Hell’s Belles

Addie stared at her iPhone in horrified fascination a moment longer before something within her snapped. She gave in to the anger that had simmered far too long, and let open the flood gates with something very much like relief.

“Okay, I really don’t give a crap who you are, what you are, or why you’re trying to drive me insane, but let me clue you in.

I’m not the chick who see’s dead people, I damn-sure don’t talk to them, and if you think I can help guide you into the light, then you’ve got an even bigger problem than being dead.”

The iPhone abruptly stopped mid-lyric. It gave a small burble of laughter and turned itself off and Addie huffed out a breath in triumph.

So take that you pathetic paranormal miscreant

But try as she might, it was the sound of that laugh that stuck with her. Her mind kept replaying it to the accompaniment of the many cherished memories she had, of her and Mandy and their adventures.

The woes of dating to which they’d both suffered and the incredibly hot summers with the picnics they never seemed to time right. Just as they set the food out on the picnic tables, the dark clouds started rolling in. Funny how that never failed to happen.

Long after she had retrieved her car, had gone to her office and told her secretary that she was taking an overdue vacation, that laugh ate at her.

Wide eyed and awake well after 12:28 am had come and gone, the laugh taunted her, refusing to be relegated to things best left forgotten, in the back of her mind.

Because that laugh sounded exactly like Mandy. If she were drowning and found that to be funny.

It sounded just like her and that just couldn’t be. Because Addie knew she was dead and gone. She’d made sure of that. Hadn’t she?