Ghouls Rush In

by H. P. Mallory

  Christopher immediately turned his nose up at me. “We can manage,” he answered succinctly before glancing around himself. “You must direct us to the space where you believe Drake’s energy is at its strongest.”

  “The master bedroom,” I answered without pause. Then I led them both upstairs and pushed open the double doors, watching them place their numerous boxes and bags in the corner of the room. Christopher rummaged through one of them and produced an oatmeal-colored, waxy, oblong piece of something that resembled soap. He handed it to me.

  “While we are setting up, you need to wash yourself with this. Wash every inch of your body as well as your hair. Allow yourself to air-dry.” He bent down again and thrust his hand into what looked like a black velvet satchel, producing a white garment of some sort, which he then thrust in my direction. “When you have air-dried, put this on.”

  I accepted the garment and nodded. “Why do I have to shower?”

  “To ensure your body is clean before Drake takes possession of it. The soap is made with purifying and cleansing oils, and the gown is made of pure cotton,” Christopher answered before turning his back on me, which I imagined signified that our conversation was over and I needed to go “purify” myself in the shower. I didn’t say anything more but started for the double doors and headed down the staircase, feeling only slightly nervous about showering in the guest bathroom where only minutes earlier, I’d witnessed the Axeman’s message displayed across the mirror.

  Hoping I was safer now that two witches were in my house, I decided to leave the bathroom door open as I turned the water on in my shower. Once it was warm, I hopped inside and was careful to lather myself with the cleansing soap from head to toe. Fortunately the soap had a nice scent to it—of rosemary or something similar. Wanting to be as clean as possible, I even repeated my ministrations a second time just to make sure I hadn’t missed any part of me that might taint Christopher’s ritual. Yep, Drake was going to have one hell of a clean host.

  I turned the water off once I was happy with my cleanliness and then stepped onto the bath rug, remembering Christopher’s instructions to allow myself to air-dry. I tried to ring the water out of my hair to aid in the drying process and then shook myself off like I was a wet dog. Even though I tried to keep myself from doing it, I glanced across at the mirror only to find it completely clean. There were no ghostly words formed from the steam of the room, and the only thing reflected back at me was my dripping self.

  After another few minutes, during which time I squeegeed the water off my body with my hands and then rung out my hair once more, I figured I was as dry as I was going to get. I plopped the nightgown over my head and pulled it down over my body, the hem just dusting the floor. If not for my bobbed hair, I would’ve looked like a character from Little House on the Prairie.

  Starting for the door, I made my way down the hallway and up the stairs, taking a deep breath before I walked through the double doors of my master bedroom. As soon as I did, I immediately noticed a card table in the center of the room with a white sheet covering it. On top of the table were various white bowls of God only knew what, as well as a black and a white candle, an incense burner, a bell, what looked like a dagger, and something else that looked like a small cauldron. My breath caught in my throat as soon as my gaze settled on the human skull sitting off to the side on the table. I couldn’t seem to pull my attention from the cavernous holes where its eyes had once been or the long and square teeth that decorated its jaw, making it look as if it were smiling at me.

  “Lovie, are you ready?” Christopher asked. I then noticed Lovie was sitting to the right of the table, her attention on me.

  She simply nodded and held out both of her hands to me. I placed my hands in hers and allowed her to pull me closer to her. She stood up and smiled at me warmly, but even so, my body was a nervous, fidgety mess. I was scared. There was no use in trying to deny it because my hands were shaking.

  “We must first contact Drake so we can walk him through the ritual. We have ta have his permission before we can begin the possession,” Lovie said.

  I simply nodded and wondered how in the world we were going to reach Drake. Up until now I’d only been able to converse with him in my dreams. But I had a feeling that was about to change.

  “You an’ I are gonna contact him together,” Lovie continued. “Ordinarily I would contact him mahself but because you two have such a strong connection already, I believe we’ll have more luck doin’ so together.”

  That made sense. “Okay.”

