In the past, the Lovely Man still held power. He is still tending his Lovely Garden. He is around. Sorry, Aunt Anne. Sorry, Vertie. He’s still here looking for tender blossoms to add to his gruesome plot.
I shook off Danforth’s warning as he greeted Summer politely. He treated her with respect, which was good, but I wasn’t worried about Summer. She could handle herself in every situation.
“I’m only here for a few nights. After that, I’m headed back to Georgia, so don’t get used to me.” Dolly Jane pouted beside her as Summer leaned down to hug me. “You be careful, Avery,” she whispered. “Please be careful.”
“I knew you couldn’t stay away,” I said as I grinned up at her.
“All right, five minutes until seven. So, how does this work?” Becker unrolled yet another cord and froze in his tracks when he saw Summer. All the color went out of his face, but he quickly regained his composure. “Oh, hey, Summer. Good to see you.” He reached out his hand, and she accepted it.
“You too, Jeffrey.” And that was that. Yeah, he was still interested in her, no secret there, but unfortunately for him, the feeling was not mutual.
I cleared my throat. How to begin this? “Thank you all for being here. Danforth, thank you for coming back. As you know, the impossible has happened here in our family home. Sugar Hill isn’t just our home. Apparently, it’s become some kind of portal, a doorway to the past, one that Jessica Chesterfield has walked through. The house might even have a few portals, but we can’t be sure. We’re a strange bunch, we Dufresnes, and while that strangeness is our burden to bear, we can’t ask that of our friends. Our brave Dolly Jane made contact with Jessica yesterday, but Jessica has been injured and is not quite herself. That’s why you all are here. We need your help to return Jessica to our time. Mike wants to go with Dolly Jane if that’s possible. With his help, Dolly Jane will lead Jessica back home.”
“No offense, but I think it should be a Dufresne,” Summer said with a frown.
“I would hate to see another soul get lost,” Danforth murmured, but Mike wasn’t having any of it.
Mike stood with his hands on his hips. His bald head was sweaty, and his face was flushed. “We don’t have time to rehash all this. No disrespect to any of you Dufresnes, but Jessica Chesterfield is part of our family, Becker’s and mine. We’re not leaving here without her.”
Dolly Jane’s watch alarm began to go off. “Seven o’clock, y’all. No more BS. It’s now or never.” She rolled her neck and extended her arms in front of her as if she were stretching for a marathon. “Come on, Mike.” He handed his camera to Becker and stepped next to the girl. “Hold my hand and don’t talk,” she instructed him.
He didn’t answer her but bowed his head like he was about to pray. Maybe he was, and I sure wouldn’t object to some prayer before this crazy scheme. Just like yesterday, Dolly Jane led our gathering. “I’ve still got the watch. I’m holding it, and I’m looking for the door. If you could look too, all of you together, that would be great. Think about the door. Imagine the door. It’s in this room. I can feel it, but it’s weak. We have to look harder.”
The room became eerily quiet for a few seconds until Becker dropped his device and it broke into pieces on the ground. He scrambled to pick them up, but Summer reached down, took his hand, and whispered, “Leave it, Beck.” He did, and soon we were gathered together, all of us thinking about a door. It seemed to go on forever, but nothing happened.
“You sure your watch is right?” Mike asked as he checked his.
“It’s an Apple Watch, so yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s right.” Dolly Jane frowned at him as if he were stupid like most teenagers thought all adults. “You know, I can feel it. There’s an opening somewhere in this house, but I don’t think it’s in here. Not tonight. It’s possible that it’s been moved, shifted slightly. He knows about me, Aunt Summer. He knows. He was there last night, and he knew who I was. Maybe we should look around the house. Look carefully, though, because the portal might not be obvious. It’s just a shimmer of the air, like an invisible mirror. Those EMF detectors might help us find it.”
“Maybe,” I said. Then I had an idea. “Reed and I will check the garden. Danforth, you and Alexander check the bottom floor. Summer…”
“I’m sticking with Dolly Jane.”
