Forgotten Soul
by Shelly

Chapter 1: The House That Time Forgot


"I'm really disappointed," Amy pouted as she stared out her window at the last house she and Matt had just toured. "It looks so cozy on the outside." Matt shifted gears and sighed loudly. She looked down at her engagement ring and wedding band and fiddled with them nervously. "I know you think I'm being picky, but this is going to be our home for God knows how long, Matt."

Matt gave her a sidelong glance and smiled. "I never said you were being picky," he replied.

"You didn't have to," Amy replied with a smirk. "I've known you for how long now? I can tell what's in that mind of yours.

"Then I better keep my mind on my beautiful wife, huh?"

"Unless you'd like to sleep on your brother's couch," Amy replied with a laugh.

Matt chuckled. "How many more houses do we have left?"

"Just one," Amy replied looking a printed sheet of paper. "Take a right here and then a left at the next corner."

Matt followed Amy's directions and soon they were parked at the gates of an old house. Matt crinkled his nose as he looked up at the house. It looked like it had been neglected for many many years. The paint, which had at one time been sky blue, had faded in the sunlight to a dull gray and it was chipped and peeling. Some of the shutters were falling off of their hinges and they too needed a new paint job.

Matt turned his attention to his wife and groaned inwardly. He knew the look she wore on her face. The sparkle in her hazel eyes and the grin curling her lips meant one thing; she was interested in the place. He looked up at the house once more,taking note of the repairs that would need to be done if they indeed bought this place. He was sure the roof would need reshingling, a paint job was definitely in order, the house would need new shutters and probably new wiring and plumbing as well.

"Honey," he said taking Amy's hand as they walked up the porch. The boards creaked and groaned in protest of their weight. "Don't get your hopes up with this place. We may be able to get it cheap, but we won't be able to move into for at least two years if the inside is anything like the outside. Remember we're looking for a place to move into so that we can move out of dad's place."

"I like it, Matt," Amy replied knocking on the door with the tarnished brass knocker. "I don't care what it looks like inside. I want to try to get this place. It feels like home."

"Great," Matt said plastering a smile on his face as the real estate agent answered the door.

"Welcome," she said cheerfully, a little too cheerfully for Matt's taste. "Come on in and I'll show you around this place!" Matt and Amy followed her into the house. "As you can see this is definitely a fixer-upper."

Matt gazed around the entrance hall and the sitting room and groaned inwardly again. The inside was in just as much disrepair as the outside. "Why exactly does this place need so much fixing up," he asked.

"Well, the last owner died around...hmmm...going on fifty years now." Matt's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "There's a handyman who comes around to see to things, but he's getting on in years and his health is not the best so he hasn't been able to do much with the place. He does try though, bless his little heart."

"Why hasn't anyone snatched this place up," Amy asked as she looked around.

"Well, there have been rumors going around town that this place is haunted, but...well....if you ask me that's just a bunch of bull. Old houses settle now and then and settling makes strange noises. Some people hear things and automatically think it's a ghost." She shook her head with a chuckle. "Shall I show you the rest of the house?" Amy nodded and motioned for Matt to follow.

The first floor of he house consisted of the entrance hall, sitting room, kitchen with pantry, a dining room and a bathroom. On the second floor Amy and Matt saw two bedrooms and a study with access to the attic. Matt was surprised to find that the rooms were big and airy and, though they needed massive amounts of fixing up, he liked the place. He could plainly see that Amy was in love with the place as she walked through the rooms.

"So, shall I leave you to discuss things for a while," the realtor asked smiling. "The contents of all of the rooms will be included when you buy the house. Once you sort through it all you should be able to have a garage sale and make a tidy sum on anything you don't wish to keep."

"Shouldn't the family of the previous owner take anything that's here," Amy asked gazing around at the dust and tarp covered furniture.

"I'm afraid there is no family to take the belongings," the realtor replied. "So, would you like to make an offer?"

"Could we have your card," Matt asked smiling. Amy looked at him questioningly. "I'd love to have Jeff come check this place out. Maybe I can persuade him to help with the renovations if we buy it," he said to is wife.

"Of course," the realtor said smiling as she opened her organizer and pulled out her business card, handing it to Matt with a smile. "My office, cell and home numbers are all on that card. Just give me a call when you finally decide to make an offer."

"We will," Matt said taking Amy's hand and leading her out of the house.

"Can't you do anything without your brother's approval," Amy asked with a pout as they got into the car.

"Amy, sweetheart," Matt said sweetly. "I just want to see what Jeff's read on the place is."

"Oh Matt," Amy said with a groan. "You don't honestly buy that he's psychic do you?"

"I don't know," Matt replied. "He's just always had some insight on things. I'd like to see what he's got to say about the house. I want to see what kind of vibes he gets off of it."

"Can we still buy it whether he likes the vibes or not," Amy asked.

Matt reached out and took her hand. "If it means that much to you, then yes," he replied and kissed the back of her hand.

"Oh Matt," she exclaimed wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him. "You're the best!"

"Easy baby," he said laughing and kissing her back. "We can't buy the house if we get into an accident."

Chapter 2: Bad Vibes

"So, this is the palace you've chosen for the princess," Jeff said with a smirk as he climbed out of the back seat of Matt's car.

"Be nice," Matt said. "Amy likes it."

"No, no," Jeff replied holding up his hands in feigned innocence. "It's lovely. A couple of coats of paint it'll look like a palace suitable for any princess." He flashed a brilliant smile at his sister-in-law.

"See," Amy said to Matt. "Jeff knows a treasure when he sees it. He shares my vision for this place." With that she bounced up the path to the house and up the steps to get the keys that the real estate agent said she'd leave in the mailbox for them.

"Seriously," Matt said slinging his arm around his little brother's shoulders. "I really want your input on this place."

"Because you really value my opinion," Jeff said. Matt nodded with a grin. "Come off it Matt! You know you're going to buy this shithole and sink every last penny that you and Amy have worked so hard to make into fixing it." Matt removed his arm from Jeff's shoulders and sighed. "Why am I really here?"

"To do just what I told you, Jeff," Matt replied with a shrug. "Amy loves the house and despite the appearance I think it seems like a nice place. I just want to see what you think of it." Jeff gave him a knowing look. "Do I have to say it?" Jeff nodded. "Fine," Matt sighed. "I'd like to see what kind of a read you get from this place."

"Nice to see you appreciate my talents big brother," Jeff said smiling. He always loved teasing Matt. "So, show me around the place already!" Matt groaned and led the way up the path to the house.

"And this will be our master bedroom," Amy said walking into the biggest bedroom. "The one down the hall will be the guest room. You can stay any time you want, Jeff. Well...that is until Matt and I start a family. Then we'll need to turn that into the nursery."

"I'm afraid I can't condone you procreating with my brother, Amy," Jeff said with a smile. "He's always been wading in the low end of the gene pool in our family." Amy chuckled and punched him in the arm playfully. Jeff felt himself drawn to the huge mass in the middle of the room. "What's this? A bed?"

"I don't know," Amy said. "Let's see." She took one end of the tarp and Jeff took the other end. Together they uncovered a massive cherry wood four poster bed. "Oh! It's gorgeous," Amy gasped. She sat down on the bed, sending dust mites flying. "We'll have to have it cleaned, but I love it Matt."

"It is a gorgeous bed," Matt replied sitting down next to her. "We'll need a new mattress and probably a box spring too."

"Jeff," Amy said motioning him. "Come on. It's big enough for you too."

Jeff sat down on the bed and immediately stiffened and stood. "I don't think you should keep this bed, Amy," he said.

"Why not," she asked touching one of the posts.

"I'm just not getting a good feeling from this bed," Jeff said trying to shake the feeling.

"It's just a bed, Jeff," she said. "Help me cover it back up."

"Matt, you can do that," Jeff said not wanting to get anywhere near the bed again. "I'd like to check out the rest of this floor.

