Graveyard Shift

by Michelle Dorey

  “Why would she do that? Who is she?” Mike’s gaze met his sister’s but it was clear he wasn’t entirely convinced.

  Jane gripped the rail so hard her knuckles were ivory. “I told you. She’s a horrible person. The first night she kept everyone awake with her nightmares. And then the next day she called me a cow. For some reason she took an instant dislike to me. She wanted to be moved from the room.” Her eyes widened and a vein stuck out on her temple. “I wish to hell they’d moved the old bitch. Then I wouldn’t be laid up here in pain!”

  “That’s not nice to call you a cow, I’ll grant you. But is she a big person?” Mike’s eyes did a quick scan of his sister’s ample girth.

  “I know what you think! That I’m overweight and not a likely target to be pushed around. It’s true she’s slight but people can be wiry strong, Mike. You know that. How many times did I hear you tell stories of some punk ass thief almost laying you out in a brawl? And look at you! You were strong as a bear back in the day.”

  Mike snorted, “I worked out. I had to be in good shape doing police work.”

  Jane’s tone softened, “Well you were a good cop. And a good P.I.” Her tone became more insistent. “You’ve got to help me. Who knows what that woman will do next? Her name is Carmel Turner. As far as I know she lives in Tupper Lake. When she got too bad to be on her own anymore, she was put in the nursing home. I heard she burned her house to the ground.”

  Mike chuckled, “Not only a thug, but a pyromaniac?” When his joke was met with a glare he sat forward and patted his sister’s hand. “Look if it will make you happy, I’ll do a little digging about her, okay? I was going to stay in Tupper for a few days anyway to see you. I feel bad I haven’t been here as often as I should.”

  Jane’s hand on the rail loosened and she sighed, “You’ve a new bride and besides it’s a four hour drive to visit. I’m glad you’re with Hilda. I never liked your first wife even if she gave you two nice daughters.”

  “Yeah, I know. It’s thanks to Hilda that I’m seeing the girls and my new granddaughter more often.” His smile dropped, replaced once more with a grim set to his mouth. “I wished you had moved in with us when I asked you last year.”

  Jane shook her head. “Just what you didn’t need. A cantankerous older sister looking over your shoulder. Not to mention Hilda’s. No. I worked in this town all my life and I have friends here.” Her head dipped to the side. “Which is another curiosity when it comes to that Carmel woman. Why would I never have run into her? It’s not that big a town.”

  Mike eased his portly frame further back in the chair. “I’ll look into it. Don’t worry.”

  “Thanks, Mike.” Jane pressed the button at the side of her bed elevating it so she could sit up higher. Just laying in one position for so long was uncomfortable. She glanced over at her brother. He would do some investigation on Carmel’s background even though she could tell he was still a bit skeptical.

  “Would you hand me my juice, Mike.” Her hand fluttered indicating the glass on the table next to her. As she sipped she ruminated on some of the things that Mike had told her had happened to him in the last year or so. As strange as the tales were, she had never questioned him, not for a moment.

  She finished taking a sip and handed the glass back to him. “Whatever happened to that kid you met? The one with the psychic gift?”

  Mike’s face lit up, and some of the worry lines around his mouth fell. “Adam Rafferty. He’s good. He’s finished at the academy and he’s now a rookie on the force in Syracuse now.” He chuckled. “Funny. When I worked the job, we’d follow up on the calls from psychics, especially if we were looking for a missing person and expected foul play. Now the force has their very own psychic.”

  “Maybe I should ask Adam to help me with this Carmel thing. He might get the goods on her long before you ever could.” She smiled to let him know she was teasing.

  “There’s no doubt about that. But the kid’s pretty busy. If he’s not working, he’s with his girlfriend Leah. She’s finishing up university there to become a teacher.”

  Jane grinned. “I like her already. But y’know, after all Adam went through, it sounds like it worked out for him in the end.”

