DEADLY WISHES Page 5

  “Ritualistic? Kellie, you and Taylor see odd behaviors wherever you go. Stay home and be a normal wife and mother for a change.” Mike snapped.

  “Normal,” Kellie mumbled as she left the house and hurried to Taylor’s car. “How does anyone define normal?”

  “Well,” Taylor asked when Kellie slammed the car door. “You don’t look happy.”

  “Uncle Mike acted as if he did me a favor by not arresting me for tampering with evidence and then told me to go home and be normal. Normal! What does he think I am? I’m a mom and wife. I’m not weird or strange. I didn’t ask for my abilities and how dare he suggest I’m not acting normal,” Kellie spewed angrily.

  “Calm down. Uncle Mike is just acting like your father. You know he took his role as your godfather very seriously when your parents died. You should be used to it by now.”

  “Maybe, but it’s frustrating. Next thing I know, he’ll call Max and Hunter and tell them we can’t play together. He sees us as children.” She gripped her hands together to keep from punching at something.

  “Let’s hope he didn’t,” Taylor said as she pulled into Kellie’s driveway. “Call me in the morning or sooner if Max grounds you.” She smiled and made Kellie laugh.

  “I will, goodnight.”

  “Night.” Taylor waved as she drove toward her house.

  Chapter Five

  Kelly was deep asleep when she heard Hope and Faith calling out to her and running down the hall to her bedroom. “Mommy, Mommy,” both girls called out together. “Look out the window at the terrible fog, Mommy. It's everywhere, and there are strange faces and fire floating in the fog.”

  Kellie climbed out of bed and opened the blinds on her balcony sliding door. The girls were correct. An odd fog lingered at the edge of her property. She saw what appeared to be clown faces and bursts of flame moving in the fog. Kellie shuddered. She’d hated clowns since she was a child. It was the first attack. The evil couldn’t break through the golden protection that covered her home. Max and the girls were safe inside the golden shelter. Kellie stepped out onto the balcony and glanced next door to Taylor’s home. It was also protected by the golden dome, but clearly, the dense fog encircled both houses completely. The thick fog blocked out everything beyond her yard even the street lights a block away.

  Max walked up next to her. “What the hell is this?” he whispered not wanting the girls to hear his concern.

  “It’s supposed to scare the girls. The new evil can’t touch them, but Claudia said it would try to frighten them. Evidently, it doesn’t know the girls are not afraid of clowns. It’s a good thing the evil is unaware of their fears.”

  “Yes, but clowns terrify you.”

  “I can handle them. What worries me is Taylor. I hope she stays asleep until the fog clears. She has Homichlophobia. The dense fog will terrify her.” Kellie leaned against him.

  “I didn’t realize she had a fear of fog. It’s thick and worse than any fog I’ve seen,” Max said slipping his arm around her. “What do we do?”

  Before she could answer, their phone rang. “I imagine that’s Hunter. Taylor must know about the fog.”

  Kellie answered. “I thought it was you. What woke her? Please keep her calm, and I’ll do my best to get rid of this fog. It isn’t natural. Remind her we are safe inside the house and yards and the kids are safe. I’ll talk to you later.” She looked at Max. “Something woke Taylor out of a sound sleep, and she rushed to look out the window. Hunter’s worried about her. She’s holding the kids and rocking back and forth on her bed. I need to do something. I won’t let this evil win or frighten anyone else.”

  “What can you do?”

  Kellie shook her head and opened the sliding door. Stepping onto the balcony, she looked over her shoulder, “I’m not sure, but I have to try something.”

  The clown faces moved closer to the edge of the fog. The blasts of flames grew and glowed throughout the fog. Kellie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She fought her feelings of inadequacy and nodded to herself. She lifted her arms and called out, “enough.” White light flew from her fingertips and the fog vibrated, the flames dimmed, and the scary brightly-colored clown faces paled. A moment later the fog thickened and the fire and clowns returned. Kellie lifted her hands and tried again with the same results. She dropped her arms to her sides and heard Max say, “Try again. You’re the only one who can do this.”

