Always Dead (Welcome To Dead House Book 2) Page 8

  He answered by sticking out his ghostly tongue. I asked Joey what year he was born, what generation he claimed. Was he a generation Xer? “Clearly a better generation than yours.”

  There was neither hide nor hair of the resident ghost tonight. I guess he had better things to do, like make the chandelier swirl around. I wasn’t sure that was anything other than Joey messing with us.

  The family home felt very still as if the air was waiting for something to emerge, or we were on the verge of some huge manifestation, but I had no evidence to support that feeling. It was so like me to drum up problems when there weren’t any. Would I ever learn just to be happy in the moment? I walked down the hall quietly and checked in all of the rooms to make sure I truly was alone up here.

  First room? Check.

  Second room? Check.

  I continued to make my rounds and was happy to verify there were no phantoms hiding in any of the dusty corners or closets. There was no sign of the Reaper. I could also verify there were no weird sounds of clanging chains or stomping feet. Not that I’d ever heard clanging chains here at the Ridaught Plantation, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

  Anything was possible in this place.

  “Okay. So we’re good.” I wasn’t sure who I was talking to, but it felt good to say it like some sort of proclamation. I paused in the doorway outside my bedroom and wondered what to do on this exciting Sunday night. I had already ransacked the remainder of my mother’s trunks and recovered everything I thought was useful. I even told Tamara about it to let her know it was me rooting around up there and not some ghost.

  To my surprise, she was very understanding about the whole thing, and I adored the scrapbook she gave me. Tamara totally supported me, but she’d reminded me that Mom was human and if I happened to find items I might deem questionable to have a little mercy. I wasn’t sure what she was talking about at first, but then her meaning dawned on me. That had been a weird conversation.

  “Are you talking about weed pipes? Or other freaky stuff I don’t want to know about?” I grilled Tamara, but she just smiled and shook her head.

  “I have no idea what’s in your mother’s things. I’m just saying. We weren’t born old ladies. We were young women, and we made some goofy mistakes from time to time. You have seen some of our costumes.” Tamara made a face, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Even your mother, as sophisticated as she was later in life, was once an angsty teenager.”

  Naturally I had to re-examine all of her trunks to make sure I didn’t miss anything crucial, but there wasn’t anything illicit or illegal amongst my mother’s treasures. Her gowns were stored in my closet now, as well as her shoes, which were unfortunately a little too small for me. But they were pretty to look at, and I liked having them around.

  I decided to give my friend Lynn a call to see what she was up to. Her cell phone went right to the automated message. I wasn’t sure what her house phone number was, but I probably wouldn’t have called it anyway. Her father was a monster and one I didn’t want to encounter again, even by phone if I didn’t have to. I thought about calling Trey, not for any romantic reason, but just to find out if Lynn was okay. I was pretty much over him and had the sneaking suspicion he had moved on from me.

  Trey lived next door to Lynn, and he could get a message to her if she was grounded or something. She was probably grounded for something ridiculous, as always.

  Where was Lynn’s mother? Did anyone care about what was going on over there? I did, and I was going to do something about it. As I reached for the phone, I nearly jumped off the bed because it began to ring. I picked it up and saw Trey’s name on the screen.

  That was a little weird. I was just thinking about him.

  “Hello? Trey?” I walked to the window just to have something to look at as we talked. How was I going to play this? Did I really want to see him again? I wasn’t sure. I had been so enamored with him when I first met him. Trey seemed like the total package, but now I was getting a whole other vibe, and it had to do with that car. Too bad I didn’t have time travel skills. I’d love to go back in time and set that thing on fire before he ever received it.

  “Hey, what are you doing?” I hated Trey’s stupid conversation openers. Couldn’t he think of anything more interesting to say?

  “What am I doing? I’m talking to you. Hey, I’m kind of glad you called. I’ve been worried about your cousin. How is Lynn? Did her father ever go back on the road? Did your dad come home?”

