“This is Mrs. Elaine Wooten, mother to Ellen. I’ve used some tricks that I have to make it so you can’t see what was done to them, but they didn’t die easily. The man on her other side is John Weeks, a man that Ellen murdered at his house. Ellen also killed his children, the family dog, as well as his in-laws and wife.” Addie started to shake her head. “There are others in the room with us as well. My sister, Aster, and my friend, Carlton, who has been helping us keep tabs on Delaney. As well as my grandfather. Would you like to see them as well?”
“No. Why you are…how are you doing this? Tricks and mirrors?” When she stood up, Nick reached for her, but she smacked his hands away. Addie was standing in front of Elaine when she stopped. “Where are you? In the other room? Is this a trick to make me think that…? I have no idea why someone would do this.”
“You’re very beautiful.” Addie took a step back when Elaine put her hand out to touch her. “I died violently, so I have a few things that I can do that might help you. May I touch you?”
“You can’t. Projections can’t touch someone.”
But Elaine put her hand on Addie’s cheek, and she cried out with it. Nick knew it wasn’t painful, but she could see what Elaine wanted her to. When Elaine pulled her hand away, Addie fell back. Nick only just managed to catch her when she started to fall. Christ, this wasn’t going well at all.
~~~
Addie got out of the bed when she was sure that she was alone in the big room. She walked to the window seat, sat on the seat cushions, and looked out over the expansive yard. It was shadowed in darkness now, but the moon made it so she could see that the entire back yard was well maintained, and there was a large pool and pool house back there as well.
“Hello.” Addie was almost afraid to turn to the voice. She just knew it was going to be Elaine and that they were still up to their tricks. Addie wasn’t sure she wanted her near her again. “My name is Aster. I was here earlier. I’m Steele’s sister. And before you ask, yes, I’m dead too.”
“I don’t believe in ghosts.” She turned and looked at the lovely woman. “You’re a kid. What is wrong with you people and trying to make me insane with this? Do you have any idea how cruel this is? Talking to me about dead people when I’ve seen…what is really going on here?”
“I died when I was seventeen. It was just an accident. Me not paying any attention to where I was going, and I fell. Steele and I are twins. I left him…well, when I died he had so much going on that day that he has only just recovered from it. Thanks to Kari, his wife.” Addie asked if she was dead too. “No. She’s very much alive, and having a baby too. I come to talk to her often, and the baby. But for right now, I’d like to talk to you.”
“Whatever.” Addie turned and didn’t look at the young girl. But no matter what happened or what was happening, she wouldn’t be rude and turned back to look at Aster. “I don’t know how they did it, but a nightmare was put into my head and I can’t think beyond that right now. Why the hell are you people doing this to me?”
“Nick has suffered so much, did you know that?” Addie started to turn back to the yard, but Aster said her name. “It’s important that you know this much so that I can explain the rest. Most of it…most of what I’m about to tell you is going to be worse than the things that Elaine showed you, but I won’t show it to you. Only Nick can do that.”
“That girl in those…there was so much blood. And the look in her face when she did it, it was as if she was enjoying what she was doing to her mother. If that were true….” Aster told her it was. “Why?”
“Why? Why did she kill her, or why did she enjoy it? The only thing I can tell you is that when Ellen was a small child, even younger than when she killed her family, she would kill small animals. Dogs and cats, mostly kittens that she’d find and experiment on. Her mother didn’t know, but her father did. He was terrified of his only child, and was ready to have her committed the week before the murders. Ellen didn’t know, of course, but when she killed them all and was caught, the courts knew that she needed help. That was why she was put away in an institution rather than in a prison.” Addie leaned back on the seat and decided that she’d let this woman tell her part in all this. “You don’t believe me. I can see that on your face, and that’s all right. But I’d like to talk to you about Nick. Later, if you like, we can discuss Ellen and her murders.”