OAHU, Christina sat on the couch with her legs crossed. Her opened laptop sat beside her facing Kayla who danced.
She and Albert watched their daughter together.
He also watched Lenora. She danced too, but Christina couldn’t see her.
The four of them had been spending a lot of time together the past week and a half. Lenora still visited her mother, but Christina imagined that was hard on her. Who wanted to spend time somewhere they weren’t welcomed?
Usually, Lenora stayed with them.
Albert hadn’t left their side since she told him about the smelly spirit. Fortunately, Smelly's visits were less frequent than Lenora's. They still weren’t sure whether he was dangerous or a benign nuisance.
For Christina, it was hardly even a nuisance, because she couldn’t smell him. Once, she asked Albert what he looked like.
"It's hard to explain. It's like he's clouded in darkness. Not really black. More like a dark gray. You can hardly see his face, because it's…I don't know how to explain it. Shadowed, maybe? But sometimes you get glimpses, and he looks a little bit like Alfred E Newman. Remember from Mad Magazine?"
Yes! She remembered. She and her sisters and brother used to love that magazine.
Her dad had loved it too.
Kayla had overheard their conversation. "Who's Alfred E. Newman?"
They had looked for and found a picture of him online
Kayla had reported to Christina that Lenora was looking at the picture as well.
"We both think the smelly spirit is uglier than that guy."
***
Kayla stopped dancing.
Christina and her husband applauded.
"Lenora wants to dance for Mommy now."
Okay. Christina said. She looked at the computer screen. Albert disappeared and Lenora took his place.
As of yet, they hadn’t figured out how to have both of them on the screen at once. They weren’t sure if it was impossible in general, or if they were just slightly incompetent when it came to all this.
Lenora danced. She was a cute child but in a rough, dirty type of way; like one of the orphans in Oliver or Annie. Her clothes looked like they should be rags; her hair like it hadn’t been brushed in…
Forever.
Did spirits brush their hair?
For the most part, Lenora was also a sweet child.
Maybe she wasn’t the smartest. She was immature. She died when she was ten, but she looked and acted younger than Kayla. She was also not the best dancer; though she was very entertaining.
"That's brilliant!" Christina said when Lenora stopped.
Lenora gave a small nod but didn't thank Christina for the compliment. Then she vanished from the screen.
Albert returned.
"Yes, I liked it too," Albert said, presumably to Lenora.
***
Albert and the girls wandered around the shop while Christina managed the register and talked to customers.
She heard Kayla running and laughing while she rang up a young man.
He smiled as Kayla ran past. "So, is your daughter very imaginative or is she talking to an EB?" he asked.
It was rare for a customer to take interest in Kayla. Usually, they ignored her, gave her exasperated looks, or provided a simple, "Cute kid."
The guy seemed nice, so she didn’t mind answering the question. "EB," she said.
"I heard her talking to them before. It almost sounded like she could hear them answer back. I mean without a phone or anything."
Should she be honest?
Yes. She decided it wouldn’t hurt. "She's a medium." As soon as she said it, she regretted it. She waited for a look of ridicule.
He didn’t react the way she expected. "That's great," he said. "I bet you feel vindicated. Did no one believe you before?"
"Sometimes I didn't believe it."
"My brother's a medium," he said. "I believed it. My parents didn't. They thought he was lying and that we were both trying to get attention."
Christina felt compelled to distinguish herself from his parents. "I wasn't sure, but I did try to keep an open-mind. I didn't accuse her of lying."
"Good," he said. "I bet you're a good mom."
Christina smiled. "Thanks. I have a good daughter."
"Who I imagine is rarely lonely."
She laughed. "That's for sure."
She finished ringing him up. He paid, and she watched him walk out the door.
Then she noticed the laughter and running had stopped. She called out, loudly, "How are things going?"
"Lenora's upset," Kayla called back.
"Why?" Christina yelled.
Kayla walked over to the counter, which was good. Christina imagined she'd end up losing her voice if they went on like this. "Why is Lenora upset?"
Kayla sighed "You know, Lenora is being Lenora. She gets upset. I can't always know the reason."
