by Alexie Aaron
“I don’t think they did it to embarrass you guys,” Audrey said. “Perhaps they wanted you to see that the four of you need to not be so serious all the time.”
Mia was going to object, but the realization that Ted and Cid seemed to have matured on this investigation came into focus. Whether it was the coming nuptials or something else, she did notice the chatter on the com had become more professional. Mike and Burt seemed not to have noticed the difference in the techs’ behavior, and to be honest with herself, if this hadn’t happened, she wouldn’t have either. Does maturity sneak up on you? When does the inner child get penned in?
Audrey picked up the micro tape recorder and pressed record. “What did it feel like?”
“I didn’t feel anything except giggly. It was like the first time I had tasted Champagne. The bubbles tickled my nose and my tummy felt nervous,” Mike related.
“I didn’t feel a thing,” Burt admitted.
Cid and Ted agreed with him.
“Perhaps it’s Mike’s sensitivity that allowed him to understand something was different, but since he’d never been possessed before, he couldn’t identify it,” Mia reasoned.
“How do you protect yourself from this?” Burt asked Mia.
“I wish I knew. Remember, I had Judy taking up residence in my head and hadn’t a clue. Full possession, I guarantee, you’ll feel. It’s hard to describe.” Mia thought a moment and explained, “It’s like I’m a glass of water being filled from the sides, top and bottom at the same time. It squeezes you out as it fills you.”
“Are you aware of what is going on?” Burt asked.
“I can only speak from my experience. Yes, it’s like watching a movie but being unable to react to what is on the screen. You can’t close your eyes and shut it out. It can be quite frightening if you’re not prepared.”
Murphy watched Mia as she talked. He knew she was talking about the times in which he possessed her, when he didn’t have her permission to do so. He felt bad about his behavior, but past was past, and they had worked it out between them. Trust was reestablished, and their friendship had survived.
“We need to get a handle on this situation. It could become dangerous if the boys try it while one of us, or the residents, are operating a car, something the boys would have no experience in dealing with,” Burt said.
“I think these boys aren’t boys,” Mia said. “Audrey, I wonder if there are any school pictures that Murphy and I could view. I bet what we are dealing with are the spirits of people that have lived full lives and returned to what they remember as being heaven. For some reason they have chosen to live out eternity as children.”
“I disagree,” Audrey said with confidence. “I think they have chosen to be children until they accomplish what they set out to do.”
Mia was a bit surprised by Audrey’s contrary position to hers but chose to open her mind to her explanation. “What is it? What is the task?”
“I think that they want to liberate John Ashe and the others from their entrapment in the woods and give them a proper Himmel reception. I think the souls of the children of this school want this next Appreciate Life Day to include the children it was meant to honor.”
Mia looked at Murphy, and he pushed his hat back on his hat. He was surprised by the revelation as much as Mia was.
“Murph and I think you’re right,” Mia said and looked around the table at the men. “What do you think?”
Ted nodded.
Cid said, “Nancy Drew has done it again.”
Burt held his quiet admiration for the rookie investigator to himself for now, choosing instead to direct his gaze at Mike.
“I think she’s got it,” Mike agreed.
“Now, how do we facilitate this?” Burt asked the group.
“We need to find their bones,” Mia answered. “I have a good idea where they are, but getting to them is going to be tricky. Do we know who owns the woods?” she asked Audrey.
“Not yet, but I’ll track it down,” she promised.
“Once we know and have permission, I’d like to bring my father in on this. His years of experience may shortcut the hunt and minimize the damage to the woods,” Mia explained.
Burt nodded. “I think that would be a good idea. We’ll need a team member to act as a liaison with the Coroner’s Office.”
“I’ll do it. I’m on a first-name basis with Cook County, and Will County; why not add another county to my list,” Audrey said wryly.
“Don’t be afraid to ask Father Santos for help,” Mia counseled. “I’m sure he’d like us to owe him a few favors.”
