Ghost Program (17 page)

   “I-I’m not sure...but mother never mentioned anything like this.  She said the Dark Lord was searching for his wife.  I don’t think it would be in his nature to take a group of schoolgirls.”

   “I don’t find it likely either,” said Karen quietly.  “That is more likely speculation than known fact.”

   “But what about Mrs. St. Croix?  She said that she knew that he was coming for her.”

   “I’m so sorry that I cannot answer that question for you right now,” said Karen.  “But I will do a little research, and I promise that I will have an answer for you in a few days.  As for your demon, I believe that you will need protection.  You will not be able to handle him on your own.”

   “Is that...like a spell or something?” I asked.

   Karen smirked; I had no idea why.

   “I should show you rather than explain,” Karen said.  “Can you do a little walking?  I know that you’re not in a good way, but it would really be better if we could take a walk.”

   “I could walk,” I said.

   “Good.  Good.  Let’s all of us walk through those back doors.”  She pointed to a sliding glass door.  “Just follow me.”  She opened the glass door and stepped barefoot onto a cedar porch.

   Past the porch, a muddy path led through towering pines, overgrown grass, and huckleberry bushes.  Karen led the way, her bare feet leaving marks in the dirt, and we followed close behind her.

   “Where is she taking us?” I whispered to Brent.

   “I’m almost afraid to find out,” he whispered back.

   I heard the susurrous sound of rushing water and turned to gaze at a creek which ran alongside the trail.

   Karen turned and said:  “A home should always be built by running water.  It is good luck and protects the house.”

   After a minute, I could barely see a clearing which appeared through the dense forest.  Sunlight blazed through an opening in the trees.  Karen continued to tromp down the trail, and we followed her, stepping over tree roots and weeds.  She walked down a short set of brick steps with an air of eagerness, stopped suddenly, turned towards us and said “We’re here.” 

   I looked around, having found myself in a small meadow, trying to decide what purpose this clearing in the woods had, and realized that I was in a small cemetery, made up of all of about a hundred tomb markers.

   “We’re going to see Tony,” said Karen.

   “He lives in a cemetery?” asked Brent, looking mystified.

   Veronica looked no less confused than Brent or I.

   “Sometimes he is here,” said Karen.  “This is where they buried him.  Poor man, he was killed in a car accident a month ago, and his family buried him here.  The cemetery is not part of my property, but rather belongs to the town.  “Tony!  You here?” she asked.

   Brent and I looked at each other.  Brent didn’t need words to speak, the look on his face said loads about what he was thinking.  I began to feel nervous as I looked around the grassy area for whoever or whatever Karen was trying to summon.  The cemetery had an eerie quality to it; billows of fog rolled through the clearing and passed into the woods behind it.  Blue jays swooped and dove over tombstones as Karen walked slowly around the graves.

   “I need a favor, Tony.  Please come,” she said.

   I felt a draft of cold air behind me and swiftly turned around.  Behind me stood a tall, well-built man in his mid-thirties.  He hadn’t been there a second ago, and I had the instinct to know that he was dead.

   “You called?” asked Tony.  He smiled pleasantly at us.

   Karen hurried towards him.  “Tony.  I’d like you to meet Brent, Sam, Veronica.”

   Brent and I looked at each other again; Veronica stared at Tony with an odd look on her face, and I wondered if she’d been this close to a spirit before.

   “What is all this about a favor?” Tony asked.

   “We need some protection for Sam, this young lady here.  Tony, she’s dealing with a nasty demon.  I need you to help her, and I could provide a favor for you, that is if it is in my ability to do so.”

   “I want to see Mary.  I haven’t seen her since the accident.  I know you said that she needs time to grieve, but I am frantic without her.  I didn’t want you to know, but I went to see her.  You told me to wait, but I went anyway.  She didn’t know I was there.  I don’t know why she couldn’t see me
; you
can see me.  But Mary, she couldn’t see, couldn’t see that I was desperate to talk to her, to let her know that I’m okay.  I touched her, grabbed her arm, like I used to do before....the accident, but she still didn’t understand it was me; all she did was shiver.  I need her to know I’m there with her.  You’ll help me, won’t you?  All this about a demon; I’m not afraid of no demon.  Nothing it can do to me, being that I’m already dead.”

   “That’s right, Tony.  Demons can only hurt the living.  They can take bodies, but not souls.  But Sam is still alive, and she’s frightened.  I will take you to Mary and let her know you’re there.  But then I need you to stand guard over Sam.  If you can’t help us Tony, she may well lose her life.”

   Tony stepped towards Karen and gave her a hug, but she pulled away.

   “You’re really very cold, Tony,” she said.

   “He looks so solid.  So remarkably solid,” said Veronica.

   “Yes,” said Karen.  “Those who can see spirits find it amazing that they really appear so much like they did in life.  But it requires a strong level of belief in the spirit world of the dead and a moderate level of psychic ability to see them as well as you do.  But then, your mother was a psychic, and you may have inherited some of her ability.  So you will help us, Tony?”

   “Of course,” he said in a husky voice.  “I haven’t got much to around here, anyway.  My calendar isn’t exactly booked, you know.  Well, tell me.  What’s up with yer stalker?  I mean, why’s he got a bone to pick with you?”

   I looked at the ground.  “I don’t know,” I said quietly.

   “I will take you to Mary, today,” said Karen, “and I promise that she will know you’re there.  Then I will need you to stand guard at Sam’s house.  What is the address anyway, Sam?”

   “651 Lark Avenue,” I replied.

   “Try to remember that, Tony.  After Mary’s house, that is where I’m taking you, and you will stay there for awhile.  Do you live alone, Sam?”

   “No, with my parents.”

   “Will they see him?”

