Tales of Chills and Thrills: The Mystery Thriller Horror Box Set (7 Mystery Thriller Horror Novels) (142 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Glory was the Glory Campgrounds, and not a town called Glory, as we’d originally thought. We pulled into the campground and met the groundskeeper named Mee-hawl Conner, a big, middle-aged, red-headed Irishman who welcomed us warmly. Mee-hawl’s demeanor, for the moment, made my worry clouds disappear. His brogue was thick and he had Kate chuckling immediately with his comments about the light he saw around her smile. She told me later that he seemed ‘to have a touch of blarney’ that she found very charming. I thought that he gave off an impression of a man of great strength.

“I thought you two would be along sometime,” he said as he gave a wide wink to Kate. Then to me he said, “There is achievable peace here Mr. Storyteller.”

“In California, or this campground?” I asked.

“Yes,” he answered.

“I don’t understand your response, Mee-hawl.”

“You will,” he assured. He coughed a bit, then continued.

“Long ago in County Sligo there was a man who wrote poetry about the beauty of the place but he always wrote as an observer, seldom as an actor. He spoke of things attached to the beauty of the land that could not be seen, neither in the daylight nor in the night, but it was there anyway. As it was so in the place called Hibernia, as well, and there was a poet who wrote the magic words:

“And God stands winding his magic horn,

And time and the world are ever in flight;

And love is less kind than the gray twilight,

And hope is less dear than the dew of the morn.”

“That Yeats?” I said.

“It is himself. And you know him, do you?” Our host seemed genuinely surprised that I knew the great poet’s work.

“Familiar is not the word, Mee-hawl,” Kate chimed in with a mild exaggeration. “This man lives and breathes Yeats. You would be surprised at his knowledge of poetry, and masters of old.”

He smiled the broad smile of approval at hearing her words. “The classics are the classics and the masters are the masters… and pleasing to God, they are.” He spoke with a strange authority with his strong Irish brogue.

“And as they should be,” I added with a wink and a wave of the finger.

“Aye lad… that would indeed be so.” Mee-hawl smiled and appeared to be measuring me somehow.

He led us to our motor home campsite, saying it was off by itself and a boon to star gazers. He guided me into the proper parking spot so that I could set up the water, sewer and electricity.

“Enjoy your stay and let me know if you need anything. I live above the registration office at the entrance to the park.” He left, giving us a thumbs-up signal and a smile in his eyes.

That evening we had dinner outside, and later sat on lounge chairs with the lights out looking at the sky awaiting the meteor showers that Kevin had mentioned. It was 10:30 when I checked my watch and asked Kate if she’d seen anything. She hadn’t, same as me.

Then she blurted out, “Did you hear that?”

“I didn’t hear anything.” Then I
did
hear something. It was a man’s voice, somewhere in the night, singing a lilting melody. It was far off in the distance, a beautiful sound that was becoming mesmerizing.

Kate stood up, staring trance-like toward where the sound seemed to be coming from, and began swaying in a dance-like movement to its rhythm.

I was being drawn to it as well, and suddenly found myself walking toward the music, unable to resist the compulsion to find the singer. As I walked into the darkness of trees the voice became clearer but the song was unlike anything I had ever heard before. There was no accompaniment, yet it produced the same reaction in me as did the music of Pink Floyd. It was intoxicating as I walked toward it.

I continued for several minutes to an opening in the trees where a soft light glowed in a spot that contained no one. Yet there was the song and I walked right into the light; I couldn’t help myself. It was like I was in a spell.

“Do you hear the song, lad?” It was the voice of Mee-hawl.

“Yes, yes I do hear it.” I looked around for Mee-hawl, but wasn’t concerned that I didn’t see him. His voice was reassuring.

“It is one of God’s favorites,” he said gently.

“Who is singing?” I asked.

“You.”

“Me?! I’m not singing, Mee-hawl. I’m listening… I’ve never heard this song before.”

“Yes you have. You heard it when God first breathed upon your face when you were conceived. He sang it to you so that you could sing it to him one day. And now is the day.”

“Mee-hawl, does this have anything to do with the Name of God? Is it in the song?”

“Yes.”

