Love & Ghosts: Crescent City Ghost Tours

by Pulkinen, Carrie

  He froze, the anger in his eyes making room for confusion. “What are you saying?”

  “I thought I could handle you and your ability, but I can’t. The whole ghost thing? It’s not…” She let out a frustrated sigh. She couldn’t seem to force the words out. “I don’t want anything to do with spirits. I love you, Sean, but unless you’re willing to close yourself off to it all…to stop talking to ghosts…I don’t think I can be with you.” She tucked her hands beneath her arms to stop them from trembling.

  His eyes softened as he knit his brow. “You’re breaking up with me?”

  “I don’t want to. But are you willing to close your channel? Will you stop communicating with spirits?”

  “That’s like asking me to stop breathing. It’s who I am. And if you’re going to love me, you have to love all of me.” He took her hand and clasped it between both of his. “This is silly, Emily. The only danger I’ve ever been in was because of that box. Just get rid of it, and we can put this all behind us.”

  She rested her free hand on the chest and stroked her fingers across the inscription. It wasn’t dangerous as long as it was locked. She didn’t need to throw it away.

  He dropped her hand. “It’s still affecting you. Don’t you see? It’s not just me. You have the ability too, and stuff like this can get to you. Maybe not as easily, but it can.” He snatched the box from the table and flung open the door.

  “Wait!” Her heart sprinted in her chest, but her feet felt glued to the spot. The chest needed to go. She knew it did, but she didn’t want to lose it.

  “I’m getting rid of this thing before it hurts you.” He stopped abruptly in the threshold and inhaled a deep breath, blowing it out hard through his nose.

  Her lip quivered. “What are you doing? If you’re going to leave, leave.”

  He turned around, a heavy scowl furrowing his brow. “I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I physically can’t get it out the door. It’s stopping me.” He shoved it onto the table, pulled out his phone, and tapped on the screen.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m sending you the contact information for a Voodoo priestess. If you won’t get rid of the box, at least get her to exorcize it.”

  She scoffed. “Voodoo, Sean? Really?”

  “Either call her or a Catholic priest.”

  “I think you should go.” As soon as the words left her lips, she wanted to take them back. She didn’t want him to leave. She wanted to be with him always, but she couldn’t deal with the spirits. She couldn’t watch another person she loved lose his life for the love of ghosts.

  He looked at her hand resting on the chest and let out a cynical laugh. “Since you seem to care more about that damn box than me, I guess I should.” His jaw set stubbornly, and he pinned her with a heated gaze as if daring her to contradict him.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. He didn’t understand. It wasn’t about the stupid box; it was about him being susceptible to who-knew-what other kinds of evil things lurking in the shadows. It was about her keeping her sanity and not being in a constant state of worry.

  “Please call the priestess.”

  She held his gaze, refusing to respond. She didn’t trust her own voice. If she tried to speak now, she’d only ask him to stay.

  He inhaled a deep breath. “Fine. But I’m keeping the key.” He patted his pocket, turned on his heel, and marched out the door.

  She watched through the window as he walked down the steps, stopping at the bottom to look up at the door. He kicked a beer can someone had left on the sidewalk and raked his hands through his hair.

  A sob bubbled up from her chest, and she let the curtain fall, blocking her view. She’d just broken up with the most wonderful man she’d ever met. She didn’t need ghosts to make her go crazy. She was already insane.

  No, she wasn’t. She was completely sane, and she wanted to stay that way. Being with Sean would only make her crazy. Breaking up with him was the smart thing to do. The right thing. She told herself that over and over as she sobbed into a pillow, trying to ignore the gaping hole his departure had left in her chest.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “You’re doing the right thing.” Trish put a hand on Emily’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”

  Emily sighed as she stared out the window at the woman approaching the apartment. The priestess wore a long, brown crepe skirt and a tunic in shades of orange and yellow. A burnt orange scarf encircled her head, and her dark hair poked out the top in tufts like an aloe vera plant.

