The Seance (10 page)

“Christie, thieves don't break in just to move things around and put the coffee on for you,” Ana said gently.

“Let's get some sleep,” Christina suggested firmly, ignoring Ana's unassailable logic.

Ana giggled. “If you've got a ghost who brews the coffee for you, I want him to move in with me.”

Christina groaned. “I don't need this from you, okay? Don't you dare mention a word of this. Promise me right now that you won't.”

“Right. My lips are sealed.” Ana hesitated. “Can we sleep with the television on?”

In a few minutes they were in bed, the hallway and bathroom lights still on, the TV tuned to a channel that ran nothing but sitcoms twenty-four hours a day. Pillows plumped, they settled down.

Ana was quickly and soundly asleep. Christina watched the television until she finally started to drift off.

Then it started again.

The feeling.

The feeling that someone was there. Standing at the foot of the bed.

Watching her.

Open your eyes.

No! she thought, ignoring what had to be an imaginary voice.

Christie…Help me, please….

She opened her eyes.

The room was in shadow, strange contrasts of light and dark created by the glow emanating from the bathroom and the hallway, which still left so much in darkness.

But there was something.

A figure.

At the foot of her bed.

“Ana!” she cried, gripping her friend's arm.

Ana awoke, screaming. “What?”

The shadow…the figure…was gone.

Christina jumped up and ran to the foot of the bed, where she waved her hands through the air as if trying to feel something that clearly wasn't there. Ana stared at her as if she had gone mad.

Suddenly they heard a noise from outside, the slamming of a car door.

They stared at each other. Ana's jaw dropped.

Christina flew to the window, Ana right behind her.

There was a strange car in her driveway, parked on the far side of hers, so she couldn't see the make or model.

“There!” Ana gasped.

Christina looked, and then she gasped, too.

A tall, dark, menacing figure was standing on the lawn. And as she watched, it started moving toward the house.

“A
nd ever since the coming of the creature to the cavern, eerie screams can be heard at night. No one dares enter, because the creature remains there still, deep in the earth beside the crystal waters…waiting.”

Dan McDuff whispered the last word, then shut the book with a thump. To his deep gratification, several of the young women and two of the men in the audience jumped. He rose from the overstuffed armchair where the Grim Reader held court and swept a hand over the crowd, long black nails catching in the dim light. “Come back tomorrow night, if you dare, and the Grim Reader will offer you more tales of mystery, mayhem and the bizarre. Until then, good night, my children. Morbid dreams to you all.”

To the accompaniment of a nice smattering of applause, he walked down from the dais and headed for the doorway hidden in a hollow tree in the Mystic Forest, leading to a stairway into the tunnel system that was reserved for employees only. As the Grim Reader, it wouldn't do for him to be seen mingling with the crowd before or after his appearances, though he did sit atop one of the floats in the parade, his oversize book on his lap, using his silver-tipped cane to point in sham threat at people in the crowd.

When he reached the men's locker room, he scrubbed off the white-and-gray face paint that gave him the look of an aging corpse, then showered and dressed. He was off for the night.

He let out an irritated sigh as he shut his locker. There was still no word on final casting for the new show, and he was starting to get frustrated. He really didn't want to be Raccoon Ralph forever. It didn't pay enough, for one thing. It wasn't that he'd gone through life wasting money, and he had the trust fund his grandmother had left him, but he was getting old. He needed something more substantial on his résumé. Either that, or he needed enough money to invest along with some of his fellow actors at the park who wanted to open their own theater.

He reflected for a moment that it was too bad Gran hadn't decided to sell the old house—he didn't even want to speculate what it was worth. Even a third of the profit from the house would have set him up. Hell, he probably could have opened a theater all on his own.

He smiled suddenly, wondering just how Christie was doing on her own in the old house.

As he left the locker room he bumped into Marcie McDonnagh, who was up for the part of Hera in the new Greek gods show and was also currently a fluffy by day and scary creature by night.

Marcie was pretty, with shoulder-length auburn hair and huge dark eyes. She was a talented dancer, as well, an area where he was lacking. His strength was that he could glance at a page of new music and know the melody before it ever left his lips.

“I wish they'd cast that new show already,” she said, obviously as frustrated by the situation as he was.

“Yeah, me, too.” He didn't tell her that he was relieved that she didn't know any more than he did.

