Her apartment was haunted. That was the conclusion Anaya had come to. It wasn't the sanest one, nor was it the most rational but here she was, on the beaten up sofa she called hers surrounded by books on the subject.
If one was scared of the dark, you got a nightlight. If snails were eating your mail you got snail pellets. Likewise she would find a way to deal with this problem. So far the best and only advice she had gotten on the subject was off of the movie 'the exorcist' she saw three years ago. Unfortunately she lacked such things as a priest .
Anaya was now speed reading through the texts, jotting down notes and points of interest on an old school pad she had found under her bed.
In one column she had listed all the signs she had. The water, the moving door, the noises, even the strange smell that had developed a few days ago. It smelt of rotting seaweed and brine and Anaya had nearly suffocated herself with pine freshness to try and blot it out.
In the other column were listed down the possibilities of what it could be. So far she hadn't seen anything just the results which ruled out apparitions. Whatever it was it was active and did not seem to be repeating itself, so the theory of it being some playback from a tragic evens seemed unlikely. They were usually reserved for battlefields or places of historical notice anyway.
The most likely candidate was a poltergeist. The movie had scared the hell out of her when she was a kid and the memory was not appreciated now.
She kept the wooden bat by her at all times within easy reach but Anya swore to herself the minuet her teddy, Mr. Bubbles, started moving she was out of there.
As long as it was daylight things seemed to be fine but daylight was running out. To be more precise daylight was not lasting as long as she would like.
Every few minuets she'd look up at the clock or look outside at the sun and chew her lip, the sick feeling in her gut only growing worse.
There had to be something here, something that could help. One that didn't involve moving was preferred.
Finding a place with cheap rent was a one in a million chance. Of course finding out it had a late night wanderer as well probably explained the bargain.
Sighing she closed the book, rubbing her eyes. They were getting sore from all the reading. She needed to get out, to clear her head. Maybe something would turn up...
Anaya jerked her head, looking around fuzzily. The credits were rolling on screen and the light from the tv wasshowing the room in a muted grey.
She had passed by the local blockbusters while trying to clear her head and had given in to impulse, renting out the exorcist and other similar movies. It was a move she was regretting.
If they were anything to go by then she was well and truly screwed, and most likely going to get possessed at some point. This did little to allay her fears.
She had her bat though, and a little something extra she had picked up incase. Just let any damn ghost come near...wait, didn't she leave the lights on?
Slowly she reached for the bat resting at her feet.
She had left the lights on, she remembered distinctly switching every single one on.
The rooms were dark now, only the light from the tv illuminating everything.
If she hadn't then who had? The smell came again, the smell of fish and salt and sand, it wafted from the kitchen.
The sofa faced away from the kitchen, the back obscuring her from view. Slowly, cautiously not to make noise she moved off the cushions and crouched on the floor.
Okay now what?
Tap
She froze
Tap
It came from the kitchen doorway
Tap
Something was trying to retreat silently. Retreat was good, it meant the ghosts back was turned. But couldn't ghosts see behind them anyway? That wasn't a helpful thought.
Ghosts were meant to be ethereal, all seeing omnipotent beings. Or was that god?
The two were getting mixed up in her mind.
Tap
If she waited long enough then the ghost would be gone. But that wouldn't be solving the problem, it would come back tomorrow night, and the night after.
Did she want that? No she did not.
Tap
She had to do something . And crouching here with her heart hammering away was not productive.
Anaya gripped the bat tighter.
'okay, i can do this. I can do this. It's my home. It's invaded my home, my privacy, my fridge and by god it will feel my wrath!'
Before she could stop herself she quickly rolled for the wall, sprung to her feet and swung the bat out with all her might.
The bat slammed into something and held fast.
Wait a sec, ghosts were ethereal. Solid objects were useless against them. The bat should of gone right through it. Which meant it was not a ghost but instead a person. A person had broken into her house while she was sleeping.
