The Calling: A Paranormal Mystery Vol. I (4 page)

Three weeks after Tina’s visit, Karen relaxed reading her favorite magazine. 

Billy rushed through the door yelling, “Mom! Mom! Mom!”

“You scared me! ”

Winded, Billy rushed to his mother and started talking so fast she could barely understand him.

“Sorry Mom, but I was just talking to Ben and Sara down the street and Ben said they had a ghost, a girl, a ghost girl in their house!”

Karen cut him off, “Slow down Billy, catch your breath!  Now continue, calmly.”

Billy took a couple of deep, strained breaths and started over. “Ben and I were talking and Ben told me that they have, or had, a ghost in their house.  Ben said he saw her once, it was a girl…a teenage girl.  Sara said that she used to bang on the walls at night and scare the crap out of them.  Ben said he didn’t know where she came from but about a month ago, things stopped!  He said his family was finally sleeping through the night.  And now I want to know, do you think she is here, with us now?”  

Karen felt sick to her stomach.  Why would he think that?  The furniture and water incident happened while the kids were at their father’s house and Billy never brought up the knocking incident after that one night he had stayed in her room. 
If there is a spirit,
she thought,
she had backed it down.  Hadn’t she
? 
There hadn’t been any further incidents, had there? 

“Billy, why would you ask that?” 

Billy started slowly, “Well, because…” he stopped cold.  She was going to think he was crazy or a baby. 

“Billy, tell me why!” Karen raised her voice to get his attention.

“Well, remember the night I stayed in your room because of the knocking?”

Karen nodded.

“Well,” Billy stopped to think for a moment if he should go on. “I think there has been a girl in my room since then!” 

Karen’s heart began to pound hard through her chest and an immediate feeling of defeat swept through her.  She thought she had put that to rest, put her to rest.  She thought they had an agreement; she could stay as long as she didn’t scare the children.

“Billy, why would you think there was a girl in your room?” Karen said as calmly as she could.

“Well, ever since that night I have just felt like someone was watching me in my room.  Sometimes there is a smell, a perfume smell like, well kind of like sweet baby powder. And, she knocks on the wall when I’m sleeping and I have heard her say my name,” Billy said, now looking at the floor in embarrassment.

“How often are you hearing knocking on the walls, Billy?” Karen asked still trying to appear calm.

“Oh, mom, pretty much every night.  If I go into my room and smell that perfume, I know she’s there and probably going to bug me all night.”

“What!” Karen was taken completely off guard by this information. “Why didn’t you say something to me, Billy?”

“I don’t know.  I didn’t know what to say.  I tried to tell Brandi and she told me to shut up.   I wasn’t sure you’d believe me and I don’t want you to think I’m being a baby!”

“I would never think something like that, Billy! If anything like this ever happens again or you are afraid for any reason, you need to come to me.” Karen was holding back her tears. She was a complete failure as a mother as far as she was concerned.  She had to take care of this situation immediately!

Ben and Sara were older than Billy.  They didn’t hang out generally, but now Karen was wondering if they had been in the house. 

“Billy, did you have Ben or Sara over here at all last month?” Karen asked nervously.

Billy paused and thought about it.  “Yes, Ben came over to collect for the paper.  Remember, you left me the money to give to him.  I did take him to my room to show him my new ‘Rant’ video game.” Billy could see now where his mother was going with her question. “Oh man, Mom…Mom…do you think she’s in our house now? Is it my fault because I had him in my room?  Do you think she came in with Ben?  That’s so creepy!” Billy’s eyes were as big as saucers.  

Karen, now mortified couldn’t believe this had been happening.  Poor sleep-deprived Billy!  He had been dealing with this and had never said a word!

“Billy, I don’t know what has happened here.  I am so sorry she scared you.  I had no idea you were being bothered.  I wish you would have said something!”  Karen grabbed her son and hugged him tight. 

“Mom,” said Billy as he wriggled away, “I wasn’t exactly scared.  I didn’t know what was happening at first.  Maybe I didn’t even totally realize it until just now when Ben told me his story. I mean, I’ve been uncomfortable but I wasn’t exactly scared. Okay, the night I heard knocking right by my head, that night I was scared.  When I heard her call my name, at first I thought it was Brandi so it didn’t frighten me.  After I realized it wasn’t Brandi I felt funny for sure.   She did quit knocking by my head and did most of it on the other side of the room.  It’s more like a creepy, cold feeling in my room and around the house, like I’m being watched.  I don’t like that.  Things have been moved in my room and I know I didn’t move them.  Anyway, when Ben told me his story I just sort of freaked out and thought I should tell you. So, Mom, what do you think we should do?”

