McCrady Manor: Blood Curse - Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

August 2

          Kellie sat on the beach, her shoulder length blonde hair blowing wildly around her pixie face.  She had her chin resting in the crooks of her knees with her arms wrapped around them.  While she sat staring blankly at the sparkling water as the sun rose.  Her violet eyes were very distant as she thought about the night she shared with her boyfriend the night before, and the surprising news they got recently.

          Leigha walked up to Kellie and stood beside her for awhile.  Her friend didn't even notice she was there.  She stepped forward and sat in the sand right next to her friend.  "Hey," she whispered as Kellie finally realized she was there.

          Kellie looked and Leigha. "Where did you come from?"  She asked a little startled.

          "Um...I would guess my mother and father had something to do with that."  She retorted.  "Don't you work today?"  She asked setting her friend up for what may be a trick question.

          "Yeah, at 7 o'clock.  Why?"  Kellie asked.

          "Do you happen to be wearing a watch by any chance?"  Leigha asked looking out to the waves crashing on the beach, but watched her friend out of the corner of her eye.  Kellie looked at her funny and nodded.  Leigha waited a moment hoping Kellie would come back from where she was because she sure the heck wasn't back in reality yet.  "Well?"  Leigha said a little impatient while digging her toes in the sand.  "What time is it?"

          Kellie looked at her watch on her left wrist and said, "Seven-thirty...why?"  She paused.  Leigha raised her eyebrows and could see how Kellie's eyes slowly got wider as she crawled back to reality.  Then it hit her.  "I'm late!"  She exclaimed.

          "I know!"  Leigha said matching the pitches of Kellie's shock.    "I got Meghan's jeep on the road.  We can take a walk up there and then go to work."  They both got up, brushing the sand off of themselves, and started walking to the road.  "Now what's going on....Miss Space Cadet?"

          Debating on what to say, she decided it was better to say nothing and not dwell on it all anymore today.  "Nothing, why?"  She said after a pause. They had made the short walk up the small hill to the area they always parked.

          "Bull, I don't believe you.  Now spill it!"  Leigha said climbing in  behind the wheel.  Kellie just continued to sit next to Leigha in silence.  "Kellie Lizbeth Smithen!"  Leigha shouted.  "I know that this is not normal behavior from you so you better say something or I will tell Nate that you were late and he will have your butt flying out of here faster then you can imagine."

          "Yeah, sure he will.  I was just thinking about Kennedy."  She retorted quickly.

          "Finally," Leigha sighed getting some sort of answer.  "I was only kidding about them firing you.  They'd never do that."  Then she paused waiting for her friend to say more but her silence was matched with Kellie's.  "So things are getting serious, I take it?  Maybe more then serious?"  Leigha whispered starting the jeep and slipping it into drive.

          "No...yes..," she paused.  "I don't know what is going on between us."  She admitted.

          "So what else is going on?  There is something more then just Ken,"  Leigha asked trying to encourage her friend to talk.   She obviously needed to, something was bothering her.

          "Nothing," Kellie said shortly.

          "Kellie..knock it off!  I know you.   I know when something is bugging the hell out of you.  You are completely spacey and you forgot that you had to work.  That is not like you, it's not like any of us."

          "I didn't forget," she objected.  "I lost track of time."

          "Well, you never do that either."  Leigha threw in knowing that the two were very much the same, but giving her friend the room.

          "I don't get this?"  Kellie yelled.  "Why are you on my back?" 

          Leigha looked at her friend, a little shocked.  It definitely wasn't like Kellie to snap like that.  She glanced into her friends eyes and thought that she saw hurt and worry.  "Because you are one of my friends and you are as cranky as Meghan."  Leigha whispered.  It was no fun getting snapped at by both her best friends right away in the morning.

          She just continued to stare out the window as Leight made the five minute trip to the house.  "Why is she cranky?"  Kellie asked softly after a couple minute silence.