She tried to wrench it free and swing again. It didn't budge.
A low pitch noise sounded from a few feet in front of her. Something that sounded very much like an annoyed growl.
Anaya let go of the bat quickly, all bravo fading with that noise.
"F..fine...keep it"
There was a splintering and it fell to the floor. It had been crushed in two.
Anaya backed up fast, nearly taking a header over the sofa.
Tap
Tap
Tap
Something stepped forward into the illumination of the tv.
Something that did not belong on land, did not belong anywhere except in nightmares.
Something that was not human.
It was humanoid, had the features of a man but distorted and morphed with aquatic creatures. A mass of small tentacles framed it's face like some grotesque beard. They constantly moved, swaying with every step it took. It's body was encrusted with barnacles and he wore the garb of someone from the seventeen hundreds. A maritime monster that walked right out of the ocean depths.
Tap
The noise was it's leg. A crab leg in a bizarre imitation of a sailors peg leg, massively sized to fit it's body. It was moving closer. And it was not happy.
Anaya cringed back as he leaned forward, easily dwarfing her small frame.
She whimpered, terrified, feeling the breath against her face. The smell of something festering for years in the damp cold. Rotting away with the passage of time. She nearly gagged.
"Don't. do. that. again"
A faint part of her wondered why a monster would have a Scottish accent. The rest of her was more concerned with it being in her face.
She didn't even realize she was nodding frantically to his warning, willing to say anything to get him to leave her alone.
Just as suddenly he was gone, headed back into the kitchen.
With the monster no longer in her face Anaya was able to breath again. A flood of emotion washed through her with relief being the most prominent, followed by anger. How dare he. How dare this creature scare her like that! in her house, in her HOME where she was suppose to feel safe!
And that's when Anaya did something very stupid.
He had barely made it through the doorway, having to step through sideways with his large frame, when a small glass shattered against the his back. It was completely ineffective, the barnacles providing more than enough shielding but it caused him to stop nother the less.
He turned.
Anaya's face changed on seeing those eyes glare back at her.
"...oops"
She quickly backed up to put as much distance between them. Her mind running on overdrive to think of something. anything! and fast!
"um...back ye fowl demon...thing!"
His face twitched a little.
Please, movies don't fail me now...oh gods he's coming closer!
Anaya gave it her all. The exorcism still fresh in her mind she squared her shoulders, threw up her hands to make a cross and did her best to imitate a drunken priest.
"The power of Christ compels you!"
There was a pause. The creature stared. It's body began to shake.
Wha...it worked?
Not quite.
The monster threw back his head and laughed. It howled in mirth at the site if this child, this scared little mortal, still half asleep yet somehow thinking that this display...this...what was this? that it could somehow fend him off?
His body shook with the force of his laughter, he had to use the doorway for support.
Anaya was a little bewildered. No one likes being laughed at, and this creature was definitely laughing at her. Since it gave her a stay of execution she felt it a good thing, and with imminent doom no longer bearing forth (it was now laughing itself sick on the wall) her body did the sanest thing yet. She fainted dead away.
Yes fainting is quite the cliche but i liked the line it's used in, so it stayed.
This little chapter idea came from the image of someone flicking holy water at a Davy Jones crossing his arms with an 'are you done yet' look on his face. Can't you just picture it? oh the mirth
Now for this story to work your going to have to do a little 'suspending of disbelief' here. Yes i know Davy Jones is only allowed on land once every ten years (Even then, what for?) and yes what good reason does he have for being in this apartment? Well if i get a next chapter up it will hopefully explain it. or it might be integrated as a plot mystery thing as to how and why he's there.
The irony of asking for the suspension of disbelief on the motives of a completely fictitious character that's half man half squid is not lost on me.
No i have not watch the Exocist. It probably shows. I do know of its cultural significance however and if faced with a possible haunting i would check it out for advice. Not very good advice since i believe it deals with possession and not ghosts but hey, supernatural is supernatural.