Long Distance Charges May Apply

By Wanda Hargrove

The DeSoto household grew by one more due to the addition of Roy’s Aunt Mable. Mable’s health was declining and since the death of her husband Richard Spence, she was slowly sinking into herself. Only Jennifer was able to bring her back.

Jennifer had been enamoured by her ‘Uncle Johnny,’ but her Great Aunt Mable was like the grandmother she never knew. Mable did a lot with Jennifer, they played tea party all the time. However, Jennifer longed for the one thing that would make her life complete, and that was the pink toy princess phone she had seen one day at the store. She adored that phone.

Jennifer’s sixth birthday party was a blast. She got almost everything she wanted but she was frowning.

“What’s the matter, Jennifer dear?” Mable asked, her voice shaking from age, and silent pain. She knew she was dying and it was all a matter of time now.

“I didn’t get my phone,” Jennifer pouted.

Mable winked at the girl she adored, “What’s this here?” Mable asked as she waved Johnny over who held a brightly wrapped present.

“I already opened yours, Uncle Johnny.”

“Well, Jennifer, this one isn’t from me. This is from Mable,” Johnny tenderly replied as he tickled her.

Jennifer quickly pulled herself out from Johnny’s tickle attack, and ripped into the package. She smiled brightly, “It’s my phone!” she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Mable’s neck and kissed her on the cheek. “Thank you so much Mable!”

Mable smiled, and replied tiredly, “This is a special phone. When I’m gone you’ll still be able to talk to me.”

“Mable,” Jennifer looked up confused, “Where are you going?”

“Somewhere far away,” the much older lady looked at her wistfully. “Oh how I wish I could take you with me, but that wouldn’t be fair to your parents or anyone else who loves you.” Mable dabbed at an eye with a tissue, then slowly climbed out of her chair and headed for her room.

Jennifer bounded down the steps right on the heels of her brother Chris. “Christopher, and Jennifer!” Joanne called stamping her foot on the kitchen floor. “How many times have I told you not to come down the stairs like that!”

“We’re sorry mom,” both kids chimed in together.

“That’s all right, now hurry up or you’ll both be late for school.”

“Can I say good-bye to Mable?” asked Jennifer.

Joanne knelt down infront of her daughter, “Jenny, Mable was pretty tired last night. Why don’t we let her rest for a little bit longer and once you get home from school you can play with her.”

Jennifer smiled, “Okay, mom.”

Joanne glanced up at the clock, “You both better hurry or you’ll miss your bus.”

Both kids ran out of the house shouting, “Bye mom!”

Joanne walked into Mable’s room to check on the older woman. As soon as she entered she could tell something was wrong. She went over to Mable and touched her hand, it was extremely cold. “ROY!” Joanne screamed as she ran out of the room.

Roy raced down the steps taking them two and three at a time. “Jo? Jo...What’s wrong?” he asked as he stepped in front of his sobbing wife.

Joanne couldn’t speak, instead she pointed to Mable’s room. Roy entered and felt Mable’s hand. It was ice cold. Roy silently thanked the powers that be because Jennifer wasn’t home when Mable was found.

Roy picked up the phone, to call the station and inform Captain Stanley that his aunt had passed away during the night. As soon as he hung up he slowly began to make his other phone calls, to the funeral home and the other relatives.

Jennifer DeSoto came running into the house. “Mable,” Jennifer called looking around. She ran to Mable’s room noticing that it was empty. “Mable?”

Roy heard his daughter and it hurt him to have to explain to her what had happened, but it needed to be done. Roy walked into Mable’s room where Jennifer was standing. He reached out and picked her up and sat her on his lap.

“Jennifer,” he wasn’t sure how to begin, but he would muddle through it somehow.

Jennifer noticed how sad her daddy looked and the one tear that left his eye. “What’s wrong? Daddy, why are you so sad?”

“Jenny, Mable’s no longer here anymore. Last night Mable passed away, and now she’s up in heaven with the angels.”

Jennifer began shaking her head, “No, No Daddy...It’s not true...Mable’s just playing a game.”