          Leigha hadn't gotten back to Meghan the night before, with good reason, and hadn't had time to talk to her yet that morning.  "I don't know.  All I know is that she wasn't feeling well yesterday and she went to the doctors.  I haven't found out what the doctor said yet, though.  I got to work, you weren't there, she was crabby, you were late, so I left to find you." Leigha smiled with the memory of the night before.  "But I do have good news."  She chimed in showing Kellie the ring on her left ring finger.

          "OH MY GOSH!  Congratulations Leigha, when?"  She asked with a trace of excitement in her quite voice.

          Leigha parked the jeep at the back of the house.  By the time she had locked the doors and got out of the car Kellie was waiting at the employee entrance door.  "No date is set yet...but I am thinking next summer.  In May, maybe."  Leigha said.  They walked into the door and entered the kitchen.

          Kendall Nelson, one of the contracters for the construction work on the house, and Nate McCrady VIII had set up the kitchen entrance for the employee entrance because it was in the back of the house and that way they had a corner of the house for employee's only.  The side entrance, known as the Carriage Entrance, was used by the visitors.  The front doors weren't used at all, and infact, Nate asked they be locked at all times.

          The house was huge.  Four floors, an attic and a basement.  Leigha, Kellie and Meghan had met in the end of March when they had all come at the end of the restoration. Clear Water Estates to open up to the public for a trial period, with only McCrady Manor being open to veiw.  They had helped make everything looked as it had back then, in the time period it was built.  They learned a lot for the people Nate had brought in to help.      They soon found out that their beloved boss was the famous singer Nate the Eighth, and he  was the only McCrady adult known still alive.  He had married Paige a few years before and they soon had Austin, their son. 

          Leigha walked through the modernized kitchen and into the hall.  She walked to the left and around the corner to the front desk.  She noticed Meghan wasn't there.  Kellie came around the corner from the hall that was open to the public.  "Where's Meg?  I thought you said that she was here."  Kellie questioned.  It wasn't like them to be at their post, the front desk, when they were the only ones there.  Unless someone wanted a person to person guided tour, but that's why there was normally more then one of them there.

          Leigha shrugged her shoulders.  "I don't know, maybe she's giving a tour."  Leigha looked around for a sign that they had a customer or "guests" as Nate told them to refer to the visitors as.  There wasn't any sign of one though.  She looked out the window and didn't see any cars.  "There's no cars parked out there."  Leigha told her friend.  She looked down counting the tape recorders and headphones they had with tapes of the three of them giving the tour, for those who wanted to go at their own pace.  All thirty seemed to be there.    "Meg!"  She yelled.  "Are you here?"

          "Yes," said Meghan's distant and muffled voice, from another room.

          "Where are you?  What's wrong?"  Leigha called back figuring she was down the hall in the bathroom.

          A door opened and Meghan's heavy footsteps walked down the  short hall Leigha had started down.  "Nothing much.  All I can say is that my breakfast did not taste good the second time around."  She moaned.

          "Yuck!"  Kellie yelled, as her friends joined her.

          "Sorry," Leigha whispered to her sick friend.  "Are you okay?"  She asked as she watched Meghan lean against the front desk.

          "Nope."

          "What did the doctor say?"  Leigha asked as she sat on the stool.

          Meghan paused as she thought of what to tell her friends.  The bell over the visitor entrance jingled before she could say anything.  Stephen Zelmoore, Leigha's older brother, and his girlfriend, Jakie O'Havee, walked in.  Everyone was quite for a minute or two.  No one dared to move.  The friction that Leigha sent off was enough to make her two friends back off a little. 

          "I am so glad that everyone is happy to see me."  He said with disappointment in his voice, looking at the faces of the three girls.

          "I am sorry,"  Leigha told her brother sarcastically while she glared at his girlfriend.  She was happy to see Stephen, she loved him with all her heart.  She just detested the choice of his companion.  "My wonderful brother, what a staggering surprise.  What on earth are you doing here?"  She asked looking up at him.  He stood much taller than she did.  His black hair was messed up and his big brown eyes starred at her. 

