Vandals (A Young Adult Thriller Short Story)

  But deep within, Caitlyn was optimistic that the time was near when her dreams would finally come true.

  The two spirits vanished.

  ONE

  Peyton Delaney sat pouting in the backseat of her stepfather’s Lexus LX 470. She doubted that her mother, seated in front next to the man she had married six months ago, cared. Otherwise she wouldn’t have made her leave California and all Peyton’s friends to move across the country to Minnesota, of all places. But when her stepfather, Vance McIntyre, was offered a new job as sales director for an advertising firm, the decision was made.

  She was about to be stuck in the middle of nowhere in the dead of summer and there was nothing Peyton could do about it, other than voice her displeasure through stone cold silence. And the occasional barrage of complaints. But even that could only last so long.

  At sixteen, this was the second major blow dealt Peyton in recent memory. Three years ago her father was killed in a car accident.

  I’ll just have to find a way to deal with this unwanted move. Dad would tell me that.

  “I’m hungry,” she complained, tossing back her long blonde hair. “Can’t we stop at McDonald’s or something?”

  “We’re almost there, Peyton.” Melody Delaney-McIntyre glanced back at her daughter. “After we make sure the house is still standing, we’ll find a restaurant.”

  Peyton rolled her green eyes. “Whatever.”

  When her mother and stepfather had twice come to scout the town of Shadow Bay, Minnesota and pick out a house to purchase, Peyton had chosen to stay behind and savor every last moment of home and spend time with her friends.

  “You just might surprise yourself and like it here,” Vance said. “The town has character, history, and plenty of open land one can only dream about in San Diego.”

  “Yeah, right,” Peyton said. “This is your dream, not mine.”

  “It’s our dream of a better life for all of us,” her mother said. “Give it a chance, honey. Is that too much to ask?”

  Peyton sighed. “I guess not.”

  She was acting like a spoiled baby instead of a girl less than two years away from adulthood. But Peyton wouldn’t hide her resentment over a move she never wanted.

  As the car turned off the main road to head down a winding lane, Peyton caught sight of the bay. It was wide, sapphire blue, and very inviting. She couldn’t wait to dive in, imagining the water was a perfect way to cool off in these parts. The view disappeared and it was back to open land dotted with farmhouses and livestock.

  She noted a guy about her age playing in a grassy field with a German Shepherd. Beyond them was a cottage, where Peyton assumed they lived. When he heard their car, the boy looked up, seemingly in a straight line at her. Peyton thought she detected a smile on his lips and smiled back.

  He’s really hot. Maybe life in Shadow Bay has promise after all.

  Vance pulled the car in the driveway of a big white Victorian that stood on a hill.

  “Well, this is it!” he said as if they had won the lottery. “Home sweet home.”

  Peyton wasted no time getting out, if for no other reason than to stretch her legs after they had driven nonstop for several hours. She peeked in the direction of the guy with the dog. Both were gone.

  She hid her disappointment and turned to her parents who were patiently waiting.

  “Do you want to see inside?” her mother asked.

  “Or we could just camp out here on the lawn and make it our home,” her stepfather joked.

  At six-four, he towered over Peyton’s mother.

  Peyton sneered at him. She glanced at the house before zeroing in on one upstairs window in particular. Peyton saw a girl standing there. She took an involuntary step backward and shivered.

  “What is it, honey?” Melody asked.

  “There’s someone looking out the window.”

  “Where?”

  Peyton pointed to the bedroom window, but the girl had vanished. “I could’ve sworn there was someone—”

  “I’m sure it was only your imagination, moving to a new house and all.”

  “Either that or the caretaker’s inside and heard us drive up,” Vance suggested, digging a key out of his pocket.

  Peyton was inclined to agree, all things considered. But she had a bad feeling about the place. For some reason it reminded her of the Amityville Horror movie that she and her friends had rented and watched one Saturday night. She’d had nightmares for a week afterwards.

  Peyton was thankful that evil spirits and wayward ghosts didn’t really exist.

