Unliving Love

by Jason A Grimm

  Chapter 26

  Tracy’s Confession

  “Mike we should go back to the house.” Jen stood up and held out her hand.

  “Yeah.” Mike took her hand and slowly stood up. “Yeah we should.”

  She looked over at Emily who stood there quiet. “We should go.”

  Emily nodded “Yes.” She turned her gaze to Mike. “I don’t know exactly what to say. I’ve had this conversation over and over again but I never thought I would really have it.”

  “I don’t know either.” Mike looked at her returning her gaze. “My whole life has been a lie and everyone decided I didn’t need to know the truth.” He turned towards the gate to leave. “I don’t blame you.” He looked back at Emily. “You did what you could to keep us safe.” He didn’t want to leave the situation with her feeling like he was mad at her. How was she supposed to know any of this would have happened?

  Emily nodded. “Thank you. I wish I could change it all, I really do.”

  Mike nodded and he and Jen walked home hand in hand.

  “What are you going to do?” Jen asked Mike as they approached the door of his parent’s house. “Are you going to say anything to your parents?”

  “I don’t know.” He opened the door and walked into the house. He walked past the living room and made his way up the stairs.

  “Where are you going?” She asked in a whisper as he walked past their room.

  “Talk to Tracy.” He walked to the end of the hall and knocked on the door.

  “Why?” She asked with a questionable glance.

  He knocked on the door again. “She has some things to tell us.” Mike raised his hand to knock again but the door slowly opened.

  “Hi, I thought you would be by. I’ve been waiting.” She looked up at Mike knowing that he had questions. A look of guilt crossed her face and her eyes began to redden and well up as she tried to hold back tears.

  “Hello Tracy.” Mike said as he walked by her into the room.

  Jen slowly walked in after him unsure of what was going on. “Hey Trace.” She shot her a smile.

  “You have been keeping things from us Trace.” Mike walked to the bed and sat down next to Grant. From the confused look on his face Mike could tell that he wasn’t exactly sure what was going on either. “I just had a long talk with Emily.”

  “Oh?” She asked and a hint of excitement crossed her face. “When? Where?”

  “At their house, I went to call Wes out but I didn’t take my key so I couldn’t get inside. I had a seat in the backyard and she came to me.”

  “That’s incredible.” A small smile crossed her face.

  “Yeah it was unbelievable it... feels almost as if it was a dream, like it wasn’t real” He paused as he shook his head. “But it was and what she said was true. Explains why when she was talking I could see things so vividly.” He brought his hand up and rubbed his eyes. “It’s just so unbelievable.”

  “That’s not an uncommon feeling. You just have to tell yourself that it did happen.” Tracy said.

  “Yes it happened.” He looked up at her. “I just found out that my parents aren’t my parents and my real mother was killed by that piece of shit ghost in that house right in front of my eyes when I was four. That evil vile disgusting thing who didn’t get enough jollies torturing girls when he was alive he still has to do it when he’s dead.”

  “Holy Shit.” Grant let out. Everyone looked over at him. “Sorry… just…wow.”

  “Yeah.” Mike turned back to Tracy. “I also found out that Wes is stuck up in that room and…” He paused as he looked at her. “And that you knew about it.”

  Tracy dropped her head. “I didn’t know about it all.” She looked at Mike and then Jen “I swear I didn’t know about the mother stuff.”

  “You sure acted like you knew something.”

  “I knew there was a secret that was big but I swear I didn’t know exactly what it was. She never told me that.”

  “Which brings me to my next point… When and how did you talk to her?”

  “The first time was…”

  Mike interrupted her. “How many times have you talked to her?”

  “A few times. The first time was at your apartment.”

  “The night when you were up late drawing?” Mike asked.

  “Yes.” She paused “I didn’t lie that night though. I didn’t know why she was there I thought maybe it was Jen.”

  “What?” Jen asked. “Why me?”

  “She was drawing that figure from the stairway. The one you picked up.” Mike answered. “We thought maybe something was attached to you...”

  “Right and I thought She was there to protect you or at the least to contain you.” Tracy interrupted. “She looked at me and said be warned. That’s all then she left.”

  “And you didn’t tell me!?” Jen shot Mike a glare.

  “You were freaked out enough and I didn’t want to add to it yet.” He answered back.

