𝖶𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖢𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍: 2,626
𝖶𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌: 𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗀𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖺𝗋𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀, 𝗌𝖾𝗑𝗎𝖺𝗅 𝖺𝗌𝗌𝖺𝗎𝗅𝗍, 𝗆𝗈𝗌𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇.
Esmé's POV
𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗜 arrived at my aunt's house, and she parked the car before we got out. Visiting my aunt, uncle and cousin was the only reason I flew to Texas with my best friend until she came to me saying some ghost hunter guys were looking for a psychic medium. I received the ability to speak to the dead when I was on the brink of death in the hospital when I was sixteen. If you're wondering how I ended up in the hospital, that's a story for another time. Anywho, I walked up the steps of the porch and rang the doorbell hearing her little Maltese puppy barking behind the door.
The door finally opened, revealing my Aunt Alena, who had a warming smile on her face. "Oh, my baby, you made it finally."
"Yes, we were here for a while. We were at the cafe in town, then Celeste over here told some guys I was a psychic medium, and I went on an investigation with them." I rolled my eyes, nodding my head to my best friend next to me.
"How did that go?" My Aunt Alena asked, allowing us inside of the house.
"It was good and bad." I sighed as we followed her to the living room.
"Ezra, take the girl's bags to their room." My Aunt Alena said to my cousin.
Soon, my cousin, Ezra, runs into the living room and greets Celeste and me. "Hey, Esme."
"How are you doing?" I asked my cousin, pulling away from our hug
He grinned, grabbing my suitcase. "Living with this crazy woman, I'm ready to check myself into a mental hospital." I knew he was only joking.
"Boy, take the bags upstairs and hush." My Aunt Alena tells her son, who smiles.
"You, I love you, mommy." He laughed, walking upstairs.
"Have a seat, girls, and tell me what happened with the investigation." She smiled as Celeste, and I sat on the couch, and she sat on the chair.
"Well, when I first walked in, I immediately got overwhelmed with sadness. As I walked down the hall, I came across a female spirit named Madison, she was peeking around corners, but when she knew I could see and speak to her, she replied." I explained, smiling.
"That's amazing." My aunt nodded.
"So Madison told me that she lost her baby by the doctors taking him because they said she was unstable." I continued speaking about my previous experience. "She said they gave her some bad meds and killed her."
"Oh, that's horrible." My aunt expressed, shaking her head. "I can't imagine what she went through"
"As I go to the second floor to a room, there was an angry man that did NOT like women," I said, shaking my head. "He was territorial and slapped me on my ass."
"Are you serious?" She asked in utter shock.
"Yes, and I told him you can NOT touch me like that, then he disappeared." I proceeded to tell my aunt about the reading I did at the abandoned hospital up to the dark thing I saw in the psych ward.
"I'm glad you stood your ground and said a prayer that could help you." My Aunt Alena nodded in approval.
"You should've seen the leader of the team. Esme had him aww struck." Celeste adds in, saying to my aunt
"I did not." I denied shaking my head.
"Yes, you did. Aunt Alena, you should've seen his face." My best friend rolled her eyes.
"Was he cute?" She asked, wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
I blushed because I knew that she knew she had caught me. "Honestly, I was attracted to the leader, and I did give him my number."
The look on my aunt's face made me grab the decorative pillow and cover my beating red cheeks. "No, you didn't."
"I did." I nodded.
'Well, good for you." Aunt Alena nodded in approval.
"I don't even think he'll call," I spoke truthfully, shrugging my shoulders.
"You don't know that. Ghost guy might call tonight." My aunt said, nodding her head. "Have you been taking your meds?"
"Yes, I have. Celeste makes sure I do. She's like my personal alarm." I groaned, rolling my eyes, but I love my best friend.
Celeste was the only person that took care of me when I was going through depression. She would hold me at night when I couldn't sleep and bring me soup when I was sick. My best friend acts as my caregiver, who motivated me to continue with my life.
Hours passed after Celeste, and I spoke with my aunt when we got ready for bed. After showering, I threw on an oversized graphic t-shirt before lying in bed.
I stood off to the side as I watched my parents socialize with their guests. Today they had their usual brunch gathering, and of course, this man had to show up.
