Delaware St. John - Desperate Measures - Chapters 3 and 4

3.

“Thank you and have a nice day.”  Kelly said as she handed change back to her customer.  Her store, Bradford Books, had been steadily busy all morning and just died off in time for Delaware to come strolling through the front door.  In the age of tablets and phones, it seemed books were still quite in demand, at least in her small town.

“Alright, what do you want?” He asked as the last customer exited.

“You’re almost two hours late.”  Kelly said as she pointed to the large clock on the wall behind her.

Delaware looked up at the clock, “Yeah, well my watch is broken.” He said.

Kelly looked down and noticed his two bare wrists.  “You’re not wearing a watch.”

“Of course not,” He said, “Why would I wear a broken watch?”

Kelly shook her head.  “You know, punctuality says a lot about a person.”

“So does profession, Ms. Librarian.”  Delaware said back as he looked around.

“I’m not a librarian, I’m an entrepreneur.  I own the store.”  Kelly corrected him sharply.

“Ah, so ‘Bradford Books’ wasn’t just a creative name.”  He smirked as he pointed to her nametag declaring “Kelly Bradford”.

“My dad named it.” She said.

“You wanna tell me what this is about?” Delaware cut to the point.

“I want to show you something.” She said as she walked to the front of the store.

“Is this about your ghost hunting hobby again?”

“Paranormal investigation,” she corrected him, she said as she flipped the sign in the front window to ‘Out to Lunch,’ “Follow me.”

Kelly led Delaware to the back of the store and up a spiral staircase.  At the top of the stairs Delaware saw a loft with several PC’s and endless shelves of books.  There were gadgets everywhere he didn’t recognize but they looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

“I guess I know who to come to for computer repair.”  Delaware said as he took in the room full of technology, then added, “If I ever get a computer.”

“Why don’t you sit down here, I’d like to take you through a few…” Kelly hesitated for a second and then finished, “…questions.”

“I don’t do interviews.”

“This isn’t an interview.  Just humor me, ok?” she said as she took a pack of cards off a shelf nearby and sat at a table.

“If you’re expecting me to do card tricks, I’m afraid you’re out of luck.” Delaware said, a bit annoyed as he suspected what was coming.  He really didn’t want to go through this but he rationed if this is what he needs to do to settle his debt to her then it could all be over with quickly and he could be on his way.

Kelly opened the pack, ignoring his sarcasm. “I’m going to hold up a card, tell me if you know what face and suit it is, ok?”

Delaware smiled and sat down.  She thought he was some sort of mind reader. “And what makes you think I can do that? Can you?”

“Of course not,” Kelly said, “I don’t have… abilities like you.” Kelly shuffled the cards and put the deck face down on the table.  She slid the top card off with the back facing Delaware.

Delaware looked at Kelly and smirked.  He put his pointer fingers up to his temples and started to move them gently in a circular motion.  After a moment of feigned concentration he said, “Ace of spades.”

Kelly smiled.  He was right!  She put the card down and grabbed the next one.

“Uh, king of diamonds.”  Delaware said when the card was up in front of her face.

Unbelievable!  He was right again.  Kelly’s face lit up as she picked up the next card.

“Two of clubs.”  He said, with seemingly more ease.

She was astonished at his accuracy.  “This is amazing, that’s three for three, it’s… it’s like…”

“It’s like I can see the reflection of the card in your glasses?” Delaware said as he leaned back in his chair and grinned.  “Yeah, it’s something.”

Kelly’s smile left as she realized holding the cards up in front of her face allowed them to reflect in her glasses.  She quickly took them off and set them on the table, she pulled a new card.

Delaware smiled. “This is pointless.  I can’t tell you what that card is no better than I could predict the winning lottery numbers.  You’ve got me wrong.” Delaware said as he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

Kelly put the card down.  “Okay then, enlighten me.  How can you prove what happened at the house yesterday wasn’t just a coincidence or trick?”

Delaware laughed, “Well for one I don’t make a habit of cementing little kids into walls and then releasing them in front of witnesses years later.”

“I’m serious!” Kelly said, still a little upset by the card reading debacle.

Delaware uncrossed his arms and leaned forward. “Look, what you saw is real and I don’t have to do anything to prove it.  If you want to live in denial, so be it but don’t question me just because you doubt what you saw and felt for yourself.”

“I’m sorry.” She said, suddenly feeling like she’d been cracking the whip at animals to get them to perform.  After a bit of a pause, she attempted to redirect the conversation.  “How did you know about Michael?”

“It just happens.” He said, suddenly serious. “I could be alone in my room or at the movies and something could… just happen.  I have no control over any of it.”

“Something like what?”  Kelly said just as the store buzzer went off.

Delaware paused for a bit then finally answered; “Voices, people, places, I see and hear things as if they’re right there or sometimes it’s just partial thoughts or ideas.  I have nightmares, hallucinations, daydreams, whatever you want to call them.  It could be things about to happen or things that already happened.  I saw the house.  I saw his step father hit him with the sledgehammer and...”

The door buzzer went off again, twice this time.  Kelly got up from her chair.  “I’m sorry, let me go take care of this.”  She stood up and walked back to the stairs. “Don’t’ go anywhere, please.” She said before she climbed down the stairs and walked to the front of the store where the sign still said ‘Out to Lunch’.  She pulled the shade to the side and looked outside.  It was Mrs. Engleberg.

