Chapter 8
“Alright I admit it. It’s not that bad.” She admitted flipping to one other picture of the two of them. To be honest she really didn’t want to see any more the two were enough. Holtzmann handed the phone back.
“Good. I’m glad you think so.” Abby pocketed her phone and went through a quick recap of the last hour, finding Erin, then Patty finding her, the little girls and the banshee with her possible motives. “It was nuts. She kind of appeared in front of me on the other side of the building, ionized and frosted just like you.” She explained swiping some icy dust of Holtz’s sleeve for emphasis. Holtz hummed thoughtfully, this was going to be a long frustrating night. "Those kids were very fond of the two of you.”
“True, kids do love me.” Holtz brought a hand to her forehead and winced at the tender spot and grumbled, “They still touched my hair.”
“Shut up it's cute.”
“No. My step mom used to braid my hair like this.”
“And I’m sure it was cute then too, so shut up.” Holtzmann tossed a stray salt packet at Abby and Abby tossed it back. “Eat your crackers.”
“Hey! Yall still in here?” Patty’s welcome voice floated into the room, and that meant if Patty was here safe so was Erin. Win win. Abby called back and waved her over in seconds Patty’s face hovered over Abby’s shoulder peeking in just enough into her hiding spot. “There you are.”
“You found me. Yayyy.” Holtz said with a gentle clap. "Five points."
“Where’s Fiona?” Abby asked and Patty made a face.
“Dawdling by the door.” She called out to her and waited. “Come on now.” Patty sighed and turned away, “Girl told me her life story now won’t make a peep.”
“Come on.” Abby patted the desktop and followed Patty out the doorway. Holtz crawled out from under the desk enough to have a small peek over the desk. In the doorway Patty stood mostly front and center, the fuzziness in her ears kept her from hearing much of their conversation. Just peeks of Erin passing by the doorway a couple times. But it wasn’t Erin, it was a ghost named ‘Fiona’. The name felt strangely familiar and she repeated it to herself quietly.
Holtz pocketed her animal crackers and crawled out from under the desk the forcing herself to her feet fighting the fatigue in her arms and legs. The throbbing pain the bridge of her nose coinciding with the ringing in her ears she felt like tapping out. Bracing herself against the desk, she still felt off center listing hard to the left.
She eyed this 'Fiona' suspiciously. Even if Abby assured her this ghost was ‘harmless’. The two made eye contact momentarily and Fiona ducked back into the hallway. Holtz slipped on her glasses and scooped up her pack following the group out into the hallway. With her glasses and gear back, she did feel a lot safer giving her a much needed boost of strength. She trailed behind the three keeping a close curious eye on ‘Fiona’. It was glaringly obvious right away that it wasn’t Erin. The way she held herself, the way she looked around the room with a simple curiosity. Still holding the stuffed giraffe in her hands close to her face. Favoring Patty keeping close behind to her.
Carefully they navigated their way back in to bar area as if it were a mine field. Careful not to wander into the banshee's trajectory or trigger another attack. It was like walking into a freezer, the room seemed robbed of everything, of sound, heat even air. And the air felt heavy and smelled of ozone. Like standing in the center of a dense storm cloud. Patty, Abby and Holtz pulled each other close as the approached the bar.
“See that’s what I pictured when you said the mirror was angry.” Abby stated pointing at the mirror.
“I didn’t do it.” Holtz said automatically with her hands up in defense. The crack in the mirror had gotten even deeper that it looked like it could break in two. To Holtz it almost hurt to look at it, she looked away towards Erin. Or Fiona or whoever was there standing behind her. Holtz inched close to the bar but still kept her distance. It seemed to give off a deep humming sound, reminding Holtz of a 60 HZ hum.
“You hear that? Please say yes.” Holtz asked without looking away.
“Yeah, it sounds like a speaker. A really crappy speaker.” Abby affirmed.
“Oh good…I mean not good but…good.” The fact that they could hear it too made her feel a lot more better. Fiona looked back and then backed away flattening herself against the wall behind her.
