Miraculous: Tales of the Unknown

by Krystal McLaughlin

  Jeremy looked skeptically at his wife. "Is it possible?"

  "Dad?" Jacob said hesitantly, as much trying out his new voice as to get his father’s attention.

  Jeremy and Leeanne converged on their once-silent child, reveling in this miraculous moment, and savoring it for all it was worth.

  It was now that their lives would begin. And Jacob's too. Because he had a purpose, a destiny to fulfill. And he had a voice. He felt different, stronger somehow.

  He really had no idea what life had in store for him or what the future held. But he did know that he would embrace it. He would live his life and finally be free.

  Something

  By: DL Kelly

  © 2013 by DL Kelly

  Chapter 1

  It was the day before Halloween and Agnes expected something. She wasn’t exactly sure what—just… something. Wasn’t Halloween her favorite holiday? Didn’t she decorate the whole house for Halloween, including the bathrooms? She had a Halloween shower curtain and black rugs, a paper cup holder with a graveyard scene on it, and her collection of witches on the shelf over the radiator. Didn’t she wear Halloween clothing starting on October first, the first day of Halloween in her opinion? She had a sweater with pumpkins on it, a turtleneck with little black cats all over it and many sweatshirts. Even a pair of orange-painted tennies with black bats. She sent Halloween cards and played Halloween music. People might think she was obsessed, and truthfully, she was! She admitted it. It was the best time of the year.

  Sure, she decorated for the other holidays, but not as much. Well, except for Christmas--she knocked herself out decorating for Christmas. The difference was the feeling of scary, mysterious events tied to Halloween. She loved ghost stories that sent chills down her spine. Agnes loved the delicious uneasy feeling a haunted house gave her. She didn’t go to these “scare palaces” set up in October. Give her a real-live haunted house and she was a happy lady.

  Chapter 2

  “Just one little sign, a ghost, preferably. Something to reward me for believing in Halloween,” she remarked to her husband one evening. But lately her husband didn’t say much. She didn’t know if he was becoming deaf, or depressed, or just didn’t give a hoot about what she had to say. He had taken to feeding the dog, which surprised and delighted her. Maybe he was taking a liking to Gisella, a little Llaso Apso/ Golden Retriever mix. She wasn’t much on looks but had a wonderful Golden Retriever personality. Her husband Frank never was interested in the pup, so it was a shock when he started to feed her.

  Her sister Mabel was acting strange lately, too. When Agnes phoned her, Mabel would hang up on her.

  “Did I do something to offend you?” Agnes hollered into the phone before the line went dead. So she paid Mabel a visit, with equally weird results. She pounded on the door until her sister answered. Then Mabel stared out into the yard. Agnes squeezed past her to get in the door. Her sister didn’t say much, either. She cried a lot and didn’t even offer her a cup of tea.

  “Something odd is going on,” she told Gisella when they sat in the park. “Why are they all acting so strange? Is it me? Did I do something to them?” She thought up all sorts of reasons.

  Another of her favorite October pleasures was watching scary movies on TV. Sometimes Frank ignored her, falling asleep in his chair during the best part, but one evening he took the remote and channel-surfed without asking her if she minded, and not even during the commercial.

  “Frank Malenfont, you ignorant jerk! I’ve put up with the silent treatment and your rude behaviors, but don’t you DARE change the channel when I’m in the middle of a good movie! You ungrateful, egotistical…OOOHHHH!! You make me so angry I could just…spit nails!!” Frank never blinked an eye. He stared at the TV as the programs flipped past.

  “I’ve had it with you!” she yelled as she stormed out the door. He did sit up and notice when she slammed the door. She peeked in the window and watched him look around. He got up to check the door, but it was too late. Agnes was leaving.

  She stood in the driveway pondering her next course of action. Agnes realized she had painted herself into the proverbial corner. Here she was--no coat, no car keys, not even the dog. So she decided to take herself for a walk in the park.

  Chapter 3

  The evening had become blustery. Dark clouds scudded past the full moon. Agnes was surprised that she wasn’t colder, but she did have her sweater with the pumpkin on it. She sauntered to the bench she usually sat on with her dog, her anger already fizzled out. She was left feeling puzzled. Why was her husband acting like this? Maybe his back was hurting again. Maybe he should see his doctor tomorrow. She sighed and buried her face in her hands, resting her elbows on her knees.

  She didn’t know what made her look up. She hadn’t heard anything, but felt she wasn’t alone. A man sat on the bench with her! She stifled a shriek and started to jump up when the man said, “I won’t hurt you, Agnes. I’m here to help you.”

  “How do you know my name?”

  “Oh, my dear, I know many things about you. I know you’re having trouble at home.”

  “Huh! Anyone could figure that out. Why would I be sitting alone in the park?”

  “Good point, my dear. But you didn’t bring Gisella, now, did you?”