Kelly walked half way back across the floor towards the balcony and called up to Delaware.  “I need you to stay up there and stay quiet while I take care of this customer. Ok?”

“She’ll never know I’m here.” came from upstairs.

Mrs. Engleberg was the town busybody, if gossip were a profession she’d be a president and CEO.  She was a member of town council as well as organizer of several weekly social events.  Kelly suspected she didn’t even care about half of the events, it was just a way to interact with more people and get more gossip.  Whatever anyone shared with her would become public knowledge within anywhere between a few minutes to a few hours, depending on what level of confidentiality she agreed to acquire the information.  Her skill to expose and share conversation was unparalleled.

Kelly walked back to the front door, hoping Delaware would stay put.  She didn’t want to have to explain to Mrs. Engleberg who he was, or worse, have her start in with the invasive questions.

Kelly opened the door slightly and greeted her with a big smile.

“Hi Mrs. Engleberg, I…”

“The sign said ‘out to lunch’ but I know you, Kelly,” she cut her off as she barged into the store, “you’re always here!”

Kelly held her forced smile. “Your book came in this morning.  I’ll go get it for you.  Just wait right here.”

Mrs. Engleberg loved biographies, especially of psychic mediums.  Kelly assumed her fascination came from her desire to be involved in as many lives as possible.  She usually visited Bradford Books 3 or 4 times a week.  So, naturally, she thought she owned the place.

Kelly walked to the back of the store where she kept the new stock.

“I don’t have a lot of time to stay today, Kelly.  Our women’s church group had to have an emergency meeting because I just realized nobody bothered to plan our monthly meeting!” Mrs. Engleberg rattled off as if it was the end of the world.

“You’ve got a meeting to plan a meeting?” Kelly asked while looking through the books.

“Well sometimes extra organization is what people need! Lord knows if you let people do what they want, they do nothing!” she went on. Then, without warning, in true Engleberg fashion, the topic changed. “So what’s this I hear about you and Mike breaking up?”

Kelly winced at the sound of his name.  Sure she’d made some dating mistakes in the past but nothing made her question her choices as much as her short but explosive relationship with Mike.

Mike was a local police officer.  He was handsome, sure, but it was his sweetness that had attracted her.  It wasn’t until a few months in that Kelly experienced the dark side that surfaced when things didn’t go his way.  She often thought of him as a venus fly trap; you’re lured in by the promise of sweet reward but all you get is a clamp that’ll squeeze the life out of you.

“It just didn’t work out.” Kelly said, trying to give her nothing to work with. “The book’s not here. It’s gotta be in the back room. I’ll be right back.”

“Didn’t work out or you didn’t put the effort in, young lady?” She started in.  Kelly was disappointingly impressed with her ability to work with nothing. “That boy is a fine, upstanding catch!  I mean he’s a police officer for the good lord’s sake!  You don’t get any more upstanding than that!”

  Unable to resist the curiosity, Delaware peaked his head up over the ledge to get a view.  He could see she was a heavy set woman in her fifties.  She was wearing big gold earrings and looked like she applied her makeup with a paint roller.  Her hair was like a big red ball shaped perfectly around her head.  Her egg-shaped body was highlighted by her form-fitting black stretch pants and contrasted with her bright red sequins shirt.  She was quite the character, even from this view.  She was the type of woman who made an entrance anywhere she went.  Her appearance just begged to become the center of attention, exactly how she loved it.  She was still lecturing Kelly about her failed relationship when suddenly she looked up and locked eyes with Delaware.

“Kelly! There’s someone up there!”  She screamed without hesitation.

Kelly came running out of the back carrying the book.  Dammit!  Was it so hard to do as she asked?  There was no hiding it now, she could only play it casual.  “Mrs. Engleberg, I know, that’s Delaware, he’s a friend… coworker.” She changed suddenly, biting her bottom lip at her slip up.

“A friend? Or a coworker?”  She said as she pushed her oversized glasses up her nose and squinted her eyes to get a better look.  “Which is it?”

“Well he’s a friend who’s going to be helping me do some work in the store.”  Kelly said, as she went around the counter to ring up the book.  She dropped the book to the counter in an effort to get Mrs. Engleberg’s attention off Delaware but it was too late. “So, I guess he’s both.”

“That’s right, I’m going to be helping Kelly out with security,” Delaware said with a smile, “I’ll be making sure nobody’s causing trouble around here.  You know, get rid of the undesirables.”

“Well,” Mrs. Engleberg said after a second, “That is a good idea, there are a LOT of troublemakers out there.” She said to Delaware. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Evelyn Engleberg.”

“Nice to meet you, ma’am.” He replied as a gentleman, intending to keep it vague.

“I didn’t catch your name.” She insisted.

“Delaware St. John, ma’am.” He replied.  He could see Kelly practically gritting her teeth as she shifted her eyes to the side, sending him the motion of “go away, stop!” but he couldn’t help himself.

“St. John? You’re not from around here, are you?” She asked as Kelly could see her going over every contact in her head to try and see if she knew who he was already.

“Aren’t you going to be late for your meeting?” Kelly reminded her gently as she rang up the book.

