Haunted Hideout: Paranormal Suspense (The Haunted Ones Book 1)

by Dorey, Michelle

  “Now wait a second, GM, how long have you been living here?”

  “Many years. I moved here when your mother started boarding school.”

  “And so you let these ghosts stay on all that time?” When she nodded, I asked, “Why?”

  “Because they were going to serve a greater purpose by staying than by leaving. I knew I was eventually going to have a successor, and for... well, training purposes, I needed them here.”

  “That’s pretty cold. You’ve kept them prisoner here so you could use them?”

  She looked at me sharply. “I beg your pardon! Not at all! Any of them, all of them could move on the moment they wanted to. I wasn’t holding them against their will at all.” She tapped the tabletop. “And furthermore, remember how I tried to explain to you that time is different for them? In their state, they’ve just been here for a day.” She waved her hand around the room. “Time applies to us, not to spirits.”

  “Still... it rubs me wrong, GM.”

  She reached over and took my hand. “That’s because you’re good and kind, Keira. They’ve been happy to be here, and Molly and Sam were both happy to leave.”

  I mulled it over; she had a point, I guess. I shrugged. “Okay, you said there’s one more, right?”

  “I did, didn’t I? Well, this one you won’t be too keen on, trust me. But we’ll save him till after breakfast.”

  I paused and swallowed hard. “Oh yeah? Who is this one?” From the look in her eyes, she wasn’t looking forward to transitioning this guy.

  “I’m not.” Damn, she was good at that mind reading!

  “Why?”

  She held my gaze. “Because Jarrod is not a spirit that is pure of heart. Molly was child-like in her love, and Sam was a child. Jarrod is an adult who committed many crimes before his death.”

  “He was a bad guy?”

  “He did evil things while on this plane, yes.”

  “So he’s afraid of going to hell.”

  “I don’t think there is a hell like they talk about. In fact, I’m not even sure hell exists. What I do believe is that Jarrod doesn’t want to transition because he believes he’s due for punishment on the other side.”

  “Is he?”

  “I really don’t know, Keira. What matters is what Jarrod’s soul believes and that fear keeps him here.” She paused. “And he doesn’t belong here.”

  “It sounds like we have our work cut out for us then.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not all. A transition like this one has perils.”

  “Perils. You mean dangers. You mean this can be dangerous.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded. “Yes,” she said softly.

  “What kind of dangers?”

  “Demonic dangers.”

  Whoaaaa.

  ***

  A chill went through me. Transitioning Molly and Sam was hair-raising. Even so, I never had any sense of danger during the event. But now...

  “Today, I’m going to teach you about the Ouija board. You need to learn how to use it but I warn you, only do so as a last resort.”

  “If it’s so scary, why use it at all? We did pretty well yesterday with Molly and Sam.”

  “Good question.” GM sat forward and her voice lowered. “Sometimes spirits can be pretty stubborn or just downright weak. The Ouija amps up our ability to communicate with them. The problem is that other entities tune in as well.”

  “You mean demons? So those movies I’ve seen pretty much got it right?” My mouth was suddenly dry as dust as I hung onto the edge of my seat. From what I’d seen on screen, there was no way I wanted to see them for real.

  She sighed and looked into my eyes. “I’m not going to lie to you... it’s frightening sometimes. But that’s something else you must learn... how to control your fear.” She rose to her feet. “If you’re done with your breakfast, we’ll move to the living room. When you take your dishes into the kitchen, would you ask Lawrence to join us?”

  ***

  When I walked into the living room, the room was dim. GM had drawn the heavy brocade curtains shut. A single white candle flickered near the end of the coffee table. Next to it was a bundle of dried grass in a large seashell and a black, pyramid-shaped crystal.

  GM sat forward in the chair across from the sofa. She had just placed a flat board on the coffee table. My gut tightened when I saw the familiar dark lettering and symbols. The Ouija board. When she placed the leaf-shaped pointer on the board’s surface, my heart began to hammer in my chest. Oh boy, here we go.

  My eyes darted over to Lawrence before I slunk down onto the sofa. I barely dared to breathe as my grandmother’s words sounded in my mind—”a last resort.”

  “Wait a second, GM,” I said. “Before we start, what exactly is the danger we’re going to be dealing with here?”

