~Shadowed ~ Scare II ~

           

           

            Kaycee didn’t scream along with Jane and Linda. Rather her whole body, mind and blood, froze with a clutch of Cain’s hand. Van had jumped back and tripped over his log, and was struggling to get up. He swiped up a stick, swearing into the dark. “Who’s there?”

            There was silence, and then a pale yellow beam shone right into his face. “Your doom, pretty boy, if you don’t get off my property!”

            The old voice became a body, an old woman with heavy boots, stepping into their circle. Her face was folded thrice with wrinkles, wide green eyes popping out beneath gray-tipped brows. A hat smothered her hair, white and pale as her eyes, one gnarled hand on the flashlight… the other on the trigger of a double-barrell. Linda shrank farther into Kendall’s arm, but Kaycee didn’t buy the same fear. She found herself actually relieved at the woman’s presence.

            “Geez, who do you think you are!” Jane cried, jumping up beside Van. “You scared us half to death.”

            The woman set her jaw. “You’re trespassing and have five minutes to beat it before I have the police scare you the other half!”

            Kaycee was already up, but Van only scoffed. “Yeah right. Nobody owns this land, Grandma; we’ve got every American right to be…”

            The shotgun’s end rose and stopped only an inch from his throat. Kendall was on his feet then, but he was the only one that moved, maybe even breathed. The woman’s eyes pierced each of them, Kaycee’s heart missing a beat when they lingered on her. So pale, so deep… so deprived of what a person’s eyes should look like. God, please…

            “You have many rights, I reckon.” The woman’s lips curled at Van. “But you youngins fail to realize how easily it all can be taken away. If you prefer to stay in the dark about it, then you’ll git. Now.”

            Though her words were soft, they pounded in Kaycee’s ear like a warning siren. She found the shoulder of Cain’s shirt and yanked him up, glancing at Kendall. “We’re going. We’ll go… just ease off.”

            The woman nodded stoically, shotgun lowering. “Be quick about it; it’s late.”

            The fire was put out with a wicked hiss, the smoke eerie in the beam of the woman’s flashlight. Cain’s flashlight, then Jane’s, soon joined hers, everybody gathering up their blankets and thermos. The old woman barely moved, watching them leave, then turned her beam the other way… deeper into the woods.

            “Crazy bat!” Linda shuttered as they broke through the treeline. “I almost had a heart attack!”

            “I about peed my pants.” Cain muttered.

            “Any mention of her in the Hanover haunt?” Jane punched Van’s side. He glared at her. “You mean of some ancient hermit stalking the forest brush? Never heard of her!”

            “Or her shotgun.” Cain commented, too late for Kaycee to elbow him. Van whirled on them. “Shut up, Cain! Don’t act like you weren’t cowering behind your girlfriend.”

            Kaycee scoffed. “The last thing I am is his girlfriend.”

            “C’mon Van.” Kendall sighed from the front with Linda. “Cool off. She spooked us all. Let’s just get back to the car…”

            “No.” Cain spoke out, surprising everybody. “We came here for a reason; we haven’t finished it yet.”

            “You can’t be serious!” Kaycee jerked his arm so he faced her. “That house is creepy enough, but now there’s a…”

            “She told us to get out of the woods, right?” Van shrugged, his eyeline still on Cain. “The house is out of the woods.”

            Kaycee’s heart shook with fear. “That woman’s got a gun! You wanna find out if she can use it!?”

            “Awe,” Van shrugged, eyes scrunching. “Where’s your faith, Kaycee?”

            Jane and Linda snickered. Kaycee squirmed, though she hoped the darkness hid the fact. She looked hard at Van. “I could ask you the same thing.”

            “Oh please.” Linda rolled her eyes, nudging Kendall. Kaycee saw his lips go tight and it saddened her. She had somehow found the courage to invite him to church earlier in the week. A possible answer was the only reason she’d convinced herself to come with Cain tonight. Maybe he’d have given her an answer… maybe he’d have asked her out, made her laugh, given her a first kiss…

            “Let the boys have their fun.” Jane giggled, her hand patting Kaycee’s shoulder, very demeaningly. “It’s amusing to see them try to out-macho the other. Not a sin, is it?”

            Kendall gave her a look, his composure back. “And I thought you stayed around for our stunning personalities.”

            “I don’t see it that way.” Linda cooed, lacing her fingers with his.

            “If you ladies are done.” Cain motioned, now headed fully in the direction of the Hanover mansion. “You can come watch me make history.”

            “Yeah,” Kaycee called after him. “By way of your obituary! Seriously, Cain…”

            “If Miss Church is going to keep whining, can she at least do it in the car,” Linda pushed past her, following Kendall and the rest, who followed Cain’s lead. She looked back and her eyes- mean and cruel- bored into Kaycee. “She’s spoiling everything.”

            I’m just the only one here with a brain. Kaycee defended against the barb, trailing behind the group. With each step, she felt more stupid. She’d come here seeking popularity- and yeah, sure, a guy- but instead, this was turning out to be the loneliest night of her life.

            I get it, God. Kaycee crossed her arms in shame. You come first.