  “Even after everything that happened, it still took me two days to call her, though.”

  “You’ve always been stubborn.” Trish gave her a comforting smile and moved toward the door. “Are you ready for this?”

  A knock sounded, and Emily straightened her spine. Even now, with the Voodoo priestess right outside her door, she hesitated to part with her sister’s box. The thing inside it was powerful enough to exert some influence, even through the locked lid. Still, she was drawn to it, which was all the more reason why she needed to get rid of it.

  “Let’s do it.” She opened the door. “Hi. You must be Natasha.” She shook the woman’s hand and motioned for her to come inside.

  Natasha’s focus went straight to the box on the kitchen table. She glided toward it and set a pair of orange reading glasses on her nose. Her lip curled as she examined the inscription on the lid, and she shook her head. “Sean wasn’t kidding. This one’s bad.”

  “You talked to Sean?” Her heart fluttered at the mention of his name. He’d given her Natasha’s number before he left, but he didn’t say anything about calling her himself.

  “Mmmhmm. The boy’s been worried sick about you keeping this thing. Tried to get me to come take it by force, but that’s not possible. You invited the evil in; you have to be the one to send it away.”

  She crossed her arms. “I didn’t invite it in. It was sent to me.”

  The priestess arched an eyebrow. “And who carried it through the door?”

  Her chest deflated, and she dropped her arms by her sides. “I did. How do I get rid of it?”

  “You carry it out the door. Then I’ll come back in and do a cleanse. Make sure nothing else evil is hanging around in here.”

  “Sounds easy enough.”

  Natasha grinned. “We’ll see. Why don’t you bring it out to my car?”

  “Sure.” She scooped the box into her arms and stepped toward the door, but a sickening feeling formed in her stomach. If she put it back in her closet and poured a salt ring around it, it couldn’t hurt her. Getting rid of it really wasn’t necessary, was it? As long as it stayed locked, it couldn’t bother anyone. “You know what? This is silly.” She put the box on the table. “I’m sorry to waste your time, Natasha. I’m going to keep it.”

  “Emily…” Trish touched her elbow. “Let her take it. You don’t need it.”

  She rubbed her forehead, her thoughts scattering like billiard balls every time she tried to grab one. She’d called the priestess for a reason. The box had to go. “You’re right. I’m getting rid of it.”

  Picking up the box again, she took two steps toward the door, but she couldn’t force herself to go any farther. “I can’t. It wants to stay here. You carry it, Trish.” She shoved the chest into her friend’s arms. As soon as she broke contact with the wood, her resolve to be rid of the damn thing returned. She marched to the front door and flung it open. “I want it out.”

  Trish started to shuffle outside, but Natasha stopped her. “Hold on a minute. This isn’t going to work. Emily invited that evil inside, and she has to be the one to take it out.”

  Emily inhaled deeply and took the box from Trish. “She’s right. Sean tried to take it, and he said he couldn’t get it out the door.”

  Her body felt like lead; her feet melted to the floor. The thing in that box wanted to stay so badly, she couldn’t tell her own thoughts from the demon’s. With Trish and Nat
asha behind her, she forced herself to take three more steps. As she passed through the door, it felt like she was swimming through a wall of gelatin. She moved in slow motion, forcing one foot in front of the other through a thick sludge of anger and hatred.

  As she crossed the threshold, her body felt lighter, the intense desire to hang on to the hunk of wood lessening with each step down the stairs. By the time she reached the bottom, she ran to the priestess’s Toyota, threw the damn thing into the trunk and slammed the lid.

  Her head spun as the elephant that had been sitting on her chest for the past month finally got up and walked away. A hysterical giggle bubbled from her throat, and she pranced back to her apartment. She vacuumed the salt from the baseboards while Natasha did her cleansing ritual, and when they were done, her entire apartment felt brighter, her heart lighter. The constant nagging pain in the base of her skull was gone. She was free.

  “Thank you, Natasha. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help. How much do I owe for your services?”

