The Vacation Walk

After a huge breakfast, Leo and Claire chat with Leo's parents for a bit. The conversation is light, but not vacant. It's just...nice. 

"I think we'll go for a walk before the rain starts again." Leo stands. "Thanks again for breakfast. It was delicious as usual. 

Leo's Dad smiles. "I still have plans to open a restaurant." He laughs. "I'll get the hot tub heating. You're gonna be cold after that walk." 

Leo's Mom laughs. "I turned the heat up last night. It should be all good to go."

Claire watches the parents hug and exchange fun praises of each other. ________

"Your parents are so nice." Claire smiles and breathes in the cold, crisp air.  

"They really are lovely people. Shane brought it up in front of Zoe and I kinda felt bad. Her Mother seems...challenging."

"That's one word for it." 

"Come on. I'll show you around."

________

"So, mind a little uphill? There are a few nice spots up there." Leo points and Claire is all in. 

They move up the wet hillside and chat about plants and trees. Claire loves being out in the country like this and is happy that she took the time off to meet Leo out here after Christmas. Getting away felt great. 

"I used to hang out here for hours reading. The trees provided shelter from the rain and the heat, so it was a year round joy to hang here with a good book." Leo smiles, reflecting on the time. 

"I love this old wall." Claire touches it, then leans into Leo. Part of her wants to say she loves him, but she stops herself.

"If you're up for it, we can walk the wall to the spot I want to take you to. Or we can go around if you don't want to do the height."

"Boost me up." Claire smiles and Leo boosts her up the wall.

"Wish you weren't wearing those leggings. The view would have been nice." 

"Perv!" She giggles and struggles, but manages to make it up. She pants and catches her breath, then turns to help Leo up. "Leo?" She looks, but he's gone.

"LEO?!" She looks around for him, spooked after the events around Christmas. "Leo?!"

Leo sneaks up behind her and pounces.

"SH!T!" Claire shrieks as Leo laughs. "Where....how did you get up here?!"

"The stairs." He smirks. 

"Stairs? Why did you make me climb then?" She grins. 

"YOU said boost you up, so I did." He giggles. 

"Nice," Claire grumbles with a smile. "You owe me a kiss for that bullshit." 

Leo leans over and kisses her. Claire pulls him down on top of her and loves the pressure of his body and the warmth of him. They lay there together for a long while.....

Claire kisses Leo again, smiles, then whispers, "Better."

"Ready to go?"

Claire nods and moves along with Leo.

"Ok...just watch your step here. It's mossy and high up."

"Got it." Claire slips around the pole and moves down the wall after Leo clears it. She stops and looks down the hillside at the trees. "Wow...."

Leo stops with her. "Yeah...pretty nice."

"How much of it do your parents own?" 

Leo chuckles - a bit shy about answering. "Uh...from the house over to the river there."

"WOW!" Claire laughs. That's a lot of land. It's beautiful. What a great place to spend your childhood."

Leo smiles, happy she didn't go to a conversation about money. He takes her hand and they look out over the trees as the first sprinkles of rain fall.

Leo and Claire stare up at the small "waterfall" - a city water channel pipe that flows into the river. 

"When it really rains, that thing is a monster. A lot of water flows out. One year a kid fell in and got pretty badly bashed up in the river. Last time he ever got that close."

"I like it. You could plant ivy around it and really sell the magic of it." 

Leo hugs her. He loves her positive nature. 

______

Back at the house, the two of them stare off down the hillside to the valley below. 

Behind them, Leo's mother starts to walk up with her phone to take a photo of them with her husband close behind. She stops and stops her husband with a light hand on his chest. She whispers, "They'll be time for a photo later, Kevin. Let's let them be."

The man smiles and nods, taking a minute to look at the couple before heading back inside. 

Ghost Tale - Part 03

 

"Thank you for releasing me from that prison...." the ghost hisses, stale and rancid air coming out of her mouth. The ghost sees Kado move and hisses, "You move and I'll snap her stupid little neck. Or worse..." It chuckles. "You're all so kiiiind and full of looooove." The words drip with disgust. "My parents were the same way - a bunch of idiots."

Kado stares at the creature. Hiroto was way off. This was a revenant...or worse. If he could just get closer he'd be able to use his particular skills. This was his wheelhouse.

