The Black Read online

  "Ralph!" I called out again. "Hey, Ralph! Wake up!"

  "He cannot hear you," Damon stated flatly.

  I wanted to scream in frustration. I may have been there in the same room with Marsh, but I was a ghost. A freakin' ghost. I wandered around to try and understand what it meant to be a spirit in the Light. I reached down to grab the remote from the coffee table and my hand traveled through it.

  "Damn," I said with dismay.

  "Did you not believe me?" Damon asked.

  "Give me a break. This is all new to me. Why don't we just, like, fall through the floor?"

  "You could," he responded. "Would you like to?"

  "No, I'll pass on that." I turned to watch Marsh sleeping.

  He had no idea that there were two invisible spirits keeping him company.

  "Wait," I said, turning to Damon. "You said you were trapped in the Black."

  "I am prevented from moving further along the road. However, I am quite capable of visiting the Light in spirit form."

  "So, then, what's the point?"

  Damon walked toward the couch. "You need to understand that I am not an ordinary spirit. As you have astutely pointed out, I have been in the Black for quite some time. Longer than any other since the dawn of man."

  "Do you get a prize for that?"

  "You meant that as a sarcastic comment, but there is some truth to it. I have used my time wisely and developed certain… skills. I know more about the ways of the road than any other entity.

  He knelt down next to Marsh. I would have pulled him away if I thought he might try and take a bite out of him, but I knew that was impossible. We were spirits. We had no effect on the living.

  Damon leaned in close to Marsh and whispered, "Morpheus."

  Marsh's eyes sprang open.

  He had heard Damon. What I thought was impossible, wasn't.

  "Get away from him!" I shouted, and rushed forward to protect my friend.

  Damon stood up and I tackled him. Hard. The two of us stumbled into the swirling fog and found ourselves back at the fountain. Things were solid again. We were back in the Black. I jumped to my feet and squared off against the guy.

  "How did you do that?" I demanded.

  Damon laughed. "That is the least of my skills." "What do you want from me?"

  "I seek a weapon. A particular weapon. A poleax. It was mine in life and I want it returned."

  "So what? What's that got to do with me?"

  "The poleax remained in the Light when I was banished to the Black. Now, after so many centuries, it is finally within my grasp. I need your friend to find it and return it to me."

  "Marsh? Why Marsh?"

  "Because he alone has the ability to locate it."

  "No way. He doesn't know about any ancient weapon."

  "He knows more than you realize. He will find the poleax… and you will help him."

  "Uhhh, no. I won't."

  "Yes, you will. You both will, or I will return to the Light. A small whisper in the ear of a sleeping boy does not come close to demonstrating the extent of my abilities. Your presence here is proof of that."

  I was getting too much information, too fast, and none of it was making sense.

  "My presence? What does that mean?"

  Damon stalked toward me. I wanted to hold my ground but the little guy scared the hell out of me and I had to back away.

  "The lake was beautiful that night, was it not? So peaceful with a sky full of shimmering stars and a lake teaming with dozens of stargazers. It all seemed so inviting. So safe. But what happened to the other boaters? How could they have disappeared so quickly… unless they were never there?"

  "W-what? What does that mean?"

  "I have observed the Light for centuries. I have seen every behavior known to mankind and learned how it evolved. From strength to cowardice. Brilliance to treachery.

  I can reach into the depths of a man's soul to draw out his greatest fear or grandest desire, and make it appear before him. It is quite simple, really. A play of light, the bending of a shadow, and the illusions appear real. This is what I have achieved in the time I have spent here."

  "That's… that's not right. Spirits aren't supposed to monkey with the living."

  "And what would be my punishment? Eternal captivity? That has already been my fate for too long."

  "I don't believe you."

  "No? Why was that young boy in the speedboat traveling so quickly the night of your death? It was so foolish. Unless there was something that compelled him to act recklessly. Perhaps he was drawn into a race with another boat? A boat that was not actually there."

