American Specter: The Seven Sisters

By Rasheedah Prioleau

FBI Agent Audra Wheeler believes she's on the trail of a serial killing specter. This trail leads her to a small town in Georgia called Specter. Specter has become a haven to ghosts who have crossed back over and exist among the living. For better or worse she also finds herself working with the town's

• Language: English
• Publisher: Believe The Vision Productions, LLC
• Release date: Feb 4, 2014
• ISBN: 9781737296287

Book preview

PROLOGUE

Gwyneth Miller left the Daylight Candle Shop clutching her purchase to her chest as if it were a lifesaver, taking it back to her one bedroom apartment where she’d lived alone for the past year. After finding her boyfriend in her bed with another woman for the third time, she’d kicked him out and sworn off dating in the face of her obvious attraction to pretty-boy losers and scum. She’d read enough romance novels in the meantime to know that her prince charming was nowhere in sight and most likely never ever coming.

She’d overheard a junior college co-ed whispering loudly to her friend in the stacks of the public library where Gwyn worked. They’d been talking about the candle shop and its mystic, big city transplant owner, who had a candle to cure everything, even a yearlong dry spell. As she often did, Gwyn reminded herself that her father would turn over in his grave if he could see her now. One of his final battles as the former sheriff of Specter had been to get rid of the specters that wanted to make his town their home. But old Southern specters brought with them old Southern money and that had been the one thing the town had limped by without since the shutdown of the mills and factories that had employed a majority of the town until the late nineteen-nineties.

Everyone in town knew about the candle shop and its strong ties with the specter world; most locals stayed away from it. It was the out-of-towners who would drive in for a cure for whatever ailed them and go back to whence they came with their anonymity in check. Soon after the specters had moved in they’d funded a junior college that got most of the local opposition to step back. The college had brought in young people with Pell Grants, federal funding, scholarships, and trust funds that had literally brought the new specter haven back to life.

Gwyneth had gotten a scholarship to attend the college but her father, the Sheriff, hadn’t been happy about that at all. Not seeing a need to go to college anywhere else, Gwyneth had defied him for the first time in her life and moved into an apartment downtown, working part-time at the library while attending the college. Her father didn’t speak to her for the first year but resolved to meet her in town for an occasional lunch. They had managed to completely bury the hatchet after she graduated, but he’d passed away a little more than two years later, leaving her completely alone for the past six months.

After overhearing the enlightened co-ed, Gwyneth had searched the Internet for more information on the Daylight Candle Shop. If she was going to further betray her father in order to relieve her yearlong angst, she wanted to spend as little time in the shop as possible. A page of happy testimonials a mile long was attached to the Daylight Candle Shop’s website, with pictures of a wildly sexy black woman named Mackenzie Knox, who had rich dark skin and tantalizing curves. Gwyneth felt a sting of jealousy as she thought about her stick figure and nearly too pale skin. If it hadn’t been for her dark hair and eyes she would have been completely unnoticeable.

She searched the website and her heart leapt into her chest when she scrolled over a thick purple candle with the name Dry Spell Reliever. She read the promise that if a person were experiencing a painfully long dry spell the candle was sure to relieve the physical needs of the one who lit it.

She knew the location of the shop; just off of the town’s historical square between Pearl’s Café and The Hardware Store. She drove straight to the shop after work on Saturday, her half day. Happy that the shop was completely empty, Gwyn made a beeline to the beautiful Mackenzie Knox behind the counter whose Internet picture had not done her any justice. Her black hair was pulled back into a neat bun and she wore a black body suit with an unbuttoned, bright green sleeveless shirt. Gwyn placed the printout copy of the candle she wanted on the counter. Mackenzie quickly retrieved one and rang it up, placing it in a precious white box with an instruction card and special matches.

When Gwyn got back to her apartment, she immediately kicked off her flats, pulled her glasses from her dark brown eyes, and shook her dark-brown hair free from its ponytail. Placing the candle next to her bed, its thick phallic shape made her bite her lower lip in foolish anticipation. She set the matches next to it and went to shower and change into a sexy teddy she hadn’t worn since God knows when. The instructions were simple: light the candle, say the prayer, and blow it out. She was to lie down and fall asleep, and when she awakened, her dry spell would be over. Striking the match, Gwyn lit the candle and pulled the paper with its prayer closer to her nearsighted eyes.