  * * *

  The movers arrived later that afternoon with the furniture and other household items. Suddenly the place began to look like a home someone actually lived in.

  Peyton sized up her room. It faced the front of the house and was painted a pretty shade of violet. She sat on the loft bed as if for the first time and felt a sense of comfort when looking at her computer, television, and beanbag chair. If only her best friend Erica had also relocated to Shadow Bay, it might actually be livable.

  Peyton sighed and resigned herself to having to make new friends locally.

  She stood up and looked out the window. It occurred to Peyton that this was the same window where she thought she’d seen the girl looking out at her. But when they had gone through the house, there was no one to be found, to which Peyton breathed a sigh of relief.

  Must have been the light or shadows, she thought. Or maybe it was the gothic nature of the old house and atmosphere that spooked her.

  She headed out of the room, wondering what secrets a house that was probably a hundred years old or more had buried within those walls.

  Peyton wasn’t sure she wanted to find out.

  * * *

  Caitlyn watched with interest as Peyton left the room.

  She’s so pretty. I wish my hair was golden like hers.

  Though wanting to follow her, Caitlyn realized she couldn’t yet. Her father would be very angry if she did and make trouble for all of them.

  She drifted to the window and looked out. Peyton had sensed her there earlier, just as Caitlyn had sensed that Peyton would arrive here to save her.

  I knew you would come one day and rescue me from decades of solitude, pain, and regret.

  When that time came, she would be as light as a feather and ready to feel her spirit released and soul at ease.

  Caitlyn smiled at the mere notion, replacing the perpetual frown that had seemingly been etched on her face forever.

  # # #

  Following is a bonus excerpt of the bestselling young adult time travel mystery eBook, DANGER IN TIME, by R. Barri Flowers. Available in print, Kindle and Nook

  ONE

  Rachel Crane sat in her room ruminating, as she often seemed to do these days. She was only six years old when her sixteen-year-old sister, Brooke, died in a car accident ten years ago to the day, devastating Rachel. Not only had Brooke been the coolest sister in the world, but the one person Rachel could count on to cheer her up whenever she felt down.

  Since then life had been anything but satisfying...

  Rachel lost her mom to lung cancer two years after Brooke’s death. Catherine Crane had been a heavy smoker since her teen years and it caught up with her. Rachel believed her mother ultimately lost her will to live after losing Brooke, having never been the same afterward.

  Three years later, Rachel’s dad got remarried to a woman named Virginia. Rachel was convinced Virginia resented her because she got too much attention from her father. Whereas Rachel believed she didn’t get enough attention from him with Virginia occupying much of his free time.

  Rachel could never imagine anyone ever taking her mom’s place, no matter how hard she tried. Not that Virginia had tried all that hard, seemingly content just being her dad’s second wife, with Rachel simply left to tag along.

  She often thought about Brooke, who had been her best friend. She wished they had been able to have a normal life as sisters for years to c
ome, instead of having it cut short due to tragedy. By most accounts, she looked a lot like Brooke had at sixteen as biracial siblings. Both had long, curly, dark brown hair, a caramel complexion, were slender, and about five-six. The only real difference was Rachel had her mother’s jade eyes, while Brooke had their dad’s sable eyes.

  Rachel was sure her boyfriend Duncan would think Brooke was hot had she been alive today. If only. She longed for the chance to have a real sisterly conversation with Brooke to talk about guys, school, and other teen issues. Even now she imagined how much fun it would be if she could somehow magically go back in time and reunite with Brooke now when they were the same age. Yes, it would be weird, but somehow she knew they would find a way to make it work.

  So much for wishful thinking. No such thing as time travel, except in Hollywood, novels, and people’s vivid imaginations like hers.

  Rachel glanced around the small room in the Lake Melrose, Oregon house she’d grown up in. It had once been Brooke’s room and Rachel remembered the posters of celebrities she’d hung everywhere and the big pink teddy bear Brooke had kept since she was a little girl. Since then many of Brooke’s things had been packed away in the attic, as though waiting for her return, long forgotten by everyone.

