| |
I arrived at 4 pm. I had my usual suitcase with me and another luggage that had been stored with the other passengers’ baggage inside the bus trunk.
When I got out of the bus, I immediately recognized Mr. Guidi by the dark circles under his eyes and by his haunted gaze. I had no doubt now: that man believed every single word that he said. With a gesture of my head I made myself noticeable, and then I patiently waited in line to pick up my luggage.
The air seemed fresh and clean, so I took a deep breath, knowing that shortly afterwards I would have had to throw myself in an unhealthy environment where all humans would have struggled to fit.
Once I retrieved my stuff I headed towards the client. He must have been in his early forties, even though his scruffy beard and his messy-hair made him look older than he was. He was slightly shorter than me, maybe around six feet tall, and with a small pot belly, which was protruding under his shirt. He extended his trembling hand.
«I thought you were coming with your vehicle».
«I don’t own a car» I answered, while I shook his hand. Lerner was right. Even with a glove on that man was giving me terrible vibes. I guessed he must have been that kind of person that everyone avoided, so I wondered what kind of woman his wife must have been. The fact that he had been able to trigger the awakening of a spirit didn’t surprise me at all.
«If I had a car I’d have to drive it in an altered state of mind and that wouldn’t be good for my health. I usually prefer being driven by my clients wherever my services are required».
«Thank you for coming», he continued. «I took the liberty of booking you a room in our hotel. Should you need to rest before...»
It seemed like he was having trouble finding the right words. Judging by his look, for the past two days he must have been expecting some sort of savior. And now that he was finally standing before him, the man didn’t seem to know how to act around him.
«I’m fine» I replied. «I took advantage of my return flight to rest a little. This is also another reason why I don’t like driving. When I reach the place of the intervention I need to be able to think straight. My senses cannot be clouded by tiredness. I can’t afford it».
«Alright. Follow me then» said Mr. Guidi. «My car is just around the corner. If you think you are ready, I’ll drive you to the estate».
«That’s why I’m here».
While I followed him, I realized people would instinctively avoid him. The negative aura that surrounded him was so evident that any person could have seen it. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was a peculiarity of the man or if the process had started when he had set foot into the new house.
He had a big well-kept car. Before his certainties were shaken by the dreadful experience that he just lived in the mountain house he must have been very attached to his possessions. But I bet that if he had managed to get through what happened that would have changed. In fact, knowing that an afterlife does exist, can be a life-changing experience. Especially if this can prevent someone from going crazy.
«My wife apologizes for not being here, but she couldn’t bear the thought of coming back to the mountain house». He whispered, while he opened the trunk. «To be honest, I’m having trouble getting her out of the hotel. But I count on your support in regard to this matter».
I placed the luggage in the trunk, while I kept the suitcase with me. I was sure that I was going to need it shortly afterwards. «Let’s try to restore the natural order of things, first. After all, that’s why I’m here ».
«And what about your fee...? »
«I’m sure my colleague has already mentioned it but in case he forgot you should know that we’ll be able to talk about it once the job is done. As for now, you should just think about staying calm for as long as you can. I’m going to need your help on everyday matters, or at least before I get to the bottom of this whole situation».
«Of course, I understand. You can count on me. Money isn’t an issue».
I’ve always been paid for my jobs, and there are only two reasons for that: gratitude and fear. In the first case, the commonest, people simply want to express gratitude to the person who solved their problems. In the second case, they are terrified by the idea that I could bring back into their lives the entities that they have just gotten rid of.
In any case, there was no need to talk about my professional fee right now. At least, not until I finished the job.
«I was referring to something way more practical» I replied. «But I suppose money could be useful. Are you ready to escort me to the place? »
«I’m not sure», he admitted.
I looked him in the eyes and I added: «Don’t worry. You only need to drop me nearby the house. You don’t even have to see it, if you don’t feel like it. This is no longer your problem. You don’t even have to think about it».
«It’s not easy, though».
He unlocked the car’s door and I sat in the passenger’s seat. The smell of nicotine immediately caught my attention. I never saw Mr. Guidi smoking, so I guessed his wife must have been the heavy smoker here. And given the circumstances, I couldn’t blame her.
