by Alexie Aaron
“Alan is her boyfriend. They’re intimate with each other. He’s also Cid’s lawyer, so you can see there is a bit of a conflict of interest going on right now.”
“I’d say there was. Poor Cid. Poor Alan. Poor Kiki.”
“I’m to stay with you until after she leaves. Unfortunately, Cid expects the negative elemental to reattach itself as soon as the residue of salt fades.”
“I’ll tell you more when she’s gone.”
“Thank you,” Sally said.
~
Instead of rolling the carpet up in the new media room, Cid made the judgement call of keeping the summoning circle covered. The men folded the rug over the circle so they could work without damaging the thick Turkish carpet. By the time they were done, Wayne was sweating bullets.
“If salt keeps the ghosties away, then they’ll steer clear of me today. Is it warm in here?”
“I already tried resetting the new thermostat, and it says it’s offline,” Carl said.
“Which means?” Gary asked.
“One of us has to go down there and reset it.”
Cid walked over to the massive windows, unlocked one of them and opened it. He did the same on the other end of the room. He also walked across the house and propped half of the big double doors open with a ladder.
As the cool breeze meandered through the room, Cid said, “There is always another way.”
Kiki walked into the house, puzzled by one of the double doors being propped open. She didn’t see any painting on the schedule. She heard the men working in what would soon be the media room. The deeper she got into the house, the more she felt the heat. She walked over to the thermostat outside the kitchen and saw that it was offline. She shook her head and mumbled, “dumb boys,” before she opened the door to the basement.
There she had no trouble with the lights. She walked over to the new furnace and reset the connection. She checked out the job Wayne supervised and was pleased. She also liked the thought process involved in the layout of the new electrical box. She heard drilling and walked over to see a hole emerge almost directly above an open-ended conduit. She walked deeper and found another hole joined another conduit. Kiki knew a lot of electronics were going to be used and applauded Pete’s insistence of two separate circuits.
She poked around in the corners and was puzzled by the fear the darkness caused the contractors. She pulled out a few trim pieces she thought Cid may have overlooked and carried them with her to the stairs. She didn’t feel the hatred of the depleted ghosts as she ascended the stairs with a recharged elemental attached to her.
Chapter Eleven
“Clark,” Kiki called from the doorway. “I found these trim pieces. Why don’t you take five and show me where you want to store them in the workshop?”
“Right away, Boss.”
“And shut the window. I reset the furnace. It should be down to a workable temp in a few minutes.”
Jesse closed the window. He looked at Kiki. “Thanks, Boss.”
She didn’t respond. A spark of red light emanated from her eyes.
“Cid,” he called.
“Yes?”
“Put on the grocery list some Visine or Clear Eyes, you know the stuff that promises to get the red out. I don’t know if it’s the booze or the sawdust, but the red has returned.”
Cid nodded. “Visine, it is.”
“You ought to get your eyes checked,” Gary said. “There’s no shame in wearing glasses. Chicks like guys in glasses.”
They heard the front door close.
“The ghost is back inside Kiki,” Jesse reported. “I saw her eyes change.”
“So you were just giving Cid a heads-up,” Gary said.
“Yes. Also, if the ghost left, he must have drained the monsters downstairs. I think now is the time for us to feed the wire to the electric box.”
“Working on this house is like a chess game,” Pete said.
“Except there will be no pawns sacrificed,” Jesse vowed.
Cid held the bundle under his arm. He reached for the door, but Kiki insisted on opening the garage door. He surmised that the ghost repossessing her remembered they salted the doorway.
He walked over to his and Jesse’s area. He set the bundle down, knelt and organized the antique pieces so they would be protected from warping in the cooler space. He heard a footfall behind him. Cid pivoted to find Kiki behind him. She was holding some wire. Her eyes were red.
“Hello?” Sally called from the bottom of the stairs. “I thought I heard someone. Kiki, your ride just pulled up.”
Kiki’s eyes turned back, and she looked confused by the wire in her hands. She returned it to Carl’s stock, brushed off her jacket, opened the garage door, and walked out to the sedan.
Alan got out, and before he opened the door, he drew her into his arms. “I missed you,” he said. He kissed her hard enough to make her knees weak.
Kiki enjoyed the kiss. She didn’t know why she was so reticent with Alan during this renovation. All she did was complain about Cid. She vowed to mend her ways.
“You saved my life,” Cid told Sally as he closed the garage door.
“I was a bit worried when I saw you return with her. She was fine when she left. I thought she had already left with Alan; otherwise, I would have warned you.”
“You mean warn us.”
Sally handed him a folded piece of paper. “Warned you.”
Cid opened it to find the Hangman picture. He groaned. “It’s targeting me. She had wire in her hands to hang me. Kiki is a strong woman. I outweigh her, but if you add in a superpowered ghost then…”
Sally put her hand on his chest. “Don’t think of what could have happened but what didn’t happen. Do you think we should warn Alan?”
“I think Alan is aware. I hope he’s strong enough to do what needs to be done to free her permanently.”
