by Cege Smith
“Ellie, it’s just a game. We’re having a slumber party here. We will just be playing a game,” Kevin argued. “Have a glass of wine and let’s have some fun.”
“Don’t you think pretending to contact the dead is a little bit morbid considering the circumstances?” she said heatedly.
“Maybe, but we’re already in kind of a morbid mood, don’t you think?” Kevin countered. “Besides, I found something else upstairs in the closet that might pique your interest.”
Kevin pulled out a piece of paper. Ellie could see from her position in the doorway that it looked like a newspaper clipping, but it was obvious that in order to read it she’d have to get closer. Unable to contain her curiosity, she moved toward Kevin. He didn’t move from the couch, but continued to hold the article outstretched in his arm.
Finally, she moved to the opposite couch and snatched the piece of paper out of his hand. She sat down to read it and she could feel Kevin watching her carefully.
PROMINENT COUPLE VANISHES. FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED, read the article’s title. It was from the local paper and was dated November 12, 1914. Ellie was amazed at the paper’s condition considering it was almost a hundred years old.
She looked at Kevin. “What is this, National Enquirer circa 1914?”
His shrug was unreadable. “There’s more to the story than Linda told us,” he said.
Ellie looked back down at the article and continued to read.
Neighbors in the high-class Lake of Isles community have
confirmed reports of screams coming from the Joseph Bradford
home earlier this week. Police officials are refusing to comment
beyond the fact that they have been unable to locate Joseph
Bradford or his wife, Lillian. The couple was last seen at
a dinner party that they hosted a week ago. A guest at the party
said that the couple had been arguing over some financial matters.
The couple excused themselves early and asked the guests to leave.
The Bradfords moved to Minneapolis last year after Joseph
Bradford purchased shares in a mining operation on the Iron Range
in Northern Minnesota. Joseph Bradford’s partner, William Parker,
has not been in touch with either Bradford since the dinner party.
Attempts to contact the Bradfords at the time of this writing have
proved unsuccessful.
“So do you think that Linda knew about this?” Ellie asked.
“I would think so considering this was stuffed in her closet,” Kevin replied.
Ellie was beginning to understand what Kevin was after. “So what are you getting at here? You want to try to contact the spirits of the Bradfords or something?” Ellie said.
“All in the spirit of entertainment, of course,” Kevin said with a grin. “Plus you don’t believe in this stuff anyway. It probably won’t work.”
“You are truly morbid, Kevin. How old are we?” Ellie said as she gave the article back to him.
“This is good stuff, Ellie; it’s better than any old TV program. Aren’t you the least bit curious about what happened here almost hundred years ago?” Kevin was clearly intrigued.
“We aren’t going to find the answers with a Ouija board.” Ellie shrugged.
“Maybe not, but it makes a good story.” Kevin sipped his wine again. “We can give Melanie some good material for her next book and maybe collect some of the royalties.”
“Money is a good thing.” Ellie grabbed her wine glass and took a sip thoughtfully. “We could always bypass Melanie and write our own book.” She knew that she was letting Kevin see that she was warming to the idea.
“Heck, yeah,” he said. “I’ve been known to be able to string some words together on occasion that even make sense.”
Ellie started to relax. As long as Kevin wasn’t taking the whole thing too seriously, she was able to look past how ridiculous it all seemed. She nodded toward the half empty wine bottle sitting on the end table.
“Fill it up, garçon,” she said.
Kevin obliged, and then filled up his own glass as well. They toasted each other and sat back.
“You in then?” Kevin finally said.
“You do realize this is absolutely ridiculous,” Ellie said, rolling her eyes.
“Sure. But it’ll take your mind off all the other stuff going on. It’s just for fun, Ellie.” Kevin sat up and pulled the indicator out of the box and set it on the board.
“Okay, then.” Ellie sat up as well. “How does this silly thing work?”
“You never did this as a kid?” he asked.
“No, I was always the sensible kid,” Ellie replied.
