Barbara turned and started walking back to the opening. “That’s it, my dear. We need to seal the opening with salt and we’re done. She led the way down the pine steps. At the bottom, she took the salt from Julian. She handed the canister up to Paige and smiled. “There’s hardly room on the stairs. You do this.”
Paige balanced the smudge and managed to line the edges of the opening before turning and going back down to join the others. Her jaw tightened when she looked down the hallway towards her room. There was still one thing that made her uneasy. Where it had all started.
She turned to Barbara. “Will you take the music box? Even if all of this worked, I don’t want it here anymore. It was Cora’s and you knew her. I think she would want you to have it.”
“It’s a beautiful piece of work. Yes. I’ll take it.” The old woman’s eyes welled with tears and she walked down the hall. When she returned she held the music box. “Thank you.”
Chapter 30
A short while later, everyone was assembled in the kitchen. There was calmness in the air. It was as if they needed a break, ignoring the fact that the hardest part lay ahead—the barn.
Paige felt like a dishrag that had been used and hung out to dry. And, looking across the counter at Barbara, the strain was also telling on the old lady. One shoulder drooped lower than the other—probably still hurting from the blow from the music box.
“Are you sure that’s all you’d like? A boiled egg and toast?” Amanda set the food down in front of Barbara, next to her mug of tea.
Matt was busy stirring the old standby, a pot of boiling noodles for macaroni and cheese. “She eats like a bird. I try to have dinner with her once a week to see that she doesn’t starve.”
“I’m fine. I just need a little something before we start in the barn.” She took a nibble of toast, smiling over at her nephew.
Amanda grinned and shook her head. “I can hardly believe you’ve fixed it! Wow! The house is free...no more banging and footsteps? No more spooky stuff happening?” She scooped her arm around the old lady’s shoulders and hugged her gently. “If only you could fix Josh’s problem at work.”
Paige got the bowls down from the cabinet for the Mac’n Cheese and set them next to Matt. She turned to her sister and smiled. “See? Things are looking up. Don’t worry; Josh’s problem will be fixed too.” Her voice was cheery despite the fact that her stomach was in knots. There was still the barn to do. She’d be just fine and dandy if they left the barn for the next day.
Barbara swallowed and then she nodded at Amanda. “Things will work out. Trust in yourself and your husband and of course, God. We all need a little of His help.” She looked down at the table and her smile was sad. “I’m glad that I was able to help poor Cora. Maybe now she’ll find the love she so desperately sought when she was alive.”
Paige noticed the red scrapbook sitting on the desk where she’d put it when they got home. “In the library earlier, you said that there was more to this than a haunting. What did you mean? The scrapbook with all the newspaper clippings...that’s part of what you were saying, right?”
Barbara looked over at the two kids, and Matt who was placing bowls of yellow noodles before them. She looked at Paige and shook her head. “We’ll talk about that later. Suffice it to say, that there are times and places when the veil between this realm and the afterlife become thinner than usual. Not everything in that realm is of God. There are forces that work to undermine goodness.”
She snorted. “Not that mankind needs a lot of help in being bad, or greedy, or cruel, it would seem. Still...some horrible things happen during certain precarious times. I fear we are close to one of those times, if not actually in it right now.”
The red scrapbook had clippings that Paige had only skimmed but she recalled a couple. “Are you saying that the tragedies, Martin Luther King’s death and Robert Kennedy’s...that it was during a time when the veil was thin? That...” She pantomimed quotation marks with her fingers, “...‘evil’ was a strong force in the world?”
Matt set a bowl of noodles in front of Paige. “Both of those guys died in 1968.” He looked over at his aunt. “When did Cora and her family die? Was it ‘68 as well?”
She nodded and continued eating, looking down at the table for a few moments.
“But that could be just coincidence. Tragedies happen all the time. For you to say that Cora was influenced and what happened here was because of the year...well, it’s just so far-fetched. Coincidence, that’s all.” Amanda stood behind Avril, finger combing the child’s hair from the sides of her face.
