Page 53 of Purrfectly Haunted

For a long moment, nothing happens. But then the light flickers and seconds later there's an audible click. A cat hisses behind us, up the stairs, followed by another sad yowl.

“Thank you,” I say.

Lana comes to stand on my left, her flashlight raised like a weapon even though her hand is trembling, and Ewan is on my right, grabbing the back of my shirt.

Without saying another word, I push the door open. It groans plaintively. A chasm of darkness spreads before us, cold and musty. I grab Lana’s flashlight and aim it through the oily dark. It’s even denser than the last time, and I can barely make sense of shapes.

“Who is haunting this place?” I say loud and clear. “And why are you attacking the house?”

BOOM. Lana stumbles under the impact, hitting my back, and Ewan keep us both on our feet.

I swear, glaring at the dark. “Show yourself, motherfucker!”

And then the spirit appears, and the house trembles.

twelve

The dark has teeth

EWAN

The darkness in the basement feels hateful and evil, almost slimy, like something oozing from a festering wound. Lana was right, it can’t be the house. It’s something else entirely. Something we shouldn’t trifle with.

But James taunts the dark, and the dark has teeth. The spirit makes itself known. I thought the Burning Crone was bad, but this is worse... so much worse.

The ghost of a woman slithers out of the void, quiet and pale. She has long, dark hair, unbound and messy on one side while still up in an hairdo on the other, as if she pulled on it in despair. Her pretty blue dress and corset have darker stains at the front. Blood, I realise. There is blood coming out of her eyes and mouth, too.

My body goes rigid with fear as she slowly floats towards us, red tears spilling out of her wide eyes. James keeps the flashlight aimed at her, and the air is thick with spores and dust.

“Holy shit,” Lana whispers. “Shit, shit, shit...”

“What do you want?” James shouts at the spirit.

Why isn’t he afraid? Can’t he feel the evil malice coming from the entity?

“James... please...” I choke out, trying to pull him back.

A buzzing sounds echoes around us. At first, I think it’s the blood rushing through my eardrums, but when the noise intensifies, I realise it’s coming from the ghost. She opens her mouth wide and screams. Her voice is inhuman and loud enough to shatter the glass of the flashlight.

“I release you from the house!” I shout, voice trembling.

It doesn’t hurt to try. It worked for the others.

The ghost screams again, as if she didn’t even register my words.

BOOM. Another impact hits the house, and more dust rains from the ceiling, followed by entire chunks of plaster. The light bulb above us flickers dangerously.

The spirit vomits phantom blood, then her entire body seizes as she floats towards us.

“James!” I shout.

This time, he lets me pull him back. Just as the ghost is about to reach us, the cats come running down the basement stairs, darting between our legs. They hiss and growl, rushing the ghost like a wave of fur and claws. We step away, and the heavy door slams in front of us. The house has locked us out once again. The door rattles violently, as if something is hitting it from the other side.

“Run,” Lana gasps.

This time, James doesn’t need to be told twice. He grabs both our hands and drags us up the stairs and to the ground floor. The second door slams behind us, too.

“The cats,” I say, panicked.