7 Haunted Spirits

********************************************************

That was almost a month ago. She hadn't been back since and hadn't
heard anything more from the girls on the hill or Nathan. All that
was about to change.

"Back here!" Danielle didn't even bother to look up from the box of
baseball cards and comics she sort through in the back of the Mr. E's
when the bell rang. She had no qualms about sorting through those
items as they were harmless enough and on the rare occasion she were
to be transported back through time it was nothing more than a
squabble between two children over a priceless card or book and later
the valuable item was quickly recovered and given back to its
rightful owner.

Shoes were another item she could count on those and canes, though on
occasion she witnessed a few ugly scenes with those and they usually
involved old ladies and would be purse snatchers.

Motown played on the CD player and the footsteps fell offbeat with
the music. She didn't recognize them and rose. In doing so she
nearly met nose to nose with her patron.

"Hi…I uh…"

He smiled steadying her as she took an unexpected step back.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to…" His smile was warm, forgiving, making
its way to his eyes and settling there in the creases. He was tall,
slender. A permanent tan matched his dark hair that was cut close
to the head. Not in the military way. She could still run her
fingers through it if she wanted she thought, astonishing herself for
thinking such a way.

"Oh no, it helps every once in a while to have people keep me on my
toes. Good for the heart." She frowned at her remark as she joined
her new customer in the aisle. "What can I do for you?"

"Just looking around." Indeed he was for as he sauntered down the
aisles he picked up a knick-knack here and there, turned it over.
His chin would jut out in thought, head tilting off to the side in
contemplation before he would put the item down and move onto the
next.

Danielle followed unsure if it was the scent of his cologne she was
caught up in or the mystique of the man himself. The stone washed
jeans fit like they were made just for him. Expensive leather cowboy
boots, long sleeved denim shirt tucked in over a white T. He was
business casual. He was from here, but had been away. She could
sense it.

Great, now she was becoming one of those ladies on the hill. What
next, hang a sign outside "Physic readings $3"?

"So, when did the old man pass away?"

"You knew my Uncle?"

"I did." Stranger turned to her tossing a baseball into the air. He
grinned a boyish grin. "We used to play catch in the alley when I was
a boy." With that stranger tossed the ball to Danielle who quickly
raised her hands to catch it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Nice one!!!! " The praise was familiar. Uncle Edward?!?!

Danielle looked around. She was in the back of Mr. E's. It didn't
look any different save for her Uncle and a young boy about eleven.
Uncle Edward stood behind the boy, arms around his shoulder. The boy…
the boy was the stranger. There was no mistaking that smile that lit
those eyes. Uncle Edward positioned the young boys arms back over
his head.

"Now remember son what I told you, right across the plate. Hold your
arm this way before you throw it."

Danielle stepped closer; just before the stranger threw the ball she
saw it. The boy wore a sleeveless shirt and on his upper arm was a
tattoo. A design just like on the medicine pouch. Just like on the
medicine pouch. But what did it mean?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The ball rolled under a display case, left for another day.
Stranger was gone by the time she got back. Did he know about her?
Would her Uncle have said something? Why would he have….? What did
this have to do with what was going on up on the hill? More
questions than Danielle wanted.

Before there was time to think up more questions, more customers
arrived. This time bringing more questions for Danielle recognized
them as ladies of the Manor house. With them was Richard, grinning
ear to ear as if he was a cat bringing in small animals to his
Mistresses ill delight.

Danielle smiled; after all, it wasn't their fault personally for her
distaste for all things paranormal so why should they suffer. She'd
take it out on Richard later and the look she flashed him so much as
told him so.

"Well ladies," he swallowed as he stepped around them, "if there's
anything to be found in this here county, Danielle's the one who can
find it."

Richard put his arm around Danielle, "Her family has been collecting
castoffs and junk from four corners of this area for over 80 years
and that should be telling you something."

"Yeah," Danielle frowned, "the local trash company isn't doing its
job. What can I do for you ladies?"

Unsure what to think or say Richard sensed the two ladies hesitation
and jumped in.

"This is Jolie Ann and Rhi. They are from…"

"The Mansion." Danielle smiled and held out her hand. "Yes I
know. It's nice to meet you under, better circumstances. Welcome
to Mr. E's. Would you like to sit down?"

