Town Haunts (18 page)

“Oh my gosh,
she spray-painted Evelyn’s grave,” Anna said, collapsing onto the
bench beside Erna. Her friend patted her arm absent-mindedly as
Tiernay continued.

“After we
summon her, Evelyn’s spirit will be contained by the circle as long
as we stand on the perimeter and don’t let her past us. So,
remember everyone, stand on the white line. Do not leave the white
line. Understand?” She looked around the group, their faces dimly
lit in the lamplight, and nodded. “Okay, places everyone. Greg,
please push May onto the circle.”

Greg manoeuvred
the wheelchair-bound woman into position while the others took up
spots on the white line. Tiernay studied their formation, her head
to one side and her hands on her hips.

“I’m thinking
that our power grid will be at its optimum if we anchor the circle
with each of the ladies between Steve, Greg, and myself. I’ll stand
here at the foot of the grave with May to my right and Erna to my
left. Greg, you stand beside Erna, and Anna, you stand across from
me in front of the headstone. Steve, you’re between Anna and May.
Let’s go, everyone.” They reassembled themselves according to
Tiernay’s directions, and the young woman smiled at the result.

“That’s better.
Now, listen closely. The most important part of the ritual is to
state our intention that Evelyn must appear before us. We’re going
to say the same thing, all together, over and over again until I
tell you to stop. So, repeat this sentence after me: ‘Evelyn,
departed from the earthly plane, appear to us this night, we
command you.’ All together now . . .”

Anna repeated
the line with the others, peering about as she did so. She felt
unreasonably uncomfortable with her back to the stone, as if
Evelyn’s ghost might creep up behind her.

“Okay, let’s
get started. Say the sentence with me, everyone,” Tiernay
ordered.

“Evelyn,
departed from the earthly plane, appear to us this night, we
command you,” they chanted.

Tiernay nodded.
“Again,” she said, raising her arms over her head.

“Evelyn,
departed from the earthly plane, appear to us this night, we
command you.”

Anna’s eyes
darted to the others, their faces shadowy with the lamps behind
them. Greg’s eyes were closed in concentration, while both Erna and
Steve looked alert and watchful. May’s eyes were wide, and she had
something clutched against her chest, probably her rosary. Anna
wished that she had brought one herself, irrational or not.

“Louder!”
Tiernay said, shaking the hood from her hair and closing her
eyes.

“Evelyn,
departed from the earthly plane, appear to us this night, we
command you.”

“Once more!”
Tiernay shouted.

“Evelyn,
departed from the earthly plane, appear to us this night, we
command you.”

“Enough!”
Tiernay shrieked, flailing her arms over her head and lowering them
to point into the circle.

Anna stared.
Within the line, just above the grass, she could see a faint pool
of silvery-blue light. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. Yes,
the eerie light was definitely there, growing stronger all the
time. As she watched, the light began to stretch upward. It became
a column of blue sparkles glowing in a swirling white mist. The
core of the column began to darken, and, after a minute, the
outline of a woman appeared. Anna’s breath caught in her throat.
It’s not real, she told herself. It’s a trick. She glanced at the
trees and along the ground, hoping to find cables or other
electrical equipment, but it was too dark and misty to see
clearly.

“Who summons
me?” the figure trapped within the column said in a hoarse whisper.
Anna’s eyes darted back to the circle.

“We did,”
Tiernay said in a commanding voice. “We are the friends of Sherman
Mason.”

“What do you
want of me?” the spectre croaked, seeming to become more and more
solid before their eyes. Anna could make out a seamless shroud
encompassing the figure, covering it from head to foot.

“You have upset
and frightened people, Evelyn,” Tiernay said. “Sherman, who has run
away, May, and Anna. If you promise to stop, we will help you. You
spoke of revenge at our séance. Who are we to take your revenge
upon?”

From far away,
the tinkling notes of music began to play, the same terrible melody
that had haunted Anna’s dreams. She cringed. The figure seemed to
hear the music, too. It extended its arms and began to revolve once
again in the same bobbing waltz. Anna clasped her hand over her
mouth, afraid that she was going to be sick. It’s not real, it’s
not real, she told herself again and again.