“Sweetie, I wish it were as simple as Mable playing a game, but it’s not. Mable’s gone.” Roy sniffed.

Jennifer started to cry, “No...No Daddy...Mable’s not gone!” She screamed, and lept off of her father’s lap and ran up up to her room.

Joanne looked into Mable’s room, “I guess she didn’t take it very well.”

“No, no she didn’t.” Roy replied as he turned to resume the packing away of Mable’s things.

“Roy?” Joanne stepped up behind her husband. “Why don’t you go lay down for awhile, and I’ll finish this up.”

Roy wiped an errant tear away. “I want to call Goodwill, so they can take Mable’s clothes.”

“I’ll do that Roy,” Joanne replied gently as she shooed her husband out of the room.

“Jo, where’s Chris?”

“Chris went over to Joey’s house. They have a joint project for school that they’re working on.”

Roy muttered, “Thanks for small miracles,” he headed up the stairs and laid down on his bed.

Jennifer laid on her bed and began to cry. She knew deep in her heart that Mable wasn’t gone, she wanted to see Mable again.

Jennifer heard a ring, and looked over at her Princess phone that Mable had given her for her birthday. She picked it up and spoke quietly into the phone. “Hello?”

“Oh Jenny, please don’t be sad that I’m gone. Although, I miss you, I’ve now been reunited with your Uncle Richard.”

“That’s great Mable, I’m so happy for you! Can I come visit you?”

“I wish you could dear, but... maybe soon.”

“All right Mable,” Jennifer sniffed. “I miss you.”

“I miss you too dear.”

“I have to go now Mable.”

“Bye-bye Dear.”

Jennifer hung up her phone and smiled. Her Aunt Mable wasn’t gone, like Daddy had said she was.

Jennifer walked down the steps and stood in the doorway to Mable’s room. “What are you doing Mommy?”

“I’m packing away Mable’s things.”

Jennifer ran to her mother and grabbed one of her hands. “No! You can’t pack away Mable’s things!” Jennifer screamed.

“Jennifer DeSoto, what has gotten into you?”

“Mable needs her things!”

Joanne scooped her six-year-old up into her arms. “Jenny, Mable’s not coming back.”

Jennifer shook her head, “No, Mommy you’re wrong! I talked to Mable.”

Joanne sat down in Mable’s rocking chair, and held Jennifer close. ‘How do I explain to her that Mable is gone, and will never be coming back. I know how close the two of them were.’

The DeSoto household was flooded with calls from relatives who wouldn’t be able to make the funeral, each one offering condolences. Roy’s nerves felt strained, and on edge. Joanne had related the incident with Jennifer earlier over Mable’s things. He was at a loss as to what he should do for his six-year-old.

Jennifer had closeted herself in her bedroom. She was ignoring everyone including her nine-year-old brother Chris. Chris was pounded on Jennifer’s door, “Jenny, come on Cousin Elaine is here and she wants to see you.”

Jennifer placed her hand over the receiver and called out to her brother. “I’m not coming out! I’m talking on the phone and it’s IMPORTANT!”

“I’m sorry Mable it’s just Chris, and he wanted me to go see Cousin Elaine. I don’t like her, she’s always pinching my cheeks, and that hurts.”

Jennifer laughed at whatever it was Mable said.

Chris ran down the stairs, “I’m sorry Elaine, but she won’t leave her room.”

“Oh, I’ve had enough of this. She’s going to come out of that room!” Joanne was definitely losing her temper. She left the kitchen, and headed up the stairs in the living room towards Jennifer’s room.

She quietly peeked in on Roy who was trying to sleep and then headed down towards Jennifer’s room. As she stood outside of Jennifer’s room she could hear Jennifer talking to someone.

“Jennifer Anne DeSoto! What is the big idea of hiding up here in your room?”

“Mommy, I was talking to Mable and I don’t want to go downstairs. Cousin Elaine always makes my cheeks hurt.”

“Well you’re going to go downstairs, and you’re going to join us at the dinner table. Now scoot!”

