by Carl Alves
Carlos furrowed his brow. “But she’s dead.”
“I know she’s dead. That doesn’t mean she can’t get hurt. Something was going on that had her real scared. I don’t know how to describe it in words, but it was like I could feel her fear.”
“What are you talking about?” Carlos said. “I didn’t feel anything. Maybe you were just cold.”
“This isn’t a good idea,” Ben said. “Look what happened last time with the lights going out and Cordy getting hurt. What if we try it again and something even worse happens?”
Cordy rolled her eyes. “Why are you always so scared? I’m the one who got my head busted, and I’ll do it again, so why won’t you?”
Ben looked at the ground. “I never said I wouldn’t do it. I’m just not sure this is a good idea. We should think about it.”
“Kenna and I already have thought about it, and we decided we’re going to talk to Mia again.”
“We want you two to be there, since we were all together the first time,” Kenna said. “Are you in?”
Carlos shrugged. “You can count me in. Especially if it means I can get out of soccer practice.”
Ben gave a long sigh. “I don’t know.”
“If Mia’s in trouble, and I think she is, then we should help her,” Kenna said.
Cordy’s face tightened. “You can’t chicken out on us.”
“All right,” Ben said. “I just hope you know what you’re doing.”
Kenna also hoped they knew what they were doing.
***
Jake sunk into the sofa and stared at an empty television screen. “Damn.” He had just come back from an interview at an auto body shop after they called him that morning and told him to stop by. He had spoken to the head mechanic. Everything went great until the man’s eyes narrowed as he looked over the job application.
“I see you have a criminal record,” the mechanic had said.
Jake went into his rehearsed explanation. The mechanic just nodded. They had continued talking for a few minutes, but the man’s attitude had cooled. He told Jake he would call in a few days, but he knew the man wasn’t going to hire him.
Jake sighed. No sense fretting about it. He would just apply to more places. Somebody would eventually hire him.
As he read through the ads in the jobs section of the newspaper, the doorbell rang. Joe Renken stood at the door. Jake was startled at first, until he remembered that Kenna had told him Joe would stop by.
Joe stepped inside and gave Jake a half-hug. “It’s good to see you again. I would have stopped by sooner, but I wanted to give you some space. How have you been holding up?”
Jake tilted his head. “Trying to manage. Can I get you something to drink? I was about to eat lunch. How `bout I fix you a sandwich?”
“No, I’m good. To be honest with you, I’m a little disappointed you haven’t been to the dojo since your release.”
Jake sighed. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue training. After all that happened, I thought I needed a fresh start, but—”
Joe interrupted him. “But you’re not happy with the way things are going.”
Jake nodded.
Joe picked up the newspaper. “I see you’re looking for a job.”
“I had an interview today. Auto mechanic shop.”
Joe sat down on the sofa. He hadn’t changed since they had last seen each other. The man was short but all muscle. His cardio conditioning was astounding. Even though Joe was getting older―his actual age was a mystery, but Jake figured he was in his mid-forties even though his hair was mostly grey―he made the younger guys at the gym look silly when they were huffing and puffing, and he hardly broke a sweat.
“Any luck so far?”
Jake shook his head.
“Look, Jake, it’s great that you’re trying to get a job, and I’m sure working in an auto body shop or something like that would be good, honest work, but I can’t let you do that.”
Jake crinkled his forehead.
Joe gazed at him with fierce concentration. “You got too much damn talent to waste in some ordinary nine to five. I’ve worked with some good fighters before, but no one I’ve trained has your potential. You’re only nineteen and your skills are off the chart. That alone doesn’t make you a great fighter, but you have the determination and the dedication to match. I want you to work for me.”
Jake stammered. He felt humbled and touched. “Really?”
“I’m opening a new dojo in Jersey, and I have plans for one near Harrisburg the following year. This is going to spread me thin, so I need someone I have absolute trust and confidence in to work as the head trainer. I need someone who’s going to train the students the right way. I trust you, Jake, more than anyone.”
