Annamarie and Magdalena (Gypsy Spirits Book 2)

by Marianne Spitzer

  “Tiny plants under a tree?” asked Sam.

  “In one of my dreams, I was told when powers are stripped from the spirits they become tree mold and live next to the trees for protection. It doesn’t make sense to me, but evidently it’s what happened to the madman and I’m glad he’s gone. He was evil in life; he must’ve been worse in death. Now Josef only has Daniel and Garret to deal with,” she said, covering the lasagna pan and placing it in the refrigerator.

  While he helped Annamarie load the dishwasher, Sam said, “I still don’t understand it all, but if one of them is gone, I’m relieved. Too many things have gone on. I need you and Lena to be safe.”

  “We’re safe, Daddy Sam, all of us,” giggled Lena as she ran out of the kitchen.

  “She called me ‘Daddy Sam,’” Sam said with joy in his eyes. “I wasn’t sure she would completely accept me.”

  “I told you to give her time and she’d come around on her own. ‘Daddy Sam.’ I like it.” Annamarie smiled as she started the dishwasher.

  They joined Lena in the living room to watch TV. A news bulletin was being broadcast. The reporter was discussing the tornado seen by hundreds of people in and around the town of Timmus Woods. People swore it touched down in the woods, but local sheriff authorities claim they couldn’t find any damage.

  “That’s exactly what Steve said.”

  “It must have been Josef fighting with Daniel and the others. Maybe the tornado helped him battle the madman,” Annamarie suggested.

  “Maybe. If we’re lucky we’ll get answers while we sleep tonight.” He put his arm around her.

  Annamarie snuggled close to him and whispered, “I hope so. I hate to ask Lena anymore questions.”

  Sam agreed.

  A sleepy Lena lay on the floor and Sam said, “Bedtime.” He picked her up and he and Annamarie tucked her in. It had been a long, stressful evening instead of the quiet one Annamarie had planned. She and Sam went to bed early.

  * * *

  Sam and Annamarie heard the soft violin music and saw the campfire ahead in the clearing. They walked hand in hand through the pines into the clearing where Magdalena and Josef waited.

  “Sit, children,” said Josef.

  Annamarie and Sam sat on large pillows placed on a colorful blanket. Magdalena smiled at them and said, “Listen carefully.”

  Josef began, “Tim overheard Daniel, Garret, and the crazy man plotting an attack on your home. They were going to try and burn it down and steal Lena. I could not let it happen. I tracked them back to the cabin and they thought they could win a battle against me. Daniel tried to call thunder and lightning. Garret did his best to stir the wind. The crazy man thought he could attack me in the form of a wolf. He was no match for me. I subdued him with one blow and the others with me absorbed his spirit and turned him into pine tree mold. I could see the fear in Daniel’s and Garret’s eyes. It played to my advantage. They ran.”

  Josef spun his hand in a circle and a window-like image appeared above his head. Sam and Annamarie could see Daniel and Garret running through the oaks behind the cabin.

  “I can see them,” Annamarie said. “They don’t appear solid the way you do. They are shimmery the way I would expect a ghost to look.”

  “Yes,” said Magdalena. “While Josef fought the crazy man, they did their best to get away. Josef was still able to draw some of their energy. They are not strong and unless they find a human to draw strength from, they will remain weak until Josef is able to draw all their strength and they will join the crazy man as tree mold.”

  Sam asked, “Why tree mold?”

  “We can turn them into anything we wish, but here in the pines trees, mold is the easiest to watch over. They will not get away. We will be here as long as you need us. When we move on, they will come along and perhaps they will be hidden in a cave as mold.” Magdalena laughed. “It is what they are at heart that will determine their final fate. Daniel’s spirit is dark and cold; mold would suit him well. Garret’s angry and uncaring. He would best serve the world as coal to be burned.”

  “Have no fear children, I will finish this,” Josef said. “For now it would be best if you were far away from here. Daniel and Garret may try to enact revenge on you for anything we do to them. Go and be safe.”

  The firelight faded and Sam and Annamarie slept deeply.