“But all I hear is the sound… ‘Ah’ is all I hear distinctly.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t see you Mee-hawl. Where are you?”

“I’m here.”

“No, you’re
not
here. You are nowhere to be seen.” I was getting spooked.

“To be nowhere is to be everywhere.” He responded but I still could not see him.

The light dimmed and the song ended; I heard Kate’s voice from far off calling me. It was then that I realized that I had no idea where I was. Walking towards Kate’s voice I returned her call and she heard me and her calling was guiding me to her. Looking back, there was still no sign of Mee-hawl Conner, but in the shadow right behind me was someone, something that made me gasp; a veiled face with a cowl in a dark cloak wasn’t more than ten feet from me — and was moving in my direction.

I started running in the darkness toward Kate’s voice with the veiled presence right behind me and closing. I was hoping against hope that my heart didn’t give out from running and from fright. I felt a tap on my shoulder and then I tripped and went down flat on my face and lay waiting for that thing to finish me off. As I lay face down, tensed and awaiting my doom, I felt two powerful hands lifting me and I started to struggle but then I heard, “Steady lad, it’s only Mee-hawl. Calm yourself now.”

Relief streamed through me; with the adrenal rush I started to laugh uncontrollably. I suspect I was going into shock, what with the ecstasy of being in the presence of the music of God, followed by abject terror of whatever it was behind that hideous veil. I was never so glad to see anyone as I was Mee-hawl Conner, at that moment.

“Wh-what happened?” I asked, shaking like a leaf.

“That’s a difficult one to answer.”

“But, I was being chased by someone or something—.”

“Not to kill you… but to scare you,” he said reassuringly.

“How do you
know
that, Mee-hawl?”

“I know it like I know that sunshine will be showing up in six hours. Let’s get you back to your wife. She’s calling for you and running through the woods with a lantern.” With that, I saw the light shining through the trees.

“Over here, Kate!” I shouted trying to keep her close.

She ran to me. “What have you been doing out here like this?!” She was frantic as she threw her arms around me and looked thankfully at Mee-hawl, sensing he had rescued me.

“You won’t believe this, but I was out here singing and dancing to the most wonderful music I’ve ever heard… ever in my life, Honey.”

“Were you sleepwalking? How did you find him, Mee-hawl?”

“I was out doing the same, Missus, when I ran into him.” He smiled.

“Kate, I was being chased by the veiled figure and were it not for Mee-hawl, Lord knows what might have happened.”

Mee-hawl said, “Indeed, the Lord knows and He knows and well beyond any of us. Trust me.”

“Let’s please get out of here,” requested an anxious Kate.

“Good idea,” I agreed.

Mee-hawl walked us back to the rig and bid us goodnight with a wave of his hand as he walked away.

“What now, my love?” Kate asked as I locked the door and threw myself into a comfortable chair.

“I don’t know. I’ve got to think about what just happened. Kate, whatever that was out there nearly scared me out of my mind and I thought I was not going to make it. I don’t know how Mee-hawl showed up from out of nowhere and saved me. I believe he saved my life.” Suddenly the adrenalin slowed and was replaced by complete exhaustion. I shrugged my shoulders and said, “Let’s try to get some sleep and see how we feel in the morning.”

“You think I am going to be able to sleep with that thing running around out there? Maybe, we should pack up and leave… just get on the road.” Kate was frightened and rightly so.

“I think that’s not a great idea. Let’s just try to sleep. We can think about what to do in the morning.” I reiterated.

“I can’t sleep,” she said as she wrapped a blanket around herself. I pulled her close to me, trying to calm her shaking.

“Don’t ask me why, but I think we’ll be okay,” I lied. “Whatever is under that veil could have gotten me in the woods, but it didn’t. I think Mee-hawl was right.”

“What do you mean?”

“He told me that whatever it is, it is trying to scare me.”

“Scare you… how? And why?” she questioned.

“Scare me into saying something.”

“What made you go into the woods in that darkness, Jeremy?” Kate asked.

“Don’t you remember hearing music, a man singing?”

“No, I don’t. You were dreaming about someone singing in the woods? Is that it?” She was groping for an answer.

