The Mystery of the Screaming Elms (Eden Patterson: Ghost Whisperer Book 2) Page 5

  “Well, I’ve been looking at the path you said you and the girls took today and compared it to the trajectory of this new highway. Seems the construction work is heading right that way.”

  “That’s nuts,” Syd said sitting up from her relaxed position in the lounge chair. “That’s a crazy route to take for a highway. Up and down those hollers.”

  “That’s what I thought, but evidently it’s the shortest route and the most scenic.”

  “So that’s why she’s upset. They’re going to run that highway through the only home she’s ever known.” I knew in my heart it was true. But what to do. We couldn’t stop a highway from being built, although this little girl had done a good job of slowing it down. I knew then I had to fix things for her. She had opened up to me, now it was time for me to help guide her.

  Chapter Ten

  Regardless of Luke’s protests, Syd and I went alone back to her old home place. Luke had never heard the singing or the screams. And neither had Goog. Matt only heard the screams because of plunging his hand into the whirlwind. I knew the little girl didn’t feel comfortable with the men, so only Syd and I would try and contact her. I could have went alone, but this was part of Syd’s background, and besides Sydney had heard the little girl first when she was but a young lass herself.

  We sat quietly on the porch of Syd’s now ramshackle cabin. The stars were bright in the night time sky and the air was crisp. We didn’t talk. Each of us lost in our own thoughts. We knew if the little girl wanted to show herself to us, she would.

  After an hour or so, the air became colder. We both wore jackets, but they were too thin to hold in much warmth. She would have to show up soon or we’d have to leave. I didn’t want to though. I wanted to help her, to calm her soul, let her know it would be alright. But I couldn’t do that unless she contacted me. At that moment, Syd touched my arm and pointed towards a cluster of trees.

  A glow developed and pulsed beyond the trees. We watched as it grew and slowly, almost meekly, it came toward us. We sat as still as possible, not wishing to scare her away. Then I saw the outline of the little girl in whose body I had been a visitor. She had long wavy red hair and white porcelain skin. She smiled timidly at us. The light glowed around her.

  “Hello,” I said gently. “We want to help. We know you’re unhappy and we want to fix things for you.”

  Suddenly the smile was gone. “They want to take my home away. It’s the only home I know. Please don’t let them.”

  “Aren’t you lonely out there all by yourself? Don’t you want to be with your mother?”

  “That’s why I want to stay,” she said, her soft voice quaking. “I’ve been looking for her for a very long time. I call out for her, but she never comes. But if they come and take away my home, I’ll never find her.” She began to cry. I wanted to hold her, but I knew I couldn’t.

  “What’s your name?” I asked.

  She wiped her nose. “Colleen.”

  “That’s a pretty name,” Syd told her. “Do you remember singing to me when I was your age?”

  A smile crept over Colleen’s lips. “Yes…did you like it?”

  “I loved it. You always made me feel better. Now we want to make you feel better too.”

  Colleen looked hopeful. “Can you make them stop?”

  I shook my head. “No hon, we can’t make them stop, but maybe we can help you find your Mom. Isn’t that why you’ve stayed all this time, to find your Mother.”

  Colleen nodded.

  “Okay…have you ever noticed a glow, much like what’s surrounding you right now.”

  “I have,” she answered. “I notice it all the time. It wants me to come to it, but I don’t want to, not without Momma.”

  “What if I told you that I think that your Momma is inside the glowing light. I believe she’s waiting for you.”

  She didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure?”

  I shook my head. “No hon, I’m not sure, but I have a pretty good feeling she is.”

  “Then why hasn’t she showed herself to me? Why does she hide behind that light?”

  “I think she can’t come out to get you. You have to go to her willingly. Does the light scare you?”

  “No,” Colleen said shaking her head. “It never has. I was just busy looking for Momma. I wanted her to come back home.”

  “I have a feeling she is home Colleen, and she’s waiting for you there. Why don’t you go to the glowing light and see if you can find her there. If you don’t, you can come back to us. We’ll be waiting here for you.”

  She thought for a moment and then said, “Okay. I’ll go look for Momma. You promise to stay here?”

  Syd and I both said yes and watched as her glow became smaller as she ventured back into the forest. Then we saw another glowing light not far from Colleen’s. We watched as the two glows became smaller and smaller until they disappeared altogether. We stayed there all night waiting, until the sun came up. Colleen never came back. She had made it home at last.

  *****

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  These books are all from my Caesars Creek Series

  A Frozen Scoop of Murder (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book One)

  Death by Chocolate Sundae (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Two)

  Soft Serve Secrets (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Three)

  Ice Cream You Scream (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Four)

  Double Dip Dilemma (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Five)

  Melted Memories (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Six)

  Triple Dip Debacle(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Seven)

  Whipped Wedding Woes(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Eight)

  A Sprinkle of Tropical Trouble(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Nine)

  A Drizzle of Deception(Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book Ten)

  Sweet Home Mystery Series

  Creamed at the Coffee Cabana (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book One)

  A Caffeinated Crunch (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Two)

  A Frothy Fiasco (Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Three)

  Punked by the Pumpkin(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Four)

  Peppermint Pandemonium(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Five)

  Expresso Messo(Sweet Home Mystery Series Book Six)

  Whispering Pines Mystery Series

  A Sinister Slice of Murder (Whispering Pines Mystery Series Book One)

  Sanctum of Shadows (Whispering Pines Mystery Series Book Two)

  Curse of the Bloodstone Arrow (Whispering Pines Mystery Series Book Three)

  Eden Patterson: Ghost Whisper Series

  The Mystery of the Courthouse Calamity

  The Mystery of the Screaming Elms