"What's with him," Amy asked Matt as they covered the bed again.

"I don't know," Matt replied as he watched Jeff wander out of the bedroom.

Jeff found himself drawn to the study. As he walked down the hall he was struck by images that he could not shake. The color red kept clouding his vision as he made his way to the study. An anguished cry startled him as he neared the door and he saw a bloody hand print on the study door. Rubbing his eyes he saw that the hand print was gone.

Tentatively he entered the study and gazed around the room. He felt himself drawn to a bookcase on the far wall. As if he had known this place all of his life he pulled one book and the bookcase swung open to reveal a stairway to the attic. He was aware that the hairs on the back of his neck were bristling and he felt nauseated at the sight of the stairs. Pushing the uneasiness out of his mind he forced himself up the stairs.

There were many dusty boxes and old furniture in the attic, but nothing he could see to make him feel so uneasy. "Get a grip," he muttered to himself. He gazed up at the rafters and had to do a double take. For the briefest moment he swore he had seen a man hanging, his neck bent in an impossible angle.

"Jeff," Matt called up the stairs. Jeff met him halfway and shoved him the rest of the way down. "What's wrong?"

"I've seen enough of this place," Jeff replied. "You wanted my opinion and I intend to give it to you. I don't know what happened here or when it happened, but I am getting some seriously bad vibes. If I thought it would make a difference I'd beg you not to buy this place, Matt."

"All right," Matt said, startled at how shaken up his brother was. "We'll leave, Jeff. I'll get Amy and we can go."

"I'll wait in the car," Jeff said. Matt nodded and handed him the keys before he went to find his wife.

Jeff made his way out of the house, red once again clouding his eyes. He could hear the anguished cry over and over as he made it to the front door. When he finally made it to the car he rested his head in his hands trying to force the uneasiness out of his system.

Hearing Matt and Amy's laughter he gazed out the window and sighed. He wanted to be happy for his brother and sister-in-law, but he feared for their safety if they purchased this house. Something happened in there and it left an imprint on the vibrations of the house. He could feel it with every ounce of his being. Seeing that they were almost to the car he forced a smile and tried to be happy for them.

Chapter 3: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

"Aims," Matt called as he entered the house. They had been able to purchase the house cheap due to all of the repairs that needed to be made. At the moment they were sorting through boxes and old furniture to see what they would keep and what they would sell and donate, though they were still months away from moving into the house. "Aims? Are you still here?"

"Up here Matt," she called. "I'm in the guest room."

When Matt reached the doorway to the room he found his wife seated on the dusty carpet sorting through a box. She didn't looked up from the box as she spoke to him. "You've got to see these," she said and waved him over. "These photographs are amazing."

Matt took a seat next to her and took a pile of pictures from her. "They are amazing," he said gazing at the yellowing black and whites. "These must be at least eighty years old. Who are all of these people?"

"I don't know," Amy replied, fascinated by the old pictures. "I think they're beautiful. Matt, look at the women's dresses. What era would you say these are from? The twenties?"

"At least," Matt nodded as he came across a photo of a stern looking bald man. "This guy gives me the creeps," he said handing the picture to Amy.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Me too." He wore a simple black suit and held his hat in his hands. He was smiling, but something around his eyes could strike fear in any man, woman or child. Still, Amy felt an odd connection to this man. She felt as if she knew the man somehow and had feared him greatly.

Matt glanced at his wife as she stared at the photograph and saw that she was growing pale. "Amy," he said snapping her out of the trance she was in. "We should really take the truck full of boxes to the Salvation Army before it closes."

"Right," Amy said, the uneasiness she felt growing inside of her fading for the moment. "I'll come back tomorrow and finish off the rest of this room." She tossed the photos back into the box she had been rummaging through. Matt rose and helped her to her feet, taking her hand in his as he led the way out of the house.

Early the next morning Amy let herself into the house intent on finishing off the guest room and the master bedroom if at all possible. Matt had gone to pick up primer and paint for interior and then he would be picking up Jeff to help paint the downstairs rooms. She made her way up to the guest room and gasped. The room, which had been covered in a layer of dust and full of tarp covered furniture, now looked liked a bedroom. She rubbed her eyes and gazed at the room and it was once again covered in dust and full of tarp covered furniture.

"Get a hold of yourself," Amy muttered. "You're alone in a big empty house. That's all it is. You're just losing your damn mind in this big empty house." With a sigh she sat down on the floor and picked up the pile of photos she had been looking through. The photo of the man on top of the pile startled her. She didn't know why, but the eyes seemed to bore holes into her. With a shudder she placed it on the bottom of the pile and gasped at the next picture. It was of the room she was sitting in and every piece of furniture in the room was in the exact place she had seen it in only moments ago.

"How can this be," she asked the empty room. She was then struck with an overwhelming feeling of familiarity. "I know this place, but how?" Hearing the key in the lock downstairs, she shook the feeling off. Amy placed the box of photos aside to go through at a later date and she moved on to other boxes. By the time Matt and Jeff had finally loaded in all of the buckets of paint and primer she had finished sorting things in the guest room and most of the master bedroom.

Chapter 4: A Visitor

"All right," Matt said as he placed the final bucket of white primer down in the sitting room. "I'm going to get the ladders and the paint rollers out of the truck. Why don't you start mixing the primer?"

"All right," Jeff replied hoping that the work would keep his mind busy enough to not see anything out of the ordinary.

Matt left and Jeff pulled the lid off of the primer. He picked up a wooden slat that would serve as the mixer. He had just plunged it into the white liquid when he felt eyes on his back.

With a sigh and a chuckle he turned around and said, "Come to check up on me, big brother?"

His smile faded when he saw a tall man dressed in black standing in the doorway of the sitting room. His eyes seemed lined with red and they bore holes into Jeff. The man seemed oddly backlit, as if flames blazed behind him.

"Who..who are you," he stammered. The man said nothing and continued to glare. "This..this is my brother and sister-in-law's house. You shouldn't be here. You're trespassing." He was trying not to sound so frightened, but his voice was quavering with ever word he spoke.

"Jeff," Matt called from the front porch. "I could use a little help out here!"

Jeff blinked and the man in black was gone without a trace. "What the hell is going on here," he asked as he ran his hand through his freshly dyed blue hair.

"Are you talking to someone, Jeff," Amy asked coming down the stairs. Her face was streaked with sweat and dust.

Jeff looked at her and shrugged. "Just my own inner demons," he replied. "I better help that brother of mine before he hurts himself."

"All right," Amy said with a sigh. "I'm almost done clearing out the master bedroom. Just came to get a bottled water from the cooler." She went over to the cooler and pulled a bottle out, frowning as water ran down her arm. "The ice is melting. I really should make a run to get some more."

"All right, babe," Matt said entering with one ladder and some paint rollers. Jeff followed after him with the other ladder. "Take the truck and fill up the tank too." He tossed her the keys.

"Well, then I'll need more than the ten bucks I have," she replied holding out her hand.

With a sigh Matt reached into his pocket and pulled out his gas card. "Why don't you splurge and pick up some munchies too," he said smiling as she took the card.

Jeff shook his head. "Man, she's got you whipped already and you've only been married for a couple of months."

"You boys behave," Amy said with a chuckle as she playfully punched Jeff in the arm.

"Damn Matt," Jeff said. "That means we can't call in the strippers."

With a shake of her head Amy headed out to the truck. She had just made it down the steps when she dropped the keys. She bent down to pick them up and when she straighted up she was staring up into the face of the man Jeff had seen minutes earlier. She took a step back when she realized that it was the same man in the photographs.

He smiled and said, "I didn't mean to frighten you, ma'am."

"Can I help you," Amy asked still a bit shaken by his presence.

"Are you the lady of the house," he asked still smiling.

