Vapor (A Warden of Ghosts Story)

Chapter Five

Falling. That's what I was doing. Falling through a hazy white fog, my body feeling as light as a feather. Not sure if I was dreaming or what, I kept my eyes wide open and my arms out to my sides. My hair flowed upward into my face. Was I falling down a hole? A deep, dark void full of absolute nothingness? Or was I dead and heading straight to hell? Because if hell was below me, I was going to be so pissed. I'd done nothing to deserve a terrible fate such as spending an endless eternity burning in the fiery pit.

As thoughts of hell, eternity, and death crossed my mind, I finally found the bottom of the hole. I didn't land in the burning pit but onto soft ground. Sitting up and getting to my feet, I looked around, taking in this foreign scenery. It was foggy, but there was light streaming through it, a blinding white light that was warm and inviting. Looking down at my feet, I noticed that they were bare, and the ground beneath them was white and silky, like the whole landscape was made up of one giant pillow. I started walking, though I didn't know if I was heading toward or away from something, and I had no idea what kind of something could live there. What kind of creature could live on a planet made of silk and cotton?

I stopped walking as a familiar voice sounded all around me. His voice.

"Melanie, don't be afraid."

"Father?" I whispered.

"Yes, dear, it's me," he replied. "But you don't have much time. You must get to work."

"What is this place?" I asked.

"The In Between. A place where the dead can cross back and forth. Some of the dead, though, do not need to cross back over. The demons. The ones who want to create chaos and division among humans."

"Why can't I see you? Where are you?" I looked around, turning in a full circle, but I was only able to see light and fog.

"I'm all around you, Melanie. I'm a whisper in the wind, a light breeze caressing your cheek, a faint vapor watching over you." I felt a hand touch my cheek, loving and warm.

"Is mom here too?"

"No," he said, sounding a bit sad. "She has moved on."

"If she moved on, why haven't you?"

"Unfinished business," he replied, his tone deep and serious. "And you've got to finish it for me."

"How? What can I do? I don't know what's going on!" Tears stung my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks.

"You've seen them... the ones in the basement. They must not be released into the world, Melanie."

"How do I stop them?" As I spoke, I began to lift off of the ground. My feet left the silky landscape, and I began flying upward. The light grew brighter and brighter as I rushed toward it. "What's happening?!"

"Things are not what they seem at that house!" he shouted, his voice sounding strained and distant. "Remember... they hate the light. They die in the light!"

***

I came to in the basement, but instead of lying in a pool of blood on the floor, I found myself on a wooden table. I tried to sit up but found my hands and feet tied. Gazing about the room, my blood ran cold as I saw the dark souls circling around me, along with Molly, Cara, Jane, and Lana. The stale scent of death and rot hung heavily in the air, causing my stomach to churn and bile to rise in my throat. The possessed girls stared at me through their eerie white eyes, while the demons' black, smoky eyes glared hungrily at me. Fear had its sharp claws embedded in my soul, and I was afraid to speak or move. My heart was pounding against my chest, and panic began to seize every nerve in my body. I wished it was a dream, some crazy nightmare caused by not having my less-than-scrumptious meal that evening, but all that changed when the newcomers arrived.