May love’s embrace meet me at dawn’s face, she read. She took a deep breath and blew the candle out before climbing into bed under the covers. It took what felt like hours for her to fall into a peacefully dreamless sleep.

Gwyn awoke to the feeling of a kiss; when she opened her eyes, no one was there. She felt the kiss again and it frightened her. Then hands were on her legs, roaming up her thighs. Her first impulse was to scream but the sensation that ran throughout her body made her gasp instead. She turned her head and, looking at the candle, smiled in near relief. She hadn’t known what to expect but she liked it.

Gwyn relaxed as hands began touching her all over, all at once. She knew then that it was a specter and had to force the disapproving image of her father’s face from her mind as she relaxed beneath the invisible touch. At that moment she could not think of a single rational argument against the inclusion of specters into their community.

She remembered when they had gradually started appearing in the world of the living; she had still been in high school. Many people, like her father, were fighting to get them expunged, or exorcised, or whatever could be done to phantoms and ghosts that didn’t seem interested in crossing over.

Gwyneth didn’t let her mind dwell on the details as the hands worked their way over her, giving attention to every inch of her body. She allowed herself to moan with pleasure as hands became lips and the weight of the specter steadily increased until it felt as if she were in the arms of a living man. She was amazed at how gentle and smooth the specter’s touch was. Over the next three hours, she was filled with more pleasure than she could ever remember feeling before.  

The specter took his time, giving her the experience of full pleasure and release. Gwyneth turned over, fully satisfied, as the dawn began to break. She fell back into a blissful sleep, feeling only the slightest twinge of guilt as the specter left her alone.

It seemed as if she’d just dozed off when she was disturbed by a change in the air, making it cool, dry, and a little too thick to breathe. As she tried to inhale, Gwyn felt a pair of electric hot hands wrap around her neck. Her eyes opened wide as she grasped her throat to peel the choking hands away but felt nothing there. The hands of the intruding presence went through her flesh and directly to her windpipe. Desperate, she squeezed out a final gurgle as her esophagus was completely crushed, killing her. The presence faded away as quickly as it had come.

I

CHAPTER ONE

It was half past noon on Monday when Special Agent Audra Wheeler of the FBI stepped into the apartment of Gwyneth Miller. She’d been in Savannah the prior week but, as a native New Yorker, she was sure that she would never get used to the stifling Georgia heat. She noted that the air conditioner was not on as she walked across the living room, listening to the muffled sounds of country cops inevitably messing up Gwyneth’s room which was now an official FBI crime scene. Gwyneth Miller was the fifth victim of a suspected serial killer of the specter variety, who had a thing for dark haired, dark eyed women sleeping alone. As she stepped into the crime scene Audra activated the specter shield she wore around her left wrist to block any specters from getting within five feet of her.

She’d spent nearly four years on special assignments with the FBI investigating specter crimes and bringing them to justice. The biggest problem with catching a criminal specter was that they never left any physical evidence; no DNA, no fingerprints, no calling card, no expository note, and no obvious motive.

In this particular case, all of the hunches that Audra had to go off of were of a personal nature that she was still not entirely comfortable sharing. To her knowledge, this would be the first and only specter that had crossed the line into murder and then into serial killing. This particular specter had taken her from Boston to New Jersey, then Charlotte, Savannah, and finally the small town of Specter, Georgia.

She walked into Gwyneth Miller’s bedroom and immediately noted the scent of candles and perfume. Audra suspected that maybe this woman had, in fact, had a visitor the night before and, perhaps, this would not fit the profile of her four previous cases.

She quickly scanned the room and made note of the cheap, feminine décor. Audra cringed, turning her attention to the body of the victim. Gwyneth was lying in bed, on her side with her hands near her throat, which was singed with strange burn marks. Her fingernails had scratched at her throat as well, peeling away some of the skin. These were the telltale signs of the specter that she was following, but most disturbingly, this victim, like all the others, looked a lot like her sister.

Shit, Audra said. She looked over at the side table and took in the large purple candle. What is this? She leaned in close.

A candle from the Daylight Candle Shop.

Hearing his voice, Audra took a shallow breath before quickly letting it out. She turned as he strolled through Gwyneth Miller’s bedroom door and walked towards her. He wore laid back local Southern clothes; faded jeans with a slightly tattered t-shirt and baseball cap, but there was no mistaking the city attitude in his walk.