  “How could you know that?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are you stalking me?” She looked him over, so she could give a good description to the police. He was about medium size--five ten at the most. Longish white hair tied in a ponytail, unusual for an older man. And the clothes! At what church basement rummage sale did he find them? Pants like that went out of style with powdered wigs. Wait a minute--was that a powdered wig on his head?

  Suddenly Agnes laughed out loud! How could she be so stupid? The man was in a Halloween costume! He probably was on his way to a party. The man gave her an odd look.

  “My dear madam, what is wrong?”

  “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I was taken by surprise with your costume. And I hope you win first prize.”

  “I haven’t the least idea of what you’re talking about. But no matter. I’m here to be assistance to you. ”

  “How can you help me? You don’t know me.”

  “I know quite a bit about you. I know you have a husband, Frank, who doesn’t seem as attentive anymore. I know you bring Gisella, the dog, here to the park.”

  “You could’ve overheard me.”

  “In addition, I know you have a sister Mabel who hasn’t been herself, and you’re wondering why. That’s why I’m here.”

  “What’s your name, sir?”

  “Everyone calls me McGee.”

  “Okay, Mr. McGee, what is it that you plan to do for me?”

  “I plan to help you discover some things about yourself. And it’s just McGee. You don’t have to call me Mister. Just McGee.”

  “Okay, McGee. That’s better than calling you the Guy in Funny Clothes. So tell me, McGee, what do you plan to do for me?”

  “As I said, I came to help you understand a few things about yourself. Take a deep breath.”

  Agnes did as she was told, with pleasure. She loved the pungent scent of fall, the leafy autumnal perfume. Strangely, the air wasn’t as fragrant as it had been in past years.

  “Tell me what you smell, Madam.”

  “Well, not too much. I probably have a sinus infection again.” She tapped on her forehead and below her eyes but failed to produce the achy sinus pressure she knew so well. “It must not be bad yet. I’ll call the doctor in the morning.”

  “I’m afraid it won’t do you much good.”

  “You’re right,” she said. “He probably won’t prescribe an antibiotic unless I have symptoms. I’ll have to wait.”

  “Waiting won’t make any difference, either. How is your appetite lately?”

  She mulled over this one. “Not too good. Frank has been cooking lately--I don’t know why. But food doesn’t taste right. I’m probably too upset with him to eat.”

  “Now let’s thin
k about this: Nobody can see you. Food has lost its appeal. You can’t smell this wonderfully scented air. Can you guess why?”

  She sat beside him, staring at the moon. “No, can’t say I do. Suppose you tell me.”

  “Should I be blunt?”

  “Please do,” she sighed. “I’m getting tired of this guessing game.”

  “This is your Halloween surprise. I’m a ghost. I died in 1785, right after your Revolutionary War. And as for you--you’re a ghost, too!”

  Agnes leaped off of the bench. “I am not! What do you mean by that?”

  “It’s true. Dead as a door nail. Dead as the Dead Sea. Do you remember the day you were climbing down out of the attic with your Halloween decorations? You slipped and fell, didn’t you?”

  “I remember…hitting my head. But I didn’t think I was hurt.”

  “You weren’t hurt, silly goose. You died. You had bleeding into your head and never woke up. You never felt any pain.”

  She sat back down beside McGee. “Dead. Now what do I do?”

  “I’m here to take you into the light, as you’ve heard others speak of. But there’s no reason we couldn’t have a little fun first.”

  “What do you mean?”

  He smiled and took her arm, pulling her from the bench. “We can visit your husband. Put him in the Halloween spirit.”

  “You mean haunt him?” she asked, surprised.

  “I prefer to say, we send him greetings from the other side.”

  She grinned as they walked away. “I was hoping for a little Halloween surprise--and this is really Something!”

  Howl at the Moon

  By: Krystal George and Amber Streed

  © 2013 by Krystal George and Amber Streed

  It was a cold and eerie night. The kind of night you should stay inside and curl up under a blanket with a good book, except that I couldn't. As student body president, it was sort of expected that I attend the Homecoming dance even though I didn't have a date...but the burden of what I was becoming was a constant horror that was weighing heavily on my heart. I saw it more and more every day; every time I looked at my sad face in the steam fogged mirror.

  What would people say? What would they think? What was I thinking? I couldn't tell anyone or they'd think I was crazy. This was something out of a horror movie... out of a novel or a play... not real life... As my dad called me from downstairs I straightened my hair and took one last look in the mirror. Tonight was the night that everything would change and no matter what, I had to face it alone.

  My dress was simple; innocent. It was a pale blue slip dress, almost the same color as my eyes. At the time I had thought it complimented me. Now it didn't at all. There was no innocence left inside of me; almost nothing at all left of the girl I was a few days ago. I looked outside my window at the beautiful willow tree in my front yard; knowing that once tonight was over nothing would look the same. The moon would rule me. People wouldn't be anything to me but a means to an end. I would crave innocence and fear; I would feed on blood and life.