She motioned over to an antique Queen Anne living room set in the
middle of the store. Richard made himself at home propping himself
up against a walnut hearth, then thought better of it and slid over a
rocking chair and propped his feet up on a ottoman fan.

A bit taken aback at the sudden change in Danielle, both ladies
accepted and took places on the sofa.

The younger lady with short dark hair spoke first as she looked about
the brick building.

"It's a beautiful place you have here."

"If you can get past the spider webs." Danielle replied with a
smile. "What brings you down here?" She noticed a book like object
in Jolie Ann's hands.

A look of hesitation from the girls brought Richard back into the
conversation. "It's okay, she's been medicated since the last time
you saw her."

He nodded a go ahead signal to Jolie Ann who brought forward a very
old scrapbook of sorts.

"We need to know if you've come across this." She opened to a page
with a drum the likes of which Danielle had never seen. Seemingly
carved from a tree trunk, a tanned animal hide was stretched taunt
over the top. What seized her were the blue and brown triangles
painted around the body of the drum, the same from the medicine bag
and the arm of the stranger. She knew this was an object she dare
not touch, for as Jolie went on to explain, it belonged to an Indian
Chief and past experience taught Danielle this would not be an
appropriate time to "disappear".

"Could I…may I..?"

Rhi and Jolie looked waringly at each other before the younger of the
two spoke.

"We want to show the others as it important we get all the
information we can from it. I hope you understand."

"We spoke to someone today and said if we got a hold of the drum it
could help some friends of ours." Jolie added.

This intrigued Danielle and Richard simultaneously.

"Help?"

"Well…"Jolie was at a loss whether she should continue. The book
closed and she put it back in her lap. She retold, with some
hesitation what Mojag had explained to them.

Danielle listened, her mind halfway with them, halfway back in time
reliving the experience. "There was no drum." She voiced.

Rhi picked up on this. "There what?"

"Drum..there was no drum." Danielle raised her head and looked
squarely at both of them. "But he is correct, you need to find the
medicine man and …" here she stopped and glanced at Richard.

The "who me look" he returned was enough for him to answer the
unspoken question.

"Ladies," he rose, "if you'll excuse me and Danielle for a moment.
Danielle may I see you?"

Danielle rose "Feel free to look around. There are drinks in the
fridge."

Once safely out of hearing range in the upstairs apartment Danielle
began to pace nervously.

"This is way too much for me Richard."

"What is? It's a drum Danni. It's not like it was Ringo's drum or
Keith Richard's."

"Keith Richard's?"

"Okay Mickey Dolenz's, I don't know, but it's just a drum. What are
you so worked up about?

"They all have something to do with these…these men the women
are `living' with."

"And this bothers you because? I don't think it's a sin when the men
are dead."

Danielle turned furiously and threw the first thing she could find.

"Ouch that hurt" he grinned catching a soggy dishtowel.

"Come one Richard, help me out here."

"Okay, what do you know?"

"A man came in today….

"You get lucky?

"Shut…up!"

"Can't help it."

"Anyway," Danielle blew the bangs and frustration from her eyes, "he
gives me no name, just walks in, finds a baseball and says `your
Uncle used to toss the ball to me in the alley when I was a kid.'
Then he tosses me the ball and WHAM there I was, in the alley
watching Uncle Ed tossing this….this guy, but now he's a kid….a
baseball. But that's not the weird thing…."

"Course not,"

"The weird thing is this kid has a tattoo on his arm right here," for
added emphasis Danielle punched Richard on the upper left arm, "of
the same markings as does the medicine bag. When I come back to Mr.
E's he's gone."

"And ya wonder why the place is called the wonderful Mr. E's?" he
winced as he rubbed his arm.

"Yeah, well then you got Snow White and Rapunzel downstairs and they
bring me that book and ya know what?" Danielle leaned over him.

"You're not going to hit me again are you?"

"I might," she straightened slightly and grinned. "That drum of
theirs has the same marking as the medicine bag AND Stranger's
tattoo."

"So you think they are all connected?

"No, I think that over a hundred years ago a space alien wrote
graffiti on some drum and medicine bag and now he's walking around
wearing his handiwork on his arm." She hit him again. "Of course I
think it's connected!"

"So?" He puffed in pain holding both arms now, one in defense, the
other pain.

"So what?