  She looked over to Lawrence, and he nodded. Turning back to me, she said, “Did you see the movie The Exorcist?” When I nodded in reply, she said, “That pretty much covers it then.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “No, Keira, I’m not. If a demon is strong enough, it can fling things around, using household items like missiles. It can sow confusion in your heart and mind, and it can—if you allow it to—possess you and take over your body and make you do its bidding.”

  Holy shit, this was real.

  GM’s eyes met mine above the board. “Keira. What is the opposite of love?”

  Was this a trick question? Anyone knew the answer to that. “Hate.”

  “No, it’s fear. I can feel your fear and you’re right to be cautious. But fear... not only is it crippling, but it can be used as a weapon against you. I have found that facing your fear, instead of denying it, lessens its power. Accept your fear. Then release it with each breath, exhaling it. With every inhalation, you take in love, which is present all around and within you.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to do what she said.

  It didn’t work.

  “Keira, look at me.” I opened them, and watched her eyes. They began to shimmer.

  I will not be afraid

  Fear is the soul destroyer

  And would consume me

  Were I allow it

  I rebuke fear

  To its face of many masks I stare unafraid

  One by one, I will watch those masks fall away

  Crumble to ash

  And drift away

  In the breeze of my love

  Leaving nothing by myself

  And I will still stand

  Alone and unafraid.

  Her words echoed in my mind and a vision of a pile of ash wafting away from the surface of polished white purity filled my mind’s eye.

  My mouth hung open. “You did that, GM? You projected your thoughts into my mind?”

  “Yes, Keira. I was only able to because of how strong you’ve become so quickly. I can’t do that with anyone, only one gifted as you are.” Holding my eyes, she sent that litany to me again. Over and over we repeated it until I was... no longer afraid.

  “Now breathe, Keira. Rebuke the fear from you and inhale the love which is this universe’s nature.” Together we did the breathing, our inner voices joined with each inhalation and exhalation, over and over.

  Now let us begin

  “Yes,” I said.

  Her hands rose and then with just the lightest touch, her fingertips rested on the planchette. Oh God. This was it. My fingers joined hers on the small triangle. There was a tiny tremble in the object which I hoped was the result of one of us, rather than...

  “Is there a spirit in the room?” GM’s voice almost made me jump out of my skin and my gaze darted around the room.

  The planchette vibrated and then jerked to the right! It stopped on the word ‘Yes’. My fingers tingled, like there was a small current of electricity running from the small object to my hands.

  “What is your name?” GM’s voice was soft yet there was a commanding authority to it as well.

  The planchette slid
across the board to the letter J and then to A and R.

  It then slid to the center of the board. It began to vibrate under our fingers. I stared at it, then looked up to GM. She watched the planchette intently, so I dropped my eyes back down.

  The object darted to the L. I tried swallowing in a mouth which was dry as dust all of a sudden.

  The planchette moved quickly through the other letters pausing only a beat on each one—E, A, V, E.

  My eyes met my grandmothers and hers became narrower with purpose.

  “What is your name?” When there was no reply, she repeated herself, louder and more commanding. “GIVE US YOUR NAME!” The power in her voice startled me.

  The candle flame flickered, then blazed up, casting long shadows to the corners of the room. The air became colder and—dense. It became harder to breathe, and a stench suddenly filled the room. My heart pounded faster. There was something here in the room with us! It was totally unlike what I’d experienced with Molly or Sam. Whatever this was... it didn’t like us one little bit. I will not be afraid... I thought to myself.

  Once more the planchette jerked, moving so fast through the same series of letters that it was hard to keep my fingers attached to it—L, E, A, V, E.

  GM’s nostrils flared as she took a deep breath. “Jarrod Blythe. Are you here with us?”

  My eyes were marbles watching GM. She knew the name of the ghost, why did she have to ask its name?

  The small object began to circle under the arc of letters, vibrating again. It started to drift toward the word YES printed on the board but was yanked back to its circling pattern. I could sense a struggle happening right under my fingers.

  “Why do you not answer me, Jarrod?” GM’s gaze was like a laser beam on the planchette.

  The movement was slow and tremulous—A, F, R, A, I—

  The small object shot to the word on the bottom part of the board—GOOD BYE. Then it flew out from under our fingers across the room, bouncing against a bookcase.

  We were cast into darkness when the candle flickered and died. I sensed movement to my right and Lawrence stepped by me. He picked up the candle and lit it again. “Pamela. You need to end this.” He picked up the bundle of grass and flicked the lighter, setting fire to the ends of it.

