Erasing: Shadows (The Erasing Series) by K.D. Rose Page A

mother is okay; she’s just had a shock.”
    Madison never knew what to make of it when Grandma spoke this way, though she knew Morgan took her words as gospel. Still, more often than not, her grandmother turned out to be right.
    “Come with me to the study,” said Mrs. Ross to Michael finally. “We need to talk.” Michael raised his eyebrows. Since when did his mother want to talk about the other world? She barely spoke to Jonathan because he still traveled. She had tolerated it when the High Five Gang had traveled for some reason, but she had never really approved.
    Without thinking, Michael palmed a locket of Mira’s on the bureau. He put it in his pocket and kept his hand tight around it.
    ***
    Madison was aware that the study conversation was not going to include her. There was nothing she could do anyway. As her grandmother and father left to go to the study, Madison sank on top of the covers on her mother’s side of the bed. It was comforting to smell her mother’s perfume still lingering on the pillow. She drifted into a deep sleep.
    ***
    In the study, Mrs. Ross was careful to close the door. Michael looked up expectantly. He hoped this wouldn’t take long, as he knew for sure Mira needed help. Thank God it was nothing like Trina. He knew this to be true as well. He was sure his body would react had something like that happened to Mira. As it was, he determined a significant change happened in the other world. Fear emanated from Mira. He needed to get to the Emergency Meeting Place as soon as possible.
    Mrs. Ross already knew what was on his mind. “I know you want to get going, but there is an important conversation we need to have. I wouldn’t keep you if this weren’t in direct relation to the predicament Mira is in and your efforts to help her.”
    Michael had no choice but to sit down and listen.
    Mrs. Ross took a seat at the roll top desk. Then she opened the palm of her right hand. In it was a key. “Do you know what this is?” she asked Michael.
    Michael had never seen the key before. Where had his mother come across it? Before he could say anything, his mother spoke up.
    “I’ve just changed my mind,” she said, with a strange look in her eyes. “Get Jonathan and Stu in here, and then we’ll talk.”
    “Mother,” he started to say, but there was a knock at the door.
    He went to answer the door. Who in the — Michael thought, but too much was going on for him to really be surprised by anything anymore. As if by magic, Stu stood on the porch. Looking down the road, he saw Jonathan walking toward the house, only a block behind.
    Michael stuttered, “How did you—” but his mother interrupted.
    “The details aren’t important right now. People feel things. This next conversation is vital though.”
    Stu said a polite hello to Mrs. Ross, and Michael noted that Stu appeared almost to expect Mrs. Ross to be there. He had showed no surprise at all. Something was going on that Michael was not privy to. He hoped this next conversation would explain it. They all needed to be on the same page, as Jonathan would say.
    They waited for Jonathan to catch up. Jonathan whistled, when he saw Stu already there. “Well, I guess I’m late to the party,” he said, his old joshing back for one moment. Then he remembered Trina. Jonathan immediately said, “I’m sorry, I just keep trying to put it out of my mind. I guess I succeeded for a minute.” He hung his head.
    Mrs. Ross patted him on the back. “It’s okay, Jon.”
    Jonathan looked up at his mother with surprise. This was the first time in years his mother had shown him any compassion or really spoken to him about anything more than the weather.
    Stu shuffled his feet before he took a seat on the couch with Jonathan. Michael sat in the big leather chair. Mrs. Ross sat at the antique roll-top desk, near Jonathan. She held out the key for all to see.
    “Jonathan and Stu, could you assist me for a moment?” she asked and stood up. She indicated