Blue Stone

My restless night is making my classes seem to drag on forever today. At least my stomach is behaving. That’s odd Micah’s not here today. He is probably out stealing someone’s lunch money.

However, Jim is coming this evening and I’m excited to get my computer up and running. The drive home seemed longer today. Then, again it’s probably got more to do with the trunk I found last night or excitement over Jim, take your pick.

For once no one was waiting on me when I got home, but there was only an hour till Jim would be here. Hmmm, I need to go to the store. Maybe I can just order a pizza for tonight.

There’s the doorbell. “You’re early” I called opening the door. “I didn’t know you were expecting me” came from the other side as it opened.

“Kayne!” I exclaimed. “Sorry my cousin is coming to help me with some problems, and I thought it was him.” Giving more of an explanation than necessary. It was hard to respond correctly with this sudden pain in my stomach.

“Oh, well I went hunting and bagged more than we can eat, so I thought you might like it.” He wore the look of a small boy that picked flowers out of his mother’s garden to give to her.

“You can put it in the freezer. Thanks for thinking of me.” pulling him through the door. Come in.” He followed me to the kitchen.

“Wow, this place is coming together.” He said with amazement.

“Well, I haven’t been sleeping well. So, I just started going room by room trying to sort through what’s left of my Grandma’s stuff. I’ve found piles of pictures, recipes, letters, and weird candles. Most of it just creates more questions especially when Roxie is being so cryptic.” A shiver went down my spine when I said that. “Sometimes I feel like she’s afraid I am either getting to close or already know something she doesn’t want me to know.” He stepped forward and started to hug me and then just stopped, and awkwardly stepped back. That was weird.

“Oh! I knew there was something I wanted to ask you about, two actually. Can you bring up a trunk I found in the basement and did you know Ceana Jüng was going to marry a Gannon? Maybe we’re long lost cousins or something.” I hope not.

“Sure, I’ll get the trunk for you.” He said with a big grin and flexing his muscles. “Who is Ceana Jüng?” He said confused as we started down the stairs.

“My great-grandma, I’m hoping what’s in the trunk will answer some of my questions.” We made our way to the basement, and as we walked in the trunk came into view. All of a sudden Kayne’s eyes went dark and cold. He stood so still he could’ve been a statue. “Hey, you okay” reaching for his shoulder.

“I have to go; maybe your cousin can help you.” Then, he ran out the back.

I could hear a different vehicle in the front and the doorbell rang as I got to the kitchen. This time it was Jim. “Hey, long time no see” joking, trying to shove Kayne’s reaction to the trunk into the back of my mind.

“Well, let me take a look in the basement so I can see what needs done.” Jim started for the stairs. We both clomped down the stairs in relative silence. “Hmmm.” He said poking at the fuse box and wiggling wires. “This isn’t as bad as I thought. The only thing fried is the line to the barn and that’s easily fixed.” He smiled leaving me reassured. “I will come by tomorrow and get it rewired, but I’ll help you set up your computer tonight.” He was giddy with excitement over that.

“Cool, can you bring up that trunk? It’s too heavy for me.”

“Sure. I can’t believe you found Great-grandma’s trunk. There have been a lot folks looking for that.” He had that funny look Roxie gets like he’s afraid to tell me more.

“I thought Ceana Jüng never got married? Wasn’t her last name Adkins?”

“She didn’t, but she was engaged to a Sean Gannon.” Jim explained as we went back upstairs.

“What happened to them?” My curiosity peaked.

“Well, all I know is he was found dead in the meadow where the Gannon house is.” He paused for a second and then changed the subject. “Well let’s get to the computer.” I guess the subject is closed.

“Do you mind pizza? I didn’t get a chance to cook anything?”

“Sounds good, Angels has the best.” He suggested.

“Okay, I’ll call them.” He looked at me funny. “I didn’t think you had a phone line in here yet?”

“I don’t, but I do have a cell phone. You don’t think I could go this long without any connection to the outside world do you?” I put my hand over my chest trying to look appalled.

“You have quite a set up. I had no idea you were so tech savvy.” Jim said.

“I’m just full of surprises.

“Yes. Let’s see how the TV looks.” He definitely has a Y chromosome. He found a football game.

“That must be the pizza.” I said heading for the door. “How did you do that?” He looked freaked out.

“Do what?”

“Well, you knew the pizza was here before I could even hear the motor of the truck.” He just stared at me like I was from another planet.

“I don’t know, maybe better hearing. You are getting close to thirty; old age will do that to you.” He threw a pillow at me.

We ate pizza and he made me watch football till it got dark. “Well, time to head over the mountain I have to get up early to get the wiring done in one day.” He got up and stretched on his way out the door.

“Don’t be a stranger. It’s nice having some family around. We will have the cook out on Halloween. It’s going to take that long to get things in shape. I hope you come.”

With nothing to distract me I wanted to dig into the trunk, but I need a good night’s rest. There’s a big test tomorrow. So, I started locking up and turning lights off when I saw about five people in black hooded cloaks pacing around the house shaking something on the ground and chanting. It freaked me out so I called Roxie. She just laughed and said, “It’s just some folks concerned for your safety since you like hanging around those boys. This will keep their bad spirits from infecting you.”

Of course this just made me livid, “Roxie I told you it’s no one’s business who I have here but mine. It’s wrong the way you people treat outsiders here. It’s no wonder you don’t get anyone new moving in. You people treat us new comers like we have the plague or something.” Slammed my phone shut, and I ran out the door with a shotgun firing a shot and shouting threats. “You people get out of here, you lack business here. If catch any of you sneaking around my house again, you’ll be leaving in an ambulance.” I went to get the water hose and washed the funny powder away from the house. They were gone by the time the hose was wrapped on its hanger. I went inside, got ready for bed, and slept with the gun. Those people are unnerving.

The events just before I went to sleep didn’t help the dreams any.

It was the same as before, the house, a woman, and a man, but this time the man was on the ground and the woman was being drug into the woods by three cloaked figures. The cloaks were just like the one’s those people were wearing here tonight. When I looked back at where the man was all that was left were smoldering ashes. Thank goodness for my alarm I didn’t want to see any more of this.