Karen sat in silence for a moment, “I don’t know.  The next time you notice something I want you to tell me right away.” Billy nodded in approval.  “Has Brandi said anything about any of this?”

“We talked about it awhile back.  She smelled the perfume in my room. She told me that some of her makeup went missing and then she found it in her closet stacked on the floor.  She blamed me but I didn’t do it!”

Karen patted Billy on the back. “Just let me know the next time you notice something Billy.  I will talk to your sister.”

Brandi got home just before dinner.  Karen followed her to her room and related what Billy had told her. 

Brandi shrugged somewhat unsurprised.  “I have felt it. I smelled something in Billy’s room once when he insisted I come check it out.  I didn’t know if he was just messing with me but he seemed serious.  After my makeup went missing, I told her and Billy both to stay out of my room.   I never felt it in there again.” 

“When is the last time you noticed anything?” asked Karen.

Brandi thought for a moment before answering, “I’m not sure, but I haven’t noticed anything for about a week or so. ”

“If you notice anything Brandi, I need you need to tell me immediately.  If your brother comes to you with any concern you need to tell me,” instructed Karen.

“Fine, fine,” Brandi said as she waved her mother off and went on unloading her books from her backpack.  Brandi hated any kind of drama or upheaval.  She was well-grounded and refused to get caught up in the excitement.  If there was a ghost, it wasn’t bothering her and she wanted to keep it that way. 

Karen finished dinner wondering the whole time if they had an unseen guest for dinner. 

Lizzy hadn’t heard from Karen in week, which was a little unusual so she stopped by on her way home from work.  Karen broke out one of her favorite bottles of wine and asked Lizzy to stay for a glass.  As Karen poured the wine, Lizzy impatiently asked, “Well?  What’s the news? I haven’t heard from you in a week.  What’s going on?” 

Lizzy noticed the drained look on Karen’s face as she sat down at the kitchen table.  Karen related the events of the evening.

“Lizzy, I thought nothing like what went on a few weeks ago had happened again, except the knocking incident where Billy came to my room.  At least, I thought that was the last thing that happened, but apparently, there have been other things happening that Billy didn’t tell me about until today.   I feel really guilty.”

“Why are you feeling guilty?” Lizzy asked, puzzled.

“Why wouldn’t I?  Some spirit has been tormenting my children for almost a month.  Billy has had virtually no sleep this last month because I didn’t protect him.  I don’t know what to do.”

“Look,” said Lizzy, “this is not your fault.  I mean how you can even think you could anticipate any of this, let alone know what to do is crazy talk.  You thought you had made an agreement with her, but apparently she pushed the limits.  Sounds just like a teenage girl, doesn’t it?”

“Yes it does, but I was very firm.”

“Ooooooooooooh you were firm!  That would do it I guess.” 

Karen was not amused with Lizzy’s sarcasm.  “Lizzy, I can’t have something bothering the kids.”

Lizzy agreed no one should have to be afraid, or feel creepy in their home, especially children.  “I’m just glad Billy came to you.  I’m sure that wasn’t easy.  Maybe we can find some more information out about this girl and cleanse the house.” 

“I don’t even know what that entails,” snapped Karen.

“I’ve been researching it online since all this began.  There is a plethora of paranormal information out there.  Apparently, you aren’t the only one plagued with a spirit or ghost.  It seems pretty rampant out there.”  Lizzy paused and grabbed her purse. “Here, this is a house blessing I found online.”  She pulled a bundle of white pages out of her purse and slid it across the table to Karen.  “This is supposed to help clear out spirits from a home.” 

“What, you just carry this stuff in your purse now?”

“Karen, I’ve wanted to do a blessing since the start.   You know I was never comfortable you leaving her to stay in the house with you.  I don’t know why I didn’t feel good about it.  I know there are other people online who have done just what you did and live happily with their ghostly friends.  I just didn’t feel good about this from the beginning.”

“Right, exactly my point,” Karen said wiping a tear from the corner of her eye.  “I’m a horrible mother.  I should have done the blessing from the beginning.”

“Oh stop!” Lizzy got up from the table and hugged her friend’s shoulders.  “It isn’t like this is an everyday occurrence that everyone knows how to handle.  It’s not as if you were chasing a dog out of your yard.  You are dealing with the spirit world!  If we knew everything about it, no one would be afraid to die.  We’d just know we could hook up with our dead relatives and make the call when we needed them.  This is not part of our everyday lives. Please quit beating yourself up!  It hasn’t even been a full month.  Some people endure hauntings for years.  Many are far more sinister than this.”