“In town, there’s a great little bistro,” Kiki said. “Let’s go there.”
“I thought you put the town off limits to your employees.”
“I’m the captain here. I can go where I want.”
“I’ve got a special place in mind.”
“I really don’t want to be gone too long from the job.”
“Kiki, I haven’t seen you in days. Let me spend some time with you.”
Kiki shrugged and sat back, enjoying the soft seat of the sedan. “You don’t have a car,” she realized.
“It’s from the office pool,” he explained.
“How are you going to explain the use?”
“Creative accounting,” Alan said. “Don’t worry, nothing to get me or anyone else in trouble. How was your morning?”
“I walked over to check on the boys and found they had a door propped open. The place was blazing hot. I found the thermostat was offline. I don’t know why they didn’t go down and reset it.”
“That means entering the basement.”
“So?”
“Where do most of the paranormal problems occur?”
Kiki was silent.
“I take it you went into the basement alone without having someone with you.”
“Yes, I’m not afraid of ghosts, Alan. I found some trim pieces that were overlooked and went in and got Cid to carry them back to the workshop and put them away.”
“Why? Did he need them?”
“I don’t understand where you’re going with this?”
“Did you find he noted on any of his reports needing to replace that trim?” Alan asked.
“No.”
“It’s not like you to interrupt work and then take one of the team away from a job.”
Kiki fell silent again.
“I take it you were in the garage when I came for you.”
“Sally told me a sedan arrived. The kitchen window overlooks the gate.”
“What do you think about Sally?”
“I don’t like her. She’s annoying. She
likes Cid though. Big mistake.”
“Is she annoying because she likes Cid?”
“Maybe that’s part of it.”
Alan drove over an old iron bridge. Ms. Wells had two other assistants working on mapping out a route that would take Alan over as many older bridges as they could find. Miss Wells had the state highway inspector helping them, paying him with the promise of sending a few Lou Malnati’s pizzas to his offices.
Kiki looked at Alan. “Where are we going?”
“One of my clients has opened up a new bistro and promised me a feast, gratis. It’s called The Pampered Pig. I thought since you really enjoyed the last time when we ate at The Purple Pig, you may want to try this place.”
Kiki was at a loss. Her stomach craved the richness of a well-cooked pork shoulder or chop, but this was competing with her brain. Her mind kept pushing her to make Alan take her home. Her stomach won.
“Sally’s cooking is good, but I doubt I’m going to get anything as nice as that pork blade steak I got at The Purple Pig. Plus, it’s not in her budget.”
“Ah, today, you don’t have to worry about the bottom line.” Alan approached another bridge.
Kiki looked out the window and frowned. “There seem to be quite a few rivers here.”
“It’s a lowland,” Alan explained. “Beautiful though.”
“Looks kind of lonely,” Kiki admitted.
“I wouldn’t want to live here. I’m more of a city boy. The restaurants…” Alan kept the conversation on their past food adventures and away from mentioning the Atwater Estate. He noticed that the further away from Kiki’s renovation they got, the more Kiki had reverted back to her old self.
They had traveled for a few more miles. Alan exited the highway, taking a country lane, which brought them through a few small towns before they approached a covered bridge. The signage warned of a signal light that monitored the one-way crossing and that the use of headlights was mandatory. Alan put on his lights.
“Stop!” Kiki cried.
“Why?” he asked, making a slow stop behind two other cars. The light was not in their favor. He looked at the old bridge from the incline they idled in. Above it were old hex signs painted into the red-stained wood.
“It looks unstable. Trust me, Alan, I know what I’m talking about.”
“Look, that truck loaded with pumpkins made it over. Why would he still have pumpkins? Remember that pumpkin pie we had at…”
The light had turned green. There was no one behind them, so Alan let the other cars drive over before he put the car in gear.
“Stop the fucking car!” Kiki demanded.
“The bridge is fine,” he said.
Kiki lunged over and tried to yank the wheel. Had she succeeded and Alan not anticipated this, she would have caused Alan to drive them both into the icy river.
Alan held on tight. He entered the darkness of the covered bridge.
Kiki growled at him. He saw her eyes had gone red, and he knew that this was the most crucial moment in his life. He kept hold of the wheel with one hand, the other he crammed into his coat pocket and pulled out a rusty finishing nail and jabbed it into Kiki’s upper thigh. The red in her eyes seemed to just turn off. He slowed the car and let it roll off the bridge into the sunshine. Once clear of the structure, Alan pulled over onto the easement. He watched as an ooze of black tar pooled on the floor.
“Kiki, open your door,” he ordered.
Kiki, dazed from the encounter, did so without question. The tar puddle oozed slowly out of the car as if it was as confused as the woman it has possessed. Alan stepped out, drawing out a bottle of holy water, prepared to fight for Kiki. He needn’t have worried, as the black goo was moving towards the bridge. Maybe it was the safety of the darkness it was looking for. But it was repelled by the rushing water and the iron girders. It formed a small pool. Alan approached it slowly, but before he got there, it vanished as if it was scooped up by some unseen hand and taken away.