  * * *

  The alarm woke them both. Sam stared at Annamarie and asked, “Did we dream the same dream? Did Josef call us ‘children’?”

  She rolled over and said, “Yes, I think it was important we both know what’s going on.”

  “He said we should go away. I can get time off from work, but where should we go?”

  “Mom and Dad want to take a week’s vacation with us, Bonnie, and Carl. We could leave today and they could come when they can. I think we should heed Josef’s warning.”

  “I agree. I’m going to call my uncle and then you call your mom. We’ll have breakfast and pack.”

  Elaine prepared breakfast while Sam and Annamarie made their calls. Paula understood the urgency in their leaving and said she, Theo, Bonnie, and Carl would come up to the resort as soon as possible. Sam made reservations at the Holiday Inn as Annamarie and Elaine packed. Elaine planned a vacation to her sister’s. They left the house thirty minutes later.

  * * *

  Four days later, Theo headed his station wagon north to meet his daughter and her family. Paula, Bonnie, and Carl were excited about the trip. Paula heard the loud rumble of thunder.

  Theo glanced in the rear view mirror. “Looks like we’re leaving in time to miss another nasty storm.”

  Paula knew it was more than a storm. The battle was beginning and she was relieved they would all be out of town and safe.

  Steve also realized the thunder wasn’t normal as he pulled his squad car into his driveway. He ran into the house, calling Deb’s name.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I think the battle is starting. I don’t know how bad it might be. You promised your great Aunt Addie that you would visit soon. Soon is today. I’ll help you pack.” He pulled her suitcase out of the closet.

  “No, you’ll need me here.” She tried to pull the suitcase away from him.

  He held her by the shoulders and said, “Listen, Deb, I love you. If it gets rough, I’ll be on duty day and night and I can’t worry about you. Annamarie and Bonnie are both out of town. We’re the last link to Daniel and Garret and I have to stay. C’mon, let’s pack and then call your aunt. I’ll follow you to the county limits. You’ll be safe once you’re out of Oaklin County.”

  Tears streamed down her face. “I don’t want to leave you.”

  He held her close. “I need you and our baby safe. I don’t want you to go either. I’ll call you from the sheriff’s office. They’ll never notice the additional long distance calls.”

  Deb looked at him, her eyes pleading, although she knew he was right. “Okay, I’ll go.”

  He placed the suitcase in her trunk and followed her to the county line. He sat in the squad car, watching her car until it disappeared from view. He knew it was right to send her out of town, but he missed her and knew he would need her. His needs couldn’t matter right now. Deb and the baby had to be safe. If he worried about them, he couldn’t do anything to help, if needed. He turned the squad car around and headed back to town. A bolt of red lightning shot across the sky above the pines. Steve hoped no one else saw it.

  * * *

  Sheriff Richardson answered the phone. A near hysterical Mrs. Graysbe was babbling about red lightning and the end of the world. He promised he would investigate.

  Steve walked in and the sheriff explained about Mrs. Graysbe’s call.

  “Anyone else call?”

  “Nope, the old woman must sit around talking to her damn dogs all day, dreaming up stuff to drive us crazy.”

  “It wouldn’t be the first time she’s imagined things. I’ll go check it out. If you get any other calls, let me know.”
<
br />   Steve spent thirty minutes with Mrs. Graysbe. She explained why seeing the red lightning meant the end of the world was coming.

  He wrote everything down and told her to be careful.

  “Steve, I’m serious. I saw it on a science show on TV. The red lightning is exhaust from a Martian space ship. They must’ve landed in the pines. They’ll be here soon.”

  “Then stay in the house and call the station again if you see any Martians.”

  “I will.” She slammed the door.

  Steve drove back to the station, thinking Martians couldn’t be any worse than what they were facing. He hoped Josef could stop Daniel and Garret. A loud crack of thunder let him know Josef was hard at work.

  * * *

  Josef stood at the edge of the pines and called out to Daniel and Garret.

  “You can’t hide from me. I will find you. Annamarie and Lena have gone far away. You can’t touch them. Lena is protecting them both with the amulet. If you try to touch them, you will be destroyed forever.”

