The Birch House

Chapter Twelve

Alyssa was so intense about it that not even Chase, four beers down, was able to exactly say no. Alex didn't say anything, just watched Isabelle with eyes that were way too clear for somebody who'd had the same amount to drink as Chase. As Alyssa cleared stuff off the dining room table and set up a single black candle in the centre, I wrung my hands nervously, trying to get Alex's attention. When I did, I mouthed, What do we do?

He shrugged. Nothing, I guessed. Well, nobody but Alyssa believed in it, anyway. I supposed it couldn't really hurt.

"Okay," Alyssa said, and sat Isabelle down in a chair at the end. "Chase, Alex, Evie - sit down."

"This is bullshit," Chase said.

"Just - please. Just do it, okay?" Alyssa looked stressed. Scared. Whatever she and Isabelle had been doing upstairs with those tarot cards had made her really nervous. "Just do it for me."

Alex slid into the chair at the other end, as far from Isabelle as he could get. I sat next to him, and Chase grabbed a seat on the other side, leaving me and Alyssa the closest to Isabelle, who was shaking like she was about to have a fit.

"Hold hands," Alyssa said, and grabbed Isabelle's left, then Chase's right. She glared at me until I followed suit, taking Isabelle's other hand and Alex's. That left Chase and Alex, who looked at each other and shrugged.

"Whatever," Alex said, and took Chase's hand.

"Oh, god, guys, homophobic much? This isn't about you being manly men, it's about-"

"He's dead! I see him!"

I flinched as Isabelle practically screamed it out. All around the table, we froze. Even Chase. And then fought the insane urge to giggle - well, I did, and I could see Chase's shoulders shaking. Alyssa bit her lip, but there were tears in her eyes.

"Somebody died in this house! I see him. I see his body lying on the floor..." Isabelle moaned, and thrashed around in her chair, twisting and turning. "It's not over. It's never over. This house - this house won't let it be over."

Unable to stop myself, I looked at Alex, who was staring at Isabelle with cold, slitted eyes. His hand was gripping mine tightly. When I started to say something, he squeezed it even more. Right. Shutting up, I was.

Isabelle wasn't. "There's a ghost in this house! An unquiet spirit!"

"Unquiet spirit?" Chase said under his breath. "Is that politically correct for pissed of? You know, like Undead American or something?"

Isabelle opened her eyes and frowned at him. "Somebody already died," she proclaimed. "Right here. Right in this room. His spirit haunts this place, and it's strong."

We all just looked at one another. Me and Alex avoided more eye contact, but I felt my breath get short and my heart face faster. She was talking about Alex! She knew! How was that even possible?

"Is it dangerous?" Alyssa asked breathlessly. I nearly choked.

"I - I can't tell. It's murky."

Chase said, "Right. Dead man walking, can't tell if he's dangerous because, wow, murky. Anything else?" And again, I had to choke back a hysterical giggle.

There was a bitter, unpleasant twist to Isabelle's face now. "Fire," she said. "I see fire. I see someone screaming in the fire."

Chase yanked his hands away from Alyssa and Alex, slammed his chair back, and said, "Okay, that's it. I'm outta here. Feel free to get your psychic jollies somewhere else."

"No, wait!" Alyssa said, and grabbed for him. "Chase, wait, she saw it in the cards, too-"

He pulled free. "She sees whatever you want! And she gets off on the attention, in case you didn't notice! And she's a fang banger!"