The Crimson Key (9 page)

“She isn’t so much promising me things
, not really,” she said as she bit her nails. “Honestly, when we talk I feel like I am with a friend. She makes me feel better. Then when she leaves it’s like I totally forget everything she said and I feel sick. I don’t really even know what she looks like to be honest.” From what Hala told me was she was putting her in a trance-like state that was making her sick when she was near her spirit. Making her weaker and weaker. The rash she was getting from being so close to her. Hala thought it was Evangeline’s way of keeping Lynley sick. If she had a rash then she would feel like she should hide. I would be damned if this dead chick was going to take over my best friend.

I grabbed her hand. “You have to try to ignore her. Pretend you don’t see her
, okay?” She nodded and laid her head on my shoulder.

“So what did Hala say about the curse?” Ephraim asked as we pulled onto our street.

“She said we would talk more about that next time. I kinda hoped I could go see her before I go away.” I was leaving for my trip to California soon. It was very inconvenient, but Hala said we could get plenty done over the phone. She gave me the book that her great grandmother wrote in to read while I was there. I knew I would learn a lot about the sisters just from the book, but I was still stuck with so many questions. What were John and the other Mayhew boys doing protecting the sisters’ house? Why did Evangeline haunt my house? And why the hell did she like brushing my hair? All my questions had to wait until the next time I saw her.

“Maybe tomorrow we can go? I would love to be free from her
,” Lyn said.

“No
, tomorrow is Brylee’s birthday,” Ephraim replied. “Remember, Lynley?” She nodded, but I knew she had forgotten. It was okay; I forgot, too. I had been so preoccupied by everything that it didn’t matter anymore. I had been too busy with ghosts to even care. I now had not only my homework from school to study but my new journal to read. It was like every time I needed to learn something about these sisters, it was in some mysterious journal. That was the way they wanted it though, I suppose. They wanted no one to know about them and their secrets.

We pulled into their driveway and right away their mom flew out of the door. She looked pissed off. I could guess why; I knew she wasn’t happy to see me with them.

“Where have you two been?” she yelled. Lynley instantly put her head down and looked upset again.

“Mom
, calm down we just went for a little drive. That’s all,” Ephraim told her. It calmed her down, but she grabbed Lyn protectively, pulling her inside. I didn’t even get to say good-bye.

“Well
, I will see you tomorrow,” Ephraim said as he kissed me.

“Wait
, not tonight?” I was hoping he would sleepover tonight. I needed his comfort right now. I didn’t want to be left alone with Evangeline.

“Not tonight
, babe. Bye.” He turned and went into his house. I could hear his mom start yelling at him again. I went home and found my mom cooking. She and my dad were in a heated discussion that I didn’t feel like interrupting.

“Dinner in five
,” my mom said as I went up the stairs. I didn’t want dinner. I didn’t want anything for my birthday. I didn’t want to go to California. I just wanted to learn everything I could about stopping this curse.

After I ate dinner with my parents I took a nice hot bath. Thankfully, alone. I put on my comfy jammies and slipped into bed. I wanted nothing more than to read Hala’s book, but I couldn’t. Instead I got out my sketch pad and started drawing. Needing music for inspiration, I pulled out my phone and turned up the music as loud as it would go. My ear buds were vibrating to the music perfectly. I let my mind go and drew whatever came out. The first picture was of Lyn; her small frame and tiny features. Her hair in a straight line looking perfect just like it used to.

My next picture started out as eyes and then a soft face. An angular chin that started to bring out someone’s features. Soon I had a picture of a woman I didn’t even know staring back at me. I dropped the pencil and my eyes burned. I had drawn someone I didn’t even know. How did I do it?

I wondered if I could do it again. This time I closed my eyes. Letting the music guide me, I drew. When I opened my eyes, there was a man in clothing not from this era. Fumbling for my phone, I shut off the music and dialed Hala. I had put her number in right away for when weird things happened to me. She told me to call her if anything strange happened. This was definitely strange.

“Brylee?” she answered
, sounding worried.

“Hala
, something incredible is happening. I don’t know how to explain it. I draw and sketch things sometimes … this time the pictures just came to me.” I couldn’t even talk. I was so excited. I didn’t even know why I was calling her. I just knew that this might have something to do with being a medium or a dead talker.

“Brylee
, put the pencil down and burn the pages immediately.” Her voice became urgent. I was getting scared now. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes
, I just don’t understand why?” I went to the other bedroom—the one I call the fireplace room—and lit the pictures on fire. I watched them burn, erasing the faces I had drawn.

“You have just drawn the ghosts that were standing with you in your bedroom
, Brylee.” My flesh grew bumpy and my heart pounded.

“Wh-what?” How would she know something like that?

“I had a vision. They are always watching you. You are never alone in that house. You are the visitor in their home. You opened your mind up to them and you let them in. You mustn’t do that anymore.” I stood slowly and nodded even though she couldn’t see me.

“Are they bad?”

She laughed. “No, not really. But these spirits don’t want you there. They are doing everything they can to scare you and your family away.” Hala was good to have around in times like these. If I hadn’t called her, I wouldn’t have known that I was basically being watched. I wondered what else they saw me doing. They were nosy little ghosts!

“How do I get them to stop watching me? Is there anything I can do?” I started walking back to my room. I looked behind me
, and then in front of me, hoping not to run into them. I didn’t really want to have a confrontation with two pissed off ghosts right now.

“We will work on that in more detail later. Banishing them now isn’t necessary. Just simply tell them to leave you alone and they will. Now I have to get back to my daughter
, goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” I felt bad to be bothering her while she was at home. She didn’t seem to mind
, but I didn’t want to be an intrusion.

