My Demonic Ghost: Banished Spirits

by Maree, Jacinta

  “No... Nothing will happen to you...”

  In a passing moment, everything around us vanished as the dark, inky symbols glowed in vibrant gold underneath. He looked at me as I looked back at him, and like snakes, thick, black chains wove around the outskirts of the circle with their metal links clinking together. If Lock spoke, I didn’t hear it. How could I focus on him when we were being in caged by serpent chains, their hissing clicks bolting me in from every angle? The shackles that bound me to him, tagging me as his Host, appeared around my neck, wrists and ankles again; though the weight of them had never left my side. On the ends of the tail, where Lock would hold them like reins, they reared up their heads and formed mouths of their own, not unlike a two headed eel, biting down and securing themselves around Lock’s neck and limbs. I was caught in one set of mouths and Lock in the other, facing each other on opposing sides, his thick rimmed lashes darkening his vibrant eyes and my large rounded spheres sparkling with blue. It all lasted just a few seconds before the chains fell from sight and the warehouse was built back over the darkness. I wasn’t surprised to feel lightheaded and dizzy as I folded my palm over my forehead, the spinning of the room making me lose my balance and sway. I opened my eyes and adjusted once more, to see that Lock had collapsed. He was face down against the floor, barely moving except for the occasional breath.

  “Lock?” I ran to him, crashing down onto my hands and knees. Just as my hands fell onto his shoulders, I instantly withdrew them as I felt a snap of static at my fingertips.

  He was cold. His body was freezing cold, and I... I could touch him. I brushed my fingertips down his back and his clothes ruffled in response. I could feel his hair, his neck and shoulders, even the first bump of his spine. His skin was soft and frosty cold against my strokes. Feeling the warmth in my palms draining out of my body and into his, I flipped Lock over onto his front, thinking he needed to breath.

  His face, his clean unmarked face, was delicate and peaceful, like a sleeping baby. The pale, marble skin became tinged with an olive tan and his charcoal hair brightened to soft, toasted brown locks. Numbness trembled through me in bursts of shivers.

  “Lock...” My once large rounded eyes now squinted with strain, a small wrinkle forming between my brows. It was a miracle, breathtaking, but most of all it was terrifying. I swallowed my heart back down into my chest as it tried to scramble up my throat, as if racing to catch sight of this amazing feat.

  “Are... are you alive?”

  He didn’t answer me, only stirred as his eyebrows pinched together; his soft pink lips mumbling incoherently. My words flew over each other, panicked and excited, so overwhelmed that they became a jumble of letters and pitches. “Lock? Lock?” I wrapped my arms under his shoulders and lifted his upper body, quickly catching his flopping head and resting him on my lap.

  A roar shook the tin walls, putting the thunder to shame, causing my head to snap up in panic. It was a scream that didn’t belong to a human.

  “What have you done?” Betrayal hovered by the high window, her intense, poisonous eyes flared with wild alarm, darting between the unconscious Lock and me, where his head lay resting on my lap. Betrayal looked wild and dangerous. Glimpsing her bulging eyes and the burning snarl on her lips, I wasn’t sure if she was ready to rip me apart or smother me with incoherent curses before removing my head.

  “Betrayal?!” I stuttered breathlessly, wanting to explain when really I had no idea how to even begin. With the way she screwed her delicate face up I couldn’t find the confidence to face her. Betrayal flipped head first into the air and swooped down onto her toes, her wild hair dancing like tiny flames behind her. “Betrayal, please help me...Is something wrong with Lock?”

  She knelt down next to him with her narrow arms out, hovering her hands over his body.

  Her animal fury disappeared without a second’s notice but my heart didn’t slow, nor did my shoulders relax, in my mild relief.

  “What an idiot.” Her fingers curled towards his clothes but slipped right through him. She flexed her fingers and pulled them back up, her lips biting down to a tight close. “You probably have no idea what all this means, but this is a terrible, terrible mistake!”