"Yes, I suppose I am. My husband and I just bought the place," Amy replied. "Look, sir, if you're selling something I'm not interested. I'm in a bit of a rush to get to the store."

"Oh no," the man replied. "It's just that you resemble the woman who used to live here. Silly as it seems I thought that you were that woman."

"Oh," Amy replied. The door opening caught her attention and she turned to see Matt in the doorway.

"Oh good you haven't left yet," he said smiling. "Jeff would like a bag of Skittles."

"All right," Amy replied and turned back to the man in black. To her surprise he was gone. With a shrug she headed to the truck and pulled away to get their supplies.

Chapter 5: Local Tales

Amy filled the tank of the truck and drove a little way down the road to a market. She was still thinking about the man in black and how he had just disappeared as she parked in the lot. He had seemed so real, but perhaps he had just been a figment of her imagination.

"Excuse me," she asked the cashier as she entered. "Where can I find the ice?"

"Aisle 5," the older woman replied with a smile. "You new around here?"

"Yes," Amy said smiling. "My husband and I just bought the old place at the end of Prescott Lane."

"You bought the Jacobs place," the woman asked as if it was the most ridiculous idea she had ever heard.

"Yes," Amy replied. "There's a lot of repairs to be done, but my husband and I have enlisted the help of my brother-in-law and father-in-law. We're managing quite nicely. The house is really coming along."

"You really are new to these parts," the woman replied shaking her head. Amy gave her a quizzical look.

"Alma," the manager yelled. "Stop running your mouth and get back to work."

"Go get your ice, honey," Alma said blushing. "I've talked your ear off long enough."

Amy couldn’t help the confusion at the woman’s words, but she went to aisle 5 and grabbed a few bags of ice before she found the snack aisle and grabbed some chips and cookies. When she went back to the front of the store to check out the woman on the register was gone.

"Did Alma’s shift end," Amy asked the teenager who was checking her out.

""Nah," he replied as he bagged the ice. "She’s on break. Likes to go have a smoke out front." He finished ringing up her order and bagged it.

After she paid the kid she took her bags and looked for Alma. She found her sitting on one of the cement blocks that marked the parking spaces. The woman saw her, stubbed out her smoke and stood, obviously trying to avoid Amy.

"What did you mean before when you said I really am new to the area," Amy asked as she passed her. Alma tried to ignore her, but Amy shifted the bags to one hand and grabbed her. "Please, if there’s something wrong with my house I’d like to know."

Alma pulled free and eyed Amy a moment. "Everyone who’s grown up in these parts knows the story of the Jacobs place," she said. "The story’s been around since before I was born."

"What story," Amy asked as she motioned for Alma to follow her to the truck. She loaded the bags in and turned back to the woman.

"Well, I don’t know if it’s a true story or not, but that place doesn’t have a good track record with tenants. The last time it was sold the occupants didn’t last longer than three months." Amy arched a brow at her. This woman was a local who obviously had a flare for the dramatic. "The story is that a man named Glen Jacobs had the house built for a woman he was engaged to, you know as a wedding gift." Amy nodded. "Well, on the night before their wedding she was murdered in that very house."

"How awful," Amy said.

"What was even more awful was that Jacobs supposedly killed her and then went up to the attic and hung himself. Couldn’t live with the guilt I suppose." Alma sighed. "Like I said, it’s just a story and I don’t know if it’s the truth or not."

"When did all of this happen," Amy asked remembering the pictures she had found.

"Oh, well I believe it happened around ’24 or ’25," Alma replied. "That’s why it was such a shock when you said you bought the place. Not many people want to own a house that a murder/suicide happened in. Not to mention that the house could be haunted."

"Thank you for telling me the story Alma," Amy said. "I better go. My ice is melting." With that Amy got into the truck and drove off.

Chapter 6: The Sight

Amy parked in front of the house and grabbed the bags. She rushed into the house where she found Matt and Jeff painting the sitting room. Jeff spotted her and smiled.

"Oh good," he said setting down the paint roller and grabbing the bags of ice from her. He emptied them into the cooler and then rummaged through the other bag.

"Matt! You'll never believe what this lady at the market told me about our house," she said excitedly. Matt set down his roller and wiped his brow with a bandana as he waited for his wife to continue.

"Hey! What happened to my Skittles," Jeff demanded.

"Sorry," Amy said with a cringe. "I forgot them. Have some cookies instead."

"I didn't want cookies," Jeff pouted, but pulled out a box of chocolate chip cookies.

"Anyway," Amy said turning her attention back to Matt. "This lady at the market said that this house was built in the 20s by some guy named Glen Jacobs. He had it built for his fiancé as a wedding gift."

"That's nice sweetie," Matt said. "Where's my card?"

Amy handed him his gas card. "She says that he killed her on the eve of their wedding. He did it in this very house," Amy said excitedly.

"Great," Matt said as he slid his card back into his wallet. "We don't even live here yet and the locals are already trying to scare us away."

"She said that this Jacobs guy killed her and then went up to the attic and hung himself," Amy said ignoring Matt's comment.

There was a crash of the paint pans and the paint roller Jeff had been holding clattered to the ground and rolled away from him. Matt and Amy turned their attention to him. Jeff stood staring into space with a stunned expression on his face.

"Jeff," Matt asked.

"Are you all right," Amy asked sharing her husband's concern for her brother-in-law.

"Is it a migraine," Matt asked.

"No," Jeff replied snapping out of his daze.

"You have done a lot today," Matt said concern etching his chocolate brown eyes. "Maybe you overworked yourself."

"Maybe," Jeff said collecting the paint pans and roller. "I think I need some air. I'm gonna grab a water and some cookies and go sit on the porch."

"All right," Amy said. "I can take over for a while. You take a break."

Jeff scooped up some cookies and a bottled water and went out onto the porch. He was having a hard time believing that what he had seen in the attic was not a hallucination. He rubbed his temple as he felt the familiar throb beginning.

"Do you think he's all right," Amy asked Matt as she grabbed a roller and began to paint.

"I don't know," Matt replied looking to the front door. "I know he gets migraines now and then since the accident. That's why he can sense things about people and places you know."

"Matt," Amy sighed. "I really don't want to argue about this. You know how I feel about this stuff. Jeff is not psychic. He's just a man who was in a motorcycle accident that put him into a coma for a while. He doesn't suddenly have mystical powers. His name is not Johnny Smith and there is no dead zone in his brain."

"I never said he suddenly had these powers. Jeff's always been weird," Matt said with a smirk. Amy huffed in frustration and Matt pulled her to him. "I'm just kidding." She smiled and kissed him softly before rolling a bit of paint onto his cheek.

The throbbing in Jeff's temples was subsiding and he could hear his brother and sister-in-law giggling. He knew that by now they were having a paint fight. With a shake of his head he finished off the cookies and water and headed back into the house to join in the fun and hopefully put the bad feelings behind him.

Chapter 7: Minor Lemon Malfunction?

Amy stood admiring the master bedroom. She and Matt had just gotten done putting the finishing touches on the room. The walls were painted a muted shade of turquoise and the moldings were painted white. The cherry wood bed stood against the far wall with matching night stands on either side. Gilbert Hardy had constructed a canopy for the bed and a white gauzy material was now draped around it.

She straightened a framed photo of their wedding and sighed contentedly. Matt joined her and smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck making her giggle.

"I can't wait to christen that bed," he whispered in her ear sending a shiver down her spine. "For now we have company."

"Dad and Jeff are here already," she asked.

Matt nodded. "And they brought Shane and Shannon with them."

"Great," Amy said cheerfully. "I haven't seen them in a long time."

"Yes," Matt agreed. "I was so sad to hear that Shane hurt his back and Shannon sprained his ankle for the entire duration of the rennovations to the house." Amy giggled and led him down the stairs.

"Is this how you treat house guests," Gilbert grumbled as they neared the bottom of the landing.

"Sorry dad," Matt said. "I had to get my blushing bride."