  The moon had never meant anything to me before… now it was everything.

  I took one last look at my room; my walls adorned with posters of the bands I love, my bed draped with my favorite old comforter. I loved everything in here and it was time to let it go. I snuck into Kaylee's room to kiss her one last time and to give her one last smell so I would remember her innocence forever.

  "I hope you never have to feel this pain Kaylee. I will love you forever baby girl." I gave her one last look and took a breath to prepare to head downstairs.

  When my dad called again, impatience coloring his voice, I closed my eyes briefly before walking out of her room. Each step down the stairs seemed to be cementing my doom... my fate. I wanted to cry for what I was being forced to leave behind, but there were no tears. I had already cried them. I would not be coming back here tonight. With Kaylee asleep in her bed, there was too much at stake to allow myself the luxury of a home.

  "You look really pretty honey," my mom said from her perch on the couch. She had the same chestnut hair as mine and the same baby blue eyes. I used to think I would end up like her one day. Now I knew that I wouldn't; that I couldn't.

  "Leave her alone Claire, we need to get going," my dad said looking down at his watch. "We're already late!" I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Sure he was annoying, but tonight would be the last night I'd see him. He'd never again get to be annoyed with me and that was hard to accept.

  "Ok dad, fine let's go." I huffed. I kissed my mom on the head and walked out the door in front of my dad. I took one last look at her loving face and turned around before she could see the sadness in my eyes. She always had a way of knowing I was sad before I cried. The car ride was overwhelmingly sad; like he was driving me to my grave. In a sense he was, he just didn't know it yet.

  "Everything okay sweetheart?" He asked.

  "Um, yeah dad. Everything's fine," I replied.

  He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the ignition before turning in his seat to face me. "Boys aren't everything you know." I stared at him blankly, having no idea what he was talking about. He smiled. "It's okay that you don't have a date Lucy."

  I sighed and laughed softly, "I know." Like most problems, mine had started with a boy... but not having a date was the least of my worries.

  This is the way I wanted to remember him; soft, loving and protective. If only he could have protected me that night...the night I was bitten. It had been only two weeks but I still felt it as if it happened yesterday. His beautiful lips on mine in the cold pale light of the moon; the stillness of the air lingered in our throats. And then it happened...

  For a moment I let my mind remember it. Blood red fierce eyes, elongated teeth tearing into the flesh of my neck, his whimpered apologies...

  "Have fun, and if you need a ride home... call me."

  My dad's words pulled me from the confines of my own mind.

  "Thanks Dad. I love you." I said quietly. I grabbed my purse and got out of the car. As I walked to the ballroom of my high school gymnasium, I took one last look at my aging father. I waived one last wave and he smiled one last smile and drove away. My heart will always be imprinted with the memory of him leaving. I walked into the packed room full of flashing lights and loud music, searching for my friends so I could attempt to have one last night of normalcy.

  Paige was dancing with her boyfriend Zach, but Blake was standing alone by the entrance. Like me, she had not gotten asked on a date for the night... but unlike me she had chosen to come instead of being obligated. As I was walking toward her, the lights flashing from the dance floor illuminated her dress and I stopped, sickened by the sight. It was red... blood red, and it reminded me of what was sure to come. I ran to the bathroom, completely aware of the time I had left...ticking away to the beat of the music. I splashed some water on my cheeks and looked at the image staring back at me. All too soon my face would change and I would be a hideous beast. I would forget the friendships I've had since I was small. I would assume them my enemy, my dinner, my prey.

  Talon, I thought, remembering. His name was Talon. I met him at a party. I wouldn't call it a one night stand because the only thing that happened was the bite; but maybe that's what made one night stands so memorable. They changed your life. I know this one changed mine. The first stupid, crazy, irresponsible thing I do and it changes me forever. I wanted to cry, but my eyes were still stubbornly dry. He changed so fast I didn't have time to react. One minute we were kissing and the other minute blood was pouring down my neck. I'm guessing I fainted because the last thing I remember was him screaming up at the moon, teeth barred and stained with my innocent blood. His once beautiful face was misshaped with muscle and hair stretched skin.

  I lay there after it happened and focused on the moon. I was drawn to it in ways that I never had been before. When he lay down beside me and apologized, I reached out to touch my torn skin only to find that it was smooth again. It was... miraculous.
With his back to the moon, his features had been hidden, shadowed… but I knew that he was once again human instead of beast because of the way his body had felt next to mine.

  "What does this mean?" I asked solemnly. My whole life ran through my head like a scene from a movie. I wasn't prepared for it to end.

  "It means, you are one of us now..." he had said in a soft raspy voice that had seemed so familiar and yet so foreign at the same time.

  The door to the restroom slammed against the wall and a crowd of girls walked in. They were chatting and laughing, completely ignoring that I was even there. I wanted to scream at them, but I knew that in time I would miss even these awkward moments.