Burt frowned but nodded in agreement.
“Until then, I think we should explore the school and confirm Audrey’s hypothesis,” Mike advised. “I agree the lost children need to be exhumed and given a proper burial, but will this be enough to curb the antics of the Himmel souls? Our first obligation is to the folks of this neighborhood,” he reminded him.
Mia wanted to disagree. Ted caught her hand and squeezed it gently. She looked at him and read his face. His compassion for the lost children was as great as hers, and they would free the children no matter what, but they were members of a team and should function within it. She touched his face, and for a moment, got lost in his eyes. She pulled away and tried to concentrate on what Mike was saying.
“…a schedule is being worked out. We won’t have access to the school for a few days. In the meanwhile, let’s get the neighbors together and let them in on what we know so far,” he suggested.
“Sounds like a plan.”
~
“Are you sure it’s safe to take the girls into the house?” a very tired and worried Nancy Faulkner asked Burt.
“They may enjoy the tea party. Remember, they’ve just come from the wonder of Disney and probably won’t think anything is amiss. We, however, do recommend you inventory your things. These paranormal visitors haven’t shown themselves to be thieves, but they are a bit destructive in their play,” he told them.
William walked out of the house and onto the porch, shaking his head. “I don’t know if anything is missing, but it looks like Cindy and Erin’s toys have had a good time.”
“How bad is it?” Nancy asked her husband.
“Remember Erin’s fourth birthday party?”
“Oh dear.”
“That bad, but this time nothing’s broken,” he said.
Mia, who had taken a quiet, unobtrusive stance behind Burt, liked this couple. They may have spoiled their daughters, but it was in the spirit of giving them good childhood memories and not a laziness of parenting.
“What do we do if we discover a ghost?” Nancy asked.
“This is Mia Cooper,” Burt said, motioning for Mia to walk forward. “She has a very special talent. She’ll be able to wrangle most anything that may disturb the girls.”
“Mia Cooper, ghost wrangler,” Ted’s voice announced in her ear com. It was followed by music from what Mia was soon to learn was The Magnificent Seven theme. “Watch out ghosts. She’ll catch you with her silky lasso…”
Mia tried to ignore him in order to present herself in the most professional way. She smiled and grasped William’s hand in her gloved one. “I don’t get any bad feelings from the paranormal events in the neighborhood.”
“There’ve been others?” William asked.
“No one in the cul-de-sac has been ignored by the invisible visitors,” Burt explained. “We think they want to remind you all of your strengths and that inside each adult is a child in need of nourishment.”
“Way to go, Dr. Phil,” Ted whispered in Mia’s ear.
She had to turn away from the group because she couldn’t control the smile on her face. She was surprised to see the two little girls watching her. They were young, early school age, and dressed in Disney sweat shirts. The taller girl had Cinderella proudly displayed on hers. Her sister was rocking the undersea princess Ariel. Both girls had on little crowns of sparkling plastic gems. Mia couldn’t con
trol herself and laughed. “Are you real princesses?” she managed to say through her laughter, not wanting to hurt the children nor the adults that stood proudly as their girls were noticed.
“Not yet,” the elder girl said. “You need a prince to ask you to marry him, silly. But Mommy promises us if we study hard and become professional women, they will be lining up at the door.”
“I bet they will,” Mia agreed. “I’m Mia, and I’ll be taking you two into the house. You’ve had some children come to play while you were away.”
“Really?” the girl asked.
“I think you’ll find they really liked your collection of tiaras,” Mia informed her.
“Erin and I have to do chores before we can get any more. Grandma sends us some for all the holidays,” Cindy said proudly.
“That’s kind of her. What do you send her?”
Cindy looked puzzled a moment and confessed, “Nothing, but next time we will.”
Mia reached out and shook her little hand. “It’s nice to meet a princess with a brain and a heart.”
Erin stuck out her hand to be shaken next. “I’m Erin, and I’ll send Grandma two presents,” she boasted.
