The Guidance (29 page)

"More than that."

I lift an eyebrow at her.

"He sort of asked me to dinner," Loreen says, a deep crimson blush staining her cheeks. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind? I think it's awesome!" Not to mention I already picked up on the tension between the two of them. It'll be good for Loreen to get out and socialize a little bit.

"Only thing," I say with a frown, "don't wear one of your sayings T-shirts. You do own, like, grown-up clothes, don't you?"

She laughs hard. "I won't embarrass myself, Kendall. I promise, I clean up real nice."

I hug her hard, knowing how lucky I am to have her in my life. "Well, I better get going. I want all the dirty details."

With a smirk, she says, "Well, maybe not all of them."

"Thanks, Loreen. Love ya! Mean it."

At home, I burst in to see Mom shucking ears of corn over our kitchen garbage can. Kaitlin barrels through in full lacrosse garb, tracking grass into the dining room.

"Change clothes now, Kaitlin!" Mom shouts out.

The back door opens and Dad walks in. He plants a kiss on my forehead and then grabs an apple from the bowl on the table. "Hey, kiddo. How's everything?"

"Great, Dad."

"David, don't eat too much. We're having barbecued chicken, corn on the cob, and coleslaw," Mom says.

"Why, Sarah, I do believe you're becoming Southern."

We all laugh together and then Dad grows serious. "I'm sorry I've been so preoccupied at work lately," he says to me. "I wish I could have gone to Atlanta with you and your mom. I knew you were in good hands though." He blows a kiss across the room. Mom winks at him.

"It's okay, Dad. You're wicked busy, I know. I haven't felt slighted at all."

He adjusts his glasses. "I'm extremely proud of you, though. You're accepting all of this change in your life like a real trouper."

"Thanks, Dad."

While I've got them both together, I tell them about Loreen's idea for me to do some readings at her store. Mom wipes her hand on a dishtowel and thinks for a moment.

Dad takes a bite out of the apple and says, "So, Sarah?"

Mom comes around the counter and sits at the kitchen table. "Sure, Kendall. If that's what you want to do."

"I think it could be fun. Especially since Loreen will be there with me."

"I really like her," Dad says. "She's got character."

Mom looks at him funny, but then says, "It's great that you have her as a mentor. I just want you to continue to be safe and careful."

"I will, Mom."

She waggles her index finger at me. "The minute something demonic or evil or anything like that happens to you, you have to tell me and immediately stop what your—"

I stop her with a hug. "Don't worry about me, Mom."

"I'm your mother. It's in my nature to worry."

Dad shakes his head and laughs. "My girls..."

I'm the luckiest girl in the world. I have plenty of people guiding me: Mom, Dad, Loreen, Father Mass, my friends, and even Emily ... although she hasn't been around lately. She'll come around when she's ready. She always does.

My cell phone rings. It's Jason.

I take a deep breath and smile. Now it's time for the "u + me" time!

I awaken with a start, my throat dry and aching. My heart is thumping in my chest like Flea banging it out on the bass for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

And speaking of red hot...

I throw the covers off me, realizing I'm tangled up in the sheets and drenched from head to toe in a sticky sweat. It's not even warm in here, but something has my adrenaline pumping and my body attuned to the static charge in the air.

Rubbing my eyes as they adjust to the dark room, I try to recall what I was just dreaming. Something strange and almost sinister. A mishmash of images flashing at lightning speed through my brain. A psychotic slide show that I can't stop long enough to decipher.

I sit up with a start and catch my breath.

Emily is sitting at the foot of my bed, staring at me.

"Emily, where have you been?"

"I've been around."

Has she? "What are you doing here now?"

She's paler—okay, I realize she's a flippin' ghost, but still—than usual. "Tell me about the dream, Kendall."

"My dream ... yeah." Slowing my rapid-fire pulse, I try to halt the crazed reflections in my mind. Concentrating even as I'm still trying to wake up, I stare ahead at Emily's whitish silhouette in the dark of my room.

Then everything clicks into place; the dream feels almost like a memory of sorts. Only whose? Certainly not mine.

"I, umm, I think I was seeing you when you were alive or something like that."

The picture in my mind morphs into the scene. It's Emily. She's young and happy and alive. I can't tell the time period, but it's not too long ago since she's wearing jeans and clothes that could easily fit in with today's fashion. She's driving in the rain. Wait, no, she's the passenger. There's a guy driving. He's really cute, and I can tell that he totally digs her. They're holding hands and listening to ... the Commodores—whoever they are.