“Oh my goodness! I lost track of time!” Mrs. Engleberg said, suddenly horrified that she’d be the one late to her own meeting.  She reached into her purse and pulled out a bill.

“It just didn’t work out, huh?”  She said to Kelly as she motioned her eyes back towards Delaware.  As Kelly reached out to take the money, Mrs. Engleberg let out a gasp.  “Kelly! This book cover is TORN!” She said in an inappropriately astonished voice.

Kelly looked at the slight tear in the paper sleeve covering the book. “This is a special order book, Mrs. Engleberg…”

“I think that’s at least worth ten percent off,” interrupted the pushy woman.  Kelly adjusted the price to avoid getting into an argument she knew she’d never win.  It had been a long time since she paid full price for any book she’d bought.  There was always some reason for a discount.  Kelly took the cash and handed back the change.

Mrs. Engleberg looked to Kelly then up at the balcony where Delaware was no longer standing.  She turned back to Kelly and whispered, “You just watch him closely.  Strangers are never good news, especially those dapper types.”

“Thanks for the warning, Mrs. Engleberg.” Kelly said as she walked her to the front of the store and opened the door. “Have a nice day.” She said, relieved to have her out of the store.  Kelly locked the front door. “Well if your plan was to keep a low profile, you just blew that!” she yelled as she walked back towards the spiral staircase.

He didn’t respond but when she reached the stairs she heard his voice.  It sounded like he was talking to someone.  She wondered if someone else was up there but then rationalized that was impossible because the staircase was the only way up to the loft.  She paused for a second but couldn’t make out the words he was saying.  She climbed the stairs and found Delaware sitting at the table, staring up at a wall.  When Kelly walked into sight he turned towards her and smiled.

“Talking to ourselves, are we?” She asked, half joking.

“It must be a lot easier to be an entrepreneur when your dad leaves you the business.” He said.

Kelly was caught off guard. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  She asked as she walked over to where he was sitting.  She looked to the table for something he might have read; her journal notes, a newspaper article, something.  But the table was clear, there was nothing but the deck of cards.

“Your dad,” He explained, “he owned this bookstore, when he died he left it to you.”

Kelly knew there was no way he could know this information. “My father,” She said, a little upset, “has been dead for over two years.”

“Yeah, that’s what he said.”

“He’s here?”  Kelly asked, her eyes wide with the thought of communicating with her father again.

“Was here.”

“Was?” Kelly said as her face transitioned to disappointment, her eyes tearing up.

“I told you,” he began, “Things just happen sometimes.”

Kelly’s eyes began to well up more with tears.  She was trying her hardest not to show such vulnerability in front of someone she barely knew.  But the pain of loss came flooding back and was as fresh as the day he passed.

Her display of emotion made Delaware uncomfortable so he did the best he could to try and make her stop. “He said to remind you: A happy customer tells a friend, an unhappy customer…”

“…tells ten,” Kelly said as she burst into a laugh and cry at the same time.  Delaware’s intention backfired. She couldn’t hold back the surge of emotion.  She put her hand up to her face and sat down at the table.  She moved her hands across her face to wipe away the tears.  “My father used to tell me that all the time.” She missed him, a lot, and it felt good to hear his words again, even from someone else.

Kelly looked at Delaware then looked down at the cards still sitting on the table.  She pushed them aside when she realized her little experiment was a bit insulting.

“I think I should get going.” Delaware said as he stood up.

Kelly feigned a smile.  “Sorry about that card stuff.  I really didn’t think that all the way through.”

 “Yeah, well it happens.” Delaware said.  Though he didn’t actually mind hanging around Kelly, her current emotional state left him in unfamiliar territory and he thought it best to remove himself.

“Before you go,” Kelly said as she grabbed a pen and started writing on one of the cards. “This is my number. You know, if you want to contact me for anything.”

Delaware reached out to take the card and his hand contacted hers slightly.  He paused for a moment then took the card from her. “No promises.” He said as he put it in his pocket and started walking away.

“None insinuated.” She replied. She was relieved to hear the sound of the front door close.  She suddenly didn’t feel like having company anymore.

4.

Karen Moore sat up in bed as she read her latest in a long line of spy novels.  She sipped some warm milk from a coffee cup and placed it back on the nightstand as she continued her gripping thriller.  She noted the clock on the night stand claimed it was almost three a.m.  She was once again up later than she anticipated but she couldn’t help it.  She was right in the middle of the story where everything was going wrong for the main character and the twists and turns she was taking to escape the clutches of the organization out to get her was just too addictive.  The action going on in Karen’s head was a stark contrast to the deafening silence she was surrounded by in her home.  She was gripping her book tight as the tension of the story peaked when the sound of a door opening came from the hallway.

Karen dismissed the sound.  Her imagination was running wild again, as it had done in the past when she got wrapped up in a good book.  She quickly resumed the adventures of the heroine and was settling back in when she heard a crashing sound.  She dropped the book to her lap, now knowing this was not her imagination playing tricks on her. Was she being robbed?  She quickly threw her covers off, stepped quietly to her door in her bare feet and slowly closed it until it was only open enough for her to see out.  She couldn’t see anyone in the hallway but the door to her daughter’s room was open.

“I’ve got a gun!” she said loudly, in the sternest voice she could muster. There was no reaction.

