Ghosts ⚔️ Blackbeard's Treasure

Chapter 8

"Blair." Lightning flashes, exposing the empty hallway. My best friend is an ancient frozen statue. Her unfocused eyes stare into space. The ebony hair framing her face moves in a thick curtain as I shake her. I'm finding it difficult to breathe as the darkness wraps around us.

After a moment, she breaks her trance and her eyes refocus. A sharp, rapid tap on the window pane makes her blink, "Don't let it in, she hisses. "It's not human."

"Dylan might still out there. What if it hurts him?" I throw open the window and stick my head outside. "Who's there?" Below me, I hear a scrabbling noise. I peer into the darkness, letting my eyes adjust to the lack of light. I breathe a sigh of relief seeing Dylan's Jeep is gone. In our tiny front yard, the inky silhouette of an oak tree and the straight line of box hedges running along our walkway, offer plenty of places for someone, or something to hide.

I hear the stairs creak as Julia laboriously climbs them. "Lizzie, where are those batteries?"

"Something's outside." I keep my eyes trained on the walkway.

She pops fresh batteries into her flashlight and uses it to scan the front yard. "There's no one out there." We all jump when we hear a knock on the front door. "I can't believe someone would be out on a night like this."

"Come on." Before I can stop her, Julia charges down the stairs. I hear the front door thrown open, followed by a loud gasp. "Jerry! What're you doing here?" When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I see my grandmother's estranged boyfriend, Dresden's handsome lead detective in the doorway, standing in the rain. His clothes are drenching wet and dripping on the wooden floor. He must have come here after he got off from work.

"With the power out, I was worried about you." His dark hair's plastered to his head. He looks like he's been out in the rain a long time.

"You we're worried about me?" Julia reaches out and tenderly woes the rain off his cheek. I see him bend forward.

"Julia, I've missed you so much. I love you." His voice is thick with emotion.

A smile replaces the worry on Julia's face. Seeing his torment makes my grandmother's heart melt like a marshmallow. I have to admit, I'm feeling all gooey inside, too. "So you came to rescue me like a white knight?" She grabs him and they both embrace. I hear crying, and then laughter. Jerry bends down and kisses her.

I whisper to Blaire. "Let's leave these two alone." Once we're upstairs in my room, I light a few candles. I go to my bureau and pull out an extra set of pajamas and find an unopened toothbrush in the adjoining bathroom. "What happened in the hallway? You were mesmerized. That ringing was the same chiming as the one I use on the ghost tour. Blair, what did you see when you were in that trance?"

Her eyes gleam as she undresses and carefully drapes her clothing onto a hangar. "Lizzie, I saw a treasure that would make Smaug toss the Heart of the Mountain gem out of his hoard." Her eyes sparkle in the candlelight.

"What do you mean, treasure?"

"A hold full of Spanish doubloons—rubies and sapphires the size of your fist." She draws out each word like a savory caramel.

"Never mind this fantasy treasure, what did the symbols tell you?" Downstairs, I hear the shower run.

"Lizzie, The treasure's real," she insists. After a minute, her face grows troubled. "There's a spirit tied to your bell. A powerful one that's seeking revenge." Seeing the look of horror on my face, she grabs my hand.

"Lizzie. I didn't mean to frighten you. You're not the target. You're the conduit. Can you get me the bell? I want to examine it more carefully. I think it's a talisman."

I head downstairs to retrieve the bronze bell from my coat pocket while she brushes her teeth and gets changed. When I return, she holds it as if it's a precious jewel. "This is quite old. What do these initials stand for?"

I look at the worn bronze bell with renewed interest. The lip is chipped and the engraved letters are barely discernible, but I can read QAR carved on its side. "There's an antique salvage yard near the Naval shipyard. Before Dylan and I see the loft tomorrow, we'll stop there with the bell. Maybe the owner can identify it's origin."

Blair wraps the bell in one of her Wiccan pouches and hands it back to me. "I'm coming too. You need an expert to watch this so-called expert. Bring all the bells -the whole set." Smiling, she wraps a quilt around her shoulders, then leans forward and extinguishes the candle on the nightstand. She rolls over onto the bed. In a few minutes, she's snoring softly like the dragon, Smaug, asleep on his hoard and dreaming of his treasure. After, I change and get into bed, I lay awake most of the night. I'm worried my friend's greed is blinding her to the danger of vengeful spirits. Through the town house's wall, I hear the neighbor's teenage son start banging on his drumset. I grit my teeth. I really want my own place.

The next morning, Jerry looks uncomfortable sitting at the breakfast table. He's wearing one of Julia's short kimono bathrobes. The rose pink color matches his aura. Even if I couldn't read his energy field, I'd know he and my grandmother are a thing again. Tall and fit, he has the same open face as Dylan— it's impossible for him to hide his feelings. He smiles uncertainly, taking a sip of fresh-squeezed orang juice. "I want to apologize to everyone. I didn't mean to scare all of you last night. I have to admit, I had too much to drink. I tried to look in the window."

"He must have been drunk to act like that, I whisper in Julia's ear.

"I know." She bites into a piece of toast covered with strawberry jam. Her cheeks still have an after glow.

"I'm glad you weren't hurt. We've missed you." I pour some fresh maple syrup on my seven grain pancakes. Julia's gone all out. Fresh blueberries and egg Benedict's grace our best china. "I was going to call you, Jerry. Last night the owner of the Pirate's Republic told me he has a rental available in Fort Point. His name is Roland Thatch. Can you run a background check on him?"

Julia looks troubled. "Why would you think of moving out, Lizzie? Especially into an apartment owned by that man?"

I smile, taking a sip of French roast. "Obviously, you two are back together. You don't need a third wheel around here."

"Nonsense, this is your home. I'm closer to you than I was to your mother." It's true, Julia raised me after my mother, Sarah, lost her sanity due to her own psychic powers.

"Lizzie, I think you should know that people have disappeared from Roland's rental properties." Jerry's voice is tight as he cinches the silk robe.

I freeze with my fork halfway to my mouth. "What?"