  “Let’s keep it down a bit, your parents are sleeping.” Grant said trying to contain the tone of the conversation.

  They all looked over at him with blank faces.

  “It was just a guess.” Tracy dropped the sound of her voice. “It turns out she was there because of Mike not you.”

  “Oh well that makes it better.” Jen snapped. She shot a look at Tracy and saw the look of remorse on her face. “Sorry… sorry… It’s all just so much. I really didn’t mean to snap.”

  “No, I’m the one that is sorry” Tracy said. “I should have told you but like he said we didn’t want to freak you out more than you were.” She began to say something then stopped.

  “What?” Mike asked as he caught her hesitation. “What is it?”

  She looked at Jen. “Well I still think that the evil in the house hasn’t necessarily attached itself to you but…” She paused gathering the right word. “Is targeting you. He wants you. That would be the best way to say it.”

  “What?” Jen looked questionably at Tracy. “Wants me?”

  “I didn’t think that until what happened at the house. I just thought before that I got a glimpse of the figure because of Emily’s presence and it being so strong in your mind.” She shook her head. “But it turns out I was originally right in the fact that he… well wrong in him attaching himself to you. It was more of a targeting.”

  “How do you know this for sure? Maybe it could have happened because she was at the monitor?” Mike questioned.

  “Well it is possible but I don’t think so.” Tracy turned her focus to Jen. “He only showed himself to you, he tried to take YOU. When we first met and you told me about your experience, you said it felt like it was more focused on you than Mike, right?”

  “Yeah that’s how it felt then, and he would have gotten her last night if Emily hadn’t stopped it.” Mike said. “But why her?”

  “Well my guess is that she is young and beautiful.” Tracy paused and started to pace. “As you’re all aware, Warren was a very bad man and loved torturing beautiful females. So when you two were in there before he targeted her just like he targeted your mother… Emily.” She paused unsure of how Mike would react, when she didn’t notice a change in his demeanor she continued. “Then when we were there last night he attempted to get her.”

  “Ok.” Mike said. “The first encounter when it was just me and Jen when we left he was eyeing me down… why?”

  “Could be one of two reasons.” It was Grant this time who answered. “Given your history with the house and him, he either recognized you or it could be as basic as you took Jen away from him and that pissed him off. He wasn’t the type of man to be denied what he wanted. Now that he is pretty much pure evil I’d wager he likes it even less.”

  “So I pissed him off either way.” Mike said.

  “He probably wants her even more now that he’s been denied twice and it’s you who denied him.” He began to shake his head vigorously. “Ok so Jen isn’t going back in the house.” He looke
d over at her. “No way are you going back in there.”

  “No one should be going back over there. It kills people and I don’t think it cares if you’re a man or woman.” She shot back.

  Mike opened his mouth to retort.

  “We have to Jen.” It was Tracy who spoke. “Wes is stuck in that room. He tried to stop him the first time you two went over but he wasn’t strong enough. Now he’s stuck in Warren’s room, we can’t just leave him.”

  “When did you find that out?” Jen asked.

  “Tonight.”

  “How?”

  “Emily told me at the house.”

  “You talked to her and you didn’t ask where Jen was?” Mike shot in her direction.

  “Voices…” Grant whispered trying again to contain the volume of the conversation.

  “Of course I did.” Tracy stopped pacing and dropped to the floor and sat with her legs crossed facing the people in her room. “Of course I did.” Her voice trailed off.

  “Sorry… This has just been a stressful night but you didn’t deserve that.” Mike squatted down to be eye level with Tracy. “What all did she say?”

  “The night we left to come here remember you had that dream? Where she told you not to come.”

  “Yeah.” Mike answered.

  “Well I saw her then too and she said the same thing to me.”

  Mike began to open his mouth but Jen who was now standing closer to Tracy shot him a look. When she knew Mike wasn’t going to speak she took a seat on the floor next to Tracy and reached out to take her hand. “Go ahead.”

  “Well she warned us both but I thought we should still come so I didn’t say anything.” Feeling like they would be thinking it she decided to answer the question. “And not for a grade either. I thought if we could come and I could see Warren then maybe I could stop him somehow.”

  “It’s true.” Grant who was still sitting on the bed spoke out from behind them all. “That’s why I was in such a hurry to get up here. I actually quit my job yesterday. I knew that she would need help.”

