by S. E. Akers
The closer I ran to Welch, the easier it became to get my bearings. I was impressed with my precision. I only ran into one tree this time around. My pace slowed to a steady jog as I winded around the last sharp curve about a half-mile from my house. As I turned onto my gravel drive, I noticed that though Charlotte’s Cadillac was absent, Samuel’s Jeep was parked in its place. I ran up onto the porch to find my surrogate father swaying on the weathered old swing.
“I’m glad you showed up when you did. I was about to leave for my shift.” Samuel hesitated. “They gave me Caiden’s job. I wasn’t expecting…that,” he replied with a sigh.
There it was — exactly what I was trying to avoid. I had Daddy in my heart. I didn’t need him floating 24/7 around in my head, too. It was too much heartache to deal with.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, desperate to change the subject.
Samuel seemed surprised by my question and let out a laugh. “I came by to check on you. I sent you a couple of texts today. I even called up to the school. The lady in the office said you weren’t there, but that Chloe was.” Samuel looked me over from head to toe, eyeing my extremely soiled clothes. “What have you been…doing today?”
I couldn’t think of a good excuse. I didn’t realize I would need an alibi on stand-by.
“Nothin’ much,” I replied casually.
Samuel’s brow rose suspiciously. “Well, you sure have a whole lot of nothin’ on your clothes. Did you lie down on a dirt-track and let the four-wheelers use you as ramp?”
I shook my head. “No, Samuel.” I wasn’t about to give up any details about where I was, whom I was with, and certainly not what the heck we were doing.
“Aside from the dirt, nothin’ seems to suit you. I expected to find you moping around the house…but then I saw you come a runnin’ round the bend with a smile plastered on your face…A smile like I haven’t seen since you were a little girl and would get a new toy. You look happy. Almost burstin’ with joy.”
I kind of felt offended by Samuel’s observation. Is he trying to insinuate that I’m not mourning my father properly? I was a wreck on the inside, but a whole new world had been revealed to me, whether I liked it or not. A world with unlimited opportunities that would allow me to have what I wanted more than anything else — Lazarus Xcavare’s head!
“Samuel, don’t think for one second that I’m not devastated by Daddy’s passing!” I snapped.
Samuel cut me off quickly. “No, Shiloh…that’s not what I meant. Boy, you women like to read things into what us men say.” He patted the empty spot beside him on the porch swing. “Come over here and sit down.”
Feeling a bit ashamed about my assumption, I lowered my head and plopped down on the swing beside my surrogate father. Samuel threw his arm around me, and I nuzzled my head against his shoulder.
“What I was trying to say was simply, whatever you’re doing to ease your grief…do it. You don’t need to be sulking around the house, wishing for one more moment with Caiden. Your father wouldn’t want that, and I don’t either.”
I could see how concerned he was when I tilted my head up and looked into his warm brown eyes.
He continued, “Shiloh, you have a glow about you. I can’t explain it, but you definitely have one.” Samuel’s voice grew solemn and serious. “I know all too well how you can spend your life pining for someone who’s only a memory to you.” I watched a small tear take form in the corner of his eye.
I thought to myself, His wife…Sarah.
“When they leave without warning…Well, let’s just say your emotions can haunt you into your darkest of hours…or you can choose to live each day enjoying what the world has in store for you. You always take what you get, but hope each day is brighter than the last. All I’m saying, Shiloh, is…don’t do it the way I did for so long. The most valuable thing in the world is time. Don’t waste it and don’t shut the people you love out of your life. Don’t ever take anything for granted. That’s the thing about time…you never know when yours is up.”
Samuel’s words were comforting, but they did give rise to some guilt, forcing me to acknowledge that I’d been tuning everyone out these last few days. Samuel, Katie, and even Ty. I’d thrown myself into this new world without telling anyone what I’d been doing or why. But I couldn’t. Even if I could…what would I say? Hey guys…I’m sorry for shuttin’ all of y’all out. I know y’all have been so worried about me, but I haven’t had the time. I’ve been too busy tryin’ to sharpen my new supernatural skills that I got from this glowin’ diamond wand out back. I’ll make myself more available after I take care of Lazarus Xcavare and avenge my father. Please accept my apologies… I don’t think so!