  She waved a hand dismissively. “Sean already paid for it.”

  Emily looked at Trish. “How did he know I’d go through with it?”

  Her friend grinned. “I don’t think he’s done with you, Em.”

  “You ladies have a nice day.” Natasha stepped through the door and stopped on the porch. Emily started to close the door, but the priestess spoke again.

  “Oh, no. That’s none of my business.”

  “Excuse me?” Emily swung the door open, but Natasha didn’t appear to be speaking to her.

  “If you want a love potion, go see a witch. I don’t get involved in other people’s relationships.”

  Trish stepped next to her. “Who’s she talking to?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “That’s not part of my services. I was paid to rid her of a demon, not teach her to see spirits.”

  Her heart thudded in her chest, and she gripped the doorknob tighter.

  “I don’t…” Natasha let out a dramatic sigh and turned to Emily. “You got a dead sister?”

  She swallowed. “Yes.” Why was Jessica still trying to talk to her? She’d gotten rid of the stupid box. What more did she want?

  “She’s very persuasive.” The priestess narrowed her eyes and marched back into the apartment. “And she says you should be able to see her, but you refuse.”

  “I can’t. I…can’t see ghosts.”

  “You saw her before.”

  “I was asleep. She came to me in a dream.”

  “You still saw her when you woke up.”

  Emily fisted her hands at her sides. “That was different. She caught me off guard.”

  Natasha sat in a chair and rested an elbow on the table. “She has a message for you. It would make my life a whole lot easier if you’d open up and see her so she can tell you.”

  Emily’s mouth went dry. She wouldn’t know how to open up if her life depended on it. She still had no idea how she’d seen her sister the night she helped her save Sean. “I don’t know how.”

  “Well, I ain’t got the time to teach you. What about your friend?” She nodded to Trish.

  “I’ve never been able to see spirits.” Trish lowered herself into a chair and folded her hands on the table. “Em, you need to hear what she has to say.”

  Natasha sighed. “I can’t believe I’m about to do this.” She pointed a finger at Emily. “This is only because Sean is such a great guy, and it involves him. Don’t you tell nobody I did this for you, or there’ll be a line out my door.”

  “Okay.” She sat across from her. “What are you going to do?”

  “Channel her. Let your sister’s spirit talk through me.” She threw a hand into the air. “But only for a few minutes. And first you’re gonna have to prove you are who you say you are.”

  “Do you want to see my driver’s license?”

  “Not you. The spirit. Tell me something only you would know about Emily.” She looked off to the left and nodded her head. “She says you had a crush on Tim Johnson in the tenth grade. Cried yourself to sleep every night when Trish started dating him.”

  Emily’s mouth dropped open. Of all the secrets Jessica could have shared, she picked that one?

  “You liked Tim?” Trish gaped at her. “Why didn’t you tell me that, Em? I wouldn’t have gone out with him if I’d known.”

  “Thanks a lot, Jess.” She looked at Natasha. “It’s her.” She turned to her friend. “It’s no big deal. You were so happy when he asked you out, I didn’t want to spoil it for you.”

  “Emmy made me swear never to tell you.”

  They both looked at Natasha in stunned silence. Her entire demeanor had changed. She sat up straight, her hands folded in her lap, a huge smile on her face. And though her voice had the same tone, the cadence and inflections she put on the words sounded just like Jessica.

  “Well, don’t just sit there. She’s giving me five minutes to talk to you, and I don’t want to waste it in a staring contest.”

  “Jessica?” Her mouth still hung open, so she snapped it shut.

  “In the flesh. Well…someone else’s flesh, but you get the point. I need to talk to you about Sean, and since you refuse to see me in spirit form, this is the best I can do.”

  “But you… I just…” She had so many questions. So many things she wanted to say, but she couldn’t form sentences.

  “Hey, Jess. How you been?” Trish seemed to find her voice just fine.

  “I’m good now. You have no idea how hard it is to cross over after you’ve been dead for a year. It took forever to figure out how to communicate. I’ve got the hang of it now though. How are you?”