“You poor, poor girl. No wonder you grew up so serious,” Kevin remarked with a sly grin.
“Let’s say instead that I didn’t waste my time on silly fantasies.”
Kevin ignored her statement and instead started to give her directions. “We need to place our fingertips on the indicator. Once it starts to move, we ask it questions. It will either point to yes or no, or spell out words.”
Ellie rolled her eyes again, but reached out in an imitation of Kevin nonetheless. She touched the indicator lightly with both hands and then looked at Kevin. His aura was shining a brilliant emerald green. He was excited.
“Nothing is happening,” she said.
“Give it a minute,” Kevin said. “We have to see who is around.” At Ellie’s look he sighed. “Work with me here, Ellie. Try closing your eyes.”
Ellie twisted her face into a frown, but did as he asked. After another few moments, she felt the indicator move, pulling her hands with it. She opened her eyes and looked at Kevin.
“It’s not me. You should be able to tell that,” he said.
The indicator moved slowly and then picked up speed, moving into a figure eight pattern.
“It’s ready.” Kevin’s face lit up with expectation.
Ellie tried to sense if he was moving the indicator or not, but didn’t feel any pressure coming from his side of the indicator. It moved along, tracing a figure eight over and over again in a slow, but consistent motion.
“Hello, great spirit. Thank you for being willing to talk to us. We’d like to ask you some questions,” Kevin said to the air around them.
Ellie snorted.
“Shhhh!” Kevin said to her. Once he was certain she wasn’t going to interrupt again he continued. “Are you a man or a woman?”
The indicator danced, and moved over to the word “Yes.”
Kevin and Ellie exchanged confused looks.
“Do you know if you are a man or a woman?” Kevin asked.
“Yes” was the answer.
“These things are a bit tricky,” Kevin whispered to Ellie. “Sometimes you have to take it real slow.”
Ellie rolled her eyes but said nothing. This was all Kevin’s show.
“So if you know, why won’t you tell us?” Kevin jumped back into the questioning.
The indicator paused, as if frustrated. Then it moved to the letters.
“A-N-D,” Kevin and Ellie spelled together.
Ellie considered what it was saying, and then asked, “Are you are saying that there is more than one of you here?” She felt silly addressing the air, but she wanted Kevin to see that she could loosen up when the occasion called for it.
“Yes” was the response.
“Good call, Ellie,” Kevin said. He seemed pleased.
“Are you the woman?” Ellie asked.
“No” this time.
“You are the man?” Kevin asked.
“Yes.”
“But the woman is here too?” he continued.
“Yes.”
“So you both want to talk to us?” Ellie asked.
“Yes.”
Ellie didn’t want to admit it, but she was a bit spooked. She didn’t want to believe in ghosts, but after the day she had had, the memories that had resurfaced, and the combination of the wine with t
he Bradford story, she was starting to think that she could almost believe anything.
“Do you know what happened to the people who used to live here?” Kevin picked up the line of questioning, since Ellie had gotten quiet.
“Yes.”
“Did Joseph Bradford kill his wife?” he asked.
“Kevin!” Ellie was horrified that Kevin went there, although it was a possibility that everyone had considered. She was relieved to see the answer indicator go to “NO.”
“But something bad happened to them.” Kevin’s question was more of a statement.
“Yes.”
“Can we find out what happened to them without using this Ouija board?” Ellie asked, eager now to be done with it.
The indicator paused and Kevin glared at her.
“MAYBE.”
“That is an ambiguous answer,” Ellie said.
“Ouija boards are always ambiguous. That’s part of their allure,” Kevin said. “You really never get a straightforward answer. So your imagination takes over.”
“Do we have to keep doing this?” Ellie asked Kevin. Then the indicator started moving to letters as if to answer her question.
“E-L-L-I-E.”
“Quit that, Kevin. That’s not funny,” she said.
“I didn’t do it.” Kevin appeared to be just as surprised.
