“Young woman, if we are going to work together, you must behave like a lady, instead of a bad...”
“Mia, my name is Mia Cooper. You used to call me Bad Mia.”
“If I did, who am I?”
“Stephen Murphy, your mother’s name is Catherine Clowes Murphy. Your father, Kevin Murphy, disappeared when you were a boy. You bought this land partially on money raised from some of Catherine’s jewelry. You keep the rest of the jewelry in a crossbeam in the attic of the farmhouse you built with your own hands. You were married to Chastity Murphy, although your heart was first taken by Marie Sarah Lemont.”
Murphy stumbled backwards with the onslaught of so much information. “You must be a witch to know all this!” he accused. He took a stance and raised his axe.
Mia saw more fear than anger in his eyes. She took a step backward. She tried to summon her wings but already sensed that her body was too young to produce them. “I’m not a witch. I was your friend,” she said calmly. “I know what that axe can do. If you’re going to kill me, do it quickly. I’m not very patient.”
He looked at the girl named Mia Cooper and saw her resignation to the possible death that fate had in store for her. He lowered his axe. He had reflexively raised it in fear; he would never harm a child. He’d never killed anyone in life, and he doubted he would in death. “Go away.”
“K, I mean, alright. I shouldn’t have riled you up - or even come here for that matter, but I don’t regret it because you’ve given me some ideas. You see…” Mia pointed to the hill and continued, “in twenty years, there is a library there that may hold the answers to my questions. Well, Mr. Farmer, I know where it resides right now. A demon owns it named Wyatt Wayne. He lives on the other side of the lake where all the rich people’s houses are. I’m going to go and knock on his door and see if I can borrow a book or six. Damn, I should have brought my library card with me to prove I’m a legit reader,” Mia bemoaned.
“You’re going to see a demon, but you’re not a witch,” Murphy pointed out.
“You got me there. I’m not a witch, I promise.” Mia held out her hand. “If I don’t return, I wish you and your trees a happy eternity.”
Murphy looked at her hand a moment and moved to shake it. His fingers moved through her hand.
Mia felt the familiar tingle any contact with Murphy gave her. “Damn, you’re really something, Murph, really something,” she said and walked over and picked up her bike.
Murphy watched the young girl pedal away. He followed her as far as he thought he could, and then a little farther than he ought. He watched as she coasted down the hill, zoomed past the cemetery, and then out of sight.
Murphy returned to his farm. He didn’t like that the child was going to consort with a demon, but what was he to do? He was only a ghost.
Chapter Two
Mia turned into her street and ignored the boys who had tired of basketball and were shooting arrows into a bale of hay in the yard. She pulled her bike into the garage, parked it by her father’s sedan, and walked into the house intending to grab her library card to prove she could be trusted with a book.
Charles was busy in the kitchen sorting out the TV dinners he had purchased before stacking them in the freezer. “Afternoon, Father,” Mia said politely as she walked through the kitchen.
“Where have you been?” Charles asked.
Mia turned around and smiled. She had the rosy glow that only good health could give you. “I rode into town to do some research,” she told him.
“Did you find what you needed?” he asked her.
“No. Maybe you could help me. You see, I have inside knowledge that a citizen of our town has an extensive private library and very well may have the information I’m seeking. The problem is that I’m a child without references. Could you write a letter explaining that I am well versed in the correct and careful way to use research materials?”
Charles was impressed. This wasn’t the hooligan he thought he had raised. “Yes. But you should change into those church clothes Ralph bought you. A young lady doing research should look orderly and not like a hoyden.”
“Yes, I see your point. Do you think you could drop me off? It’s a long way to walk, and I don’t think my fancy clothes are going to fair well with the bike. I can walk back afterwards.”
“Yes, I can. I’ll go and have your mother type up the reference, and I’ll sign it. You go and get changed.”
Mia looked at the frozen food project and feared that it would be forgotten. It wouldn’t be the first time they would eat refrozen meals. Mia rushed to change with hopes that she would arrive first in the kitchen and would be able to put the food away while she waited on her father. This way, maybe they would not suffer from future bellyaches.
~
Mia rehearsed what she was going to say while she waited on Wyatt Wayne’s porch. The door was opened by