  Those cousins had the worst parents. It was like that family was cursed or something. I shivered just thinking about it. Yes, definitely a curse. I should trust my intuition on this one, and my intuition was telling me they were certainly cursed, but by who?

  “That’s a lot of questions, Chloe. Let me try to answer them all. I haven’t seen Lynn. I haven’t seen my dad. And yeah, I think Jack’s back on the road. But I’m calling about me and you, if that’s okay. I was hoping we could get together. You know, chill like we used to.” His voice had that smooth sound to it like he was trying to be sexy.

  Before I thought about it, the words just came flying out of my mouth. “What about Vanessa?”

  “What about her?”

  “I thought you liked her. I mean, I haven’t heard from you in forever, and then you just call me out of the blue? I saw you with Vanessa in the hallway. The way you two were acting, I thought you liked her.” The memory of Trey touching Vanessa’s dark hair and smiling down at her inspired jealous thoughts. Thoughts I did not welcome and were not natural to me. I didn’t like being a jealous person. I wasn’t a game player, not in the slightest. I never wanted to be with someone who brought that out in me because...

  As Trey stammered and sputtered on the other end of the line, I stared out the window and hoped he could put together a decent explanation for what he was doing with the other girl. He wasn’t doing a great job at the moment. In fact, his whole ambiance was putting off a “I’m guilty” vibe.

  That’s when I saw the small amber-colored lights. They seemed to follow one another in a strange pattern about three feet off the ground. They hovered in the air but were moving of one accord. Strangely enough, not toward the house but away from it. They were headed to the dirt road behind my family home.

  Trey was still talking, but I wasn’t paying much attention. I was too focused on the entities moving down the pathway. I felt troubled, and I felt so many things, but none of them was patient. “Do whatever you want, Trey. I’ve got to go.”

  I hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed. Could it be Alice trying to reach out again? How could I help her? Maybe I should just leave her to the Reaper?

  From the conversation downstairs, Tamara’s soft laughter and the deputy’s deep voice, those two were getting along well. I didn’t want to mess that up. I had a new softness for Tamara, a new respect and appreciation for her. If she could find happiness with this deputy guy, I was all for it.

  Besides, I liked being on my own, which was probably why I wasn’t overly concerned about Trey. I was still quite concerned about Lynn, though. I’d have to do something about that situation even if it meant sticking my nose where it didn’t belong. Lynn may resent me, but I was her friend, and I couldn’t allow her to get mistreated without saying anything to Tamara or at least the school guidance counselor.

  For now, Alice needed my help. If I was going to become a decent medium, I needed to practice my skills. I remembered the basics, visualizing the light, seeing the door, opening the door. It was true Tamara had guided me through the process at first, but it now seemed so simple and intuitive. There was no time like the present. I reached into my nightstand to get my flashlight. I replaced the batteries and verified it was working properly.

  I slid it in my pocket. I left my phone behind because I didn’t want to be interrupted by Trey’s nonsense. I could’ve put the phone on silent, but just knowing I had it with me felt as if it would break the spell. I went with that and decided to head out of the ho
use as quietly as possible.

  It was easier to go out the back door as Tamara and Kevin were hanging out in the living room. It wasn’t completely black out. The stars were shining, and there was a half-moon above me. The grass in the backyard was getting far too high. One of these days, Tamara and I would have to cut it just to keep the snakes and vermin away from the house. I’d found a snakeskin in the attic not long ago. That’s not what you want to see in your home.

  I eased out the back door quietly. Tamara had soft music playing in the kitchen window. She did love her old radio and left it playing all the time. All the lower floor windows were still open from earlier today. It had been nice to allow fresh air to blow into the place. I’d meant to do that on my floor, too, but forgot.

  “Alice? Is that you?” I could no longer see the tiny amber-colored lights, but I sensed I was not alone out here in the yard. Using the flashlight, I walked carefully away from the house and into the grassy depths of the backyard. I had almost made it to the back of the property where the road was when suddenly Joey was there.

  “What are you doing, Chloe?”