"You're right," Christina said. Lenora had her moods. She was happy and sweet sometimes; then other times wasn’t. She got upset...often about food. But sometimes they couldn’t decipher the reason. "Is she wanting something to eat?"
"Probably, but you can't feed her. Remember?"
"I know. Sometimes we can't fix problems for people, but we can help them by listening and understanding."
Her wise words were lost on her daughter who skipped away.
***
Christina locked the door after her last customer left.
Now it was time to clean.
She predicted she'd have to do it on her own—no help from her husband or pseudo-foster child.
Maybe Kayla would help?
She asked; then added, "We'll get out of here faster."
"I don't need to get out faster," Kayla said. "I like it here just fine." She stopped, listened, and then pouted. "Fine. I'll help."
"Thanks, Albert." Christina said to the air. She tried to imagine the future. What would it be like with them co-parenting a teenager?
***
She sent Kayla around to pick up anything that had fallen and did some basic straightening. While Kayla did that, Christina mopped.
She stopped when she gots a text. It was from Albert.
You need to hire more help. Why not get more employees?
Why? Do you have a problem with child labor?
No. You're right. Make that kid earn her keep.
She laughed.
Though she's playing more than she's cleaning.
Christina yelled out. "Kayla! Clean!"
Kayla groaned angrily. "Daddy, you're such a tattle-tale.
Thanks for getting me into trouble.
She thought about what he said. Did she need to hire more people?
Maybe?
Maybe not?
As things were right now, she was often working at the store on her own. Her three employees covered the store, so she could get a break on weekends.
Sometimes her time in the store overlapped with her employees, and she did enjoy that. But she sort of preferred being on her own. Well, not on her own but with just Albert, Kayla, and…Lenora.
The store didn’t get a huge amount of business, so it was rare for her to feel stretched in a thousand directions. In a way, she preferred to be on her own...maybe more so now than in the past.
If she had another adult here–another living adult, she'd have to find someone who could be understanding about Kayla. She had her doubts about that being easy.
No. The more she thought about it the more she felt things were fine the way they were.
And then, suddenly, then they were not fine.
She felt very dizzy.
She clung to the mop bucket and tried to balance herself.
It didn’t help.
She needed to sit but couldn't imagine she'd make it to the chair behind the register. So she sat right there on the wet floor. She heard Kayla laughing a few aisles down and felt angry at her daughter for being happy when she herself was feeling like shit.
***
The dizziness wasn’t going away. She put her head between her hands.
Then Kayla started singing. Christina hated the song, and she absolutely hated the way Kayla sang it.
She didn’t understand why her daughter had to be such a spoiled brat.
It was likely Albert’s fault. He followed the kid around and gave into her every whim.
They played good cop/bad cop. What use was Albert to her? Really.
He hung around and played daddy. But was he playing husband?
No. If he got out of their life, she could actually move on and meet someone new.
He ruined her life, and she was supposed to sit there pretending to be happy he was still around. The truth was....
Had she ever even loved him when he had been alive?
He was boring.
Always so boring.
She heard her text alert. She wasn’t going to open it. What was he going to do? Lecture her again on parenting? She knew that's what he had been doing before in his usual pathetic passive-aggressive way.
God-fucking-forbid she ask Kayla to do a few chores.
She heard another text alert.
"Go away!" she yelled. Then she started to sob. She felt so sick. Her life was sick. Her life was a waste.
She heard footsteps and ignored them. Then she heard crying besides her own. She looked up and Kayla was standing there, crying hysterically.
"Go away!" Kayla screamed. Christina wished the brat would disappear along with her father.
"Daddy, make it go away!"
"I hate you," Christina said to Kayla.
Then everything went dark.
***
She woke up with a small potpourri pillow under her head; cushioned from the hardness of the floor.
Still. A headache tormented her.
She saw Albert staring back at her, concerned. He was on her cell phone which was propped up against a box of energy bars.
She looked around and then up to see Kayla a few feet away; tears staining her face.
"Mommy, do you hate me?"