I gave Samuel a peck on the cheek and hugged him. “I promise, Samuel. I’ll be more present and not close myself off from everyone…especially you.”
“Good. Then you can start by telling me what you’ve been doing? Nothing illegal, I hope. I bet Officer Ryan would love to haul your butt down to the jail after whippin’ his tail the way you did the other day.”
“I’m sure he would, but nothing illegal. I promise.” My smile turned into a serious stare as I swayed on the rocker and thought quietly, Nothing illegal yet, but I’m pretty sure killing someone still falls under the category of a crime, whether they’re a supernatural being or not.
Samuel wasn’t giving up. It was obvious that I was daydreaming about something. He poked me with his elbow. “Is it a boy?”
I was surprised by his assumption. Samuel took my expression the wrong way, and in a typical “fatherly” fashion, he continued his interrogation.
“Don’t tell me it’s that Mike Riverside from the other night. I saw the way he was lookin’ at you…Caiden was right. I should’ve brought Bessie Mae with me!”
I started laughing at the mental image of Samuel going after Mike Riverside with “Bessie Mae”, the affectionate name he used when referring to his double-barrel shotgun.
“No, no, no! Absolutely not! Not on his best day…or my worst!”
Samuel let out a sigh. “That’s a relief.”
Next thing we knew, my mother’s Cadillac was pulling up to the house. Once she had parked, Charlotte and Chloe hopped out of the car giggling and carrying a slew of shopping bags. They were all from various stores in Bluefield. There was even a small tote bag stamped, Vance Travel Agency.
Samuel pointed over to the terrible-twosome. “See, Shiloh. Everybody handles grief…in different ways.” He shook his head and threw Charlotte a dirty look. Clearly he was just as riled by her behavior as I was. I’d kind of hoped she was truly saddened by Daddy’s passing, but considering all of her indiscretions that had recently come to light, I suspected it was more wishful thinking on my part.
Charlotte and Chloe seemed beside themselves with joy as they scurried up the steps. What are they so happy about? Neither of them made any attempt to speak to us. As Charlotte entered the house, I called out, “Chloe, what’s going on?”
I noticed a twinkle in my little sister’s eyes when she turned our way. Chloe placed her shopping bags down on the porch and then tossed her raven hair back as she flashed me a haughty smirk.
She’s definitely reveling about something.
“If you must know…” Chloe answered in a condescending tone, “Mom and I… are going to be RICH!”
Shocked by her announcement, Samuel and I both turned to each other with the same look of disbelief.
“How’s that exactly?” I asked skeptically.
“Daddy had a little secret,” Chloe revealed with a sneaky grin.
I shot to attention after hearing the words “Daddy” and “secret” uttered in the same sentence.
“Daddy owned Shiloh Ridge!” Chloe squealed. “Mom didn’t even know about it until Kyle Parsons from the County Clerk’s office called her this morning. He told her that Daddy held the title, and someone wanted to purchase it. She went to the bank and got into his safe-deposit box. Low and behold, there was the de
ed! Mr. Xcavare is going to pay her fifteen million dollars for it! Isn’t that GREAT NEWS? Well, for me and Mom, that is.”
Once my stomach had landed from its “flip”, panic swooped down on me like a flock of buzzards looking to pick me apart. My body remained motionless as all the color drained from my face, knowing full well I was probably as white as a sheet by now.
NO! Lazarus will find the cave! He’ll punch holes in every inch of Shiloh Ridge! Then that bastard will discover the wand has already been claimed!
“Oh, Shi…You look a bit peaked,” Chloe remarked as she stepped closer. I was staring down at the porch, fixated on my thoughts of how to stop this from happening when Chloe lifted my head and interjected, “Don’t fret. Mom’s already said you could live in the house…and rent it.”
My mouth dropped as I watched her trot off into the house triumphantly, whirling her shopping bags around with a shit-eaten’ grin plastered on her face.