She yawned. “Well, good night. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, I'm on.”

She gave him a big smile. She really was pretty, he thought. Not to mention talented, and sweet.

She turned to walk away. “Hey, Marcie,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“Be careful.”

She shivered. “I know. Who can miss the news?”

“I'm on my way out. Let me walk you to your car.”

She nodded. “Sure. Thanks.”

As they walked, Dan slipped an arm around her shoulder. Maybe he wasn't the best dancer, he thought. But he had all the strength he needed.

 

“Oh, my God! He's coming!” Ana yelped.

The doorbell rang, and Ana turned to stare at Christina, who stared right back.

Then reason asserted itself.

“Burglars don't usually ring the doorbell,” Christina assured Ana.

“But…it's so late.”

“We were tired, so we went to bed. It's really not that late. Only around ten-thirty.”

“You get a lot of visitors this late?”

“I've only lived here two days.”

“Get the rolling pin and your pepper spray,” Ana advised.

Though she felt foolish, Christina did as Ana had suggested. Then they crept down the stairs and toward the front door. When the bell rang again, they both jumped, and Christina almost stepped on Ana.

Christina stepped up to the front door and looked through the peephole, then let out a sigh of relief.

“Who is it?” Ana demanded, pushing closer and trying to get a look.

“Jed,” Christina said in surprise, balancing the pepper spray and rolling pin in one hand so she could open the door.

Jed stared at them with arched brows as the door opened. “You two look like you've seen a ghost. Did something happen?”

“Someone made coffee!” Ana blurted.

“What?” Jed demanded.

Christina stared at Ana. So much for not saying anything.

“Nothing. Come on in,” she said.

He looked warily at the rolling pin.

“Just a precaution,” she said, blushing.

“And don't worry,” Ana added quickly. “We searched the house.”

Jed looked at Christina, and she couldn't tell if she was reading doubt or concern in the dark depths of his eyes. “Why were you searching the house this time?”

“Christina was convinced someone was here,” Ana explained. “Someone who set the coffeepot to go on at seven-thirty.”

This time Christina was certain the look he gave her was one of doubt.

“You think someone broke into your house to make coffee for you?” he inquired, trying to keep the skepticism from his voice.

She waved a hand dismissively and glared at Ana. “Don't worry about it,” she muttered quickly. “What are you doing here so late?” she asked, forcing cheer into her voice. “Anybody want tea?”

“I'd love some,” Ana said.

Jed shrugged, staring at Christina, who headed for the kitchen, tossing a question over her shoulder. “So what are you doing here, Jed?”

“I guess I just came by to check on you.”

The others had followed her to the kitchen, where they perched on bar stools at the pass-through counter.

“We heard the news while we were out,” Christina said. “That they found another girl.”

She was certain she saw concern in his eyes. She let out a breath.

“A redhead,” she murmured.

“Like I said, I just came by to say hi, make sure things were all right,” Jed said, still staring at Christina with concern—and wariness.

“Well, it's nice to see you,” Christina said, privately thinking that she and Ana must be quite a sight, with tangled hair and scrubbed faces, and wearing pajamas.

Admittedly, he was just a friend, but still, she wished she looked a bit more dignified. Or even…sexy.

Not like the kid he had known forever.

“Did I wake you guys up?” he asked.

“No,” Ana said. “We weren't asleep, we were staring out the window. We should have Jed look around the place, too,” Ana said.

“There's no one here,” Christina assured her.

“Because whoever was here just put the coffee on and left?” Ana asked flatly.

Christina stared hard at Ana again. Didn't her friend realize that she was adding to Jed's perception that she was crazy, or at least overemotional?

Christina knew that she'd had a crush on the guy all her life, which was making her current embarrassment worse, but she couldn't help it. She didn't want him thinking she needed serious therapy.

“No harm in looking,” Jed told her. “I'll just take a walk through the house.”

“I'll go with you,” Christina said.

“Hey, you're not leaving me here alone,” Ana warned them. “Haven't you ever seen a slasher film?”

“Not many,” Christina said, and almost added, Real life is worse.

They followed Jed from room to room, floor to floor. Occasionally he asked Christina if anything looked odd or out of place, and once he asked if she could think of any reason why someone would come in to make coffee for her.

