Doctor Greene had the habit of leaning his elbows on his desk, and hooking his thumbs beneath his chin, while tapping his lower lip with the index fingers of his tented hands. Sometimes he'd close his eyes as if in deep thought and looked almost as if he were in prayer. Correct that, almost like a gnome in prayer. His bulbous nose, bushy eye brows and wild hair gave him an almost unkempt air, add to that he was of a very stocky build.
I was fighting the temptation to imitate him. My mother had told me that was rude. Besides, I was scared. Who wouldn't be in my position? My parents were forcing me to 'have a nice chat' with the 'nice doctor' about the stuff I'd been seeing and experiancing. But I knew that was just grownup for "We think you're crazy". What if he agreed with them? Would I be locked up? Or put on meds that made me all zombie like? I bit my lower lip, and tried to keep my hands folded in my lap. I knew I wasn't crazy. I admit, I was kindof mad at my parents for not believing me, but they could have just let it go. Especially after the regular doctor had told them there wasn't anything medically wrong with me. But NO, they made me come here...
"So tell me. Vhy are you here?" Doctor Greene folded his fingers so that his hands were clasped.
"My parents think I'm nuts."
"Vhy do they think that?" He smiles at me. For a gnome he has a very disarming smile.
"Why do your double-ues sound like vees?" I hadn't meant for that to come out, to my surprise he chortled.
"A bit left over from my life in Germany, I suppose. But that does not answer my question. Do you know vhy, Liebchen?"
I nodded. Part of me wanted to just come out with it, part of me was saying to keep my mouth shut.
"Vould it be easier if I told you vhy?" That almost knocked my 12 year old self out of the seat. I nodded again.
"They quite simply do not understand that you may not be crazy but gifted." This time I stared at him in disbelief of what I was hearing. Was he saying I may not be crazy??? And did he actually use the term 'crazy' like a normal person would?
"Did you say 'gifted'?" I leaned forward from my chair, my heart speeding up a bit - there was hope!
"Ja, I did. Mind you, I did not say that is the case. But there is a possibility. It is up to you to help me prove that possibility. Are you villing to do so?" I nodded my head most emphatically. Yes! Yes! Help me prove that I am not crazy - I do see ghosts!
"Good, " he was reaching into a desk drawer,"Now I have a little gift for you." He handed me a thick spiral notebook and a pen."I want you to keep a journal, of everything you experience. If you like you can start vith the first time you saw a spirit, it's up to you. In fact, write down anything you please," A small pause, "even that I remind you of a gnome, if you like." His smile was wide, and I felt my mouth drop open a bit, and he winked at me. "There are many gifts in this life, Liebchen. Together ve vill see if you possess one or more of them. "
Mom asked me how it went on the ride home, after making my next appointment. All I told her was 'fine', after all I'm still miffed she thinks I'm crazy.
Once we got home, I went to my room to do homework. Opening the door I sighed, it was in shambles -again. Books, stuffed animals, trinkets, and papers were thrown everywhere. Even the covers from my bed were pulled off. Normally, I would have called my Mom in to show her, the room was neat and tidy when I left for school, I hadn't been home to mess it up, so who did? Of course she would just say, to clean it up, so what was the point? We'd covered it enough times that I already knew the outcome. So, I sighed and started picking things up - AGAIN. I flicked on the radio as I worked. Half outloud, I began talking , "Why do you have to trash my room? I can't stay home, I have to go to school."
"I get bored," the voice was in my ear.
"Then read a book, watch TV or something. Quit trashing my room!"
My only answer was a giggle.
*******
I had just finished picking up the mess, when Mom called me for dinner. As I was leaving my room I heard the stereo flip off and the TV turn on. Good, maybe my room would stay clean for awhile.
Over dinner my dad asked how my 'appointment' had gone.
"Well he didn't label me crazy," I said half joking and Mom scolded me.
"We're just concerned about you, Jada. There's no reason to be curt with your father!"
