Phoenix and the Dark Star

by Gerald Pruett

  “How did you know where I live?”

  “I learned how to activate my remote viewing, and I used it to find out where you live,” Ellen said quietly enough so her voice wouldn’t carry outside the bedroom.

  “So are you just here to visit?” Andie asked curiously.

  “I came to visit, and I came to tell you that I might have come up with a way to solve your problem,” Ellen informed. “Well, Sadie did anyway.”

  “Which problem?” Andie questioned.

  “Are we alone?” Ellen asked while examining the room, which was filled with typical bedroom furniture for a teenage girl.

  “Thanks to Eleanor we are,” Andie informed.

  “Eleanor Thorne?” Ellen asked curiously while stepping slightly closer to Andie.

  Andie nodded before saying, “Eleanor is a powerful spirit, and on Halloween night, she shooed away all the ghosts from within the house. Now once I step outside, I’m going to be verbally assailed on by at least three of them. They’re outside the house now and just waiting for me to leave.”

  Ellen nodded in an understanding manner before again saying quietly enough so her voice wouldn’t carry outside the bedroom. “Sadie had created an incantation that will allow you to see ghosts only when you want to see them.”

  “How?” Andie asked eagerly.

  “We’ll cast the incantation on a piece of jewelry, and as long as you wear the charmed jewelry you’ll be blind and deaf to ghosts.”

  “So you’re here for a piece of jewelry?”

  “To make this incantation work properly, we need something from you other than jewelry,” Ellen said sympathetically.

  “What do you need?” Andie asked curiously.

  “We need a few drops of your blood,” Ellen informed. “Your blood will then be smeared onto the selected jewelry prior to casting the incantation.”

  “I can handle a little pin prick,” Andie assured Ellen. Ellen nodded with a grin. “I also would like to watch when you cast the incantation.”

  “I have nothing against that. But will your mom let you come to my house?”

  Andie stuck a bookmark in her book while saying, “Let’s find out.” While leaving the book on her bed, Andie stood up. “Let’s go.”

  “Alright,” Ellen said with a grin before turning and walking into the hall.

  Once in the hall, Ellen allowed Andie to go ahead of her and then followed her to the living room.

  Andie’s mom was just getting off the phone when Ellen and Andie were joining her, Allyson, Sadie, Wesley and Melanie.

  “The fire department is on its way,” Sunita informed.

  “Why is the fire department coming?” Andie asked quickly in a concerned tone.

  “Tigger is up in one of our trees,” Sunita shared. “I called the fire department to come and get him down.”

  “Oh,” Andie let out in a slightly relieved tone. “Are Robin and Maria outside?”

  “They’re still out looking for Tigger,” Sunita said before picking up the phone again. “I’ll call Robin and let him know that Maria’s cat has been found.”

  Andie nodded before saying, “Ellen has invited me over to her house. I would like to go.”

  Sunita gave Andie a curious look as Ellen added, “We can rent and watch a movie.”

  “Ellen, you’re welcome to watch a movie here,” Sunita countered. “We have most of the movie channels, and I can order a movie from movie-on-demand for you and Andie.”

  “Well, I had also bought a magic kit from the hobby shop earlier today, and Andie wants to help me figure out the tricks,” Ellen lied. “But if she can’t come over today, I can always show her the magic tricks later.”

  “Mom, I want to go to Ellen’s house,” Andie quickly insisted. “I want to help Ellen figure out her magic kit.”

  Sunita slightly sighed before saying in a defeated tone, “Alright. I’ll let you go. I’m going to come and get you around eight though.”

  “Alright,” Andie agreed.

  “Go get a piece of paper and a pencil, Andie, so Ellen can write down her address and phone number,” Sunita instructed.

  Andie nodded before walking away. Sunita then finished making her phone call to Robin.

  After Andie returned with the paper and a pencil, Ellen wrote down her contact information and handed it to Sunita.

  As Sunita was looking at what she was handed, the sound of a heavy truck pulling up outside was heard, accompanied by radio chatter.