"There's the daughter I never had," Gilbert said enveloping Amy in a warm embrace. "Is my oldest boy treating you right?"

"Yes," Amy said smiling.

"Just like a princess," Jeff said smirking. Shane and Shannon snickered.

"I can see that from the lavish palace," Shane said admiring the interior.

"How did you two ever afford this place," Shannon asked as he joined Shane in the sitting room.

"It was dirt cheap due to the repairs needed," Matt said as he led his father into the sitting room.

"Can I get anyone a drink," Amy asked. Everyone nodded.

"I'll help you," Jeff said following her into the kitchen.

"What do you think of the finished product," Amy asked. Jeff hadn't been back to the house since the day he'd gotten the migraine. She grabbed some ice cube trays and pitcher of lemonade.

"It looks great," he replied. He took the ice cube trays and emptied them into the glasses. Amy grabbed a lemon and began to slice it. "Have you guys spent the night here yet?"

"Nope," Amy replied with a smile. "We just finished everything this afternoon. We wanted to wait until the house was complete." She slipped a lemon slice on each of the rims of the glasses. "We're really excited about staying in our own place."

"I bet you are," Jeff said with a chuckle.

"Pour the lemonade," Amy said chuckling as she took the cutting board and knife to the sink. Jeff picked up the pitcher and saw something fly up from behind it. "Jeff," Amy said and gasped when she saw what had Jeff so mesmerized. A blue orb of light was levitating in front of him. Amy gasped again and dropped the soapy knife. "Jeff? What is that?"

"I don't know," Jeff replied. "But it's not going to hurt us, Amy."

"How do you know that," she asked.

Jeff reached out and took her hand to calm her. "It's not going to hurt us. Trust me."

"Hey," Matt called into the kitchen. "What's taking so long? Jeff, are you behaving yourself?" That brought laughs from Shane and Shannon.

The orb bobbed in the air and moved around Amy and Jeff as if it were examining them. A moment later a black orb appeared and chased the blue orb away. Amy and Jeff watched them until they were both out of sight.

"What the hell was that," Amy asked.

"I don't know," Jeff replied. "Amy, your house is haunted. I hope you believe in the supernatural now. Because you can't get much more proof than that."

"Hey," Matt called as he entered the kitchen. "What's taking so long? We have thirsty guests." He noticed that Amy was visibly pale. "What's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I think we may have," Amy mumbled and ran a hand through her hair.

"What," Matt asked not sure if he heard her correctly.

"Nothing," Jeff said quickly pouring out the glasses of lemonade. "We had a minor lemon malfunction. Go back to your guests and Amy and I will be right in." Matt eyed them both a moment before shrugging and going back into the sitting room.

Chapter 8: Manifestations

"Hey Amy," Shane said as she was taking the group on the grand tour. "Which way was the bathroom again?"

"First door on the left," she replied with a smile. "Enjoy the little scented soaps and frilly towels."

Shane groaned and found the bathroom door. "There are no little soaps or frilly towels," he said with a chuckle.

~*~

"This is the guest bedroom," Amy said leading the remaining group. The walls were painted a light blue. The window treatment was royal blue and in the middle of the room sat a day bed with a roll out mattress underneath. The bedding was a deep blue with light blue swirls on it. The room was very cozy.

Gilbert smiled approvingly. "Where's that canopy I made for you," he asked.

Amy smiled and led the way to the master bedroom. Shannon stayed behind and decided to test out the bed. He plopped down onto the mattress and smiled at the springiness.

"You shouldn't do that, son," a deep voice scolded. "You could ruin the springs."

"Oh," Shannon said blushing. "Sorry Mr. H." He looked toward the doorway, where the voice had come from and no one was there. "Hello?" The hairs on the back of Shannon's neck began to raise when he realized he was in the room alone. Without another word he rushed out of the room to find his friends. He couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw two glowing eyes staring at him from a dark corner and the sound of wicked laughter.

~*~

Shane was just finishing up in the bathroom. He ran the water to wash his hands and looked at his reflection. "You need to get more sleep," he muttered as he eyed the bags under his eyes. Without looking at the water he ran his hands under the faucet and splashed some water on his face.

When he opened his eyes beads of red ran down his face. "What the..." He looked down at his hands and saw that they were covered in red. "What the fuck?!" He looked at the faucet and saw a steady stream of blood running into the basin. "I'm not seeing this," he muttered closing his eyes tightly.

When he opened his eyes again there was nothing but clear liquid running from the faucet. "I'm losing my fucking mind," he muttered running a hand through his hair. He dried off his face and hands and left the bathroom, joining Matt, Amy, Gilbert, Jeff and Shannon.

"You look like you saw a ghost," Matt said with a chuckle.

"Did you have your plumbing checked before you moved in?"

"Yeah," Amy replied. "Why? Was there a problem?"

Shane was going to say something, but decided against it, not wanting to spoil Amy's happiness. "Nothing major," he said shaking his head. "Just heard some knocking in the pipes. Might be an air pocket. Should right itself," he lied.

Amy shrugged as did Matt and headed down the stairs. Jeff eyed his friends suspiciously. Shannon hadn't said a word since he left the guest room, but he was pale as a sheet and now Shane was acting strange. He made a mental note to ask them about it later on.

~*~

"Want a refill, dad," Matt asked pointing to Gilbert's empty glass.

"I'm not an invalid," Gilbert replied. "I can get my own drink, son." Matt shrugged and sat back down as Gilbert made his way into the kitchen grumbling.

He opened the freezer and popped some more ice into his glass. He then opened the fridge and reached in to grab the water pitcher. He yanked his hand back with a gasp. Inside the fridge lay a beaten and bloodied body of a woman. Unable to look away from the body he realized with a knot growing in his stomach that the woman looked like Amy.

"No," he muttered. "This is not real." He shook his head and closed the fridge a moment. "I didn't just see that." He opened the fridge and there was no body. With a relieved sigh he grabbed the pitcher of water and poured himself a glass.

"You all right, dad," Jeff asked seeing Gilbert's face.

"Yeah, son," he replied shaking his head. Jeff knew better than to argue. He'd speak to him later when he dropped him off at home. For now he settled in for a night of movies and catching up with his friends and family.

Chapter 9: Insomnia

Amy lay in bed beside Matt listening to his even breathing. The window nearest the bed created a gentle breeze that stirred the gauzy material of the canopy, making it flutter like butterfly wings. She stared at the ceiling through the fluttering material, unable to sleep. Sighing deeply she turned her gaze to Matt. He was sleeping soundly, snoring softly now and then. He lay on his stomach with his face turned away from her. A shaft of moonlight that shone through the open window highlighted the muscles in his bare back and seemed to dance as he breathed in and out. Amy closed her eyes and willed her body to sleep, but it would not obey. A moment later her eyes popped open again and she groaned loudly causing Matt to stir.

He turned his face to her, eyes still closed and said, "You all right, babe?" His voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Can't sleep," she replied softly. "Must be the excitemnt of finally sleeping in our own house," she lied.

She knew that the real reason she couldn't sleep was because of the orbs she and Jeff had seen in the kitchen. She couldn't help wondering if the reason Shane, Shannon and Gilbert had acted so strangely the rest of the night was because they too had seen something.

"Come here," he said reaching out to her and gently pulling her into his strong arms.

Gently she pushed him away. "It's too warm in here," she replied. They hadn't had the chance to have any kind of air conditioning installed before they moved in. "I'm going to go downstairs for a little while. Maybe some hot tea will help calm me down. You go back to sleep. I'll be all right." Matt murmured something through a yawn and the pillow as he rolled onto his side. She listened a moment as his breathing slowed before she climbed out of bed.

She slipped on her robe and made her way out into the hall, closing the bedroom door quietly behind her. The house was silent and dimly lit by moonlight. It seemed an eerie sight to her now. With a sigh she began to head to the stairs making it halfway before something made her turn and head to the study.

