Troubled Spirits

by Sandy Wolters

  His first concern being for Jody’s comfort, Jared moved silently to the bed and tucked the comforter around her to keep her from getting chilled. Turning to leave the room, the sound of her slurred voice stopped him dead in his tracks. Afraid he’d woken her, he held his breath as she continued to mumble. Leaning down, he realized she was still in a deep slumber. Her forehead creased, and her features, which should be soft with sleep, were instead filled with tension.

  His heart went out to her. Even in rest, she got no peace. He bent down and moved her hair from her face. “Sh-h-h, baby. Everything’s okay. No need to worry yourself. Just get some sleep.” Pleasure filled him as her face softened with the sound of his voice.

  Jared had never before experienced taking care of someone like this. He gently kissed her forehead and whispered, “You’re changing my life, Jody. You’re opening doors which were sealed tightly shut, and I’m grateful for it.”

  She looked so peaceful lying there as he gently encouraged a dreamless sleep. He stood and ran his hands up and down his crossed arms trying to warm the chill. “Damn, it’s cold in here.”

  He started to leave but then worried he wouldn’t be able to hear her if she needed him. What if she wakes up in the middle of the night and is confused because she’s not at home? Fear she may come to some harm while he slept settled his internal debate. He grabbed an extra blanket out of the closet and walked back to the bed. Fully clothed, he climbed on top of the covers. Wrapping his arms around her to keep her warm, Jared finally closed his eyes, willing the much-needed sleep to come quickly.

  As a peaceful slumber started to overtake him, the darkness beyond his eyelids suddenly filled with light. Heavily seduced by sleep, he grunted and forced his eyes to open. As he laid there just this side of sleep, he found himself looking through a mist which seemed to be flowing back and forth on a current of air. Unable to comprehend the anomaly in front of him, Jared continued to watch without fear as if it were a dream. The dense mist moved, revealing the bathroom door.

  Slowly coming out of his sleepy stupor, he realized the light in the bathroom had been turned on again. He looked at his arm across Jody and knew she hadn’t moved a muscle.

  “What the hell?” his words no more than a mere whisper. Feeling a bit unsteady, he gently rose on an elbow while trying not to disturb Jody. His peripheral vision caught movement in the room. He reared back as he watched a woman appear out of the mist. She approached the bed and looked down at his peacefully sleeping Jody. There was a dream-like quality to her which Jared’s fuzzy mind refused to allow him to comprehend.

  Quickly tightening his grasp on Jody, he encircled her with his body to protect her from whomever or whatever this was. A shudder having nothing to do with the cold passed through him. The woman standing only a foot away wasn’t a living, breathing person. She was a fully-formed spirit. Just like the pictures he’d captured of little Fiona, he could see right through her. It surprised him how quickly his usually hyper-rational mind had suddenly adjusted to a more open, illogical scenario and accepted it wholeheartedly. Maybe the fact he was scared shitless had something to do with the ease of acceptance.

  “Who…” Jared’s mind went blank leaving him unable to finish the thought. Not trusting what his eyes plainly saw standing in front of him, he covered his face with his hands. I’m dreaming. Of course, I’m dreaming! He’d spent so many hours focused on little Fiona that his resting brain would need to sort it all out through dreams. After all, this was the first chance he’d had to sleep since he’d met Jody.

  When he found the courage to open his eyes again, he felt as though his body had been immobilized. The spirit woman stood beside the bed gazing at Jody. His lack of experience with the supernatural realm had his mind reeling with questions. Was this a good ghost? A bad ghost? How the hell do you tell? He’d have to make a point to talk to Jody about it. While he’d become somewhat comfortable with the idea of spirits like Fiona, he wasn’t ready to see them. He wanted to run as far and as fast as his feet would take him, but couldn’t leave Jody behind.