“They’re NOT going to do that…I promise,” Samuel vowed. “Don’t let them see you all worked up, Shiloh.” Samuel looked at his watch and grimaced. “Honey, I have to leave for work, but if you want, you can stay at my house…till things settle down around here. You’re more than welcome to.”
I was grateful for his offer, but I couldn’t help be a little confused by his lackadaisical attitude regarding my dilemma. I’d kind of expected my “surrogate father” to put forth more of a fuss than just, “I promise they won’t do that”?
He’s been around our family my entire life…Has he not “seen” what those two are capable of?
“That’s not going to solve my problem.” I added nervously, “Go on. I’ll be fine. Bye, Samuel.” I tried to act as calm as he seemed to be, but at that moment, I was ready to jump out of my skin.
Samuel gave me a couple of reassuring pats. “Bye, Shiloh. No worries now.” I watched him stroll casually over to his Jeep, and before I knew it, he was headed off to the mine.
I turned and made a mad dash into the house. I found Charlotte in her bedroom, dragging one of her suitcases out of the closet.
“You can’t do this!” I protested. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”
Charlotte threw the large bag on her bed and zoomed around the room, gathering up clothes to pack. She finally paused to scowl at me.
“I can, and I will. I know exactly what I’m doing, Shiloh. I’m signing a piece of paper tomorrow afternoon that’s going to make me fifteen-million dollars richer, so I can finally get out of this hellhole. That’s what I’m doing!”
“No! You just CAN’T!” I pleaded.
“Ugh! You can live in the damn house! What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t allow you to do that? You’ll have to pay some rent of course, but considering you’re eighteen now and legally an adult, I could throw you out on the street. The only thing I’m guilty of here is being too generous.”
Clearly desperate, a thought rang out. I’ll compel her not to sell the land. I stood there quietly concentrating on Charlotte as she bounced around the room. I thought,
Charlotte Wallace…
You WILL NOT sell Shiloh Ridge
to Lazarus Xcavare…
I repeated it over and over in my head.
“Charlotte…What are you going to do?” I asked confidently. She finished folding her red blouse and gazed at me with a strange look on her face.
“I’m going to finish packing. ’Cause I’m catchin’ a flight to Europe,” my mother chortled. “Right after I sell Shiloh Ridge!”
Damn! It didn’t work! I tried for several more minutes. Each failed attempt stirred up more feelings of disgust and panic-fueled anger. After a good fifteen minutes of solid trying, my patience had run out. I was on the verge of losing my temper and could feel my blood boiling with nervous rage.
“I hope we don’t keep you up tonight, what with all of our packing. I know you probably have loads of homework to do. Oh, wait…That’s right…You skipped school today. Mrs. Tuttle called to check on you and told me that you weren’t there. She was going to write it off as an excused absence, but I insisted to her that you were such a stickler for rules. I reasoned to her that Chloe was able to attend, so your absence should be marked as unexcused. No exceptions. You’ll have to report to morning detention when you go back.”
Bitch! The next thing I knew, I’d taken my fist and punched a hole in her bedroom wall. To my shock, it drove straight through the sheetrock and pushed through the vinyl siding. I felt the cool fall air blowing on my knuckles. Mouth gaping and wide-eyed, I shamefully retracted my hand, which was visibly unscathed. Crap!
Charlotte had a peculiar look on her face. She was startled, but she also appeared scared. I ran out of her bedroom and headed straight for my room. I heard her scream, “And you’ll have to pay a security deposit to cover any DAMAGES!”
I slammed the door shut and began pacing wildly around my bedroom. What am I going to do? The compulsion trick didn’t even faze her. I remembered what Tanner had said about it being difficult to compel people who you have a strong emotional connection with. I guess even hatred counts as some kind of connection. How can I stop her when she’s hell-bent on selling it? The fact that I was so upset about it was just gravy for her. I had no idea what to do. I couldn’t call Tanner. I really didn’t know how to reach him. I know…I’ll call Bea!
I grabbed my cell and dialed Beatrix. Damn! I was prompted to a message informing me that her line had been disconnected. Probably because of her upcoming move, I surmised. Disappointed, I resigned myself to the fact that I would have to wait until morning to tell someone. This was surely going to be a long and restless night.
