by Alexie Aaron
Ryan took a sip of coffee and thought a moment, selecting his words carefully. “It’s Murphy, I’m concerned with. Talk is that he can do some damage of his own on this side of the ether. I would hate to find one of the misled vandals missing a head or arm or something their parents would be upset by.”
Cid didn’t mean to laugh, but Ryan cracked him up. “Don’t misunderstand my laughter for disrespect, sir, but Stephen Murphy isn’t some wild entity hell-bent on slicing and dicing whomever that comes his way. Presently, he is with Ted and Mia at the Himmel neighborhood investigation. I will further your concerns to the team and to Murphy personally when I see… hear him in the morning,” Cid assured the Sherriff.
“I’d appreciate it. Good to know you have faith in that old reprobate. He used to scare the crap out of the teens when they used the ruins of his farm for their beer bashes,” he said, motioning to Tom.
“I never attended the bashes. Whit on the other hand, well, that’s a story for another time. Thanks for the coffee. Sir, we have a few more farms to visit, including trigger-happy Jennings,” he reminded the sherriff.
Ryan picked up his hat and started to leave. He stopped and asked, “Did you say Himmel, as in Himmel Elementary School?”
“Yes,” Cid acknowledged.
“I went there. When my father was stationed overseas, my mother and I went to live with my aunt Betty and uncle Richard during that time. I attended that wonderful school for two years. Great place. Wonderful teachers. I mourned leaving that place. It was like leaving heaven.”
Cid gave the two an overview of the situation there and Ryan laughed. “Hell, I’d like to have those pranks to deal with. This juvenile paintball gang is testing my patience.” He walked over to the front door and turned back to say, “I’d like to be kept apprised of what’s happening over there, if it’s alright.”
Cid nodded. He followed the men out and held on to Maggie’s collar as she wanted to join the men. He waited until they drove out of sight before he let her run free in the yard. He walked over to the barn, reached in and put on all the yard lights. Perhaps if the place looked more inhabited, it would dissuade the little monsters from playing paintball war there. He wasn’t concerned about Murphy’s reaction, but the hollow was notorious for having the presence of other undesirable entities who wouldn’t think twice about harming the teens given the opportunity.
Maggie bounded back up the steps. “Good girl!” Cid rewarded her with pats and a good ear scratch. “Let’s finish my casserole, clean the kitchen and get to bed. We have an early day ahead of us.”
Maggie understanding nothing but the word kitchen and the smell of bacon ran towards the room excitedly.
“What a smart dog,” Cid said, locking the door behind him.
Chapter Nine
Ted and Mia left soon after Cid arrived. Burt asked for everyone to be back, ready to go, in the neighborhood at three. He hoped to have permission to enter Himmel. Mike was a smooth talker, and Audrey’s reputation for facilitating renovation projects he hoped would impress the administrator of the senior center project. He was going to stay in the RV and get some sleep. He would back Cid up if there were any problems. Murphy rode back with the young couple to check on his young plantings and to exercise Maggie so Ted and Mia could get some sleep.
Cid waved at the neighbors as they left for their daytime jobs. Mrs. Seaver left him a hot pot of coffee and a homemade apple coffeecake before heading for the market and her baking job there.
Heather lingered a bit too long at the entrance to the PEEPs command center for her mother’s comfort. The handsome ghost hunter was a feast for the young girl’s eyes. Fortunately, school was in session, and Heather would spend her days in class and not staring out the window at Cid Garrett. Barb liked the man; they both had construction backgrounds. But she was the mother of an impressionable tween, so Cid’s mere existence on earth was suspect to her.
Cid was oblivious to the crush of the young girl. He, having spent his youth behind coke-bottle, thick lenses, was unused to being thought of as attractive. His hands still went clammy when a woman approached him. He was respectful but kept his distance. He didn’t have the confidence Ted had. How Ted even managed to squeak out a hello when he first met Mia, yet alone win her hand, was beyond him.
The team had left the cameras with fresh batteries, and aside from the techy-do list Ted left, Cid had an easy morning ahead of him. He sat back, looked at the feeds and munched on the coffee cake. Life was good.
Mary Alison looked over at the large vehicles that choked up the entrance of the cul-de-sac with irritation. Why were they still here? In the movies the ghost hunters routed out all the ghosts or the monsters pretending to be spirits, and either were all killed or left. Either way, life went back to normal. She spotted Gina Weinstein working in her front flower beds, cleaning out the accumulation of leaves. She walked over to see if she had any information on when the PEEPs would be leaving.
Gina stood up and placed a hand on the middle of her sore back. She smiled at the elder woman and took off her gloves.
“So what happened at your house, may I ask?” Mary demanded.
“Oh, just some mischief with Harold’s marbles. My husband, it seems, has been collecting the little glass toys for years,” she explained. “The Faulkners, however, will not be asking us to watch their place anytime soon. The little darlings decided to have a royal tea party in their house.”
Mary tried to hold her crabby countenance, but as Gina continued with the description of what her husband and the PEEPs team found in the house, it brought out the little girl in her. “I’d like to take a look at that if I may.”
