Shadow Child

by Wendy Wang

  Jen flashed Charlie a concerned look. Charlie scanned the inside of the house, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Not one flicker. Not one chill. She shrugged her shoulders and mouthed I don't see anyone. Jen relaxed a little.

  From the corner of her eye Charlie thought she saw a shadow, but when she shifted her head, it dissipated. "Hey, Ruby, where is Barbara Jean?"

  "Right here, silly." Ruby pointed to the chair across from her.

  "And what does she look like?" Charlie asked.

  "What do you mean?" Ruby asked.

  "Is she young or old?" Charlie moved in closer and knelt next to the table.

  "She's a kid, like me." Ruby looked at the empty chair.

  "You're gonna have to tell your imaginary friend goodbye for now. We need to go," Jen said.

  "Her name is Barbara Jean and she's not 'maginary," Ruby insisted and poked out her bottom lip in a pout.

  "Charlie doesn't see her and neither do I," Jen said.

  "Just cause y'all can't see her doesn't mean she isn't real," Ruby protested. "You hurt her feelings. Mama, you always say it's not nice to hurt people's feelings."

  Jen sighed, defeat lining her face. "Yes, I do."

  "We're sorry, Barbara Jean," Charlie said.

  "She doesn't believe you," Ruby said. "Try again."

  "Ruby Ellen Holloway," Jen snapped. "I've had just about enough. Is that an acceptable response to an adult?"

  Ruby opened her mouth as if to argue with her mother, but Jen cut her eyes at her daughter in such a way that the child paused. Maybe to rethink her next move. Sassing her mother could mean certain death, or worse. Chores, like cleaning out the hen house or collecting all the trash in the bins for a week. Ruby closed her mouth and sighed. "No, ma'am."

  "That's better," Jen said. "Now come on. Say good-bye to Barbara Jean.”

  "Yes, ma'am," Ruby said but didn't move. "Isn't this place perfect, Mama? Think about all the tea parties I could have." Ruby cast her big blue eyes toward her grandfather. "You could come have tea with me, Granddaddy."

  Jack cleared his throat. "We'll see honey. This isn't like a store. I can't just buy it outright. This is an auction. People have to bid on it."

  "What does that mean?" Ruby asked.

  "It means, I'll try, honey. But if somebody offers more money for it, then they win it." Jack held his hand out. "Come on. Let's go, okay?"

  "Will you please bid on it?" Ruby asked.

  "I will." Jack wiggled his outstretched fingers. "And if I win it, it's yours."

  Ruby hopped up, her face glowing with glee. She slipped her hand into her grandfather's. "You'll win it."

  "How do you know that honey?" Jack asked.

  "Because I wished hard for it." Ruby and Jack stepped away from the playhouse and moved toward the chairs set up near the front of the warehouse for the attendees of the auction. Jen bit her bottom lip and shook her head as she watched her daughter and father walk away.

  Charlie leaned in and whispered, "What is it?"

  Jen lowered her voice. "She's gonna get the playhouse."

  "How do you know?"

  "Because whenever Ruby wishes hard for something, she gets it. Especially if her granddaddy is involved," Jen said.

  "I've seen him say no plenty of times," Charlie said. "Plus, somebody may outbid him."

  "Maybe. But, if she wants something badly enough, she will get it. She's mastered the art of wishing," Jen said.

  "Don't all kids?" Charlie asked.

  "Not all kids are witches,” Jen whispered the last word. "Ruby's wish is basically a spell." She frowned. "I guess it's time I had the talk with her."

  "The talk?" Charlie shifted uncomfortably.

  "Yep, the talk. I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to do this until she was older, but her gifts are growing stronger and stronger every day. It's about time she learns to be more thoughtful with her . . . abilities."

  "Good luck with that," Charlie grinned and thought back to when her son was six. "Six-year-olds aren't exactly known for their self-control and forethought."

  Jen rolled her eyes. "Thanks. Let's go look at the beds again. See if we can find one that's not haunted."