She switched on the light and saw what she had expected to see. Boxes of unpacked stuff for the office that she and Matt would share and boxes of books for the bookshelves cluttered the floor. She sat down at the desk, the only piece of furniture that had been positioned just right so far, and gazed around the room.

An odd light shining through the false bookcase caught her eye and she stood. "Matt," she sighed. "You forgot to turn off the attic light." She made her way to the bookcase and pulled the proper book and the bookcase swung open revealing the stairs. Floating above the stairs was the blue orb of light that she and Jeff had seen in the kitchen.

Amy gasped at the sight and stepped back a little. The light bobbed and floated toward her. She was suddenly filled with a feeling of calm and took a step toward the stairs. "Jeff was right," she said to the orb. "You won't hurt me. You want me to follow you to the attic?" The orb bobbed as if nodding a head. "All right," Amy replied and followed it up the stairs.

It led her to a stack of boxes that she had piled in the far corner of the attic for sorting at a later date. Amy pulled the boxes off of the stack and set them aside until she came to the box the orb was highlighting for her. "You want me to look in this box," she asked the orb. As before it bobbed in agreement.

Amy settled down onto the floor and opened the box revealing the old photos. The orb flew into the box once it was opened and set the entire pile ablaze with light. Understand what the orb wanted Amy pulled out photo after photo until she came to the one the orb had settled on. "Is this you," she asked the orb as it now floated out of the box. Amy pulled the photo out of the box and turned it over, gasping at it.

Chapter 10: What Took You So Long To Call?

Matt rolled over in bed and felt the cool, empty sheets on Amy's side. Sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, determined to find his missing wife. He stepped out into the hall and spotted the light from the study. With a sigh and a shake of his head he headed down to the study. "You can't possibly be unpacking things at this hour," he said to the empty hall.

The study was empty when he entered it, but he saw the open doorway to the attic and went to it. "Amy," Matt called from the base of the stairs. She did not hear him, too shocked by the photo of a woman who looked remarkably like her.

Getting no answer Matt made his way up the stairs. It took his eyes a while to adjust to the dim light once he reached the top. "Amy," he called again and received no reply. He gazed around the attic until he spotted Amy sitting on the floor staring vacantly at a photo in her hand. The orb had disappeared once Matt started up the stairs. "Amy," he called again and ran to her side. "Baby? What is it?"

She looked up at him blankly and handed him the photo. "It's me," she said softly. "She looks just like me."

Matt took the photo and looked at it, alarmed to see that she was right. "It does," He said pulling her to her feet. "But that doesn't mean anything."

Amy finally snapped out of her daze and looked at Matt. "I want you to call Jeff," she said taking the photo and putting all of the discarded photos back into the box before lifting it.

"At this hour," Matt asked following her to the stairs.

"I want to see what he can get from these photos," she replied as she now descended the stairs to first floor.

"I thought you didn't believe that he was psychic," Matt said struggling to keep up with his wife. "Remember? He's not Johnny Smith and there is no dead zone in his head?"

"Matt," she said placing the box down on the kitchen table and struggling for the right words to say. "This photo seriously creeps me out. I want to know why I look like this woman and I think Jeff is the one who can find out for me."

Matt began to scoff, but then realized that she was being serious. With a sigh he relented and went to the phone. "You better make a pot of coffee," he said. "Jeff'll be pissed that we woke him." Amy nodded and ran the water for the coffee.

The phone rang twice before Jeff answered. "What took you so long to call," he asked Matt.

"I thought you'd be sleeping," Matt replied surprised at his brother's greeting.

"Couldn't," Jeff replied. "Thought you and Amy may need me for something. So, what is it?" Matt explained how he had found Amy in the attic.

"Tell Aims I'll be right over," Jeff said once Matt finished. "Oh and Matt, you really didn't need to bother with the coffee." He hung up leaving Matt staring at the phone completely confused.

"What did he say," Amy asked. She had abandoned her robe and slipped on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt.

"He said he'll be right over," Matt replied. "He knew we'd be calling."

Chapter 11: The Girl With The Broken Smile

Jeff pulled into Matt and Amy's driveway twenty minutes after hanging up with his brother. Matt was on the porch the moment he heard Jeff's car door slam. Jeff noted that his brother looked strained and tired.

"I've never seen her this way before," Matt said to Jeff. "She's in the kitchen."

"So, this picture looks a little like Aims," Jeff asked as he followed his brother into the house.

"It looks exactly like her," Matt replied. "If she pulled her hair up into the same hairdo and put on some vintage clothes...Amy'd be a dead ringer for this woman. It's creepy."

Jeff nodded and followed Matt into the kitchen. Amy was sitting at the table looking at the photograph. She shoved it across the table when Jeff sat down. Matt got him a cup of coffee and sat down next to Amy.

Jeff looked at the photo a moment and then back at Amy. It really was quite remarkable that Matt was right. Amy was a dead ringer for the woman in the photograph. He took a deep breath and said, "All right. I have no idea how or if this will work at all." He took a sip of coffee and eyed his brother and sister-in-law warily. "One of you should take notes in case it does work. I may say a name or something that may be important." Matt grabbed the grocery list pad off of the fridge and a pen.

Jeff took a deep breath to clear his mind before he picked up the picture. He stared at the woman's features intently, focusing on the eyes and then the smile. He noted that though she was smiling she seemed very sad. He closed his eyes when he had the face commited to memory. When he opened his eyes he was no longer sitting in the kitchen with his brother and sister-in-law. He now stood in a corner of the sitting room. The sunlight shone through cieling high stained glass windows, windows that no longer existed in this house.

"Look to your left," Jeff heard and looked to his right to see a photographer posing the woman from the photo. She wore a silk gown of deep blue. Her auburn hair was pulled up into an elaborate bun with curls framing her face. She wore a large white hat with blue silk ribbons that cascaded down the back. She sat upon an antique couch, though Jeff realized that back then it was not an antique.

"How many more photographs," she asked, clearly bored with posing.

"Patience is a virtue, Charlotte," the photographer replied as he gazed through the viewfinder of the camera, framing the shot.

"It's a virtue I do not possess, Reggie," she replied with a sigh.

"How often does a young lady get engaged," Reggie asked. "You should be shouting from the mountain tops." Charlotte glanced down at the ring on her finger and sighed sadly. Reggie huffed in annoyance. "This is a good thing, Charlotte. Glen is the richest man in the state. You should be happy to be marrying a man who can take care of you financially."

"You're right," she said forcing herself to smile, a smile that never quite reached her eyes.

"That's my girl," Reggie said happily and flashed the picture.

Jeff blinked and was back in the kitchen with Amy and Matt. He shook his head, the flash powder having a very potently blinding effect on him. "Wow," he said just barely above a whisper.

"What did you see," Amy asked.

"Her name is Charlotte though I didn't catch a last name," Jeff replied handing the photo back to Amy. "She was engaged to a man named Glen. I didn't get his last name either. He was called the richest man in the state."

Amy took the photo from him and stared at it. "She looks so sad."

"She was," Jeff replied. "She was forced into this engagement. She did not love this man."

"Is that all," Matt asked.

"I'm just getting started," Jeff replied shaking his head and drinking down the rest of his coffee. "Just give me a while before I look at any other photos."

Chapter 12: The Star-Crossed Lovers

Amy sat shuffling through the photos on the table. She came to one and very visibly shivered. "See what you can get from this picture," she said.

Jeff took the picture of the man in black and got the same shiver that she did. "Got the pen and paper ready," he asked. Matt nodded and held them up. "All right, here goes," he said. He focused on the face of the man until he had it comitted to memory. With a deep breath he closed his eyes, still concentrating on the man's face.