  The acrid smell of the smoke drifted from where he held the smoldering herb. “Jarrod’s spirit was not alone, you know that. It’s time to cleanse the room.”

  GM sighed and nodded, sitting back in her seat. I didn’t have to be asked twice to do the same. I took a deep breath and waited for her to speak. All the while, Lawrence wandered around the room, holding the smudge before him like a torch. I didn’t want to say anything about the fact that the smoke smelled like weed, although knowing Lawrence marijuana would be the last thing he’d ever have.

  “And this, my dear, is why I dislike the Ouija board. Jarrod was here and would have communicated with us if not for that thing which managed to butt in.” Her hand rose to stroke her neck and she stared above, deep in thought for a moment.

  “It was... a demon?”

  “Some kind of demon, yes. When they refuse to give you their name, it’s a dead giveaway.” Her eyes rolled and she beat me to the punch. “No pun intended.”

  “So what do we do now? Give up on this Jarrod guy?”

  She nodded. “For the time being. I’ll keep trying to coax him from the shadows but as far as this bloody board goes, we’ll wait until the energy in this house has been rejuvenated.” She gazed over at Lawrence who was still waving the smudge through the air, walking around the room. “That’s what Lawrence is doing now, Keira. The sage smudge is something I picked up from Native lore. It helps to cleanse the atmosphere of negative energy.”

  Lawrence pulled the drapes open, letting in more light from the gray day outside. Even so, the room seemed glum and heavy.

  “Can we go back to the sunroom now?” There were things I wanted to know about these demons but asking them in here didn’t appeal to me.

  “One moment, Keira.” Lawrence walked over and held the smudge high. “Stand up and let this cleanse you.”

  I got to my feet and stepped closer to him. His hand gently fluttered the bundle of smoldering embers. Like incense, the gray mist floated over my body and face. He ended at my toes and then turned to GM. For a moment, I wished it was marijuana. Getting a buzz would take the edge off for sure.

  When Lawrence was done with GM, we headed back into the sunroom. Just entering the room made it easier to breathe. I could see why it was her favorite spot in the house. We both sat at the small table where we usually sat together, and Lawrence leaned against the entranceway.

  I had to ask. “Where are these demons from, GM? You say you don’t know if there’s a hell, so where did they come from?”

  “I’m not sure, but I’ve come to believe they are beings which battle the forces of nature.”

  “Forces of nature?”

  She nodded. “Yes. Nature is order, harmony and love. And the greatest of these is love. These beasts are chaos, conflict and fear. Their greatest weapon is fear. They’re the ones of the spirit realm who wish to weaken The Veil because they crave chaos.” She held up her finger to make a point. “They feed on fear, Keira. That’s why it’s important to go beyond your fear. You have to remember you are at one with the universe; all that is good. That will be the source of your strength.”

  I nodded. “I will, GM.”

  She looked past me to where Lawrence was standing at the passageway into the sunroom. They silently stared for a moment, and nodded in unison. Turning back to me, she took a deep breath. “How did you feel when we used the Ouija board? Think about your answer for a minute.”

  I sat back and looked down at my lap for a little while. “It was frightening, even with the litany.”

  “It would have been much more so without the litany. It’s a litany, Keira; not a magic spell. Go on.”

  “I sensed the air change when that thing, whatever it was, started shoving that planchette around. I could feel a rage. It really didn’t want us trying to help Jarrod.” I blinked rapidly. “He’s a prisoner to that thing.”

  She nodded. “Yes. It’s going to be a battle to help that poor soul. He was a weak man when he lived and he never changed.”

  “Who was he? What do you know about him?”

  “I managed to do some research. Back in the nineteen twenties, he was a crafty weasel. He was a bootlegger, but he was also an informer to the police. He played both sides against each other for his own profit.”

  “Oh. A Wall Street broker, you mean?”

  She flashed a quick smile. “Well, he was as much a scoundrel as they are, there’s no doubt of that. But he and his colleagues were murderous thugs, Keira. He took part in several killings; then framed an innocent man who was hanged.”

  “And you want to help him?”

  She was silent for a moment. “I want to protect The Veil,” she finally said. “Look, dear—we’re all sinners to one degree or another. We’re also saints. Yes, Jarrod did those things. But he also looked after people he didn’t have to. He provided for several families who lost husbands—fathers— in the Great War.”