Gina thought a moment. “I don’t see why not. As long as we refrain from checking out their medicine cabinets and underwear drawers, I don’t think we would be violating any privacy issues. Wait here, and I’ll get the key,” she said.
Mary toured the throne room first, opting to take the stairs while her arthritis medicine was still blocking the pain in her hip. She had to admit that she could see why the investigators thought little girls were at work here. She followed Gina down the stairs. They surveyed the tiara-donned stuffed animal tea party in the formal dining room which brought on a flood of memories for Mary. “Gina, are any of the PEEPers around?”
“I spotted two of them, the handsome, tall, dark and delicious one in the truck and one of the head honchos in the RV. Why?”
“I’ve seen these flowers before…”
“Of course you have. They’re yours from your garden,” Gina explained.
“No, I mean, yes, I know they’re mine, but the arrangements... I know who did them.”
“Really. How can you tell?”
“The woman that does these types of autumnal arrangements has a signature. Her method of reinforcing the center five flowers is unique to her. See, it’s done naturally without wire.” Mary pushed aside the greenery to show Gina what had been done. “There is only one person that can successfully do this.”
“So we have our culprit.”
“There’s only one problem,” Mary said, standing up and putting a hand on the table to steady her staff. “She’s been dead for five years.”
Audrey sat feeling a bit underdressed next to Mike in his Armani suit. She had put on her first meeting suit that she had used routinely to impress future clients. The beige tweed was offset by the rich brown blouse that complimented her shade of auburn hair. Normally, she was the center of attention, but in this room full of aging darlings, Mike was king. He charmed the older women of the committee in charge of the Himmel renovation, and his strong handshake impressed the lone male of the group. He applied the right amount of pressure on the gnarled arthritic hand - not too much to hurt, but enough to say, Sir, you are still a force to be respected.
“We feel that Himmel may hold some clues to what is happening in the adjacent neighborhood,” he said, finishing his presentation.
“So you’re saying Himmel is haunted?” the l
one male asked in disbelief.
“No, it’s too early to tell. We’ve not been inside. All I am saying is that there is paranormal activity that seems to be attracted to the school,” Mike explained.
“What do you think, young lady?” one of the women asked Audrey.
“Sometimes when a building is renovated, it wakes up energy…”
“We’ve not touched a thing so far,” the man interrupted.
“True, but if you allow me to continue,” Audrey asked sweetly.
The man smiled and nodded.
“When this energy is released, all sorts of interesting things happen. We think that your building is so loved, that it’s attracting visitors… a reunion of sorts. Of course, this is just a hypothesis presently. We won’t be able to determine what is going on until we find proof. PEEPs is not about exploiting; it’s about exploring.”
This seemed to impress the group.
“How will you go about investigating Himmel?”
Mike looked at Audrey, giving her the floor.
“First we start with research. I’d like to interview some of the former students of the school that are still around. Next, our technical team will place cameras and sensors to record any activity. We will send in teams of people trained to detect or debunk paranormal activity. We will film it all. I’ve been with this group for a while now, and I’m impressed with their treatment of each property, and with one exception, there has been no damage,” she said, remembering Murphy axing a hole in the wall of the parish house.
“We’re not worried about damage as long as it’s minimal,” the man said. “We plan on keeping the school pretty much as it was, except for tearing out the tiny toilets and making the facilities handicap accessible.”
“If there’s activity, and we do use it on a future broadcast, it will bring interest to the project. Perhaps money will follow,” Mike put out there.
This sparked a lively debate amongst the women of the group. Mike sat down and waited until they had come to an agreement.
“I think we can give you permission to film and investigate the property. We’d like to have one of us on sight if that is alright with you.”
“We do film throughout the night,” Mike warned.
“Sonny, we don’t sleep, we’re old. I’m sure we can work out a schedule to suit. There are a lot of us former Himmel students still alive. Perhaps we’ll reach out to them. If you want interviews, we can supply the students,” the man promised.
“I’ve seen your Facebook page,” Audrey admitted. “There are a lot of pleasant memories posted there.”
“That ain’t nothin’,” one of the women said. “Our numbers dwindle every year, but we still have over a hundred former students that get together annually at the Holiday Inn.”
Audrey was surprised and didn’t hide it from the group of seniors.
“Honey, Himmel was a wonderful place to learn. The teachers and staff brought out the best in each and every student. They taught us the three Rs and more. The Ems, that’s what we called Marjorie, Margaret, Mable, Michael and Maude, touched us here first.” The elderly woman touched her chest over her heart. “And then they woke us up here.” She tapped the center of her forehead.
“The Ems,” Audrey started and continued, “Are any of them still alive?”
“Oh, I don’t expect so, but many of their children followed the family tradition. I think they have thirty or so teachers, professors and administrators in the family,” the woman answered. “Himmel was a place of joy and learning for eighty years, maybe longer. When it came on the market, we jumped at the chance to save the building and our memories.”
“I have one more question, for right now. I’m sure a hundred will fill my mind on the way home,” she admitted. “Do you know what is going on right now that would cause all this paranormal activity?”
The five people looked puzzled and glanced at each other. One woman’s face brightened. She whispered something to the women on either side of her, and they passed on her comment to the remaining two seniors. The gray heads bobbed in agreement.
