Nightingale

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Storm Cometh

Marli pushed the gas pedal of Charlie's old Ford to the floorboard and whipped wildly around the turns on the gravel road that led to the river bottoms. She would do whatever she had to do to stop it this time, even if it meant enlisting the help of her aunt's dark gift. Sam was not going to be next; the nightmares would stop here and now. Marli knew she shouldn't have left Sam alone with George, but she had to get away from there. She knew Aunt Earnestine would have the answers she needed, but there was no way she would suggest Sam go with her. Earnestine had freaked Sam out so bad the one and only time they'd gone to see her that she refused to even discuss the visit. Marli begged Sam to go back and let Earnestine help her learn how to use her gift, but Sam wouldn't hear of it. She said Earnestine was nothing but a crazy old woman who didn't know what she was talking about. Marli hoped, for Samantha's sake, that wasn't true.

Lightning flashed erratically across the darkened sky. The river was roughened by the wind, and muddy waves lapped anxiously against the cypress that lined the gravel road. They had discovered Peter's body not far from here; it was exactly where Sam had said he'd be. Dammit! Why did she have to be right? Marli mentally shook herself to free her mind of the images she'd tried so hard to lock away. She was so preoccupied with the past that she almost didn't see the young boy walking along the edge of the road in time. She gasped and slammed on the brakes, spewing gravel in every direction. She looked around trying desperately to see through the cloud of dust. She threw the truck in park and slid across the seat to roll the passenger side window down. The dust began to settle, and she could see him standing only a few feet from the truck.

Marli sighed with relief. "Are you alright?" she called.

The boy emerged from the cloud, and she watched in horror as Peter's dead eyes stared blankly into hers. "Hurry!" he whispered so close to her face the smell of deteriorating flesh filled her nostrils. Marli screamed and covered her face with both hands as she pushed herself back across the seat with her legs.

Her heart raced uncontrollably, and she panted with fear. "It can't be real! It can't be real!" she chanted. She swallowed hard and slowly removed her trembling hands from her face to see nothing but Spanish moss blowing wildly in the wind. "Damn you, Sam! Now your ghosts are haunting me!" she cursed through clenched teeth. She took a deep breath, and leaned back against the seat. A gust of wind blew through the open window, and she could hear his voice again. Marli threw the truck in drive and sped toward her aunt's shack.

Earnestine was sitting on the porch shelling peas when Charlie's truck skid to a halt only a few feet from the side of her house. She slammed the bowl on the small plastic table next to her, and stomped across the creaking planks. "Charles Carter you better have a damn good reason for almost taking out my porch!" she screamed at the truck. "Start talking, you son-of-a...," She broke off as Marli stepped out of the truck and ran as fast as her stilettos would take her. "Marli? Is that you, baby?" she asked. She was nearly knocked over when Marli ran into her open arms.

Marli shook uncontrollably and held onto Earnestine for dear life. "Aunt Ernie, I need your help. Sam's in trouble, and I'm scared I'm too late."

Earnestine pushed Marli back so she could look into her face. "You seein' spirits again, ain't ya girl?"

Marli sucked in a sharp breath. "What do you mean...again? How did you know?"

Earnestine smiled and pulled Marli toward the porch. "Sit down, and I'll git you a glass of iced tea."

Marli stopped short. "Didn't you hear what I said, Ernie? I don't have time to sit around drinking tea and shelling peas!" she snapped.

Earnestine glared at Marli hard. "You better watch how you talk to me, girl. My sister taught you better. What? You think just because you all dressed up, miss fancy lawyer, you better than me? Bet you ain't told none of your lawyer friends you got a crazy aunt livin' in a shack in the bottoms back home, have you? You ain't too worried about me being crazy now since you need my help. Soon as you get what you want from me, you be gone again and I won't see you 'til the next time your friend dreams about someone being murdered or you start seeing ghosts again. Who told you nothing was wrong with you when you was seeing your mama after she passed? It wasn't all them fancy psychiatrists your daddy took you to, now was it? Naw, they just told you it wasn't real 'til you believed them," Earnestine rattled on and on as she walked back up the rickety steps. She plopped back down onto the weather beaten wooden dining chair, grabbed the half-full bowl of peas, and continued shelling like nothing had happened.