"Your body...Pretty Hair..." the ghost chuckles, "...you can save this one by coming with me...to the basement...for a chat...."

Hiroto's skin starts to alter.

Kado knows that in moments, Hiroto will be dead.

Cindy fills with rage. She feels played. Used. She doesn't think, she acts. She brings the Shanto up hard and fast and connects with the ghosts head. "YOU ASSHOLE!" Cindy feels power surging through her.

Hiroto falls into Kado's arms - limp and shaking.

Cindy screams, "I'm DONE with you!" She grips the Shanto in both hands and brings it down on the ghost again. "B!TCH! GO TO HELL!"

The ghost shrieks and shoves Cindy back with inhuman force and sends her flying back into Claire and Olivia.

Tanner draws her gun, but the ghost thing screams out a curse and Tanner freezes in place.

The ghost starts her own chanting - guttural and satanic. Cindy starts to feel sick.

Kado springs at the ghost, grips it hard, and slams her to the table with a grunt. He starts to chant before the ghost can regain her footing, knowing she's too physically strong to handle one on one.

Kado presses down hard and chants. He has to work fast - this is taking a lot of his power and he's not sure how long he can keep going.

Cindy crawls up and helps to hold the thing down. She tries to avoid the ghosts legs as they kick and try to find purchase. "Damn it...."

Claire dives in, gripping the Shanto and touching it to the things face. She doesn't know if it will do anything, but has to try. She smells burning meat and smiles, but then the creature knocks the Shanto away and grips her neck.

Olivia rises and tries to work a protection spell over her people. She can feel the creature's negative energies working away at her own positive energy, but continues.

The spell Olivia is weaving slowly snaps Tanner out of her trance. "Ya piece 'a shite, ya..." she groans.

The protection spell loosens the things grasp on Claire and she falls back and away from the flailing ghost.

Kado focuses all his energy on driving the ghost away. He growls out the ancient words and feels the ghost growing weaker.

One of the jerky hand movements catches Cindy in the face and she falls back into Darcy.

Darcy pulls Cindy back and checks her eye.

Kado growls out the last bit of the powerful spell, then realizes he needs to damage the physical body to break the bonds to this world. He's weak and does know if he can do more. He sees Tanner out of the corner of his eye. "TANNER! SHOOT!" He pulls back.

Tanner doesn't hesitate. She fires four times in a spread not really knowing where she was supposed to hit. All four shots find their marks.

The ghost cries out....and is gone.

Tanner pants out, "Well....tha' took a turn fer the worse."

Kado lifts Hiroto up gingerly. "Is there a room I can take her to?"

"Mine...this way..." Darcy says.

"Olivia, I may need your help when you're done with Claire." Kado stomps away with Hiroto.

Cindy touches her necklace. "Will she be ok?"

Kado calls back over his shoulder straining to carry the girl, "I believe so..."

Claire shakes. "She was....taking me...."

"Shhhh...you're ok now dear. You're ok."

Tanner slips the gun away and feels her throbbing head. Whatever that was, it was powerful magic if it broke through the spells of protection Olivia has worked on her.

_______

Epilogue

Hours later, Kado heads back downstairs. Hiroto is sleeping soundly and he finally feels like she's safe. Olivia's help made the process far easier than it would have been on his own.

Cindy stands in the dimly lit room staring at the Christmas tree.

"Hello, " Kado says as he stands before her.

"How is she?"

"I think she'll be fine. Olivia's healing powers are a wonder. Combined with your tea, of course, which was....wonderful." He smiles.

"It's so strange to hear your voice...outside of my head." Cindy smiles.

"I owe you an apology, Cindy. I was trying to make sure you were...who and what you said you were. With Olivia's troubles in Italy of late, I just had to be sure. I won't use the crystal ball anymore. It wasn't right for me to intrude that way."














Cindy smiles. "Well...maybe we can still use it to talk...once we get to know each other a bit better?"

Kado looks into her eyes and smiles. "I'd like that very much."

Cindy feels a strange attraction. She wants to press herself into him. Smell him. Feel his arms around her. She touches the necklace around her neck....and decides that can all come in time...if it's meant to be.

"You must be tired. You can sleep in my room." She sees the look on his face change a bit. "I'LL sleep in my roommates room." She grins.