Loved Ones Lost (Edgewater Curse Book 1) Read online

  “Power?” Bri furrows her brows together in confusion.

  “Yes, you have a power, Bri. It is part of a family curse passed down through generations. Well, some choose to view it as a legacy or gift instead of a curse. I guess it depends on how you look at it.”

  “I don’t understand; how do you know about this but I don’t?”

  “Your dad told me.”

  “My dad?”

  “Yes, he came to me when I crossed over to this plain. He felt bad that he didn’t tell you about it before he died. He was hoping that he could find a way to break the curse and it wouldn’t affect you or future generations.”

  “Not that I’m complaining, but why didn’t he come to tell me this instead of you?”

  “He’s preoccupied at the moment, and besides, he figured you would rather see me.”

  Jared wasn’t wrong about who Bri would rather be talking to. Even though she did miss her dad, they never really did have a close relationship.

  “He’s right; I am glad that you are here instead.”

  Jared smiles with a loving yet sympathetic grin and reaches out to touch her cheek.

  “Before I tell you about your family curse, I need to tell you something else that you are probably not going to believe, but I need you to stay open-minded and calm. If you don’t, it could break the connection we have, and then I won’t have the chance to tell you about the curse. I could be gone forever, and you will end up having to deal with all of this on your own. Can you promise me to stay calm and be open-minded? Can you do that for me?”

  “Yes, even though you are kind of scaring me right now. I promise I will do my best to stay calm and you know you can always tell me anything. Please just tell me. My heart is racing.”

  “I’m sorry; I don’t mean to scare you.” Jared cups Bri’s face with his hands. “I’m not sure how to begin to tell you this.”

  “Oh, just spit it out already!”

  “Okay, okay, supernatural beings are real.”

  (Silence)

  Jared couldn’t tell by the look on Bri’s face if she believed him or not or maybe she just thought he was crazy.

  “Bri?”

  “Just give me a minute to process what you just said.” Bri stood up and started pacing.

  “It’s true. Almost every supernatural being you’ve heard of in books and movies is real. I’m not crazy; I’m telling you the truth.”

  Bri looks to Jared while still pacing. “Well, I am dreaming. Who’s to say I’m even talking to you right now? Maybe I have lost my mind. Maybe my mind doesn’t know how to handle everything that’s happened, so it’s letting my imagination take over and allowing me to see you. A defense mechanism. A way to prevent me from having a psychotic break.”

  “Bri, don’t.”

  “Don’t what? It’s true, isn’t it? I’m dreaming about this right now. I’m not really awake.”

  “Actually, you think you’re dreaming, but you are really awake.”

  Bri stops pacing, frozen. She starts frantically looking around.

  “Bri. Please sit down. Please calm yourself, or this connection will break, and I won’t be able to talk to you ever again.”

  Bri slowly sits, more afraid of the last part of that sentence than its beginning.

  “Good. Now take a deep breath and focus on me.”

  Bri takes a deep breath and looks into Jared's eyes.

  “What do you mean I may not be able to talk to you ever again?”

  Jared smiles. “Is that your biggest concern out of everything I’ve just said?”

  “Yes. I mean, I love you, and now that I kind of have you back, so to speak, I don’t want to risk losing you. Especially if what you're saying is true. I’m going to need you. Not to mention the connection you have to my dad. We may need you to get more information from him.”

  “I love you too, and I’m also glad this is possible. I’m also glad you are being smart about this because you are right; we may need to get more information from your dad as time passes.”

  Bri starts to relax a bit. “Okay, before you tell me what I need to know, I have a question.”

  “What is it?”

  “Am I the only one who can see you?”

  “Well, that answer is complicated. See, you are a Ghost Whisperer.”

  “What does that mean exactly?”

  “Your power gives you the ability to talk to spirits and summon the dead. This means that you can let others see the ghost providing the ghost agrees to it. You can even make them solid for a small amount of time. The stronger your power gets, the longer you will be able to make it last. Within reason, of course. Your power will never allow you to bring people back from the dead.”