  She led me to the chair that she’d previously occupied and pushed lightly on my shoulders to suggest that I should sit down. I did as I was instructed and folded my hands in my lap as I faced her for further directions.

  “You need ta be in a receptive state,” she started, her voice lullaby soft. “In order ta do that, I want you ta close yer eyes.” I did as I was told. “Very good. Now, Peyton, I want you ta breathe slowly an’ deeply. Breathe in for a count o’ five an’ breathe out for a count o’ five. Imagine takin’ in the air that is full o’ Drake’s spirit as you expel yer spirit, which he then breathes in. You are unitin’ yerself with the air, becomin’ one with the air, such that Drake can inhale an’ exhale yer life force an’ become one with you.”

  I didn’t point out the fact that as a spirit, I didn’t think Drake could breathe. I figured it was a moot point. Instead, I did as she instructed and started to feel light-headed. The more I breathed in and out, the more light-headed I became until I felt almost delirious.

  “Yer fingers an’ toes, yer arms an’ legs, will begin ta tingle as you open yerself ta the spirit world. Don’t be afraid if you begin ta feel numb an’ dizzy. Trust in yer safety here. Continue ta breathe even more slowly, more deeply as you fall into the spirit trance. I want you ta now count backward from ten ta one. When you reach one, I want you ta tell yerself you are now ready ta accept Drake’s spirit, that he will flow through you,” Lovie continued in her singsong voice.

  I nodded and started counting backward, my entire body feeling incredibly heavy, and then the pins and needles started in my appendages, the feeling working its way inward, up my arms and legs until it reached my core. The numbness set in by the time I reached number five and when I got to number one, I said to myself that I was ready to accept Drake.

  “Are you prepared to receive him?” Lovie asked.

  I simply nodded and heard the tinny sound of a bell ringing. “We have created a sacred space,” Lovie said in her strong yet beautiful voice. “Drake Montague, we are ready ta make contact with you.” She touched my hand then. “Peyton, you can open yer eyes.”

  It felt like it took me seconds to open them but when I did, I watched Lovie reach for and light first the black candle and then the white one. She then placed each of them back on the table and closed her eyes as she said, “This black candle draws the spirit o’ Drake Montague that he may converse with us while the white candle shall allow him ta feast upon the energy created here.”

  She then reached for a piece of paper and scribbled Drake’s name on it, placing it on what appeared to be a large pentacle that had been painted in black on the white sheet atop the table.

  “As I have written Drake’s name, I summon his spirit here!” She then reached for a bottle of oil and, unstopping it, anointed her wrists, the area above her heart, her throat, her forehead, and the crown of her head before turning to me and repeating the process on me. “I consecrate mahself an’ this woman, Peyton Clark, an’ ask that Drake Montague come forth an’ receive us both!”

  She then reached for a small sack and, unwinding the ties from it, bent over and sprinkled white powder on the floor around each of us and the table in a counterclockwise circle. When she was finished, she stood up and, with her face to the ceiling, announced, “This powder shall protect us from all evil an’ harmful energy. Let no spirit enter here who wishes ta do us harm. We seek only the spirit o’ Drake Montague.” She glanced back at Christoph
er who stood in the corner of the room, watching us. “Do you have yer protective defenses up, Christopher?” she asked.

  He simply nodded so she turned to face me again. This time she reached for the dagger and, holding it with her right hand with the blade down, reached for my right hand. She wrapped my hand around the handle of the blade. “Trace a circle ’round yerself,” she instructed. As I did, she said, “By the bronze o’ this dagger, Peyton casts this circle ta defend her from any evil intentions. Let only the spirit o’ Drake Montague come forth!” She then took the dagger from me and drew a circle around herself, repeating the same mantra. She lit a stick of incense that smelled pretty musty, and we both watched the stick burn, the remnants twirling into a spent cocoon that dropped onto the holder. Once the incense had burned about halfway, she sprinkled the burnt remains onto a hunk of charcoal sitting on the tabletop. She then raised the charcoal brick directly in front of her, then to her right, then to her left before she turned around and held it up once more. Each time she switched directions, she said, “Let this sacred incense summon the spirit o’ Drake Montague. Come forth!”

