When the door opened wide, a man in his early thirties with brown skin, straight black hair, a week’s worth of black whiskers and facial features that screamed ‘India’ looked at the four at the door.
“May I help you four?” he finally asked, with a slight southern accent.
“Are you Cole Middleton?” Ellen asked.
“I’m guessing that you four are here because of my ad; however…” Cole was only able to get out.
“We’re not here about any ads, Mr. Middleton,” Ellen interrupted. “We’re here in Andie’s behalf.”
“Andie who?” Cole asked.
“Your niece Andie,” Ellen replied.
Cole expression became serious before asking, “What about her?”
“We met her yesterday, and we learned that she’s on medication when I know for a fact that she shouldn’t be,” Ellen said.
Cole took a breath before asking, “What do you know for a fact?”
“I own some diaries of my ancestors, and I knew before meeting Andie that there was a spirit attached to them,” Ellen began. “I thought that the spirit was my great-grandmother—she had owned the diaries before me, but after meeting Andie, I know that the spirit is Eleanor Thorne. And Eleanor Thorne is my ancestor who had lived in the 1400s.” Cole slightly nodded in acknowledgement. “Anyway, my point is, Andie is on medication for her delusions of seeing spirits, and I know for a fact that she can see spirits. She is a medium and she shouldn’t be on that medication.”
Cole took a breath before prompting, “You and your friends would be?”
“I’m Ellen,” she began before pointing out the others. “They’re Jessica, Karla and Everett.”
“Ellen… Jessica, Karla and Everett, what you four had learned about my niece last night, I had learned ten years ago,” Cole said.
“So you know that Andie is able to see ghosts?” Karla questioned.
“I know,” Cole began. “It’s my sister who refuses to see the truth.”
“And you’re allowing Andie to be medicated when you know for a fact that she shouldn’t be?” Ellen demanded to know.
“When it comes to Andie, I have no input whatsoever,” Cole said. “My sister had made that clear when she took a restraining order out on me. I’m not allowed twenty feet of Andie until she reaches her eighteenth birthday. I’m sorry, Ellen, I can’t help you or Andie. In fact, the only thing that can help Andie is if Andie suddenly stops seeing ghosts. So perhaps you four can create a charm that can prevent Andie from seeing them.”
“Excuse me?!” Ellen demanded.
“I don’t see ghosts, but I can hear them,” Cole began. “In fact, Mary, the woman who had this house before me, had actually died here. Mary’s spirit has never moved on, and she is currently screaming witches in my ear. Mary has never lied to me either, so I’m assuming that at least two of you are witches… good witches I might add since you four are here on Andie’s behalf.”
“Mary might not lie to you, but she can be wrong, and in this case she is very wrong,” Jessica rattled out before Ellen could respond.
Cole grinned before saying, “You four wouldn’t tell me differently anyway, and regardless, I would love to help Andie, but I can’t.” Cole then gestured behind him. “Anyway, I have a student at the piano. So I need to get back in there.”
Before Cole could step away from the door, Ellen continued with, “You can hear ghosts and Andie can see and hear them, so apparently the ability to communicate with ghosts runs in your family.”
“Insanity is what runs in our family, Ellen,” Cole said. “At least that’s the official… diagnosis. My mom had hung herself when I was nine months old because she was tired of the voices. Each of her siblings is on some kind of medication for having psychosis. My mom’s dad was institutionalized from a court order when I was ten. He’s still alive and is kept so drugged up that he can’t distinguish reality from his dreams, and his dad had also killed himself to get away from the voices.”
“Your family members have certainly been… misunderstood and crucified for their ability over the generations,” Ellen commented.
“They have,” Cole agreed. “In any case, you four have a good day.”
“Good day,” Everett, Jessica and Karla echoed.
With a troubled expression on her face, Ellen thought for a moment before taking a breath and sighing. “Good day.”
Cole nodded with a slight grin before backing up and closing the door.
“So what now?” Everett asked as the four casually walked away from the front door.
“I want to do what Cole had suggested,” Ellen began. “I want to create a charm for Andie that will prevent her from seeing and hearing ghosts.” When Everett sighed, she told him, “I want to help Andie.”
“I know you do,” Everett agreed. “Do you know anything about creating charms though?”
“No,” Ellen confessed, “but Sadie might, so I’m going to ask her… and the others to help.”
“And if they can’t help?” Everett asked.
“Then I’ll try to come up with another way to help Andie,” Ellen replied.
“You’re not going to give up until all the avenues have been investigated, are you?” Everett questioned.
Ellen grinned while shaking her head. Everett just sighed. Ellen’s grin turned into an amused one as she took and held Everett’s hand.
In the living room at the house, Blaire, Devon and Trevor were sitting on the couch. Harris and Allyson were sitting on the love seat while Sadie was sitting in the armchair. Sonya was sleeping in her playpen and the stereo was turned down to a very low setting. The two dining room chairs were left in the living room and sat empty.
The group was having a conversation about Sally Harman, but when they heard the front door opening, the topic was dropped.
“I expected them to be gone longer than this,” Blaire said as she glanced at her watch.
When Ellen and the others entered the living room, Allyson told them, “You four are back sooner than I expected.” Ellen was noticing that Sonya was sleeping in her playpen as Allyson continued with, “Were you four able to speak with him?”
“We spoke to him and he knew already,” Ellen said. “However, he was ordered by the courts not to go near Andie.”
“So does that mean you’re giving up on this?” Allyson questioned.
Ellen shook her head while saying, “I have another plan.”
“I’m scared to ask, but I have to ask this anyway,” Allyson began. “What’s your plan?”
“Cole had suggested that we should create a charm that would….” Ellen was only able to get out.
“You told him about us?” Devon quickly demanded to know.
“I didn’t,” Ellen assured him, “but apparently there’s a ghost residing in that house that he can only hear, and that ghost had informed on us as being witches…”
“I quickly denied that we were witches before Ellen could confirm it,” Jessica interrupted.
“What makes you think that I was going to confirm it?” Ellen quickly questioned. “I may not have.”
“You have a habit of confessing,