"He died last week. Why don't the lights work?"

Hellen went room to room looking for the deed. Her allergies punished her for rifling through the drawers & cabinets. In the back bedroom, she noticed a box in the corner.

Hellen held her breath and upended it. Underneath the old photos, clothes, and newspapers, was the document. One by one she slipped the pictures inside an envelope then headed outside.

Satisfied, she took a deep breath, but an ill-at-ease feeling crept over her. The crisp November air became stagnant and there were no signs of life. Hellen rushed into her car, turned the key, but the engine stalled. Sunset was four o'clock and it was 3:33 pm. She called her husband.

"Hon, the car won't start again. I'm at Leroy's. Call me."

Now she had two options: wait in the house or in the car. In the rearview mirror, a figure materialized in front of her. Hellen tried starting the car, but the passenger door opened. A force pushed her out of the car and onto the cold ground.

A dark faceless figure towered over her. Before she got to her feet, she was lifted off the ground. Something tightened around her neck.

"No Cousin Leroy! Please..." She kicked the air as the pressure increased.

***

John was about to shake her awake, but she shot up. "Easy easy, it's okay."

"What?"

"You left the engine running and fell asleep."

Hellen opened the envelope on the nightstand and rummaged through the photographs. John's voice faded into the background as she read the names on the back. A brown-skinned woman beamed as she held a boy in her arms. Her darker-skinned husband had an older boy in front of him. Those people were her grandmother's parents, The family secret became clear, her grandmother wasn't his child. Leroy bore an uncanny resemblance to the males, but her grandmother didn't. She had ruddy skin and red hair.

"The man in the picture tried to kill me. Don't ask me how I know this."

"Then we're not going back to the house. Your nurses told me that your family's curse started when, the man in the picture, Avery Brown, was lynched over a white lady. Within a year, everyone responsible for his death or came onto his land died."

"Oh Leroy"

"You gotta put Avery to rest before something else happens to you. Talk to his picture and urge him to move on."

She held the photo up. "I mean you no malice or disrespect. I'm sorry about what happened to you. Please know that your family survived and your boys are now grandparents. Avery, your business in this world is done."

"Maybe we should run by a reverend to be safe." John opined.

"I'm giving Tim and Myra the deed. The spirits will be more hospitable with them. We all were going to split the money anyway."

***

ONE MONTH LATER

"Hellen, the township is buying the house!" Myra's voicemail exclaimed. "Call me!"