Supernatural Fiction posted October 2, 2011 | Chapters: | ...12 13 -14- 15... |
Events at the Manor take their toll
A chapter in the book Paranormal Adventures
At the Precipice
by Writingfundimension
Background The Maine Paranormal Society has been hired to investigate reports of poltergeist happenings at the notorious Bellingham Manor. |
PREVIOUSLY:
Using the latest technology, the MPS team has documented phenomenon they hope will provide tangible proof that Bellingham Manor is, indeed, haunted. The four team members, Mike, Mia, Luke and Emma decide to return to their lodgings for a much-needed night’s rest and subsequent evidence review.
********************
BELLINGHAM MANOR, LATE EVENING
Mike cranked up the heat in the Dodge Grand Caravan, making sure the vents directed a flow of warm air toward the two women huddled in their seats. Mia and Emma were mirror images of each other as they rubbed their gloved hands together to start the warming process. He estimated the temperature at this late hour to be in the single digits, which led him to insist that he and Luke would handle the loading and storing of equipment.
As they neared the open doorway of the Manor where they’d left the equipment bags, Luke clapped a hand on Mike’s shoulder. He lowered his voice even though they were a safe distance from the van. “I’m worried about Mia. She looks shell-shocked.”
Mike nodded and hoisted the tripod’s carrying case unto his back. “We need to get out of here ASAP."
Less than fifteen minutes later, they were making their way along the drive leading away from the Manor. An inch of snow had accumulated, blurring the edges of the road. Low-lying clouds hid the starlight, and a crescent moon provided bare illumination. Mike’s fingers gripped the wheel as if it was a life vest. I feel like a fly that’s smack in the middle of a white canvas.
The van hit an area of crumbled black-top sloping downhill and lurched to the right, lifting everyone into the air like handfuls of confetti. “Sorry.” Mike slowed to a safer speed. “My fault for driving too fast, but I’m anxious to put some distance between us and that evil-infested house.”
“Understandable.” Mia placed her hands against the back of Mike’s seat to steady herself. “This night ranks plus ten on the weirdness scale for me,” she said. “A good night’s rest is in serious jeopardy at this point.”
Mike grunted as he swerved to avoid another rut. “Hardly anything about this case has been straightforward.” he said. “Besides dealing with a possibly-possessed caretaker, we face becoming involved with a dirty local sheriff and his merry band of felons. According to Jim Norris, the lawman can’t be trusted to assist our investigation in any way.”
The van’s occupants fell silent allowing Mike to focus on keeping the vehicle under control. Once clear of the Manor’s gates and onto solid pavement, Mia broached the subject of what had transpired in the basement.
"This might be a good time to tell us what made you and Luke decide to leave Jim Norris behind.” She leaned into the space between them. “Considering the level of dangerous poltergeist activity we all witnessed tonight, I'm concerned for his safety.”
Luke's reaction hinted at aggression. “If you'd seen the weird shit we did, you’d have come to the same conclusion, Mia. Jim Norris is not the innocent victim he portrayed himself to be. He's up to something, and it involves a combination of getting revenge and making some money, in my opinion.”
Emma flicked the back of Luke’s cap. “Bring it down a notch, dude. We all know the hazards of dealing with the paranormal. Someone unsuspecting like Jim Norris… well… it’s important to remember he may have been adversely influenced.”
She adjusted her seat belt to allow for easier movement. “Tell us what happened, and we'll let you know if we agree with the choice you made.”
“Since the physical attacks were directed primarily at Jim I felt it was his decision to make on whether to call in the cops.” Turning the lights to high beam, Mike continued, “Our first priority is our employer. We have a good reputation in the paranormal community. I let him know we would not jeopardize that by participating in any sort of cover-up.”
"Sounds like you made the right move,” Emma said. “Norris's actions may not quite be illegal but they are suspicious. Makes me question the man's usefulness to our investigation. That is, if we still want to continue with this case?”
Luke twisted in her direction. “Are you nuts? We've all had personal experiences unlike anything we've encountered before. The potential for concrete, physical corroboration for our experiences through what we recorded in the library makes this a no-brainer. We've got to see this case through to the end!”
