“Or dead,” Mary Lou mumbled.
“Don’t say that!” Rita admonished loud enough to startle the girls. Both began to cry and reached for each other. When their tiny hands connected, they quieted immediately.
Rita brushed her hands down each of their cheeks. “Sorry, sweet angels. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” When she made faces at them, Faith and Hope smiled.
“Look,” Mary Lou said.
Rita stared at the television again and witnessed the young men running and calling Kellie’s name. She wondered why Lance was there but decided to keep her thoughts to herself. It appeared Mary Lou was stressing more with each passing minute. Rita pulled her cell from her pocket.
“I’ll call Mike. He’s there at the city square. Maybe he knows more.” She dialed and prayed he’d answer.
“Hey, Rita,” she heard Mike’s voice.
“Mike,” she whispered. “Please tell me Kellie’s okay. I’m worried sick, and Andrea’s mom is freaking out. She thinks Kellie’s dead.”
Rita listened.
“All right, Mike. I can do that. You always say ‘brave’ is my middle name. Married to you for all these years, it has to be. I love you, and I’m praying for Kellie. Please stay in touch. I will.” She disconnected the call.
“What did he say?” Gina asked cuddling Ethan close to her.
“Not much. Just we should watch the kids and stay strong. Kellie is battling the spirit, but she has help, and things are going to be fine.” Rita smiled holding back the tears she wanted to shed.
“Who’s helping her,” Mary Lou finally spoke again.
“I don’t know,” Rita answered hoping Mary Lou would calm down and not upset Nathaniel. She clutched the boy to her chest mumbling incoherently.
Gina fully aware of Mary Lou’s panic stood and said, “Maybe Nathaniel would like a cookie and some milk. Taylor has a highchair he can use.”
Mary Lou nodded and followed Gina into the kitchen.
Rita keeping her word to Mike texted him an update.
All’s quiet for now.
~ * ~
Kellie’s head spun inside the darkened mist, but she danced this dance before with Luther in the basement of the monastery. This time, she didn’t fight it. She moved with the flow of the mist and waited for Thomas to stop playing his little game. Kellie knew he expected her to lose strength fighting. Thomas was mistaken, and he would soon learn that fact.
The black mist stopped swirling around her, and Kellie found her feet on a solid surface. She looked around and saw Thomas standing nearly ten feet away. She could also see the city of Malone Springs spread out behind him. Quickly surveying the area, she realized they were on the roof of the library.
“The library,” Kellie said as she walked to the edge of the roof and glanced down at the town square. “Do you like to read?”
Thomas laughed. “Yes, I do in fact, but that’s not why we’re here. Your reporter friend can see us up here, and everyone will know how and when I kill you.”
“She’s not my friend,” Kellie answered as she strolled casually across the roof.
“What are you doing?” snapped Thomas.
“Sightseeing. I love my town. It’s pretty from up here. Too bad you won’t be here long enough to enjoy it.” She turned to face him.
“You think I won’t be here long? I intend to be here forever. After you’re dead, Red will be mine, and then I think I’ll travel. The manor house is home no longer. I must find a new one.”
“I have one in mind. It’s called hell. You’ll like it. There are lots of evil people just like you there. Honestly, I think you’ll be one of the lightweights there. Probably get stuck in some small corner alone. Certainly no redheads for you. You’re small potatoes in the eternity that’s hell.” She turned in time to see him take a step toward her. Kellie stood her ground.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of or what I can do. I have no intention of going to hell now or ever. This world is my playground. I do as I please,” he growled. A bolt of lightning and crashing thunder followed his statement.
“I see you can cause thunder and lightning. Impressive.” She laughed. “However, when it comes to women you’re impotent which is why you need to kidnap them. A woman wouldn’t go with you willingly. Not back when you were alive or now. Have you looked at yourself? No wonder you need to possess a body. Even when you find a strong young body like Travis’, you still had to kidnap Molly. I bet she hated you.” Kellie kicked at a loose piece of roofing with the toe of her shoe and glanced at Thomas.