“You trust me? Even after being in jail?”
“You never told me what went down.” Joe gripped his shoulder with a strong hand. “But I know it wasn’t you who did those things. I know what’s in your heart, what kind of person you are.”
Jake fought back tears. “I let you down. I let everyone down.”
“I was there at the trial and I don’t think it went down the way the prosecutor suggested. You never let your lawyer put up a proper defense.”
Jake shrugged. “She did what she could.”
“Maybe. But she was frustrated you weren’t helping. Why did you hold back?”
Jake lowered his gaze.
“I’m sorry but I don’t believe for one second you broke into that liquor store, robbed them, and assaulted the storeowner. I’ve known you since you were a kid, and that ain’t you. I don’t know how you got involved, but there’s no way you did those things.”
Jake looked away from him.
“You can tell me about everything in your own time. Bottom line, Jake, I want you to be my head trainer. I’ll pay you a good wage, and we can get your career back on track. I’ve got connections with fight leagues, and I want to get you back in the cage soon. I know helping out your mom is a big priority, and this will allow you to do that. You don’t have to make any decisions now. Think about it.”
“I don’t have to think about it. I’d love to be your head trainer. I haven’t been back to the dojo because I didn’t feel like I was worthy after what happened, but yesterday, Kenna kind of snapped me back in reality. Fighting is what I do.”
Joe patted him on the back. “That’s what I want to hear. We can get your life back together.”
Jake stared into his mentor’s eyes. Joe trusted him. Now he had to trust Joe.
“I didn’t know a robbery was going down. Adam Fallon asked me to come with him and his friend, that there might be some trouble and he needed me to back him up.”
Joe shook his head. “That guy’s bad news. I told you that.”
Jake shrugged. “He was my friend, and if he was in trouble, I had to help him. We drove into Norristown, supposedly to a party. Pulled up to a side street, and I asked what’s going on. The next thing I know, Adam and the other guy are putting on ski masks.”
Joe grunted. “You gotta be kidding me. Why didn’t you leave?”
“I was going to bail, but Adam said I didn’t have to do anything except keep lookout. Something went wrong. The owner of the store grabbed a nightstick from under the counter and smashed Adam’s face.”
“Served him right,” Joe said.
“Adam’s gun went sprawling. Anyway, the owner was about to nail Adam again, so I ran inside, grabbed his arm, punched him twice in the ribs, got Adam, and ran the hell out of there.
“Should have left the son of a bitch there,” Joe said. “If that was me, I would have twisted him into a pretzel and left him there for the cops.”
Knowing Joe, he would have done just that.
“Adam and the other guy bolted to the car.”
“And you were left holding the bag,” Joe said.
Jake nodded. “I wanted nothing to do with them anymore. Bad move. I walked home, and by that point, the storeowner had called the police
and gave them my description. Adam and the other guy wore ski masks, so he couldn’t identify them. The police picked me up as I walked home.”
Joe stood, shook his head, and paced around the room.
“They wanted me to give up Adam and the other guy, but I took full responsibility.”
Joe clenched his hands into fists. “What the hell were you thinking, Jake? You’re not a dumb guy, but that was really stupid. Those two did the crime, they should have done the time. They deserved to go to jail, not you.”
Jake buried his hands in his face. “Adam had been arrested a couple times. If he got nailed again, he would be looking at a long prison stint.”
“That’s his problem, not yours!”
“I know. It was stupid. Doing time made me realize that.”
“You have to look out for your family. Stay the hell away from Adam Fallon. You did your time. Now you need to keep your nose clean. Fortunately, going to jail doesn’t hurt you as far as working at the dojo. If anything, the wannabe tough guys will be impressed.”
“I don’t need that kind of rep.”