"Geeze, Mom, I was just...making a joke, you know?" Just then there was a loud crash in the kitchen. Dad went to see what it was and the silverware drawer had been yanked out and the contents dumped on the floor. He told Mom it must have come loose somehow. Sure thing, Dad - just keep denying the obvious.
I was pleased when I went back to my room and found it still in order. Less pleased, when my mother yelled for me to 'Get in here', 'here' being my parents' room, and she demanded to know the meaning behind what "I" did to their closet. I stared in open-mouthed shock. Every article of clothing had been tied in knots! With some the sleeves of one were actually tied with the sleeves of another. On the floor laid my Mom's favorite tube of lipstick, broken, used to scrawl the words, "I AM" on the mirror that hung inside the closet door. Mom leaned down picking up the broken lipstick, and waving it at me said, "This is coming out of your allowance, young lady!" I tried to protest my innocence, that it wasn't me but Emily who did it. She slapped me then, saying I was too old of imaginary friends and ordered me out of her sight.
I slammed the door in my room, and throwing myself on my bed cried myself to sleep.
The next day was Saturday, I tore through my chores then taking a coke from the fridge, locked myself up in my room. I got out the special notebook and pen Dr. Greene had given me and began to write.
Saturday
4/6/10
I guess I should start with the first time I remember seeing Emily. I was about 6 and was having a tea party with my dolls in my room. We hadn't lived here very long and I didn't know any of the kids yet. All of a sudden this girl walked into my room. I didn't hear her knock, but I thought maybe my mom had let her in. She said her name was Emily and she'd come to play if that was ok. Of course I said it was. We played all afternoon. Later when I mentioned her to Mom she acted like she didn't know what I was talking about, and it stayed that way. It didn't matter that I insisted she was real, my folks said she was imaginary and would probably go away when I made some real friends.
Emily and I had lots of fun together. We'd draw pictures, play games and tell secrets. Emily became my best friend.
One day, I brought a new friend home from school. Her name was Kara, and I thought the three of us could have fun together. But Emily didn't like Kara. She pulled her hair, and Kara blamed me, said I was mean and went home. Emily said we didn't need anyone else. I had her and she had me.
This happened everytime I brought a new friend over. Emily would always do something to scare them away. After awhile I just gave up. No one ever believed me that Emily was behind it, no one else could see her. But there were a couple of kids who would hang with me outside of the house. They said that something scared them about it, although they couldn't say what. So I would either go over to their house or we'd play outside. Emily didn't like that one bit. That's when bad things started to happen.
Emily would break things and I'd get blamed, or she'd take things and hide them. One time, a really pretty necklace that had belonged to my Aunt went missing from my Mom's jewlery box. We looked every where for it. About 3 weeks later it showed up in the bottom of the fish tank. Of course I got blamed.
"Whatcha writing?" Emily's voice next to my ear startled me.
"Just stuff," I said closing the book. "You want to do something?"
Emily smiled. "Well, I was thinking we could play hide-n-seek. We haven't done that in a long time."
"Ok," I stood up, " What's the boundries?"
"Oh.. What about the back yard and the woods?" The woods was just a small wooded area behind the house.
"Ok."
As we walked out Tif and Mike, the twins from up the street came by riding their bikes. "Hi, Jada! What's up?"
I was pretty surprised to hear Emily say I should ask them to play with us. Like I said before, Emily didn't like anyone else hanging with me, but I just thought maybe she was beginning to see that at 12 I wanted friends. "I was just thinking I hadn't played hide-n-seek in awhile. You guys up for a game?"
They looked at each other and said sure, and quickly parked their bikes up by my porch. The way we play is once you've been found you're part of the hunters. Within 5 minutes the boundaries had been explained and we were running all over the place.
