Once the group had separated, the warmth and cozy home atmosphere had disappeared. The coldness of the second dining room felt like prickles of ice thorns as the AC from the vents blew loudly. It was strange to me that the family would have their AC turned on in the middle of Fall. Finding the thermostat next to the antique china plates, I read the temperature. It was set exactly at 66 degrees- you have got to be joking. I turned to Fred gesturing to the numbers and his demonic cliche love for the number 6.
"Okay now your just stereotyping demons..." Fred rolled his red eyes as he sat on the wooden table with his shadowy legs swinging.
"Then you need to talk to Hollywood." I shrugged not caring how demons or soul eaters were portrayed in society. It's not like they don't deserve it.
"Exactly! I think we should head there now and give them a piece of our mind!" Fred pushed himself off the table as if he was ready to leave and chant down the streets.
"Nice try. We're not leaving" I said matter of factly even though I wanted to get the hell out of this house as well. Fred let out an exasperated groan that echoed in the halls.
"Shhh" I tried to shush him with a finger to my lips.
He tilted his head slightly confused. "Why are you shushing me? You think we’re going to scare the ghost?"
“No. I mean, I don't know... " I said with uncertainty. I have no clue what to expect from ghost hunting. The only expertise I had was watching Ghost buster or following Zak Bagans from Paranormal investigators-as if that guy had actually encountered a spirit. "What if we scare it off with all the noise you're making.”
“Trust me. This spirit is not the type to get scared off easily. As you can see Casper is still haunting this joint.” Fred said with an obvious tone in his voice. He appeared to be irritated, his arms crossed against his black ghostly chest. He clearly wasn't adjusting to his vessel.
"Don't have to be sassy about it." I muttered not wanting to push my luck with him.
Finding nothing in the dining room, Fred and I wandered to what appeared to be the theater room. It had six reclined lazy boy chairs with a massive screen. They had their very own concessions with a popcorn and soda station on the side of the room. What the hell does her parents do for a living?
An abrupt slush sound made me jump, causing an embarrassing yelp escape my lips. My body involuntarily turned quickly, ready to run out the room, until I found Fred messing with the ice machine. Fred shook his shadowed head with disappointment.
"I can't believe I made a contract with you."
"You had options." I gritted. I absolutely hated feeling jumpy. It was nerve wrecking not knowing what to expect. The school just threw us into an assignment without teaching us the basic principle on how to exorcise a spirit. Instead, they send us an obnoxious lazy upper class student who is acting too good to be here. I don't even remember if the jackass even walked in with us!
As minutes passed by, I was growing bored with touring the house, not finding any Paranormal activity occurring. Fred was worse than I was. In the beginning, he would try to scare me by dropping vases or frames from the counters- hopefully the school has property damage insurance because there is no way in hell I'm paying for it. Once I figured out his pattern, I didn't give him the same reaction he wanted. So now I was dealing with a sulking and moping toddler dragging his spirit feet across the long rug.
"C'mon Fred, let's just find Casper." I begged. I tried every way possible to convince Fred to help me find the spirit but he avert his attention to something else.
"Is this spirit stronger than you?" I finally said not thinking I would have to use this childish tactic- but this was Fred we are talking about and his behavior is like any spoiled rotten child.
"Excuse me."
"I mean, you have been obviously avoid-
"I'M NOT AVOIDING SHIT!"
"If you say so..."I said my voice lingered with subtle uncertainty in my voice causing Fred to grow even angrier.
"THIS SPIRIT IS NEVER GOING TO CROSS OUR PATH!" Fred shouted with frustration.
"And why is that?" I said stopping at my tracks and turning to face a boiling shadow.
"Because Casper knows better to be around a Soul eater! Why do you think we haven't seen or heard anything!"
Fred was right. Nothing has happened since we walked inside, but another feeling has been bothering me. The quiet and stillness of the house was not sitting well with me. I haven't heard from the other group members for almost an hour. It's strange that I haven't ran into them at all since we separated. The house was huge but it wasn't a mansion. The spaciousness of the house made every step I made echo, so why couldn't I hear the others.
"Fred, where are the others?"
"Hmm..."
"Fred!" I shouted with panic and frustration as his dark red eyes shifted from the conversation.
"I will leave you in the ring forever if you don't start talking!" I threatened promising every word if anything happened to them. Fred wasn't speaking and I was ready to make do with my promise until a dark shadow swirled around my feet. I stepped back until the shadow morphed into a black cat with beaming yellow eyes.
"Midnight?" I breathed, shocked to find the cat anywhere near me. He shouldn't be here at all! My heart began sinking ever so quickly. Something was definitely wrong.
"Where's Jenna?" I asked desperately in which Midnight responded with a long meow, turning its body away and quickly running as if I shouldn't waste time.
"Finally lunch... I always loved fast food" Fred sniffed deeply with a gruesome smile spread across his face, watching Midnight pick up the pace down the hallway.
