Peyton

I borrow the character, Peyton from the novel I am currently writing. She has the ability to talk with and help the deceased.





Amber

1/18/09

         Amber didn’t realize that she was dead. It was early morning and she was standing in her room. How puzzling, she thought. She had just awakened and her bed was made. She certainly didn’t do it.

         Amber turned and looked in her mirror. How strange, she thought. I don’t seem to be completely here. She could see a faint outline of her face and body, but she could not make out her features. What is going on here? She looked down and saw that she was fully dressed in jeans, sweatshirt, and tennis shoes. She couldn’t understand why she was dressed if she just woke up.

         Amber walked downstairs and saw her mother at the stove frying bacon and eggs and her father and brother sat at the table waiting. She walked into the kitchen, leaned over and kissed her father and told Buddy to get out of her chair. Well, I don’t expect a tickertape parade, but someone could at least say good morning.

         Amber walked over to her mother and put her arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek and said, "Good morning, mom." Grace’s hand flew to her cheek where Amber had just kissed her, but she neither turned or spoke. She continued turning the bacon.

         

         I wonder why I can’t smell the bacon, she wondered. She loved bacon and she just didn’t feel hungry. Did I do something wrong? she thought. Everyone seems to be pretending I’m not even here.

         Well, if my family won’t talk to me, I’ll call Joe. Amber walked over to pick up the phone. When she reached down to pick up the phone, her hand just went right through it. She couldn’t pick it up. How strange! What is happening to me?

          Amber went back to the kitchen to confront her family. This nonsense had gone on long enough. She reached out to pull out a chair to set on and, again, her hand seemed to go right through it. She realized she could sit without pulling out the chair, so she did. She was starting to panic. She sat there watching as her mother carried two plates and put them down in front of her father and Buddy. George laid down the morning paper and said, “Thanks Grace, it looks good.” Grace walked back to the stove and picked up a single plate and sat down to eat.

         This is just too much! They won’t talk to me and now they won’t even feed me. "Mom, where’s my plate?" she asked. Now she was getting angry. She jumped up and headed towards the back door. She knew if she slammed the door, she would get attention. That always made her Dad mad. She stormed to the door and reached out to open it. "Oh shit," she declared. I can’t slam the door if I can’t even open it. Now she was getting frightened. What is happening to me? She walked through the door and looked around the yard. It was summer and all of her mother’s flowers were blooming. She could swear that it was November when she went to sleep last night. There had been snow on the ground. How could it go from Winter to Summer overnight?

         I know, said Amber, I’m dreaming. I’m still asleep. I’ll go back to bed and whenever I get up, everything will be right again. Amber was smiling as she ran up the stairs to her room. She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes. She had no idea how long she laid there, but she could not  go to sleep. Maybe I need some sleeping pills. Amber got up and went into the bathroom. Again, her hand went right through the medicine cabinet when she reached out to open it. She couldn’t pick up the sleeping pills. I know, she thought,

someone must have slipped me some bad LSD. When I find out who did this, they’re in trouble. She tried to remember when was the last time she had gone to a party. Her mind was blank.

         I’ll bet it was Taylor. She is so jealous of me. She has been trying so hard to take Joe away from me and he won’t give her the time of day. She looked into the mirror and her features were starting to look a little more distinct. "Thank God!" she said. "At least I can see my pretty blonde hair. I still can’t make out my face. Something really weird is going on. Maybe I should go see Joe. He only lives a block away." She started back down the stairs and it sounded like someone was weeping. As she walked closer to the door, she could tell it was her mother crying. She walked up to the door and stood there listening. Amber could hear her father’s voice using a comforting tone. She must get closer, she decided and once more she walked through the door. Neither of them looked up. They didn’t realize she was there. She stood there and watched as her father laid both of his hands on her mother’s shoulders and told her it was OK to cry. Her shoulders shook as the tears flowed more freely.

         “I just can’t believe she’s gone.” she sobbed.

         “I know” said George. “I can’t believe it either, but it’s been six months and we haven’t heard a thing.”

         “We have to find her,” said Grace. “I can’t go on not knowing what happened to her and where she is.” She sobbed even harder as George sat down on the edge of the bed and held her.

         ‘We must stay strong for Buddy,” he said. Grace nodded and wiped her eyes.

“I know, but it’s so hard. I almost felt her in the kitchen this morning. I had the strangest feeling that she kissed me on the left cheek like she always did,” and again she raised her hand to her cheek.