“Okay, fine I’m not doing this by myself you know!” said Karen.  “You’re the one who’s the Minister-Psychic, maybe you should do the blessing.”

Lizzy had been ordained twice.  Once, after a Hypnotherapy Certification Course 10 years prior and again two years ago when she took an Ordination Class from her spiritual mentor, Teresa.  Yes, she was an ordained minister; however, she had only used it to perform wedding ceremonies over the years.  She never thought of herself as an actual minister but the truth was she was a minister and denial wasn’t changing that fact.

“I’m not doing it by myself, either,” Lizzy protested. “We can do it together. Really, it is very important that you participate since it is your house.  I’ll come over tomorrow after work if that works for you and we’ll do the deal!” 

“Fine,” said Karen and they shook on it.

Lizzy’s curiosity was getting the best of her and she did a little  more research to see if she could find out more about the “girl down the street.”
Who was she?
 
How did she end up in Karen’s house if she had been in Ben and Sara’s house?
she asked herself.
Although she had been intrigued since childhood with the paranormal, Lizzy had never had many direct experiences.  She had feelings, hunches and sometimes got information from out of nowhere but to have an actual “ghostly” encounter had never happened.  She wasn’t sure if she was envious or relieved.  She wasn’t sure where to start.  It seemed logical to start at Ben and Sarah’s and talk to their parents. 

She had crossed paths only once with Ben’s father, Justin Blake.  He worked at the Greenhurst National Bank and had ordered some promotional pens and key chains from her
.  How is this going to go over?
she asked herself imaging the worst. 
Hi Justin, just wanted to talk to you about the spirit haunting your kids. She seems to be down the block haunting my friend now... 

She sat in her car in front of the Blake’s house for a few minutes before getting the courage to approach the door.  She pushed the button, the doorbell had a happy chime and she heard footsteps approaching the door.  Justin opened the door and was noticeably surprised to see Lizzy standing on the other side.

“Well, hello,” he said, “what brings you here? We paid you for the key chains didn’t we?”

“Oh my gosh, yes! This is about another matter completely,” said Lizzy, hoping he wouldn’t throw her off the stoop once she started talking. “Mr. Blake, this is going to sound strange but could you step outside with me for a moment?  I have a couple questions for you if you will indulge me.”

Mr. Blake stepped out onto the porch and immediately crossed his arms over his chest. “What is it Ms. Sterling?”

Lizzy began, “My friend Karen lives a couple blocks over.  Her son Billy knows your son Ben.  Billy was talking to Ben today and, well, Ben told him that you’ve had a little trouble with…” she trailed off, as Mr. Blake’s face seemed to harden the longer she spoke.  “Ben said you have had a haunting.” There, she got it out, quick like ripping off a band-aid. 

“And?  What?  You want to write a story or something?  What do you want Lizzy?” Obviously taken off guard, Mr. Blake took another step back from Lizzy but wasn’t denying what Ben had said.

“No, I don’t want to write a story!  As strange as this may sound, my friend Karen began having some paranormal type issues about a month ago, after Ben collected for his paper route.  Billy had invited him in to see a video game.  After that, Karen began experiencing knocking on the walls, furniture moving and water being turned on and, well a variety of things.”

“What does this have to do with me?” asked Mr. Blake.

“Ben said your house has been pretty peaceful for about a month.”

Justin just stared back at Lizzy and said nothing.

“Look, I’m not going to publish this on the front page of the paper.  I’m just trying to help Karen and I thought you might be able to give me some insight.  Whatever it is has been scaring her son for the last month and she’s sick about it,” Lizzy couldn’t believe he was stonewalling her. 

Mr. Blake relax a little.  “Lizzy, I don’t want this getting around town. I’m already upset that Ben told Billy.  I manage a bank.  What are people going to think if I say my house is haunted?  Do you understand?  I don’t want to talk about this.”

“Please just answer a few questions and I’ll leave.  I will not talk to anyone about what you’ve told me. In fact, if I hear anyone talk about your house I will tell them it was a mistake and that it was Karen’s house with the problem.  With your houses in the same neighborhood, I’m sure it will be easily passed off. Please Justin.”

He lowered his arms to his side.  “All right, what do you want to know?”

“How long has it been going on?” she asked.

“Since we moved in, about a year and a half ago.”

“Did anyone in the family ever feel it was a young girl?” Lizzy inquired further.

