The Forgotten Spell (Legends of Green Isle Book 1) Page 6

  Caitlin opened her mouth and then shut it quickly, like a gulping fish.

  Matt wondered if he should tell them about his and Toby’s experience. After a Moment, he said quietly, “Toby and I both heard singing yesterday coming from the garden when we first arrived. It was words I’ve never heard before, kinda like a foreign language.”

  “Yeah, and that big door opened all by itself and no one was there,” Toby said, pushing his way to the center of the circle.

  “See, it's not just our imagination,” George confirmed with a nod.

  “You don’t think your parents would allow you guys to visit?” Matt asked. “Maybe with all of us there, we could figure out what’s going on in that garden.”

  Miranda spoke up quickly before the others could answer. “I don’t think that’s possible and all, sorry. Because of the strange voices people heard in that garden, ya know, especially when no one was living up there. Plus there’s the disappearance of the twins. Our parents wouldn’t allow us to even put a toe on that property. But...I guess it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” She stood with her hand on her hip looking at Matt in a weird sort of way.

  “Gee whiz, they should just go ahead and tear down that garden wall and mow over all the ivy and bushes, and get rid of it.” Thomas snorted. “Then they wouldn’t have to worry about hearin’ strange voices or missin’ kids.”

  “Yep, they should,” Miranda nodded in agreement, “but that ole place has been here longer than this town. It has some kind of historic value to it and all. The town government isn’t going to let anyone tear it down.” She smiled at Matt. “Besides, I think it’s kind of neat and all, havin’ a little mystery in our part of the woods. Don’t ya agree, Matt?”

  Matt liked the way she said his name. His stomach felt like it was doing flip-flops. It took him a minute before he could answer. “Yeah...yeah, it’s nice,” he stammered.

  “I think somebody’s in love,” Ned observed as he elbowed his brother. The boys snickered behind their hands.

  It took a Moment before Matt realized they were laughing about him. “I don’t know what you mean,” he exclaimed angrily. “Come on Toby; let’s get back to the house.” He pulled on his brother’s shirt, hurrying away, embarrassed.

  “Hey! Meet up with me tomorrow. I’ll give you a tour of the town,” Miranda called to Matt. “I’ll wait at your gate in the morning. Don’t be late, ya hear. Nine o’clock sharp.” She waved before turning to catch up with her cousins, who were already headed back towards the little frame houses.

  “Okay. See you tomorrow.” His stomach did another flip-flop as he thought about her smile and wondered why he felt so lightheaded all of the sudden. Sighing, he looked down the dusty road towards the front gate of the Manor. Tomorrow wouldn’t come soon enough.

  Chapter Three

  The boys were quiet as they ambled up the dirt road towards their new home. The conversation with the kids from town had intrigued Matt. He jumped when he felt Toby’s hand slip into his. The talk of ghosts had made him skittish.

  “I was right. I told ya it was haunted,” Toby stated proudly.

  “Aren’t you afraid this ghost may get you, Squirt?” Matt held Toby’s hand tighter.

  “Nah.” Toby tilted his head up at Matt. “I got you. You’re my big brother and you’ll protect me from that ghost, right?”

  “Yep, that’s right. Don’t you worry, though. I think it’s all a bunch of wash. It’s just old stories. I’ll show you there’s nothing to that old house and its gardens but the wind making funny noises in the trees.” Matt didn’t tell Toby about his experience with the painting the night before.

  “It’s not the wind. Somebody lives out in that garden.”

  “Still, it could be just our imagination. Maybe we even dreamed it, don’t you think? We should look around more before saying it’s a ghost.” Matt hoped his words sounded convincing.

  “Okey dokey. Whatever ya say.” Toby let go of Matt’s hand and shrugged. “I still think there’s somebody out there in the garden though. One with a cold and a little girl.”

  Matt shivered, remembering the picture smiling at him. Maybe there was more to Stewart Manor than anyone knew, and that picture was proof. He became concerned about Toby. He wondered if there was any connection between the voices, the painting, and the missing children. Would his brother be safe?

