by Annie Adams
As I sat, holding hands with Alex and Audra, I felt an unusual kind of calm slowly drifting through and eventually filling the room. And then I had a new feeling, which I can only describe as the flow of energy. It seemed to be passing through me. It was coming from my hands and then going through my arms. It felt the way a drink of hot cocoa on a cold day flows down your throat coating and soothing and warming your whole body. Once the energy passed through my body, it flowed through the other arm and moved on to the next person.
The energy felt circular, but it moved in both directions, coming and leaving through both of my hands. In that moment, I didn’t try to analyze what was happening, I just let myself feel it, which, looking back is quite a feat. Because my usual self would have felt silly and stopped to look around to watch what was happening to the people around me, or to see if they noticed something strange about me and then the magic would have disappeared. If that’s what it was.
K.C.’s voice interrupted the quiet, but not enough to ruin the mood. She asked if a spirit from the house would join us and let their presence be known by disrupting the water in the glass in the center of the table. One of the lamps was nearby and the flame—as much as it could be considered a flame, since it was battery operated—flickered in an almost hypnotic dance.
K.C. implored the spirit once again, this time her voice louder and more bold. It was probably a trick of my imagination, but the candle light seemed to flicker faster, and I could feel it in my heart rate. The two seemed to be beating together in synchronicity.
I felt my grip tightening in both Audra and Alex’s hands, and theirs did the same. I watched the champagne flute as K.C. implored the spirit a third time, even louder.
I was caught up in staring at the glass, thinking that the water was going to spill out at any moment. Suddenly something grabbed my attention.
I don’t know if I heard a sound, or saw movement, but I looked up, directing my gaze at the gap between K.C. and Audra. I didn’t exactly know if I saw anything at first, but then, the dark outline of a person formed in my vision.
Someone screamed and all the lights went out at the same time.
No one said anything for a few beats, but then Alex let go of my hand, and after a few seconds more, the overhead light came on. Alex stood next to the light switch, but he looked back toward the table, his mouth open, as if in surprise.
I surveyed my surroundings. K.C. and Audra, who still gripped my hand like a vice, were sitting at the game table. And Pam was gone.
Acknowledgement
Thank you to Paula, Amy, Carol, Jeane, Cindy and Mary for help with reading and proofing this book!
And thanks to you—the reader!
Also by Annie Adams
The Flower Shop Mystery Series
In order
***
*Prequel* Death and a Dozen Roses (An Aunt Rosie Story)
The Final Arrangement (Book 1)
Deadly Arrangement (Book 2)
A Christmas Arrangement (Book 3)
Flowers, Food, and Felonies at the New Year’s Eve Jubilee
*Serialized* Ten Little Bridesmaids (Episode 1)
(Episodes 2-9)
About the Author
Annie Adams is the author of The Flower Shop Mystery Series, a cozy mystery series with a kick! She lives with her husband and two giant dogs, Stella the Great Dane Princess and Wilson the Wacky Labrador in Northern Utah at the foot of the Wasatch Mountains. When not writing she can be found arranging flowers or delivering them in her own Zombie Delivery Van. She's a member of Romance Writers of America, the Utah chapter of RWA (URWA), the Kiss of Death chapter of RWA (KOD) and The League of Utah Writers.
Connect with Annie online:
Twitter/annieadamsauthr
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www.annieadamstheauthor.com
[email protected]
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All the Best,