“The thing is,” he said when they were once again in the front hall, “no one has broken in. Your lock hasn't been picked.”

He was right, she realized.

If someone had been in the house, that someone had used a key. There was absolutely no sign of forced entry.

“Does Dan or Mike have a key?” Jed asked.

“I…I don't know. But I just can't see either one of them coming in to set up the coffeemaker.”

“Then there's just one answer,” Ana said softly.

Christina glared at her. “But I didn't do it.” They were both staring at her. Irritated, she said sharply, “Whatever!”

Jed looked away and cleared his throat. She remained stubbornly silent. He looked back at her and asked, “What else could it be?”

“Dan's the type to play a practical joke,” Ana suggested.

“Mike isn't,” Christina replied.

They were all startled by a knock at the door, and Jed arched a brow questioningly. As if she should know who would be stopping by in the middle of the night, Christina thought, her irritation growing.

Jed opened the door to reveal Tony standing on the front steps.

“I saw all the lights on and came over to check up on Christina,” he said, looking questioningly at Jed. “Is everything all right?”

“Everything's fine, Tony. Thanks for looking out for me,” Christina said. “Do you want to come in? Would you like some tea or something?”

“Tony, you haven't seen anyone hanging around the house, have you?” Jed asked before Tony could answer.

“No, why?” Tony frowned in thought.

“No reason,” Christina said firmly. “We're just a bunch of nervous Nellies, as Gran would say. So…would you like something?”

“No, no, I've got to get back. Ilona will be worried.”

Christina smiled. “Thanks for checking on me,” she said with genuine gratitude.

“Good night, then,” Tony told them.

“Night,” Ana echoed.

After Tony left and the door was shut, the three of them stood awkwardly in the hall once again.

“All right, I'm out of here, too,” Jed said. He kissed his cousin on the cheek; then a beat passed before he took Christina by the shoulders and kissed her cheek, too. It was casual, one friend to another.

The warmth of his lips on her cheek seemed to rush through Christina like lava. Sensual. Sexual. She tried not to react visibly. Had her crush on the man always been this strong? It had always been there, that quality in him that made her want to be near him. Only now that she was older, she could see—no, feel—that she wanted so much more than just to be there in his shadow. The man who stood before her now was far more than just a handsome high school jock or a brooding Heathcliff on the moors. Shaped by the good and the bad he'd faced in life, as were they all, he was the complete package now, a man worth loving.

“Good night, Jed,” Ana said cheerfully.

“Good night,” Christina managed politely, then stood there with a pleasant smile plastered to her face. If only Ana were leaving and Jed were staying.

But that wasn't the way of things, and in a moment he was gone.

“Lock the door. Carefully,” Ana said gravely.

Christina wasn't sure if a door could be locked carefully, but she slid both bolts home as firmly as she could.

“Let's get some sleep,” Ana said.

“Let me just make sure the burners are off,” Christina said. “You run on up.”

“Not on your life,” Ana said, and trailed behind her to check out the kitchen before they went upstairs, where they left the hallway and bathroom lights on again.

Christina was half asleep when Ana said, “It's strange, really. You've always been afraid of the dark.”

“I'm not afraid of the dark,” Christina heard herself reply, the response instant—and defensive. “I just hate it,” she said, “when it's pitch dark…you can trip on things. You can't see.”

“That's the point. For sleeping, anyway.”

“Do you want more lights out?”

“Good God, no.”

Ana fell asleep quickly moments later, while Christina found herself lying awake and wondering.

What was it about the darkness?

It could be the idea of the unknown, always lying hidden in the dark.

Or was it that, somewhere deep inside, to everyone, darkness meant death? Death without reprieve. Just a coffin in the earth, and nothingness…

She rolled over, and at last she slept.

 

Ana was a freelance makeup artist, a good one. She'd been offered a permanent position by all the local theme parks, but she preferred to work her own schedule. This being October, though, business was booming. There were haunted houses everywhere, and haunted houses meant hundreds of performers dressing up as zombies, mummies, vampires, movie killers and creatures from lagoons of every color on a daily basis. She complained as she dressed, “It's so busy! And I'm an idiot. A greedy idiot. I said yes to way too many people. I start off at one park this morning, then go to another in the afternoon, and then the park where Dan is working tonight.”