Soon I was one of the hiders and Emily grabbed my hand pulling me through the woods saying she knew the perfect spot to hide. I remember laughing as I ran to keep up with her. She led me to a small cabin that I hadn't even known was there before. It looked really old, with vines and thickets growing up all around it, makeing it hard to see. The door sagged part way open and I stood in the dimness, letting my eyes adjust. It was only one room inside. One wall had what looked like part of a stone fire place , some of the stones had fallen off onto the floor, but the mantle was still there. Bits of broken furniture stood about, and curtains so old and tattered they looked like cobwebs hung at a window with mostly broken glass in it. Leaves and other woodland debris littered the floor. From a distance we could hear Tif and Mike searching for me.
"How did you know about this place?" I asked Emily. She was walking about gently touching things, as if remembering something.
"I lived here a long time ago B.Y."
"B.Y.?"
She laughed softly, "Before You, silly." She sighed then and sounded almost whistful,"I was very happy here at one time, with my parents. But I was also terribly lonesome for the longest time. I kept trying to make friends. And sometimes I did. But others would come and I'd be forgotten... " She sounded about to cry, so I put my hand on her shoulder.
"I'll never forget you, Emily. Not ever."
"Wow! What is this place?" The twins had snuck up and I hurridly dropped my hand.
"This would make the coolest clubhouse!" Mike cried and began poking about.
"What do you think, Jada?" Tif spoke excitedly, "we could clean it up a bit and have our own place to hang."
"It's ok, if they promise to keep it secret," Emily said.
I thought this unusual for her, but made them each swear that it would be kept secret.
"Are you kidding? Of course I'll keep it secret," Mike was very solemn, "I wouldn't want the big kids taking it over."
"Remember," Emily whispered in my ear, "Secret means from everyone. Even your Dr. Greene." I felt a shiver go down my spine.
Tif was remarking that it was quite a bit cooler inside that small room then outside, which would be good in Summer.
Mike laughed saying it was weird because this one spot seemed colder than the rest. Quickly they shrugged it off and started making plans to clean the place up.
We met the next day after church. I don't know what excuses they used to bring a couple of lawn chairs with. I simply told my mom I wanted a couple of things for a clubhouse we were making. She was so happy to hear I was doing something with friends that she could see, I think I could have taken the whole house with. She even packed us a picnic lunch!
We swept the place out and dusted . Tif found an ancient looking picture laying face down on the mantel almost hidden in the layers of dust. She gingerly brushed it off and handed it to me. The frame was carved wood and still in good condition all things considered. I peered at the family in the photo. There was a man, a woman, a young girl that I recognized as Emily, and a baby. Everyone in the photo were dressed in old fashioned clothes like they wore back in pioneer days. No one was smiling, in fact they looked very stern, but the baby was asleep in his mother's arms.
"That's Tommy," Emily said. "He died just a day before they took this picture. It broke Mama's heart and she died that Winter. It's the only picture we ever had made." Her voice was thick sounding.
I placed the picture back on the mantle piece. "I think we should keep this here. Don't you?"
"Sure." "Why not?" Mike and Tif said thinking I was talking to them. I felt Emily kiss my cheek. "Yes, please."
*********
During the week we didn't go to the cabin much because of school and homework. Besides there was always something like piano lessons, little league, dental appointments or something to hang us up. I also had to take time to write in the journal Dr. Greene gave me. Emily had been a bit hurt that I was taking it back and forth to school with me in my backpack. She claimed it meant I didn't trust her. I explained that she knew how nosey Mom could be and I didn't want her able to read it. She nodded at that.
I encouraged Emily to tell me about her life before we met. I learned her family's last name was Olson, and they had traveled here by covered wagon. The cabin was meant to be only a temporary place until her dad could build them a fine house. She'd lay awake at night listening to him and her mom make plans as to how the cabin would be added onto and expanded. The window glass had been his physical sign to her mom that he intended on staying on this land and to stop moving them around so much, as had the stone fire place. They had made such grand plans, but that summer the drought hit hard and there was barely any crops, which left little to eat for the winter. Her dad went hunting almost every day but often came back empty handed or with only a scrawny rabbit or two. Baby Tommy cried from hunger alot. Emily herself was often hungry but knew there was nothing to be done about it, and although she tried to hide it, she knew her mother ate even less trying to feed them. Spring had just arrived when Tommy just didn't wake up one day. Her mother cried and cried. Her father went into town to get a coffin and arrange for a preacher to come. He promised her Mom Tommy would have a proper burying. The idea of the picture was the funeral man's. Tommy was laid to rest not far from the cabin so that her mom could visit him everyday.
