Vanquishing Ghosts (Tess Schafer-Medium)

by Deborah J. Hughes

  "But there was another Baker child," Kade said.

  "Yes, Kevin. He was in the freshman class. I was a sophomore and didn't spare him much attention. Besides, he didn't get along really well with Todd and Tammy and that was enough for me to avoid him."

  "My realtor told me that Kevin spread it around town that the house was haunted and that he was trying to make friends with the ghosts. Do you know anything about that?"

  "Kevin was very introverted. He was very much a loner and I'm not even sure if he had any friends. After Todd and Tammy left, he just sort of disappeared into the background. I noticed him every now and then but I stayed as far away from him as possible. He took to being quite the Goth before it was even really popular. He dropped out of school his junior year and that's when he got really crazy. He walked around town talking to himself and he was always yelling that we were all a bunch of idiots and had no clue about anything. If you happened to make eye contact with him, he'd go off on a real tangent. Needless to say, most people did what they could to avoid that possibility!"

  "How sad for him." It must have been a scary, lonely world for poor Kevin. How frightening to be under the influence of evil and having no way to combat it. My heart went out to him. "Where is he now, do you know?"

  "Well, he really went a little crazy, killing animals and just..." Robin waved a hand, at a loss to describe insanity. "He was out of his mind. That's all I can say."

  "What of his parents? Didn't they realize something was wrong with him?"

  "Yes, I imagine so. How could they not? But it was around the same time that Kevin started bragging about the ghosts he was talking to that Harold and Mavis went to Florida and bought a trailer in one of the trailer parks down there."

  "So Harold and Mavis moved to Florida and left their son in that house all alone?" I was horrified at the very idea. How could they do that?

  "No, no. They took poor Kevin with them. At least the first couple years they did. They only went to Florida for the winter. You know, they were part of the 'snow bunny' set". Robin lifted her fingers to air quote the popular phrase used for people who traveled to Florida during the winter months to escape the cold.

  "But then Kevin didn't go with them after those first couple years?"

  "He spent only one winter in the house alone. That's when he went bonkers." Robin twirled a finger near her temple to indicate how crazy he became. "When Harold and Mavis came back and realized how bad their son was, they had him committed. Someone from Mavis's family came from New York, a strange woman with the eeriest eyes I've ever seen on a person. I think she was an aunt of Mavis' or something. I don't know. But anyway, she stayed a few days and then things quieted down out there."

  Robin lapsed into thoughtful silence. "Hmmm ... I never gave that much thought but I wonder if that woman did something to stop the spirit activity?" She gave it some more deep thought then shook her head to bring herself back to our conversation. "When Kevin was released from the hospital, he went back to New York with this same aunt. We didn't see him again until he came to stay with his sick father who died a couple months later. Kevin didn't stick around after that." She glanced at me and smiled brightly, obviously in an attempt to dispel the gloom of her story. "All three of the Baker kids came back to prep the house for sale but I didn't see any of them while they were here."

  "So Mavis and Harold lived in the house until their deaths?"

  "They did, though they continued to go back and forth to Florida. Mavis died of cancer while visiting her daughter in Virginia. Harold lived in the house alone until he died, which was about two years after his wife I think. As I just mentioned, Kevin came back to stay with him those last couple months and he was quite different by then."

  "Different?" Robin was a wealth of information and I was so glad Kade found her!

  "Well he wasn't crazy anymore but he was quiet and serious. He spoke nice enough to anyone he met in town but the damage had been done of course and he must have known it for he didn't try to make friends or anything." Robin paused for a moment to think and then went on thoughtfully, "I ran into him at the grocery store one day and he recognized me. Since everyone had said how different he was, I said hi to him and shook his hand. He told me that his sister was married, his brother some sort of high paid photographer who probably would never settle down, and that he was looking forward to when he could leave Bucksport once and for all."

  "He didn't say anything about the ghosts?" The entire story fascinated me.

  "No, he didn't say anything about the house. Just said his father wasn't well. When Harold died two months later, Kevin closed up the house and left. Then a couple years ago, they decided to sell it. When they didn't get any offers, they did quite a bit of renovating in hopes of attracting a buyer. Which they did!" Robin gave my leg an excited pat. "You!"

  What I'd give to talk to this Kevin guy. Kade got my attention at this point and indicated with a glance to his watch that it was time to go. "I'd love to stay and chat some more but we've some shopping to do and then we have to go pick up our dog."

  "Oh, you have a dog? What kind?"

  "Well, the vet says he's a mix between a Wheaten Terrier and a Great Swiss Mountain. He showed up on my property this morning and looks like he's been on his own for a while."

  Robin's eyes widened with sympathetic concern. "Oh the poor dear! I'm glad he found his way to you then." After a brief pause, she added, "I don't think I've ever heard of those dog breeds. I mean, Great Swiss Mountain? What kind of name is that for a dog breed?"

  "Believe me, we hadn't heard of them either and Tess was Googling it as soon as the vet spoke the words." Smiling at me with fond indulgence, Kade stood and held out a hand. "Come on, my beautiful sleuth, it's time we get going."