“It’s coming up on the hundredth anniversary of the first Appreciate Life Day. Back in 1913 there was a fire that destroyed part of the school. Six students perished, and their bodies were never recovered. They were on their way to school on that fateful morning and got trapped in the burning woods. The Em’s were students at the time. Instead of mourning their classmates, they started a game that they participated in each year. When they became teachers they continued the tradition and taught us the game. It was used to show us how to celebrate what was good in our lives. Sometimes, it was just being alive. Sometimes, you had to help your neighbor out to see what in their life was so wonderful. The children who didn’t make it to school that day, no longer had a life, so we as students of Himmel, should appreciate ours, no matter the circumstance. This is how we would honor them,” the woman’s voice cracked and tears filled her eyes.
Audrey pulled out a hanky and dabbed at her own eyes. “Thank you, I believe this may be a key. When is this day exactly?”
“October twentieth, but we used to do little things for weeks preceding the day,” the man admitted. “Sometimes they were pranks. I remember when Peter, James, Abe and I went to crabby Old-Man Richard’s house and lined up all his taxidermy birds up on the roof of the house. When he came home from work, he was spitting mad, but then he saw how beautiful the dusty creatures looked with the setting sun on their wings. I think he donated his collection to some museum of natural history after that.”
“How could stapling someone to their bed sheets teach someone the joy of living?” Audrey asked.
“Don’t get all stuck up in paperwork, go out and enjoy life,” the man said proudly.
His entourage of female associates twittered in agreement.
The PEEPs listened to Audrey’s and Mike’s report. They had met around the conference table Cid had put up between the RV and the command vehicle. Murphy moved in and put a hand on Cid’s shoulder, causing the investigator to jump in his chair. Mia looked over and watched as the two of them tapped messages to each other. Cid tilted back on the folding chair until he was balancing on only two legs. He put his feet on the table as if it were a hassock and asked, “Murphy wants to know if the group gave you the names of the children that were lost in the fire.”
“They could only come up with one. John Ashe. Mrs. Abernathy promised to look up the names in the archives and get back to me soon,” Audrey replied, unsure if she should admonish the investigator for having his feet on the table or ignore the situation.
“Did she say why they knew John’s name when the others were forgotten?” Mia asked, sitting at the edge of her seat, unaware of the behavior change Cid seemed to be going through.
Audrey dug in her pocket, explaining, “It’s from a rope skip rhyme. I recorded it once the group settled on the actual words.” She placed the device on the conference table and pressed play.
Hop one foot to clear the soot
Hop on two to open the flue
Touch the ground three when you can see
John Ashe coming through the trees.
“They aren’t sure who originated the verse in the first place. Maybe some of the children could see the lost ones like Mia can? I don’t know, and I was afraid to ask the old dears.”
“Old dears… I like that. I’d like to be called an old dear when I’m pushing eighty,” Mia mused.
“Instead of Old Lady Martin!” Mike blurted out and chanted, “Old Lady Martin, she’s a smartin’ because she married a geek…”
Ted launched himself over the table, pushing Mike off his chair as he landed on him. He had the surprised man in a headlock and was applying knuckles to the top of his head, yelling, “Take it back, take it back!”
“I won’t, and you can’t make me,” Mike said, twisting and turning, trying to free himself.
“Teddy Bear, let go of Mike, and stop giving him noogies,” Mia ordered, wondering wh
at had come over her normally passive aggressive fiancé.
Burt cleared his voice but ended up laughing instead as he kicked out the legs of the chair Cid was balancing on. Cid went over backwards, and instead of getting mad at Burt, he started giggling like a naughty little boy.
Mia looked at Audrey and Murphy. The looks they returned confirmed her suspicion. The grown men of PEEPs were acting like children.
She reached into her pocket and produced a vial of holy water, opened it and proceeded to douse Ted with it and continued moving around the table sprinkling it, mumbling the Latin phrases she instinctually knew, until each man had resumed his normal behavior.
Ted let go of Mike and assisted him back onto his chair. Cid sobered up, and Burt looked a bit sheepish.
Mia heard a chorus of laughter and spun around to see the backs of four fleeing boys. Murphy moved quickly but was unable to contain the children. They just looked at the man with the axe and laughed before disappearing into the woods.
Chapter Ten
“What just happened?” Ted asked, looking at Mia. He rubbed at the drops of water with the sleeve of his hoodie.
“I was about to ask you the same. I suspect the four of you were possessed, sort of?”
“How can you sort of be possessed?” he questioned her.
Mia raised her hands and looked over at Murphy a moment. She recalled the feeling of fullness when Murphy had possessed her in the past. The men didn’t seem to have felt anything amiss, and what was more disturbing to Mia was that, even with her gift, she didn’t see it happen. “Think of it this way, they were playing with you as if you were puppets. Instead of controlling your limbs, they incited your inner child, encouraging you to bring out your mischief maker. Not that you and Cid have any trouble with suppressing that,” she said offhandedly. She looked at Ted’s face seeing the concern on it. “If it makes you feel better, I don’t think they’ll be back. They’ve had their fun.”