  “How?”

  “Well, I believe all you have to do is concentrate on what you want to happen. You will need to focus hard at first, but the more you use your abilities, the easier it will get. If you try to make a ghost visible to someone without their permission, they will disappear, even from your sight.”

  “Okay, can I try it?”

  “Um, what do you mean?”

  “Do I have your permission to allow Matthew to see you?”

  “I’m not sure that’s…”

  “He knows I saw you last night in my…wait, was I dreaming last night when I saw you? Yes, you said I was.”

  “Yes, you were dreaming last night. You saw me in your dream last night because it was the first time your ability was active.”

  “Oh, I see. So is it okay if I go get Matthew so he can see you?”

  “Well, I’m okay if he sees me if you think he can handle it but now may not be the best time. We really need to talk about the curse.”

  “That’s why I want him to see you. He believes me, and he has been helping me with things around here since you left…with the kids and the finances. You would be so proud of him.”

  “Yes, I’ve been watching, and I am proud of him.”

  “I think you should explain this whole family curse thing to both of us so when you’re not around, I have someone else to get through this with.”

  “Okay, but you don’t have to go get him. Just go upstairs to the apartment, call upon me, and I will be there.”

  Bri gets up from the chair and proceeds to find Matthew. She heads up to the fourth floor, which was once a recreation room but has now been remodeled into a studio apartment for Matthew until he is done with college so he could have his own space. Once he graduates and decides to move out the other children will have the opportunity to use the apartment, if desired, when they go to college.

  (Knock, knock)

  Bri can hear movement and then the door opens.

  “Mom? What’s wrong? Are you okay? What time is it?”

  Bri looks at her watch. “Oh! Matthew, I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize it was so late or should I say early.”

  Matthew walks over to his nightstand to look at his phone. “Mom, it’s three in the morning. What’s going on? Is everything okay?”

  “Yes. Matthew, can you sit down, please? I need to show you something.”

  Matthew sits on the hideaway bed as Bri sits on the couch opposite the bed. “What is it?”

  “First, promise me you will stay calm and be open-minded.”

  “Of course. I think I proved that last night when you told me about your dream, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you did.” Bri smiles, takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. Within moments Jared appears, and Matthew shoots straight up to his feet from his sitting position.

  “Dad!”

  Jared smiles. “Hi son.”

  “How is this possible? Mom, are you doing this?”

  “Yes, I am. Apparently, I’m a Ghost Whisperer.”

  “A what?”

  “I’m going to let your dad explain. He has some things to tell us. He was going to just tell me, but I thought it would be best if he told us both together.”

  “Okay.” Matthew sits back down on his bed, and Bri sits besid
e him.

  Bri looks to Jared. “All right, so tell us what we need to know. You say that supernatural beings are real. What does that have to do with our family curse?”

  Matthew’s eyes go wide. “Wait. What?”

  “Yes, Matthew. This is the part where I need you both to stay calm. Supernatural beings are real, and there is a curse on your mother’s side of the family. Her father’s, the Edgewater’s bloodline to be exact.”

  Bri looks surprised. “So it doesn’t affect you or my mother then? Wait! Bloodline! You mean it does affect our kids?!”

  “Unfortunately, that is all correct.”

  Matthew reaches for Bri’s hand. “Okay, so what exactly is this curse and how long have supernaturals existed? Are we talking since the beginning of time?”

