by Carl Alves
“So soon?”
Joe shrugged. “Why not? You didn’t sustain any damage in your last fight, and I want to get you out again. You need the experience. Plus, you opened some eyes in that last fight. That guy you went up against is a high-level wrestler. He had been looked at as a serious prospect until you decimated him. Now, you’re the prospect. A couple representatives for major organizations want to check you out in person. It’s good to strike while the iron’s hot.”
June grabbed his hand. “That’s awesome.”
“So, who am I fighting next?”
“The kid’s name is Paulo Santos. He’s a hotshot out of Brazil’s Chute Boxe Academy. I don’t know much about him, but he’s highly regarded and also looked at as a prospect. Those Chute Boxe guys have wicked Muay Thai, and he’s Brazilian, so you know he’s going to have strong jiu-jitsu. I’ll get some tape on him, so we can come up with a game plan.”
“All right,” Jake said. “Let’s do it.”
“And I’m also working on a sponsorship deal for you with a local Ford dealership.”
Jake grinned. “Awesome. Some extra cash wouldn’t hurt.”
“Just keep training your ass off, and you’ll go places. Mark my word.” Joe peered over at June. “I trust you’re not going to weaken my boy here. I need him strong for his next fight.”
Jake’s face went red. They hadn’t taken their relationship to that level. The most physical they had gotten had been on the mats at the dojo.
June pulled him close. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he’s in good shape.”
Jake wasn’t sure how to take that comment. After a few moments, Joe and June began laughing, so he joined them, not sure what was so funny.
Joe patted him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, kid.”
After Joe left, June smiled. “I’m proud of you, too.” She gave him a light kiss on the lips. “Call me.”
Jake stared at her as she sauntered out of the dojo. Things were going great. He wasn’t accustomed to things working out this well. That was probably why he had a sneaking suspicion things were about to get a whole lot worse.
Chapter XIV
Kenna opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. She always fell asleep with no problem, but tonight she couldn’t stop thinking about Mia, Mark Saleski, and dying. Her conversations with Mia proved there was life after death, but it also proved this existence wasn’t always happy.
She had thought speaking with Mr. Saleski would fix everything. He had been receptive to what they had told him, passing on a message to Mia. So far, that hadn’t solved anything. When they had tried to contact Mia the last time, she had not responded. Kenna had gotten used to her picking up on them as soon as they attempted to communicate. Since then, terrible thoughts had been running through her head.
She glanced at her alarm clock. It was well past midnight. She was going to be a wreck at school tomorrow if she didn’t sleep.
She closed her eyes and turned on her side. A slamming sound came from downstairs. She snapped her eyes open and sat up. For a few moments, she stared in silence at her darkened bedroom. Her first instinct was to get Jake. He would protect her. Then she remembered Jake had gone out with June. Maybe he had come home. They must have had a late night, which she assumed was a good thing.
Kenna hoped things would work out between them. It had been a stroke of genius when she and Cordy had reintroduced them. June was perfect for her brother. She was super cool, smart, confident, and always in control. Kenna wanted to be just like her when she got older.
Kenna got out of bed, checked Jake’s bedroom, and found that he was not there. As she approached the stairs, she noticed the kitchen lights were on. A burglar wouldn’t turn on the lights. She walked downstairs and spotted Jake in the kitchen.
He put down his glass of water. His face seemed brighter than normal. For a while, after he had come home from prison, he had been brooding. Major improvement. Definitely a good date with June.
“Why are you still up?”
Kenna shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. So, you had a hot date with June?”
“It went well.”
Kenna smiled. “That’s awesome. She’s really nice.”
Jake nodded. “Yeah, I like her a lot. So, what’s keeping you up? I’m sure you didn’t stay up late just so you can ask me about my date.”
Kenna yawned. “What do you think happens to us after we die?”
“Jeez, that’s morbid. Why would you ask that?”
Kenna shrugged. “So, what do you think happens?”