“H-E-L-P.”
Ellie took her hands off of the indicator. “Put it away,” she said. “I’m not in the mood for any jokes. This isn’t fun, Kevin.”
Kevin pulled his hands away as well. “I wouldn’t do that to you, Ellie. I’m not cruel like that.”
“Just put it away,” Ellie refused to be drawn into any further discussion about it. She went to sit on the floor next to the fire and stared into the flames.
She heard Kevin behind her, shuffling around.
“I’m tired, Kevin. I think I want to go to sleep,” she said finally.
“Okay.”
“Is it okay if we sleep down here? The couches look comfortable enough,” she said.
“Sure, Ellie, whatever you want,” Kevin replied. He sat down next to her and put his arm around her. “I wasn’t trying to upset you. Honestly. I wanted to help take your mind off of things.”
“I know, Kevin,” she sighed. “But I think sometimes we have to work through this stuff on our own, and that means thinking about things that make us upset. I’m going to need to deal with this thing with Jake at some point whether I want to or not.”
“Okay, Ellie, but I’m here for you,” he said. “I’ll go grab some pillows and blankets, and we’ll get set up here for the night.”
Ellie nodded.
As Kevin moved away, she thought about Jake and Jenny. She’d have to call and see when the funeral was going to be. She could skip it, but that didn’t feel right. At least she didn’t have to deal with having to organize it, she thought, and then felt guilty for thinking that way.
A few minutes later Kevin returned carrying two pillows and two folded-up blankets. “Found these in the hallway closet upstairs,” he said. “It was stocked like a hotel.”
Ellie got up and helped Kevin make up the two couches, and then lay down as Kevin threw a few more pieces of wood into the fire. “That’ll burn for a little bit longer anyway,” he said. Then he lay down too, facing her. They talked quietly.
“Thanks, Kevin. You’ve been a real friend to me today,” she said.
“You don’t need to thank me, Ellie,” he said. “I know you’d do the same for me. I am really sorry about everything that happened with Jake.”
“Thanks,” she said softly. “I’m going to try to sleep now.”
Kevin nodded and then rolled over.
Ellie lay facing him still. She was still awake when his even breathing said that he was asleep. She envied how fast men always seemed to fall asleep. Her brain was working a million miles a minute, but she knew that she was physically and mentally exhausted. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. Sometime later, she finally drifted off.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Ellie woke in her dream. She knew that her body was still on the couch in Linda’s library, but that didn’t deter from the realistic quality of the dream. She was standing in the corner of a small room. The girl from her previous dream, Emma, sat off to her left at a dressing table looking into a mirror and brushing her hair, which was longer than the last time Ellie had seen her. The man that Linda had called Henry paced the length of the room and back again. She was amazed again how much he resembled David.
“Are you all right, dear?” Emma said.
It was obvious to Ellie that Henry was anxious, but she had the advantage of being able to see his bright orange aura tinged with just a bit of purple. He was worried about something.
“Things are getting too damn close for comfort,” he answered.
“It will all turn out okay,” Emma assured him. “I can feel it, Henry. This is just what we needed to get us back on track.”
He looked up from his pacing and Ellie watched their eyes meet in the mirror. Henry came up behind Emma and put his hands on her shoulders.
“How did I ever get so lucky as to have such a beautiful wife?” he asked.
“I have no idea,” she laughed.
He kissed the top of her head. “You had better hurry up. Your sister is expecting us soon.”
“Yes, Lillian hates it when people are late,” she agreed.
Ellie was shocked to hear the name. Could they be talking about Lillian Bradford? Was David right that she was creating a reality in her dreams based on the Bradford story? The scene grew fuzzy, and she had the sense that time had shifted.
Now she was standing in the foyer of Linda’s house but everything was different. The house had that new feeling of a home just recently completed. People were everywhere, laughing and drinking. Emma and Henry were ushered through the door. A butler arrived at Henry’s shoulder, and Ellie saw that he looked a lot like Jeffrey.