  Everyone except Rachel, who considered the attic her private hideaway for chill time and keeping her sister’s memory alive.

  Rachel grabbed some tees and shorts, stuffing them into the bag atop her bed. She was being forced to spend the summer at her grandmother’s house in Brenport, Washington, some two hundred miles way.

  It was not that she didn’t like her Nana—who was always telling her wild and colorful stories about growing up in the Pacific Northwest—but Rachel had no desire to spend her last full summer before graduating from high school away from home. Unfortunately, she didn’t have much choice in the matter. Virginia had convinced her dad it would be good for Rachel to bond more with her grandmother before time ran out.

  Rachel thought it was more likely that Virginia wanted to get rid of her for the summer so she could have her father all to herself. Being susceptible to Virginia’s sneaky influence, he had fallen for it.

  I’ll just have to make the best of the situation. At least I’ll be able to text Duncan and my friends whenever I get bored.

  Beyond that, Rachel hoped Duncan would be able to get away from his summer job with the family landscaping business to visit her. She doubted the same could be said for Elaine, one of her best friends, since she too had been banished and would spend the summer in Utah with her father, his live-in girlfriend and her three bratty kids.

  After filling the bag with probably more clothes than she needed, Rachel pressed down hard and managed to zip it shut, just as she heard a knock on the door.

  “Come in.”

  It opened and Virginia stood there, hand on hip. There was a smug look on her fudge-toned face.

  “You about ready, or what?” she asked. “The bus leaves at three o’clock sharp. Wouldn’t want you to miss it.”

  Of course, you wouldn’t. That would mess up your plans.

  Rachel sneered, but resisted a curt response, figuring she’d only upset her dad. Virginia had won this round. Someday it would be different. She would just have to wait her turn.

  “I won’t.” Rachel pulled the bag off the bed, realizing it was heavier than she thought when it hit the floor.

  “Give that to me.” Virginia practically pried her hand loose and grabbed the bag. “Go get the lunch I prepared. You can eat it along the way.”

  I don’t think so.

  Their tastes in food were about as different as night and day. Whenever she could avoid Virginia’s high calorie, fatty meals, Rachel usually did. This was definitely one of those times.

  She skirted past Virginia, thrilled to see her stepmother laboring with the bag.

  Downstairs, Rachel nearly ran into her father in the hall between the living room and kitchen. He was tall, with a walnut complexion and a bald head that he shaved every day.

  Edwin Crane gazed at her amusingly. “I thought we’d have to drag you to Nana’s house kicking and screaming. Now it looks like you can’t get out of here fast enough.”

  “So not funny.” She made a face and wondered if there was a glimmer of hope he might reconsider. “Can’t I stay here this summer? Please, Dad?”

  “We’ve been over this numerous times, Rachel. Your grandmother is counting on your visit. She’s not getting any younger and, with Brooke gone, you’re all she has left.”

  Rachel frowned. His comment made it seem like she was strictly second string or simply better than nothing at all without Brooke around to take the lead.

  As though he sensed she might have taken his words the wrong way, Edwin amended them somewhat. “You know you’re Nana’s pride and joy, Rachel. Brooke will always have a special place in her heart as the first born, but you’re her baby!”

  “What about you?” Rachel batted her curly lashes. “Or has Nana forgotten you’re her only child?”

  Edwin chuckled. “I try to never let her forget, but she has a magical connection with you that I couldn’t even come close to matching.”

  “Enough already, I’ll go.” She knew he was laying it on a bit thick to guilt trip her into going to visit Nana happily. Rachel swallowed her resistance.

  “You’ll thank me someday when your grandmother, bless her heart, is dead and buried.”

  “But till then, I’d rather not.” Rachel sneered, resigned to her fate.

  He grinned. “Fair enough.”

  They both looked up and saw Virginia struggling with the bag.

  Rachel snickered. “I think she needs your help, Dad.”