  “I’m trying to give Tamara and Kevin a little privacy. It would be nice if you did the same. I’m just checking something out,” I said, trying to ignore his eyes. He could always see right through me, not to mention read my mind. It was a bit unsettling.

  “I saw those lights too. You’re not fooling me, Chloe Carol. There is a ghost in the house already, and the Reaper is out here. You know what that means! Why must you poke the bees’ nest?”

  I caught my breath at hearing his revelation. “Stop it. Are you serious? No dramatics. Where have you seen the Reaper? Out here?” I stared at Joey, who thankfully wasn’t currently glowing like a lightning bug. He looked as real as anyone, except for his feet. He always got his feet wrong. At least he was better at manifesting legs now. Where did he get all this energy? That question and so many more made me suspicious of him. Joey shook his shaggy head sadly.

  “Still don’t trust me? Fine. Go talk to the ghosts, Chloe. Don’t come running to me if they don’t want to let you go. I’m telling you the truth. The Reaper is out here, and he’s coming for someone. I’m not ready to go.” With that, Joey began to fade and walk away.

  “For Pete’s sake! Stop reading my mind. It’s really wrong and unfair. I trust you, you big pain in the ass. If you want to come with me, fine. I’m going to talk to Alice. If I can help her move on, I want to do that.”

  Joey brightened slightly and said, “I don’t trust her. I’m telling you, she’s not all there. Being dead can make a person crazy, and this Alice chick is definitely crazy. We should wait for Tamara. There needs to be more than just me and you out here.”

  “Tamara is not a medium, Joey. And if I don’t practice, I’m never going to get better. I’m never going to be able to put these spirits to rest. Isn’t that what you want? What we all want? I have to practice.” I shrugged my shoulders and waved my flashlight around in frustration.

  It made perfect sense to me, and evidently I got through to him because he sighed and said, “Fine. Let’s practice. But if the Reaper shows up, you’re on your own. I’m not ready to cross over yet. You can’t force me, you know.”

  “Is that what you think? I would force you to cross over? First of all, I don’t even think that’s a possibility. From what I understand, spirits have to be willing to move into the light. Second of all, whether I understand it or not or like it, you are my friend. I would never do that.” My voice sounded softer than I expected, and I meant the words which made Joey glow a little brighter. “But tone down your light. We don’t want every...

  Suddenly, I saw a young man standing behind Joey. The same young man I’d seen yesterday when Tamara and I were out working our spirit box session. He couldn’t have been dead for very long because he was modern looking but not alive. No. Not alive at all. Before he turned to face the intruder, I saw Joey’s expression shift. His eyebrows narrowed as if he sensed the spirit’s presence.

  The stranger had a handsome face with dark wavy hair, and he was about Joey’s height. The ghost was muscular but somewhat thin. He wore blue jeans and a t-shirt with an open plaid shirt over it and a leather necklace. He had a tattoo on one of his hands. I couldn’t read it, but it was definitely a word.

  “Who are you? I asked instinctively.

  As if he didn’t hear me, the ghost walked past Joey and me in a few seconds and disappeared into the foliage beyond us. On the other side of the greenery was the dirt road. That’s where the amber lights had been heading.

  As I turned my attention back to Joey, his expression broke my heart. His hand went to his mouth, and he gasped as he sobbed once. I had seen a true ghost, and one thing was clear.

  Joey had seen him too. By his dimming luminosity, I could see he was devastated. Recognition flickered across his face. “Joey? What is it? Do you know him? Talk to me.” His response was another sob, and then he vanished like someone turned him off like a light switch.

  Waving my flashlight around, I realized I was alone in the field, and the thought disturbed me greatly. I heard tree limbs breaking just beyond my vision, but there was no evidence of anyone walking around.

  I didn’t know what to do. I had to check on Joey. I had to go back to the house and tell Tamara, even if it pissed her off.

  The ghost lights were gone, and the cracking wood sounds had ceased too. I was definitely on my own out here and feeling very vulnerable.

  I took off running back to the house.

