by Simone Pond
“Actually, after some of the stuff I’ve seen, that sounds great.” I got up and dragged a chair over next to the desk.
Sibyl sat next to me and we continued with the searches, this time starting with Esther Townsend.
Chapter Twelve
Sibyl
On Friday morning, I woke up early to the sound of Vago panting in my face. After a few minutes of his hot breath, my watch alarm started chiming.
Woof!
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re jealous of this new watch of mine …” I rolled out of bed and my feet hit the floor.
Vago tapped my hand with his head to show me he had my fuzzy slippers in his mouth. He dropped them at my feet, then woofed again.
“Okay, you’ve proven you’re much better than the watch. Weren’t you the one who wanted me to set it up? Don’t worry, it won’t replace you, buddy.” I laughed, petting his head.
His soft blue spirit lit up as he pranced out of the room, leading me to the kitchen. It was eight o’clock and though I had gone to bed only a few hours earlier, I felt alive with a renewed energy. We had found some interesting information during our internet searches and something that felt like hope had been restored. If all went according to our new plan, we’d get the city hall meeting handled; we might even figure out why we had visions in the first place. And if we were lucky, we might get a lead on Vago’s past.
In the kitchen, I poured a cup of coffee from the automatic maker, saying a prayer of gratitude to Aunt Ruthie for always remembering to set the timer. I took a few sips to get my brainwaves pulsing. Instead of turning on the news, I searched through the kitchen drawers for a pair of sunglasses. I had forgotten to wear them the previous day when we went to the town square, but I wouldn’t make that mistake twice. With the sunglasses masking my closed eyes, I could go about my business without people stopping to stare at the weird blind girl. With my eyes shut, I wouldn’t encounter any of those evil Spirit Handlers.
Vago padded around my feet, but I ignored him until I landed on the drawer containing my spare sunglasses. As I fingered the large plastic frames, memories swept over me. Mostly of that first month after the accident when Aunt Ruthie would drop me off at the school to study with Esther Townsend. The sunglasses were my shield from the outside world, and now that I was returning to it, I needed my protection. Mrs. Townsend wouldn’t allow me to wear the sunglasses in her presence, saying I needed to open my eyes. After talking with Vago while we searched the internet, I had come to the resounding conclusion that Mrs. Townsend definitely played a part in whatever was going on beneath the surface of Coastview. Her role was yet to be determined.
We had searched about the history of her school for the blind as well as her family history, gathering our first kernels of information. Esther Townsend was born and raised in Coastview, and her family went several generations back. The house where she had established her school had been built in the late 1800s, but the land had been purchased many years before. Being the only daughter of a blind woman, Esther learned to be of assistance at a very young age. She carried this gift throughout her life, helping hundreds of others with visual disabilities. She was a spiritual woman and believed in spreading love and kindness to all. It’s no wonder her school was called Agape Sight (meaning love). As Vago read the details about Esther Townsend, a warm feeling had started to settle over me. Though we were still in the dark, we believed we were on the right path to solving our supernatural mystery.
For a few minutes, upon discovering the spiritual side of Esther’s life, Vago and I had given each other high-fives and applauded the internet. We were silenced the second he came across her obituary.
Esther Townsend had passed away in the late spring due to “natural causes.” We found that incredibly suspicious. Especially since she was a healthy woman of sixty-four years old. Her bio mentioned her daily yoga practice, her hiking groups—she swam in the ocean with some Polar Bear Club during the winter months! No way did she die of natural causes. Esther’s passing had the markings of supernatural foul play written all over it.
Vago continued reading Esther’s obituary, his voice monotone. Our hope had been snatched right out from under our fingertips. She had left her family home to her sole remaining grandson, twenty-year-old Elijah (Eli) Townsend, who had recently relocated to Coastview to take over the estate. Some levity returned to Vago’s voice. A new kernel of hope: the grandson.