Barbara nodded. “Yes. You’ve got a point. But the other one. Elmer Larkspur. The year was 1939—Hitler, Mussolini, the Holocaust. There was a world war and a heinous despot killing many innocent people.”
Paige’s jaw tightened and she swallowed hard. She wanted to believe Amanda that it was just coincidence. But the niggling knot of certainty deep in her gut was saying Barbara was right. The fact that the old woman felt we were close to another time of weakening in that veil made her skin crawl...especially with the barn left to do.
***
Twenty minutes later, Barbara ruffled Julian’s hair, and she looked down at him. “You did well, son. I know you don’t want to go out to the barn.” She smiled. “You don’t have to. Matt can take your place now. You stay here with your mother and sister.”
He looked up at her and his eyes welled with tears. He shook his head. “I don’t want to go out there, but I think I need to. That one in the barn is really bad.” He sighed and looked down at his shoes for a moment. “But I wouldn’t mind if Matt came too.”
Paige’s hand froze mid air as she was about to set a new bundle of sage alight. Her blood ran cold, coursing through her veins. Julian’s words echoed her own fear. She looked over at Barbara and Matt. The nervous discomfort was in their eyes as well.
Chapter 31
The tapestry bag containing the salt canister thudded against Matt’s thigh as he walked to the barn. One hand held a powerful flashlight and the other grasped his aunt’s elbow steadying and guiding her along the flagstone path.
Behind them, Paige held the smoldering smudge before her, stepping carefully and with fearful reluctance, in the low light. Julian’s hand was small and warm in hers, walking close beside her.
“It doesn’t hurt to say a prayer you know. That goes for all of you.” Barbara glanced over her shoulder at Paige. “You do believe in God, don’t you?”
Paige’s eyes went wider still. The fact that the old lady was actually talking about God now that they were about to enter the barn was added confirmation of the danger there. “Yes. Of course I believe...it’s just that I kind of stopped going to church. Amanda and I were raised Roman Catholic.”
“Join the club.” Matt snorted and then turned to smile at her.
Paige squeezed Julian’s hand and then looked back at Matt. “But you believe in a higher power, don’t you Matt? I mean...I do. There’s got to be something greater than us which created this. And it stands to reason, that if what we’re experiencing now, this ghost stuff...well, it’s proof to me that there is life after death.”
Although Paige shivered in the cool night air, it wasn’t just the September weather making her shiver. If she were to be honest with herself, she had to admit that. And if honesty was armor, then she’d better own it tonight.
“Good. You don’t have to attend church to ask for divine help.” Barbara stopped a few feet away from the barn doors that were once more hanging slightly ajar. “It’s strong in there. Julian, you are right. I can feel the hatred inside, already.”
The little boy nodded and sidled closer to Paige.
Paige took a step forward, so that the four of them were now facing the barn doors. A faint smell of rotten meat drifted into her nostrils making her stomach roll, threatening to erupt the Mac ‘n Cheese right there and then.
“Lord of Light, protect us.” Barbara whispered and took a deep breath.
“Amen to that.” Matt stepped forward focusing the beam of light into the gap between the doors. He turned to Paige. His face was tight and a line dissected between his heavy dark eyebrows. “There’re lights and electricity in there, right?”
“Yes. It’s on the right hand side, next to the door frame.” Her gaze flickered to where the beam of light sliced the darkness. An icy bead of sweat slithered down her spine, as she thought of going in there, confronting whatever. Barbara was right. Lord protect them. Her grip on Julian’s hand grew tighter still.
“Goin’ in.” He stepped forward and immediately the light flitted to the right, leaving only the glowing orange tips of her sage smudge breaking the night.
After a moment, golden light filled the space and Barbra turned to Julian and Paige. “Ready?”
“No. But we have to do this.” It came out like a croak from her suddenly dry mouth.
Matt appeared in the opening, pushing the door on the left wide for his aunt to enter. He reached his hand and guided her inside. When Paige stepped through, his eyes met hers for a moment. The tight dread mirrored her own.