«I know it’s not easy but in cases like these the less you think the better ».
The man drove the car along the highway. I’ve never seen that part of Tuscany but I immediately found it gorgeous. All the houses, even the tiniest ones were well kept, and they were all surrounded by flowers and plants. For a moment, I even thought this was a welcoming place where any sign of darkness seemed out of the picture. The sun was hot so I rolled down the car window, and suddenly the cockpit filled up with fresh air and a light scent of spring. Years ago, I had learnt to take advantage as much as I could of these little moments of positivity. If I had let myself be overwhelmed by what I did for a living, I would have seen the world in the same way that Lerner did from inside his mirror: a dark, barren and mournful place. Another lesson that I had learnt was that a heart ruled by shadows stood no chances against the darkness.
«This is our hotel», said Mr. Guidi, while pointing at a door on the left. «Are you sure that you don’t want to make a quick stop? »
«I’m absolutely positive».
It was an old building, probably from the Fifties. I could only imagine how many people must have slept in there. That place was probably full of psychic and spiritual imprints and I was sure that I would have hardly slept in there. At least, not without precautions.
«I wonder how you could be so calm», continued the man. Once I reassured him that I just wanted to have a first look at the house he suddenly seemed more willing to engage in a conversation. «Do you often deal with cases like these? »
«Questions like these are meaningless, if you think about it. Imagine to ask the same thing to a surgeon or to a counterterrorism agent. We are talking about professional figures here who deal with extreme situations, therefore the answer is yes. My job is just a little more in the shadows, and that’s why there aren’t a lot of people that work in my area of expertise».
«But jobs like these are not even comparable to yours» he replied. He was pressing his hands on the steering wheel as if it was his only anchor to reality. «I’m aware that performing an open heart surgery might be difficult but at least it makes sense. That, I can understand. You can go back home and justify your actions. And the same thing applies to the counterterrorism agent. Men have always had an evil side and I think it’s only fair that there are people that can stop destructive behaviors. Your job, on the other hand...»
Mr. Guidi was just venting but I knew what he was going through. All the certainties that he had built in his life were now falling apart. Maybe he and his wife had worked for years on securing themselves a safe nest. From what I understood, they didn’t have any child, but from his words they seemed like a close-knit couple. They had just inherited the perfect house to relax, but instead, they had fallen into an inconceivable trap.
Mr. Guidi’s existence had bumped into a cliff made of darkness that had destroyed all his certainties. Besides the fear, what was truly butchering his mind was the incapacity to understand what just happened.
«To make up for it, in my field of expertise there’s no competition», I replied, to sugar the pill.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eye and then he laughed. At least, I had managed to defuse the tension.
«Well, I’m glad to hear that this is your bread and butter», continued the man while we were crossing the borders of the country. When we got to a road surrounded by trees, he added: «Hearing this truly reassures me».
I didn’t answer. I preferred not to say that in my field of expertise one could hardly talk about habits. Some cases might even looked alike at first, but there were so many other aspects involved that only a fool could have approached the problem with such a shallow attitude.
«We are almost there», he finally said. He used the blinker and then he ventured into the wood.
The temperature suddenly decreased. I wished this was due to some sort of suggestion or to the shadows created by the tree leaves, but deep down I knew this wasn’t the reason.
* * *
Mr. Guidi parked the vehicle nearby the gate. He didn’t dare shutting the engine off. The fence was wrecked and rusty. In some points the net bended forward, as if the weight of time had started to loom over it. The gate wasn’t that different either, while the only item there that seemed to be brand-new was the lock that kept it close.
The two-story house was in the middle of a plot that had been literally invaded by uncultivated grass. It had a sloping roof, and it looked like a house that could resist to cold and snowy winters. Probably, some time ago, the walls must have had a sunny and cheerful shade, but now the plaster was completely ruined. Ivy had grown along the walls, and now the property looked more like a giant cocoon made of plants.
The shutters of the main floor were closed while they were wide open at the top floors. It’s likely that the spouses, who had been forced to run away from the mountain house, didn’t have enough time to close them. There was a little porch in front of the doorway, with a wood bench and some empty vase. There seem to be a shirt stuck on the pole but since the wind was fluttering somehow it could easily be taken for a white flag.