          "I decided to stop by since I had the day off at the clinic.  I wanted to see how the place turned out.   I did help put it back into shape."  He reminded her of the fact he was one of the ones who had worked her for almost a year, and told her about it.  "Which helped get you this job."  He said practically yelling the word "you" to empathize his point.

          "I know, I know. So do you want a tour or what?"  She asked.

          "Yes, my darling sister."  Stephen declared watching her shoot daggers out of her eyes at his girlfriend now and then.  "And I want to see everything."  Then he looked at Jakie.  Her blonde hair was cut a lot shorter than Kellie's shoulder length blonde hair.  Her oval green eyes were full of, distaste.  Leigha couldn't stand her, he knew it, and it sometimes made him wonder what she knew about her that he didn't.  She got along with almost everyone.

          "Are you both going?"  She asked Stephen quietly.

          "Yes, " he slowly said back.

          She looked up at her brother in disbelief and disgust, he was going to make her do the tour and spend time with him which ment spending time with her.  "You want to see everything?"  She asked amazingly calm, even though her temper built to a high peak, and she felt the quick need to go grab a handful of Jakie's hair and pull as hard as she could.  Stephen nodded.  "The first, second, and third floors cost five dollars.  The attic, basement and open air towers are an extra four dollars.  Do you want a grounds pass?" 

          "Yes!"  Jakie said really excited.  Leigha knew she was being sarcastic, the girl wasn't as dumb as she looked.  "I want to count the brown grass blades."  She said almost like she meant it.

          "Oh, how exciting!"  Leigha said right back and just as hostile.  "That's fourteen dollars each."  She told him flatly.

          Stephen handed his sister twenty-eight dollars.  "Are you going to give the tour?"  He asked hopeful.

          Leigha looked at her two friends.  "Who's turn is it to give the tour?"  She asked.

          "Mine!"  Kellie piped up catching her friends drift.  She walked around the counter and nudged Stephen.  "I need the tip."

          "Okay, so Kellie will give you the tour.  The grounds close at seven for all visitors," Leigha told the couple as she handed Stephen the ground passes.  "That gives you about eleven hours to lose the ditz and run,"  she whisered under her breath so maybe Stephan caught it.  "Enjoy the history of Clear Water Estate." 

          "You go on with Kellie, Jakie.  I need to talk to my sister."  Jakie gave Stephen an angry glare before letting Kellie lead her into the first room which was the McCrady Office.  "Alone!"  He snapped with a smile at Meghan who was still leaning against the desk.

          "Excuse me!"  She snapped back as she started to walk away.

          When she was down the hall Stephen turned to his sister and asked, "Why do you hate her so much?" 

          "She is no good for you!"  She yelled empathizing her no.

          "You should have some compassion for my feelings.  The girl has some good points."  Stephen defended his girlfriend.

          "Name five!!"  Leigha challenged

          "Well, she has an up lifting attitude."  He explained.

          "She's a depressing dolt."  Leigha countered.

          "She has a good attitude and disposition."

          "She's a freak."

          "She has a wonderful sense of humor."  He said.

          "More like a sick sense of humor."  Leigha admitted.  "If you told her a dog died she'd think it was a joke and laugh her head off." 

          "She loves me, and has a great body.  That's five."

          "Those two don't count!"  Leigha said pushing her long hair away from her face.

          "How come?"  Stephan asked innocently.

          "Because you do not know for sure if she loves you and her body has nothing to do with this."  She explained.

          "I do to know that she loves me!"  Stephen said matter of factly.

          "How?"  Leigha challenged.

          "Well...because...cuz she said it."  Stephen stammered.

          "Yeah, well I can say it too.  It, it, it, it, it, it...there I said it six times."  Leigha said triumphantly.

          "Okay fine.  I got your point."  Stephen finally said.

          "Good,"  Leigha declared folding her arms over her chest.

