"Yes, sir. I understand. I'll take care of it right away. Within the hour." Felicia disconnects the call and continues down the hallway. Her heels gently tap against the linoleum floor as she heads toward Maggie Caldwell's room. She stands in the doorway, staring at Maggie, who sits quietly in her rocking chair. "Do you like sitting in the dark?" Felicia flips on the lights and waits for Maggie to adjust to the flaring fluorescents. "Hello, Mrs. Caldwell. You don't know me, but my name is Felicia. I need your help." Maggie's eyes remain placid and glazed. "I know you can speak, but choose not to. This is about Charlotte." Maggie's eyes flicker up and Felicia continues, "I need you to come with me. Don't worry. I'll bring you back when we're done. Then you can continue punishing yourself." Maggie's eyes widen, but she still doesn't speak. "That's right. Stay mute. It'll make dragging you out of here that much easier."
Stacey POV
The three of us approach the cabin. The cabin that Sheriff Dan now ordered us to stay away from. I'm hoping the medium we brought can communicate with Charlotte, and help find out what happened all those years ago. "Are you sure we can go in there?" I ask. Alex nods, "It's my cabin." I shrug, "Your cabin...that's currently a crime scene."
"Sheriff Dan doesn't play around. He'll get pretty upset if he finds us here." Wally adds. "Then let's be quick about it," Alex says.
"This cabin holds many secrets." The medium Alex brought says as she takes a few steps in the room, her twenty bracelets jingling on her arms. "You can say that again..." I mutter. Geneva Preston doesn't look like a medium. In fact, she reminds me of a librarian I knew in third grade. She begins humming a tune that causes both me and Alex to pause. It's the song from the music box: Killing Me Softly. I glance over at Alex who looks as surprised as me. "That's the song from the music box. How does she know?" I ask. Alex shrugs. "I'm sensing a youthful spirit– a young girl. She's trapped." Geneva says sadly. "Trapped?" Alex repeats, "How is she trapped?" Geneva sighs, "She wants to cross over, but she can't. She's stuck."
"Is that all you sense? Is she the only spirit?" I ask. Geneva turns to me and shakes her head, "No. There's something else here. Something dark. Something angry. Vengeful..." I nod, "It's Bryce." I turn to Alex, "I told you so." Geneva turns to Alex as well. "You wanted me to help explain what happened the night this young girl was killed? She asks. Alex nods. "Do you have an object from that night?" Geneva asks. "Did you get the knife back?" I ask. Alex shakes his head, "No. It didn't have any evidence on it anyway." Geneva sighs, "I need something from that night to open a line of communication with her." I look around the living room, trying to find something from that night. The rag doll was probably here, but I have no idea where it is now. I sot a photo album on top of some boxes in the corner of the room. "I got it!" I rush over and dig through the box. I pull out a framed picture of Charlotte and bring it over to Geneva. "How about this?" I ask. Geneva looks at me and nods, "This should work." A gust of wind blows beside me, causing everyone to jump. I can hear the soft pattering of rain against the roof. "It's starting to rain." Wally sighs, "The weatherman said it would be dry today." Geneva shakes her head, "She's recreating the night for us. Did it rain that night, too?" She asks aloud. "Yes." Alex nods. Geneva stares off into space, "She's scared. She's with her mother and she's very frightened." Geneva closes her eyes and a large crash bellows from the kitchen. "He's angry. My presence is upsetting him. He wants us out of this place."
"He, who? Who's here?" I ask. "The evil one," Geneva replies. "Bryce?" I ask. Geneva opens her eyes and touches my cheek, "You're frightened because of what you did. Don't be. There are no spirits named Bryce around you." She says comfortingly. "There aren't?" I gasp. She shakes her head, "No."
