Wicked Lies Read online

  Copyright

  Wicked Lies is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  WICKED LIES: A NOVEL

  Copyright © 2017 by Michelle Areaux

  All rights reserved.

  Editing by KP Editing

  Cover design by KP Designs

  Published by Kingston Publishing Company

  The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Dedication

  To my husband Anthony for his never-ending belief in me.

  To my sons Connor and Cooper who inspire me every day to follow my dreams because one day, I want them to remember that their mom never gave up on hers, so that they could follow theirs.

  Please visit www.campnelson.org to find more information about historical accounts mentioned in this book. This website was used to obtain accurate information regarding the Civil War and The Camp Nelson Civil War Site.

  Chapter One

  I felt her cool, icy breath against my body as she whispered her demands into my ear, each word scraping the inside of my soul as it escaped her lips, causing me to sink even further into a deep oblivion of fear. My body grew weak as I silently pleaded with her to stop, to allow me the peace I needed to survive and succumb to the darkness. With my eyes tightly closed, I struggled to ignore the sound of her voice as it begged me to submit. I sucked in a deep breath, shifted nervously in my seat, and struggled to focus on surviving these last few minutes.

  The anticipation of the end coursed through my body, and I channeled my last ounce of strength to find my glimmer of hope. Suddenly, I turned my head to the large windows and stared outside where the sun was mocking me, sending golden rays to warm everything under its touch‒with the exception of me. Inside this arctic prison I felt contained, as if I would never feel warmth again. Another voice rattled on somewhere in the distance, but the words were incomprehensible. The tiny hands of a clock ticked away, rudely announcing the time left before I could escape my prison into freedom. Just a few more minutes and I would be free. I just needed to hold on a few more minutes…

  "Sadie, are you okay? Are you even listening to me?"

  Lucy, my best friend, arched an eyebrow as she

  pressed her lips together, clearly agitated at my failed attempt to ignore her. She was trying to whisper her plans for us for the next few weeks, even as I desperately tried to listen to our Math teacher go over the study guide for next week’s final exam. The thought of job applications, pool dates, and looking into colleges seeped into my brain, bringing with them an excruciating pain. I just wanted to survive the last few minutes of class, but Lucy was well on her way planning our futures. Lucy's energy was contagious, and I didn’t have any choice but to submit to her bossiness.

  With only two weeks left in my junior year, I was thrilled at the prospect of being free from tests, homework, and teachers. My life had drastically changed in such a short matter of time. I couldn’t believe everything I'd gone through since my parents moved us from California to Salem, Massachusetts. Before my move, I was a loner, a girl who was invisible to almost everyone, and no friends except for Amber and Lea who I still talked to every day. In California, the only people who seemed to notice me were the ones I wanted to forget I existed.

  My life in Salem became more like a nightmare when I found myself trapped into fulfilling my ‘duties’. Let me back up just a bit: I'm sort of a messenger for the dead, someone who can carry out their last wishes and send messages to their loved ones, so the dead can move on to their afterlife. When I moved to Salem my job took an unexpected turn after I found the diary of a persecuted witch. Her name was Elizabeth, and I made it my personal mission to clear her name. Elizabeth was different from the other ghosts that have visited me. Her purpose was not just to say goodbye, but to send a message to her community and country.

  "Hush," I sneered back, trying not to draw attention to myself. Lucy was relentless when she wanted something. "I'm trying to hear this. You know I suck at Math. I need to know what to study."

  I rolled my eyes and allowed a slight smile to creep onto my face. I looked down at the diamond ring Noah had given me and the sparkle of it beneath the angry florescent lights hanging above seemed out of place. I twirled the silver band around my finger, ignored Lucy, and kept my mind on more pleasant things, like my Noah.

  Lucy saw me admiring the ring, rolled her eyes as well, leaned back in her seat, and offered a small laugh. Her blue eyes were trained on our teacher at the front of the class, but she continued to talk to me as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. Unlike me, Lucy didn’t need to study for final exams. She is brilliant and understands the content being thrown at us daily. I, however, require additional tutoring from my amazing boyfriend, Noah. I guess that's one perk of not being exceptionally smart. My first year in Salem was amazing. I met two amazing people, one who had become my third best friend and the other, my boyfriend.

  Proud of my accomplishments and new-found positive attitude, my parents surprised me over Christmas break, allowing me to visit Amber and Lea in California. I was shocked when my parents agreed to let me go, though I had to let them tag along. After everything I'd confessed to my parents about my first year in Salem, I was surprised my mom and dad even let me out of the house. Even though I enjoyed the time spent with my best friends, I was anxious the entire trip back to Salem. The mysterious town had really grown on me and I was finding it easy to call it home. I guess having Noah and Lucy around really helped me to love this place.

  "Oh, stop. You know Noah and I will help you study. Besides, every year Mr. Estill gives the easiest final. You have nothing to worry about."

