Second Chances

by Aaron Brinker

  Dave immediately ran towards Denise. His tone was anxious and worried. “What the hell happened?” Chaun stared blankly. “Chaun!” Chaun looked towards Dave. “Oh my God.” Dave then noticed four, bleeding gouges on Chaun’s face. “Michelle, get two compresses. What happened?” Michelle left the room to get damp towels from the bathroom.

  Chaun sat, eyes distant. “I don’t know. Things were getting hot.”

  Dave’s brow furrowed. His voice stern. “And it led to this? How?”

  Chaun finally looked at Dave, but his look was still distant. He shook his head. “I don’t know. She was straddling me, and then was lifted into the air. She was thrown into the wall above my bed, her head was slammed into the wall, and then she was thrown across the room.”

  Dave froze with his mouth agape. He turned to Denise. “Denise. Denise. Can you hear me, sweetie?” She let out a slight moan. “Oh thank God, she’s alive.”

  She became more alert. She reached up and grabbed her head. Her voice was groggy. “What happened and how did I get on the floor?”

  Dave looked at her. His voice was soft as he shook his head. Michelle came back into the room with the compresses. “We don’t know. Chaun said you had your head slammed into the wall and were thrown across the room.”

  A high pitched laugh emanated loudly from the nursery. Chaun took the compress from Michelle and held pressure to his face. She handed the other compress to Denise. Chaun got out of bed and helped Dave assist Denise to her feet. All four of them went as a group to the next room. What they saw when they entered the room paralyzed each of them in place. Sam sat on the side of her crib with her feet placed between the bars for stability. Her eyes were blacker than usual in the darkness. The laugh was coming from her.

  Something on the wall alerted Chaun. He turned to see something written on the wall. Chaun reached over and flipped the light switch to reveal the words, “My lust for revenge is not satiated yet.”

  Chaun looked at Sam. His voice oozed anger and frustration, and his face redder than the crimson blood seeping from it. “What do you want?”

  Sam’s face changed from a menacing grin to a flat expression. The change was so fast it seemed as if a switch had been flipped. Her tone was low, but mean. “I told you. I want you… to suffer.” Turning to Denise, the Entity said, with voice smug. “How’s the head feeling? I bet you have… one hell of a headache. I would too… after that ass kicking.” It looked back at Chaun, “There is… still more to come. Could be less severe, could be more. That just depends on… my mood.” The entity carefully maneuvered back down into the crib. It sat down. The pupils once again inhaled the dissipating blackness. Chaun’s blood dripped from his chin and splattered on the floor. The sound of his dripping blood and the labored breathing from the four echoed throughout the room.

  25

  It was late. Dave sat up, eyes bloodshot, staring at his computer screen. He looked at the bottom right corner, 2:30 am. He had been researching paranormal investigators, not just to see what kind of groups were in the area, but if they even existed. The family needed help, and he was open for almost any solution.

  He had come across quite a few group sites that seemed promising. Dave was growing frustrated, most of the groups told him, when he phoned, that they could not make it for a couple weeks or months. He had not found anything that had looked promising for hours. He was just about to give up his search when he came across a group’s website that said they were located in the neighboring county. Dave picked up the phone to call. With the phone in hand, he looked at the clock again and decided against calling that night. He would call first thing in the morning.

  After drinking a glass of water, he climbed the stairs and crawled into bed. Michelle woke at his stirring. “What time is it?”

  “It’s about two thirty. Goodnight sweetie, I love you.” He kissed Michelle on the forehead.

  “Goodnight Dave, I love you too.”

  *

  Alex woke, as usual, around seven o’clock in the morning. He finished his morning routine and walked into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. He owned a small used car lot in Logansport Indiana. Most used car salesmen were known to be pushy and did not care about quality. Alex always put the customer’s needs and wants first. He had all his vehicles thoroughly inspected and fixed before putting them on the lot. If a vehicle cost more to fix than what he could sell it for, he would send it to auction or the scrap yard.

  The phone rang. He lifted it out of its cradle and looked at the caller ID. It was a number he did not recognize. He answered it. “Hi, this is Alex.”

  The voice was confident and polite. “Hi Alex. My name is David Hutchins. Is this the correct number for the Cass Paranormal Investigation Company?”

  Alex turned and leaned back against the counter. “Yes, it is.”

  “I’m sorry for calling so early in the morning. My family is in dire need of help.”

  “It’s quite alright Mr. Hutchins.” Alex removed the coffee pot from the burner and poured a cup. “What are some of the problems you’ve been experiencing and how long have the occurrences been going on?”

  “We have been experiencing issues since about February. The events have ranged from items being moved to my son’s girlfriend being attacked.”

  Alex’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean by attacked?”

  Dave’s voice quieted as if he was unsure that what he was about to say would be construed as either fact or fiction. “She was lifted into the air, thrown into walls, and had her head repeatedly slammed into the wall above my son’s bed.” Alex paused before taking a sip of coffee. “Are you still there Alex?”

  Alex set his cup on the counter. “Yes, sir. Have you seen any apparitions?”

  Dave’s voice sounding sure once again. “No, we haven’t.”

