Surprise Me.

Chapter 7- What's Metal and Broken.

When the house came back into view, I sighed. Colby gently squeezed my hand before texting Sam that we were outside. I got out of the car just as Sam and Kat came outside, laying out their food on the hood of the car.

"Are you feeling okay? Kat asked as I sipped on the Sprite Colby handed me.

"Yeah, I feel better now. I think I just needed a breather." I replied.

"It's almost one a.m." Sam announced, checking his phone. "Do you think we should head down to the basement?"

"I think we should. Last time we were here, we did the prayer and it didn't help. Now that we have Maddie, we might be able to help the spirits of the soldiers that are trapped here." Colby explained.

"We're risking something happening."

"We're always risking something happening, why is now any different?"

"Because whatever is in there threatened my sister. And we were on the main floor, we hadn't even reached the malicious spirit downstairs yet."

"Sam, the two of us are just as worried about Maddie as you are." Kat stated. "But Colby's right, we go in, we get out. That's it."

"Fine." Sam sighed. "We're leaving if anything happens."

We made our way back into the house and I was careful not to touch anything. I didn't want to trigger another vision. Colby sighed heavily before opening the door to the basement, looking down at the dark and eerie stairwell.

"Before we go down," I said, stopping them from charging right in. "I want to pray real fast. If it's okay with you guys."

"I think it's a good idea." Sam replied, setting the camera down. I took Kat's hand on my right and Colby's on the left, Cam standing across from me to complete the circle.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." I began. "Saint Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle."

"Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil." Colby continued.

"May God rebuke him, we humbly pray. And do thou, oh Prince of the heavenly hosts. By the divine power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls." We finished. We broke the circle and Kat gave me a quick hug.

"We got this." She said, her voice shaking. "It's gonna be okay."

We all walked down the stairs, Sam leading and Colby following. He slid something in the door to keep it from closing all the way. No one wanted to be locked down here again. Kat set the camera on the table in the back room, flicking on the green light. Sam and Colby placed cat balls and a music box in the hallway while I set a REM-Pod up in the doorway.

"Are we ready?" Sam asked. I nodded and took a seat at the table. Everyone sat down just as the music box began tinkling.

"Oh shit." Kat breathed.

"There's something in the doorway." I said, calmly. The shadow figure looked curious. It didn't have a threatening aura like it should have, instead it felt...almost relieved to see us. "It's not here to hurt us."

"How can you be sure?"

"It's hanging on the doorframe, just watching us. It could come in if it wanted to, but it's content to stand there."

"If you don't want to hurt us, can you step away from the music box?" Colby asked. The shadow figure stepped back out of the music box's range.

"See?"

The music box tinkled again, but the shadow figure hadn't moved. Colby clicked on the Ovilus and it immediately spat out the word "another."

"Is there more than one entity here with us?" Sam asked. The music box moved faster and the REM-Pod started beeping. Another shadow figure stood in the doorway.

"Yes." I answered. "There's another one here."

"Can you see them?" Kat whispered, looking at the door.

"Yes. The first one, the one who didn't want to hurt us is back against the wall. It hasn't moved since we asked it to. A second one just appeared and is standing in the doorway. This one feels a little more...unhinged."

"Cross." The ovilus said.

"'Cross?' I'm wearing a cross necklace." Kat said, pulling it out from under her shirt.

"I am too." I added, showing mine as well.

"Safe." The ovilus chirped, the music box still going.

"'Safe?' Does that mean that they're safe because of the crosses?" Sam asked, looking at the doorway.

"I hope so." Colby mumbled.

"Pray." The ovilus blurted. "Release."

"Does that mean we can pray to release them?" Sam asked.

"Last time we tried that, it didn't work." Colby pointed out.

"We needed a medium, remember? The spirits said we needed one to help us. We have Maddie."

"Are you insane? Do you not remember what happened during the Estes?"

"We're all here now."

"We have to go through not one but two shadow figures to get to the stairwell." Kat reminded us.

"I don't mind praying for the spirits." I blurted.
"Maddie, we tried." Colby sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Again." The ovilus spat. "Help."

"Let's try again. We can stop if it gets bad." I pressed.

"Alone." The ovilus continued. "Want to go home."

"The spirits want to go home. They feel alone here." an overwhelming wave of sadness hit me, nearly making me cry. "The one against the wall misses its family." The shadow nodded.

"Now. Pain." The ovilus shrieked. We heard metal fall and we looked down at the table. The chains of the cross necklaces that Kat and I wore had broken, falling to the table.

"This is like what happened at Casa Loma." Sam mumbled.

"Take my hands." I commanded. They immediately grabbed each other's hands and I pushed protection through them. Colby's hand was trembling so heavily, it felt like he was about to have a seizure. "Colby, you're shaking like a leaf."

"I'm fine." He replied, his voice quivering. I looked up at him and he had his eyes squeezed shut.

"We have an exorcism prayer, it should work."

"Let's do it."

A breeze blew past us nonstop as we prayed. The shadow figure in the doorway was pushed back as if there was an immovable force in the door. I opened my eyes as we continued to recite the prayer, looking up at the figures in the hallway. The hostile-feeling one was gone, leaving only the curious figure leaning against the wall. It became more clear and its clothing became more defined. It began to look more human-like. They stood straighter and raised their shadowy arm, saluting me. They disappeared right as we concluded the prayer and said "amen."

"Did it work?" Kat asked.

"The figures are gone." I breathed.

"What time is it?"

"Three-forty five." Sam answered. "Grab your crosses and the equipment, let's get the hell out of here."

We stood up at the same time, Colby clutching onto my hand as I stuffed my cross into my pocket. We were up the stairs less than five minutes later, Colby still holding onto my hand like a lifeline.