  Then, using her right hand, she picked up what looked like a branch of a tree and tapped the crown of the skull three times, saying, “We conjure the spirit o’ Drake Montague ta come forth with this branch o’ the yew tree!”

  She placed the yew branch onto the table and then picked up a glass of water, pouring it into the cauldron that was sitting on the table. She opened a jar of honey and plopped a wooden spoonful into the water, following suit with what looked like a small bowl full of olive oil, milk, and red wine. Then she sprinkled a handful of barley into the cauldron and said, “Let these offerin’s please the spirit o’ Drake Montague so he shall come forth!”

  Then she reached for my index finger on my right hand and, at the same time, grasped a lancet from the tabletop. Before I could pull my hand away, she pricked the end of my finger. She reached behind her for the small black cauldron and held it underneath my hand as she squeezed out three drops of blood, which landed inside. What was strange was that my body was so numb, I didn’t even feel the prick of the lancet.

  “I make this offerin’ o’ Peyton’s blood, that it may feed you, Drake. Come forth!” Lovie called out.

  She then gripped my left hand and, overlaying it with hers, placed them both on the top of the skull as she closed her eyes. I followed suit and could only hear the sounds of her breathing deeply so I figured I should probably do the same. Almost immediately there was a vibration in the palm of my left hand, where it touched the top of the skull. The vibration climbed up my arm and seemed to reverberate through my entire body.

  “The spirit current is flowin’ through us,” Lovie said, obviously explaining what the vibrations were. “Drake Montague, are ya there?” she asked in a loud voice.

  There was nothing but silence for a few seconds.

  “Oui.” I heard his voice as clear as day inside my head and I nearly opened my eyes in response but then reminded myself to keep them closed.

  “Is that his voice?” Lovie whispered to me, which I guessed meant she must have somehow heard his voice inside her head as well.

  “Yes it is,” I answered.

  “I want you ta introduce me ta him an’ tell him not ta be frightened. He will only be able ta hear you,” she continued. “An’ you must converse with him in thought only. He will not be able ta hear yer voice.”

  I simply nodded. “Drake,” I started. “It’s me, Peyton. Can you hear me?”

  “Oui, I can, ma minette. Are you well? Is everything okay?” he answered immediately, his voice laced with worry. “I do not understand how we are conversing as I cannot see you. I can only hear your voice.”

  “Yes, everything is okay,” I answered in thought. “I want you to know that I have two people here with me. Lovie is a witch and she is the one who is doing this ritual so you and I can speak. She isn’t going to hurt you.”

  “Je comprends. I understand.”

  I took a deep breath. “The other person is Christopher. He’s the warlock who came to visit you earlier, do you remember?”

  “I recall,” Drake responded. His voice suddenly sounded tired, exhausted really, and I had to wonder if he was in even worse shape than he had been the last time I’d seen him.

  “You must explain ta him that we are gonna attempt a possession unitin’ the two o’ you,” Lovie interrupted. “You must git him ta agree ta it before we can attempt it.”

  I nodded. “Drake, we are going to do a ritual whereby you are going to…to possess me. It’s the only way to ensure this entity doesn’t defeat you, and at the same time, it’s also the only way to ensure that it doesn’t…hurt me.”

  “Are you certain, ma minette?” he asked, his voice reflecting alarm. “Do you understand what this means for you?”

  “I do,” I answered immediately. “It’s the only way to ensure both of us are safe, Drake. But before we move forward, I must have your permission.”

  He was quiet for a few seconds. “Ma minette, if you are doing this to spare me, I do not give you my permission.”

  “No, Drake, it isn’t just for you,” I answered immediately, knowing that if I tried to convince him to do it in order to save himself, he wouldn’t go for it. Nope, the only way Drake was going to agree was if I built up the case that my safety was on the line. “If the entity defeats you, I have no defenses against it.”