He pulled out his phone and sent a text to Cid. He walked back to the car. Kiki was still sitting there, a bit dopey, with her car door open, rubbing her thigh.
“Shut your door, Kiki.”
Kiki did so.
Alan pulled back on the road and continued towards the city. He crossed two more bridges just in case.
“Ouch,” Kiki said, rubbing her thigh again.
“What’s wrong?” Alan said, feeling the guilty weight of the returned nail in his coat pocket.
“I must have caught a nail when I was looking through this trim that I thought Cid may want to look at. You see, he likes to examine the artistry and figure out how the old craftsmen did this marvelous work, considering the tools that they had back then.”
“That was very kind of you. Is your tetanus shot up to date?”
Kiki nodded, but she still seemed disorientated. “Alan,” Kiki’s voice was soft. “I remember bundling up some of the shorter pieces and carrying them towards the stairs, but not how I got into the workshop. Maybe the place is affecting me? Yesterday, Cid tried to tell me that I needed to get away and go see Father Simon. He’s the priest I met during the Tiny Houses project.”
“I know Father Simon well. Please continue.”
“I’ve really screwed up my working relationship with Cid. I thought, when he suggested safer ways we could implement to get the jobs done while protecting the workers, that he was just trying to take the job away from me, and that’s why I gave him notice. Jesse quit and Sally after him. Yet, in the morning, they were still working. I’m confused.”
“There are a lot of ghosts in that house. It’s not impossible to expect that one may have wanted to take a ride on the Kiki train,” Alan said. “Don’t worry, once you have a good meal, we’ll talk more. Why don’t you just sit back and enjoy the scenery. We’re going to go through a town about the age of the house you’re working on. I wonder if there will be any similar architecture.”
“I doubt these farmers could afford craftsmen like were working in the Atwater house, but they could have similar styles.”
Alan listened to Kiki’s explanation of copycat builders while he drove. He didn’t mind that he had already heard this lecture series from Kiki twice before. He was overjoyed it was Kiki and not some negative elemental orating.
~
Cid looked at the text Alan sent him. He whistled to get everyone’s attention. “Listen up!” he said and waited for the whine of the machinery to die down. “Kiki is negative elemental free.”
The group congratulated themselves.
“I sense a but,” Jesse said.
“This means the negative elemental has to return here. Murphy described losing power suddenly as being sucked back. The elemental will have to feed on the ghosts, and since he’s recently fed, they won’t have much power to give. I hope it will have to hibernate until there is enough power.”
“Are we safe working?” Wayne asked.
“We can aggressively work on anything that needs to be worked on in the basement because the ghosts down there will not have enough energy to cross the veil to hurt us. But as the elemental draws power, we have to protect ourselves from being possessed by this thing. Crosses, gentlemen. If you have them, wear them. If not, I have some that I carry in my go bag.”
“I’d like to get one from you,” Pete said. “I’m not a religious guy. Will it still work?”
“If you believe in the power of good, it will work,” Cid answered.
“What project should we work on first?” Pete asked.
“Wayne?” Cid asked.
“Why ask me?”
“Because when Kiki’s not here, she puts you in charge. We finished Pete’s media room, so he’s no longer the leader in Kiki’s eyes.”
“Why not you?”
“No desire. I have my hands full keeping you guys alive.”
Wayne smiled. “Give me a minute to look the chart over. Why not grab some lunch in the meanwhi
le.”
Carl patted his stomach and headed for the stairs.
Pete walked to the trailer with Cid. “I have a ghostie question.”
“I’m not an expert, but I’ll do my best to answer it.”
“I’ve worked on a lot of old houses and buildings. I’ve seen the creatures and gave them a wide berth. Why wasn’t I possessed?”
“It takes a particularly strong ghost to do that.”
“What about a demon?”
“Demon questions, I’d have to refer you to an expert. From my experience, they don’t want to live inside our filthy bodies. The bacteria we use in digestion makes them ill. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but again, I don’t know the motivation behind each demonic possession. I’ve been temporarily possessed by a ghost before. The Michigan assessment comes to mind. It was a surprise and, like I said, temporary.”
“What’s happening to Kiki?” Pete asked as they entered the trailer.
“I think that the negative elemental is cognizant that his existing ghosts are about played out. He’s using them in hopes of killing one of us. We are fresh meat. If we die in that house with the protections in place, I fear our souls will get stuck there.”
“How can we free them? I know some of them are beyond saving, but I’d feel better if we didn’t leave those bastards to suffer. What if we got rid of the negative elemental?”
“I think you’re right, but we have to be careful. I don’t think we have the whole story yet.” Cid pulled out the cross and gave it to Pete. “This cross was blessed by Father Simon.”
“The homeless priest.”
“He’s not homeless,” Cid said.
“Man, you’re pedantic,” Pete said, putting on the cross.
“Do you have change for a twenty?” Cid asked.
“Yes, I do,” Pete said, pulling out his wallet. “Why?”
“We were playing poker last night, and Jesse and Sally took me to the cleaners. I’m into Jesse for ten.”