"Are you ready?" Jesse said as he looked up at Gail.
She nodded, and he was filled with a sense of pride and just a touch of guilt. It should be him doing this… him contacting the spirit. But he had no skill, no ability. He had lost it as a child, and now his wonderful girlfriend had joined him in his life's quest. She was strong and capable, yet he still hated the fact that she had to do this, and loved it all in the same breath.
The candlelight gave her skin a soft glow and sparkled in her eyes. She was made for this and he had to trust her.
Ignoring the pounding of his heart and the sweat that ran down his back, he reached forward with his right hand towards the twin salt lines that ran close around the snow globe.
With two fingers, he drew a path through the first line. The salt was like tiny marbles beneath his fingers. It rolled across the smooth wooden table and scratched against his skin. Experience told him the salt was not as rough or large as it felt. No, this was his adrenaline, fear, and anticipation. It heightened every sense and he needed to control it, to keep calm and clear-headed.
Inside the salt lines the globe glowed a beautiful blue.
Jesse felt his hand start to shake and he clenched his left fist, digging the nails into his skin. The last thing he needed was the women to see that he was scared. They had to do this, and yet the thought of releasing Frank sent a chill down his back. The sweat dried there and he could feel both Gail and Margie getting anxious.
Taking a breath, he reached towards the second salt line. As he did, the white particles, the fake snow inside the globe, rose into the liquid sky within.
They were floating around the tiny church backlit by a blue light. Jesse couldn't take his eyes off it; it filled his vision. For a moment, he was there, standing in front of Bardney church as the snow fell all around him. It was beautiful, enticing. He wanted to put his hands above his head and spin in the light of the snow.
Pain in his left palm pulled him out of the entrapment that the spirit had tried to conjure. His fist was still clenched tightly and the pain had drawn him out of the spirit’s guile.
It appeared that Frank was strong and clever. They definitely had a fight on their hands.
Jesse didn't dare glance at Margie, for if he had, he would have told her to run. The problem was, she would be running for the rest of her life and he doubted she would escape Frank.
Once more he reached forward, moving his hand six inches to the left of the first gap in the salt, he drew one more line through the inner circle.
Frank now had a way out.
For long moments, nothing happened. They simply sat and stared as snow fell beautifully around the church in the glow of the beautiful blue light. The candles flickered periodically, but there was no breeze in the room; Jesse had checked before he set up the ceremony.
Everyone held their breath, staring at that darn snow as it whirled and fell and drifted around in the confounded blue light.
Jesse could feel Margie's anxiety. It was more than the constant circling of her hands and the tension in her shoulder; it came off her in waves so strong that he wanted to stop. Even Gail shifted in her seat. They all wanted something to happen, and yet in reality, they wanted nothing to happen.
The tension in the room grew heavy and thick and the air became hard to breathe. Jesse nodded slightly to Gail and saw her tip her head in return. It was happening.
"Frank," Jesse called out to the room. "We know who you are and we know what happened to you. Show yourself and explain to us why you are here."
Nothing happened. The blue light still shone from the globe, the candles flickered, and the snow continued to fall.
Margie's hands were coming together so hard that her nails scraped across the wood. She was unable to keep them still, and constantly clasped and unclasped them.
Jesse nodded at Gail. It was time. He had learned his lesson and should let her do the contacting of the spirits right from the start. It was difficult to watch… old habits die hard.
"Frank," Gail spoke softly and with a quiet confidence. "Frank, show yourself and communicate with us. We know you are suffering and we want to help. We want to know why you are here and what you are doing."
The blue light died and the snow fell in the dark, now lit only by the four candles which fluttered in a sudden wind.
It was working… he was here.
Before Jesse could do anything, a gust of wind roared past the inner salt line and into the circle. Like a cyclone, it spun around the protective circle of salt and caused the candles to flame and stutter as it tested the barricade.
It was too strong, way too strong. He had underestimated Frank and had inadvertently released this gale, this monster into the room, this tornado that would tear through his defenses like a storm through paper sails, and it would leave Frank behind to take advantage of the wreckage.
The man would ransack Margie and her emotions just like looters in a burned and broken city or pirates on the open sea.
The wind tore at the salt line and caused the candles to flare and fade, but so far they were holding.
“Chant the Lord’s Prayer,” Jesse called to Gail, as he tried to keep the salt lines intact.
“Our Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name,” Gail spoke the words, but Jesse could tell she was scared. In his mind, he knew that she would fear for Margie, but that wouldn’t help. He wanted to shout at her to believe, to put her energies behind the prayer, but he was too busy chasing the storm around the circle, replacing the salt each time it was scattered by the tornado that was Frank.
They were losing. The wind was too strong, and they didn’t know enough about the spirit to be able to focus their energies on sending him away. Jessie wanted to weaken Frank so he kept replacing the salt, but in the end he was not quick enough. A gust of wind so strong that it blew out all four candles and knocked Jesse from his feet, heralded Frank escaping the circle.
The room was plunged into gloom, but soon their eyes adjusted to the dim glow of the hall lights.
