by Apryl Baker
Chapter Twenty-Six
It’s behind me, so I can’t see it, but I can smell it. Hands are around my throat squeezing, cutting off my air. A dark sticky substance drips down my shirt. Black goo. So gross. The goo creeps up my neck and into my mouth, choking me. I did not survive Jonas to die at the hands of this freaking cesspool! I struggle to move, to fight, but I’m frozen. Whatever abilities this thing has, it’s stronger than I am.
Eli is the first to reach me. Before his glowing blade can slash the demon, it disappears and I fall, spitting out mouthfuls of nasty black slime. Eli catches me before my knees hit the ground. Pausing only long enough to make sure I’m breathing, he whirls back around, looking for the creature.
Dan, Caleb, and Mr. Malone spread out, looking as well. The stench of sulphur is still strong, so I know it’s here. We all do, but where?
I see it before anyone else. The thing is right behind Dan and looking at me. It jerks twice, its face almost a mask of glee. Black goo oozes out of its feet and twines around Dan’s ankles, causing him to fall. Hands wrap around his shoulders, the black slime snaking out and covering him. I’m up before even I realize it and sprinting towards him.
His eyes tell me to stay back, to stay safe, but not a chance.
Rage settles into a deathly calm and on the edge of my vision, I see that same white light I saw on the porch earlier when the demon attacked us. Whatever abilities I have, I use my ghost senses to reach out, drawing on the energy of the ghosts native to the area. The ones trapped here in the house are gone, but not the ghosts around us. We are in the City of The Dead, after all. The cold rushes in, settles into me and I smile at the demon. It wails in frustrated anger.
The white light begins to coalesce into a shiny bright ball, like a baseball. I imagine it settling into my hands. The cold surrounding that light burns hotter than anything I’ve ever felt. It singes my hands, but I hold on, refusing to let the pain deter me from saving Dan.
Black goo wraps itself around him, squeezing, and I can see the panic in his eyes. He’s terrified and it fuels my own panic. He can’t die. I won’t let him die. Dan cannot leave me. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He’s my best friend and I can’t lose him, not after having lost everything else in my life. I won’t lose him.
My only thought is to save Dan. The energy ball pulses hotter in my hand and I scream from the pain. I can hear the Malones shouting in the background, but I pay them no mind. My only focus is Dan and the demon. I pull my hand back and throw the light at the thing, willing it to strike the demon in the head. Much to my shock, it flies true and lands with a sickening thud against the wet ooze dripping out of every orifice of the creature. The ball engulfs the demon, trapping it, before it explodes into blinding white light all around the demon. Dan is thrown back from the flames now surrounding the thing behind him.
It screams and writhes, but can’t escape the fire engulfing it. It only takes a few seconds for it to die in the flames, but it feels like hours to me.
Dan stands up and stares from the ashes to me and then back. His face is full of awe and a little fear. Then again, he’s always been slightly terrified of me, I think. It’s a wonder he’s stuck around this long.
My vision blurs again and I shake my head, suddenly so tired. I don’t know what I just did, but whatever it was, it zapped all the energy I had. I sway on my feet and feel Eli catch me again.
Those gorgeous aqua eyes stare into my hazel ones. They are full of fear not of me, but for me. He should know by now it takes more than a few ghosts and a demon to kill me.
“You found me,” I whisper, my voice much hoarser than before. I hadn’t expected them to find me so soon.
“Haven’t you figured out by now, Hilda, I’ll always find you?”
“Don’t…call me…Hilda.” I glare or try to glare at him. The room is getting so much darker. The last thing I hear is the sound of his laugh before I finally give in to the soft, soothing blanket of unconsciousness.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I wake up to the oh so familiar sound of medical equipment bleeping at me. I know without opening my eyes I landed in the hospital yet again. My entire body aches, but then, I did get thrown against the wall several times by Jonas. My head is killing me, too. I’m fairly certain that if I open my eyes, my poor head will hurt worse. Most people forget to turn down the lights when there’s a head injury involved. Instead of opening my eyes, I crack open one, just a bit. Much to my surprise, the room is muted. There is a light on, but it’s coming from the bathroom. I open my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the soft light in the room. It still hurts, but not nearly as much as I expected.
“You’re awake.”
I turn my head carefully and see Eli sitting on the right side of my bed. A quick check confirms Dan is asleep in a chair on the other side.
“Hey,” I murmur. My voice is a little scratchy, but it’s to be expected after almost getting choked to death…again.
“How are you feeling?” he asks.
“Like I just got ran over by a demon?”
Eli chuckles. “We were all worried about you.”
“Takes more than a ghost and a demon to take me out.”
“Yeah, I think you may be right. Do you remember everything that happened?”
I nod. Hard to forget a homicidal ghost who wanted to eat you. “You guys showed up faster than I expected. You find me on Doc’s cameras?”
