by Mary Abshire
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 Mary Abshire
ISBN: 978-1-77233-652-8
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Brieanna Robertson
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
CLAIMING THE EVIL DEAD
Soul Catcher, 1
Mary Abshire
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
The coolness of the dark basement soothed my feverish skin, but the stale air mixed with rot and decay pricked my gag reflex. My gut twisted, telling me to go. I resisted the urge to puke by inhaling a calming breath and focusing on holding steady the digital recorder in my hands. Spilling my dinner on the floor would not only delay what I needed to do tonight but embarrass me in front of my good friends. No, I didn't need any setbacks and I certainly didn't need to add to my list of humiliating moments.
"Is the camera on?" my roommate Dani asked. She stood with a flashlight pointed up and tossed her long hair over her shoulder. I loved her blonde locks and had considered dying mine. Black seemed so…dark and gothic. My stylist convinced me to leave my mane alone. She told me the color wouldn't come out right and the chemicals would cause too much damage. I really didn't want to look like a freak or have to deal with hair anymore than I already had to, so I let go of the idea.
"Do you see the red light?" I smirked, knowing it would get a rise from her.
"Yes, smart ass. I see it."
The night vision set-up on the camera showed her grainy image with a green tint among the darkness of the basement. Her blonde locks and fair skin glowed with the little bit of light hitting her face. Lips pressed together in a tight smile, she held a professional and confident image. The pungent air didn't seem to bother her.
The sound of a brush on the floor behind me reminded me Kyle and Lester, the other two members of our paranormal investigation team, were standing nearby. They whispered to each other. Hearing a smack on the concrete floor, I glanced over my shoulder. Lester laughed as he picked up his flashlight.
Sighing, I returned my attention to the three-by-three display screen. I glanced at the time. The hour was approaching midnight. It was time to get the show on the road.
"Ready when you are." I watched Dani's green image and glowing eyes from the recorder. She inhaled a deep breath of air and smiled.
"I'm standing in the basement of the Stratton farmhouse located off Route 74 in Wanamaker. In 1946, Mr. Stratton stabbed his wife and son to death upstairs, in their rooms while they slept. He then brought his three daughters down to the basement and held them here for nearly two weeks."
Dani paused and took a deep breath. Hearing her tell the story again made my temperature rise. How could anyone be so evil and cruel?
Dani continued. "During those two weeks, he tied up his three daughters, raped them, and tortured them. The middle child managed to escape and run to the neighbor's home. When police arrived to investigate the young girl's claim, they found the bodies of the other two girls and Mr. Stratton dead in this basement. According to the police report, Mr. Stratton shot the girls and then himself in the head with a shotgun. Three families have lived here since the deaths. Each one claimed they saw Mr. Stratton, and he tried to assault them. For the last twenty years, the house has sat vacant because of those claims. My name is Dani Rossler, and I'm here to find out if Mr. Stratton is still lingering around this house."
A broad smile spread across her face. Taking the cue, I hit the pause button.
"That was good," I complimented with a nod.
Lester and Kyle strolled up from behind me. Lester stopped between Dani and me with his flashlight shining at her feet. He mumbled something to her. At my side, Kyle leaned in close to my ear and peered at the monitor. The fragrant aroma of his leather jacket seeped into my nostrils. I enjoyed the scent and breathed it deeply.
"Let's go upstairs and look around," he whispered in my ear.
"Shh," I said.
He sighed in protest. Clearly his patience was wearing thin. Since we'd come in through the cellar, we had yet to scope out the rest of the farmhouse. His need to explore, driven by curiosity, nearly matched my desire to catch evil spirits. I wanted to finish filming pronto and find Mr. Stratton ASAP so we could get out of this shithole of a house.
"I'm ready to go through the story again," Dani said.
"Almost ready." I steadied the camera for round two of her introduction. Stupid me, I left the stand back at our apartment. Having spent three years tracking down ghosts and investigating haunted homes to record paranormal activity, one might think I could remember to bring something as important as a tripod.
"Ready, Jess?" Dani stood stiff as a model with one hand on her hip.
I opened my mouth to answer, but paused when a cold chill ran down my spine. Tiny hairs on my arms stood up, tuning into the supernatural disturbance. Deep within me, a fire ignited. My internal warnings were all too familiar. The evil soul lurking about the farmhouse was here, and it was time for me to find it.
"Lester?" I searched for him through the display screen and found him standing a few feet from Dani. He was short and stocky with curly hair and glasses.
"Yeah?" He turned and flashed his light on my stomach.
"Come take this. My hands are getting too shaky," I lied.
Lester obliged without putting up a fight. He gave me his flashlight and I handed him the recorder.
"Where's the—?"
"Here." I pointed the light at the tiny buttons on the recorder.
"Got it." He held up the recorder and aimed it at Dani. "Ready when you are."
I spun around and found Kyle waiting a few feet behind me. Wearing black shoes and jeans, he blended in too well with the dark basement.
"Do you want to look around the house with me?" I asked.