“Well, if you lead a good life, you go to heaven. At least that’s what we’ve always been taught, and I don’t have any reason not to believe that.”
“Do you think bad things can happen to you there?” Kenna asked.
“I certainly hope not. Where’s all this coming from? Are you thinking about Dad?”
Kenna looked down. She hardly thought about him anymore. That was terrible of her not keeping his memory alive. “You know that thing with the Ouija board?”
Jake nodded.
“Well, we’ve been speaking to the spirit of this girl who died.”
Jake’s face tightened. “What? Is this some kind of joke?”
Kenna folded her arms. “No. I wouldn’t joke about that.”
“You’re talking to a spirit?”
Kenna nodded. “I think she might be in trouble. I’m worried about her. You see, Cotter, this bad spirit, harms her. The last time we tried to speak to Mia, she didn’t answer.”
Jake folded his hands under his chin. “I don’t know what to tell you. I don’t know anything about spirits or what happens after you die. All I can tell you is that there are certain things you shouldn’t mess with. Look, I wouldn’t tell you what to do unless you were in danger, but I would leave this Ouija board thing alone.”
Kenna sighed. She shouldn’t have expected Jake to know how to deal with the situation. It’s not like he ever communicated with dead people. This was something she and her friends would have to figure out on their own.
“Somethings are just better if you let them be,” Jake said. “And I think communicating with a spirit is one of them. I seriously doubt any good could ever come from it. You with me?”
Kenna nodded.
Jake patted her shoulder. “It’s late. You need to get to bed."
Kenna smiled. “Okay. Can you give me a piggy back ride to my room?”
“Of course.” Jake knelt on the floor. “Climb aboard.”
Kenna climbed on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. He carried her up the stairs and dropped her off in her room.
Jake hugged her. “Good night. Sleep tight.”
“You too.”
Kenna crawled into her bed. She was going to ignore Jake’s advice. They would have to try contacting Mia again. Hopefully this time, she would respond.
***
Ben stood by the bank of the creek, throwing rocks. Kenna stared blankly at the water as the sun set in the background. The chill in the air made her shiver. She should have brought a jacket. They would have to leave soon. The dark skies in the distance suggested a storm was coming.
“What are we going to do?”
Ben put his hands in his pockets. “How am I supposed to know?”
They had tried twice more to reach Mia with no luck.
“Do you think we like lost our connection with her?” Kenna asked.
Ben sat next to her. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s for the best. You ever think we might be in over our heads?”
Kenna frowned. “You sound like Jake”
“Then he’s probably right.”
Kenna waved her hand. “No way. We need to tell Mia about Mark. This can be the most important thing that has happened to her since she died. She needs to know he still cares about her.”
“Well, maybe it isn’t a coincidence that ever since we told her that we emailed him, we haven’t been able to reach her.”
Kenna’s face
tightened. “Hmm. You think she doesn’t want to talk to us anymore because of that?”
Ben shrugged. “Maybe she has something to hide.”
“Like what? She’s dead.”
“I don’t know. I just don’t think it’s an accident that we haven’t been able to talk to her. I mean, for a while, it was instantaneous. You know what I’m saying?”
Kenna nodded. She grabbed Ben’s hand. “We can’t give up. I won’t give up on her.”
“Why is this so important to you? We all talk to Mia and stuff, but you’re obsessed with it.”
Kenna looked down at the rocks. “I don’t know. This is our chance to do something important. Most of the time, it feels like nothing we say or do matters, but this is different. This is…” Kenna struggled for the word. “This is significant.
“Ben, I need you with me on this. Maybe because we’re the ones who first spoke to Mia, or maybe because you’re more reliable than the others, but I need you to stick with me, no matter what. Don’t give up.”
“I won’t. Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
Ben smiled. “Then the only thing to do is to keep trying to reach Mia. Maybe next time we’ll get lucky.”