His angry face turned a dark purple. A large gash across the skin left on his forehead sagged. His words filled with venom spilled out.
“I am going to take my time with you. The townsfolk will hear your screams and see your blood flow. They will be unable to help you. The memory of your death will stay with them forever. The annoying woman asking questions is sure to have her friend take many pictures. Your dead body, what’s left of it, will be famous.” He moved in a circle around Kellie.
She watched him and answered. “I doubt that will happen. I have no intention of dying up here today. There is a much greater probability that you’ll cease to exist today. Will you take all your secrets to hell with you?”
“Secrets? What secrets?”
Kellie knew keeping Thomas angry would weaken him. Did she dare push him as far as she wanted? She said a small prayer that it wouldn’t backfire.
“The secret that turned you into a cruel killer. You weren’t born this way? What happened to you?” She glanced over the roof edge again and saw the reporter and cameraperson still watching and filming. She waved at them.
Thomas growled again.
“That’s not much of an answer.”
“Nothing happened to me. I love women, and I love to watch their lives wither in my hands. It’s that simple.”
“I doubt that,” Kellie commented. “Did something happen to you as a child? Did you have a cruel upbringing? Did your mother beat you or ignore you? Or maybe it was your father?”
“My mother was the salt of the earth,” Thomas screamed. “She did everything for me. She worked so hard, but that woman she worked for was too demanding.”
“Really, how so?” Kellie thought she’d unbury his weakness, and that might help.
“I was twelve when my father died of fever. My mother was forced to work for a wealthy woman in town. She made mother work longer and longer hours. Mother would walk home late at night exhausted. One night, a man robbed her and killed her. It wouldn’t have happened if mother didn’t have to walk home alone so late. I hated the woman she worked for. She caused her death. The man got away, but I knew the woman she worked for.” Thomas grinned as if the memory both haunted and pleased him.
“Uh huh,” Kellie said. “So I take it you went to see the woman and cried for your mother. Did she offer you a job? Is that why you were at the Gotz Manor House when it was built?” Kellie hoped she had pushed enough of his buttons.
“Oh yes, I went to see her. I crept in late at night. I gagged her, and when they discovered her body in the morning, it was in several pieces. Unfortunately, I had to be quick. After that, I ran away, but I learned over time to seek revenge against other women and go slowly, much more slowly.” His smile made Kellie’s skin crawl.
For a moment, Kellie felt for the young boy Thomas once was and the loss he suffered. She understood the pain of losing both parents, but she didn’t become a raving lunatic. Her heart went out to Molly and all the other young women who crossed Thomas’ path over the years. She shuddered when she remembered Taylor was nearly one of those victims. She had to stop him. As much as she hated the idea, his loss could be used against him to weaken him. Everyone, including spirits, have an Achilles’ heel. She just found Thomas’. She strode over to an air-conditioner unit and sat on the edge.
“So,” Kellie began. “Let me understand this. Your father died, and that made you the man of the house, of course.”
&n
bsp; “Yes, it did. I had three younger sisters to watch over while mother worked. We were a happy family.”
“Until your mother died, right?” Kellie crossed her right ankle over her left and leaned back slightly.
“Yes,” Thomas’ voice raised. “What does that have to do with anything? No matter how long we talk, I’m still going to kill you.”
“You can try.” Kellie smiled. “I just find your reasoning for killing women curious.”
“I kill them because I enjoy the power of having their lives in my hands. Women are soft and gentle creatures. I’m always kind and love them first. Once they’ve known my love they must die. It’s part of the game. They’d never be happy in their lives without me.”
Kellie shuddered and swallowed the bile she felt rise in her throat. Thomas was even more diabolical than she realized. He believed he was doing a good thing.
“Uh huh, but what about your poor mother. Was she part of the game?”
“No,” Thomas screamed. “She was murdered. I told you. Her employer forced her to work late.”
Kellie watched as Thomas’ spirit flew around the edges of the rooftop making a spectacle that she was sure the TV crew was capturing.
