Vanquishing Ghosts (Tess Schafer-Medium) Page 11

  He turned about and looked at me and I think he was going to say something but just as he parted his lips to speak, the space behind him darkened, the obstruction distorting the view of the fireplace. Something in my expression must have alerted him, because he swung back around and threw up his hands just before he went hurtling across the room as if some sort of strong concentrated force had shoved him hard. He landed against the back of the couch and went toppling over it onto the floor.

  The unexpectedness of something like that happening and the sheer terror it evoked rendered me momentarily incapable of movement. But when Kade crashed to the floor, I was across the room in an instant, not even aware that I had done so until I was kneeling at his side.

  Kade sat up and gave his head a hard shake, his expression incredulous. "Jesus, Tess, what the hell just happened?"

  Before I could answer, a stench filled the room making us gag. It smelled like rotting flesh ... or what I imagined rotting flesh to smell like ... and it was unbearable. With our hands covering our mouths and noses, we both scrambled to our feet and hurried from the room. The need to breathe fresh air was critical and we headed straight for the front door but the darn thing slammed closed before we could reach it, narrowly missing Alex who managed, just barely, to scramble out of the way. Kade grabbed the knob and yanked hard. It didn't budge.

  Fear crawled through me inducing panic and increasing my anxiety. All were bad emotions to be having when a negative energy was around feeding off them. We needed to calm down and push the fear away but as the stench followed us into the hall and I felt it approaching, I wondered how in hell we were going to manage it. I was scared to death and mad at myself for feeling that way.

  The cat hissed loudly, let out a high-pitched screech and went tearing up the stairs, his heavy tread thumping loud on the steps. The dog went into full defense mode. He came around Kade and me and planted himself firmly in front of us, alternately whining and snarling, his body shivering uncontrollably. Even so, he wasn't going to back down.

  It was seeing Alex's bravery despite his fear that helped me get control of mine. Whatever that thing was we were dealing with, it couldn't hurt us, not if we properly protected ourselves. It may have caught us off guard this time but it wouldn't happen again.

  "I know you don't believe it, Kade, but imagine a light around us anyway. We need to cloak ourselves with some protective energy."

  "Done." Standing next to me, his body prepped for reaction, Kade kept his gaze firmly on the space in front of us.

  We could almost see it. Looking straight on, I saw nothing, but by relaxing my focus and looking just to the left of where Alex's gaze was focused, I could just about make out a pulsing, shifting shadow. Though it was more like the suggestion of a shadow than an actual dark mass.

  "I order you, in the name of God and through the power of the Holy Spirit, to leave us now." Taking a step forward my confidence grew as the fact sunk in that nothing more was happening. It might have chased us into the hall, it might be creating the stench (which wasn't quite as bad) and it might have managed to slam the door closed, but other than that initial attack against Kade, nothing more had happened. "I am not afraid of you and I will banish you from my home. In fact, I may send you straight to hell where you belong." It felt incredibly powerful to say those words and the last of my fear melted away. So did the thing before us.

  The stench dissipated, the front door clicked open and the room around us lightened up considerably. Alex relaxed his stance and plunked his butt down on the floor, his curly tail swishing happily. Obviously he was as relieved as we were. I knelt down before him and affectionately scratched his ears. He came to our defense and deserved to be rewarded for that.

  "So, not sure what that was all about." Kade went back into the living room and prowled every inch of it, picking his way carefully around all the boxes and furniture. Finally satisfied that it was really gone, he headed for the fireplace and stared at the spot where he first encountered the Big Bad as it seemed we were going to call it. "That ... thing ... shoved me across the room, Tess." He glanced over at me and I knew he was waiting for an explanation. He needed to understand how it was possible.

  I was afraid to disappoint him and yet this wasn't my area of expertise. I talked to spirits of people who had passed on and needed closure or guidance, I did not commune with evil entities bent on causing trouble. "His energy is really strong. Somehow or other, he managed to increase the strength of his presence while we were gone."

