House of Spooks (COMPLETE)

Chapter 10

For about an hour we lounged in the Spirit House. I had asked for a non-alcoholic drink and ended up with a glass of Dr. Pepper, served by a middle-aged man with electric surges running through his body. His hair was singed and there were burns all over his neck and arms. He spilled the drink a few times from his twitches, and asked for my help.

"W-what a ni-nice young man you a-a-are." He had told me in between stutters.

"No problem man. Anything for a friend."

"F-friend?" The bartender muttered.

"Yeah, dude. Thanks for the drink."

"Anytime young m-man."

~

"Hey Sam," I said, sitting in a leather chair next to the others. "Sure are a lot of dead people here. You know anyone here?"

"Mm, yes," Samantha replied, putting her cigarette down in the ashtray. "Welcome to Dead People Central, where everyone's physical body is still six feet under. To your right, you'll see Jameson Tucker, died of asphyxiation. And to your left, you'll see Valerie Campbell, died of alcohol poisoning, and Amelia Jacyln, died from getting her skull bashed in by a monkey at a zoo. In front of you you'll see an idiot construction worker whose mustache is sopping in red wine."

Collin glared at Samantha, wiping his upper lip free of the beverage. I snickered through a mouthful of calamari, careful not to spit it out.

"How about you go visit that lovely little girl over there? Looks like she's having a tough time cutting that salmon."

I looked over at the said girl, who was sitting a few tables across from me. Almost choking on my beverage, I noticed her still-beating, bloody heart was visible through cracked ribs. Her flowered spring dress was bloodied, and her pale skin was splotched with dried blood and painted with bruises. It seemed as if she was crying uncontrollably, her eyes bloodshot, both blackened by what I could guess were 8-ball fractures.

"Holy sugar honey iced tea," I said, voice cracking a bit.

"Go talk to her. Find out her story."

"Okay. But if I die, it's your fault."

I slowly shimmied my way over to the chair next to the girl, trying hard not to be suspicious as a literal exposed human in a ghost void.

"Who are you?" She asked, not even looking up from her plate of salmon.

"Classified." I said, sipping my glass.

"Are you a priest? Have you come to take me away?" Her neck crunched loudly as her head swiveled to face me.

"N-no! Why?"

"Everyone wants to hurt me. I'm already hurt. I cannot stand it anymore."

The innocent-sounding girl suddenly turned into an utter nightmare before my eyes. Her skin faded into a even more pale, almost gray tone. She grabbed my hoodie collar and growled maliciously.

"Lord of the Flies...I am in his service...violent, violent hitting. It didn't stop. They cut me up. Hid me in the basement to fucking rot. It still hurts so goddamn much. Haven't you learned, boy? I am Him Below." She snarled, pushing  me over onto the carpeted floor

I grabbed my drink and my way over to the table, crawling on the floor like a soldier. I rose up into my leather chair and glanced at Collin, who was visibly amused.

"Here, boy," He said, handing me a napkin. "You're sweating."

"I wanna go now. Please." I gasped, dabbing my forehead with the napkin.

"Mm-hmm. Sam, dear, open the gateway."

Samantha nodded, left a roll of cash for the waitresses, and opened the portal. I left without hesitation.