“Good eye, Jocelyn. It was actually part of an old shed built by my grandparents. Not by anything else. Hey, here is the spot right here. Do you see this cement block? It is what we use for the homestead marker. This would’ve been a corner of the building. The house stood here.” Aaron waved his arms in front of him. “The porch was situated here and the barn over in that direction, although we aren’t sure exactly where it stood.”
“Maybe we should try an EVP session?” I asked the other two as I slapped a mosquito that landed on my cheek. Jocelyn was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and nothing was biting her. Why was I so tasty to the bloodsucking bugs? I didn’t recall having this much trouble with them at Harrington Farm.
“Good idea. Then we can fan out and look for more clues. It would be great if we could find some kind of tracks or footprints. I still can’t believe Dale could get lost out here,” Aaron said.
I shivered in the sunshine. I hoped his friend wasn’t lying hurt or worse nearby. I’d seen more than enough injury and death in my life, and working in this field didn’t make it any easier. I said, “Since Tobias Arthur is your relative, Aaron, perhaps you should start the session. We might get more of a response if he knows that you are one of his descendants.” Jocelyn took his picture and agreed with me.
“Okay. Here goes.” He held up the device and said, “Tobias Arthur, are you here? My name is Aaron, and I’m Nina’s grandson. You never met her, but she’s your granddaughter.” After a few seconds, he said, “A friend of mine, Dale, is missing. Have you seen him?”
The air didn’t move in this part of the forest. It couldn’t; there were too many trees. I was sweaty, and the mosquitoes continued to buzz around my face. Before I knew it, Jocelyn had whipped a small spray bottle out of her pocket and was spritzing my skin with it. I could smell peppermint and something else. She handed it to me. “Why don’t you spray this on your face? Just keep your eyes closed. It’s completely natural and won’t harm you, but you are covered in bugs.”
“Thanks,” I said as I closed my eyes and sprayed myself with the cooling mist. I was instantly relieved and handed her the bottle back. Aaron was wandering around but hadn’t gone far.
“Is there anyone there?” He was staring off into the woods behind us; at first, I thought he was talking to the digital recorder, but then I heard the leaves scattering. We all waited, the three of us frozen in our tracks.
“Must be a squirrel, right?” I asked no one in particular. After a minute or two of waiting, I could see that Jocelyn’s magical spray wasn’t going to keep the mosquito herd at bay for very long. “We’d better head back. We can review the recording when we get there. I haven’t detected any strange EMF anomalies. It looks like you’ve gotten quite a few photos, though, Jocelyn.”
“Yep. And I’m anxious to go check them out. Let’s go, Cassidy. Come on, Aaron. Whatever was there is gone now.”
Aaron lingered until he heard Jocelyn call him again, and then he joined us as we made our way back through the nearly invisible path to the lodge. Midas and Pete were not there; I assumed they were still out putting up the last of the trail cams, and we radioed them to let them know we were back at the lodge. And like any good investigators, we immediately began to review our evidence. Jocelyn reported nothing unusual in any of her pictures, but we did have one interesting EVP. It was an answer to Aaron’s last question.
We loaded it into the computer and played it back at half volume. Yes, there was very clearly an answer to his question, “Is there anyone there?”
A voice came back. And not a human voice either. Whatever it was, it whispered back in a low moan, “Yessss.”
“Oh God! That sounds horrible,” Jocelyn said as she hopped to her feet. We were so amazed…no, that’s not the word. Appalled. We were appalled by the sound of the voice. I didn’t replay it, and nobody asked to hear it again until Midas returned. I knew now that we were not alone.
“You’ve got to hear this,” Aaron said as he nodded at me. I hit the play button and enhanced the audio.
“Is there anyone there?” we heard Aaron ask. And the voice replied, “Yessss.” I repeated the last part several times and tried not to visibly shiver.
Midas rubbed his face with his hand and said, “I’ve heard a lot of voices and listened to a lot of EVPs over the years, but that takes the cake. I know that’s creepy-sounding, we all agree on that; however, Nina is counting on us to get to the bottom of what’s happening here. Where did you pick this up?”