When Jeff opened his eyes again he was once again in the house as it had been in the past. "I know that in time you will come to love me," a deep, guff voice said from behind Jeff. He turned to see the man from the photograph standing over Charlotte. He held her chin roughly and bent down to press his lips to hers. Charlotte was helpless as she tried to pull away from the large man. When he broke the kiss her lips were swollen, almost bruised. "You will marry me, Miss Mace, or the love of your life dies."

"Why should I believe you, Mr. Jacobs," Charlotte spat, clearly loathing the man before her. "Why should I agree to marry you when I could be happy for the rest of my life with Richard Harrison?"

"Because," Jacobs practically growled as he pinned her to the wall. "I know your little secret, Charlotte. He placed a hand on her abdomen. He laughed wickedly as her eyes grew wide as saucers. "Oh yes, I know your secret, dear Charlotte."

Tears sprang to her eyes, but she did not let them fall. "Now, you’re going to tell Richard Harrison that you will be marrying me." She hung her head. "No one needs to know about the bastard child you’re carrying. Arrangements can be made for that."

Charlotte’s eyes snapped up to meet Jacobs’. They were filled will hatred. "You’ll agree or your beloved Richard will have a nasty fall while he repairs my roof. You know I can do this, Charlotte." She sighed and nodded. "Good girl," Jacobs said. He pulled a velvet box from his breast pocket and pulled out the ring Jeff had seen her wearing earlier, placing it on her finger. "Now go find your lover and tell him the happy news."

With her shoulders slumped in defeat Charlotte made her way out of the house. Jeff quickly followed her out. He stopped dead in his tracks when she found Richard Harrison. To his surprise he found himself looking at his brother’s past life. Richard wore his hair cut short, but there was no doubt in Jeff’s mind that this was Matt in a former life.

When he spotted Charlotte he smiled brightly, his chocolate eyes reflecting love. His smile faded when he saw her face. "What’s wrong," he asked, setting down his hammer and nails. He took her hand and led her over to a bench.

"Richard," she said trying to keep her voice even. "I’ve come to tell you that Glenn and I have just gotten engaged."

Richard’s heart was crushed. He stared at her in disbelief and searched her face for the truth. "What about us," he asked, still not understanding how she could have done something like this.

"We were…just a fling," Charlotte said. Jeff could see the regret in her eyes. "Glenn is someone who can take care of me for the rest of my life."

Richard stood, glaring at her. "I’m sorry I’m not a rich man and that I can’t provide for you the way that man can, but this is insane! You told me that you loved me. I know that wasn’t a lie," Richard fumed. "When you come to your senses you know where to find me." With that he stormed off.

Chapter 13: An Uninvited Guest

"Jeff," Matt said noticing that his baby brother’s breathing was becoming erratic. "Jeff?" He smacked Jeff’s cheeks and got no response.

"What’s wrong with him," Amy asked.

"I don’t know," Matt said still smacking Jeff’s cheeks.

"He’ll be fine," a female voice said from the doorway. Matt and Amy turned their gaze to the back door where a slender woman stood in the doorway. Her skin was tanned and her honey colored hair was streaked with blue and purple and pulled into pigtails. She wore a pair of torn jeans and a green tank top. She carried a large brown leather bag on her shoulder.

"The fool’s gone ahead and channeled without me. I told him I’d get here as soon as I could, but does he ever listen?" The woman sighed and shrugged looking at Jeff.

"Who..who are you," Amy asked, surprised at the uninvited guest.

"Jeff didn’t tell you that I was coming," the woman asked. Both Matt and Amy shook their heads no.

With a sigh the woman entered the kitchen and placed her bag on the table. "My name is Jasmine Bernard. Jeff asked me to help him out tonight. I have to say that I was more than a little pissed to get a call in the middle of the night, but I knew that Jeff would only call at that hour if he really did need the help."

"What sort of help," Matt asked.

"How much do you know about your brother’s accident and his recovery," Jasmine asked.

"Not a whole lot," Matt replied. "I visited him in the hospital as often as I could, but I wasn’t there for every step."

"When Jeff first woke up after his accident he started to see things," Jasmine said. "It was as if something was awakened in his brain."

She pulled a pen light out of her bag and checked Jeff’s eyes. "He could see things that normal people couldn’t…things from the past." She placed the pen light back into her bag. "Most likely this is something that has been in your family for generations. Your mother probably had this gift and you didn’t know about it."

"How do you know Jeff," Matt asked.

Jasmine smiled. "We met shortly after he was discharged from the hospital," she replied. "He attended a meeting that I run for people like us."

"People like you," Amy asked, thoroughly confused.

Jasmine nodded. "Pre and post cognitives." Amy and Matt stared at her blankly. "People who can see the future and the past? Your brother is a very powerful post cognitive. Just by touching something he could tell you your life’s story going back six generations."

"So, why did he need you to help him channel," Matt asked.

"Because he’s still inexperienced with his gift. He needs me to guide him," Jasmine replied. She looked from Matt to Amy and then to Jeff before returning her gaze to Matt.

"I know this is all a huge amount of information to take in at once. I’m sorry to come and just drop a bombshell." She saw Jeff starting to stir.

Reaching into her bag she pulled out a thermos, poured some steaming liquid into the cap and knelt down next to Jeff. "Easy," she said softly. "Sip this."

"What is that," Matt asked noting how tenderly she was treating his brother.

"It’s green tea," she replied. "He should be all right, but he’ll need to rest to build his strength."

"He can stay in the guest room," Amy said and then hesitated a moment before saying, "You both can."

Jasmine smiled slightly and nodded a thank you. "I’ll carry him up," Matt said lifting Jeff with ease.

"Just like when were kids," Jeff mumbled with a smile.

"Quiet you," Jasmine gently scolded. "You’re lucky I don’t rip you a new one for doing this without me."

"You have to write down the names," Jeff said to Matt.

"I got the pen and pad," Amy said following them.

"The woman is Charlotte Mace," he said. "The man in black is Glenn Jacobs and he threatened to kill her lover if she didn’t marry him. Her lover’s name is Richard Harrison."

"All right," Jasmine said as she followed Matt up the stairs. "You told them. Now you get some rest."

Chapter 14: Sensing

Matt laid Jeff on the bed and turned to Jasmine. He gazed down at his baby brother for a while. This whole night was just too much for Matt to even attempt to understand. "Do you have any bags in your car," he asked Jasmine, finally turning his gaze to her.

"Yeah," she replied digging her keys out of her jeans. "There’s one in the trunk. It’s the blue Sunfire at the curb. Thanks." She tossed Matt the keys and sat down on the bed next to Jeff, moving hair out of his face and caressing his cheek. Matt watched her a moment before going to get her bag.

When Jasmine and Jeff were settled in the guest room Matt and Amy sat up in their bed. "She’s an odd one, isn’t she," Matt asked.

After Jeff and Jasmine were settled in the guest room Matt and Amy sat up in bed. "I like her," Amy said. "There’s something about her. I don’t know what it is. I feel like I can trust her with any little secret."

"Apparently so does Jeff," Matt said.

"Don’t be mad that he didn’t include you in some development in his life for once," Amy said with a chuckle. "He probably knew how you’d react to his news. He probably also felt like he was losing his mind. Can you imagine touching something and seeing what happened in the past?"

When Matt didn't reply Amy examined the names on the pad. "I think I’ll go the library in the morning to try to research the names."

"I think I’ll sleep all day," Matt replied with a yawn. "It’s been a long night." Amy nodded and cuddled up to Matt. They were both asleep before their heads hit the pillow.

"I’m glad you finally made it," Jeff said softly as Jasmine lay in bed next to him. Though his voice was weak she could detect the sarcasm that laced his words.

"Give me a break," she replied. "I had to drive in from Virginia all the way to Bumblefuck, North Carolina." Jeff chuckled. "I was enjoying a rare trip to see my sister and her kids. I haven't seen them in years. You owe me big Jeffrey."

"I’m sorry," he replied with a yawn. "Something is going on in this house. I can feel it."