"You will not eat Jenna's spirit guide or any living human soul. You got that!" I seethed as I ran after Midnight.
"Of course."
Midnight's pace had finally slowed down as we stopped at a small door way that appeared to lead to an underground basement. Why does all hauntings have to be in the basement, I felt myself inwardly groan. Midnight meowed again indicating for me to hurry my ass up and open the door.
Taking a deep breath I twisted the door knob, feeling a chill run down my spine. The room was incredibly dark and cold that my breath was almost visible. Casper please be a friendly ghost I thought as I made my way down the creaky steps.
After the third step down, a scream exploded almost causing me to tumble down the steps. I pushed myself to hurry down despite every instinct in my body telling to turn back around. Unfortunately what I found was not Casper the friendly ghost.
The figure had a sunken face and eyes blackened out. His mouth was ajar holding Jenna from the collar of her jacket. She struggled to push herself away from the ghost but appeared too weak to do anything. The spirit's jaw hanged almost to his chest, staring at me with a blank expression. Midnight hissed loudly at the ghost, nudging me to do something. I looked around hoping to find anyone to back me up besides Fred who was leaning on the stair rail, pretending to file his nonexistent nails.
Sammy and Jerald were huddled in separate corners of the basement, afraid to be spotted. Why the fuck weren't they doing anything? All this talk about having the best spirit guide was a lie. When the moment came to show how great they were, they crumbled.
"Sammy get Margaret and do something!" I shouted at her hoping to get any help from anyone at this point. Her eyes widen in fear shaking her head as if she could huddle herself closer to the corner as much as her body would let her. I turned to Jerald who was even worse than she was.
"Fred please save Jenna." I pleaded knowing full well that Fred was anything but a hero. He tapped his chin contemplating on my plea.
"The only way I can do anything is if I switch forms, but you said you were too afraid to see it. " Fred sighed.
He knew how much I hated his original form but I also didn't want to reveal him. In his current form he appears like a weak spirit compared to everyone else and he knows it.
"B-but I don't want to see it" I felt myself stuttering trying to get a grip of my emotions. Jenna was going to die if I don't figure out a plan. This spirit wasn't normal. He wasn't like Fred but he is definitely not a low spirit that was portrayed by the teacher.
"You don't have to see anything, all I ask is to switch forms and... maybe have a snack." Fred added with a devilish grin.
"I'm not letting you eat human souls!" I shot back angrily causing Fred to lift his ghostly hands up, pretending to come in peace.
"Hey you said no living human souls, and Casper over there is dead. The way this is turning, Jenna may be Casper's new girlfriend if we don't hurry up and make a decision."
Fred was right again and I fucken hated it. Jenna was growing weaker and she wasn't even fighting back anymore.
"Fuck!" I cursed loudly feeling the stress piling as the time began to tick. "Fine but you are not eating any living human souls and stay away from Midnight! You will absolutely not eat Jenna's spirit guide!" I ordered glaring at Fred who smile grew wider with his jaw like teeth.
"I would never. " Fred said his smile never disappearing, instead his body twisted and grew. I wanted to turn away but I didn't want to find Jenna hurt in the process or worse finding Fred breaking his promise.
Fred extended his long black arms, stretching as if he had been sitting in a long car ride. His body was hunched over barely touching the ceiling.
The spirit moved back, dropping Jenna in the process. A whimper escaped from her lips from the fall. At least she was still alive despite the harsh drop. Midnight jumped over to Jenna pulling on her jacket with his teeth. I didn’t expect Midnight to have the strength to pull Jenna out the way, until its body grew to the size of a panther.
I tried to keep my focus on Fred even though I was curious to figure out Jenna's spirit guide. What other forms was he hiding? Once Midnight had pulled Jenna out from the center of the room, he let out a different noise that was loud and ruff towards Sammy.
It was clear that Midnight was trying to tell them to move over to him but their focus never moved from Fred who had Casper by the throat. If Sammy was terrified moments ago, she was shitting bricks-was this my reaction when I first saw Fred?
“Sammy, Jerald go stand next Mid-
A screeching cry broke out from Casper as Fred ruthlessly chomped on the spirit’ s neck. My stomach churn hearing Casper's soul literally be crushed in front of me. Casper was pleading for help as Fred continued eating like the monster he was. I winced at every whimper. It had never occurred to me that spirit's could feel anything. They were supposed to be dead.
The spirit was gone after a long slow gulp from Fred. The ghost was exorcised-well not really. I hurried to Sammy extending my hand to help her up but she slapped my hand away.
"LOOK!" She screamed pointing behind me, her eyes were wider than ever.
Fred's back was turned away from me as he held a black raven in his grasp. The bird was limp not even putting up a fight against Fred.
"Please not my spirit guide!" Jerald broke out in a sob for the first time ever making a sound.
"FRED PUT-"
Then there was another loud gulp that moved down Fred's distorted throat. He kept the same smile on his face throughout, knowing full well what he did.
"Oops"
ns 15.158.61.17da2