  My head was spinning. "What are you saying?"

  "You are here in the Black because of me, Cooper Foley."

  "Wh… No. It was an accident."

  "An accident that I caused. I created the illusions that led to your death."

  "But… why?"

  "I brought you here to help release me from captivity." He kept stalking me and I kept backing off.

  "This is… this is crazy. I'm not going to help you."

  "Even though I have the power to end your existence?"

  "What are you going to do? Stab me with that black sword?"

  "Perhaps. Or I could raise the stakes even higher."

  "Higher than ending my existence?"

  "That depends on what value you put on the life of your friend, Marshall Seaver."

  I stopped moving. That was it. There was the threat. If I didn't help Damon, he was going to kill Marsh. Like he had killed me. That wasn't going to fly. I was ready to take this guy apart, and I would have if I hadn't caught movement to my right. I thought it might be one of his pals coming to jump me, and I spun toward the ancient building.

  Three people in black were on the steps, watching us. They stood shoulder to shoulder, all looking like normal people except that they were totally out of place in that ancient square.

  And they didn't look happy.

  I didn't care.

  I spun back to Damon, ready to take him out.

  Damon's eyes flared as he bared his teeth and hissed like an animal about to be attacked. I wanted to knock those pointed teeth out of his head, but as I moved on him, I felt a hand on my shoulder. An instant later I was yanked backward, hard, off my feet into another swirling mass of color and fog.

  7

  I hit the ground and bounced right back to my feet, ready to take on whoever it was that had grabbed me from behind and yanked me into another dimension. I expected it to be one of Damon's soldiers, but when I looked around, I saw that I was alone.

  It took a few seconds for me to calm down and register my surroundings. I was standing next to a split rail fence. On the other side of the fence was a long stretch of patchy brown grass that led to my grandfather's house. Yes! I was back at Gramps' place!

  But I wasn't. The yard didn't look the same as when I'd been there before. The colorful fall leaves were gone. The trees were bare gray skeletons that swayed in a frosty breeze, and the sky was a dark, cloudy ceiling that threatened to drop snow. It was like I had skipped through fall and landed in late November.

  "Gramps!" I called out. My shout echoed across the empty property.

  It was definitely Gramps' house but instead of gleaming bright white, it looked kind of puke yellow. I couldn't tell if it was because there was no sun or Gramps had somehow painted it since I'd been there last, which wasn't likely. I doubted that spirits bothered with home improvement projects.

  I saw somebody dart from behind a tree and run behind Gramps' house. It was only a quick glimpse, but I could have sworn it was a little kid.

  "Hey! Wait!" I screamed.

  I was about to vault over the fence and go after the kid, when I heard the slam of a screen door. Not from Gramps' house, from the house next door. I turned to see that I was much closer to the next-door neighbor's house than I was to Gramps' place. I figured that whoever it was that had yanked me out of Damon's vision had gone inside, so I ran to the
bottom of the porch stairs.

  "Hey!" I yelled. "Who's in there?"

  It didn't make sense that Damon and his centuries-old Macedonian soldiers would suddenly be holed up in a Connecticut farmhouse, though I wished they were. I was fired up and wanted a piece of somebody.

  "Who are you?" I called. "Why did you bring me here?"

  I saw movement through the window. Somebody was watching me from inside. I walked closer, expecting to see one of those strange people in black who were always lurking around.

  Instead, I saw the face of a young girl.

  "I see you!" I shouted. "Come out here!"

  The girl crouched down, thinking she couldn't be seen. "Either you come out or I'm coming in."

  She left the window and appeared a few seconds later inside the screen door. It was the same girl who was watching us when Gramps first brought me to his house. She wasn't a threat, or so I hoped.

  "Somebody pulled me into this vision," I called. "Was it my grandfather?"

  The girl didn't respond.

  "Or that kid next door. Do you know who that is?"

  She stared at me, blank, as if she didn't know who I was talking about. Or what I was talking about. Did she even know English?

