The Cornelius Saga Series (All 15 Books): The Ultimate Adventure-packed Supernatural Thriller Collection

by Tanya R. Taylor

  “Wait, Sally-Jo!” Mira cried. “Give her a chance!”

  Within mere centimeters of the glass wall, Randa suddenly stopped in mid-air, now hyperventilating as she felt her heart throbbing uncontrollably. The screams of men and women alike inside the ballroom intensified as they all knew within a split second more, Randa’s blood would’ve been splattered across the glass and she likely would’ve been dead.

  “Wherever you are Sally-Jo—I’ll do whatever you want!” Randa eagerly blurted. “I’ll tell everyone the truth right now. Just, please don’t kill me!”

  “Let her down, Sally-Jo,” Mira turned to the incensed apparition. “This is what you want.”

  Sally glanced her way, and for a few moments, Mira was unsure of what her next move would be. The intensity of her gaze toward Randa was as thick as a two-by-four and she feared she’d failed to get through to her.

  Bobby stood in front of the podium near to his wife, nervous that the scene could manage to get any worse. Everyone’s hearts were in their throats, especially Randa’s, as tears were seen streaming down her face. Christie was looking over at her friend in sheer agony, now unable to utter a single sound, other than the terror of her groans.

  Soon, Randa found herself steadily moving across the room without any effort on her part, hovering high above everyone’s heads; then she slowly descended on the podium next to where Mira stood. Randa looked utterly relieved to finally feel her feet on the floor again, but acutely aware that she was still within Sally-Jo’s murderous grasp and there was no means of escape.

  Mira quickly left the podium and joined Bobby.

  “Great job, honey,” he leaned in and whispered.

  “It’s not over yet,” she replied.

  “I…I don’t know where to start,” Randa stammered; nervously rubbing her hands together. “When we were in high school, Abby, Christie and I decided to befriend Sally-Jo mainly because she had a ride back then that we thought was cool and none of us had even gotten our driver’s license yet. Abby thought we could use her to take us wherever we wanted, at least until our parents had gotten us our own wheels.” She looked out at the crowd, her eyes darting around as if she thought she’d get to see Sally-Jo for herself that night. “Well, even after we had no use for her anymore, she kept latching on to us, and we figured she might turn out to be useful again in the future. I’m really sorry about how this sounds, but this is the truth and the truth is obviously what she wants.”

  Mira glanced at Bobby who was shaking his head in disgust.

  “That night—when Sally died, we told her to meet us at the river not far from campus at eleven o’clock sharp for a special friendship pledge, which is what we said would seal our friendship forever. The only thing was… that was never our plan.” Randa paused momentarily.

  At that point, there was barely a sound in the room. All the crying and hysteria had come to a standstill and everyone’s focus was straight ahead on Randa.

  She continued: “The reason for us going to the river was to teach Sally-Jo a lesson—at least, that’s what I thought was going to happen.”

  “Teach her a lesson for what?” someone shouted from the back of the crowd.

  Randa gulped. “Abby found out that morning that Sally-Jo was seeing her boyfriend. Well, they’d broke up a few weeks earlier, so technically, they were done. But that wasn’t how Abby saw it. None of us knew if Sally-Jo and Abby’s ex were actually sleeping together or just talking, but Abby was infuriated. So, the plan was to lead her down to the lake, confront her with a knife and make her strip naked, then run her off back to the dorm in her birthday suit. We all felt that would be punishment enough for what she’d done.”

  Mira was watching Sally as Randa described the event, and Sally was looking at Randa with the same rage Mira had seen in her eyes all along. She only hoped that Randa’s confession would eventually appease her.