I put that bit into my journal, but left out that the cabin was in our woods. I had promised to keep that a secret and I would.
On Fridays I went and saw Dr. Greene. Sometimes we played games like Guess the card. He would hold up a card and I would try to tell him what the picture was on it by looking at the back. Sometimes I was right, sometimes not. Sometimes we would talk about Emily, or the problems I had in school or with my parents. Now and then he would arrange for us to go somewhere, with a nurse in tow. These trips were usually to some old building and he would ask me to tell him anything I saw, heard, or felt.
Now and then Dr. Greene came to my house. Sometimes we'd sit in my room, or walk about in the woods and just talk. Emily watched him with suspicious eyes. It shocked us both, when he looked right at her and said, "Vell, if Liebchin von't introduce me, I must do it myself. Hello, Miss Emily, I am Dr. Greene. I am here to help Jada and yourself, if you vill permit me," on his first visit. She did whisper to me that he did look a lot like a gnome., and he chuckled. I asked if he could hear her, and he said, no that that was not one of his gifts, but that he had read her lips. Sometimes Emily would accompany us on our walks. We always made sure we gave the cabin a wide berth. I think Emily liked Dr. Greene a bit, because he included her in our conversation.
By the time summer vacation arrived, Tif, Mike and I had the cabin in pretty good order. Mike had even gotten a piece of wood just the right size to cover the missing panes of glass, and we had replaced the tattered curtain with ones bought at a yard sale. Tif brought in a vase that her mom 'would never miss', so that we could have some flowers for the mantle, and I had scrounged an old card table and some chairs from our basement. Once Mike even loaded up his old wagon with some shelving and cinder blocks so we could make a bookcase. Pulling that thing through the woods to the cabin was some feat. But we were very happy with the results. We brought a few comics and some board games in.
"Gee, if we had some beds, we'd never have to leave," Mike said plopping down on one of the lawnchairs.
"That and a toilet," Tif added. Which for some reason made us all laugh, even Emily. Mike sat up straight, and Tif's laugh was cut short.
"Did you guys hear that?" Mike asked.
"Hear what?" I asked.
"A girl's laugh?" Tif looked a bit pale.
"Yeah," Mike's brows knit together.
They both looked at me. "Maybe some weird accoustics?" I ventured, but inside I was jumping about - they had heard Emily! Another part of me cautioned against saying anything, because I didn't want them to stop coming around afraid the place was haunted.
"Maybe," Mike sounded doubtful.
Sometimes when we would get to the cabin we would find fresh wild flowers already in the vase. Tif always assumed I'd been there earlier and did it, but I knew it was Emily. She had told me how much her mother had loved flowers on the mantle.
At home Emily was behaving better. Although she would do things to my parents now and then. Especially if she thought they were being unkind. "They want you to forget me," she whispered once. I told her that I never would, not ever.
Thursday
5/6/10
1:32 AM
I was woken by a noise. It was low and growley. I heard Emily yelling at it telling it to go away. I was very scared, and even after she told me to go back to sleep, I couldn't. Emily wouldn't tell me what it was either, just that it was bad.
Saturday
5/7/10
We were playing outside behind the cabin today, when Mike triped over something. We uncovered 4 grave markers. At least I think that's what they were. You can tell words use to be on the stones but they're unreadable. I tried to ask Emily about them, but she ran away.
Sunday?
1:32 AM- Woken by that growling again. This time I could smell something awful too. Kind of like rotten eggs. It made me feel sick to my stomache. I thought I could make out a dog like form in the dimness, but then Emily was there backing it off, telling it to go away. I saw it lunge and attack Emily and I screamed. My parents came running in. Of course they didn't see anything, just told me I'd had a bad dream. But I know it wasn't just a dream. I hope Emily is alright. I heard my dad ask my mom if she'd smelled anything in my room. I didn't hear what she answered.