He nodded toward downstairs, "What are you going to tell them?"
Danielle had forgotten about the girls. "I…I don't know. I don't
know what to tell them." Truth be told she feared sharing what she
knew and how she knew it. It was bad enough she didn't believe in
their power, gifts, what you will, but to admit she had something
that terrified her more than what they had was something she just
couldn't face.

Richard seemed to sense this. His presence behind her was
comforting. "If it'll help, I can be there with you."

Danielle took his offered hand. "Thanks, I may just take you up on
it."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Danielle had explained to the ladies that she'd be up at the Simms's
place later the next day. There were some things she needed to tend
to before she could tell them what she knew and how she knew it.

As she prepared to close up for the night the last thing she was
expecting was a last minute customer. And the last customer she was
expecting was him.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm awfully sorry, but I had to come now." His voice was rushed and
deep.

"Now? It's not like I'm having a blue light special." she frowned
and opened the door wide to allow her visitor in.

"A blue light special?" Nathan removed his hat as he entered in Mr.
E's. In doing so he gazed about the vastness of the room, the
history of what it was and the newness of what it is.

Danielle watched him, almost wishing she could see through his eyes
and then sarcastically snorting knowing she practically does on those
rare occasions.

"Never mind, what brings you down here."

"I saw one of them. He's out at Mr.Simms" His body moved with purpose
as he took a photograph from his coat. "Here, the man in the back
row. He was riding with the men who shot us. "

Danielle recognized the man with the bandana around the brim of his
cowboy hatfrom the night with the Indian. The rugged face was
unforgettable.

"They aren't dead Danielle." There was fear in Nathan's voice, but
why. They couldn't hurt the seven men. They were already dead.

"No they're not." The voice was slow and sure from the back of the
store and did not belong to Richard. It was a stranger. The
Stranger's.

"Oh what is this, a party and I forgot to send out invitations?"
Danielle reached for the gun she kept under the counter, but that
wasn't necessary.

"I wouldn't" Stranger was faster. "Besides," he put his down. "I'm
not here for immoral or unpleasant purposes." He looked over to the
anachronistic figure, "Nathan." He greeted.

"Wha….?!!" If Danielle knew how to faint she would have. "Do you
know him?" She inquired of Nathan.

"No, but I was sure hoping you did."

"My name is Trevor Mantooth." The extended hand was not received by
either party, so he put it away. "I lived here many years ago. In
fact my people are from this area."

"You're Indian."

"Right." There was that smile. "When I heard about Mr. Simms I was
overseas and not able to get back in time to pay my condolences. Now
I find out he has a house full of women and they are inadvertently in
danger."

"Well, I think they are a bit smarter than you might know Mr.
Mantooth. In fact they seem to think they've stumbled upon a Tony
Hillerman plot." Danielle folded her arms.
Nathan watched anxiously.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"This medicine bag belonged to my great-great-great –great-
grandfather." Danielle figured if he had to be included, they might
as well be comfortable and get to the heart of the matter. How did
Trevor fit in? What was Nathan doing at Mr. E's and what on Earth
was she still doing in this backwater town when she could be in
Boston waking up to the trains and fighting traffic all for the name
of what?

"The first male born to the shaman was given the gift, the token," he
raised his left sleeve, exposing the interconnecting triangles of
blue and brown. "The Great Spirit, the Earth and Our Soul. All
connected. All needing each other. For without the Great Spirit,
the Earth and our Souls would not exist. Without the Earth, the
Great Spirit and Our Souls would mean nothing and without our Souls,
the Earth and the Great Spirit would have no purpose. We all need
each other."

A despairing sigh escaped Danielle. "That's well and good Trevor.
May I call you Trevor? But what does all this feel good Native
America stuff have to do with the fact that, one we have a curse on
our hands that may or may not have left dead people alive. Two, a
curse on our hands that may or may not leave alive people dead?

"Funny you should ask." If it weren't for those eyes, and that smile
Danielle thought, she'd have kicked him out a long time ago. The
teeth were white as sand dollars and the brown eyes like chocolate
fondue. She could get lost just staring at him and seems she almost
did.

"Miss Picking…um...Danielle." Nathan snapped his fingers to get her
attention, "this gentleman is trying to help us out and I don't have
much time."

"I'm sorry Nathan. Anyone for tea? Chamomile?" She offered.
Something told her this would be a long night and a relaxing drink
was just what she needed. Nathan nodded as did Trevor who was in the
process of removing something from his pocket. Attentive eyes from
the dark man watched.

