by Alexie Aaron
“It’s not my house…”
“It’s your responsibility, same thing. Burt Hicks won’t starve on my watch,” she said as she heaped tuna salad on a piece of rye bread.
Luke walked in the door carrying the coolers he emptied from last night’s barbecue.
“Can you stop her?”
“Honey, you know your mom, once she gets a bee in her bonnet…”
Audrey shook her head and surrendered.
Luke looked over at the clothing Audrey had put on. “Looks like you’re going to war, my dear. A lot of khaki. Is that my old air force shirt?”
Audrey smiled. “I was told to dress in protective gear because we may have to hightail it through the woods.”
“I gave her the shirt, dear. I felt if it kept you alive in the war, it will look after her in the woods,” his wife reasoned.
“It was being stationed in Hawaii that kept me alive in the war,” he corrected. “But the shirt looks good on you. Burt will be all googly eyes when he sees you.”
Audrey blushed but made no attempt to argue with him.
“Do you want me to drop you off? I’m heading over to the union meeting hall to have a beer with Albert and Sidney.”
Audrey could see through her father and knew he probably called Albert and Sidney to have a beer in order to drive her to work.
“Sure, I’d appreciate it, if it’s not out of your way.”
“Will you be spending the night here?” her mother asked.
“I’ll call first, but I suspect I’ll be on the night shift.” Audrey picked up a large grocery bag full of sandwiches and cookies. She saw an envelope addressed to Mr. Stephen Murphy on top. “What’s this?” she asked.
“Just you nevermind. It’s between me and Mr. Murphy.”
“You’re writing to a century-and-a-half-year-old ghost?”
“It’s a thank you. Luke told me what he did to save your life last night. This is the way proper households act. Deliver it or you’ll not be welcome to any more Sunday suppers.”
Audrey knew she was beat. When her mother pulled out the no more Sunday suppers card, she meant business.
“I’ll do it, but, mom, he’s part of the team. He would do that for anybody. I’m sure Mia’s mom doesn’t send notes.”
“Mia’s, that poor lamb, mother, from what Luke’s heard from Ted, is no mother in my book.”
“I have to agree with you,” Audrey said.
The toot of her father’s car horn ended the conversation. Audrey grabbed the bag and kissed her mom before she headed out the door.
Mrs. McCarthy worked off the ire she felt when she recalled Mia’s mother and how she ignored her child. She wondered how this woman spent her day if she wasn’t nurturing her family?
~
Amanda sat staring at the keys of the laptop. She was stuck. Where was Charles with the information she requested? Writing around the subject worked for a few days. She polished the beginning, added the footnotes, but the conclusion would have to wait until he brought her back proof.
Amanda lit another cigarette before the fire of the one hanging out of her mouth reached the filter and went out. She glared at the blank screen a moment before getting up and searching the apartment for where she had last tossed her phone.
She found it on the kitchen table and swore as the battery power had run out. “Where the hell did you put the charger, Charles?” she asked the empty apartment. She began a search of the outlets she could see. “Ah ha, there you are you little bugger,” she said when she found the cord of the phone charger dangling in the sink. She examined the end, and it didn’t look wet so she plugged the phone into it. While she waited for the phone to charge, she looked around the kitchen. When was the last time she had eaten? Charles took care of fixing the meals when he was with her. She focused on a large note taped to the front of the refrigerator door written in large block letters.
FOOD INSIDE. TAKE OUT OF FREEZER. OPEN PACKAGE AND MICROWAVE. READ DIRECTIONS FIRST. LOVE CHARLES
“Thanks a lot, dear,” Amanda said, wrenching open the freezer door. Inside she saw a variety of frozen dinners grouped according to the time of day. She pulled out one from the breakfast area and shut the door. She puffed on her cigarette while she studied the directions on the back of the box. “Seems a lot of trouble for sausage and eggs,” she said before she opened the box. “Where are you, Charles?” she asked, putting the meal into the ancient microwave. She set the time and started her meal cooking. How many days since she last heard from him? She picked up the phone and was happy to see the screen light up. She thumbed the received calls button and stared at the date and time. She looked at the wall calendar and back at the phone. “That can’t be right?”