He shined his flashlight under his chin. He enlarged his green eyes, scrunched his nose to bare his upper teeth, and stuck out his pierced tongue over a pierced lower lip. "Let's spook some ghosts."
A chuckle escaped me. Sure, he looked rough on the outside with his tattoos, piercings, and goatee. But I knew him better. He had the heart of an angel behind the don't fuck with me disguise.
"Yeah, fright master, let's scare some ghosts." I gripped the sleeve of his leather jacket and tugged him away from Dani and Lester.
We ambled through the musty old basement and ascended a narrow flight of wooden stairs at a slow pace. The old steps whined with our weight. Kyle stayed ahead of me with his light guiding the way. Past the halfway point of the staircase, one of the steps moaned a little too much as I pressed on it. Then, the wood snapped.
"Shit!" As the step swallowed my foot, I bent my knees and my body fell forward. Thinking fast, I thrust my arms in front of me to brace for impact. My knees hit the wooden stairs first. The flashlight was still in my hand. I gripped it firmly to keep from dropping it.
"Jessie!" Kyle whirled around.
"Guys?" Dani yelled a second later.
"I'm okay." I shouted loud enough so Dani could hear me.
My heart thudded while my left palm burned. I'd have to check it for scrapes later. Flattening my forearms on the step in front of me, I lifted myself up. Carefully, I wedged my foot free and straightened. With a deep breath, a sense of c
almness ran through me. Although I'd been in many old, abandoned buildings and homes, I really needed to be more careful.
Kyle extended his hand under the light. "Here, let me help you."
I switched the flashlight to my injured hand, reached up with my good hand, and gripped his. He held me tight as I leaped over the gap on the staircase.
"You all right?" Dani asked.
I turned my head. "I'm fine, but be careful on the way up. There's half a step missing."
"Come on," Kyle said.
He led the way up the rest of the staircase, never letting go of my hand.
At the top of the stairs, we paused and flashed our lights around the room. Broken and empty cabinets hung on the walls. In the middle of cabinetry was a boarded up window with an old porcelain sink below it. On the counter, a furry little critter with glowing eyes stared at me. My muscles tensed and nausea sprouted. My stomach welcomed evil spirits, but a rat made my guts churn.
"Let's keep going," I said.
Kyle let go of my hand and shot his light on the floor. The floorboards creaked in the dark farmhouse as we ambled our way through it. Plywood covered the windows. Passing through the heart of the home, the stench of rotted wood and mildew dominated. The house might have been warm and cozy at one point in time, but now it needed some serious TLC.
We reached the staircase by the front door and I hesitated. Gazing up, I was reminded of my recent adventure on the last set of stairs. I didn't want another mishap. Once was enough for me. Amazing how quickly a little fear can settle into one's mind. As if Kyle sensed my apprehension, he ascended the stairs first and took each step with caution while I waited at the base. The rotted wood acknowledged his presence with an orchestra of crackling noises. After watching him reach the halfway point, I eased my weight onto a step, then another. I only weighed one hundred and thirty-two pounds, but I suddenly felt as if my body was five times that. Climbing my way to the top, I prayed nothing would happen.
Kyle waited and watched me. I was glad he kept silent while I worked my way toward him so I could focus on the staircase. After I'd completed my journey, I stood next to him. He tossed a beam of light in each direction. "Which way?"
A short hallway on the left offered two doors. A longer hall with four doors ran to our right. He spun around and flashed the light upward to another set of stairs. "Or up?"
I followed his beam and stared in the darkness, hoping for some internal alarm bell to give me a hint as to which direction to take. Nothing happened. Dead silence surrounded us. I spun around and peered down the long hallway. In a matter of seconds, the hairs on the back of my neck twitched.
"You go up. I'll check out the rooms on this floor." I didn't want him around in case I actually found something.
"Up it is." He sighed before he ascended the steps.
Following my Spidey sense, I set out down the hall with my flashlight pointed in front of me. All I needed to do was find the evil spirit and send it where it belonged without my friends witnessing the event. I blew out a puff of air and hoped I could accomplish my goals.
Pitch black surrounded me, but I wasn't frightened. Truth be told, complete darkness never has frightened me. It's the critters and the evil spirits that bother me. I'd walk without a light to guide me, but I'd hate to bump into a rodent or spirit. The furry beasts disgust me since they carry diseases and germs. Plus, they look evil. I despise them. As for spirits, I prefer the element of surprise so they don't have time to struggle. And sometimes they do.
I crept into the first room. A layer of dust coated the floor, and a small spider scurried by. I skirted its path and tossed a beam of light up. Floral wallpaper decorated the walls and wood boards covered the window. Not finding a trace of a spook, I backed out of the room and proceeded down the hall.
I stepped into the next room, and a surge of energy coursed through my body. The stench of death hit me hard, yet I resisted pinching my nose. Something was here and I needed a free hand when I'd find it. And I would find it.
I flashed my light around the room. Boards covered the window, and the closet door was missing. As I moseyed to the center of the room, the floorboards crackled underneath me. Behind me, the door squealed. I stopped while my heart raced.