  “What happened was that when we all got together at the river, Abby confronted Sally-Jo about her seeing her ex and Sally-Jo denied being involved with him sexually. We all knew she was weak and seemed to crave attention regardless of where it came from, so the fact that she grinned a bit too much, so to speak, with Abby’s ex didn’t come as much of a surprise. However, Abby was not having any excuses. She told Sally-Jo that what she’d done was broke our friendship code and she deserved to die. We made her strip naked as Abby held her by the neck and what happened next came as a shock to both Christie and me…” Randa looked around the room at the faces of all who were clearly judging her, then she cleared her throat. “Abby then…plunged the knife into Sally-Jo’s chest, then after she fell to the ground, Abby knelt over her and stabbed her over and over again. I was in total shock; couldn’t believe my eyes and I was yelling for Abby to stop, but she was like a madwoman. Christie was yelling for her to stop too, but she wasn’t hearing any of us. We had to literally jump on her to get her to stop and eventually, I was able to get the knife away from her. We looked down at Sally-Jo and knew, without a doubt, that she was dead. The whole thing was unbelievable and I had no idea what we would do from that point on. After Abby calmed down enough, she told Christie and me that we were conspirators to the crime and if any of us talked, all of us would go to jail. She also reminded me that I had touched the bloody knife, so my fingerprints were on it as well. That occurred some months before our college graduation and each of us had a promising future ahead that we couldn’t afford to risk. That’s why I never spoke a word about the incident from that day to this. I was scared and I was selfish.” She sighed. “All of us were.” She started to cry. “Wherever you are, Sally-Jo—I’m so sorry! Please forgive me. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I swear!”

  Suddenly, the room starting vibrating like tremors of an earthquake and everyone held onto someone nearby. Bobby was holding Mira tightly and struggling not to fall himself. Then glasses and silverware from tables took off across the room from all angles at full speed toward the podium. Knives, forks, plates, and glasses all headed in Randa’s direction and she screamed with terror as she stooped down and held her head. As she tried to leave the podium, to her consummate horror, she noticed her feet were stuck to the floor. Gushing wind filled the room from out of nowhere and everyone could hear its eerie whistling around them.

  “I have to get to her!” Mira told Bobby in a loud voice. “If I don’t, she’s going to die!”

  “I can’t let you go up there!” he cried, knowing the podium was the focus of Sally-Jo’s rage.

  “I have to help her, Bobby. She’s someone’s daughter—someone’s sister!”

  “You’re my wife and Rosie’s mother! It’s my job to protect you.”

  She looked at him—her eyes pleading. “Your love will keep me safe. Trust me.”

  Still looking into her eyes, he released her hand. “Be careful, honey.”

  “I will.”

  Bobby quickly said a prayer for Mira as she cautiously fought against the wailing wind, forcing herself toward the podium. When she managed to get near the right side, she saw Randa kneeling on the floor with silver and glass missiles flying all around her.

  “Reach for the mic!” Mira shouted.

  “What?” Randa had barely heard her.

  “Carefully reach up and grab the microphone!”

  Not understanding why, Randa slowly stretched forward and was able to the grab the microphone. The second she lowered her head again, a large ceramic plate flew past her left ear.

  “Now what?” she asked, kneeling down again, clearly petrified.

  “Tell everyone that the three of you were responsible for Sally’s death,” Mira said. “You must say it in those words. Otherwise, you’re not quelling Sally’s anger because you haven’t fessed up to the gravity of what you’ve done. It doesn’t matter who it was that stabbed her. All three of you stabbed her in the back when you set her up to be ridiculed and embarrassed. You have to take responsibility, Randa. She’s giving you a chance. She could’ve easily killed you minutes ago. Don�
��t you see these things are flying past you? If you don’t do the right thing and soon, I know for sure you’re going to get hit—not by one object, but by many.”

  “Okay. I’ll do it!” she replied.

  She quickly tapped the mic. “Sally-Jo, please listen to me. I confess in front of everyone here that Abby, Christie and I are all responsible for your death. We killed you that night by the river with betrayal and with a knife. I’m so sorry; I really am. Would you please forgive me?”

  Mira’s heart was racing as she remained stooped at the side of the podium. Randa was in tears and Mira knew she’d learned her lesson the hard way. As she looked up at the ceiling, she was confident that Christie was either dead or very close to death and there was absolutely nothing she could do for her.

