The dark house, now silent, seemed to seethe, resting for the next assault against her, Kimberly thought as she wandered alone through the rooms. The moon shown above the gnarled oak out back as she passed through the dining room and glanced out the window. A shiver hurried her meandering pace to the living room. She peered past a curtain and into the still street. The black pavement, empty since the protestors disbanded at nightfall, glistened under the pale moonlight, shimmering like a creek cutting through the neighborhood.
Faith had slept, virtually comatose, since the episode. Neither cold nor feverish, they found no reason to summon medical attention. But the family remained in the house rather than leave for a hotel. They couldn’t move the girl in this state. Ruth had busied herself straightening the room, returning items to the closet, rearranging the Ladies of Fashion, and replacing the Bible on the nightstand. Kimberly, still shaken from the reference to her mother, didn’t help with cleanup this time. She didn’t watch the footage with the rest of the crew either. The entire experience had etched itself deeply into her mind. She fought to keep herself from running out the door and never coming back. Between Ezekiel’s crowd of angry followers screaming at and threatening her and the personal turn this investigation had taken, all she wanted to do was run away and hide.
But then what would happen to Faith?
She turned from the window and flopped onto the couch, dropping her head into her hands. A young girl suffered and so far she’d done nothing to help. Snickers clicked his way into the room, approaching her quietly, head down, whining softly. When he reached her side, he sat and rested his head on her leg, large brown eyes gazing up at her.
“Hey, little guy,” she whispered, petting his furry head. “Thanks for the encouragement.”
Rosie tiptoed into the room, slid onto the couch beside her, and pressed a mug of tea into her hands. “Here. Drink.”
“Thanks.” Kimberly held the mug to her face and breathed deeply, allowing the steam to relax and soothe her before she sipped it. “I’m glad your dad is okay. I will never forget how supportive he was when you first joined the show. He may have been my first fan.”
“Absolutely he was. I mean, he was super happy I finally had a job that might lead somewhere. But he liked you and was fascinated by the show. Did you reach Angela?”
Kimberly shook her head. She hadn’t brought herself to attempt reaching out to her house sitter. “I didn’t try yet. It’s the middle of the night. I don’t want to wake her.”
“I get that. It was so creepy hearing that little girl mention your mom, though. How would she know?”
She swallowed hard. “Clearly the spirit possessing her.”
“Yeah, but . . . how would he know?”
“I have no idea. This has never happened before.”
“Sterling is really shaken. You might go talk to him.”
“Where is he?”
“TJ showed him footage from Faith’s room, and he went to sit in there. He’s miffed he left and missed the excitement. But the radio blaring music and not responding to the power button spooked him.”
“We’re all a little rattled, I think.”
“This one has been crazy for sure. You okay? I mean, I know you’re not.”
She leaned her head on Rosie’s shoulder. “No. Not at all. I’ve attracted fringe lunatics. I’m powerless to fight back against them so they stand out there draining my energy, leaving me to investigate with lessened ability. I haven’t figured out what the spirit wants. If I can’t figure out the root problem, I can’t solve it and resolve the haunting. And on top of everything else, all the talk about demons has dredged up memories of Mom and the day she died and how helpless I felt. I’m scared. I’m scared and I have no idea what to do next. Not for Mom. Not for Faith. I don’t think I can do this.”
Michael happened into the room for the last bit. “You can. You have to. Who else can?”
“I’m depleted, Michael. I’m next to worthless in my current state. The crowd and the poltergeist combined are too much. I can’t fight them both.”
“The situation isn’t fair to you, I agree. We need to get rid of the protestors.”
“Anything we do to run them off, they’ll twist to their advantage. They turn me into the bad guy no matter what.”
“We have a permanent camera out front now. So far nothing helpful, but one of them will trip up eventually.”
“Unlikely. They know the camera is there. They are professional manipulators. I’m not a witch, we haven’t suppressed anyone’s rights, but try to convince their thousands of followers. Some people believe anything they read online.”
Michael sighed. “You’ll figure it out. You always do.”
“And what happens to Faith if I don’t?”
“You will.”
She placed her mug on the coffee table and squeezed her temples. “Why can’t someone else figure it out for once?”
A yell carried downstairs. She, Rosie, and Michael jumped to their feet and raced up the staircase.
The rest of her crew appeared to be en route to Faith’s room, so she turned left and followed them inside.
The girl remained motionless on her back, eyes shut.
Sterling, however, stood in the center of the room, eyes wild as he twisted back and forth.
She went straight to him, placed a hand on each side of his face, and forced eye contact. “Hey. Hey. Shhh. What happened?”
“I was . . . the closet . . . the doll . . .” He shook his head. “I must’ve fallen asleep and had a nightmare.”
“Can you tell me about it?”
His gaze traveled to TJ. “Not on camera.”
“Okay. You guys can all go back to what you were doing.”
“But this is where the action is,” TJ said.
“TJ. Please.” She shot him a look, eyebrows raised.
“Fine.”
The crew filed out, leaving her alone with Sterling and an unresponsive Faith.
She rested a hand on Sterling’s arm.
He dragged a hand down his face and blinked several times. “I was sitting in the chair in case Faith had an episode or something. I heard a click and the closet door started to creep open. It squeaks, so I heard it opening. I swear I—you’ll think I’m crazy, but I swear there was a light shining inside. Not from the bulb. Just a glow. And then this doll came walking out. I guess it was a doll. An old creepy doll.” He shuddered.
“Why would I think you’re crazy? The same thing happened to me earlier.”
“No. This wasn’t real. It couldn’t be. Something like that isn’t possible.”
She crossed to the closet and flipped the light on.
Sterling shuffled his feet. “What are you doing?”
