Darker than Dark (Haunted Series)

by Alexie Aaron

  “It’s a puzzlement. Perhaps our tech will come up with an answer,” Burt said and asked, “Do you think we could have access to the device?”

  “It’s in pieces. I’m not sure. I will have to run it by Mr. Braverman. He may want it for a lawsuit.”

  Burt handed the doctor his card with his local contact information on it. Mia hung back waiting her turn.

  “How are you doing? Seems to me I signed a receipt of a transfer request for your MRI records earlier this week,” Doctor Walters said.

  “They wanted to compare it with the latest pics of my noggin,” Mia explained.

  “You had another MRI, why?”

  Mia explained her experience of dropping in a well from eighty feet. She edited out anything paranormal, including Murphy’s jumpstarting her heart.

  “Seems to me, Miss Cooper, you may want to find a safer hobby, like knitting for example.”

  Mia laughed and assured him that she would look into it.

  Burt and Tom were waiting for her to finish her conversation at the elevator. The three of them rode down together, and Tom handed Burt a clear plastic bag full of Archie’s clothes before they parted in the lobby.

  Burt waited until they were in Mia’s truck before saying what was on both of their minds, “The DTDs are headed back to the farm.”

  “I wonder how long it will take them. Seems to me they have to travel at night and move from shadow to shadow. We may luck out as it’s a full moon tonight, it may slow them down.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it. I think we better warn the family,” Burt said. “Perhaps this is better coming in person.”

  “I agree with you, plus I would like to look at the farm in the daylight. After, I think I better check in with Murphy, perhaps he ran into these things in his day. As this farm is so close to the hollow, he may have heard a rumor or two about Martha’s farm.”

  “Excellent idea.”

  ~

  Stephen Murphy picked up his axe and started his daily survey of his land. Time was a strange concept to him. When he was alive he didn’t have enough of it. He broke his back getting the fields plowed, planted and harvested on time. Now he had an eternity and couldn't tell one day to the next. He couldn’t remember how long it was since he met Mia. It seemed like yesterday when the awkward teen had stumbled into the old barn. He could tell that she had aged but how long it had been, he had no concept. Moons passed, seasons too, but he didn’t feel their passing, only that he was aware of the change. His once plowed fields had fallen first into fallow then bramble. Tiny trees had pushed through the scrub, searching for sunlight. Now they were massive giants fighting for space.

  He thought back to his childhood, his mother, proud and determined. Thoughts of his wayward and unhappy wife Chastity shadowed his memories. His life had not been easy. Why then had he chosen after death not to move on? Was it the farm, the trees, or an honest fear of what lay in wait for him? He wasn’t a social creature in life so he wasn’t lonely. He was however bored. Mia and her PEEPs friends had been a blessing. He felt vital again. Fear, anger, want, and love. Emotions that were long forgotten came rushing back, and with them came a feeling of being alive. This feeling was dangerous because in his case it was unnatural. Whatever laws of the universe he used to abide to were broken and ignored. Murphy’s brain wanted to learn. His mind had moved beyond the primal and into a state of consciousness that defied logic.

  He had broken through the veil and touched things. He knew it was possible from watching the antics of the monsters that moved about the hollow. Most of them were gone now, but some still remained. The motorcyclists had done more than poked the living. He shuddered with the thought of that poor boy. He remembered fighting to keep those things away from Mia. How did they amass such strength? There was a lot to ponder, and the woods beckoned. Maybe a change in direction would help him to figure some things out. He turned around and headed north.

  Chapter Seven

  Beth packed her bags in the back of her rental car. Her original plan was to return to Detroit Metro airport and fly to Kansas City. Burt’s phone call changed that. They had a very intriguing case in northern Illinois, not far from the hollow. He stressed that her research abilities were needed ASAP. She decided to keep the rental, pay the premium and charge it to PEEPs. Her drive would take her through southwestern Michigan, northern Indiana, through Chicago and out to Wheybridge, Illinois.

