Spirits 04-Spirits of Seacliff Manor

by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

  “I think we should move this party to the bedroom. I don’t want to surprise Sara should she decide she needs a glass of water.” Jake separated their bodies and carried her into the bedroom, gently laying her on the bed before he joined her. After which, he pulled her close and positioned her head on his chest as he stroked her hair.

  Jane loved the way he took control.

  He kissed the top of her head. “That was nice.”

  “Mm hmm.” Jane felt cherished. That was a word she’d never used before when describing any of her previous lovers. This man was not like any she’d ever met. After making love, Brad always rolled over and went to sleep, he did not cuddle.

  The emotions Jake brought forth had her eyes welling with tears. All her life she’d been making do, she didn’t know it could be like this. Sure, men were always like Jake in the movies, but not in real life. Now she knew it just wasn’t in her life. Maybe this was a mistake. Would she ever be satisfied with another man now?

  Jane quickly brushed her eyes.

  “Darlin’, are you all right?” Jake’s concerned voice only made it worse.

  “Yeah, I…” Jane pulled out of his arms.

  “Did I hurt you?”

  She kept her face averted. “No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “I’ll be right back.” Jane slid off the bed and grabbed her robe off the back of the door before she exited the room. She made her way to the bathroom and closed herself inside. She turned on the faucet and began to cry.

  What a pathetic fool.

  She splashed cold water on her face.

  By the time she returned, Jake’s eyes were closed. She slipped in next to him.

  “Are you okay?” His eyes remained closed, his voice was groggy.

  “Shhh. I’m good, go back to sleep.”

  He turned his body and positioned her on her side before he snuggled up behind her in spoon fashion. His arm wrapped around her waist, his face in the crook of her neck. His warm breath tickled her ear.

  TWENTY-FOUR

  When Jane awoke, she was alone. The brightness of the room had her seeking the clock. It was past noon. Her nightgown lay across the chair in the corner. Hopefully Jake had retrieved it before Sara got up. She covered herself with a robe before she cracked open the bedroom door. Voices floated from the direction of the office.

  She tiptoed to the bathroom and silently closed the door. Once she’d showered and made herself presentable for the day, she sought out her guests. “I’m sorry I slept so late. Did you help yourself to coffee and food from the kitchen?”

  Jake raised a mug and smiled. “We’re good, thanks.”

  Sara elbowed him. “Speak for yourself, I’m starving.” She turned to Jane. “He promised me an omelet over an hour ago, but he won’t get his ass up to fix it.”

  “I can make one for you,” Jane offered.

  “It has to be Jake, he knows just how I like it,” Sara said.

  Jake stood. “Yes, ma’am.” He followed Jane to the kitchen. Once there, he grabbed her by the waist, spinning her around before he pulled her close. He gave her a quick peck on the lips. “So how ya doin’, darlin’?”

  Taken aback, Jane inspected him before answering. She didn’t expect this type of greeting. She envisioned him acting as if nothing happened. “Fine.”

  “Just fine?” He planted a kiss on the end of her nose. “I almost woke you this morning to make love, but you were sleeping so soundly I hated to disturb you.”

  “Thank you?” This was entirely new territory for Jane.

  He chuckled. “Does that mean I did the right thing?”

  Crap. She didn’t know how to answer that. She wanted to act cool, not that she knew how. “It’s probably best, we were up late.”

  “True.” He gave her another quick kiss.

  “By the way, did you get up before Sara?”

  “I did. I made my bed and picked up our clothes.”

  “Thanks.” To say she was relieved would be an understatement. “Do you mind if we keep this a secret?”

  “Of course. I keep my private life to myself,” Jake replied.

  “Great.” She slipped out of his embrace and made her way to the refrigerator. “What do you need?”

  He stuck his head in. “Eggs, of course.” She removed them and set them on the counter. “Cheese?”

  “I have Swiss and sharp cheddar.”

  “Both.”

