Vanquishing Ghosts (Tess Schafer-Medium)

by Deborah J. Hughes

  Once we were in the hallway, we turned to look at each other and then, strangely, we both burst into laughter. Kade pulled me into his arms then gave me a long, involved kiss. "I never thought I'd be backing out of a room in fear of a shadow." He started laughing again and I swatted his shoulder.

  "It isn't funny. That thing is truly evil and I wish I knew why he was here."

  "So where do you suppose the animals went?" Kade nodded toward the upper floor. "Seems they are constantly running for the stairs. You'd think they'd be trying to get out of the house."

  "Let's go find them."

  They were on the third floor lying in the spot where the sun's rays, coming through the round window facing the back of the house, warmed the floor. I started toward them when something about the sunlit spot made me stop in my tracks. Although the window was clear and solid, it was casting colorful hues and shadowy lines as if the pane was multi-colored and divided into some sort of design.

  Alex jumped up when we started toward him and happily rejoined us, rubbing against my leg then Kade's before sitting on his hunches and awaiting our next move. Dennis stretched, rolled onto his back and stayed that way. Even so, it was easy enough to see the muted colors and vague shadows cast onto the floor.

  "Kade, do you see anything strange about that sun spot Dennis is bathing in?"

  "Yes. I see colors and what looks like shadowy lines."

  "Okay, good. At least I know my mind isn't playing tricks on me." Not that I really thought so but I was curious to know if Kade could see the same thing I saw.

  "So what do you make of it?"

  "If only I knew." Heaving a frustrated sigh, I walked closer to Dennis and as I did so, the colors and shadowy lines faded to just clear sun rays filtering through a clear window.

  After giving Dennis a few gentle strokes on his fat belly, I stood and glanced around. The atmosphere in the attic was decidedly more pleasant than anywhere in the house. With the possible exception of the Sun Room. "It feels nice and cozy up here doesn't it?"

  "Yes." Kade, too, glanced around. "Do you suppose it was used for anything besides an attic?"

  "Other than the crazy Baker boy using it or a bedroom you mean?”

  "You would think that alone would make this place a lot less cozy."

  "Yes. Wouldn't it though?" But it didn't. How curious.

  "Well one thing for sure ... the animals obviously feel safe up here. And something keeps opening the door to let them in."

  "But there was that incident last night where they were locked out on the Widow's Walk."

  "A rather morbid description for this rooftop balcony don't you think? Weren't Widow's Walks used by women watching for their husbands' ships return from sea? This faces nothing more than the marsh."

  I walked to the door and peered out toward the balcony in question and my gaze fell on the metal steps leading to another flat area higher up on the roof. Wood railings were in place there as well.

  On impulse, I opened the door and headed for the metal stairs. The view at the top of them was quite nice and I found that it was possible to walk almost all the way around the bottom edge of the attic's pointed roof to the other side of the house. Nice as it was, I couldn't help but wonder why anyone would bother with roof balconies when they had a nice private yard to utilize?

  Kade soon joined me, Alex at his heels and Dennis not far behind. He looked around and then up. "Maybe they were star gazers."

  "Maybe." I wouldn't be surprised if Kade actually had it right. We probably would never know.

  "Tess."

  Something in Kade's voice told me he just made an interesting discovery and my heart kicked it up a notch in response. He stood looking down at the area where our cars were parked and though I did the same, I didn’t notice anything to get excited about. "What are you looking at, Kade."

  "Look down next to our cars. Remember when I told you the ground there was slightly indented and I wondered if the foundation for another building might have been there at one time? Well, look now ... it's even more pronounced when viewing it from up here."

  Kade was right. There definitely was a rectangular indentation, an irregularity in the ground that suggested something else used to be there. Like a small building.

  "Do you suppose there was a barn there or something?"

  Kade narrowed his eyes, his mind mulling over possibilities. "Or something. I sure wish we knew someone who knew more about this property than what Rid was able to tell us."

