The Good Teacher: Women of the Willow Wood, #1

By Lorraine Carey

Winner of the 2017 McGrath House Indie Book Awards for Horror and Paranormal
When first-year teacher Daniella Reyes accepts a new assignment at Mesa Luna Elementary she has no idea her life will soon be in a tailspin as she quickly learns she has a few students that need more than the normal academia—they need her to save their lives! Being a high empath and sensitive she becomes fearless in pursuit to rescue her students while uncovering a dark secret lurking at the school. Her father's ghost seems to be popping up and in need of salvation as well. A secret and powerful society of women mysteriously emerge and are more than willing to come to her aid—but not without cost.
Daniella must make a life-altering sacrifice if she wants to save her students, her father's soul, and maintain her relationship with her boyfriend, Luke.
Not since Practical Magic has a novel that captured the essence of powerful ancient magic and pure love where strong women bond together to fight forces of evil that seem to be at every turn.
You're bound to love the setting itself which takes place in New Mexico, known as The Land of Enchantment. Be ready to get swept away in the sights and spells.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lorraine Carey
• Release date: Jan 11, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201050672

Book preview

The Good Teacher

Women of the Willow Wood, Book 1

Copyright © 2017 by Lorraine Carey

All rights reserved.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without similar condition, including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal.

Third printing

This is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the characters and situations within its pages and places or persons, living or dead, is unintentional and coincidental.

Credits:

Cover fonts: Arizona by TypeSETit under OTF license, Arno Pro, and Lucida Bright.

Cover art and interior images Dark and Spooky Tree in Cemetery by M. Raust under iStock Standard License and Beautiful Latin Woman Portrait Outdoors by Brainsil/Shutterstock.

Editing: EMSA Publishing.

Book formatting and interior design:

Erika M Szabo, www.goldenboxbooks.com

Introduction

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I LIVED IN ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico from 1999 to 2003. During this time, I worked as a children’s reading specialist at two schools. I loved the people and enjoyed working with so many remarkable children.

The area was breathtaking. We had a two-story house with a great view of the Sandia Mountains. Some evenings, the entire mountain turned a vivid shade of pink. I enjoyed the yearly International Hot Air Balloon Festival. The balloons would drift over our home, blanketing the skies with hundreds of colorful balloons. Oh, what a sight! What I miss most were the many old churches, especially the ones in Santa Fe. I’ll always remember the Loretto Chapel, with the mystical staircase and also the San Miguel Chapel. Every time my folks would come to visit we’d do a road trip, stopping at all of them.

Anyone who’s lived in or been to New Mexico will tell you the food is in a class of its own. I’ve never found anything like it anywhere. I would go back just for the restaurants.

I remember listening to a woman speak about New Mexico on a radio show while driving to work one day. She said that you really never understand how magical that place is until you leave. I came to understand this when we moved to California in 2003.

I miss New Mexico to this day. The only way to relieve my homesick feelings was to write a fictional story with New Mexico as the background.

Did it help? I believe it only left me with a greater desire to return. My husband and I are planning a trip back very soon.

Dedication

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THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED to all those first-year teachers out there. You enter a world with fresh energy and armed with cutting edge knowledge. May your journey be eventful as you leave your impression on the youth of today and may you cherish the love and insight you receive from those whose hearts you’ve touched.

Beneath every strong, independent woman lies a broken little girl who had to learn how to get back up and to never depend on anyone.

-Unknown

I never knew how strong I was until I had to forgive someone who wasn’t sorry and accept an apology I never received.

-David Avocado Wolfe

Chapter One

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Starting Fresh

NO, NOT ANOTHER ONE. I threw the covers off the bed. I was sweaty and shaky. Damn him. This man has been dead for ten years, yet he continues to torture me, even in death.

What is it, Dani? Luke was at my side in a flash, his strong, muscular arms wrapped around me.

I had another one of those dreams again, I said into his shoulder. It was the one where I was asking my dad for a new pair of shoes, and he slapped me across the face. Not only did I have to wear my worn out Mary Janes the next day to school, but I also had to answer questions about the blazing red mark imprinted on my face. I can still feel the burn to this day. I ran my hand over my cheek.

