Excerpt of Above Haldis Notch by Keith Pyeatt

Jenna's grandmother stared at her with an intensity that physically jarred Jenna. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong. I felt it."

"What? Something here? At the store?"

"No. What could be so wrong at the store?" Ady's voice was harsh and loud.

Jenna looked toward the coolers and saw Eric watching, concerned. "You're scaring Eric."

"I'm scared," Ady said, her voice lowered but still intense. "I know what you want to discuss. You should have come to me right away." She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. When she looked at Jenna again, her expression was calmer, but emotion swirled behind her eyes. "A spirit contacted me. It was panicked, in pain. It had been attacked. Something was killing it, Jenna. Is that why you couldn't reach Libby's spirit? Is she..." Ady took in another great breath.

Jenna remembered her mother's plea for help. She hadn't seemed panicked, but had something happened since then? Was it already too late to help her?

"Can you understand what it would mean if a spirit died?" Ady said, her voice low and raspy. "Not just a body, but a soul. Gone. Forever dead. Can you even imagine what that means? My God." She gulped a breath. Tears pooled in her eyes. Her right hand fluttered to her face, then her left hand followed. "My God, Jenna."

Ady used both hands to cover her face, just as she had done when Libby passed away. On that day, Jenna had gripped Ady's wrists and eased her hands down so they could hold each other and share their pain and strength. But after seeing Ady's eyes, Jenna had released her grandmother's hands so she could hide her face again. The agony reflected there was too painful to see, too painful for Ady to bear, perhaps. For a moment, her eyes had looked like a madwoman's.

Jenna didn't try to lower Ady's hands this time. Instead, she gripped her grandmother's shoulders. "I heard mother's voice."

Ady's hands relaxed and slid down her face. "When? Today?"

"No. Three days ago."

"You didn't say anything." Ady sounded more surprised than hurt. "Three days ago. Why wouldn't you tell me? Is it bad news? What did she say?"

"It's what I wanted to talk to you about." Jenna watched Ady wipe tears off her cheeks. Her hands still trembled, but she seemed to be regaining her composure. "Mother wasn't alone. There were other voices. And I saw them, lights moving through the darkness like fireflies. Mother asked for my help."

"You saw the spirits." Ady studied her granddaughter's face as if seeing her for the first time. After several seconds, she asked, "Help with what?"

Jenna shook her head. "I'm not sure. Voices were all around me. It was disorienting. Mother's voice rang out, asking me to help. I don't know what she needs, but...she knew me." A lump formed in Jenna's throat. "She said my name."