  "Well, tomorrow after Mark leaves, maybe we should go check out the historical society and see if they have anything."

  "You come up with the best plans sometimes." Kade pulled me into his arms and lowered his mouth to mine. Happy to receive his kisses, I wound my arms around his neck and slid my fingers up into his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.

  Heat coiled in my belly and spread down into my nether regions, making me ache for more of him. I pressed against his hard body and felt the telltale signs of his response. It made me want him more.

  Kade's hands slid up under my shirt and spread across my back before coming around to the front and resting on my ribcage just below my breasts. He was teasing me into wanting more and it was working.

  "Let's go downstairs."

  "And yet another great idea." He pulled away, grabbed my hand and then ushered us along at a brisk pace. Laughing at his impatience, I managed to pull ahead while crossing the attic to the stairwell. Kade grabbed my hips from behind and pulled me back against him. He pressed a kiss to my neck and then stepped around me to take the lead. We made it to the bed in a dead heat and collapsed upon it in laughter. Though that soon turned to moans and sighs of pleasure within a few short seconds.

  It was much later while still entwined in each other's arms that Kade's stomach rumbled, breaking the drowsy silence we'd fallen into. I ran my hand across his bare torso and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "Hungry?"

  "I'm insatiable. Did I never tell you?"

  Smiling with amusement and loving the way his voice was so raspy in the aftermath of our lovemaking, I slid out of bed and pulled on a robe. "Let's take a quick shower and then see what we can dig up for dinner."

  "In this house ... I'm not sure that's the best way to put it." Kade pushed himself up and waved me on. "Get the shower ready. I'll be there in a sec."

  I was enjoying the hot spray of water on my back when Kade opened the shower door and stepped close behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me against him. "The moon is bright tonight ... nearly full. It's shining over the marsh and casting some interesting shadows. I thought I might try to capture it in a painting after dinner."

  I turned around and gave him a kiss then stepped out of the way so he could get some of the shower spray. "Good idea. I'll work on my story and see if anything else comes up that might help us."

  Kade lifted his face to the water and I watched appreciatively as it cascaded over his skin. He really was very nicely put together. I loved looking at him. Without opening his eyes, Kade smiled. "Stop staring at me."

  "Why?"

  "Because you might turn me on again and then we'll be right back where we were five minutes ago and as pleasurable as that is ... my stomach demands to be fed."

  "Staring at you might turn you on but my naked body standing here right next to you isn't quite doing it?"

  Kade opened his eyes and his gaze drilled into mine making my breath catch in my throat. "I can feel your eyes on me ... it's like having you enter my soul and then you are everywhere. So yeah ... though your lovely body definitely turns me on ... when you stare at me the way you were doing a moment ago ... it makes me want to toss you over my shoulder, haul you off to bed and make us one in body as well as soul."

  What a lovely way to put that! He was always surprising me and making me love him more. "Hmmm. Though I love the sound of that, you're right. I'm hungry too." And to keep the temptation at bay, I gave his butt a swat and stepped out of the shower.


  Though I wanted to head down to the kitchen and begin dinner, I didn't want to leave Kade alone. Nor did I want to be downstairs by myself. Not until the Big Bad was gone once and for all. So I pulled on my sweats and waited for Kade in the bedroom.

  The balcony door stood slightly ajar and I figured he must have gone out there before joining me in the shower. I loved having a balcony off the bedroom and now that I was thinking about it, I really needed to remember to get some furniture to put out there. Lying under the stars sounded like a good idea for the future. So a couple lounge chairs were definitely in order.

  I heard Kade get out of the shower and figured I better close the door, but when I looked out and saw the moon hanging over the marsh, I stepped outside to enjoy the view. No wonder Kade became inspired to paint. The moon was quite bright and it cast some interesting shadows on the land below.

