grinned. “That could be our fee.”
She scowled at her. “We are not the
Ghostbusters.”
“ I know. We’re way cuter than Dan Ackroyd
and Bill Murray.” Mary wanted to shake Rachel and yell at her, but
the bell rang.
Chapter 10
Denial
She stood outside Cy’s home experiencing a
different sort of nervousness this time: the gut wrenching, heart
palpitating, skin crawling type. Actually, it didn’t feel that
different from the first date jitters. What did she think she was
doing? Ricky had nearly got her last time. Going back into the
basement seemed an extremely bad idea, but she was the only one who
had a chance of helping Cy. He might not want her help, but he
needed it. She was relieved when Rachel arrived. She didn’t want to
go in alone, but then reconsidered when she saw that Rachel had
brought stakes and garlic.
“ Uh Rach, you’re referencing the wrong
horror movies for this.”
“ Be prepared for anything, I say.” Mary
shook her head but didn’t argue. If they made her feel safe, then
she wouldn’t rag on her about them; maybe they were her occult
equivalent of teddy bears. If she held them close, the monster
would go away, but then the monster could always view garlic as
nice seasoning for human and the stakes as handy toothpicks. Mary
put a stop to these thoughts. They were beginning to freak her
out.
“ Let’s just get this over
with.”
Rachel saluted with a stake. “After you, Dr. Van
Helsing.”
Mary grimaced. The idea that she was the
professor for their little group of monster hunters was not
encouraging. The professor was supposed to be the smart, collected
one. The way her brain kept taking little turns on the mental
merry-go-round did not instill confidence. Taking a deep breath,
she knocked on the door.
The door opened as she raised her hand to give
it a second rap. Cy looked out at them for a moment as if he’d
forgotten that he’d invited them over. She wanted to say hi but
waited for him to do it first. He didn’t say hi. He just stepped
back to give them room to come in. Her stomach did a little twist
as she silently went by him. Rachel looked around the house. She
took in all the pictures and stuff and said, “Hard to believe this
place is haunted.”
Cy snorted.
“ How do I get to the basement?” Mary
asked.
“ Through the kitchen,” he said, leading
them back. A low counter divided the kitchen and living room. The
door to the basement stairs was off to the side. He opened it for
her.
She went to the top of the stairs. “You guys
should stay up here,” she told them. Cy shrugged and sat down at
the kitchen table.
“ Don’t you need back-up?” Rachel
asked.
She shook her head. “It’s better if I go down
alone.” She glanced one more time at Cy to check on him. He was
flipping through a magazine. She wondered if he would still ignore
her when she came back up. Would he ask about Ricky? Would he
care?
She took the first step down and stopped. It was
awfully dark down there. “Where’s the light switch?”
“ At the bottom of the stairs.”
“ Perfect,” she muttered. She crept down
the steps slowly. The last one made a loud creak that made her jump
and almost fall. She gritted her teeth and told herself to calm
down. Ricky hadn’t even done anything yet. No reason to panic.
Yet.
The basement floor was cold cement. The chill
crept up through her Doc Martens and made her feet tingle.
She searched for the light switch. The wall was rough cinder block.
It was making the tips of her fingers tender as she brushed over
it. She was about to call to Cy again to ask where the light switch
was when she touched it. She flipped it and blinked at the sudden
illumination. The basement was stacked with boxes five high. The
light hung from a cord in the center of the ceiling. Her arrival
disturbed a couple of moths. They fluttered up to dance around the
light.
She scanned the room, but all her eyes could
register was junk, dust, and cobwebs. The space was
She scowled at her. “We are not the
Ghostbusters.”
“ I know. We’re way cuter than Dan Ackroyd
and Bill Murray.” Mary wanted to shake Rachel and yell at her, but
the bell rang.
Chapter 10
Denial
She stood outside Cy’s home experiencing a
different sort of nervousness this time: the gut wrenching, heart
palpitating, skin crawling type. Actually, it didn’t feel that
different from the first date jitters. What did she think she was
doing? Ricky had nearly got her last time. Going back into the
basement seemed an extremely bad idea, but she was the only one who
had a chance of helping Cy. He might not want her help, but he
needed it. She was relieved when Rachel arrived. She didn’t want to
go in alone, but then reconsidered when she saw that Rachel had
brought stakes and garlic.
“ Uh Rach, you’re referencing the wrong
horror movies for this.”
“ Be prepared for anything, I say.” Mary
shook her head but didn’t argue. If they made her feel safe, then
she wouldn’t rag on her about them; maybe they were her occult
equivalent of teddy bears. If she held them close, the monster
would go away, but then the monster could always view garlic as
nice seasoning for human and the stakes as handy toothpicks. Mary
put a stop to these thoughts. They were beginning to freak her
out.
“ Let’s just get this over
with.”
Rachel saluted with a stake. “After you, Dr. Van
Helsing.”
Mary grimaced. The idea that she was the
professor for their little group of monster hunters was not
encouraging. The professor was supposed to be the smart, collected
one. The way her brain kept taking little turns on the mental
merry-go-round did not instill confidence. Taking a deep breath,
she knocked on the door.
The door opened as she raised her hand to give
it a second rap. Cy looked out at them for a moment as if he’d
forgotten that he’d invited them over. She wanted to say hi but
waited for him to do it first. He didn’t say hi. He just stepped
back to give them room to come in. Her stomach did a little twist
as she silently went by him. Rachel looked around the house. She
took in all the pictures and stuff and said, “Hard to believe this
place is haunted.”
Cy snorted.
“ How do I get to the basement?” Mary
asked.
“ Through the kitchen,” he said, leading
them back. A low counter divided the kitchen and living room. The
door to the basement stairs was off to the side. He opened it for
her.
She went to the top of the stairs. “You guys
should stay up here,” she told them. Cy shrugged and sat down at
the kitchen table.
“ Don’t you need back-up?” Rachel
asked.
She shook her head. “It’s better if I go down
alone.” She glanced one more time at Cy to check on him. He was
flipping through a magazine. She wondered if he would still ignore
her when she came back up. Would he ask about Ricky? Would he
care?
She took the first step down and stopped. It was
awfully dark down there. “Where’s the light switch?”
“ At the bottom of the stairs.”
“ Perfect,” she muttered. She crept down
the steps slowly. The last one made a loud creak that made her jump
and almost fall. She gritted her teeth and told herself to calm
down. Ricky hadn’t even done anything yet. No reason to panic.
Yet.
The basement floor was cold cement. The chill
crept up through her Doc Martens and made her feet tingle.
She searched for the light switch. The wall was rough cinder block.
It was making the tips of her fingers tender as she brushed over
it. She was about to call to Cy again to ask where the light switch
was when she touched it. She flipped it and blinked at the sudden
illumination. The basement was stacked with boxes five high. The
light hung from a cord in the center of the ceiling. Her arrival
disturbed a couple of moths. They fluttered up to dance around the
light.
She scanned the room, but all her eyes could
register was junk, dust, and cobwebs. The space was
Similar Books
