Page 96 of 5 Golden Flings

Her voice didn’t carry far, but he could still pick up notes of apprehension mixed with sadness. They knew they needed to move forward, but all around them were memories of the past. Her past. And a past he didn’t really want to know about.

But he had a feeling they were about to get a solid glimpse.

Something fluttered on the edge of his vision, causing Colby to glance to the right. Over Brynn’s shoulder, he caught another hint of movement.

He smothered a gasp, not wanting to scare Brynn. His heartbeat pounded in the base of his throat.

Whatever it was moved closer to the stage. Close to the far end of the altar table. He saw the flimsy outline of a girl in a shapeless dress, shadowy, translucent. So much so that he couldn’t make out her features, just the impression of long hair, arms hanging by her sides.

She remained there for long moments as Colby crouched frozen at the sight. Then ephemeral hands raised to cover her face. The faint sound of weeping reached his ears.

“Colby?”

Brynn’s voice caused his gaze to snap to her, but he immediately glanced back to find the woman—ghost—spirit had vanished. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, then focused in on Brynn.

“Let’s take it upstairs,” he said, sliding the trunk forward from the small space.

The weight was moderately heavy as he lifted it, but handles on each side made it a lot easier to carry. Brynn followed behind as he crossed the room and started up the stairs, using the flashlight to illuminate the way.

He wanted out of the basement right now and wanted Brynn out too.

Colby went straight through the kitchen and into the noticeable warmth of the living room. After setting the trunk down, he took his time adding wood to the fire, both for heat and for light. The sun going down outside had darkened the space, the wind picking up as if to warn them that something was coming.

He only hoped it was something they could both handle.

Pulling the trunk a little closer to the fireplace, he studied the lock. “I think Maria has some bolt cutters in the toolbox on the back porch.”

“No need,” Brynn said. She crossed to where her purse hung on the hook next to the front door. Within seconds she was back at his side with a key ring. “I think it’s on here.”

There were a couple of smaller keys, but one medium-sized one stood out. Colby slid it easily into the lock. “Not too big, not too small,” he murmured.

The key didn’t turn as easily as it had gone in, but he eventually managed to work it enough to get the lock to pop open. He glanced over at Brynn and met her shadowed gaze. “Ready?”

She hesitated a moment before she nodded her head.

He couldn’t imagine what this moment was like for her, especially after watching her dad die. But maybe now she’d have some answers.

Colby lifted the lid, then immediately lowered it back down, but the image he’d seen was still burned in his brain.

A young girl, maybe early teens, laid out on an elevated surface. A black robe covered her body, except for her chest where the robe had been lowered. Her eyes were at half-mast but noticeably open.

He didn’t know what it meant, and didn’t think he wanted to know. But he couldn’t escape the image burned in his brain in those few seconds, so he opened the lid again.

Next to him he heard Brynn gasp as she caught the same sight he had.

She reached out for the photo, but several others underneath came with it. Carefully, she pulled at each layer. “Looks like they’re stuck together. Either from moisture or mold. I’ll have to be careful.”

“Is there a way to get them apart?”

“There is, depending on the extent of the damage, but I don’t have the materials I need with me to do it safely.”

They pulled out several more stacks and carefully found the ones that weren’t adhered to each other.

“Looks like photos of city events, if I’m remembering correctly,” Colby said. “Annual Fourth of July picnic. Church events. Not sure what this event is but that’s the hospice house on the grounds of the Catholic church in town.”

It was Brynn who pointed out, “These same men reappear in a lot of the photos.”

“I recognize a few of them.” Which worried Colby a lot. “They’re the town leadership from that time period.”

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