  Daniel screeched and Garret howled.

  The town heard only loud thunder. Most assumed there was another late summer storm on its way. Mrs. Graysbe knew better. She hid under the quilt on her bed with her two Pomeranians, hoping the sheriff could shoot Martians.

  * * *

  Steve walked back into the sheriff’s station.

  “Mrs. Graysbe will be fine. She thinks its Martians.”

  Sheriff Richardson laughed. “I hope she doesn’t rile up her neighbors the way she did when she claimed wolves ate those damn dogs of hers.”

  “I was still in high school when it happened. I remember my mom wouldn’t let my little sister play outside.”

  “If anything weird is going to happen, we can count on her to add to the commotion. It’s been quiet--no other calls.”

  Steve hoped whatever was going to happen could be chalked up to one of Mrs. Graysbe’s crazy ideas. The town would be better off thinking there might be Martians than knowing Daniel Logan’s spirit was on the loose, causing mayhem.

  * * *

  Josef twirled his hand above his head and a window appeared in the pines. The same window Sam and Annamarie had seen. Daniel and Garret were in the oaks near the cabin. Both had changed to wolves. Josef wasn’t fooled. He was going after them. He snapped his fingers and the window disappeared.

  Josef whistled. The town thought a tornado was coming. Most ran to their basements. Mrs. Graysbe climbed into her attic for a better view of the pines. She knew it wasn’t a tornado. Josef whistled again and the air above the pines swirled toward the cabin. Soft red sparks spun in the wind.

  Mrs. Graysbe decided her basement was a safer place to be, but not until she called the sheriff. She dialed and yelled, “The Martians are here! I saw the red sparks in the pines. Run for your lives!” She hung up before the sheriff could respond and headed for her basement.

  Steve looked out the front door of the sheriff’s station and said, “If we’re going to have a bad storm or tornado, I’m going to stay close in case we get a real call for help. I’m not going to help Mrs. Graysbe with her Martians again.”

  The sheriff agreed.

  The wind howled and rain began to fall. Lightning lit up the night sky. The phone was silent. No other reports of strange weather. Steve walked to the back of the station and stepped out the back door. He could see the oaks clearly and looked in the direction of the Logan cabin. He could see the same lightning the rest of the town saw, but he also saw the bolts of red shoot through the oaks. Bright red bursts of fire seemed to illuminate the entire area. He wondered why no one was calling or was he given the privilege of seeing it because of his relationship with Annamarie?

  The sheriff called back to him, “See anything out of the ordinary?”

  “No, seems like a typical summer storm.”

  Steve watched while sparkling red fire encircled the entire oak grove. It spun faster and faster. He could hear the howl of an injured animal. A clap of extremely loud thunder shattered all the windows in the sheriff’s station. Steve assumed windows were breaking all over town. He heard the phone ring and the sheriff’s voice call his name. He glanced back at the oaks before going into the station and saw the fire spin upward and disappear into the clouds. An unearthly quiet settled over the town.

  “What the hell was that?” asked the sheriff.

  “I don’t know. I saw a bolt of lightning hit somewhere in the oak grove and the thunder broke the windows. It’s a mess in back.”

  “It’s a mess up here, too and people are calling in saying something broke their windows.”

  “Everyone’s windows?”

  “So far each caller said every window in their house is broken.”

  Steve said, “Maybe I better check on Mrs. Graysbe. She may have had a heart attack.”

  “You go. I’m calling Greta in to man the phones, and then I’m going to drive around town and assess damages.”

  * * *

  Two hours away from Timmus Woods Annamarie and her family were enjoying a quiet evening. After a fun day of swimming and playing on the jungle gym, Lena was tired, but not tired enough to skip her cookies and milk before bed.

  Lena looked at her mom and said, “Gampa Josef whistled and red sparkles made fire all over the cabin. Daddy’s hiding, but Garret’s gone. Gamma Lena is happy.”

  She took another bite of cookie, oblivious to the importance of her words. Sam and Annamarie looked at each other.

  “How are we supposed to believe what she said?” asked Sam.