So her advice was to just tell them to leave me alone
, huh? I stood tall, and with authority in my voice said, “I don’t want you in my room anymore. Leave now!” I felt a brush against my body so strong I almost fell over. Suddenly the door slammed behind me so hard that my window rattled. I guess they left.

I woke up with a pounding headache that seemed to emanate from my temples to my spine. I must have stayed up too late or something because I felt like crap. It didn’t help that my phone buzzing loudly had woken me up super early. I checked it with my sleepy eyes and saw it was a text. I was not in the mood yet to be talking to anyone. I just wanted to go back to sleep. I had to go to school today
, no excuses. My mind changed when I saw who the text was from. Like a miracle, I sat up and checked the text as if I had been wide awake.

It was Ethan!

Happy Birthday to my favorite girl!

I squealed in delight to be hearing from him again
, although I didn’t want him hanging around forever. He needed to move on to where ever the dead go to. He had loose ties somehow, and just like the Browns he needed to be freed. Maybe once I had control on my gift I could help him. For now I would text him a thank you and get my lazy butt in motion. It was my birthday and I had to try to be excited about it. I was seventeen, not that it meant a whole lot. Luckily, I would be able to drive now, with a provisional license that is. That didn’t mean I had a car to drive, though. It didn’t look good for me. I wouldn’t be getting a car anytime soon. My parents’ financial situation was better than before, but not good enough to afford a car. That was okay; I would get a job next year and get myself a vehicle. I could do it on my own, I knew I could.

After showering
, I put on an adorable belted dress. I had not been able to dress in my spring clothes since I lived in Cali. It was awesome to be able to get them out of the closet and put the cold weather clothes away. Summer was headed this way and I was ready for it. As I did my make-up, I envisioned sitting on the beach with Ephraim. I could see it now; the blue ocean, the same color of his eyes. We would play in the waves and kiss all the way home. I couldn’t wait to see him today. It was funny how much I loved him. I wondered briefly if anyone at school had the type of relationship we did. Ours was on a mature level, that was for sure. Some couples broke-up and made up within an hour. We didn’t fight, we didn’t need to. I hoped that our future would be the same. Then, like a flash, that hope for a future was killed by that damn curse.

I went downstairs
, expecting my parents to fawn all over me since it was my birthday. I was not in the mood for it this year, however I would go along with it for them. Except when I went to the kitchen … nothing. No birthday pancakes like always, no mention about it. Instead my dad was reading through the newspaper and my mom was on her laptop.

“Mornin’ kiddo
,” she said. “Bagels are in the fridge.” I nodded and grabbed the cinnamon bagels, popping one in the toaster. I poured coffee for myself and waited for them to remember, but still nothing. Not a damn thing.

The toaster clicked and I grabbed my breakfast; I was eating on the go today. I kissed them good-bye and went next door. Ephraim opened the door
, greeting me with a smile and kiss.

“Let’s go get coffee this morning birthday girl!” he said as he dumped mine in the grass. Finally someone remembered. “And if you’re good
, a donut.”

School was buzzing with excitement. Tomorrow was the last day and graduation was Saturday. Ephraim was at grad practice all day so I wouldn’t see him until later. I was proud that he was graduating, yet jealous that I wasn’t. I took my finals with fingers crossed that I passed them. We left for Cali on Monday and I didn’t want to have my parents angry that I didn’t do well this year. It would be a damn miracle if I passed with A’s. With everything I had been dealing with, school was not a priority. Lynley was in good spirits and her rash had not returned. She didn’t tell me if Evangeline tried to visit her last night, but with her happy mood I thought not. We joked about how crazy her mom went yesterday. She didn’t elaborate on why she was so pissed. I only guessed it was because of me.

I entered a
rt class not expecting to see Ephraim in the dark room but he was. The light was on and Mr. Coombs, my art teacher, smiled at me sneakily. He had a letter in his hand and gave it to me. “Do you know what this is?” I shook my head.

“No clue.”

“I will tell you a few things you need to know before tomorrow,” he started. “One, you have a fabulous talent at drawing that will only get better if you enter my class next year. Two, Ephraim has talent as a photographer that will only get better if he takes a class at the community college.” I knew Ephraim had skill, but to hear that Mr. Coombs wanted me in his class next year made me so damn happy I bit my tongue to keep from screaming for joy. “The only way he can get in to that class is to put a portfolio together and give the professor this letter. Now you are going to give that to him before the rest of the class gets in here.” He paused, handing me a bunch of dirty paint brushes. “Go clean these for me.” I knew what his intentions were, and it made me happy that someone was looking out for Ephraim’s future. I smiled at him and took the brushes.

I rolled the door open and Ephraim was hanging up his latest obsession … photos of toes. Yes, weird, but he took photos of everyone’s toes. Painted, unpainted, gangly, or perfect. Of course mine were the latter according to him. It was weird, but I saw the art in it. It showed how different everyone was. The photo he hung now was of Lyn’s freckled toes. I laughed and studied it. She was so cute and perfect that I only prayed she would see it for herself.

“What are you doing in here?” he asked as he kissed my neck. I held up the paint brushes and threw them into the sink. I kept the letter for later. He came up behind me and played with my hair as I scrubbed. He lifted it and smelled it. I giggled because it tickled in a good way. No
, actually in a great way. I loved when he played with my hair. It made me tingly in all the right places. I wanted to curl up on the floor with him and take a nap now.

“Stop
, you’re making me sleepy,” I yawned. “I didn’t sleep too great last night.”

“Too many dreams about me?”

“You wish! No, I just felt uncomfortable.” I didn’t need to elaborate that I felt like someone was watching me while I slept. There were things to say and things to keep to myself. “I would have slept better if you were there.” Leaning down, he kissed me slowly.