  A minute and a half later, the wailing wind stopped and there was a sense of calm inside the ballroom. Mira stood to her feet and so did Randa, who immediately left the stage and ran to her embrace.

  “I’m so sorry!” she kept saying to Mira. “I’m a terrible person.”

  “You were a terrible person, Randa. Not anymore.”

  She looked at Sally, then headed over to her. She was standing near the wall adjacent to the narrow corridor which led to the restrooms. Her face had suddenly taken on the complexion she’d had before she died and her beauty had resurfaced. She looked like the Sally-Jo Mira remembered. “It’s over now, Sally-Jo,” she said, tenderly. “You can now find peace. Whomever has wronged you and survives this night will have to live with themselves.”

  Sally slowly nodded and as she looked up toward the ceiling, Christie Hopkins was gradually being lowered to the floor by Sally’s will alone. Then Mira heard the clicks of multiple locks again.

  “You see the light now, don’t you?” Mira asked, after noticing a dim light surrounding her.

  “Yes,” Sally answered.

  “Go on, Sally-Jo. You’re free now; we’ll meet again someday.”

  Without another word, Sally turned and walked toward a gateway illuminated with the most brilliant light Mira had ever seen—and in a flash, she was gone.

  10

  _________________

  By the time Mira had made it over to Christie, she was already surrounded by dozens of people. Bobby was at the forefront watching as Tori Callendar was giving her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation—something he’d learned early on when he was still in high school.

  “Excuse me!” Mira said, easing her way through the crowd.

  Tori stopped what he was doing when she arrived. Kneeling next to Christie, Mira checked for a pulse and realized she was still alive, though barely. At that moment, she heard the doors swing open and more than a dozen police officers hurried inside the ballroom. No one present was allowed to leave.

  “We must get her to the hospital now! She doesn’t have much time!” Mira told one of them.

  “The paramedics are here,” the officer responded with concern.

  And moments later, she saw several of them wheeling stretchers into the room. Police officers were led to the restroom where they found Abigail’s body, while paramedics promptly tended to Christie. Mira urged them to get her to the hospital immediately and they quickly worked to make that happen.

  After the police permitted everyone to leave the ballroom, Mira and Bobby were among the last to walk out. Everyone had told the same story, which the officers found difficult at first to believe. Then they realized they didn’t have much of an alternative, particularly since everyone, for the most part, seemed to be of sound mind. It helped that Mira was there and she was well respected among the law enforcement community.

  As she and Bobby strolled toward their car, they felt like they’d just survived a deadly earthquake or a tsunami.

  “Mom and Rosie will never believe this,” Mira said, slumping into the car seat.

  “As crazy as it all was, I believe they will.” Bobby drove out of the parking lot.

  “I thought when things started to go awry that it was Donna Jacobs behind it,” Mira noted.

  “You mean the dead man’s wife?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Why would she be behind it?” he asked, curiously.

  She’d failed to tell him what happened that day at the park. “She told me she was coming for me. I kind of forgot to mention it.”

  Bobby got a sinking feeling. He’d seen the power of an angry ghost that night and worried about Mira’s safety.

  “I don’t want you to worry about me,” she said, as if reading his mind. “The truth is—I didn’t really forget to tell you about Donna. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry; but after what happened tonight, I know I can’t keep these things from you. Seeing spirits—both good and bad—are a part of who I am and since you made the terrible mistake of marrying me, unfortunately, it’s a part of your life now too.”

  Bobby sighed deeply as they turned onto the main thoroughfare and he reached for her hand. “Wherever you are is where I wanna be, honey. I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into and I don’t regret it. You have a fascinating gift—one that truly helps people. Without you tonight, I shudder to think how horribly wrong things would’ve turned out. I’m proud to be on this journey with you and to be your husband. I just want you to be careful; that’s all.”

  Mira smiled and kissed his hand. “I’m somebody’s wife, mother and daughter—so I will.”

  Bobby smiled too, but inside, he couldn’t help but worry about Donna Jacob’s threat and hoped she wouldn’t act on it.