  The phone in their room rang. Sam answered.

  “Yes, I understand. Lena said Garret’s gone. It might be true. Thanks for calling. Let us know if anything else happens.”

  “Who called?”

  “Steve. A wild storm hit Timmus Woods tonight. A loud clap of thunder broke nearly every window in town. Steve saw a red sparkling fire surround the oaks near the cabin. He said he heard an animal howl and the fire disappeared.”

  “Do you think Lena was right and Garret’s gone? It could be what broke the windows. Didn’t the town see the fire?”

  Sam shrugged. “Mrs. Graysbe saw something and reported Martians landing, but everyone else either didn’t see or were in their basements.”

  “No one will believe Mrs. Graysbe. I feel sorry for her all alone with only her dogs. The town will be convinced she’s crazy.”

  “I feel sorry for her, too, but if the town knew what happened there wouldn’t be a town. Everyone would leave.”

  “Oh my, I’ll bet all our windows are broken and Elaine is out of town.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll call my uncle. He’ll check on the house and get the windows repaired.”

  Sam placed the call and turned to look at Annamarie.

  “My uncle said all the windows in the shop are broken. He said the entire town is out and about. Cars are driving up and down Prairie Road, checking on damage. The sheriff must be going crazy. My uncle is going to run out to our house and call us back.”

  Sam and Annamarie busied themselves with bathing Lena and getting her ready for bed. After two stories and three lullabies, she finally fell asleep.

  Their phone rang again. Sam answered.

  “Hmm, I’m not sure. I’ll ask her.”

  Annamarie looked up, “What?”

  “Did Grandpa Logan put some type of security windows into the house?”

  “I’m not sure, why?”

  “Not one window is even cracked.”

  “What?”

  Picking the phone back up, Sam said, “Thanks, Uncle Clark. Do you need me to come back and help fix the shop? Okay, I’ll see you next week.”

  Annamarie sat on the edge of the bed.

  “I remember once the wind blew one of the French doors in the study closed, and the window cracked. If Grandpa had put in tamper-proof glass in the windows, it would also be in the doors. It must be regular glass and Josef and Magdalena made sure our house was spared.”

  “Okay
, how do we explain this?”

  “We tell people Grandpa had security glass in the house. No one will question it except George and I don’t think even he’d be concerned. People will think Grandpa wanted to be safe alone in the big house at the edge of town. It makes sense. We’ll go with the story. I’ll lie and say Daniel once told me it had security glass.”

  “Okay, but I hope people believe it.”

  “They will, trust me. People always believe the Logan family does odd things. They’ll never question it.”

  “I’m tired. Let’s get some sleep. I see more swimming in our future tomorrow.”

  * * *

  Sam and Annamarie walked toward the campfire and saw the pillows on which they had sat before. They sat and waited. Magdalena walked up to them.

  “Josef is resting. Garret is gone. He lost his battle. Daniel is devious and used Garret as bait to get away. Do not fear; his power has been weakened and he is alone now. Josef will find him. When Daniel’s power is stripped, peace will come to you and your town.”

  Sam rolled over and placed his arm on Annamarie. She snuggled up close and both slept peacefully.

  * * *

  Annamarie woke first and lay wondering about her dream. She knew Daniel was mean, but he used his best friend to get away. She thought that was low, even for Daniel. She knew they would have to be watchful since Daniel would stop at nothing now.

  Sam awoke, rolled over, and asked, “Did we share a dream again?”

  “Yes, I think it’s easier for Magdalena to explain things to both of us at the same time.”

  “Okay, then Lena was right. Garret’s gone. Daniel’s weaker, but it doesn’t mean he’s powerless. I’m going to call Steve and let him know. Maybe Deb can come home soon. I’m sure she’s worried, too.”

  “I should tell my mom, too. I’m not sure how much she’s shared with my dad. I know she hasn’t said anything to Carl and Bonnie. Maybe this can all be over before anyone else needs to know.”

  * * *

  Lena awoke hungry for breakfast and wanted to play in the pool. Annamarie called her mom and told her they’d meet them in the restaurant.