  Jared sits in the armchair across from the bed, “Okay, so one thing at a time. First, it depends on which supernatural being you’re talking about; each was created at a different time in history. As far as the curse, Bri, it was your eighth great grandfather, Edgar Edgewater, who pissed off a witch back in 1693. He was human, and she was supernatural except he didn’t know that. He courted her for three years and over time, he fell in love with her. One day he came calling and asked her out for dinner. He was planning to ask for her hand in marriage. She said yes, but insisted he should come to her house, and she would make him a dinner he would never forget. He liked the idea and agreed; what he didn’t know was that she was planning on telling him about her secret—that she was a witch and there were other supernatural beings as well. The next evening, Edgar showed up at her house. After they ate dinner, they moved to the living room, where he got down on one knee and proposed. But before answering him, she asked him to sit on the couch because she needed to tell him something. After she finally divulged her secret to him, he stood up, told her she was crazy and stormed out the door. The next morning, the local authorities showed up at her house and arrested her for witchcraft; she was burned at the stake the next day.”

  Bri gasps, “Oh my God!” and puts her hand to her mouth.

  Jared continues, “Apparently, while she was in her cell awaiting her fate, she put an unbreakable curse on Edgar and his entire bloodline. She knew that all supernatural beings were real. She also knew that each species were natural enemies to one another. So to teach Edgar a lesson and exact her revenge, she created The Edgewater Curse. Each member of the bloodline would be fated to a traumatic or highly stressful experience that would trigger or activate a supernatural power. The uniqueness of this curse, though, is that no living blood relative would have the same power, making the Edgewater bloodline impure.”

  Matthew interrupts, “So are you saying that each one of us is going to end up with different powers?”

  “Yes. Each one of you will end up, at some point in your lives, with a power. Some will be less aggressive, and others will be more.”

  Bri looks from Matthew to Jared. “Wait, what do you mean, aggressive?”

  “Well, think of all of the different kinds of supernatural beings you see in movies or read about in books.”

  “So we could end up with a vampire or werewolf in our family?” Matthew asks.

  “Yes, but there are even more aggressive beings out there. Then again, you could also end up with someone having a less aggressive power, like you, Matthew.”

  “Me? I don’t have a power…yet.”

  Jared smiles. “Actually, you do. You just haven’t realized it yet because it hasn’t been as obvious.”

  Matthew looks to his dad, “What power do I have?”

  “You are an Empath.”

  Bri’s face suddenly dawns with realization. “Yes, that makes total sense now.”

  Matthew responds with a questioning look. “It does?”

  “Yes, don’t you see it? When you’ve come to my aid, you’ve been so reassuring and comforting, knowing how I’ve felt before I’ve even realized it.”

  Jared agrees with Bri. “Yes, as an Empath, you will be able to read and control emotions. This will come in extremely handy with Travis.”

  “Travis? Why with Travis?” Bri asks with concern.

  “Because he is a skeptic and because he will go through one of the hardest experiences of all of you.”

  “What do you mean? What is going to happen to him?!” Bri asks with even more frustration.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to say any more about that.”

  “What? Why?” Matthew asks.

  “I’m only allowed to tell you and help you with the powers that have already been activated. If I attempt to tell you about any that haven’t happened yet, I won’t be allowed to come back to you. I’m already pushing it by even mentioning Travis.”

  “Who won’t let you?”

  “The curse won’t let me. All Darius told me is that it has been tried in the past and failed. As part of the curse, if a guide tries to explain too much too soon, then they are taken away, never to be seen or heard from again. The curse was created in such a way that it prevents anyone from trying to manipulate or change what power ends up with who.”

  “So you are our guide? Guide for what?” Matthew asks.

  “Yes, I am your guide. I will be able to help you with questions that come up after a power has been activated. Additionally, as I mentioned before, the witch that created this curse knew that each supernatural species were natural enemies to one another and they are very strict about bloodlines staying pure. Since each member of this curse ends up with a different power, the various species view all of you as impure and their enemies as well. So basically, none of them like the Edgewaters. Right now none of them know that your powers have started to activate, so you haven’t had any run-ins with them. But, when they do find out, shit’s going to hit the fan, and I will be available for Bri to summon if you need me.”

  “I don’t get it. If this is a curse placed on our family, then why are we allowed to have a guide? I mean, the curse was cast to punish us, wasn’t it? So why are we allowed to have help?”

