Second Chance

Chapter Eight

Claire Broker

"What do you mean you don't know?" Uncle Jeff was barely restraining himself, shaking in anger as he paced the library. "I barely remember anything that happened, it was like I was watching myself do these things," Dakota's voice shook, doing everything he could not to cry right now. "We have been here for three days; and in that time frame Claire has lost consciousness, made friends with her dead I don't even know how many greats grandmother, Dakota is more than likely being controlled by some evil spirit, and now Sophia's been kidnapped by said evil spirit! This is exactly why I didn't want to move here," Mom snapped, getting up from her chair to leave the room. As she slammed the door behind her several books fell off of a shelf, revealing a gleaming lock. I moved from my position against the wall, nobody even noticing as they interrogate my brother on the whereabouts of my best friend. There wasn't a knob or anything, just a keyhole. I fished the key I took from Eden's study out of my pocket, inserting it into the hole. The tumblers were stubborn at first, but they moved as the key commanded. Before I did anything else I picked the books up off of the floor and placed them on a nearby table. I pulled on the bookshelf, hoping to move it so I could find the door knob, but instead the shelf opened as the door. The inside was dark, so I pulled my phone out to try to find a light switch. When one didn't appear anywhere I realized this room was more than likely hidden before the rest of the house was wired. I turned the brightness up on the flashlight on my phone, trying to figure out what room this was. There was a large wooden desk in the center of the room, an oil lamp sitting on the top of it while the rest of the desk was covered in papers. A few of the drawers were open, revealing ink pots and other old fashioned letter writing needs. As I got closer to the desk I noticed a map of a town laying in the center of it all, with a file laid out beside it. "Claire," David called out, so I turn to face him. "What is this place?" He asks, but he just shakes his head, "Nevermind that, Dakota thinks he took Sophia to some old jail, but he doesn't know where it is." I turn back around, picking the map up, "I think I might be able to help with that." David was clearly confused, but he didn't argue as I followed him out of the room. I pass him, rushing over to the table as I finally figure out what this map is for. "You said it was a jail?" I ask, skimming over the paper as I try to find it. "Uh, yeah, but I don't," Dakota stutters out, but I cut him off as I jab at the page, "Found it." Everyone crowds around me, trying to find where I'm pointing to. "Okay, but where are we?" Uncle Jeff asks, and I pause to look for something to mark the jail without having to mess up the map. Uncle Jeff pulls off his ring and hands it to me, I nod in thanks as I take it. With my hand now free I start looking for our street name. "Here," David points to the edge of the map where it looks like someone drew our house on themselves in the middle of the woods. "This map is so outdated it looks like the entire town has migrated a couples miles to the left," Uncle Jeff sighs, pointing towards the waterfall I saw when we were driving through, "this is now a few streets over from Main Avenue instead of being miles from town." I start messing with the corners of the page, "Maps usually have legends or something to show distance." I jab at the bottom right corner of the paper, finding the Lexical scale. "Every inch is the equivalent of a mile," I mumbled, trying to figure out just how we're going to do this. "Uncle Jeff, you and mom know more about this place than anyone else here. What's surrounding this part of the old town now?" I ask, remembering that the thumb is roughly an inch from the tip to the joint on most people. I start trying to measure the distance as he takes a moment to think. "Woods, I think, everything past Lincoln Street doesn't exist anymore," Uncle Jeff wasn't certain, but he was the best chance we had. "If we go straight from the house it's ten miles away," I straighten up, "I'm not really sure how we'd get there if we go into town." The room goes silent, weighing the options I suppose. "We should just go straight there, we run the risk of the police stopping us if we go through town," David votes, followed by everyone agreeing with him.

