What Haunts Me by Margaret Millmore
Authors: Margaret Millmore
the question came out all wrong. “I didn't mean it like that Billy, I just don't get why the old guy would want to take on a four year old kid whose mother abandoned her.” That didn't exactly appease Billy, but she explained anyway.
“Vokkel started out as a garden variety shrink; he got interested in the paranormal thing when a few of his patients started talking about ghosts. Somewhere along the line he decided he was an expert and actually had minions that would scour nut houses for people with paranormal delusions. He'd heard of Granny from the local shrink that treated her…that doctor was the one that recommended sending her to Vokkel. Vokkel had learned a great deal about ghost killers and all the lore and legend that surrounded them, so the more he could study us, the better. But Granny was different; she was powerful and he'd never come across anyone like her, he'd just heard about them. That's why he followed her to San Francisco. My grandmother wasn't dealing with a full deck.” She looked at Justine, who smiled sadly. “He knew it, but got her pregnant anyway…he wanted another one like her. When he realized that Julie was just a spoiled brat and nothing special, he backed off. But when Julie showed up with a kid, he took an interest again, hoping I'd have Granny's talent.” Billy had said “us,” and grouped herself with ghost killers, which spurred a million new questions, but I thought it best to let them finish their story before I bombarded them. I also felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of another ghost killer in my midst.
Justine took hold of Billy's hand to quiet her and then turned to me and said, “I was sure that Frederick was unstable as well. I petitioned the courts for custody, but he was just as wealthy as I was and fought back. He was also her grandfather and I was only a second cousin. They always ruled in his favor. I was, however, able to convince him to allow me to visit and spend time with Billy. She told me about her ghost sightings and I advised her to keep mum about it. Unfortunately, Frederick's assistant, Edgar, has a very keen eye and it was his main position in the household to watch Billy closely for signs of this curse.” Justine's eyes had become moist with emotion.
“Edgar was escorting Billy to school one day. He'd been holding her hand and when they approached the steps of the academy, Billy reached into her pocket, pulled out her ruler, and stabbed at something. Edgar cannot see the ghosts on his own, but Billy….” She hesitated and smiled toward her. “Billy can transfer her sight by touch and as such, Edgar witnessed the ghost and its demise.”
Justine sighed. “She was only nine at the time, and despite the fact that young girls need motherly influence, Frederick took her away from me to a secluded place in Germany. He wanted her schooled and studied without interruption. I tried for years to find her, but I was never successful.” Her eyes were still moist, but she looked at Billy affectionately. “When Billy was sixteen she ran away. She had never forgotten me or my phone number.” She reached over and gently laid her hand over Billy's hand. “She found a way to call and I immediately dispatched someone to her and arranged for her to come back home.”
Billy smiled. “He found me of course, but I threatened to tell everyone he was a child molester if he didn't leave me alone.” I raised my eyebrows and she smiled wickedly. “He's a lot of things, but he wasn't that. But he knew if I made that claim publicly his life would be hell for a while, so he backed off. I stayed with Aunt Justine and finished high school, and then went off to college. In my sophomore year, a man my own age approached me, told me that he had been a student of Vokkel's, and knew what I was.
“I wasn't the only ghost killer at Vokkel's compound in Germany. There were others, kids and adults alike. But I was his only relative and more importantly, I could share
“Vokkel started out as a garden variety shrink; he got interested in the paranormal thing when a few of his patients started talking about ghosts. Somewhere along the line he decided he was an expert and actually had minions that would scour nut houses for people with paranormal delusions. He'd heard of Granny from the local shrink that treated her…that doctor was the one that recommended sending her to Vokkel. Vokkel had learned a great deal about ghost killers and all the lore and legend that surrounded them, so the more he could study us, the better. But Granny was different; she was powerful and he'd never come across anyone like her, he'd just heard about them. That's why he followed her to San Francisco. My grandmother wasn't dealing with a full deck.” She looked at Justine, who smiled sadly. “He knew it, but got her pregnant anyway…he wanted another one like her. When he realized that Julie was just a spoiled brat and nothing special, he backed off. But when Julie showed up with a kid, he took an interest again, hoping I'd have Granny's talent.” Billy had said “us,” and grouped herself with ghost killers, which spurred a million new questions, but I thought it best to let them finish their story before I bombarded them. I also felt a twinge of excitement at the prospect of another ghost killer in my midst.
Justine took hold of Billy's hand to quiet her and then turned to me and said, “I was sure that Frederick was unstable as well. I petitioned the courts for custody, but he was just as wealthy as I was and fought back. He was also her grandfather and I was only a second cousin. They always ruled in his favor. I was, however, able to convince him to allow me to visit and spend time with Billy. She told me about her ghost sightings and I advised her to keep mum about it. Unfortunately, Frederick's assistant, Edgar, has a very keen eye and it was his main position in the household to watch Billy closely for signs of this curse.” Justine's eyes had become moist with emotion.
“Edgar was escorting Billy to school one day. He'd been holding her hand and when they approached the steps of the academy, Billy reached into her pocket, pulled out her ruler, and stabbed at something. Edgar cannot see the ghosts on his own, but Billy….” She hesitated and smiled toward her. “Billy can transfer her sight by touch and as such, Edgar witnessed the ghost and its demise.”
Justine sighed. “She was only nine at the time, and despite the fact that young girls need motherly influence, Frederick took her away from me to a secluded place in Germany. He wanted her schooled and studied without interruption. I tried for years to find her, but I was never successful.” Her eyes were still moist, but she looked at Billy affectionately. “When Billy was sixteen she ran away. She had never forgotten me or my phone number.” She reached over and gently laid her hand over Billy's hand. “She found a way to call and I immediately dispatched someone to her and arranged for her to come back home.”
Billy smiled. “He found me of course, but I threatened to tell everyone he was a child molester if he didn't leave me alone.” I raised my eyebrows and she smiled wickedly. “He's a lot of things, but he wasn't that. But he knew if I made that claim publicly his life would be hell for a while, so he backed off. I stayed with Aunt Justine and finished high school, and then went off to college. In my sophomore year, a man my own age approached me, told me that he had been a student of Vokkel's, and knew what I was.
“I wasn't the only ghost killer at Vokkel's compound in Germany. There were others, kids and adults alike. But I was his only relative and more importantly, I could share