What Lies Beneath

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Defenseless

Sophie slammed the door behind them. She could feel the shadows getting closer. They weren't going to have much time to find weapons to fight back.

"Have you figured it out yet?" Sophie asked the question as she manipulated the furniture against the door.

"Figured what out?" It was Karen who asked, but Wyatt wasn't far behind.

"What are we going to do?"

"Your powers. Have you figured out how to use them yet?" They were about to go up against specters in a house that was alive in ways that a house should never be. Blunt weapons were nice, but when going up against the supernatural it was probably a good idea to bring your own abilities to the party.

"My powers include talking with animals and hearing them talk back, not exactly sure how that could be helpful in a situation like this!" Wyatt shouted the words, not so much in frustration, but in frantic worry.

"My powers killed Paul. I tried to use them again when fighting Charlie, but-" Karen didn't bother to finish her sentence. What could she say? She had managed to use them to kill a friend, but not to kill an enemy. She wasn't going to be any help here.

"You killed Paul?" As the question exited Sophie's mouth, the chairs against the door began to rattle. They were almost there.

"It was an accident. He attacked her and-" A chair fell to the floor with a loud bang.

"What are we going to do?!" The words were like a dog's whimper on her lips.

"We're going to fight back. If your powers activated when Paul attacked you, then focus on the fear you are feeling right now to help you defend yourself. We are not defenseless little kids anymore without families, we are warriors." It wasn't the most inspirational speech one could give at a moment like this, but they were running out of time.

"What about me?" Wyatt asked the question as two more chairs hit the ground causing them all to cringe.

"I'm betting you can do more than talk to animals. This house is filled with creatures, use it to your advantage." Wyatt looked skeptical as the final four chairs smashed onto the floor and the doors swung open. "Here we go."

"Run!" Joe screamed the command at Delphine who was being overtaken by the shadows. The house was trying to claim them, like it did Greyson.

Delphine fought against the dark force, but her every effort slipped through its incorporeal presence. Yet, even when her hands failed her, the shadow could still drag her back. "I can't!" Her arms flailed as she tried to reach out for Joe. She couldn't break free. The longer she stayed trapped, the further she was pulled from her friend and freedom.

Joe watched in horror. He wanted to save her. Wanted to pull her away from the evil that lurked around every corner in this God forsaken place, but he knew that there were others in need of saving. What good was he? All he managed to do from the moment he learned of this place, was stand on the sidelines as awful events played out before his eyes.

"Joe!" Delphine screamed his name, but it fell on deaf ears. His mind was too consumed with pity to hear her last cries for help.

The darkness didn't have to come at him on the outside, as it was attacking him from within. It tugged on his feelings of inadequacy and uselessness. There was nothing he could do. He was pathetic. These doubts whisked across his mind at warp speed. He was being pulled into an endless vortex of misery.

Delphine tried to shout his name again, but the darkness muffled her screams. She watched through the foggy figure as Joe's eyes clouded over. He was lost to her, lost to the reality of their situation. Everything inside of her begged for her to give up, to let the darkness take her, but she couldn't. There was too much at stake. People were counting on them, even if they didn't quite know it yet. No matter how tired or discouraged she got, she needed to keep going for their sake as much as her own.