          Stephen reached over and touched her curly red hair.  "Why do you always win our fights?"  He asked.

          "Cuz, I'm always right."  Leigha declared matter-of-factly.

          "Like when you were six and you told me frogs could fly.  I'd still like to see that."  He laughed staring into her violet eyes.  Leigha joined his laughter.

          "You better go finish your date with....her."  Leigha finally said, making her sound like the biggest nightmare in the world.

          Stephen noticed the ring on Leigha's left hand.  "What's that?"   He asked pointing.  Then grabbed her hand to exam it closer.

          "Um....."  She looked down, smiled, then looked back up at her brother.  "Are you ready to have a brother-in-law?"  His mouth dropped.  "Alec asked me to marry him last night.  I said yes."

         

          Meghan was leaning over the kitchen sink holding a glass under the running water.  The employee entrance door opened behind her.  Macen walked in and was surprised when Meghan hadn't noticed that he had.  He stepped up behind her, then looked at her face.  Meghan's eyes were shut.

          "Hey,"  Macen said grabbing her around the waist as she started to fall to the side.  Meghan jumped and dropped the glass in the sink.  The glass shattered.  "I'm here," he whispered as she automatically reached down in the sink to pick up the pieces.  "Don't," he told her quickly pulling her hand away from the sharp glass.  "I'll pick them up.  I don't want you to cut yourself."

          "Macen," Meghan whispered.  She was still half asleep.  He could hear it in her voice.

          "What?"  He whispered taking Meghan into his arms. 

          "What's my name?"  She asked with her voice slurring.

          Macen laughed.  "You should go to the cabin and get some sleep."  He told her.   He raised his hand and combed it through his thick golden brown hair.  He always did that when he was nervous or worried.  "You are carrying a baby.   A baby that's going to enter this world in six months."

          "Don't you think that I know that?"  Meghan snapped, waking up suddenly.

          "I'd be worried if you didn't."  He said with a laugh.

          "Meghan,"  Leigha said walking into the kitchen.  "How are you feeling today."

          "A little better."  She told her friend.  She felt fully awake now.   She stood there a minute between Macen and Leigha and wondered how the heck she could have fallen asleep at the sink.  "If you don't mind, " she finally said.  "I think that I am going to get out of here for awhile."

          "Are you sure that you're feeling okay?  You threw up about a half hour ago."  Leigha muttered.

          "You threw-up?"  Macen asked protectively.

          "I do feel a lot better, Leigh.  I just...I don't know.  I am a little tired I guess and I have some things to do in town.  I want to do them before I fall asleep again."  She explained to her friend.  "I'll be back later."

          Leigha nodded, very concerned, and watched as Macen followed Meghan out.  She stood there for a moment and wondered what was going on with Meghan and Kellie.  They were both acting very strangely.  All of a sudden she felt lost.  Then she wondered what was going on with Macen and Meghan.  It looked as if things had gotten serious with them too.  She decided that she needed a run as soon as possible.  She walked back out into the hall and to the front desk.

          "Where's your jeep?"  Macen asked as they walked outside. 

          "Leigha parked it around the other side of the house when she came back with Kellie this morning."  Meghan explained.

          Macen could tell how distant she was.  "What's wrong?"  He asked.

          "I want to go shopping."  She said.  "I want to be alone for awhile," she paused.  "To think some things though."

          "Alone?"  He questioned.  He didn't feel exactly comfortable about that.  "I donno if that's a good idea Meggie.  After all you did just fall asleep at the sink...standing up."  Then he looked into her big gray eyes and saw a flash of anger fade like a shooting star.  "But if you really want to and think that you can handle it..okay.  I just worry about you."  He told her pulling her close.  He kissed her forehead and than looked back into her expression fill windows of gray. They were gray today, he realized.  Not the calm pools of violet. but more a confused gray. "Can I at least walk you to your jeep?"  He asked.  He watched her eyes smile.  Then her mouth follow.

          "I'd like that," she whispered.