  “Come on, I’ll race you to the front gate,” Matt said. He wanted a distraction, something to take Toby’s mind off the garden. Playfully, he sprinted down the dusty road and then pretended to take a fall, allowing Toby to gain the lead.

  “I won! I won!” Toby cried gleefully as he touched the rusty gate.

  “You’re fast,” Matt stated as he picked Toby up and gently tossed him over his shoulder and then onto the grass, tickling him unmercifully. The boys wrestled in a mock match for a few Moments before lying on the ground, gasping.

  “Maybe we should tell Mom what those kids said about the ghost, huh?” Toby rolled over to look at his big brother.

  “No, Squirt, remember how it upset her last night when Mrs. Stacey told us about the previous manager’s kids being kidnapped? Let’s just keep this between you and me. Sorta of a brother-to-brother secret, okay?”

  “If that’s what you think.” Toby nodded, his expression showing his confusion at the request.

  “Yes, I do.” Matt yawned.

  “All righty, I’ll keep the secret.” Toby got up to pick at the flowers growing beside one of the posts of the gate, leaving Matt lying on the green carpet of trimmed grass. Enjoying the warmth of the sun, he stretched out and gazed upwards to the clouds. In seconds, he drifted off to sleep, lulled by the hum of the bees. Just as his dreams shifted into focus, Matt felt his brother shake him roughly.

  “Get up, Matt. There’s somethin’ wrong.”

  “What is it? I don’t see anything.” Matt made a face, somewhat irritated at being awakened for nothing. He scowled at his little brother.

  “It’s not to see.” Toby whispered. “Listen.”

  Matt did and heard nothing. It was dead calm, not even the whisper of wind or the buzz of the insects could be heard. The stillness of the air seemed charged with an unknown energy that caused the hairs on his arm to stand up. Toby tiptoed over to the gate and pressed his face between two posts.

  “Looky at the garden.”

  Matt joined his brother at the gate. “What is it?”

  “It looks like a small cloud in those bushes.”

  Matt saw where Toby pointed. The sight caused him to swallow hard. Engulfed in a heavy fog, dark and gray, the hedges had disappeared from view. Suddenly, a ghostly moan wailed through the trees.

  “What’s that?” Toby asked, his voice shaking. He anxiously gripped the bars, his eyes wide and fearful.

  “I don’t know,” Matt replied uneasily. He squinted towards the garden. Was this the ghostly sound the kids from town had told them about?

  “I’m not going to wait to see. I want Mom,” Toby exclaimed. “It sounded mean and hungry.” Pushing against the iron bars, he raced up the drive to the Manor.

  Matt followed close behind, his feet matching the hurried rhythm of Toby’s on the pavement ahead of him. When another ghastly moan bellowed out from within the garden, Matt stopped. Although he was afraid of what may lie behind the locked gate, he bravely moved in its direction. He wanted to know what was behind it. When he took his first steps off the edge of the drive into the bushes, another small sound mingled with the hallowed moans. It was laughter, like that of a child. He hesitated, the hairs on the back of his neck tingling, as the child began to sing in the same unknown language he heard the day before.

  Get a hold of yourself! His knees weakened. Forcing his feet forward, he pushed through the underbrush to the garden entrance. Now he stood face to face with the decaying wooden boards hiding whatever was making the ghostly sounds and the laughter. Matt studied the large padlock on the gate. It was not unlocked or opened.

  The laughte
r filtered through the bricks again, and this time it came from right behind the gate. Matt stepped backwards quickly. Maybe he wasn’t in such a hurry to know the origin of the laughter or the moans. It took no time for his feet to retrace his path through the trees. He stumbled up the stone steps to the entrance of the Manor and fumbled with the front knob, pushing against the oak planks until the heavy door moved. It thwacked against the wall with a loud thud, the collision booming through the foyer. Matt bounded up the stairs to his room. Slamming the door shut, he turned the lock and grabbed his baseball bat. He put a chair against the door. Matt sat silent for the remainder of the day. Not even the threat of punishment from his father could get him out of his room. Throughout the evening, he peered out the window to watch the gray cloud hovering above the tops of the bushes in the garden. It was only in the dark hours of the morning, when his head nodded down to his knees, that he rose to crawl into his bed, taking his bat with him.

