Madison Johns - Agnes Barton Paranormal 02 - Ghostly Hijinks

by Madison Johns

  “Go down nose first, and kick your heels into the dirt of the slope to keep yourself from sliding all the way to the bottom. You have one good foot, girl, so you’re gonna have to do the best you can. We’ll keep you between us men so you can’t fall to the bottom.”

  Tears streaked Unique’s face and she nodded.

  “Should I go first?” I asked.

  “Nope, you go last. I don’t want to see you falling to the bottom.”

  “That’s great. Grandma is gonna get us all killed,” Unique said.

  “No, that would be you, dear.”

  Ramone went down first; his fingers clenched into a claw-like grip, his feet striking into the dirt as he slowly went down. I gulped hard, watching the technique and hoped when it was my turn I’d be able to do it. What I wanted to do was scream at the top of my lungs, “Go on without me.” Oh, Caroline. I really need you now.

  I went to my hands and knees when it was finally my turn and ground my feet into the dirt and stones, my fingers clawed into the dirt.

  “Try to relax, Agnes. You’re the bravest person I know,” Caroline said as she hovered next to me.

  I nodded. “I’ll try.”

  As I moved down, stones were loosened and fell to the ground below. I heard Ramone holler, “I’m falling.”

  “Get a grip, man,” Big Jake said. “Use your feet to catch yourself.”

  My muscles ached and I slid a few feet myself, but was able to catch myself. We seemed to all have our times of slipping more than we had intended, but after what seemed like hours, we were all at the bottom safety, lying on the ground in exhaustion.

  The sun was in the west now and I dreaded being out here at night, with what would prove to be near freezing conditions. I lifted my head up when I heard a motor race toward us, and we all sat up, crying as we saw a Hummer come into view.

  Sheriff Bradley jumped out of the passenger seat and ran toward us. “Are you folks all okay?”

  “We are now,” Big Jake said. “But this young lady is injured.”

  “H-How did you find us?” I asked.

  “I know the area well enough to know if that mine ever flooded where the escape route was and just where Big Jake would come off the mountain.”

  Unique was carried by Big Jake and gently set in the Hummer, and once we were all safely inside, the vehicle sped toward town.

  “Lucky for us, Jeff’s brother was in town for the festival. You know—the actor. He didn’t even hesitate to help out.”

  “So the rest of Jo Ellen’s group made it safely into town?”

  “Sure did, and that friend of yours, Eleanor, was quite beside herself. The others forced her to leave you behind since you were trying to help out that young lady there. Mighty brave of you.”

  “It sure was,” Unique finally admitted. “You saved my life back there, Grandma. You’re all right in my book.”

  “Actually, I think we can all say that Big Jake saved the day.”

  Everyone laughed, and when I looked over at Big Jake, he didn’t look a bit smug about the attention everyone was giving. Humble to a fault.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When we finally got back to town, I asked to be dropped off at the Goldberg Hotel.

  “You mean you weren’t really part of Jo Ellen’s group after all?” Big Jake asked.

  “Nope. Sorry to deceive you all like that.”

  “Never really thought you were. You were a little too interested in the history of Silver and that missing family.”

  That didn’t surprise me since I took it that Big Jake was wise beyond his years that looked plentiful from the lines that marred his face, and not in an unattractive way.

  The Hummer skidded to a stop, and I got out and wobbled to the door of the hotel, where I heard voices that carried from the saloon. “She’s dead and it’s all my fault,” Eleanor cried. “I shouldn’t have let those people force me outside and onto that bus. We barely escaped with our lives as the water rushed out of the mine.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Andrew said, tears running down his face as he held Eleanor when I walked into the saloon. Even Mr. Wilson was crying, until he spotted me and said, “Agnes?”

  Eleanor ran toward me and hugged me tight. “Oh, Agnes. I thought I had lost you for sure.”

  “Big Jake saved the day, but after we had freed Unique, we climbed to the top of the mountain over the mine to safety and had to climb down the other side where the sheriff showed up looking for us. It’s an escape route. There was a set of stairs that went to the top of the mountain,” I explained.