         Amber stood there in astonishment. They’re talking about me! They really don’t know I’m here. What can I do? What happened to me? I must find out for myself and my parents. She walked over and put her arms around her father and cried. He stood there very still for a minute, then she felt a hard shudder travel through his whole body.

         I’ll go see Joe. Maybe I can find out something from him. She thought about Joe, and suddenly she was standing behind him in his bedroom. He had pictures of her all over his room and a poem taped to his mirror.



Amber, I miss you

I look every day

You know how I love you

How much, I can’t say



Life must go on

But it’s no longer fun

I pray you’ll come home soon

And my grieving will be done.

         

                Amber felt like crying, but the tears wouldn’t come. He’s grieving for me too, and I must find out what happened.

         Joe, please see me, please talk to me! But it was no use. She stood there and watched as he sat down at his computer and started typing a message to a friend. She watched over his shoulder as he sent the message to Andrew. He had always been Joe’s best friend. It said, I’m going out searching again this weekend. Can you go with me?

         A minute later an email came back saying, "We’ve searched everywhere. She’s gone, man."

         "No, I won’t accept that. She’s out there somewhere and I’ll search until I find her."

         He got up and walked out the door and Amber was crying, Please don’t go. Stay and talk to me. But he kept going.

         I just don’t understand. Why am I here? Why does everyone talk like I’m missing? I’m right here! Why can’t I remember?

         Amber thought about home and she was back in her room. I must figure this out. I must be dead, she decided. Why can’t I remember anything? How did I die?

         Like a light bulb coming on in her brain, she had an idea. I remember when Peyton came out of her coma after a year. There were rumors flying everywhere that she could see and talk to the dead. She didn’t know if it was true, but she was about to find out.

         As soon as Amber thought about Peyton, she was standing in her room. Peyton was setting at her computer and had her back to Amber. Amber and Peyton had been in the same grade in school, but they were just acquaintances.

         “Peyton,” she said. Peyton turned around. “Who’s there,” she asked. She looked straight at Amber. She does see me, she thought, and she can hear me too.

         Peyton stood up. “You’re Amber Grant,” she said in shock. "Everyone has been looking for you for the last six months. Where have you been?"

         "Thank God," sighed Amber. “No one else can see or hear me. I don’t know what to do. Can you help me?“

         “I’m not sure” answered Peyton. “This is still pretty new to me also. I’ll do everything I can. Do you have any idea what happened to you?”

         “Not a clue,” answered Amber. “I assume I’m dead and you seem to be only one that can see or hear me. Do you know how long I’ve been dead?”

         “Not really. I know that you went missing after attending a party at a classmate’s home. Everyone has been looking for you ever since. It was around six months ago. Everyone at the party has been questioned over and over and no one seems to know anything. Everybody says you just walked out by yourself and were never heard from again. The search is still going on and your parents posted a $50,000 reward for any information that helps to find you. I know your parents are devastated, and so is your boyfriend. They will never give up. There have been hundreds of tips called in, but none of them has helped.”

         “It was reported that you and Joe had a heated argument right before you left, but everyone says that Joe never left the party. He has been out searching for you ever since,” Peyton told her.

                "Yeah, we did. I don't even remember what it was about. I'm sure it wasn't anything important."

                “Maybe if I hang around awhile, you will see something that might help find me.”

         “I’ll do everything I can” agreed Peyton. It had only been ten months since Peyton had come out of her coma with the realization that everything had changed for her. Her father had told her about her new abilities and was trying to teach her how to master them.

         Amber agreed to stay. She didn’t have anywhere else to go!

         Peyton sat down on the bed and asked Amber what she did remember about the night of the party.

         “Not much,“ she replied.

         “Do you remember leaving the party?”

         “No,” she answered.

         “Then you tell me exactly what you do remember.”

         Amber thought about it for a minute, and said. “I remember dancing with Joe. When we sat down, Taylor came and asked Joe to dance. He looked at me and shrugged and I told him to go ahead. I needed to get something to drink. Taylor was always chasing him, and he tried to stay away from her. While Joe and Taylor were dancing, a boy named Pete came over with a glass of punch. I thanked him and drank it, and that’s all I remember.”

         “Do you know Pete’s last name?’