  Chapter 2

  Charlie cringed at the sight of Jason Tate's Dodge Charger parked next to Lisa's BMW at the back of her uncle's house. They had not seen much of each other since June when Jason told her he couldn't work with her anymore. Wouldn't work with her. Sometimes a stray thought would lead her back to that day, and she'd remember his words, which still stung. Even though she maintained that she was right, it didn't matter much. Their friendship was too strained to recover. Since then she'd gone out of her way to avoid seeing him whenever she could. Friday night dinner at her uncle's house wasn't one of those times. She took a deep breath and climbed the steps up to the back porch. She would just have to put on her polite face and deal with it.

  The heavenly aroma of roasting chicken slapped Charlie in the face as she entered the kitchen. Evangeline stood at the stove stirring bacon pieces around in a cast iron pan. Jen worked on putting the finishing touches on the cake she was icing.

  "Smells delicious in here," Charlie said, closing the door behind her.

  "Hi," Jen said. "I'm glad you’re here. Could I get you to chop up that cabbage on the counter?"

  "Of course," Charlie said.

  "How are you, Charlie?" Evangeline asked. She scooped out the crispy bacon bits from the pan and added another batch of raw chopped bacon to cook. The pan sizzled and popped, forcing Evangeline to turn the burner down and take a step back. Charlie rinsed her hands in the sink then pulled a sharp knife from the drawer beneath the cutting board that Jen had laid out. She took the head of cabbage and placed it on the board and sliced it in half then began to chop it into large bite-sized pieces. When she was done, she put her bounty into a colander and rinsed it in the sink.

  "Thank you, Charlie," Evangeline said. She scooped the last of the cooked bacon onto a paper towel-lined plate. "If you wouldn't mind, there's some oversized kitchen towels in the drawer. If you wouldn't mind, empty that colander into one of those towels and get the cabbage as dry as you can."

  "Yes ma'am," Charlie said and did as her aunt asked. When she was done, Evangeline took the cabbage and added it to her pan of bacon grease, then stirred the green leafy pieces until they were coated in the oil.

  Charlie's mouth began to water.

  "Anything else I can do?" Charlie asked.

  "You can set the table," Jen said. She sprinkled coarsely chopped pecans on top of the cake in front of her.

  "What kind of cake is that?" Charlie asked.

  "Hummingbird cake," Jen said.

  "Yum. Can't wait to have a piece,” Charlie said.

  "Me either," Evangeline said.

  Charlie opened the cabinet and pulled out a stack of dishes. "How many do we need tonight?"

  Jen stopped and closed one eye, her mouth twisting as she appeared to count with her fingers. "Is Daphne coming for dinner, Evangeline?"

  "Nope. She has a client getting married tonight, and she was going to fix her hair at the church. She might stop by for dessert later."

  "Okay, eight then," Jen said.

  Charlie did a quick count in her head. "You mean seven."

  "Nope, I mean eight," Jen said with finality and wiped her hands on the apron tied around her waist.

  "Jason brought his friend Cameron."

  "Well that's just wonderful,” Charlie said, making no effort to hide her sarcasm.

  "Be nice," Jen said.

  "What? I'm always nice." Charlie rolled her eyes.

  "Cameron seems like a decent fellow," Evangeline said. "I'm sure Charlie will be pleasant, won't you Charlie?"

  "Yes, ma'am," Charlie said. She grabbed another plate from the cabinet, counted out the cutlery and napkins before placing them on top of the plates, and carried them into the dining room. A black linen tablecloth covered the table, and an arrangement of pumpkins and gourds and silk fall l
eaves sat in the center. Charlie removed the centerpiece to the buffet and began to set out the dishes.

  "Hi Charlie," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Charlie looked up to find Jason Tate regarding her with care.

  "Hello," she said softly.

  "Where's Tom?" Jason said. She knew he was just being polite. Jason didn't give two figs about her boyfriend Tom or his whereabouts.

  "He had to go pick up a body on John's Island," Charlie said. "He might swing by after he drops it off at the funeral home."

  "Right. Sounds almost as bad as being an investigator. Does he get called in the middle of the night?"

  "Sometimes," Charlie said. "People don't usually wait till business hours to die."

  She felt the strain in her voice and fought the urge just to walk away and leave him in the dining room.

  "So how have you been?" he asked.