  Not sure what to do, but ready to spring into action at the first sign of danger, he watched as the full-bodied apparition bent down and kissed Jody’s forehead. This loving gesture had him relaxing. After all, would a malevolent spirit be capable of such a tender act? No. At least he didn’t think so. This spirit seemed to be expressing love for Jody. He had no clue what connection the two women held, but he could feel it, effectively nullifying any remaining fear he had toward the uninvited guest.

  Now that he’d been able to put his emotion aside, Jared’s highly developed power of observation kicked in. Unlike the pictures of little Fiona, this woman was a ghostly pure white. Her clothes, devoid of the vibrant pinks and blues Fiona sported, were various shades of gray. He could see through her, but most important, he felt no threat of danger from her. Thank goodness for small favors.

  “Who are you?”

  The woman’s attention moved to him. They stared at each other for several seconds when a smile blossomed on her ethereal face. “The dark scares her. She needs the light on.” He heard every word she said but never saw her mouth move.

  “Why is it that I can see you? I’ve never seen a ghost before. Why now?”

  The specter’s head tilted as she considered his words. “You’ve opened your heart. Do not worry. You’re seeing me because I’m allowing you to. Jody trusts you. Therefore I trust you.”

  Surprised he’d received and understood the answers coming from someone who clearly no longer lived, left him unable to speak further. He acknowledged the ghost with a feeble nod. Seemingly placated by his acceptance of her message, the woman slowly disappeared in front of his eyes.

  As his grip tightened on Jody, he felt the fast paced beating of his heart as it sped to what seemed like at least a thousand miles a minute. He couldn’t help but speculate at the great personal fortitude the woman he held in his arms had to possess. The thought of enduring years of these visits without going stark, raving mad left him marveling at her inner strength.

  He laid his head back down on the pillow, finding it difficult to relax enough to close his eyes. “Holy fucking shit.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The pilot’s voice broke the silence shortly after takeoff from DFW. “Mr. Bastion, you and your guest may now unfasten your seatbelts. The weather is clear all the way home. We should be arriving at Phoenix Sky Harbor by o nine hundred. As requested, the attendant will be serving your meal in the lounge area of the plane.”

  Jody giggled. “I don’t know how anyone could possibly get used to this kind of treatment, Mr. Bastion.”

  Jared’s eyebrows rose with delight. The smirk on his face revealed his mischievous side. “If you’ve got it, flaunt it.” She liked this playful side to him and knew he wasn’t the type of man that showed it often. He stood and held his hand out to her. “Let’s go and get comfortable. I’ve asked the attendants to serve a champagne breakfast to celebrate your definitive success with the Hintons.”

  They strolled to the lounge area and got comfortable on a plush leather sofa. As Jody sat, she pivoted to face Jared and put her leg under her. In doing so, they faced each other and could talk in a more casual, personal manner.

  “I don’t know how to thank you for everything you did to make it possible for Fiona to speak to her parents. If it weren’t for you, I never would have found them.”

  He grimaced before looking away from her. “I have to be honest with you. I’ve been paid handsomely for helping you.”

  She thought back to the brief discussion of his fees the first night they’d met at the gallery and remembered Terry had paid them with a canvas. After a few uncomfortable moments of silence, she cringed and asked, “What canvas did you and Terry agree to?”

  “Solitude.”

  “Really?”

  Sheepishly, he nodded. “He wouldn’t sell it to me. I offered him a lot of money for it, but no matter what number I offered, he refused to se
ll. I’d like to tell you I feel bad about taking it, but I don’t.” Her laughter at his confession brightened the air around him and had him visibly relaxing.

  “Remind me to thank him when we get home. You were invaluable to Fiona and me. No matter what the cost, having your help was worth every penny. I’ll make sure he knows that.”

