Chapter 33

By

Brynn Morgan

Copyright © 2023 by – Brynn Morgan – All Rights Reserved.

It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited.

Chapter 33

Davis's phone was connected to his truck's Bluetooth so that Emily could hear Lainie as she spoke. Her eyes widened."What do you mean? How do you know that it is Penelope?"

"Because I found the pictures that she drew, Emily, and they are scary as hell!" she said in fear.

Emily's cell phone rang at that moment, and it was Clarrisa calling her back. "I have to take this call," she said to Davis and Lainie. She answered it.

"Hey."

Clarrisa sounded breathless.

"Emily. You will not believe what I found out!" she said excitedly. Emily held her breath and waited.

"It is not Clara! Clara is not the one haunting Hastings! Clara was rescued from that room by Jed! The guy that brought up the bricks to her and Pen in the winter. He married her, Emily!"

Emily was silent and then responded. "It is Penelope Clarrisa. Lainie just found some drawings in Bella's room that confirm it. We need to let Vivian know this," she said with dread.

Clarrissa was quiet and then said.

"I will call her now."

***

Davis rushed up to the porch, where Lainie stood, and hugged her tightly."Are you ok?" he asked with great concern. Lainie was trembling horribly in his arms. He held her and watched Emily approach the steps slowly, cautiously, "Can you show me the pictures?" Davis asked Lainie.

She led them into the house and showed them the pictures of the sketches lying on the couch.

Emily picked them up and looked at the drawings. She looked at the horrible image of Penelope, and she shivered deep in her bones.

It was so scary—the look on Penelope's face.

She handed them over to Davis, and he flipped through them, too. "It has been talking and communicating with Bella all along. That is just too much. She was messing with her before Tristan even died."Davis looked at his Sister and Emily."I hope that tonight Vivian can get her to cross over or whatever the hell it is that mediums do," he said in a grave tone.

Emily nodded in agreement.

"Me too, Davis."

***

Hasting's house loomed eerily on the dark summer night. No stars twinkled in the heavy gray sky, and the moon hid its face behind black clouds as if it were afraid to peek out and look down at the mansion. No light shone from the windows, and there were no signs of life, just complete and utter darkness. The inside of the house was still as if it was holding its breath, anticipating what would come. She wandered the dark halls slowly. Penelope felt the intruders approach as she floated down the staircase. She hovered above the door, looking through the window, and saw the approaching car lights and grimaced, shaking and trembling with rage as she rose higher and saw the old woman with the white hair. She hated her. She had seen her before when she channeled through the witch that day.

***

Vivian and the Sisters arrived at seven-thirty at the house, and it began to rain, heavy plops of cold rain that made them shiver as it made contact with their skin. They exited the van and looked up at the mansion with foreboding on their upturned faces.

"Do you feel it, sisters?' Vivian asked in an ominous tone.They looked at her as they donned their black robes and placed the hoods over their heads.

Luna looked at her.

"What, Auntie? What do you feel?"

Vivin shuddered."The war that we are going to encounter here tonight," she said softly, walking up the mansion's steps. "Be ready." She warned. "She is angry."

Two more vehicles drove up the long, winding driveway to the front of the mansion and parked. It was the truck with Davis, Emily, and Lainie, and right behind them was a black suburban with black tinted windows. The driver's side door opened slowly, and the driver got out and went to the passenger side. He opened the door, and slowly, an older man emerged. The man wore a maroon velvet suit, a black dress shirt, and black patent leather shoes that shined. He was dark-skinned, wearing his black hair pulled back in a low ponytail on his neck. He wore large rings, whipped a handkerchief out of his suit pocket, and dabbed at his upper lip where beads of sweat had formed."Lord almighty Vivian, but you know how to pick the hottest places on earth!" he laughed boisterously. He had a thick Creole accent. Vivian smiled and held out her arms to him. She looked ethereal with her long white robes and her snow-white hair.

"Stephan, my dear! Thank you for making the trip!" She said and kissed him gently on both sides of his face. He had to lean down to her because he was so tall.

"Ahh, Viv! I would not have missed it for the world." He said and entwined his arm with hers.

Vivian turned around and faced the small group.

"This is my good friend and fellow medium, Stephan Dupree," she said in the introduction.

Stefan bowed low to them with a flourish and smiled. Like Vivian, he appeared to be in his sixties and had such a presence about him. He seemed untouchable, otherworldly, and he carried himself with authority.

"Stefan possesses the gift of Automatic Writing. He can tell us what the dead are saying through writing tonight if they are present with us," she said.

Stefan looked at them all and then back to the front door; his voice was almost monotone when he spoke.

"The dead will speak tonight, my friends." He said with surety.

Vivian waved her arms for them all to come to her.