“One will be enough,” Mia said to the exuberant blonde. “Come on, let’s go in, and if it’s alright with you, Mr. Hicks is going to follow you around with a camera.”
The girl’s eyes widened, and they looked at their parents. Nancy and William nodded their assent.
“That would be great. Come on!” Cindy said, grabbing her sister’s hand.
Mia watched them climb the steps, and as their father let them through the door, Mia could see the mix of emotions he held in check. She could tell he wanted to protect his girls, yet knew instinctively that he couldn’t protect them from everything. She passed him and followed the exclamations of joy uttered by the girls when they saw the assembly of guests waiting for them at the dining room table.
Chapter Eleven
Ted continued to monitor the audio and visual feeds while he tinkered with a tiny oxygen supply system, he had dreamt up after watching a Sci-Fi repeat. He thought that if he could make the storage of oxygen lighter and smaller, he could not only have a system in place where the investigators could carry a small supply of oxygen when they went into areas where stale air would accumulate, but he could also offer it to emphysema suffers. He would have to consult Dr. Walters on a few things, but he was confident, if he could work out a few kinks, that this would bring more freedom to those whose condition necessitated them to carry oxygen.
Cid was taking inventory of their supplies behind him. “Tell me again why we need two kinds of salt?”
“That’s Mia’s area. Ask her. I think the kosher stuff doesn’t blow away in the drafts we encounter,” Ted explained.
“I have to admit to being amazed that something my ma has on the table can be the difference between me taking a flying leap at the mercy of a tosser ghost or standing there observing the manifestation.”
Ted looked over at him. The word tosser needed to be expounded. He opened his mouth, but luckily the words never left his lips.
“Hello in there!” called Ann Seaver. “I have some cake I’d like you to taste for me.” Ann climbed up and into the truck, accepting the hand of Cid who rushed to aid the woman offering the starving techs food.
“I’m trying out a different kind of cake. The bottom is more of a torte. It’s denser to hold the layers of fluffy cake above it,” she explained, setting the covered plates on the edge of the console table. She lifted the lids.
Ted and Cid stood there awestruck. Cherry nut slices were adorned with delicate icing. Chocolate ribbon pieces were folded into the fluffy white buttercream.
“Go ahead, taste it. I promise I haven’t poisoned anyone in sixty minutes or so…” Ann teased.
Ted picked up a fork and cut into the dessert remarking, “It doesn’t have that hard shell you see on wedding cakes.”
“I take it you’re not a fan of that?” Ann asked interested.
“No, I know it’s fashionable, but it’s not exactly…”
“Tastes funny,” Cid interrupted. “I don’t think you’re supposed to eat the shell.”
“Actually you are, but I’m not a fan either. I expect that’s why my business fell off when the rolled fondant icing came into vogue,” Ann said sadly. “And this cake will send a person with a nut allergy to the hospital, I fear.”
“But it tastes so good!” Ted said, halfway finished with his sample. “I like that it’s not vanilla or chocolate.”
Ann smiled, proud of her offering. “I’m hoping to develop a tiered cake with multiple flavors that complement each other without it being the standard vanilla chocolate and strawberry. These days, you better have something gluten-free available to offer some guests along with nut-free, chocolate-free, calorie-free… It’s exhausting,” she admitted.
“A lot of weddings I went to in Kansas had cupcakes at the receptions. They are balanced on these stands,” Cid said, waving his hands around wildly. “Some even are moved around the table on model trains and Ferris wheels.”
“Me personally,” Ted said, “I like a simple cake that you can get lost in the taste, like this one. Mia would love it.”
“You don’t think it’s too dense?” Ann asked, drawing out her notebook from her apron pocket.
Ted shook his head. “The frosting kind of fights the cake though,” he said.
“Too sweet or not sweet enough?” Ann asked.
“Too sweet.”
