by Mary Abshire
Dani shifted the strap of the recorder over her arm. "She's right. Let's see if we can get some footage."
Dani led the way down the hall. I followed Lester. Jeremy stayed close at my side. The electric charge in the air was strong, making my skin itch and my tiny hairs twitch. Thank God my physical strength outmatched a ghost's. Otherwise, I would be in deep shit.
Sunlight poured in, illuminating the entire kitchen. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the increased light. The room was under heavy renovation. The counter and cabinetry was in place, but the sink and cabinet doors were missing. Patches of white covered most of two walls, and insulation peeked through a clear plastic sheet on a third. The door to the basement was easy to find, given it was the only door on the right.
Dani flipped the light switch after she opened the door. Cool air whooshed up the stairs, ruffling strands of her blonde hair.
Lester stepped past her. "I'll go first."
"By all means," Dani said.
The descent was steep and long with boards moaning under each of our steps. I held my hand above the wood railing in case one of the steps busted through. It had happened to me before in a home a few months back. The stench of mildew was strong, along with scent of a citrus air-freshener. Though I liked the smell of citrus, the room reeked of it. My eyes stung slightly.
"It fucking stinks down here," Lester said, and I chuckled.
At least it didn't smell of rot or death.
We gathered near the bottom of the stairs. Dani found a switch on the wall. A dark hall was on the right of the staircase. On the left side, the basement resembled an entertainment room. A bar was set up in the corner. Two sofas and several chairs, none of which matched, occupied most of the space with two oval glass tables in the center. A few lamps rested on the tables in between the chairs.
Lester strode to the sofa near the bar, then took a seat. He spread his arms out over the back. "This is nice." He grinned as he nodded.
"Don't get too cozy." Dani slid the recorder strap off her arm. She flipped the tiny screen out and powered on the device.
I passed by her, then stopped in the middle of the room. Energy sparked. The tiny hairs on my arms danced and my skin itched as if tiny bugs were crawling over every inch. I rubbed over my flesh, trying to relieve the eerie sensation. At the same time, I inhaled a strong foul odor reminiscent to a skunk. I wrinkled my nose.
Jeremy came around my left. He eyed me with his brows tight. "Something wrong?"
"Do you smell a skunk or feel any extra energy in the room?"
He shook his head.
I inhaled a deep breath and wanted to gag. The spook was near, or my body wouldn't be acting so strange.
"Do you feel anything, Jessie?" Dani asked.
Jeremy and I turned to look at her. She stood near the stairs with the recorder aimed toward me. The green light shined on the front.
"Something is definitely here," I said.
"Uh…ladies," Lester said. "Can you see this?" He pointed.
Jeremy and I twisted around. A tall man with dark slacks and a white shirt stood near one of the chairs. He appeared normal with a light shimmer around him. His dark eyes stared at me. He held what appeared to be a small statue.
"Do you see anything?" Jeremy asked.
"It's a man." Just like I thought it would be.
"I don't see him, but I see the object hovering in the air," Jeremy said.
"Me too," Dani said excitedly.
The ghost flashed a malicious grin, then threw the object at me.
"Duck!" I grabbed Jeremy's arm and pulled him down.
The object flew over our heads. It crashed on the floor, splitting into several pieces.
"Shit!" Anger began to boil in my veins. Never before had a ghost thrown something at me. How dare he!
Jeremy and I rose slowly.
"Look by the bar!" Dani hollered.
I twisted around and couldn't believe my eyes. A thin woman in a yellow gown with long dark hair stood near the counter. She was holding a glass above her head.
"Holy shit!" I said. "There's another spirit here, and it's a woman."
Chapter Four
My pulse raced like a speeding train as I bounced my gaze from one ghost then to the other. I'd never seen two spooks haunting one place together. How on earth was I going to capture them both?
The woman held the glass steady in her hand. I watched her more than the other spook, waiting for her move. She was close enough to hit me with the glass if she had good aim. I didn't want to risk that she didn't.
"What do you see?" Jeremy asked, standing behind me. His hands were on my hips.
