Chapter 22 #3
“Just watch out down here, Jade. I get a bad feeling.” Ashton’s voice is serious. And I may be too drunk to remember, but he continues, “Don’t get too tangled up with any of these characters in this town. I don’t trust them. Especially this Que guy.” He looks at me, like I should see what he does.
“You guys are too much. But I’ll gladly stay away from Que if it helps you all feel better.
” I say as we pull into the drive, hitting slight bumps that toss me off balance.
Then I add, “This place is actually really interesting. I feel you guys barely touched the surface. There is so much history. And,” and here comes the point when I should stop, but something compels me to continue, “the basement of this house is something else, you guys. There are these doors set into the walls…”
“How is there even a working basement here, Jade? Isn’t Louisiana well below sea level? Sounds dangerous,” Ashton chimes in, trying to invoke fear yet again, but I’m not done divulging these secrets that should stay just that.
“I found this ring too, and they seem to fit together. And get this. It’s a jade ring, like what are the chances?” I know I’m going off on a tangent, but this is the first time the thoughts in my head have gotten the best of me. Thank you, alcohol.
I look up at them, but they don’t seem as excited as I am. In fact, they look worried.
“Where’s this ring?” Ashton asks in a concerned, not at all amused tone. Lollie sits quietly in the back seat next to me, wringing her hands together, looking between me and Ashton. Honestly, these two are acting stranger than anyone else here—which is saying something.
“It’s in the house in a drawer,” I answer, confused by their response. This isn’t the first time someone has had this strong of a reaction to this ring.
Finding it by accident, but having it frequent my dreams and flood the circumstances of my newly gained estate, makes one wonder of its true origin.
“Show us,” Lollie says in a way that makes her sound unsure if she really wants to see. I decide to do just that, hoping it’ll bring me some much-needed answers as to why they are acting this way.
Once we make it to the house, I pull out the box and open it, but there is no ring in sight.
Two empty spots greet me instead of just the one.
The first missing one having no pull on my affliction.
Probably long lost in the crack of a floorboard or amongst the grass on the property.
Losing a ring like that would feel horrible, and now I know that feeling.
The beautiful ring that once drew my blood is missing.
I rummage through the drawer, looking under papers and other odds and ends that were left there, but it is gone.
And the looks on Ashton and Lollie’s faces that were once strained—calm.
Their shoulders relax as if I just undetonated a bomb in my hands. Our reactions being so opposite.
“So, you lost it, huh?” Ashton says, seeming a little calmer than he was in the car when I first told them about the ring.
“Yeah, I had it just a couple of days ago. Damn. It was so beautiful, you guys. The metal was a bit broken or something odd with the design. It cut me actually. I was going to take it to get fixed. But you should see this door…it matches it perfectly.” I’m babbling again.
“It cut you?” Lollie whispers. She looks white as a ghost. “So, you put it on then?” She stares at me with an intensity as if she is questioning things I know.
“No, but I was in the basement.” I explain. “It wasn’t a big deal, just a drop. It wasn’t rusty or anything. It’s a quality ring. But did you hear me? You must see this door…”
“No!” Ashton surprises me with his reaction.
“I’m just going to say it straight out. I don’t like it here.
This place is full of bad juju,” Ash blurts out.
“Jade, I think you need to come home. This house. It’s nice, but it’s not your home.
The basement—it’s old. Probably full of asbestos or mold.
The air quality alone is reason enough to leave,” Ashton says, reaching for anything.
Is he out of his mind? I’m starting to think everyone here has gone mad. He is the second person to tell me not to go into the basement.
“I don’t understand. Seriously, what is up with you guys? It’s just a ring. It’s just a basement. It is just a house,” I stammer, so confused with how my friends are acting.
“Jade, we just miss you. You belong with us back in Detroit. Here is…” Lollie starts to say something, but she stops. I can tell from their energy that they have something else to say.
“Look, it’s been a long night. We are all tired. Let’s just leave this where it is and know that we just want you to be careful. This place is strange, and its strangeness seems to affect everyone around here.” Ashton’s face says it all. “Just promise us you’ll be careful. Please.” Ashton pleads.
“I will. I promise,” I say. And I feel in my bones it’s a fickle promise, because if they are right about one thing, it’s that this place is quite strange, but I welcome it.