  Jared reached out and took her hand, gently playing with her fingers. The wheels in her mind spun as she tried to figure out why such a small gesture seemed to feel so much more substantial than it actually was. Each time physical contact occurred between them, no matter how slight, a kind of shared commingling of spirit seemed to take place. While the physical thrill of a new attraction was most certainly a part of what she felt, the experience went much deeper than that. His touch evoked an emotional response and had her stodgy mind-set lighting up as bright as a Christmas tree. She’d never felt a personal blending like that before with anyone.

  The expression Jared’s face sported as he intimately touched her hand fascinated her. By the way he fumbled with her fingers she could tell he wasn’t comfortable with demonstrative gestures such as this. His clumsy attempt with personal contact was endearing. But no matter how awkward his actions were, her body delighted with the possibility of more affectionate contact with him. Would that be heightened as well? Almost instantaneously, a rush of adrenaline coursed through her landing smack dab in her southern regions.

  Jody stiffened when she realized the train of thought her mind had suddenly taken and how quickly her body had responded. Shocked by how easily Jared evoked those sensual longings had her feeling the need to take extra steps to close her heart off.

  The way Jared looked into her eyes made it clear he felt something for her, but the other men in her past had feelings for her too. In the end, that hadn’t mattered. She’d always ended up hurt and alone. Seduction wasn’t an option for her. A romantic relationship just wasn’t compatible with her lifestyle. The best possible outcome for everyone concerned would be just to leave the friendship they’d been able to forge together as it was—a friendship. Anything more would be disastrous.

  Exceptionally skilled at reading people, Jared knew she had an internal struggle going on in her head about him. The way she stiffened as he held her hand had been a dead giveaway. Is there another man in her life? He didn’t think so, but that thought produced a highly uncomfortable jealous streak within him that he’d never encountered prior to meeting her. Then again, he’d never had so much at stake before. He didn’t like the feel of that particular riotous emotion one bit, but he’d deal with it until she became his because she was worth it. He had no qualms about fighting dirty if she was the prize. He wouldn’t allow anyone to come between them.

  Currently lacking the emotional foundation needed for easing her mind about them as a couple, he had to approach this relationship business the only way he knew how. For the time being, he’d use the tools at his disposal to help her accept the forward progress of their relationship.

  Being an analytical person had its perks in these situations. He ran through the different scenarios in his head until he figured out the most advantages path to take to get her to accept him as a lover and life partner. He would accept nothing less.

  First, he needed to make her comfortable with the transition leading to a more personal one-on-one level between them. Second, she had to be put at ease with the prospect of them as an exclusive couple before anything more intimate could be gained. Jared was already so far beyond this phase of their relationship. Yet, he knew he’d have some difficulty slowing down to let her catch up. But he’d just have to keep his eye on the prize. She was more than worth the wait.

  So far, for the most part, our relationship has consisted of three main people—her, me and little Fiona. Before they could move forward, it would be imperative to change that dynamic. She’d have to see their relationship in terms of just the two of them. No spirits.

  Thinking back to the visitation of the night before, he understood the dead would always be there, hovering, or whatever the hell they did to kill time. But he and Jody needed a strong foundation between the two of them as a starting point. Once that groundwork had been established, nothing would be able to come between them. She had to understand she could trust him with anything. In turn, he’d always be there for her in whatever capacity she needed.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Of course.” She tensed. Biting her lip was a dead giveaway her anxiety level had just elevated. Interesting. Jared knew she’d probably thought he’d be making a pass at her now. For his plan to work, he’d have to throw her off balance and put her more at ease by asking general questions. Once she became comfortable, he’d hit her with a more personal conversation.

  “How did you start talking to ghosts?”

  As he’d expected, she visibly relaxed with the unanticipated question. He could read her expressions like a book. They were screaming loud and clear that she struggled with her feelings for him. A tingle of excitement ran through him. If she’s struggling, that means there’s interest. As that realization came to fruition, he knew there was no way in hell he’d leave her an opening to back away from him.