"I can too," Jasmine said rolling to face him. She rested her hand on his chest and looked into his eyes. "You never need to apologize for calling me for help. I just like to bust your balls." Jeff chuckled and slid his arm around her. "Now get some sleep and we’ll try to channel some more tomorrow."

Chapter 15: Little Boy Lost

The next morning Amy silently climbed out of bed, showering and changing before Matt woke up. She jotted a quick note before heading out of the house toward the town library. She parked at the curb and sighed as she gazed at the building. She needed to know what happened to these people in her home, but she had a feeling that nothing would ever be the same once she did. She put her keys in her purse and rummaged around until she found the paper with all of the names that Jeff had given her.

"It’s now or never," she mumbled to herself as she climbed out of the car and walked into the library.

"May I help you," the woman behind the main desk asked with a smile.

"Um…I hope so," Amy replied. She asked where she would find old records and newspaper clippings and was directed to a musty smelling and very dusty section of the library.

"I’m sorry to say that we are still a few months, if not years, off from updating all of this information onto the new computer system. If you need anything just come find me," the woman said with a smile. "My name is Audrey."

Once Audrey had left Amy gazed at stack upon stack of old newspapers and boxes of records that had yet to be upgraded. With a sigh she set down her purse and went to one of the piles searching for the year that she believed the photographs had been taken. The dust coated the boxes and with a slight cough she blew the layer away and began to sort through things, trying her best to put them back in the order that she had found them.

After an hour and nearly twenty boxes she finally found something with the name Glenn Jacobs. Upon closer inspection Amy realized that it was a marriage certificate dated November 12, 1923. She quickly made a copy of the document and placed it back into the pile. It was a start in the right direction, but she needed to find more information and these boxes were not very forthcoming.

After an hour she gave up on the boxes and decided to check out the newspaper articles for 1923. She pulled out January’s paper and scanned it for any minute story on Glenn Jacobs. She found what she was looking for in the society pages. Jacobs stood proudly in front of the house that Amy and Matt now owned. She could see what it had looked like in all of its grandeur. The piece was little more than a blurb on the newly constructed home, but Amy copied it and went back to her search.

In September of 1923 she found announcements of Jacobs’ engagement to a young woman named Charlotte Ann Mace who had at that time lost both her mother and father in a horrible automobile accident. According to the articles Jacobs had taken her in and fallen in love with the young beauty. They had a storybook wedding in November of 1923 and everything indicated that they would live happily ever after.

The articles took a turn when Amy started on the 1924 papers. In April 1924 there was a birth announcement that caught Amy’s eye. It spoke of Charlotte and Glenn welcoming a baby boy into their family. They named him Joseph Harrison Jacobs.

She did not need to look much further into that month before she found an obituary for the baby dated just days later. Amy began to wonder if Jacobs could have killed the child. She knew that the dates didn’t add up and that the baby couldn’t possibly have been his. Perhaps he knew too.

She found few more articles on Jacobs and Charlotte until September 1924 when a man named Richard Harrison was found dead in the Jacobs house. She also found articles on the murder-suicide that took place in the house.

With that task complete she went back to boxes and found the baby’s birth certificate, but was unable to find the death certificate. When she felt she had enough information she placed the boxes and paper back the way she had found them and went in search of Audrey.

She found her shelving returned books. "I was wondering if you would know what cemetery the Jacobs family would be in," she asked. Audrey looked shocked but gave her directions to the plots. "It’s a hobby of mine," Amy said when Audrey continued to stare. "I like to check out local historical families." Audrey seemed relieved and nodded her understanding.

Amy quickly exited the library with all of her copies of the articles and documents. She hurried along until she found the cemetery she was looking for. She followed Audrey’s map to the plots and found the Jacobs section. She found a headstone that was a female angel perched on a slab of rock looking down at the ground. The eyes conveyed such sadness and Amy found herself choked up with tears when she gazed at the monument for a long time. She soon realized that she had found Charlotte’s grave. Next to this grave was a plain headstone that marked off Glenn Jacobs’ final resting place.

Nowhere could she find the headstone for Joseph Jacobs. "What happened to you," she muttered to no one in particular. When she received no reply she went back to her car and headed home to share what she had found.

Chapter 16: Trapped

Jasmine rolled over in bed and fluttered her eyes open. She had heard Amy leaving the house, but had not had the energy to get out of bed. She was now fully awake and ready to face a new day of channeling with Jeff. She rose and took a shower, changing and going downstairs in search of some coffee. Jeff was still sleeping and she thought that it would be best if he got all the rest he could before taxing his body anymore.

~*~

Jeff awoke to the sound of screaming. He glanced around the room frantically and realized that he was once again back in the past. He soon found that the source of the screaming was Charlotte. He watched as she beat on Glenn’s chest. He was standing over a bundle and Jeff could not make it out at first. It wasn’t until he saw the tiny hands’ final frantic movements that he knew what the bundle was.

When his task was complete Jacobs glared at Charlotte. "You didn’t think I’d let you keep the bastard in my house, did you?"

"Murderer," Charlotte wailed.

"What murder? The baby suffocated on his bedclothes. You were a first time mother and didn’t know what to do," Jacobs said with an evil smirk. "I allowed you to give birth to the damn thing. I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to believe that I would raise this bastard as my own child."

Charlotte glared at him, but the fire that had once been in her eyes had fizzled considerably. She gazed at her infant son and began to sob again. "Clean yourself up woman," Jacobs said. "We need to have the doctor in to look at the body." With that said he left and Charlotte slumped to the ground.

Jeff blinked as what he just saw sunk in. He did not have time to let things register completely before he found himself following Charlotte as she was sneaking out of the house. He followed her to a nearby cabin. She heard muffled yelling coming from inside the cabin and rushed in.

Inside Jeff found Richard restraining a man who looked remarkably like himself. He soon realized that he was looking at himself in a past life. Richard spotted Charlotte and let his brother go. "Nathan," Richard said as he let the younger man go. "Nathan, Charlotte has come to visit."

Nathan calmed down considerably before he said. "We’re too late." He slouched into a chair. "He’s killed the baby."

Richard’s eyes grew wide with shock as he looked from his brother to Charlotte, whose face told the whole story. Richard slumped into a chair, the realization that his child was gone forever hitting him hard.

"I couldn’t stop him," Charlotte said. "I should have never married that man." Richard rose and pulled her into his arms.

"I know," he said softly as he smoothed her hair down her back. "I know you couldn’t stop him."

"Why won’t anyone listen to me," Nathan fumed and stood up knocking his chair over. Charlotte and Richard looked at Nathan as if he had gone completely mad. "I told you that Charlotte would never be yours and you laughed at me," he said to his brother. "I told you that she would marry that monster! I told you that she was pregnant and that the baby would not survive its first month of life and you scoffed at me." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Now do you believe me?"

Richard looked at his brother for a long while, unable to speak. "I do," he replied and hung his head.

"What should we do now," Charlotte asked, desperate to get away from Glenn Jacobs.

~*~

"Jeff," Jasmine called frantically shaking Jeff. His face had grown incredibly pale and that worried her more than she cared to admit.

"What’s going on," Matt asked running into the room. He had been on his way down to the kitchen for some coffee when he heard Jasmine’s cries. It was then that he saw his brother’s face.

"I can’t wake him," Jasmine said, allowing the tears she had been holding back to fall. "He’s channeling in his sleep. I can’t get him out of it."

"Where is everyone," Amy called as she came to a stop in the bedroom’s doorway next to Matt. She saw Jeff and knew that something was wrong.

Chapter 17: Confessions of a Dying Man

"She’s with him right now, Glenn. I followed her to his cabin."

Jacobs sighed and looked at Mark Calloway, his best friend, for a long time. "I want that man dead and out of our lives," he finally growled.

"I understand your anger, but Glenn, that is not the way to solve your problems," Mark replied.

