The Unsacred Gift (A Young Adult Paranormal Novel)

by C. S. Dorsey

  “Engaged for one year!” I could never just let things go.

  “Tiy! You told her.”

  “I’m sorry, Tina. I though the girl knew already,” my auntie said in a low whisper, munching on a deviled egg as she sat in the chair close to the patio.

  “OK, why the whisper, and what is up with the secrecy? Why am I the last to know about everything?” I asked, tapping my foot on the black-and-white tile floor.

  “It’s not that we are trying to keep things from you. It’s just hard to tell you things. I will just say that you don’t take news very well. You overreact, like you did last night, by the way.” I stood still. How could she think that about me? I had flipped out last night, and I have flipped out about other things…maybe that is why my mother only told me the summary of my Granny’s condition, because she didn’t want me to overreact.

  “What happened last night?” my auntie asked, whispering curiously while eating sourdough bread dipped in spinach dip. My mother just shook her head at the question and I just eyed her.

  “Later,” my mom said, turning to the stove.

  Yes, this night was definitely going to get interesting. I could not wait till uncle Tiyler came; maybe he would be the one to ask my mom when the baby is due. If that happened, I would take the next flight to Seattle, and they could forget about me coming back.

  I had to just breathe and let everything go. It was hard, but I had to do it. This day was Granny’s day, and I didn’t want ruin it. I just shook everything off and put my feelings to the side. Besides what’s the worst that could happen? No, don’t say that. You know what’s the worst that could happen, I thought. I didn’t even want to think about the possibility of having a vision.

  My uncle Tyler arrived next, which was a miracle. He was always late, like he was making some type of grand entrance or something.

  “You may be Mr. Big Shot in the corporate world, but you’re still my little brother,” my mom said, giving him a hug when he walked in. The sun was setting over the bay, and Granny had not shown up yet.

  “Ma, when is she coming?” I asked, anxious and hungry at the same time.

  “She will be here,” my mother said, looking at the television. This was the first time I’d seen my mother sit down and enjoy herself since I got here.

  When Heaven and Halo had arrived earlier, my mom told them, “If you two do anything to ruin this day, I will put my rain boots on and put them up both of your behinds.” My mom didn’t play when it came to her little sister. She was so protective of her; she was there for untie Tiy when no one else was. My mom is the only one those girls were scared of.

  I walked over to the dining room table, where my mom had set up the refreshments, and got some ice and soda. Heaven look at me like she was trying to tap into my brain and plant a virus in it so she could have full control.

  “What?” I asked, with a look of irritation. She took her green-and-gray eyes and slowly looked me up and down with a grin.

  “You don’t get much sleep, do you?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The concealer under your eyes doesn’t do much,” she said, as Halo giggled like a hyena on speed on the other side of the table. Heaven kept her eyes fastened on me, which was freaking me out.

  Heaven and Halo had the perfect everything. They had the perfect oval eyes with long lashes, perfect teeth, and perfect model bodies that would put Tyra Banks in her early years to shame.

  Yeah, they were beautiful on the outside, but their hearts were as dark as coal before you light a match to it. Maybe someone needed to light their coals on fire so their hearts would change color.

  I tried hard to ignore Heaven, but she kept eyeing me. “What is your problem?” I asked, reminding myself to ask my mom if their father was a gypsy, or in a cult. These girls were way too weird.

  “Sad, isn’t it? Not being able to sleep at night,” Heaven said, sipping on her cherry soda. I had a feeling that this conversation was going to lead into a trap that I was not about to participate in.

  “What are you getting at? Please tell me.”

  “Just know that there is no point in trying to get rid of it. You never will.”

  I stared at her. Did she know something about my visions? Or my nightmares? I was baffled, and yet scared. Did she have the same thing I had?

  “How do you know about—” I was at a loss for words.

  “It is obvious you’re trying to cover it up, but you can’t, not for long.”

  “Do you have it, too?”