She opened her door cautiously and looked towards the open bathroom on her left.  She could see it was empty.  She reached out and flipped the switch to turn the hall light on.  The area lit up immediately but there was no one in sight.  Her heartbeat escalated as she stepped out of her room and walked quietly towards her daughter’s room.  Each step she took, she looked cautiously around. She thought about calling someone but then she realized her phone was charging downstairs.  She always left her phone downstairs as not to interrupt her reading time before bed.  Now it was a habit she regretted.

It was quiet, which should have eased her a bit, but she found her anxiety increasing as she moved closer to the bedroom.  This was her daughter’s room.  “Was her daughter’s room,” the unwelcome thought popped into her head.  She stopped short of the door and slowly reached her hand out.  She gently pushed the door open the rest of the way.  She reached in and hit the light switch.  The room was immaculate, the bed was made, shelves were neatly lined with trophies, stuffed animals, and other various items of her daughter’s collection, but the room was empty.  She suddenly felt a wave of relief when she noticed the window in the room was slightly open.  She exhaled and with it went all of her collected unease. She shook her head as she went to the window and shut it.  Clearly the wind must have made the door creak.  She then looked down to the floor where a doll laid.  “And this is the banging sound I heard,” she thought as she picked it up off the floor and set it back on the shelf near the window.  As she turned to exit the room, the doll let out a “mama” sound behind her.  Karen turned to the doll. It just sat there, smiling at her with a plastic grin and wide blue eyes.  She shook her head again and exited the room, closing the door behind her.  Despite the amount of time that had passed she was still not comfortable being in the room.  Crisis resolved, she walked back to her bedroom, slid back between her sheets and resumed reading.

It didn’t take long before she was once against absorbed in the fictional drama.  It was getting late so she had to commit to finishing the chapter and then cutting herself off to get some sleep.  However, while she was in the final few pages, she heard a sound coming from the hallway again.  It was the sound of a door handle turning and a door squeaking opening.  She dropped her book again. She locked the window.  She knew she did.  What could it be now?

Karen got out of bed and turned on the hall light once again.  “I’m going to call the police!” she shouted, again realizing her phone was downstairs.  The hallway remained quiet.

After a few moments of hesitation she realized this was silly.  She’s a grown woman afraid of what?  Bumps in the night?  That’s when she noticed that the door to her daughter’s room was open again.  There was no way the window was open.  Was the door handle broken?  She opened her door and immediately walked across the hall to the door.  She grabbed the door handle and pulled it hard to make sure it shut tight this time.  She then pushed on the door to make sure it stayed in place.  She even shook the knob to make sure it wasn’t loose.   It was tight.  There was no way it could’ve opened on its own.  She was just getting too wrapped up in her stories.  For the second time tonight her imagination had gotten the best of her.  She decided to call it a night as she walked back to her room.

~

Karen stepped out of the bathroom and walked to her bed.  She sat down on her smooth sheets and pulled the covers up over her legs.  After she adjusted her pillow, she reached for her cup of milk on the nightstand but it wasn’t where she’d left it.  It was now on the farther side of the nightstand, out of her reach.  Karen leaned over to grab the handle of the mug and just as she was about to grasp it, it fell to the floor as if it was pushed off.  She immediately climbed out of bed again, keeping her eye on the fallen cup as if it were a rattle snake.  Her heart began pounding louder and her eyes grew wider.  She backed away, making a path for the bedroom door.

She stepped out of her room and into the hallway.  As soon as she was in the hall, her bedroom door slammed shut.  Karen let out a whimper then turned and began walking hurriedly down the hall, looking back several times towards her bedroom door.  When she reached the top of the stairs she heard crying.  It sounded like a girl.  Instinctively she called out, “Who’s there?”

There was a long moment of silence and then the sound of crying again.  Karen grabbed the banister for support.  She felt faint.  The sound was coming from her daughter’s room and now sounded familiar.  “Faith?” She asked in a shaking voice as she moved from the stairs towards her daughter’s bedroom door.

With each step the realization of what was happening became more absurd.  Her daughter had been dead for almost six months, there’s no way she could be in her room.  She knew this but she still felt compelled to move towards the door anyhow.  She also knew her daughter’s voice… and this was her voice.  She had to see for herself.

As she approached the door, the sobbing sounds grew louder.  Her mind raced.  “What was going on?!” repeated over and over in her head.  All hesitation vanished as Karen grabbed the door knob.  But she immediately pulled her hand away.  It was cold. No, not just cold, it was as if it had been carved from ice.  She heard the crying again, more intense this time.  She looked down at the door knob, which appeared normal in every way.  Cold door knob or not, she was getting into that room.  Years of mystery novels and thrillers taught had her to get to the bottom of everything!  She grabbed part of the loose material of her nightgown and reached out.  In one quick motion, she grabbed the knob and thrust the door open.   The door opened with ease and exposed the room.  There was nothing inside.  She reached in and turned on the light.

The room was still empty as she entered cautiously.  The crying had stopped.  “Faith?” She whispered after a short pause.  There was no response because there was no one there.

She was just about to chalk it all up to her imagination when she suddenly found herself forcefully thrown from the room, slamming into the wall of the hallway.