  Alex thought for a few seconds. He tried to think of the right questions to ask. He needed to know the severity of the situation. “Has the entity possessed anyone?”

  Dave’s pause concerned Alex. He knew what the answer was going to be. “Yes, on numerous occasions.”

  Alex walked over to a small nook that had been remodeled into a miniature office space. He pulled out a legal pad and pen. Alex began taking notes over what Dave was telling him. “Who has the entity possessed?”

  “My wife…” Dave acted like he did not want to finish the statement. His voice grew quiet. “…and my grand-daughter.”

  “How old is your granddaughter?”

  “Less than a year old.”

  Alex froze. He was speechless. In all the years he had been investigating the paranormal, he had never heard of anything like this happening. His mind raced. “Mr. Hutchins, is this a good number to reach you?”

  “Yes, this is my home number.”

  Alex’s voice grew anxious. “Good. I will call you back within the next hour or two. I’m going to call the rest of my team and see what we can work out with everyone’s schedules. What is the earliest you want us there?”

  Dave’s voice sounded worried and excited at the same time. “The sooner, the better. The entity has promised that things would get worse. It has made good on that promise numerous times.”

  “Okay.” Alex began writing again. He then wrote the names of his team members so he could make notes on who could make it to the investigation. “Even if the entire team can’t make it, I’ll see if I can get a couple people together to help you with the situation. I can’t promise that we’ll catch any activity. It’s usually hit and miss, but we can see what we find and give you advice on recording phenomena.”

  “Thank you so much Alex. I will be awaiting your call.”

  “You’re welcome Mr. Hutchins.” Alex hung up the phone. He walked down the hall and back into his bedroom. His wife was still asleep. He knelt down next to the bed. He placed his hand on her shoulder and began gently shaking her. His voice laced in urgency. “Sara. I need you to get up.”

  She sat up slowly. She looked at him through squinted eye
s. Her tone was slightly agitated. “Why? What’s up?”

  “I just got a call for an investigation.”

  She rubbed her eyes and her tone sounded more understanding. “If you’re waking me up it must be serious. How bad is it? Apparitions?”

  “No. No apparitions. Some people have been possessed.”

  She rubbed her eyes. “Who has it possessed?”

  “His wife and his grand-daughter who is less than a year old.”

  Her mouth fell open. “When did you tell him we’d be out?” She was already getting out of bed to start helping get organized.

  “I told him I would call him back in an hour. I figured that would be enough time to contact the team and to see what everyone’s schedules were like over the next few days to a week. I’ve got coffee brewed in the kitchen if you want a cup.”

  “Thanks. I’ll get my cell phone. We can start calling people.” Alex turned and headed for the kitchen.

  *

  An hour later the phone rang in Dave’s office. “Hello, this is Dave.”

  “Hi Dave, this is Alex. Will two nights from tonight be a good time for my team to come out?”

  Dave sighed a sigh of relief. “That would be just fine. Thank you so much. All the other teams I contacted said it would be two weeks to a month before they could make it out.”

  “You’re very welcome.” His voice became hesitant. “Only three of us will be able to show up. Will that be okay?”

  “That will be just fine. If you need my family to help in the investigation, we would be more than happy to.”

  Alex nodded, and his tone was accepting. “It may not be a bad idea, especially if the haunting is directed at any person in particular. Would you be able to send me your address in an e-mail? That way I can look up directions to your house.”

  Dave’s voice was grateful. “I could do that. Thank you again Alex.”

  “You’re welcome Mr. Hutchins.”

  Dave pushed the end button on the phone, set it back in its cradle to let it charge, stood up, and walked to the kitchen. He entered to see Michelle sitting at the island, reading her book, and drinking coffee. “Morning.”

  She looked up, “Morning. How’d you sleep?”

  He walked to the cupboard and retrieved a coffee cup. “Pretty good actually. I only got four hours of sleep, but I slept deeply.” He poured his coffee into the cup.

  Michelle looked up from her book. “Why so late?”

  Dave turned to face her and leaned against the counter. He sipped his coffee. “I was researching paranormal investigation teams in the area.”

  She shot him a skeptical look. “They actually have those?”

  Dave laughed, “Yeah, they actually do exist. I just talked with a guy in Logansport that runs a group. He said they can be here the day after tomorrow.”

  “So soon?”

  Dave looked down at the cup in his hand. “I told him about everything we’ve experienced. He got off the phone with me, contacted his team, and got back to me an hour later.”

  Michelle’s jaw dropped. She laid her book on the island. “Was he that anxious to work with us? How much do they charge?”

  “It’s free. His insistence to help us heightened when I told him Sam was being possessed. He did ask if we would be willing to help with the investigation.”

  She picked up her coffee cup and took a sip. “And you told him we’d help?”

  He nodded, “Yes I did. He said that the activity could be directed at one person, and having that person present could influence activity to occur.”

  Her brow furrowed as she set her cup down. “You didn’t tell him about Chaun?”

  Dave shook his head and looked at the cup in his hand once again. “No. I figured we could tell them when they get here.”

  “Do you even think Chaun will agree to go along with it?”

