13 Tales of the Paranormal

by Susan Harris

  John took a deep bow while saying “Of course, your majesty!”

  Anney bit hard on the inside of her cheek to stifle a laugh and walked past John with her back straight, trying to look regal. She turned back around to announce that they would be leaving in ten minutes for the royal library.

  Ten minutes later, the three of them were in Adrian's truck, John and Adrian put on their seat belts, but Anney refused to; she had no patience for those things.

  She settled back into the seat, finding it impossible to sit still. She sat back up again and propped her head on the dash. She always got excited when she was going to library, despite the number of visits she actually had made. Each time it felt like her first. If there was one thing Anney loved, it was books. She took comfort in the fact that books would always be there for her, and they wouldn’t leave her. She never had much luck with friends, boyfriends or really interacting with people at all.

  She never used to be like that; it all happened the day her powers started to show.

  It was the first day of kindergarten, and it was playtime and a girl came up to her and asked if she wanted to play dolls with her. Smiling, she agreed, so happy that she had made her first friend. Little did Anney know she was playing with a girl that only she could see, laughing with someone who wasn’t there. The other children made fun of her, shunning her whenever she tried to talk to them. Anney came home that day crying, swearing to her mother that she was never going back to school because they all hated her.

  Years passed and everyone slowly forgot about it, but Anney didn’t. She kept to herself after that, never daring to speak to anyone after that day for fear of triggering the memory of her sitting on the floor, giggling at unheard jokes. Her eyes suddenly became wet at the sheer memory of all those years alone.

  The car started to slow as they came up to the parking lot. Once Adrian made a complete stop, Anney flung herself out of the door. “Anney! Jesus, calm down, the library isn’t going anywhere!” Adrian yelled as she slammed the door to the truck.

  Turning around, she stuck her tongue out, “You never know with these budget cuts!” she retorted.

  John got out of the back and climbed into the front, giving her a wave and a warm smile, “See you soon, Anney!” he called to her. She put up her hand in a little wave, her heart beating wildly against her chest.

  As Adrian pulled away he yelled out “I’ll pick you up in three hours! Love you!” and hung out his arm to give her a wave.

  She waved back at her best and only friend, and with a warm heart, she smiled and ducked into her town’s library. She was greeted by the librarian the moment she walked in, “Anney Pierce, you here again?”

  Anney grinned as she spoke, “Sure am, Mrs. Riley.”

  They exchanged a few more pleasantries before Anney walked off toward the towers of books. As she walked up and down the dozens of shelves filled with books, she gently brushed her fingertips along the spines, feeling the worn leather and breathing in the calming scent of vintage paper. A cold wind blew through the aisle, gone just as quickly as it came, but still making Anney stop dead in her tracks as a familiar feeling overcame her. The tingling at the back of her neck, the heaviness on her shoulders as if someone had just placed weights on them, and gooseflesh rising on her arms.

  She was being watched.

  As discreetly as she could, she turned around, feigning interest in a book on the shelf she already passed. Even though Anney couldn’t see anyone, that didn’t mean there wasn't someone there. Being a Spirit Caller, she knew better than to be deceived by an empty room.

  The hair on the back of her neck stood up as the air became significantly cooler, her breath coming out as fog. ‘Stay calm’ she told herself, ‘they can’t hurt you.’ Since they are only spirits they can’t touch a Caller, at least this is what her mother told her when she was younger.

  Anney would sit there for hours, pushed up against her mother, staring at the Spectres as they watched her. Some would smile and try to coax her to come closer, and others would not manifest but whisper dark things to her; those she could handle. The ones she hated the most were the spirits that would stand right in front of her and stare at her all night, never moving, never blinking.

  “What do you want?” she whispered into the air. Her question was met by an ice cold finger tracing her jaw, leaving her skin almost blue from the contact. Shaking, she furiously rubbed her flesh forcing warmth back into it. ‘This is impossible’ she thought, ‘they shouldn’t be able to touch me. How? Why?’ her thoughts kept going even as she started walking. An arctic wind blew directly into her face, propelling her light hair off her shoulders, chapping her trembling lips. A menacing chuckle resonated in her eardrums, sending a chill down her spine.

  Almost sprinting, she made her way out of the aisle and headed straight for the doors. All she wanted in that moment was to get out of there.

  Now.

  Before she could reach the doors, an unseen hand grabbed her leg and pulled with all its might, sending Anney flying to the ground. Her head hit the linoleum with a meaty sound, forcing her jaw to snap shut on her tongue; pain exploded on the back of her head and in her mouth, making her cry out. She heard a muffled voice scream her name followed by footsteps running towards her. Anney’s vision swam in and out of focus, making her see things that she knew weren’t there, and some she wished that weren’t.

  A high-pitched giggle rang in her ears, and Anney saw a little girl in a pink dress and white stockings staring at her with cold, dark eyes. “Do you want to play with me?” the girl asked with a malicious tone as she bent down, coming within inches of Anney’s face. Her irises were a dark, filmy gray, like all Spectres. She’d seen that color all her life, but it never failed to send a shiver down her spine.

