Time Witch: Backward Things - Part 3

Links: Part 1, Part 2, Time Witch Page

Recap: Evangeline found a tunnel—in a closet—that took her to 1910, and when she came back through to her time, she pulled a man with her and he turned into a skeleton. Bad for him, possibly, but it’s a police matter in 2024.

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Short on time? Scan the story and read the bold parts to get the gist of the story. Then come back later to read the whole thing!

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“Watch out! Coming through!”

The flashing lights of the Baxter Creek Police Department lit up the night around the old Carnegie library as officers helped the town’s only funeral director carry a stretcher inside.

Police Chief Marcus Cole stood by Evangeline, hovering over the town’s newest resident. She had a paper cup of steaming coffee in her hands, a worried expression, and a million questions banging around in her head. She didn’t know how to ask any of them without sounding insane.

For a moment, they watched the spectacle outside the library in silence. Then, a group of firefighters arrived. They didn’t seem too upset that there wasn’t a fire.

“These things happen in old buildings,” Chief Cole said, sounding like they always found skeletons.

“Really?” Evangeline asked, glancing over at him.

“And much more fun than chasing down sightings of a Headless Horseman.” Chief Cole sniffed, noticed her shocked expression, and waved it off. “A prank, I’m sure. Although, I wouldn’t mind catching them in the act. Expose ’em online. That would go viral.”

“When was the last time?”

Chief Cole thought it over. “Last night.”

“You found a skeleton last night?” Evangeline choked.

“Oh, no,” Chief Cole corrected, “the Headless Horseman was seen last night. Scared the you know what outta of Margo Adams. Have you met her yet? You should. She runs a book club.”

Barely following the sidebar, Evangeline tried to get him back on track. “What about the last skeleton?”

The lawman chuckled. “A bit ago, but this one’s the oldest I’ve seen. Based on his clothes, he dates back to the early 1900s. I’d say that’s around the time the library was completed. Imagine how long he’s been waiting to be found.”

Evangeline did not like the thought.

“I know it’s disturbing for civilians, but this guy died a long time ago.” Chief Cole folded his arms. He bobbed his double chin up and down. “It’s beyond a cold case.”

It seemed pretty recent for Evangeline. She closed her eyes. How could I have experienced what I experienced? She longed to ask someone, surprised when she felt an answer tickle at the edges of her mind. Mom and Dad would know. She longed to pull out her phone and call them, not for the first time.

Biting her lip, she couldn’t focus on Chief Cole. He kept talking and talking, but she barely heard. Whatever had happened in the closet reminded her of something from her childhood. The sensation was that familiar. The more she thought about it, the more she felt her mother had downplayed the whole thing like it was all a part of her silly imagination. Why would Mom do that? she wondered.

Chief Cole misread the expression. “Oh, hey there, don’t you worry about it. Who even knows what really happened to this poor soul.” He rubbed his nose. “We may never figure it out.”

You could. 

The ghostly statement whipped through the air, backed by a gust of wind. It gently shook the leaves over Evangeline’s head. She peeked up at the tree, then quickly back at Chief Cole. “Did you say something?” she managed to ask.

“I’ve probably said too much.” The chief laughed.

“But, but…” Evangeline stuttered, “but you think I could?”

“You could what, dear?” Chief Cole asked, confused.

Evangeline peeked over her shoulder, suddenly unsure of what she’d heard.

“I think it’s about time to call it a night,” the chief said.

“Wait!” Evangeline stopped him with the exclamation but faltered at his stare. 

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. “I know it’s a complete mess, but don’t let it run you out of our little town.” His gaze shifted to her face, concerned.

“I want to stay,” Evangeline assured him, knowing he sat on the town council. “I love it here.”

“Except for the skeleton,” Chief Cole winked. He gave her a nod and headed over to his men, stalling to share one last tidbit of advice: “And don’t you worry, I will clear this up fast. It shouldn’t hold up your opening longer than four months.”

“Four months?” Evangeline spat out the death sentence, but he was already on his way toward the action. “That wasn’t the plan.”