Vago dug deeper into the internet, finding out that Eli was recently employed at the Coastview Public Library and was planning to attend Hillside University in the fall as a sophomore. Out of the slew of schools that had offered me a full scholarship to play softball, I had selected Hillside. Not because I wanted to stay close to home, but because of their amazing Biomedical Sciences program. My plans had been to become a veterinarian. Of course, that had changed.
I never even walked across the stage at high school graduation. They mailed my diploma since I had already taken all the classes I needed to graduate. I could’ve attended school in the fall, but I never returned Hillside’s calls or emails. I figured why bother? Instead, I decided to spend what would’ve been my freshman year of college in the back yard with Vago. Now another fall semester was approaching, and I still didn’t feel ready.
Vago found Eli’s work email address, and in a moment of bravery coupled with sleep deprivation, I sent him an email asking if he could meet up for coffee on Friday morning. A very bold move for a girl who hadn’t been on a “date” in over a year. I used to meet my boyfriend, Jack, at the Coffee Connection at least twice a week before he broke up with me. I really missed their coffee. I sort of missed Jack. I think I missed having a boyfriend more than the boy himself. Flirting. Kissing. Holding hands. Daydreaming about the future. I missed every single thing about dating. Nothing against Aunt Ruthie or Vago—they were wonderful and loyal companions—but there’s just something blissful about falling in love with a boy.
Why I even entertained this thought with regard to Eli Townsend, I have no idea. Call it a sixth sense. After all, I have the ability to see the future. As Vago was describing Eli that night, a smile spread across my face. The kind I hadn’t felt in a long time.
But now, sitting at the kitchen table, all the excitement I had felt at three in the morning started morphing into anxiety. The two cups of coffee swirled around in my gut like a blender chopping ice. What if Eli thought I was some crazy cyber-stalker girl? Or what if he didn’t have the same affinity toward the blind as his grandmother? What if he met up with me and concluded that I was an even bigger weirdo than the rumors said? Having an intimate conversation with a stranger suddenly seemed like a terrible idea. I mean … if he even responded to my email. Which he probably wouldn’t. He’d see my email, read it, roll his eyes, and hit delete.
My watch dinged, causing me to leap out of my chair.
A new email had arrived!
“Vago, come here,” I whispered.
His paws ticked across the tiles and he rested his snout on my leg.
“I just got an email.”
Woof.
“I’m going to play it. Okay?”
Woof!
I instructed the watch to play the email message. The robotically monotone voice read:
Hi Sibyl,
Thanks for your message. Losing my grandmother was a devastating shock. I appreciate your words of sympathy. I remember her talking about you. She talked about her students whenever I came to visit. Anyway, I’m working at the library this morning, but I could meet you at the coffee shop around noon. Let me know if that works.
Eli
I replied that noon would be perfect. Now, I just needed to find something to wear.
Vago followed me to my bedroom. He stood nearby as I stared blankly into the black hole of my closet. Fortunately, Aunt Ruthie had organized my clothes by style, color and combination, and labeled the hangers with tag descriptions in braille. Way too many options to consider. Should I go casual with
shorts and a t-shirt? Or a cute summer dress? Jeans and a nice top? I was so nervous, but not sure why. It wasn’t like this was my first time meeting a guy for coffee. But it had been a long time. And it was my first time as a blind person. I wanted to make a good first impression, but I also didn’t want to look like I was trying too hard. Eli was studying to be a doctor, worked at the library, managed his grandmother’s estate. His list of credentials was impressive compared to my lack of them.
Woof!
Vago brought me back to the moment, clearly irritated with my inability to figure out what to wear. He didn’t need to worry about the finer points of first impressions. Most people love dogs at first sight. I’d have to work a lot harder.
“All right. I just … oh, forget it,” I said.
His wet nose nudged my hand, guiding me toward the right side of the closet. He wedged his snout between some clothes. Was he showing me what to wear? I reached out, but he moved my hand over to the next batch of clothes. Yes, he was selecting my outfit. Touching the tag, the description read: sky blue sundress with straps, goes to knee, matching white cardigan, silver sandals.