"Don't worry doc, all I have here is a deed, nothing more."
Danielle hit the play button on the CD player for some mood music.
Earl Hooker's instrumental "Off the Hook" very appropriately began to
weave across the floor as she began to heat up water. It was a
friend back East who had introduced her to Soul music and while she
preferred the classics, she had to admit that soul was the classics
of the Americas. It was only fitting then that Earl should be here
with them right now, playing his soul out amongst the living…and the
dead.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I worked with my father and grandfather together. We are the
keepers of the secret of the seven as you would say. Myself and Mr.
Simms. He knew only because my father told him and that was only
because Mr. Simms found out about the Seven." Trevor showed Danielle
and Nathan a copy of the deed. "The house goes all the way back to
Orrin Travis who built it for the seven. Not even he knew about what
really happened. Only my people. "

"But why? I saw your…grandfather whatever many times removed, put a
curse Nathan and his friends." Danielle sat, elbows on knees
interested in what Trevor had to say, her coffee cup rolling between
her hands.

Trevor shook his head, "No. Those men were bank robbers, criminals
of the worst kind. They had plagued my people for years. They
believed we had special `powers' to make people immortal. Greed came
to them and they sought their own immortality. They kidnapped our
Shaman and took him away to the place you saw. "

"That's why we were hired." Nathan interjected . Danni shivered.
She remembered being taken back when they lost JD. The darkness and
the confusion that surrounded them. It was not a place she would
have wanted to be.

"There they forced him to perform the ceremony that would keep them
alive forever. What they had not bargained for was the trapdoor."

"Trapdoor?"

"Yes. These men in their greed would keep their longietivy, but only
until the men who sought justice for our people were brought back and
allowed to finish what they started."

"To complete the triangle." Nathan mused.

"Exactly," smiled Trevor. "The bad guys never win. This whole time
they thought the curse was on the seven, when in reality it only set
them in limbo. My forefathers cursed the men who still walk the
earth today. "

Dannielle sat back,, curling her legs under her as she tried to grasp
the theory behind Trevor's words.

"So what you're trying to say is…these bad guys who
wanted `immortality, got immortality, but only a limited supply of
it? And Nathan and his friends who didn't want any of it are
grounded here because they have to….?

"Think Sleeping Beauty." Trevor leaned over, bringing with him the
intoxicating scent of cologne. Danielle leaned closer too. "The
witch cursed the apple, but unwittingly didn't know about the kiss
clause." Danielle wondered if Trevor had a kiss clause.

"My forefathers added a, if you will `kiss clause' to the immortality
spell so the bad guys would have their day."

By this time Nathan knew what had to be done. He stood and retrieved
the medicine pouch from the coffee table. Morning would be here soon
and he would be sequestered back in the Simms' place for another
period of time without contact from Danielle, unless she ventured up
there.

"What's this clause?"

Trevor looked up and sighed. "First you must know those men are
still out there they may have added some mortals in recent years, but
the original men are alive and well and those girls are all in
danger. Protect them for their lives mean yours. Second, " he
turned back to Danielle, "it will take all seven of you girls. Mr.
Simms knew that. No more, no less than each and everyone of you.
For without you there is no Seven and without the Seven the bad men
will not be brought to justice and with no justice, slowly Trevor
raised the sleeve of his left arm. Nothing else need said.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"NATHAN!!!!!"

"JD GET DOWN!!!!"

"I…I CAN'T SEE `EM!!!"

Confusion everywhere. It was dark. Too dark. Hoof beats. Lots of
them. Gunfire. Gunfire and…and rain.
If she didn't know better she'd have thought she was in the middle of
a riot, but this was…this was…she couldn't move…didn't dare move.

She remained in a tight ball where she was.

"JD!!!"

"CHRIS OVER HERE!! I FOUND HIM!!! I FOUND HIM!!!..."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO HE'S JUST A KID!!!"

"NATHAN BEHIND YOU!!!"

"I CAN'T…"

Danielle struggled to breath. It hurt. Breath…breath. Where?

Who? Nathan? The ground trembled beneath her. More horses…many
more.

Lightening…thunder.

"NATHAN WE GOT COMPANY!!!"

"I CAN'T…IT'S NO GOOD!!! IT'S NO…" the voice trailed off.

"VIN?!?"

A sharp bang echoed through the area. Danielle found herself
grabbing her own chest and screaming.