  She set the cheese out. “I have a better idea, you grab what you need and I’ll be on toast duty. Is sourdough okay?”

  “My favorite.” He set the mushrooms next to the stove.

  “What about Sara?”

  “As long as it’s bread, she doesn’t care.”

  “Got it.” Jane put the slices in the toaster.

  Jake tossed green onions on the counter.

  *

  The room was quiet while they ate. Naturally Jake was the first to finish. “Sara and I were going over the footage from yesterday and discussing things.”

  “What did you come up with?” Jane asked.

  “There are many spirits in that house. More than we’ve dealt with in one place. Plus a poltergeist or demon, maybe both,” Jake said.

  “How do you know the difference?” Jane asked.

  “Although both are malicious, the poltergeist likes to create havoc because it feeds on fear. To do this, it moves items about, closes doors, windows, or throws things. The signs it’s a demon are many.

  “A lot of which have been encountered at Seacliff Manor: biting, scratching, dark forms without faces, growling, being held down, a deep voice telling you to harm yourself or others-that can also be a sign of schizophrenia and as such is judged on a case by case basis.

  “Then there’s paralysis, nausea, extreme head pain, everyday items going missing, like keys, that appear later, feeling dizzy or faint, a foul odor of death or sulfur, hot or freezing spots, scratching sounds, people having blackouts or missing time-in that case, the demon has possessed them. That’s very dangerous, of course.

  “They can turn a naturally happy person into one who is depressed, paranoid, or has aberrant thoughts like rape or savagely hurting a person or animal. The list goes on. Demons are clever, territorial, insane and will prey on your weaknesses. Their mission is to unravel you. The demon is also much stronger, therefore harder to get rid of. In that case we’re talking about an exorcism.”

  “Do you know someone who can perform an exorcism?” Jane asked.

  “I have done them with successful results,” Jake said.

  “I say we continue our sweep in the daytime. Demons hate the light,” Sara said.

  “Good idea,” Jake acknowledged.

  Jane set up the meet immediately to make sure Danny and Courtney were there when they arrived. They gathered around the command post under the dome.

  “I’d like to start in the séance room today,” Sara said.

  “Danny, can you set up a light in there for us? Grab a lamp from another room and get an extension cord long enough to reach, maybe Courtney can help you find one,” Jane said.

  “On it.” Danny took off with Courtney on his heels.

  *

  Outside the séance room, Sara entered first while Jane and Jake followed silently. Sara went directly to the table and laid her hands flat on the surface. Jane anxiously waited for her to speak. She and Jake stood on either side of the table, watching.

  “Bess brought in a psychic medium to contact her husband. These sessions were held weekly. All went well and she was satisfied. For a while. She soon became obsessed, impatience made her buy a spirit board.” Sara opened her eyes. “Where is it?”

  “The Ouija board is over there on the floor.” Jane retrieved it and handed it over.

  “Set it on the table please,” Sara said.

  Jane did as she was told.

  Sara placed her open palms on the board and closed her eyes. Her body jerked back, but Jake was there instantly to hold her up and make sure she didn’t fall
.

  “Not good. Not good at all,” Sara said.

  “What do you see?” Jake asked.

  “They don’t know what they’re doing. Playing with fire.” Time ticked by. “There are five of them, four touching the planchette and one writing the answers. Bess is holding a skeleton key.”

  “Skeleton keys were used to open doors to spirit realms,” Jake whispered.

  “Patrick is here, but he’s not alone. Someone has followed him from the other side.” Sara shook her head. “No. Not someone, but something. A giant black mass is hovering over the table. It’s a stormy night. Lightning is flashing through the windows. Thunder echoes through the room.”

  Jake rubbed his hands up and down Sara’s arms.

  “There’s a torrential downpour and the mass is growing. The demon is getting a steroid shot by the immense amount of water. Gaining strength.” Sara quieted down a moment, her entire body tensed. “Stop. You’re in danger!”

  The sudden outburst made Jane jump.

