by David Falchi
«This word has such a general meaning that I wouldn’t know how to use it. If it helps you, you might call him a demon. As for me, I’m going to need a second inspection to narrow down the options».
«I’ll drive you tomorrow morning» offered Mr. Guidi, «at the crack of dawn».
I had another sip of whisky and then I enjoyed that burning sensation. I needed another glass of alcohol to face what I had in mind.
«If you trust me enough to leave me your car keys, I’ll go in half an hour».
Mr. Guidi suddenly paled. «You want to go back in that house... at night? »
«I don’t want to waste another minute. Besides, I’m not so sure that there might be a real difference between day and night for the presence that hide inside that walls. And if I’m wrong I’d better find that out now. It’s a war of information, Mr. Guidi. In this field, we can only find out as much as we can if we inspect the place in person, at least during this phase. Another thing, I’m going to need to know more about the property. Would you be so kind to ask your wife if she can draw a map of what she knows? »
«My wife? »
«Yes. Didn’t you tell me that the property belonged to her grandfather? »
He put a hand on the back of his neck and said «Yes. This is correct».
«All right. I want to know everything that she can remember about her ancestor. If we can’t still find a link between his death and the creature that we’ve met, it can only mean two things: either that being has always been inside the house, or it had just entered the house. If the first case is true we need to find out why the presence is here; if the second one is true we need to identify who let it in. Are you following me? »
«I’m not sure. It all seem so weird. You’re saying that someone might have let the monster in? But to what purpose? »
I sighed. «Experience taught me that men tend to worship higher beings. And when they fear these phenomena, then their idolatry easily becomes fanaticism. Sometimes, people like these are way more dangerous than the spirits that they worship. Anyway, I don’t have time to tell you all about my on- field experience. If you give me the keys, I’ll tell you more when I get back. It’ll take me a few hours. Maybe three».
He hesitated. I realized the man wasn’t that happy about letting me use one of his belongings. He was pretty attached to his material conquests. I think I almost heard him calculating the costs and the benefits of his choices. On the one hand he wanted me to go back to the property that he had just inherited, on the other hand he didn’t want to come with me. The fear was too strong. In the end, letting me use his car for a few hours seemed like the lesser evil. He put a hand in his pocket and he left the keys on the table. «Trust me, I am not happy about it either», I said, with the hint of a smile, «and I’d rather have someone join me; however, I don’t want to drag other people into this thing. At least until I know more about it».
«All right» concluded Mr. Guidi. «I’ll keep my phone on while I talk to Cristina. Call me, if you need anything. In the meantime, I’ll try to retrieve that information. Okay? »
I nodded, and I then I stood up. Despite the alcohol that I drank I could still think straight: the situation was under control.
Every time I dealt with the occult, my first reaction was fear, but the second one was of pure skepticism. It was as if I was in a dream. That time, the situation wasn’t that different. The creature made of flesh and blood that looked at me from the upper floor might have been a figment of my troubled mind.
Defense mechanisms of the human mind never stopped to impress me.
I picked up the suitcase and I headed out. The woman at the reception, who was probably in her fifties, and who had blond dyed hair and a light make up, greeted me with a head nod.
The look on her face made me realize that she was aware of what I did for a living. Usually people who met me had two different reactions: some of them saw me like a crook and so they treated me with hostility, as for the rest, they were all freaked out of what I represented. This woman probably belonged to the second category.
Mr. Guidi escorted me to the vehicle. He followed every movement that I made: when I got into the car and when I placed the suitcase on the floor by the passenger side.
Seeing him so worried amused me. «I don’t like driving but I know how to do it. Don’t worry, when I’m back your car will still be intact».
He stepped aside, allowing me to get out of the hotel’s parking lot. I needed to pick up Lerner’s mirror but I forced myself to wait until I had arrived to the house. Now it was time to hear my assistant’s opinion. I could have never got inside the mountain house without a brief consultation with him.
* * *
I stopped the car in front of the gate, and I noticed with regret that the shadows were lengthening. The sunshine was getting weaker and soon the sun would have set. In less than an hour the twilight and then the night would have replaced the day. I knew that imagination was conditioning me right now, still I didn’t like the idea of going inside when it was dark outside.
I extracted the mirror from the suitcase and I immediately saw Lerner’s reflection, who was sitting in the backseat. His hair was down and his face was full of scars, and judging by the look on his face he seemed pretty annoyed.
«Forgive me», I started off, «I should have put you in the box and I should have used the piece of fabric to protect you but I was in a hurry».
«Don’t worry. I’m not mad about that; in fact, I think you did right to cut and run. I just don’t understand why we are still here. After what you just experienced you should have spent some time alone, maybe meditate for a little while and let the forces of the universe talk to you. Why all this rush? »
He seemed truly concerned. He put his false formalities aside and he started to speak plainly.
Of course, his first concern was his life, while mine, on a scale of importance, came immediately afterwards.
