Purgatech: Jess' Horror

Chapter 13

Jess couldn't move from her spot on the floor. Her mind was telling her to get back up and go in there and pull Erica out of the stairwell but her body wouldn't react. Her brain was screaming at her to leave, to get out of there; to just go and never look back. But she couldn't move.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed and spun away but when she looked up, she saw Grace's wrinkly face and her concerned eyes looking down at her.

"Are you okay dear?"

Jess couldn't respond, she couldn't form any words.

Grace reached out for her and cupped her shaking hand on her cheek. Jess closed her eyes and could feel the hot tears under her eyelids. It was just like something Gram would do. Oh how she wished she was there now. She would know what to do.

"Holy crap, man! You guys need to see this!"

When Jess looked up, she saw a Rob standing in the doorway of the attic. His stance was wide as if he was bracing himself and he held out his phone in front of him. With the other hand he plucked the weathered baseball cap off the top of his head and scratched his scalp. And then he let out an unholy cackle.

"Man, these Purgatech geeks sure know how to work the light show in here."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jess said, trying to get up. Grace helped her, taking her by one hand and hauling her up from the floor. When Jess moved toward Rob, Grace kept holding Jess's hand.

"I mean, come on look at this crap. They really think I'm gonna believe this is some kind of ghost or something?"

Jess edged behind Rob and looked at the display over his shoulder. He was holding it up to the stairwell. There were still no lights inside but the dim lamplight from the hallway was filtering in to the room. Erica was still at the bottom of the floor not moving.

On the screen, there was a figure hovering in the middle of the stairway, but when Jess looked up, there was no one there.

She could hear Grace behind her, whimpering like a scared dog. Jess didn't blame her. This wasn't like what happened at Gram's house. There was no solace, no warmth or inviting nature to this. Fear, pain, anger, all of it wafted out from the room like it was a contagion trying to spread. Jess kept her hand clasped with Grace's and backed away from the stairwell.

"What is that?" Grace said her voice wavering.

"I told you, it's them Purgatech people trying to freak us the hell. Well, I'm not gonna let them do that." Rob backed away from the stairwell and tilted his head up to the ceiling and started shouting. "You guys think you can scare us by this pathetic computer light show? Well, I might be some dumb hick but I can't be fooled that easy."

Just as he said that, Rob went flying backwards, his back slamming into the wood panel hallway. He slid down the wall and slumped the floor. Grace screamed and clung to Jess.

Something in Jess' mind kicked into gear. She turned to Grace.

"Do you have your Purgaware amplifier?"

"What?" Grace asked, her voice wavering.

"You know, that little puck that they put in our pack? Do you have it?"

"I – I think so."

"Well then, get it out and put it on."

Jess knelt down to see if Rob was still breathing. He groaned around and rolled around on the floor but he finally pushed himself up into a sitting position.