Free Jekyll Island: A Paranormal Mystery (Taryn's Camera Book 5) by Rebecca Patrick-Howard

framed picture while Bob picked up something from one of the room’s wing-backed chairs. He returned to Taryn holding a stuffed neon orange elephant.
    “This was his,” he explained thinly, handing the stuffed animal to her. “Our daughter gave it to us. It’s one of the few things that made it out of the fire.”
    Taryn balanced on the edge of their bed and studied the picture while holding the elephant in her lap. Timmy had been an elfin child with a sweet smile, slight build, and prominent ears. In the picture he leaned against a tree with a puppy at his feet.
    “What happened?”
    “His parents were out for the night and had hired a babysitter,” Charlene said when it became clear that Bob wasn’t going to answer. “It was cold and his room was drafty. The sitter put a space heater at the foot of his bed. He must have kicked off the covers in the middle of the night. A blanket landed on the heater, and it caught fire.”
    “I keep seeing him trying to get out the door,” Bob mumbled, his eyes filling with tears. It had swollen shut so it would’ve been impossible to open it. “I see him crying and pulling at the knob.”
    “It keeps him up at night,” Charlene added. Her own eyes were reddening as well. “He has trouble sleeping.”
    “What did the investigator say?” Taryn asked. “Was there any way to determined how he died? Where his body was, maybe?” Taryn felt horrible for asking the questions but the more she knew the more it might help.
    Bob shook his head. “Our daughter didn’t want to know the details. She was distraught. Her breakdown was so great that she had to be heavily medicated to attend the funeral. We don’t want to ask her any questions. She’s doing better now.”
    Taryn nodded. She understood. She hadn’t wanted to know the details of Andrew’s car wreck either but often wondered how long he’d suffered. She’d nearly driven herself insane imagining him lying on the side of the road, bleeding to death or even burning to death, while he waited for help. She’d never asked because she was afraid of the answers. It was enough to drive a person crazy.
    Gesturing for the couple to have a seat on the chairs, Taryn stood up and placed the elephant on the bed. She propped the picture up beside him. Taryn sat down on the floor and made herself as comfortable as possible.
    After turning Miss Dixie “on” Taryn closed her eyes and tried to focus on Timmy. It wasn’t easy for Taryn to clear her mind, thanks to all the rubbish that danced around in her head at all times, but she imagined a blank screen and worked from there. Little by little she brought Timmy’s face onto the screen. She focused on his sweet smile, his little hands, and his pointy ears. She saw him holding the elephant in his arms, his body tucked into the blankets.
    Soon, the air around her began to change. It was a slight difference at first, just a small rise in temperature. Little beads of sweat began forming on her forehead, a warm flush spread throughout her body. It warmed the tips of her fingers, the ends of her toes, and filled her stomach like hot apple cider. Then the air was heavier, more concentrated around her. She found herself struggling to catch her breath, as though something heavy was sitting on her chest.
    When she found herself beginning to panic Taryn opened her eyes, lifted Miss Dixie, and snapped a picture of the bed. One, two, three times she snapped. Something then, instinct maybe, had her turning to Bob and Charlene. Pointing the camera at them, she took one last shot before the air exploded from her chest and sent her reeling backward in a coughing fit.
    “Are you okay?” Charlene cried, rushing to her side.
    Taryn felt like her whole body was on fire. The fever coursing through her was still strong, her heart still racing.  Slowly, as Charlene stroked her back, coolness washed over her. Her heavy breathing subsided and she was left lying on the floor, shivering like a