Eli shakes his head and he frowns. “I looked up and you were gone. I ran after you. Not sure how I knew where you were, I just did.”
“You’re pretty good at finding me,” I say. Maybe he saw what I did? Not a snowball’s chance am I telling him about that glowing energy rope that bound us together. Probably always will. I’m not sure I’m ready to face what that chain means. I just met him and he aggravates me more than anyone I’ve ever met, but at the same time, I have this soft spot for him. I need time to think about this.
“Yeah, it’s weird.” He laughs, his aqua eyes showing his confusion. “I just know where you are, especially when you’re in trouble.”
“Weird,” I agree.
He just stares at me and I start to fidget. His lips quirk in a half smile and his eyes turn darker, more intense. I can feel the blush creep up my neck and bloom onto my cheeks. I’m not a blusher, but this boy can make me redder than a cherry. I’m so flustered, I want to snarl at him.
“Hey, Eli…Mattie you’re awake!”
We both turn our head to see Caleb come into the room. He looks so relieved.
“Hi.” I smile at him. Caleb reminds me so much of a big brother. It makes me wonder if I have a brother.
“You okay, kid?” he asks and I nod. “Good, we have to get going and I didn’t want to drag Eli out of here while you were still out, but we gotta go.”
“You guys off to chase another ghost?” I ask them.
“Nope.” Eli grins at me. “We’re going to Charlotte.”
“What?”
“Dad figures we need to get to know our new brother and we should have a home base so Benny can go to school on a regular basis.”
Charlotte? He’s coming to Charlotte? I thought I’d have time to think, to figure things out, to come to grips with some stuff…but if he’s coming to Charlotte…
“Don’t look so happy about it.” Eli laughs at my panicked look. “We can explore this sick stomach of yours some more…” He laughs out loud at my mortified expression.
“Eli,” Caleb warns, but there’s a grin lurking. “She’s recovering from a concussion. Leave the kid alone.”
“Okay.” He chuckles and then leans in to give me a chaste kiss on the cheek. “See you in Charlotte, Hilda.”
“Don’t call me Hilda!” I try to shout after him, but it comes out more a strangled whisper. He and Caleb are laughing as they head out the door. I’m so gonna beat that boy black and blue.
“You really like him, don’t you?”
My head whips around to see Dan star
ing at me, his puppy dog eyes wounded. I wince at the pain that tears through my head. Shouldn’t have moved so fast.
“You really like Meg, don’t you?” I counter. We both wince at the truth of it.
“Look, Squirt, I really didn’t mean to hurt you the way I did. I was trying to protect you and it all got mixed up and I…”
“I forgive you, Officer Dan,” I tell him. “Just don’t ever lie to me again.”
“I swear to you, Mattie, I won’t. No matter what, I’ll never lie to you again.”
“Even by omission of the truth,” I warn him.
“I swear.”
“What time is your flight?” I ask him. “Did you have to change it for later today? I know you were supposed to fly out this morning but…”
“Mattie, you’ve been out for two days.”
“But your mom—”
“Can wait,” he halts me mid-sentence. “I told you I’d never leave you, Squirt, and I won’t, no matter how hard you try to push me away. Mom’s fine. She’s got my brother and Dad. You didn’t have anyone but me.”
I have Eli. The thought flits through my head and I feel like I’m betraying Officer Dan in some way, but I know that’s not true. I do have Eli. I’m just not sure what to do with him or even if I want him yet.
“Well, I’m awake now,” I tell him. “You need to be with your family right now.”
“You are my family, Mattie.” He smiles, his face tired and worn. “No matter what, me and you, kid, we’re always family.”
“Agreed, Angel Boy.” I laugh at his grimace then ask a serious question. “Do you regret meeting me, Dan? Until you walked into my hospital room, you had no idea about ghosts. Now you have them to deal with, demons, and your mom is in trouble because of me…”
“Stop right there,” he tells me and sits up. “What my mother did was awful and that’s why she’s in jail right now. Not because of you. You did nothing wrong, Squirt. Don’t think for a minute you did. And no, I don’t regret meeting you. You’re my best friend, Mattie, and I honestly don’t know what I’d do if you really did cut me out. I went a little nuts when you ran from me. I knew Meg and I would make you mad, but I didn’t think for a second it would hurt you like it did. When I saw your face that day…” He runs a nervous hand through his hair. “I could never regret you, Mattie.”
Why does he have to do this? Say things like this? It’s so confusing. One thing he and I agree on though, is that we are best friends. I can do that.
“Just don’t expect me to be nice to Meg,” I tell him. “If I see her, I might hit her.”
“She won’t like it. She thinks you’ll get over it because you’re friends.”
“Yeah, no,” I say. “Not gonna happen, Officer Dan.”