  The marsh was alive with movement as the breeze blew through the reeds and made silvery ruffles on the open spots of water. I could just make out the lake and as I did so, I thought about him ... the poor young man who drowned within its depths. Why did I get the feeling that he too was out there staring back at me? A shiver ran through me and it wasn't because of the cool breeze chilling my skin. This shiver was from deep inside and it unsettled me.

  "Tess?"

  I swung around, glad Kade had interrupted my thoughts and quickly joined him back in the room. "You are right ... the moon is quite bright. What are you going to paint? The marsh?"

  "I'm not sure yet. I might go out front and sketch the dark silhouette of the house with the marsh in the background and the moon hanging over it." He started for the hall door. "Ready to head downstairs?"

  We made pasta with Alfredo sauce and chicken cutlets for dinner. Kade put a salad together while I did the main course and then when it came time to eat, we managed to do so without discussing the house and its ghostly inhabitants. That subject didn't come up until left-overs were put away and the dishes done.

  "Not one demonic interruption in the past couple hours." Kade put the last dish in the cupboard then leaned against the counter to watch while I wiped down the sink. "Though I'm grateful for it, I know it's not gone."

  He was quite right on that. It hadn't gone away. The feeling it was biding its time, watching, waiting, hung over us throughout dinner and it was rather disquieting. Though Kade and I tried to ignore it, there was no escaping the discomfort it created within us. I had a really bad feeling that it was just gathering its energies for later and glanced at the kitchen clock. It was almost eight. The bewitching hour of midnight would soon be upon us … the time when the cloak between worlds was thinnest. "Maybe we'll get a few more hours of peace before it acts up again."

  Kade draped an arm across my shoulders as we headed for the Sun Room. "Let's hope so. I've really got the itch to start that painting and I need a couple hours in which to get it going."

  The grandfather clock in the living room began to chime the hour just as we left the kitchen and I thought it sounded slightly distorted ... like it was having to struggle to make sound. My steps faltered in response and I almost turned around to go check it out but Kade's arm tightened around me and prevented me from doing so.

  "Just leave it for now. Time enough to worry about it later."

  But the worry niggled at me that not dealing with unnatural issues as they occurred was a big mistake ... especially in this house.

  Chapter 15

  It didn't occur to me to wonder about Alex and Dennis until we had settled in our respective areas and were about to begin our individual activities. "Kade, where are the animals?"

  "Alex headed upstairs just before we left the kitchen and Dennis hasn't come down from the attic as far as I know. Why?"

  "But isn't it strange that Alex isn't shadowing you? He rarely leaves your side. In fact, the only time he's not with us is when the Big Bad is around." I started to get up from my chair but Kade pointed a finger, indicating that I was to stay put.

  "He isn't barking. Dennis isn't yowling that high pitched wail of his and the Big Bad is ... for the moment anyway ... quiet. Let's just leave it for now, okay?"

  Seeing that he was getting a little irritated at the idea of a possible interruption to what he seemed in high need of doing, I decided not to challenge his request. He was right in any case. The animals would let us know if something was wrong. Though the Big Bad was waiting for the right moment to pounce, it wasn't pouncing right now.

  "Okay, Kade. Let's hope we get those two hours you need."

  He gave me a brief nod, his mind already on his art, and I turned to my desk and switched on the computer. While waiting for it to boot up, I turned to glance at Kade. He was gathering materials with the obvious intent of going somewhere and when he caught my eye, he gave a nod toward the porch door.

  "I'm going to go out around to the front and get some sketches of the house. Are you going to be okay in here alone?"

  Though a fissure of unease quivered within me, I managed to dredge up a smile and wave him on. "As you said ... if there's anything to worry about, Alex will let us know. Go ahead but leave the door open. I think it will be fine to just keep the screen door closed."

  "The tattered screen door? If you are hoping to keep the bugs out with that, I think you are going to be disappointed."

  "What bugs? It's getting too late in the season for mosquitos and the moths don't bother me. Besides, I wasn't thinking about bugs. I just like the idea of being able to call you if need be."