But deep down I knew that the house – or the entity that had taken possession of it – wasn’t going to give up that easily.
I got out of the car. I was expecting to be welcomed by silence but I was wrong. Birds were twitting on the branches above me, and the entire wood seemed to throb with life. Probably, the house was only able to influence its own walls. No doubt this was a positive aspect: no matter how scary it might be, the spiritual presence probably wasn’t that strong if it couldn’t cross such delicate physical borders. I took another peep into the cockpit and I grabbed the suitcase. I had no intention to set foot inside the property without the right protections. Therefore, I looked at my chaperon and I asked: Could you turn off the engine? I think this could take a while». Then I extended my hand. «I’m going to need the keys of the lock».
«Don’t worry», mumbled Mr. Guidi, keeping his eyes nailed on the mountain house façade. «I, at least, want to come near the gate. I can’t let fear get the best of me».
I snapped my fingers, and I finally got his attention. «There’s no need for you to test your mettle. It’s ok to be scared of the unknown. Just give me the key. I’d prefer to go solo without putting your life at risk. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of occasions in which you’ll have the chance to test your bravery. But as for now, I need to analyze the situation without having to worry about you too». Once I told him that he didn’t need to get out of the car, he immediately felt relieved. He lowered his hand and grabbed a little metal key. Then, silently, he handed it to me. Good. His fear would have just fed the spirits.
I was back outside, ready for my first inspection. I could almost feel Lerner chomping at the bit from inside the mirror. He must have been craving to test his skills.
I made sure that my gloves didn’t have any hole and then I approached the gate: I didn’t want my naked skin to brush against anything in that house. I could feel Mr. Guidi’s scared eyes on me. I was sure that for the everlasting minutes that I was going to spend inside the house he would have felt like a death row inmate. I pushed the gate forward but shortly afterwards it got stuck. The hinges must have been pretty worn out. However, despite this little hitch, I found a way to trespass into the big garden. I took a few steps and then I stopped. I needed to listen to all the vibrations that the place could give me. It was weird though, because so far I’d heard nothing. The spirits inside the house should have reacted to my arrival, but everything seem to indicate that the house was empty. I looked back at my customer. He was still staring at me. For a moment, I suspected that he was the one who had been possessed.
I wondered if, for all this time, I have been close to the source of those same weird phenomena that he, himself, said the he had witnessed.
That would have been possible only if the presence inside of him had decided to remain momentarily dormant. It wasn’t such a far-flung theory; in fact, I had perceived some sort of blackness from the moment that he got close to me. I realized I had to keep an open mind.
I approached the porch, where the shirt was still waving. Once I reached the stairs I opened the suitcase and I pulled out the holy crucifix that I used to store on the side.
It was a present from a priest for whom I had solved a very peculiar haunting case: a poltergeist had targeted the church altar, therefore celebrating mass had become quite impossible. In fact, every time that the priest placed an item on the marble surface this would immediately start to float and attack the people around it.
Those days Lerner had the time of his life, until a goblet almost broke the mirror and with it my assistant pale reflected life.
I put the holy necklace on, and I immediately felt safer. Its effect couldn’t last more than a few minutes, but it actually was the exact amount of time that I needed to leave the house in case of danger. So, I pulled out the box that contained Lerner’s mirror, and then I grabbed the decorated brass handle and I looked at the surface. I don’t think my assistant liked the lawn; In fact, the garden reflected in the mirror was only made of few leaves of grass, and they were all black, just like the soil below. The gate was rusted and Mr. Guidi’s car didn’t look that different: the car body was wrecked and dented, as if it had been struck by a hailstorm. Behind the dirty windshield there seem to be a skeleton.
«We are finally back to work», said Lerner, peeping out from the left side of the frame. «I like this new work pace, Master. Work, work, work».
He had dropped the hostess uniform and now he was wearing civilian clothes. He had a long dark coat covered in what seemed like ash traces. His eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, and his skeletal hands were wrapped in white gloves. His face pointed at the house that was in front of us.
