The Vendeleer Brothers Book 3: Nightmare on Holly
Chapter 4: A Letter From the Past, Present, and Future

They all stood there with an air of uncertainty the old woman waited impatiently, a couple of suitcases by her side.

“So what’s she doing here?” Shaq asked awkwardly. Everyone else shrugged in unison.

“Ian and Roderick! Ian and Roderick! The two brothers!” the lady shrilled, baging her pot. The two brothers felt chills go up their spines for some reason.

“Do you know this woman?” Chief Lenard asked with a little aggravation. “She’s been banging that blasted pot and spouting all of your names for the past fifteen minutes.”

“I swear Chief-I’ve never seen this woman in my life.” Roderick said, throwing his hands up.

“I’m telling you, it’s that crazy lady I met in Pinnacle Gulch!” Brian told them. “I have no idea why she would be here or how she would know all of our names though.”

The old lady twitched and banged her pot a couple more times.

“Well, the first one, I just got mad at my show, so I threw her against the wall. Then I couldn’t reach the sugar, so Debbie had to go next, she just kept staring at me.” Ramona rambled, squeezing her doll tightly and rocking back and forth.

Jordyn rolled her eyes and was about to say something when the woman suddenly screamed.

“BEWARE THE KISHNU!”

“Ok this lady is officially nuts.” Shaq commented with slight interest. The Chief did not look amused at all.

“Get this lady out of here. She has no business being here.”

As a couple of people came forward to escort the old woman away, she suddenly thrust her arms out, dropping her doll and pot.

“Brian, your college friend is about to do something stupid. Over. Do you like jokes? Knock knock. Who’s there? Boo. Boo who? Don’t cry, it’s just a joke! I have my Grandma on speed-dial. I call it Insta-Gram. Keep the change!! HAHAHA!”

“Wait a second, Ian, isn’t that the joke you told those people in the Denny’s just outside of Serenity Hill?” Roderick asked, alert and watching the old woman. Ian pursed his lips.

“No. I wouldn’t be caught dead telling a knock knock joke. That’s the one you told right before…”

The two of them stared at each other in realization. Was this just a coincidence? The old woman did not let them stand there and think about it for very long before spouting some more interesting quotes.

“Daddy, I’m gonna be a cop when I grow up. Go away Dulagar. I just don’t think I’ll ever have friends Mom. Roderick, you’re going to get us in trouble again. That’s when we were kids Ian! I’m a grown freaking man now! How could you Abigail? I didn’t want to hurt anyone!! How’s my ninja-sheriff-princess doing? Put the knife down dude!! It’s the mailman bro!! The mailman!!”

Everyone was silent and watching now as five faces immediately paled.

“Th-There’s… no way she’d… uh…” Joey stuttered, her disposition far from her usual dreamy state.

“What the hell?” Jordyn growled, taking a step back, her face red.

Um… You said our assignment was to replace more people with abilities, right Jordyn?” Roderick laughed nervously. “Um.. I think Ramona might be one of them…”

Chief Lenard looked from his new detectives to the old crazy lady outside the gates.

“Welp. She’s all yours. Enjoy.” he said in defeat, walking away. Hesitantly, they let her in, and she immediately pulled her suitcases across the gravel and handed them to Brian and Roderick.

“Follow me Bumblebee.” she said with satisfaction, walking into the building. No one else knew what to do but to follow her.

Despite the complicated mazes of hallways through the building, Ramona somehow went straight to the courtyard they had been sitting in before and immediately preceeded to sit down in the middle of the fountain.

“Sit down and eat your hamburger!!” she suddenly scolded at them. Then she shooed her hand at Shaq. “Not for you, not for you. We have a very important meeting you see. You’re going to want to change your shirt and put on some smelly-goods.”

Shaq raised a brow, but nodded.

“Well, I guess I’ll see you guys in a little bit.” he told them slowly. And with that, he went back to his duplex.

“Sit down!!” Romona screeched at them, splashing in the water a little. The five of them did as they were told, very curious as to what this woman was going to do or say next. Ian wasn’t sure why they all had to sit in the grass though.

For a moment, the old woman sat there in the fountain, her wrinkled face looking at them gravely. A hot summer wind blew through the courtyard, and somewhere the steady drum of cicadas and other bugs were heard.

Slowly, Ramona pulled a box out of the front of her dress and then held it out to Ian. Ian looked down at it, but did not take it.

