The Invocation Page 2

  Jake continued to apply pressure on the cut, and then put on the bandage. “You okay?”

  Cordy nodded.

  “All right,” Jake said. “Let’s give her room to breathe.”

  They exited into the living room. Kenna glanced back at Cordy, who still seemed dazed.

  Jake sat Cordy on the sofa. “So, what happened downstairs?”

  All at once, they started talking until it became a loud, jumbled mess.

  Jake stood. “We’re getting nowhere. Kenna, tell me what happened.”

  She recounted everything as best she could.

  Part way through, Jake interrupted. “Wait, you’re telling me it moved on its own.”

  Kenna nodded. “We were talking, and the planchette started moving.”

  “Is this some kind of joke?” Jake asked.

  Kenna shook her head. “It really happened.”

  Jake folded his arms. “All right. Then what?”

  Kenna couldn’t stay still as she relayed the events. A bundle of nervous energy, she bounced from foot to foot and looked at her friends for support. Kenna told Jake everything except the part about the silhouette. She didn’t want to mention it out loud. Doing that might bring it back.

  “How did you get banged up, Cordy?” Jake asked.

  Cordy shook her head. “I don’t know. When the lights went out, I tried to reach the door. Then something hit me in the head. I tripped and landed face first on the table. I don’t remember much after that.”

  “It probably happened because you guys were running over each other trying to get out. You gotta watch out with these Ouija boards. You start messing with these things and your mind starts to play tricks on you.”

  “But the planchette was really moving,” Kenna said.

  Jake took a deep breath, not knowing what to make of this situation. Although his sister was not the type to make up stories, the alternative was too much for him to believe. The most likely scenario is that she and her friends were spooked and thought they saw something that wasn’t there. “All I know is that you guys had a little scare. Fortunately, nobody got hurt too bad. Is your mom home?”

  Cordy nodded.

  “Okay, I’m taking you home. I don’t think it’s going to help matters if you start talking about Ouija boards and stuff like that. I’ll tell your mom you guys were rough housing and it got out of control. You got a little nick on your head when you tripped and fell, so I patched you up. How’s that sound?”

  “Yeah,” Cordy said. “Mom will buy that.”

  Jake followed his sister and friends out the door. He saw the haunted look on Kenna’s face and wondered just what she saw in the basement.

  Chapter III

  Jake looked up while doing crunches in his bedroom to find Kenna staring at him. He had worked out like a maniac in the pen, not wanting to lose his conditioning. After getting out of jail, he figured his home would feel alien to him, but Kenna’s presence made it where he belonged.

  When he finished, Kenna jumped onto his chest. He groaned as she knocked the wind out of him. She giggled and stood.

  Jake held out his hand. “Now you have to help me up.”

  “I’ll try.” Kenna acted like she was trying to lift him but wasn’t giving much effort.

  Jake sprang to his feet. “Thanks for the assist.”

  She sat on his bed. His room was sparse with a desk and a bookcase. The only thing that adorned his wall was his black belt in Tae Kwon Do and his brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. “I watched that DVD you have of your last fight yesterday.”

  Jake sat next to her. “Did you?”

  “It was in a drawer in the living room. You crushed your opponent in like under a minute. Why haven’t you been back to the gym?”

  “I’m just trying to get my life back together.”

  Kenna looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “But, Jake, that’s part of who you are. Fighting is what you do.”

  Jake stared at his sister, taken aback by a nine-year-old’s insight. “You might be right.”

  Kenna smiled. “I’m glad you agree. I knew you would, so I went ahead and called Joe Renken. He’s coming over tomorrow.”

  Joe Renken owned the gym Jake had trained at and had been his head trainer and manager prior to his incarceration. In many ways, Joe was a father figure after Jake’s father had died. Joe had visited him several times in jail, but they had not spoken since Jake’s release.

  “Why did you do that?”

  Kenna wrapped her small arms around his waist. “Because I can’t have you moping around the house all day. It’s not like anyone’s hired you. Plus, I love watching you fight. You rock out there.”

  “Thanks.”

  There was no question he had been feeling a void in his life. He wanted a new start, but he had been training in martial arts since he was a kid and wrestling since high school. Even before becoming a professional fighter, the mental discipline, the respect, and the grueling physical training had molded him into the person he was. To deny this was pointless. More than anything, he was ashamed of being an ex-con. Forever more, people would look down on him.

  Kenna jumped off the bed. “I’m going over Cordy’s house.”

  Jake looked at the clock. It was almost eight. Her bedtime was nine-thirty. “Did you ask Mom?”

  Kenna nodded. “She said I can go. Can you walk me over? It’s dark out.”

  Kenna had never asked him to accompany her to her friend’s house. She was probably spooked by what had happened that afternoon. “Sure, I’ll go.”

  She grabbed Jake’s hand and led him out of the room. “Let’s go.”

  “Hey, Mom, I’m taking Kenna to Cordy’s house.”

  Their mother looked up from the television set. She was watching one of those silly entertainment news shows. “She has to be back by nine.”

  “No problem.”

  His mother went back to watching her program.