  “Let her go, Eleanor. I want to hug her, too,” Andrew said.

  Eleanor wiped her tears away and did as he requested, allowing Andrew to move in for one of the warmest hugs I’d ever experienced, and I melted into him.

  “What am I going to do with you, Agnes?” he said. “Why would you do something like that?”

  I pulled away. “The young lady was trapped, and I did help since it took both of the men to lift that rock off her foot. The shaft was filling so fast that she hardly was able to keep her head above the water.”

  “That’s why I love you so much, Agnes. And about setting a wedding date—how does a Valentines Day wedding sound?”

  “Get married on Valentine’s Day?”

  “Of course, why not?”

  “Sounds like a plan. How about it, Mr. Wilson?” Eleanor asked. “We could have a double wedding.”

  Our plans were made over dinner, and Mrs. Barry was bummed when she learned that she wouldn’t be able to tour the Lemon Pine Mine after all. Mrs. Peacock tried her best to flirt with Mr. Wilson, but he never even looked at her. He spent the good part of the dinner gazing into Eleanor’s eyes and kissing the back of her hand with butterfly kisses. Any other time I’d have thought eww, but it was just so sweet, and even Caroline smiled as she stood close by with a man in a tweed suit who was also a ghost. I figured this was Niles, but as I saw a black mist form behind them, I knew in a heartbeat that I’d meet Crazy Mary at last.

  I stared at the black mist as it flew into Caroline, and they went tumbling into the table next to them, scattering the chairs and then ricocheting through the ceiling with Niles following them.

  “What on Earth?” Mrs. Barry said, standing.

  “Probably not really supposed to be on earth,” I said. “Didn’t you know that this place is haunted?”

  “Well, no. Really? So that’s why there was a black mist that just went into the ceiling.”

  “You saw that, Mrs. Barry?” Mrs. Peacock asked. “I didn’t see it.”

  “That’s because you were trying to get Mr. Wilson’s attention. Knock it off already; didn’t you just hear that Mr. Wilson is marrying Eleanor?”

  Eleanor stretched. “It’s sure getting late. I think I’ll retire for the night.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Mr. Wilson said with a wicked grin.

  Once the happy couple was out of sight, I stood, too. “I’m with them, or not with them. I-I’m just exhausted after my ordeal today.”

  As Andrew and I walked back to the elevator, The Cutter was slashing at Mr. Wilson, who was defending himself by swinging his walker at him. “Stay away from my woman, you ... you entity. She’s mine.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. She’s mine now,” The Cutter said.

  “Now, boys, stop this,” Eleanor said as she stomped a foot.

  “Please, Douglas,” I implored him. “Eleanor and Mr. Wilson are engaged and he’s … well, he’s alive.” The Cutter frowned and floated back into the library and we followed. “I’m sorry,” I said. “Why don’t you find someone like you?”

  “Like me?”

  “Yes. Another ghost lives in the attic all alone, too. Perhaps you should meet. Her name is Mary.”

  “Crazy Mary you mean, right? She’s too busy chasing after that man of hers, Niles.”

  “I know, but have you ever actually met her, and perhaps tried to speak to her?”

  “With all
that stomping around she does all night, I doubt she’d even give me the time of day.”

  “I believe she’s busy at the moment, but how about if I go up there tomorrow with you and introduce you two?”

  “You’ve met her?”

  “Well, no, but how hard can it be to introduce the two of you?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll give it a try. I hope this knife doesn’t scare her.”

  “I’m sure that she’ll understand since she’s a spirit herself.”

  “Okay, tomorrow, then.”

  I led the way from the library and Andrew shook his head. “It’s like you’re a ghost whisperer.”

  “Very uncanny,” Mr. Wilson added.

  We went up to our respective rooms and I fell into bed. “Andrew, could you come with me tomorrow to check out Peyton Leister’s cabin? It’s out of town. If I can’t find the family there, I promise that I’ll give up the investigation.”

  “Okay, but only if you promise that will be the end of it.”

  I nodded. He took me into his arms and we fell asleep in each other’s arms within minutes.