  I gulped, swallowing down a stream of guilt, and in reaction my stomach churned uncomfortably. “The whole reason we need a Host is because we can’t survive on the surface alone. You keep us hidden and give us fuel for power, to summon the magic to fight. Lock has nearly cut the connection between the two of you. There’s only a thin strand keeping you together.” Only a thin strand is left?

  “What-what does that-”

  “It means that Lock isn’t using your soul anymore to hide or summon his magic. He has temporally converted back into his most exposed state, a mineral form. He’s only using you to stay on the surface and that’s it.”

  “So he’s alive?” My voice skipped up two octaves in my excitement.

  “Not at all, he is just a copy of himself before he died. You’ll know what I mean when you touch his skin. Cold, isn’t it? He also doesn’t have a heartbeat.” I shifted my hands to his neck and rested two of my fingers against him. Betrayal was right; there was no pulse underneath his flesh. He was like a moving and talking corpse. “To stay connected to the Spirit Realm and the use of magic, we must remain in spirit form, but to remain in spirit form is to also use up a large portion of the Host’s soul. Lock has put himself in grave danger. He can be seen by all humans, Goons and Hunters now.”

  “Can you change him back?”

  “No, I don’t have that type of power. Only you can grant him access to your soul and a connection to the Spirit World. But don’t ask me how; no Banished soul has ever made equal partnership with their Host before. It’s just plain stupid!” The loud screech of a wild bird bellowed from outside, causing both Betrayal and I to jerk our heads upward in fright. She spoke again in a slithering hiss, not removing her eyes from the high window, watching intensely as if something were to jump out, “You better have your guard up; there will be a lot more Goons and Hunters hanging around.” With two quick glances over her shoulders, Betrayal’s voice dropped down even lower, so low I had to bend down and lean in just to catch the humming whisper. “Make sure he doesn’t get taken; protect him and find the Staff.”

  My voice also dropped to a secretive hush, though I didn’t understand why, no one could hear us. “How? Where do I find it?”

  “The Hunters have it-”

  “I know that, but what does it look like? How? Tell me how.”

  Betrayal stood up and placed her hand against her temple. The storm had passed; it must now be reaching into the early hours of the morning as the moon’s glow was weak and shifting.

  “I guess I have no choice,” Betrayal swore underneath her breath. “To be completely honest, I don’t know what it looks like, no one knows because no one has actually ever... gotten the Staff...”

  The lump of guilt inside me built into a combination of fear, shock and hopelessness. My thoughts came rushing down on top of me all at the same time, freezing me completely still. No one had ever gotten the Staff before... that means not one single Banished soul has ever been saved, yet it’s all they’ve got left to hope for. The existence of the actual Staff never came into question for them; they were just so sure it was out there.

  “Don’t tell Lock... okay? You can still save him... And make sure he’s hidden from the sunlight.”

  Betrayal vanished into a flurry of ash and took off through the high window. Sunlight! I had to get Lock back home before the sun rises. I had very little time left and no one to help me.

  Quickly, I slid out from underneath him and hoisted him onto my back, leaning forward so he wouldn’t tumbled off; and started to walk with his arms draped across my shoulders, his legs hooked underneath my arm pits, and his head nestled into the back of my neck.

  He was heavy and cold. I entered back into the pitch of the woods, and step by step, tried to fight back my exhaustion. His feet dangled
just inches above the ground. It felt like I was carrying a bag of bones on my back; my calves, ankles, neck and knees throbbed under pressure, refusing to cooperate.

  I had never been a fast girl, but I could manage long distances. My steady rhythm was put to the test against the awakening of the sun. I slipped only once, nearing toppling over onto my side with Lock as my landing matt, but thankfully, managed to tilt the opposite way and save us both. A chink of light pierced the sky as the first beam of daylight peeked out from behind the shades of night, just as I stepped foot onto the driveway of my house, about ten metres away from the front door. I turned my fast-paced limping into an awkward trot, keeping myself at least three paces ahead of the light’s advancing line. The birds were awake, chirping in anticipation of the new day as the neighbour’s rooster crowed out across the hen house.