  "Are Damon's soldiers around?" I asked, glancing around the yard.

  Still no response.

  "Wait… was it you?"

  She gave me a subtle nod.

  "You pulled me back here? Why? How?" I said as I climbed the first stair.

  She quickly backed off and started to close the door. "No, wait! I'm not mad. I just don't get it."

  She didn't close the door all the way and peered out through the crack. I stood on the bottom stair, not moving any higher for fear she'd slam the door and be gone for good.

  "I'm Cooper Foley. My grandfather is the guy who lives next door. I mean, who used to live next door. Or… I don't know what I mean. What's your name?"

  The girl looked like a frightened kitten with big brown eyes that watched my every move, waiting for me to do something that would prompt her to slam the door.

  "I'm pretty confused," I said. "My gramps says you've been around for a while, so you must know how things work here. Right?"

  She gave me a slight shrug.

  "Okay, cool, I'll take that as a yes. Maybe you can tell me why things look different. I mean, you saw me with Gramps, right?"

  She nodded.

  "So what happened? I mean, all the leaves were on the trees and now it's, like, almost winter. And my grandfather's house is a different color. That's… weird. Or maybe I'm the weird one. What do you think? Am I weird? I feel weird."

  The girl smiled. I saw it. It wasn't a big smile but it was there. I was getting through to her.

  "I wish you'd come out," I said. "I'm not going to hurt you."

  She pushed the screen door open tentatively and I backed away so as not to intimidate her. She stepped outside but kept her back against the wall, ready to jump inside at the first hint of danger.

  I'm guessing she was around my age. Her hair was dark and cut very short. The flowered dress went below her knees and she wore gray socks and brown shoes that looked like something a guy would wear… a guy from another time. She had on an old blue sweater that was open in front and at least two sizes too big for her. Seeing her up close like this, wearing such old-fashioned clothes, made me understand what was happening.

  "Wait, you didn't live here when my grandfather did. In the Light, I mean."

  She didn't react.

  "I'm guessing you lived here a long time before that. Is this what the place looked like when you were alive? I mean, is this your vision in the Black?"

  She nodded.

  "Yeah!" I exclaimed, and punched the air in victory. The girl frowned and inched away from me.

  "Sorry, sorry. Didn't mean to go off like that. I'm totally normal. Usually."

  She stopped moving, though she looked ready to bolt at the next sign of lunacy.

  "I'm scaring you and I don't mean to," I said. "I'm just as scared as you are. No, I take that back, you look pretty scared. I hope it's not about me because I'm not a scary guy. At least I don't think I am."

  She gave me another small smile. That was progress. "Can you talk?" I asked. "I mean, are you able to speak? I'd love to know your name."

  I was afraid that she was actually mute and our whole conversation would have to be about yes and no.

  Finally, in a voice that was so soft I could barely hear it above the wind, she whispered, "Maggie."

  "Maggie!" I exclaimed, making her jump again. Bad move. "Whoa, sorry. Maggie. Great name. Good to meet you. Sort of. This isn't the kind of place that it's good to meet anybody, right? I mean, we'd all just as soon not be here."

  I was talking too fast. She looked confused.

  "Sorry, my mouth's outpacing my brain. So… who are you? If you lived in the Light a long time before my gramps, then you've been here in the Black for a while. Why is it taking you so long to move on?"

  She scowled and ran back into the house.

  "No, wait!"

  Too late. I had just asked her the all-time worst question possible. You don't meet somebody and immediately ask about what's wrong with them. Idiot.

  "Maggie! Wait, I'm sorry! I'm a dope. Really. Everybody thinks so. I won't ask you any more stupid questions. I promise."

  She peeked back out the door with those big, frightened eyes. It looked like she was on the verge of tears and I felt horrible about it. She looked so vulnerable and, yes, I'll say it, pretty.

  "I'm sorry. This is all new to me. I'm very confused and I was hoping you could help me out a little. Can I come up and sit on the porch?"