  I darted my eyes to Halo, who was grinning like the Grinch who stole Christmas. Then I looked at Heaven. I squinted my eyes at her, as I finally caught on that she was just playing me.

  “Are you trying to be funny?” I asked, wanting to put my hands around her neck and squeeze tight.

  She laughed hysterically, like a witch flying around in the night air on Halloween.

  “Sissy, you are way too easy,” Heaven said as she and Halo laughed in unison.

  “That’s why no one wants you two around. Hey, it’s going to be a full moon tonight,” I said, tapping on my watch. “Aren’t you two due to change into something like a werewolf within the next couple of hours? Maybe you two should leave early, so you can have some extra time to get ugly,” I said, leaving them with their mouths open. They may have had no guidance, no remorse, and no heart. But I got them this time.

  I rolled my eyes and went into the kitchen. I was ready to eat, and I knew everyone else was, too. My uncle Tyler was in the kitchen talking to someone about business. He never gave the cell phone a break.

  “Yes, my flight to Japan is at four Monday morning,” he said to whomever he was talking with. I was trying not to be nosy, but I couldn’t help that he talked so loud.

  After he got off the phone, I said, “Uncle, you’re going to Japan?”

  “Yeah, for business. If everything goes well, my company will be able to close this big deal in Japan. I am really excited and nervous,” he said.

  After all of these years, I never thought that my uncle Tyler would be nervous about anything. He always had a self-assured presence; he was very confident in the things he does. He was a little taller than my mom and auntie Tiy, but when they were all together, they looked like triplets. He wasn’t married, and had no children. My uncle was too busy with his business, he didn’t have time for anything else.

  My Granny had a problem with this, though. She always asked him when he was going to settle down. His answer was “when I’m ready.”

  “That’s great, Uncle. I’m so happy for you,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and giving him a big bear hug.

  “Hey, maybe when you’re done with school you could move back and work for me.”

  “Naw, no, thanks. I’m not even majoring in computer science.”

  “I didn’t either, and look at me.”

  He had a point there. My uncle had not stepped foot inside a college, and now he was worth millions of dollars, and with this new account with Japan he could surpass that.

  “I know, but I’m studying psychology. I like it.”

  “Oh, you want to work with the crazy people.” He made a gesture with his hands around his head, like he was going insane. I just laughed and shook my head.

  “You’d be surprised how many ‘crazy’ people are walking around.” I made quotation marks in the air around “crazy.” “Society just labels people that way because they can’t figure them out.”

  “And you can?” my uncle challenged me.

  “No…but people just need someone to talk to. It’s not about a paycheck for me, it’s about helping people,” I said, taking a gulp of my soda.

  “Wow, Sissy, I am really proud of you,” my uncle said, impressed.

  The mind has a way of pulling people into a dark place and drawing them into a deep depression. I just wanted to know why that was. One would think that with my visions and the not-so-pleasant dreams, I would be my first case. But after so many years o
f dealing with this unholy gift, I just came to the conclusion that I couldn’t figure it out, it was just part of who I was.

  My uncle and I sat in the kitchen for a while. He talked about his business and his plans for the future of his company, and I mainly just sat there and listened to him. Everything was fine until a soft, cold hand wrapped around my wrist, the temperature of a dead corpse. I gasped for air, as if a thief stole my breath without me knowing it. Then my mind went blank.

  Chapter Nine

  “How did she know? How long had she had the gift?”

  I looked around and found myself standing in a pink room. It was a fuchsia color, with white trim along the bottom of the wall. The room smelled of mothballs and White Diamonds perfume. I thought it was a little girl’s room, until I saw the dresser filled with perfume and medicine bottles.

  I walked over to the dresser slowly to observe the display of toiletries and pharmaceuticals—it was like the dresser of a 1950s actress hiding a secret drug addiction.