«We might be in the wrong place». Now that we were alone I could allow myself the luxury of speaking in a loud voice. «I’m not getting any vibes from these walls».
«I agree» commented Lerner, sniffing the air like a hound dog.
«And yet, I’m sure something’s here. I can hardly sense it, but I know it’s here. Maybe it’s hiding from us».
«Or maybe these are just the remains that the man in the car left in the house. Could he be the cause of this whole thing? »
«He’s too clumsy to be truly possessed. I bet everything I have on the house».
I nodded. It was good to have a friend to talk to, even though he was just a ghost who was incapable of doing anything in the real world; but it wasn’t just a matter of talking to someone. In fact, communicating with Lerner had a peculiar effect on me: whenever I talked to him my thoughts became crystal clear, and that helped me to express them with extreme accuracy. Besides, my assistant was provided with an astral sight that was way better than mine. After all, the afterlife was a subject that touched him closely.
«Are you sure that you don’t want to bring a weapon? »
I already had a small four-barrel shotgun in my coat’s pocket. It was loaded with silver bullets, which had been blessed by a bishop. This would have given a hard time to any spiritual manifestation who had dared to pop up in the physical world. But a good deal of my arsenal was still in my suitcase. I didn’t know what I was going to face, so choosing a tool randomly would have been pointless. And the same thing applied to the formula: any spell would have just been a waste of energies.
«For the moment, this is all we can do. Are you ready? »
«Work, work, work», repeated Lerner.
The front door was made of wood and much to my surprise it looked less ruined than the façade. I put my hand on the knob, hoping that the couple had left the door unlocked. Otherwise, I would have had to go back to the car. At this point, it would have been pretty annoying. I found out that the two spouses had been in such a hurry when they escaped from the house that they left everything opened. I only had to apply a gentle pressure and the door opened wide. The daylight coming from the outside showed me an unexpected well-kept living room. There was an old TV on a cabinet at the bottom of the room, not very far from it there was a fireplace with some semi-scorched piece of wood in the middle. In front of the TV there was a sofa covered by a floral blanket and a small mahogany inlaid table.
Near the sofa there was an armchair. The left wall was occupied by a display cabinet with different objects and potteries. The living room was connected to another room, which was on the same side. On the right, there were some stairs that led to the upper floor. Right after the first flight of stairs there was another one that went down in the basement. According to Mr. Guidi, that was the point in which the spirit had revealed its presence. I took a step in that direction.
«He’s crouching low like a jungle cat who’s about to jump on its prey», whispered Lerner. «I’d be careful if I were you, Master».
I didn’t waste any time looking into the mirror for I had the same feeling. The apparent calm that I perceived outside wasn’t natural; it was just a trick that had the purpose of hiding the presence inside the mansion.
What I was experiencing was just the calm before the storm. I thought I might as well force the hand and go upstairs, where the spirit seemed to be stronger. Once I reached the stairs I was immediately hit by and intense and disgusting smell, and it was just like my customer had described it.
«You’ve never thought about putting a gas mask into your suitcase, haven’t you? » asked my assistant in an amused voice. «We should add one to the inventory».
There was no way that he could smell it.
He must have perceived something through my thoughts. I instinctively covered my nose with the crook of my arm, but that couldn’t stop that noxious exhalation. For a little while, I stood still, and then I smiled. There was no mask that would have spared me from breathing that smell: the influence of the spirit inside the house was affecting my brain nerve center. Suddenly, it was as if the smell had originated right inside my head. There was nothing that I could do about it, except casting out the creature who was causing it.
«Tricks like these don’t work on me», I said, breaking the silence. «You won’t get rid of me that easily».
«You could have used the plural», complained Lerner. «After all he should be more scared of me instead of your stupid gun».
In other circumstances I would have shut my assistant up. But thanks to his friendly voice the shivers that I was getting down my spine stopped. Besides, he might have been right. That mirror was a trap for any incorporeal creature. In fact, once a spirit passed the reflected surface, there was no way that it could survive in Lerner’s world. In the supernatural world my assistant was a carnivore, therefore he was at the top of the food chain. The only problem that he had consisted in the fact that he had to rely on me to obtain the nourishment that could set him free. That’s why we lived symbiotically.