  Little tremors full of promised thrills ran through his body as her fingers softly stroked their joined hands. With her mind focused on his question, he knew she didn’t realize she’d been gently caressing him. It delighted him that her gesture hadn’t been contrived, but instead purely spontaneous and natural. The unexpected familiarity drove him crazy. He wanted more. The anticipation of their lips coming together had his pulse racing.

  “When I was little, I saw them all the time. They never hurt me, but sometimes…” her voice trailed off as she remembered what must have been a living nightmare for her. “I guess you could say they scared the hell out of me.” Jody laughed, but the tremble in her voice helped him understand how deeply she’d been affected by those memories. “I look back on it now, and I understand the spirits were just drawn to me somehow. They knew I could see them, and they wanted to talk, to tell their story.” She shrugged. “I was just too scared to listen.”

  She piqued his curiosity. Jared imagined her as a little girl lying in bed, terrified of very real monsters. The mystery woman who showed up last night had appeared human enough to his adult eyes, but there was also a part of him that had seen a specter or ghoul-like quality to the ghost.

  Being so very young when those visitations occurred had to have influenced Jody in an adverse way. He didn’t believe for a minute that he’d have been able to endure that phenomenon in his childhood as well as she’d obviously coped with it. And yet, she’d been able to turn those frightening experiences around and make the best of them. Somehow she’d turned the nightmare into something beautiful. Once again his heart swelled with pride for her.

  Genuinely interested, he had to know more. “How did you go from being so scared of ghosts to approaching people and passing messages along for them? That’s a big leap to take.”

  Her face crinkled with disbelief. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  “Yes.” Ensuring their joined hands remained so, he clutched her hand a little tighter. He made a production of getting comfortable while settling in for the story.

  Her head tilted, and her eyes squinted slightly. She appeared to be sizing him up to determine how much of her story to tell.

  “You’re not going to laugh at me, are you?”

  “I would never,” he joked with a pretense of shock. He knew full well with Jody’s change in demeanor she was about to disclose a significant life-changing event. Something had happened that changed the way she looked at the paranormal abilities that had plagued her young life. Anxious to hear her response and wanting to encourage her to continue, his hold on her hand tightened.

  “Okay. You asked for it. I was about twelve when I watched a documentary on scientists who were observing monkeys in the wild. They were at the edge of a desert—a sand dune type climate—that had
been cursed by many years of drought. It wasn’t the typical kind of environment you’d think a chimpanzee would live in, but it was their home. The narrator mentioned over and over again how intelligent the monkeys were. Because of that, the scientists had to take extra precautions to lock up all of their food and water. If they didn’t take the time to secure those essentials, the monkeys would be tempted to come into camp and steal whatever they could.

  “The documentary was so interesting and chock-full of statistics that I couldn’t wait to learn more about the inner social structure of chimpanzees. They loved and lived just like people do.” The more she spoke, the more animated and excited she became about what she’d seen. The documentary obviously had an enormous impact on her, and he couldn’t wait to hear the full story.

  “The scientists talked about the familial organization and bonds within the chimpanzee lifestyle. All of the monkeys looked out for one another and appeared to have great affection for each other.”

  When Jared felt her grip on his hand tense, and Jody’s face hardened into a grimace, he knew the story was about to take a turn for the worse. He just couldn’t imagine how a documentary about chimpanzees, of all things, could’ve changed her life as it did. He couldn’t wait to hear how this tied in with her.

  “One morning, the researchers woke to find several of the female monkeys had given birth.” She smiled, but the tears which had pooled in her eyes weren’t happy tears. “The scientists had long range cameras, so they were able to get close-ups of those babies. They were hanging onto their mothers and nursing. It was beautiful.” Her head shook from the wonderment of it, as her tears started to fall silently down the curve of her cheeks.

  “Because of the drought, the females didn’t have enough water to sustain their breast milk production. Once it got to that point, their supply dried up. As a result, the babies started to die one after the other until there were none left. I didn’t understand why the researchers didn’t give them water.” She brushed the tears away only to have more fall in their place.