Once it was light out, I slipped down to the cabin. I needed to find Emily and make sure she's ok. I know that sounds crazy, worrying over a ghost being hurt, but I was. I saw her wandering between the trees gathering wild flowers. "Em!" I rushed to her, "You're ok?"
"Of course I am. Already dead remember?" She smiled at me and brushed the hair from my face,"You do love me, don't you, Jada? Best friends?" I nodded.
"Emily...what is that thing?"
"It is a bad thing, Jada. But I will protect you."
"Do you think..." I bit my lip, and half whispered, "We should tell Dr. Greene?"
She looked at me for a long moment. "No. Not yet anyway. Besides I don't think there's anything he can do."
*****
Every night that dog-thing came. It was beginning to tell on me, circles were beginning to form under my eyes, and I was becoming snappish from lack of sleep. My parents had exterminators in to see if maybe something had died in the walls of my room, and they had some guy from the gas company check for a leak. The only thing everyone agreed on was the stench. The gas guy said it smelled like sulfer to him. My mom suggested I try sleeping downstairs on the sofa. So I did.
The first night went ok.
The next night I heard the clicking of claws and the padded steps of a dog's trot as that beast nosed about , undoubtedly looking for me. Sitting up I turned on the lamp. My mouth felt dry and I didn't know what to do. I looked wildly about, I heard the beast coming down the stairs - I bolted out the front door and ran. I ran across the lawn and around the house, my legs carrying me towards the woods. I was barely in the woods when I saw Emily racing towards me, while from the corner of my eye I saw a figure running diagonally just as fast. Behind me I could hear the barking as the beast bore down on me. At almost the same moment as the beast lept on my back the figure tackled me to the ground and I saw Emily leap forwards , past me and onto the beast.
I laid slightly stunned at being tackled by Dr. Greene, who pulled me to my feet and kept an arm protectively about me, as we both stared at the battle. I tore from Dr. Greene and ran towards Emily and the beast. I have no idea what I planned to do, but I couldn't allow Emily to fight this thing alone. The beast held Emily on the ground, and she was trying her best to keep its jaws from closing on her throat. I jumped on the creature from the side knocking it off balance. As we rolled, Emily gained her feet and attacked again. Suddenly the animal howled with great pain, and I could hear Dr. Greene uttering what sounded like a prayer as he tossed liquid from a bottle on it. "Jada!" He tossed me a small bag and yelled I should toss the contents of it on the beast. I pulled Emily behind me and did as I was told. He began praying again, I heard Emily saying "In the name of the Father" and I found myself repeating the words, as I tossed the contents of the bag onto the now smouldering animal. As it burned Emily and I clung to each other, and Dr. Greene held us both, saying words of comfort. "For now, here is vhat ve must do. Jada, go home and get cleaned up. Then go to bed. Say nothing to your parents about this. Ve'll see you in a few hours. Emily and I vill have a long talk. After breakfast you can meet us at the cabin. Alright?" I nodded numbly and did as I was told.
It amazed me that we hadn't waken the whole neighborhood, but I slipped quietly into my house and softly closed and bolted the door. After my shower I dabbed some neosporin on any scratches or scrapes I saw. Slipping silently into my room I fell into a deep sleep.
"Well good morning, sleepy head. Sleep well?" My mother greeted me when I stumbled down.
I nodded, and took a big gulp of juice. I grabbed a couple of doughnuts and said I was going to go meet some friends as I went out the back door. "Well, now there's a normal girl," I heard her laugh to my dad.
Dr. Greene and Emily were waiting in the cabin as promised. I could tell Em had been crying, but she assured me she was alright. Dr. Greene helped himself to a doughnut, and said that great progress had been made.
"Wait," I said."First tell me how you knew to be here last night?"
"Oh that's easy. Emily came and told me."
"Emily did?" I looked over at her.