Jennifer pouted, and then she spoke into the phone again. “I have to go now Mable... Yes I’ll be back later. Bye!”

Jennifer put her phone down and headed for the stairs. “You’re a mean Mommy!” she shouted as she ran down the stairs.

Joanne sighed, as she walked down the hall and entered the bedroom she shared with Roy. She sat on the edge of the bed and gently shook Roy. “Come on dear, it’s time for dinner.”

Roy slowly blinked as his eyes focused on his surroundings. “Is it that late?”

“Yes it is, and Jennifer has been hiding out in her room for the longest time. Oh, and I should warn you, your Cousin Elaine is here.”

Roy sighed, ‘This is going to be a whole lot of fun tonight.’ He knew Jennifer couldn’t stand Elaine, because Elaine felt Jennifer should be more like a little lady instead of playing like a tomboy.

Just as Roy had predicted Elaine and Jennifer had not hit it off. Elaine had started by pinching Jennifer’s cheeks till they turned red, then she began her litany about why Jennifer should act more like a lady.

Jennifer in turn had stated that she was going to act however she felt like, and if she wanted to climb trees then she would do so.

Elaine had turned to Roy, trying to drag him and Joanne into it. “Look Elaine,” Roy started calmly, “Jennifer is six-years-old, not sixteen.”

“Roy, I know it’s none of my business but she really needs to start learning now what it’s like to be a girl, not a tomboy!”

“Elaine...” Roy blew out a breath trying to keep himself calm. Now was not the time to get into an argument, but she was pushing her luck a little too much. “Elaine, why don’t you for once, start acting your age and let my daughter act her own.”

Jennifer turned and stuck her tongue out at the older lady.

“Jennifer Anne!” Joanne scolded, “You apologize to Elaine right now!”

“I will not!”

“That does it, go up to your room now!” Joanne ordered.

Jennifer was only too happy to comply with her mother.

The funeral had gone off without a hitch. Jennifer couldn’t understand why everyone was so sad, she knew Mable wasn’t gone. Why couldn’t she make anyone believe that she was always on her phone?

Two days later Roy returned to work. As he walked into the locker room, he was greeted by all the guys. Station 51 had sent a large floral arrangement for Mable’s funeral.

“Thanks guys.”

Johnny leaned over and slapped Roy on the shoulder, “I’m glad to see that you’re back, partner.”

“I’m glad to be back, but we’re having problems with Jennifer.”

Johnny frowned. “What kind of problems?”

“Well, she insists that Mable’s not gone, and that she keeps on talking to her on that toy phone of hers. I don’t know what to do.” Roy sighed in frustration.

“I’m not an expert here,” Mike Stoker quietly began, “but it sounds to me like she hasn’t accepted your aunt’s death yet.”

“I know that Mike, but I don’t know what to do anymore. I’d hate to take a six-year-old to a shrink.”

“That stinks,” commented Johnny.

“Leave to Gage to state the obivious,” Chet commented.

“Shut up Chet!” Johnny’s eyes narrowed.

It looked to Roy that the last shift, which was on the day of the funeral, must have been something else. “Bad last shift?” Roy asked cautiously.

“Oh, if you only knew the half of it.” Johnny replied.

“You missed it Roy. Ol’ Johnny here almost got his tail knocked off by a little old lady with a wide swinging broom,” Chet crowed.

“Kelly!” Johnny’s voice held a threatening meanace to it.

“I know what you’re trying to do Chet, and I do appreciate you trying to take my mind off of Jennifer’s troubles. I wish I knew what to do.” Roy sighed again, as he finished changing into his uniform.

Captain Stanley walked into the locker room. “Glad to have you back Roy,” he clapped his paramedic on the shoulder. “Roll call in five minutes fellas.”

“Thanks Cap,” Roy replied as Stanley walked out of the locker room.

As soon as roll call was finished, along with the cleaning assignments for the day, the tones went off.

“Squad 51... Possible heart attack... 1701 Scenic Way... Cross street Sienna. Time out: 8:14.”