  “Go along with what?” Dave and Michelle jumped at the sound of Chaun’s voice. They both looked up at Chaun standing in the entryway to the kitchen.

  Dave answered, “I just got off the phone with the lead person of a paranormal investigative team in Logansport.”

  Chaun shot Dave the same cynical look as Michelle had. “They have those?”

  Dave and Michelle laughed. “Yeah, they exist.”

  “And you’re wondering if I would agree to them investigating our situation?”

  Dave nodded. “That’s part of it. The other part of it is if you’d be willing to either be present or help in the investigation.”

  “Do they think it will help?”

  Dave sipped his coffee. “Alex, the guy I spoke with, believes so. I didn’t tell him the activity was directed at you. He said if the entity was focused on one individual that having them present or helping with the investigation could prompt activity.”

  “If it will stop this shit-storm of a situation from continuing, I’ll try anything.” Dave and Michelle let Chaun’s phrasing slide. On normal occasions, they would have called him on it. Both understood how stressed and frustrated the last few months had made him. He walked to the far side of Dave and grabbed two coffee cups from the cabinet. He mixed sweetener, creamer, and coffee in both. “I’m going to go wake Denise.” He walked toward the entryway. He stopped at the entryway. “When are they coming?”

  “Day after tomorrow.” Chaun nodded, stepped into the foyer, turned, and walked toward the living room.

  26

  Dave, Michelle, Chaun, and Denise sat in the living room. Denise and Chaun read. Dave and Michelle were watching T.V. Chauns parents had noticed how Denise and Chaun had not even held hands since the night of the attack. They could tell both longed to show affection for each other. Due to the risk, they had decided to be safe not to cause more outbursts.

  The identity of the entity tormenting the family was still a mystery. A few of them had speculations. Without evidence or asking the entity, they could not know concretely if their speculations were correct. The family had agreed the less amount of contact they had with the ghost the better.

  The words Chaun was reading became increasingly blurry. He moved his bookmark to the open pages and closed the book. He stood up. “Well, my eyes are telling me it’s time for bed.” He walked to the staircase and paused.

  Dave and Michelle said, “Goodnight, love you.”

  Chaun said, “Love you too.” He looked at Denise. “Goodnight Denise.” His eyes screamed the longing he felt. He wanted more than anything, to have physical contact with her again. He would even be happy with holding hands again, but he could not risk her safety.

  Denise said, “Goodnight Chaun.” Her look mirrored Chaun’s yearning. Dave and Michelle looked at each other. Dave could tell that Michelle was on the verge of tears. They heard Chaun’s footsteps ascending the stairs. When they looked back, Denise had tears rolling down her cheeks. Michelle turned off the television, walked over, and embraced Denise. Her quiet cries turned into muffled sobs. When she brought her head away from Michelle’s shoulder, she noticed that Michelle was crying as well. “I’m sorry. This is ridiculous. I don’t know why I’m crying.”

  Michelle moved the hair in front of Denise’s face and tucked it behind her ear. Her voice was caring and soft. “Yes, you do. It’s because you love him and can’t show him affection.”

  Denise nodded.

  Upstairs Chaun was struggling with the same emotions. He embraced one of the pillows Denise usually used. Over the past few nights, he had noticed that cradling one of her pillows helped him sleep a little better. He still woke up periodically, but not as much as he did the first night after the attack. Denise had suffered a concussion, she ended up with seven stitches in her forehead. Chaun’s face did not need stitches, but it still pained him.

  He was so angry and frustrated at the situation. The feeling of helplessness was overwhelming. Chaun was anxious to have the team come in so they could possibly get some of their questions answered. He was tired of not knowing. He was asleep within the next few minutes.

/>   He dreamt of being in a graveyard night. The moon was not at full but illuminated details of his surroundings. Chaun stood facing Katrina’s headstone. There was a cold wind blowing. The sound of dead leaves rustling in the breeze caressed his ear. He felt the pangs of sorrow and regret constrict around his heart like a belt of spikes. “Katrina, I’m sorry.”

  A familiar voice spoke in a derisive tone. “No, you’re not.” Chaun looked behind the headstone as Katrina slowly walked towards him from the shadows. She approached and stood behind her headstone leaning against it. “I honestly don’t think you were ever sorry. You got what you wanted.”

  Chaun shook his head in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

  She stood up, walked around to the same side of her headstone where Chaun was standing, and sat on top of the marker with her feet hanging inches above the ground. She fidgeted with dirt that had accumulated on top of the headstone. “You are rid of me. That’s basically what you said that night wasn’t it?”

  Chaun tilted his head down and to the left. His voice truthful, yet apologetic. “Some of what I said that night was the truth, but a good portion of it was spoken in anger.”

  Kat disappeared before his eyes. Something grabbed the hair on the back of his head. The invisible force dragged him forward and slammed his forehead into the headstone. Dazed, he fell to his knees. Katrina’s torso exploded out of the ground beneath him. Her hands gripped Chaun’s neck like a vice. He could barely breathe. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and chills ran down his spine as he looked into her eyes. They were the same black irises that had haunted the family since he came home from the hospital. Her voice thundered that high pitched voice that usually accompanied those dreadful eyes, “You haven’t suffered enough!”