  “You quit your job to come?” Tracy asked him. She was unable to hide the huge smile that now stretched across her face. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Grant smiled back at her. “Yeah, I figured you’d worry about me not having a job and I didn’t want your mind to be somewhere else.”

  “Yes he loves you, back to what you were saying please.” Mike interrupted them.

  “Ass.” Jen smacked his leg.

  “No he’s right.” Tracy said agreeing that she should get back on topic. “So tonight when we were looking for Jen she came to me in the room upstairs.” She gave Mike a look. “Remember I thought I was seeing things on the stairs?”

  Mike nodded. “Yeah once when we were at the bottom and then at the middle landing.”

  “Well she appeared to me twice more too once when we were at the top of the steps. She told me to have you go in the room with the wardrobe and me in the room across the hall.”

  “See she knew you’d find me in there.” Jen said as she glanced over at Mike.

  “Then I saw her again in the room I went in. First thing I asked her was where Jen was.” She squeezed Jen’s hand. “She told me that you were just about to find her so I shouldn’t worry. That’s when she started telling me about what was going on at the house.”

  “What exactly is going on?” Mike asked. He knew some of the stuff but this was a whole new world for him. One that he didn’t fully understand and quite frankly, one he was afraid of.

  “Warren is strong; he’s stronger than he ever was before. It’s like the witches said in Wes’s journal the sealing spell they did locked him up but if he ever got free he’d be stronger.”

  “Why didn’t they just get rid of him? I mean couldn’t they have just gotten rid of him somehow?” Jen asked. “Why risk it?”

  “Well with that type of spell there is no guarantee that it would have just targeted him. There is a chance Emily would have gotten caught in it too and been sent away permanently.” Tracy’s face became saddened.

  “Oh.” Jen said with a frown. “He didn’t want to risk it and I don’t blame him.” She looked up at Mike. “How could you risk your true love if there was another way?”

  “Ok so can we call the witches back and then they can just seal him up again?” Mike asked Tracy. “They did it once can’t they do it again.”

  Grant began to shake his head. Jen and Tracy looked up at him. Following suit Mike turned his head. “Oh um… They can’t do it not without sealing Wes up there with him. They could target him and attempt to force him back up there but since Wes is up there, once it’s sealed he won’t be able to come out.” Grant smiled at Tracy as she nodded.

  Confused Mike and Jen looked at Tracy. “What’s that about?” Mike asked.

  “Think of it as a net.” Tracy began.

  “Not that… we get that.” Jen was speaking now. She pointed up at Grant. “He looked at you like an elementary student who just answered a question for his school teacher crush.”

  “No I didn’t.” Grant let out.

  “Yeah ya did there guy.” Mike said half laughing

  “Oh.” Tracy’s smile vanished. “I dabble.”

  “You dabble?” Jen asked. “Dabble in?”

  “Witchcraft Just…”

  “You don’t dabble Tracy.” Grant interrupted. “Be honest.”

  Tracy’s eyes narrowed as she shot Grant a look of daggers, which probably wouldn’t have been anymore scary if real daggers were involved. “Grant!”

  “Listen there is no point in keeping secrets.” He shot back at her. He flinched a tad when he was done however. “They have been open with you… completely open.”

  Mike and Jen looked at Tracy questionably.

  “Ok…” Tracy paused and took a deep breath. “You’re right.” She glanced at Jen and Mike. “I am a Wiccan, as is most of my family.”

  “That’s witches.” Grant said interrupting. “And warlocks.”

  Tracy shot him another look and he instantly stopped talking. “I think I can handle it sweetie.” She said with a slight menacing tone.

  Mike and Jen couldn’t help but crack a smile as they looked at each other.

  “Anyway.” Tracy took another deep breath. “The person who got the information on Warren was actually my aunt… My Aunt Stella.”

  “No?” Jen said out loud as her free hand shot up to her mouth. She noticed Mike looking a little puzzled. “She was one of the witches Wes called.”

  Comprehension hit Mike’s face. “She is your aunt?”

  Tracy nodded. “My mom’s sister. We are actually very close. She taught me a lot when I was little and I’ve been practicing since.” Tracy let out a little smile. It was obvious she was proud of who and what she was. “I had no idea she did any of this stuff but when I read her name in Wes’s journal I knew it was her.” She noticed a questionable look come on Mike’s face and having a feeling as to what the question would be, she answered it. “Clarissa and Bethany gave it away.”

