Haunted II: Awakening

by Christian Burch

  She could almost see him smiling through the phone. When given the option to pick, ninety percent of the time it was Italian.

  “I swear to God you’ve got Italian blood running through your veins even though you claim otherwise. I’m going to come home, shower and change, then we can go. How’s seven for dinner?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll let you go so you can get back to your real love. I should go too. Told Tim Lebbon I’d call him in about an hour.”

  “Love you.”

  “You too my sexy librarian.”

  Chapter 9

  “Hey nerd!”

  The taunt fell on deaf ears. Well maybe not deaf, but Joey was doing his best to ignore them.

  A stick bounced off the cover of the comic book he was reading. It was tempting to pick it up and throw it back at the annoying bully that stood a few feet from him.

  When the bullying first started he’d brought it to his mom and Jason’s attention. That was a mistake he wouldn’t be repeating. Jason told him to man up and put them in their place by “kicking their ass” were his exact words. After the brief conversation he’d overhead Jason telling his mom that her son was basically a wuss.

  Whenever Jason was mean or said hurtful things, Joey just called to memory the time that his dad had beat him up last year. It was one of the best days of his short life and he’d never forget it. His dad was cooler and stronger than the superhero’s he read about in his comics.

  Superman stared at him from the pages in front of his eyes. If only he were Superman he’d make such an example of Max Shears, no bully would dare bother him again.

  A hand rudely ripped his comic book out of his hands and waved it just out of his reach.

  “When I’m talking to you, you answer freak!”

  “Give it back Max.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Max was taller by a few inches than most of the kids in second grade and Joey was one of the shortest in his kindergarten class. A couple kids had gathered and were watching them, hoping it would escalate to more. No one would step in to get his book back. He had a thought. A brave thought. What would his dad do?

  His dad didn’t let anyone push him around and he was about to take a page from his book.

  “Give it back now Max, or else!”

  Max stopped mid-stride and looked back at Joey with shock.

  “What did you say to me shrimp?”

  Joey gulped. Picturing his father in his mind helped. “You heard me.”

  Max did what most bullied tended to do when threatened, huff and puff, which gave Joey the opening he needed.

  “You think you can hurt me.” Max looked at the kids around him and laughed. “The little guy thinks I’m afraid of him. Take your best shot…”

  Joey tackled him and started hitting him. After the first few blows a teacher pulled him off of Max who was in shock. He hadn’t expected Joey to do anything let alone tackle him to the ground like a linebacker.

  Joey bent down to pick up his comic and frowned when he saw that the cover was bent. It made him want to hit Max again but the teacher was leading him away from the other students and back towards the school. That could mean only one thing: a visit to the principal’s office.

  Chapter 10

  Going out with Zoe always made Greg realize how lucky he was to be with such an amazing woman. He loved being out with her and the looks they received. Yeah she’s with me pal.

  He waited patiently in the living room area of their apartment while she got ready, DJ’s head resting in his lap. It wasn’t unusual for him to wait ten to twenty minutes as she perused their closet searching for the perfect thing to wear for their date. The search could really be deemed an expedition considering the number of clothes Zoe owned but Greg didn’t mind. All he needed was a small section for his bare minimum of clothing he possessed.

  The master bedroom door opened. His hand froze over DJ’s side where he’d been rubbing him. Breathtaking, stunning, gorgeous, sexy. Those were the words that came to the forefront of Greg’s mind as she walked down the hallway towards him.

  “Damn,” he whispered.

  She was wearing a black, knee high dress, with a somewhat plunging neckline. All thoughts of going out to eat vacated his mind and were replaced with others. DJ looked up and barked once in agreement to Greg’s appraisal.

  “You like it? I picked it up last Saturday when you were with Nathaniel at that writing conference.”

  She turned both ways to give him a better view. He stood up and looked down at himself.

  “I’m way underdressed. I can’t go out in this when you look that beautiful.”

  He strode towards her and wrapped his hands around her waist, pulling her close to him. She smelled of lavender. The perfume she knew was his favorite.

  “I think dinner can wait.”

  They kissed and he pulled down one of the straps of the dress revealing her tanned shoulder. She smiled as he kissed her shoulder.

  “We’re going to be late.”

  “I didn’t make reservations or anything. We can go an hour later than we’d planned.”

  He walked forward, arms still wrapped around her waist and she moved backwards to match him. They continued to kiss as Greg maneuvered them towards their bedroom. DJ huffed and stretched out on the couch, happy to have the entire couch as his bed once more.

  * * *

  Jessica came home with Joey to an empty house. He’d been quiet the whole ride home. She knew what he was worried about but her plan was to keep Jason in the dark about the events of today.

  “How about we keep what happened today our secret okay?”

  Joey looked to her hopefully.

  “Really?”

  “Really. It’s been taken care of. No reason for it to go any further than this. Do you want to order pizza tonight?”

  Joey nodded vigorously and his mood brightened as they went through the front door. He dropped his backpack on the floor and headed upstairs.

  “Hold it. Don’t just leave that on the floor. Hang it up please. Do you want the usual on the pizza?”