  10

  Tamara

  I was dragging this morning. Chloe had asked me about Joey last night but was elusive about her concern. I surmised she did not want to talk openly about him in front of Kevin. Following her lead, I slipped out of the room to give us some privacy, but other than a few moist tears in her eyes, she didn’t have anything to tell me.

  I hadn’t seen him, and I told her that. She asked me again this morning, but I didn’t get a chance to question her further because I had a visitor. I’d barely tossed a blueberry muffin into Chloe’s hand when I spotted Kevin coming up the steps of the back porch. We’d had a great time last night and hung out for hours, but I didn’t expect him to show up early this morning. Wasn’t he going to be worried about what the neighbors said? Apparently, Linda kept her eyes on this place.

  “You need me to pick you up, Chloe?” I shouted at her as she headed to the bus.

  “No. I’ll probably catch a ride with Lynn. Later.” She waved at me without glancing back and climbed on the bus as if she owned it. I definitely saw a change in attitude. She hated riding the bus, or at least she used to. I guess once you faced down ghosts and whatnot, punk kids weren’t anything to be worried about.

  I tucked my hair behind my ear and smiled at Kevin. I was sure I looked like a train wreck, but this is what you got when you showed up for unexpected visits. “What brings you to my neck of the woods so early in the morning?”

  A strange squeaking sound interrupted us, and I held up my finger. “Hold on a second.” I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall to try and track down the weird sound. Above me, the chandelier was swinging, practically rocking back and forth. The hair on my arms stood up, and I heard Kevin catch his breath behind me.

  “Are we having an earthquake?” I asked.

  “Hey! Stand back. If that comes down, it could kill you!” I stared at the thing as it began to wobble slightly. Was Kevin right and the chandelier was about to hit the ground? I could barely process what I was seeing when I heard a groaning sound coming from the room upstairs directly above where the chandelier hung. It wasn’t an occupied room. Chloe and Lynn used the room sometimes to goof around in, but as far as I knew, it was just an open room with no furniture in it. Kevin looked at me, and I looked at him without saying a word. We both traveled the perimeter of the room and headed up the stairs. There was only one way to find out what was happening, and that was to go right to the source.

  As we po
unded up the steps, I detected another sound, a familiar growl like the one the Reaper made when he used to visit this place. Oh, great. That’s all I need.

  At least Kevin would be here to witness whatever was about to happen. We both walked down the hall into the room that was over the chandelier. There wasn’t anything out of place. There was no furniture to speak of except for a lone dresser, and the light above us was nothing remarkable, just one of those cheap plastic shades that covered a light bulb.

  “It’s been happening, and I can’t explain it unless there’s some kind of seismic activity, but why wouldn’t it make other things move around?” I looked at the deputy to see if he had any more answers than I did. He didn’t.

  “I haven’t heard anything about a seismic event. We don’t even get point-ones here. I mean, if it was a gravel truck or some kind of construction happening nearby, then yeah. But there’s nothing like that that I know of, and I think I would know.” Kevin got down on his knees and pressed around the center of the floor with his hands. I guessed he was looking for soft spots, but I didn’t see any, and neither did he. He sat up and shrugged.

  I snapped my fingers. “Let’s do an experiment. I’ll go downstairs and watch while you stomp around up here, and let’s compare notes. Maybe somehow the flooring is causing the chandelier to bump around.”

  “Look at you, getting me involved in all your investigation stuff. Okay, let’s give it a try. Yell at me when you get there. But remember, don’t get underneath it. I’m serious. That thing must weigh a hundred pounds. If it falls, it’s going to smash whatever’s beneath it.” I frowned as I walked out of the room.

  “Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I said as I headed down the stairs. Strangely enough, when I got there, the chandelier was still. It was as if it had never moved in the first place. “Okay? I’m down here, and it’s not moving. Give it a shot!” I could hear Kevin’s footsteps and his muffled reply, but nothing happened. That chandelier didn’t move at all. It sure wasn’t rocking back and forth as if it was a drunken sailor. “Nothing! Try it again! Do it harder!”