  Mike nodded. “And for those women in that resort in the Catskills. Thank goodness, Adam was there to help out. He still keeps in touch with those gals, especially the doctor in California, Becky.” He rose and walked over to the window looking out over the small city. “Strange how things work out. It makes one wonder if there isn’t something or someone playing us all like puppets.”

  FIFTEEN

  AS THE DROGAN BROTHER AND SISTER TALKED in the critical care unit of the hospital in Tupper Lake, Carmel Turner silently obsessed regarding her own problems.

  Sitting ramrod stiff staring at the grounds outside the window, Ryan Stone’s parting remarks, casually suggesting she die, kept ringing in her ears. How dare he! After all she’d done for him over the years to be such an ungrateful wretch! He wouldn’t be where he was today without her help.

  The fact that he held the power to keep her there added salt to the wound. Yet it wasn’t just the assault on her pride. In all her life she’d never felt such fear. The dark shadow things weren’t just scary, they would surely kill her if she stayed there much longer.

  She couldn’t count on Ryan to get her out of there. He was fixated on that promise she’d made to him so long ago. Her teeth ground together so hard they clicked. Like that was ever going to happen. It couldn’t. It was all a lie that he’d swallowed hook, line and sinker.

  Crash!

  Carmel jumped from her seat! Turning quickly around she cried out! Five dark shadows hovered over her bed. A sense of fatal dread froze her to the spot. They were back in broad daylight!

  Her night table was shattered in pieces strewn on the floor! When the shadows drifted closer to where she was, she jerked back.

  “What...what do you want with me?” Her heart beat like a racehorse and her voice wavered.

  The tallest one darted in a rush to stand over her. Burning red eyes in a dark maw of a face held her in a cobra’s gaze while a stench like rotting meat wafted from it.

  “Please. Let me be...” Carmel shriveled, clutching her sweater as she backed away. The window pressed hard into her back. The creature kept closing in, the others lined up in a row behind it.

  She had to get away! They would suck the life force from her, kill her if she didn’t! She pushed away from the window, her arms flailing through the shadow. It was like plunging her hand in an icy lake. Her breath plumed with vapour, while icy frost day shot through her core.

  Racing to the door on stiff numb legs, without a backward glance she yanked the door wide and lurched into the corridor. She’d made it! She stood in the hallway gasping for air. Her hand spread over her chest willing her heart to slow.

  She had to escape the building! Go anywhere, it didn’t matter! Her body fell forward, staggering while her arms flailed for balance. She stopped for a moment standing still. Slow down. Got to get control. Her mind screamed to run as fast as she could but she forced herself to calmly walk. The nursing station at the end of the hallway was empty, as was the hallway.

  They were all at lunch or assisting patients. Thank God for small mercies. This was her chance! It might be the only one she’d ever get. No one was going to help her. She had to do this on her own.

  Her fingers shook before she gripped the door handle leading to the hallway outside of the wing. Two elevators were off to her left, but there was also a door to the stairwell. At the sound of voices behind her she hurried through the door to the stairs.

  Her hand held the railing in a death grip while her footsteps echoed in the hollow space.

  As she was midway down the first set the lights flickered. Her gaze shot up in time to see the last glow before everything went black. In that split second she saw them! The shadow things were there in the stairwell with her!

  Her screams came on their own
. “Help! Someone! Help me!”

  An icy wave of stench rolled over her, covering her. Oh my God! They were going to kill her! She could sense the hatred emanating as clearly as the foul odor. Her knees gave out and she fell onto the stair.

  The hard edge dug into her thigh when she landed but her hand still clung to the rail. A pressure against her chest knocked the wind out of her. She struggled to breathe. Her screams became a choking gasp for air.

  A door clicked open sending a slice of light into the ebony of the stairwell.

  “What the—”

  Carmel’s rasps for breath floated up the stairwell.

  She squinted when light flashed and held steady. Her breath returned in a rush and she began to scream again. “Help me! Hurry!”

  The dark shadow things were gone. A middle-aged nurse bounded up the stairs and squatted before her. Her eyes were filled with concern as she did a brisk scan of Carmel’s face and body.