  “I’m great.”

  Emily looked back and forth between Trish and her sister in Natasha’s body, having a normal conversation like Jessica was still alive. Why wasn’t Trish freaking out like she was?

  “Tick tock, Emmy. Are you ready to listen?” Jessica curved Natasha’s lips into a smile.

  “Yes. Wait. First I need to tell you I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shut you out like I did. Maybe if I’d listened to you, if I’d shared your curiosity for the spirit world…” Her heart wrenched, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “You’d still be alive if I’d listened to you.”

  “Come on. You saw for yourself the hold that box can have on you. Do you really think you could have saved me?”

  “I could have tried.”

  She waved a hand in the air dismissively. “There’s no way I would have given that box up. Anyway, it’s water under the bridge now. There’s nothing you could have done, so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

  “But—”

  “I’m here to talk to you about that hunk of a man you dumped for no good reason. Are you insane? He was perfect for you.”

  Emily crossed her arms and straightened her spine. “You know why I broke up with him. You were there.”

  “Because you’re afraid he’s going to die like I did?”

  “That’s exactly why. You don’t know how hard I took it when you died. I can’t go through that again. I won’t.” No matter how much she missed Sean, she couldn’t be with someone who willingly put himself in danger like that.

  “You won’t have to go through it again. Sean isn’t like me. He knows what he’s doing. He’s careful.”

  “You were careful.”

  “No, Emmy. No, I wasn’t. Not at all. You were right when you said I was obsessed. I knew exactly what was in that box when I bought it at the estate sale. I willingly brought a demon into my house because I thought I could control it. I’d learned a little black magic and thought I was invincible. I was stupid, and I’m the one who should have listened to you. You were the smart one. Sean is a smart one.”

  She shook her head. She didn’t want to hear this. “What he does is dangerous. It could get him killed.”

  “Driving a car can get you killed. I’ve been watching Sean since you met him. What he does isn’t dangerous. He doesn’t mess with
demons or magic. He tried to convince you to get rid of that stupid box the moment he saw it, didn’t he? He knew what could happen, and I guarantee you, he’d have done something about it if he’d known you still had it. And honestly, Emmy, the demon would have gotten to you eventually. Evil is dangerous for anyone, even those who don’t recognize it.”

  Emily dropped her head into her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. “What are you trying to say, Jess?”

  She folded her hands in her lap and sighed. “It’s your fault the demon possessed him. Both times, but especially the second. Own it. Apologize. Stop being an idiot and get that boy back. Ghosts aren’t the problem. Sean’s not the problem. You are the problem. Get over yourself and get on with your life.”

  “I…”

  “Oh, and I’m sorry about messing up your apartment. I was hoping you’d think the demon did it, and you’d get rid of the box. But you can be so stubborn.”

  Something between a sob and a laugh rolled up from her throat. “I love you too, sis.”

  “Seriously, though. She’s kicking me out. I’ve got to move on too. Take care of yourself, little sister. I love you.”

  She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, Natasha slumped in her chair. “Woo. That was more than five minutes, wasn’t it?”

  Trish brought her a glass of water. “Just a little. Are you okay?”

  Natasha took a sip from the glass and waved her away. “I’m fine. I’m fine. And before you freak out any more, spirits can’t enter your body like that unless you invite them in. Sean would kill me if I put any more crazy ideas into your head.” She rose from the chair and swayed on her feet.

  “Maybe you should stay a while.” Emily tried to help her back into the chair, but she refused.

  “I’m going home to sleep it off. Like I said, don’t you dare tell anyone I did that. I’ve got enough people trying to take advantage of my gifts. Nobody wants to pay these days…” She continued muttering to herself as she shuffled down the stairs.

  “Do you think she’ll be okay?” Emily closed the door and plopped on the sofa.

  “Probably. Seems like she knows what she’s doing.” Trish sat next to her. “Jessica’s right, you know? It wasn’t Sean’s fault.”