Chapter XV
"You have to face it, Mia's gone," Carlos said in his all too cool voice.
Kenna felt like smacking the back of his head. "No, she isn't. How can you say that?"
Carlos raised his hands. "Hey, don't get all mad at me. I’m just keeping it real. We tried reaching Mia four times, and she ain't responding."
Kenna put her hands in her pocket. They had tried different combinations of people holding the planchette on the Ouija board, but nothing worked. Still, she wasn't ready to give up. Not yet. Not after speaking to Mark Saleski.
She turned to Cordy, the wind on this blustery late fall afternoon had left her friend's long blonde hair tangled as they walked through the park, sticking to the path that ran alongside the creek. Cordy tried to keep it down, but she was fighting a losing battle. "What do you think?"
Cordy shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I want to talk to Mia, but she's not responding any more. Maybe Carlos is right. Maybe she's gone."
Kenna shook her head. She couldn't accept that. Her pleading eyes turned to Ben.
Because Ben spoke less, his words always meant more. "I think Mia's still out there. I don't know why, but I do."
Kenna pumped her fist. "Then we have to keep trying. We're not going to give up. As soon as we get to my house, we'll try reaching her again."
"Whatever you say," Carlos said. "I got soccer practice, so let's make this quick. It’s not like it’s going to work, anyway. We’re just wasting our time."
Ben turned to Carlos. "Sure, it will. You have to have faith."
Kenna wore a big smile as they continued walking along the path. She patted Ben on the back. She knew she could count on him. When the chips were down, there were few people she could rely on. Jake was at the top of the list, but Ben was there as well. He was a rock.
Cordy grabbed Kenna's hands. "Hey, you have to come over my house later. My parents are going out, so June's babysitting. We can ask her all about her date with Jake."
Carlos made a gagging sound. "I'd rather get poked in the eye than hear about that."
Cordy's face tensed. "You know, I can arrange that for you."
"No need to get all violent," Carlos said.
Kenna couldn't help feeling trepidation as they walked to her house. They had to reach Mia this time or their little group might fracture. It was getting harder to keep everybody on board. Not to mention she was concerned about Mia. She couldn’t stop thinking about her spirit friend. It was eating away at her. She was having trouble sleeping at night and concentrating at school.
Her mom was not home when they arrived. She was surprised to find Jake home, carrying a basket of laundry. He spent most of his time training at the dojo or teaching. She wished that she could spend more time with him, but she knew how important training was for him.
"Hey, Jake," Kenna called out. "We're going to be hanging out in the basement." She wasn't about to tell him they were going to use the Ouija board. He would not approve, and what he did not know would not hurt him.
"Mom's working a double shift tonight, so I'm supposed to make you dinner and make sure you don't damage the house. Do you have any dining preferences?" Jake grinned. "Keep in mind, my culinary skills aren’t the best."
Kenna smiled. "Well, since you’re not training for a fight now, we can eat junk food."
"Sorry, no such luck. I'm fighting in two weeks, so my diet's going to be real strict."
Kenna's brows rose. "Get out. You already have another fight? But you just had one."
"Joe wants me to get in right away. This show he booked me for is a big deal. If I beat my next opponent, it could be a huge boost for my career."
Kenna might be his kid sister, but she still felt protective of him. "That's not enough time. Are you going to be ready?"
Jake shrugged. “I'm in shape. I didn’t take any damage in the last fight. We're just going to have to do some crash game planning for my next opponent."
"Who are you fighting?" Kenna asked.
"Some Brazilian dude, Paulo Santos. He's supposed to be good, even better than my last opponent."
"That's okay," Cordy said. "You're better."
"Yeah, you'll kick his ass," Carlos said.
Jake frowned. "Hey, watch the language. Anyway, I'll be all right. Joe knows what he's doing. I trust him."
Kenna put the name of Jake’s opponent in her memory bank. Later tonight, she would look up his fights on You Tube. Then she would try to find everything she could possibly find about him on the Net. Jake wasn’t the only one who had to prepare for his fight.
