Page 22 of Wicked and Wild

Shewas also wearing herDocMartinsand a classicLostBoyst-shirt.Therewas no need for a jacket.She’dleft the frosty weather behind inNewEngland.HereinTampa, even at the end ofOctober, it was still hitting the high eighties during the day and barely dipping into the seventies at night.Theair was muggy with humidity andSamwas already feeling sticky and hot.

Sheglanced at her phone and saw that it was edging past eleven—she needed to get started!Raisingher phone, she began her live-stream.

“Higoulfriends, this isGhostGirlie, coming to you live from an abandoned mental hospital,” she said to the camera. “Notgoing to tell you whereIam exactly, but let’s just say it’s averyhaunted location.”

Shebegan wandering through the empty halls, the soles of herDocscrunching on shards of broken glass, panning her phone around as she went.

“Idon’t see any spirits yet, butIsensethem,” she told her audience. “Somany bad things happened here.They—”

Suddenlyshe heard what sounded like footsteps behind her.Whirlingaround, she confronted…an empty hallway filled with shadows.Damn, this was getting creepy even for her!

Youmust have imagined it.Stopjumping at shadows—keep going!Youneed to find at least one spirit to talk to!

Samwould have thought that the halls would be crowded with them—more than one person had died here, she was sure.Yetshe didn’t see anyone until she pushed her way into a room at the end of the hall.

“Thismust have been some kind of treatment room,” she said, talking to her audience as she panned the phone around. “There’ssome kind of table here—it’s fixed in place so there’s no moving it.”Shepointed the phone at the empty table. “AndIsee equipment—looks like electrical wires.Iwonder—could this have been an electro-shock room?”

Theevidence seemed to support it.Andthen she saw it…a lone spirit in the corner of the room.

“Isee someone,”Samsaid softly, speaking into the phone. “Youguys won’t be able to see her, butIcan—it’s a girl and she’s crouching in the corner as if she’s afraid.”

Slowly, she approached the spirit.Itlooked like a girl of about eleven or twelve,Samthought.Shewas huddled in on herself in the corner, wearing an old-fashioned hospital robe—the kind that tied in the back but always kept flapping open.

Samfrowned, feeling sorry for the poor girl.Whata terrible outfit to be stuck in for all eternity!Tofeel so vulnerable and helpless and half undressed always—what anightmare.

“Shemust have been a patient here,”Sammurmured into her phone, keeping her voice low so as not to scare away the spirit. “She’sdressed in a hospital gown.Sheonly looks to be eleven—twelve at the most.”

Sheedged closer, walking slowly—she didn’t want to seem threatening.

“Hithere,” she said softly, leaning down to get closer to the girl. “Myname isSam—can we talk?”

13

R’ORN

“Warrior, arise at once!”

R’ornwas woken from an uneasy sleep by the loud, feminine voice speaking in his ear.

“Huh…what?”Hesat up and looked around the darkened sleeping chamber uncertainly.Hewas back aboard theMotherShipin his own suite, tryingnotto think aboutSamantha.He—

“Didyou not hear me,Warrior?Isaid get up!ThefemaleIsent you is in grave danger!”

“What?”R’ornstumbled out of bed, still looking for the source of the voice. “Who’sthere?Who’sspeaking?” he asked, because the room looked completely empty.

“ItisI—theMotherofAllLife!”the voice proclaimed.Asit spoke, the room filled with an overwhelming presence.Itwas undeniably feminine and as heavy as a boulder.R’ornfelt himself being bowed down as its weight pressed down on him.

“What?Youmean…theGoddess?” he gasped, falling to his knees as he looked around him wildly. “I…Idon’t believe in theGoddess!”

“AndyetIdid you a favor and sent a female to you anyway!”the feminine voice thundered in his ears.“Butwhat did you do with my gift?Youthrew it away!Youleft the human female,Samantha, at the mercy of the predator that stalks her!”

“No,Ididn’t!”R’ornprotested.HisAtheismhad fled and he was rapidly becoming a believer. “Please,Goddess,” he begged. “Itold them to send her anotherProtector—she should be safe!”

“SheisNOTsafe!”TheGoddesssounded seriously displeased.“Thisvery moment she is alone and unaware that her death is near.Warrior, you must go to her at once!”

“Butit’s nighttime on her part of theEarthright now!”R’ornprotested. “Ishould send someone else!”

“Warrior, do you proclaim yourself a coward?”theGoddessdemanded.

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