  Jake sighed. He was worried about his mom. She had been through a rough patch with his dad’s death and Jake’s imprisonment. Those two events had sucked the life out of her. Before, their house used to be filled with her laughter. He missed her jokes, even though he never found them funny. She used to play silly games with him and Kenna. These days, she seemed to be going through the motions instead of actually living. Kenna had told him that, sometimes, it was like she wasn’t there at all. She would come home and stare at the television with a blank look on her face, forgetting about dinner until Kenna reminded her. She acted like a drunk, without actually drinking.

  Once outside, Kenna said, “So, Cordy’s parents aren’t home. They went to a restaurant, something about entertaining clients.”

  Jake furrowed his brow. “She’s home alone.”

  “No way. Cordy’s mom doesn’t trust her. She has a sitter over.”

  Jake held Kenna’s hand as they crossed the busy street. Even though it was only a few blocks away, Cordy lived in the more upscale part of town in a new development.

  When they arrived at Cordy’s house, Jake stood in the background as Kenna knocked. Jake’s eyes lit up as the door opened. He stared, probably looking like an idiot, almost not believing what he was seeing. Standing in the doorway was June Fisher. He had not seen her in a while, but he certainly had not forgotten her.

  June had a broad smile. “Jake Trigg. I wasn’t expecting you to come over.”

  Kenna ran past June. Inside, she and Cordy giggled. This was a setup from the start.

  Jake stepped closer to the door. He tried to control his racing heart. Why was he so nervous? It’s not like they had never spoken before. Somehow, he sensed things were different now. At least, he was a different person. “I’m Kenna’s older brother.”

  “Small world, huh? Well, don’t just stand there. Come inside.” Before he could enter the house, June gave him a big hug. “How long’s it been?”

  “It’s been a while.”

  He knew exactly how long it had been. The last time he had s
een June was high school graduation. They always had good chemistry, frequently talking to each other in the hallways, before, during, and after school. She was pretty, not quite beautiful, with long auburn hair, a slightly freckled face, and enchanting green eyes. Glancing at her body, Jake realized she had developed nicely since high school.

  He had always wanted to ask her out, but never had the guts to do it. She ran with the popular crowd and the smart kids. He had tended to hang with the outcasts, those who couldn’t fit in with any crowd. Plus, she had been going out with Chad Garrett, who was rich, privileged, and made sure everyone knew about it. For his seventeenth birthday, Chad’s parents bought him a new Corvette. Jake had a nice laugh when, two months later, Chad had smashed up the car. People like Chad never had the time of day for someone like Jake.

  “So, what have you been up to?” June had a gleam in her eye. Her smile was filled was mischief.

  Kenna ran across the room with a look of alarm. “Jake’s a professional fighter.”

  Cordy ran beside Kenna. “Yeah, he’s really good.”

  June frowned. “A fighter? Like a boxer.”

  “No. I’m a mixed martial artist.”

  Kenna beamed. “Jake’s undefeated.”

  “I’ve only had four professional fights.”

  June’s eyes went wide. “Really? That’s so cool.”

  It was more than obvious that Kenna and Cordy were steering the conversation away from the fact that he had been incarcerated. He wasn’t keen on bringing up the subject either.

  “It’s nothing really,” Jake said. “I haven’t fought in a while.”

  “That’s because he’s been helping mom and me, but he’s going to be back in the cage real soon.”

  Cordy grabbed Kenna’s hand and led her downstairs. “Come on. I want to show you my new bike.”

  “Cute kids,” June said.

  “They sure are. I didn’t expect you to be around. I thought you went away to Boston College.”

  “Come inside. Let’s sit down.”

  Jake followed June into the house, which was spacious and filled with modern furniture. The living room housed a large grandfather clock. The floors were all hardwood. She sat on the sofa, and he sat on an adjacent couch.

  “I just transferred to Ursinus last fall.”

  “Ursinus? That’s just down the road.” Jake still felt wildly attracted to June, and now they didn’t have the trappings of high school to pin them down.

  “I wanted to be closer to home because my dad had a heart attack last year. Plus, I wanted to get away from Chad.”

  Jake’s heart skipped a beat learning about her availability. “I’m sorry to hear about your dad.”

  “He’s getting better. Anyway, I don’t know if you remember, but Chad and I had been going out.”

  Jake nodded. Of course, he remembered.

  “I thought it would be a good idea when I enrolled at BC. It was a foregone conclusion he would go to Harvard. His family has a legacy there, so even though his grades didn’t merit it, he had no problem getting in. The president of the university personally called his father to let him know he had been accepted.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “It must be nice to have connections.”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I couldn’t take being near him anymore. He was so involved with his frat brothers and mingling with New England high society. I just wanted to study, get good grades, and get a degree that would land me a good job. He became arrogant and obnoxious.”

  “Became?” Jake grinned. “You may not have noticed, but he’s always been that way.”

  “Maybe. I didn’t realize it until we were a few hundred miles from home. Worst of all, he became possessive, convinced we were going to get married and have three point two kids even though I never gave him any overtures to suggest that. He would check in on me at all hours of the day, questioning where I went, who I was with, what I was doing. I couldn’t take it.”

