Chapter 16
“In the late 1800’s, the house and surrounding land was owned by a wealthy doctor; living there with his wife, three daughters, and two sons.” We were huddled on the balcony the next night enjoying the pink and orange colors as the sun majestically announced its departure. We had lain around the suite most of the day watching movies and taking naps. It had been exactly what I needed.
We ordered a pizza for dinner and decided to eat outside since the weather was so nice. As talk turned to Halloween, Phoebe had insisted on telling me the story of the old Drake House near campus; rumored to be haunted.
“They were very active in the community and well known up and down the coast. One summer, one of the daughters dropped dead for no apparent reason. Another daughter was soon to follow and his wife had begun to show the same signs of sickness. Apparently in an effort to save his family, the doctor began to dabble in alchemy. Soon he was consumed with an obsession to not only save his wife, but to bring his daughters back. One weekend, the family didn’t show up for church on Sunday. No one thought much of it until the doctor failed to make his house calls the next day. A friend of the family decided to drive out to the house to see if everything was alright.” She leaned towards me and raised her eyebrows for effect. “What she found, would shock the whole island. Their blood had been smeared across the walls, leading up the stairs to the family’s bedrooms. All of the children were still in their beds, face down and now soaked in their own blood. They had all been beaten to death and were missing one vital thing…” She paused, her eyes sparkling with excitement. I held my breath; anticipating the punch line that didn’t disappoint, “…their hearts.”
Chills ran down my spine and I wrapped my arms around myself. Contemplating the tragedy of young, promising lives ripped away from innocent children prematurely sent my thoughts to Bianca. Not only had she been killed, but she was now destined to aimlessly wander the earth realm as a ghost. Phoebe, reveling in the chilling response she was eliciting, continued her story.
“His wife was found in her bed, also dead. Her heart had been removed as well. Not until they searched the underground cellar did they find the doctor. His body was found on the floor, a surgical knife in one hand. He had sliced through his own chest and his heart had been ripped from his body.”
I peeked at Willow, whose face had taken on a sickly green tint, and at Carmen, who was nervously biting her fingernails.
“According to the story, the doc had found a way to raise the dead, but something went very wrong and he raised a demon instead. They say the demon possessed him and made him take his family’s hearts out and then his own.”
“Did they find the hearts?” Willow’s soft voice wavered. Phoebe shook her head solemnly.
“They were never found. Only one piece of evidence had been found. Written on the cellar door in blood was the word: Penance.”
I clasped a shaking hand over my mouth as my veins rapidly hardened to ice. The world began to spin and I grasped my chair to steady myself. Penance. That was the same word Nadia had burned into her desk. But this was just a story - it wasn’t real. Right? Bianca had called her ‘The Reaper’. Was there something Finn wasn’t telling me about Nadia? He said that she escorted the rejected souls back to the Earth realm, but was it possible that she took souls as well? As a sick type of punishment to the living? As it would happen, the word ‘reaper’ meant to harvest, and the word
‘penance’ meant atonement; the righting of wrongs. As this new, startling possibility hit me, I leaned back in my chair, utterly petrified.
“You okay Stasia? You don’t look so good.” Willow placed her hand on my arm and a healing tingle spread through my body; settling my stomach. I couldn’t tell them what I had seen.
They didn’t know Nadia was the one who had paid us a visit during our séance. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of nothing. It was probably just a coincidence. But what if it wasn’t? Would Bianca know? Is that why she’s so scared of Nadia? I wish I could talk to her again. I squeezed the bridge of my nose. A couple days ago I hadn’t even believed in ghosts, and now I was wishing I could speak to one? I had to get myself together. This was ridiculous. It was just a haunted house story. Every town in America had one. It wasn’t real. I looked up at my roommates who were watching me with concern. You’d think they’d tire of my unstable mental health and sudden emotional breakdowns, but they never complained.
“Yea…I’m okay. I just got dizzy all of a sudden.” I summoned a convincing smile onto my face and Phoebe continued.
“Anyway, over the years several families moved into the house, but they would always leave within a few months. They say the family still haunts the house…searching for their stolen hearts.”
“Dinner just isn’t the same with a family of ghosts digging in the food searching for their hearts,” Carmen snickered.
“We should go!” Phoebe squealed with delight and clasped her hands together, nearly knocking over Carmen’s Gatorade bottle.
“To the Drake house?” Willow gulped and turned a light shade of green again.
“We don’t even know how to get there,” Carmen contemplated Phoebe’s idea with skepticism.
“I know exactly where it is! It’s easy to get to, promise!” She batted her big green eyes at Carmen.
“What about the Halloween party?” Carmen argued stubbornly.
“Halloween party?” I had finally discovered the ability to speak again.
“Every year there’s a Halloween party in the Hole. They move all of the tables and make it real spooky. It’s actually really fun!” Phoebe’s features lit up with enthusiasm. “We could do both!
Go to the party, and then find the Drake house! Come on, it’ll be fun! Plus, I’ve been wanting to go since I got here and this is our last year,” she begged.
“Do you think dead doctors like sexy nurses?” Carmen narrowed her eyes and wiggled her dark brown eyebrows.
“Please tell me you aren’t going to dress up as a sexy nurse again,” Phoebe snarled at Carmen with frustration. “That’s what you wore last year!”
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Carmen shrugged her shoulders and twirled a dark brown lock of hair around her finger.
“It is kinda overdone,” Phoebe contended; scrunching her nose.
“And your sexy cop outfit isn’t?” Carmen challenged her. “Six other girls wore the same costume last year.”
“Yea, but I was the only one with a pink cop uniform and fishnets,” Phoebe rested her hands on her hips with indignation, “and I’m going to be something different this year anyway.”
“Fishnets? Seriously?” I gawked at Phoebe. I would never be able to pull fishnets off.
Somehow I knew they looked absolutely amazing on her.
“When did Halloween turn into an excuse for girls to dress up like cheap sluts?” Willow chastised no one in particular, shaking her head.
“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Carmen grinned shrewdly.
“So what do you guys think?” Phoebe prodded us again. I had to admit, I was a little curious about the Drake house and what, if any, connection it may have to Nadia.
“Are you sure you know where it is?” Willow asked. Phoebe shook her head vehemently, and then looked to me for my consent next.
“It would be kinda fun…” I started and Phoebe jumped up and down in her seat. Two yes’s and one to go. We all turned our attention to Carmen.
“Alright, but if a demon takes over my body and forces me to cut your heart out, don’t blame me,” Carmen cautioned her.