Page 9 of Christmas Spirits

“It is,” she replied shortly. “It sounds like a poltergeist.”

“Poltergeist? Like the movie?” Laurence asked.

Arianna rolled her eyes. “Where do you think the ideas from books and movies come from?” she asked. “The general idea is the same. They can make contact with our side of the veil and cause quite a ruckus, but arealpoltergeist is much more dangerous than the ones in the movies. And here’s why.” She paused for dramatic effect, eyes flickering between us. “They were once living people.”

“Wait, what?” Laurence gaped.

“Yeah, crazy right?” she went on. “But yes. We’re talking the blackest of souls, here. Murderers, rapists, the lowest of the low. Subhuman in their life and so subspirit in their death. It’s not clear how their souls devolve after crossing over and didn’t end up in Hell with the others. But a few things are for sure.” She held up three fingers and pointed to them as she spoke. “They are weaker on this side of the veil—how it got here, I don’t know—but can still pack one hell of a punch. Two, they usually attach themselves to living host to drain their life energy—”

“Like a parasite?” Laurence asked, and I grimaced even at that wording.

“You could say that,” Arianna said. “And my guess is that this one has picked you, Kay. Being a Medium, you’re like a magnet to normal spirits, so it makes sense.”

I tried swallowing the knot in my throat. She may not know how this poltergeist found me, but I had a pretty good idea—that abandoned Victorian house and the amateur paranormal investigators that ripped a hole in the veil. I’d thought I’d stopped them from opening? Apparently, I hadn’t been quick enough.

All those shivers and uneasiness I was feeling then? This poltergeist must have crawled out of the hole and followed me home.

My gifts had been trying to warn me.

“And what’s the last thing?” Laurence asked, pointing to her last upheld finger.

Arianna’s expression changed, suddenly taking on a very serious look. “And lastly…they are, unfortunately, extremely difficult to get rid of.”

I couldn’t do this again. An evil spirit after me, able to hurt me, Laurence, and Zach?

No way.I couldn’t do it again.

Heat crawled up my neck, and my head whirled. My body grew heavy, too heavy for my legs to hold, and I felt myself falling but was unable to stop it.

Someone’s hands grasped me as I collapsed, holding me up. I struggled to keep my eyes focused and not give in to the darkness creeping along the edges of my vision.

Arianna’s voice echoed in my ears. “Here’s a chair. Sit her down.”

Something slid under my backside, hitting my legs, and Laurence slowly lowered me onto it. The chair.

“I’m okay…” The words formed in my mind, but I wasn’t sure if they came out of my mouth. Everything was still woozy.

“Here, drink this.” It was Arianna again, and this time, she was pressing something wet against my lips. I let the unknown liquid slide down my throat.

When the taste of sugar and sour berries hit my tongue, I coughed and sputtered, spitting part of it back up. My senses rushed back to me in an instant, my mind clearing.

Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I glanced between the worried faces of my boyfriend and friend, my eyes taking a moment to focus fully.

“What was that?” I choked out. “Some kind of potion?”

Arianna laughed and put the cup on the counter. “Fruit punch. Flavored sugar water. I thought maybe your blood sugar had gone low or something. It had always worked for a school friend of mine who had diabetes.”

“Good thinking.” I rubbed my temples. My pulse thumped against my fingers there, and my head ached terribly, even more than before.

“You’ve been through a lot today,” Laurence said. He knelt by my chair, looking at me with concern. “Maybe we should go back home and you can lay down.”

“Not a good idea. It’s only a matter of time before the poltergeist will find her again and attack,” Arianna said.

“She’s right,” I agreed. “Going back to the shop and the apartment may not be the wisest idea.”

“It will find you no matter where you are eventually,” she went on. “You can’t outrun it. But at least here, there are wards and things to protect you. Including me.”

“And me,” Laurence chimed in, rising to stand again.

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