Jesse picked himself up and walked back to the circle. Gail and Margie were fine and the room was deadly quiet. He could see a slight smoke lifting from the candles and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the lighter. Taking the snow globe, he put it back in its place on the mantel then rushed back to the circle with the intention of re-lighting the candles. Before he could strike the lighter, a blue orb appeared in the corner of the room. It filled the room with a cold light that snatched the air from their lungs and chilled them to the bone.
“No!” Margie screamed. She rose from her chair and backed away from the light into the last place she should go… the bedroom
As she moved, the light rushed toward her and at the same time, the wind rose again to such a strength that Gail and Jesse were powerless against it. All they could do was brace themselves against the force that wanted to send them flying across the room.
All the while, the light stalked Margie. It floated in the air. It was an almost magical sight, zipping back and forth as it worked her toward the bedroom.
Jesse tried to utter a prayer, tried to light the nearest candle, but as he did, the wind finally pushed him off balance. It picked him up and slung him across the room. As he hit the wall he thought, not again, before the breath was knocked from him and he lost consciousness for a second, sliding down, hitting the floor.
Chapter 16
Jesse shook himself to clear his head. An ache in his shoulder warned he would be bruised later, but there was no time to worry about that now.
The sound of a scream pierced the room. It rose above the howling wind, but stopped so suddenly, his stomach fell and his heart leaped into his throat.
"Gail!" he screamed as he jumped to his feet. The only reason for the scream to stop in such an ominous way was if someone had been silenced... or was dead!
It was dark and cold. The spirit was causing a huge electrical storm within and the room filled with violent gusts of frigid air.
<
br /> Where was Gail?
Where was Margie?
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the orb. The blue light should have been beautiful, but there was something cold and evil about it. Whenever he looked at it, the urge to back away was overwhelming.
Then he spotted Gail at the edge of the ice-cool glow. Relief flooded through him and gave him more strength.
Her mouth was moving; she was shouting, but he couldn’t hear a thing above the wind. Following her eyes, he saw Margie. In a daze, the poor woman backed away from the light toward the bedroom. They must not let her go into that room. It was what Frank wanted… to separate her... to get her alone. If he did, Jesse dreaded to think about what he had in mind.
Jesse ran for the table and grabbed the salt, then he made his way across the room. Throwing salt at the spirit, he started to chant an exorcism. Part of him knew it wasn't going to be as effective as usual. He didn't understand Frank. From what they had discovered, he had no links to Margie.
Why was he targeting her?
Jesse pushed the thought to the back of his mind and poured all his intention into making the spirit leave.
“In the Name of Jesus, I rebuke the spirit of Frank Parson."
Before him, the orb grew larger in the gloom. It pushed Margie further and she crossed the threshold of the bedroom.
"I command you leave this place, without manifestation, and without harm to me or anyone!" Jesse continued, and he could hear that Gail was standing next to him. She was repeating the Lord's Prayer and it gave him strength. He reached down and took her hand, but as he did, the bedroom door slammed closed.
"So that He can dispose of you according to His Holy Will.” As he finished the releasing prayer, the wind dropped.
“...the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.” Gail’s words were suddenly so loud in the unexpectedly quiet room.
The pressure had fallen, the air was easier to breathe, and it was warmer. They could hear themselves panting from the exertion. No noise came from the bedroom and Jesse reached out to open the door. It was so peaceful that for a moment, he thought they had won.
A scream rang out from behind the door. Margie was now fighting for her life and it sounded like she was losing.
“What do we do?” Gail asked. Her eyes were full of tears and there was a look of desperation on her face. “We promised her she would be safe.”
Jesse could hear the sounds of a struggle, the sound of something hitting the wall, and then the desperate cries of Margie as she fought off her attacker. He understood Gail’s anguish. He had been the one to make that promise and he had let Margie down. Why didn’t he just bind the spirit to the snow globe and throw it in the ocean?
“Jesse!” Gail’s plea brought him out of his thoughts. There would be time later for recriminations. Now he had to save Margie and put this bastard back where he belonged.
“Talk to him,” Jesse said, but Gail was not listening. She was staring at the door and the awful groans and sounds that were coming from behind it. Jesse pulled her in front of him and looked into her eyes. “Gail, listen to me.”
Recognition sparked in her beautiful brown eyes and it gave him courage. She was strong and capable, and they could do this, together. “Talk to him; explain that she is not his wife.”
Gail nodded and walked over to the door. She put her hand on the white wood and closed her eyes. Jesse could see the force of concentration by the way she scrunched up her face. It was cute and powerful and he loved her so much.
“Frank,” Gail called through the wood.
The noise dropped as if maybe he was listening.
Jesse closed his own eyes and called on his spirit guides, the three beings that were there to protect and help him, but who at the moment refused to communicate. “I call on my spirit guides to help me in this time of crisis, to walk with me in the dark places, and to guide me back to the light.”
He waited, breath held, but nothing happened.
“Come on, I need your help here,” he whispered.
Of his three guides, the dog, Rose was most likely to help, but even she did not put in an appearance. Maybe she trusted that he had this handled, or maybe he still hadn’t worked out what to do. Either way, it looked like he was on his own. What he could do was repeat the Lord’s Prayer while Gail tried to talk Frank down. It wouldn’t hurt, and if they ended up having to exorcise him, then they already had a start.
