Page 8 of Poltergeists & Change of Life

"Nana!" I gasped, momentarily shocked out of my panic. "That's..."

"What?" she cut me off. "I'm not getting any younger. Unlike some people in this room. Now, are we going to stand around clutching our pearls, or are we going to do something about this spectral pain in the ass?"

"Right," I muttered, refocusing on the journal. "The artifact. As cliche as it seems, Lyra used a dark amulet to twist Hattie's spirit into a weapon. Who walks around thinking, 'You know what would really spice things up? A homicidal ghost with a power boost!'? Honestly, where do these megalomaniacs get their ideas?"

Hattie's ghostly form flickered, and her features morphed into something more monster than human. Her eyes blazed with an unholy fire. When she spoke, her voice shook the very foundations of the house. "You'll never find it," she hissed. Her words echoed from every corner of the room as if we'd suddenly been transported into the world's most terrifying surround sound system. "You'll never stop what Lyra has started. This house, this power, it's mine. As it has been for ninety years."

"We've stopped her before," I shot back, injecting more confidence into my voice than I felt, "and we'll stop her again. Sorry to rain on your parade, but your little reign of terror here is about to get canceled faster than a sitcom with bad ratings."

Nana snorted, rolling her eyes so hard I was half-afraid they'd get stuck that way. "Oh yes, antagonize the homicidal ghost. Brilliant strategy. Did you pick that up from the 'How to Get Yourself Killed in Ten Easy Steps' handbook?"

Ignoring her (a survival skill I'd perfected over the years), I focused on the journal, trying to make sense of Lyra's cryptic scribblings. "The amulet," I muttered, "it's hidden somewhere in the house, or close to it, and tied to the foundation. It's the only way to keep Hattie bound here. I have no idea how she managed that, but the ritual she used is outlined here."

"That should be easy enough to find," Stella chirped as she reinforced her magical barrier. A chair bounced off it, splintering into kindling. "Think of it as a scavenger hunt! We used to love those when we were kids. Finding the cursed amulet before the ghost kills us all beats a boring night of Netflix and trying not to set the kitchen on fire while making popcorn."

I couldn't quite suppress a smile at her brand of humor. Leave it to Stella to find the silver lining in a cloud that was actively trying to electrocute us. "Your optimism is truly a wonder to behold, Stella. Remind me to nominate you for sainthood if we survive this."

"Where would Lyra hide something like that? It's got to be somewhere significant. Somewhere with a connection to Hattie,” Mom suggested as she looked over the cacophony of destruction. I could tell by the look on her face she was pissed about Lyra redecorating our home in Early American Disaster.

Aidon's eyes narrowed as he deflected another projectile with his glowing blade. He looked for all the world like he was playing the most dangerous game of baseball ever conceived. "Someplace close to where Hattie died, perhaps? Her bedroom? Or maybe..."

A chill ran down my spine as realization hit, making my blood run colder than a penguin's pedicure. "The sanctum," Ibreathed, the words barely audible over the supernatural chaos surrounding us. "That's where Hattie died – where she passed her magic to me."

The same place where Hattie had saved me could now hold the key to stopping her. If that wasn't the universe's idea of a cosmic joke, I didn't know what was. I half expected to hear a rimshot echoing through the ether.

"Well, ain't that just the maraschino cherry atop this sundae of suck," Nana growled. "You better pray to whatever deities might be listening that we find that amulet, girlie. Because if we don't, I swear I'll find a way to haunt your ass myself. I’ll make this little spectral temper tantrum look like a day at Disneyland."

"I know you will," I said. If anyone could, it was Nana. She was something else, and I loved her dearly. "All we have to do is find the amulet, break the curse, and put Hattie to rest once and for all. Who's with me?"

"Oh, is that all?" Stella asked as she ducked. A vase exploded over her head in a shower of porcelain shrapnel, yet her smile never faltered. Though, it did take on a slightly manic edge. "And here I was worried we might have to do something difficult."

"Not really," I admitted, allowing myself a wry smile. "But I thought it sounded more heroic that way. You know, for posterity. Assuming we live long enough for there to be any posterity to speak of."

"Oh, for the love of all that's unholy," Nana grumbled, her tone suggesting she was thoroughly done with our antics. "Less talking, more moving. These old bones ain't getting any younger, and I'd rather not have my epitaph read 'Died Surrounded by Flying Furniture and Bad Puns’. Now move it!"

With Hattie's raucous cackling echoing in our ears like the world's most terrifying laugh track, we made a break for the door. As I raced down the hallway with all the grace of a drunken ballet troupe, I marveled at the absurdity of our situation. I was,pregnant with triplets and trying to balance running a magical household with solving all the problems of the supernatural world. Today, I was trying not to get murdered by the ghost of my mentor. If there was a 'Witches' Guide to Adulting', I was pretty sure I was failing spectacularly at every single step.

"Phoebe!" Aidon's voice cut through my introspection like a hot knife through butter.

I was frozen in place and turning my head to look at why he called my name when he picked me up and swung me around. "Thanks, babe," I gasped. "Remind me to thank Hattie for the impromptu redecorating when this is all over. I've always wanted to try the 'post-apocalyptic chic' look."

"Good idea," Nana snorted. "Gratitude is exactly what homicidal ghosts are looking for." I couldn’t argue with that.

“I’m going to call my mom and see if she can help,” Aidon interjected.

I nodded. “We could use all the help we can get,” I told him. He pressed a kiss to my lips before heading out the back door.

“Famous last words,” Nana muttered as she descended the stairs to the basement where our Sanctum was.

As we descended into the darkness, the air grew thick with malevolent energy. It made each step feel like wading through molasses. "Stay close," I warned the others as I summoned a ball of witch fire on my palm. Its soft glow did little to dispel the oppressive darkness. It barely illuminated more than a few feet in any direction but it was something.

As we reached the bottom of the stairs, the sanctum spread out before us like a nightmare made manifest. It was a disaster area of overturned furniture, scattered magical implements, and swirling dark energy. The hair on the back of my neck stood up like it was auditioning for a role in a heavy metal band. And there, hovering in the center of it all like the world's most terrifying centerpiece, was Hattie.

The whiplash of seeing her there already was like being on the tilt-a-whirl sent to hyper-drive. I was being jerked around. My heart skipped a beat, and my eyes widened. “Mom, take Nina and Nana out of here. Distracting us might be Lyra’s main goal. Keep an eye out for anything sketchy.”

Nina opened her mouth, but Nana grabbed her collar and hauled her back up the stairs. She was telling her how we all had roles to play, and they had to protect the rest of the house. I was busy wondering why Hattie looked more solid down there. Was it because of her proximity to the source of her binding? Had it given her form more substance? "Welcome home, Phoebe," Hattie snarled. The twisted smile that spread across her face would have sent the Cheshire Cat running for the hills. "Ready to give back what you stole?"

I squared my shoulders, trying to ignore the fear churning in my gut like a particularly vigorous washing machine on spin cycle. "Sorry, Hattie, but I'm fresh out of stolen goods. How about we talk this out instead? Maybe over a nice cup of tea? Do ghosts drink tea, or is that too mundane for your new edgy, poltergeist lifestyle?"

---