  As Kade helped me to my feet, Robin bounced to hers and rushed toward the door. "You must take a few things with you. Obviously that house has a bad spirit there and although the candles and incense are helpful, it isn't going to be enough."

  We followed her back to the window display and she spread her hand toward the various pots of bamboo. "Bamboo is excellent to have in the home. It promotes harmony, brings balance when positive energies are being overpowered by negative and it also enhances good luck. The more shoots a bamboo has, the luckier it is so pick out one that has many shoots."

  I picked out a small bunch that was gathered in a pretty ceramic green bowl and when I lifted it to check the price, Robin touched my arm. "This one is a gift from me to you. Consider it a house warming present."

  Touched by her thoughtfulness, I immediately wanted to choose another less expensive one, not wanting to take advantage of her generosity, but Robin took the bowl from my hands and headed to the checkout counter with it. "Was there anything else you'd like to look at?"

  I went to her jewelry counter and was at once lost in delight to all the beautiful pieces she had on display. I particularly liked what looked like a long piece of black quartz inlaid with seven small rounded gems. It hung from a silver chain and I just knew I had to have it. Robin came to stand next to me and when she saw the piece I was touching with my fingers, she lifted it from the rack and handed it to me.

  "That is Black Tourmaline. An excellent choice for you! It's supposed to be a protective stone. The seven stones inlaid upon it represent the seven Chakras." She glanced at me in question. "You know about Chakras, the seven energy centers within the body?" When I nodded that I did, she continued on with her explanation. "The stones are supposed to enhance the activation of the Chakra it corresponds to. It works best if you meditate upon them while wearing the pendant."

  I handed the necklace to Robin. "I'll take it." And because she said it was a protective stone, I chose another necklace, hanging from a rather masculine looking chain. The stone itself was in the shape of a triangle and was held in the grasp of a small silver dragon which was entwined around it. "Kade, would you wear this if I bought it for you?" I indicated the necklace and he stared at it with consideration. />
  "Why?"

  "It's a strong protective stone, Kade. Tess is right that you should be wearing something to ward off that evil spirit hanging out at your place." Robin handed him the necklace. "It's very masculine and will look great on you."

  Kade looked rather dubious about the claims that the necklace would offer protection but he clearly was going to indulge me. "Fine. But I'm paying for both."

  We walked to the checkout counter and once Robin rang up our purchases, I held out my hand for the necklaces, not wanting her to wrap them up. "I think we'll just go ahead and put those on right now."

  Kade took mine from Robin's outstretched hand and lifted the necklace over my head, letting the pendant nestle against my chest before working the clasp. One this was done, I took his necklace and did the same for him.

  Robin placed my bamboo plant in a box then grabbed a small baggie filled with herbs and dropped it in next to it. "Take the smudging herbs and light them in the area where you will be working to banish that thing from your house."

  "What's in it?" I asked, curious to learn if the mixture was different from what I already used for just such purposes.

  "St. Joseph's Wort, Angelica, and Anise Star. All three are strong protective herbs." Looking over my shoulder, she noticed where Kade's attention was focused and said, "Those are Himalayan Salt Lamps. They release negative ions into the air which is needed to improve air quality and restore air purity." She leaned close to me to whisper, "And they provide for a romantic setting in the bedroom!"

  The salt lamps were of various sizes and shapes and were either a soft rose or peach in color. Kade picked out three of them, all of medium sizes, and handed them to Robin. "We'll take these as well."

  Wondering what made him decide that, I managed to capture his gaze and questioned him with just a look. Kade shrugged his shoulders. "I like the look of them. Some of the art galleries that feature my paintings have these lamps scattered about and I like the ambiance they create." And then giving Robin a conspiratorial wink, he added, "And the romantic element in the bedroom can't hurt."

  Robin laughed with delight and nudged me playfully. "You lucky girl."

  Feeling the sting of heat in my cheeks and yet secretly delighted with Kade's teasing, I turned to press my face briefly against Kade's arm. "I am indeed a lucky girl."

  Minutes later, after a promise to return again, Kade and I were in the car and headed for the grocery store.

  We remained in thoughtful silence for several minutes before Kade finally spoke. "Well that was enlightening. Seems we are going to have our hands full with the Big Bad."

  "Yes, it seems so. Are you worried?"

  Kade shook his head decisively, his expression grim. "No. But I am concerned about having that incident occur again that happened last night ... when it temporarily took me over."

  "Well, hopefully that necklace will help." After a brief pause, I added, "We need to make that trip to The Tipping Point very soon. I think the quicker we get our house blessed, the better our chances of getting rid of the Big Bad."

  "Let's see how it goes today. I'd like for us to get all the unpacking done before we start having people traipse through the place. This way, all your things will get the benefit of the blessing."

  He was so thoughtful and I fell in love with him more and more with each passing day. "Good idea." And though I agreed that the plan was a good one, I couldn't help but worry that things were going to get decidedly worse before we saw any improvement. I just hoped I could hold up against it.

