The Haunting Season (11 page)

Dr. Brandt gave her a puzzled look. “Brought what, Allison? Do you know what’s in the box?”

Allison nodded. “It’s either Tarot cards or a Ouija board.”

“You can’t possibly know that,” Jess said. “Can you?”

Allison gave a disinterested shrug. “It’s all pretty standard stuff, actually.”

“But it’s not standard,” Dr. Brandt said. “At least, not exactly.” He pulled out a Ouija board. It was old, the oldest Jess had ever seen. Not that she had seen that many, but this one wasn’t plastic, small or glowing. There were creepy people illustrated in the lower corners, each one appearing to be using the board.

“It’s an antique,” Dr. Brandt explained.

“Is it as old as the house?” Jess asked.

He smiled. “No, not quite. This board is from the early forties. It’s the oldest I could track down.” He reached back into the box and withdrew a wooden object with a point on one end. Jess recognized the device as the piece that spelled out the answers. Except this pointing device, also wood instead of plastic, had a hole toward the pointer itself, along with the Ouija logo stamped on it. For some odd reason, that silver dollar-sized hole made the object more menacing.

“Now
this
,” Dr. Brandt exclaimed, “
This
is the planchette from the Ouija board first used in the 1910 séance here at Siler House. A maid destroyed the original board. She burned it in the fireplace.”

“What happened to her?” Allison asked.

Dr. Brandt frowned. “What do you mean?”

“She’s dead, isn’t she?”

“Well,
probably
,” Gage said. “1910? I don’t think the Ouija board was her personal fountain of youth.”

“Don’t be such a dick,” Bryan said. “This is cool stuff. Listen.”

“Kidding, Dude,” Gage said, sounding somewhat sincere. “But seriously? All this equipment is a lot cooler. The full spectrum camera, the EMF meter. This…” he touched the Ouija board, spinning it on the table. “This is old school. It’s Hasbro, man.”

“Actually,” Dr. Brandt corrected, “This one was made by the William Fuld Company, which made the boards from 1890 until 1966.”

Gage laughed. “Sixty-six?”

“True story,” Dr. Brandt said. “As for what happened to Ms. Evans, the chambermaid, she fell down the stairs. The fall broke her neck.”

“You puttin’ us on?” Gage asked.

“No,” he said. “But keep in mind that people fell down stairs and broke their necks or died of head injuries without ever having to touch, much less set flame to, a Ouija board, Gage. You just have to ask yourself if you think the house, the spirits…” He observed the planchette for a moment before setting it down directly over the word GOOD-BYE, and Jess could see the letter Y through the hole in the planchette. “…or if the board had any part in her demise.”

“You’re saying this was used here?” Jess asked. “After the girls’ deaths?”

Dr. Brandt nodded. “Yes. Several times. Catherine Siler swore her dead daughters first started talking to her through the Ouija board.”

“Portals,” Allison said, drawing her legs under herself. “The last time I touched one…” She shook her head. “Keep it away from me. I won’t. You can’t make me.”

There she went again. If Jess weren’t inclined to believe her, she’d think Allison really was as crazy as she appeared.

“That’s fine,” Dr. Brandt replied to Allison. “Perfectly understandable. You won’t have to. You’re welcome to watch, of course. Although I think it’s highly unlikely your experience had anything to do with the Ouija board.”

Gage frowned. “What is she talking about?” He turned to Allison. “What about the Ouija board, Allison?”

“Wrong,” Allison said. “That’s
exactly
how the demon found me.” She lowered her head, glaring at Dr. Brandt as though the two of them shared some intimate knowledge. “You don’t want to use that board in Siler House.”

Bryan frowned. “Huh?”

Gage tapped the board. “What she’s saying is that using it in this house is like waving a steak in front of whatever’s here.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

No matter how much Jess argued or pleaded the next few days, Allison wouldn’t budge on her stance regarding the Ouija board. Nothing the others said had made a difference, either.

During their group sessions—the ones revolving around each of their abilities—Dr. Brandt spent more time with Allison than anyone. Bryan tried to make things disappear that were larger than a set of keys (he’d made a potted plant disappear the day before), while Dr. Brandt encouraged Jess to concentrate on detecting the presence of ghosts. Although Jess had sensed that someone or something was present during the sessions, she was unable to convince a single entity to materialize. Not even Gracie and Emma would make an appearance. Jess thought the girls’ shyness might have something to do with Allison or Dr. Brandt’s presence.