  The dresser was old, cherry wood, with six drawers. The handles looked hand-carved and were crafted in the shape of tulips. I felt a slight breeze. It was daylight, and the sun pierced through the yellow and white curtains. The rocking chair that sat in the corner rocked back and forth. I turned around and saw something underneath the covers in the full-size bed. I couldn’t see what it was because the covers were covering it like a body bag in a morgue.

  I was desperate to uncover the massive lump; I had never been more curious. For the first time, I was able to control what I did inside of my visions. I felt like I had a handle on what I could and could not do.

  I crawled on the bed, placing my right hand over the lump. With my left hand, I peeled back the covers slowly, like someone peeling an orange…and I gasped for air. Horrified by the image under the covers, I stumbled back, falling butt-first on the floor and hitting my head on the old cherry wood dresser, which knocked me out.

  I felt the cold hand shake my arm, and then I blinked three times. I looked around and found myself back in my mother’s kitchen. My uncle was staring at me, horrified by the dull expression on my face. The cold hand shook my arm again.

  “Sissy, are you OK?” my uncle said as he came closer, placing his right hand gently on my shoulder.

  “Ye—ah. I’m…I’m fine,” I said, stumbling over my words.

  “You don’t look so good,” he said. His eyebrows came together, making a frown in his forehead. I assured my uncle that I was perfectly fine. I guess he bought it, because he let go of me. I backed away.

  I turned to see who the cold hands belonged to.

  As I turned around, I saw a beautiful, ageless woman. The only thing that gave away her age was her long gray hair. It flowed past her shoulders and along her back like the ocean when a soft current hits the shore. She had no age spots or wrinkles. This woman had life in her eyes that glowed like an owl’s in the dark midnight hour.

  I couldn’t fathom the fact that this beautiful, lively creature was the same one in my vision.

  “Granny,” I said, mustering up some words from my cracking voice that had been captured by a frog that didn’t want to leave.

  She gave me a smile and then wrapped her arms around my neck, giving me a hug. I hugged her back.

  I was so happy to see her, but still horrified by the vision. This was all wrong. The day had been going great, without the inference of this dark gift—I was beginning to think that I had control of everything…but I was wrong. I fought back my tears and tried to act calm so that I would not alert or alarm my uncle or Granny.

  “Oh, Granny, I missed you so much.”

  “My baby girl,” she said, letting go of me. “Turn around and let me look at you.” She held out my arm, and took a step back to get a better look at me. I smiled nervously, hoping that she would not pick out any flaws.

  Mothers want their children to be perfect from head to toe, mentally and physically. Grandmothers love their grandchildren no matter what, no matter how imperfect they are.

  “Oh, honey, you look gorgeous! How are they treating you up there in Washington?” she asked, overlooking my thinness and lack of sleep. I knew she could see the evidence under my eyes. Even a blind man could see those bags.

  “They are treating me real good, Granny. But enough about me, how are you doing?”

  “Honey, I’m great, I feel wonderful.” Her smile was so big and bright.

  I wanted to crawl in a hole and die, or at least hide out for a few days. My family was going to be heartbroken when the death angel came for Granny. The bond, the glue, that held this family together would be broken when Granny departed from this mortal life, and moved on up above.

  “You know, everyone thinks I’m crazy,” she said in a whisper.

  I noticed that my uncle had started a new conversation on his cell phone; I hadn’t even heard it ring.

  “But I’m not. I just see things,” she said. She paused and grabbed my face, speaking in a low tone, “And I know you’ve seen them, too.”

  Electric waves began to shoot up and down my spine. I could feel cold sweat beads forming on my forehead. My breathing became shallow as I tried to process the words my Granny was telling me.

  Was she the one that I had inherited this gift from?

  My mind raced. I had so many questions to ask Granny. How did she know? How long had she had the gift? I paused, deciding which question to ask first. “Granny…how did you—?”