   “I-I don’t know.  It’s possible, but...”

   “Don’t worry about all that, Karen,” said Tony.  “I know how to be discreet if the circumstance calls for it.  I wasn’t promoted to detective for nothing.”  Tony’s blue jeans fit snugly over his large frame.

   “What happened to you?” asked Brent.  He hadn’t once taken his eyes off of Tony since the big man appeared in the yard.

   “Driving that damn two-lane highway at three a.m. was probably the worst decision I ever made.  Some moron crossed the center line, and of course you know the rest of the story.”

   We all easily imagined what had happened next.

   “My big regret is leaving behind my fiancé.  That’s the one thing that really hurt.”

   “My God,” said Veronica, looking appalled at the man’s story.

   Karen spoke to Tony again.  “Sam here isn’t doing so well.  She’s got quite a few injuries herself, except that she didn’t die from them.  The poor girl was in a car accident like you, Tony.  Let me show my guests to their car, and we’ll take a trip into town to visit your lady.  Sam is beginning to look a little worn around the edges.”

   “I’m fine,” I said, but it wasn’t really true.  My ribs ached, and I wanted to lie on my bed.

   “There’s no need to put on a brave face for me,” said Karen.  “I’ll take you back to my home, and I think it’s best if you head home and get some rest.”

   Karen led us back towards her house, and we retraced our steps from the house to the cemetery, only this time walking in the opposite direction.  We followed her straight through her house and into the driveway, where Veronica’s car sat empty.  Brent opened the passenger door and helped me into the seat, taking my crutches into the much larger backseat.  Veronica got into the driver’s seat as Karen exchanged a few words with her and said goodbye.  Soon, we were back on the highway, heading back to my house.

   “I’m sorry I got you out of bed, Sam.  I hope you’re okay,” said Veronica.  “But I’m sure now that you’ll be alright; you’ll be protected.  I feel much better knowing that in a few hours, you will have an added presence watching over you.  And I think this guy may really be reliable.”

   “So is he just going to hang around my house for eternity?” I asked.

   “I wish I knew the answer to that,” said Veronica.  “I suspect that we’ll hear back from Karen soon enough.  There’s no telling what ideas she’s got cooked up her sleeve.  My gosh, you’re in school, though.  What happened with that?  Did you have to drop out?”

   “They’re going to let me complete all but my math final from home.”

   “Oh, well.... good then.  That will let you get some rest.”

   Brent said nothing, just looked out the window as we hurtled down the highway.

   Soon, we were pulling into the driveway of my house.  Brent jumped out of the backseat, then handed me my crutches and helped me out of the car.  I struggled with the crutches as Brent helped me to balance, and I suddenly felt a cold presence.  Brent felt it too and turned around.

   A young woman in a long, brown dress and white bonnet stood before us, complete with glowing white skin and a confused expression.  Veronica saw the apparition and got out of her car, watching her with rapt attention over the roof of her Cadillac.  The spirit smiled sweetly.

   “The gentleman said that he needed a maid,” she said.  “He gave me this address.  Am I right that this is the place?” she asked, looking at Brent and me inquisitively.

   Brent answered.  “Yep, that’s right.  He’s right in there, straight through that door.”  He pointed at the door of my house.

   I wanted to be so angry with him, but I couldn’t find my voice.

   “Thank you ever so much,” she said.

   The woman floated up to the front steps just as mom opened the front door and stepped onto the porch.  The young spirit passed through mom and into the house.  Mom paid no attention, just waved at us, got into her car, and drove away.

   Veronica looked at us over the roof of her car.  “What was
that
?” she asked.

   “My house is haunted,” I replied.

   “Indeed,” said Veronica.  “Are you going to be okay here, Sam?”  She handed me my purse.

   “I’ll take care of her,” said Brent.  “I’ll be here until tomorrow morning.”

   “And you’re fine with the fact that there’s an undead housecleaner roaming the halls,” said Veronica.

   “I think it’ll be okay,” said Brent.

   “Take care of her.  Don’t let her out of your sight,” said Veronica to Brent.

   “I’ll be fine,” I said.  “I’ve lived with this all my life.  I just never communicated with
them
until recently.”  Then I whispered, “
Thanks a lot, Brent
,” quietly so Veronica couldn’t hear.

   “With spirits,” said Veronica.

   “Yeah, but it’ll be okay.  The worst damage that’s been done to me was done by men, living ones, and I still survived it.”

   “That’s true, Sam.  I’ll call you in awhile.  In the meantime, look out for yourself.”

   Brent and I spent a couple more minutes saying goodbye to her, then we watched as she pulled out of my driveway.  Although the unmarked police car had left the driveway, I now noticed something or should I say...someone else.  The fat, pasty-faced reporter from earlier today had seen us pull into the drive and was running up the hill to the house, his face red as he huffed and grunted from his exercise. 

   “Come on,” said Brent, pointing at him.  “Let’s get in the house.”

   I hobbled behind him up the porch steps, then Brent dug around in my purse until he extracted my keys and used them to open the door. 

   “Where is she?” Brent asked as we entered the house and stood under the stairs.

   “The woman?”

   “Yeah, in that old-fashioned dress.”  His eyes darted back and forth.

   “I’m not sure.  I don’t see her.  There’s sure a strange vibe in here, though.”

   “I know what you mean,” he said.  “Like if she did leave, something, a feeling, a part of her, of who she was, was left behind.”

   “I don’t think she was a bad person,” I said.

   “Oh my god.  Look through the glass doors... on the back porch.”

   “I see her now.”

   “Wow, Jesus.  How does she not know she’s dead?”

   “You think it’d be obvious....”  I watched her as she leaned over the railing curiously, her boots barely showing under the skirt.