“No, you don’t. Your fighting speaks for itself. You wasted enough time in jail. I want you to get started right away. I expect you to be at the gym tomorrow morning. I’ll introduce you to your new students, and we’re going to get you ready for your next fight. I’m going to start you on an intense training regimen. I see you’ve stayed in shape, but you’re not in fighting shape. We have our work cut out, and don’t expect me to go easy on you.”
Joe made his way to the door.
Jake grabbed his arm. “Thanks for everything. I’m not one to ask favors, but what you’ve done for me means a lot.”
“Welcome back, Jake.”
Chapter V
They gathered in Kenna’s basement. Kenna and Ben sat on the floor on opposite ends of the Ouija board. Carlos stood directly behind Kenna. Cordy stood off to the side, in between Kenna and Ben. Kenna wasn’t sure they needed to recreate the conditions from the first time they had contacted Mia, but it couldn’t hurt.
After the incident, Jake told her they should stay away from the Ouija board, but he hadn’t taken it away from her. Even if he had, she would have found a way to get it back. Anything short of destroying the board wouldn’t stop her. She had felt this amazing connection with Mia.
Ben asked, “Why don’t we go to my place and play with my PS3? I borrowed Grand Theft Auto from my cousin. My mom’s not home, so we can play it.”
Carlos’ face lit up. “Really? Let’s go.”
Cordy’s blue eyes burned holes into him. “No way. You can play later.”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt again,” Carlos said.
Cordy rolled her eyes. “Thanks for your concern.”
“All right.” Carlos ran his fingers through his wavy black hair, which he actually combed today, a welcome change. “If you really want to do this, then let’s do it. We probably won’t even reach Mia this time.”
“Do I have to hold the planchette again?” Ben asked. “It was kind of scary.”
“We should do everything the same way.” Kenna put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll be holding the planchette, too.”
Cordy put her long blonde hair into a ponytail. “Come on, let’s talk to Mia.”
Kenna stared at each of her friends. “You guys ready?”
Ben stood and shook his head.
Cordy grabbed him by the arm and sat him down next to the Ouija board. “Well, we’re doing it anyway. Come on, Ben. You promised.”
Kenna put her fingers lightly on the planchette and waited for Ben to do the same. Everyone stared at him. With shaky hands, he reached for it.
“It’s okay.” Kenna hoped she sounded reassuring. As they got closer to actually doing this, she had developed an empty feeling in the pit of her stomach.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” Ben said.
Cordy glared at him.
“Okay.” Ben grimaced and put his hands on the disc. Slowly, Kenna and Ben moved it across the board.
“Mia, are you out there?” Kenna asked. There were no tugs of resistance. A minute passed. “Mia, we’re trying to reach you. If you’re out there, please let us know.”
“Maybe she’s watching TV,” Ben said.
Cordy frowned. “How can she watch TV? She’s a spirit.”
Ben shrugged. “They probably have cable.”
Carlos shook his head. “No way. If they got anything, it’s satellite.”
Kenna stared at them. “Please focus.” Suddenly, the planchette jerked. “Mia, is that you?”
Kenna watched in wide-eyed amazement as it moved to Yes. For a moment, she thought their overactive imaginations had conjured up the previous encounter.
“Mia, are you okay?”
The planchette moved to Yes.
“What happened the last time we were talking to you?” Ben asked. “It ended like all of a sudden.”
It spelled out HAD TO GO.
“Was there anything wrong?” Kenna asked.
Mia answered Yes.
Icy fear gripped Kenna. She looked around. The others seemed fine. Why couldn’t they feel it? It was like Mia was passing down these bad vibes to her. “What was it?”
HE WAS HERE.
Ben took a big gulp. “Who’s he?”
COTTER.
“Is Cotter bad?” Kenna asked.
The planchette went to Yes.
Carlos frowned. “I don’t like this Cotter guy.”
“Me either.” Kenna looked around the room. Could that have been the silhouette she had seen? She shuddered, not wanting to think about it. “Mia, tell us about Cotter.”