«What scared you so much? »
«I wouldn’t say that I was scared», he replied while he sprawled on the seatback. Looking into the mirror, I could see the way he perceived the world, and to him everything inside the car was rusty; there was mold everywhere, and all the plastic surfaces had turned black.
«But if you want to be the cause of your own destruction only because you’ve been caught up in a frenzy... well, it’s my duty to intervene. What’s up with this rush? »
He was right and I couldn’t deny it. « I have no clue about what we’re up against. And I don’t like to face the unknown. The sooner we find out the cause of this phenomenon, the sooner I’ll be calm».
«You might have become good at your job but now you are getting ahead of yourself. I’d like to remind you that when this whole thing started you were very meticulous and tended to calculate every move.
Some time ago, you would have never approached an unknown phenomenon without an attentive study of it. While now, you only seem to see it like a regular problem that needs to be eliminated in the quickest way. You are aging, Master».
There was some truth in his words but I didn’t want to waste time hearing a reprimand from a guy who died at least half a century ago. «You may be right. But now I need to know your opinion. What did you feel while we were inside? »
«Something that we never felt. I’m not sure that the presence has ever been alive. And this is why my suggestion is to get the hell out of here. If I’m right, when our customer entered the house, that being didn’t use the same tactic that it used with us: it didn’t attack him right away».
«But what’s may be the reason of its behavior? »
«The reason is that we are probably dealing with a conscious being that immediately saw us as a threat. It must have realized who we were and what we wanted to do. It would have torn us to pieces if you hadn’t used protections. You know that, right? »
I was aware of that, and there was nothing that I could do about it. I had already accepted the case and I had never quit a job oppor
tunity before. Except when I hadn’t been dealing with paranormal activities. The danger that I just experienced didn’t scare me at all. What scared me was what I felt inside the mansion. A part of me was pushing me to go back and question Mrs. Guidi about house’s past; maybe she would have given me more information about the place. While another part of me couldn’t just resist the thrill of discovery. I had never fought against anything like that and the craving to study and then defeat it was stronger than any other fear. That was the reason why I became who I am. That was the reason why I ended up living in the darkness. What Lerner just said was wrong: the hunger for new discoveries and their studies never stopped.
«This time I’ll use more protections», I declared. «I got everything I need for a protection spell. It’ll only take five minutes»
Lerner looked at me through the mirror. «I think I have a bad influence on you. You were still a person when you took me with you. You might have been a little grumpy but at least before, you used to spend some time by yourself without constantly thinking about your job. Now, your occupation has become an obsession. The only sentient being that you talk to is me. And I’m dead. I’m really worried, Master».
I looked away and I grabbed the suitcase, trying to gather my thoughts. The ritual that I had in mind would have cloaked me from all kind of incorporeal being.
Inside the dark mountain house, I would have blended with the darkness. I had to hurry and get out of the car, otherwise the last sunrays would have revealed my camouflage. To protect me I would have performed a second spell. I was going to create an untouchable barrier all around me that would have shielded me from any mental influence attempt.
Lerner used to call it the “anti-matter” but that wasn’t the exact meaning of the term that I had found in the ancient manuscript that contained the spell that I’d learnt. I extracted the ebony crown and I placed it on my head. I suddenly felt calmer, as if the spirits that it contained were surrounding my mind with an unsurmountable fortress. Now I only needed to nourish them.
«Are you even listening to me? You said you wanted to hear my opinion and so I’m telling you what I think. There’s a very good chance that the monster had sensed us and that it might be waiting for us».
«This is exactly why I’m doing this», I replied. «But please, feel free to tell me your point of view. I’m listening. Although, up until now, you haven’t told me anything new».
«Au contraire, that’s where you’re wrong. I’m telling you that this place is dangerous. You shouldn’t go inside. Do you remember that time when you had that boy precede us? I think that we should let history repeat itself».
I grabbed an impeccable copy of the parchment that contained the spell. «The circumstances are quite different. First of all, the boy, as you call him, was a murderer. Secondly, we already knew what we were up against. And we needed a bait. Now what would be the purpose of it? According to the information that we’ve gathered the entity reaction changes according to the people who get inside the house».
«Don’t you think that maybe the creature might change its behavior even before the same person? »
«Of course I did», I replied. « One more reason to give it another try and find out more about the case».
«You should remember, though, that the protection measures that you brag so much about only work on you. The spirits won’t protect me. I’m asking you to leave me here, where I’m safe».
I moved my eyes away from the parchment and I looked at my assistant. «So you are afraid that you’ve found someone stronger than you and that he may devour you? »
«Can you prove me wrong? », he replied. «I’ll be annoyed. Especially now that I’m one step away from being free».
«Unfortunately, I cannot afford to share your impressions. But if you wish to retire you can always help me find a new assistant for the next case. What do you think? »
«You’re such a douche, Kiesel. It’ll eat both me and the mirror in one bite, and then you’ll no longer have an assistant. Did you hear me, Kiesel? You’ll be alone. And not even the dead would want to keep you company».
