Book One:The Happier Land is Beyond Us

Chapter 3

"What- are you going to do?" the man stuttered. With her so silky voice, McKenna said,"You will die." and like the other murder, she pulled out her gun and killed him with the terrific boom of the gun.. McKenna stood with no remorse while the lover was drowning with tears. "Unlike you, I truly loved him! We are married! I am Mrs. Gartel and he was my Mr. Gartel" Of course, McKenna was unknowing of that fact. Fred Gartel, her lover, was a married man and he did not love her, he loved her money. The lover ran out of the building as McKenna stood frozen on the floor."McKenna!" Allie and Ashley backed away from her. They had no idea. Two days and they felt as if they truly knew her. Somehow loved her as a true sister and trusted her. McKenna's tears ran down her chin, "She was wrong that I didn't love him because I did! He cheated on me!" The girls at that moment, were scared but somehow felt sorry for the girl. "He hurt me, worse than physical pain, mental pain is much worse." Ashley leaned in for a hug and McKenna returned it. "That was many years ago, I was eighteen, I am two hundred and ninety seven now." Allie nodded and then frowned, "Stupid mistakes that can't be fixed" was all she said. "Like when I was seven, I broke a vase that had been in my family for over two hundred years!" Again and again they recited stupid mistakes that they had made. Everyone makes mistakes right? Part of them was happy that Anaville was gone but the other part thought that bringing her "home" was too soon. They thought they needed her to tell them what to do, to help, if they could get help. "Okay" Ashley said with a blank expression, "Lets just sit down and wait out the other murders until the last one." The others nodded in agreement and formed an oval on the ground. "How long?" asked Allie. "We don't know" McKenna shook her head. They all could swear they could hear Anaville and her children. Just faint whispers that were barely audible, "Watch them--" and "They have no chance--." But instead they said nothing to each other and waited it out.Another murder- a woman busted through the door of the building screaming for someone named "Julia." Her eyes were pure hatred and the girls could tell she reeked of cigarette smoke and coffee. She stomped her feet on the ground screaming, "I know you are here!" Ashley's eyes swelled to the size of a balloon. Julia. Julia was Ashley's friend in kindergarten through third grade. Sweet Julia. They had said that she had run away, like a child. No body was recovered and even today Ashley remembered her sweet scent of peaches every sunday morning after church. "Somewhere over the rainbow!" they could hear a faint child's voice singing. That was Julia's favorite song. The angry woman tensed up and smiled. "But mommy! I am playing!" it was for sure that Julia. "You ran away from me you little rat!" her mother screeched. "But mommy.""No buts, get over here!""I'm playing.""Not anymore."Ashley wanted to run and save her but, it was already done, or was it? After all Allie and her had taken karate lessons together. Ashley looked over to Allie and she knew, everything in her eyes said it. McKenna nodded as Allie whispered the plan. Leonardo was the barrier, the proof that they could switch times. The woman ran over to the girl and ripped at her hair. Julia screamed, cried and begged. All three of the girls ran and sprung on the angry woman who let Julia go. She didn't know, yet. Ashley kicked the woman in the backs of her knees and watched as she dropped. She was too silent. Allie and McKenna jumped on her back and tore at her hair. "Go away and let Julia be!" they screamed. And off the woman ran, out of the house.Julia, wet faced and stuck in the eight year old life smiled, "You saved me!" She ran and gave Allie, Ashley and McKenna a hug. "I have to tell Ashley about this!" Ashley held her breath and let it out. "Honey, I am Ashley, do I look familiar?" Julia nodded and smiled widely showing that her two front teeth gone and provided her with a slight lisp.Julia looked her up and down and finally nodded, "You look like my auntie!" "No, this was suppose to be your death, here we are, Ashley and Allie- just older."All of this news was hard to conceive for the average eight year old brain. However, Julia was not average. She was way above average. They all held their breaths and waited for her to know. "I'm from the past?" Julia asked."Yes.""You are from right-now?""According to us.""You are seeing a flashback and I am apart of it?""You are correct.""I was suppose to be killed by my mother but you saved me?""You are a very smart girl Julia." Ashley smiled."What happens now? Maybe I will be your age when we get outside of this house!""We will see then."Ashley's best friend was now alive. Brought from the dead. She didn't disappear because now, nobody died."What if Anaville was lying and we can just get out?" Allie asked edging to the door."Anaville lies." McKenna nodded."Try it!" Julia jumped up and down.Allie walked closer to the door and pushed. It didn't budge. But she had a feeling-. "Guys, get over here."They all got the message and nodded. All of them, including Julia, pushed at the door and it budged. Miracles happen to unlikely people and whatever Julia is. They could see to the outside world where it was rather foggy and gloomy. They all edged to jump and escape but-Anaville cackled with laughter as she shut the door on Allie's fingers. "Think you could just get rid of me!?"Anaville screamed. Allie tried and tried to rip her fingers out of the door's grasp but they stood there, taunting her. The others jumped onto Allie and tried to save her fingers but they were greeted with an endless force of power knocking them back. Allie could no longer feel her fingers and she felt as if she could not breath. "Oh poor darling, can't breath?" Anaville asked. McKenna then stood up and held her hand out to Anaville."There, the last murder." McKenna teared up. "Take this everlasting life bracelet off of me and let me die." She then pointed to the other girls, "For them."Allie screamed at the top of her lungs, "NO!" Ashley wanted to fight Anaville but she knew she would lose and die.Anaville eyed her up and down, "You would be a rather low class maid." McKenna nodded and delicately wiped her tears. Julia ran and hugged McKenna around her slim waist. "Now you finish your life, I've had more than my fair share of living." McKenna bowed down to Anaville as Allie's fingers were still stuck in the door and her face was an unnatural shade of purple. "McKenna" Allie gasped, "Don't leave us, demand to live, fight." From those words Allie fainted and her body pulled on her broken fingers. McKenna cried out to her Lord, "Forgive me! I've worshipped you, my God!" she laid her head upon the ground and thick tears circled her face. Ashley rested her hands on McKenna's back, "The Lord forgives you, He loves you."Anaville tapped her foot on the ground, "I have seen no such God and I believe I am that." That is true, Anaville believed she was a sort of God, saving souls. She was forcing souls into slavery and only some special ones went to meet their God. Anaville walked steadily to Allie and kicked her in the side. But still, she did not wake up."Do you want to suffer or should I make it quick?" Anaville laughed. McKenna crossed her legs on the ground and frowned, "Whatever you want madam.""I am now your madam!?" Anaville laughed even harder. She then nodded and smiled deviously, "Bow down to my majesty." McKenna sniffed and cried, "Just know that I love you Allie, Ashley and Julia and I will be watchi-" McKenna was then cut off by the ripping of her bracelet. Off it was. Forever gone was McKenna. Ashley and Julia cried out in agony. Anaville smiled. Ashley ran over to Allie and tried to feel her pulse. Allie was suffocated. Dead. She couldn't believe it. And to think! Her best friend! Ashley's best friend forever, gone. Plus to make her life even more hellish, McKenna was dead. Two of her best friends. How? Ashley jumped in front of Anaville and screamed, "You evil devil! My friends are gone because of you! You deserve to rot in hell and suffer the way you have made my life a living hell!" Anaville just laughed. Ashley grabbed Julia and protectively grasped her, crying girl. Julia looked up to her and mouthed one word with one syllable but so powerful, "run." Ashley and Julia quickly ran over to Allie's body, they kissed her hand and ran to the door. Surprisingly, Anaville just stood there and giggled as if this was a comedy.