  Charlie moved onto the silverware placement. "I'm fine. Thank you," she said. He waited a beat. The awkwardness expanded between them, filling the space with unsaid words.

  "So?" Charlie placed the last napkin by a plate. "Are you coming to Samhain?"

  "Lisa invited me," he said.

  "I figured she would,” she said. "Are you coming?"

  "Probably," he said. "You?"

  "Of course. I wouldn't miss it. We always have a good time." She forced a smile.

  "Yeah," he said softly.

  "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to check and see if Jen needs any help in the kitchen."

  "Sure," he said. He didn't move away from the spot near the chair at the head of the table, her uncle's chair. She walked past him, her energy brushing up against his for a brief second. The questions in his head trailed after her like dogs nipping at her heels. She could feel him wanting to ask - when will we be able to get past this? But he didn't actually say the words, and for that she was grateful. Truth was she didn't know if she could. If he'd just been harsh, maybe she would be able to forgive him. But it was worse than that. He had taken back his faith in her, and for that, she wasn't sure she could forgive him.

  "Charlie." Another voice called after her as she approached the door to the kitchen. Charlie turned and faced Cameron Reed. She offered up a smile, and this time it felt genuine.

  "Cameron," she said. "I heard you were here. Working another case with the Sheriff's Department?"

  "No, I was teaching a seminar to the Charleston PD, and Jason asked me to stay for the weekend." He smiled.

  "That sounds fun," she said politely.

  "I was hoping to run into you," he said. "Do you think we could talk for a minute?"

  "Sure," Charlie said. "Come on let's go on the back porch."

  Charlie led the way. She ignored the curious glances from her aunt and cousin as the two of them walked through the back door onto the porch. She gestured toward the swing suspended from the ceiling. The chains creaked when she sat down on one end. Cameron took the empty space next to her. He leaned forward and put his elbows on his knees and stared at the recently painted gray floorboards.

  "What's going on?" Charlie asked.

  Cameron blew out a heavy breath. He scraped the back of his thumb against his lips. Charlie could feel him searching for the words. Not just any words though. The right words. That phrase kept popping into her head.

  "They don't have to be right, Cameron," she said. "It's okay. Whatever you say to me can stay between us."

  "It's so weird how you do that," he said. He straightened up, and his gaze turned to the back door. Specifically to the six-paned window in the door.

  Charlie rose from the swing, opened the door and pulled down the roller shade, making sure it stayed in place.

  "Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes,” Evangeline said.

  "Yes ma'am," Charlie said and closed the door behind her. She resumed her seat next to Cameron. "We've got ten minutes, and nobody's watching us."

  "Thanks," he said. He shifted, and the swing rocked side to side a little. The chains squeaked in protest. "You know ever since I met you, I've been dreaming about my brother. I hadn't dreamed about him in years before then."

  "What happens in the dream?" Charlie asked.

  "I ... I relive it. The night he disappeared,” Cameron said. "Sometimes I stop him from being ... taken. Sometimes I don't."

  "He was abducted?"

  "Yeah," he whispered.

  "How old was your brother?" she asked.

  "Twelve. Almost thirteen," he said.

  Fear pinged Charlie’s heart, like a cold green, glowing dot on a radar screen. Evan was about to turn thirteen. The thought of him being taken made her shiver.

  "How long before they found his body?" Charlie asked.

  "How did you know they found him?"

  "I just know," Charlie said. She touched his shoulder, trying to lend some comfort.

  "A month," Cameron said. "Most of the time, when I dream about him, he's still twelve - pink and breathing. But sometimes, he's gray and covered with purple veins." Cameron squeezed his eyes shut as if it would somehow stop the image in his head from taking root.

  "Did you find him?" Charlie asked in horror.

  "No, but I've seen plenty of bodies since then. It's not hard to imagine," Cameron said.

  "Right," Charlie said softly. "What can I do to help you?"

  The corner of Cameron's mouth twitched with a grateful smile, and he turned his head to look at her. "I can't believe I'm about to ask this."

  Charlie rolled her eyes. "Aren't we past this?"

