by Roger Hayden
“I’m not done with you yet, Taylor,” she said. “I wondered what the spirits meant when they said to ‘bring you to justice.’ Now I see that all they needed was someone to bring you to them and formally charge you for decades of crimes against innocent human beings. Alisha Evans, wife of Pastor Phil. Pastor Phil. Deputy Ramirez. And Theo’s mother and uncle, Elizabeth and Ben Stone—their friends Scott Pinkerton and Adam Wesley.”
“I didn’t kill them!” the mayor shouted. “I didn’t kill any of them.”
Mary continued, unabated. “You didn’t pull the trigger, but you were responsible for their deaths nonetheless. Their spirits are here, and they’ve come for you, Mr. Mayor. There is no hidden treasure. No immortality, only justice.”
A fireball burst of light suddenly exploded in their midst, blinding everyone in the room. Mary closed her eyes as her body trembled with static. Several bursts of light continued exploding at intervals, pulsing through the air. Furniture flew across the room, and a blinding light exploded and traveled across the floor, searing and burning everything in its path, racing from the wall, and one-by-one targeting Mayor Taylor, burning through him, his petrified security detail, and the bodies of his brothers, Beatrice Thaxton, and Bob Deckers, reducing them to ash.
After several blinding minutes of deafening static, Mary opened her eyes to silence. There was nothing left of the mayor or anyone else who had intruded on her home. Curtis and Theo remained unharmed but dazed by the brief but explosive phenomenon that had swept through the house with a vengeance.
The room went dark as the storm began to die down, providing a moment of relief and relative peace. Mary walked over to where Theo and Curtis lay on the floor and crouched down beside them.
“It’s over,” she said, touching Curtis’s leg. “It’s over.”
“What the hell just happened?” Curtis asked.
Theo stood, feeling around the room. “I think we should get out of here.”
Before he could take another step, a bright light beamed at the staircase, instantly beckoning Mary. She turned and walked toward it, in a trance, and Theo and Curtis called out to her. Suddenly, Theo placed a hand on Curtis’s shoulder, holding him back.
“She’s okay. Let her do this,” he said.
The light formed an image of a young girl, floating above the ground in her nightgown. Tears streamed from Mary’s face as she took the first few steps, approaching the transparent being before her.
“Julie…” she said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m leaving,” Julie said. “I don’t know why, but I know I may never see you again. Thank you, Mary. I’ve been waiting for decades for this moment, ever since I first met you as a child.”
“Did I do what you needed me to?” Mary asked.
“Yes,” Julie said. “That and more. I would never let anything happen to your child. You’re going to be okay. So will your daughter. This home is yours now. We are at peace, and so is this town. Thank you.”
“But I didn’t do anything,” Mary said. “Nothing changes. You’re still dead. How is that justice?”
“You did everything,” Julie said, her image fading. “And perhaps we’ll meet again on the other side. Until then, enjoy your life. Do good for yourself and others. Raise your daughter and be happy.”
Mary sobbed as Julie’s image faded from sight. “Julie?” Mary asked. “Where are you?”
There was no response, and the room went dark again. Theo and Curtis stood in place, surveying the damage all around them. No one was sure what had transpired, but the danger, it seemed, had been eliminated.
“Mary,” Curtis called out, approaching her. She turned and ran into his arms, and they shared a loving embrace.
“I’m so sorry, Curtis,” she said as he stroked her back. “We need to get you to the hospital.”
“We need to leave,” Curtis said, “leave this house and never come back.”
“No. This is our house. We’re not going anywhere.” The thunder outside faded as the rain slowly died down. Theo turned and left the house without saying a word. They never spoke to him again.
“Why on earth would we stay here after what has happened?” Curtis asked, holding Mary close.
“Because I have a map and a key,” Mary said. “And we’re going to get the truth about this house and this entire town out there. It’s the least we can do for the victims.”
Sirens blared in the distance. The police were on their way. What would Chief Riley think about it all? Would he even begin to believe it? He had to. The evidence was there. No reputation would be left unscathed. Redwood needed to answer for its past.
Curtis and Mary held each other for what seemed like hours, happy with the thought of returning to their normal lives, lives with true hope for their future and the prospect of bringing another life into a world where darkness was vanquished, a world of justice and peace.
The End
Dear Reader,
Hi! I hope you enjoyed my latest series. Quality story telling is very important to me. It’s my living, and I can’t thank you enough for your support and for taking the time to read this boxset. But the learning never stops, and your feedback is vital to improving each new series I explore.
I would love if you could take a second to leave a review on Amazon here: Leave a Review Here!
If you would be so kind, please leave a review showering the book with endless praise. Of course, I’m joking, but it would be great to hear from you. If there are any issues you had with the story or any pesky errors or concerns, feel free to email me and let me know. I’d love to hear your feedback, regardless. Your support allows me to do what I do, and I’m in your debt. In a way, I work for you, the reader. So let me know if I’m doing the job. Thanks again and, please, feel free to contact me or leave a review for the book at your earliest convenience.
With Gratitude,
Roger Hayden
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