         “No, I just know he was a friend of Taylor’s. Someone must have slipped something in my drink.“

         Peyton was at a disadvantage. She had really not learned how to use her gift and had no credibility. She had called the police anonymously and given them a few tips that had helped, but would not tell them who she was or stay on the phone long enough to be traced. They were begging her to call and tell them who she is and how she got the information. She was afraid. If she just had a contact in the police Department, that she could talk to and remain anonymous, she would go for it. She  had called an officer named Lucas a couple of times and given him correct information. Peyton would go to a payphone across town and call again. She would write down what she wanted to say so she could get off the phone quickly. The press had given her the name Windigo. She was unknown and unseen. After she had made her notes, Amber tagged along as she drove across town. She dialed the number and as soon as someone answered, she identified herself as Windigo and said she needed to speak with Lucas. She would call back in exactly five minutes and she needed Lucas to answer the phone. She knew they would try to put her on hold and run a trace. She wouldn’t stay on the phone long enough for that.

         This time Lucas answered. “What have you got?” he asked. Peyton quickly told him that she had information about Amber Grant's disappearance. "You need to check on a boy named Pete Jackson. He may have slipped something in Amber’s drink at the party she disappeared from," and she quickly hung up the phone before he could say anything.

         “Damn”, he said. "It was Windigo and I couldn’t keep her on the phone for a second. We have to find that girl,” he told Sam. “How is she getting this information?”

         Lucas pulled the file for Amber Grant and looked for the name Pete Johnson.. They had questioned him a couple of times and got nothing.

         “I remember him,” said Sam. “I had the feeling at the time that he was holding something back.” He read over the report and looked for anything they could use as a excuse to haul him back in for questioning.

         “Here” said Sam, as she looked over the report. “He said he stayed for the whole party. I think I remember someone saying that Pete left early.” She sat down with the file and read over all the reports. “Here it is,” she said. "It looks like someone called in an anonymous tip.It doesn't look like anyone ever followed up on it. That's strange."

         "A friend of Amber’s, Sarah McKinney, says she remembers seeing Pete and Taylor leave shortly after Amber did. They did not come back in until the party was breaking up. How did we miss that?”

                "I don't know, except for the fact that Tayler's old man is the Mayor. Maybe someone made sure that no one knew. They may have buried the file, then put it back after what seemed to be a safe length of time."



         “We need to get Pete and Taylor in here for more questioning and see if we can persuade them to take a polygraph.

         Sam and Lucas went out and picked up both Pete and Taylor. They put them in two different rooms, but they each knew the other was there. They hoped it would make them nervous. They let them stew awhile.

         Sam went in to question Pete. She turned on the recorder, then she asked him if he would be willing to take a polygraph.

         “Why should I?” he asked.

         “We found a discrepancy in your statement and we need to clear it up. If you haven’t done anything, then why don’t you just take a polygraph and prove it.”

         Pete was squirming in his seat, “What’s she doing in here?” he asked.

         “Who?” Sam asked.

         “Taylor” he said. “Why is she here?”

         “She had the same discrepancy you did.” she replied.

         Sam could see his face turn white.

         We’ve got him, she thought. It’s just a matter of wearing him down.

         They questioned them for four straight hours and kept asking about the polygraph. Taylor was a tough cookie, but Pete was started to crumble. Lucas left them to squirm awhile and they left to get some dinner. Sam and Lucas went to Al’s Bar & Grill and took a corner booth. Al walked over with their usual pitcher of beer and they both ordered a Turkey Club and started discussing the interrogation. This was the first plausible lead that had come in, in six months and they were hopeful.

         “Pete’s about to cave” said Sam. “I don’t think he was the ring leader. I think he was trying to impress Taylor.'

         “I think you’re right,” said Lucas. “That Taylor is going to be hard to break. She’s not giving an inch.”

         “I think our best chance is to convince Pete that we think it was Taylor’s idea, but it’s all going to come down on his shoulders if he doesn’t give Taylor up. We need to convince him that she is starting to talk and the first one to give us any information might get a plea deal. The other one might get the death penalty. I know he’s about ready to spill it all.”

         When they got back, Lucas and Sam both went in to see Pete. They told him about the possibility of a plea deal, but if Taylor talked first, he would probably be facing the death penalty. They could see him just starting to shrink. Just as he was getting ready to talk, an officer came to the door and said “Lucas, you have an important phone call that you need to take right now.”

         “Hold on till I get back,” he told Sam.

         “Do you think they’ll nail them?” Amber asked.

         “I hope so” answered Peyton. “They will have to lead the police to your body to give your parents some closure. They are really hurting but it will help them to find out what happened. “Have you remembered anything at all?” asked Peyton.