  Lucy, who was hard not to love, had a point. Still, I wanted to end my first year in Salem with good grades in an attempt to ease my parents' worry. After they found out about my search to clear Elizabeth’s name and the dangerous situations in which I'd found myself, they haven't been too trusting in me. Sure, they were proud of what I'd accomplished with my research paper and being publicized in the local library, but the danger into which I'd put myself had scared them almost to death.

  Just as I was about to argue my point, the dismissal bell rang. Lucy and I were free for now. Everyone around me seemed ready for the summer. I, on the other hand, just wanted to make it through the next few days. As we gathered our books, Lucy continued my torment as she talked about her future plans. I watched as her tall frame seemed to bounce around, full of excitement as she filled me in on her educational plans. All I wanted to think about was how quickly I'd be able to get to the parking lot. Actually, I really wanted to kick her, but Lucy is my best friend, and I'm pretty sure that would break some kind of best friend code or something. Oh, well.

  Lucy nudged my arm as she walked with me down Salem High's long and crowded hallway. "Have you finished your application for the fall journalism internship?" she asked.

  I sighed, pulled the application from my binder, and waved it in front of Lucy. "I’m almost finished. I'll get it done tonight, I promise, but I’m not sure if I'll get in. All I have is my research paper from last year, and I'm sure other applicants have more experience in journalism."

  Lucy, whose dream it was to be a photojournalist, had begged me to complete an applicati
on for the journalism department at our school. Most students accepted into the program were also selected to intern at the Salem Newspaper. Ever since I wrote my essay last year about Elizabeth, a young girl whose journal I'd found, several of my teachers‒and Lucy‒had encouraged me to look into journalism as a future career. I guess they were impressed at how I'd documented Elizabeth’s personal journey from being wrongfully persecuted as a witch to her redemption after I'd learned how she was innocent, and her death was because one man grew jealous when she didn't share in his love. Truthfully, my research and the motivation to write my essay and article was not to impress anyone or to begin a future as a writer. Rather, my journey into that paper was to clear the name of the girl who'd haunted my dreams and taught me a hard lesson about life.

  I guess you could say, my life is anything but normal. While other teens my age were thinking about college applications and participating in after school activities, I've spent the majority of my time fighting with the dead. I wasn’t sure if Messenger to the Dead was an acceptable extracurricular activity as far as college applicants go. Sure, my paper about Elizabeth and her unfair persecution had landed me a spot in the local paper, but I wasn’t sure if that made me a journalist. It would be cool to write about things I was passionate about, though I never really thought about doing it as a job until then. We were going to be seniors next year and this was the time to start sending out applications to colleges, or so everyone had been telling me.

  That evening, I found myself in my room staring at my bedroom wall. The lavender paint seemed to swirl in my vision as I tried to find the right words to describe myself. I knew the program meant a lot for Lucy, but I wasn’t sure if it was right for me. I wanted to make her happy and get her off my back about the application, but was I really meant to be a journalist? Did I see myself writing as a career?

  Just as I was about to answer myself aloud, I heard a faint knock on my bedroom door, which startled me, and I nearly fell off of my desk chair.

  My mom walked quickly into my room and sat on the baby blue comforter that had been strewn across my bed. "Sadie, I didn’t mean to startle you," she stated, patting the spot next to her on my bed.

  I gained my composure, walked across my large room, and sat on the bed next to my mom. I wasn’t sure why I felt so jumpy, and I needed to chill out. "It's okay, Mom." I laughed. "I was just finishing my application. I guess you startled me."

  "That’s great, Sadie. Your dad and I are very proud of you for taking an interest in journalism. You and Lucy will make a great team next year," she exclaimed. Pride glowed on her face as she watched me closely. I had to think to remember the last time I'd made my mom this proud.

  "Thanks, Mom," I said, trying not to sound emotional. "Did you need something?"

  "Actually, Sadie, I did. Your dad and I have been discussing taking a trip this summer, just the two of us. Since the move from California, we haven’t had a chance to relax."

  "That sounds great! I could really use some time alone," I raved. With my parents on vacation, I'd have the house to myself and I could focus on getting my article completed, catching up on my sleep, and Netflix.

  "I'm glad you approve," she said, grabbing my hand, "but we thought it might be nice if you went and visited your Aunt Morgan." I noticed that the smile had slowly faded from her face, like a dying sunset.

  "Wait, you mean you don’t trust me here alone?" I almost shouted. "Aunt Morgan lives in Kentucky. Kentucky, Mom! What am I going to do there?" I turned to face her, forcing her to look me in the eye. "Mom, you can’t be serious!" I cried.

  "Sadie, calm down. You really can’t blame us for not wanting to leave you alone. I mean, you almost got yourself killed last year. Besides, Morgan lives in a beautiful, small town, and her house is on a charming farm. Don’t you remember visiting her as a child? You loved it there." She smiled, trying to win me over with the idea of a quaint farm town. Didn’t she know me better than that?

  "I was four!" I countered. "Mom, Noah, and Lucy will be here. I don’t want to be away from my friends. It was hard enough leaving Amber and Lea behind in California. Please, don’t make me do it again." My eyes began to swell with tears. I hated how emotional I'd become. My tough to crack shell seemed to have softened since I moved to Salem, and my mom was using it to her advantage.