  She turned to look at him doubt filling her mind. Seeing the hope in his eyes gave her the inspiration she needed to try again.

  Once again, she raised her arms. Hope and Faith ran past their father and just as Kellie shouted “enough” the twins wrapped their arms around Kellie’s legs and shouted “go away” at the same time. In an instant, the fog dissipated completely leaving the night clear and calm.

  “We did it, we did it,” Hope and Faith exclaimed at the same time and began jumping up and down.

  Kellie’s gaze drifted from the girls to Max. He stood there staring at the three of them.

  Kellie ushered the girls back into the house. “Off to bed with you two. It’s late, and we have a lot to do tomorrow.” She followed the girls and called over her shoulder at a shocked Max, “I’ll explain after I put the girls back to bed.”

  Max dropped onto the bed and stared out the sliding door. The fog was gone, and Kellie was the one who forced it away or was she? He watched her try and fail. Once his precious, innocent little angels grabbed their mother and called out to the fog, it disappeared completely. They couldn’t possibly have helped, could they? His mind raced with fear for his children and the possibility they had abilities of their own.

  Kellie walked back into her bedroom and Max jumped to his feet. She smiled, “Don’t worry. The girls fell asleep immediately and Rufus and Miss Annabelle are watching over them.”

  “Wonderful,” he growled. “My children can fight evil beings, and they’re protected by a dog and the spirit of a dead governess. No problem. Everything is right with the world.”

  “Hey, calm down. I don’t understand what happened either. All I know is when they grabbed onto my legs, the strength of my white light grew stronger. I supposedly inherited this ability from my birth mother. Is it such a surprise the girls might have inherited it from me? It can only serve them well if they are ever in danger.” She tried smiling at Max again and walked across the room toward him.

  Max turned his back and stared out the window. Kellie shrugged and headed for the bathroom to get a glass of water. Max’s words stopped her dead in her tracks. “I’m taking the girls to my parent’s house in the morning. I’m staying with them. You need time to get your priorities straight. I won’t allow them to be in danger or fight something evil with you.”

  After nearly six years of marriage, Max and Kellie never had a huge argument. They had the usual marital spats and disagreements, but never anything on a large scale. Kellie wasn’t about to fight him now.

  She spun on her heel and insisted, “My daughters are not going anywhere unless I agree. You’re not taking them anywhere to live. They live here in this house with us. If you want to go to your parent’s I can’t stop you, but I will not allow you to take Hope and Faith from me.”

  Max turned slowly and glared at her, “They are my daughters, too. I have the right to take them away from this insanity. It isn’t safe here for them around you.”

  Kellie’s heart shattered in her chest. The love of her life stood in front of her threatening to take away the two people in her life she loved more than life itself. She wasn’t going to let him do that. She took in a deep breath to help calm herself before the tears she felt forming could fall, “You can try, but I won’t let you and neither will they.”

  “They are six years old. They won’t have a say,” Max snapped back.

  “I wasn’t talking about Hope and Faith. I know they don’t have a choice if you try and take them but Miss Annabelle and the others will stop you.” She stared back at him and crossed her arms across her c
hest.

  Max sputtered, “Miss Annabelle? You’d allow a ghost to keep me from the girls?”

  “I’d never allow anyone to come between you and the girls, but taking them away from me would cause them pain and possibly place them in danger. Miss Annabelle and the other spirits trying to keep them safe from whatever evil has descended on us will stop you. I’m not sure if the boost in my power came from the girls. It might have been Miss Annabelle. Even if you manage to remove the girls from my care, she will go with them. The other spirits will follow.”

  Max rubbed his face with his hands. “I need sleep. I’m going to the guest room to sleep and think. We’ll talk in the morning.”

  “Fine,” Kellie called after him, “But don’t try to sneak the girls out of the house. I’ll know before you get to the car. Remember, the house is protected from anything trying to harm the girls or me. The force of the protection may not see the difference between you and another form of danger.”