"Esme be nice to him." My father smiled before walking away.
Not replying, I walked away. Later that night, I could hear him speaking to my parents from the top of the stairs. He asked my father if he could crash here for the night, and of course, he agreed. On top of that, he gave the guest bedroom next to mine to him. As he turned to walk up the stairs, I quickly went to my room and locked the door, hoping to stop him from coming in. I tried telling my parents that my dad's friend creeps me out, but they laughed, shaking their heads, dismissing my feelings, so I knew they wouldn't believe me if I told them.
An hour passed when I could hear footsteps walking down the hallway towards my room. Suddenly I could listen to my doorknob turn, but the door didn't open then a deep chuckle from the man. After some time, he picked my lock, and the door opened, and I quickly hid under my comforter. My bed dipped beside me, and I felt his cold grubby hands around my waist. His perverted lips were on the back of my neck.
"You think locking the door can stop me from having you, sweetheart?" He asked, chuckling in my ear. His hand trailed up my front to my breast and groped them.
I silently prayed as tears fell down my face. I felt like I had no one to turn to, no one I could trust. I feel hopeless.
--
That night replayed in my head, and I didn't know what to do. My parents wouldn't believe me caring about their image and what people say about them. As I stared down at the cars going by, I wanted the pain to end. I glanced to my left and saw a vehicle approaching me, and I stepped onto the pavement. The car didn't even have a chance to react, and my body went flying.
As I could feel my body shutting down, I smiled, finally feeling free.
I don't know how but I come to, and as I'm glancing around, I see people in scrubs all around me. Why are they doing this? Why can't they let me die?
The beeping sound makes me open my eyes, and I see someone standing next to my bed. It was glowing bright, and it felt protective and loving. Someone I wish I had at home. The bright light faded and formed into a man with long brown hair and a face full of hair.
"It's not your time to go." He reaches to me and wipes a tear that fell down my face. The man smiles down at me before leaning over and kissing my forehead. After he did that, he was gone as quickly as he appeared.
Shooting up in bed, I feel arms wrap around me and pull me close.
"Shh, it's okay, Esme. You're okay." Celeste's calm voice said as she soothingly rubbed my back.
I cried as Celeste held me, pulling my knees up to my chest.
Zak's POV
In Gordonsville, VA, the crew and I investigated a haunted hotel. Constructed in 1860, the Exchange Hotel was built beside a vital railroad junction, offering offloading passengers a place to rest. Sadly the Civil War came, and the hotel was conveyed into a receiving hospital two years later. Over 25,000 soldiers were sick and wounded to the hotel in less than a year. By the time the war had ended, the number of death had skyrocketed to over 70,000.
Over 7,000 people are rumored to have been buried on the surrounding ground during the war. Eyewitnesses reported seeing an apparition of a little girl named Emma on the third floor, nuns dressed in black gliding up & down the staircases, and then a confederate soldier with a bandaged head and leg who held a conversation with tourists for fifteen minutes. Many people report hearing things and smelling odd scents in the hotel.
Billy and Jay were inside the hotel setting up cameras as Aaron and I stood outside, coming up with a game plan before lockdown.
"I think you should do an EVP in the foyer by the staircase where people say the nun is said to be roaming," I suggested crossing my arms.
"Why me?" He questioned, open-mouthed.
"I'm going to take the spirit box to the third floor where Emma is roaming the hallways," I nodded.
"Why am I still friend with you?" Aaron asked, shaking his head.
"You love me." I playfully chuckled.
"But it's not fair," Aaron whined like a child.
"Come on, stop acting like a baby," I said, smacking his arm.
"Do you think we should call the psychic medium from yesterday?" Aaron asked as we walked into the hotel.
"Even if we did, she's in Texas," I replied, shaking my head.
For some reason, I felt something in me that tugged at the sound of her name. Something about her makes me want to find out more about her.
--
During the lockdown, the guys and I captured more evidence than any other place we investigated. Not only did we capture apparitions, but we also had intelligent EVPs, shadows, and doors slamming shut. Before we packed up everything, I wanted to sit in the room where a lady committed suicide in her bed. I wanted to do it alone to see if she would come through. I took a recorder and the spirit box upstairs to her room and sat in the chair.