When Audra had received the initial fax of a possible fifth victim, she’d read Ethan Cole’s name on top of the report file with disbelief. Now that he was in front of her, she was wary. His New York City swagger was enough to make a nun forget her vows just long enough to break them four or five times. Audra quickly contemplated the precious few times she’d crossed the line with her ex-partner before he’d been transferred to the American South.

He was six-foot two and maybe two hundred pounds of muscle. Audra remembered the feel of his baby-smooth chocolate skin and the taste of his beautifully full lips. He was six years older than her twenty-seven, but it looked good on him.

She turned her attention away from his large hazel eyes back to the candle and examined the tiny instruction card next to it.

May love’s embrace meet me at dawn’s face. She snorted as she became painfully aware of how close Ethan was standing next to her. She had to mentally and physically resist the draw of his cologne as it invited her to lean into him. The Daylight Candle Shop, she confirmed.

She had already known there would be no evidence of the killer at the scene but she’d asked for nothing to be touched, not even the body, before she arrived and took a look around. Audra listened to an initial report which surmised that the victim most likely died of asphyxiation from a suspected crushed esophagus, somewhere near dawn of the previous day, Sunday. She said a prayer for Gwyneth and then left without another word to anyone.

Ethan followed her out of the apartment building.

Hey, Audra. Wait up.

She turned as she stepped outside and he closed the space between them. She ignored the oppressive heat for a moment to address him.

I’m going to go over to the library and question the people she worked with.

I already did that, he said.

Well, I’m going to do it as well, she replied, making it clear that the investigation was now hers to control.

Okay, but listen. This town is full of –

Specters? Yeah, I know. Audra rolled her eyes at the thought of an entire town, in southern America of all places, which was home to people who had passed away. Ethan placed a hand on her shoulder. She turned to walk to her car, pulling away from his touch in the process, shutting out the wave of feelings that screamed for her attention.

Don’t worry, I won’t go around zapping your ghostly citizens. Her specter zapper was safely tucked away in her gun belt, just to the rear of her handgun. But, you might want to warn the Daylight Candle Shop that they’re next on my list.

Come on, Audra, Ethan pleaded. But she didn’t slow down. Go easy with this case. Gwyneth was the past sheriff’s daughter. She was well liked and even loved for that. This town has come to peacefully co-exist with the specters. Don’t go shaking your FBI trained bias where it doesn’t belong.

I don’t have time, Ethan.

She hopped into her car and drove the three blocks from Gwyneth’s apartment to the town’s public library. Audra found it hard to believe that people still went to the library, but when she walked in she noted that it was indeed full of people, mostly students. Most of them sat at computers playing games while listening to headphones.

She walked up to what appeared to be an empty reference desk and was unsettled by the appearance of a specter that looked the part of a college kid with coke-bottle glasses and severe acne.

Whoa! he exclaimed as her specter shield pushed him from his seat. What is that? He looked at her dubiously, taking in her specter zapper and badge right away. She deactivated her specter shield knowing that it would be impossible to get around with it on in a town full of ghosts.

You here about Gwyn? His voice was the usual hollow, otherworldly echo that was associated with specters still mastering speech without a voice box.

His glasses slipped down his nose in classic geek-gone-wrong fashion. Audra shook her head at the absurdity; it wasn’t like he needed them. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and she could tell he became more uncomfortable with her disapproving glare as he retook his seat.

What do you know about it? she asked curtly.

She didn’t come into work this morning. Gwyn never missed a day, he told her.

Audra looked around as if disinterested as she listened to him. She took note of several young people hanging in a group with specters telling tales of their day. She spotted several other specters dotting the library in various stages of manifestation.

She could tell the newbie specters by their classic opaque ghost-like appearance. She never really minded those. In fact, she felt a great deal of sympathy for them, coming to terms with the fact that their lives were really over. It was the specters that had mastered every aspect of appearing normal, the ones that hid in plain sight pretending to be alive she didn’t trust.

He called Gwyn’s apartment when she didn’t show up this morning but didn’t get an answer. Then he asked her super to check in on her. That’s when he found her. They just told us not too long ago.

Who called the super? Audra asked.