  “Yes please!”

  Book bag hung on the rack, he hurried up the stairs with something held in front of him. She knew it was the comic that had started the tussle earlier at school. Walking into the kitchen she saw Jason’s note sitting on the counter.

  ‘Out with the guys. Will be home late. Don’t wait up.’

  No I love you, or I missed you. Nothing that a caring boyfriend would leave. Just one more sign that something was amiss. This is probably exactly how Greg felt when I was out sneaking around with Jason. That thought stung because it was true. It did hurt to know the person you trusted with your heart was betraying you.

  She pulled out her cell phone and clicked on Greg’s name. The fight was something he’d want to be made aware of and it gave her an excuse to call him. After a few rings it went to voicemail. This wasn’t something she wanted to leave as a message so she clicked end.

  Jessica could hear Joey’s footsteps in his room above her and knew he was putting the comic back in the proper place. He was just like his father and had to have his books and comics organized in a specific way.

  In two days she would drop off Joey at Greg’s house. She dreaded being without her son now. Living with Jason was the equivalent of being alone. She’d been building up the courage over the past few weeks and was going to break it off with him this week and tell him he had until the end of next week to move out.

  She wasn’t going to allow the bastard to continue living in her house while he was cheating on her. No way in hell. Her mind entertained the possibilities of getting back with Greg but she quickly shut those thoughts down. It seemed like Greg and Zoe were doing very well together and her intention was not to break them up. Regret reared its ugly head and she could beat herself up for the mistakes she’d made during the past few years. Moving forward was the only solution. Living in the past would only bring more sadness, disappointment, and do
ubt.

  Chapter 11

  January 2000

  “You’re sure she won’t remember any of it?”

  “It’s a bit more complicated than that I’m afraid. There are no certainties but it does have a high success rate.”

  Bradley and Elizabeth sat in front of the hypnotist’s desk, his right hand clasping her left firmly. Sweat beaded on Bradley’s forehead as they listened to Mr. Feely’s reassurances of the safety of the procedure. Dr. Feely if the certificates on his walls were to be believed.

  “We just want what’s best for our daughter and want this to stop. Her claims of an imaginary friend are just too outrageous an explanation for what’s going on. Can you really put a mental block to keep her from remembering everything that’s happened?”

  Feely leaned forward in his chair.

  “Not just that, I can make her forget the imaginary friend also. Not sure how long the mental block will stay in place but so far the feedback has been positive. No relapses have been reported.”

  “And it won’t hurt Zoe in any way mentally?”

  “None whatsoever. I understand your concern and if you want to take more time to think about it, please feel free. There is no hurry on this end. Where is Zoe now?”

  “With my parents,” answered Elizabeth. “They have a farm not too far from here and she loves to spend time with the animals.”

  “Would it make you feel better if I came by the house and did the session there? It doesn’t have to take place here.”

  The expressions on both of their faces was unmistakable.

  “I can tell that relaxed you both a bit. Then you both can be right in the house and it’s somewhere where Zoe feels comfortable. How’s a month from now sound?”

  “Can it be sooner?”

  The anxiety in Elizabeth’s voice did not go unnoticed.

  “Have things gotten that bad Mrs. Phillips?”

  She looked to Bradley. He nodded his head but refused to look at Dr. Feely. If he had trouble believing and accepting what was going on as real, he didn’t want to see this man’s reaction to what his wife was about to tell him.

  Elizabeth’s voice remained strong throughout her speech and only trembled at a few parts. Not once did the doctor smile, or look condescending towards her in any way. The only interruptions were relevant questions to the story he was being told. He’d probably heard similar or worse things from people before. At least Bradley hoped that was true.

  Upon finishing, Elizabeth was wringing her hands together nervously.

  “Let’s make it next week okay. It sounds like you all have been through a lot already and if I can help in any way I will. The mind can be a powerful thing and I think this procedure will help your daughter tremendously.”

  Chapter 12

  Present Day

  Dessert before dinner was always a welcome thing Greg thought as they walked arm in arm through the entrance to Marachelli’s. The hostess smiled at them and after asking how many in the party, led them to their table.

  “See, if we’d come earlier we would have waited for God knows how long?”

  Zoe rolled her eyes and nodded. In his black pants and blue dress shirt Greg was quite the handsome man. He didn’t pay enough attention to notice the women that would give him a once over as they passed. Good thing because Zoe tended to be a little on the jealous side.

  She’d been back and forth a hundred times on whether or not to tell Greg. The smiley face on the pregnancy test was a good indicator of how she’d felt when she picked it up off the bathroom sink. Currently it was hidden away in the bottom of her underwear drawer. I wish my mother was still alive so I could talk with her about this. She was always levelheaded in situations that tended to be hectic or stressful.

  “Zoe? Honey?”

  Zoe shook her head and noticed that the waitress and Greg were both looking at her expectantly.

  “Hmm. Sorry. What were you saying?”

  The waitress rocked back and forth on her heels. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Oh. Diet Coke please. Thank you.”

  “I’ll have a Yuengling draft.”