Roy and Johnny both looked at each other as the realization hit them. The address was only five houses down from Roy’s.

“That’s Mr. Stillman’s address,” Roy commented.

“Didn’t he say that he had a bad heart?” Johnny asked.

“Yes he did.” Both men were already in the squad heading for the address. They pulled onto Scenic Way and closed on Roy’s house, when Jennifer suddenly darted out into the street in front of the squad.

Roy hit the brakes hard and yanked the steering wheel, barely missing Jennifer by inches. Roy was breathing hard trying to calm himself down, before he hyperventilated.

Johnny jumped out of the little red rescue truck. He was just as scared as Roy. “What do you think you’re doing running out here in front of us like that?!”

Jennifer just looked up at him as if she didn’t care what he thought.

Roy climbed out of the squad, slamming the door. Jennifer could tell her father was angry. “Get in the house right now Jennifer! We’ll discuss this when I come home tomorrow!”

Jennifer shrugged her shoulders and walked into the house.

“Man,” was all Johnny could get out.

“Get in the squad, Junior, we’re still on a run.”

Later at Rampart

“Doc, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I feel like I’m at my wits end.”

Doctor Brackett studied a spot on his desk for awhile. He lifted his head, and looked his paramedic directly in the face. “I don’t really know what to tell you Roy, but you might want to bring this up with Dr. White, she’s our child psychologist. She might be able to give you some answers.”

“Thanks Doc, I’ll talk to Joanne about it later and then I may be giving Dr. White a call.”

After a lengthy and tiring shift, during which Roy didn’t really have a chance to call home and talk to Joanne, he slowly drifted into his house. Joanne took one look at him and shooed him upstairs to bed.

“Joanne, I really need to talk to you.”

“Later, Roy, later. Right now I’ve got to get the kids off to school.”

“Okay,” Roy turned and headed up the stairs to the bedroom, and gradually sank down on the bed. Before his head hit the pillow he was asleep.

Joanne had to argue with Jennifer to get her out of the house. Jennifer’s entire attitude over that phone was grating on Joanne’s nerves. She had thought once the funeral was over with that Jennifer would calm down. Instead she was worse.

Jennifer was now throwing tantrums every time something else left Mable’s room. Nearly all of the relatives had come over to take keepsakes from Mable’s room. But Jennifer had thrown the worst tantrum ever when Cousin Elaine had tried to take Mable’s rocking chair. There was no way she was going to let Elaine take it. Jennifer had finally won, because no one wanted to hear her cry and scream anymore.

Joanne got back to work and began packing what was left of Mable’s things up. Hopefully by the time Jennifer and Chris came home, she would be done.

Roy jerked awake. What had awakened him from a restful sleep, he didn’t know. An ominous feeling of foreboding crept over him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

Roy got up and headed for the kitchen. His stomach rumbling told him that he needed to eat something. He pulled a few items from the refrigerator to make a sandwich. As he raised it to his mouth he heard a knock on the front door.

“I’m coming,” he called as he walked over to door, and opened it to reveal John Gage standing on the doorstep. “What are you doing here?” Roy asked as he stepped aside to allow Johnny into his home.

“Well I thought I could play with Jennifer some when she gets home. Maybe take her mind off of Mable.”

“I’d be grateful if you could,” Roy replied.

As soon as Jennifer ran into the house she headed straight for her room and was surprised by the sight of her Uncle Johnny sitting on her bed. He arranged her tea set on her little table.

“Don’t touch that!” she yelled as she hurriedly put her tea set away.

“Why, Jennifer? I thought that you and I could play tea party.”

“NO! Only Mable plays tea party with me!”

“Well, that’s okay.” Johnny replied, feeling a little hurt. “What do you want to do?”

“I don’t want to play, I need to make a phone call. Mable’s expecting me to call her.”

“You know Jennifer, your mother and father don’t like the way you’re acting lately. And you running out in front of the squad yesterday nearly gave me and your father heart attacks!”

“I’m sorry Johnny, I didn’t mean to scare you and daddy like that, but Mable told me she’d be at the park and I had to get there.”