“I think they’re mad at me,” Jess suggested. It was better than telling the truth, and she didn’t want to upset Allison. “They haven’t been to see me since yesterday morning.”

Dr. Brandt finished his examination of a vase from the fireplace mantel. The guy couldn’t quit touching everything in the house lately. It was as though he was more obsessed than she was with ghosts. “What happened yesterday morning?” he finally asked.

“I tried to get them to tell me why they won’t show themselves to all of us.”

“Apologize,” Dr. Brandt instructed as he returned to his seat. “Gain their confidence.” He scribbled down a few more notes. Jess exchanged glances with Gage, who she knew distrusted his note taking as much as she did.

“I’d like you to work on that before our next session, Jess. It’s very important. I’d like you to visit each room today. Call to Gracie and Emma. Get them to come to you.”

“Alright,” Jess replied, resigned. Gage gave her a slight shrug as Dr. Brandt jotted something else down. It wasn’t lost on Jess that the looks between them lasted longer than they probably should and she wondered if Bryan had said something to Gage.

“Allison, let’s start with you next,” Dr. Brandt said, turning Jess’s thoughts to the discussion at hand.

“Let’s talk about the demons. Let’s talk about when the demons were inside you, Allison. There were times when they
weren’t
controlling you. Where did they go?”

No answer.

“Okay, let’s try another question,” Dr. Brandt said, undaunted. “Was there ever a time when you thought the demons listened to you? Did as you asked?”

Still no answer. Allison was having none of it. She simply sat and stared at him. Yesterday, she’d at least been argumentative.

Dr. Brandt jotted down more notes and once again, Jess found herself looking toward Gage. This time, he raised an eyebrow with that smile.
I know, right?
At least that’s what she imagined him saying. Jess did her best to wipe the smile from her face and pay attention to the group discussion.

Dr. Brandt tapped his pen on his notepad. “Okay, Bryan, your turn. Have you been practicing with the objects I’ve given you?”

“Too much,” Bryan replied. “It’s giving me a headache.”

“I’ll get you some aspirin. Were you able to make any of the larger objects disappear?”

“Not really.”

Jess frowned. Didn’t work? He was lying! “You pushed a book off the coffee table last night,” she offered. She started to mention the potted plant but something in both Gage and Bryan’s expressions kept her quiet. Why were they lying?

Dr. Brandt went back to writing more notes. “Take the aspirin, Bryan. Keep hydrated, too. And keep practicing. I know you can do it.” He turned his focus to Gage. “I’ve got something I’d like for you to try, Gage.”

He retrieved a shoebox from the floor beside his chair and placed the box on the coffee table. He opened the lid, revealing a dead mockingbird. Jess and Allison grimaced.

Gage merely shrugged. “No, thanks, trying to cut back.”

Bryan laughed.

“Funny,” Dr. Brandt said, and he smiled briefly as he placed an old, worn book on the table. A glossy bookmarker stuck out of its middle. “All of this is important to the study, Gage.”

“You want me to bring back a bird?” Gage said. “Why is that so important?”

“With a little help,” Dr. Brandt said, ignoring the question. He pushed the book toward him.

Gage looked at Dr. Brandt, his eyes narrowing for a moment. He flipped the book open to the bookmarked page. “Is this Latin?”

“Yes. It’s a spell to raise the dead,” Dr. Brandt replied. “Since your concentration doesn’t work every time, I though this might help.”

After a few moments of contemplation, Gage cleared his throat and did his best at reading the incantation. Dr. Brandt reached down into the box beside the chair and pulled out the Ouija board and planchette.

“No,” Allison said. “I’m done with this. I am
so
not going there.” She got up and walked out of the room. Everyone stared after her.

“Go talk to her,” Dr. Brandt told Jess. “We need her participation. You’re all stronger as a group.”

Jess glanced at the guys. Bryan shrugged as if to say he had no idea what was up with Allison this time. She got to her feet and headed toward the stairway.

“I don’t get it, Allison,” Jess said, collapsing on her bed. “We’d
all
be there. If something bad happened, you wouldn’t be alone. We’d fix it.”