  This would give her time to gear up for the investigation while processing the conversations she had with her old school chums. The reunion was an excellent idea. The group of girls she roomed with while she was at Western Michigan University was a diverse group that loved to party. Time had brought careers, spouses and, in one case, children into their lives, but the women still enjoyed a fancy drink and a run at the slot machines. They were supportive but still tended to be untactful with their opinions. Small arguments arose and fell depending on the level of alcohol, but for the most part Beth felt that this group of women had helped her to heal.

  She realized that Mia wasn’t in competition with her for men. Her friend Barb echoed Mrs. Dupree’s comment that Beth always had the tendency to go after unavailable males. When they were at college, it was professors, gays and married men.

  “I think you’re frightened of commitment,” Barb observed. “You still haven’t completed your dissertation. Maybe you’re afraid that when you do you will have to move on. So change may be a problem too.”

  Beth bristled at the time. Who was Barb to tell her about going after unavailable men? She had been the cause of quite a few relationship breakups when she was out hunting for a good time. But then, she would recognize the behavior pattern, wouldn’t she?

  Beth signaled before pulling onto the entrance ramp to 94 west. How did she really feel about Mia? She remembered the first time they worked together. Mia had stolen contents from a library, climbed out the window and tossed them to Beth. Beth smiled at the memory. It was exciting. Even though she worried about being arrested, she had followed Mia’s lead. Why? It was fun. Mia was fun. She took the task of ghost hunting seriously but made it fun. Still, Beth couldn’t get beyond the attention grabbing aspect of the sensitive. Beth faded more and more into the background when Mia was around. This had to stop. She had begun a campaign to undermine Mia’s perfect world. A little email she sent to the right people, she hoped, would shine an unfavorable light on their little psychic.

  She missed Ted, her buddy, her partner on the nerd end of the PEEPs train. Had she messed up their friendship with her antics of the past few months? She had made the tech the object of her desire. She dressed differently in hopes of attracting him. She all but threw herself at him with the tiny nighty stunt at Lund. He was not receptive. How do you turn the corner on a relationship without losing the tendrils of what was good about it in the first place? She watched Mia and Burt struggle with it. Burt had taken a couple of cheap shots with Mia. She didn’t retaliate. Maybe Ted would be the same. If Beth backed off they would soon fall into step again, investigation wise.

  She would start now. She voice activated her phone and asked it to call Ted.

  “I’m Illinois bound,” Ted said, not bothering with a greeting.

  “Me too. I’ll race you,” she challenged.

  “Tempting,” he said turning down his radio. “I hear this case is going to be a tough one.”

  “They’re all tough, no news there.”

  “Burt and Mia have never seen anything like this. They’ve called in Angelo.”

  “Whoa, I didn’t know that. Tell me what you know,” Beth asked.

  Ted filled her in on the video, the communication with the Italian giant, and the attack on Archie Braverman.

  “Braverman, that sounds familiar,” Beth mused out loud.

  “Tom’s uncle.”

  “Ah, that’s it. Isn’t he the nut job with the UFO stories?” Beth asked.

  “That’s the man. Mia and Burt both saw the DTDs so makes you wonder if Archie did se
e some aliens.”

  “Even nut jobs deserve to be heard.”

  “That’s why I’m talking to you, Bethy.”

  Beth laughed. “Ouch, I walked into that one.”

  “You pitched the perfect ball, and I smacked it out of the ballpark,” Ted said smugly.

  “What is it with you males and baseball metaphors?”

  “Tradition. Don’t mess with tradition, Bethy, or you’re going to get snubbed.”

  “Speaking of getting snubbed, how’s the Mia campaign going?”

  “Bitch. Actually, I’m making some headway. She no longer sees me as a child.”

  “Saving her from the well had to net you some points. What is the age difference between you two anyway?”

  “She’s younger by two years.”

  “But let’s see in maturity years…”

  “Now you’re being mean. I’m going to have to call in a ref and get you for unnecessary roughness.”

  “Now, we have eroded into football. I have to get you to read something other than the sports pages.”

