and veg. My brain feels like mush.”
Tonya snorted. “Sorry. I feel for you. Trust me, I do, but we’ve been summoned to a crab feast over at the Old Town Tavern & Inn.”
“At least I won’t have to worry about what to fix for dinner.” He rubbed his hand over his face.
Tonya hadn’t noticed it before. Camden’s profile was quite interesting. He hadn’t shaved in days and a light scruff had begun to shadow his features. His recent solemn demeanor gave him an almost human quality about him. She was so used to his cocky arrogance that she never seen beyond that.
His concern for Jared’s past, future, even present state had softened his egotistical side. She wasn’t sure if she liked his attitude on a level of feminine interest or more of the fact he showed a bit of vulnerability that endeared him in general. Whatever it was, she definitely wasn’t ready for him.
“What about the boys? They still at Vickie’s?”
Now she was thinking in feminine terms. His question sounded more like a husband asking his wife if the kids were okay. Tonya shivered.
“She’s bringing them to the feast, so they’re all waiting on us.”
Parking in the downtown parking garage a couple of blocks away from the tavern was inevitable. There wasn’t much room to park and it was nice enough where walking a few feet wouldn’t hurt. Maybe the fresh air would help clear her mind.
“You don’t mind walking, do you?” Tonya asked, getting out of the car. The slamming of the doors echoed against the concrete walls around them.
“Nah, it’ll probably do me some good. I’ve kind of been in a rut all day.”
“You’re really taking Jared’s desertion to heart.”
Camden stopped walking. “I just can’t believe he would do something like that. Not him. He’s so gung-ho about the battle…his southern pride… No, there’s been a mistake and I want to find out why.”
Tonya did see him differently for the first time. He cared about someone other than himself. There was a bigger picture Camden finally saw in all of this. He was making it a personal goal to help a stranger.
She smiled and touched his hand. “We’ll figure it out. I’ve been focusing on my paper so much lately that I know there is a bigger picture right here that I need to work on. Starting tomorrow, you and I will work strictly on finding out about Jared’s past.”
Camden took her hands, actually holding on to not one but both, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.
“That would be great, Tonya.” His voice was low. A tinge of need echoed in his baritone. “I really miss you not being around in the office. I could use your ‘smarts’ to help me. I’m really at a loss, and I know with you there, we’ll have this figured out in no time.”
Her heart skipped around in her chest at his touch, the softly spoken words which were somewhere between a compliment and an endearment. Not even Tony, in the five years they’d dated, said anything half as meaningful to her.
This is not the time for romantic notions, Tonya. She warned herself. This might just be how he plays with girls to get his way. Yes, true but not in the physical sense. No, he needed her brain, and as long as it was to help someone else, then why not?
“Come on. I’m pretty hungry. I skipped lunch.” Camden smiled and tugged her out from the concrete shadows
into the light.
They talked about what he’d been using as site references and how she might be able to find some other sources as they made their way up to the tavern. It was located farther up the street, west of the main intersection of downtown Kings Mill.
The intersection saw everything from before the American Revolutionary War to the Union Soldiers trailing up through it to reach Gettysburg. It had seen parades of returning World War I, World War II and the Korean War the past century. The original cobble stones were still left in its center area surrounded by concrete border and layers of modern asphalt. No one was allowed to touch-up the cobble stones or remove them. It was the one piece of historical pride connected to the town, like the Clustered Spires were to Frederick.
But to her, the intersection had always held an odd feeling of dread. Every time she passed by, the old artifact seemed to call to her. Even when she’d lived here when she was younger, before her mother remarried and took her away…it bothered her.
The narrow two lane streets that intersected, were only one way streets. Addison ran east to west and Main, north to south. Traffic had a tendency to get backed up during evening rush hour. Delivery trucks had nowhere to go other than to pick the lane closest to their store, put on their flashers, and make everyone else merge to the other lane. People trying to Parallel Park caused other issues, and soon, those who got stuck half in and half out of the intersection when the lights turned from yellow to red…well, there wasn’t much they could do. As was the case at this point. No one was going anywhere and cars were blocking the crosswalks.
“Come on. We’re going to cut through.” Camden pulled her along.
Thankfully, she’d decided on her flat sandals to go with the summer dress so she didn’t have to worry about a heel getting caught in their flight.
“But this is jaywalking! We’ll get in trouble,” Tonya announced. They were heading for the cobblestones. She began to panic.
“I think they will overlook it this time.”
They crossed in front of a car stuck half on the old cobblestones. Tonya lost sensation and she feared she’d get sick all over the BMW they were crossing in front of. Was her dread getting the best of her?
Like in her dream, hundreds of disembodied voices called out to her, but she felt hands clasping around her ankles as if to drag her down. Startled and disoriented, she screamed. The BMW blared its horn at them.
Camden picked her up in his arms and carried her to the other corner just as traffic began to move. He sat her down on a nearby bench. She shook so badly. Was she going to be sick?
“My God, Tonya…are you okay? Did you get hit? What happened?” He looked from her towards the BMW that was making its way up the street and then back to her.
His hand caressed up her cheek, but she couldn’t feel his touch. Her jaw had locked as she focused on keeping her stomach from rebelling. Camden searched her bare legs to see if she had gotten hit, if there was any mark left by the car. Of course, there was nothing.
Tonya looked back at the intersection. Why did the intersection unnerve her so? Why would she experience such horrific sensations? What tricks did her mind play on her? And why now?
Maybe it was her migraine rearing its ugly head again after the hours of constant meditation to focus on her spirit world with Vickie. But her head was fine, well except for the tightening in her jaw.
Camden tilted her chin up to look him in the eye. “Come on. Talk to me, Tonya. What happened?”