The smell was worse in there and the air seemed thick, like sickly green pea soup on her skin. She covered her nose and mouth with her hand.
“Yuck.” Julian’s other hand rose to pinch his nostrils shut.
Paige looked down at him and grimaced, holding his hand while they followed Barbara, her other hand wafting the acrid smudge smoke. The hanging light bulb did a poor job of lighting the entire open space of the ancient barn, leaving the rafters and corners dim.
Barbara wet her hand with the holy water and walked slowly to the first wall to the right. “Benedicamus Patrem sanctum locum istum.” She made the sign of the cross with her finger over the coarse-grained wood.
Oh my God! Paige’s heart was in her mouth hearing the words. From all the ‘ums’ it had to be Latin the older woman was speaking! It was that bad that Barbara felt the need to use the language of the church? She closed her eyes for a moment. Of course it was that bad. She knew it from the stench and feeling in her body.
When Barbara passed by, her hand gripped Paige’s arm and she murmured. “I’m blessing this space in God’s name. Latin seemed more appropriate in here.”
All the while, Matt stayed at Barbara’s side like a guide dog, watching her every step. He cleared the way with his foot, kicking hay from the concrete floor. From the set of his jaw, the muscle working overtime, it was clear, he was as uneasy as Paige.
CLANG!
Paige jumped and clutched Julian to her stomach! On the floor behind them, only a few feet away dust motes rose above the iron hook. She looked up to see the frayed ends of the rope that had secured it to a rafter high above. Her fingers clutched her throat, barely daring to breathe air. Holy shit! That had been close!
“Lord protect us!” Barbara’s eyes were round as dinner plates looking over at Paige and then Matt. “We’ll need to keep on eye above us as well.” She started to the other wall, shaded in darkness under the hayloft.
There was no way she could let Julian stay inside the barn! She looked down into his wide eyes, and noticed his lower lip trembling. “Julian, you need to leave. Go back to the house and stay inside with your mother.”
His eyes welled with tears and he shook his head. “No. I’ll be okay if I stay close to you.”
Paige looked over at the open doorway, noticing the wide beamed frame. There was something she’d read about being in door openings if there was an earthquake.... “Stand next to the door and run if anything else falls or happens in here. I’ll keep an eye on you. But I’d really rather that you went back to the house.”
He shook his head again but walked over to stand in the frame of the door, watching her silently.
Every cell of Paige’s body was screaming to get out of there, to scoop Julian up and run to the house with him but she managed to nod at him and keep walking. With Barbara in the lead, and Matt following, Paige made it a column of three.
Matt flipped the flashlight on, casting its beam on a series of old oil and gas cans, and worn yellow ropes hanging from spikes half way up the wall. Paige held the burning embers closer to her body, watching and taking care that any spark landed in the bowl, not stray hay on the floor.
When Barbra started the Latin prayer, her finger moving along the wood, darkness abruptly descended. Paige gasped and froze still as a statue. The only light now was from Matt’s flashlight.
“Julian? Are you okay, Babe?”
“Ye...Yes.” The fear dripped from his voice in the doorway.
“I want you to go back to the house.”
“Ummm…”
“Now, Jules.” She thought fast. This was no place for a kid right now. Who was she kidding? She wouldn’t mind bailing either. “Let your mother and sister know we’re almost done here, okay?”
“Well… okay. But if you’re not back soon, we’ll come and get you?”
“Fair enough.”
“Okay, Aunt Paige.” He turned and she watched him scoot back up the path.
Paige watched and listened for the sound of the back door of the house opening and closing, then turned back towards the interior of the barn.
Barbara had continued her prayer in the dim glow from Matt’s flashlight. When she was finished, she said, “Get the light again, Matt.”
Paige could barely make out his face, except for the white rims around his pupils.
He strode over and flipped the light switch, flooding the area once more. His mouth dropped open and his head bobbed forward. “It was turned off! How the hell—”
“That’s enough. It was turned off and that’s all we need to know about that.” Barbara’s chin was high when she led the way to the next wall. She stopped at the space next to a wooden ladder leaning against the wooden beam bordering the hayloft.