  “Oh.” Mike said. “Didn’t think about that.”

  “I called her soon after and I told her about meeting you two and what happened to you at the house. We talked for a while and she told me she would send the info she found on Warren, so she did.”

  “Do all witches… Wiccans…” Mike stopped midsentence. “What do you like to be called?”

  Tracy smiled. “Witch is fine.”

  “Ok do all witches see ghosts like you do? Wes made it sound like you’re Aunt and the other two could see Emily without any effort.” He asked.

  “Not all of us no, some in my family are born with clairvoyance but most aren’t. It’s actually just my aunt, me, and maybe a cousin but I’m not certain about him.”

  “So you can just see them all the time?” Jen asked.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “They are always there walking about but most just want to be left alone so you never see them.”

 
“Because they don’t want us to.” Grant chimed in.

  Tracy smiled at him. “Right most cases you don’t see them because they don’t want you to. Some of them want to be seen whether it’s just to scare or torment, sometimes it could be they want help or something on the more pleasant side like that.”

  “Emily said she visited me when I was kid but I could never see her?” Mike had been curious about this since she said it. “If it’s up to them then why did she say I couldn’t see her?”

  “You can develop a type of block. In your case seeing your mother murdered right in front of you by an evil spirit must have caused it. It would also explain why you forgot about everything up to that point too.”

  “So then when I was in that room where she died when I was a teenager on Halloween it popped the block and I saw her.”

  “Yeah, I wouldn’t say popped it. More like poked it. You still couldn’t accept it remember? Then the night you two were there poked another hole in it and then tonight with everything that happened it was gone. That’s why you could see your memories from that night as your mother described them.”

  “See Mike.” Jen said as she looked over at him and smiled. “It was because of what happened to you that you couldn’t accept what Wes was saying. He knew that in the end and that’s why he never stopped having faith you’d come around.”

  Mike sat there speechless as he forced a smile.

  “I think she’s right Mike.” Tracy said. “Why else would he have left you the house and took the time to make out the journals for you? He hoped it would help you see and come to terms.”

  “Why didn’t you say any of this stuff before?” Mike said in an attempt to change the subject. “Why hide it from us?”

  “It’s not something I tell people easily.” She paused. “You know how many people I thought were my friends aren’t anymore because they think I’m a freak? It’s a big reason I take the classes I take and I joined the Paranormal Society on campus. They tend to be more accepting of weird people like me.”

  “Yeah but it’s us Trace.” Jen said.

  “I know you’re Mike and Jen, easily the power couple of campus, probably the state. You’re the future Pro Quarterback and the heiress of half a state. ”

  “That’s not fair Trace.” Jen said with a hurtful look in her eyes. “That’s the labels people gave us. You know that isn’t who we are.”

  “I know.” Her head dropped a little not wanting to meet Mike and Jen’s gaze. “I just wasn’t ready.”

  “She has been torn about it for a while now.” Grant said from behind them still on the bed. “She has been beating herself up about not telling you two. She just told me at the start of this year and we’ve been friends since our freshman year.”

  Jen leaned over and gave Tracy a hug. “We love you Trace we’d be the last to judge, trust me. We get judged all the time so believe it or not we understand.”

  Tears began to slowly run down Jen and Tracy’s faces as Tracy began to return Jen’s hug.

  “This works out great.” Mike said not ready to stop the talk due to emotional collapse of the two ladies in the room. “You can just call up your aunt and they can come zap him away right?”

  Jen shot him a look. “Zap him away?”

  Mike shrugged his shoulders. “You know what I mean.”

  “Two problems though.” Tracy said as she and Jen relinquished the hug. “One is if they were to try and get rid of him it could easily get rid of them all.” She saw Mike begin to interject. “Two is they swore to Wes they’d never try so it’s irrelevant really. Even if they would who knows how long it’ll take them to get here.”

  Mike frustrated, he began to rub his eyes. “Then what do we do? We can’t just let Wes be stuck up in that room with that piece of shit. On top of that you said he’s getting stronger and what happens if he gets so strong he gets out? Then what?”

  “It’s hard to say it would be very bad though.” Tracy answered.

  “So what do we do?” Jen asked

  “Only thing we can do at this point.” Tracy paused as they all looked at her. “We get rid of him ourselves.”