“Okay,” I said as I wheeled toward the door with Reed beside me. God, this was terrible. What went wrong? I guess we were fools to believe that this sort of thing, time travel, could be predictable. The sun crept down and cast strange shadows in the yard. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I spotted Lucas Cheever walking around the porch with a bag of salt on his shoulder.
“Lucas! What are you doing? Never mind. I know what you’re doing, but I had no idea you were coming.”
“I’m only doing what I have to. Dad wants me to do this. He wants to help, and so do I. Dad and Arnold Lee and me.” I gasped in surprise but felt encouraged.
Someone heard me earlier. Thank you! All those tears and I wasn’t sure anyone heard me. Thank you, God, for sending Handsome and stirring up Lucas.
“I have to do this, Avery. You need me to do this.” Lucas wore his father’s hat and a pair of tall black boots. I’d never seen him dressed like this, but it seemed right that it should be this way.
I wiped a tear from my eye. It was a night for tears, apparently, and there would be more if we didn’t find our friend. “You do what you have to do, Lucas. Thank you for the help.”
“The sooner you get this done, the better. He gets stronger with the rising moon.”
“Okay,” I answered, knowing exactly what Summer had meant. Reed and I watched Lucas disappear into the woodsy area to the right of the patio. I could hear his footsteps for a few seconds and not much else.
No birds, no squirrels, nothing. Everything was dead silent.
As we searched for evidence of a portal, I thought of a possibility. There was no way we could cover the entire property, and there were innumerable potential paranormal hot spots at Sugar Hill. So much tragedy and death, is there any wonder? “Hey, what about the attic?” I called to Reed.
“Great idea. I’m not seeing anything out here. Jessica was kind of obsessed with the attic. It’s a possibility that there is a portal up there. Let’s go tell the others.” We went back inside the ballroom just in time to see Dolly Jane and Mike vanish in front of our eyes. Summer was lying on the ground now, her long hair covering her face.
“Reed!” I screamed as I wheeled over to my fallen cousin as quickly as I could make the chair go. No need to look any further since we had found the portal, but at what cost?
Chapter Eighteen
Mike DeLuca
My eyes felt like someone had sealed them with wax. I rubbed them furiously, trying to regain my bearings. My stomach lurched. I felt a hand in mine and heard a woman’s voice whispering in my ear. That was Dolly Jane!
“It’s only temporary, Mike. We aren’t the same, but you can’t freak out. It’s not permanent.”
“Dolly Jane?” I tried to say, but the words would not form in my mouth. I looked down at my hands, and they were brown and gnarled.
How old am I? Who am I? Why can’t I talk?
“Keep it together. I know, I know. You’re Dominick’s old servant, Lemuel. He can’t talk because he doesn’t have a tongue, but I promise it’s not permanent. Let’s get Jessica and get out of here.”
I moaned in surprise, and terror seized my heart. I hadn’t known what to expect, but I didn’t expect this. I didn’t even think about whose body I would occupy while I was in this time. Apparently, an old black man was the only body available. Where was his soul? Was I killing this man? Was he going to die because of me? I moaned my questions to the strange woman beside me, but she put her finger to her lips to remind me to keep quiet. I couldn’t speak, but I was making a lot of noise.
The strange woman with Dolly Jane’s voice held both my hands. She was small, with dark eyes and curly hair that poofed around her face
like a halo. “Mike, are you listening to me?” I just nodded since I couldn’t speak.
We were in the stuffy attic. The place was littered with trunks and crates, but this was clearly the attic of Sugar Hill. Sweat poured from my brow, and I blotted it with my sleeve. I had many questions but could ask none of them. I clung to Dolly Jane’s hand as we made our way to the door. My feet were stiff, and my mouth was dry.