She bent and picked up a threadbare cloth doll from the floor. The yarn hair frizzed out of its braids. One button eye had broken in half and barely hung on by a thread. She held it out to Sterling. “This?”
His startled jump answered her question even before he spoke. “That’s not possible. How could I dream something I didn’t know about?”
“You’re either clairvoyant or you weren’t dreaming.”
“Clearly there is at least one more option because neither of those can be true.”
“How would you explain it then? Logically?”
“I must be losing my mind.”
“No. You’re learning to use it in new ways.” She took his hand. “Come on. Stay by me. The poltergeist has probably exhausted its energy for now, but it will torment you relentlessly given the opportunity.”
“What about her?” He gestured to Faith.
“Let’s let the family sleep while they can. We can check in on her while we patrol the house.”
“You think she’s okay?”
“I wouldn’t leave her if I didn’t. I want to try to connect with the spirit, but it expended energy teasing you with the doll. It will probably be quiet for a bit. And if not, the cameras will catch anything big that happens.”
She spotted TJ in the hallway. “Be sure to check the cameras in Faith’s room. Activity may have drained the batteries.”
“Sure thing!”
“And stay quiet,” she whispered. “I know we usually have the house to ourselves, but the family is here so be respectful.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
She led Sterling to the living room and asked Rosie to make some tea for him. “He’s been targeted by the poltergeist so something soothing and relaxing.”
“I don’t like tea,” Sterling protested. He called after Rosie as she headed to the kitchen, “Don’t waste your time. I don’t want any.”
Ruth turned the corner into the living room, tying a robe.
“Sterling, you woke her up yelling about tea.”
“Didn’t yell.”
“He didn’t wake me. I haven’t slept a bit all night. I’m too worried.”
“See?” Sterling said. “I didn’t wake her. Didn’t yell. And don’t want tea.”
“Why do you have that doll?” Ruth asked.
“I wanted to ask you the significance,” Kimberly answered. “It looks quite old.”
“Very,” Ruth confirmed. “My great-great-grandmother made it for her daughter, my great-grandmother, and we’ve passed it down ever since. We don’t handle it anymore for fear of damaging it.”
“I’m so sorry. Sterling experienced an incident with it, and I was hoping to find out if it’s relevant to the investigation or not.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing,” Sterling insisted. “I fell asleep and had a dream. Nothing happened.”
“Sterling was startled by the closet opening and the doll . . . falling out of it.” She opted not to share the part where he’d seen it walking. He clearly wasn’t accepting the idea. “This is a family heirloom?”
“Yes.” Ruth nodded emphatically. “Treasured. We’ve passed it down all these generations. But we didn’t let the girls tote it around or love on it too much. We put it away once they were toddlers for fear it won’t survive much cuddling.”
This made no sense. The porcelain figurines and the doll, handmade with love and treasured by the family—these weren’t the types of things a poltergeist should antagonize the family with. What was happening here?
Ruth held out a hand. “May I put it away again?”
“Yes, of course.” As Ruth wrapped her hand gingerly around the fabric, the doll sizzled with psychic energy.
A yell from upstairs preceded TJ rushing downstairs.
Kimberly jumped to her feet as he entered the living room.
He held out his arm. “I think something bit me!”
Sterling shook his head. “No. Nope. Uh-uh. This is not okay. Elise, did you find anything on Indian burial grounds around here? Maybe moved when the houses went in? Kimberly, you promised no Poltergeist ending!”
Elise attempted to launch into a dissertation on the history of the land.
Sterling held up a hand. “Indian burial ground. Yes or no?”
“No record of one,” Elise conceded.
More footsteps brought Daniel, with Rebecca close on his heels, rubbing her eyes.
Ruth stared at TJ’s arm. “What happened? Was it Faith? Did she bite you? I’m so sorry.”
“Bite him?” Daniel asked. “Will this hellish trial never end?”
“Everyone calm down,” Michael soothed.
Why would Ruth think Faith bit him? Then again, TJ hadn’t stipulated yet. “Has she bitten someone?”
Ruth’s cheeks flushed, apparently in embarrassment. “She has snapped at us a few times.”
Michael held his arms wide. “And you didn’t mention this to us why?”
“Has she been tested for rabies?” Sterling asked. “Has she suddenly developed an aversion to bathing?”
Kimberly held up both hands. “Everyone, quiet. Let TJ speak.”
Cradling his arm, TJ took a deep breath. “It wasn’t the girl. She was sleeping when I got to her room. I checked the batteries and then kinda looked around to see if I could figure out what scared Sterling. I mean, like, figure out what animated the doll. Right?”
Sterling cleared his throat. “I must have dreamed it. As strange as that seems, it’s the only explanation. The doll couldn’t have been walking. Sleep deprivation can cause hallucinations and I’m beyond exhausted.”
TJ shook his head. “No, dude. There’s something in the attic. I heard a noise while I was in the girl’s room. Sounded like footsteps in the attic. I went down the hall to the attic door and noticed a light glowing. As soon as I opened the door something grabbed my wrist and bit me!”
Ruth’s hands flew to her mouth. “Faith has shown us bite marks on her arms. We . . . we thought she was biting herself.”
Daniel sighed heavily and shook his head.
Everyone in her crew looked to her.
“Okay, we already knew we were dealing with something vicious and powerful. Let’s all take a few minutes to collect our thoughts and breathe.” What good would that do? She had no idea, but they all seemed to expect her to say something.
“I’ll . . . I’ll get the first aid kit.” Ruth’s voice quavered. As she passed Kimberly, the woman rested a hand on her arm. “Don’t give up on us. Please don’t leave.”
Kimberly took hold of Ruth’s hand and squeezed. “I’m not going anywhere.”