"We have—"
Before I could finish, she threw the glass at me. I shot to the side, out of the way. The glass missed me, but hit Jeremy's arm.
"Fuck!" He stepped back, gripping his arm.
"Sorry! Sorry!" Guess I could've warned him.
The man approached me. I glanced at the woman. She'd started walking toward me too. My heart thudded. I didn't know which one to fight first. Sure, I was stronger than any spirit, any one spirit. Would my strength withhold two? Fear jabbed at my gut. These weren't ordinary ghosts. The fact they threw objects suggested their energy was stronger. My battle would not be easy.
"What the fuck is going on?" Lester asked.
"Tell us what you see, Jessie," Jeremy said. Anxiety laced his tone.
"They're coming." I wrinkled my nose. The stench of skunk overwhelmed me.
The man walked with an arrogant swagger and wore a devilish grin. Anticipation rushed through me like a toxic drug, fueling my fast beating heart. I stared at him, wondering what he planned on doing.
He swung at me and I ducked. Before I was fully upright, I thrust my hands into his chest and shoved him back. He tripped over his feet, passed through a table, and crashed onto the floor.
I turned and faced the woman. Her fist flew toward me. I swerved, avoiding it. Hand clenched tight, I threw a punch. I hit her in the mouth and she backpedaled.
"Bitch!" she spat.
I took a step back, wanting to keep both of them in sight. The man rose, his ghostly image passing through a solid glass table. Fire flamed in his eyes. He snarled as he raced toward me.
I waited until he was practically on me before I jumped aside, then swung my leg in front of his. He tripped and fell toward the woman. She caught him before his knees touched the ground.
I glanced at Lester and Jeremy, standing side by side. Lester stood with his mouth agape and eyes ready to pop out of their sockets. Jeremy stared, his face blank. He'd never watched me fight spirits until now. This had to be quite a show for him.
"Need help?" Jeremy asked.
I chuckled. How could he help me? He couldn't even see the two spooks. I held my palm up to him, warning him to stay back.
The male ghost came at me again, slower this time. "You're a playful one." His devious smile spelled trouble with a capital T.
"Look, this is really pointless. You can't win."
The woman stepped to his side. Her malicious eyes glared at me. "You can't beat two of us."
A quiver of doubt fluttered through me. What if she was right? No. I couldn't believe it. I wouldn't.
For each step toward me, I stepped back as many. Thoughts rushed through my mind, thinking of ways to beat the spirits. If Jeremy could hold one of them for me, then I could send the other to Hell. But two problems existed with my brilliant plan. First, he couldn't see them unless I touched them. Second, I had no way of knowing if he could even restrain one.
Before I could decide how to handle the duo, the back of my foot collided with one of the glass tables. I stopped and they raced toward me. The woman grabbed my left arm and the man took my right one.
"I say we see how far we can stretch her." The woman sneered as she tugged.
I jerked my arm out of her grasp. She was strong for a spook, but she was weak compared to my physical strength.
"I'd love to see if we
can pull her apart," the man replied. He yanked on my arm and a twinge of pain blossomed in my shoulder.
The woman grabbed hold of me again and tugged. I turned, glaring at her, and noticed Jeremy closing in quickly behind her. He shoved the side of the woman's shoulders. With a loud gasp, she let go of my arm, stumbled, then crashed to the floor.
"Shit!" His eyes scanned the area. "I can't see her. Where did she go?"
"You bitch!" the man yelled.
"You know, I've had enough of you and your stench," I said.
I yanked my arm free, then grabbed his head in my hands. My body temperature rose fast. Energy within me flamed hotter than a massive bonfire. Hell called for him.
"What are you doing?" The man gripped my wrists and pulled on them, trying to free himself.
"Sending your stinky ass to Hell," I said.
Energy boiled inside of me and I opened my mouth. Before I could inhale, the woman seized my hair. She wrenched my head back and I almost let go of the spook in my grasp. Damn, the bitch had strength.
"Let him go!" she snarled in a deep, angry tone.