She put her ear to the door and listened with her eyes closed. We heard nothing, not a sound, except the creaking of the house and the occasional scurrying of tiny rodent feet. “Stay close to me. Let’s try to stay together, Mike. As far as I know, the only people in the house besides Jessica and us are Dominick and Devon. Maybe the doctor and maybe Champion. The last time, I was only here a few minutes. We’ve got to move fast but quietly.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadow move behind me. I turned around, certain someone else was in the attic with us, but nothing manifested. The sun would set soon and blanket this massive room in darkness. There were no streetlights here in the country, no handy light switches. I had a sudden and overwhelming fear of being in the dark here. That wasn’t good for a paranormal investigator. There it was again! I could have sworn I saw a man, a tall man with dark hair, step into the closed wardrobe, as clear as the daylight we were quickly losing. I tugged at Dolly Jane’s sleeve, but she didn’t seem to notice and already had her hand on the doorknob. The door opened with a tiny squeak, and I stepped onto the narrow staircase behind her, eager to leave the creepy attic behind.
As we cleared the stairs, I held my breath. The place was huge, but not as cluttered as it was in modern times. There were only a few oil paintings hanging on the walls, and none of the weird statues the modern Dufresne family loved so much. But still, there was a heaviness here, and the familiar feeling that someone or something was watching every step I took.
I heard the rustling of clothes behind me, but of course, there was no one. If only I could speak.
The second-floor hallway stretched in front of us, and there was a pile of linens outside one of the doors. That had to be Jessica’s room. Let’s see, that was five, no, six doors down. We could do this. Dolly Jane reached for my hand again. The air felt cold suddenly, and she turned her head slightly as if she heard a sound that caught her attention. I didn’t hear anything, but I didn’t move a muscle. As I stood there, a strange wind blew across my neck.
Oh, God, someone is behind me!
And then we were moving again. Dolly Jane was practically dragging me down the hall, but we didn’t go to Jessica’s room. Instead, we turned down a short hallway to a small room. The walls were painted dark green, and the cedar furniture created a pleasant scent. A boy was hiding in the corner. I could hear him crying, the kind of crying that had been going on a long time since he was gasping too. My little brother used to do that. He’d work himself up so much that he’d nearly pass out.
What are we doing, Dolly Jane? We have to go to Jessica!
Before I knew what was happening, she ran to the child and knelt in front of him. Without a word, he leaped into her arms and put his skinny arms around her neck. The child had shaggy blond hair, and his pale face was red from crying. He wore short pants and a dirty white shirt with brown boots.
“Hush now. It’s okay.” Dolly Jane held him as she stood up. I furiously gestured to the doorway. “I know. Just give me a second.” She said softly to the boy, “Devon, what are you doing hiding up here?”
“I came to look for you. Where were you, Madlen? You said you would not leave me. You said you would take me to my mother. Please take me to my mother.”
“I…I don’t know if I can.” Dolly Jane’s lips quivered. What was she proposing we do for this kid? We couldn’t bring him with us. He cried for a few more seconds, but she got him quiet. “Why were you hiding in this room, Devon? Please tell me.”
“I wanted to find a toy. The man told me there were toys in here, but there aren’t any toys, just the lady crying. I think she’s hurt. I want to go home, Madlen.”
“What man? Uncle Dominick?” The boy wouldn’t answer but shook his head no.
I knew it. There is someone up here. And then I heard Jessica crying for help.
“Help me, Dominick!” Her voice broke off, and I left Dolly Jane and the boy behind, not caring whether anyone saw me. Jessica was lying face-down on the floor halfway to the door. She’d obviously tried to crawl out of the bed because her stained sheets were wadded up and wrapped around her feet.
“Oh, God, Jessica!” I yelled, but no words came out of my mouth. I ran to her and squatted beside her. What cruel irony! Here I was, finally reunited with her, and I couldn’t speak a word. I patted her hand to let her know someone was there.
She opened her eyes and saw me, and her chapped lips trembled as she clutched my hand. “Help me. We have to stop him,” she whispered.
Then Dolly Jane was behind me in a swirl of dark blue fabric, the boy still in her arms. “Sit here, Devon. No, I need you to sit so I can help Jess…Ophelia.” She freed herself from the boy’s arms and hurried to my side. “Jessica, remember me? I’m Dolly Jane. I brought your friend Mike. He’s come to help me bring you home.”
“Mike?” she said with a curious smile on her face. Oh, God, please don’t die. She was looking at me but had that familiar faraway look in her eyes.