Mia's fingertips stopped short of Luke's jacket sleeve. “We all need some rest. This day already feels like its forty-eight hours long.” Turning her head in Emma's direction, she added, “We're physically drained and mentally exhausted from being on alert for hours. In the morning our heads will be clear and emotions calmer - a good time to discuss our options.”
Mike shifted his gaze to Luke. "Mia’s right. Today’s experiences are unprecedented, and we need time to process them." He noted the crossed arms and stubborn set of Luke’s jaw, and decided to drop the lecture and let Luke cool off on his own.
###
Following New England custom, electric candles illuminated the front-facing windows of The Tipsy Butler. The sight brought Mia to the edge of tears. A candle in the dark… is there anything more comforting?
She'd used every device in her psychic tool bag to survive the day, vowing not to show the effects of the darkness sucking her energy like a horde of leaches. Loneliness, doubt and dread trisected her stability, leaving her with the sense of profound isolation. As much as the other team members tried to empathize with her unique situation, not one of them knew the gut-wrenching fear she endured in these situations.
Mia forced herself to focus on the candlelight, and, like the feather-light touch of an angel’s wing, the words of the apostle John came to her: The light shines in the darkness and the darkness can never overcome it.
Bowing her head, Mia placed her attention on the midline of her body, willing her spine to stretch and straighten. A slow-spreading warmth filled her chest allowing her thoughts to raise up out of the muck.
###
Earlier, the team had secured a front door key from Bernadette, the owner of the Tipsy Butler, explaining they might be returning quite late. She’d hesitated at first, saying she was a night owl and likely to be up as late as midnight. This forced Mike to come clean about what kind of work they did. “When we’re involved in a case, we sometimes go into the early morning hours because that’s when paranormal activity ramps up.”
The explanation produced a flicker of interest. “A paranormal team – that’s a first for us. Personally, I’m a ‘show me and I’ll believe’ kind of a gal. Though, in this part of Maine, there are multiple reports of hauntings. In fact, a girlfriend of mine owns a centennial farm at the edge of town. She claims she’s seen disembodied spirits and her dogs refuse to go anywhere near a shed on her property.”
“Animals are particularly sensitive to the supernatural,” Mike said. “If your friend is open to it, perhaps we can check out her shed before we head back home.”
Bernadette beamed. “I’ll run it by her and let you know.” She reached into her pocket and produced a key. “You folks seem trustworthy.” Dropping the key into Mike’s hand, she added, “Just don’t bring anything nasty back with you!”
As promised, the hour was late when Mike slipped the key into the lock. They left the majority of their equipment in the van, in part to avoid the temptation to dig into the gathered material.
Emma was last to enter and felt something brush against her leg. She gasped at the unexpected intrusion and scanned the floor for the culprit. A beautiful Himalayan cat circled her ankles purring like a revved-up engine. Emma was crazy for cats, and wherever the team traveled every feline in the vicinity eventually found its way to her.
She scooped the cat up in her arms and hugged it to her chest. "Where have you come from? I don't remember seeing you earlier.” The cat closed its blue eyes and purred even louder as Emma scratched behind its ears and beneath its chin. Rubbing her cheek across the cat’s head, she mumbled, “You’re just what I need right now. I'll call you Mage until I find out your real name.”
With Mage resting in the crook of one arm, and her coat and backpack slung over the other, Emma trailed her fellow investigators through the common area and up the wooden staircase. None of them spoke out of deference to the sleeping Innkeepers. But Emma’s brain was in high gear. I’m not a quitter, and I think this case is going to be ultra-challenging. I’m just not sure that I have anything to offer other than the background information I’ve already provided. She stroked the length of the cat and vowed to get Mia’s advice once they were alone in their room.
Emma thought back on how the idea of becoming a paranormal investigator had, initially, been exciting. I'm so lucky to have found paranormal investigators with the integrity of Mike and Mia. Though the psychic world was not a comfortable or natural fit for her, she loved assisting clients in taking back their homes. But the current case was unlike anything she and the team had ever faced, creating a high level of anxiety and confusion.