         Amber sat and thought about it. "I don’t think it’s far from Taylor’s house. I can feel myself being carried by two people. I must be unconscious or dead. I don’t feel any pain."

         “Hold out your hand” said Peyton. Amber held out her hand. Peyton reached out to her and laid her hand over Amber’s. She closed her eyes.

         “Concentrate” she said. “Maybe I can picture where you are.” They sat there in silence for awhile and a picture started to form in Peyton’s mind. She could see Pete and Taylor carrying Amber’s body down a small incline. It was a small hollow. Peyton studied it. It looked so familiar. She looked around. It was just off County Road 713. She saw a familiar looking barn.

         “I know where it is,” she squealed with excitement. She tried to give Amber a hug, but there was nothing solid to hug. “You know where that hollow is where people are always dumping trash, tires and broken appliances?”

         “Yes” said Amber. “It’s right next to Taylor’s family farm, the big Jefferson farm.”

         “They took you there and covered your body with trash, then they piled a bunch of old tires over you so you wouldn’t be found.” Peyton ran for her car. “I have to call Lucas again, right away.” They drove a few blocks to a pay phone and Peyton dialed the police again. As soon as the phone was answered, she said, “I need to talk to Lucas. I’ll call back in five minutes.” and hung up. When she called back, Lucas grabbed up the phone and said, “talk to me.”

         “You can find Amber Grant’s body in a small hollow, covered with trash and old tires in  the Jefferson hollow off County Road 713. It’s just outside the Jefferson Farm, Pete and Taylor put her there.”

         “Don’t hang up” shouted Lucas. “I need to talk to you..”

It was too late. She was gone.

         “Lost her again,” he complained. “Go tell Pete and Taylor that we’re just leaving to collect Amber’s body and when we get back, the plea agreement will be off the table.”

         Sam went in to see Taylor. “It’s all over,” she said. “We’re  just leaving to pick up Amber’s body.“ Taylor looked shocked. “I want a lawyer,“ she insisted. “I’ll have someone bring you a phone,“ Sam said as

she walked out the door.

         “I don’t have any money.” Taylor said.

         “Then we’ll have one appointed to you.” Sam said as she left the room.

         



         Sam hurried out to catch Lucas and they took off with lights and sirens blaring, followed by three more cars. Sam put in a call to the Coroner and told him to be ready. They were going after Amber’s body. He said, “Tell me where it is and I’ll be right behind you.”

         The cars pulled to the side of the road, next to the hollow.

         “Look,” said Sam. “There’s a piece of cloth hanging on the barb wire. She went and collected it while Lucas took out his wire cutters and cut the top two strands of barb wire. As he stepped over, he told everyone to follow single file and be careful where they stepped. He didn’t want them destroying any evidence. They walked slowly down the incline and looked around. He spotted a stack of old tires and told the officers to start carefully removing them and watch for evidence. The officers moved the tires one at a time and when they got to the bottom of the pile, they could see a leg bone sticking out from under a piece of cardboard. Sam told everyone to stand back while she took pictures.  The coroner was walking down the hill. “How on earth did you find her?”

         Lucas smiled and said, “the wind told me.” The coroner looked puzzled as he walked on down to view the body. The whole area was roped off as a crime scene and the Coroner removed the last of the debris from Amber’s skeleton.

         Back in town, Amber was elated. She heard a police car drive up and an officer walked up to their door. She watched as her parents received the bad news. Her mother fainted and George put her on the couch. Buddy was crying.

         “Do you know who is responsible?” he asked.

         “Not for sure,” Lucas told him but we have two suspects in custody. As soon as we know anything for sure, we’ll let you know.”

         “Thank you,” said Mr. Grant. “Now at least we can lay her to rest,” he said as the tears streamed down his face.

         I want to comfort them so badly, but I can’t, she thought. “I know it’s time for me to leave. There is the most brilliant light calling to me. Peyton, thank you so much for helping me and my family.” Amber kissed each one on the cheek and disappeared into the light.

         The next morning, it was all over the news. Two teenagers had been charged with the death of Amber Grant. Her body had been recovered, and after an autopsy, her body would be released to her parents for burial.

         After that, was a plea for Windigo to please make her identity known. All of her information had been correct and the police would really like to talk with her. Peyton read it and grinned. Only her best friend, Sarah knew her identity, and she preferred to keep it that way for now.



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