“Out by the location of the old homestead, near the cornerstone. That was all we got. Except I got the feeling someone was watching us.” Aaron shrugged, but I could tell he thought it was something significant. I did too.
Jocelyn spoke up and put her hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “He’s right, you know. It’s really oppressive out there. It feels like you are the focus of everything in the forest. But like Aaron said, we all agree that feelings are not actually evidence. And since we’re here to get some, how about we get this equipment set up? What’s the plan for that?”
I watched as Midas went into boss mode. It’s not like any of us really needed instructions. We all knew that we were going to cover the front room in a huge way and probably the hallways and maybe a few other places, but it was always good to have someone leading the way, someone with a plan. It was a relief to know that there was some science or at least some sort of order associated with our field of study.
Except for Pete’s new camera system, I had surmised correctly. We would deploy six cameras throughout the lodge; the focus would be on the main room but also on two of the hallways. We were going to have one camera in the kitchen that faced the back door and one camera in a bedroom where some visitors had reported seeing shadows. Pete’s 3D camera would be installed above the doorway where it would capture the entire front room. The van would be our home base, and from there someone could keep an eye on everything.
It felt strange beginning an investigation without Josh and Sierra, but Midas was right. We had a job to do and a client to help. I watched Jocelyn as she walked around the house snapping pictures. I was amazed at what I’d seen earlier, though I didn’t know why the picture had surprised me so much.
My sister was still here, even though I’d done my best to make sure that she was resting in peace, that she wasn’t alone, that she knew I loved her. I felt a breeze on my neck and rubbed at it with my hand. As if the picture wasn’t enough, with the breeze I knew for sure now that Kylie was here with me.
And she was protecting me.
Chapter Ten—Tobias
When I woke up, I discovered that I was lying on the ground in a deep hole, and all I could see were the stars above me. Night had arrived, and panic set in as my awareness came back to me. I did not have to wonder how I got into this predicament. The creature had led me here. The horrible wolflike creature had brought me here with trickery, made me believe that my wife was suffering, and I walked right into its trap. I had no recollection of falling into the pit, but here I was. I could feel movement behind me, but the squeaking of a small rodent set me at ease. The last thing I wanted to be trapped in this hole with was the Wolf.
I had never seen a creature as cunning or thoughtful as this one. To lay a trap for a man, this was no normal animal. Again, the word “abomination” crossed my mind. But whatever it was, it was clear that it wanted to harm me or at the very least frighten me. I felt around in the dark hoping to find my gun, but there was nothing there. Nothing except some old fabric and the stench of decomposing bodies. I knew that smell.
What did this creature have planned for me?
I wanted to call out, to beg for help, but I didn’t want to draw its attention. If there was any chance at all that this thing had left and forgotten about me, I did not want to do anything to change that. Although it seemed like a long shot, I sat quietly and waited. As my eyes became accustomed to the darkness, I began to map my surroundings. Over there was a large rock—I could probably stand on it, but i
t would not give me enough height to reach over the side of the hole. And there in the far corner were the remnants of a body. Much of it had decomposed, but some of the clothing was still on it.
Oh yes, this thing liked playing these games. It was the sport that it enjoyed. And now I was its latest quarry. As I pondered my options, I heard a distinct howl in the distance. I knew that sound. It was the sound of approaching death.
“Numa chee. Ena numa chee,” I heard a man’s voice whisper to me over the side of the hole. The darkness did not reveal his face, but I knew him to be human. His hand was extended to me, beckoning me back. He wanted to help me. I struggled to think of the proper reply. This was the Creek language—no, Choctaw. As I rose to my feet, the howl filled the air around us. And then the man vanished along with his offered hand.
And for the first time in the past hour, I spoke, screaming, “No! Don’t leave me here!” I imagined I heard him whisper again and that he was not too far away, but the howl was closer. In fact, I could hear the creature moving nearby. Small saplings snapped under the power of the massive monster. The crunching of leaves disturbed by wolflike feet forced me into silence. I hunkered down in the hole hoping to hide from the Wolf, as if it didn’t know every inch of this trap.
