Chapter 15
Exclamations, muted cursing, and chairs crashing backwards filled the window alcove with additional noise; the screaming and yelling slowly changed to a low whimpering from the medium as the storm continued to pound outside. The reddish orange glow from the fire and the continuing flashes of ice white lightning cast an odd illumination throughout the spacious room but allowed Captain Stanley to reach the nearest lamp without tripping over anything or anybody. He switched it on and began an appraising gaze over the occupants.
Mrs. Butler was the only person still seated in a chair. Her head was buried in her arms, long dark hair draped over and blending into the black silky cloth covering the table. Her shoulders were shaking to accompany the high pitched keening still emitting from her. Mrs. Torres approached her with purposeful movements and spoke to her quietly before extending a hand and touching her carefully on the shoulder. That effectively halted the annoying sound and Hank couldn't help a half smile; Marco's great aunt definitely knew how to handle people.
Out of the corner of his eye he caught the lanky form of his ever capable engineer; he was circling the room, turning on more lights. As he passed near the doorway that led out of the room he jerked a thumb towards a large shadow and Hank's eyes tracked to what he now recognized as the slightly hunched over form of his younger lineman. Kelly was bent awkwardly, arms folded tightly to his body, fading into the gloom that the soft lighting did not touch. His odd posture, his quietness, and his apparent desire to escape rang warning bells in Stanley's mind. He took a step towards him, intent on finding out what the atypical behavior meant. The lineman might be a goofball at times but he was a good man and wouldn't flee a sinking ship without rendering assistance.
A faint choking sound caught his attention however, and he whirled back towards the front. The strangling sound was coming from Gage, who was lying on the floor on the opposite side of the women with his legs out of sight under the gently swaying cloth of the séance table. His hands were clutching his throat and his face was contorted with pain. Stanley sprang forward and crouched at John's side, calling out DeSoto's name. Where the devil was he?
The moment he stretched out his hand and touched the paramedic's nearest wrist the heart rending gasps stopped. The hands that had been clawing at his neck dropped to the floor as Roy appeared, falling clumsily at John's side, breathing heavily. They stared at Johnny as his eyes fluttered opened and he blinked at them in confusion.
"Are you all right?" Hank asked incredulously, leaning over and peering at the man's neck. He pointed wordlessly at the bruises encircling Gage's neck like a necklace of fingers; Roy blew out an audible breath and muttered an indecipherable word. It sounded suspiciously like "Alice" to the astounded leader and he nodded in understanding.
"Yeah I guess so….." Johnny whispered, raising a tentative hand back towards his neck. Roy immediately grabbed it and pushed it down, instinctively moving into medic mode even as he tried to force his own panic down. He had been unable to reach his friend when the choking had started, couldn't move; in fact he had been barely able to breathe. He had dropped to his knees hoping to reach Johnny's side but the impulsive move had not improved his mobility. It had been like trying to fight his way through a mound of his mother-in-law's lemon gelatin and sauerkraut side dish….*
Aided by the two men, John slowly sat up and grimaced as he swallowed. Roy's concern mounted at the obviously painful movement and he wondered how much damage had been inflicted by the psycho spirit. Clearly this situation had gone far beyond their juvenile attempts to rid Gage of the Alice ghost, spirit, or whatever she was; it was time to call in the experts, whoever they might be. Hopefully Marco or Chet could help them find someone, right after they got medical assistance for Johnny.
DeSoto scrambled to his feet and tried to assist his fellow medic but Johnny was having none of it. He shook off both of their helping hands and got up. He peered suspiciously around the room and visibly jumped as another crack of thunder reverberated through the room, cracking a tight smile as both Roy and Hank did the same.
"That one was close," he said softly, waving a hand at his friend as he again tried to help him. "I'm okay, Roy, my throat's just a bit sore, but no damage I think."
"Still," Roy began, and looked to their captain for help.
Hank Stanley shook his head. "If he says he's fine, he's fine. However, we're not on duty here, John, but I would appreciate it if you would at least let Roy take a quick look at you to allay his fears."
