by Wendy Wang
Charlie peeked into the living room. Jason slept on the long plush sofa with one arm folded across his eyes. A soft snore escaped him. She smiled and moved on.
Charlie found her cousin sitting at the dining room table writing in a leather notebook. There was a shoebox sized plastic container full of different colored pens on the table next to her. Charlie cleared her throat.
Jen glanced up and a wide smile stretched her lips. The blue tips of her short dark hair glowed in the overhead light of the chandelier, and for a second, she looked almost like a tiny fairy. “Good morning. You’re up awfully early. Couldn’t sleep? I know that mattress is sort of lumpy. I guess it’s a good thing you’ll be moving into the cottage soon. Otherwise I’d have to guilt Daddy into getting a new mattress.”
“It’s not the mattress.” Charlie sighed and pulled out the chair next to her cousin. She sat down and peeked at Jen’s notebook. Decorative script, doodles, and dates adorned the pages. “What is all this about?”
“It's how I keep up with all my lists.” Jen returned the cap to the pen in her hand. She handed the book to Charlie. “It's my day planner, my dream book, my to-do list. My sanity.”
“It's amazing,” Charlie flipped through the pages, marveling at the exquisite hand-lettered headers, pretty cursive handwriting, and neatly printed lists. “You have such pretty handwriting.”
“Thank you.” Jen shifted her gaze from the book to Charlie's face, her wide blue eyes full of speculation. “So why are you up?”
Charlie's shoulders slumped a little. “Bad dream.”
“Scott?”
“No – the reaper.”
“Well, I can definitely understand that, after what happened last night. Seems like he’s haunting you.”
“Maybe he is.”
“What happened in the dream?”
“It started out great – Evan and I were on the beach. The whole place reminded me of the beach Bunny used to take us to. Remember?”
“Aw Bunny.” Jen smiled. “I miss Bunny.”
“I do too. She visits me sometimes – in my dreams. But she wasn’t there this time. It was just me and Evan. He was playing in the waves and this huge swell drew up behind him. That’s when the reaper appeared. I couldn't get to him in time, and the wave swallowed him up.” Her chest tightened at the memory.
“Oh sweetie.” Jen rubbed the top of her arm. “It was just a dream.”
“I know.” Charlie picked up a red marker and popped the top off it. She clicked the cap back in place. “And I know he's not really going to show up and take Evan away from me.”
“Good.” Jen patted Charlie's hand.
“But it doesn't mean I won't see him again.” Charlie met her cousin's gaze. “You know I wouldn't normally ask this, but is there something you can do? Some sort of —spell maybe?” She whispered the word spell as if it were a secret not to be spoken too loudly.
Jen's forehead wrinkled and the corners of her mouth tugged downward into a frown. She breathed out through her nose. “You still have your pendant, right?”
Charlie's hand immediately went to her throat reaching for the silver circle. Two black tourmaline beads hung on either side of the pendant. She ran her thumb over the engraved pentagram. “Yes. I always wear it now.”
“That's the best protection I can offer you against any sort of danger. There is no spell or charm that can stand up to Death.”
“Oh.” Charlie stared down at the pen in her hands. She pressed her thumbnail against the bottom of the pen top letting it bend the nail down.
“I'm sorry, sweetie.” Jen gently removed the pen from Charlie's grip and put it back in the box. She gathered the other pens, and put them away, securing the box’s plastic top in place.
“I guess I needed to hear that.”
“I know Lisa likes to say it's Death’s fault. The reaper I mean. That it's his fault when people die. But honestly, I don't think that's the case. I think he's just doing a job. Like you and me. Your job is to provide customer service and help connect the dead with the living, and my job is to feed people. Speaking of which.” Jen glanced at the old grandfather clock against the wall. The long black arm pointed to the two and the short arm to the four. “I really need to get going.”
“Sure.”
Jen rose from her chair and gathered her journal and pens. She tucked them into the olive colored messenger bag on the empty chair next to her. “You gonna be all right?”
