Lowcountry Legends

By T.K. Richards

The stories the elders told us were more than old tales. It turns out they were true.

 

My sister Tamara and I have been protected from our family's secrets. But not anymore. Strange things happen in our family, but no one has come forward to speak on the supernatural existence surrounding us, like the woman in white who walks down the halls of my Gran's house, or the way cabinets open and close in the kitchen when a member of our family passes on. 

 

Half of our clan turn a blind eye to their connection from beyond out of fear, and have never shared their gifts and mysterious capabilities until now. 

 

The death of my grandfather, Jon Sherman, sparks a conversation for us to share what we didn't know about each other, and resurrects the family's powers. But only to those of us that are brave enough to face what lurks in the shadows. 

 

I am Vanya Sherman. And I am not afraid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: T.K. Richards
• Release date: Sep 20, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201544430

T.K. Richards

T.K. Richards is a former musician turned novelist, and the youngest of ten children from Charleston, SC who followed in her father’s footsteps as a musician. T.K. quickly learned she held a passion for words and storytelling, graduating from Burke High School as one of the top twenty students in her class, with Poet Laureate recognition. She later completed her Bachelor of Science degree from Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, and plans to continue her love of writing with plans of transferring her work into television and film.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Vanya’s Vision

The walk up the hill in ninety degree heat after a bus ride with broken air conditioning is not ideal in the south.

Grandma has never made us wait outside before. She’s normally home on the days we get dropped off here. Tamara wiped her forehead with her sleeve.

I ran up the stairs and banged on the door, then sat on the top step to rest. She is here. I saw her standing in the window when the bus pulled up.

You just can’t be wrong, can you? Her car isn’t in the driveway Van. Tamara lowered the strap on her book bag and sat on the step below me.

Give her a minute. She’ll let us in.

Tamara pulled out a joint from the side of her book bag. Here. Smoke this. You need it more than I do. She tapped the side of my face with it and laughed.

What is that supposed to mean? I pushed her hand away from my face.

It means you need to relax. Always claiming you see things. She sparked a fire from the stolen pack of matches she swiped from Granddad’s room.

I do see things. And I saw her silhouette standing through the glass. I swear. My nostrils flared then scrunched walking through the cloud of smoke. You know she’s going to smell that on you, right?

I’ll be high by the time she gets here. I won’t care. She took a second toke.

I sat on the hood of the broken-down truck in the yard and pulled out my homework. The sun took a graceful break and hid behind a few clouds. Thank God, I said, fanning myself with my notebook. You know we wouldn’t have to wait outside if you didn’t steal Granddad’s watch. I’m always paying the price for your fuck-ups. I rolled my eyes.

Goody two shoes, Tamara muttered under her breath.

What you say? I shifted my eyes over to hers.

Tamara spit obscenities and threats of what she would do to me if I found the courage to repeat my question in her face. If you're feeling froggy, then jump sis. She warned me. I sat bug-eyed, quiet, and still, staring at the woman peeking through the window behind her on the porch while she continued her rant. I didn’t think you had the balls to come over here. She blew smoke from the side of her mouth as if she had been smoking for years. And what the hell are you looking at?

I swallowed a big gulp of air. The woman in the window is who I saw when the bus dropped us off. I didn’t blink, for I feared if I took my eyes off of her, she would vanish like before.

Tamara asked again, Hey freakshow. What are you staring at?

Because I didn’t answer, she pulled out her phone and took a selfie. Holy shit! She jumped up and ran next to me on the truck. The apparition vanished. I saw her that time. That wasn’t Grandma.

I know.

Where the fuck did it go! Tamara yelled, enlarging the photo on the screen. She looks a little like Gran, but…

Let me see that. I snatched her phone.

Think I’m the first person to catch something like this in a photo?

I seriously doubt that.

The crunching sound of rocks being crushed by tires creeped behind us. Gran’s finally home. You show her. I passed the phone back to Tamara. She ran over to her car.

Gran lowered the window. What is it chile?

Look what I caught on camera. A ghost is in your house.

Gran looked at the picture and scoffed. Help me with the groceries.

You don’t seem shocked, said Tamara.

Or scared. I added.

Why would I be scared of my great-grandmother?