"Tell me, Kendall."

"You're alive, Emily. In my dream. And so happy." Then, suddenly—
flash! Bang!
A collision. An explosion. Twisted steel, crunching metal, and flames. Fire everywhere. Burning out of control. My pulse is sprinting out of control as I recall this image, my blood pressure rising with each challenging breath. "Oh God, Emily! What happened? The guy ... he's..." He's slumped over the steering wheel. No pulse. "He's dead? And you?" I shift my eye to view the image more. Emily's stuck in the car as it burns around her. Blood cascades down her pretty face and onto the shirt covering her bulging belly. "Holy shit! You were pregnant in my dream! I was there, and the baby was starting to come, so I called to my mom, 'cause she's a nurse, you know? But then it started raining so hard and I couldn't get to you. And you were bleeding so bad."

Tears stream down my face as I remember the dream. "I see myself moving toward the car to help you, but when I get to the door, it won't open. Crap! It's stuck. I look through the window to see how you are. But something morphs in the image. It's not the inside of a car at all. You're not there. I am, instead. Not in the car, but I'm on the floor of a house in a heap. Did I trip? Am I listening for something? No ... I'm not ... moving. There's so much pain. So much. Searing and hot and stabby all over." I lift my hands to my mouth, remembering what happened just before I woke up in a sweat. "Oh God, Emily. In the dream, I'm bleeding. Like, wicked bad. Jason's with me and he can't do a thing. Celia and Taylor are crying. Becca is screaming. What happened? Where are we?"

I gulp down the inflammation in my throat. Never have I had such a vivid dream. Okay, well, maybe when I dreamed about Jason Tillson before I ever met him. And that one came true. I gasp sharply and spout out, "What does this mean, Emily?"

"It's just a dream, Kendall."

"Like hell it is. Tell me!"

She lowers her eyes, not meeting my gaze. "I've tried to stop this, but I can't."

"Stop what?"

A sigh escapes her. "Your visions."

"It was just a dream," I say in a harsh whisper.

Emily focuses her stare at me. "No, it wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Kendall," she says. There's a dramatic pause, then: "You've just witnessed my past."

Startled, I want to reach out to her. "You were killed in an awful car wreck? All that blood and the fire and—"

She shakes her head. "I've tried to block you from seeing it."

"But the part about me in that house on the floor, bleeding? Like it was a life-or-death situation. What was that?" Every muscle in my body is tense, awaiting her response.

"I'm still trying to stop that part," she says.

I can't take any more. "What are you talking about?"

"Kendall, you've just seen your future."

To be continued ...

The thoughts and feelings described by the character of Kendall are typical of those experienced by young people awakening to sensitive or psychic abilities.

Many of the events and situations encountered by Kendall and her team of paranormal investigators are based on events reported by real ghost hunters. Also, the equipment described in the book is standard in the field.

However, if you are a young person experiencing psychic phenomena, talk to an adult. And while real paranormal investigation is an exciting, interesting field, it is also a serious, sometimes even dangerous undertaking. While I hope you are entertained by the Ghost Huntress, please know that it's recommended that young people not attempt the investigative techniques described here without proper adult supervision.

Terminology and descriptions pertaining to Kendall's psychic awakening, skills, and abilities from Maureen Wood, psychic/ intuitive/sensitive/healer/Reiki master.

Kendall's aura reading references come from
www.reiki-for-holistic-health.com/auracolormeanings.html
.

Kendall's and Courtney's dissection project directions and information from
www.hometrainingtools.com/articles/pig-dissection-project.html
.

Information on CT scan procedures and equipment from
www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=bodymr&bhcp=1
.

General information about exorcisms and the Episcopal Church from
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exorcism
.

Georgia history can be found at
www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-641
.

Traditional exorcism prayer from
www.byzcath.org/
.

Shakespeare quotes from
www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/
.

MARLEY GIBSON grew up in a southern town very much like her fictional one. She never saw any ghosts growing up—that she knows of—although she has been on several ghost hunts recently and has gotten some
verrrrrry
interesting pictures. An avid reader, a travel enthusiast, and a closet gourmet chef, Marley is a member of the New England Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the creator and founder of Chick Lit Writers RWA, and was twice named to Outstanding Young Women of America.