  “I do.”

  “Comic books aren’t going to improve your vocab,” Beth warned.

  “I read books,” Ted pointed out.

  “Physics…”

  “Now wait a damn minute, you can learn a lot from physics. The law of attraction for one.”

  “Touché,” Beth said. “Okay, I’ll stop needling you. I just wanted to give you a shout out before I hit no cell tower land.”

  “Thanks for the call. You really ought to switch plans,” Ted suggested.

  “I’ll take that under advisement. See you soon. Bye, Ted.”

  “Drive safe,” he said before disconnecting.

  Beth smiled. Ted seemed more relaxed with her. Maybe she was given another chance. Now if only she could get through an investigation without glaring at Mia.

  ~

  Martha fussed in the kitchen while keeping an eagle eye on Gwen who was coloring at the kitchen table. Lizzie and Henry were in school. Julie had driven them into Wheybridge and was stopping at the grocery store before returning to the farm. Richard was at work making arrangements to take some time off. He had the vacation time. He had been saving it for a trip to Disney World for the family. Truth was, he was in between projects. He worried that he should be concentrating on bringing in other work. His specialty was taking older office buildings, bringing them up to code. Many businesses were moving back into the city. The tax benefits, not to mention the mass transit system, made Chicago very tempting to the successful, growing midrange businesses. The suburban sprawl had slowed to a stop. The economy couldn’t support the amenities needed to keep places like Wheybridge viable.

  “Grandma, I’m hungry,” Gwen said packing up her crayons.

  “Would you like to help me make lunch?”

  “Yes!” Gwen clapped her hands together.

  “What should we have?”

  “Jelly beans on white bread with marshmallow fluff,” Gwen suggested.

  Martha choked down the bile that rose in her throat at the thought of this combination. “Dear me, Gwen, I think I ran out of marshmallow fluff. How about peanut butter and jelly?”

  “What kind of jelly,” Gwen asked obviously disappointed.

  “Let me see,” Martha said and opened the refrigerator door. She looked inside and announced as she gathered the jars, “Strawberry, grape and raspberry.”

  Gwen didn’t answer. Martha turned around, and the child was gone. She closed the door. Behind it a black mass stood there wavering. Martha threw the jars of jelly at it screaming, “Go away!” The first jar passed through the mass, the second stayed in, turning the blob dark blue, the third bounced off.

  The mass surged towards the surprised woman. It pushed arm-like appendages around Martha and squeezed, pulling her into the center of the entity until she was imprisoned inside the gelatinous mass. She couldn’t breathe. The mass smelled like grapes. She twisted and fought, screaming, “You can’t have her!” Her voice sounded hollow to her as if she were crying out in a dream.

  She could see the kitchen through the blue-black gel. Why was this happening? It was broad daylight and the kitchen had been awash in sunlight. Martha gasped as her brave little granddaughter stomped into the room and demanded, “You leave my grammie alone!” She had one of Henry’s old toys in her hand, a green light saber from his Star Wars collection. She held it up and began to charge towards Martha and the mass with the plastic-encased light. She swung it like she was hitting a tee ball. The mass shook as she connected with it.

  “Leave her alone or I’ll give you what for!” Gwen shouted, raising the light saber to strike again.

  The mass pushed Martha away from it. She was able to breathe again. Taking big gulps of air, she grabbed Gwen and ran through the bottom floor of the house. She gathered up coats, hats and mittens. Her purse with her keys in it was on the front table. She threw open the front door and screamed at the two hooded figures standing on the porch.

  Chapter Eight

  Mia and Burt looked at the ashen-faced Martha holding onto Gwen with one hand, ready to defend her with a swing of her purse with the other. Gwen poked at Mia with a toy sword.

  “Were friends,” Mia said and pushed back her hoodie.

  Burt did the same.

  “In the kitchen!” Martha managed before fainting.

  Burt caught her and carried her to Mia’s warm truck. Gwen followed after she handed Mia her light saber for protection.