"Danielle!?" the male voice was calm and whispered. "hey, I came by
cause your lights were still on. Danielle?" She was pale and
sweaty.

Richard had seen her come back from a vision before, but never like
this. She held nothing and he saw nothing indicating she had a
vision. Maybe this was just a bad dream.

She woke, blurry eyed. Richard's face staring concerned at hers.
She sat up suddenly.

"Why?"

"Why? Danielle?" Now he was confused.

"Why'd you kill that boy?" Maybe she was still dreaming, he
thought. Hadn't he read somewhere you shouldn't wake someone from a
bad dream or was that a sleepwalker. Either way he was not prepared
for this interigation from either an alert nor an lucid Danielle.

"Why'd you kill that boy?" she inquired again, this time her voice
stronger. Richard knew now she was quite alert and exactly what
event she was talking about.

"That," he sighed as he stretched his tall frame to its
fullest. "That was a long time ago Danielle." He glanced over at
her and by the look knew he wouldn't get out of telling. "He was my
kid brother. I was defending him. Men were men back then and…well
men stood up for what they believed in and watched each other's back."

She wasn't buying it. He ran his hand through his hair and began to
pace. Three o'clock in the morning and Princess Lea wanted a bedtime
story.

"What happened?"

"Look here," Richard knelt by the bed before her, seeing for the
first time the tears that stained her cheeks and reached out for
them. "What's this?"

"I asked you first."

"Well," Richard sat back on his ankles and pulled out a
handerchief, "I couldn't tell you how it started and, well…you saw
how it ended." He shrugged his answer as he gave her the red cloth
and watched.

She took it with a deep breath and swiped her eyes then her nose.

"Isn't that how it always is with you men?" The agitation in her
voice was very apparent. He obviously did not answer the way she
wanted.

"Now hold on," he began on the defensive, "you asked."

"He's right you know." A third party spoke.

Not again, Danielle thought for the umpteenth time that night.

"Menfolk do what they gotta do." Nathan's reply was plain and simple
as he stepped up beside Richard.

"He's right." Once back to his feet, Richard stood next to
Nathan. "There's a right way and a wrong way. And then…well then
there's the others."

"The others," Danielle quickly sat up, "JD, did you find JD." She
trembled with fear such that Richard became concerned.

"JD?" he looked at Nathan for help. "Danielle I'm afraid…"

"Just answer me, did you ever find JD? He was lost there was…it was
too dark. They were calling for you Nathan, what happened!?"

Nathan's memory quickly retraced the same road Danielle's had taken
earlier when she picked up the horseshoe in the attic of the Manor
the first time and relieved the massacre of the seven, later to watch
the nightmare in her sleep. She had to know.

His hat twisted sorrowfully in his hand.

"There was nothing we could do for him. For any of us that evening.
We were ambushed in the blackest of the black nights. That's why we
need you Miss Picking, you and the rest of those ladies. I know
you don't understand and it ain't your nature, but…"

Danielle knew then what she had to do. Without Justice there would
be no Seven and no Ladies.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~
"Are you sure you want to do this? Richard inquired for the
umpteenth time as he loaded up Danielle's trunk. How in the world
she could fit a tube of lipstick, much less a suitcase in her tin can
she called a car he'd never know. Now, his truck, that'd haul Mr.
E's inventory and then some.

"No," Danielle replied, punctuating the answering with a slam of the
lid. "which is why you're going with me."

"Going with?" A dirty sleeve left a streak of grease along his
forehead as Richard wiped his brow. He was in no mood for games
after the late night session with Danielle and Nathan. They had
explained the visit with Trevor and the triangle theory. Richard
wanted to do all in his power to get the Seven back to where they
supposed to be. He couldn't imagine being in limbo for over a
hundred some years in a strange time, with people he knew nothing
about. But what could he do to help?

"You're a handyman, be handy."

"Funny Danielle, real funny." He tossed her the keys to her tin
can. "What are you going to? I mean seriously think about this."
She had been. She never slept after Nathan and Richard left. There
was no way out. She couldn't go back to Boston to escape. Couldn't
hide in Mr. E's. The only thing to do was join forces with the
ladies in the Manor house and work together with them. To tell them,
share her gift as it were and see what happened.

"I have to tell the truth Richard."

Richard's brow furrowed, "You capable of that?"

"Get in the car Richard."