“A dog with good taste,” I teased, patting Vago’s head.
After I showered and tied my hair into a side braid that hung loosely over my right shoulder, I scribbled a note for Aunt Ruthie. I explained that Vago and I were going for coffee, and we’d be back around one o’clock, and she should text me if she needed anything. I grabbed my sunglasses, programmed my watch and headed outside with Vago. He barked every time the watch gave me instructions, so I turned it off if he promised to behave and not run into the middle of a busy road like the previous day.
As we strolled down Church Street, a warm summer breeze kissed my cheeks, carrying with it the scent of jasmine and fresh cut grass. Someone was frying eggs and bacon. Birds chirped in the trees above. I felt like I was gliding over the sidewalk. Floaty-like. That feeling of optimism had returned. The evil presence that had been weighing down the atmosphere the previous evening had vanished. Thank God.
Still I shut my eyes as we approached the town square. “Hey, Vago. You know what we completely forgot to talk about?”
Woof.
“Chief Pike.”
Woof!
“I couldn’t get a read on him at all. He didn’t have a spirit. Nothing at all. He was just a giant shadow. And that impromptu lunch yesterday was awkward. I can’t believe Aunt Ruthie told him about my visions. Nice move on the distraction, by the way. But he’s definitely suspicious of me. I don’t trust him. So I’m going to avoid the hell out of him, for sure.”
Woof!
Vago was in agreement. We’d need to discuss it later that night when he shifted. I set a reminder on my watch so we wouldn’t forget again. Something about Pike was slanted, like a picture tipped slightly too high to the right.
As we made the approach to city hall, I adjusted my sunglasses and squeezed my eyes tighter to ensure I kept them that way. Running on a few hours of sleep and only coffee, I didn’t have the strength to contend with any supernatural bullshit at the moment. I needed to focus on getting the meeting moved or relocated, and convincing someone to look into potential bomb threats from protest groups.
Careful not to stub my toes, I took each step with caution. The ambient sounds surged all around me. People shouting into their phones as they passed, conversations along the perimeter of the courtyard, laughter, coughing, horns honking, the local trolley dinging. From behind my sunglasses with my eyes closed, it was just a regular summer day.
Vago led the way as we crossed the threshold from the busy morning into the quiet, air-conditioned building of city hall. The only noise came from the echo of shoes clapping against the tiles and phones ringing in the cavernous lobby. After about twenty paces, Vago stopped and nudged my hand with his snout, letting me know we had reached the information desk. I breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Can I help you?” a woman asked in a snippy tone.
“Hi, I’m here to talk to someone about the town meeting on Monday, August 21st,” I said.
“We have lots of meetings. Can you be more specific?”
“The one about the vote regarding the multiplex,” I said.
“Oh, the big one. What can I help you with?” she asked, though her voice sounded anything but helpful.
“I need to talk to someone about changing the date of the meeting.” I didn’t go into the bomb threat with the lady. I’d save that discussion for the city manager.
She let out a cackle. “Let me assure you, that’s not going to happen.”
I cleared my throat and lifted my chin to feign some confidence. “Still, I’d like to speak to the city manager or whoever is handling the meeting.”
She cleared her throat louder. “Listen, I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not speaking to anyone about anything. So why don’t you and your dog leave before I call security.”
Shocked by her brazen and nasty attitude, I inadvertently opened my eyes. What a mistake that turned out to be! Before me stood a shimmering black shadow with yellow fire twisting up the middle right into its flaming, baleful eyes. A screech slipped from my mouth without any advanced warning. A loud one. I had never encountered anything so disturbing within such close proximity. I recoiled from the heat and vileness that exuded from the beast. The woman or creature—whatever it was—snarled at me like a demon from hell, sending forth the putrid stench of rotting flesh and something else. What was it? The stringent citrus scent grappled in my nose. Oranges and grain alcohol?