  “Did you fall? How did you get out here on your own?” When the nurse tried to help Carmel rise, she blinked a couple times staring at her. “Your hands are like ice.” As quick as anything her flashlight was in her hand and shining it straight into Carmel’s eyes.

  The shock of what had just happened loosened enough that Carmel grasped the railing again with both hands. “No! I’m not going back in there! I’ve got to leave. What is this place? You’re trying to kill me!”

  Her foot lashed out catching the nurse’s shin. But it was a grazing blow, not enough to stop her.

  “We’re here to help you. Come on. I’ll take you to your room. It has to be in the west wing.” This time the nurse was successful in prying Carmel’s bony hands from the railing. She practically carried her with a strong arm around her waist up the few steps.

  All the while Carmel moaned, “No. No. No. Please don’t.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. It was the green mile leading to her demise. Those creatures were in the building waiting for their chance to kill her. She was running out of time!

  SIXTEEN

  AMANDA HAD MIXED FEELINGS when she walked through the door to the nursing home after four days off. She’d always enjoyed the short day stint in the nursing schedule, but today was different. It could be that finding out she was pregnant, and spending quality time with Will and Kelly was making her melancholy about returning to work. But as she walked up the stairs to the second floor West wing she couldn’t help thinking about that episode in the sunroom. Try as she might to find any logical explanation for the thing that she’d seen, it came up short. There had been something there.

  She walked through the door and smiled when she saw Courtney setting her handbag in the lower drawer at the nursing station. The smile evaporated when she saw Linda at the rear of the station at a workstation inputting file notes. She didn’t turn around when the two women began to settle in.

  Behind her a voice made her jump. “Hi Amanda. Am I glad you’re here!”

  Amanda turned at the voice behind her. Angela Washington’s easy gait and wide bright smile in an ebony face was a welcome sight. Everyone loved Angela, who could coax a laugh out of anyone and everyone. “Hey Angie! Tough night?”

  “A little, all because of Carmel Turner in room eleven. She was up half the night with delusions that she was being attacked. She kept asking for you. I told her you were on today and that, along with an extra sleeping pill did the trick, finally.” She stifled a yawn and then wandered over to join Courtney and Linda.

  Amanda followed, slipping her purse into the desk before walking down to corridor to see Carmel. She’d just pop in and see her for a few moments—enough to put the woman at ease. And after that she’d do everything she could to treat her like all the other residents. It was important to maintain that professional distance. Even so, a part of her wanted to tell Carmel that she’d done a pregnancy test and that the old woman had been right.

  Her hands rose to rub her upper arms when she stepped into Carmel’s room. The air was freezing! She looked at the thermostat on the wall and edged it up a notch or two. When she rounded the corner to take in the whole room her eyes opened wide seeing the frail woman laying in the bed. She looked like she’d aged five years since she’d last seen her.

  Purplish cusps shadowed the skin under her eyes while the lines beside her mouth had deepened. She was pale and the silver wisps of hair on her head was a tangled mess. She looked like she’d been through the wringer.

  Amanda walked over to the bed and shook Carmel’s shoulder gently. “Carmel?”

  It seemed to take forever before the old woman’s blue eyes registered that it was Amanda. In a plaintive whisper she said, “Help me, Amanda. Take me out of here, please. You know I can’t stay here. Why did you desert me?”

  “I didn’t. I’m here now.” Amanda felt the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. In spite of herself her gaze rose and took in the room. There was nothing out of the ordinary except the icy chill, way colder than it normally was.

  Turning again to Carmel, “What happened? You really don’t look well.” Amanda’s hand brushed Carmel’s cheek. It was like touching a cadaver.

  “You know what happened! You saw them too! Get me out of here. Let me stay with you until I find a place to go. I’ll pay you. I have lots of money. Take me to the bank and I’ll show you.” Carmel’s eyes welled with tears and she clutched Amanda’s hand.

  “I don’t have any power to release you, Carmel. You’re here under Dr. Stone’s orders. I’d like to help you but…” All the while, Amanda was fuming, fighting not to show it. How could that Stone not see how much this place and the delusions were affecting the poor woman?

