Chapter 5: Ghosts of Old Warnings

At this, his face shifted, and his voice trembled: “Miss Lucille died ten years ago.”

His words hit me like a slap. For a second, I couldn’t speak. My mind reeled.

I was stunned, memories surfacing from years ago.

Her house always smelled like lavender and lemon. She’d give kids butterscotch candies, her laugh echoing down the street. She was the heart of the neighborhood.

I’d only met Miss Lucille twice. Both times, she wore a faded floral jacket and black slacks, her hair neatly combed.

She had a way of making you feel seen, like she knew all your secrets and didn’t mind one bit. I always felt safe around her.

She once held my hand and said my fate was strange, that someone like me would face either great fortune or great disaster, and I should beware of those with hidden motives.

Her grip was strong, her eyes serious. I didn’t understand, but I nodded anyway. The words stuck with me.

She patted my head and walked off, her slow steps fading until she vanished into the dusk.

I watched her go, the evening sun casting long shadows behind her. She seemed to melt into the dusk. I never forgot that image.

The second time was in the evening. I’d fought with some troublemakers and torn my shirt, worried what I’d tell Granddad.

I sat on the curb, picking at the hole in my sleeve, dreading the walk home. My hands shook.

Suddenly, I saw someone by the fence and jumped in fright.

She moved like a ghost, silent and sudden. My heart leapt into my throat. I almost bolted.

In the moonlight, I recognized Miss Lucille. I hadn’t understood her words before, but I wasn’t scared, so I greeted her: “Miss Lucille, what are you doing out here?”

She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. The moonlight made her hair glow silver. She seemed both ancient and ageless.

She squinted and smiled. “I’m hiding from the Devil’s shadow.”

Her voice was playful, but there was an edge to it. I shivered, not sure if she was joking. The air felt colder.

She was odd, always joking with kids.

But we all loved her, in our own way. She made the strange seem almost normal. She was one of a kind.

“Last time you said something I didn’t get. What did you mean?”

I was braver then, or maybe just more curious. I wanted answers. My voice barely carried.

“You’ll understand when you’re older.” Her eyes were pitch black, without a hint of light.

The darkness in her gaze was bottomless, and for a moment, I felt like I was falling in. I looked away, unsettled.

I didn’t press, just waved goodbye.

She waved back, disappearing into the shadows. I never saw her again. Her words echoed in my head.

My mind drifted back to the present.

The memories faded, replaced by the cold reality of Travis’s plea. I felt older than my years. I sighed, wishing things were simpler.

I sighed. “Like your mom said, I can only read the energy of a place, not banish whatever’s haunting it.”

I shrugged, trying to keep my tone light. But the look in Travis’s eyes made it impossible to say no. I couldn’t walk away from this.