“No, what happened was, you seemed to be mesmerized by the music, Kate. You were standing and swaying looking in the direction it was coming from. Don’t you remember doing that?”

She shook her head no, exhibiting disbelief as she did.

“I was drawn into the woods. It was as if someone had picked me up by the nape of the neck and took me to the music and the light, in the area where it was originating. It was absolutely the most amazing music I have ever heard, anywhere, any time.”

Kate turned and looked me saying, “Really? Better than Pink Floyd?” She smiled a knowing smile because she knew of my addiction to their music.

“Better than… but similar to actually, in some ways.” I nervously chuckled a bit, and added: “Mee-hawl tried to tell me that it was I who was singing and the song was one of God’s favorites.”

“So now you’re a singer, entertaining God,” she said grinning while she ran a finger through my hair. “I don’t think so.” Trying, in her way I guess, to lessen my stress, without so much as a thought for hers. “You know that David was supposed to have sung a song for God.”

“David who?” I asked.

“King.”

“Who’s David King?” I asked.

“
King
David. From the
Bible
. Solomon’s
father
,” she said quietly.

“Oh yeah… that King David.”

There was a knock on the door and when I asked who it was, I heard Mee-hawl answer, “May I have a word with you?”

Kate opened the door and invited him in.

“How long do you want to be staying here at Glory?” was the immediate question from the big Irishman as he entered the rig.

“We’re not sure. Why do you ask?” I was more than a little curious about that question.

Without responding he went on, “That song you heard in the woods was in need of a singing, and to be heard. Did Katie here not just mention David and it was he who pleased God with his psalms and his music? (How did he know what Kate said?) It was Lucifer back then who tried to stop the song because he knew that vibrations in the music caused the energy to move in such a way that it set into motion things that would please God throughout all the days.”

“Mee-hawl, why, and how would I, or should I, figure into that equation? David? The Bible? God? Pleasing God? How could that be happening with me involved? Who the hell am I?”

“Things were set into motion long ago, before time began, and those things have always followed a natural pattern that moves through all creation. It is the energy that comes from the fulfillment of that which God has ordained. Jeremy and Kate, like it or not, accept it or not, you Jeremy Storyteller are part of this pattern.” Mee-hawl spoke with total authority.

“I am scared shitless by all this, Mee-hawl,” I whined.

“And well you should be, for the Devil himself is breathing down your ass, intent on stopping the vibration by taking the word that you once spoke and using it to stand before God and challenge Him by his very presence.”

“How do you know all of this, Mee-hawl?” It was hitting me that Mee-hawl knew things that an ordinary man wouldn’t know. How did he come to know this? “Mee-hawl Conner,” I found myself chuckling a nervous silly chuckle before continuing. “Who are you? Assuming what you are saying is true, how did you learn it?”

“Meditation, lad,” he said.

“Please,” I said sarcastically.

“What kind of meditation? Mee-hawl,” Kate asked. She was much more open to the idea than I. “Indian? Chinese? Tibetan?”

“Celtic,” he answered.

“That’s new. I didn’t know that the Irish were into meditation. With most of them being Catholic and all, I know that makes them religious, but meditative?” I commented with the air of someone more knowledgeable than myself.

“Haven’t you ever heard the song about a little piece of heaven that fell from out the sky one day?” Mee-hawl smiled a big warm smile.

My mind suddenly started racing with thoughts about the two times when I had died and the things I felt and the music I heard. I was starting to remember more of what happened during that time. The realization suddenly hit me that the song I heard then, although not as pronounced, was the same one I’d just heard in the forest. There was so much confusion during the near death experiences that I couldn’t concentrate on any one thing and that must have been why the music escaped me until now… this incredible music, which continued ringing through my head and the red-headed stranger I met in the hallway of the hospital. It was then that I realized why Mee-hawl seemed so
familiar
to me. I had met him before.

Looking at Mee-hawl I got up from my seat and went directly to him where I could look directly into his eyes I asked, “Who are you Mee-hawl? Really… who are you, man?”

He looked back and squinted a bit as he said with a slight smile, “One who looks out for you and what you know.”

I repeated his words before I said,”I think I know what you mean, but that doesn’t answer my question. Please tell me who you are.”