A glare at Roy but then the younger man moved over to one of the winged armchairs and sank into it. "Is everybody else okay? Who was doing all the screaming and yelling?"
"I thought that was you yelling?" Stanley asked with his bushy eyebrows arching upwards as he contemplated that puzzling bit of information. He reached over and switched the antique floor lamp over to the three light-bulb illumination to aid Roy. "We all know that was Mrs. Butler screaming, but as to the male voice after that?"
Johnny shook his head, trying to hold still as Roy finished checking his pulse and then peered at the finger marks on his throat. "No, wasn't me, although I do remember..."
"Go ahead, son, I know the whole story," Hank gently encouraged at the paramedic's obvious hesitation. He lowered his towering stance to one knee and placed a hand on the chair's arm, near but not too close.
Casting a wary look around the room once more, Gage drew in a sharp breath. "Well, I felt something cold coiling around my legs, and then it started swirling around me, moving up, trying to, ah, envelop me, possess me, whatever, and then it seemed like the gates of hell broke loose."
Roy, remembering the electrifying shock that had passed through their joined hands, nodded slowly as he internally debated about how exactly one would describe that brief moment in time. Aside from confusing and terrifying that is, because while those two descriptions could apply quite easily, there were many more words that could be used. The noise that had built in a slow crescendo, both outside and in, the suffocating thickness of the air, and then of course the explosive conclusion of the shock that had forced him to unwillingly release Gage's hand. He had felt a powerful force exploding over the table that had shot him backwards; he had managed to land on his feet although the chair had crashed behind him.
"Can you recall anything else?" Stanley prompted.
"Aside from that powerful wind knocking both me and my chair over, you mean? I have to assume I wasn't the only one who felt that, since most of you were either on the floor with me or had your chairs blown over." Johnny's voice had taken on a defensive note and had risen with each word. He glanced towards Roy and startled visibly when he realized he was only several inches away. He hastily dropped his head, but not before Roy caught the flash of guilt in his eyes. Johnny was definitely not telling everything but what was it that he was holding back?
"Sorry Cap," Gage mumbled, his hands betraying his frayed emotions as he clenched and unclenched them. "I don't really remember anything after that, just trying to get free of my chair and hearing that medium screeching like a banshee."
"You have nothing to be sorry for, John, it's been a hell of a night. Unfortunately, I have the very uneasy feeling that it's not over yet." Their captain jerked his head towards the doorway and both paramedics dutifully turned their eyes in that direction. Mrs. Torres was standing there, carrying on a low voiced conversation with a very short, rotund man. Garbed in a black suit with a bright red vest visible, the man was rocking back and forth on his shiny black shoes and gesticulating wildly with his hands. His hair consisted of a black fringe encircling his odd shaped head while the black theme continued with square shaped glasses perched at the end of a rather long nose.
Roy snorted through his nose as he tried not to giggle. Johnny might be feeling frustrated, defensive, and even angry right now but he was bordering on hysteria. After all, in his right frame of mind would he even imagine that the roily poly man would remind him of a Weeble? If he tipped, would he just wobble back up? **
"DeSoto, get a grip man!" John hissed, poking him in the ribs. Roy covered his mouth and widened his eyes innocently, tearing his stare away from the still talking little man. He brushed away the poking finger and smirked. Noting that Stanley had risen to his feet and strolled over to their hostess's side, he pushed Johnny back in his chair and leaned over him menacingly. This time his eyes widened in shock as he noticed Gage's neck; he grazed the skin with his fingers ignoring the automatic flinch away.
"Johnny, your neck, those bruises have disappeared." He pulled back, checked over his shoulder to see if their leader was still engaged elsewhere, and returned his attention to his flustered friend. "What was it that you didn't want to say in front of Cap?"
"Uh, umm, well, that's just it you see. I don't think it was…" a gulp and Gage's eyes darted furtively around the room as if searching for someone. When he continued, his partner had to lean forward once again to catch the words. "I'm pretty sure it wasn't Alice that was trying to strangle the life out of me."