Tamara’s eyes bulged as she gasped softly. Her shuddering hands put the bag of groceries she’d picked up back down on the seat. I’m not going in there. I’ll wait out here until mom picks us up.

"Hush up chile and bring in my ice cream before it melts. Smelling like that reefer. It’s ninety-something degrees out here."

I shrugged my shoulders and hopped off the truck. "I don’t guess it will hurt us since we’re family."

Tamara was glued to my heels when we entered the house, looking over her shoulders wide-eyed and pale. Gran went about her business getting dinner started while I did our homework.

Tam, don’t you have homework too? Gran asked, stirring her rue.

Yes ma’am. I’m just… I’m just… Tamara stammered.

Waiting on your sister to finish so you can copy. You know my great-grandmother was a school teacher. You’re probably the reason she showed up. She must be trying to tell you something. Most people don’t catch such images with their camera. You must be touched.

I don’t want to be touched. I don’t want to see anything like that ever again. Tamara’s voice shook.

I snuck my fork under the table and poked Tamara in the knee. Ah! she screamed. Dammit Van! That’s not funny! Why aren’t you scared? She jumped up and down. Her eyes watered and her heart pounded so strong you could see it beat through her gray flimsy t-shirt.

Language! Gran swatted her spoon on her pot.

For the first time Tamara’s tough girl act wasn’t on display. She was normally the shit talking, pot smoking, first to swing in a fight one. But the presence of our dead ancestor exposed she had a vulnerable side. A side I had never seen, or thought I would ever see being she was the eldest.

I’m sorry Tam. Stop crying. I reached over the table and held her hand.

Tell Gran to take back what she said. About me being touched.

Snot ran down her nose, and Gran handed her a paper towel from the handle below the kitchen window.

"If ya touched, ya touched. It’s nothin’ you can do about it. The gift is in our blood. You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last."

But I don’t want this—gift—as you call it. I want to be normal. Tamara convinced us with sad red eyes and a runny nose.

Well maybe since you are denouncing it, you won’t be visited anymore. I’ll pray on it tonight. Gran looked at me. What about you?

I sipped on my strawberry soda and took a bite out of my peanut butter crackers. With a mouth full I replied, I’m not scared.

Gran smiled at me from the corner of her mouth. Tamara scratched the dried tears itching her cheeks. The glass in front of her slid to the right a millimeter. She froze at the table.

Relax, I said. It’s just condensation. I lifted the glass from the table, and showed her it was sweating. See. Why are you so scared all of a sudden?

Because it’s not the first weird thing to happen to me.

What do you mean? Gran turned off the stove.

She tapped her pot with her spoon, then made her way over to Tam. As she wiped her hands on her apron, the cabinet door with her seasonings creaked and slammed shut. Gran placed a hand on Tam’s shoulder as our eyes shifted between the three of us.

Tamara shivered and squeezed Gran’s hand. I thought I saw something in here one time before, but I couldn’t say anything.

Why not? Gran asked.

Because it was the day you found my weed, and I thought you were going to say I was stoned and lying. But I wasn’t high. I know that now. Those things really do exist.

What did you see? I whispered.

I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to get out of here. I wish Mama would hurry up.

Gran and I shared a look. She squeezed Tamara’s shoulders and kissed her cheek. You’ll be fine baby. You’ve renounced it, so everything will be fine.

Gran was lying. I could tell because her eyes looped, and the pacifying tone she spoke in was the tone she used when she lied to my uncle the day he showed up drunk at the family reunion. "Drink your life away. See if I care. But you ain’t bringin’ dat drink in here. My days of worrying about you are over," she said. But she did care. I knew it and she knew it, and she used the same tone with Tamara just now.

She stepped back to the stove. Vanya, set the table.

Mom walked in the house talking on her phone. I take it you haven’t heard the news yet?

Tamara ran and hugged our mother. She placed her arms around her, then looked to Gran for answers.

We’ll talk later, she mumbled. What news? She asked, covering her pot.

Sit down Ma. My mother took Gran by the hand. Daddy had a heart attack.

Chapter 2

Death Daze

Icovered my mouth with my hand and my eyes grew wider than a lemon on a juicer. That’s why the cabinet closed by itself, I said.

Is that still happening around here when someone dies? My mother looked to Gran, then me.

It did a few minutes ago. My eyes shifted to the seasoning cabinet.