Gail was still talking to Frank through the door. Her face was pale and sweat ran down her face. She was trying so hard to connect with him. Jesse had to hope that it was enough.
“This woman you are with is called Margie,” Gail said. “She is not your wife.”
Nothing. The room was quiet. Jesse breathed a sigh of relief and reached past Gail to try the handle. It was cold and held firm as he applied pressure, grunting with the effort. They were not getting in anytime soon.
A blood-curdling scream echoed through the house.
“Margie!”
Chapter 17
The blue light filled Margie's vision and sent ice water through her veins. Though she wanted to run, her legs wouldn't move and she was frozen to the spot.
Why was this happening?
Why was he doing this to her?
None of it made any sense.
The light advanced and terror traced down her spine and turned her insides to mush. Slowly she inched back, afraid to move, and yet the despair and terror of the approaching orb sapped the strength from her bones and pushed her. With each step she took, it followed, herding her like a demonic sheepdog back towards its pen of depravity.
The light was bright and beautiful, yet it evoked something cold and terrible inside her. Shadows played across its surface like decay spreading across an apple as it slowly decomposed. Only this was faster, ever moving, and the thought of the light touching her skin was more than she could bear. So, inch by inch she made her way backward, away from the light and toward the room filled with happy memories, the place which had always been safe… a haven. Now she dreaded going in there and she must not let it force her there.
A face appeared in the orb. Dark eyes filled with rage made her quake beneath their gaze and she stepped back once more.
Margie jumped as her shoulder hit the door jamb. Panic clawed inside, raking her chest and throat with long claws of terror, for she knew what the ghost wanted, knew it wished to take her, to possess her and to degrade her.
"Why?" she screamed.
Sliding her foot to the left, she tried to move away from the bedroom and toward Gail. The orb throbbed in the darkness and the air sizzled. Pressure squeezed her chest, a pressure so cold that breathing caused a lance of pain to her lungs.
She had no choice, and stepped back once more toward the threshold of the bedroom. Maybe if she ran she could smash out the window and escape down the street.
In response, the orb grinned at her. Dark shadows mocked her. Did it know what she was thinking?
As she stepped back, the light changed, growing and becoming denser. It was darker now. A wispy darkness coalesced into a man and then back to just a mist in the air.
When the mist touched her arm, it sent ice through her veins and into her heart. The shock was so sudden, she thought it had stopped for a heartbeat. Gasping as her heart pounded once more, she searched for a way out.
There was none.
Back and back it pushed, herded and threatened… back until she was in the dark bedroom, surrounded by shadows and black mist.
As her right foot crossed the threshold, the mist rushed at her and she stumbled, wheeling her arms, she was taken back and back.
The door slammed shut with the finality of a coffin lid and the room was plunged into an inky blackness of despair.
The mist shimmered in the darkness. As it approached, she let out a scream of pure terror.
Desperate to keep out of its reach and to stay on her feet, she careened back until her knees hit the bed and then skelet
al fingers formed in the mist and shoved her hard.
Margie hit the bed and screamed as those fingers explored her body. A digit stroked down her cheek. The bone puckered the skin and caused goose bumps to form. It lifted, leaving a slick glob, and traveled across her collarbone. Pain lanced through her at the touch, making her bones feel like fine china that was about to shatter. The air filled with the hum of electricity as the finger brushed across her blouse and travel down her chest.
"Mmmmiiinnnneee," came a whisper close to her ear, followed by moisture and then the scrape of teeth on her neck.
Margie screamed and screamed until the world dissolved around her, and all that was left was the sound of her own voice.
The screams echoed through the darkness and hung in the air. Jesse could see that Gail was stumbling. Her belief in herself had taken a big hit, and she stopped talking and stared at the door.
“Talk to him!” he shouted. “Explain that this is not his wife, not Samantha.” Jesse moved over to her and took her hand. Giving it a squeeze, he began the exorcism once more. Frank was going and they had to do it quickly. If Gail could keep him off guard then maybe this would work.
A little bit of the confidence came back to Gail’s face and she closed her eyes. Jesse knew she would be centering herself, reaching out for the mind of the spirit, and he wished that he could help. Why had he lost his ability? Why was he failing her?
Jesse shook himself. Frank’s despair was working on both of them, pulling them into a feeling of despondency and darkness, a depression that would stop them from functioning, and leave him free to do what he wanted to Margie. They couldn’t let that happen.
Shaking away his own sense of hopelessness, he started the exorcism.
“Pater noster, qui es in caelis, sanctificetur nomen tuum. Adveniat regnum tuum.”
Gail couldn’t help; she had failed Margie and the feeling crushed her. It was so hard to breathe, to move, to even stand, and she wanted to sink to the floor and give in. Then she felt Jesse’s hand in hers. The wind still howled all around them, the darkness still sapped her strength, and the cold pressed down on her like a living beast, but that simple touch filled her with hope.
DarkMan: Ghosts and Haunted Houses (The Spirit Guide Book 3) Page 8