  "It's the same thing that managed to romp the bed around isn't it?"

  "Yes, I think so."

  "Do you still think it's a demon?"

  Sighing with frustration because I didn't have any answers and wished I did, I shrugged my shoulders. "It's a strong entity. If it's someone who passed, his energy is incredible. I'm not sure why this one is different than any of the other's I've encountered. I mean, his energy makes Big Red seem pretty mild and I thought he was strong."

  Nodding thoughtfully, Kade came back into the entry hall with me and picked up the bags he'd dropped. "Well, let's get these groceries put away and find that cat."

  Ten minutes later, we were at the bottom of the attic stairs staring at a glowing pair of green eyes that were reflecting the light from the sconce shining on the wall next to him. We were at a standoff and uncertain how to proceed. The cat sat crouched at the top of the stairs and whenever we made to approach it, he growled low in this throat. Not wanting to spook him any further than he already was, Kade and I then tried sweet talking. He wasn't buying it. Finally I turned and headed down the hall.

  "Where are you going?"

  "Tuna. What cat can resist a can of tuna?"

  "You are going to feed that cat a can of tuna fish? I told you we should have bought some cat food."

  "Yes, you did but as fat as that cat is, he must belong to someone. We can't keep him. Besides, regular old cat food is not going to lure him down. He needs some sort of pièce de résistance. Tuna it must be."

  And five minutes later, a plate of tuna sure enough tantalized the huge cat to slowly descend the stairs. He stopped every couple steps to determine our threat level and then, satisfied that our relaxed stance and gentle urging posed no reason for alarm, he finally made it to the floor and after giving us a warning hiss, started in on the tuna.

  I sat on the floor and inched my way toward him. He stopped a couple times to stare at me but then went back to his obvious enjoyment of our peace offering. He even began to purr while he ate. I finally got close enough to touch him and offered my hand for him to explore. He lifted his head and butted against my fingers. I scratched him lightly on the top of the head and then when he lifted his chin, I scratched him there as well. Finally he capitulated, flopping down on his belly and rolling over in pure ecstasy.

  "Looks like you've made a friend, Tess. Now what."

  Kade stayed back while I maneuvered my way to the cat and when it was clear that the fat little beast's fear level had dropped to zero, he came forward and cautiously offered it a few more scratches under the chin. The cat eyed him with a warning look then closed his eyes to better enjoy our ministrations.

  "We'll have to figure out who he belongs to," I said, surprised to find myself reluctant to do so.

  "Must be someone close. You don't have that many neighbors so it shouldn’t be hard to figure out where he belongs."

  "How about we take a walk after lunch to do just that?"

  "Lunch? It's nearly two in the afternoon."

  "Well, I'm starved. Aren't you?" We hadn't eaten since breakfast and that had been nothing more than a bagel.

  "We did munch down that bag of grapes on the way back from the supermarket. But, yes. I'm hungry." He stood and nodded toward the cat which was now stretched out on the carpet. He really was a huge cat. "What do we do with him?"

  "We'll leave him be. Once we figure out where he belongs, we'll take him home."

  "Sounds like a plan." Kade helped me to my
feet and pulled me into a hug. "It's been quite an exciting day. But I don't mind telling you, I sure hope we can figure out what that thing is we encountered in the living room and get rid of it. I don't relish the idea of getting tossed around by anyone but you."

  Smiling at the idea of me tossing him around, I went on tip toes to give him a kiss. "I'd never do that, Kade. But you're right, we do need to get rid of it."

  And we needed to do it soon. I had this very unsettling worry that the longer it stayed here, the stronger it would get. Especially if my ability was giving it what it needed to manifest. It's the only explanation I could come up with on why its paranormal activity was increasing.

  As we headed down the hall toward the stairs, I started making plans for tomorrow. Regardless of where we were with getting the house in order, we needed to find help. And we needed to do it without delay.