I ran to my closet and pulled out my new “security blanket”. I cuddled with Daddy’s shirt as I lay on my bed, tapping the cell on my chin. My mind was racing, but not one good idea had surfaced. I just hoped Tanner or Beatrix could come up with one.
Needing to calm down, I pulled the tumbled amethyst out of my pocket and held it tightly. Instantly, all of my panic and anxiety vanished. I knew trouble was still looming, but my mind, body, and soul had been set adrift on a sea of worry-free bliss.
I glanced at the display on my phone. It read:
Missed Texts: 18
Eleven were from Katie, three from Samuel, a couple from two of my classmates, one from Mrs. Tuttle, and one from Ty. His message was simple and direct. “I’m still waiting. I’ll be waiting.” I stared at the words on the screen for a minute.
Why can’t I find the courage to call him? Especially with everything I’ve been through over the past several days. From uncovering crazy supernatural beings, to stabbing a twelve-foot rattler with my shoe, I still found myself a coward when it came to Tyler Smith. It really shouldn’t be such a surprise to me. I’d had a crush on him for years without saying or doing anything about it. What’s a couple more days?
My phone began to hum a little tune. Katie. I didn’t feel like answering it. I knew she would bring up Daddy and want me to “talk it out” with her. That was the last thing I needed or wanted right now. The promise I’d made to Samuel earlier was going to be harder to keep than what I’d realized.
After I’d peeled myself out of my clothes, I took a quick shower, threw on my pajamas, dove into my bed, and yanked the covers over my head. Though I was still securely on my blissful “high”, thoughts of “what would come from Lazarus purchasing Shiloh Ridge” ran circles through my mind. Good thing I can’t feel the worry from them.
I cuddled up with my new purple bauble in one hand and Daddy’s shirt in the other. I’ll call Katie tomorrow. I had way too much to filter out tonight. After all, I didn’t need any additional chatter about Daddy upsetting me and causing the batteries to run down on my powerful little purple stone.
That would be MY luck…
Chapter 17 — What Will Be, Will Be
I was up and out of the house by a quarter to six. The sun was barely beginning to rise as I weaved through the woods. This morning, I arrived at the c
ave’s entrance in record time, and like a seasoned pro, waved my hand to unearth its secret portal. As I bolted down the rugged stone staircase, I called out, “Tanner! We have a problem!”
To my surprise, Tanner wasn’t there. Instead, waiting patiently was Beatrix Sutherland, dressed in a brown velour tracksuit. She was lying on the ground and stretching the muscles in her legs.
Clearly alarmed, Beatrix sprang up. “Where’s the fire?”
“I thought Tanner would be here,” I replied, a bit winded and wound up, “but anyway, there’s a problem…A HUGE ONE! Apparently, Daddy owned Shiloh Ridge, and now that he’s passed, Mom has the deed, and she’s selling it to Lazarus Xcavare THIS AFTERNOON! I tried calling you last night to tell you, but your line has been disconnected. Bea, I don’t know what to do!”
Beatrix’s tense stance started to relax. She immediately went back to her stretches. “Is that all?” she asked casually.
I was dumbfounded by her nonchalant response to such a serious dilemma.
“What do you mean ‘is that all’?” I countered, only to watch Beatrix shrug her shoulders. “She’s also kicking me out if I don’t pay her rent, but I couldn’t care less about that! Bea, Lazarus will find out the wand’s powers are missing. He’ll realize someone’s already claimed it…Someone like ME!” Still, Beatrix looked unfazed by my predicament. I continued ranting, “I thought I was supposed to ‘keep my identity a secret from him’, for as long as possible? You said ‘he woud try to kill me’ if he found out that I’ve claimed the wand’s power. Don’t you care?”
“It’s not that I don’t care, Shiloh… It’s just that I’m not worried. You shouldn’t be either.” Beatrix simply smiled and again, carried on with her yoga. I was starting to lose my patience with the “compassionate” elderly lady I’d known for years.
“Bea, I even tried to make her not do it. You know, by ‘compelling her not to’, and it didn’t work. I about busted a gut trying and nothing!”