“ Exorcizamus te, omnis immunde spiritus, omni satanica potestas, omnis incursioinfernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica, in nomini etvirtute Domini nostri Jesu Christi.” Her voice was louder and the cross she made with her finger was larger than any she’d done up to that point.
The air seemed to crackle with a new energy, a low thrum rumbled in Paige’s stomach as she looked around. It was the last wall, the final dictate for whatever was in the barn to leave. “Barbara? Do you feel that?”
Before the old lady had a chance to answer the barn doors burst fully open, slamming against the wall with a resounding bang.
Paige jerked back, almost dropping the sage smudge. “Barbara?” But any answer was lost in the whirlwind that rose, lifting fine dust particles in the air. It was strong, blowing her hair onto her face. Holy shit! Her hand rose and brushed her mane of hair back, her fingers circling to form a pony tail that she gripped tight to her shoulder as she withstood the whirlwind.
The wind was a howl that rushed to the open doors of the barn, raising dust devils of hay behind it. Above them the thick rope swayed fast, back and forth.
As quickly as it started, the wind stopped and stillness claimed the space.
“Matt. You may salt the back door now.” Barbara turned to Paige. “Keep smudging, dear. I think the barn is free now but there’s nothing wrong with a little overkill.”
Paige’s mouth fell open and her chest felt light. The whole room was light—the air, even the hanging bulb cast a brighter glow. “That last prayer...it was different. What did you do?” She stared wide eyed at Barbara, remembering to wave the smudge when she saw the look of remonstrance in the old lady’s eyes.
“It was different. It was a prayer of exorcism used in the church.” The old lady grinned. “Thank goodness for the internet. I learn all kinds of things.”
“And you memorized all those prayers?”
Barbara shrugged. “I read them once, took them to heart, and did my best, I guess.”
Paige’s head turned as she gaped at the barn, taking in the sensation of lightness. “I guess your best is pretty good, huh
?” She turned and watched Matt finish up with the salting and then walked slowly out of the barn. “I sent Julian back to the house. The poor little guy. He was scared shitless.”
Barbara snorted. “He wasn’t the only one!” Nodding, she added, “This was no situation for a child.”
Oh my God! It was done! The two women stood at the entrance waiting for Matt.
Barbara grinned at her nephew. “Finish the line of salt and then let’s go home, boy. My cats are probably missing me like crazy.”
Paige dropped the bundle of sage and then stomped her foot on it to douse the embers. She put her arms around Barbara’s shoulders and hugged her gently. “Thank you so much! It’s really gone, isn’t it? Do you think it was that guy Elmer? Elmer Larkspur who was haunting the barn?”
There was an odd look in Barbara’s eyes when she pulled back and looked at Paige. “Let’s pray it was him.”
“Well, who else could it be?”
Barbara looked away. “Something worse than a sick man.”
Chapter 32
A few days later...
“I’m going to sweep up all this salt.” Amanda reached for the broom in the pantry.
“You think we’re going to be okay?” Paige asked. She was sitting at the kitchen counter surfing on her laptop.
“Are you kidding? After Josh’s phone call this morning, I know everything’s going to be fine,” her sister replied with a grin. She and Josh had talked on the phone for almost an hour. Just a few days before, his job had been on the line because of a screw up with a supplier. Josh had started digging, and learned that they had been ripping off his company for years. Now, instead of being fired, he was due for a huge bonus. Their supplier was going to make a huge payment to dissuade a lawsuit. He was still stuck at work for the next few days though.
Paige nodded and looked up from her laptop that was set on the counter in the kitchen. “Yeah. Whatever Barbara did, worked for sure. Besides which, Josh will never understand when he comes home and sees all this salt around.”
The Haunting Of Larkspur Farm (Ghosts and Haunted Houses): A Haunting In Kingston (The Hauntings of Kingston Book 4) Page 15