  Chapter 9

  We made BLT sandwiches for lunch and sat in the cozy breakfast nook tucked within a three-sided addition off the kitchen and facing the back yard. Tall windows took up most of the wall space on all three sides and it was almost like being outside. Sunlight filled the nook making it warm and bright. It was just what we needed after that dark chilling incident with the Big Bad.

  We sat in companionable silence but I knew Kade was actively thinking about what happened and trying to reason it all out. The problem with the spirit world is you can't reason it rationally within the context of what we understand of the physical world. Finally Kade voiced what was on his mind.

  "Can you explain at all how a spirit ... or demon if that's the case ... managed to shove me across a room?"

  "Can you tell me what it felt like when it happened?"

  Kade took a bite of his sandwich and chewed while giving my question some thought. After what turned out to be a very brief reflection, he swallowed his food, took a drink of his iced tea and said, "Well, I felt like a blast of air hit me square in the chest. But it didn't feel like it was a strong wind, just a concentrated mass of impenetrable air. It was really weird I can tell you that and it happened so fast, I wasn't sure until I hit the floor what happened."

  Belated though it was, I gave his leg a gentle sympathetic pat. "I should have asked sooner but, how are you? Did the fall hurt you in any way?"

  Kade covered my hand with his and gave it a squeeze, then continued to hold it while his thumb rubbed tantalizing circles on the underside of my wrist. That small action sent fluttery feelings racing through my blood. Honestly, I was quite ready to pull him along with me and head for the bedroom. Though Mike and I enjoyed a good sex life, I never felt with him like I was feeling with Kade. But then it might be that Mike's death made me more appreciative of what I now had going on with Kade.

  "What are you thinking about? You look so serious and thoughtful."

  "I'm trying to figure out how to answer your question. I'm not an expert on any of this stuff, Kade. Although I talk to the dead, they don't exactly explain all of the universe's mysteries to me. And before you ask..." This when I anticipated what he was about to say. "Sheila is a wonderful Spirit Guide but she only tells me what I need to know and often that puzzles me."

  "So what are your thoughts based on what you do know?"

  "The Big Bad as you aptly call it is obviously a very negative entity. Negative energy can be just as strong as positive energy but I don't think it can hold up in a face-off. I have to believe that positive wins over negative ... good over evil ... because if not, well, then we'd all be pretty much screwed. Besides, I believe that God creates everything and nothing can defeat God."

  "And yet, it seems the Big Bad is kicking our ass at the moment."

  "Because we need to know more than what we know right now. Knowledge is power, Kade. I'm sure you've heard that a time or to and it couldn't be more true."

  Kade nodded. "Okay. We need to identify this thing. You think having the house blessed by a Spiritualist pastor is going to do any good?"

  "It will strengthen the positive energy in this house. Obviously bad things happened here. That energy has been absorbed into the house. I want to neutralize that as much as possible."

  "Then we'll go first thing tomorrow." Once he saw that I was done with my lunch, he stood and pulled me along with him. "So, let's go for a walk, meet some of your neighbors and find out where that gray menace belongs."

  "He hasn't been menacing in the past hour."

  "Probably because the Big Bad sent him into hiding and he hasn't dared yet to put in an appearance. Something tells me that cat rules whatever roost he hails from. Good thing he isn't staying here or we'd become its slave."

  Laughing, I nudged his shoulder with mine and he made a big show of careening off into a wall. Smiling at his antics, I grabbed the dog's leash off a hook in the hallway and attached it to Alex's collar. He fought it at first and whimpered his displeasure. Figuring he must have bad memories involving leashes, Kade and I took time to calm his fear before opening the door and urging his cooperation to come along with us. Though unsure of the situation, Alex obediently began to walk with us. As we entered the wooded portion of the private drive, I looked at Kade curiously. "Do you not like cats?"

  He nodded at Alex who was trotting alongside him. "I prefer dogs but I don't hate them or anything. I just think dogs are more interesting. Cats have a mind of their own and they often get into mischief. Dogs, however, focus their attention on their human family and prefer interacting with them versus leading their own life and involving humans when they feel like it."