While Mike and Mia had the support of their Christian beliefs in dealing with the supernatural, Emma had been raised by parents who were psychotherapists and avowed agnostics. The previous summer, they’d staged an intervention of sorts. “You’re associating yourself with a fringe element, and we’re frankly very concerned,” her father said as her mother nodded agreement. “It’s as if you’ve come under the spell of these people. Furthermore, you have a responsibility to the University that provided you with a generous scholarship. Volleyball should be your priority right now.”
The upshot of the discussion was that Emma would seriously consider her parents request to distance herself from the 'sordid lives of clearly delusional individuals'. Yet, here she was, enmeshed in activities her parents despised and wondering if her judgment was clouded by affection for the best friends she’d ever known.
Mike and Luke—they can handle anything that’s thrown their way. Noting Mia’s wobbly gait, she was moved by her friend’s fragility. Mia’s not as strong as she needs to be, especially if we’re dealing with the demonic. I’m in a real bind here. All I can do is present the situation honestly and hope for a solution that'll make everyone happy.
###
At the end of the hallway in the bedroom shared by the girls, Mia applied cream to her face and neck while Emma took a long, hot shower. Emerging from the bathroom wearing cobalt blue over-sized silk jockeys and a matching tee, Emma perched at the edge of the bed.
"Um, Mia, this is really hard for me; but being psychic, you probably already know what I'm going to say, right?" Her laugh sounded forced to her own ears. “Sorry, lame joke.” Stretching her legs full length she stared at her toes rather than meet Mia’s eyes.
”I hate the idea of abandoning the rest of you in the middle of a case, but it’s turned out to be much more complicated than any of us thought. The volleyball game next week will decide whether we advance to the semi-finals and I need to perform well. Adding to the pressure, my parents are coming up from Boston to watch me play."
Mia cleaned her hands with a Kleenex and turned in her seat. "I completely understand, Emma. Your first responsibility is with the University team. Under normal circumstances, we’d have wrapped up the first part of the investigation and be back home in our own beds by now.”
Emma took a deep breath and let it out. “I shouldn’t have agreed to come given my other responsibilities.”
“You’ve provided us with some valuable background information. Don’t discount your contribution thus far.” Mia squeezed her friend’s knee. “Leave everything to me. I believe I have a solution that'll allow you to return home and still be a part of the investigation. We can discuss the details at our group meeting tomorrow, but I think it’s a win-win situation.”
Emma rubbed the soles of her feet across the carpet. “Thanks for understanding, Mia. I just hope everyone else feels the way you do."
"Honey, they'll be putty in my hands, you just wait and see."
**********
In the middle hours of the night, Mage, who was lying in the warm trough between the two women, screeched like her tail was on fire. Leaping over Mia, she streaked through the previously locked door and down the hallway. Before she’d reached the staircase, the bedroom door swung shut once again and a click signaled the lock dropping back into place.
~~~ to be continued ~~~
Dear Reader,
This chapter has been edited from the original and the storyline is changing as I go. If you read ahead you will confused!
As always, thanks for taking time to read.
WFD/bev
Recognized |
Maine Paranormal Society members: Mike Peterson, group founder; Luke Chadwick, technical support; Mia Langley, psychic/medium and co-founder; Emma Barlow, additional tech support and team historian.
Terms:
Agnostic: The belief that the existence of a supreme being (God)is unknown and prob. unknowable. (The Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Full spectrum camera: A digital camera normally senses the visible light spectrum (up to about 750nm). By removing the IR-cut filter, the full spectrum camera can yield images in the range of 750nm to 1200nm - beyond what the human eye can see on its own.
Paranormal: Not scientifically explainable (yet!)
Psychic/Medium: A person sensitive to supernatural forces.
Artwork courtesy of photobeat: Thanks for the use of your awesome image!
The Tipsy Butler is a real bed and breakfast located in the New England area. It is noted for the graciousness of its amenities and gourmet breakfasts. I have added fictionalized elements to my depiction of the owners.
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