  "Mostly, I guess," he said. "Jason told me that you can sometimes draw out a spirit if it's attached to a person. I need to know if my brother is somehow hanging on to me."

  "He may not be. It may not be him at all causing your dreams. You may be doing that yourself. Guilt is ... it's one of the most powerful emotions we have. It can drive us to do extraordinary things. Not all of which are good."

  "I know. Can you check though?"

  "Of course. If you think it'll help."

  "I just have to know the truth. Am I being haunted?" he said.

  Charlie nodded. A rap on the window and the shadow of an arm distracted her. "Listen, let's go eat first. Then you can follow me back to my cottage, and we'll figure out whether you're haunted or not and what you want to do about it if you are."

  "Won't your boyfriend object to a strange man in your house?" Cameron asked.

  "Tom's not like that. And in case you haven't noticed, this house is full of strange people. So you fit right in," she teased and pressed her shoulder against his. Cameron chuckled.

  "How could I not notice?"

  "Come on, let's not keep everybody waiting." She rose from the swing.

  "What do you mean?" Jason said. Cameron shushed him and glanced at Charlie sitting with her cousin Jen at the other end of the table. He never thought he'd be pursuing this but, now that he'd talked to her, he wanted to know more. Needed to know more. And Charlie seemed to have access to the answers. He couldn't turn back now, no matter what Jason might think of him.

  "I mean," Cameron lowered his voice to a harsh whisper, "That I need you to hang out here for a little while so I can talk to Charlie privately."

  "About what?" Jason scowled.

  "About Kyle," Cameron mouthed.

  Jason's eyebrows rose halfway up his forehead. "I thought you didn't believe in this stuff."

  "I don't," Cameron said too sharply. Jason made a noise in the back of his throat that clearly indicated he didn't believe his friend. Cameron sighed. "I don't know what I believe. I just know she can help me."

  Jason shifted his eyes from Cameron's face to Charlie's. "Yeah, she probably can."

  "You know it probably wouldn't kill you to apologize to her," Cameron said.

  "For what? I wasn't wrong,” Jason said. His voice was rising, verging on strident, giving away the nerve Cameron had touched.

  "Neither was she," Cameron said. "The guy did end up being possessed."

  "Says you," Jason said.


  "Yeah, isn't that enough for you?" Cameron asked.

  Jason scowled. "I'll wait if Lisa will wait with me. I don't really want to just be hanging out with Jack Holloway on my own."

  "You should make friends with your future father-in-law,” Cameron teased.

  "Shut up," Jason snapped. His cheeks reddened. "He's not my future – just shut up."

  Cameron grinned at his flustered friend and rose from his seat. He stopped behind Charlie's chair. "You just about ready?"

  Charlie glanced up at him. “Sure." She folded her napkin and placed it next to her plate then pushed out her chair. Jen and Evangeline gave her a curious look. "I'm going to give Cameron a reading. Dinner was delicious. Thank you both."

  "Sure honey, anytime," Evangeline said.

  Cameron followed Charlie across the wide yard between her cottage and her uncle's house. Twilight lingered, and several bright stars shone in the clear sky. It would be dark soon and that thought made him a little panicked.

  "So the dark must get pretty thick out here," he said.

  "You get used to it," Charlie said as they approached her steps. "It's not like there's a real bogey man hanging out in the woods."

  Cameron glanced toward the dark grove of trees behind the cottage. Charlie laughed. "I promise you there are plenty of protections around this property to keep just about any monsters out." Charlie stuck her key in the lock to her door and turned to him. "Well, except for the human ones of course."

  "Of course,” he said, his chuckle nervous and quick.

  Charlie stepped inside and flipped on a light switch. The cozy living room had pale yellow walls and an overstuffed couch in blue denim with more pillows than he liked. He didn't see the point of them. An overstuffed coordinating chair flanked one end, and a rocking chair with a quilt of yellow, white, and blue hanging over the back flanked the other end. An old trunk served as a coffee table, and a hand-me-down dresser covered in blue-green paint fit into a space across from the couch between two closed doors. It held a flat-screen TV, cable box, and DVD player. The whole room screamed this was a woman's domain but at the same time the energy of the place wrapped around him, soothing his frazzled nerves.