"What would you suggest," Jacobs asked.

"I don’t know," Mark replied honestly. "Whatever you do is your affair. You asked me to do you a favor and I did my part. Whatever you do with the information I just gave you is your business not mine. I wash my hands of this situation." With that he went to the door and looked back over his shoulder. "I am sorry that your marriage has been nothing but problems for you, Glenn." With that he was gone.

Jeff realized that it was at that exact moment that Glenn Jacobs had planned to murder his wife’s former lover.

~*~

"Can’t you do anything for him," Amy asked, truly scared for her brother-in-law’s well being.

"I can," Jasmine said. "But it’s a long shot."

"Well, do it," Matt exclaimed.

"What would you have to do," Amy asked.

"I can try to channel into what Jeff is seeing," Jasmine said sitting cross legged on the bed next to Jeff.

"What’s the problem," Matt asked noting the worried look in Jasmine’s eyes.

"I’ve never done this before," she replied. "Let’s hope that this works."

She closed her eyes and took a few cleansing breaths before taking Jeff’s hand. She found herself whirling back in time until she finally landed at her destination. Looking around she found Jeff sitting under a tree staring at the house.

"Jeff," she said softly and touched his shoulder. He looked up at her and sighed. "What are you doing?"

"He’s going to kill them," he replied and looked back at the house.

"Who is," Jasmine asked already knowing the answer.

"Jacobs," Jeff replied never taking his eyes off of the house. "He killed Richard and Charlotte’s son and now he plans to kill them too."

"What do you hope to accomplish by sitting here," Jasmine asked as she took his hand in hers.

"Maybe if I stop him…" Jasmine cut him off.

"You can’t change the past," she said shaking her head. "What’s done is done."

"But there is so much pain and suffering in this house," Jeff said, tears filling his eyes. "Matt and Amy deserve a house that is happy and bright."

"I agree," Jasmine said. "Now let’s go back to our time and…." She was cut off when the scene before them changed.

Jasmine found herself inside the house now. A blood curdling scream came from the study and she hustled to follow Jeff there. They arrived at the door in time to see Jacobs standing over Richard Harrison’s body with a bloody knife in his hand. He tried to grab Charlotte away from her lover’s dying body, but she managed to make it to him and cradled his head in her lap. The blood was everywhere and she tried desperately to wipe it from his face.

"Get up," Jacobs growled, enraged by the loving display before him. When she didn’t move he moved in to pick her up. Letting out another scream she ran from the study, smearing a bloody hand print on the door.

Jeff turned to Jasmine and said, "Richard’s brother, Nathan, knew what would happen to and he begged him not to meet Charlotte inside the house. They met for months behind Jacobs’ back, but he came home from work early one day and this is what happened."

~*~

"Matt," Amy said softly as they watched Jasmine and Jeff. "I found out some information about this house."

"What did you find," he asked, needing to hear a voice to break the nerve wracking silence. Amy began to tell him about the articles and documents she found

~*~

"You’re a murderer," Charlotte screeched as she ran into what was now the guest bedroom. "You killed my baby and now you’ve killed Richard!"

"You drove me to do this," Jacobs yelled. "Can’t you see? All I ever wanted was for you to love me the way that you loved him. I did everything to make you happy!"

"I could never love you," Charlotte yelled, the tears streaming down her cheeks. "You’re a monster! You think that you can just take whatever you want! You can’t just command someone to love you! It has to be earned!"

Jacobs lumbered into the room, pinning Charlotte up against the bed. "I’ll make you love me," he said. "You will love me, damn it!" With that he brought the knife down over and over again until the bed was dripping with blood. Jasmine had to look away from the carnage. Jeff wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her tightly.

"What have you done," Nathan cried from behind Jeff and Jasmine. "What have you done?!"

Jacobs was snapped out of the daze he was in and realized what he had done to the woman he claimed to love. "I…I…" He stammered as he looked at the bloody mess in the bed, unable to think clearly.

"You bastard," Nathan yelled. "You’ll pay for this! I’ll make sure you pay!" With that the younger man ran out of the house in search of the proper authorities.

Time seemed to jump again and Jasmine now gazed around the study. She saw Jeff standing at the hidden door within the bookcase. It was slightly ajar and she could hear the death rattle of Jacobs as he hung himself.

"That’s all there is to this place," Jeff said sadly. "Death and blood and sadness and suffering."

Jasmine noticed a sheet of paper on the desk that had some writing on it. She was able to read the word basement on it before the draft from the attic blew it behind one of the bookcases. "We need to go now, Jeff," she said extending her hands to him. He nodded and took her hands allowing her to lead him back to the present.

Chapter 18: Little Boy Found

Jeff sat up with a gasp, looking very tired. Jasmine opened her eyes and smiled. She looked at Matt and Amy and motioned for them to sit down on the end of the bed. She explained to them what she and Jeff had seen.

"That makes sense," Amy said pulling out the articles. "I found all of this at the library today. I even went to the cemetery where Jacobs and Charlotte are buried." She frowned. "I found a birth certificate and an obituary for a child that I assumed was Charlotte and Richard’s child, but I was unable to find a death certificate or a grave."

"You won’t find the baby’s grave," Jeff said softly. "He smothered it. I wouldn’t be surprised if he threw it out with the trash."

"No," Jasmine said remembering the note on the desk. "I think the child still remains in this house. His soul is punishing everyone that he feels was responsible for his death." She slid off of the bed and made her way to the study. "He keeps them all trapped in a time warp. It replays over and over again, torturing the souls that have been trapped by it." She went to the bookcase that she saw Jacobs’ note fly under and fished around until she found a very dusty piece of yellowed paper. "This child is angry that no one fought for him to live. He is unable to understand that Charlotte was too weak to fight off a man of Jacobs’ size." She opened up the paper and showed it to Matt, Amy and Jeff. "This is where we’ll find this baby’s grave."

"Unbelievable," Matt said.

"Is the basement filled in with cement," Jeff asked.

"No," Amy replied, still in somewhat of a daze. "We haven’t gotten around to doing that yet. It’s still just dirt."

Jasmine led the way to the basement. She closed her eyes as she tried to locate the grave. "Here," she said stopping by the back wall. "This is where the grave is."

Matt found a shovel and began to dig. He had only gotten a few feet down when he found small bones. He pulled everything he could find out of the grave and showed them to everyone.

Jasmine took the bones and said, "Joseph Harrison, we release you from this tomb. Be free! You are no longer tethered to this place."

They heard a sound like howling wind before they felt the foundation of the house lurch. "What’s happening," Amy cried as they heard crackling.

"Get out of the house," Jeff cried and shoved everyone up the stairs. "The house is collapsing."

They all made it out of the house moments before the first floor crumbled under the weight of the second floor and attic. Amy and Matt stared in horror as their first house was reduced to a pile of rubble. Jasmine offer what comfort she could to the couple, but they were much too shocked to be comforted.

Jeff stared at the rubble and saw Charlotte and Richard walking away from the house hand-in-hand, they were no longer prisoners. Jacobs watched them walk away, doing what he could not in life, let Charlotte leave with the man she loved.

~*~

"You really didn’t have to do this," Jasmine said with an appreciative smile on her face. It was a month after the Jacobs house collapsed and they were all gathered at the cemetery. "Didn’t you guys lose all of your money with the house?"

"I know," Amy said as she ran her hands along the lettering on a tombstone. "We did, but this felt like the right thing to do. He should be buried with his mother." They all gazed at a small headstone which read Joseph Harrison: Forgotten Soul.

"I think it was the right thing to do," Jeff said smiling at Amy, who placed a bouquet of flowers on the grave before Matt led her away.

Jeff was about to follow Jasmine and the others when something caught his eye. He glanced back and saw a little boy running into Charlotte’s outstretched arms. The scene brought a smile to his face and he turned to follow the others out of the cemetery.