“Fiona.” Patty approached her carefully, she shrank away holding the giraffe close. “Times up baby, we had a deal.” Fiona looked down at her feet.
“I wanna help though.” She mumbled sadly still avoiding their eyes. She continued to back away slowly towards the door.
“I know you do and you’ve done all you could. But we need Erin back now.” The three waited each hoping Fiona wouldn't take the chance to bolt someplace else. Holtzmann herself was ready to charge right after her if so, headache and fatigue be damned. But to each of their relief, Fiona huffed and lowered herself to the floor and dropped her head sadly. Holding the stuffed animal tenderly to her chest. Holtz couldn’t help feel a little sorry for her.
Holtz held up a hand and approached Fiona carefully, sitting herself next to her.
"Hi Fiona? This your work? Very nice." Holtz addressed her casually, but then quickly adjusted her tone. “Uh...thank you for keeping Erin safe for us. You did good.” She was quiet, Holtz continued. “And we appreciate your help you and your friend. But we have a job to do. We’re going to try and drive the lady away. But we need Erin okay? Please?" Fiona hesitated looking away considering Holtz's request. "Please let us have our friend back? Please let me have my friend back." She whispered, the desperation in her voice surprising her. Fiona looked up finally meeting her eyes for a few seconds with a flicker of understanding.
"Okay..." Fiona whispered sadly dropping her eyes. “We just really liked being grown up is all.” Holtz didn’t know how to respond to that. Her hands immediate reaching for her braid again. Fiona’s words sending a weird familiar shiver through her. Fiona dipped her and she went still. No one moved for a moment and exchanged looks.
“Gilbert?” Holtz reached out and gave her shoulder a tentative prod with her fingertips. Erin flinched gently as if she were pulled from deep concentration. She blinked and gave the giraffe a look then turned to everyone.
“Hi?” Her greeting came out more like a question. Erin looked so genuine and just so Erin that Holtz broke into a fit of giggles, and Patty sighed. Abby grumbled and crouched down next to them. "What?"
“Okay, roll call is everyone here present and an adult now?!” Abby demanded in a low voice giving the two of them hard shoves to the shoulder with her fist.
“More or less.” Holtz sniffed with a cheeky grin scooting close. Erin looked to Holtz for an explanation but she just gave her a shrug. “We lost our P cards tonight.” She said with a grin raising her eyebrows. Erin processed the answer quickly and her face dropped.
“It’s okay It’s okay! They were relatively harmless children.” Abby added quickly patting Erin’s shoulder Emphasizing the relatively harmless directly towards Holtz.
“They were trying to help.” Erin nodded and continued to look around the room then to her friends then pushed her gaze past them over towards the mirror. Confused at how she had gotten to this point but didn't bother to ask.
"That doesn't look good." Erin stated instead, pointing at the mirror. The four turned back to look then back to each other.
"Yeah were trying to figure out what to do about that. Chime in any time." Abby stood back up and wandered closer to the bar. Left to each other Erin and Holtz regarded the mirror some more. Holtz bumped Erin’s shoulder gently and leaned over.
“Welcome back.” She murmured.
“Thanks. I think. What I miss?”
“Not sure I was right along with to you. But there are pictures.” Holtz sniffed. “Can you believe that?” Holtz paused then both shared a ‘Yeah’ and laughed.
“We’ll get them back.”
“And how.” Erin’s gaze lingered a little and gave her a curious look, she felt her face heat up at the direct attention.
“What?” She motioned to her own head first then to Holtz’s, ah the braid. Holtz immediately clutched it in her hands and looked away.
“Ghost did it?"
"Your ghost did." Erin huffed a quiet laugh through her nose. “Abby, Erin’s laughing at me!”
“The braid right? It's cute!” Abby asked.
“Like a little milk maid.” Patty added and Holtzmann flushed sinking into herself.She wasn’t one for being teased, growing up with as many older siblings as she did she had gotten enough of it at home.
“Oh come on now Holtzy, you know were just clownin.”