  He had to play it cool. If she were no longer with Chad, then he just might have a chance with her. He casually leaned back and spoke in an even tone. “Don’t blame you. Who would want to be with someone like that?”

  “I broke up with him a few months ago. Unfortunately, Chad refuses to accept that. He still calls and texts, acting like we’re together. I’ve told him it’s over, but he doesn’t take no easily.”

  “Sounds like a stalker.”

  June waved her hand. “He’s harmless. He just has this feeling of entitlement. What about you, Jake? Any serious girlfriend?”

  “Um, no. I was with someone for about a year, but that ended.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Jake folded his arms. “Nothing I want to talk about.”

  “I just laid out my whole life story, and you won’t even tell me about your last girlfriend.”

  “What can I say? My life isn’t interesting.”

  “Hmm. If you say so.” June frowned.

  The conversation died just like that. Jake felt compelled to keep speaking with her after having sensed some sparks earlier.

  “You really want to know what happened with my last girlfriend?”

  June nodded. “I wouldn’t have asked otherwise.”

  “You sure about this?”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Well, you see, her family wasn’t too fond of her dating a convict. If she continued dating me, they threatened to disown her. At least that was what the letter she wrote to me in prison said.”

  June’s face went white. “A convict?”

  Jake looked down. “I’m afraid so.” After a moment, he raised his head. Reluctantly, he gave the highlights of what had happened that fateful night that led to his incarceration.

  “That’s terrible. But you didn’t really do what they accused you of.”

  Jake tilted his head back. “I did what I felt I had to in that situation, and I paid the price for my actions.”

  June leaned in close. “What was prison like?”

  “What? Are you trying to be Oprah or something?”

  “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just concerned. I’ve always liked you.”

  Jake looked into her eyes and found genuine empathy. He didn’t want to tell her about his prison stint, but he was in too deep.

  “What’s there to say? Prison isn’t fun. For the most part, it was lonely. There were gangs and factions in the pen, but I didn’t belong to any of them. I purposely didn’t have any friends. Spoke to maybe two or three guys the whole time I was there. The other inmates knew I could fight, so they didn’t mess with me. I did a lot of reading. I worked out every chance I had and took a few computer classes. If anyone was willing to hire me, I’ve developed some good computer skills.” Jake sighed. “Kenna’s the one who got me through. She never gave up on me.”

  “I can tell she really cares about you. Look, Jake, I realize spending six months in prison is a pretty significant setback.”

  Jake smirked. “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  “But it shouldn’t define your life. You’re a good person. What happened was a bump in the road, but you can overcome it. You have inner strength. Take this opportunity to focus on what’s important in your life and grow from it. If you do that, then those six months won’t be a complete waste.”

  Jake continued to chat with June, surprised at how easily their conversation flowed after his revelation. He had never thought about his prison term in that light before. Somehow, June had a way of making everything make sense. Not to mention, her penetrating green eyes captivated him. They seemed to twinkle in the soft lights.

  Jake looked at the Grandfather clock. “Kenna needs to head back, and since I walked her over here, I’m responsible for taking her home.”

  He rose to call Kenna, but June grabbed his hand. “Look, Jake, I really enjoyed talking to you. I’d like to see you again.”

  Jake’s eyes widened. “Really?”

  June smiled. “Yeah. I wish we had gotten to know each other better in h
igh school, but it’s not too late. We’ve all made mistakes. Mine was wasting so much time with Chad thinking it was going somewhere.”

  “You don’t have a problem with me having been in prison?”

  “I’m convinced you’re not a hardened criminal.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

  Jake walked Kenna home with a big smile on his face as he answered her rapid-fire questions about how he hit it off with June.

  Chapter IV

  Kenna and Cordy approached Carlos, who was playing freeze tag in the school playground.

  Kenna grabbed his arm. “Hey, we need to talk to you.”

  “I’m in the middle of a game,” Carlos said. “Can’t this wait until later?”

  Cordy dragged him away from the game. “No, this can’t wait. This is important.”

  Carlos gave an exasperated sigh. “All right. What’s going on?”

  “First, get Ben,” Kenna said. “That way we can tell both of you at the same time.”

  A minute later, Carlos returned with Ben, who had been playing basketball. Ben was taller than almost all the other boys in their grade, but he wasn’t very coordinated. Still, his height made him popular when picking sides.

  Ben’s eyes went wide with alarm. “What’s going on? Did something happen? This is about the whole Ouija board thing, isn’t it?”

  “Let’s go to the other end of the yard where nobody can hear us,” Kenna said.

  The playground had a basketball hoop on one end of the paved area as well as space to play hopscotch and foursquare. The edges of the yard were covered with mulch. There was a swing set and a large play set with multiple slides. They walked toward a gazebo at the far edge of the yard, where nobody was congregating at the moment. Kenna sat on the bench inside of the gazebo and looked around just to be sure nobody could hear them.

  “Cordy and I’ve been thinking about this.” Kenna paused and looked at each of her friends in turn. “We should contact Mia again.”

  Ben looked at Kenna as if she had suggested mugging the Easter Bunny. “Are you crazy?”

  “Mia sounded like she was in trouble the last time we talked to her. I’m worried.” Kenna folded her arms.