Luke leaned back a little and locked his eyes with mine. It’s the past, Dani. He can’t hurt you anymore. I know you still carry the hurt, but he’s gone now, and you need to move on. You have a new job ahead of you, and I’m here to support you. I love you and will do anything for you.

I rested my head on Luke’s chest and heard his heart beating. I wished I could stay there, in bed with him forever. He was the only one who ever made me feel safe. He was my rock. After years of verbal and physical abuse from my father, I had finally found someone who gave me hope.

I glanced over at the clock. It was 4 a.m. and too early to rise. Just hold me, baby, I murmured.

Luke ran his hands over my hair, moving strands that were soaked away from my face and tucking them behind my ears. We sat up on the edge of the bed. I needed to talk, but looking deep into his dark brown eyes melted me every time.

You know, even though he died in that accident ten years ago, I can’t even feel sorry for him. Thank God he didn’t hurt anyone other than himself. At least it ended his years of drinking and abuse to our family. He left us scarred, I mean, look at Mom—years of drowning herself in pills and therapy, just to get through the day. She can’t even take care of herself anymore and has to rely on Aunt Miranda to care for her. Gabriel seems to have escaped without any battle scars. At least, if he has, he doesn’t show it.

Your brother is fine, and your mother is in good hands. Both you and your brother were lucky enough to make a better life for yourselves. Start to focus on you and that new teaching job ahead of you. Those kids are going to love you. This is your chance to make a difference.

It was a miracle I was able to make a better life for myself. Yes, Luke knew most of my struggles, but there was a darker side of my life that even he didn’t know.

You’re right. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I was quick to slip off my damp nightshirt and lie back down. I’m going to try to get a few more hours of sleep. I don't have to be at school for the teachers’ meeting until eight.

I rolled over to shut off the alarm. It was flashing 6 a.m., and Luke was still asleep. I took a quick shower, closing the bathroom door so as not to wake him; he didn’t need to be at work until later.

The warm water pelted down on my skin, recharging my batteries. I’d planned to wear my new, yellow, sleeveless dress and turquoise, beaded sandals that Luke had bought me. I hoped to it would help to make a good impression on the new staff at Mesa Luna Elementary. It was my first real job. The substituting job at the Albuquerque School District had paid off, and I had finally landed a grade three position. I would also be able to pay off that student loan that was hanging over my head.

I quickly blew my hair dry, securing it with a wide, leather headband and applied minimal makeup, trying to look polished. I was a real teacher now, after all. I glanced in the full-length mirror in the bathroom, hoping my dress wasn’t too revealing. Luke had always said my body was like a brick house. I had to admit my breasts were perky, and my butt was plump and firm. Guess it had to do with my love of running. Mother always had said there were good genes in the family.

Luke stirred. He got out of bed to admire me in my new attire. You look hot, babe.

Hey, now, a teacher isn’t supposed to look hot!

Say what you want, but I’m telling it like it is. That dress goes great with your hair. I don’t know if I can let you leave the house looking so good. Some other guy might be hypnotized by your exotic beauty. I don’t think you realize how easily you could drive a guy mad. With those eyes and that body, you’re a walking tease.

Please tell me the dress isn’t too tight for work.

Luke grabbed me and tried to throw me back into bed. It’s not tight enough.

Hey! You’re going to ruin my dress. You’re crazy, besides: no man could ever take me away from you.

I stood up and straightened my dress. Thanks for the new outfit, hon, it's a real pick-me-up for the start of my new year, and I never could have afforded these shoes on my meager salary. He knew shoes were a passion of mine. I guess it stemmed from past memories of never having new ones. I’m kind of nervous being around all those older teachers. They have so much more experience than me.

You’ll be fine. Just remember they’re probably admiring you for your youth and the new energy you’ll bring to the students, Luke added.

Okay, I’m going to stop on the way to grab a latte and a scone. Have a good day and I’ll see you around five when you get home. Maybe we can go out to eat tonight?

Sounds good. We’ll talk about it later. Good luck, teach. Luke headed for the shower.