Karen instinctively got herself to her feet and ran as hard as she could towards the stairs.  She was shaking so much she had to grasp the railing tightly as she raced down to the first floor.  She cried hysterically as she reached for her phone in the kitchen.  But who was she going to call?  She’d pressed the 9 on her phone but then she imagined trying to explain this to an operator.  She shook and sobbed in a panic as she wracked her brain to figure out who could help her.  She hung the phone up as she slid down the wall to the floor and pulled her knees into her chest.  Who would believe her?

Delaware St. John - Desperate Measures - Chapters 1 and 2

The following is a reimagining of a book I co-wrote years ago. I'm now completely redoing the book on my own and taking it in a new direction.  I'm posting this because I'm looking for feedback. Please read the opening and let me know if you think it's interesting enough to want to read more. Thanks!


Delaware St. John: Desperate Measures

1.

He cautiously followed the stairs down into the darkness as each wooden step released a decrepit whine under the weight of his foot.  The air was heavy and grew distinctly colder as he descended.  There was a familiar smell he’d been exposed to many times before.  It was heavy, dreadful, and often overwhelming. The smell was death.  While repulsive, the odor was a welcomed sign that he was in the right place.  Now he only had to find the source.  The quiet was broken when the sound of quick, small footsteps hurried across the cold dirt floor below.  He quickly flashed his light around, trying to catch a view of the source of the sound. Out of the corner of the light he caught a dull glimpse of something moving across the room.  It disappeared behind an old work bench that was smothered by a filthy sheet.  From what he could make out, the figure was about the size of a child, another sign he was in the right place.

The little pen light he carried wasn’t ideal for navigating in the dark but his usual flashlight sat in the passenger seat of his truck with two dead batteries.  As he struggled to make out the details of the dank environment, it crossed his mind he really should prepare himself better in the future.  It then crossed his mind this was not the first time he came to that same realization.

“Hello?” Delaware called out.  Only silence replied.  He rarely got answers in this situation but that didn’t stop him from trying.  He took another step down.  The pungent, moist air didn’t bother him but spending more time than he needed to down here did.  “Look, I know you’re down here.”  He said in a louder, sterner tone, “So let’s just cut the crap, and get this over with, huh?” Still no answer.  The last step creaked with release as he lifted his foot and set it down to the dirt floor.  The air grew riper with the melody of decaying smells as he followed the light.

The basement was large but cluttered.  The house had a “For Sale” sign in the front yard but, judging from the condition, it was obvious it’d been on the market for a very long time.  He’d seen the same situation many times; locations with a haunting caused odd feelings in people.  Even if they didn’t actually see or experience anything themselves, just the sense of unease was enough to make them uncomfortable enough to settle, regardless of the “too good to be true” price.

Delaware cautiously looked around the basement, searching for what caught his eye seconds earlier.  “Just come out so we can get this over with and I can get out of here, okay? It’s late and I’m tired!”  A child’s laughter echoed from the darkness.  Delaware turned towards the source of the laughter and began walking in that direction.  He noticed all of the windows had been painted over, making the dreary room even more like a tomb.  As his eyes moved to where he heard the laugh, he noticed it was leading him towards a door.  “So we’re gonna play this game?” he said to himself as he walked.

As he approached the door, he heard a faint clicking sound coming from the other side.  Delaware walked quietly to the door and put his ear up to it.  The clicking sound was now louder and more rapid.  He looked down at the doorknob and saw it start to move.  He stepped back a bit and shined his little flashlight on the knob.  It was as if someone was trying to open it.  The movement stopped then quickly started again.  He stepped forward, moving his hand to the doorknob and just as he was about to open it, the door flung open, hitting him square in the head.  Delaware fell backwards onto the floor, as he heard a terrified scream.  He groaned in pain as he put his hand to his head to check for injuries.  He was relieved to see there was no blood.  He promptly sat up and looked up into the blinding light of a flashlight.

“Oh no!” a female voice said.  At first Delaware thought she was addressing him but then realized she was looking down at something she was holding in her hands.  It looked like a big calculator.  “If you broke this EMF reader, you’re gonna be buying me a new one!”

“I’m sorry,” Delaware said as he lifted himself off the floor, “I guess I should be more considerate of annoying people slamming doors in my face.”

“This is private property! What are you doing here?” she interrogated while beaming her flashlight directly in his face.  As she questioned him, she noticed he was tall, a lot taller than she was. She guessed he was about her age. His hair was short and black and framed his face that held the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. He was a klutz. He was also one of the most attractive men she’d ever met.

“You mind getting that outta my face?” he asked as he put his hand up to block the beam of light.

As she lowered the flashlight, Delaware could finally see who he was talking to.  She was young, he guessed early twenties.  She was pretty but could use more makeup.  Her hair, long and blonde, was pulled back into a very tight ponytail and her face was framed with a pair of small, black rectangle glasses.  She also seemed overdressed for the weather.  It was chilly outside but she seemed more appropriately prepared for a long stay in Alaska.  He’d seen this type before; a suburban girl who hopped on the ghost hunter bandwagon since they started showing it on TV.

“What are you doing down here?” the young woman insisted.

“I could ask the same of you.” Delaware led with feigned interest.  “I don’t see any cheerleader tryouts going on down here.”

“My name is Kelly,” she said, obviously offended by his remark, “And I don’t cheer. I’m a paranormal investigator here looking for someone… or maybe some-thing.”