“Jenny, I wish you could understand that Mable isn’t here any more.”

“Mable IS NOT GONE! SHE’S HERE!” Jennifer picked up her phone and held it out to Johnny. “Go on, pick it up and listen. You’ll see.” Jennifer smiled an odd smile.

Johnny reached out. Picking up the receiver, he cautiously put it to his ear, and listened. He heard Mable’s voice clearly. “Jennifer, dear, is that you?”

Johnny cleared his voice, “Uh...No, it’s not Jennifer, it’s Johnny.”

“Johnny! It’s so good to hear your voice again,” Mable replied.

The hair on the back of Johnny’s neck began to rise. ‘This can’t be happening. Mable’s dead!’

Johnny quickly slammed the little receiver back down on the phone. “Jennifer, you’ve got to get rid of this phone before anything else happens!”

“NO!” Then she picked up the phone and listened for a moment, looking at Johnny. “You’ve made Mable MAD! She’s going to get you for making her mad!”

There was a flash of light, and Jennifer’s hair began to flow as if she stood in a high wind. Johnny saw a blue mist moving about the room. He felt himself being shoved towards the closed door. He couldn’t stop himself as he reached out and turned the door knob.

He walked down the hallway, and forced himself to stop at the top of the stairs. He thought he heard a cackle behind him. A pair of hands touched his back and a cold whoosh of air gusted around him. Those hands pushed, and he fell, tumbling down the stairs. He landed with a sickening thud.

His last waking memory was seeing the blue mist hovering over him and then blackness enveloped him like a cloak.

Jennifer calmly walked down the steps following the blue mist, and stepped over Johnny’s unconscious form. She headed for Mable’s room. Stopping in the doorway, she watched as her mother placed the last item in the box and then start to close it.

“NO!” Jennifer screamed, “You can’t do this! Mable won’t let you!”

“Jennifer,” Joanne started, “we’ve had this discussion before and I don’t want to hear any more of it. Mable is gone and she’s never coming back.”

“Your wrong, Mable is right here.”

Joanne noticed for the first time the blue mist floating in the room. A force reached out and threw Joanne into the wall, as a wind whipped around her, and cold air blasted her.

Roy, seated in the kitchen, heard Jennifer screaming at Johnny about something. He tried to move but for some reason he felt as though he were being held down by a great weight pressing down upon him.

He heard a thump, thump, thump down the stairs. A few minutes later he heard Jennifer’s angry shouting at her mother, and then he heard something else. Sounded like someone or something was being thrown about Mable’s room.

A few minutes later the sounds ended and he was able to move again.

Roy went to search for the source of the sounds, and found Johnny lying in a crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs. He looked up as he heard a quiet chuckling coming from Mable’s old room. He bolted upstairs, then stopped dead in the doorway. His wife lay on the floor like a rag doll that had been absently tossed aside.

He grabbed up the phone and quickly made a phone call to Station 51’s “C” shift. He didn’t know who he should stay with, that is, until Chris walked in the door.

“Chris, stay with Johnny until the paramedics get here!” Chris nodded and silently knelt down beside Johnny. Roy went into Mable’s old room and quickly checked Joanne for broken bones. Thankfully there were none that he could find.

Johnny began to stir. His whole body ached. He tried to rise but felt a pressure holding him down.

“Don’t move Uncle Johnny.”

Johnny’s eyes slowly focused on the face floating in front of him. “Chris?”

“Yeah, it’s me, Uncle Johnny. It looks like you took a fall down the stairs.”

Johnny slowly remembered, “No...” he groaned. “I didn’t fall, I was pushed.”

Chris heard the sound of sirens coming. “Stay there, and please don’t move,” he pleaded.

Chris’s words were wasted as Johnny slipped back into unconsciousness.

Jennifer slipped up the stairs back to her room. She giggled as the blue mist slowy enveloped her. She felt herself being picked up and placed in the rocker, settling into the lap of what she thought was Mable.