  “If what you say is true and this will be of benefit to you, then I absolutely grant you my permission,” he answered automatically.

  I opened my eyes and simply nodded at Lovie, who offered me a relieved smile. “Tell him he needs ta stay with us, that the rest o’ the ritual won’t take long.”

  I informed him of as much and then watched as Christopher pushed off from where he’d been leaning against the wall at the far side of the room. He stepped over the powder circle that surrounded us and then, taking up the bronze dagger, circled it around himself, repeating the same words about protection. He nodded to Lovie who then looked at me and smiled.

  “I’m gonna retreat out o’ the circle now, Peyton,” she said and suddenly seemed incredibly tired. “Do not remove yer hand from the skull or we will lose our connection ta Drake.”

  I simply nodded and watched her pull her hand away from mine as she picked up the branch of yew and circled herself with it in a clockwise direction. She said out loud, “I hereby relinquish mahself from this sacred circle. Let no harmful entities or powers follow me.”

  Then she placed the branch back on the table and stepped over the circle of powder, retreating to the far side of the room where she took a seat on a makeshift chair they must have brought with them. She reached inside a bag nearby and pulled out a bottle of water, which she downed in almost one gulp.

  “Peyton, are you ready to move on?” Christopher asked, studying me intently from where he stood in front of me. “Do you feel strong enough to continue? Because the rest of this ritual will require your strength.”

  I swallowed hard but then nodded, figuring there was no time like the present to get possessed. He didn’t say anything more but simply nodded and turned toward the table where he added a small palmful of salt to a bowl of water. He mixed it with the index finger of his right hand. Then he drew something in the air above the bowl of water and then made what appeared to be a cross in the air. “I bless this water by the power of Michael the Archangel as well as that of my own that it shall purify this space and rid it of all malevolence.” He said the words with such authority that he almost seemed angry.

  He then drew the same image (which I was beginning to think might be a pentacle) in the air and repeated his comment over the incense and over both candles. Stepping out of the circle, he picked up a bowl of what looked like salt and walked to the far side of the room where he closed the double doors. Then he sprinkled the salt in all four corners of the room, repeating, “By the element of salt of the earth and my power as a warlock practitioner
, I banish all evil and harm from this room! Let only the spirit of Drake Montague remain here with us! All others shall return whence they came!”

  He then stepped back into the circle and held up the white candle, but not before first blowing out the black one and allowing the smoke to dissipate from the air. “By this sacred flame, the element of fire shall cleanse and purify this space of evilness.” He stepped out of the circle again and visited each corner of the room, raising the candle up to each corner and repeating the mantra to cleanse and purify the space.

  Following suit with a new stick of incense, he then did the same with a bowl of spring water. Apparently this possession ritual required calling on all the elements—fire (the candle), water (the spring water), air (the incense), and earth (the salt)—to cleanse and purify the room. When he returned to the circle, he picked up the bell and rang it four times, saying, “Let all things malevolent hear this bell and depart this space immediately! I banish all evil spirits from this place!”

  Then he picked up the bronze dagger and the bowl of salt, stepping out of the circle. He approached the double doors and then each of the four windows in the room, drawing a cross with the dagger in the air just in front of them. Then he sprinkled a line of salt in front of the windows and followed suit in front of the doorway. “By this salt of the earth and the blade of bronze, I consecrate this threshold such that no malevolent spirits can pass by!”

  When he returned to the circle, he placed the dagger and the bowl of salt on the table and then faced me. “Are you ready?”

  I simply nodded and watched as he cleared his throat. “Begin your deep breathing in and out again. You must allow the spirit world into your lungs, into yourself. Imagine bringing Drake into your body, becoming one with him.”

  I nodded again and started to breath in and then breathe out again for a count of five. I watched Christopher place his hand on top of mine, which still lay limply on the top of the skull. He closed his eyes and they immediately started to twitch as he began to chant something in his head, his lips moving with the words.