Amanda walked to the calendar and laughed. December 2009 wouldn’t help her. She was sure it was summer out. She ripped it off the wall. She went back to the phone, looked at the date showing in the lower right hand corner of the screen and did the math. Charles had been out of communication for four days! She would try calling him, and if he didn’t answer…
The ding of the microwave distracted her. She put the phone down and went to retrieve her meal. Not finding any silverware, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the takeout drawer and headed back to her office, the phone and Charles forgotten.
Chapter Seventeen
Ted pulled the van around the circle of houses and parked it facing the road out. He got out and opened the doors, releasing Mia, Murphy and Audrey from the vehicle. Mia took a moment to look over at the graveyard. She waved to Daisy, who must have seen the van approach and was curious as to who was visiting the hollow.
“She still there?” Ted asked as he handed the infrared camera to Audrey and several gadgets to Mia to store in her pockets. He picked up the camera and started over to the clapboard.
“I don’t know why, but Daisy prefers to stay here than move on,” Mia explained to Audrey. “She told Angelo, but he hasn’t seen fit to enlighten us as of yet.”
“Is Angelo a villain? The reason I ask is I’m a bit confused. He helped Hagan reject the demon that had a hold on him, and you’ve worked with him before.”
“Angelo isn’t evil, Audrey, but he plays with a whole different set of rules. He only sees the end game, and he isn’t beyond sacrificing innocents in order to achieve his goal. I guess in my case he is my frenemy.”
“That’s a bit weak. I’d call him your nemesis. Moriarty to your Sherlock. He is a manipulative bastard. Useful, yes, but dangerous because he is determined to control you,” Ted said with anger in his voice.
CRACK!
“Murphy hates him. I side with Murphy,” Ted said.
Audrey took this all in. “I saw a movie once where good wasn’t necessarily doing good in order to win.”
“I don’t think he believes he is doing anything wrong,” Mia said softly, “but maybe steer clear of him if you can.”
“I will,” Audrey said.
They had reached the porch of the house. Mia extracted a ring of keys, selected one and advanced to the front door. “In and out,” she instructed. “This house has seen some tragedy. You may feel nauseous. I do. It has an uncomfortable feel to it,” Mia told them. She unlocked the door and pushed it open. She reached around and turned on the lights, explaining, “The Nature Conservatory keeps the electricity on for the deputies who are brave enough to check on these houses.”
Audrey walked in and was amazed by the staircase before her. It was a mirror twin to the parish house steps. She walked over and ran her hand along the post on the first step. “I’m not sure if this is the newel or the post up there, but let’s open both up and see what we can find.” She grabbed the top and pounded up on the edges of it with her hand. It didn’t budge. Mia handed her a small pry bar. Audrey pushed it under the decorative cap and levered it upwards. It popped off and rolled onto the floor.
Mia ran after it while Ted filmed Audrey shining a penlight into the hollow interior of the post.
“Not
hing,” she said disappointed. “One down, one to go.”
Mia walked up with the cap. “I’ve got this, go ahead and look up there.”
Audrey climbed the stairs, studying the birds and ivy as she moved upwards. “It’s really surprising how identical this looks. Sure, I know if they were side by side I’d see the difference but…”
Mia’s pounding down of the cap distracted Audrey from what she was saying. “Sorry,” Mia said and gave the top another whack with the heel of her hand. “You were saying?”
“It can wait.” Audrey reached the top of the stairs and didn’t waste time trying to lift the cap off with her hand. She regretted the scratches that the pry bar made, but she sensed that she didn’t have much time. She was able to loosen it enough to pull the cap off. She set it on the ground and looked inside. “There’re a couple things in here.” She reached in and extracted a long brass tube and a small book wrapped in waxed paper. “I think I found his notes,” she said and pocketed the book.