As I backed away, I made the mistake of glancing around at the surrounding blackness. More of the evil Spirit Handlers whirled into the lobby and festooned the balconies and archways. They were coming from everywhere! Vago started growling and barking, standing in front of me like a protective shield. I admired his courageousness, but we needed to get the hell out of there before those things made contact.
“Run, Vago! Now!”
He yanked me forward, pulling me out of the building and down the stairs to the sidewalk. We ran across the street to the park and hid behind what felt like a giant oak tree.
Chapter Thirteen
Sibyl
The park was quiet and calm. Free and clear of any evil Spirit Handlers. By that time of morning, most people were already tucked away at their desks and busy at work. At the moment, the huge park that sat in the middle of our town square was empty except for a few moms pushing their babies in strollers, or an occasional jogger. The only supernatural activity was their pleasant, colorful spirits that glittered and shimmered.
Once we were sure none of the Spirit Handlers had followed us out of city hall, Vago led me to a bench where I could settle my nerves. He seemed pretty jittery himself as he trembled under his thick coat of chocolate brown fur. I patted the bench, knowing he wanted to be closer for comfort. The sun’s warm rays dappled through the trees and heated my skin. Deep breaths. Deep, calming breaths. That was all I could do for a little while. After my anxiety returned to its typical low-grade operating level, I thought about what we had just encountered at city hall. I’d never seen such a massive amount of those obnoxious slithering oil spills. The town was teeming with the evil beings. Over the previous year, while I was hanging out in my back yard, their armies had quadrupled and somehow it seemed like my fault. Guilt crushed my shoulders like a plank of wood. I should’ve been fighting them off instead of hiding away from the world. But fighting with what? My curve ball? It’s not like anyone had given me a supernatural handbook on taming evil spirits once I inherited this ability to see them.
I touched the face of my watch; the time read ten o’clock, which meant we had another two hours before meeting with Eli Townsend at the Coffee Connection. What were we supposed to do for two hours? Going back into city hall was out of the question. Not until I knew how to equip myself against those creepy crawlers. I was hoping Eli would have a slew of answers for me.
“I guess we could go to the coffee shop
early,” I told Vago.
Woof.
Vago jumped off the bench and guided me in the direction of the scent of roasting coffee beans. The rich peppery aroma brought back a flood of memories. Hanging out with my teammates after practice, or sitting outside at a table with my ex-boyfriend Jack on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
As we approached the cafe, a few spirits lit up like multi-colored sparklers around the front patio. Nothing to be concerned about, since they were of the good variety. Pausing at the door, I heard whispers trailing behind me. Probably former classmates on college break or local residents shocked to see me out and about. Dread began to seep between each bone of my ribcage, making my chest heavier by the second. I wanted to turn around and run home, but Vago wasn’t going to allow any more of my timid behavior. In fact, he tugged at his leash, forcing me to go inside the coffee shop. He won out because I lost my footing—not used to the sandals—and tripped through the entrance. My face burned with the heat of a thousand flames, but I steadied myself and moved into line.
A tap at my shoulder jerked me forward with a gasp. To say I was on edge was putting it mildly.
“Hi Sibyl. It’s Marlo Knight. From school. We had AP biology together.”
Marlo’s spirit radiated like a glistening pool of turquoise. Something like you’d see surrounding the Galápagos Islands. Pure and fresh. I had always liked Marlo. One of the brightest minds in our grade. I think she was studying to be a physicist. She had her future all mapped out.
“Of course, I remember you, Marlo! Nice to see, I mean, nice to … ugh. This is why I don’t go out,” I said with a grin.
“Well, it’s good to see you. I think about you all the time.”
Surprised by her statement, I asked, “Why?”
“You were a huge inspiration for me. Not just your grades and softball, but your vision. You always knew exactly what you were going to do with your life.”