She folded her arms. "All right, so we have to eat healthy. Do you know how to make stir fry?"
Jake shrugged. "I could probably wing it if we have the ingredients."
Cordy's face lit up. "I have an idea. How about you invite June to come over and help you cook? She has to babysit me and my sister tonight, anyway. She can walk to my house from here."
Jake's eyes narrowed. "I don't like it when you two are scheming."
Cordy batted her eyelashes, looking much older than she was. "Well, if it wasn't for us, you two would never have gotten together."
"Good point," Jake said.
Cordy handed Jake his cell phone, which had been sitting on the table. "Well, what are you waiting for? Call her."
"Is she always this pushy?" Jake asked.
"Definitely," Ben replied.
Kenna began to usher her friends downstairs. "All right, we'll be in the basement." She turned on the lights and went straight for the Ouija board. She kept telling herself, it's going to work this time.
"You want me to work the board with you?" Ben asked.
Kenna nodded.
Cordy sat on the floor with her legs folded, while Carlos draped himself on the sofa. Ben knelt on the floor.
Kenna's heart thumped. "You guys ready?"
Ben nodded, while Cordy and Carlos gave her their assurances.
Kenna set the Ouija board in front of them. She lightly touched one end of the planchette, and Ben did likewise. She tried to control her trembling hands as they rotated around the board.
Kenna tried to speak, but words would not come out, so she cleared her throat. "Mia, it's your friends. We need to talk to you. If you're out there, please respond. It's really important. We spoke to Mark Saleski. He has a message for you."
Kenna clenched the planchette tighter. It was all she could do to keep her hands from shaking. She glanced at Ben, who was staring laser beams at the board. If they couldn't reach Mia, it was not because of a lack of effort.
"I don't think it's gonna happen," Carlos said.
Kenna shot him a cold stare. The last thing she needed was his negativity.
They kept circling with the planchet
te. Kenna was considering giving up until she felt a tug. A jolt of electricity ran up her arms, making the top of her hair stand. She had never felt anything like that before.
"Mia, is that you?" Kenna asked in a high-pitched voice. "Are you there?"
The planchette meandered to Yes.
Kenna breathed easier. Thank God. She thought she was going to have a heart attack. "Mia, we've been trying to reach you. Where have you been?"
The planchette spelled AWAY. Kenna frowned, but before she could follow up with a question, it spelled BACK NOW.
Ben said, "Mia, we recently met Mark Saleski. We told him all about you."
OK.
Kenna momentarily removed her hands from the planchette and glanced at Cordy. That was hardly the reaction she expected. Last time, the vibe she got when they spoke about Mark was a mixture of wariness and excitement. This time, Mia seemed indifferent.
Carlos got up from the couch and knelt behind Kenna. "Aren't you gonna tell her about what went down?"
"Anyway, we spoke to Mark," Kenna said. "At first, he was, like, really reluctant. He didn't want to talk to a bunch of kids or anything, but we convinced him to listen to us."
No response from Mia.
"Yeah," Ben said. "He told us that he still cares about you."
Kenna was about to continue the narrative about their meeting with Mark, when she felt a violent tug on the planchette. She blinked rapidly. A cold shiver ran through her body.
She watched wide-eyed as the planchette spelled TIME SHORT NEED HELP.
Kenna's heart began to race. She was beginning to feel icy fear deep within her. "What is it, Mia? What can we do to help?"
TROUBLE NEED HELP.
"Of course, we'll help you," Kenna said. "Just let us know what's going on and what you want us to do."
"Yeah, just let us know," Ben added.
The planchette went from letter to letter in jerky movements, nothing like the fluid strokes she had gotten used to. It spelled out HELP ME PLEASE.
Mia's words had a desperate pleading quality to them. Kenna felt helpless. Mia was dead. What could they do to help her? “How?”
SAY THESE WORDS