by Wendy Wang
Scott sighed and reached for her hand. “No. I think that’s a good idea.”
“You do?”
“He should be with you. I'm sure it was terrifying to see me that way.”
“Yes, I'm sure it was.” Tears stung the back of her throat and clouded her eyes.
“You'll take care of him, won't you?”
“Of course.”
“You're a good mother, Charlie.”
She sniffled and laughed. “I wish I had a recording of that.”
“I’ve never questioned your skills as a mother.”
Charlie brushed the hair off his forehead and leaned over, giving him a kiss. “Thank you. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
“What is she doing here?” A familiar voice came from behind her. Charlie turned just in time to see the disdainful glare of Scott's older brother Todd. He shared Scott's chestnut colored hair, hazel green eyes, and sharp angles of his face. He still wore his white coat and his I.D. badge with his photo and his title, Dr. Todd Carver. He pressed his thin lips into a straight line. “Nurse!” His voice was too loud, and the nurse scurried over quickly, shushing him as she approached.
“Doctor, you're going have to keep your voice down.”
“This woman should not be here. She is no relation to my brother.”
“Todd,” Scott said weakly. “Shut up.”
The nurse glared at Todd and then shifted her gaze to Charlie. “Ma'am, if you're not family . . . ”
“It's fine.” Charlie picked up her purse and slung the strap across her body. She patted Scott on the upper arm gently. “I'll be back tomorrow.”
“No, you won't.” Todd put his hands on his hips. He meant business. He aimed his comments to the nurse. “No, she won’t.”
“Todd shut up.” Scott raised his voice and winced.
“See what you did?” Todd gestured toward his brother. “As usual, you’re causing him more pain.”
“I'm leaving, Todd. There's really no need to be such a dick about it,” Charlie said.
Todd made an indignant sound in the back of his throat and glanced at the nurse. She raised her eyebrows but her lips twitched at the corners, fighting against a grin.
“I'll see you later, Scott. Don't let him give you too much grief.” Charlie directed her words to the nurse.
The nurse smiled at her. “Oh, don't you worry, honey. I won't have any problems throwing him out. Even if he is a doctor.”
Charlie gave her a quick nod and patted her on the shoulder. “You take care of him, okay? He's the father of my son, and boys always need their father.”
“We will do our best,” the nurse said.
Charlie found Evan in the waiting room playing a game with Lisa.
Lisa stood up as Charlie approached. “I saw Todd. I hope he didn't give you too much crap.”
Charlie folded her arms across her chest. “Did he say anything to you?”
“He knows better. Anyway, I think he’s scared of me.” Lisa sounded almost proud.
Charlie's lip twisted into a half grin. Evan tucked the game into his backpack and stood up. “Can I see dad?”
Charlie brushed her fingers through Evan’s soft blond hair. “Not today, sweetie. I'm sorry but you have to be thirteen or older to go in. They'll probably move him out of ICU in a few days and when they do I'll bring you to see him, okay?”
Evan nodded. His rounds cheeks had thinned over the summer and like his father his jaw and chin were becoming sharper and more angular. He was the perfect mix of them. He had her blond hair and blue eyes and Scott's chin.
“Okay,” he said. “He's going to be okay, right?”
“Of course, he is.” Charlie pulled her son into her arms and held him close, gently stroking his hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tight. “We'll talk about what happened when we get home. Okay?”
Evan nodded. He let her go and shifted his gaze to her face. “I'm hungry. Can we get some food now?”
“Sure. We'll stop someplace and get some dinner then run by your house and get your things. You’re gonna stay with me for a while.”
“Really?” Evan said.
“Really.”
“Do I have to take the medicine when I'm with you?”
Charlie gave him a weak smile. “We can talk about it when we get home. Okay?”
Evan frowned. “Okay.”
“Come on, let's get out of here before the spirits figure out I'm here,” she said quietly.