“We have to go back, Jess. Please, don’t fight us.”
“Dominick…” She waved her hand at us. I shook my head. I wasn’t taking no for an answer. She wasn’t going to stay here and die, not with me here. “Please, don’t make me go. I have to stay.”
Then the air turned icy cold, so cold I could have sworn I saw my breath. “It’s happening, Mike. Hold onto her. Don’t let her go.” Dolly Jane backed away and picked up Devon. “I can’t leave yet. There’s something I have to do.”
Wait! Where are you going? You can’t stay here. I’m not sure what to do!
“Hold on to her. Don’t let her go.” I wrapped my arms around Jessica and watched as Dolly Jane clutched the child, bowed her head, and stepped back into the hallway.
The whole world began to melt away.
Chapter Nineteen
Dolly Jane
I knew from the beginning that I would not be able to go back with them. Not at the same time as Jessica and Mike. Aunt Summer knew that too, and she had tried to stop me. I’d only given her a little shove. I hoped she was okay and would forgive me for handling her like that.
Two go in, two come out.
Yeah, that was the rule. Danforth knew it too and pleaded with me not to go. “It’s not worth losing you, Dolly Jane. The rule of two is immovable. You can’t take him with you. You’re too valuable to us.” What a joke! I wasn’t valuable to anyone, not in any real way. Danforth thought I was “valuable” because someday he hoped I would be the Matrone. “A powerful Matrone in every sense of the word,” whatever that meant.
I seemed to be the only Dufresne ready to admit the truth. For all our money and good looks, when you got down to it, we were just a dynasty of witches. Not the kind that showed up on your doorstep on Halloween night, and not the kind that mixed potions and ran call centers for fortune-telling. Hoodoo magic ran through our veins, and no matter how modern or affluent we were, Dufresnes always used that power for our benefit and the benefit of those we loved.
Most of us, anyway. There were outliers like Vertie, who did her best to distance herself and her granddaughter Avery, but what good had that done?
And they had banished the Lovely Man, but that didn’t mean our blood had become any less infused with that magic either. Through some unhappy coincidence, I was the culmination of those generations, and I knew things other Dufresnes didn’t. I didn’t know how I knew them, and I’d given up trying to figure it out a long time ago.
But valuable? Not really. Just ask my mom; she had no trouble leaving me behind for alcohol. But this Jessica chick…I couldn’t leave her behind. And I couldn’t
abandon Devon either. But what should I do now? I had to admit that I was flying by the seat of my pants here. As usual, I was making it up as I went along. Holding the child close, I paused to take a breath. I had to find a safe place for Devon, and then I would find another portal. It would be a while before I could open another one.
“Where do we go, Devon?” I whispered as I raced down the stairs with him. My dress felt heavier by the second, the air felt sticky, and my legs felt like two noodles. I need to rest. This isn’t good! The little boy offered no suggestions, but at least he wasn’t crying anymore.
The bottom floor of the house looked like a tornado had blown through it. The foyer table was overturned and broken, as were the potted plants and the kerosene lamp. Where was everyone? Obviously, the brothers had fought, but where could they have gone?
Stepping out on the porch, I searched for Dominick and Champion but saw no one. It was like the place was deserted. Except it wasn’t. They were yelling. I could hear them yelling somewhere in the back, in the garden. I heard Champion’s voice ringing loud and clear through the dusky air.
Ten…nine…eight… Oh, no! Jessica was right. Dominick and Champion were determined to kill one another, but how would all this end for the boy? Devon began to moan pitifully.
Seven…six…five…
“Devon. I am sorry.” The child was probably hungry, and he needed a bath and some rest. The helplessness I felt caused my eyes to burn with tears. What would I do now? I couldn’t take Devon to the garden to witness the murder of his father or his uncle. And what if we got caught in the crossfire? I want to live! I have a life in my own time! I couldn’t be this far from the attic.
Yes! The attic! I have to get back to the attic. The veil will be thin there at this hour. If I rest for a few minutes, I’ll be strong enough.
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