Not that she’d shared the plan with anyone. She didn’t want to share it with strangers, even if she was already turning them into friends. She was building a new life, far away from her recent loss and the people who thought they knew best. The plan had been to find a safe place to figure it out. Baxter Creek fit the bill, but not if she couldn’t open the B&B Coffee House.

A breeze picked up around Evangeline again, making her sip the coffee and ignore everything else. It wasn’t hard. Her mind ached with not knowing—not knowing about her future, not knowing about the tunnel or the skeleton man. But like everything else wrong in her life, she instinctively knew it all needed to be kept secret. She didn’t know how she knew. She just did. It gripped her heart and stilled any complaint or cry for help.

Telling would be worse, she told herself.

“Hey! Evangeline!” Danna ran up to her with a blanket. She put it over her boss’s slim shoulders. “I can’t believe this happened.”

“Oh, you came back. How sweet.” Evangeline loved the small-town hospitality. “How did you know?”

“Everyone knows. Our police dispatcher is a group texting queen. I’m sure you’ll be added to her list soon.” Danna smiled as she watched the town’s finest in action. “I wish I could have found the skeleton. Did you scream?”

Evangeline shook her head, barely remembering how she reacted. Even her encounter with the handsome man, who seemed to turn into a skeleton, had faded from her mind. The police chief’s crippling news took over. “How will I ever open the bed and breakfast now? The police investigation is going to take four months! I can’t survive without a business for four months.”

“Oh!” Danna frowned. “That sucks, but when anyone digs up a piece of the town’s history, it sparks a nightmare of red tape.”

Understanding hardly made the situation any easier. Evangeline didn’t know how to live through a historical investigation. Of course, the last thing she wanted was to destroy any of the town’s history.

“Is it that bad?” Danna thought it over. “You can’t let outside forces or people run you out of town. You’ve planted roots. That means something.”

“Even if they’re really tiny, weak roots?”

“Don’t give up yet. Wait a week and see what they find. It’s only one skeleton. If they find three more, then you’ve got a problem.”

Evangeline made a face, and her stomach lurched.

Reading her reaction, Danna instantly backpedaled. “However, if it’s only one skeleton, think of all the free publicity you’ll get for the business. People love that kind of thing. Weren’t you moaning about finding that viral moment that made people venture out of their cocoons and travel to your library?”

“I didn’t mean dead bodies.”

Danna shook a finger. “It’s a skeleton, not a body. Huge difference.”

Evangeline wasn’t so sure.

“Maybe your family could help,” Danna suggested.

It produced a noncommittal shrug.

“You never talk about your family,” Danna said. “It’s like they don’t exist.”

Of course, they existed, Evangeline thought, unable to stop herself from emitting a soft whimper. Now’s not the time to share that gloom.

“Listen, it’s all gonna work out. This is your home,” Danna said. Her conviction was comforting.

Evangeline’s stomach ached. She wanted it to be home. Unfortunately, the pull that made Baxter Creek so attractive had faded in the last hour. “Maybe I could find something else to do in town?”

Quitter.

Evangeline turned her head to identify the male whisper. The teasing tone was as disturbing as the beguiling one. She couldn’t ignore it a third time, especially when it floated through the air and stirred something deep inside. “Did you hear that?” she asked.

“Hear what?”

“Something telling me to stay, in a rather snarky way.” Evangeline felt a breeze on her cheek, soft as a gentle caress.

“Listen to it!” Danna laughed. “All that talking to yourself made something talk back.”

A cherished memory came back to Evangeline. It involved her father and a late-night drive to get ice cream. He’d said something about never making rash decisions, but she couldn’t remember the context. The advice was disturbing, since she’d made a sudden life-changing decision to move to Baxter Creek; another to leave seemed rash, even if staying led to bankruptcy.

Listen to me!

Evangeline almost dropped her coffee. She quickly looked around, but no one was close enough to whisper the order.

“It’s all in my head,” she muttered, “so shut up.”

Make me!

“What the—” Evangeline’s heart skipped a beat. She couldn’t rationalize it away. Something was talking just to her… and it sounded like a ghost.

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