"Of course not. I love you more than the universe. You know that."
Then she remembered. Vaguely. But she had the general idea. She remembered feeling a lot of hate. For her husband and her daughter.
How could that be? It made no sense to her. But she was a smart woman, able to connect the dots. "I was possessed, wasn't I?"
Kayla nodded and started crying. Her body quivered with the sobs. Christina started pulling herself up. She needed to get to her daughter.
"Take it slowly," Albert said from the phone.
She ignored his advice and sat up. She didn’t stand, though.
Still sitting, she edged over to her daughter.
Kayla backed up, terrified.
"Kayla, I think Mommy is okay now."
He thinks? He didn’t know for sure? And what if his ambivalence had merit? Was she okay? How could she know? She burst into tears. What if it happened again, and she hurt Kayla?
"I hate it," Kayla said.
"Me too," Christina said. It wasn’t okay to hate your adorable daughter or your wonderful husband, but it was perfectly all right to despise an evil smelly spirit who attacked you and your family.
***
Kayla stiffened when Christina tried to kiss her good-night. It broke Christina’s heart. "I'm sorry," Christina said.
"I'm sorry too," Kayla said "I know it's not your fault. It's just–" Tears again. She wiped them away.
"I understand," Christina said.
"I love you, though," Kayla said.
Christina found it hard to reply without bursting into sobs. But she pulled herself together. "I love you too." She blew her daughter a kiss and got one in return. Then she walked out the door.
As she was walking down the hall, she heard her daughter's footsteps. Then she heard the click of the lock. They had a rule against Kayla locking the door, but it wasn’t one they ever had to forcibly enforce. She wasn’t going to fight it now. Though it worried her. What if there was an emergency? What if Christina needed to get in? What if there was a fire?
But the sad truth was, at this point, she might be the biggest threat.
***
She walked to her own room. She opened her laptop to talk to Albert. His face showed the despair she was feeling.
"I don't know what to do," he said. "I couldn't fight it."
"So why…how did it leave?"
"I don't know. I guess it just had enough."
"For now."
Albert nodded with a pained look.
"So what? Did I have Alfred E. Newman's face?"
Neither of them laughed at her poor attempt at a joke.
"No…it was just a darkness surrounding you. Like a dark, slimy smoke. And the smell was there. Then you collapsed. A few moments after that, we saw it step out of you. Then we saw Alfred E. Newman."
"So he didn't stick around for me being unconscious."
"No, I guess not," he said. So maybe that's the way to stop the possession.""Go unconscious? So if this happens to you again. Or if it happens to Kayla. You should hit each other with a bat?"
"That's not funny," she said, but she actually laughed a little. Maybe a nervous giggle.
"Seriously, though," Albert said. "I think it's more like it overpowers you and causes you to go unconscious. Then he's forced out? Or maybe he chooses to leave."
"I don't know," Christina said.
"I don't know either."
Then she asked. "Are we alone right now?"
"Yes," he said.
She took a deep breath. "If we had never met Lenora, we wouldn't have all this."
"I know," he said. "But–"
"I'm sorry. I know she's innocent. It's not her fault. It's just–"
"Don't worry," he said. "I understand."
"I'm glad you understand," she gave him a wry smile. "but it's kind of ridiculous to tell me not to worry at this point."
"I know. I'm worried too. I feel so helpless."
It was comforting in some ways to hear his voice, but she wished she could feel him. She wished she could feel the comfort of his arms. She wished she could rest her head against his chest.
"I love you," he said.
"I love you too."
She closed her eyes as if to go to sleep, but sleep wouldn’t find her until hours later.
***
For the next two days, they had no visits from the malevolent spirit, but Christina couldn’t enjoy his absence. She was too worried about his return.
At work, she was distracted. Albert had suggested she ask one of the employees to come in. That was a good idea that didn't work out.
Celia was sick.
Natalie had classes.
Scott had surfing plans and no, he wasn’t willing to change his plans.
Albert had then suggested keeping the shop closed, and in the meantime, think again about hiring more help.