  * * *

  In the morning, I had to soak in a hot bath until the ache in my muscles subsided, and by the time I was downstairs for breakfast, I told Eleanor how I planned to search for Peyton Leister’s cabin.

  Mr. Wilson smiled and said, “I’d like to come along with you, if you don’t mind.”

  “I’m not sure. I mean, the terrain might be too rough for your walker.”

  “If it is, I can wait in the Jeep.”

  “Okay, man,” Andrew, said. “That way, if we get into any trouble, you can go for help.”

  * * *

  After breakfast, we donned the proper footwear, loaded into the Jeep and were off down the road. “So where is the cabin anyway?” Andrew asked.

  “Oh, I’m not sure, but in my dream I saw a cabin, so it must be off Highway 50 near where we came into town. Perhaps within a few miles, I’m thinking. Big Jake wasn’t all that specific.”

  “Okay, so you want me to head back down Highway 50 and don’t even know for sure where this cabin even is?”

  “Don’t try to analyze it, man,” Mr. Wilson said. “Just go with it. The ghost whisperer can’t be wrong.”

  We drove along the highway, leaving Silver behind, and I thought and thought about Caroline, but she never showed up. I then knew that it was up to me to remember what I had seen in my dream and stared at the terrain. We passed barren areas that were more desert-looking with tumbleweeds blowing in the wind.

  I closed my eyes and thought hard, Where are you? When I opened my eyes again, I shouted, “Stop!”

  Andrew halted the Jeep and I stared at a shadow cast on the ground near where we were. “I think this is the right place.” Of course, in my dream it had been a spirit, not simply a shadow that had no purpose to be there.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Please, Andrew, I’m sure,” I said as I squeezed his hand.

  We got out of the Jeep, but kept the motor running with Mr. Wilson inside, playing lookout. “If you’re not back in an hour, I’m calling the sheriff via this button.” He pointed out the 911-call button in the Jeep.

  “Of course, it can’t hurt to have given the sheriff a heads up before we headed out here,” Andrew said, “Which is why I called him while you were in the tub.”

  “Oh, and what was his response?”

  “To be extra careful.”

  “Well, at least someone knows where we are, in case we get into trouble or trapped.”

  “I could do without the trapped part, Agnes,” Andrew scolded me.

  “Sorry, but with this investigative stuff, you just never know what will happen.”

  I walked the way I thought I had in my dream, except this time around, I had to climb a hill as Eleanor asked, “Are you sure this is the right direction?”

  When we reached the crest of the hill and there was a cabin below in a valley of sorts, I said, “Yup.”

  We descended the hill that was not too steep or gravel-covered, and strode toward the stone cabin that looked quite old. “That cabin looks over a hundred years old,” I said.

  “How can you be sure, Agnes?” Eleanor asked.

  I stared at the ground, noting footprints of varying sizes. “Someone might be here now, look,” I whispered pointing out the footprints.

  “We shouldn’t be here,” Eleanor whispered back.

  “Let’s just sneak over to the cabin and see if anyone’s here.”

  We stepped carefully so as not to disturb any stones and waltzed up to the cabin, listening intently, but all I heard was the roar of the wind. I made my way for the door before I could be stopped and opened it, swinging it open. There was nobody there so I strode inside. Empty cans blanketed the floor of the cabin and I stooped to see what they were. “Some of these aren’t all that old.”

  There was one bed with ripped bedding and a table with one chair that was tipped over. I picked up one lone strand of blonde hair from the table and raised a brow. “In my dream, Rebecca had blonde hair.”

  “It could be anybody,” Eleanor said.

  I lifted a torn rug that was in the middle of the floor and beneath it was a trap door. I lifted it, listening for movement below, but there was none. I moved to the ladder to climb down and Andrew stopped me. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Fine, then you go down there and see where it leads, but I’m not about to stay up here when you’re down there.”

  “Fine, I’ll go down first, and then you and Eleanor can come down if the coast is clear.”

  “Go right ahead,” Eleanor said. “I’m staying right up here.”

  “Suit yourself, but I hope you’re intent on defending yourself if someone shows up here.”