  "Sadie, don’t be so dramatic. Invite your friends along. I'm sure your Aunt Morgan would love to have the company. She even said you all could work in the farm office a few days a week and she'd pay you. See, you'll get to travel and earn a little bit money." She was really stretching to find the positive in this situation, but I wasn’t buying it.

  "Mom, I have to write a feature article for the school newspaper before I can even be considered for a spot. I told you about this weeks ago. If I'm in Kentucky, what am I going to write about? Horses? Farms? This really sucks!" I threw my body back onto my bed and covered my face with my hands. Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse, my mom had to drop a bomb like this on me.

  "Sadie, if you just think about how much fun you could have, I think you'll see this as a great opportunity. Anyway, I've already made the arrangements. Your dad and I leave the week after you get out of school for the summer. We'll only be gone a month. Try not to see this as a punishment, but as a way for you to visit with your aunt and have a new adventure." I heard the ring of her voice trying to remain calm. I could also hear the finality of her words and knew, as much as I argued, this was one battle I wasn’t about to win.

  "Fine," I muttered.

  That was all she wanted to hear. My mom stood up and slowly left my room and I closed the door behind her, sulking. I reached across my bed to grab my cell phone and quickly typed a group text out to Amber, Lea, and Lucy telling them I was being exiled to Kentucky because my parents didn’t trust me to be alone anymore.

  My phone began buzzing with angered responses:

  Lucy: OMG I can’t believe they are making you leave for the summer!

  Amber: WTH?? Rebel, refuse to go. No, better thought, come home to Cali!

  Lea: Everyone calm down. Sadie, it’s only a month. Besides, if you hate it, you can always come home.

  Me: Thanks, guys, I'll figure something out.

  Anyone want to take in a teenage runaway?!?

  After an hour of back and forth conversations, I fell asleep thinking about the one person who I didn’t include in my group text, the one person I dreaded telling I was going to be gone for an entire month the most, the one person I knew would be hurt the most by it. His smile appeared in my dreams and I could never dread seeing something that beautiful in my life.

  Chapter Two

  The next morning, I showered, dressed, and rushed out the front door before my parents had the chance to talk to me. I didn’t have anything positive to say, so I figured I'd just avoid them for the time being.

  Driving through Salem, I took a moment to absorb the ambiance of my town, which was thriving with the hustle and bustle of morning activities. Now that the weather was warmer, more people were walking the beautiful, tree-lined sidewalks on their ways to work and school. Flowers in every color of the rainbow were in full bloom, which had the effect of making the town look like a beautiful painting. I decided to visit my favorite coffee shop on the way to school, to get the caffeine and carb-boost I needed to help me survive the day. I grabbed a coffee and a cinnamon swirl bagel before heading off to school.

  At school, I parked in the school lot and scanned the area, looking for my friends. Having arrived much earlier than usual, only the faculty cars were in the lot, so I sat in my car, sipped my coffee, and enjoyed my bagel. The morning sun reflected off the red brick of our two-story high school, making it seem alive and more vibrant. I needed the tranquil setting of my music playing in my car before springing my bad news upon Noah. I wasn’t sure how Lucy was going to react; either‒she seemed really upset in our texts the night before.

  After twenty minutes spent in my car, the student sect
ion of the parking lot had begun to fill up with students making their way to school. Noah was easy to spot as he pulled into his designated spot, driving like a maniac. He jumped out of his truck and ran over to my car. I managed to shove the last bite of my bagel into my mouth, grab my book bag and coffee, and get out to meet Noah as he reached my car.

  He put an arm around my shoulders and offered up my favorite smile, guaranteed to work wonders toward cheering me up.

  "Hey, Sadie, I tried calling last night after we texted, but you didn’t pick up. Everything okay?" He spoke softly to me on our way toward the school.

  I wanted to explain everything to him, why I didn’t answer, why I was upset‒but I couldn’t. At least, not just yet. "Oh, sorry. I was finishing my application for Journalism class. I guess I fell asleep early," I lied, feeling terrible for it. My heart felt as if it had crumbled in my chest.

  Noah nodded his head, seeming to accept my little fib at face value. He started telling me about a movie he'd watched the night before and how much he dreaded the last few days of school. I tried to listen and smiled when needed, but my mind was elsewhere.

  As we walked into the school, I felt the electricity generated by the students' thoughts of summer vacation being just a few days away, beaches, sleeping in, and hanging with friends. For once, I was jealous of my peers, which was definitely a first for me. "Hey, you look distracted. Is everything okay?"

  Noah spun around so he was facing me. His curly, brown hair bounced as he moved, and his hazel eyes bore straight into mine. I tried to smile and push past him, so I could get to my locker, but he blocked my way. Noah seemed to always sense when something was wrong, which was just one of the many things I loved about him.

  I ducked under his arm and began to open my locker. "I'm fine," I lied again, surprised at how calm my voice sounded, and I busied myself gathering the books I'd need for my first class.