“You said that, but I think you’re killing women not only to get back at the woman you blame for your mother’s death but to gain back the power you lost when you were twelve. With those innocent women, you can feel like the man you couldn’t be at twelve. I doubt you were ever the man of the house.”
“I said I was. The house was my responsibility,” Thomas screamed. “My mother depended on me to care for my sisters.”
Here goes, Kellie thought. This might push him completely over the edge and give me the opening I need.
“I’m beginning to see what happened. You were a man.”
Thomas smiled at Kellie. The smile made her skin crawl, but her words were working. His guard was down a bit.
She swallowed and continued, “However, not man enough. You didn’t save your mother. You didn’t walk her home that night. You let her out alone where danger lurked. She died and then you killed the woman that employed her and ran away. Not only are you responsible for your mother’s death, but you also abandoned your sisters. Who knows what happened to those innocent girls when you left them alone. My heart breaks for them. How could you do that and call yourself a man?”
She stood and faced him.
The sky turned darker than any summer storm Kellie ever witnessed and lightening flashed constantly.
“Lovely,” Kellie called out over the thunder. “At least, you’re still able to make a storm. I guess you’re not entirely worthless.”
She was ready when he sprang at her.
He grabbed her wrist, and she pushed back with the light emanating from her free hand. He stumbled back but held onto her wrist. The black tendril returned snaking toward Thomas’ leg. He spotted it as soon as Kellie did and once again pressed it down with his foot.
Thomas grinned at Kellie. His skin no longer formed a perfect smile. The left side of his face hung loose. Kellie remembered her grandfather’s spirit appearing the same way shortly before he was eliminated. Thomas was losing power. His concentration was on Kellie. This time, he didn’t notice the second black tendril snaking toward him. It was three times the size of the first and pulsated with a red glow.
Kellie stared back at him. “You’re going to hell. You can’t win. Just give up. You’ll be happier.”
Thomas tightened his grip and did his best to pull Kellie closer. She didn’t move. Kellie felt as if her feet were planted deep in the spot on the roof. Thomas tugged again and scowled. His scowl grew as the large black tendril snaked around his right leg.
The camera crew filming next to the fountain caught his screech on their recording equipment and shot the wall of flames that appeared behind Thomas.
The tendril pulled Thomas toward the fire, but his grip on Kellie was strong. Her body didn’t move, and Thomas hung between this world and hell.
“If I go, you go with me,” he sneered.
“Never,” she shook her head. “Hell is where you belong. It’s been waiting for you. I’m not sure how you managed to avoid it for this long. I’m pleased to be the one who can help you get there.”
With a loud grunt, Thomas pulled his leg forward and loosened the tendril throwing his body into Kellie’s. They both hit the roof. He stood pulling her with him and spun away from the wall of fire and the approaching black tendrils. There were, at least, a dozen now snaking toward him.
Kellie fought her way to her feet and pushed her palm tightly against Thomas’ chest. Her white light flooded the space between them allowing her to step away. The wall of fire crept closer. Another tendril clapped tightly against Thomas’ leg. He screamed and lurched forward again.
As Kellie tried to duck and move away from his grasp, his fingers reached for her hair, and he yanked her back with the fistful of hair he managed to snag. His grip tightened, and Kellie did her best to fight the pain and loosen his fingers.
Drawing on all her strength, she pulled her head away as best as she could and let the white light from both palms push him back closer to the fires of hell.
Thomas yanked again drawing Kellie closer to him.
“You’re mine now,” he whispered oblivious of the black tendrils and fire drawing closer.
“Enjoy hell,” Kellie whispered back.
“No, not now, not ever,” he hissed and loosened his grip on her hair. He flew to the opposite side of the roof.
The flames licked higher and inched toward Kellie. She didn’t feel the heat. She smiled at Thomas again unnerving him. He spat on the ground and thunder rolled across the area again.