“I want revenge
on everyone!” the ghost shrieked. Anna jumped. “Everyone who mocked
me, everyone who wished me harm, everyone who laughed at my
downfall. And, especially, on the monster who did this to me!” The
apparition stopped right in front of Anna. Tremulous, bony fingers
reached up to pluck the shroud from its head. Anna cried aloud as a
tumble of white-blond hair fell down upon its shoulders while
Evelyn’s lifeless blue eyes stared at her. Abruptly, the spectre’s
head fell to one shoulder at a sick, twisted angle. It was too much
for Anna. Instinct took hold of her and she sprinted away, trying
to escape the horrific apparition.

“Anna!” Steve
hollered after her.

She glanced
over her shoulder and saw the thing chasing her. Yelping, she
veered around a stone cross and blundered into the dark. A low
tombstone appeared out of nowhere, and Anna slammed, face-first,
into the ground. Wiggling onto her back, she gasped, seeing the
ghost gliding toward her. But Steve was right behind it, his
flashlight trained upon the apparition.

As if sensing
the constable’s presence, the ghost stopped, turned, and pointed at
him. As Anna watched in horror, Steve stumbled and catapulted
headlong into a tree.

There was
shouting from the others. Greg came sprinting out of the gloom,
closing in on the ghost. It waited, motionless except for its
fluttering garment, raised its arm, and pointed at Greg. His feet
flew out from under him, and he crashed into a heap on the
ground.

Anna jumped to
her feet, her courage returning now that the others needed her. But
where was Evelyn? Anna looked everywhere, her eyes darting around
the tombstones, but the apparition had vanished. Turning back to
her friends, she saw Tiernay dash up to Greg with Erna jogging
behind her.

Anna ran to
Steve lying crumpled on the ground. He was unconscious, and as she
caught up his flashlight and shone it in his face, she saw blood
dripping down his forehead. Pulling a handful of tissues from her
pocket, she cradled his head in her lap and pressed the wad against
the wound. She felt for a pulse in his throat with her free hand,
and felt it throbbing beneath her fingers. Thank heavens, he was
still alive. She patted at his cheek.

“Wake up,
Steve!” she urged.

He mumbled
incoherently.

“What?” she
asked, bending closer. He was silent, but his eyes fluttered
open.

Tears of relief
welled in her eyes. “How are you feeling?” she asked, stroking his
cheek. He tried to sit up, but Anna pressed him back down
again.

“Whoa, don’t
try to get up yet.”

“What
happened?” he asked, collapsing back into her arms and staring up
at her.

“You were
chasing Evelyn’s ghost, but she knocked you down somehow. You were
running so fast that you hit a tree.”

Twenty feet
away, Anna could hear Tiernay’s frantic voice calling, “Greg, wake
up!” She turned and saw Tiernay rocking Greg in her arms. Erna was
leaning over them, dialing her cell phone.

“It’s a police
and
a medical emergency,” her friend said. Glancing over,
Erna caught Anna’s eye. “Send two ambulances.”

An hour and a
half later, there was a rap on the door, and Erna rose to answer
it. Anna heard her say, “Come in, John,” and then her friend
ushered the corporal into the living room. May was ensconced in the
recliner with a blanket and a hot water bottle to ward off the
cemetery chill, while Anna sat on the couch with Wendy at her
feet.

“May, Anna,”
John said, acknowledging them in turn with a stiff nod. He removed
his hat and tucked it under his arm.

“Please take a
seat,” Erna said, indicating the couch. “Can I get you a cup of
tea?”

“No thanks,
Miss Dombrosky,” he said, removing a notebook from his back pocket
and opening it. “I just had a coffee at the hospital while I was
checking in on Steve and Greg.” He glanced at May and Anna before
settling his gaze back on Erna. “Now, do you want to tell me what
six supposedly sane people were doing running around the cemetery
in the middle of the night?”

His question
was met by silence. Erna perched on the couch.

“How is Steve
doing, John?” she asked.

“They’ve put
ten stitches into his head.”

“And how about
Greg?” Anna asked.

He turned his
leaden gaze upon her. “He’s still not conscious.” She felt
uncomfortable and looked away. “There doesn’t seem anything
particularly wrong with him, except some bruising and abrasions. He
just doesn’t wake up. His sister is still with him. The doctor told
her that talking to Greg might help him regain consciousness.”