Her strong hold on my locks kept me from sucking in the man's soul. Digging my nails into his scalp, I maintained a firm clasp on him.
The woman tugged harder on my hair, and for a moment, I thought she might pull out handfuls of it. Growing angrier by the millisecond, I leaned my body against her and pushed while I squeezed the man's head in my hands. When I'd backed her up to one of the tables, I shoved all my body weight into her, forcing her off balance. The three of us fell backward, crashing onto the table. Glass snapped and shattered underneath me. I landed on the woman and the man fell on top of me like a heavy sack of potatoes.
Jeremy rushed toward me. "Jessie!"
I was sandwiched between the two spirits. The man's face was buried in my breasts. His putrid smell gagged me, and now that he was on top of me, I would have to scrub my body clean as soon as I got home. On the bright side, I still had him within my grasp.
"Are you all right?" Jeremy appeared at my side. Glass crunched under his shoes.
I took a breath and fought the urge to puke. "I think so."
The woman beneath me moved, but not very well. I had her pinned with my weight, which was good. I needed to keep her down until I sent the man's soul to Hell. And now that I was touching both of them, Jeremy could see and touch them. He could help me get my job done faster.
"Can you hold her arms?" I asked.
He moved behind my head, then kneeled. The woman writhed underneath me. Jeremy squatted above my head. He snatched her forearms and held them. I wanted to shout with joy.
"Just hold her," I said.
"Got it."
She grunted and loudly vocalized her disapproval at the turn of events. Jeremy's strong grip kept her from thrashing around. Wherever Lester and Dani were, I was certain they were watching us with wide eyes.
The man braced his arms and knees near my sides, then lifted his rancid body. His arms and legs were on either side of me. Still holding onto his head, I opened my mouth and inhaled.
His ghostly body shivered under the force of my energy. He tried pulling away, but his efforts amounted to nothing. His head narrowed and stretched as it entered my mouth. I sucked in more of his soul. He couldn't flee from me, so I released my grasp. His head slithered deeper into my mouth, grazing my tongue and gliding down my throat. He tasted so putrid and so horrid my stomach wretched. I fought the urge to vomit. I wouldn't give him the chance to get away.
The force in my gut powered me, fueled…empowered me. I gathered his soul and the visible traces of it started to diminish. He continued to resist. He twisted the half of his body that remained in the earthly realm. I silently laughed at his pointless fight. Within seconds, his ghostly image disappeared and his remnants slid down my throat.
"No!" The woman shouted. "Bring him back. Bring him back or I will kill you!"
She wiggled and bucked fiercely. My body slid off hers and to the side. With little time to spare, I crawled on top of her and then sat.
Jeremy's lips were pressed together and his face was tight with tension. He held her swaying arms from getting close to me. "I think she's ready for you."
"You bitch! I'm going to rip your insides out!" Her irritating voice drove my temperature sky high. The inferno within me raged. Anger boiled in my blood. I couldn't resist releasing some of my built up rage, so I punched her twice in the face. To my satisfaction, she shut up.
"Good job," Jeremy said with a wicked smile.
I took hold of her wrists. She jerked her arms to free herself and quickly learned my strength overpowered hers. She started to whine. Jeremy rose and stepped away.
"You can't get away from me," I said, knowing I beheld a devilish grin.
"Go to hell!"
"Actually, that's where you're going."
The power stirring within the pit of my stomach burst with new strength. Hell wanted her and I was more than ready to deliver. I opened my mouth and inhaled.
Her eyes grew wide and she screamed. Wriggling and squirming, she attempted to resist Hell's calling. The inferno within me grew stronger. First, her head squeezed into my mouth, cutting off her voice. Her sour and rancid taste revolted me. Nausea crept into my thoughts, but I focused on sending the bitch where she belonged. Once her shoulders drifted into my mouth, I let go of her wrists and braced my hands on the floor, careful not to cut myself on the glass. She continued her ascension and nudged my insides. As I breathed in, the fire within me flared, surging through my veins and strengthening me. My call for her soul intensified, speeding up her trip to her final destination. When the last bit of her grazed over my tongue, I closed my mouth and swallowed.