Gran sat in a daze, staring at the copper butter dish. Tamara laid her head on the table crying, and Ma looked off in the distance. Ah! Tamara jumped in her seat when the phone rang in the living room.

Ma turned to Tamara. What’s with you?

I’ll tell you after I answer the phone, I said.

The word is getting around I’m sure, said Ma. She rubbed Gran’s hand, Mama, don’t you worry. I will handle everything.

I’d like to go lie down. Gran rose from the table. You girls make sure you eat. You here?

Yes ma’am.

Gran walked passed me on the couch with Ma on her heels. I finished writing down the first of many condolence messages and hung up the phone. "Iihup, I gasped. Damn Tamara. Announce yourself when you’re standing behind people."

Sorry. I didn’t want to sit in the kitchen by myself.

I shook off the jitters. Now that it’s just you and me, tell me what you saw. I promise I won’t tell.

"If you do, I’m a tell Gran you ain’t as innocent as you pretend to be. I know about you and Ricky." Tamara folded her arms.

You don’t know shit, I said.

I know you’ve been kissing him on the park when you’re supposed to be at that bogus after school program. She leaned to the side smirking.

Who told you that?

Don’t worry about it. I won’t tell your secret, if you don’t tell mine. Tamara reached forward bending her pinky.

I took the bait. I locked pinkies with her and studied her eyes before she shared her secret. She huffed and wiped her sweaty hands on her jeans. Okay. That day Gran found my stuff, I was in our room and this green man was in the hallway telling me to come here. I called Gran back in the room and she walked right past it. When she didn’t say anything, I thought I was high. But deep down in my bones, I knew it was real.

You slept with me that night too. I held my chest.

Now you know why.

I shoved Tamara. "Why you ain’t tell me then. That’s the type of shit you’re supposed to share."

Ma walked back in the living room. What y’all in here talking about?

Nothing. We both answered.

"Um hm. And what’s going on with you? Why are you so jumpy and crying and carrying on? My daddy just died. You’re supposed to be comforting me. But I have to be here for mama. ‘Cause we know how this family is." Ma ranted on and on.

Ma! I interrupted.

Her eyes cut me like a knife and her mouth balled up ready to curse me out for filth. I’m sorry. I was trying to get your attention. I narrowed my eyes and leaned back. Ma pressed her lips tight and my shoulders stiffened. Tamara, show her so she can see.

See what?

Tamara grabbed her phone from the kitchen and showed Ma the picture. This was in here today. Van saw it first, then it showed up in my background.

Did y’all show this to your Gran?

Yes ma’am. She said it’s her great-grandmother.

Ma stared at the screen and placed her fist to her mouth. I was hoping it skipped you two. I wish it had skipped me. Come here baby. Ma hugged Tamara. You get in here too. Her hands waved me in. With Daddy passing, Great-Great-Gran probably appeared to welcome him in. It’s nothing to be scared of, okay?

We shook our heads up and down, but Tamara dropped a tear. I know it’s a lot to ask y’all to be brave, but I’m asking. We have a funeral to plan and people are going to be in and out of this house all week. Can I count on you two to hold it together? Just for a little while. Ma nodded at me then Tamara.

Yes ma’am. I spoke for the both of us.

We’ll talk about it more then.

Should I wait to tell her about the you know? Tamara asked.

I nodded. Ma shifted her eyes between the both of us and loosened her grip around my shoulder. Un uh. Tell me now. Tamara lowered her head and dropped another tear.

She saw a green man in the house but was too scared to tell anyone. I fessed up.

Oh my Lawd. Ma murmured and held her chest. You saw the Leprechaun Man.

Chapter 3

Sharon’s Sight

Family, neighbors, and friends trickled into Gran’s house within the hour, but when Aunt Sharon walked in, a brief silence hit the room until Tamara said, Hey Aunt Sharon. Ma and them are in Granddaddy’s room. She walked past the stares, glares, and whispers from the kitchen and living room unbothered, and closed the door to Granddad’s room behind her.

Cries, sniffles, and prayer escaped the room when she opened the door. When she closed it, our cousins and visitors returned to their casual conversation already in progress. Most of them shared memories of Granddad, a few flipped the tab on beer cans left on the table, and then there were the liars making up stories. I whispered to Tamara, "Remember the