  She rolled over and pushed herself up, aware of the hands on her arms steadying her. Turning, she saw that it was Mrs. Riley, concern almost leaking out of her warm, brown eyes. “Anney, are you alright? Do you need an ambulance?” She asked, hands worrying around her face. Without answering she pulled away and started stumbling towards the doors, walking through the Spectre that was grinning hungrily at her. She opened the doors with the little strength that she had left and took out her phone, dialing Adrian’s number. He picked up on the first ring, “Anney, what’s wrong?”

  “I need you,” was all she said before she collapsed on the sidewalk.

  ***

  “What do you mean they touched you? Anney that's impossible, you know that,” Adrian reasoned.

  “Adrian, for the last time. It. TOUCHED. Me.” Anney said, striving for patience. They were sitting in their kitchen, and she was holding an ice pack at the back of her skull where it had hit the floor, and Adrian was tediously cleaning the cut she got on her leg when she fell on the sidewalk. “OW! God, Adrian, be gentle with me!” she shrieked as he poked her with the tweezers, drawing a trickle of blood.

  “Shit, I’m sorry!” he dabbed gently at the wound with a peroxide, drenched cloth, “And honestly, Anney, you know as well as I do that Spectres can NOT, I repeat, can NOT touch us.” He set down the tweezers and gave her leg one last rub with the peroxide before bandaging it up, giving it a little kiss like their mom always did, which made Anney smile inwardly.

  “I know how crazy it sounds; I really do, but it touched me.” She shuddered at the memory, “How is this possible, Adrian?” she whispered. Her head darted up as she realized John wasn't there, turning to Adrian she started to ask where John was, but the words caught in her throat as she saw her brother.

  His skin was completely drained of all color, giving it a slightly grayish, sickly hue to it. The subtle lines that were etched on his face were deep and pronounced, aging him significantly. His entire body was tense, the muscles taut and strained underneath the skin. Anney stood up and cautiously asked “Adrian, is everything okay?”

  He took one last look out of the window before he said, “We need to get out of here.” He grabbed her wrist and began p
ulling her towards the door, almost running. Terror flowed through her at Adrian’s actions. If he was afraid of something then...then something must be wrong.

  Adrian heaved the door open, producing a loud crack as it smacked against the stone of their house. Halfway down their yard, Anney caught a flicker of movement to her left. She shot her head to the side, eyes searching. A small figure stood on a hill adjacent to her house. With the sun directly behind them, the person was cast into a shadow; tentatively she asked “Hello?” thinking it was another person who got lost on their morning walk.

  “Anney, hush,” Adrian whispered fiercely into her ear as he started to guide her towards his truck. She resisted, eyes focused on the figure. She knew they couldn't be much older than ten by their height. They didn’t speak, instead, started making their way towards them in short, almost broken steps; it stumbled a few times, allowing Anney to see long hair swinging to the side.

  “Miss, are you alright?” Anney questioned louder, more concerned, ignoring Adrian's hand pulling her back she began to take a step, but stopped as the shadow around the form broke, letting Anney see her.

  Her face was grotesque; the left eye was hanging out by the stem, swinging with each step. Her nose was just a gaping hole, giving Anney a view of the bones and muscles that comprised her face. Her bottom lip was completely ripped off; most of the teeth in her bottom jaw were missing. Her tongue stuck out over the gums, pushing in and out, lapping at the bleeding gums and torn skin where her lip should be.

  Bile rose up in Anney’s throat; turning to the side, she emptied her stomach on the ground beside her. She couldn’t bring herself to look any further than her marred chin, fearing what condition the rest of her body would be in.

  Adrian pulled her to him, wrapping his arms protectively around her as he spoke to the spirit, “What do you want?” His voice held all the power and confidence that Anney was unable to feel. She peeled herself from his hug to stand next to him; she grabbed his hand for comfort, and he squeezed it back reassuringly.

  The spirit stopped when he spoke, her loose eye still swinging, and tongue darting in and out. Swallowing convulsively, Anney fought the urge to vomit again. Adrian repeated his question, only this time louder. His voice echoed off every flat surface within the vicinity. In response, it gave what Anney thought was a smile, but without most of her mouth it looked wrong. A raspy, wet laugh escaped the girl’s throat, spraying blood and broken pieces of teeth down her chin and onto the grass in front of her.

  As Anney was staring at the girl’s face, something about it seemed familiar, the shape of the cheeks, and devilish sparkle in her otherwise dusty, dead eye. A terrible realization dawned on her, making her gasp and squeeze Adrian’s hand harder. She felt his eyes on her; she twisted her head to him and choked out “It’s the Spectre from the library.” She watched as his eyes grew large, then narrow as he turned his gaze back onto the macabre ghost.

  Adrian leaned down toward Anney, and whispered, “Get in the truck and drive to John's house and bring him here.” She looked up into her brother’s eyes, confusion rippling through her.

  “Why would I get John?” she asked, forehead crinkling in bewilderment.

  He shook his head, “Go, Anney. I'll explain everything...later.”