  Jake rubbed Sara’s shoulders. “You’re okay. You’re safe. This is not happening now,” his voice soothed.

  “The black mass has grown to the size of the room as it hovers, the ceiling is completely blocked out. Patrick has been pushed out, he’s no longer here. No one knows they’re conversing with pure evil.” Sara’s entire body began to tremble. “Get out!”

  “Okay, Sara, time for you to let go,” Jake spoke softly in her ear.

  There was no way to know if Jake was getting through to her as Sara shook her head. Was she answering Jake, or frightened of the horror she was witnessing?

  “The table’s levitating, everyone’s screaming. They’re trying to escape, but getting sucked back into the room. A woman cries out, slash marks covered in blood appear on her back. A man yells as his body flies against a wall, he’s dangling in mid-air. Bess screams, bite marks appear on her arm.

  “Pandemonium has broken out. Pushing and shoving. Fighting. A man just yanked a woman by the hair in an effort to reach the door before her. Another woman has fallen and the same man stepped right on her back in his attempt to flee. Blood is spraying the walls. I can’t find the source. A deep throaty laugh fills the room. The demon is enjoying the chaos he’s created.”

  Tears careened down Sara’s cheeks.

  “That’s enough.” Jake snatched Sara’s hands off the board and held them to her chest from behind. She collapsed into his arms. He lifted her limp body. “She needs to rest.”

  “Follow me.” Jane led him down the stairs to the west parlor. As far as she knew, there had been no activity there and it should be safe. Jake laid her on the red velvet couch.

  “Let’s head to the kitchen,” Jane whispered.

  Jake nodded.

  Once they were there, they found Courtney pouring lemonade. “Would you guys like a glass?”

  “Yes, please,” Jane answered.

  “Ditto,” Jake replied. After he’d downed half the glass, he looked at Jane. “Now we know why the room was boarded up.”

  “Yeah, that’s enough to give anyone nightmares for life,” Jane answered.

  “The attempt was futile. You can’t contain a demon like a genie in a bottle,” Jake said.

  “That means he’s been here for almost a hundred years. In that time he could have possessed any number of people to kill for him.” The idea sent a sick feeling to the pit of Jane’s stomach.

  “That’s right. There are many souls dwelling in this place. Trapped. I’m afraid we really have our work cut out for us,” he answered.

  “What’s next?” Jane asked.

  “I want to see what I can get from Vera’s old room.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Jane set her empty glass in the sink. When they arrived at the command post where Courtney and Danny sat watching the monitors, Jane stopped. “We’re heading up to Vera’s room. Let us know when Sara wakes.”

  TWENTY-FIVE

  Jane and Jake chatted on their way to Vera’s room.

  “Tell me how you came to work at the same university as your friend Tim,” Jake asked.

  “I was teaching at a private high school back east and I hated it. As a California girl, I couldn’t get used to the harsh winters. Plus 95% of the students were spoiled little brats who didn’t know the meaning of the word respect.

  “I spent most of my days arguing instead of teaching. So when an opening came up at the university, Tim urged me to apply. I honestly didn’t think they’d hire me. I guess Tim had more influence than I thought.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “Because there had to be older applicants who had more experience than I,” Jane said.

  “I bet you knocked them off their feet at the interview, that’s why you got the job.” Jake smiled.

  “I’d like to think so,” she said.

  “You mentioned Tim had a partner. Does that mean he’s gay?”

  “Yup, they’ve been together for three years.”

  “I thought he was your boyfriend.” Jake kept his gaze on the stairs.

  “We dated for a short time in college until he confessed he was gay.”

  “You didn’t have a clue before that?”

  Jane stopped on the landing and glared at him. “No. It’s not like he’s a raging queen, if that’s what you’re implying.”

  “Whoa.” Jake’s hands flew up in surrender. “I’m not trying to be insulting. The reason I asked is because you’re a sensitive. I thought perhaps you might have known on some level. I have no bias against the LGBT community. We have quite a few in The Thibodeux Foundation that I consider friends.”