Charlie peeked around the corner into the dining room where Evan and Ruby were playing Chutes and Ladders. Jen stood at the sink washing up the last of the supper dishes. Charlie took the damp dish towel from her shoulder and picked up a dish, drying it thoroughly before placing it inside the cabinet in front of her.
“Well, I'm glad he let you take Evan. Who knows, maybe this whole thing will soften him up a little,” Jen said.
“I love your optimism. But I know Scott, and he’s not gonna go down without a fight.”
“You never know.” Jen stopped mid-swipe, with a soapy plate in one hand. “Traumatic events like this change people. Maybe he'll surprise you.”
“I would love to be surprised, but I’m not gonna hold my breath.”
“Well, just don't discount him yet. He could still come through.” Jen finished cleaning the dish, gave it a good rinse, and placed it in the drainer.
Charlie picked up the clean heavy stainless steel pot resting on the counter and dried it. She placed it on the stove top and moved on to the plate in the drainer.
“You know Mabon's coming up,” Jen said. Something in her voice sounded a little strained. “Next month.”
“Uh huh,” Charlie nodded and picked up a partially dry pot lid. She swiped the dish towel over it.
“Lisa and I were thinking that it’d be great if you joined us.”
Charlie stopped drying the pot lid in her hand and met her cousin’s gaze. “I'm not a witch.”
“I know but it doesn't mean you couldn't enjoy the ritual. It's more about prayer and community than anything else. You used to go with Bunny.”
“I know and that's exactly how I learned that I don't have a stitch of magic in me.”
“You know there are plenty of pagans who practice Mabon that don't have a stitch of magic.”
“I'm not pagan either. Not anymore.”
“Well, if you change your mind, we’d love to have you.”
“I appreciate that but with this custody thing I don't want to give Scott any more ammunition. I already have things stacked against me. I don't need some judge deciding
‘hey y’all, she's a witch. Let's burn her at the stake’.”
Jen scoffed. “They don't burn witches anymore.”
“Maybe not physically. But it's certainly not the predominant religion in this state. I just —” Charlie threw the towel over her shoulder. “I just don't want to ruin my chances of at least getting joint custody of Evan.”
“You know if you want I could cast a spell . . . ”
“No. Please. Don't do that.” Charlie crossed her arms. “I appreciate your intentions, I really do, but I just – don't want to risk anything.”
Jen’s elfin face pinched with frustration. “Okay. If that's what you want.”
“It is.”
“Well, you have our support no matter what. You know that.”
“I do. And I love you for it.”
Jen reached for the towel resting on Charlie's shoulder. She took the red and white linen, folded it, and hung it up on the rack next to the sink. “Well, I’ve got to get Ruby to bed.”
“Yeah, I should get Evan settled too.” Charlie picked up her purse then set it down again. She looked at her cousin squarely.
“Is there any chance you could take tomorrow afternoon off?”
“I think so. I’d have to check with Evangeline. Why?”
“I need to do a little ghost hunting, and I don’t want to do it alone.”
“Wh
ich ghost? The one that attacked Jason?” Jen’s voice pitched up and she bit her bottom lip.
“No. The little girl I told you about. Trini.”
“Oh, um,” Jen cocked her head. “Lemme call Evangeline. If she says yes, I can definitely help you.”
“Great. Any chance your dad could watch Evan after school tomorrow?”
“Of course.”
“Great. That’s a big help until I can get this child care thing figured out. I’ll call you tomorrow morning and we’ll set things up.” Charlie slung her purse over her shoulder. “Evan, come on, son. We’ve got to go.”
Evan appeared at the dining room door with his backpack in hand. The two of them set off into the dark to cross the wide expanse of perfectly mowed grass to the little white guest cottage.
Chapter 19
“I really appreciate this.” Charlie stepped into the foyer of Marla Givens’ house and smiled.
“No problem. I'm happy to let you look,” Marla Givens said.
“Do you need me to wait for a text again? I was going to run out to the grocery store.”