"Let's gather in a circle and prepare. Tonight, there must not be any doubt in your heart. If you do not believe, you must leave now because you may endanger the rest of us." She waited, and no one moved. "Very well then. Stephan and I will be the only communicators tonight," Vivian instructed. "You will go to your assigned seats around the table, and there will be a candle placed in front of each of you. We will then begin the seance," she said.

And so it began.

They opened the massive oak doors that creaked on their hinges with protest. Vivian entered first, and Stephan followed behind. The Sisters came in after them. Vivian immediately stopped at the staircase and peered up into the darkness. She could feel her, watching her from the landing. She was not visible, but she was watching and observing them all from above.

"There is white hot anger coming from the top of the steps. Be careful." Vivian warned.

Stephan also looked up the steps and made the cross sign on his chest."My God," he said. "It is strong here. I smell death, so much death," he said mournfully.

Vivian looked at the large circular table centered under the chandelier.

"Davis, will you assist the Sisters in moving some chairs around the table for us? "She asked softly.

Davis looked at Emily and Lainie and went to do her bidding.

Everyone turned as the front door creaked, and three women entered the house wearing all black.

Vivian turned."Welcome, ladies. We have yet to begin. You are just in time," she said with a smile. The women introduced themselves to the group as Ethel Salley, Vivian's Sister; Star Salley, Vivian's niece and Luna's cousin; and Patrice Lamont, Luna's mother.

Davis and the sisters gathered heavy upholstered chairs and placed them around the large oak table. The sisters placed white candles in front of each person, and then Vivian assigned them where to sit.

Davis sat in a seat, and Emily flanked him on his right and Lainie on his left. Stephan sat beside Lainie with a direct view of the stairs. The three women sat beside each other, and Vivian instructed the Sisters to stand at the four corners of the large room, facing North, South, East, and West. Clarrisa stood in the center of the entryway. They all held white candles as well.

Vivian stood at the head of the table.

Her voice was low, almost hypnotic as she spoke.

"I would like to thank all participants for gathering here tonight to clean this house," she said. "I would like each of you to take slow, cleansing breaths and breathe in and out a few times to try and relax, and please hold each other's hands as you do so in the circle."

Every person grabbed on and held the hand of the individual next to them. Lainie felt her hands begin to shake as she held Stephan's hand. He looked at her with deep-set brown eyes and smiled reassuringly.

Vivian bowed her head slowly. Her countenance was eerie in the candlelight reflecting upwards on her face. She was silent and still as a statue. Her voice startled Emily as she spoke into the room lit only by candles. The Sister's bowed their heads, the long black robes concealed their bodies, and the hoods covered their faces."Do all feel calm in this house?" She asked softly.

No one responded. "Please sit in your chairs, place your hands on the table, and join hands." She told them.They all did as Vivian instructed."Please repeat after me," she said. "Dear Penelope, beloved spirit, please move among us and speak to us. We are here to listen. We welcome you with open minds and hearts. You can speak to us." The group repeated those words.

Vivian then lifted her candle to where it was at eye level with her."We come here tonight to cleanse this house," she said. The sisters said softly.

"So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." They chanted.Vivian said.

"We come here tonight to bring light to the darkness."

The sisters repeated three times.

"So mote it be, So mote it be, so mote it be."

She then said.

"We come to free the souls and spirits held captive in this house and lead them to the light."

"So mote it be, so mote it be, so mote it be." The sisters said once again in unison.

Vivian then closed her eyes and said.

"All persons will remain safe and protected during this session."

Emily began to tremble, but she was not sure why. It was so dark, and the candlelight was so scary, reflecting against the walls and the high ceilings, casting eerie shadows. She glanced over to the stairs and gripped Davis's hand tighter. He squeezed it back firmly.

"I would now like each of you to visualize yourselves surrounded by a circle of the purest white light and let it completely cover and comfort you."Vivian sat back down at the table and, reaching into her oversized bag, pulled out a large notepad and a pen. She placed it in front of Stephan, and he took the pen and flipped the pad open to a blank page."I will now communicate with the spirit, so please be quiet and remain still in your seats."

Vivian sighed profoundly, and her voice was calm and monotone in the room."Welcome, Penelope. Are you here with us?" she asked. The silence was unnerving.

Stephan held the pen steady between his fingers.

"We want to help you, sweet child. Will you speak to us?" Vivian cajoled.But again, Vivian was met with stone-cold silence."Penelope. Can you tell me what happened to you? Did you die in this house?"

Lainie struggled to sit in her seat. It was becoming unbearable for her. Her skin prickled, and her senses were on high alert.

"Did you die in this house?" Vivian asked once more.

A door slammed shut somewhere in the house, and it was loud. It sounded like it had come from upstairs.