"Jada, I knew you were right. I knew we needed help. So..."
"Spirits can be lightening fast, Jada," Dr. Greene winked. "And I can drive like a demon."
"So what was that thing?"
"Evil incarnate."
"Oh....huh?" I really wasn't getting this at all.
"A big bad, Jada," Emily spoke.
"Well, I knew that. But why pick on us?"
"Because it could," Emily sniffled."Sometimes there is no real reason it just does."
Emily went to the shelf and produced two sodas for us. "Caused a bit of a stir when I took those from the fridge. I made sure your parents saw."
"You what!?"
"You heard me. I just don't like them thinking you're crazy or lieing all the time. Now they have doubts about themselves," she flashed an impish smile.
All I could do was shake my head. Emily was talking again.
"You know I love you, Jada, and Dr. Greene and I agree you are entitled to know a few things now that I understand them better myself. I told you I lived here in this cabin with my parents and baby brother. I told you how Tommy and my mother died. But I didn't tell you everything... " She took a deep breath. "When Mom passed on I felt like she abandoned me. She knew I needed her but she died anyway. My dad took it very hard. He would stay away hunting for weeks on end. What start we had made on building a farm was lost. This was never going to be the fine house he promised us. And when he was around, he was brooding. He'd stay maybe 2 or 3 days. Make sure there was enough food for me or whatever else was needed, then he'd be gone again. I was so very lonely, Jada. Everyone I loved had left me. I often went to visit Mom and Tommy's graves, but that gave me little comfort. Winter settled in again and it was a bitter cold one. Dad was off hunting again, and I hadn't seen him in over a month. I was almost out of fire wood, so I went to gather some from the woods. The winter was so cold and the snow so deep, there was very little game to be found, but I saw wolf tracks, and they seemed to be getting closer to the cabin. I gathered what wood I could find and hurried back here. They attacked as I reached the door...I don't know if my father ever came back. It was awhile before I realized that I was dead, and that wasn't until the town started growing up around here, and no one but a few small children would respond to me. But once they reached 8 or 9 years old they forgot about me. I got put away with other childish notions." She smiled wryly. "I guess that's why I started being such a brat to you, messing up your room and stuff. I was afraid you would forget me too."
"Emily, there are four graves out back." The three of us went to look. "You can't make much out on the stones, but there are four," I said as Emily knelt in front of them. She reached out, placing her hand on each one in turn."This one is Tommy. He was burried closest to the tree. This is my Mother. I still miss her. And thse two...one is mine the other my dad's. But who buried us?"
"No way of really knowing," Dr. Greene said. "Possibly townsfolk, maybe another hunter. Who ever, cared enough to put stone markers that would last instead of just wooden ones. I would think this one is yours," he tapped the smaller one next to her mother. "A child to each side. You between both parents. A place of great love... I would think that someone who loved you greatly placed you there." Emily had her head bowed and I knew she was crying.
Just then we heard sounds coming from the cabin. "Em-i-ly! Emily! Would you get in here please?"
Emily jumped up her face lit in joy. "Mom? Mom!" She ran into the cabin. We followed at a slower pace.
Mother and child were entwined , and we heard Mrs. Olson say,"Child where have you been? We have been waiting and waiting for you!" A man entered the cabin with an armload of wood, and we heard a baby cry. Emily was flying from one to another hugging them all and laughing. Dr. Greene and I silently agreed it was time to go. Behind me I heard Emily say, "Jada?"
I turned, "I'll never forget you, Em! Never! But it's time for you to be with your family."
Dr. Greene placed his hand on my shoulder, "and you to be vith yours."
*********
I go to the cabin now and then. I put wild flowers in an old chipped vase, and brush the dust off a fading photograph. Out back, I pull weeds away from 4 small headstones. I always take a moment to whisper, "I remember you," to the one between the two larger ones.
-- Edited by valkricry on Tuesday 9th of April 2013 02:08:09 PM
-- Edited by valkricry on Wednesday 5th of July 2017 09:25:26 PM
