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.

Ghost Tale - Part 02

 

As the others file into the house, Kado pulls Tanner aside.

"Thanks for taking such good care of things here, Tanner. There are a lot of moving parts and the trouble...in the cellar...was a lot. Now all of this." He smiles warmly, their history together a long one.

"Ya mean takin' care of yer coat? Not a problem, though I still think it looks better on me." She winks and smiles.

Kado looks at the coat and laughs. The agreement to not talk about the past dealings is clearly still in effect. "You know what I mean."

"Aye. Well...if it weren't for you hookin' me up with Olivia...well...I'd be in a different space right now, yeah?" She smirks.

Kado nods. "Well...should we go deal with this ghost? If that's what it truly is."

_____

A general feeling of unbalance fills the space. The new energy of the new folks mixed with the holiday absence of Kim, Jinny, and Min throws the balance of the house off for Olivia.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all. I wish it was under different circumstances." Kado smiles.

Hiroto grins. "This isn't our first time doing this. Hopefully it goes easily. This key is the only variant." Her accent is slight and adds a hint of elegance to her words.

"It would be lovely to roll into the holiday...without her around." Claire smiles, but a large bang on the flooring wipes the smile from her face. She shouts, "SENDING YOU TO A BETTER PLACE THAN THE BASEMENT! Jeez...we're just trying to help!"

"Let's not stir her up too much." Olivia whispers.

Tanner takes in the scene and remains at the ready.

"I'll be right down," Cindy calls from upstairs as Tanner places the bundle on the table.

Kado says, "Hiroto deals with spirits of this nature. Lost souls."

Hiroto starts chanting something over the bundle after lighting some incense.

Cindy comes down the stairs and sees Kado looming larger than life. Something fills her mind. Something familiar. When she hears his voice, it's all clear to her.

"Hello, I'm Kado Durrant." He smiles and takes her hand.

"Cindy...Slater." She smiles. Her crystal ball man. "A pleasure to meet you...in person." She narrows her eyes. "Maybe we could chat later?"

Hiroto clears her throat. "I'm ready whenever you are, Kado."

Tanner huffs out a small laugh.

"Let's begin."

They all circle the bundle.

The group focuses on the bundle as Kado directs them.

Hiroto focuses and whispers, "We're here to help you move on. We're here to help."

Kado unwraps the bundle carefully. He places the key on the table and binds it with the chain they've brought. He places the cross on the table for good measure seeing as it seemed to help.

Cindy has a flash of concern for Kim's family cross, but tries to let it go.

Hiroto continues her chanting and whispering in Japanese. The words seem to flow from her as if she's done this many times before.

Kado hands Cindy an old looking...weapon? "Cindy, the ghost has a strong connection to you. I think we should have you do the next part."

Kado explains, "This will break the spell of the key and the holds it has. The binding will release our friend in the basement...and we can help her move on."

Hiroto continues her chanting.

Kado continues. "Just touch the end of the Shanto to the key."

Cindy touches her necklace, then touches the end of the Shanto to the key. She watches as a soft glow surrounds the key.

Hiroto chants louder and with passion. The words become faster and more charged.

The group watches and the key starts to rattle and the light changes and becomes more intense. The key cracks and the light fades.

Suddenly, the ghost girl appears behind Hiroto and clutches her neck. "That's enough of THAT sh!t!"

Hiroto goes quiet and still as the ghost grips her neck. She knows now that she's made a huge mistake. This is not the entity she felt. This is something far more vile.

Ghost Tale - Part 01

The ghost in the basement listens to the women upstairs. Last night was nice, but it was a distraction. They HAD the key, but were still not helping her. They....they just sat there watching movies...not helping her. Ignoring her?

The lights start to dim slightly.

She needed someone. Someone to make something right for her. To HELP her. Where was...Cindy? Last she saw, she was staring into some crystal ball talking out loud. But it wasn't anything about her!

The lights flicker and dim. Upstairs, muffled discussions about the lights happen.

"Oh...I'm sorry....WAS THAT F^CKING INCONVIENIENT FOR YOU?!?!" The ghost screams. The ceiling above the ghost's head rumbles. The lights go out.

_____

Upstairs, Jinny goes off on Darcy's insane work schedule. "And there you are, working weekends and days and nights BEFORE CHRISTMAS because of someone else's bullshit on crap people won't even look at until January 6th!?"

Min chimes in here and there stating that the current work situation in the US is bonkers. (A favorite rant of hers) Kim listens, but is really too high to participate.

The lights flicker slightly.

Leo and Claire play grab-ass by the tree playfully.

During a lull, Kim says, "Darcy, could you play more of that shill stuff you were playing yesterday? Gordon Lightfoot? That shit was f^cking fantastic."

Suddenly, there's a sort of muffled cry that sounds like someone far away in agony or sorrow. Then there's a loud BANG from the floorboards and the lights go out.

Kim shrieks and covers her eyes. The others stand in the dark - shocked as hell.

"What the hell...." Leo growls.

They hear stomping of feet above as Cindy moves heavily to the stairs. She shouts down, "TURN THE LIGHTS...ON! I'm doing research on how to help you and I CAN NOT READ IN THE DARK, GIRL!" Cindy's voice sounds amazingly strong and filled with power.

The lights flicker to life.

"And STOP banging on the floor. You scared poor Kim. I EXPECT you to APOLOGIZE!" Cindy stomps back to her room and slams the door.

Everyone looks stunned.

Min mutters, "F^ck yeah..." under her breath. "That was awesome."