First, I started with the recorder. "Is Mary here with me?" It was eerily quiet other than the crickets chirping.
A while later, I decided to go over the recording. After asking if Mary was here with me, I got a clear response.
'I'm here.'
Turning on the spirit box, I began asking more questions. "Why did you kill yourself, Mary?"
Suddenly a woman's voice came through. 'Heartbroken.'
"What did your lover do to break your heart?" I questioned into the quiet room.
'He laid with another.'
"There was a better way to deal with that pain. Suicide is never the answer." I replied, shaking my head. Well, what can I say? I almost killed myself when I was younger from being bullied in school.
'I'm sorry.'
Suddenly a wave of sadness came over me, and I let the tears fall.
"I'm sure your family mourned your death. Imagine the pain your mother went through knowing she had to bury her child." I sniffled, wiping my face.
'Feelings.'
'Esmé.'
'Bad past.'
"What are you trying to tell me?" I asked the spirit. Hearing those words come through the spirit box confused me and conflicted me. I was excited that I was getting responses but scared because how could she possibly know who Esmé is if she was never here.
'She needs you.'
Hearing enough, I got up and left the room to the nerve center where Aaron, Billy, and Jay were gathering everything up. "You guys won't believe what I just captured up in Mary's room."
Sitting down, I replayed the recorder and showed them the feed from the camera that was still upstairs.
After they listened to the recording twice, they all had a look of shock on their faces.
"Dude, her voice is so clear." Aaron gasped in shock.
"Exactly, but what's making me creeped out is that how does mary know the name of Esmé?" I questioned, looking at the guys.
"Why did she say that Esmé needs you?" Jay asked me, confused.
"Didn't you hear what came through the spirit box? Feelings, Esmé, and bad past." Aaron said, looking at each of us. "She's saying Esmé needs Zak because of her bad past. Maybe you should call her."
"Oh shit, that makes sense." Billy nodded, looking back at the screen.
"But how do you think she's going to react when you say that a spirit was talking about you?" Aaron questioned, and I shrugged. He's right, in this case. I don't know how Esmé will react if I contact her from the number she gave me.
"She might karate chop you in the face." Jay joked teasingly. The guys joined him in fits of laughter.
"Whatever, let's wrap this up and leave." I sighed, rolling my eyes.
The crew and I gathered up all the cameras and equipment then loaded everything up in the truck before we got in, and Billy drove to the hotel.
I sat in my hotel room on the bed with the number Esmé wrote down and gave me when we first met, contemplating if I should give her a call. So many thoughts ran through my head on the possible outcomes of this situation.
Will she think I'm weird?
Would she even answer the phone?
What will she say when I tell her about the spirit of Mary and what she told me?
"Come on, Zak, it's not that hard. Just call her." I coached myself, sighing.
Picking up my phone, I dialed the number on the piece of paper and put it to my ear, listening to the dial tone. After a while, I finally hear Esmé's sweet familiar voice.
Esmé - I was expecting your call.
H-How did you know I was going to call?
Esmé - Belle, told me.
Who's Belle?
Esmé - A ten-year-old little girl. So what do I owe the pleasure of this call?
I'll be back in Vegas tomorrow. Do you think we can meet up?
Esmé - Send me the address, and I'll think about it.
Thank you, Esmé.
Esmé - You're welcome.
Once I hung up, I released the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Never did I feel like this before. I never got so nervous to talk to a woman on the phone with my past ex-girlfriends. I know Esmé's different from them.
--
The sun barely peeked over the horizon when the team and I checked out of the hotel and got back on the road to head home. Once I arrived home, the second I walked through the door, my dog Gracie bounced on me.
"I missed you too, Gracie." I smiled, kissing her.
"Welcome back, Mr. bagans." My dog sitter Stefanie smiled, greeting me.
"How was she, Stefanie?" I asked, setting my stuff down.
"She was good. We had loads of fun." She replied, scratching behind Gracie's ear.
"So I'll see you again next week?" I questioned as she grabbed her backpack.
"Sure. See you later, Mr. Bagans, and bye Gracie." She smiled before leaving.
"Come on, Gracie. I could use a shower and a nap." I said and walked to my bathroom to shower and crashed in bed for a much-needed rest.