Johnny was placed on a gurney, strapped to a backboard. His left arm and right leg had been splinted. Tom Dwyer looked down on the hapless paramedic and wondered aloud as he looked at the stairs again, “How did you manage to fall?”

Chris, who had not left his adopted Uncle’s side, looked up at Dwyer, “Johnny said he was pushed.”

Dwyer’s mouth went agape in shock. He regained his senses and asked, “Did you say what I think you said? That Johnny was pushed?”

Chris nodded, and glanced up sadly towards the top of the stairs.

“Who could’ve pushed Johnny down the stairs?” he asked.

“I don’t know, but strange things have been happening around here since Mable died,” Chris answered shakily.

Tom could tell that the boy was scared, but of what or who he didn’t have a clue. He knew Roy was a loving father and that his partner, Tim Wilson, was working on Joanne. Tom followed the gurney carrying John Gage out to the ambulance.

Joanne was in better shape, she had awakened about five minutes before the squad and engine from 51’s had arrived. Captain Hookrader stood in the corner while he kept a watchful eye on his paramedic.

Tim Wilson, felt his skin crawl under his Captain’s steely gaze. Man I wish he’d just disappear for awhile. He gives me the creeps when he does that.

Tim quickly checked out Joanne. Other than an apparent mild concussion, she seemed to be okay. “Well, Roy, it looks like she’ll be okay, but you might want to run her over to Rampart just in case.”

Roy smiled down on his wife who smiled back at him. “I’ll take her into Rampart,” Roy assured the ‘C’ shift paramedic. “Uh... do you know anything about Johnny?”

“I’m sorry Roy, I don’t know anything, but I’m sure someone can fill you in at Rampart.”

Roy helped Joanne to her feet, and they followed Tim and Captain Hookrader to the door, just in time to see the ambulance carrying Johnny pull out of the driveway. He turned to his wife, “I’ll collect the kids and then take you to Rampart.”

Joanne quietly agreed, but she was fearful. Something evil had invaded her house.

Roy went up the stairs to get his daughter. He could hear the giggling on the other side of the door. He tried turning the door knob, but it wouldn’t turn. He pulled out his key and unlocked the door. In shock, he stared at the blue mist that was ebbing around his daughter.

He gasped as it suddenly formed an inhuman face and screamed at him, knocking him backwards in the hallway. He fought his way forward. “JENNIFER ANNE! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!” Roy screamed as he tried to get inside the room.

He could feel the force pushing him back harder as he tried to make his way into his daughters’ room. Roy’s desperation and concern for Jennifer’s safety is what made the difference, as Roy rushed in and grabbed Jennifer by the hand and yanked her out of the mist as quickly as possible.

Cradling her in his arms, he rushed out of the room. The blue mist was changing into a black mist as its true color came to light. It quickly closed the distance between it and its prey. A deep menacing voice called to Roy. “Give her to me. She’s mine now!”

“NO!” Roy hugged her tighter as it slowly advanced.

“She’s given herself to me! She belongs to me!” Its voice was now bouncing off the walls.

A white light suddenly flashed in front of Roy and Jennifer. In the center of the beautiful glow floated Mabel.

“NO! YOU CANNOT HAVE HER!” Mable told the black mist. “BE GONE DEMON! BACK TO THE GATES OF HELL WITH YOU!”

The mist shrank in size and then vanished with a scream as if it had been injured.

Mable turned and took Jennifer from Roy’s arms, as he gawked at his Aunt. “Jennifer, when you first spoke to me a demon found a gateway and found its way to you. It was going to take you from the people who love you the most, but I could not let that happen.”

Jennifer smiled up at her Great-Aunt.

Roy stepped up to Mable as she passed Jennifer back to her father. “Jennifer’s safe now Roy, and I have closed the gateway forever. I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner to help Johnny, but he’s in no danger.”

Roy felt a sense of peace, and now he understood what had been happening. “Thank you, Mable for saving Jennifer.”

Mable smiled and then with another bright flash she vanished.

Roy now knew his family was safe again.

The End........?

Catch a ride back to the Flight Deck...