  He turned and glared at her for a moment before walking to the guest bedroom. When Kellie heard the door close, she dropped to the bed, buried her face in her pillow, and cried.

  Max woke her a few hours later by sitting on the side of the bed, “I wanted to wake you before I leave for work. I called in for an extra shift. I need to be out doing something today. I thought a lot last night and at least for a while; I’ll sleep in the guest room.”

  “Think carefully about your decision, Max. I didn’t ask for this entity to attack Malone Springs or our home last night. It’s been over five years since anything like this has happened. I didn’t cause this to happen, and I certainly don’t want the girls to go through anything dangerous. If you blame me for something I didn’t do and close the door on us when you decide that you want to open it again, you may find that I’ve locked it and tossed away the key,” Kellie answered without looking at him or moving from her spot on the bed.

  He stood without saying a word and strode from the room.

  The pain in Kellie’s heart turned to anger. “Men,” she mumbled as she flung the covers off and climbed out of bed. “We’ve been married long enough that I thought he’d stand by me no matter what.” She continued to vent her frustrations to herself while she showered and dressed for the day. A quick peek in the girl’s room showed they were still asleep after their middle of the night excitement.

  Kellie padded down to the kitchen and let Rufus out to run in the backyard. She started a pot of coffee and called Taylor.

  Hunter answered, “Good morning, Kellie. Are you all right?”

  She answered, “Yes, I’m fine. I’m a bit worried about Taylor. Is she all right and awake?”

  “No, she’s still asleep. Last night she didn’t stop shaking even after the fog dissipated. She wouldn’t leave the kids alone and wanted to check to be sure every door and window was locked. We settled in the living room after she was sure the house was secure. She still shook uncontrollably. I insisted she have a shot of brandy. It didn’t help much, so I gave her a second.”

  “Taylor never drinks anything stronger than an occasional glass of wine. Did it finally work?”

  Hunter chuckled, “It's not really funny, but when I took the kids back up to bed, she poured a third shot. I needed to help her to bed, and she’s still sleeping.”

  Kellie smiled, “I think that’s a good thing. She needs to recover from the terror I know she felt last night. She’s been afraid of fog since we were children. I can imagine last night was horribly frightening for her. Please ask her to call me when she wakes.”

  “I will.”

  Kellie broke the connection and placed the phone on the kitchen counter. She poured a cup of coffee and watched Rufus run around the backyard with Taylor and Hunter’s dog, Penny. The blue skies dotted with soft, white, puffy clouds, made her feel peaceful. It was a complete contrast to the frightening atmosphere of the previous night. Twelve hours had turned her life upside down. She was concerned about the wishing well and the evil entity last night before she went to sleep, but never expected to be attacked. Now, she was certain the entity was aware of her. Either her girls or Miss Annabelle had additional abilities to help her, Max wouldn’t be the strength she needed at her side, and her best friend needed to be protected.

  Kellie watched the quiet setting in her backyard knowing a battle was looming on the horizon. She pondered the thought that the entity meant to frighten Taylor and not Faith and Hope. Surely if the entity knew enough to send fog and clowns, it must be aware of their fears and that Taylor added to Kellie’s strength. The female evil, whatever it was, wanted to remove Taylor from Kellie’s side in this battle and it won. She wouldn’t allow Taylor to face a terror that would paralyze her with fear. Kellie poured a second cup of coffee and hoped Lance would return soon.

  Kellie heard four small feet hurrying down the stairs and called out, “No running on the stairs.” Immediately, the sound quieted, and two smiling girls walked into the kitchen holding hands.

  “Morning, Mommy.”

  “Good morning young ladies. Did you sleep well?” She wanted to ask them about any concerns they had about last night but decided to let them bring it up if they had questions.

  “Daddy has to work today. How about we go to Cooper’s for lunch after church?” Kellie asked as she placed bowls of cereal on the table for the girl’s breakfast.

  “Can we have fries and a chocolate shake, and…” asked Faith.