I secure the laces on my boots, standing up once I was done. Everyone was pretty much ready. Uncle Jeff was making sure everything was in his backpack, David was giving mom and Ellis a goodbye hug and kiss, and Dakota was sat solemnly by the backdoor. Slowly, I move closer to him. "That wasn't you destroying my books, was it?" I ask, accidentally startling him. "Uh, no," He gulps, pulling his knees closer to his chest. "I don't know why this is happening to you, but I think the mayor who killed Eden is using you to try to hurt me," I explain, but Dakota clearly has no idea what I'm talking about. "Sorry, I thought someone had explained it to you already, um," I start, "So, this house has been lived in for several generations. Four or five generations ago we had a relative named Eden, and she was given the death penalty because it was discovered she fell in love with a fallen angel who gave up his grace to be with her. Now, her murderer seems to be using you to hurt me," I summarize, looking towards the entryway to the living room as Ellis squeals. Her wake windows are getting longer, and I am loving it. She's waving her hands around, gleeful now that she's finished her nap. David and I move towards her, smiling and racing to get to the baby first. I end up winning, scooping her up before her daddy does. "Hi, sweet girl," I coo, grinning from ear to ear. Ellis smiles while doing her happy dance, warming my heart. "I gots to go bye bye," I coo, gently shaking her little hand. "I love you," I gush over and over again before I gently pass her off to David. I wave bye bye to my baby sister before I go over to my backpack and pick it up. I find Eden over by the door, so I slowly make my way over as I put my bag on my back. I make eye contact with my mom, and I know she sees her too. "I don't know what it's like for you to see everyone loving on my sister, especially me, so I'm not even going to pretend to. Violet, from what I have been told, was an amazing woman. I was told she loved me very much, and she was one of my favorite people as a baby. With that being said, you had to have been an amazing mother to her, even in the afterlife," I do my best to comfort her, getting odd looks from everyone else in the room. Eden smiles at me, reaching for my hand. I place my hand in her's, and immediately my vision turns white.

This memory was different. Eden looked as she did now, and there was a toddler running after a white kitten. I could hear Ignis, but I couldn't see him. "Violet, leave the cat alone!" He shouted, but of course she didn't listen. Suddenly, she stops moving forward and then gets picked up. Her little arms and legs keep moving like she's running mid air, and I can't help but to giggle at the sight. Eventually, Violet stops running and just bursts out laughing. Eden moves towards her daughter as she is slowly lowers to the ground. Violet catches sight of her, squealing in delight, "Mama!" Eden bends down to hug Violet, just holding the little girl. My vision turns white again.

A girl about Dakota's age with jet black hair is sitting in front of a vanity, using a beautiful hairbrush to count the strokes. Eden is sitting on the bed just a few feet away. "Oh, Mother, he's so wonderful to me! He wants women to go to college, have the ability to vote, and have a say in how the house is  ran! He even plans to teach me to drive and get me my own machine!" Violet gushed as she placed her brush down to turn to her mom. Eden listened, her face full of love. "Mother, Ed wants to marry me, but he has no one to ask except Father and Grandmother. How is he to ask Father if he cannot see him? How is he to ask Grandmother when she does not see fit the plans Ed and I wish for our future?" She sighs, but Eden just smiles at first. She opens her mouth, struggling to force words out in a broken, deep, quiet voice, "Ask your father to speak to Ed through Grandmother." I broke out into a giggle, but of course no sound came out, as I imagined Ignis using the old bat as a puppet so his daughter could marry the love of her life. The giggles stopped abruptly as my vision turned white again.

Everyone around me was watching me in various expressions of shock, horror, and knowing. However, there was one more person in the room that there wasn't before. She looked to be nearly a hundred, but she seemed in good health. She was stood behind mom, smiling at me. "Hello, Claire," She greeted me warmly, her old Southern accent was warm and loving. Mom looked behind her, "Grandma V," Mom gasped, pulling her attention off of me. "Hello, Carly," Gee Gee V responded just as warmly to her, and then cooed over my sister for a moment before turning back to me. "I promised I would visit," She quipped, walking over to me with her arms stretched out. "Gee Gee V," I gasp, accepting the hug. "It's my understanding that you have a ghost problem," She starts, "And I just so happen to know a thing or two about the afterlife."