Sleep Stalker (Ghosts Beyond the Grove Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

another ghost was the last thing I needed—a new job and unexpected stress with Zach were more than I could handle as it was.
         Addie paused as I freaked out internally while trying to decide whether or not to run away before I got saddled with another paranormal burden.  “Wait a second…you can see her, can’t ya?  You can see Miss Mabel tryin’ to get a better look at ya!”
         Shock.  Complete and utter shock.  Shock at the fact that not only could Addie see her, but that she seemed perfectly comfortable with it.  And the fact that she seemed excited to know that I could too. Not everyone would be thrilled to talk about the semi-transparent woman lurking around their workplace. Sometimes there comes a moment in your life when you know for a fact that you are going to be friends with someone you’ve just met.  This was one of those moments.  Addie was weird like me and not the least bit afraid to admit it—to a complete stranger, no less.  I’d learned how to embrace my abnormal side along the way so I nodded my head and smiled.
         “Praise the Lord!” Addie exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.  “I don’t mind bein’ different from most folk but sometimes it’s nice to have a kindred spirit around.  Get behind this counter, girl.  You have some trainin’ to do!”
         In between learning how to use all of the different equipment—and getting covered in espresso on my first solo attempt—Addie and I swapped stories.  We had a lot of things in common but our supernatural sides were quite different.
         Addie was twenty one and grew up in New Orleans.  Both of her parents died during Hurricane Katrina, their small fishing boat—and their bodies along with it—swallowed by the Gulf of Mexico during the storm.  When I heard that she’d lost not just her mother but her father as well, my sad past seemed a little less tragic. 
         Even though my mother was dead, at least I still had my father.  I’d never actually been to my mother’s grave—that I could remember—but I did know where she was buried.  Having your parents disappear without proof of their death would have to be a heavy cross to bear.  There would be so many unanswered questions in a situation like that.  What if they had miraculously ridden out the harsh waters and gotten stranded on some tiny island with no possible means of return?  What if they faked their own deaths and abandoned her on purpose?  What if they were abducted by pirates and sold into slavery of some sort?  But most importantly, why couldn’t I shut off my overactive imagination and listen to the rest of her story instead of concocting wild conspiracy theories in my head?  Why?
         The only piece of information that I’d allowed to seep into my brain during that spontaneous segue in my head was the fact that she’d lived with Queen Elva Lafay for the last few years of her life.  Assuming that an orphaned Addie had been adopted by foreign royalty, I stupidly asked what country she was from.
         “You ain’t been listenin’ to half of what I said, have ya?  I was raised by my daddy’s mama.  Granny ain’t royalty—at least not the kind you’re thinkin’ of!” Addie replied with a laugh.  “She’s a voodoo queen, one of the most respected and feared women in all of Louisiana.”
         Voodoo.  Voodoo?   I had no idea that voodoo still existed in modern times.  But of course I was curious so I asked her to tell me all about it.  As I listened to her speak animatedly about Queen Elva and their religion, I noticed something about her.  Addie reminded me a lot of Rachel—same enthusiasm, same air of confidence.  The only difference was the rate at which they spoke.  With Addie’s southern drawl, she would never make the Guinness Book as the world’s fastest talker.  Obviously, no one could ever replace Rachel as my best living friend, but my new boss was