The Haret (The Haret Series) (5 page)

             
“Because I don’t trust anyone right now. How do I know you won’t go there and delete a bunch of stuff? Maybe it was you she saw in the woods. Maybe you and Catlin are working together…”

             
Ian held his head in his hands.             

             
“Oh my God! Someone has watched way too many crime shows on TV. You think I did something to Taz?”

             
She didn’t really but decided to remain cautious none the less.

             
“I don’t know but I’m not taking any chances.”

             
“Okay fine, let’s look together then you can see I am not hiding anything and maybe we can find out what she is hiding.”

             
“Fine with me. Let’s go before the Detective realizes I have her computer. Besides I don’t want to be sitting around here anyway.”

             
Esther suggested they walk around the house instead of walking back through. She didn’t want a barrage of questions about where they were going or what they were up to and more than that she didn’t want anyone to follow.  No sooner had they reached their cars than Catlin showed up panting.

             
“Ian are you leaving?”

             
“Yes he is.” Esther answered for him. “We are going somewhere and you can’t come.”

             
Esther was always blunt. She never sugar coated things especially when it came to Catlin.

             
“Well I rode with him.”

             
“Well find another ride. You’re not coming.”

             
Ian shrugged his shoulders. He knew Esther would never divulge the password with Catlin present.

             
“Sorry Catlin.”

             
The two pulled away leaving a frustrated Catlin standing in the driveway.

             
Esther was glad her parents weren’t home. She didn’t want to discuss Felicitas disappearance with anyone and she knew her mother would be all ears wanting to know every detail now that news of her pregnancy had surfaced. She locked her bedroom door then grabbed Felicitas computer bag from the closet and plopped down on her bed.  Ian scooted up behind her, breathing down her neck.

             
She secretly typed in the password cupping her hands around the keys. Ian rolled his eyes and looked away. The page opened up revealing Felicitas facebook account. She checked the messages. There was nothing unusual most of the messages were between her and Ian. There were a few from girls in the purity club. Esther felt a tinge of guilt as she and Ian read each one. These were very private messages from girls confessing some very intimate moments with their boyfriends. Ian chuckled and was convinced he had enough blackmail information where he’d never have to work again his entire life. Esther shook her head in disgust and then clicked on the messages from Ian.

             
“Just so you know; I am going to read yours too.”

             
“Fine go ahead I have nothing to hide and then we‘ll read the ones from you.”

             
“Fine with me.”

             
Esther read through the messages laughing out loud.

             
“Gosh Ian you’re such a nerd. I never knew you were so…. cheesy.”

             
“I’m poetic. I’m a song writer you know.”

             
Esther read thru a few more giggling occasionally.

             
Ian sighed impatiently.

             
“So you satisfied now?”

             
“I never really suspected you, but… you never can tell. I had to check.” Esther was lying but doubted Ian could tell. Esther wondered if maybe Ian had forced himself upon Felicitas and now that she was pregnant he had done something unthinkable to protect his reputation. But then again she knew that was probably not the case since she seriously doubted he  actually cared anything about his reputation and for the fact they had been sitting close at the coffee shop and seemed happy only twenty four hours ago.

             
Ian leaned closer.

             
“Check her email.”

             
Esther logged on to her e mail and scanned the inbox; again there was nothing unusual.

             
She sighed.

             
Ian gave another order.

             
“Go to her documents. Maybe she has a diary or something she writes her thoughts in.”

             
Esther looked at him.

             
“That seems so intrusive.”

             
“Whatever! If it helps us find her then we need to do it.”

             
He was right and she knew it. She pulled up the documents and scanned the tiles. There was one for the Purity Club, several for her homework, one on a Bible study she was doing on the lineage of Christ, and then her eyes saw it! The title of the file seemed to jump from the screen…Nocturnal Journal.

             
She took a deep breath and clicked her heart raced when she realized it was password protected. She typed in the only password she knew r3m3mb3r and held her breath. The file opened! Ian scooted closer putting his head so near the screen it blocked Esther’s view.

             
“Ian, do you mind?” She scooted over keeping the computer on her lap. There were many entries in the journal all of them on a separate doc.

             
Ian pointed to the screen. “Click on the last one….the one dated two days ago.”

             
Esther opened the document scanning the words and began to read.

             
“The night it comes and brings the source

             
The water it stirs and swirls

             
A cauldron brimming with the force

             
That draws in other worlds….

             
I was sound asleep, but in my dreams was wide awake.
              Oh, listen! It's the sound of my lover calling!