She considered taking his advice but then remembered she was expecting some deliveries. Plus, she didn’t like the idea of giving up and hiding from the world.
At the store, Christina wasn’t short with customers. She was friendly but not super friendly.
Usually her demeanor said: Talk to me! Open up to me! Tell me what you think. I'm here not just to sell you things but to be your guide and friend! Now it was more like: Thanks for shopping here. Have a nice day. Best be on your way.
At least she hoped that's the aura she was giving off. She hoped she wasn’t offending anyone or hurting anyone's feelings.
***
After they closed the shop, Christina had an idea that made her feel slightly better. She'd buy a lock and put it on the outside of her bedroom door. Then if she got possessed again, Kayla could lock her in the bedroom and be safe…
from her own mother.
***
When they got to the hardware store, she had no idea what type of lock to buy.
Kayla walked quietly behind her as they went through the aisles. She wasn’t her happy, talkative self lately.
Christina heard her text alert.
She took her phone out of her purse and looked.
Albert: What are we doing here?
She expected him to marvel at her brilliance.
Buying a lock for my bedroom door. Kayla can lock me in if needed.
You mean if you're possessed again?
Yes!
How is she going to get you into your bedroom?
Thanks husband, for making me feel ridiculous.
Oh, but it wasn’t his fault. It was hers. Why wasn't she thinking clearly?
***
They left.
On the drive home, she thought about something that made her feel worse. What if the spirit possessed Kayla instead? Then what if the Kayla-Evil Spirit combo locked Christina in the bedroom, so it could do evil, horrible things to Kayla?
***
Later that evening, Christina washed dishes while Kayla watched cartoons on the DVR with her invisible father and new best friend (who had brought all the troubles into their lives, no offense).
As she was putting more soap on the sponge, she felt dizzy.
No..no…no…no…NO! Stay steady, she told herself. Fight it. And most importantly get Kayla safe.
"Kayla," she tried to use a voice that would not scar Kayla for life. "Go to your room now and lock the door. Do not come out until Daddy tells you it's okay."
Kayla's lack of reaction greatly disturbed her.
Kayla didn’t run. She paused the TV and looked at Christina. "What's wrong?
"It's happening again."
"No, it's not," Kayla said.
"Kayla. Listen to me. Go to your room. Now!"
But as she thought about it...the dizziness wasn’t getting worse. In fact, it was gone.
She heard her phone's FaceTime alert.
She answered.
Albert said. "Sweetie, the spirit's not here."
Oh well. Yeah. She forgot. They could actually see and smell it. "Are you sure?" she said.
"Unless it's found a way to go invisible. Did you feel something?"
"I was dizzy for a second."
"Are you okay now?"
She burst into tears.
"It might be the stress."
She nodded.
"You know," he said. "I've been thinking we should get some outside help."
"Like an exorcist?"
"Maybe," he said. "And we'll definitely do that if we get to the point where your head is spinning."
"It's not funny," she said. Though she actually laughed a little bit—a nervous giggle to go with the tears.
"I was thinking more like your sister or brother. Your mom? Or all of them. They're OS. They might have access to information I don't have. Actually, I'm almost sure of it."
Christina felt a huge weight lifted from her. His idea was brilliant. Why hadn’t she thought of it? Besides, she missed her family. It had been awhile since she talked to them. It was really ridiculous that they didn't make the effort to talk to each other more often.
"Are you okay with that?" he asked.
She nodded. "So you'll get them for me?"
"No. You call them. I don't think I can contact OS people. I can only talk to them if I'm here and you have them on video chat."
"Oh." Christina tried to remember if she already knew that or not. Her brain was probably fried from the possession.
***
She chose to FaceTime Molly first, since Molly was her twin. It seemed to be the right thing to do.
Seeing Molly via FaceTime was always a strange feeling. It was like looking at a mirror and seeing yourself ten years younger.
She told her sister the whole story.
Molly was very concerned and empathetic. She was also apologetic about not communicating more. "It's just so nice here," she said. "You know? It's kind of like when Mom took us on that cruise, and we felt so wonderfully disconnected from the real world. It would be like us taking time out of the cruise to call our friends back home. Or Dad. We love him, and we love our friends. Right? But you kind of want to be away from all that."