Slowly, I spun on my heel. A tall man of average build with blood-stained arms stood behind the half shut door. His soiled clothes reeked of rot and decay. Even without the hole in his head, I knew who he was.
"Good evening," I said with a wry grin.
"You can see me?" Mr. Stratton widened his eyes.
"Of course I can see you." Aside from the shimmering glow around his body, he looked just as solid as any human being did. I could touch him, too, if I wanted, but I wasn't about to tell him that.
He tilted his head slightly. "How…how can you see me?"
Instead of answering, I held my grin and stood motionless, waiting for him to move. I found it best to take a non-aggressive approach so the spirit wouldn't run. If he ran, I'd have to chase him down. Then my friends would only hear my footsteps. They'd think something was wrong and probably come to my aid. No need to draw their attention. Acting calm toward a spirit also reduced the risk of a fight. After all, they were evil and enjoyed terrorizing. At least, all the ones I'd seen were. At some point, they'd figure out I wasn't in their presence to be their friend and they'd take action. Plenty of spirits had thrown punches at me or tried to strangle me. Little did they know my strength out-matched theirs since I was living flesh and blood. I always won the battles. If Mr. Stratton wanted to fight me, I was more than ready. But I preferred a non-violent method of claiming souls. Stand still and relaxed. Show no fear. Look confident. Speak little. Waiting patiently in front of Mr. Stratton, I played the role well with my hand at my side and my lips pressed together.
After a lengthy hesitation, he finally took a step forward and then another.
"I have a message for you," I said, hoping he'd come closer. Spooks are curious, but their interest doesn't last long before their violent tendencies appear.
Mr. Stratton approached me and drew his brows together. "A message?"
I held my breath while I maintained a phony smile. He stunk so badly, I wanted to puke. Over sixty years worth of decay does that to a ghost. They don't appear decomposed. In fact, they look normal, but they stink worse than a city dump on a sweltering, humid day.
"Yes." I waited for him to step closer. The ghost took his damn time approaching me. "It's from my father."
He stopped within an arm's reach from me. Eyes tight and narrowed, he held a look of pure confusion. "Your father?"
"He wants you to join him." Swiftly, I grabbed his forearm and yanked him closer to me. He didn't have time to struggle. "In Hell."
Energy bubbled up inside me and spread with a wave of heat. I opened my mouth wide and inhaled. He twitched and stiffened, fighting the suction as I drew him to me. With his soul in my firm grasp, he couldn't break free. But he still tried to resist my call and attempted to pull away from me. His spiritual form stretched as he drifted into my mouth. He brushed over my tongue and he tasted of bile. I almost gagged, but I focused on my job. Exerting a little more oomph, I sucked in his evil soul as if I were inhaling a deep breath of air. He slithered down my throat without so much as a poke or nudge on the way down. His final destination…Hell.
Once I consumed Mr. Stratton's soul, I pressed my lips together and swallowed. For a moment, I stood static. His soul disintegrated within my body and traveled into the bottomless pit of Hell. A pocket of air crept up inside of me, and I opened my mouth.
"Bitch!" Came out of my mouth in a burp, and it sounded like Mr. Stratton's voice. I chuckled at his final word.
Compared to other evil spirits I had encountered over the years, claiming Mr. Stratton's soul was a piece of cake. But then, he'd only murdered four people. Had the body count been higher and the level of cruelty intensified, I would've had difficulty swallowing.
The door squeaked as it moved.
"Here."
He stepped into the room. "Find anything or feel anything?" He brushed his light over my chest.
"A cold chill blew by a few minutes ago." I shrugged.
"Maybe it was his son."
I smiled. Kyle's curiosity reminded me of a child's, pure and innocent. "Maybe."
Sighing, I stared at him with guarded eyes, wishing he didn't know I had a sixth sense. He had caught my radar detector on alert once while we were investigating a haunted nursing home in Southern Indiana. Kyle and I had wandered the halls in search of the infamous nurse apparition who'd murdered thirty-six senior citizens. When I found the nurse in one of the rooms, my body became a solid statue, and I turned a hideous shade of white. Kyle saw my reaction and must have known I had either felt or seen something unnatural. Since I didn't have time to come up with a good excuse, I sent him to chase down Dani and Lester for the camera. As soon as he left, I tackled the nurse and sent her soul straight to Hell. A few minutes later, the three of them ran into the room. I told them I had seen a ghost and it had disappeared. From that time on, Kyle kept a close eye on me. It made my soul-catching job a little trickier, but I always found a way to claim my prize.
"Jessie…Kyle," Dani hollered.
"We better go," I said.
I followed Kyle down the stairs. Dani stood near the open front door. Large drops of rain battered the ground and the roof over the front porch. The breeze blowing into the house felt good against my warm skin. Lester stood outside on the porch with a cigarette between his lips. The smoke drifted into the farmhouse and I twitched.
"Find anything?" Dani asked, brows arched. She knew I had a heightened sensory awareness, and that was all she knew. As much as I adored her, I could never let her know the truth about me.
"A lot of dust mites and a spider."