He looked a little surprised before cautiously answering, “Yes.  We all got that impression at one time or another.  My son said he actually saw her.  We would smell a perfume throughout the house sometimes.  It was mostly centered around Ben.  My wife is at her wits end about the whole thing.  We have been talking about moving.  Ben has been affected the most and the kid has taken it all pretty well, but we decided about two months ago that we should probably look for another place to live.”

“I’d wait on that if I were you,” Lizzy said with a sigh.

“Why?”

“I honestly think she has moved over to Karen’s house.  I don’t know how exactly but she did.  Ben told Billy things have been quiet for about a month here.  For the last month, things have not been quiet for Billy.  He seems to be experiencing all the same things Ben did. If I were you, I would wait a little bit and see if you are still having any more issues.  If not, then maybe you won’t have to move after all.”

Justin looked relieved.  “I don’t know if I believe it.  We’ve been battling this for over a year now. To think it is over is kind of weird but welcomed.”

“I know,” said Lizzy empathetically. “I think she has left your residence.  It is too coincidental that Billy would be experiencing the exact same thing as Ben, in my opinion.”

“I’m sorry for Karen,” Justin said sadly. “I don’t wish this upon anyone!”

“So, other than what you’ve told me, can you think of any reason this might have been happening here?” asked Lizzy.

“No, I don’t.  We’ve never had anything like this happen to us and I hope to never have another brush with it in the future,” Justin said rubbing his forehead.

“Thank you Justin, I appreciate your help.  I hope this won’t affect our business relationship.”

“It won’t.  Just make sure you get me another order in the next month,” Justin said now smiling.

“Will do,” said Lizzy.

That was stressful! It was interesting though
, she thought as she started her engine and headed for home.   

Monday, Lizzy couldn’t concentrate on work.  Racking her brain, she was thinking who might be able to help her.  Then she remembered Mary Johnson.  Mary had lived in that neighborhood for 40 years.  She was also a bit of a busybody so Lizzy thought it might be a good idea to check it out.  If Mary hadn’t heard any scuttlebutt, then no one had.  Lizzy decided to skip lunch and see if Mary was home.

The gravel crunched beneath Lizzy’s feet as she neared Mary’s door. 
This is probably going to sound crazy.  How am I going to broach this with Mary without sounding nuts?
  Too late, her finger already pressed the doorbell and she could hear footsteps shuffling toward her. As the door swung open, there was Mary with a big smile on her face.  “Lizzy Sterling what in the world are you doing here?  I haven’t seen you in what, five years?” 

“Hello Mary, I am thoroughly ashamed of myself for being so scarce, how are you?”  Mary motioned Lizzy through the door.

“Just dandy Lizzy.  I’ve been just dandy. What can I do you for missy?”

Mary was short, hobbit short.  She was as round as she was tall and one of the most pleasant people Lizzy had ever known.  Mary volunteered at the Elementary school and for various events around town.  Lizzy had met her when she was in the third grade at some Memorial Day event at the local park.  Later she saw her often at the school.  Throughout high school, she would drop by every now and then to visit with Mary and her husband Hank.  Hank was a robust man with a big laugh.  He liked to tease Lizzy and always gave her a big bear hug when she came around.  Hank had passed away five years prior.  Lizzy realized that she had stopped in on Mary that first year and then got caught up in her own life and sort of drifted away.   Mary filled her time with grandchildren and the “Red Hat Ladies” events.  When Lizzy thought back, the only time she ever remembered seeing Mary without a broad smile on her face was at her husband’s funeral.  That was a sad day indeed.  Mary seemed to have bounced back and here she was looking healthy and happy. 

“Mary, I need a little help with something and I am hoping you won’t think I’m nuts.” 

“Oh pshaw!” with that, Mary jumped up and went toward the kitchen.  “How about some iced tea?” 

“Sure,” Lizzy called behind her.  The house smelled of lilacs and roses.  Mary had a large wedding picture of her and Hank hanging over the mantel.  Mary once had quite the hourglass figure in her 20’s. Small pictures of children and grandchildren were scattered on the mantel and tables. 

Mary handed Lizzy an iced tea and plopped into the wing-backed chair across from her.  She was spry for a round woman in her 60’s. 

“Mary, I was wondering do you know of any teenage girls who passed away over in the Sycamore neighborhood?”

Mary looked surprised and her bright smile faded, which worried Lizzy.  “Why do you ask child?” 

“I will tell you, but before I reveal my full lunacy, I’d appreciate any information you might have.”