  The sun’s rays were nipping at my heels as I battled through the weeds, having to lift my knees high and step over the wild garden as it grabbed at my ankles, trying to root me in. I tripped over myself and stumbled forwards, reaching out one bent and exhausted arm to latch onto the door handle. I twisted the knob and fell through, slamming the sun out only seconds behind me; dropping Lock to the floor in weariness. I fell onto my rear, looking over at Lock, still undisturbed from his slumber. Maybe I didn’t need to be so gentle with him after all.

  I allowed myself a few moments to catch my breath before kneeling up and pulling the blinds down above us. I picked Lock up underneath his arm pits and walked backwards with him, his feet being dragging along the ground. The snores of deep, undisturbed slumber looped down the empty halls as we walked. I paused, waiting for Mum to wake and catch me red handed. But there was no noise coming from inside her room so, quickly, my pace now doubled with adrenaline, I dragged Lock’s body down the hallway, rolling him onto the top of my bed. The sheets were still kicked back from where I climbed out last night and my pyjamas left flung across the floor. I stretched his body out straight and pulled the sheets up, covering him up to his neck.

  I also wanted to climb into bed, absolutely exhausted and reaching my limit, but instead I rolled myself up and sat guarding the door just in case Mum tried to walk in. I must’ve only gotten two hours of sleep when the door behind me was nudged into my back. My entire body ached. Behind me, I could hear Mum fighting to get into my room and ahead of me was Lock snoring into my pillows.

  “Rachael? Rachael, what-?” I quickly jumped up and turned to my mother, filling the small gap between the door and wall with my body.

  “Yeah, Mum? Something wrong?”

  “Oh...why were you on the floor?” Mum took a step back as I forcibly wedged myself through the door before pulling it to a close behind me. Everything was still in déjà vu-mode, as if I wasn’t really here or this really wasn’t happening. My entire body was tingling; it felt as if I was caught in an alternate reality. Sleep deprivation does weird things.

  “I was looking for something that I dropped, for umm... my sock. I was looking for my sock and I found it,” I laughed, lifted my right foot and wiggled my toes underneath the fabric of my sock. Mum didn’t look like she was convinced but, nevertheless, nodded her head. I thanked her for her ignorance with a small smile.

  “Well, I need you to send off some mail for me down at the marketplace, I’m just too busy to do it myself. I have so much organising to do.” Dianne motioned downwards as if the chores she needed to tackle were sitting there in front of us. Her hand slipped into the pocket of her sweats and she took out a small bundle of dry brown envelopes tied together with string.

  “Oh, geez. Sorry, but to be honest, I don’t think I’m feeling up to it.” I wasn’t being honest, and I hated how I felt that I had to lie constantly. I never really was the best liar, but with Lock here as motivation, I’m sure to get a lot of practise.

  “It’ll only take a second. Please honey, I’m going out of town for a bi-”

  “Oh wait, you’re not going to be at home?” My voice accidently came off as too enthusiastic to cover myself.

  “Just for a little while.” I noticed she hadn’t questioned me about what I’ve been doing, all my sneaking around and conspiracy. Either she didn’t notice or she didn’t care.

  I took the envelopes with a half-smile. We didn’t have a car so we had to walk everywhere. I stood outside the front door, waving subtly to my departing mother, but still alert to the sleeping corpse upstairs. As Mum disappeared, I was back upstairs before the door even had a chance to close behind me. I didn’t bother changing my clothes, not seeing the point in walking back out into the mud when my jeans were already dirtied, though the damp material was very uncomfortable. I glanced inside my bed room only once, checking on the still sleeping Lock, before lightly closing the door and letting myself out.

  Chapter Eight:

  The sky was bleak and ghostly grey as the cool breeze blew past me; fallen leaves crunched underfoot, my boots still deeply coated with drying mud. I entered the roads again, heading down to the market at the end of the road, the concrete dipping and bending with the steep curve of the hill. The noise grew in volume as I neared the final bend.

