Haunted Nights ✅ Completed

Chapter Four: A Deal is Struck

A Deal is Struck

Maya searched every room on the second floor but had turned up a big, fat nothing. Looked like Casper was actually telling the truth she thought more than a little annoyed. Still, she didn’t want to take any chances so she’d tried the last door on the east side of the hall, but it refused to open. It wasn’t locked (she’d already checked), it was just stuck. She couldn’t even jimmy the knob off on this one as the actual lever to the door was older, nothing like the ones on the rest of the floor.

It was getting noticeably darker inside the house. The sun would be setting soon and by the sound of it the rain hadn’t let up one single bit. Maya wished she’d taken a second to grab the big flashlight out of her car. This place would be really creepy once night fell.

She turned her attention back to the door.

“C’mon,” Maya grunted as she pushed, using her considerable weight against it.   

It didn’t budge.

The air dropped fifteen degrees and the small hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end. Maya felt the ghost’s presence even before he spoke to her.

“Are you daft or just stubborn woman? There are no telephones in this house, including that room.”

She turned in the direction of smooth sound of his voice. Even insulting, it rang with a deep, old-world drawl. This ghost was different than the others – it blended into the shadows as if it were a part of them. She couldn’t see much, only an overall shape, but he seemed tall with flowing hair and eyes that gleamed in the dark. They narrowed now as they watched her, sending a ripple of sensation against her spine.

Shaking the effects from her overly taxed brain, Maya turned away and tried the door again.

“Daft then,” he decided.  

“No, I just don’t believe you,” she muttered, pushing on the door with everything she had. Maya knew she was stupid to reply but it was obvious he knew that she knew he was there. The fact that she’d given herself away so easily before only added to her mounting aggravation.  

“Why would I lie?” Daniel attempted to keep his tone light and even. It appeared his latest intruder had some experience with the paranormal. Scaring her would probably not be in his best interest – and he was all about his best interests. That being said, he decided to work on gaining her trust. She could be the key out of his current stretch of hell and it would profit him nothing if he alienated the woman before he could use her to his advantage.

As Daniel watched her thorough invasion of his home, he’d come to the conclusion that she was quite possibly the most doggedly determined woman to step foot inside in quite some time. She flat out refused to acknowledge his presence or react to him at all and seemed only interested in her primary objective.

It was enough to make a wraith feel more than a little inept.

"Because you’re a ghost…duh,” she replied now, rolling her eyes as if that explained it all.

Daniel bristled. The shadows around him writhed in prickly response. She was also incredibly annoying. 

“I am not a ghost,” he replied testily.  

“Oh yeah?” she mocked, not missing the small note of indignation in his denial. “Well, I got news for you buddy: you’re totally hanging with Elvis.”

“Excuse me?”

“Aw, get off it," she teased. "You're totally an official member of Club Dead. You’ve gone to see the wizard. Bit the big one. Get it?” Maya leaned in and used her shoulder to push on the door but only ended up hurting herself.