Emily remembered back to the night that Penelope attacked Lainie, and she remembered the dark, sinister hall that stretched out before and behind them.

"I hear you, Penelope." Vivian acknowledged. "We are listening to you. You can speak to us. Can you make the candle flame dance if that was you?" Vivian waited, but the candle flame did not dance. "Did you die in this house?" Silence surrounded them once again.Vivian breathed deeply."How did you die, Penelope? How did you die here?" she asked with persuasion.

The pen moved slightly in Stefan's grip, and Emily could not believe her eyes.

The pen lowered to the notepad, and then began to write.

Everyone's eyes widened in absolute horror as, over and over again, Stephan wrote the word.

DIE

DIE

DIE

DIE

DIE

Lainie screamed out in panic and latched on to Davis's shoulder."I can't do this," she cried out. "I have to go." Lainie scooted back the chair, and when she did, she stopped. She sat back down. Vivian did not scold her. She just looked at her."This spirit will try you tonight, my dear. Center yourself in your white light." Davis held Lainie's hand tighter than before to let her know he was there to protect her.

"Why are you so angry, Penelope?" Vivian asked softly. "Why do you have so much rage? What happened to you, Penelope? How did you die?"

There needed to be more communication.Vivian rose and looked at Davis."I need you to come with me, Davis, and you, Clarrisa. We need to go upstairs so I can be closer to where Penelope inhabits the halls, stairs, and landing."

Emily's eyes widened in pure panic, and she gripped hard onto Davis's arm. He looked at her and smiled slowly. Lainie wrapped her arm around her shoulder and whispered as he walked away with Vivian.

"He will come back to you, Emily. He will not leave you."

Emily looked at Lainie, and tears sprang to her eyes.

Her lips trembled. "You know?"Lainie smiled tremulously as well.

"I do, and it's a good thing. You and Davis are a good thing."Relief flooded through Emily that Lainie accepted her, but she was so scared to see him climb the stairs into the darkness beyond where she feared that Penelope waited.

***

Vivian, Davis, and Clarrisa climbed the stairs, lit only by the candles. As they neared the top of the landing, Vivian suddenly stopped and doubled over as if in pain."Something terrible happened here, right here, in this spot. I can feel it."She moaned and fell on the step. Davis reached down to help her, and she pushed him away and held on to her throat with her hands, squeezing hard."It was violent... so violent. What happened to you, Penelope?" she moaned again and held her head."I'm blocked! I can't see anything," she said suddenly.

With Davis's help, Vivian rose and climbed the remaining few steps to the landing. She reached out and touched the smooth dark wood of the railing and then jolted as if struck by lightning. She grabbed her neck again viciously, and her eyes bulged as she appeared to be choking herself of her own accord. Her face turned a horrible shade of red, and Clarrisa panicked and grabbed at Vivian's hands."Stop it, Vivian! You are hurting yourself!" She roared.

Vivian finally released her throat and collapsed weakly on the carpet, coughing and sputtering.

"Take me back downstairs so that I can recover. Penelope is so strong. So overwhelmingly strong."

Davis handed his candle to Clarrisa, scooped the tiny old woman into his arms, and carried her down the stairs.Stephan looked at her with concern as Davis lowered her into the chair.

"Is this too much for you, my dear?" He asked slowly, with anxiety in his voice.Vivian nodded.

"I have not felt a force like this before, Stephan. It is so dark and so full of rage that it debilitates me. The rage is all centered on the stairs, the hallway, and the railing. She grabbed his hand, and her voice shook; her eyes were wide.""Something so horrible happened here, Stephan, but I can't see it."Vivian lowered her head to the table, then looked up and stared into the distance."Hand me the papers that Bella drew." She ordered Davis. He handed the rolled sketches to her, and she opened them up and looked at them."She is the key!" She exclaimed and slapped the table hard.

Davis and Lainie looked strangely at Vivian. Vivian's hazel eyes widened, and she looked at them pleadingly."Bella is the key. I need her here to act as a conduit for me to communicate with Penelope."

Lainie cried out."Why do you need Bella? She has been through so much!"Vivian grabbed her hand.

"I know she has, but Bella will be the key, the channel to Penelope speaking through me. She will be safe; if anyone is harmed, it will be me. She is the conduit. Bella may even be psychic as well."Davis did not want Bella involved any further in this. She was an eight-year-old girl who had been traumatized beyond belief. How was Vivian so confident that it would work? He asked himself. Vivan looked at him, reading his thoughts.

"It will work. Bella is the key. Penelope has communicated with Bella for years, and she has not hurt her once because she is a way of communication for her. Penelope used Bella as a conduit, a channel that night with you, Davis! Bella is her voice."

Davis looked at his Sister.

"Go and get Bella and bring her here."

Lainie left immediately, and the seance was paused until Bella's return.