He nods, accepting that and then laughs when I yawn. “As soon as the doctor says you can go home, I’ll book us a flight to Charlotte.”
“What do you think about the Malones moving to Charlotte?” I ask hesitantly.
He shrugs. “I guess we’ll just take it one day at time. Get some sleep, Squirt. I’m gonna go call Dad and let him know you’re awake. He’s been blowing up my phone all day worried about you.”
“Tell Mr. R. I said hi,” I tell him as he stands up and walks out into the hallway, leaving me alone.
I really am tired. Why is it when you’re in the hospital, you sleep? Your body just seems to want to rest. I think it’s partly psychological, partly because you need to. I’m always up for a good nap, especially after having been knocked around by a ghost.
“Alone at last.”
What the…I look to see the painter standing in the doorway to the bathroom. I frown. The room isn’t cold, it should be cold. He’s a ghost and ghosts generate cold.
“I’m not a ghost.” He laughs and takes the seat Dan just vacated.
“Then what are you?” I demand.
He only smiles at me. “I’m here to give you a gift, Emma Rose, free and clear.”
“A gift?” I ask, confused. “Why?
“Because you have pleased me so much, my beautiful girl. You’ll never understand the things that had to be set into place to ensure your birth and I couldn’t be more excited over the results.”
“I don’t understand…what are you talking about?”
He ignores me as usual and leans forward to grasp my hands. “This should have never happened. Your art is a gift, Emma Rose, and to be denied that gift is by far the worst tragedy to have befallen you.”
My hands begin to grow warm and a white hot pain sears them. I yank them out of his and curl them protectively against my chest. “Are you trying to make sure I never draw again?”
“No, Emma. I’m only finishing what you started. When you saved your young friend, you used a part of your soul to do it. While you held it in your hands, it tried to heal them, but you were so focused on killing the demon, you ignored it. I only finished it.”
I pull my hands away from my chest and slowly unwrap the left one. My mouth drops open. All the scars are gone and they look as normal as they once did. I wiggle my fingers and there is no pain. Even the pins don’t hurt…wait. I run my fingers over my hand and the pins are gone…just gone.
“How?” I whisper.
“You’ll learn how to do that yourself soon,” he smiles. “Now I must be going. You have to sleep and I have other business to attend to. I am out of paint and need to stock up.”
I swallow. I know what his paint is. It’s blood. He’s going hunting another victim.
“Good-bye, Emma. I’ll see you soon.”
“Wait!” I shout, causing him to pause. “You never told me your name.”
“It’s Silas.”
He drops that bomb-shell and then he up and just freaking poofs out of existence.
I start to hyperventilate.
Silas.
Ohmygod. A demon helped me. Why?
He knows who I am and he said he’d see me soon.
My monitors start to go a little crazy as my blood pressure spikes and my breathing becomes a little labored.
The nurse rushes in and I can’t calm down. She shoots something into my IV. My vision starts to blur and darkness creeps into the edges of my vision and I only have one thought before I fall into that dark oblivion of sleep.
Silas.
Acknowledgements
Well, let’s see…so many people need a thank you.
First and foremost, my fans deserve a huge shout out. You guys give me so much encouragement every single day and I love you all more than you know.
Mags, you’re a doll. Without your help, my work would be riddled with so many errors. You never fail to jump in and help. What would I do without you?
Susan, Ang, and Sheree…you are always there when I need you.
To all the wonderful people at Limitless Publishing, you rock. You always look out for me and are there to help no matter what I need. The authors there have a support network unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I’m so grateful to have gotten to know many of you.
To my agent, Ricia Mainhardt, for believing in me when so many others didn’t.
My family – I don’t know how you put up with me when I’m in the zone. Just please remember to shove a sandwich at me once in a while.
Thank you all for everything you have done and put up with from me.
About the Author
So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.
Growing up in a small town, I learned a lot of values and morals, I also learned parents have spies everywhere and there's always someone to tell your mama you
were seen kissing a particular boy on a particular day just a little too long. So when you get grounded, what is there left to do? Read! My Aunt Jo gave me my first real romance novel. It was a romance titled "Lord Margrave's Deception." I remember it fondly. But I also learned I had a deep and abiding love of mysteries and anything paranormal. As I grew up, I started to write just that and would entertain my friends with stories featuring them as main characters.
Now, I live Huntersville, NC where I entertain my niece and nephew and watch the cats get teased by the birds and laugh myself silly when they swoop down and then dive back up just out of reach. The cats start yelling something fierce...lol.
I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/authorAprylBaker
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/AprylBaker
Website:
http://mycrazzycorner.blogspot.com/
Goodreads:
www.goodreads.com/author/show/5173683.Apryl_Baker
Wattpad:
www.wattpad.com/user/AprylBaker7
Linked In:
www.linkedin.com/pub/april-baker/44/6b9/3a4