             
My love has come for me, and I am his to take

             
And into the source I will be falling….

              Raine came to me again tonight….. I told him I was pregnant. His smile was beautiful when he found out. The omen is true, and the people in the water wait their redemption. He will tell the people in the water their deliverer is on the way…..I must remember I must remember…. We celebrated in the same way we did when we conceived the child. It was bliss all over again. He wants to stay with me to protect us….the deceiver is close oh so close but how could I have known….. Raine said he had to leave but he would come soon and the next time he came we could be together forever….the guardian has come so the shadows have followed and are lurking beware of the shadows….remember….

             
Esther felt a cold chill sweep over her. She couldn’t believe what she was reading.  Parts of the message were cryptic and frightening. This was nothing like Felicitas and suddenly she felt estranged from her best friend. She looked at Ian whose face spoke volumes. She couldn’t tell if he was angry or extremely hurt. She felt for him, it had to be humiliating to find out about his girlfriend this way, especially in front of her. He bit down hard on his jaw and pointed to the screen.

             
“Open this one.”

             
“Are you sure Ian?”

             
He nodded.

             
“Just open it damn it.”

             
Esther read aloud again.

             
“Raine and I were married tonight. It was the most beautiful event of my life. No ceremony no formal liturgies, just he and I under the moon and stars, with God as our only witness we gave ourselves to each other…I need to break up with Ian since I am married…..Raine insist and I will do it if only I can remember….but I can’t drink from the vial just yet.”

             
There was more but for Ian’s sake Esther stopped reading and closed the doc. She opened another and skimmed over the words.

             
“Raine says I should find my grandmother and talk to her about it, says she knows the story and can help me…he told me to not be afraid of her…..I must find her.”

             
Esther closed the file.

             
“Who the hell is Raine?”

             
Ian ran his hands through his long hair, his eyes wide with rage.

             
“I feel like I don’t even know her right now. She’s been seeing someone else and having sex! Now she’s pregnant with this mystery man. I’m sure she panicked and ran away to her grandmother’s house, the one place no one would dream of looking.” Ian looked at Esther.

             
“Did she ever tell you where her grandmother lives?”

             
Esther didn’t know why but the way Ian asked the question unnerved her and although she knew, she wasn’t going to tell him. She had a slight suspicion he might go wild with rage drive there and take matters in his own hands.

             
“No, she never told me where she lived only that she had found her.”

             
Ian sat all the way up and stared at Esther as if he didn’t believe her.

             
“You know her dad says her grandmother is insane and should be committed.” He narrowed his eyes on Esther.  “He said she was dangerous and said she dealt with some pretty dark people and he thought she even communed with the dead. If she did go there she might be in a ton of shit right now.”

             
Esther knew Ian was baiting her for an address but she wasn’t going to give in to his ominous words.

             
“She told me her grandmother lived really far away and since her car wasn’t missing I seriously doubt she ran off there.”

             
They continued their stare down and inspection of each other.

             
“Taz tells you everything Esther, you sure she never mentioned being with this Raine fellow? You can tell me, I can take it.”

             
Esther sighed. “I am as shocked and confused as you are Ian. She has never mentioned anyone by the name of Raine. What do you think the journal means and what is it she keeps trying to remember?”

             
She shuddered.

             
“It’s all so creepy.”

             
              Ian pulled his wallet from his back pocket and removed a business card then opened his cell phone and began dialing.

             
“Hello Detective Russell? Hi this is Ian Carlton, I think my friend and I might have found something important, something Felicitas was hiding from all of us…”

CHAPTER EIGHT

              Esther’s cell vibrated on her desk. She glanced at her phone; it was an incoming text from an unknown number.  She opened the message. Ordinarily she would not have her phone out in class, but since Felicitas disappearance last week she kept her phone on just in case. 
             

             
Hey it’s Reed. Can you get away tonight and come to my place?

             
Esther’s heart raced. It had been a week since she had talked with him.

             
Her fingers shook as she returned the text.

             
Sure
             

             
The phone vibrated again.

             
Great. Meet me at nine at the fire spot.

             
Esther wondered how she would get away. Nine o’clock was pretty late to be leaving the house. Her mother would never approve especially given the latest events. Everyone was on edge since Felicitas disappearance last week. Even though she was classified as a runaway those who knew her well knew that was not the whole truth. Most believed she was a victim of an internet night stalker who snuck in her room late at night and drugged her. Rumors had been running rampant ever since Ian made a copy of the nocturnal journal and let it fall into the hands of the media. Her mother would be suspicious and never approve of her leaving the house so late.