“How?” Allison shot back. “It’s not just about the dead bird or Bryan’s cute magic tricks. I’m so tired, Jess. No one listens. It’s better if I don’t say anything else.” She reached to her nightstand and grabbed a book sitting there. The dust jacket was gone, but the hardcover was in fair shape. It was like some of Gram’s old books, the cover made out of some sort of pale blue fabric. Allison flipped the book open and pretended to read.

“You’re not really reading that,” Jess said. “And I
am
listening. Talk to me, Allison! You were right about Riley being in the mirror. And, I think you’re right about him being evil. At least, I agree he doesn’t have the best intentions.”

Yeah. Riley was a murderer and a psycho.

Allison eyed her for a moment and Jess waited patiently. Finally, Allison closed the book. “This whole thing…it’s not just about finding your dad. You know that, right? There are
other
spirits here. The Ouija board, that book Gage was reading from? We’re just asking for something to happen. We can’t control it. You think you can, or at least Dr. Brandt thinks so. But you
can’t
. Not really. You can tell whatever it is to go away, and maybe it will. But not if it doesn’t want to.”

“They got rid of the demons in
you
,” Jess said.

“But the demons can come back! Remember when Gage said I had them on speed dial? He’s not too far off.”

“But they
haven’t
returned, have they?” Jess countered. “How much of that might be because you keep thinking about it? And, if you keep thinking about them, then sure. They might be able to find you. What if you try not thinking about them so much? Would that work?”

Allison sighed, looking either defeated or beyond frustrated. Jess wasn’t sure which. She was only trying to help, but it was as though Allison didn’t want alternative viewpoints. Did she
want
to stay freaked out?

Allison narrowed her eyes. “You wouldn’t be so eager to do this if you’d been through what I have. Like I said, this isn’t just about your dad, Jess. Or your grandmother.”

“But we could focus only on them,” Jess offered. “Or Gage’s brother. They’d
never
hurt any of us. They’re
not
evil.”

“See? You’re
not
listening!” Allison let out an exaggerated sigh. “Even if we somehow channeled your dad, the others are already right there, waiting. They’re likely to come through the portal before anyone else. And Bryan might not be able to send them all back. Not in time, anyway. All. Ghosts. Are. Evil! If your dad’s a ghost, then I wouldn’t trust him, either.”

Jess took a steadying breath. Calling random ghosts evil was one thing. Saying that her father was evil was something else entirely. “Have you ever lost someone?”

“What?”

“Has anyone in your family died? Anyone that you loved?” Jess asked.

Allison shook her head. “No, and I’m really sorry—”

“Then you
don’t
know what it’s like!” Jess spat. “You have
no
idea how painful it is to be so close to getting a chance to find out if you can talk to them again—even one last time.” She got up from her bed and grabbed some of her things. This argument was going nowhere and Jess couldn’t imagine spending another night in the same room with Allison. “We need a break.”

“Where are you going?” Allison asked.

“Down the hall,” Jess replied curtly.

She didn’t take much, just her hairbrush, toothbrush, her pajamas and a change of clothes. She left the room and walked down the hall as quietly as possible, careful to avoid the creaky floorboards in the center. She stopped in front of the room she’d showered in the other day, fumbling with her things and freeing up a hand to turn the doorknob.

It turned easily. Jess pushed the door open, stepped inside and flicked on the light switch. A quick search told her the room was empty. She quickly closed the door behind her. Mrs. Hirsch would be angry if she came along and found the door opened and Jess sleeping in a different room.

She retrieved a towel from the bathroom and put it along the base of the door to keep the light from spilling into the hallway. Then, after changing and brushing her teeth, Jess turned on the lamp beside the bed, removed the towel from the base of the door, flicked off the overhead light switch and climbed into bed. She reached over and turned off the bedside light and shut her eyes. Maybe for once since being here she’d get a decent night’s sleep. After a few minutes, she felt herself falling into peaceful slumber.

The creak of a floorboard woke her sometime later. She listened, thinking she’d imagined the sound. Had it come from the foot of the bed? She reached to the nightstand and fumbled with the light. Part of her was afraid it was Mrs. Hirsch, or Allison. The other part of her was disappointed it wasn’t Gage. But her first squinty-eyed sweep of the room revealed no one, and Jess figured she imagined it.