“I remember.” Her father pulled up in front of a small wartime bungalow with a carport clinging to its side. “You guys have fun. If you need me, you have your phone Kelly.”
Kelly nodded and then opened the door. “See ya, later.”
“Thanks for the lift, Mr. Ennis.” Neil shut the car door and then turned to Kelly. “Are you going out on Halloween? This is my last year, I figure.” He adjusted the strap of his knapsack higher on his shoulder and fished in his jean’s pocket for the house key.
Kelly’s stomach sunk lower in her body. They’d always done trick or treating together but this year she’d made plans to hook up with Holly. There was a party that her new friend said was the total shit! It was a haunted house replete with an eerie sound system and dry ice. “I’m not sure what I’m doing. I may stay home to help Dad.” The lie made her feel even worse but the party with Holly sounded fun.
“I could help you too, if you wanted.” He cast a hopeful look at her before sliding the key into the lock. “I never see you anymore, Kell. We used to be close.”
Kelly followed him into the small entryway and let her knapsack drop onto the floor. “Lots of things have changed Neil, like my dad hanging around all the time. Mom is working her ass off and I’m just...well I’m just putting in time there.”
“At least you have a father.” His tone changed as he walked into the kitchen, becoming more upbeat, “Your mom looked kind of stressed, I’ll admit that. But that doctor she works with seemed okay. He gave us money for snacks. But then again, he’s probably loaded with cash.”
Kelly’s gut sank lower at the thought her mother at work. Even Neil had noticed how stressed she was. Probably laughing when she’d startled Mom wasn’t her best move, all things considered. “Yeah. He was okay, I guess. Except that now Mom’s working 24/7. I’m sure that’s why he wanted to talk to her.” She sank down into the kitchen chair. “But Mom’s tough. She’ll get through this.” But she had her doubts, especially with her father’s behavior.
Neil took the pizza from the fridge and popped it into the microwave. “Don’t I know it? Remember the time she caught us stealing your dad’s cigarettes? She made us smoke two of them in a row. I never puked so hard in all my life.”
Kelly chuckled. “We never wanted another cigarette. Even Dad quit shortly after that.” She folded her hands in her lap. She’d forgotten how easy it was to hang out with Neil. No need to try to be cool; he just accepted her for what she was.
He sliced the pizza and plopped a piece on a napkin, before setting it before her. “I hope your dad gets better soon. That’s got to be tough on everyone.”
Kelly pushed the pizza slice away after taking a large bite. She swallowed hard and then blurted, “That’s just it. I don’t think he’s all that sick. He’s been leaving the house for a few hours when Mom’s at work.”
Neil’s chin dropped and his voice was low, “You don’t think he’s cheating on her, do you?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know he puts on nicer clothes and is out on his own while Mom is working. I mean, does a guy who’s sick act like that?” She was about to say that Holly thought so, when Neil shook his head.
“Nope. I don’t think he is, Kel. Your mom’s hot!”
“What! Eeew!”
Neil blushed. “I mean—she’s really good looking, okay? And…” he groped for words, now embarrassed. “And she’s cool! I don’t think your dad’s stupid.”
Kelly’s eyes teared up just for a second. Neil was sticking up for her family more than Holly did. She looked over at Neil, a guy she’d grown up with from the sandbox to building forts and sledding to now sitting in his kitchen. He was like a brother. “Maybe I will go out with you on Halloween. It’s our last one, right?”
She didn’t know how propitious that thought would turn out to be.
TWENTY FOUR
AMANDA CARRIED THE BAG of fresh clothes that Will had brought her down the hall to Carmel’s room. The old woman had been in there by herself for the last ten minutes while she saw Kelly off and talked briefly to her husband. Surely, nothing had happened to Carmel in that time.
What had transpired between Stone and Carmel that the old woman had agreed to stay? More importantly, what would she be able to do if these things came back attacking Carmel? Her shoulders shuddered as she opened the door to Carmel’s room. Thankfully there were no shadows drifting across the room and then disappearing into the wall. So far, anyway.