  “No, can we have a cheeseburger and a hot fudge sundae?” Hope interrupted.

  Kellie laughed. “You can choose what to eat, but if you have a shake, you can’t have a sundae. You each need to choose one or the other.”

  “Can we share one of each,” the girls blurted in unison.

  Kellie shook her head wondering if the girls would always speak as one person. “We’ll see. The last time we did that, the two of you argued over who ate more.”

  “I should get more,” Hope explained. “I’m the oldest.”

  “By three minutes. That’s not really older,” Faith insisted. “She thinks she’s better because she’s older. It isn’t fair. Why couldn’t we both been born at the same time, Mommy?”

  Not ready to answer that question, Kellie smiled and patted the girls on their heads. “First doesn’t mean better and neither does older. You’re twins and equal. Always remember that. Be each other’s best friend and don’t worry who’s older or better. I think you’re both wonderful.”

  “Yes, Mommy,” the girl’s chimed.

  Hope and Faith finished breakfast quickly and disappeared back up to their room. Kellie heard them talking and giggling. It reminded her how much she regretted being an only child and how much she loved Taylor and had since they became neighbors at age three. They were as inseparable as her girls until now. Kellie knew she couldn’t involve Taylor in this newest battle. Her mind told her Taylor wouldn’t hesitate to help, if needed, regardless of her fears, but Kellie’s heart wouldn’t allow her friend to suffer. Taylor had been at her side through all her previous spirit battles. She said a silent prayer asking for help to keep Taylor safe.

  Kellie’s phone chirped breaking into her thoughts. She smiled when she noticed the text was from Lance.

  Hope all is well with you, Max, and the girls.

  Claudia told me about the strange occurrences.

  Hannah and I will be back in Malone Springs on Wednesday.

  Try to remain safe and out of trouble until I see you.

  Hannah sends the girls huge hugs.

  Kellie texted back:

  Have a safe trip back. Can’t wait to

  have your help on this one.

  Kellie hurried up to take a shower and get the girls ready for church. She vowed to herself not to let Max’s decision to sleep in the guest room upset her day. She prayed she could do it and not let the girls know she was worried and frightened about her future with Max.

  ~ * ~

  It was a quiet day in Malone Springs. The paramedics only received tw
o calls, one where an elderly man fell injuring his hip and an auto accident with minor injuries. The quiet day gave Max time to think about his life with Kellie and his daughters—too much time. He didn’t come to any conclusions and knew he would continue to sleep in the guest room until he could work it all out.

  The house was quiet when Max arrived home. He found a plate of dinner left for him in the refrigerator and a picture of flowers drawn by Hope hanging on the front of the fridge. He smiled but wished he had arrived home in time to put the girls to bed, yet part of him was glad the house was quiet. He didn’t want to speak to Kellie. After five quiet years, this new entity came into their lives from left field. He truly believed it was all behind them. He loved Kellie and the girls more than he loved his own life, but he was afraid to allow the girls to be in the path of whatever might attack Kellie.

  Max reached for his coffee mug and drained the last of his coffee. He set it down and wondered aloud, “Kellie said the girls are protected. She implied that also meant from me. That’s ridiculous. How can anything keep me from taking my girls?”

  He stared as his coffee mug wobbled, spun, and flew across the table onto the floor. “All right, he spoke to the empty room. I’m not taking them away from her. Leave us alone.” The silence was deafening. He cleaned up the broken mug and walked upstairs. He checked on the girls wondering if Miss Annabelle caused the coffee mug mishap or if other spirits watched over them. Max stood outside their closed bedroom door and resisted the urge to walk in and talk to his wife. He still needed more time.

  Kellie heard Max in the hallway and hoped he would open the door. Her heart hurt when she heard him walk away and the guest room door close. She prayed he would understand and come back to them completely. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

  Chapter Six

  Hope and Faith rose early on Wednesday morning hoping to see their dad before he left for work. Kellie was in the kitchen waiting for them when they bounded into the room.