“No. We should be fine. I have my cousin with me. Marla, this is Jen Holloway.”
“Hi.” Jen gave Marla a reassuring smile.
“All right then. I’ll leave you to it.” Marla walked them to the back door. Her thin wan face looked more weathered and tired then anyone her age should have. She drew in a stuttered breath. “If you see my Macey. By any chance.” The woman's glassy gaze locked onto Charlie. “Tell her that her mama loves her and that it's okay if she wants to go to heaven. She doesn't have to wait anymore.”
Charlie placed a gentle hand on Marla’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “I will definitely tell her that you love her if I see her.”
Two fat tears spilled onto Marla's cheeks as she called up a melancholy smile. “Thank you. My husband is still holding out hope you know, but I know she’s gone.”
Charlie’s heart wrenched. “One way or another I’m gonna find her. And whatever happens, you need to know the truth.”
“Thank you,” Marla whispered. She sniffed and cleared her throat.
Jen, who stood beside Charlie, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Marla, giving her a big hug. She didn't say a word—no, it's going to be okay, no promises she couldn't keep. It was one of the best things about Jen in Charlie's opinion, she knew when to keep her mouth shut and she understood that real comfort never came from words. Jen’s loving presence often pulled people into her orbit. Marla wrapped her arms around Jen and gladly took the hug, choking back a sob. After a minute or two, Charlie put her hand on Jen's back to signal that they needed to go. Jen released the woman, but held on tight to her hands.
“Peace be with you,” Jen said.
“Thank you,” Marla answered, swiping the tears off her cheeks.
Charlie and Jen headed out through the back door across the large backyard to the tall grove of trees. They walked a long time in silence listening to the sounds of the woods. Birds sang above their heads and squirrels leapt from tree to tree. Charlie constantly scanned the path looking for some similarity to her dream.
“Maybe it's me,” Jen finally said.
“I don't think so.”
“Maybe we should get off the path then. Isn't that what you did in your dream?”
“It is but —” Charlie stopped and faced the thick grove of trees ahead of her. “The woods were different in my dream.”
“Maybe it wasn't a real place then. Maybe it was just symbolic.” Jen picked up a stick and broke it in half.
“Symbolic of what?”
“I don't know. Fear. Death. New growth.”
“Or maybe a cigar is, you know just a cigar,” Charlie teased.
Jen chuckled. “Maybe. So what do you want to do? Go back? Keep walking?”
Charlie stared into the thicket. “Maybe you're right. Maybe we should get off the path. But we should probably use some sort of marker. The last thing I want to do is get lost out here.” She glanced at Jen who was grinning. “What?”
“Breadcrumbs. Maybe we'll find a candy house.”
“Let's hope not. I mean you’re a witch. Do you really want to end up in an oven somewhere?”
Jen laughed out loud. “No, thank you. I think in this story I'd much rather be Hansel and Gretel than the witch.” Jen reached into the messenger bag slung across her body and pulled out a handful of small white stones.
“I don't think we’ll be able to see those very well. I mean they just look like any other rock on the ground.”
“Not for long,” Jen smiled. She took one of the rocks into her palm held it tight and closed her eyes. Her lips moved silently and then she opened her fingers one by one. The milky white quartz glowed with a bright white light. Casting back the gloom and shadows of the woods.
“Well that's one way to leave bread crumbs,” Charlie said. “I guess we don't have to worry about the birds gobbling it up.”
“Nope. We also don't have to worry about anybody else coming across it and pocketing it.”
“We don't?”
“No. It has a deterring spell on it so someone gets too close to it, it will immediately cause them to turn away.”
“Wow, will they even know what’s going on?” Charlie asked.
“No. They’ll get a little prickle on the back of their neck and think, I shouldn’t go that way.”
“Cool,” Charlie said. Jen foraged around for several sticks. She stuck the first one into the ground and hovered the stone over it. Charlie admired her cousin’s handiwork. It looked almost exactly like a torch.