  Eleanor armed herself with a piece of firewood she’d found and settled into the chair as Andrew went down first, signaling me to come down next. “We’ll call if we need help, Eleanor.”

  Once we were all the way down, we stood on the floor of a cave, or mineshaft. “This might be where Peyton Leister found all of his gold.”

  Andrew shrugged. “If it was, I highly doubt someone wouldn’t have been able to find his stash.”

  “If he hid his stash here, you mean. He very well might have hid it elsewhere, I suppose.” Andrew had a valid point, but that would just be too easy.

  We went down the corridor, grabbing a lighted hat that hung on the wall. Once we had the hats on and flipped on the light, we followed the tunnel until it opened up, and on one wall was a cell of some sort. I ran there, but it was empty. Except for the mummified corpse that was on a cot!

  “I bet that’s Peyton Leister, and someone had him imprisoned here.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, the story goes that he was never found, and his grave was empty at the cemetery. Whoever kept him here was trying to force him to tell where he hid the gold bars is my thinking. I guess he never gave it up, which is why he’s lying dead there.”

  On the bars was more blonde hair, which disturbed me so much. “There’s more blonde hair, Andrew. Do you think someone was holding the family here?”

  “For all we know, the family came here of their own accord, but I don’t see them so …”

  “They might be further up the tunnel, and we better hurry since we don’t know what provisions they might have.”

  I led the way with Andrew begrudgingly following. We walked for what seemed like forever until I heard a whimper and raced ahead, but I couldn’t see anything. “Keep searching,” Caroline whispered in my ear, and I did what she told me to do, continuing on, but before we made it very far, I saw a child huddled on the floor, a child with blonde hair. I raced over there and asked, “Are you okay, Rebecca?”

  “H-How do you know my name?” she asked, her blue eyes glowing in the light of my helmet light.

  “Are you all alone here?”

  “Yes, I can’t find my family.”

  “Oh, you poo
r dear,” I said as I hugged her tightly. When I released her, I asked, “Did you come down here with your parents?”

  “Yes. A man told my parents there was gold down here, but they never found any, just worked for days looking. Yesterday when I woke up, I couldn’t find my parents and I was all alone.” She whimpered.

  “Who brought your family down here?”

  “Some man. He was nice most the time, except when my parents didn’t work hard enough with their axes. Then he became very angry. He told them if they didn’t work harder that they’d end up like the other family.”

  Andrew motioned that he was going to look further in the tunnel, but I helped Rebecca up and went back to where Andrew and I had climbed down, yelling up to Eleanor and told her to get the sheriff and quick. I then sent the little girl up the ladder since I had no idea if whoever had held Rebecca’s family was still here somewhere.

  I went back in search of Andrew, who met me halfway. “The tunnel ends a few hundred feet up and nobody’s here.”

  I sighed. “Oh, no. I had so hoped that we’d find the family here.”

  “I wonder where else they could be?”

  “Beats me, but hopefully the sheriff can figure it out.”

  We went back up the tunnel and waited in the cabin until Sheriff Bradley and a few other men entered the cabin. “We found the missing girl, Rebecca, but her family is still missing. I’m just afraid for their lives right now. A man brought them down here and forced them to work one of the tunnels for gold. There’s a cell down there, too, with a corpse inside. I think it might be Peyton Leister. Someone was holding him here, I think, possibly to force him to tell where he hid the gold bars.”

  “Lead the way, please,” the sheriff said.

  When we were at the cell, the door opened easily and the sheriff took a look at the remains, fingering a hole in the fabric of its shirt. “Looks like he might have been shot. If this really is Peyton Leister, this is the reason they never found his body in the desert. I’ll go up to the ridge and radio the anthropologist to remove the remains. He’s in town to hand me his report about the body at the Goldberg Hotel.”

  * * *

  After the body was removed, we were all in the sheriff’s office as he went over his report. Rebecca had been taken to an undisclosed location until her parents were located, since the sheriff insisted that we keep our mouths shut about what we’d found in that cabin, which we agreed to since it might not be wise to tip the bad guy off if he was part of this community.