  She hesitated a second, then nodded.

  "Great. Thanks."

  There was an old wicker couch like Gramps' near the door. I climbed the stairs onto the porch and walked to the far end, where I sat down, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible.

  The screen door squeaked open slowly and Maggie poked her head out.

  "I won't move," I said, crossing my heart with my finger. "Promise."

  She slipped out the door and slid down onto the far end of the couch, crushing her folded hands between her knees. The girl was fragile, but she wasn't weak. I knew that much from what she had done for me.

  "I'd like to know why you pulled me out of that fight," I said. "Has Damon been bothering you too?"

  She shook her head.

  "Do you know Damon?"

  She shook her head again. This seemed strange, but maybe not. From what I knew of the Black, billions of spirits passed through. There was no way that everybody could know everybody.

  "But you pulled me out of that fight," I said. "How come?" She glanced over to my grandfather's house. That was the connection.

  "So after I saw you before, when I was with Gramps, you started to watch me?" I asked.

  She shrugged and I saw her face flush red with embarrassment. It was as simple as that. She saw me and was curious. It wasn't the first time that had happened to me with a girl. Just sayin'.

  "Well, thank you," I said.

  She smiled. She had a sweet smile.

  "But I could have taken that weasel," I added.

  She frowned. She didn't agree and that was okay. The important thing was that I had made a friend, or at least I thought I had. As long as I didn't say the wrong thing and send her running off like a scared rabbit again, we'd be cool.

  "I'm only beginning to learn about how things work in the Black," I said. "But I'm already in Trouble Town. That guy? Damon? He's not like the rest of the spirits here. At least that's what he tells me. He threatened to hurt my best friend who's still living in the Light."

  Maggie looked at me and her expression turned dark.

  I paused, debating about whether or not to keep going. I took the chance and said, "He'd do it, too. I'm here because Damon killed me."

  Maggie winced, like the news physically hurt her.

  "He went into t
he Light and somehow manipulated things that led to my getting killed. Nice guy, huh?"

  "Why?" Maggie asked.

  "Because he wants me to help him find something that belonged to him in life. Something called a poleax. It's still in the Light and he wants my friend Marsh and me to get it for him."

  "Why does he want this… poleax?"

  I laughed. I couldn't help it.

  "Why is that funny?" she asked, hurt.

  "It isn't. I'm just glad you're talking."

  She blushed.

  I continued, "He says he's stuck here in the Black and that weapon will somehow help him get out. Does that make sense to you?"

  Maggie shook her head.

  "Great," I said with frustration. "If you don't know how things work around here, then I don't stand a chance."

  "So you don't want to help Damon?" she asked.

  "No!" I shouted, a bit too loud, because it made her jump. "The guy killed me! I'd rather wring his neck. But what can I do? I don't want him hurting Marsh."

  "Then you will help him?"

  "I don't know," I said with exasperation. "I don't know anything. What I'd like to do is warn Marsh that he's in trouble, but I can't even do that."

  She looked to the ground, lost in thought. I saw her lips twitch, like a nervous tick. This was a troubled girl and I wasn't making things any easier for her.

  "Maybe you can," she finally said.

  I sat bolt upright.

  "Seriously? How? Damon said he was the only one who knew how to influence things in the Light."

  "Some are better than others," she said. "But we all have the gift."

  My heart starting beating faster. "You're saying I can talk to Marsh? I can warn him about Damon?"

  "Maybe," was her maddening answer.

  "Have you ever done it? I mean, communicate with people in the Light?"

  Maggie scowled, as if she wasn't sure if she should answer. "Have you?" I asked again.

  She nodded, reluctantly.

  "That's great! Will you help me warn Marsh? Whoa, wait. We're talking about voices from beyond the grave. That'll freak him out."

  "It won't be a voice," she said. "He may only sense a presence."

  "No," I countered. "It's possible to do more than that. Damon whispered in his ear and Marsh heard it."