Read Online A Strange There After by Missy Fleming - Free Book Online Page B

sounding a lot like a cheesy greeting card.
    “Thank you.” Then a memory assaulted me.
“I’ll never forgive Catherine for what she did, for hurting
her.”
    “It wasn’t Catherine’s fault.”
    I shot him a glare, snatching my hand back.
“She tried to possess her, like with Marietta. Mama fought so hard
she had a brain aneurism and died. Who else am I supposed to
blame?”
    “Whatever controlled Catherine.”
    “But she let it in,” I ground out. “Which
makes her responsible.”
    “All you know is who she is now. If you’d met
her—”
    “ You’re supposed to be on my
side.”
    “I’ve helped you!” He struggled to regain his
composure. “You might not believe me, but I don’t enjoy seeing you
suffer.”
    “Then, for God’s sake, do something about
it,” I mumbled. “I’m so sick of these see-sawing emotions.”
    “ You’re new, give it a chance.
Eventually, all these raw emotions you’re feeling will
fade.”
    “I don’t want them to fade. I miss Jason.
He’s slipping from me.”
    “Don’t let him be your sole reason for
fighting. If you let it, living up to the expectation will be
impossible for him. Part of accepting this form is to let go of all
the things you once dreamed of.” Jackson stood abruptly, his
expression guarded, and cleared his throat. “If you’re better, I’ll
leave you be.”
    Then he vanished. I stuck out my lower lip.
So far I hadn’t mastered the whole disappearing into thin air
thing, not on purpose anyway. I hoped I didn’t stay in this stupid
afterworld long enough to find out.
    For the first time, Jackson had given me a
hint of why he stuck around. His love for Catherine hadn’t
lessened, not after all the years and the horrible acts she
committed. Why did he torture himself by staying? Had he done what
he warned me about and made it all about her? It didn’t make sense.
As far as I knew, he didn’t die on the property. Unless there were
things I’d yet to learn. Without knowing the truth, what could I
accomplish?
    Jackson was such a conundrum, always trying
so hard to pretend he didn’t care about anyone, then in the next
minute, giving me more information than I asked for. The events I
witnessed in this house were connected to both entities residing in
the yard. I was positive of it. The only problem lay in finding out
how and why I hadn’t been aware of them before.
    Which brought my musings to George. If he was
involved somehow, he’d be able to tell me the most. I needed to
find out what Jackson meant by the crazy lady’s history being
connected to the boy.
    I hopped off the bed, as well as I was able,
and happened to glance at my clothes. Had I known that night in the
cemetery I’d be stuck forever in the same outfit, I might have
chosen something better than boot cut jeans and turquoise scoop
neck tank top. Despite everything that had happened, the clothes
were in pristine condition, wrinkled but clean.
    I was so over looking at them. Every. Single.
Day.
    Reaching down, intending to grip the hem of
the shirt and pull it over my head, my fingers slipped right though
the material. Same with the button of the jeans. Obviously,
changing was out of the question.
    Brushing the frivolous thought aside, I went
off in search of George. And answers.
    After not finding him anywhere on the second
floor, I used the rear staircase, near the kitchen. Determination
drove me, made me hunger for information. Right before stepping
foot in the room, a slight flutter erupted in my chest, infusing
warmth into my limbs. Steeling myself against another sickening
display of Catherine and Jason making out, I squared my shoulders
and prepared for the gag-worthy sight. How much longer could I
gross out at the sight of him kissing me? A perverted form of
reverse psychology. If I saw it enough, and hated it enough, soon I
wouldn’t want to kiss him at all once I got my body back.
    To my relief and disappointment Jason wasn’t
there. Just Catherine, leaning against