Henry helped Emma out of her jacket and handed it along with his jacket to the man, who promptly disappeared.
“Emma!” she heard a familiar voice say. She turned and there was young Linda coming toward them.
“Lillian,” Emma replied. They kissed each other’s cheeks, and then Lillian greeted Henry.
“You are looking as dashingly handsome as ever,” Lillian said to him.
Ellie decided that since it was a dream, it was easier to stop struggling and watch and observe. It was just a dream after all. It didn’t surprise her then when Randall appeared at Linda’s side, and she heard Emma say, “Joseph. It is good to see you again.”
Ellie shifted uncomfortably as she saw Randall embrace Emma and hold her just a few seconds longer than Ellie thought was appropriate. Then he released her and clasped Henry’s hand. Ellie watched Emma’s face and saw that her smile was strained and it didn’t reach her eyes. Her aura was tinged pink with alarm. Emma didn’t like Randall any more than Ellie did.
“Should I be jealous, old man?” Randall winked at Henry.
Henry laughed. “No more so than I should be of you. Your house is lovely.”
As the two couples moved deeper into the house, Ellie felt time shifting again. Then they were in the library, and Joseph and Lillian were speaking in hushed tones in the corner. Henry and Emma were standing next to the fireplace watching them. Henry took Emma’s hand and Ellie moved closer to hear their conversation.
“It will be all right, dear. There is nothing to worry about,” he said.
Emma nodded and sat down, turning toward Ellie. The awkwardness of her movement caused Ellie to look down. She saw that Emma’s stomach was swollen. She was very pregnant.
“Do you feel all right?” Henry asked with a concerned expression on his face.
“Yes, I’m fine. Little Henry Junior is just kicking up a storm,” Emma replied with a smile.
Henry looked delighted. Even though she was on the outside, Ellie could feel the warmth and love that passed
between them.
“I promise I won’t be gone long,” he said, touching Emma’s stomach. “I’m sure that Joseph and Lillian will take very good care of you and Henry Jr.”
“Of course,” Emma answered. They looked up as the other couple approached them.
“The arrangements have been made,” Joseph said to Henry. Lillian moved to Emma’s side as the men started to talk in hushed tones.
“How are you feeling, dear sister?” Lillian asked.
“I feel good,” Emma said, and Ellie could tell that she did. “It shouldn’t be long now. I hope that Henry gets back before the baby comes.”
“I’m sure that he will. Joseph would go himself, but with the authorities keeping such a close eye on things, we can’t risk it now,” Lillian said. Ellie watched Lillian look at Emma’s stomach with longing.
“I know that things have been difficult for you,” Emma said. “Are you sure it is okay for me to stay here?”
“We’ll just have to keep you out of the public eye. That’s all. We’ve come too far in our plans to let anything slip now,” Lillian answered.
“I can’t believe that anyone would accuse Joseph of something so horrible,” Emma said.
Ellie, the silent observer, wondered what that meant.
“It is all rumor and speculation. No one can prove anything,” Lillian said.
This time Emma remained silent. The men had turned their attention to the women again.
“It is all settled. Henry is leaving immediately,” Joseph told them.
Ellie saw tears welling up in Emma’s eyes, but the woman refused to let them fall. Ellie admired her strength.
Time shifted again, and Ellie saw that there was a telegram in Emma’s hands. This time the tears were falling freely, and Joseph was holding her up as her heavy body sagged.
“It can’t be true,” she cried.
Lillian’s anguished face came into view.
“Joseph, help Emma upstairs. I’m afraid this news may send her into labor.”
Joseph picked her up and carried her up the stairs.
Ellie woke up. The tears still streamed down her face from her dream. She wiped them away. The vividness of her dream refused to fade. She still felt the immense sadness weighing on her, threatening to pull her underneath its heavy tow. She had seen the words on the telegram right before the dream had faded away. The final sentence read: HENRY MISSING. PRESUMED DEAD.