I ignored him and I put him back in his box. The ebony crown was already working, and it was shielding Lerner’s hysterical screams. Maybe it was true, I was losing my humanity and there was nothing that I could do about it. I had a job to do and I couldn’t afford to lose myself in useless sentimentalisms. And now that I’ve come to terms with the fact that I had to go back inside the house, feeling fear was now pointless, therefore I might as well get rid of it.
* * *
I hastened to get to the porch, leaving the gate open behind me. I left the suitcase inside the car. I only needed a camera - which I had secured around my neck - Lerner’s mirror - which I’d stored in my pocket - and lastly, my eyes. I felt protected. The spirits inside the ebony crown were projecting images of peace and quiet in my mind. It was the right spell and I’d spelled it correctly.
I moved the flashlight in my left hand and I grabbed the handle. I did not remember closing the door on my way out of the house. Apparently, my enemy wanted to be left alone. I opened the door and I set a foot inside the property. Once again, I was welcomed by silence, even though this time it felt different from my first inspection. Now, I felt like I truly was in abandoned and empty house. First, I headed toward the stairs where I had lost my gun. I thought it might have come in handy, and there was no way that I was going to leave it down there.
The temptation to explore the house high and low was huge. However, the best thing to do now was to move one step at a time. Besides, if the revolver had fallen down the stairs, venturing down there would have given me the opportunity to examine the basement, or whatever room that was down there. For a moment, I thought I heard my assistant’s reproach: I should have asked the owners for a house plan. Maybe what he said was true: I was losing control of my job. Maybe I really was too tired and that might have been the reason why I couldn’t stop myself. Well, I certainly wasn’t going to stop in that precise moment. I quickly headed toward the stairs where only a few hours ago those supernatural screams almost caused my head to blow out. Now everything shrouded in the shabby abode’s silence. There was no sign of the entity who threatened me.
Once I’d retrieved the weapon I would have gone upstairs. When I came across that being I realized that it looked quite corporeal, therefore there was a chance that the bullets might hurt it.
The entity had proven to be hostile, so I might as well fire back. I pointed the light toward the stairs, noticing that there was no sign of dust. Mrs. Guidi must have cleaned the place scrupulously when she and his husband had entered the house. I wondered if maybe they had touched something that was supposed to be left in peace. It was just a hypothesis that up until now I hadn’t considered but that it could have been plausible. With a wrong gesture they might have triggered a curse that could have been temporarily dormant. Or maybe they had simply smashed the object that contained it. I should have added it to the list of things to ask to the couple once I’d gotten back to the hotel.
I walked down the first stairs, and I heard the echo that my steps produced between the surrounding walls. The flashlight illuminated a short floor made of wood that ended right in front of a door that had been left open. Beyond that, the floor was now made of concrete. I ventured in that direction, starting to feel an unpleasant sensation at the base of the skull. The gun didn’t bounce that many time and I should have seen it by now. I illuminated different floor portions but I didn’t notice anything: there was nothing on it.
I passed the threshold and I quickly looked around me. There was no one there, and at least that was good news. To make up for it the revolver had gone missing. In front of me there was a shelf with different kind of items. I supposed that the cleaning job must have stopped right there, because the basement was covered in dust. An old refrigerator was resting next to a semi-rusted sink. On the opposite side of the room there was a stack of firewood. Originally, the place must h
ave been quite well-kept because there wasn’t a single trace of organic waste on the floor.
I doubted that someone had taken the gun. No one could have entered that house without being attacked by the entity who had taken possession of it.
Hence, there was only one chance left: the same creature that had attacked me must have decided to take the weapon and use it against the human intruders.
I quickly turned back toward the stairs and I took the mirror. I was so nervous that I started to sweat. I was protected, and that might have been the true, but I didn’t like the idea that I could be the target of my own bullets.
«What’s wrong, Master? »
Lerner’s words seemed to be far away, in fact his words were being shielded by the spirits inside the ebony crown that were protecting me.
I need you to search the room, I answered. Try to keep your imagination for yourself, and see if there’s any trace of my revolver.
In Lerner’s world the basement was a universe full of rusty tools, filthy rags, and absurd springs that came out of the walls, together with sharpened nails.
In the reflection he was the one who was holding the flashlight in his hands, illuminating every corner of the room. He seemed to have understood that wasn’t the right time to joke. We were both in danger.
«Of one thing I’m sure. It’s not here. In the cabinet there’s a poker covered by a piece of fabric, and something that look like a pair of grass shears. There’s even a hatchet buried under the wood but nothing that look like your weapon. Now, do you finally agree with me? Let’s get the hell out of here».
A part of me really wanted to do it. That case was getting more dangerous than I expected and pulling myself out of it was definitely the best option. But running away in that moment would have just stopped a flow.
And how do you intend to solve this whole situation?
Lerner stopped his research and looked at me. «With a bulldozer! Burn this place to the ground. Then, bless it and if it’s that so important to you build it from scratch. Do you agree? »