“Look at you, a pastry expert,” Cid said scoffing. “Mrs. Seaver, he normally eats snack cakes and Pop Tarts.”
“Don’t dismiss his palate,” Ann warned. “Remember, the people that will be taking a piece of cake home with them are no doubt fans of Little Debbie and Hostess.”
Cid thought a moment and asked, “So you bake cakes for a living?”
“It’s a side job. I’d like to make it my only business, but until I can establish myself with the caterers of the area, I fear it’s only a dream. I do most of my baking at the grocery store, standard two layers and sheet cakes.”
“They are pretty lucky to have you,” Ted said, lifting the plate to lick the remaining frosting off of it.
Cid sighed and grabbed the plate before Ted’s tongue connected. “Forgive him; he’s not used to human interaction.”
Ann laughed and took the empty plates. “I consider it a compliment.”
“Our wedding planner is looking for a baker,” Ted said absently as he scanned the camera feeds. “Do you mind if I give him your phone number?”
“Before you answer,” Cid cautioned, “Ralph is a bit excitable and persnickety.”
“All the better,” Ann said. “I love a challenge.”
“Then that’s just what you’ll get,” Cid said. “Speaking of which, he’s sent me a to do list that is too large to open on my phone,” he complained.
“I take it you’re the best man,” Ann said patting him on the back.
“Yes, he’s the best man for the job. Speaking of which, get back to inventory, best man, or I’ll be handing you a redshirt,” Ted warned.
“Yes, Captain.”
Ann giggled as Cid saluted Ted. He helped her down from the back of the truck and escorted her to her home. Ann entered the house not regretting the cupcake volcano or the mess it had made. She sensed that the prank may have just opened the door to making the dream of her home business a reality. How much trouble could this Ralph be? “Bring him on!” she said, her words echoing in the empty house.
“Of course I own the woods,” Mary admitted. “It’s been in the family since my father bought it from the county. He paid the back taxes on it, set up a fund to pay future ones and promptly forgot about it. I, however, had it declared a green space. This means my taxes are deferred instead of the government paying me to keep it idle. Of course, if I were to decide to sell it to a developer, I would have to go to court to change the zoning. I don’t think I’ll worry
about it though. I’m too old and care not for the noise developing it would cause. I’ve willed it to the senior center; let them figure it out.”
Audrey sat with her teacup poised to take another sip, taking in all that Mary was saying. “So you don’t have any heirs?”
“No, ma’am, I do not. My husband and I never had any kids. Whatever relatives we may have are either dead or have forgotten we existed. After he died I decided to make a will giving my money to good causes, not people who may share the same genetic pool as I do.”
Audrey asked a few more standard questions before feeling the time was right to drop the bomb. “Mia thinks that the remains of the children who perished in the fire are still in the woods. She’s found the foundations of a small house the children may have taken refuge in.”
“That would be the old Brewer place. It burned with the woods. Although, no one thought to pull it down. Nature took care of that. I don’t understand. Those kids must have been given a Christian burial?”
“If they had, I couldn’t find a record of it. Granted, it was years ago and several places of worship are no longer functioning.”
“So long ago. I suppose when they couldn’t find any bodies, they would have assumed the fire consumed them,” Mary reasoned.
“Mia has seen six soot-stained ghosts in the woods. They are all children and appear to be bound to the property between this neighborhood and Himmel. When a spirit cannot move beyond boundaries, it usually means they are tied to their remains, or sometimes an item they loved. The only name we have come up with so far is John Ashe. What do you remember about the fire?”
“That was before I was born. My mother never really talked about it. My father, however, did after he spanked my bottom when he caught me with matches behind the garage,” Mary admitted. “He told me about some children who were playing with matches in the woods before school. They were trapped by the fire and couldn’t get out. John Ashe, you say?”
“Yes.”
“We used to jump rope to a rhyme… it couldn’t be,” Mary broke off and got up. “Excuse me, I think I may have something that may shed some light on this situation.”