She shook her head stiffly. “I’m…I’m…f…f…fine. I…I…just…um…” she rubbed her arms briskly in the eighty-seven degree weather. “Le…let’s…go.”
Trying to stand, the muscles in her legs didn’t want to cooperate and threatened to send her tumbling to the floor. They might as well have been over cooked noodles. Camden bent slightly and lifted her into his arms again. She found the strength to wrap her arms around his neck as he walked her the rest of the way to the tavern.
Entering the building, he sat her over on a cushioned bench near the hostess station. Millie approached and seeing her condition, knew something wasn’t right.
“Go get Vickie or April,” she commanded, to Camden as she bent down in front of her.
“What’s wrong with her? Is she going to be okay?”
Millie turned her head briefly. “Just go get one of them, please.” Her command was a bit harried, more forceful. Camden disappeared to go find one of them.
“What is it, Tonya? Come on, little sis… What happened?”
Millie knew there was something wrong. Just not the details. There was still a psychological connection between the two of them. Having shared souls, it was kind of like mind-melding…they were never far from one another.
“Hands…and voices…so many…so many…all in pain.”
“Where, baby? Where were they?” Millie tried to coax, trying to get her to talk about it. Talking helped to relieve the spiritual pressure, to put a tag on it, and push it away.
“Dragging me down…down with them…to them…”
“What’s going on?” Dottie showed up first, touching Tonya’s forehead as if she had a fever. “Dear God, she’s icy cold.”
Virginia showed up next. “Get her a blanket and something hot.” She moved away and ordered one of the waitresses to bring some hot tea.
Tonya could hear April putting Camden through the third degree in the background as Millie tried to explain to Dottie what Tonya had said to her moments before. And all Tonya could do was involuntarily shake from the shock the episode took on her mind and body.
Vickie showed up, saying, “Okay—everyone back up. Give the girl some room.” She turned to Millie. “Go secure an empty room upstairs. Camden, carry Tonya and follow Millie to one of the guest rooms. Virginia, bring up some strong tea…if you get my drift. And for God’s sake…don’t let Christopher know his daughter is in this state. I don’t need a repeat performance of his attitude from when she was in the hospital because of Millie.”
“What do I tell him then?”
“Say it’s a woman issue and that she needed to find something to change into…I don’t care. Men hate that kind of talk,” Vickie explained rapidly, waving her niece away.
Camden carried her up the stairs to the refurbished lodgings. Luckily they were mid-week and not many guests were in residence. One of the rooms at the far end of the hall opened and she was placed gently on the queen sized bed.
Millie went over and pulled the drapes, enclosing her in a dim light. All Tonya wanted to do was stop shaking.
“Camden, lie down next to her and hold her,” Vickie instructed. “Her chakras are all a hazy gray.”
“What?” Camden asked. “Don’t you think that’s a little…”
“Don’t think. Just do. She needs body heat.”
The bed shifted and Tonya didn’t care. She couldn’t think, function…she could hear but to comment was a struggle on her taxed mind. Strong arms surrounded her, tentatively at first and then more secure as he adjusted her body against hers, spooning. Their legs entwined, trapping her between him and the bed.
“Here, I brought down an extra blanket.” April’s voice came from somewhere in the room. Soon her body was enfolded with a lightly snoring man, and cloth. She closed her eyes, hoping for sleep. After a while, a few voices left the room but Millie and Vickie remained.
“What’s going on? You think she might be coming down with something? Or is it something I did?” Millie asked, concern lacing her English brogue.
“No, Millie, it’s not you. I’m afraid this might be something I’ve done…and her psyche is not ready to deal with her true ability just yet.”
Her true ability? They’d been working on her abilities for the past two days. All she’d gotten from it was a migraine and frustration of not being able to comprehend what her ‘true ability’ actually entailed. Nothing made sense and she just wanted to lie here and sleep.
“Her true ability?” Millie whispered.
&nb
sp; “Tonya is an energy force, one she can’t control. Our ghost friends here in Kings Mill want to use her and her energy.”
“Why?”
It took Vickie a moment to answer, but Tonya didn’t like the sounds of it. “I’m not sure I know.”
Vickie didn’t know? Vickie had always been her saving grace. She knew everything about the paranormal world. This couldn’t be happening. Frightened, Tonya’s mind refused to shut down and relax. What ghost friends? Why didn’t Vickie know what was going on? And why was she suddenly terrified about the very place she’d grown to love?
Chapter Twelve
Embarrassed and a bit overwhelmed by all the excitement she’d caused the night before, Tonya walked into work the next morning as if nothing had happened. She wasn’t one to freak out over nothing at all. Most people wouldn’t believe what she’d felt and those who did were walking around her like she’d lost her last living relative.
“How are you feeling this morning? Everything okay?” Camden asked as she sat down across from him at their work desks.
“I’m fine. Everything is fine. Just…I don’t want to talk about it.” She buried her face behind the downfall of her blonde hair.
Camden had ridden his bike in early and had asked her to pick up Joshua and Jared to take to Vickie’s. At least the two guys hadn’t sensed her unease over the night before. Vickie had looked at her with a mixture of apologetic wariness and uncertainty, though. Almost like a disciplinarian mother who wanted to soften the blow by giving the child a cookie but knew they shouldn’t.
“So how is your research going this morning? Finding anything more on Jared?”
“Other than the record of enlistment and the declaration of desertion…nothing.” Camden ran his hand over his head, exhaling. “The records in Colleton County Courthouse where Jared says he was originally born, were taken to Columbia in early 1865. Unfortunately, they didn’t survive the Columbia, South Carolina fire Sherman’s Union troops set later that year.”