  “No,” she whispered, “I can’t leave you. I won’t.” She gripped his hand tighter, emphasizing her statement. They stood there staring at each other, Adrian pleading her with his eyes, and Anney trying to keep herself from giving in, though she could feel her will melting.

  Frustrated, Anney gave in with a sigh, “Fine. Fine, I’m leaving. If I come back and you’re...not here anymore, I swear to you, Adrian Thomas Pierce, I will bring you back from Purgatory and make you my slave.”

  He gave her a half smile and ruffled her hair. “Hurry, Anney,” he said as he pushed her towards the truck, “the keys are in the middle compartment.”

  Quicker than she had ever moved, Anney made it to the truck, hurtling herself into the driver’s seat. She started the car and burned rubber as she pulled down the driveway. She was pushing 80 mph down the road when it occurred to her that Adrian didn’t promise to be there when she got back, like he always did. Her heart was beating loudly, thrumming against her chest, almost deafening her. Thrusting her foot on the accelerator, she maneuvered through the streets she had driven so many times with a sense of urgency. Never once did her foot leave the gas.

  Anney pounded on John’s door with all her strength, shouting his name. Just as she was about to give up, the door swung open and her fist connected with his chest, sending shocks up her arm that had nothing to do with pain. His dark brown eyes were surprised at first, and then alert and intense as he took in her appearance, from her disheveled hair, to her bandage clad leg. “Anney, what happened to you?”

  “What?” she said, then followed his eyes down to her leg, shrugging it off. “I fell, doesn’t matter. We need your help!”

  “We as in who?” he asked, eyebrows creasing.

  “Me and Adrian. He told me to come and get you.” She watched as his face went from politely concerned to horrified, scared, angry, then back to horrified. Without a word, he closed his door wrapped an arm around her waist, and tugged her towards the truck. His expression grim and determined. Once they were in the truck, Anney threw questions at him left and right, to which he responded to none of them.

  “John, I have a RIGHT to know. Why did Adrian tell me to get you? What do you have to do with all of this? How much do you know?” she persisted, eyes intent on his face. She reached over and placed a hand on his arm, and with that touch, she could see his resolve weakening, “John, PLEASE?” she almost whined.

  “What makes you think I know anything, Anney?” he snapped. Anney drew back from him as if bitten. She gaped at him; John had never raised his voice to her, not even when she broke his bike, or when she shaved off all of his hair. He had more patience with her than anyone she knew, including her parents and Adrian. Hurt, she turned and stared out of her window. She watched as the scenery passed, so quickly it just looked like a blur of green, while blinking back unwanted tears.

  She heard John sigh and felt his warm hand touch the back of her neck, “Anney, I’m sorry. I just-”

  Anney jerked her head away from him and cut off him, “You just WHAT, John? Don’t you even say you thought it was for the best, don’t you DARE. From what I can tell, both you and Adrian have been lying to me about something for GOD knows how long! So what is it, John? I KNOW you know something.” She sent a glare his way before turning back towards the window, noticing they were less than a few hundred feet from her driveway. Opening the door to the truck she jumped out, ignoring John’s enraged cries and the screaming protests of her legs. She sprinted in the direction of her house.

  The air felt heavy with tension as she ran, and the feeling made the back of her neck prickle. Gooseflesh rose on her arms even under the heat of the June sun.

  Just as her foot hit the grass of her yard, a light exploded through the air, knocking the air out of her lungs as she was thrown back. As her vision cleared, she saw two lights, one deep gray and one green, pushing against each other. The power in the air was thick, almost palpable as Anney stood up. Shielding her eyes she ran towards the brilliant lights. Her legs pumped hard against the potency of the atmosphere. Relief swelled up in her so fast that it was almost painful when she saw Adrian, standing with his back to her, the green light shooting out from his hands. Anney realized it was his aura; he was trying to banish the Spectre.

  “Adrian!”Anney screamed as she came up behind him. He gave a quick glance at her and behind him; his eyes were bright, almost feverish. Sweat coated his forehead; his legs were shaking, looking as if they were seconds away from crumbling underneath him.

  His eyebrows drew together as he focused his attention back on whomever he was directing his power at, “Where’s John?” he said through clenched teeth, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “Right
here,” Anney jumped at the sound of John’s voice, she hadn’t even heard him approach. She turned her head to look up at him, only to look away quickly at the glare he was giving her.

  Before Adrian could even react, the gray light got brighter, swallowing some of Adrian’s Aura, pushing him back and sending him to his knees. He let out a grunt, along with a string of profanity that would've made Anney blush in any other situation.

  Adrian looked up at them, and mouthed the word “Help”. His face was gaunt with dark circles under his eyes; his lips dry and cracked. Anney knelt down next to her brother, putting her hand on his arm, feeling his heated and damp skin. Panic set in as she took in his appearance. His ashen skin was becoming paler by the second, sweat poured down him. His muscles were quivering under his flesh; she felt his body shaking violently beneath her hands. He looked as if he was going to collapse or...

  ‘No’ Anney told herself, ‘I won’t let it get that far.’