Carmel looked up from where she huddled under the bed covers, “Is there any chance of getting another room in this place? I’m really frightened in here.”
Amanda shook her head. “I’m afraid not. But we can go for a walk around the floor. Maybe spend time in the recreation room until it’s time for sleep?” She pictured the sunroom where she had experienced these things. That room wasn’t an option.
“I appreciate that you’re staying here with me, Amanda. How will you manage that with your family? And you must be tired. Especially after working the day shift today.” Carmel patted the bed beside her, inviting Amanda over to sit.
“I’ll be okay. I’m more worried about you. Would you like some tea or something to eat?” She took a seat next to Carmel noting the deep circles under the woman’s eyes. “Or maybe you would like to nap for a bit? I’m here and I won’t be leaving anytime soon. I brought a sketch pad to keep me awake.” She pulled it out of the overnight bag that Will had brought her.
Carmel smiled and reached for the book of drawings. “You always had a talent for art, I can see that. Too bad you never received encouragement from your family to pursue this.” The old lady flipped the page and her eyes widened seeing the sketch of Kelly. “Your daughter is beautiful. I think you’ve captured her spirit I’d say. There is boldness in her eyes yet there’s a shyness in the smile.”
Amanda nodded. “That’s Kelly all right. She’ll be quite a formidable woman some day.”
Carmel stroked the line denoting Kelly’s chin and jaw, “Yes. She absolutely will be that and much more.”
Amanda looked over at Carmel. The old woman’s voice had a dreamlike quality and her gaze was wistful taking in all of the features of the sketch.
Bang!
Amanda jumped up from the bed. Her eyes were wide staring over at the short hallway. That had been the bathroom door slamming shut! Those things were back!
Even though her heart was hammering against her ribs she made a step to check the bathroom.
Carmel’s plea stopped her. “No! Don’t leave me. That’s what they want, don’t you see? They’ll attack me as soon as you’re out of sight.”
The breath froze in Amanda’s chest as she deliberated on Carmel’s words. Carmel was frantic! Only Carmel’s white rimmed eyes were visible above the edge of the coverlet she’d yanked high. The old woman looked like she’d have a stroke any minute while Amanda wasn’t sure if her own heart wouldn’t explode.
She forced herself to remain calm, counting to ten. “We need to get you out of this room for a bit Carmel. Let’s go to the recreation room and sit there for a while.”
Her hands shook as she pushed the wheelchair over to the side of the bed. For once Carmel didn’t argue but scrambled from the bed onto the chair. Amanda once more got a glimpse of that odd tattoo on the old woman’s body as she moved. She helped the old woman settle into the chair tucking the nightgown under her knees.
“Just close your eyes Carmel while I get you past that door and out into the hallway. You’re safe. We’ll stay in the recreation room for as long as you like. Maybe all night if that’s what it takes.” Amanda glanced at the door of the bathroom as she passed by. The fact that it now stood a few inches ajar sent a fresh shiver up her spine.
When she entered the hallway two residents paused in their chat to stare at Amanda and Carmel. Their eyes were puzzled watching Amanda wheel the old woman quickly up the corridor.
It hit Amanda once more how it was only she and Carmel who had seen these shado
w people. Everyone else in the nursing home acted entirely normal—the way she had before meeting Carmel. It was Carmel! Were these things somehow attached to her?
As she walked quickly along the tiled floor her mind was going even faster. Carmel had known about the baby she was carrying even before she had. She’d also ‘known’ about the neglect—bordering on abuse—that Amanda had grown up with. Was it possible that Carmel had manufactured these beings, that she had some kind of telekinetic power to bang doors, make medical instruments move from where they’d been set? Could she also have created the nightmare that had scared the hell out of her in the sunroom that night?