  Before pulling the sheets over his head, he surveyed the bricked garden one last time. The moonlight lit the landscape with a subtle blue hue, and he could see that the gray cloud had dissipated. He sighed with relief. Laying his head upon his pillow, he wearily listened to the sounds of the crickets until he fell into a deep sleep. Even then, the peace he sought eluded him, his dreams filled with the images of black ravens.

  Chapter Four

  Matt emerged from his bedroom the next morning and quickly bathed before heading down to the kitchen. In his mind, he played out the possible scenarios that the day would begin with, especially the confrontation with his parents. By barricading himself in his room, he had refused to open the door, something that wasn’t acceptable in their household. Disobedience was not tolerated by his father. Gritting his teeth, he entered the kitchen and avoided his mother’s gaze.

  Matt buttered some toast and poured a glass of milk, proceeding to eat without a word. As he knew she would, because she was unable to take the silence, his mother finally mustered a small question.

  “Matt, what got into you yesterday? Why did you lock yourself in your room?”

  “I dunno,” he mumbled. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to tell her about the mysterious laughing, or the ghostly moans coming from within the locked garden, or about the painting’s movements. Would she even believe him?

  “It bothered your father extremely,” she continued. “He left this morning in a terrible mood. He thinks you’re still angry about our move. Is that why you wouldn’t open the door?” she asked as she buttered a piece of toast for Toby.

  Grabbing the bread, Toby bit into it. “Nah, he was scared ‘cause of the smoke and the loud crying,” he managed with his mouth full. “’member Mom, I told ya about it.”

  “What smoke? And who was crying?” she asked, a concerned look on her face.

  “Nothing, Mom. Squirt’s got a big imagination, that’s all. It was mist covering the garden, and he thought someone was in it. I went to the gate and checked it out. The lock was still there. It was nothing.” Matt scowled at Toby, hoping he would be quiet.

  “You didn’t go in, did you?” Her brow rose in concern.

  “No, ma’am. I told you, it was padlocked.”

  “Then who was out there howling and laughing?” Toby scrunched up his face, unwilling to accept his brother’s answer. “And who was doing all that moaning so loud and making that growling noise? Huh?”

  “It was probably an animal, that’s all.”

  “No. It wasn’t. Birds or animals don’t howl like that. It was that ghost them kids talked about yesterday.”

  “What did you boys hear? And what ghost were the kids talking about?” Matt’s mother leaned her elbows on the table, and looked directly at him. Her eyes narrowed.

  “IT WAS JUST ANIMALS, TOBY!” Matt shouted, hoping his little brother would take the hint about their secret.

  Tears welled in Toby’s eyes at the sight of Matt’s face. “Ya don’t have to be so mean,” he whimpered.

  “Don’t be such a baby,” Matt demanded gruffly.

  “You still didn’t answer my question? What ghost were the kids talking about?” His mother’s fingers tapped on the table.

  Toby jumped in before Matt could answer. “It was that ghost of the man in the painting.” He smiled broadly at his older brother, showing the bread and butter mash between his teeth.

  “What did the children say about this ghost?” their mother inquired gently, before taking a bite of her breakfast.

  “Just that some people in town think this place is haunted. The kids mentioned something about Charles Stewart’s spirit taking those kids that disappeared last year. I told them it was just tall tales and to be quiet about it, because it would scare Toby,” Matt offered, hoping his mother would not ask anything more about their conversation with the town’s kids. Glancing up at the clock on the mantle of the dining room fireplace, he noticed it was five minutes to nine. He suddenly remembered Miranda. “I gotta go Mom. I’m meeting a friend at the gate.”

  Laughing abruptly, his mother spit out her eggs in shock and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Her mood shifted at the mention of his new friend, and a smile radiated from her face.

  “You’re meeting a friend. How wonderful, dear. Toby is going down to the stables to see the horses in about an hour. Please stop by and get him then, okay? I don’t want him Wandering around the grounds by himself. He’s not familiar with this area.”