  “It sounds like the fire department, already,” Ellen said while walking towards the window that looked out into the front yard. “They didn’t waste any time getting here.”

  “The fire station isn’t far from here,” Melanie said as Ellen looked out the window.

  “I better get out there and greet them,” Sunita said while putting Ellen’s contact information down next to the phone.

  When Sunita left the house, Ellen, Andie, Allyson, Sadie, Wesley and Melanie followed her out.

  The lead fireman met Sunita midway. Once Sunita pointed out Tigger to the fireman, the fireman and his crew went to work.

  Robin and Maria returned before a ladder could be hoisted up to Tigger’s level, and once a fireman was inches from reaching Tigger, Tigger leaped onto the fireman’s chest.

  The fireman wasn’t prepared for Tigger’s sudden jump, and was slow to react. When Tigger hit the fireman’s chest, Tigger grabbed and held onto the fireman’s uniform with his claws.

  The fireman flinched slightly when Tigger grazed his skin beneath his uniform. The spectators were given a slight scare and had nervously moaned when the fireman had almost fallen from the ladder. The fireman quickly regained his balance and took hold of Tigger within seconds.

  Ellen—as with everyone else—let out a sigh of relief when she saw that neither the fireman nor Tigger had fallen.

  Maria was standing in hearing distance to Ellen and had heard Ellen when Ellen had told Allyson and Sadie, “I guess I shouldn’t have been thinking that Tigger should go to the fireman.”

  “You think that you had caused that little scare?” Maria asked Ellen.

  Ellen looked indifferently at Maria for a slight moment before shaking her head and saying in an uncertain tone, “That would make me sound like a crackpot if I did.”

  Maria gave Ellen a curious look. Before she could respond with more than that, the rescuing fireman asked, “Okay, whose kitten is this?”

  “Mine,” Maria announced as she turned towards the fireman.

  After the fireman came off the ladder, he stepped up to Maria and handed her the kitten while saying, “Here you go, young lady.”

  “Thanks for getting him down,” Maria told him.

  “Dr. Cornell, since the excitement here is over, Sadie, Ellen and I… and Andie will go,” Allyson said. “And I’ll see you at eight when you come and get Andie.”

  “Alright,” Sunita agreed before turning towards Andie, who appeared fidgety. “Call me, Andie, if you need to.”

  “I will,” Andie said with a nod, while appearing slightly anxious. “But I won’t need to.”

  Sunita grinned before saying, “Okay. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “See ya,” Andie said followed by the others, one after the other.

  Once everyone’s ‘see you later’ was said, Ellen, Allyson, Sadie and Andie got into the SUV.

  Just as Allyson was driving away, Sadie asked, “Is your mom from the United States, Andie?”

  “She is,” Andie said in a shy voice.

  “Why are you asking Andie that?” Ellen asked.

  “Andie’s mom greatly favors my next door neighbor, and my neighbor is originally from India,” Sadie shared.

  “My grandfather—my mom’s dad—and my grandfather’s mom had moved to the United States from India when he was five,” Andie replied.

  “What’s your mom’s maiden name?” Sadie asked.

  “Middleton,” Andie said simply.

  “Middleton is not a family name
that is normally found in India,” Sadie pointed out.

  “Before my grandfather had turned seven, his mom had married an American, and that American had adopted my grandfather.”

  “Do you know your grandfather’s birth name?” Sadie asked.

  Andie shook her head before saying, “I just know my grandfather’s name as Robin Middleton.”

  “So your brother was named after your grandfather,” Ellen guessed.

  “He was,” Andie agreed.

  “Were you named after anyone?” Ellen asked.

  “My mom had two brothers,” Andie shared. “One older and one younger. My mom’s older brother was a fireman, and he died in a job related accident two days before I was even born, and I was named after him.” When Ellen remorsefully bowed her head, Andie continued. “Who are you named after?”

  Ellen slightly grinned before saying, “No one. My mom had made a list of girl names that she liked best, and the name ‘Ellen’ was one of them.”