Of course Amanda had heard of people who had done that. Hadn’t some guy...Yuri Geller moved objects with his mind? It had been an old TV program she’d seen as a child and she’d discounted it as fake but what if it were true? Carmel herself had admitted that she was gifted.
She rounded the corner and pushed Carmel towards the large recreation room where the large TV flat screen pulsed images and lights across the room. When she entered the room she saw the usual group of five women who either sat glued to the television program or completely zoned out asleep. She steered the wheelchair to the farthest corner of the room where a conversation area was set up with a sofa and two overstuffed armchairs.
After pressing the brake pedal on the chair she took a seat in a chair facing Carmel. “How are you doing now?” A quick assessment of the woman’s face showed that she was paler than usual and her breathing was strained and wheezy.
“I can’t go back to that room.” The old woman’s gaze darted around the room like she was expecting these shadow things to be lurking there too.
“You don’t have to...not for a while at least.” Amanda looked into Carmel’s eyes, “Why is it just us, Carmel? You said this place is haunted with these things, yet no one else sees them. I’m trying to understand this so we can get through the next few days. Stone won’t release you. It’s up to us to figure out how to get through this until he finds another placement for you.”
Carmel’s eyes welled with tears. After a few moments she managed to whisper, “This has never happened to me ever before. Not in all the times that…” She stopped abruptly and looked away.
Amanda’s eyes narrowed. The old lady had stopped herself from continuing the train of thought. She gripped Carmel’s wrist and gave it a shake, “Not in all what times? What do you mean, Carmel?”
Carmel’s gaze lifted and she shook her head slightly. “I don’t know. What I meant was I’ve never seen anything like this before. You know that I’m gifted and that I can see things a normal person can’t. But this...it’s evil. The only time I ever sensed this much malevolence was in Haiti. They practice an ancient African blend of religion, a strange concoction of Christianity and paganism—Vodou.”
Amanda had never put much faith in any kind of religion, Christian or otherwise. But she’d also never thought that an afterlife or plane of existence existed either. It had been a point of contention between her and Will when they first started dating. He’d been raised a devout Catholic while she was an atheist to the core.
But now...she’d seen these things with her own two eyes. Her total belief system was out of whack.
“What is that—Vodou? I’ve heard of voodoo with witch doctors and wild midnight ceremonies in Creole communities. Is that what you’re talking about?” Part of her could hardly give credence to the fact that she was sitting in a recreation room, the television droning across the room, in the 21st century, talking about witchcraft. But another part couldn’t deny what she’d seen with her own eyes.
Carmel took a deep breath and sat straighter in the chair. “It’s similar but not what movies portray it to be. There is real power in their ceremonies. I’ve seen it.” Her voice lowered and she leaned in, “There’s someone else in this building who has also experienced it. I think that she’s still involved with it. She’s brought this down on us, Amanda.”
The old woman was talking in riddles. If Amanda wasn’t so frightened she might have chalked Carmel’s rantings up to paranoia or even senility, but that wasn’t an option anymore. “Who, Carmel? Who do you think is behind this?”
Her smile was cold below eyes that glittered, “The one who is trying to undermine you Amanda—Linda. I could see right through her when she manhandled me into bed the other night. She’s got a cruel streak. She lived in Haiti and she still has ties there.”
Oh my God. Linda? Amanda pulled back gripping the arm of the chair. Carmel’s eyes skewered through her, never wavering. Still...this was beyond crazy. She blew out a long soft breath before she asked, “But why would she do that? Even if what you say is true...and I know that you pick up on things about a person’s life. I don’t doubt that she maybe did live in Haiti if you say so, but...Why would she have it in for you, Carmel?”
Carmel leaned in closer still and gripped Amanda’s hand, “Because she knows I can see through her. I know what she is. She needs to destroy me before others find out. And now that you and I have become so close, she’s attacking you as well. We need to guard against this Vodou Maman and her demons.”
Amanda blinked rapidly while her mind tried to make sense of what Carmel was saying. Finally she blurted the question which kept pinging in her head, “Carmel, you ‘sense’ things about people yet you never mentioned this before when you told me about the shadow people attacking you.”
