Chapter 6
All jokes aside they were still in a serious situation. The doors still frozen shut, a wailing spirit on the loose and double possessions. As harmless as the girls seemed, letting them stick around was a stretch. But she figured as long as they stayed put while they mapped out their next move it seemed okay. Fiona had finally taken the stuffed giraffe out from the inside of Erin's jumpsuit and amused herself with it, while Hannah played with her hair. Abby kept them in her peripherals while she and Patty tried to come up with the next steps, they'd both agreed that it was steadily growing colder and darker.
The two really didn't seem to know much else about the 'Lady in the mirror' just that she was predatory and they were her next prey. The two girls claimed they were protecting Holtz and Erin but there was an obvious ulterior motive of being alive again. Abby let out a deep foggy sigh and flexed her cold stiffening hands. Frustrated with herself by feeling compassion for them. The ghosts they dealt with on a regular basis were never this cooperative and they rarely ever found out their names. And damn it, they were just kids.
"Hey take a look at this."
Abby peered down at the ghost radar in Patty's hands, where the ghost was finally coming up as a pulsing red dot jumping around sporadically. She frowned and took the radar and watched it closely. There was no pattern to its course it just seemed to be wondering. A bunch of little dots would show up for a moment but when the red dot showed they scattered. Abby studied it close trying to pinpoint the ghosts trajectory when Patty gave her an elbow nudge.
"Hm?" Abby looked up and bit back a smile. Fiona now kneeling behind Hannah combing her fingers through Holtz's hair. Daintily gathering sections of her hair she began braiding it. "Damn," Abby said in a tight amused voice when Patty nudged her shoulder again. Abby looked away and up at the ceiling."I can't do this, it's too cute. Patty make it stop."
"Hold up, I got it." Patty chuckled snapping a quick picture and stood. She approached the girls carefully and knelt before them to get at eye level. "Alright girls. We had a deal. Times up." She tapped her wristwatch and their faces fell, Hannah cuddled the giraffe close with a pout. "We are sorry. But we can't get the lady in the mirror without their help."
They hesitated, sharing a sad look then nodded quietly.
Then the giraffe was abruptly snatched from Hannah's grip by an invisible force and pulled into the air. A cloud of plastic balls gathered around the giraffe them and dropped over them like hail. Abby and Patty scrambled for their packs readying for a fight when Fiona held out her hands. "Wait!"
"No Beau! Stop it!" Hannah called out as the giraffe collected more ammo but stopped midair. Standing below it she pointed a finger towards it. "Stop that now!" She scolded with the stomp of her boot. Both Patty and Abby paused and waited proton wands brandished. "Leave em alone! They're gonna help!"
The shape of a little boy materialized slowly around the giraffe, skeletal features lightly showing through a blue transparent face. He didn't look happy. He squinted hard milky eyes judging them. Probably realizing what was happening. Staring Hannah down directly in the eye then spun his head and an alarming angle to look at Fiona.
"You look funny." He spat at the two letting the balls drop to the floor as he hovered over them pulling away quickly as Fiona tried to reach back for the giraffe.
"You look funny." Fiona retorted reaching for the giraffe, he pulled it away each time she reached for it even holding it high so she had to jump for it, letting out a little sinister giggle. "Give it! it's not mine!" Finally snatching the giraffe back from him clutching it close. He giggled some more swirling around them poking and prodding them with his ghostly fingers.
It was strange to watch another reminder that these were kids they were dealing with. Both women stood back and watched them squabble. The intelligence was something they hadn't seen much of since dealing with Rowan actually. A lot of the ghosts they'd encountered most of the time had a kind of passive autopilot behavior.
Mindless defensiveness when startled, malevolent with age but not really good for reasoning or conversation. There were a small handful of incidents where they had been able to talk back. Their hypothesis had been that since Rowan had been so self-aware and prepared for death he'd been able to stay lucid enough to control himself. But neither of the women had any idea how old these spirits really were.
Abby wanted to know more, to understand them. Both with a scientific curiosity and compassion for their intelligence.
"What's all this then? What you planning to do now?" He taunted surrounding them in a ghostly blur. "You aint safe from the Lady lookin like that. And whoever she is aint safe for long with you in there either." He said poking a finger into Holtz's shoulder. He may have be nine years old but there was a weathered look of experience and age in his expressions. "And don't think you can leave this place like that, you gotta be jokin."
"Of course not!"
"Then why?"
Neither of them spoke.
"Helping." Hannah mumbled.
"Mhmmm. You're hidin. That's what you're doin! She'll find you anywhere you hide." They continued to squabble with each other until Patty finally interrupted with a stern 'Children.' They all turned to look with the swift snap of their heads.
"That's enough. Yall can fight once we get our friends back alright?"
Beau narrowed his eyes again. A look of skepticism twisted his face while he floated over towards them and looked them up and down.
"She's gonna get you." Beau stated simply floating closer into their space. "She gets what she wants." And with a pop, he faded back into an orb of light and zipped away. Then a sudden familiar chill swept over the area, the ominous sense of dread heavy in the air. Both girls went rigid their eyes going wide and their hands pressed over their mouths.
"Don't move. And don't look at her." Hannah whispered squeezing her eyes shut.
Patty and Abby braced themselves ready for a fight, but taking Hannah's advice by keeping their eyes trained on the floor and staying as still as they possibly could. Abby felt the cold ominous presence creeping up her neck as it passed over them a static filling her ears. The spirit passed over them in a dense cloud. Floating around them its gaze predatory and patient. Hearts pounding as they stared at the carpet willing the ghost away with desperate thoughts. Patty managed to share a quick glance with Abby trying to decide if they should act or not.
A faint melodic sound almost too quiet to hear filtered through the static. Like a woman humming an unfamiliar song. Soothing actually, a nice lullaby. Feeling the tension in their bodies drain both women lowered their weapons and gave into the lullaby. Everything was fine, they were safe. Abby was just about to look up when Fiona called out desperately.
"No don't listen to her!" The last part of her warning was cut off by the humming changing to an ear splitting screech unlike any of them had ever heard before. Penetrating all the way to the center of their heads like an ice pick. Everyone curled in on themselves with pain. But Fiona seemed to get the worst of it, dropping to her knees with a screech of her own. Pressing her hands against her ears desperately trying to drown out the sound.
"SCREW IT." Patty shouted daring bravely to look up. Not seeing a clear target she aimed for one of the nearest mirrors instead, shattering it into smoldering melted shards. The spirit screeched and swiftly retreated to their surprise. Leaving a jarring silence behind and a ringing in their ears.
Fiona sat in a heap blinking hard looking stunned. Abby knelt beside her checking her over for anything Erin may have to deal with once she was back. She looked much paler now and her lips had more of a blue to them now. She felt cold to the touch again and shivered under her hand. This wasn't good.
"You okay baby?"
"Sorry." Fiona apologized in a shaking voice. "Sorry."
"It's okay you tried to help. But we're fine. But I think it's time we have Erin back okay? Please?" Fiona paused then agreed with a reluctant nod of her head.
"Forgot what bein cold feels like." She shook her head. "Don't like it." Patty nodded chafing her upper arms a bit.
"Where's Hannah?" Abby asked suddenly noticing she wasn't in the room anymore. Fiona's head snapped up shocked when she realized Hannah wasn't beside her anymore.
"Hannah?" Fiona called out to her meekly searching for her friend. She slapped her hands across her mouth muffling a horrified 'Oh No.'
"What? what is it? Where'd she go?" Abby asked frantically looking around again then back at Fiona.
Pulling her hands away she dropped her head, a look of disappointment on her face. "She got moved."