  She placed her finger on my lips and said, “We have much to talk about.” Her finger was as cold as ice, and a chill went shooting through my spine. I wanted to talk about this now. I needed answers. Later was much too late. I wanted to know yesterday.

  I stood there, hoping she would change her mind when she saw the disappointed expression on my face.

  “Oh, baby girl. I know you have a million questions to ask me, and you’re scared of what you see. It is a lot to take in. I was praying that no one from my loins would inherit this plague, but I guess you can’t fight against fate. Come, let’s eat first, then we will talk about it later. Right now I need food, I have not eaten all day.” She turned around and headed toward the dining room.

  I couldn’t believe it—I was finally going to get the answers I had been seeking. I felt like I was in a dream and I was going to wake up any minute. Maybe it was a hallucination from the heat; maybe I was dehydrated. I pinched myself, just to make sure that I could feel the pain I wouldn’t feel when in a “normal” dream. But that didn’t help, because even in a “normal” dream I could feel pain and sorrow.

  I would let Granny eat and enjoy her party, but this conversation was not over…no, this was only the beginning!

  Chapter Ten

  “She’s going to put me away. I’m going crazy, and everyone saw it.”

  I sat in the dining room picking at my food. I was too anxious to eat. My mind was somewhere else, blocking everyone’s conversations out. Heaven and Halo were trying to talk to me about school and their men, but I was on autopilot again. I just nodded and said, “Oh, really,” and “That’s cool.” I couldn’t care less what was going on in their demented world, I had my own problems to deal with! I wasn’t trying to be their friend, but I was trying to be cordial, for Granny’s sake.

  This was Granny’s birthday, and there was no telling how much time we all had together. Judging by my vision, there was not much time left.

  My leg kept shaking like crazy under the glass dining room table. I wanted the party to be over so I could talk with Granny. I watched her as she mixed and mingled with the family. The most shocking thing was that she was laughing and joking with Mark. She had a way of reading people—she could tell if a particular person wanted to do her, or her family, good or harm. I guess she didn’t have a problem with Mr. Mark.

  I glance over at her while she talked with him. Mark just sat there listening and laughing with her. Hopefully, she was telling him that if he hurt my mom in any kind of way, she and I were going to find
him. Of course, we didn’t have to worry about that. The way he and my mom acted as if they could not breathe without the other was…ridiculous.

  But I could see the connection between them, and that was what love really meant. Not only saying it but showing it, and being there for each other. It was actually really beautiful, them together, like music. The sultry sound of a harp playing, one of the most breathtaking sounds that an instrument can produce.

  I couldn’t eat any more, my stomach was churning. Not at the thought of the music that my mother and Mark were playing together, but at the fact that I wanted to play music with someone. I wanted to fall in love with someone and hear their heartbeat through their chest.

  I needed to know how Granny overcame this. How was she able to keep her visions under control? I wondered if she ever had visions of the family, good or bad.

  My mind kept going in circles, like clothes in a dryer, turning over and over. I realized that my mom had already brought the cake out and started to cut it. When did they sing “Happy Birthday”? Did I miss it?

  “Hey, did you guys sing ‘Happy Birthday’?” I asked. Everyone looked at me like I was crazy.

  “Umm, yeah,” Halo said. She didn’t have to say “Duh” or “Where you been?” The expression on her face said it all.

  “Honey, you didn’t hear us?” my mom asked. I tried to search back in my brain, but I didn’t remember a thing. I was so consumed with my thoughts, they’d blocked out the most important part of my Granny’s birthday celebration.

  “Oh, yeah… I heard you,” I lied, giving a half-crooked smile. I tried to play it off, and I was happy when everyone continued eating their cake. My mom handed me a slice. I was not up for eating anything else, but if I didn’t, she would give me a look. I couldn’t wait to get out of here, and go back to my life, my life of isolation from all family contact.

  “If you heard us sing, then why didn’t you sing with us?” Heaven said, loud enough so that everyone stopped eating and talking, only to look at me. She was sitting across from me.