Christina did remember the cruise, and she could relate to what Molly was saying. Sort of. Still, she couldn’t resist the urge to give her sister a hard time. "So it's like right now I'm taking you away from your fabulous vacation?"
"Sort of. Yeah. But that's okay because you're my twinnie, and I'll always love you."
"Twinnie?" Oh dear. When was the last time they used that word? "Maybe I should just put rocks in my pocket, jump in the ocean, and join you." Christina was joking…for the most part.
Molly smiled. "Yeah. Probably not a good idea. I think suicide gets you a demerit."
"And what does that do?"
"I don't know. You get a spanking, or something?" She then stopped and listened to someone else in the room, someone that Christina couldn’t hear. She figured Albert was talking to her. Christina couldn’t hear Albert, but she could hear Molly talking to him. "Yes. I think I know people I can ask. I'll get it figured out, and I'll get back to you soon. Don't worry. Oh well. I mean don't worry as much as you're worrying now. Maybe worry a little less?"
After Molly finished talking to Albert, she and Christina chatted a little more; then said their goodbyes.
***
Christina expected it to take days for her sister to do the research and get back to her.
To her surprise, her sister FaceTimed her that evening—shortly after Christina put Kayla to bed.
"Sit down," Molly said. "This is all a bit complicated."
Christina was already sitting on the couch, which she knew Molly could see from the screen.
"Okay. Yeah. You're already sitting. That's just what people say when there's big news, so I thought I should say it."
"So is there a way to fight off the possession?" Christina was hopeful that the news wasn't horrible. Molly didn’t look devastated.
"Well, first of all. You weren't possessed."
"What? Yes, I was."
"No. See, I described the whole thing to them, and they explained that it's something else."
"What is it?"
"If you were possessed, you wouldn't remember any of it. Your soul would be…uh dormant? Kind of asleep. But you remember stuff, right? You felt like you were there for the whole thing."
Christina nodded.
"So what it is…" Molly paused. "Let me get it straight in my own head first. Give me a minute."
"Okay."
"I hope I can explain it."
"Do your best," Christina said.
"So…there's a darkness. Like a dark force. We all have it, but if you're a good person, it's a very small amount. You and I are super good, and we probably have a microscopic bit."
Christina continued to listen.
"The smelly thing is not exactly a spirit but more of a manifestation of the dark force thing. When it goes inside you, the dark force that's part of you is highly magnified. Any bad feelings you have will be magnified."
Christina shook her head. It couldn’t be right. She could buy the fact that she had a darkness in her. She could accept she had negative thoughts. But…. "No," she said."I don't hate Albert or Kayla. At all."
Molly sighed. "They told me it might be hard for you to accept. The thing they told me to tell you is that we all—Everyone—has a small bit of hate towards everyone we love. That's where we get the saying there's a small line between love and hate." She smiled."That's kind of cool. Right?"
Christina's head was swimming. She preferred the possession theory.
Molly got quiet, apparently listening to Albert again. "They don't really have any great advice," she said. "Unfortunately. They said you could try happy thoughts." She laughed. "Yeah. Like Peter Pan." '
Molly got back to Christina. "If the dark force thing goes inside you, it might help if the people around you give you lots of love. Think positive thoughts. All that stuff. And worse comes to worse, you just wait for it to go away."
"But what if it doesn't go away?" Christina was embarrassed to find herself whining.
"It will." Molly said. "I forgot to tell you. The good news. The other thing they said is that if you're feeling dizzy, that's a very good thing. It means your body…and your soul are trying to fight it. The dark force thing…the one plaguing you isn’t really that strong. It has a very low tolerance."
Now Christina felt a bit better.
Molly listened to Albert again, and some of her cheerfulness left her face.. "Well, yeah. It can get stronger. And there are worse things out there. So…be careful. And we'll all just hope for the best."
Continue to Chapter Thirty-One
Go Back to Chapter Twenty-Nine
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