Chapter Three: Spirit Talk
She wasn't being discrete about how upset she was on the phone. Her appearance took them by surprise. When agreeing to check out the orphanage, Mike Taylor never warned them that their would be someone on the grounds. Luckily for them, they weren't filming; it would have made things more awkward trying to explain this sudden surprise.
"Porter." Chris began turning to his friend. "Are you absolutely sure Mike never mentioned someone would be here?"
"Yeah I'm sure." Porter replied, having no recollection of a conversation about a woman being there. "We only talked about what's been going on inside. The hauntings and the sounds of children being heard inside."
Chris looked at her, watching her; staring at her. He tried to come to his own conclusion but nothing came that was reasonable. She wasn't a fan to the show. Her face expression was anything but starstruck when she learned they were ghost hunters. She wasn't there for an interview; Porter took care of all of that. She wasn't even a curious bystander who was checking out the place. They don't carry backpacks and blankets. "Than who is she?"
"Your guess is as good as mine." Doogie said next.
"Maybe, we should ask her." Brannon, Chris's younger brother suggested. "Maybe she knows about the spirit of Miss Rosemary."
"Any bit helps." Chasey said.
"I don't think she's thrilled about us being here." Porter offered his opinion, leaning up against the truck.
"I agree."
Kenzie put her phone back into her pocket. She took a deep breath before turning to face them. She felt humiliated, embarrassed that she over reacted. Ghost Hunters were uncalled for. She could figure this out and how to free the children. Surely it was possible to do so in just four days before Mike sends his demolition team in and destroy the orphanage.
Who was she kidding? This whole situation was making her sick to her stomach.
When she was facing them, again all their eyes were set on her. She felt uncomfortable standing there on the top step.
"Is everything okay?" Chris asked.
"Uh, yeah." She said as she went down the stairs. She shifted her backpacks weight, a kink struck the middle of her back. "I guess you were right. Mike gave you guys permission to be here."
Kenzie pushed her hair from her face, trying not to let her feelings get the best of her again. One melt down was enough. "I apologize for my actions. I didn't know this was what Mike had planned. I overreacted."
"It's not a problem." Doogie said, seeing her distraught. "I think we were all taken by surprise. But it's all good now."
Kenzie raised her brow but couldn't help the small smile from appearing.
She sucked in a deep breath and held it letting her nerves settle and her cheeks return to their normal color. "I'll leave you guys to your business."
She only made it a few steps away when she was called too.
"Maybe you can help us..." Brannon spoke. He had a need for knowledge and he knew the others weren't going to say anything more. "What do you know about Sunnyside Orphanage? Any information you would like to share with us?"
It was a simple request, harmless really. She should have known it was going to come up. Why not? Any person hanging out at a haunted location should know something.... Right?
And Kenzie knew too much. She knew everything that there was about the orphanage. The secrets hidden within the walls. The spirits she grew to love and care for. The darkness that hung over the building and why no one would ever step foot inside. Unless they knew something.
There was a split second in her decision that she would tell them everything she knew. She always wanted someone other than those that she has helped to know what she could do. She wanted someone to confined in because taking all this on by herself was exhausting and very lonely. But the backlash and the name calling, the devil shaming and no one believing that yes it is possible to see the dead; kept Kenzie to herself.
Kenzie sighed softly. She allowed herself to look at each of them. She made her decision than: "I'm sorry but I can't help you." It was gut wrenching to deny them. She didn't stick around any longer, turning on her heels and walked away.
There's gotta be another way other than....Ghost hunters.
...
She watched them from a distance, hiding behind the old shed on the property. It took her no time to get off the road and take the pathway that would lead to the shed. Going home was the least of her concerns.
Spying on them was.
The hairs on the back of her neck tingles and stood up on end. Chills travelled her spine and she shivered. The air around her became thick and uneasy, making it difficult to take her next breath of air.
She closed her eyes for a second. She knew the signs, listening to her inner intuition. The way her body responded to the encounters. The element of surprise when they creep up on her without warning.
She was no longer alone.
"They can help you, you know." His voice was soft and his energy was calm. It was a relief from the panic or the strong vibe she normally got when the spirits realized that she could see them. She wasn't bombarded or overwhelmed with their needs for someone to help them.
This was different.
"Who are you?" She asked, waiting for the waves to hit her. Just because the ghost was calm, didn't mean he didn't want her help. They always needed help.
And at any given time, Kenzie would help. She would listen to their story and their pleads for redemption or to have that one final moment with a loved one. She was always willing to drop what she was doing to help them find peace.
But not now. All she could think about were the children and trying to come up with a way to keep them safe. There were people trampling around and she didn't have the authority to tell them to go away.
"A friendly ghost." He said, the words almost escaping her ears.
"Not now... I can't help you right now. I'm sorry."
"I'm just here to tell you they can help you. They're very good at what they do."
Kenzie ignored her thoughts not to turn away, but those words were unsettling to hear.
An older gentleman stood before her. Milky white skin with pale blue eyes. His hair was white and he wore glasses. He was much older than she thought.
"And what exactly can they do hmm?" She asked, staring him in the eyes. She searched for the lies that some spirits will play just to get attention. "Don't lie either. I won't help you if you do."
His smile reached his eyes, bringing light to their pale blue almost making them solid again. "I don't need help, Miss Kenzie Marsden. I'm here to help you."
"How so?" She wanted to know. "I've been doing this for a long time and not once has a spirit offered me help. Is this a joke?"
He shook his head. "No, I would not lie to one who has helped so many. You are known within the spirit realm my dear. Your help and dedication to help those that go unspoken comes with rewards."
"And the price? Nothing is ever free in this world or the spirit world." She shook her head, pressing two fingers to her forehead. "Why am I listening to this? This sounds like a bad hallmark movie. Ghosts don't just decide one day to help the living. It's impossible. It's absurd. It's...it's ridiculous."
"Nothing is ever impossible. We give signs when necessary. We watch over others and help when we can. It takes a lot of energy to stay earth bound, if anyone who knows this, it's you. You only see what is there not what is behind the veil."
Kenzie turned her back to him. "Save the pep talk for someone else."
"Miss. Marsden, sometimes we all need a little help. They can help you and those children you so desperately want to free from this hell. She's getting stronger by the day...it's only a matter of time before she comes."
He sighs softly, cool air touches her. "I can feel it, just being here I can feel her. She's angry and vengeful. She won't stop until she has them..."
The color drained from her face, her heart skipped a beat. She felt nauseous to her stomach at the thought of the wicked witch escaping from the trap that binds her to the basement. Having her free would be catastrophic, she would be after the children.
It would be the nightmare she has dreamt. She would fail as their protector.
Kenzie didn't like that. She worked so hard to keep that nasty old woman locked away.
She sighs heavily before she turned back around and looked at the old man. "How can they help?" There was a slight tremble in her voice, swallowing the rising lump in her throat. "How can they be trusted?"
He took a step closer to her. His eyes softened, his touch to her shoulder was cool. A wave of certainty flowed through her. "They can help those that are stuck here. They are the first to ever trap a ghost and set it free. They have removed evil from places that hold others. Chris and his fellow investigators can trap the children and break them free from the hold that Miss Rosemary has on them."
"I trust them. They are really good at what they do. They have helped me be free when I was stuck earth bound. I wouldn't be here trying to assist you if I knew they couldn't be trusted."
"I don't know..." Kenzie stated truthfully with a slight shrug of her shoulders.
"Let them help you; they won't let you down."
She let out a chuckle, her eyebrows shifted upwards into her hair and she looked at him. "I'll be the judge of that." She sighs again. "I hope that you're right about this and I'm not a sucker for believing you."