The trap it laid for me.
It was coming—coming to claim its prize, and my imagination offered me no relief. In my mind, I could see those claws again, those sharp, black claws, and I knew what they would do to me. It would rip me to shreds and eat my innards just like a wild dog or a wolf would its prey. I would die tonight, and I would never see my wife and son again.
Oh, Eliza. Why didn’t you come home? I will miss you, my darling.
I closed my eyes as I heard the sound of thumps. Steady, rhythmic thumps. It was on the way. The creature was coming to claim me.
Thump… Thump… Thump…
No. This wasn’t the creature. That was the sound of a drum, and I heard a voice now, a voice I’d heard just a few minutes ago. He was singing, singing in that soothing Choctaw language. He was casting a spell of protection over me. I understood only a few words, and I began to weep at hearing them just as the singer was weeping for me to his deity, the Great One.
I heard the Wolf howl again, and it was a howl filled with anger, but I noticed the creature didn’t come any closer. In fact, its steps circled back around the hole, and then I heard the ground shake as it walked back into the woods. But it wasn’t far away, and I had no illusions that it had given up its claim on me. The drum continued a little while longer, and then the singer was there again with his hand over the edge.
“Numa chee! You, now!”
I didn’t waste another moment wondering what he said. This was the only offer of help I was going to receive. What cared I who it came from? I stepped onto the triangular rock, placing my feet in awkward positions because of the sharp edges. I wasn’t as tall as I needed to be, and this wouldn’t be easy, but my new friend didn’t abandon me. Instead, he wrapped the rope around my wrist and then around his and with all his might began to drag me up from death.
He was an older man; his hair was white like snow, and his face was scarred as if he’d fallen into a fire and had not been quick enough to move to safety.
The rope burned my skin and my hand felt numb, but I clutched the stranger’s hand and did my best to launch myself off that rock. I slipped, but he never let me down. With a great grunt, he tugged me out of the hole, and together we lay on the ground trying to catch our breath. We would not have long to rest.
The Wolf wasn’t going to give up on killing me so easily.
Why was it after me? What had I done to offend this spirit of the woods? What sin had I committed against it?
As if he read my mind, which he surely could not have, the old man shook his head slowly and put his finger to his lips. I didn’t realize that I’d been crying. Crying with relief. He was on his feet and waving at me, and then he disappeared into the tree line opposite. I couldn’t linger here. I wouldn’t survive without my new friend. Somehow, some way, this Choctaw had power over the Wolf. At least enough power to keep it away.
He looked back at me once and reminded me to be quiet as we raced back the way he’d come.
We were going home.
Chapter Eleven—Jocelyn
“Hey y’all, gather around. There’s a party going down…”
Why this song? I hated it. This tune was one of those horrible earworms that I couldn’t shake, and for the life of me, I don’t even know where I heard it last. It’s not that I was a big country music fan, but the music industry was so diverse now you could hear just about anything, anywhere. Ugh, focus. Why are you thinking about this right now?
I snapped photos of the team as they began their work. After taking about fifty pictures, I jumped in and helped with the setup. It’d been a long time since I’d participated in this kind of work, but it felt good to get grungy again. Nothing much had changed. HDMI cable into the camera, add the tape to the cord, label it. Same old, same old. I supposed the entire team felt the same way; it’s not that we loved doing these mundane tasks—it was what it accomplished that made it so important.
Yes, we were a group of believers.
We all knew there was something paranormal happening here, but it was our job to prove it. And in Midas’ case, not just prove it but answer whatever questions needed to be answered. That was one reason why I wanted to work with him again. He was one of the best, most dedicated paranormal investigators I had ever worked with. Talk about keeping a level head.