  Three days later, Mira got a call from Monique Constantakis who revealed that Christie Hopkins had succumbed to her injuries, and Randa Maynard was arrested for the murder of Sally-Jo Petersen. She’d given the police a full confession pertaining to her involvement in the crime.

  ~ The End ~

  Headstone

  The Curse

  Cornelius Saga Series - Book 15

  1

  _________________

  “Dad, hang on! We’re almost there!” Toby cried while two paramedics worked feverishly to save his father’s life. The blaring sound of the ambulance roared through the night en route to the hospital after the distraught call came in for help at 3:33 A.M. The call was made from the home of thirty-five-year-old Toby Reed and his wife, Jonie.

  Harvey Reed was having a major heart attack and the look in his eyes portrayed a firm reality to the youngest of his four children that the end was indeed near. Seated with him at the back of the ambulance, Toby feared the grim possibility that this may be the last few moments he’d get to spend with his dad.

  The patriarch of the Reed family had been staying with his son and daughter-in-law after having suffered a debilitating stroke months earlier. His six-room single storey house he’d built with his own bare hands remained vacant during that time, regularly checked on by either Toby or Jonie. Toby was honored to take his father in to ensure he was well cared for since there was only so much Harvey was able to do for himself. His right arm was crippled, his speech slurred and he had been confined to a wheelchair—a stark difference from the strong, independent man he used to be.

  Toby and Jonie were convinced that Harvey had worked himself into the ground after his beloved wife Marilyn—Marry, as Harvey affectionately called her—passed away unexpectedly just eighteen months earlier. Harvey had been a skilled carpenter all of his seventy-four years, and Marry had worked as a seamstress from the time she learned the skill at age sixteen, and continued working until she died at age seventy-two. Toby had always admired his parents’ hard work and dedication to their family. However, as hard as they worked, they never managed to amass much of anything other than their house and a secondhand car here and there as they needed one, particularly in the earlier days while they had four young children to raise. When they each turned sixty-five, they lost the health insurance coverage they’d paid faithfully to the same company for more than forty years, but Marry had managed to hold on to a small life insurance coverage of
nine thousand dollars for her funeral expenses.

  Harvey’s eyes slowly rolled back in his head and Toby heard the pulsating beeps which monitored his heart turn to that one solid, worrisome sound.

  “He’s flatlined!” One of the paramedics grabbed the defibrillator.

  Toby watched as they attempted to shock his heart. “Dad, come back!” he cried. “You can’t leave me now!”

  The entire scene inside the ambulance seemed surreal to Toby.

  Harvey Reed never woke up.

  He was pronounced dead at 3:59 AM.

  2

  _________________

  The 14th of March was bound to be unforgettable for Toby. It was the day he, along with his siblings, had the task of burying their father—a man Toby loved and revered.

  Jonie Reed held her husband’s hand as they stood at the graveside under an emerald-green tent labeled, Live Again Mortuary. Toby had been sobbing during the entire hour-long service next to his sisters, Rachelle and Belinda, and their brother, John. John was the eldest of the Reed children; Belinda followed and Rachelle trailed two years behind her.

  “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return,” Reverend Raymond Barton uttered as he lightly tossed a mini shovel of dirt on top of the coffin. “Ashes to ashes; dust to dust.”

  Belinda wailed as the finality of their father’s passing was boldly realized.

  Funeral attendants took their place on both narrow sides of the coffin and slowly lowered it into the grave. John looked on somberly behind his clear eyeglasses. Rachelle was quietly sobbing as Belinda shouted, “Daddy! Daddy! Don’t leave us; we can’t live without you!” Tears were streaming down her face, and inside—in the face of his own grief—Toby’s blood was boiling. He found it odd that he could be so grief-stricken and angry at the same time, wanting nothing more than for the funeral to end and for he and Jonie to get as far away from his siblings as they possibly could. Yet, he knew the repast was next and they were expected to attend. However, even a few minutes of quiet time between the service and the repast for him would suffice.