  “There has to be a balance of good and evil. There is a council who are referred to as The Powers That Be. They are the ones who set the rules of the supernatural realms. Since the curse itself is evil, the guide is meant to be the balance of good.”

  “Huh.” Matthew raises a brow. “How nice of them.”

  Jared continues, “However, if we break the rules—for instance, if I tell you too much too soon—then I will disappear, as I’ve stated before. If that happens, then another will be sent in my place. It could be someone you know or someone you don’t know. It’s not going to be up to you. The Powers That Be will decide.”

  Bri speaks up. “Okay, so don’t piss off The Powers That Be, got it.”

  Jared and Matthew chuckle.

  “What?”

  Jared smiles. “Nothing, I just love how blunt you are sometimes.”

  Bri shrugs. “I say it as I see it.”

  Jared stands. “Yes, you do. Well, it’s about that time. I wish I could stay, but I have to go. Bri, you will be able to call upon me whenever you need me, providing it is after sundown.”

  “Why only then?”

  “It is the power of the moon that allows you to summon me. Also, given what I told you earlier, it may be best if my visits like these are just kept between the three of us for now. I hate to be the reason the two of you need to lie to the rest of the family about what is to come. Besides, at this point, Travis may try to have you both committed. This is also why you should try not to summon me every night. Save your strength for when you really need me. Furthermore, be careful. When word gets out to the rest of the supernaturals out there that this generation of the Edgewaters is coming into their powers, it’s going to become very dangerous for this family.” Jared holds up his hand to prevent interruption. “I can’t tell you any more about that right now. I’m just saying it will be better for this family if you can keep the powers under wraps until most or all of you have them activated. You will need the
strength of the whole family to defeat what’s coming.”

  Now Matthew and Bri both look at each other, concerned. Bri stands up and hugs Jared. “We will be careful. I love you.”

  “Yes Dad, we will be careful. I still can’t believe I am seeing you before us right now. It’s so good to see you again. I love you too, Dad.” Matthew gives Jared and hug and then Jared smiles.

  “I love you both as well. Until next time…” and with that, Jared disappears.

  Chapter Four

  Time Passes By

  Over the next few months, everyone eased back into their regular routines. Crystal was having a very difficult time in the beginning, but since Matthew now knew of his power, he was able to help her in coping with her grief. He didn’t take all of her pain away since he knew she would need to experience grief as part of growing up and learning how to deal with stressful situations. However, he was able to help take the edge off. His powers were growing already, and he didn’t even need to be near a person to know what they were feeling; however, he still had to be in physical contact with them to control their emotions. Rose seemed to take things in stride. After all, like everyone else, she was still grieving over her father, so feeling sorrow over the death of Lucas just felt like this was the new norm for her. She spent her free time singing melancholy ballads and researching on the Internet for any singing contest she could enter. Travis, as usual, spent most of his time in the garage working on the cars when he wasn’t at school. Although he was starting to look into Technical schools now where he could get a degree in Auto Mechanics, which he would be starting next fall, he had also been checking out the local race track on weekends and started participating in some amateur races without his family knowing. He had used a fake driver’s license and told them at the race track that he was already eighteen. After all, he would be eighteen in just a week anyway. This way he didn’t need a parent’s signature on the liability forms to enter the races; besides, he figured it would just worry his mom.

  Bri was still having nightmares causing a severe lack of sleep, so she decided to go on a sabbatical from work. Between losing her husband, then her son, finding out her husband is a ghost, and learning of her family curse, she was too overwhelmed to think or concentrate. For the safety of her patients, she believed they would be in better hands with one of her colleagues instead. Most days, Bri spent her time in her hobby room making soaps, lotions and even started creating some home remedies. She had made so many that the place was beginning to look like the inside of a store, so she started selling some of them online. In the evenings, she began researching ghosts, hoping that it would help her begin to understand her powers and what she may be capable of doing with them.