  Her eyes narrowed picturing Linda who had worked the overnight shift. The lack of care and consideration to Carmel was reprehensible, if not downright negligent. She didn’t blame Angela because she was relatively new to the home. But Linda was an experienced nurse! No one was taking this old woman’s complaints seriously. And now she was dying right before their eyes!

  Carmel tossed Amanda’s hand away from her. “If you won’t help me, let this be on your conscience then. I’m a dead woman.”

  Amanda stood taller and her jaw tightened. “Look. I’m going to speak to Stone. If there’s a way to get you out of here, even for a brief respite till we find another place for you, I promise you I’ll do it!”

  If she had to, she’d let Carmel stay in the spare bedroom of her home. It might only be for a few days, but it might help save this woman’s life. She was sure that Will and Kelly would understand.

  The muscles in Amanda’s neck were steel cables as she marched up the corridor to the nursing station. Courtney sat at the desk reviewing the file notes for the night while Debbie Armstrong, a new aide on the floor, chatted with a member of the housekeeping staff. The normalcy of the scene added to Amanda’s irritation. The morning routine was about to begin while one of the more physically healthy residents—Carmel Turner—was deteriorating abnormally fast.

  It was lucky for Linda that she’d already left the floor. She would have torn a strip off her.

  “We need to page Dr. Stone. He needs to see Carmel Turner, STAT.” She rounded the desk at the nursing station and started taking medical equipment from the cabinet.

  “You saw Carmel already? What’s happening with her?” Courtney glanced over at Amanda but remained seated, scanning the notes until she came to Carmel’s.

  Amanda grabbed a pressure cuff and oxymeter from the shelf. “Her color is terrible. She looks like she’s sleep deprived and she’s probably dehydrated as well. Any notes that she refused food or drink? “ Amanda would personally put that call in to Stone once she had the vitals. That quack wasn’t fit to practice on rats let alone people!

  “It says here that she’s been restless, bordering on hysteria for the last three nights. Stone authorized a change in meds. She’s now on Haldol.” Courtney looked over at Amanda.

  Amanda rolled her eyes before setting the testing equipment on the trolley. “Haldol! Did he even e
xamine her?” She did a quick inventory of the equipment to make sure she was covering everything. The tests were routine when a patient or resident experienced sudden deterioration. Even so, she had serious doubts that they’d find a physical problem causing Carmel’s decline.

  As she wheeled the cart down the corridor, Courtney called out to her, “Buzz me if you need my help, Amanda.”

  “Got it.” Amanda pushed the door to Carmel’s room wide and in her haste banged the cart into the frame. Her hand flew out to keep the items there from flying off. When they were stable, continuing forward, she looked up and gasped at what she saw!

  A black shadow darted across the room and disappeared into the wall! It was a person’s shape but elongated and thin. Her heart leaped in her chest while her eyes bulged staring hard at where it had disappeared.

  “Help. Someone, please.” Carmel’s voice was a weak mewl breaking through to Amanda.

  Amanda pushed the cart away and raced to the bed. The comforter was thrown back revealing spindly legs that were streaked with red scratches. Carmel’s hand cupped her throat and she gulped air. Her face was now florid.

  “Carmel! What—”

  “It tried to strangle me. It sat on my chest. I could feel pressure around my neck. My legs! They were tearing me to ribbons!” Carmel tried to sit up and became wracked with coughing, almost to the point of gagging.

  Amanda grabbed the stainless kidney shaped bowl and held it before Carmel’s mouth, willing her hand to stop shaking. “You’re okay now, Carmel. I’m here. I’m not letting anyone hurt you.”

  Carmel grabbed a tissue from the box on her side table and wiped her mouth. “Not anyone, Amanda. Anything. Oh my God, why is this happening?.”

  Amanda felt a shiver creep over her shoulders. She’d seen it too! And from the looks of things, it had definitely attacked Carmel. The pattern of bruises on the poor woman’s neck looked like fingers!