Carmel looked down for a few beats. When she spoke her voice was broken, “I’m old, Amanda. Years ago I would have picked up on that right away. But now...everything is harder for me these days. You help me be clearer and more focused. You are the daughter I never had, dear.”
Amanda could see that Carmel’s admission distressed her. Everything about growing old was hard. As sad as she felt for Carmel, fear for their safety overcame it. “So how do we protect ourselves Carmel? I know these shadow things have hurt you. What can we do to get through the next while until Dr. Stone finds you a new residence?”
Carmel tipped her head to the side gazing into Amanda’s eyes, “We’ve already gained power, my dear. We know where this is coming from. The fact that we’ll be together gives us strength. Don’t get me wrong. I’m scared to death of these shadow creatures. They may still attack me and even kill me. That’s real. But we have to try to get through this.”
Even though Carmel was putting up a brave front, Amanda could see the desperation in the old woman’s eyes. The woman probably had only a few years at best to live out her natural life, but those years were precious, maybe more precious because they were numbered.
“If what you say about Linda is true then having me as a barrier between the two of you is a good thing. Dr. Stone made a good call even though he doesn’t believe you about these shadow creatures. I’ll make sure Linda doesn’t get anywhere near you, Carmel. And the shadow things...they don’t seem to attack you as much when I’m with you.”
Carmel patted Amanda’s knee. “I’m so grateful to have you, Amanda. But let’s try to talk about other things, at least for a little while. I don’t want to give these things more power right now. We’re here, surrounded by other people although they aren’t paying us no never mind.”
Amanda nodded. She couldn’t help but admire the old woman’s resolve. “You’re right. We’re here and safe for the time being. Tell me about—”
Carmel’s hand shot up, cutting Amanda off. “Your daughter, Kelly. Let’s talk about her. I want to hear all about her. Does she like to sketch like you do? What kind of interests does she have? Does she have a boyfriend? She’s very pretty.”
Amanda felt the weight of their previous conversation drift out of her belly at the mention of her daughter. Carmel was trying to insert some normalcy into the craziness of what had just happened. It was a relief. “She doesn’t sketch but she’s really into music. She has a lovely voice, you know. As for boyfriends—none—thank goodness. I’ll face that battle some day with her but not for a while, I hope.”
>
Carmel grinned, “No boyfriends yet. That will surely come although you did say she sometimes acts much older. But hormones can do that. Her body is going through a lot of changes. I remember the first time I bled. My mother never discussed sex so I was petrified when it happened. I thought I was dying.”
Amanda smiled, “No worry on that front. Kelly knows what’s coming. Nurses aren’t shy about explaining physiology and reproduction to their kids. It’s just science. I’ve packed feminine products in her knapsack for when that day happens if it occurs while she’s at school or away from home.”
“That’s smart I suppose.” Carmel’s smile widened. “You young people have everything covered, not like what I had to go through.” She looked away for a few moments, “I’d love to meet your daughter, Amanda. I don’t get a chance to visit with young people very often.”
Amanda was touched by the sadness in the old woman’s voice. “I can ask her to stop by. Considering that I won’t see her either for a few days while I’m here, it would be nice for me too.”
Carmel brightened to the point that a chuckle burbled in her throat, “You know what would do my heart good? It would be wonderful to see her when she dresses up for Halloween. She still goes trick or treating doesn’t she? It’s been years since I’ve shelled out. I could get some candy bars somewhere around here, right?”
Amanda couldn’t help smiling at the change in Carmel. It was a playful side which was a welcome relief from what they’d been talking about earlier. And considering that this might be Kelly’s last year dressing up and going out for Halloween it would be great to share this last one with her daughter. “There are snacks available in the waiting room for visitors. We can get some there. I’ll ask Will to bring her here before she goes out with her friends that night.”
Graveyard Shift Page 11