  "True enough. But I do think cats can be quite entertaining and loveable as well."

  "Sure they can. When it suits them. Dogs, though, are always ready to show love, offer support and participate in play at any given moment."

  "Hmm, well I'm not going to continue this discussion because I love both and it doesn't matter their talking points." As we progressed further into the dense growth of trees, the road was cast into heavy shade. With the loss of the sun's direct warmth, it was also quite a bit cooler. Shivering a little at the sudden chill, I buttoned my jacket and moved closer to Kade's warmth.

  Kade put an arm across my shoulders. "Cold?"

  "Just a bit chilled." And a bit disturbed by how silent the woods had become. Shouldn't we hear birds chirping and squirrels chattering and that sort of thing? It was an eerie, unsettling quiet.

  "Sure is quiet isn't it." Kade glanced around and came to a stop.

  "What?" The unease that was beginning to gather momentum within me was now making the hairs stand up on my arms. Alex pressed close to Kade's leg and started a low rumbling growl, his gaze focused towards the woods on our left. The trees were pretty thick in that direction, consisting mostly of fir and pine. All of which were at varying heights and making it difficult to see much of anything.

  "Something feels ... off." Kade nodded down at Alex. "He feels it too. What do you think? Is it the Big Bad chasing along after us?"

  "I don't know. I can't think why it would be in the house and out here. I always thought that entities concentrated their energy in one particular area."

  "But then you said that you aren't familiar with the type of haunting that's going on here."

  "No, I'm not." Thinking it best to call in some reinforcement, I immediately sent out a mental request for Sheila's presence. Because my connection with her was better when I focused my thoughts to that end, I blotted out everything around me and thought only of her and her loving force. It didn't take long for the familiar feeling of cobwebs to brush lightly across my face. Honestly, I took a lot of comfort in that signature sign of hers. "Sheila, can you tell me what is happening?"

  "At every turn, you find challenges to face. Fear not the valley of death."

  "The valley of death? That sounds rather ominous. What do you mean by it?"

  "Death is not the final end to your saga, Tess. Nor is it the end to anyone else's. We do not control one's destiny or what they choose to focus their energy on."

  "I know
that already. So what are you telling me?"

  "You can't change another's destiny or control their saga."

  "So am I doomed then to have the Big Bad in my life? There is nothing I can do to remove him from my home?"

  The very idea made me sick. There was no way I could live with that. And no way to sell my home once the truth of the situation was revealed. And I would reveal it. No way would I try to sell the house to anyone without warning them what they were up against. Short of finding an evil warlock who would like nothing more than to own a place that offered direct access to the underworld (my idea of Hell), there was just no way I'd get a buyer. And quite honestly, I wasn't sure if evil warlocks actually existed and if they did, I was pretty sure I wouldn't want to deal with them. Even if it was to sell them my house.

  "What's wrong, Tess?"

  "Just having an internal chat with Sheila."

  "What's she telling you that's making you look like someone just took your favorite things away from you?"

  "I'm not sure yet." He nodded in understanding and headed in the direction of Alex's intense attention. "Where are you going?"

  "Just going to check it out ... see if I can notice anything out of the ordinary." Although Alex went with him, he didn't look too pleased about the idea. He trotted behind with a dragging tail and lowered head. Just before they disappeared into the thicket of trees, Kade stopped to look at me. "Hopefully I won't be tossed out on my ass."

  "I'll join you in a minute." He gave me a wink then plunged into the trees, disappearing from sight almost immediately.

  "Is there no way to get rid of it, Sheila?"

  "If there is a way, you must find it."

  "Yes, I know. But is there anything to find?"

  "This you will learn through your search."

  "You are not being helpful."

  “I am here.”

  "Yes you are and I'm thankful. Can you at least help in protecting us?"

  "You don't need me for that, Tess."

  "Sometimes you really make me question the usefulness of Spirit Guides." But I thought those words with fondness for though frustrated with her answers, I was still comforted by her presence.