“MMM!!’ Ramona insisted, thrusting it out at him.

“Ian, just take the box.” Roderick knudged.

“Oh heck no! You saw where she pulled that out of! I don’t think she’s wearing a bra!”

“Ian! Take the crazy lady’s damn box!” Jordyn spat. Ian grumbled and groaned, and then reluctantly took the box.

“If anything jumps out of this box, I quit.” he muttered.

Thankfully for Ian’s job, nothing did jump out, but inside, was what looked to be a very old envelope with yellowed corners that smelled of mothballs and old peppermints. In neat cursive handwriting, were five names.

To: Ian, Roderick, Joey, Jordyn, and Brian

“Okay… This is starting to get a bit more weird…” Brian swallowed as they all scooted in closer to see.

“Open it! Open it!” Roderick said excitedly. Ian glanced up at the old woman staring at them, and then opened up the letter for them all to read.

Ian, Roderick, Joey, Jordyn, and Brian,

By now, it should be your first day working at the PDU as a group. I will also have just spouted a lot of personal quotes from your lives, for which I apologize. At this point, with the combination of my old age and my abilities, my brain will have deteriorated to an extent.

Allow me to give a proper introduction. My name is Ramona Kingsley, and I have a unique ability. I call myself an oracle, and I see visions of the past, present, and future, just out of order.

(Oh and Brian, I do apologize for scaring you upon our first meeting. That must have been quite dreadful for you.)

In regards to my powers, it is not something I can really control at my current age. The visions come randomly, and oddly enough, they have been of you five, (For reasons I will get to in a moment.) However, I can see that as I get older, I will gain more control, but it will come with madness. For a time, I wished to stop this, but then I realized that there were greater things at stake. My sanity is a small price to pay for the safety of the world.

In ten years from now, Joey, the oldest of you, will be born. I pray that this letter reaches you all safely. My visions are still quite finicky.

Now for the reason why I have reached out to you five specifically. You are all going to save the world one day. In fact, you already have. Something to do with… Spirit Alcatraz? Or… wait-I’m getting that out of order-pay no mind to that.

Anyway, I think what I’m really referring to is your first encounter with Kishnu and Bill Cottam.

Now, I know you all must have many questions, but I cannot tell you everything all at once. I will be there to help you along the very difficult journey coming your way, but I will be hard to decipher. Before I leave you all to your own devices, I wish to impart some advice to you from some of the hazy things I have seen.

Joey Washburn, do not despair, and do not give up hope. They are still out there.

Jordyn Hastings, be open, be kind, and don’t let your stubbornness get in the way of what will truly make you happy.

Brian Miller, don’t worry. You are useful, you are needed, and you are exactly where you need to be.

Roderick Vendeleer, always remember that family is most important.

And Ian, please do not ask me about your future. Worrying about what is to come will simply get you nowhere. Enjoy things as they are and enjoy life as it comes.

I hope this is enough to help you five along in your destiny. Stick together! The world needs you!

Signed,

Ramona Kingsley

As soon as Ian finished reading the letter, he dropped it, hands shaking.

“Hold on! I didn’t finish reading it!” Brian complained, picking it up.

“What the hell is all this crap?” Jordyn growled, standing up. “Joey, explain to me why-,”

She stopped when she saw that Joey had tears rolling down her face.

“Joey?”

“I-I have to go.” she sniffed, turning away from them all and hurrying off down the hallway.

“Joey-wait!” she cried, running after her.

“Uh… What did she mean by… first encounter with Bill and Kishnu?” Roderick asked nervously. Ian threw his hands up in the air and started to walk away.

“Nope! No, no and no. I am not all into this magical destiny crap. Someone else can save the world. I’m going to go become an accountant or something and live a nice normal life. I never wanted a part in this paranormal mojo anyway!”

“Ian-you’re overreacting!” Roderick frowned, carefully putting the letter and envelope back in the box. “I mean-magical destiny man! That’s some pretty cool stuff!”

Ian turned to his younger brother angrily.

“Well they can take all their magical destiny and shove it back in their nasty little box, because I’m not having any of it!”

The two brothers continued to argue as Ian stormed down another hallway, leaving Brian alone with Romona, who was still sitting in the water fountain. He slowly started to take out a bag of gummy worms.

“Want one?” he asked the old lady.

Ramona took a couple, despite her deteriorating teeth, and the two of them both sat there silently sucking on gummies.