“My, my,” Kellie said. “Are you still throwing tantrums? You never did grow up. Are you stuck in your twelve-year-old mind? Poor cowardly Thomas stuck with no way out. Whatever will you do? I know the paper will run a detailed story about how you let your mother die. I can’t wait to give them the details.”
Ignoring the growing flames and multiplying tendrils, Thomas flew at Kellie. His eyes red as the fires of hell behind her; he grabbed at her again. She lifted her palms, and white light encircled him. She pulled him closer smiling the entire time.
“You’re headed for hell.”
“Not without you,” he screamed at her. “If you push me in, I take you with me.”
Thomas began to spin again drawing leaves and dust from the rooftop into the dark vortex. His screech carried across the roof and down to the bystanders and police gathered at the fountain.
Chapter Seven
Claudia’s car sped to the city square and stopped a short distance from Lance. She jumped from the car and ran to his side. “She’ll need you. Get to the roof.”
Mike overhearing her comment grabbed Lance by the collar of his shirt and grumbled, “You aren’t going anywhere without me. Move.” He shoved Lance toward the library steps.
“Yes, sir,” Lance answered and ran toward the steps.
Andrea looked at Taylor. “They’re heading into the library. I bet they’re going to try and get onto the roof. We need to help Kellie.”
Taylor looked up at the roof again seeing the vortex growing darker as it moved across the roof. She ran toward the parking lot yelling, “There’s a fire escape on the back of the building. We need to use it.” She was half-way up the first set of metal stairs by the time the rest of her friends caught up with her.
When Taylor reached the roof, she held out her hand to stop her friends. She turned and looked into Hunter’s eyes. “I love you and Ethan, but I love Kellie, too. We’re closer than family. You know that.”
Hunter’s eyes filled with fear as he wondered what his wife might do. “I know, honey, but don’t do anything stupid. We love and need you.”
She nodded. “I never do anything stupid. I do what I need to do.” She blew him a kiss and tossed him the amulet from around her neck.
“No,” Hunter yelled, but Taylor was
already on the roof calling out to Thomas.
“Let Kellie go,” Taylor called. “It’s me you want. You know that.”
Thomas did his best to wriggle his way out of the hold of Kellie’s white light. It held him fast. He pushed his way across the roof dragging Kellie with him. His eyes were set on Taylor.
“Red. I knew you would come. I missed you and our unfinished playtime. As soon as I kill this blonde witch, you and I will play.” Thunder rumbled mixed with Thomas’ diabolical laughter.
Kellie used the momentary distraction to push Thomas backward toward the fire, and the tendrils began to snake around his legs again. He pulled Kellie closer laughing as she tried to break free.
“If I go, we both go. You better back up before it’s too late.” His hot breath sickened her stomach.
She nodded and took a step back without loosening her grip on him.
“Better,” he sneered. Once again he shook the tendrils loose from his legs and reached for Kellie’s hair. She ducked, and he swore.
His gaze swept back to Taylor. “Red you are more beautiful than I remember. What fun we’ll have.”
She watched Taylor shudder and raised her voice. “You will never have her. You’re going to hell. She pushed him back again, but he didn’t move. Taylor threw herself forward and grabbed Kellie’s arm. Kellie felt a surge of strength and pushed him again. This time, he lost his balance and stumbled back two steps, but not close enough to the gateway.
“Again,” Kellie whispered to Taylor, and she pushed Thomas. Thomas reached for Kellie but moved to the side and grabbed hold of Taylor’s jacket.
Taylor screamed and tried to pull away.
“Once more and we have him,” Kellie said.
Just as she raised her hands to give Thomas the final push into the gateway, Hunter reached for Taylor and ripped her away from Kellie. Immediately, Thomas sprang forward toward Kellie and knocked her to the ground.
“What have you done?” Taylor yelled at Hunter. She fought him as he slipped the amulet around her neck again and then held her tightly against him. She managed to loosen his grip and hit his chest with her fist. “We almost had him. What have you done? Look, he’s got her on the ground. He’ll kill her, and it’s your fault.” She fought to get away, but Hunter held her tightly.
Sinister Awakenings Page 6