  “All right,” Matt reluctantly agreed. “If I have to.”

  “Yes, you do.”

  Not happy at the thought of babysitting his little brother, Matt sighed heavily as he made his way out the door. What if he didn’t make it back in an hour? Surely, Clarence would take Toby to his mother. Matt didn’t think that the man would likely leave his younger brother alone. He kicked at a small pebble on the floor. His mother seemed to have a knack for burdening him with Toby, especially when he was trying to spend time with his friends. Shrugging off the thought, he hurried down the driveway. He was anxious to tell Miranda about the strange things that happened yesterday and was glad when he saw her standing outside the gate as she promised. Matt grinned. He silently was glad none of the other kids were with them.

  “Hey.” He waved.

  “Hi, yourself.” She waved back.

  “I...I...I like your dress,” Matt stammered, unsure of how to start the conversation. He shook his head, inwardly kicking himself for sounding foolish.

  “Thanks.” Miranda blushed. “It’s just an old thing from last year and all.”

  Matt noticed her long blonde hair was braided down her back and a pink bow tied at the bottom. “It matches your bow.” He pointed awkwardly to the ribbon.

  Resting her hand on her hip, she grinned as he pushed on the gate, her smile beaming against her reddening cheeks. “Ya definitely know how to charm a girl, don’t ya?”

  The color washed from Matt’s face. “What?”

  “I do declare ya look as if you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’.” She laughed.

  Matt felt awkward and decided to change the subject. “I heard it yesterday,” he said bluntly. “It was just like Thomas said. Something ghostly or weird soundin’ coming out of that garden.”

  “What did it sound like?”

  “It was this loud moan,” he stated quickly. “Like a wolf howl. Toby noticed it first. He told me to listen, and I didn’t hear anything. No birds, insects, wind, nothing. And then, I saw a large gray cloud hanging above the tops of the bushes. It stayed there most of the night, which is why I have these dark circles under my eyes. I didn’t sleep a wink. Laughter...and singing...those same strange words I heard the day we arrived, and more howls. It was just creepy.”

  “You’re lucky somethin’ didn’t grab you, ya know. Now do you understand why none of us are allowed to come here?” She shook her head and whistled. “I’m glad I wasn’t there and all. I would’ve been so scared if that happened to me.”

  “If you’re frightened of the Manor, why did you come up
here today? Won’t you get into trouble for being here?” he asked.

  “I came up for you, Matt Kelly.” She giggled behind her hand. “Are ya just dumb or what? And besides, what Momma doesn’t know won’t hurt her. She thinks I’m meeting you down at the intersection, anyways.”

  Matt smiled. Too shocked to say anything, he felt his face grow hot. Her statement sent a chill down his body and he didn’t know how to respond without sounding stupid.

  Miranda bit on her thumbnail, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, the sides of her mouth twitching into a subtle smile. She abruptly hit him on the arm, her punch not hard, but teasing. She took off in a run and headed towards the end of the dirt road. Matt’s mind spun with the contact of her hand and it took him a Moment to comprehend that she wanted him to chase her. Sprinting, he caught her easily, both of them reaching the end together, laughing at the game. Resting against the trunk of a tree, they giggled uncontrollably. Matt lowered himself to the grass, as Miranda folded her dress beneath her and sat down beside him.

  “Ya know these big ol' oaks used to be the main entrance to Stewart Manor Plantation before the Civil War,” she finally said after catching her breath. Matt watched her arch her neck as she looked upwards into the branches of the tree. There was something about the way the sunlight hit her skin that made her glow, and it made him feel strange looking at her.

  “It was some kinda happening back then when he just up and disappeared. His grandson had to take over the property until the War ended.” She paused a Moment before continuing. “The Stewarts were some of the lucky ones who managed to hang on to most of their possessions. The Manor house remained intact, despite the burning of many other southern homes in the area. Most people in these parts lost everything. If it hadn’t been for Peter, Charles Stewart’s grandson, people would’ve starved. He gave them land so they could farm and provide for their families. Many of them still have that same land today. There’s a big statue of him in town with a plaque on it. Do you wanna go see it?”