“Come on let's keep going,” Jen said.
They walked a long time, stopping every 25 to 50 feet to put a stick in the ground and hover a glowing stone above it. Charlie could see a clear path leading them back toward the Givens’ house. It was slow going, though. Saplings and rough brush grew thick between the trees making it impossible to pass in a straight line. Sometimes they had to walk perpendicular to their path to get around the obstacles. After much zigzagging, the trees begin to thin before finally opening into cleared plots of land that looked to be part of a subdivision under construction.
Charlie pulled the map she’d brought from her back and opened it. They followed a dirt road until it turned into a paved road that had a road sign. Charlie quickly found it on the map.
“The Givens’ are here.” Charlie pointed to another road. “You have a pen?”
Jen dug through her purse and pulled out a purple washable marker. Charlie raised an eyebrow. “What? They’re Ruby's.”
Charlie put a purple X over the place where the Givens’ lived. “This road leads to this road.” She followed it with her finger. “It looks like this whole subdivision has been built in phases. This area here.” Jen said pointing to the map. “Was built in the late seventies.”
“Right. There's a park here.” Charlie touched the map. The small patch of green was surrounded by nearby streets. “I wonder how long it's been here.”
“At least since the late ‘80s. Maybe longer.”
“How do you know?”
“Well, because I went to elementary school with a girl that lived in this subdivision.” Jen pointed to one of the neighborhoods on the map. “I came over here a couple times after school with her. We played in that park.”
“Do you remember what year?”
“Oh, well, I must've been ten or eleven so ninety-three? Ninety-four
“That's good. You don't remember anything about kids going missing from this area, do you?”
“Well, when I was fourteen I remember Brittany Hazel going missing. I think she lived in this area.”
“That's great. We can look that up. There were several girls in my dream. Which makes me think there must be several girls who are dead.”
“And you're sure Macey Givens is one of them?”
“Yes. Trini's the real catalyst though. If I could just find her, I think the rest of it would kind of unravel itself.�
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“Do you want to keep walking? We’re not that far from the subdivision where she lived.”
“Do you mind?”
“No, of course not,” Jen smiled. “Lord knows I could use the exercise.”
Jen and Charlie made their way past the place where Trini Dolan's house originally stood. A new house had been built in its place, which made sense based on what Mrs. Dolan had told her about the house being destroyed in Hurricane Hugo. It was a little salt box style house that didn't quite fit with the rest of the ranch houses and split levels lining the street. But the yard was trim and well kept, and a bright autumn wreath hung on the dark green front door. Charlie pulled the picture of Trini from her backpack and stopped at the end of the driveway of Trini's old house.
“There's blood on that picture,” Jen said. “That's a real shame.” She took the photo from Charlie's hands and stared at it and looked up at the house catercornered to it. “That's the house, isn’t it?” Jen asked.
“Yep,” Charlie said. “It is. You can see the blood?”
“Yeah. It's just a smudge, but I can see it.”
“Jason can't see it. Neither can Ms. Dolan.”
“Well, that's good. At least it’s not ruined for them,” Jen handed the photo back to Charlie. “What do you want to do?”
Charlie tucked the photo back into a pocket inside her backpack. “I want to get into that house.”
“Okay. How are we to do that?”
“I think we’re going to have to kill him with kindness.”
“You want to do what?” Lisa asked, looking at Charlie and Jen as if they had both just suggested that they were going to walk naked down Market Street.
“I told you telling her would be a bad idea.” Jen took a seat in one of the barstools at her sister's breakfast bar. Jen glanced around. “New couch?”
“The only reason that I'm even telling you anything,” Charlie said as she stared into Lisa’s shocked face, “is because if this does not go well for some reason . . .”
“Oh, you mean like if he’s a psycho killer? You want to make sure someone knows to come looking for your bodies?” Lisa chimed in.
“I don't think he's a psycho killer, at least not to us,” Charlie said.