“It was just a dream. Right?”
Jen gave her one quick nod. “Even someone like you is liable to have a plain old nightmare just like the rest of us.”
Charlie called up a smile. “You're probably right.”
“Of course, I'm right.” Jen grinned and her blue eyes glittered. “Will I see you later?”
“I'll stop by for some breakfast on my way to work.”
Jen gave her a wink and disappeared through the door to the kitchen. Charlie heard the old screen door squeal open. She touched the pendant hanging from the chain around her neck again and lifted it to her lips. She kissed it lightly before getting up and heading back to bed for another couple of hours of sleep.
Chapter 6
Charlie pulled her blue Honda into the Givens' driveway and hopped out. It had surprised her that Mrs. Givens had been so accommodating when she asked if she could take another look at the property behind their house.
Charlie rang the bell and Marla Givens opened the door. “It’s good to see you, Miss Payne.”
“Please call me Charlie.” Charlie smiled. “I really appreciate you letting me do this.”
“Of course, if you think it will help you find my daughter —”
“I don't know what it will lead to, but there's something about those woods and I really need to take another look.”
Marla Givens nodded and led Charlie in through the house, to the back door.
“Should I stay here or do you want me to go with you?” Marla asked.
“It's probably best if you stay here. The spirit I encountered back there seemed a little skittish.”
Marla's eyes widened a little and she forced a smile. Charlie could see on her face that she wanted more than anything to believe in Charlie's words, but there was just the tiniest bit of doubt in her dark eyes. Charlie smiled and gently pressed her hand against Marla’s arm to reassure her.
“If I'm not back in an hour text me on my cell. Okay?” Charlie knew Jason wouldn't like her coming here alone. If she could at least check in with Marla maybe he wouldn't give her such a hard time if she came up with new information.
“I will. Should I call Deputy Tate if you don't come back or if I don't hear from you?”
Charlie bit her lower lip. She sighed. “If I'm not back in two hours call him.”
“Deal.”
Charlie opened the back door and walked quickly across the expansive backyard. She held a steady gaze on the entrance to the woods, hoping the girl would come forward and greet her. When the child didn’t appear, Charlie made her way into the gloom of the thick canopy. Leaves and pine straw crunched beneath her feet, and the chatter of squirrels and chirping of birds echoed around her, comforting her. When she got to the spot where she had seen the girl in her last visit, she stopped and glanced around.
“Trini?” she called. “It's Charlie. Can you come and talk to me? I promise I'm all by myself today.”
Charlie turned in a circle making sure that she wasn't followed by the reaper. Of course, he could materialize from the shadows if he wanted to. She shivered and pushed the thought out of her head.
“Please come talk to me,” she called again.
The soft cooing of mourning doves came from someplace close by. Charlie sighed and continued walking deeper into the woods. She kept glancing over her shoulder just to make sure that the path was still there, and if a reaper was following her she wanted to see him before he got too close.
The sound of the snap of a twig breaking and the crunch of leaves sent Charlie�
�s heart into overdrive. She spun around ready to confront the noise maker. The path was clear. A little giggle escaped her mouth and she shook her head.
“Stop scaring yourself,” she muttered.
She almost jumped out of her skin when she turned to continue and found a man standing a few feet away, watching her. Her heart clogged her throat and blood rushed through her ears. The man watched her with wary golden-brown eyes. The most beautiful eyes she’d ever seen. He wore black pants that looked expensive and a crisply pressed gray button-down shirt. Not exactly the right attire for a walk in the woods. “Oh, my god,” Charlie choked out. She pressed her hand to her chest. “You scared me.”
“I'm sorry,” he said in a lilting accent that she immediately recognized as proper Charlestonian. Her ex-mother-in-law had the same accent. She wondered how long his family had been in the area. “I didn't mean to frighten you. I don’t usually run into people out here.”