  Edwin’s brow furrowed. “Let me get that, Virginia, darling—”

  Rachel went into the kitchen. Ignoring the lunch Virginia had packed, she strode across the hardwood floor to the refrigerator. She grabbed a bottle of water, opened it, and took a giant gulp.

  Before Rachel hit the road, there was something important she needed to do. Water bottle in hand, she ran past her dad and stepmom toward the stairs.

  “Why are you going back up there?” Virginia asked.

  “I forgot something,” Rachel lied. “I’ll be right back.”

  She ignored her protests and continued up the stairs. On the second floor, Rachel raced down the hall and opened the door to a utility room. Inside, she yanked at the rope hanging from the ceiling till stairs came down that led to the attic.

  She climbed up them.

  The attic, which had only been partially finished, was dusty and cluttered. Rachel had created several little paths to the eyelid windows overlooking the lawn and street below. She stood at one window, remembering when she used to do the same with Brooke. They would tell ghost stories or pretend they were in another time and place.

  Rachel looked in one corner of the attic at the boxes piled atop one another marked as Brooke’s clothes, shoes, toys, and other miscellaneous items. She had gone through them numerous times, touching things that had once belonged to her big sister. Rachel even wore some of Brooke’s clothes that were fashionable again today and fit her perfectly.

  Oh, Brooke, I wish we were going to Nana’s house together like we used to. Better yet, I wish I didn’t have to go at all this year. If you were here, we could just hang out together at home, the mall, or wherever.

  Rachel wanted to cry at the thought, but checked herself. Some people might think she had gone a little loco being too sentimental over her long dead sister.

  Maybe I do need to let go after ten years of grieving. Brooke would want that. Wouldn’t she?

  Rachel was positive Brooke was watching over her from heaven, wanting to see at least one of them make it past sixteen years of age and experience all the things that came with growing old.

  “Well, guess I’d better get going,” Rachel spoke aloud to Brooke, as though she were in the room. “Dad and Virginia are probably having a fit right about now, not wanting me to mi
ss that bus to Nana’s house. Guess I’ll see you when I get back!”

  Just then, Rachel heard what sounded like something falling on the floor. At first she thought it might only be the creaking sounds that sometimes invaded the house like an angry spirit. Then she wondered if it might be a mouse. Yuck. The thought of being nibbled on by one of those creatures freaked her out. She looked behind her, expecting to see the little critter scurrying by.

  Instead, Rachel saw what looked like an antique gold pocket watch attached to a chain lying by her shoes. Glancing up, as if expecting to see a ghost who had dropped the watch, she saw only the support beams. They gave no clue of where the watch had come from.

  This is so weird.

  Rachel put her bottled water on the windowsill and reached down to pick up the watch. Opening the case, she noted it had an unusual sixty second clock that was prominent and ticking, with an inset of the time in roman numerals near the top and a date at the bottom. Her eyes widened when she realized the current month and day were correct, but not the year. It read: June 26, 2001.

  That was the day Brooke died. Rachel’s heart skipped a beat. She wondered if the watch belonged to her sister, though she had never seen it before. But why would the date have stopped working and not the other functions?

  She saw a button on the watch and pushed it to see what would happen. Old-fashioned music began to play. Rachel put the chain around her neck as though compelled to.

  The music somehow had a surreal effect on her. Lost in the tune, she started to sway with the music all but forgetting that her dad and Virginia were waiting to drive her to the bus station. And that Nana was expecting her.

  She felt herself grow slightly dizzy. Unsure what was happening or why, Rachel staggered, sure she would fall over at any moment and hit her head.

  But, just as quickly, the feeling disappeared and she was herself again. Rachel looked at the clockwatch and saw it had stopped ticking and the poker hand now stood still. The eerily pleasing music had also come to a screeching halt.

  She found that odd, just as she did everything about the antique watch.

  What just happened?

  Glancing around, Rachel saw something even more puzzling. The attic was not nearly as cluttered as it had been only moments before. How was that possible? It was almost as if she was in a different place and time. But, of course, that was ridiculous.