  The streets were busy; it being a Sunday and all, as the townspeople patted each other on the back with their hellos and followed each other from store to store, tittering away like flightless birds. Being so small in numbers, it was easy for people to live in each other’s pockets; a burden I had begun to identify with by Lock’s constant presence lingering around me. But he wasn’t here now. Suddenly I felt lonely and took back those thoughts; it wasn’t THAT bad of a burden. By this point, I had received a few glances by the locals; the men tipping the bills of their hats as I smiled at them, and the women dropping their gazes back onto their grocery bags to avoid eye contact. In such a secluded area, it was easy to presume they all knew whose daughter I was and that George wasn’t the most favourable neighbour to have. I was already an outcast before even really getting the chance to fit in.

  The marketplace was made up of fish sales, vegetable stores, homemade cutlery, and quilt stores; all lined up alongside each other in tiny huts with swinging signs outside their doors. Everything was upside down, even the chatter among the people were different. City people talked into their phones, not to each other. Absentminded as I was, I accidently stepped on an uneven brick and tripped myself, the envelopes taking flight as I spread my hands open to catch the ground. The bundle bounced off, landing next to the curb. I could feel my cheeks glow. That was not a graceful fall.

  Another pair of hands had bent down just as I extended mine, and together we bumped knuckles while reaching for the envelopes. I glanced up to notice soft, walnut brown eyes heightened only by a roaring mane of hair, drenched in too much hair gel; a fiery red that darkened to black as it reached the roots.

  His skin was tanned a soft syrupy orange; his tight jaw, thin lips, and small button nose making him look almost unreal, doll-like even. I had had to catch myself from reaching out and stroking his cheek, wondering what he felt like. He gave me a crooked smile as I stood up.

  He had a soft and gentle visage; an oval face sat high on his long neck, giving a streamlined look to his lean body; his wide eyes the perfect counterbalance. In a moment I completely forgot about Lock, asleep in my bed back at home. I could feel deep sparks of electricity fly off our faces, making it almost impossible not to give in and capture him quickly, before he disappears.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he chuckled.

  “That’s okay. Thanks.” His eyes, intense, full and intrigued, stayed locked on mine. I gawked at him as if he was a talking bear.

  “You’re not from around here, are you?” The voice flowed through me like a musical wave, causing the soles of my feet to become weights, holding me fast in place. I nodded my head shyly and reached to take the parcel, noticing how he immediately dropped his hand so our fingers wouldn’t touch. What’s wrong with me? He wouldn’t let my eyes go; staring so boldly at me that, even if it wasn’t on purpos
e, at some point in time he would’ve felt the uncomfortable tension and been forced to glance away.

  “I’m actually from the city. This place is… strange to me.”

  “Strange?” His smile dipped but only for a second, “I find it peaceful. You must not be used to it yet, don’t worry it’ll grow on you. I can show you where the Post Office is if you’d like? Most city folk seem to look for a red tin box instead of an actual store.”

  “Thanks, that’ll help a lot,” I said.

  The boy stepped back, allowing space between us and finally dropped his gaze, rolling his golden brown eyes across the ground. A few passing people had actually paused to watch us, peering over their neighbours shoulders. I blushed under their curious gazes, even though I knew I was as interesting as a house plant next to him.

  Gracefully, he turned and extended his arm behind my elbow before ushering me forward into the masses. The busy market crowd parted as if some sort of a gravitational push was moving them aside, forming a wide path straight ahead of us. He questioned me as we walked.

  “May I ask you your name?”

  “It’s Rachael.”

  “Hmm, you’re the first Rachael I’ve ever met.” He glanced off, perhaps sifting through files and pictures in his memory of all the girls he’d met in the past. There must have been plenty for him to recollect.

  “Oh, what’s yours?”

  “My name is Elyograg.”

  “Elyograg? That is a strange name. Well you’re the first Elyograg that I’ve ever met.” He chuckled softly and tilted me a lopsided grin.