“There it is,” Delaware immediately thought to himself, “Paranormal investigator.  It just sounds so much more official than “ghost hunter.”  He smirked at the idea of yet another amateur in over their head.

“Well, which is it?”  Delaware asked as he raised his eyebrows.

“Well…both, I suppose,” she said.  “I’m looking for a spectral being that used to be named Michael.”

“Spectral being, huh?” Delaware said dismissively.  “Which horror movie did you get that from?

Delaware couldn’t pass up the opportunity to antagonize Kelly but he did realize she knew more about what she was doing than he thought.  Michael.  The name brought back his most recent series of nightmares where a woman was shouting the name “Michael” desperately.  From the desperation in her voice he knew it was her son’s name.  Only a mother’s voice could echo such deep love soaked in heartbreak.

“Spectral being is what they’re called.  But clearly that’s too complicated a phrase for you so maybe you’ll understand better if I call them ghosty-boos.” she responded.

“And what do you intend to do if you find one?  Date it?” he asked.

Delaware’s poking was doing just as he hoped; getting her worked up to the point where she’d leave.  However, Kelly gathered her composure, ignored the latter question, and responded, “I would document it while attempting to communicate with it.  These aren’t the violent creatures they’re depicted as in movies and that’s just one of the many points I intend to prove through research.” she said.

Delaware was surprised by her deflection.  Maybe he had misjudged her.

“And you still haven’t told me your name. Or should I just call you Mr. creepy basement guy.” She continued.

“Delaware.” He answered as the feeling of the room began to change. It grew colder, somehow darker.  The air seemed to thin.

“Delaware?” She paused for a second, not knowing if he was still goofing around. “Your name is Delaware?”

“Yes,” he replied, “don’t be jealous.”

“Well, Delaware, you still haven’t told me what you’re doing down here.” She resumed her interrogation but Delaware’s attention had already drifted away from her on to something right behind her.  It was an apparition of a young boy. It was mostly transparent and illuminated by a bluish glow.  He was standing near a big pile of junk that was held up against a wall with rope.  The boy smirked as his head turned to Kelly and his ghostly limb reached for the loose end of the rope.  Delaware instinctively reached out for Kelly, grabbing the sleeve of her coat.

“Hey!” she screamed at him, suddenly scared by his attack. “I’ve got pepper spray!”

 He quickly yanked her by her coat, pulling her towards him just as the wall of boxes and junk broke free.  The huge pile collapsed with a loud series of thuds and clangs, landing right where Kelly had been standing.

Kelly screamed.

The items settled almost immediately but left a dusty cloud hanging in the air.

Kelly’s heart was beating out of her chest.  “How’d you know that was gonna happen?” She asked, still in shock.

“He’s here.” Delaware said, not looking at her, but looking around the room.  But he couldn’t see him.  “The boy, Michael, he’s here. But he’s not alone.”

“How would you know that unless... Can you see ghosts?” Kelly said excitedly.  She was now intrigued by him. “Are they here now? What do you see?”

Delaware grabbed Kelly by the arm and started to pull her up the stairs.  “I can see you need to be somewhere else. It’s not safe here.” he said, practically dragging her.

Kelly yanked her arm from his grasp.  “No! I came here to prove the existence of supernatural beings and this is the closest I’ve ever gotten!  I’m going nowhere!”

Just as Kelly finished her sentence, the device she had been holding began to tick rapidly.  A deep growl came from the dark area in the back of the basement and the room began to suddenly shake.

Kelly was immediately and unexpectedly filled with fear.  It was as if the warm blood in her body hardened into an ice cold dread.  The sounds, the shaking room, and then a feeling of hopelessness washed over her, paralyzing her.  It was an overwhelming feeling she never experienced before and it was terrifying. Delaware grabbed her and pushed her towards the stairs.  She didn’t even realize she was walking on her own, she felt like she was gliding across the floor.  The stairs, that only moments ago were a coward’s retreat, now seemed like salvation.

“Go outside. Get out of the house.” Delaware said calmly as he looked straight into her eyes.  It was important she understood the urgency.

“What about you?” Kelly asked as she put her foot on the first step.

“This is what I do.” Delaware answered. “Now get out of here!”

The shaking intensified and the growling from the dark grew deeper.  Kelly’s walk up the stairs quickly turned into a sprint.  As soon as she was out of sight, Delaware turned his attention back to the basement.

            With the shaking intensifying, one of the panes of the painted window shattered and the little light that came through took the room from pitch black to merely dark.  This was especially helpful as the batteries in Delaware’s pen light were now running low.  The shaking subsided and everything was quiet again.

            Delaware turned his attention to where the boy had released the junk from the wall. He walked up to it and put his hand on the cinder block.  Up close he could see that a small section of the wall had noticeably newer bricks.  He realized he needed something to break through the wall.  Just then a deep sigh came from behind him.

            Delaware turned around to face an apparition of a husky man in his 40’s dressed in a dirty mechanic uniform.  He was holding a sledgehammer. “I told you not to come down here.” The man said in a deep, angry voice.  He then raised the hammer over his head.  Delaware dodged quickly as the metal struck the concrete wall with a cracking sound.  The figure quickly turned towards Delaware and swung again, this time hitting Delaware in the right side, instantly dropping him to his knees.