  “So was your mom able to use any of the other names?” When Ellen hesitated remorsefully, Andie continued with, “I mean, do you have any sisters… or brothers?”

  “I knew what you were asking,” Ellen informed politely. “And they’re dead—four brothers and a sister.”

  “How?” Andie asked quickly without thinking. Before Ellen could answer, Andie continued quietly and shyly, “Which isn’t really any of my business.”

  “It’s fine. I don’t mind you knowing,” Ellen assured her. Ellen then took a breath before telling her how her siblings had died.

  Once Ellen was done, things became quiet for a brief moment.

  Andie was the one to break the quiet while saying, “I like that excuse that you came up with; about you buying a magic kit.”

  “Actually, I did buy a magic kit,” Ellen informed. “Devon—someone who you will soon meet when we get to the house—had advised me to take up stage magic as a hobby. That way if people see me practicing witchcraft in public, they’ll think that it’s a part of my bag of tricks.”

  “Smart,” Andie said.

  “I thought so too,” Ellen agreed before starting a casual conversation.

  At Harris and Allyson’s house, Harris, Blaire, Devon, Trevor and Galvin were talking in the living room.

  Harris, Devon and Galvin were sitting on the couch. Trevor was on the love seat and Blaire was sitting in the armchair. Sonya was asleep in her bed with a radio playing next to her at a comfortable volume. The receiving end of the baby monitors was setting on the end table closest to the armchair.

  As Ellen and the others stepped into the living room, Harris informed, “Everett and then Karla had called, Ellen.”

  “Thanks. I’ll call them back,” Ellen said before gesturing. “Before I do, this is Andie.”

  “Hi, Andie,” everyone said.

  Blaire continued by introducing everyone who Andie didn’t know.

  Once the introductions were through, Ellen gestured towards the kitchen and announced, “I’m going to call Everett and Karla back, and then we’ll do that spell.”

  “Okay,” Allyson, Harris and Sadie said.

  When Ellen walked towards the kitchen, Blaire stood up and took a step away from the chair.

  “Here. Have a seat.” Blaire told Andie while gesturing towards the chair.

  Andie nodded before walking towards it.

  “Sadie, does Andie remind you of anyone?” Blaire asked in a tone as if she was trying to place her.

  “My next door neighbor,” Sadie supplied as Andie was taking the seat. “And if you think Andie favors her, you should see Andie’s mother. I think her mother and my neighbor could pass for sisters if not twins.”

  “Are you of Indian descent, Andie?” Blaire asked.

  Andie nodded before saying shyly, “My grandfather came here from India when he was a boy.”

  “You and Sadie’s neighbor could be related,” Blaire suggested as Andie began looking around the room, as if she was looking for something. “What’s wrong, Andie?”

  Andie faced Blaire before saying shyly, “I hear music.”

  Blaire gestured towards the baby monitor before saying, “It’s coming from that. I put Sonya—Harris and Allyson’s niece—down for a nap a short time ago, and she wouldn’t lie there quietly without music playing.”

  Andie just gave an acknowledging nod.

  “How long have you been seeing ghosts, Andie?” Trevor asked.

  Andie looked towards him before answering shyly, “I don’t remember never seeing them.”

  “Are there any ghosts here?” Devon asked.

  Andie shook her head before saying shyly, “They can sense that you all are sorcerers and sorceresses, and they fear all of you.”

  “They fear us?” Blaire questioned incredulously.

  “Most of them do,” Andie said shyly. “They fear what you could do to them if you tried.” Andie then slightly grinned. “The three ghosts in my yard wouldn’t come twelve feet near me when Ellen and Sadie were standing at my side.”

  “Do ghosts enter your house?” Blaire asked.

  Andie again grinned while saying, “They used to, but on Halloween night, Eleanor—a spirit of one of Ellen’s ancestors—had shooed them away. They do remain outside the house and wait for me to leave.”

  “Since they fear us, they didn’t follow you here,” Trevor assumed.

  “They stayed behind; waiting for me to return,” Andie said.