"Then who is it?" I ask slowly. Geneva closes her eyes as the rain pours down harder and harder. "It's the father of the man you care for." She says. I gasp softly, not daring to look at Alex. "So it's Lionel?" I ask. Alex crosses the room and places a hand on my shoulder, "It's going to be okay, Stacey." Geneva nods, looking between me and Alex. "Trust him. You've been through too much in the past not to. I see it now...yes. It's Lionel." As she speaks, a crackle of thunder roars over the cabin.
________________________________
It's starting to rain. Felicia pulls up to Caldwell's grocery store, spotting the sheriff's car parked outside. She turns to Maggie, "It'll be a few minutes. I'd tell you to stay put, but there's really no need." She pulls on the handcuffs attached from the dash to Maggie's wrist before exiting the car.
Inside, Felicia scans the patrons of the grocery store until she spots her target. "Excuse me, you wouldn't happen to be Maria?" She asks. "Maria L. Do I know you?" Maria asks. "Maria, who is this?" Chuck says, appearing at her side. "I'm sorry, sir. But I need to talk to Maria." Felicia says, not even bothering to look at Chuck. "What's this about?" Maria asks, "Is this about those online comments about the Kardashians? I was just joking!" Felicia shakes her head. "No. I'm here because you're a friend of Stacey's." She says. "She is?" Chuck asks. Maria nods, "I am. Is something wrong with Stacey?" Felicia shakes her head, "I was just wondering if she had invited you to her seance." Chuck's eyes widen, "Seance? What the hell are you talking about?" Zachary and Dan turn to the group, taking a few steps closer. "A medium was hired to find out what really happened that night. I'm surprised you weren't told." Felicia says. "That's crazy! I'll call Wally, and get to the bottom of this." Chuck says quickly and reaches for his cell phone. "Wally knows. He's there too." Felicia says. "Wally's there with two outsiders and a damn medium? At my crime scene?" Sheriff Dan demands, "I'm going to arrest all of them!" He storms past everyone, heading straight to his car. "Dan!" Zachary yells. "I told him to stay away from that Alex Carter. Nothing but bad news." Chuck says angrily. "Excuse me, but I would appreciate it if you didn't disparage my boss. The Carters are good people." Felicia huffs. "Lionel Carter wasn't." Chuck scoffs. "No, but there are always exceptions." Felicia says and turns to Zachary, "Are you okay?" Zachary nods angrily, "I'm fine." He glances at Chuck, "Chuck, can you give me a ride to the cabin? I'm afraid of what Dan might do when he gets there."
"What are you afraid of?" Maria asks, "He's the sheriff." Zachary nods sadly, "I'm afraid we might repeat everything that happened twenty-five years ago."
Felicia waits a few minutes before entering her heavily tainted vehicle. She turns to Maggie, "Now that we've given them their head start we can get going. This should be an exciting night, don't you think?"
Stacey POV
Geneva continues to narrate the events from that fearful night. "She's alone with her mother. I see her hiding, but she's afraid...very afraid." I glance up at Alex, "This is terrible. No one should have to go through this, let alone a child. I can't even imagine." He sends me a saddened look, "You must have some idea." I shrug, "I was older. I could at least defend myself. Charlotte was...helpless." Geneva continues, "I see a woman trying to return a gift, but he doesn't want it. He knows it means the end. He thinks it's his decision to make...not hers. She was cheating on him. He knows the truth and wants revenge. He's attacked you, too. He'll attack any woman living in this cabin." I close my eyes as images of my last fight with Bryce begin to unfurl in my mind. My therapist always warned me it was possible for memories to return. I tried to explain that I wasn't going to go on with anything he wanted anymore, but it only upset him. Bryce accused me of coming onto him and threatening to tell mom when he raised his fist and hit me. "Is it just me or is it getting colder in here?" I ask. Alex tightens his arm around me. "Are you okay?" He asks quietly. I'm not sure how to tell Alex as the horrific memories flash back across my mind. "They're both trying to talk to me. The girl is warning me. He's coming." Geneva gasps. "Who's coming?" Alex demands. "I don't know. She can't say, but I can feel it's evil." A sudden banging on the door causes everyone to freeze. Geneva gasps, still in communication with the spirits. Three loud bangs against the door urge Alex to move forward. He opens the door to find Sheriff Dan, absolutely livid.