            “I told you don’t touch my stuff!” the man yelled hysterically. “You never listen!”

            The hammer came down hard but Delaware was able to roll to the side just enough to miss the crushing blow as it struck the floor with a loud crash of metal hitting packed dirt, leaving a large dent behind.  While on his side he realized a softball lying on the floor in front of him.

            “You disrespectful little shit!” The man yelled as he lifted the hammer above his head again. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

            “Yeah,” Delaware groaned as he looked up into the monster’s eyes.  They weren’t human; they were soulless black pits of rage. “Lighten up.” He replied before throwing the softball through the ghostly beast and into the painted window.  The frame cracked and the remaining panes of black glass shattered, falling away in shards and releasing a blinding stream of sunlight into the room.

            The man howled in pain as the morning light passed through him.  The sledge hammer dropped to the floor as he looked at his hands which were now dissolving into dusty ash rapidly.  Delaware watched on as the being dissipated, burning in the warm rays of light.  Though it seemed to go on for an eternity, it was actually only a matter of seconds before the being was gone and the sounds of agony subsided.

            Delaware laid on the floor, now becoming aware of the intense pain in his right side.  He slowly got himself to his knees then, eventually stood up.  Throwing the ball had been painful but he needed just to endure a bit more before he was going to be done here.

            He reached down and picked up the sledgehammer with his left hand.  With his side throbbing, he tuned out the pain and shifted the hammer into both hands then lifted it over his head.  With all of the force he could muster, he smashed the hammer into the wall.  It exploded with fragments of cinder block and dust as Delaware released a painful yell.  He immediately dropped the sledgehammer and put his left hand to his side under his right arm.

            As the dust settled, he could see the false wall was gone and the contents behind it were unsettling.  The boy he’d been dreaming about, his remains sat in the dirt.  The only thing left was a skeleton in decayed clothing; jeans, a t-shirt and two little shoes.  The skull had a section missing at the top where the boy had been struck by a sledgehammer by his step father.

            The sight sickened Delaware but he knew there was no point in getting emotional about it.  He had no control over events of the past.  He accepted that long ago.

“Sorry, kid.” he said, knowing his words offered no one any comfort.

As he began to limp toward the stairs, the air around him lightened.  The dark, morbid feel was no longer in the basement.  This happening, however, did not offer Delaware any comfort.  As with every incident before, he knew the darkness didn’t vanish.  It had been absorbed by his heart, where he’d carry it for the rest of his life.

                                                              

2.

Kelly paced back and forth.  The feeling she’d experienced, the coldness, the dread.  It had worn off physically but mentally it still clouded her perceptions. In all of her years investigating, she’d never experienced anything like this before and it was something she never wanted to feel again.  It was a dark mix of sadness and anger that cumulated into a stark feeling of dread.  This guy, Delaware, there was something about him.  Was what happened because of him?  She’d read before that a haunting could be sensitive to specific individuals.  Maybe he was one of them?  He could see things she could not.  Or was it a hoax?  But why would it be a hoax?  How could it be a hoax?  Did he know she was going to be there at that very time?  Kelly’s spinning thoughts came to a focus the instant she saw Delaware coming out the front door of the house.

As Delaware dragged himself out of the dilapidated house, Kelly went running to him.  She had been trying to see in through the basement windows, which were almost completely painted over except for very small patches.

“What happened to you?!  What was down there?!” she yelled while looking over his dirty, disheveled appearance.

“What’s left of the kid is in the wall down there.”  He said as he slowly made his way towards his truck.

“What’s left?  You found a body?” Kelly said, excited and aghast.  She knew the people who lived there years before had a son who had vanished but was it true they hid his body?  The realization was both sad and chilling. “We should call the police!”

“Knock yourself out.” Delaware said as she followed him to his truck. “I’ve done my part.”

“Your part?” Kelly responded to his callus comment. “Justice hasn’t been served! If there’s a body, there’s a killer and…”

“You go get your justice.  I don’t know who that boy is, I don’t care.  He needed help and I did that.  Like I said, I did my part.”

“How can you not care? You must…”

“Kelly, you should consider getting a new hobby.” Delaware interrupted. “You could have been hurt down there.”

“Concerned for the safety of a stranger? Don’t take this the wrong way but you don’t seem the type.”

“I’m not.” He assured her, “But if you die, you become more work for me and, in case you didn’t pick up on it, I’ve already got enough to do.”

“What is it, exactly, that you do?” She asked, seizing the opportunity to be direct.

Delaware just gave her an annoyed look as he opened the door to his truck and climbed in.

“That feeling I had.” Kelly changed to a more important discussion. “What was that?”

Delaware closed his door and looked at her through the open window.

“It was so cold,” she continued, “It felt so sad and angry.”

“You felt death.” He answered.

“Death? As in a being?”

“Death isn’t a being, it’s a thing.  It’s a chilling, life-sucking, darkness.” He explained, trying to bring the conversation to an end.

“I mean, I’ve been hunting for years and never saw or felt anything like that! I got a picture of a partial apparition in a mirror once,” she unintentionally bragged.  “But I guess that’s nothing compared to what you see on a regular basis, huh?”

“Right.” Delaware said as he turned the key.  She wasn’t getting it.