  “Andie,” Sadie called. When Andie turned to look, Sadie continued with, “I agree that you need temporary escapes from the ghosts, but ghosts are Earthbound for a reason. They know that you can see and hear them, and if you completely shut them out, you could unintentionally turn a harmless spirit into an angry and dangerous poltergeist. So I suggest that you set aside a time of day to speak to them and try to help them if you can. And of course I mean to do it when there’s no one around to see you and to think that you’re insane.”

  “Most of what they want though I can’t give them,” Andie said shyly.

  “What do they want?” Trevor asked.

  “When I was ten, one of my classmates was hit by a car and died,” Andie began. “His ghost showed up at school the next day. He knew that he was dead, and when he saw that I could see him, he wanted me to kill his dog. He didn’t want to go without his dog. I refused. He got upset, and he wouldn’t leave me alone about it. I got into trouble by the teacher for talking in class and sent home. The next day, I pretended to be sick and was able to stay home. When I did go back to school, my classmate’s ghost was gone. I don’t know where he went, but I was glad that he was gone.”

  “Were there other ghosts that you couldn’t help?” Blaire asked.

  “Most of the time, they ask me to pass on a message to someone—a family member usually,” Andie began shyly. “I had tried twice, and both times the person who I was talking to had gotten upset with me. They didn’t believe that I was seeing and speaking with ghosts. One had complained to my mom. Soon after that was when my parents took me to see a psychiatrist.”

  “So you don’t pass on messages anymore?” Trevor assumed.

  “I write and mail letters without a return address now,” Andie explained. “Sometimes that’s enough for the ghosts and they move on, and sometimes it’s not enough. The three ghosts in my yard want me to do more.”

  “What do they want?” Trevor asked.

  “One wants me to go into his back yard and dig something up—he won’t tell me what though,” Andie began shyly. “There was one who came up to me last week who wanted me to break into her house and throw something away. She bugged me for about a day before deciding to leave me alone.”

  “What do the other two in your yard want?” Trevor asked.

  “They want me to personally go to their family members so they could speak with their family through me,” Andie said. “The family never believes me, so I don’t do that anymore.”

  “When you have gone there in the past, were you alon
e?” Sadie asked.

  Andie nodded while saying, “Yes.”

  “Andie, you now have a house full of people who believe that you are a medium, so if you would like to try again to visit the ghosts’ family members, you don’t have to go there alone,” Sadie said. “I’ll be returning to England within the next couple of days, but before I get on a plane to do that, I’ll go with you to visit their family members.”

  “Anyone of us will go with you,” Blaire added.

  “Allyson and…” Harris began, but stopped when Allyson spoke at the same time.

  “Harry and I will go with you any time you need us,” Allyson said while glancing towards Harris. Harris nodded with a grin. “You’re not alone anymore.”

  Andie pleasantly grinned, and in a tone as if the world was lifted off her shoulders, she said, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” everyone said in an uneven chorus.

  “May I use your bathroom?” Andie requested.

  “Of course,” Allyson said while standing. “Follow me.”

  Andie stood up without saying a word and followed behind Allyson.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Ellen and Andie returned to the living room at the same time.

  As Ellen was entering, she said, “I invited Everett, Jessica and Karla over to watch TV with Andie and me. Is that okay?”

  “It’s going to have to be okay, since you had already invited them,” Sadie amusingly replied.

  “Well, I could always call them back if it’s not okay,” Ellen pointed out.

  “It’s fine,” Allyson assured Ellen.

  “Jessica and Karla are going to bring their grandfather’s ancient book too,” Ellen informed.

  “I look forward to looking at it,” Blaire said.

  “If I would’ve known that Cricket was going to send Galvin here, I would’ve had her send Paul as well,” Devon said.

  “Who’s Paul?” Ellen asked.

  “Professor Paul Walsh,” Devon began. “He’s an archaeologist who teaches out of Oxford University, and he knows a few ancient languages.”

  “Is he a part of the coven?” Ellen asked.

  “He’s not even one of Merlin’s descendants,” Devon informed. “He’s just a good friend of mine.”