Mia walked up the stairs as if she was trying not to make an indention in the dust. She winced a few times as she looked beyond Audrey. She even flattened herself against the wall at one point.
“What’s the matter?” Ted asked, focusing the camera on Mia.
“There’s a man who chases his son over and over again. I know that they’re residual, but I also know that the child never made it out of the hollow. It makes me ill every time I have to see it,” she explained, more for Audrey’s benefit than Ted’s.
Audrey nodded in sympathy. She picked up the cap and set it on the newel post. She gave it a few whacks with the palm of her hand before picking up the brass tube. Her free hand had just gripped the railing to descend when the front door blew in.
The lights went out and a mass of swirling leaves and dirt filled the doorway. Mia backed up the stairs. She tried to call out to Murphy, but the roar of the whirlwind was too great, and the wind took her words right out of her mouth. She waved Audrey back.
Ted dropped the camera and let it swing. He grabbed for Mia. He had a hand on her shoulder when the staircase began to rumble. He reached out with his other hand and caught hers. He hauled her over his shoulder in one adrenaline-aided motion.
He and Audrey ran down the hall.
“Next door on your left!” Mia screamed.
Audrey turned the handle, but the door didn’t give. She backed away, turned and gave it a roundhouse kick. The door burst open. Ted followed her inside, barely shutting it before the door jamb rattled with the approach of the whirlwind.
“Out the window and down the trellis,” Mia ordered. Ted put her down, confident that she had found her mobility.
Audrey struggled but managed to raise the window and climb out. Mia dove out and rolled down the roof, just managing to stop herself a foot from the edge. She encouraged Audrey to follow her as she held on to the porch’s gutter and dropped safely to the ground. Audrey followed and watched as Mia caught the camera Ted tossed her. Mia didn’t move until Ted was on the ground, then the two of them sprinted to the van.
“Murphy!” Mia called, opening the door.
Audrey got in when the first blast of wind plowed into the van shaking it. She whirled around, and Mia was gone.
Ted had just started the van.
“Mia’s gone, the wind took her,” she screamed at him, her voice barely sounding over the roar.
“Drive. Drive to the farm,” he ordered and got out of the van.
Audrey hopped over the seat and put the van in gear. She was aware that the side door was open, but she had her orders. She headed away from the hollow as fast as she could.
Ted searched frantically for Mia. He found her crumpled body in the ditch. He picked her up and followed the sound of Murphy’s axe hitting granite. As soon as he stepped over the wrought iron railing he felt the wind abate. Mia started coughing and swearing which was a good sign.
Murphy pulled at Ted’s shirt and pointed to the house.
Ted looked over. Standing tall and strong on the front porch of the clapboard house was an angry man. His build was stocky with powerful muscular arms extending from massive shoulders. He looked their way and started towards them.
Mia got to her feet. “Ted, I think that’s Giuseppe Basso. Let me try to talk to him. Did Audrey get away?”
“I ordered her to drive home. I think she listened to me,” Ted said amazed.
Mia patted his arm. “She’s new, she’ll learn.”
Giuseppe had reached the edge of the graveyard and walked through the bars. He continued to walk over to them. Murphy raised his axe and moved to intercept.
“Murph, wait.” Mia climbed up on Daisy’s headstone. “Giuseppe, you’re on God’s ground now. Whatever you do here, you’ll pay with your soul.”
He looked at Mia and pointed to the house and back at her. “Thief!”
“No, not thief. Esta sent me,” Mia argued. “Her bird gave us directions to come here.”
“Esta’s dead.”
“I know, but she still plays with her dolly in the walls of the parish house.”
“Poor child.”
“She’s a happy child, Giuseppe. Why is she still there?”
“Don’t know. Why am I here?”
It was Mia’s turn to say, “Don’t know. There is someone else there. Someone big and evil.”