  Relieved, Jane continued down the hall. “Unfortunately it doesn’t work in my own life.” A picture of Brad with the bimbo flashed in her head. They stopped at the end of the hall outside Vera’s room.

  Jake stood before Jane and tipped her chin up until she met his gaze. “I’m just grateful you’re not dating Tim.” He planted a kiss on her lips. When he pulled back his eyes were heavy lidded. “I don’t like to share.”

  His sultry voice made her body quiver. Jane didn’t like this feeling of being out of control. The way Jake drew her in so easily really frightened her. She wasn’t ready to have her heart broken again. “Are you ready to go in?”

  Jake looked at her sideways before he turned away. When he entered, he walked directly to the center of the room and closed his eyes. Jane stood nearby, watching. Minutes passed before he tilted his head as if listening to someone she could not see.

  “Such overwhelming sadness. This woman led a tormented life. Her family called her plain. Classmates made fun of her. But despite all this, she fell in love with a man named John Merriman. He was a marine who’d asked for her hand in marriage. Her father would not bless the union. He forbade Vera to marry John, explaining he didn’t love her, just her sizable trust fund.”

  Jake quieted. Jane was eager to hear more of the story, but knew better than to interrupt.

  “She and John decided to marry just the same. John suggested they wait until they could live as man and wife. He thought it best she stay with her family for the time being. He didn’t want her living alone in base housing while waiting for him to return from Vietnam.”

  Jake frowned. “John was killed when he stepped on a land mine. Vera never got her happy ending.”

  A wave of sorrow hit Jane.

  “He was her one true love. Vera mourned him for the rest of her life. Soon after his death, she experienced her first blackout. She woke up in her bed with blood on her clothes, her hands and feet covered in mud. It scared her to death.

  “Naturally she had no memory of where she’d been or what she’d done. She didn’t dare tell anyone, she was afraid of being sent to an insane asylum. Losing time became a common occurrence, where she’d wake in the strangest places many hours later.

  “She began scouring the newspapers for articles of people who’d been killed, but found none. What she did find were accounts of people missing and the dates a
lways correlated with one of her episodes.” Jake focused on Jane.

  “Vera was easy prey for the demon while she mourned the loss of her beloved. At the time her defenses were at their lowest, she’d even pondered suicide. After possessing her once, it became easier and easier for him to slip in and take her over.

  “Then came the day he realized he could force her to do his bidding from outside her body. This way he could torture her because she was aware throughout the entire process. He enjoyed this new game immensely. It doubled his pleasure. Not only did he feed off the fright from the victim knowing they’re about to die, but also on Vera’s terror at watching her own hands commit murder no matter how hard she fought against it.”

  “Danny for Jane. Over.” The walkie-talkie squawked.

  “Go for Jane. Over.”

  “Sara’s up, but I’m not sure she’s awake. I think you should get down here. Over,” Danny said.

  Jake’s brows furrowed.

  “On our way. Over,” Jane answered.

  Jake raced out the door, Jane couldn’t keep up. They found Sara on the front stoop.

  “I’ve been trying to talk to her but she won’t answer me. Maybe you can get through to her,” Danny said.

  “That’s fine. Leave her alone. We’ll follow her and see where it leads us,” Jake said.

  Sara went down the steps and headed toward the garden. Jake walked alongside. She halted suddenly in front of the roses. She dropped to her knees and began digging fervently with her hands. Jane found it unnerving.

  “Shouldn’t you do something?” Jane said to Jake.

  “Let’s wait and see what she’s trying to show us,” he replied.

  Soon her actions became manic as her hands dug faster and faster. Earth flew in all directions while she made grunting sounds and her head jerked from side to side.

  “Okay, that’s enough, Sara. You can stop now,” Jake said.

  Instead she picked up speed. Finally Jake lifted her by the waist, her hands continued going through the motions as if she were still digging. The spectacle was creepy. Jane turned to the others. Their expressions showed they too were disturbed by the sight.