I felt a rush of excitement as I backed the Jeep out of the garage. I checked my makeup in the rearview mirror. As I pulled out of the driveway, I noticed a line of crows sitting on the telephone wire across the road. Must have been at least fifty of them. Those birds always gave me the creeps.

As I drove along San Mateo Blvd. sipping my latte, I thought about how lucky I was to have Luke in my life. I was twenty-six years old and had a great guy with a good job making good money as a graphics engineer at Intel Corporation in Rio Rancho. After a year of living in my rundown apartment in south Albuquerque, he offered me the option to move into his luxurious condo in a gated, upscale development in Rio Rancho. He came from a loving family and the Paskelles seemed to like me. Being an only child, he was spoiled and was used to having nice things. I often wondered what it was he saw in me when he could have any woman he wanted. Yes, things were looking up. I knew Gabriel was doing okay with his scholarship to The University of Arizona, and I was close enough by to check on Mom and Aunt Miranda.

I parked my Jeep Cherokee in the parking lot, took a deep breath, and grabbed my school bag, ready to enter through Mesa Luna Elementary's huge, double doors. It was a small school with only six hundred students, grades kindergarten through five; I liked that. I never went for those large schools which always seemed too institutionalized for my liking. Mesa Luna Elementary seemed like more of a close-knit community. At least, I was about to find out if it was.

I was overwhelmed the minute I walked into the teachers' meeting room, and my eyes scanned the rows of tables filled with chatty staff, all of them working on their laptops. My heart began to race and a wave of panic threatened to overtake me. It felt as though an elephant was sitting on my chest, so I set my bag down and excused myself for a moment. This was not a good time for a panic attack.

I ran out to the parking lot and called Luke. I knew that if I heard his voice, everything would all be okay. It was bad in there. The echoes of too many voices reverberated in my head which filled with mixed emotions. The panic attacks had been less frequent during the summer. Why had they returned now?

Damn! The call went to voicemail.

Someone approached me from behind, and I almost jumped out of my skin. It was Carmen Munoz, one of the fifth-grade teachers. Are you okay? she said. I saw your face turn white as a sheet in there.

Yes, I lied. I...I’m fine, just first day jitters.

It’s normal. I’ve been here eight years now and every new school year I get anxious. Just want to let you know I’m here if you need anything.

I was getting vibes from Carmen that she was sincere, so I gave her a hug and thanked her. How about I treat you to lunch after the meeting?

Carmen smiled. You’re on, lady.

I’ll meet you in a few. I forgot something in the Jeep. Save me a seat next to you.

I waited until Carmen had left the parking lot, watching as she strode smoothly away. She was at least in her mid-thirties and had an air of sophistication about her.

I ran to the Jeep and opened the glove compartment, removing the small cotton-printed pouch my grandmother had made for me. It still had the small tarnished pin attached to it. It was filled with some type of herbs she said were for protection. I'd always kept it with me or pinned to my bra. I’d had it since I was a child. It was an old family tradition. I glanced around to make sure no one was looking and quickly pinned it to my bra. Okay. My head was clearer and I was finally ready for the meeting. I dropped my keys to the Jeep, looked up, and heard loud caws coming from the schoolyard.

I remember thinking, what the hell? when I saw the swarm of crows sitting in the huge Cottonwood tree on the north end of the lot. This couldn't be the same bunch on the wires before. Were they my welcoming committee? As I turned to lock the door, one of the bigger crows flew past me and landed on the roof of my Jeep. I spun around and froze for a moment as its black, beady eyes glared at me.

Just who are you supposed to be? Now shoo! It took off in flight but not without leaving a shiver running along my spine. I stood there for a few minutes and watched him fly back to the tree to join the others. It seemed they had been waiting for him to return, as they all flew away as soon as he landed.

Was he the head crow master? Maybe it was a sign? But from whom? Grandma always believed in signs from animals. I’d have to look this one up later; I had a meeting to attend.

Back in the teachers' meeting room, I walked over and sat next to Carmen. She winked at me, and I smiled. Paul Striker, the principal, a balding man, possibly in his late forties, stared at me during