I would never forget that time Pete and I ran screaming out of the Sapphire Caves in Destin, Florida. To this day, I can’t figure out what that thing was. But five minutes later, Midas and Sara casually walked out as if they were just leaving a movie and not being harassed by an antagonistic spirit. Yeah, that guy had nerve. Nothing much shook him, and although I would never tell these people that, I needed that right now. I needed to be in a world that could not be shaken.
Because mine was shaking from the foundations up.
I paced the floor as I talked on the phone last night. “I’ll be home soon, Mom. I just have a few stops to make.” I could go home right now; I could’ve gone right then, but the prospect of facing George again made me sick. Knowing that Mom was sick, this close to death, but stayed with George…I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t pretend everything was okay. I had to wait for the right moment.
The moment when my anger for George was not as great as my concern for Mom.
That was a horrible thing to admit to myself, and I sure wasn’t going to admit it to anyone else. But I would have to go see her eventually, and I would have to go soon.
From what Mom told me, she didn’t have long to live…but then again, she had always been a bit of a drama queen. For a long time growing up, I thought she came by that life by accident. But as I got older, I realized that her decisions had taken her to those extreme places. Her decisions had taken her to a place where she was dependent on someone like George Fairlane. And when I got older, I realized that I didn’t have to let her decisions take me to any of those places.
I loved her. My mother was a good woman, as good as you could get except for her choices in men…and that’s why I ran for the hills when those red flags popped up with Pete. From what I could see, nothing had changed much. Pete liked to be the guy who was large and in charge, and although I had heard a little about what he’d been through since he came back to the Gulf Coast Paranormal team, how he’d saved Midas’ life during an investigation, even that wasn’t enough to persuade me to befriend him again. At least not in an intimate way. And Midas had been his best friend, his brother. To hook up with Sara…talk about the ultimate betrayal.
As I finished setting up the last camera, I was determined to forget about my problems for the moment. This was what I lived for, paranormal investigation, and the beginning was always my favorite part.
“All right, guys. I’ll make you some of my
famous grilled pickle sandwiches, and then you can tell us how we’re gonna pair up, boss man.”
Cassidy laughed out loud. “Grilled pickle sandwich? I’m not sure about that.”
“It sounds strange, but trust me, they are pretty delicious,” Midas assured her. I smiled back at him in appreciation for his confidence in my culinary skills. Luckily for us, Nina had provided us with a refrigerator full of goodies including pickles. I broke out the cheese, pickles and sandwich meat, and Aaron helped me locate the rest of the ingredients that I would need. I liked him. Which was not normal for me. I’d been celibate for so long, single for so long, that I could hardly believe I’d be attracted to someone so quickly.
As we prepped the sandwiches and melted the butter in the skillet, I decided to dig a little deeper. If Aaron had obvious flaws, I wanted to know about them quickly. Anything to kill my “like” for him would be great. I didn’t need this kind of complication at this point in my life. “You worked with Phil, right? Did he ever take you to the old mill, the one out on Stanton Road?”
“I went one time before they tore it down.”
“They tore it down? That’s a bummer. That place was hot, paranormally speaking.”
“I totally agree. But after my experience there, I am kind of glad they tore it down. I wouldn’t go back, and I don’t ever say that. It’s not like I’m afraid of everything, but that place was no joke.”
I elbowed him playfully. “No joke, I agree. What happened?”
He slung his hair out of his thoughtful eyes. “I kept seeing people passing through the doorway on the second floor. But as you know, there was no…”
“There was no walkway. I know exactly which area you are talking about.” As if to testify to the truth, my arm hairs began to rise and I felt even more excited.
We both laughed about the similarities in our investigations and chatted a little more as we grilled sandwiches for everyone. After we ate and cleaned up, we began grabbing equipment and I walked through the house one more time. Midas decided to pair up with me, Pete would be with Cassidy, and Aaron was gonna man home base for the first few hours. Midas said we’d switch it up through the night just to give everyone an opportunity to see and experience something. Whoever was not investigating would hang back in the van—it was a small place, so we had to be careful about cross-contamination and stepping all over one another.
Spooked on the Gulf Coast (Gulf Coast Paranormal Trilogy Book 3) Page 25