There was so much she needed to ask him but he was leaving.  In an effort to delay him she shouted out a name; “Michael Bale!” she yelled.

“OK?” Delaware responded to the outburst.

“The boy you were looking for in the basement, his name was Michael Bale!” She had his attention! “He vanished right before his parents moved from the house.  Some of the neighbors thought the stepdad had killed him.  They said they witnessed abuse previously, but police ultimately had no proof.  You must have searched all over for him.  When I got here I knew what I was looking for was in the basement, that’s where readings were strongest!”

“What’s the moral of this teen drama?”  Delaware asked, as he shifted into drive.

“My point is I have clients; people who pay me to investigate places they think are haunted.”  Kelly explained.  “I do ok but you can see things I can’t.  I know things that could help you out as well.  I don’t know, maybe we could kinda pair up and work together?”

Delaware raised his eyebrows. “That’s a great idea!” he began, “And we can buy a van and get a lovable wacky pooch to provide us with silly and mischievous comic relief while we investigate!”  Delaware finished then smiled. “But I’m gonna want half of the royalty rights.”

His ability to annoy was like no other.  It took years of practice but it did what it had to do; it kept people away.

“Well you certainly speak sarcasm fluently.” She replied as the truck began to move. “But you really should work on that jerk tone!”  Kelly yelled as he drove away, waving sarcastically as he did.

Kelly shook her head in disappointment and went over to her own car.  It took her a while to load all of her tech equipment back up, something a certain rude someone could have offered to help with!  Every piece had to be carefully packed and placed.  After all, it represented just about every spare dollar she had.  After everything was in its place, she closed the door and sat down behind the steering wheel.  She let out a frustrated sigh as she started the car and began heading home, the same direction as Delaware had gone.

As she drove down the dirt road, the morning sun was rising higher in the sky.  It was going to be a nice day.  So why did she feel bad?  Did he take her the wrong way?  Did she come off as an amateur?  Was she over-thinking things again?  She took great pride in her work and thought it showed.  Then again, she never met someone like him before.  Whatever his abilities, they were more advanced than her gadgets.  Sure, he was a jerk but could she have handled him better?  Clearly the guy had issues but was she too quick to judge him?  If her father had taught her anything, it was to be sensitive to others and what they’re going through.  Our first impressions are very rarely an accurate telling of a complete person, he used to say.  Then something he used to say very often played through her head; “It’s far easier to know what we know than put effort into getting to know the truth, but the truth is always worth it.” After mentally abusing herself for what seemed like an endless amount of time, she came to the conclusion her brush with him was brief and that’s all it’d ever be.

It was about the moment Kelly came to this realization that something up ahead on the road caught her attention.  It was a truck pulled to the side of the road.  A big grin spread across her face when she realized who it was.  She pulled up next to the truck.

“I’m out of gas.”  Delaware said, embarrassed.

“What a shame.  And to happen to such a nice guy,” she said sarcastically.

“Okay, fine, I deserved that.  But could you be a little sympathetic and give me a ride into town?  I’ve got an empty gas can in my truck.”  Delaware explained.

“I could,” Kelly said as she smiled, knowing she had the upper hand, “but you’re a strong, independent man and I wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that.  You’ll figure it out.”

            Delaware smiled at her wit but his expression turned dumbfound as she shifted into drive and drove away with trail of dust kicking up behind.  He definitely misjudged her.

~

            As he sat in his truck under the hot sun, Delaware regretted not having a cell phone.  But the tradeoff of anything convenient was a contract that required more personal information than he was comfortable sharing.  It wasn’t easy living off the grid but it was a necessity.  It usually wasn’t bad though it did often mean staying in seedy motels where they didn’t require an ID and accepted cash payments.

            After about fifteen minutes of absolutely nobody passing by, he accepted his only choice was to walk to town.  With a deep huff, he opened the door and stepped into the road.  He walked to the back of his truck and grabbed the gas can.  For the second time today the thought of being better prepared came into his head.  He really needed to get better about this.

            Just as he began walking he saw a dust cloud in the distance; someone was coming.  He took a few steps back and leaned on the front of his truck.  As the vehicle came closer he could see it was a tow truck.  It was a stroke of luck, a good sign that his luck was changing.  The tow truck pulled over to the other side of the road and a large man with the name Eddie on his shirt got out.

            “Man I’m glad to see you.” Delaware said.

            The man reached into the back of the truck and pulled out a large gas container. “Outta gas, huh?” He said as he walked over to Delaware.

            “Yeah. How did you…” Eddie handed Delaware a folded piece of paper. He took the paper and opened it.  There was no message, just an address, date and time.  There was a smiley face for a signature.  Kelly.  She didn’t leave him stranded, she sent the driver.

            Eddie began to empty the contents of the gas can into his truck.

“Whadda I owe ya?” Delaware asked, knowing his funds were low.

“It’s taken care of.” Eddie said as he finished pouring the last of the gas in.  He then walked back to his truck, put the gas can in the back and climbed back in. “Have a good one.” He said as he drove off.  He was a man of few words and right to the point.  Delaware appreciated that.

            As he climbed back into his truck, Delaware pondered Kelly not only sending a tow truck to his aid, but paid for the gas as well.  He was now in a position he found very uncomfortable; he owed someone something.