Anna nodded and
let out a deep breath. “It’s my fault, John. I got really spooked
at Evelyn’s grave when her head collapsed over her shoulder, just
the way it did when she haunted my front lawn Sunday night, so I
ran. Evelyn chased me, and Steve and Greg chased Evelyn. Then she
lifted her arm and shot some sort of invisible ray at them that
knocked them down. Poor Steve slid into a tree and got hurt even
worse. I don’t know what she did to Greg.”

John paused,
his face immobile, and plunked down upon the couch. “Okay, you want
to take that from the top?”

The three women
interrupted each other over the next half hour as they tried to
explain the events leading up to the cemetery ceremony. John
listened patiently, jotting down notes and asking for clarification
when necessary. When the friends had finished, he snapped the
notebook shut and slid his pen into its binding.

“To sum up,
someone’s been playing tricks on May and Anna, and Sherman has
disappeared. Is that about it?” he asked in an exasperated
voice.

“I think that
the situation is a little more serious than that,” Erna
murmured.

“I’ll say.
We’ve got two men in the hospital because of tonight’s little
escapade.”

“What about
Sherman?” May asked from the recliner.

John turned to
her. “I would have expected more sense out of you, May. You just
checked out of the hospital Sunday morning. It took two constables
to haul you and your wheelchair out of the cemetery tonight. That’s
a pretty big waste of the taxpayers’ money.”

May’s face
turned pink as she sputtered, “Yeah, well, I’m one of those
taxpayers, and I’ve been paying my taxes for years, so don’t you
talk to me like that, John Fox Child!”

John stared at
her for a long time before shaking his head. “Listen, May, Sherman
told you that he was clearing out, so there doesn’t appear to be
any foul play in his disappearance. As it so happens, we’ve been
trying to talk to him ourselves, but we weren’t been able to find
him, either at his house or at your apartment. Now we know why.
We’ll try contacting his children ‒ maybe he’s staying with one of
them.”

“Will you call
me if you find him?” May asked in a meek voice.

John nodded and
stood up. “Will do. Well, ladies, if you don’t have any further
information, I’m going back to the station.”

Erna rose to
show him out. “I know that this all sounds foolish to you, but I
think that there is malicious intent behind the events involving
May and Anna, not to mention the attacks upon Steven and Gregory
tonight.”

John paused at
the entrance to the living room and sighed. “We’re a week away from
Halloween. What happened to May and Anna might be some elaborate
prank gone wrong. I’ll ask our people to keep their eyes open for
anything unusual, but that’s about all I can do. As for Steve and
Greg, people running around a cemetery in the dark are bound to get
hurt.”

“John,” Anna
said, “what about Henry? Have the police found him yet?”

“As a matter of
fact, Henry walked into a Calgary police station yesterday morning
to turn himself in. I was over telling Frank and Judy about it this
evening, but I guess there hasn’t been time for word to spread
around town yet. So, if you were thinking that these pranks were
pulled by Henry, you can count him out. He’s been staying with a
friend in Calgary all this time, and we’ve still got his car in the
impound, so he can’t have driven back.”

Anna’s face
fell in disappointment. “Thanks. Just a thought.”

John nodded.
“You three try to stay out of trouble, will you? Good night.”

“Night, John,”
Anna and May replied as Erna followed him from the room.

“We came off
sounding like a bunch of idiots,” May said. “Looks like the police
aren’t going to be of any use.”

“Come on,
Wendy,” Anna said, climbing to her feet. “It’s time to go
home.”

“What?” May
asked in surprise as Anna and Wendy left the room. Erna returned a
minute later to find her friend frowning. “Anna’s leaving,” May
said.

“What did you
say to upset her?”

“Nothing!”

“Why is she
leaving, then?”

“She didn’t
say.”

Anna
re-appeared in the doorway carrying Wendy’s dishes and the sack of
dog kibble. The dog padded into the room to sit down beside the
recliner.

“Erna, thanks
so much, but it’s time for me to go home,” she said. “John just put
this whole thing into perspective for me. I’m a grown woman. I
can’t hide out here forever.”