He smiled, showing perfect white teeth that gleamed against his dark well-groomed beard. His intense eyes fixed her to the spot. Something about the shine on his teeth made her uneasy. The better to eat you with my dear. She pushed the thought out of her head. She was being ridiculous. He was just a man. Not a wolf. Not a reaper. Charlie forced a smile.
“I'm sorry. I was just visiting the Givens’.” She pointed back the way she came. “Marla said it would be fine to take a walk here.”
“I see.” He quirked an eyebrow. “It seemed more like you were looking for someone.”
“I —” She tightened her arms across her chest. Lie. Lie now. “I was just calling for my dog. Trini. Did you see her?”
“No. I didn’t see a dog. Sorry.”
“Oh. Well, if you see a German shepherd, stay away. She’s not friendly.” Charlie hated lying but his smile widened. “What about her owner? Is she friendly?”
A chill skittered across her shoulders and down her back. “Not really.” Charlie took a step backward. “I –”
Don’t turn your back on him.
She glanced down at his feet. The fine black leather of his boots burnished even in the dim light. Not exactly the stealthiest footwear. Where had he come from? “I need to go. My friend will be waiting for me.”
“Wait. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.” He thrust out his hand. “I’m Tom. Tom Sharon.”
“Um –” Charlie stared at his outstretched hand and hesitated.
“I don’t bite. I promise,” he said.
“I have a cold coming on. It’s probably better if I don’t —” She took another step backward. “Wouldn’t want to get you sick.”
“Right.” His smile faded, and he dropped his hand to his side.
“I should get back.” Charlie glanced over her shoulder. How long had she been walking? She hadn’t been paying much attention to the time, only the landmarks. Her phone vibrated and The Twilight Zone ringtone interrupted. Jason’s tone. Tom Sharon’s gaze shifted to Charlie’s hips.
“Your pants are ringing.” He smirked and pointed. “Interesting choice of ringtones.”
“See, there’s my friend now.” She forced a smile and pulled her phone from her pocket and glanced down at the screen.
Where R you? Marla Givens called me!! U OK?
“Sorry, I have to take this,” she muttered and began texting him.
I’m OK. But ran into weirdo in the woods.
Dead or alive?
Charlie clenched her jaw. Everybody was a comedian.
Creepy but very much alive.
I’m on my way.
Not necessary. Really. I can handle it.
Be there in 10.
“Dammit,” she muttered.
“I hope you told your friend not to worry about you,” Tom said. His deep tenor voice reminded her of someone but she couldn’t quite put her finger on who.
“I need to go,” Charlie said abruptly and backed away nearly ten feet before finally turning and bolting. Something sharp clipped her ankle and she belly-flopped onto the forest floor. She banged her head hard and laid on the path, breathing in the fumes of pine needles and dirt. A ringing filled her head.
“Miss!” Tom Sharon knelt beside her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He sounded panicked. “Miss? Are you all right?”
The warmth of his hand penetrated her thin t-shirt and a blur of images rushed through her mind along with the sounds of crying. Suffering. So much suffering. Charlie covered her head with her hands.
“Don’t touch me!” Her voice shook when she heard the words come out of her mouth, but they sounded distant and nearly drowned-out, as if someone else had said them. He lifted his hand and the clamor in her head stopped. She lay there for a moment taking deep heavy breaths. A cold fog of dread rolled into her chest, filling all the empty places.
“Miss, please let me help you.”
Charlie opened her eyes and pushed up onto all fours. Alarm and concern filled his golden-brown eyes. He still held one hand hovering near her.
“I’m fine.” The strident sound of her voice made her cringe. She didn’t want to be the hysterical female that needed rescuing, and she certainly didn’t want Jason to come charging into the woods after her. Charlie called up a reassuring smile. “I’m fine. Really. Now I do have to go. My friend is waiting.”
He shifted his gaze to the path. “I should come with you. Make sure you get back safely. You hit your head pretty hard. That goose-egg is going to hurt.”
Charlie sat back on her haunches and touched her hand to her forehead. She winced and sucked her breath across her teeth.
“Come on, let me help you,” he said softly. “Please.”