            She took in the sagging face of the Hanover house as it came to loom over them. The wind-blown roof blocked them from the half moon and its shadow fell on them, dark and cold. Kaycee felt the shiver again; like an ice pick running its frigid tongs down her spine. Her body and heart were choked by it, urging her to run. But run where? It was four miles back to town and they’d only driven up in one car. She’d just have to tough it out; lay in the bed she’d made, as her dad would say.

            “Well.” Van brought their parade to a halt before the front porch. The broken steps were only a foot from him and Cain… though neither were moving to take the first step. “here we are.”

            There was a creak from somewhere, making Jane yelp. Cain gave her his ‘don’t-worry-bout-it’ smile and bounded up the steps in one leap. They all held their breath, but whatever they thought would happen, didn’t. Cain’s grin turned satisfactory. “Comin’ Van?”

            The jock only grunted, matched his leap to the top of the steps, and was to the front door in two strides. “Ready when you are.”

            “Oh, wait!” Jane came up after them, their numbers giving her courage. “Need to get a picture! Everyone on Facebook’s going to want to know about this.”

            “Someone put their hand on the knob.” Linda squealed. Kaycee caught Kendall’s eyes over her head. His held fear too and that prompted Kaycee to speak. “Cain, maybe we should…”

            Her words were swept away with a scream and a wind. A powerful gust came from the still night and knocked Kaycee on her back. The scream was Jane’s, but it wasn’t like the one before, in the woods. This one ripped the night along with the wind, a howl of terror that about sent Kaycee deaf. She barely absorbed the shock of her fall before she struggled up. “Cain?!”

            There was no answer… because there was no one on the Hanover porch. No Cain, no Van, no Jane… The door wavered open though, gaping like a dismal, hungry mouth.

            “Van!” Kendall jumped up from where he had fallen.

“Jane!” Linda echoed, but it was soft and bewildered through her trembling lips. Kaycee stood cautiously, her eyes unable to leave the open door. Waiting for Cain to pop out laughing, so she could kill him. But instead, the whole house groaned; each board, in its own monotone, filled the night and the few shudders still attached flapped wildly about the windows. But there wasn’t any more wind. Another scream went up through the house. Kaycee couldn’t say whose it was. Kendall shot forward, but Kaycee grabbed his wrist before he could mount the steps. “DON’T!”

Kendall shook her off. “Something’s wrong! We need to…”

“Listen to her!” a cracked voice came up behind them, gluing Linda to Kendall’s side. The three looked back to find the old woman staring up at the house. Linda cringed when she glared at them. “I won’t waste time saying ‘I told you so’. It’ll be a serious understatement before we’re done here.”

“What happened to them?” Kendall recovered his voice.

“What else?” the woman seethed, unshouldering a pack that was unnoticed before. “Something evil. That’s what you kids were wanting, wasn’t it.”

No. Kaycee’s throat quick-dried.

“So…” Linda’s eyes went wide. “This place is… I mean, it’s…”

“It’s not haunted.” The woman shook her head in frustration. “There’s no such things as ghosts, unfortunately. There’s only worse.”

Demons.

The answer numbed Kaycee’s brain and she found it hard to shallow; figuratively and physically. She didn’t know how, but she knew the woman was right. The Bible certainly had enough to say about them… Satan prowling like a lion, the Nephilium, their flaming abysses.

“You two wait here.” The woman pointed at Linda and Kendall, approaching Kaycee. “I need you to come with me.”

Her insides twisted with bile. Kaycee gulped the feeling down. “Wh-Where?”

The woman’s eyes softened in their pale pools. “You know. We need to save your friends.”

“You’re nuts.” Kendall jumped in. “Whatever joke you’re pulling…”

Another scream from the house froze all thought and talk. The woman waited until it had passed. “Do I look capable of pulling a ‘joke’ like that? I’ll put this briefly for you. Demons live in that house and neither of you are protected from them. Your friend here, is.”

“My name’s Kaycee.” Kaycee managed out. “And I’m not… I…”

The woman placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Kaycee, my name’s Norma. Answer me this; do you know what’s in there?”

Kaycee didn’t dare look at the house to contemplate her answer. It’s peeled gray paint and broken windows would only confirm it. “Even if I did, why…”

Something was placed in her hands, familiar in size. Kaycee looked down and in the single beam of light saw the glow of the words Holy Bible meet her eyes. Relief immediately washed over her.

“You feel that, right?” Norma eyed her closely. “Because if you do, then you’re safe. He will keep you safe.”

Kaycee’s fingers clenched the Bible like a life jacket, but she couldn’t answer. Could it really be that simple, against whatever was in there?

“Stay here!” Norma ordered Kendall and Linda. “Kaycee, follow me.”

“Kaycee, don’t.” Kendall shook his head. “I don’t trust her.”

Kaycee wasn’t sure if she did either. But she did trust God… and there were Cain and the others to think about. Kaycee left Kendall with an encouraging look, taking the porch steps with Norma. They creaked louder than before, bringing the fear back with them. Norma paused just before the door’s molded threshold. Kaycee felt the hesitation.The darkness inside was alive somehow. She could hear it breathing. It sounded ridiculous, but it was true. “Norma…”

“We do it fast, it’ll be over fast.” Norma nodded firmly, her hand on Kaycee’s arm. And with her lead, they stepped through. 

~To Be Continued~