Management. The specter shrugged and pointed to a door along the far wall.

Thanks, uhm? Audra looked at him questioningly.

Benjamin, he supplied. Benjamin Conner.

Thanks, Ben. She turned on her heels and headed towards the manager’s door.

She caught sight of a woman who appeared to be in her late thirties, crying alone down an aisle. She paused in route and turned to walk towards her. The woman looked up to see her coming and quickly dried her red-rimmed blue eyes and cleared her throat. She pushed her flat blonde hair behind her ears and crossed her arms over her chest.

Hi, I’m Agent Wheeler. I’m here about Gwyneth Miller. Did you know her? Audra asked.

The woman sniffed and nodded. I’m Katherine Taylor. We worked here together for the last six years, she said. She was such a nice girl. She’d never hurt a fly. I can’t believe anyone would... She trailed off into more tears.

Do you know if Gwyneth was seeing anybody? Audra asked.

No. Katherine shook her head. She was seeing some loser about a year ago but kicked him out. She’s been alone ever since.

Do you know why?

He was cheating on her.

What was his name? Audra pressed.

Michael Robertson, or Richardson, or Richards… Katherine tried to remember.

Do you know if Gwyn was associating with any specters?

Katherine sniffed. No, her father used to be the sheriff here. He made it clear that he didn’t like the specter invasion. Other than going to the college she was pretty loyal to his point of view.

Where is her father?

He passed away about six months back, she said and shook her head.

I see, Audra said and fished a card from her jacket pocket. If you can think of anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Sure. Katherine took the card and walked away.

Audra continued on her way to the manager’s office. She had to pause and duck into an empty aisle as a flashback took her over. She tried to focus on the books in front of her, fighting to remain present but couldn’t.

She was fourteen again, in her older sister Kendra’s house. She heard a commotion that made her get up from the television and walk towards her sister’s bedroom.

It’s okay, Audra told herself in the present as she watched herself headed towards that door. You’re not there anymore. She felt the flashback fade away and she took several breaths to steady herself. Shaking off the moment, she continued to the manager’s office.

When she got to the door, she heard hushed, muffled voices. She tried to make out what they were saying but couldn’t. She knocked, and the voices stopped. The door was opened just wide enough for a tall, dark, and handsome man to peek his head out. Audra noted that his hair was disheveled, as if he’d raked his hands through it several times. His eyes seemed bloodshot and there was a faint hint of liquor on his breath.

Yes? he queried, his dark eyes looking her over quickly.

Hello, I’m Special Agent Wheeler. I’m here to talk to you about Gwyneth Miller. She pointed to her badge for emphasis.

I’m outta here, a ghostly, feminine voice from inside of the room said before a young girl with black and purple hair pushed her way past the man and maneuvered around Audra.

Her shoulder came so close to Audra that if she had been living she might have bumped Audra’s shoulder. As she was a specter, her shoulder vanished and reappeared as the rest of her cleared Audra and she hurried on her way. Audra watched the girl questioningly.

My daughter, Amanda, the man supplied, tucking in the tail of his shirt and straightening his tie. I promised to do something remotely father-like and I had to back out because of the… situation, he explained, extending a hand. Charles Stuart. Come on in.

Audra stepped into the office that seemed to be in a state of organized chaos. She couldn’t discern any kind of order but he probably knew exactly where everything was.

I am sorry about Gwyneth, Audra began as she took a seat in front of his desk and waited for him to have a seat as well.

So, Detective Wheeler, how may I help you? Charles asked.

Agent Wheeler, she corrected. I just need to know what you can tell me about Gwyneth. Do you know if anyone would want to hurt her? Audra asked. Maybe someone with a grudge against the old sheriff.

Gwyn? No, I don’t know anyone that didn’t like her. She was the quiet type. But very pleasant, great with the library patrons. Most people really, genuinely liked her, Charles said.

Do you know if she was seeing anyone?

No we didn’t talk about anything more than her schedule on most days. She was a very dependable employee. He sighed.

Did Gwyn ever socialize with specters? Audra watched him for a reaction.

I think in the last six months Gwyn really kept to herself. Her father dying kind of took her by surprise. Cancer, Charles explained.

I see. Can you think of anything that may have seemed out of the ordinary? Audra asked. Anything that may have been different in the last few days?

"Well, the last