He did as he was told, folding his legs into a pretzel as he sat
down.

"Dang, who do they make these for, midgets?"

"I could cut you off at the knees." Danielle smirked.

"Oh why not, you've already bit my head off." Try as he might,
Richard could not get comfortable the whole ride up to the Manor
house.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Second thoughts flashed neon over and over through Danielle's mind as
she pulled under the canopy drive of the Manor. The grounds where
deserted except for a newly hired groundskeeper and for a moment she
thought of turning home. I could do it too, she thought to
herself. Forget this whole thing ever happened. Sell Mr. E's and…

"Danielle, Richard! How nice to see you again!" came a cheerful
greeting from the front door.

"It's showtime," murmered Richard as he untangled his legs.

Danielle looked over to see a slender young lady with rather long
brown hair stepping out the front door. She wore it pulled back and
dressed much like Richard, backwater casual in jeans and t-shirt.
Danielle could never get used to it.

"Hi…uh"

"Rose," smiled the young lady

"Yes, Rose," Danielle greeted as cheerful as she could manage, "I…we
were wondering if you had availabilities for the uh…um…week." She
choked out hoping what needed done wouldn't take that long. "I'm
uh..having work done down at the store and need a place to stay."

"Oh good one," Richard mumbled, "hope for your sake one of them isn't
a lie detector." He managed to squeeze out of the car and began to
rub the feeling back into his legs. "I'm just here to see if I can
do some maintence that uh…needs to be done."

"We could always use help in the fixing up department. You'll have
some help this time." Rose pointed out a coveralled man busy with a
volleyball net. "

"Rhi'll be glad to see you back." She smiled as Richard, who's blood
now ran freely once more in his veins, began unpacking what little
Danielle was able to bring in her BMW. He had to wonder if she
vacuumed packed her belongings.

Danielle had to admit she admired the Manor. The land was an emerald
green unlike any place she had ever known. The manicured lawns,
gardens that looked almost Biblical and the Manor itself that could
have come straight from a Southern plantation all made Danielle
wonder if she could have walked right into "Gone With the Wind". She
would be Scarlett and Richard Rhett. Perish the thought.

However, she did envy the women residing there and the relationship
they shared. The closet she ever came to a sisterhood was a soriety
and even then, that was all about climbing the social ladder and not
the charitable one.

"Most of the girls are in town right now," Rose explained as she
walked Danielle up to her room. "I'm sure they'll be back before
supper. If you want to just settle in I'll go make us some lemonade
or I can get you some ginger-ale if you'd like. It's nice to have
you back. I know things were a bit…difficult for you the first
time." Rose blushed remembering Danielle's first encounter at the
Manor house. She had felt sorry for Danielle and wasn't sure how to
help, but was glad to see her back and have a second chance to get to
know her better.

"Ginger-ale, thank you. And Rose, could you…I really need to talk to
everyone tonight. It's important."

There was a sense of honesty that Rose felt and she reached for
Danielle's hand, "It'll be okay, whatever it is." The young lady's
smiled comforted Danille and she smiled back weakly.

"I hope so. I really hope so."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The parlor looked more like a courtroom this time to Danielle than
the last time she was here. No warm fire in the hearth, most of the
six ladies, half a jury, present and accounted for and Richard as
promised sat in the captian's chair beside her acting as judge, so it
seemed. She only wished he had a gavel. Either to knock her
senseless when she spoke to long or sense into her so she wouldn't
speak at all.

Somewhere, unbeknownst to her, seven more guests had arrived. Seven
men with much more at stake than she realized.

She made a quick sweep of the room to get a sense of her peers before
she began.

Rhi, a friend of Richard's from the Simms days sat legs folded under
her on the couch in her stereotypical black. Her right hand twirled
a dark strand of hair as she waited for whatever was to come next.
She smiled over at Richard once or twice then would whisper over to
Jolie.

Jolie was next to her, the friend that had visited Mr. E's the
previous day sat. She had just come back from running through the
Manor's acreage and was stretching out her long toned legs. Danielle
pegged her when she called her Rapunzel for her hair fell from a
ponytail that stretched the length of her back. Something Rhi said
made her laugh and pop her gum at the same time, making Danielle
wonder what the rapport was about.