For a moment, I stayed still, on my hands and knees. The urge to spew poked at me. Jabs deep within my body felt like sharp punches to my insides. My stomach heaved and I bit down on my tongue.
"Jessie?" Jeremy asked in a concerned voice.
He moved to my side and grabbed hold of my arm. Slowly and carefully, I rose with his help. Small bits of glass fell from my legs. Amazingly, I only had a few minor cuts. Another spasm hit my stomach. I slapped a hand over my mouth, pinching my nose before I bent over.
"That was so…awesome," Dani said.
I lifted my head and turned to Lester and Dani, standing near each other. Lester's face was whiter than the walls on the main floor. He appeared in worse shape than I was.
Dani held the recorder pointed at me. The green light under the lens glowed. Anger ignited within me along with a touch of fear.
"Turn that fucking thing off," I yelled at her in my constricted voice.
She quickly turned the camera away from me. We'd discussed filming when we were in the car and agreed it would be bad. So why was she recording me? I hoped for both our sakes she hadn't had the camera on me the entire time.
Another blow to the inside of my gut forced a loud grunt out of my mouth.
"Jessie!" Jeremy said.
I let go of my nose. "The bitch is still fighting."
"What can I do?" he asked.
I pondered over the question as I stepped away from the glass. Since I couldn't hold my breath, and Jeremy wouldn't want to cut off my oxygen supply, the best way to stop her was to fight back. I found a space along the wall and leaned my back against it. Pain jabbed at the inside of my stomach and I winced.
"Tell me what can I do to help," Jeremy said.
"Punch me. In the stomach."
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Don't fucking question me," I barked. "Just do it."
He obeyed with a fast and hard blow to my belly. A whoosh of air expelled from me, and I bent forward toward his body. He'd reacted faster than I had thought he would, but at least he followed my instructions.
"Damn it!" He gripped my shoulders and lifted me upright. "I don't want to do this."
Well, I didn't want it either, but the punch on the outside didn't hurt nearly as bad as the one inside. On a s
econd note, I wondered why he didn't want to hit me now versus when we were play fighting at the karate school.
"What are you doing?" Dani asked, panicky.
I took in a slow breath. "It's okay."
At least it was until another wallop pained me. Gritting my teeth, I rested my forehead on Jeremy's chest and moaned. Burning fluid rose in my throat and I quickly swallowed it. Re-swallowing vomit didn't sit well with my stomach and it retched in response.
"Hit me again," I said, my voice muffled by his shirt.
He lifted my shoulders and gazed into my eyes. "Jessie—"
"Please." I took a few short breaths. The pain persisted in my gut. "Just do it."
He braced one hand on my shoulder and thrust his fist into my stomach. The hard impact forced a rough cough from me and made my knees weak. They shook a little.
"Are you crazy?" Dani yelled at Jeremy.
He shot her a fierce glare. "She needs this to keep them from coming out."
Dani took a step back. Her nervous gaze darted from me to Jeremy. Overwhelmed with the combination of internal and external agony, I blinked and nodded, hoping she would understand my signal.
For a several minutes, Jeremy held me in his arms with my face smothered against his chest and my hands clenching his shirt. He glided his fingers over my back in small circles. Warm energy flowed from him into me, soothing and easing the soreness. I focused on his consoling touch rather than the ache in my gut. The agony lessened. When it seemed the pain had reached an end, I slowly straightened.
"Better?" he asked.
"I think so." I released my grasp of his shirt and noticed a damp mark. My body was drenched with sweat and my clothes clung to me. I needed a shower.
A loud thud of a body hitting the ground snatched our attention.
"Oh my God!" Dani gasped, covering her mouth.
Lester lay on the ground, his eyes dilated.
"Damn," I said in a low voice. Maybe I should have told him about my ability before sucking down two evil souls.
Chapter Five
Dani kneeled over Lester's motionless body and tapped the sides of his ashen face. She removed his glasses, then set them aside. "Wake up, big guy." When he didn't respond, she slapped his cheek harder.