Charlie met his gaze. “No. I'm fine. I promise.” She pushed to her feet and dizziness swirled through her head. She held out her arms to steady herself.
Tom quickly grabbed her by the arm. “Clearly you’re not all right. I don’t have my cell phone with me; it’s in my car. Perhaps I should take you there and call 911.”
“Stop touching me.” She yanked her arm out of his hand. “I told you I'm fine.”
“Sorry.” Tom lifted his hands in surrender. “I didn't mean to frighten you.”
“I'm not frightened.” She protested but the words sounded hollow. A lie. “I just don't like strangers touching me, that's all.”
“Noted. If you told me your name, then maybe we wouldn't be strangers anymore.”
“Seriously? Does that line really work?” she snapped.
“I was just trying to be friendly, that’s all.”
Friendly. Of course, she lived in the friendliest place in the country. Her grandmother Bunny’s voice popped into her head. Don’t be rude, Charlie girl. She sighed. “Fine friendly Tom. I’m Charlie.”
“It's very nice to meet you, Charlie. You sure you can get back on your own?”
“Yes.” She didn’t even try to mask her irritation.
He gave her a quick nod. “All right then. I'll leave you to it.”
He turned and headed away from her. She waited for what seemed a long time before heading back to the Givens house. Watching as he grew smaller before he disappeared among the trees.
Jason Tate walked across the yard toward her. Worry lines scratched deep into his forehead. “Are you all right?”
“I'm fine.” Charlie tipped her head to the right and called up a reassuring smile. “I didn't mean to worry you. I'm sorry.”
He was standing in front of her before she finished her sentence, stopping her in her tracks. He gently pushed the hair off her forehead. “No you’re not. What the hell happened? Did this guy hit you?”
“No. Nobody hit me. Except the ground. The ground hit me. I spooked myself. I'm fine now. Can we just go?”
“Yeah, sure. You didn’t lose consciousness or anything, did you? Maybe I should take you to the hospital.”
“Oh, for the love of Oprah. I’m fine.” She batted away his hand.
Jason glared at her for a moment more, but he didn’t push the issue any further. “Fine.�
��
“Good. Let’s get out of here.” She nodded.
“All right. Let’s go.” The two of them headed back toward the Givens house.
“Can you do one thing for me?” Charlie asked as they walked up the steps to the Givens’ deck.
“What?”
“Can you check someone out for me?”
Jason stopped and leveled his gaze on her. “Who?”
“The guy I met in the woods?”
“Sure – did he give you a name?”
“Yep. He sure did. Tom Sharon.”
Chapter 7
Haley Miller's hand shook as she topped off her Diet Coke with a large splash of Jack Daniels. The lip of the bottle stuttered against the glass, and she steadied her left hand with her right. She set the bottle down and picked up her cell phone from her kitchen counter. Even after two drinks her thumbs deftly found the contact she was looking for. She took a big gulp of the bubbly liquid. The ice rattled as she put it onto the counter. With both hands, she whipped off a text.
Charlie glanced around, trying to understand what she was seeing. This was a dream. She moved in closer and looked over Haley’s shoulder. She got too close though, and her shoulder moved into Haley’s.
This is a dream. Charlie closed her eyes and took a deep breath before stepping fully into Haley’s body. She let herself feel the young woman’s feelings and hear her thoughts. When Charlie opened her eyes, she read the text on the screen.
We need to talk. It’s getting worse. I think I may have to tell someone.
Haley pressed the send button and waited. She took another gulp of her drink. The phone rang and vibrated in her hand. Haley jumped, startled by the quick response. The screen displayed a young woman with short brown hair and wide blue eyes, grinning on a beach with the ocean behind her and late afternoon sun lighting her perfectly tanned face. The name read Emma W. Haley pressed the green phone icon.
“What the hell, Haley!” Emma’s shrill tone pierced the quiet of the house. “We took a vow. Does that not mean anything to you?”
Haley put the phone to her ear. “I know but —”