“I thought we were here to catch a ghost but nah its drag Holtzmann night I see.” Holtzmann huffed
“Alright alright. That’s enough. There will be plenty of time to tease Holtz about how cute her hair is later okay everyone.” Erin gave her a playful elbow before getting up. Holtz’s face burned a little hotter. Ah hell. She clutched the braid tighter and looked away. Why was she getting flustered? Holtz adjusted herself suddenly unable to look up. Feeling suddenly shy, Holtz awkwardly got to her feet avoiding everyone’s eyes, Erin’s outstretched hand appeared waiting to help her up. Holtz reluctantly took it and pulled herself up.
“Thanks.”
“No problem. oh and here hold your own son for a while.” Erin held out the giraffe giving it a playful wave.
“Can do.” Holtz plucked the giraffe out of Erin’s hand and slipped it into her side pocket so its little head poked out. “There. Nice and comfy.” Abby came around
again and leaned against the wall next to them.
“So were frozen in, there’s a banshee out for blood. Fun. What do we do now? Again feel free to chime in.”
“Shoot it.” Holtz shrugged. "My money is still on the mirror being a hub. It's almost seems too easy though?"
“I don’t know…” Erin had pulled the goggles back over her eyes giving the mirror a long look then removed them. “It might just make more of a mess.”
"What’s it look like?" Patty asked.
"Like a big hole in the wall. It's all dark. But I think...it goes somewhere." She looked up and around at all the accent mirrors around the room. "I don’t see anything else though it’s just like a void. It’s not putting anything out though, like nothings coming out of it. It’s just…it just seems angry.” Erin added removing the goggles.
“I didn’t do it.” Holtz reiterated, with the same innocent gesture.
“If only there were a way to close it. It’s not the same as the active portal like before.”
"Let’s blow it up then. I think the proprietor will forgive us...eventually." Holtz shrugged again.
“I support the scientific method. Once we form a hypothesis what do we do?” Holtz hoisted her pack on and brandished her wand. “we test it out with an experiment.”
“Then analyze data and draw conclusions.” Abby followed.
“Unless it doesn’t work then we have to trouble shoot…” Erin added struggling with the straps of her pack.
“Ladies please, the ghost.”
“And if the results align with the hypothesis communicate the results.” Holtz said quickly in a stream of words and flinched away when Patty raised her hand.
The four women paused as they noticed the hum gradually had gotten louder and louder until a hard wave of sound hit them like a gust of air. Like the sound of someone banging on a plexiglass window. A booming hollow pound. The one large boom turned into a bunch of smaller ones.
"I think she heard us!" Holtz yelled.
“Keep your eyes down and don't listen to her, she’ll pass over.” Patty yelled looking down at the radar that spun so intently it shook her whole arm. It was coming from the mirrors around them. Like many hands banging against windows. But when Erin looked around through the goggles again there didn’t seem to be any other ghosts in them. They glowed faintly with activity but nothing else.
She looked towards the large mirror again feeling the need to walk towards it. Shaking herself remembering what Abby had just said tore off the goggles and averted her eyes down to the floor and focused on her boots. The sound gradually faded back to a hum that reverberated through her head, down her back into the soles of her feet. The faint sound of barking fading into the hum.
Erin’s eyes crawled along the carpet towards the doorway but stopped, she could swear she could see Corky again in the corner of her eye but didn’t move. She dared a quick glance and saw the dark shape of a dog in the darkness. Something deep inside her was willing her NOT to look at it.
Suddenly it stopped and they relaxed. Except for Holtzmann. The short event left her feeling strange. A strange floaty feeling in the back of her head again, like long fingers were caressing the back of her neck only this time curling up and inside the back of her head pulling upwards. Holtzmann clutched the handles of her wand tightly trying to stay preset.
She listed hard to the side again and fell into Erin. “Sorry” she mumbled through gritted teeth Erin’s hands didn’t leave her shoulders. She flinched at a sharp twinge in her left ear. The pain ran up then down her neck. Then the sounds from before returned in the same way from before.