"I hope you realize you're all about to be arrested." He spits. Sheriff Dan pushes himself forward, "I don't know what you all think you're doing here, but it stops now!" Alex shakes his head, "This is my cabin, Sheriff." Alex takes a defiant step in Dan's way, "I'd be careful if I were you. We're this close to the truth. It might be you who's getting arrested." Sheriff Dan's eyes grow wide with anger, "Why you little–" Dan shoves Alex against the wall, his fists holding tightly to Alex's shirt. "You think you can threaten me?" Dan demands. "Stop! Stop it, Dan!" Zachary shouts from the doorway as Chuck pushes his chair forward. "Shut up, Zachary! The Carters have had their way for far too long." Dan says, slamming Alex back against the wall, "You think money is everything? It's not!"
"Please stop!" I yell. "Why should I?" Dan demands, casing a hateful glare at me, "It's about time he learned a hard lesson." Dan slams Alex's head into the wall and Alex falls to the ground. Without a second thought, I rush over to him. "Are you okay? You didn't fight back." I gasp. Alex shakes his head, "He's a cop. What do you want me to do?" I stand up and turn to Dan with a scowl as Alex stands up behind me. "We're just trying to find out the truth. Find out what happened to Charlotte." I state. "What happened to Charlotte?" Dan demands, "You want to know what happened to her? She was murdered in cold blood. That's it! Maggie and Lionel Carter were having an affair. For whatever reason, he waited until I wasn't home, came here, and killed Charlotte. Maggie, finally having some sense knocked into her, killed Lionel in return. End of story!" He yells. "It's not true."
The voice is almost drowned out by the rain. "M-Maggie!" Zachary gasps and shoots a glance at his brother. "Maggie?" Dan gasps. He turns to face the petite woman standing in the doorway. "Felicia, what's going on?" Alex demands, "What are you two doing here? Did she just talk?" Felicia nods, "Your parents sent me here, but your mother asked that I bring her along." Felicia points a thumb at Maggie Caldwell. "You forced me to come," Maggie says angrily. "Why would my parents send you here?" Alex asks. "I apologize for not informing you, Mr. Carter, but they were worried," Felicia says and leads Maggie into the dark cabin. "He doesn't like her," Geneva says and points at Maggie. "He's upset that she's here. He's upset that all of you are here." Dan raises a brow, "Upset? What the hell is she talking about?" He turns to Geneva, "Is this the psychic?" Maggie takes a step forward, "If you really want to know the truth...I'm ready to talk. I've spent a long time punishing myself for what happened to Charlotte, but I've suffered long enough." Dan rolls his eyes, "Of course, you'd say that..." He starts walking towards Maggie. "Because of you, our lives were ruined." Dan says, voice full of fury, "You've suffered long enough? What about me?" Maggie shakes her head, "You don't know what you're talking about." Dan scoffs, "I don't? I've lived with the pain of Charlotte's death all my life– the guilt of not being able to save her." Wally takes a step forward, "Miss Maggie, did you kill Lionel?" He asks. All eyes are on the petite woman as he eyes rest on her former husband. "No." An audible gasp fills the room. "If you didn't...then who did?" I ask slowly. "I guess that's the big mystery, isn't it Dan?" Maggie continues to hold his gaze, "All these years, I've stayed quiet. I've had time to think. I realize not that it isn't fair..." "What isn't fair?" Dan demands. "That I'm the only one being punished for my sins." Maggie replies. "Who killed Lionel Carter?" Alex demands. "The same man that killed Charlotte." Maggie says. "Lionel couldn't have killed himself." Alex says, staring defiantly at his birth mother. She shakes her head, "No. He couldn't have." Maggie lifts a finger and points...at Zachary. "It was him."
Author note: Only One chapter left guys! Please comment and vote! Let's get this to 1k reads! :)