There was a strong tug on the planchette. HURTS ME.
Ben’s voice trembled. “Is Cotter there now?”
The planchette circled around No.
“Thank God.” Kenna gave a sigh of relief. She knew there had been something wrong at the end of their last conversation. It hadn’t felt right. “Mia, where are you?”
OTHER SIDE.
Ben took his hands off the planchette. “This is getting a little too spooky. Maybe we should stop.”
Kenna gazed into his green eyes. “It’s okay. Mia’s our friend.” She nodded toward the planchette, and he put his hands back on it. At least he was coachable. Most boys weren’t.
“Is that where all the spirits are?” Ben asked.
No.
“This place you’re at, what’s it like?” Kenna asked.
LIKE UR WORLD BUT DIFFERENT.
Cordy frowned. “Can’t she be a little more specific?”
“Tell us more,” Kenna said.
TO LONG TO EXPLAIN.
Kenna wanted to ask Mia a million things, but this wasn’t like talking on a phone or texting. “Do you like talking to us?”
She answered Yes.
“How do you know when we’re trying to reach you?”
For a while there was no resistance on the planchette. It was like Mia was thinking about her answer. IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
Cordy folded her arms. “What does that mean? Does she have like a psychic connection with us, or does she mean she’s going to reach us again?”
Kenna shrugged. “Beats me. Mia, can you explain that?”
SENSE YOU. After a slight pause, the planchette spelled STRONG PULL.
“Do you like where you’re at? I mean, when Cotter’s not around and stuff.”
She answered Yes.
“Do you miss being in our world?” Kenna asked
SOMETIMES.
That got Kenna thinking about Mia’s life before she died. “Did you have a boyfriend?”
Yes.
Ben’s nose curled, and his forehead scrunched. “He didn’t, um, die in that accident you had?”
The planchette went to No.
“Well, that’s good.”
Kenna took her hands off the planchette and glanced at Cordy. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
; Cordy nodded.
Kenna put her hands back on the planchette. “Mia, what was the name of your boyfriend?”
MARK SALESKI.
“Can you remember that?” Kenna asked.
“No problem,” Cordy replied.
MUST GO.
“Is it Cotter?” Ben asked.
The planchette went to Good Bye.
Kenna waited, but there was no resistance on the planchette. “I guess that’s it.”
“Well, at least Cotter wasn’t around,” Carlos said.
“But why did she leave so quickly?” Ben asked.
“Maybe talking about her old boyfriend brought back bad memories.” Kenna brushed her hair out of her eyes.
“Maybe,” Cordy said.
“What was her boyfriend’s name?” Kenna asked.
“Mark Saleski,” Cordy replied.
Carlos eyed Kenna and Cordy warily. “What are you two up to?”
Kenna said, “Let’s contact Mark.”
Ben’s eyes went wide. “What? Are you crazy? Why would you want to do something like that? Maybe he’s like an axe-murderer or something.”
“I think that’s a good idea. It might be kinda fun,” Carlos said.
Ben shook his head. “Fun? This is a bad idea.”
“Why?” Kenna asked.
Ben stammered. “It’s just…it’s a bad idea.”
Kenna ignored Ben’s protests. If they listened to him, they would never have any fun. “So, how do we find Mark?”
“Well, she told us she was from Trappe,” Carlos replied. “She probably went out with someone who lives nearby. Maybe he still lives here.”
“Maybe,” Kenna agreed. “But let’s say we found his number, what would we do, just call him?”
Cordy’s face tightened. “He probably wouldn’t talk to a bunch of kids.”
“What if he didn’t know who he was talking to?” Kenna asked.
Ben’s eyes lit up. “We can send him an email.”
“Good thinking. We need to find out more about him. What do you say, Carlos?”
“I can get his information.” Carlos spent entirely too much time on the Net. He even had his own Facebook account.
Ben folded his arms. “What if Mia doesn’t want us to talk to this Mark Saleski guy?”