  Mia ventured into the house. Gone was the smell of apple pie. It had been replaced with one smelling of burnt toast and grape jam. She cautiously moved down the hall towards the sunny kitchen. Her boots on the wood floor betrayed her, as the creaks of the boards preceded her movement into the kitchen. All was as it should be with the exception of three broken jars of jelly on the normally pristine floor.

  Strawberry oozed from the far corner and raspberry had decorated the front of the oven. Beside the refrigerator sat the remains of an empty jar of grape jelly. Mia could see a faint smear of the stuff and followed the trail to the open backdoor. The cement steps were awash with the goo. Mia, holding her saber high, navigated the slimed steps with care. The hard frozen ground bore small traces of the stuff.

  “Mia, wait!” Burt called from behind her.

  She stopped and waited for him to catch up to her. He was carrying a Maglite and a flash camera. Mia pointed out the trail leading to an old stone foundation.

  “That must have been the barn. The one they got the wood from,” Burt pointed out.

  Mia nodded. “I’m a bit baffled by the attack. The mass of DTDs couldn’t have reached the farm already, plus the energy they would have to use would make them unable to do much more than survive for a while.”

  “What if it was already here? A sentry perhaps, left to guard the fort,” Burt suggested.

  They stopped at the slope leading up to the remains of the stone wall. Mia searched the ground and sighed as the trail of jelly had gone. “Must have been a small jar,” she said aloud. “Let’s take for granted that this is the lair or fort as you so aptly put it. If it is a sentry then I think we would be amiss in going in unprepared.”

  “Your words echo my thoughts. Let’s get back to Gwen and her grandmother. She was conscious when I left her but pretty shaky. I think we better move the girl to a safe place.”

  “They can stay at my house, but I don’t think my protections will deter these things,” Mia said worried.

  “No, farther away than that. Chicago?” Burt suggested.

  “Too many shadows even during the day.”

  “I don’t know what their economic situation is. I would think getting an ocean between them and the DTDs would be a solution.”

  Burt and Mia tossed out more ideas as they rounded the outside of the house, heading for Mia’s truck.

  Gwen greeted them by honking the horn which caused both she and Burt to jump. Martha grabbed the child’s hands to stop her from another assaul
t on everyone’s ears.

  “Whenever I think I hear my biological clock ticking, I will drown it out with Gwen’s honking,” Mia winced.

  “Come on, where’s your spirit of adventure?” Burt said and patted her on the back. “Afraid of little Whits and Mias running amuck?”

  “Please, I’m not fit to be a mother. Murphy would have to mind the rug rats, and I don’t think he’s too fond of the mini humans lately.”

  Burt laughed, remembering Mia’s tale of rescuing Murphy from April’s nieces and nephews. He smiled at Martha and Gwen and encouraged them to come open the door.

  “Is everything alright, young man?” Martha asked as she stepped down from the truck.

  “I think that, other than broken glass and smeared jelly, the house is safe.”

  Mia handed Gwen her light saber as the child bounded out of the vehicle. “Did you see it?” she asked.

  “No, but I would love if you would draw me a picture of it,” Mia asked and remembered her manners. “Please.”

  The child gave her a broad grin. She didn’t seem to be affected negatively from this experience. Her grandmother was a wreck and would need some calming down. Burt talked to her in his soft tones. Mia smiled as his voice evoked good memories.

  “Come on, Gwen. Why don’t you color me a picture while I clean up the kitchen for your grandmother?”

  Gwen held out her hand to Mia, and the two of them walked boldly into the house. Martha hung back a moment and then followed them on Burt’s arm.

  “What was that thing?” Martha asked.

  “I wish I could tell you,” Burt admitted. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me away from Gwen what happened. No sense in frightening her. She seems to be taking all of this in stride.”

  “Remarkable child, but all of Julie’s kids are. Richard and she raised them with humor and a lot of love. Sometimes I think too much attention, but it’s just an old lady’s thoughts.”

  “I’m hardly an expert on child development, but from what I’ve seen so far, the kids seem normal and happy.”