  Chapter 8

  Our new dog looked like a different animal when we arrived to pick him up. Shampooed and groomed, he looked totally adorable and I fell in love with him all over again. He was excited to see us and whimpered in happy greeting when one of the vet assistants walked him into the reception area on a leash. We had purchased him a dark blue collar, which he now wore, and his vaccination tag hung from it. We paid the bill, grabbed a copy of his vaccination certificate and headed out to the car.

  "We need to come up with a name. Have you thought of any?" Kade asked. He opened the door to the back seat and the dog jumped right in without hesitation. He was going home and knew it.

  Once we were settled in the car and on our way, I pulled out my cell phone and went online to look for a name. "I'd like him to have a good strong name, one that benefits all of us." After a few minutes of searching web sites for boy names, I finally found one I thought would fit. "Kade, what do you think of naming him Alex. It means protector of mankind."

  "As in Alexander the Great? Wasn't he a conqueror?"

  "The meanings of names do not derive from the wearer of the name, Kade. As you well know. Besides, Alexander the Great had to protect all he conquered, right?"

  "So, we are going to heap upon our dog, a very worthy occupation ... the protection of you."

  "And you! Dogs are very sensitive to spiritual forces. I'll bet he can warn us when something is about before we even detect it ourselves."

  "So, we'll try it out on him and see how it goes."

  As soon as we pulled into the driveway and parked next to the house, Kade got out of the car and opened the back door. "Come on, Alex. Welcome home."

  Alex gave a happy little bark in response and bounded out of the car. He pranced about Kade's feet while we unloaded the groceries and then followed us up the porch steps. We were about three feet from the front door when he suddenly stopped, the newly shorn fur along his back ruffling straight up. Lowering his head, Alex gave a low growl followed almost immediately by a whine, his gaze locked on the door which stood open a couple inches. This fact was most disturbing to us because Kade had taken great care when we left to ensure it was locked. Obviously locks meant nothing around here.

  Kade and I looked at each other with more than a little apprehension. His expression grim, Kade let out a resigned sigh. "And so it begins." He stepped forward and pushed the door open wide with his foot. A low growling noise came from the direction of the stairs and when we looked, there sat the huge gray cat, which, now that I could see him properly, was actually more of a tabby gray than what I'd realized. He was crouched at the foot of the stairs, his fur as ruffled as Alex's and he wasn't looking at us. He was facing the door leading into the living room.

  Not wanting to have my arms occupied with bags of groceries while facing Lord only knew what, I set them down on the porch decking and joined Kade in the doorway. We both ignored the cat for the time being and focused our attention on the living room doorway, which had a wide arched opening that nearly gave us an unhindered view of the entire room. Aside from the boxes scattered everywhere and the furniture which still needed permanent placing, we couldn't see anything out of place. But then ... we wouldn't. The hairs on my arms stood on end and now I knew how the cat and Alex must feel.

  After forming a quick mental image of protective light glowing bright around Kade, me and the two animals, I took a step into the entry hall which was really more like a very spacious and somewhat fancified mudroom. Kade grabbed my arm as I passed him and slid his hand down into mine. I glanced at him and hoped he read the clear warning in my eyes.

  "It's been waiting for us I think and he's not too happy with our purchases." My necklace was warming against my skin and I wondered if the Big Bad's energy was launching an attack against the protective force of the tourmaline.

  We approached the entrance to the living room and stopped at the same time when what looked like a moving shadow floated swiftly from the center of the room toward the fireplace. It blended with the dark shades of the grate and made us question whether we actually saw anything. The room was freezing cold. Behind us, I heard Alex continue his mix of growls and whines. He had wormed his way in the door but didn't come much further than the threshold. Crouching low on his belly, he looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to be protective or run for cover. Though the cat didn't look too pleased to have the dog within a few feet of it, he too looked like he wasn't sure how to react. W
hatever they sensed in the next room, it wasn't good.

  "Can you contact it, Tess?"

  I didn't want to. Making contact with negative entities was not my thing. In order to do so, I basically had to let my soul mix with the spirit's essence. No way was I willing to do that. "I'm not going to try and talk to that thing, Kade."

  "It's not a spirit then?"

  "I don't know what it is."

  "What else could it be?"

  "Well, if it's the spirit of someone who has passed on, it isn't a good person and being dead hasn't made it any better. In fact, it's gotten worse. And if it's not someone who has passed ... well..."

  "What do you mean by that exactly, Tess? If it's not the spirit of someone who has died, what else could it be?"

  I didn't even want to voice my fear but as Kade was staring at me and expecting an answer, I knew I couldn't ignore his right to know. "A demon?"

  Kade's eyes narrowed with serious doubt, his brows puckering in disbelief. "A demon? Really?" Shaking his head, Kade walked into the room and made his way to the fireplace, stopping a couple feet from where the shadow blended into obscurity.

  "What are you doing, Kade?"

  "Looking for some evidence that a demon is sharing space with us."

  "You aren't going to see anything, Kade."