Chapter 10: Good Advice

I spun around and realized that the light in the pink room was on, but once I acknowledged it, the bulbs began to dim.

“Someone just swept past that doorway behind you,” Haylee insisted, sounding alarmed as she asked, “Dharma, are you messing with me?”

My heart began to drum in my chest. A shadow that stretched along the floor behind the open door appeared to be growing, as if someone was stepping closer without making a sound.

Still clinging to the phone, I began to make my way back down the stairs. “Haylee,” I squeaked into the phone, “I’m going to have to call you back.”

Fear propelled me down the stairs. Though I usually clung to the banister, I threw caution to the wind and flew down the steps two at a time.

I had been so focused on what was chasing me that I hadn’t noticed my mother waiting at the foot of the stairs and nearly collided with her as I leapt off the final step.

“Dharma!” she cried, putting out her arms to catch me. “You know better than to run down the stairs. What has gotten into you?”

My mother’s brow formed a tight scowl, but after taking a second look at me, her expression softened, and her tone changed. “Honey, what is wrong? You are so pale and sweaty. Are you getting sick?”

I attempted to gulp, but my throat was tight and dry. “I was upstairs…,” I managed to croak.

“Come on into the kitchen. Let’s get you a glass of water,” my mother suggested, guiding me by the shoulders. “And maybe a blanket as well. You are shivering.”

I allowed my mother to plant me in a chair while she filled one of the freshly cleaned glasses with water from the tap. Though I usually tried to avoid drinking tap water, I accepted gratefully and began to chug it.

“Take it easy,” my mother warned as she tenderly eased the glass out of my hands. “Wait here while I get you a blanket.”

As she attempted to pass, I grasped her arm to stop her. I did not want to be alone. “I’m not cold,” I insisted.

My mother glanced down at my trembling fingers. “If you’re not cold, then why are you shaking?”

“I got frightened,” I confessed, releasing her.

“By what?” she implored. “What has you in such a tizzy?”

“I was on a video call with Haylee, and the light in the pink room came on all by itself,” I rambled. “And Haylee swears she saw someone in the hall behind me.”

To my astonishment, my mother threw back her head and laughed.

“It isn’t funny!” I shrieked, unable to suppress my hysteria. “I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the first time it has happened,” I added—though, to be fair, the first time it had happened, I had been dreaming.

My mother stifled her laughter, turning serious. “Calm down, Dharma. It’s most likely just an electrical problem. I’ll call an electrician tomorrow.”

“Don’t you have your medical supplies convention tomorrow?” I reminded her.

She lifted her hand and pressed it against her forehead. “I forgot all about that!” she exclaimed, glancing at the wall calendar for confirmation. “I will call them before I leave. You can remain behind to let them in.”

“I don’t want to be here by myself!” I whimpered.

“It will only be for a few hours,” my mother reasoned. “Besides, the landscaping service will be here tomorrow to cut the grass. Someone will have to be here to give them their check. They requested the first payment up front.”

“They need to join the modern era and accept electronic payments,” I muttered.

“Well, now that you are back to your old sarcastic self, I suggest you go find a way to keep yourself occupied while I start supper.”

“Can I help?” I offered.

“You want to help?” she repeated, as if she couldn’t believe what she’d heard. “Of course, you can help. Perhaps I should frighten you more often.”

“Mom!” I cried, poking her in the ribs.

“Shush now and get me the large pans out. I am going to teach you how to make chicken curry,” she said, poking me back.

My mother seemed to enjoy teaching me how to cook and was in a jovial mood for the rest of the evening. I made a mental note to help her in the kitchen more often.

After the dishwasher was loaded and the kitchen was cleaned up, I excused myself so I could call Haylee back.

“Give Haylee my love!” my mother called after me.

“I will,” I promised as I approached the stairs and hesitated. “It’s just an electrical problem,” I reminded myself in a mocking tone as I flipped on the stairwell light and began to ascend.

I walked the corridor, turning on every light as I passed each room, even mustering up the courage to turn on the overhead light in the pink room. Once the entire upstairs was ablaze, I retreated to my room and called Haylee.

“Sorry for not calling you back sooner. Mom and I had a long supper,” I said.

“It’s all right,” Haylee replied, then carefully asked, “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine now. Mom thinks it was an electrical glitch and will call the electrician tomorrow.”

“If that’s what you want to believe…,” Haylee teased. “What did you have for supper?”

“Chicken curry,” I answered. “Mom taught me how to make it.”

Haylee rolled her eyes. “That sounds so good. Both of my parents are working late, so I’m having fast food for the third night in a row,” she said, displaying a French fry as proof before she popped it into her mouth.

“We’ll make it when you visit. I’m so excited that you are coming!” I surged. “You still need to send me your flight times so I can borrow the car and pick you up from the airport.”

“Your mom still hasn’t gotten you a car?” Haylee asked, her eyes widening in disbelief.

“Nope. And I don’t think it’s going to happen anytime soon.”

“There is always hope,” Haylee argued.

“Not for me,” I said, then paused. “Give me a minute while I close the door.”

“All right,” Haylee said, then in a low voice she asked, “May I ask why we are suddenly whispering?”

“Because I don’t want my mother to overhear,” I hissed as I quietly closed the door and returned to my bed.

Haylee’s eyebrows rose in intrigue. “Ooo, what happened?”

“I came home today, and she surprised me with a scooter.”

Haylee guffawed. “You are joking? A scooter, like the ones we had when we were kids?”

I nodded, which caused Haylee to howl.

“Stop that, or this phone call is over,” I warned her. “Besides, plenty of people ride scooters.”

“They do,” Haylee agreed, “but not by choice.”

I shot her a hateful look through the screen.

“It will be fine,” Haylee assured me. “You always looked so cute when you rode Scoot, Scoot, Boogie.”

“That’s it, I’m hanging up!” I said, my finger poised above the screen to let her know that I was serious.

“Fine,” Haylee conceded with a roll of her eyes. “Let’s get back to the haunting…”

“The electrical issue,” I corrected her.

“The electrical issue,” she continued. “What if it was a sign that you are supposed to do something?”

I frowned. “What are you suggesting?”

“Most of the…~electrical activity~…that you have experienced has been in the pink room. Maybe someone is trying to warn you about something. Didn’t you say you found boxes full of the Johnsons’ crap out in your tool shed? Have you gone through it yet?”

“No!” I cried in a sharp whisper. “I’m heeding some advice that I was given.”

“Oh? And what advice is that?”

“A woman that owns a store in town told me not to go looking for trouble.”

Haylee burst into another spatter of giggles. “Since when do you take advice from random ladies you meet?”

“She’s not random. She knew Virginia. Besides, I think she may be a witch,” I said. Though Haylee didn’t know it, I was only partially joking.

Haylee broke out in robust laughter. “Dharma,” she managed when her laughter began to die down, “I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too,” I told her honestly, clearing my throat because I had begun to choke up.

“And I agree with you. Maybe you shouldn’t go rifling through those old boxes,” Haylee said, then after a short pause added, “Without me! Promise you will wait so we can do it together.”

“I promise,” I said, confident that I could honor the oath as Maggie’s words repeated in my mind.

~Always be a gazelle.~