The stink became more intense, and it made me cough. I had tears in my eyes and, even though I kept repeating myself that this was all in my head, I couldn’t stop the process. If, according to my brain that smell was real, then the same thing applied to my body.
I realized that something was dragging its feet upstairs, so I forced myself to raise my head. I couldn’t see very well in the darkness: the light from the entrance wasn’t able to illuminate the aisle on the upper floor. Mr. Guidi’s description had been quite accurate. I knew I shouldn’t have let a disgusting creature scare me, but my instincts were telling me to go away. In fact, even though I had a certain background, I felt like I couldn’t fight my sense of self-preservation. It was a continuous struggle that I couldn’t escape from.
I kept hearing the steps: they were slow, as if who was taking them was lame or wounded. I tried to keep my mind clear, and not to think about Mr. Guidi’s story: I didn’t want that the power of my memories could give reinforce the presence’s image.
I kept my eyes on the flight before me, and then I left the mirror on the floor; with a hand I searched inside the suitcase and I grabbed a small flashlight. I was expecting to hear a comment from Lerner but he stood still instead. Like me, he was studying the environment, and maybe he had already drawn his own conclusions. I was sure that later they would have come in handy. But now I just needed to keep in mind that soon I would have been back in the daylight. No matter what was going to happen.
I pointed the light beam upward. For a moment, I saw a mist but then it thinned out as the presence got closer. With my left hand I held the crucifix tight. This would have protected me for a few more minutes from whatever spirit was inside the house. I had to remember that I was safe.
And then I saw it. The steps stopped and the presence appeared on top of the stairs. Seeing the human intruder who had just invaded his habitat, its head tilted. It looked different from Mr. Guidi’s description: it was worse. The flesh in its body resembled a corpse that had been forgotten out in the sun for too long. It was rotting, and on its surface I could see insects and larvae. The head was a mass of putrid red matter. Its eyes were made of two tiny holes, while a bigger one represented his mouth, which in that moment was wide open.
There was no trace of its nose and ears, assuming that it ever had them. At the sight of that dreadful creature my heartbeat accelerated. In most cases, spirits were confused and incapable of recognizing their spot in the universe. One would usually feel pity for them. They couldn’t be condemned because they only needed that someone showed them the way. In this case the situation was completely different. That putrefying mass had an evil scent, and I immediately smelled it. His wickedness couldn’t be compared to the one that a trapped animal would normally feel. Its color came from a creature born in the darkness and grown among pain and sorrow.
I lowered the left hand, where I was holding the crucifix, while my mind was taking note of every sensation or change in the air. Much to my surprise, the stench that I’ve been smelling wasn’t that intense now. It couldn’t hurt me. I kept repeating this like a mantra. It didn’t matter how dangerous that presence was, because it couldn’t hurt me now. So, I lowered the flashlight and I grabbed the gun. I didn’t know whether it could serve the purpose, but somehow holding it in my hand made me feel safe.
«What are you? » I asked.
It felt like my voice had been swallowed in the darkness, but I was sure that the creature had heard me. It tilted its head in my direction, and in doing so, it assumed such an unnatural position that no one, among the livings, could have ever reproduced. Then it opened its mouth wide. A piercing cry hit me, forcing me to cover my ears with the hands. The gun fell on the floor and then bounced on the stairs that I suppose led to the basement. It must have felt somewhere in the darkness. My eyes were fixed on the monstrous presence that stood before me, so I didn’t follow its movements.
«It’s time to fly the coop», whispered Lerner in my mind. He might as well shouted, for as much as I knew. The creature’s cry never was endless and it continued to get louder and louder. I was about to lose my mind. Occult forces could do nothing against that loud assault. It was as if my brain was about to blow for the pressure. I quickly grabbed the flashlight and the mirror and I put them back into the suitcase. I completely ignored Lerner’s complaints, and I thought that I would have put it in its box once I was out of there. I left the gun where it was, thinking that I would have retrieved it in another moment. With a huge effort I took my eyes off that screaming creature, I picked up my suitcase and I ran away. The mountain breeze and its silence have never been such welcomed guests.