             
  Her worries were resolved later that afternoon when she found out a group of her friends were holding a candle light vigil at the high school. It was a perfect way to escape. She would go there and sneak away around eight-thirty.

             
Esther ran a brush through her dark hair and then applied a layer of cherry scented gloss over her lips. She looked at herself in the mirror almost feeling shameful for caring how she looked. Since Felicitas disappearance nothing had seemed to matter. But tonight she would be seeing Reed again and the female in her wanted to look pretty. She had chosen a pair of hipster boot cut jeans, a pale green v neck tee, a white scarf and a black leather jacket. She picked up her striped bottle of Pink Sugar; squirting the delicious scent behind both ears. She fluffed her hair, tossed her flashlight and cell phone into her oversized bag and headed outdoors.

             
The amount of people who turned out for the vigil was overwhelming. No doubt about it Felicitas was well loved.  Everyone in the Purity club was there along with most of the senior class. Several of the teachers attended feeling it was their duty to try and keep order and perhaps council those who were distraught. A couple of news reporters filtered through the crowd interviewing those eager to be on camera by feigning amazing friendships with Felicitas. Esther was angry. How could people be so pathetic? Then she realized that that was exactly how Felicitas made everyone feel, as if they were all her closest friend. She felt shame for her critical spirit.

             
She was handed a flyer as she approached the group. A lump formed in her throat as she saw Felicitas smiling face with the word
MISSING
printed at the bottom.  It didn’t take long before a group of girls approached her in hushed whispers wanting confirmation and details about Felicitas pregnancy to a much older man. Esther fumed inside when she found out the source of their information was none other than Catlin. She wasn’t surprised when she saw Catlin standing near a camera rattling on enforcing the fact that Ian was not the father. Esther wanted to go grab her by her overly bleached hair and embarrass her in front of her TV audience but instead she spent the better part of two hours dispelling rumors and was relieved when her phone alarm signaled it was eight-thirty and time to head for Reed’s house.

             
The anxiety was growing inside of her at alarming rate putting her nerves on overload. She had heard before that stress was the silent killer. If that was true she figured she should be dead by morning. Her apprehensions heightened when she realized she was driving across one of the supposedly most haunted places alone. Then there was meeting up with Reed, too many emotions at once.

             
She pulled up into the clearing.  It was a bit daunting being the only car there. She killed the engine shutting off the headlights which immediately cast her into darkness. Fear gripped her. It was quiet, still and spooky and worst of all no one knew where she was. She strained to look out of the windshield. The night was pitch black, the trees seemed menacing standing before her guarding the secrets of the woods. Trees had always unnerved her for some reason. She stared at them feeling as if they knew what happened to Felicitas like they were part of a dark treachery hiding a secret coven that stole her friend away. Fear crawled into the car; its presence was overwhelming.

             
A sudden rap on her window just about caused her to lose consciousness. Reed grinned as he peered through the glass and opened the door.

             
“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you.”

             
Esther felt foolish. She could only imagine how pathetic she must have looked to Reed, reacting in such fear. He looked hot tonight too in his jeans and a white t-shirt and his hair greased back away from his face. Her heart pounded against her chest at the sight of him.

             
“So what’s up?” She tried sounding nonchalant to hide her nerves.

             
“I did some research this week on the property here. I tried to find out anything I could on the spot.” he handed her a flashlight and led her towards the woods before continuing. “There’s an old legend dating back to the 1700’s of a man who lived on this very property and went hunting in the woods and never returned home. His wife and kids supposedly searched for him and it was like he disappeared. They finally gave up assuming he died or was eaten by wild animals or that Indians had attacked and carried him off. Then he shows up fifty years later. His wife is old; his kids are grown, but get this….he hasn’t aged a bit. He still looks the same as they day he disappeared.”

             
“Okay that’s creepy.” Esther said wishing she hadn’t heard the story while traipsing through the same woods late at night. “So what ended up happening to him?”

             
“There’s not much of the story documented after that except that he supposedly  wrote a book about where he had been all those years and gave it to his children and instructed them to pass it down to future generations.

             
“Great. Anything else?”

             
“Well…there are reports of apparitions and strange sounds coming from inside of the woods and spontaneous fires erupting out of nowhere.”

             
“Anything about the well?”

             
“No I couldn’t find anything on it.”

             
“So, why are we trekking through the woods?