  The waitress nodded, “I’ll be back shortly with your drink and to take your order.”

  “No wine or margarita tonight? That’s not normally like you.”

  “Just not feeling it tonight is all,” Zoe cleared her throat. “So tell me about today. You always told me he couldn’t handle what really happened. What changed your mind?”

  “Have you ever gone to therapy or seen a psychiatrist before for anything?”

  “Not that I remember.”

  “That’s lucky for you. They just pick and pick away at you like you’re a scab they have to tear off and watch all of your past and secrets bleed out. I just got so tired of skating around the issue and he knew I was keeping things to myself, so,” Greg stopped as the waitress brought their drinks and took their orders.

  The beer tasted so good going down and Zoe waited patiently for him to continue.

  “So I just decided to unburden myself and you know what? It felt good. I don’t know whether or not he believed what I told him or if he thought I was messing with him but I don’t care.”

  Zoe took a sip of her drink and waited, hoping he would divulge some of it to her. No such luck. It was like prying out an infected tooth.

  “When are you going to tell me exactly what happened back in Fairmont? If we’re going to keep moving forward, you’ve got to open up and let me in.”

  Greg’s shoulders slumped and his entire demeanor changed. This was a subject that had been brought up previously, and one that he preferred be left alone. She knew the bare minimum and naturally assumed that what bothered Greg was Matt’s suicide. That was just a fraction of the issue. The demon that had plagued him and ultimately led to the death of three people was the part that Greg didn’t want Zoe to know about.

  “Just promise me that soon you will trust me enough to fill me in on what happened. I want to be here for you and help you work through it but I can’t do that unless you shed some light on what you insist on keeping to yourself.”

  Greg nodded, “Let’s enjoy our night together and I promise I will tell you within the next couple of days. I don’t want you to look at me differently or anything so just let me figure out how to tell you in a way that doesn’t resemble something straight out of a horror novel.”

  “Thank you,” she reached across and took hold of his hand. “And I would never look at you differently! I know it must be hard for you to relive it but I think this could be healthy. It’s not good to keep all of that shit pent up inside. I’m a big girl. I think I can handle it.”

  Greg bit down hard on his tongue to keep himself from laughing. He experienced it firsthand and was having trouble dealing with it.

  Chapter 13

  Matt’s body shook with convulsions but the hand holding the gun remained steady. A mixture of sadness and strength swirled in his green eyes and beads of sweat rolled off of his face. Greg couldn’t imagine the how difficult it was for Matt to remain in control with the creature wrestling him from within.

  “It was my choice Greg. Stop beating yourself up about what happened to me.”

  The whole scene just seemed wrong.

  Greg had been outside when Matt had pulled the trigger. He never saw him with the gun under his chin.

  “What kind of dream is this?” Greg whispered to himself.

  A shadow passed over Matt’s face and his eyes flashed to as black as night.

  “Hello Gregory. We didn’t get as much time as I would have liked but don’t worry my son, it’s far from over. Enjoy this little time of peace you’re having because when I’m able I’m going to come for you and your girlfriend!” Matt cocked his head to an impossible angle and Greg could hear the bones grinding. “By the way, how’s your new girlfriend doing?”

  Greg closed his eyes, trying to urge his body to wake up. No luck. He opened his eyes and nearly jumped out of his skin.
Matt’s face was inches away from his, black eyes staring deeply into his. The skin of his face rippling as if some unseen force was moving underneath.

  “Will you tell little Joey hello for me next time you see him?”

  “Fuck you!”Greg shoved him forcefully and moved in with every intention of beating him to a pulp.

  The room started to dim as Matt pushed the gun firmly under his chin and his eyes reverted back to green. Greg halted mid-stride and took a step back.

  “He can’t get out as long as I’m still here. I’m doing my best to keep him trapped here,” Matt offered a weak smile and pulled the trigger.

  DJ had part of Greg’s shirt in his mouth and was tugging on it when Greg bolted upright in bed. He’d heard Greg moaning in his sleep and knew something was wrong. The pillow and part of the sheets were damp with sweat. Zoe’s back was to him and she continued sleeping.

  He put his head in his hands as he swung his legs out of bed. The clock read three thirty five. Still another four hours until he needed to wake up.

  “Lot of good you’re doing,” he said as he picked up the prescription bottle on his night stand. He tossed three into his mouth and took a swig from the half-filled water that he’d left next to his bed. His doctor told him two a night would do the trick but clearly that dosage wasn’t working.

  Flipping the pillow over, Greg got re-positioned and called for DJ to get back on the bed. He backed up and whined.

  “Come on bud,” he whispered, patting the sheets next to him.

  DJ was being stubborn and refused to listen, sitting down next to the bed, nudging Greg’s hand.

  “Suit yourself, I’m going back to bed.”

  Within a few minutes Greg was back asleep. DJ padded back and forth through the room, feeling that something was off but not able to pinpoint it. Sniffing the air didn’t reveal anything but he was hesitant to leave the room. Knowing the door was the only way in and out, he plopped down in entryway, so he would know if something left the room.