‘No please. No more.’ Holtz backed away into the wall and leaned against it the pounding only getting louder. Pressing her head against the wall, strangely helped. the sound let up and she felt herself relax. But it was short lived when a stern force around her yanked her backward. She whined and tried to fight her way back to the wall, just for a little longer just until the sound stopped please. Holtz could hear her named called out to her, briefly cutting through the static only to just be covered again.
The feeling of arms being wrapped around her the room suddenly lurched and looked strange again, dim cold and hard to breath. The breath she took in felt thick and cold making her cough in shock. There was another sickening jerk around her and the scene changed again.
She was now back in the building with whoever had their arms around her. It was cold and dark and thankfully quiet. But like before they were now in a different place. Holtz sagged into the embrace of whoever held her tightly and they stumbled back into the wall.
A dull pain began near her forehead joining the dull ache in her ears. Holtz coughed again and cleared her throat pushing away from whoever was with her. It looked to be like they were back to the place they’d started in, the children’s area next to the pile of toppled chairs and the floor littered with multicolored plastic balls.
“You saw that, too right?” Holtz asked finally, her voice sounding strangled.
“Yeah.” Erin’s voice answered back. Holtz turned to finally look at her, she looked shaken, like she couldn’t find the words. Not splitting up didn’t work completely,
she’d managed to drag Erin with her though. Erin pulled her close trying to inspect her face in the dark.
“What?” Holtz pulled Erin's hands away confused. Erin
“What happened? Why were you doing that?”
“Doing what? You grabbed me and now were here?”
“No you were…you were…banging your head against the wall.” Her words came out in breathless pauses. Holtz’s insides froze, her hand instinctually going to the throbbing spot on her forehead and winced.
“Who did what now?” She didn’t do that, She remembered resting her head against the wall. It had felt like just a second. But banging her head against a wall? Holtz suddenly felt lightheaded.
“I gotta sit for a second, time out.” Making a time out gesture and sliding to the floor. Erin followed her down. Helping her remove her pack and set it to the side. Holtz tried desperately to remember this alleged banging her head on the wall but came up with nothing.
“We tried to stop you but you were adamant.”
“I’m feeling a little picked on tonight not gonna lie.” Holtz said rubbing her eyes from under her glasses, quickly dismissing Erin's concerned hands. "I'm fine I'm fine."
“I’m sorry.” Erin said sympathetically sitting back on her heels flexing her fingers pensive.
"Sorry. I'm okay, Erin really. Look see? All clean." Holtz swiped her fingertips across her forehead to show. "And I can't tell you what that was. I don't even know."
The loud screech of their walkies startled them both, Abby's voice calling out. "Hello? Erin? Holtz?"
"Yeap how you doin?" Holtz answered first.
“Holy shit! where are you?” Erin took the walkie and answered.
“We’re back by the ball pit again.”
"Wait the two of you are together? Figures. I got dumped in a storage room. Patty you there?”
“Yeah. I'm in the arcade, what the hell just happened” Patty answered quickly,"It was like a flicker, everything was different, and now I'm someplace else." Patty said.
"Yeah like everything feels kind of backward." Erin added. "Only the last time felt like hours."
“Upside down.” Holtz's comment was met with silence. Erin gave her a look. “Too soon?
"I think she's onto us." Patty said.
"She's pissed we figured it out so quick." Holtzmann agreed.
"Well now we know what to do now, so we better do it quick and keep quiet about it.” Abby affirmed a little too excitedly and her end went quiet. Patty quickly gave a sign out as well. They sat quietly until Erin thought aloud. “Why was this time so short though? I felt like I was there longer before.” Holtz shrugged.
“I duno...but I got salt in my pockets?” She giggled she pulled them out and held them up in her palms up for Erin to see. They shared a look and a laugh. "Still needs further testing."
“Well then, probably best to hang onto you a while.” Holtz cleared her throat. "Buddy system right?"
“Mhmm. Sounds good to me. But here, just in case.” She pulled out a handful of salt packets and poured them into Erin's hand. “It’s dangerous to go alone take this.”
“Thanks."
"Quick question." Erin asked with a small grin.
"Hmm?" Erin paused a long moment then let herself smile.
"Why do you hate your middle name?"