             
“We’re looking for the cabin that belonged to the man who disappeared.”

             
Esther stopped suddenly, caution taking over.

             
“What? Why?”

             
“I think it might still be here. I’m curious aren’t you?”

             
“No I’m not curious. I’m terrified.”

             
Reed smiled behind his flashlight but it was too dark for Esther to see.

             
“This month always freaks me out anyway with Halloween and all. I mean I like to have fun like everyone else but as long as it’s fake you know… harmless. I really don’t like delving into the paranormal.”

             
“You don’t need to worry when you’re with me Esther. I’ll take care of you.”

             
His words were rapturous giving her courage and a taste for adventure. These were the kind of moments she loved to share with Felicitas. She imagined telling her of how she and Reed had searched the woods together last week, and that he held her hand. When the text came from Reed earlier today she would have immediately forwarded it to Felicitas. Her heart ached. Would she ever see her friend again? A deep fear gnawed inside of her saying she wouldn’t. She heard when someone is missing the chances of them being found alive grow more slim with each day that passes. Now that Reed had told her the legend of the disappearing man she was even more afraid.

             
The woods became thick as they forged their way through. Reed pulled out a rather impressive knife and hacked away at most of the overgrowth, clearing a path.  A cloud of birds took flight scattering from an enormous tree startling Esther. She let out another scream identical to the one back in her car when Reed informed her they were actually bats and not birds.

             
Several times Esther thought she heard whispering within the trees and Reed confirmed her suspicion. This time it was Esther who grabbed his hand first. They listened for a moment and the sound of the whispering sent a chill. The words were fast and forceful like some sort of incantation and even though she could not make out the message she feared a spell was being cast on them for trespassing in forbidden territory. She wanted to turn back and run to the safety of her car but Reed didn’t seem the least bit afraid so she continued on in spite her fear.              

             
They were two hours into their hunt when they reached a small clearing in the woods. The duo stopped in awe when the beams of their lights illuminated a small log cabin.

             
“My God it’s really here.” Reed gripped Esther’s hand a bit tighter.

             
“Wanna go in?”

             
Any other time Esther would have turned and ran but the feel of Reed’s hand clamped firmly around hers heightened her sense of adventure.

             
He slowed his pace and scanned the ground with his light.

             
“Someone’s been here recently.”

             
His statement turned her blood to ice. She had no desire to run into the two hundred year old man.

             
“How can you tell?”

             
“Foot prints in the dirt and broken branches. It looks like someone recently cleared away the area.”

             
Esther scanned the location with her light. He was right. There were fresh footprints all around the cabin. Her mind grasped at a new thought. Ghosts do not leave foot prints, let alone wear boots. Then her nose picked up on a familiar scent.

             
“I smell cigarettes.”

             
“I do too. And a fire was burned here recently look.”

             
Reed stooped over a small fire pit and held his hand over the ashes. “Still warm.”

             
Esther glanced around nervously. She suddenly felt as if she and Reed were being watched. She wanted to suggest that they leave but he seemed intrigued and intent on investigating.

             
“Let’s look inside.”

             
Her heart fell. She anticipated him suggesting that. She took a deep breath and surprisingly led the way to the door thinking that there was a chance Felicitas might be held captive inside.

             
“Shouldn’t we call the cops first?”

             
He shook his head and stepped in front of her; his knife fixed firmly in his hand, ready to protect and defend them if need be. It gave her some sense of security as he pushed the weathered door open. It creaked and groaned at the intrusion. He moved his light back and forth across the dark room as they entered the cabin ready to investigate. It seemed to Esther as if they had stepped back in time. The original furniture still occupied the small abode and was surprisingly in good condition. Reed’s light revealed a small homemade table with two long benches tucked away in the corner. A potbellied stove and a hand pump rested against the far wall along with two wooden cupboards. Reed ran his hand across the rustic table.

             
“Someone’s been here.”

             
Esther hung close.

             
“How can you tell?”

             
“No dust, everything seems clean and the house is airtight no holes in the roof, a cabin this old would have fallen apart over the years.” He walked toward the cupboards.

             
“What you bet they’re stocked full?” 

             
Esther shivered. Reed was right, someone had been there recently. Her heart dropped as her mind thought of two possible scenarios. Either someone had snatched Felicitas last week in the woods and had been holding her here against her will, or Felicitas had willingly run off with the Raine fellow from her journal and had been hiding out in the cabin with him. Either way there should be some signs that Felicitas had been here.