Rose, sat in a Queen Anne chair off to the right of the couch,
closest to the fireplace that produce no fire this evening. She wore
the uniform of blue jeans and T-shirt that her other housemate
Cayden was wearing as well. One leg tucked under her, the other
swinging casually as she waited. She smiled warmly to Richard and
then to Danielle, but spoke not a word. No one did save the two on
the couch.

Cayden was the only one who stood. She leaned against the bookshelf
that lined the back of the room, arms folded across her chest. She
was Danielle's peer in age and wondered if that made a difference age
Danielle stood also. Cayden's chestnut hair glowed in the lighting
of the room and Danielle sensed a difference in the colouring of her
eyes but couldn't be sure. Every now and then she could see Cayden
fidget her fingers and wondered what that was all about.

One more came suddenly down the stairs.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologized hastily, finding herself an empty
Queen Anne next to Richard. "Hey."

"Hey" he greeted back.

Chelle arrived in a halter T, her two guns blazing tattoos proudly
sporting on her shoulder blades. She had the figure of the great pin-
up gals of the 1940s. One every gal ought to have. Her red hair had
just been washed and towel dried.

Danielle sighed then looked around.

"Is that everyone?"

Richard counted "I don't think so."

A few heads turned before, "No, you forgot me."

"Naomi." Giggled Rose behind her hand.

"Sorry," the young girl smiled shyly as she walked in from the
kitchen entry way. "I was on the garden swing and well, you know how
time just seems to get away."

Yes, thought Danielle and I really wish I could. Danielle noticed
the refreshing change of attire on the young lady who had just
entered. Not that she herself would walk out in public in a Bohemian
dress, but then again it looked rather comfortable and quite,
refreshing. Her blonde hair was neatly arranged for one having just
come in from swinging. That too she found, out of the ordinary,
swinging. But since she came to Four Corner's she found many things
out of the ordinary.

"Hi Naomi," Danielle greeted watching as the last member of the
household found a seat on an ottoman. Richard nodded and Danielle
began what was to be her most dreaded speech in her life.

"I'm going to make this as brief as possible, but poignant because
it's important. " Danielle went on to explain who she was and how
she was related to Mr.E's. How she could go back into time and
relive events in history. How she denied her powers for the longest
time and her struggle to believe in anyone else's abilities to talk
to the dead or to see the future. All this while she can go back to
the past. Talk about a hypocrite huh?

She told about how she came across the medicine bag and met Nathan in
the past and then how she met him here in the future, here at the
Manor and she refused to believe it was happening.

How right here in the Manor, in the attic she watched as the seven
were massacered by the same people that were still roaming the area
today . About how Nathan found a picture of them there in the Manor
and how they had each worn a cowboy hat with a bandana around the
crown.

She told about how Trevor came in yesterday and is a direct line to
the man who set the curse not upon the Seven, but the men the Seven
were after. She told about the trapdoor or the "kiss clause" as
Trevor put it. About how if the criminals knew about this trapdoor
it would have deadly ramifications.

And that if the girls did not find it first, they would all die,
leaving the criminals to terrorise whomever forever.

"And that is my story. Be careful because they are still out there
and we need to stick together. Now if you'll excuse me I'd like to
go to bed. I'll be more than happy to answer questions in the
morning."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

"Danielle…Danielle wait" Richard stopped her before she went upstairs.

"No Richard I'm tired and I just want to sleep."

Richard took her hand anyway and looked her in the eyes . He knew
what she did scared the daylights out of her and he admired her for
it.

"Danielle I'm very proud of you. Ya did good."

"Thanks, you can leave my Oscar by the door, now good-night." With
that, Danielle withdrew her hand and continued to her room leaving
Richard alone on the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"So, was there a party over at the big house tonight?"

Richard wasn't expecting anyone in the caretaker's house and reached
for the nearest heavy object, a box of tissues.

The stranger laughed and held out his hand, "Don't bother, I'm the
new hire. Name's Morgan."

Richard gladly accepted it. Rhi or Rose had said something about
hiring a part-timer for seasonal work. Richard was glad for the help
as he had other jobs in town he would need to tend too.
"Richard?"he replied as he dropped his stuff on the spare bed.

He noticed Morgan's cowboy hat with a red bandana trim rested atop
his cowboy boots next to his bed. "You a roper or a just a rider?"
he grinned.

"Both." The young man's grin had a story behind it.

"Okay then." Richard wasn't in the mood for stories so he opted to
turn in for the night.