  "Okay then. Happy writing." And he was gone out the door, his mind already focused on whatever picture he was preparing to bring into creation.

  The thought crossed my mind to go check the grandfather clock and then find the animals but the idea of traipsing alone through the house didn't sit well with me and I decided against it.

  "Just write your story, Tess, and deal with the rest later."

  And with that quietly spoken advice from self, I began to type.

  The young one was late. Naylee glanced at the embers in the grate. They were nearly burnt out. The young one was usually home when the fire was still casting heat. She finished the last of her tea, now cold in her cup then looked at the remnants of the leaves left behind. The signs were not good. Her heart clenched and Naylee pressed a hand to her chest. Closing her eyes, she willed the tired organ to continue its job. Just a little longer. The young one was not ready. Not yet. Maybe never.

  The young man distracted her and the Dark One was now here. Though Naylee knew her magick was powerful, she was tired and her time grew near. Someone was needed to actively fight the danger and it could no longer be herself to do it. The land she needed to protect was now under threat and the young one could not focus.

  Naylee rubbed at her tired eyes. So much she has seen ... both of the now and the later. But no more could she see for the black energy surrounding the Dark One obscured her vision. She could no longer know what was to come and so she had to rely on what she already knew. If the young one did not comprehend, then this battle would be lost. For now. The balance of power could never stay one stronger than the other ... not forever. But for how long?

  Where was she? Why did she not come? If only her connection with the young one had not become severed. But when she started seeing him, her attention shifted and Naylee could no longer keep in contact. She understood the young one's need for privacy but to completely block their connection was a mistake. The young one was not ready for this battle. The Dark One had the advantage because he understood how much was at stake. He knew more and he saw more than either of them and that was cause for much concern.

  Though fear was an emotion she long conquered, concern for the young one knocked at her heart and another spasm shot through her arm making her cringe with pain. Naylee hobbled to the shelving lining the walls and scanned their contents. They were filled with pots and jars of all shapes and sizes. Each one contained within it the Earth Mother's life forces. The Creators gave all required
and the blinded eyes did not see what was before them. Someday she hoped all would again see what had become lost. Forgotten.

  The battle of the Light and Dark was a constant one, tipping one way and then the other. Time lately was moving in a continuous tip to the Dark. But here ... on this Hallowed Ground ... the scales were teetering. Naylee was losing the battle and now the Dark One was here to see that she did.

  After selecting several small bottles, Naylee quickly blended the precious contents within her mortar and pestle, both an heirloom she feared would become lost. Years of practice and careful attention had taught her just how much and how little to mix. She knew her craft well. Her hands tightened around the pestle and she gave over to the moment, enjoying the feel of its fit, finding comfort from its energy. But then she remembered the young one, the darkness, him that she loved and the Dark One. All pressed on her from without and made a sharp pain push back from within.

  She worked slow but steady, crushing the blend together. Satisfied that all was now mixed to one, she made her way to the fire and picked up her padding to protect from burn then lifted the ever boiling pot of water from where it hung suspended over the near dead embers. The water was still warm enough. Good. She poured it slowly into her cup, rinsed out the drying tea leaves and tossed the contents into the grate. Now she poured her mixture into the cup then added some water. After returning the pot to its long held place over the grate, Naylee drank what she needed to continue. At least for a little longer. But not much.

  Come home, young one. We've much to do. He will not be held off much longer.

  An owl hooted just outside the window and Naylee turned toward the sound. He was close tonight. Keeping watch. And now his cry was agitated. Something was wrong.

  Naylee pulled some of the dried bundles hanging suspended everywhere and twisted several together. Muttering secret words, the very ones the young one needed to know and yet still did not, Naylee moved corner to corner shaking the sprigs and letting them shed where they needed to go. More birds, those usually quiet at night, let out shrill cries and Naylee went to the window. The dark outside was especially so tonight. There was no moon and the fog was an additional problem. Not only would it help his cover but would expand his power. Tonight he drew closer.