“Don’t know. Esta not safe in house. Bring Esta here,” Giuseppe said, pointing to his grave. “Rest with papa. Esta rest with papa.”
Mia nodded. “I’ll try. Where is she buried?”
“Don’t know. Read book. See evidence. Find Esta, bring her to papa.” He walked over and disappeared above his grave. The wind fell, and the birds began to sing.
The van came barreling back driven by a half-crazed Audrey. She hopped out of the driver’s side and ran over to Mia who was still perched on Daisy’s grave.
“I’m scared half to death. I get to the corner and think, I’m not leaving you three. So I came back. What the fuck is going on? Get down off of there,” she said looking up at Mia. “It’s not proper,” she said as she pushed her curls out of her face.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t you yes ma’am me! I worked in cosmetics, I know what that means!”
Ted looked over at Murphy. “What’s going on?”
Murphy just shrugged and made cat claws with one hand and hissed.
“Oh goody, a cat fight.”
Mia got down, walked over and hugged the distraught woman. “It’s over now. Giuseppe was a bit upset we took the stuff from the newel post until I explained that Esta sent us. Called me a thief.”
“What is it with that family and accusing people of thievery?”
Murphy and Ted, disappointed that there wasn’t going to be a cat fight between the ladies, got up and walked over.
Mia turned and looked at Murphy. “Where were you?”
He pointed to the middle house. Mia turned and looked. There, looking out the windows were a few familiar faces.
“Oh shit. So you were keeping them in there?”
He nodded.
“Sorry. Thank you, I didn’t know. Let’s go home, clean up and look at the stuff we ttt… borrowed,” she quickly amended, conscious that Giuseppe rested a few yards away.
“How did you get Giuseppe to stop blowing you guys to kingdom come?”
“She pulled the God card,” Ted said, opening the gate for Murphy who ignored him and floated over the fence.
“God card, huh? Not bad,” Audrey said looking at Mia. “And how did you know how to get out of that house in a hurry when the stairs were blocked?”
“I’ve seen it done a few times…” Mia answered. “Remember the boy that is chased by his father? It’s how he gets out of the house.”
“Can you tell me what happened to the boy?”
Mia looked at Ted and he nodded. “He was eaten.”
Audrey turned green. “I’m sorry I asked.”
“We saved his soul though. He’s
buried in the graveyard.” Mia pointed. “Over by the standing angel. Mike dug the grave, and Father Santos said a few words.”
“So if he is rested, and I assume the father is no longer an issue, why do you still see it?”
“Traumatic energy leaves a film. This is but an echo of what happened. It imprinted in the house and runs over and over until it fades. It doesn’t fade here because the hollow somehow fuels it and them. Mia directed Audrey’s gaze to the middle house.
Audrey looked and thought she saw movement behind the lace curtains.
“They are spirits that don’t want to be rested. They aren’t trapped as far as I can tell; they are just happy existing here in the hollow.”
“You’re going to leave them here, like this?”
“As long as they don’t hurt anyone, why bother them?”
“It seems wrong somehow? They should be in heaven.”
“Not everything on this earth can be explained away by a bible or scroll. Christianity is a relatively new concept, if you consider how old this planet is. It didn’t make its way to this area until the French explored it. Those people in that house don’t believe there is anything else, so why chance it and move on?”
“I hear what you’re saying, but if it’s okay with you, I’ll keep my own beliefs,” Audrey said.
Mia smiled at her and patted her arm. “No one is questioning the existence of God. I’m just explaining what may motivate those hanger-ons in the middle house.”
Audrey flushed with embarrassment. “I’m sorry. I think I just got my Catholic school girl training in the way of my listening.”
“No problem.” Mia opened up the van door and called, “Murphy!” She waited until Murphy was settled before getting in.
Ted started the vehicle, and they drove away from the hollow. Mia sighed as the evil that tugged at her released its grip. She opened the windows of her mind, pleased to no longer feel the pressure of something trying to get in. The hag may be gone, but evil still resided there, Mia was convinced of it.
~