"Whoa, how do you figure that?" Roy stared at him and the neck that was indeed now bruise free. The whole room briefly lit up as lightning bathed it in its peculiar silvery brilliance; the rain pounding on the roof and slashing against the wavy old glass of the windows increased in ferocity.
"Because I think it was whoever helped me on the stairs back at the old house the other night, you know, when we were coming down?"
Roy was skeptical. "So whoever it was tried to help you last shift, and tonight they were trying to kill you?"
"I don't think Casper was trying to hurt me, I call him that, I think he was trying to force Alice, uh, Alice out of me."
"You can't be serious!" Surprised at this revelation, DeSoto dropped back onto his rear and rubbed his arms. He shivered at both Johnny's theory and the wind that had started up again, rattling tree branches against the ancient house and funneling out gustily through the fireplace. Embers followed, danced up against the fire screen, and slowly drifted downwards back into the firebox.
John, eyes following the potential fire hazard, sighed and turned back to Roy, who had finally settled down into the chair across from his. He leaned an elbow on the plush arm of the seat and settled his chin down on his closed fist, fighting the urge to close his eyes and blank out the night's happenings.
"Twas a dark and stormy night," he began in a deep voice, allowing his eyes to close halfway as he tried to relax.
"Which officially begins and ends here," finished an equally male rumble. Cocking his head quizzically, Johnny looked up at Hank, back beside his chair. "I'll let the lady of the house impart the news."
"My dear fellows and Mrs. Butler, do you recall that rather low bridge that you all had to cross getting here?" Several groans of understanding met her query and Mrs. Torres nodded. "Yes, I am afraid so. That is the only road into the canyon as you are well aware. The good news is that I have plenty of rooms here for you all to spend the night; however, you must make any phone calls now to your loved ones before the power goes out, as it surely will. My assistant Mr. Lacey will show you to the phone….."
Roy, Mike, and Hank strolled out of the room, following the mesmerizing roll of Mr. Lacey. Chet and Marco immediately appeared in front of Gage, who leaned back in the chair and regarded them with curiosity.
"Where have you two been?" Silence followed, and the dark haired man shifted uneasily. "You guys ok?"
Chet glanced at the other lineman before clearing his throat. "Sure, Johnny, we're just fine. We've been here all this time, just ah, ah…."
"Just ah, ah, what, exactly?" Johnny shot out, patience finally exhausted and anger beginning to leak out from the tight control he held it in. "That lady is screaming her head off, the wind is tearing the roof off, and something has me by the throat and you don't know what's what? And which one of you was matching the vocals of our famed medium?"
"Look, Johnny, we got knocked on the floor too. You remember I was next to you?" Marco asked anxiously, for Gage had bolted out of his chair and circled around behind them, forcing the linemen to turn.
"Yeah, so what if you were?" His question was deceptively soft but his lips were drawn tight against his teeth and his hands, hanging straight from locked elbows, had formed into claws.
Without thinking about it, Lopez's fingers went up to his necklace and gained needed strength and comfort. He really wanted to step close to Johnny and take a look at his eye color just in case Alice was making an appearance but he refrained, unsure of what the reaction would be. "It's just that we're not sure what happened after that kind of electrical charge, or whatever it was."
"Neither one of you can remember anything?" Two shakes of heads and John plowed on. "Then what have you been doing since the captain, or maybe it was Stoker, turned on the lights?"
Another quick glance between the two men and Gage emitted a growling noise that had Chet stepping sideways to bump shoulders with his friend. "Are you guys in the first grade or something, gotta get your stories straight? Or do you really think you're sitting in an interrogation room in a police station?"
"There's no story to get straight between us; I have no idea where Chet was when the lights started coming on. I was on the floor and heard you choking, but I swear Johnny, I couldn't move! It was like something was wrapped around me and squeezing. Do you know what I mean?" Marco threw out his arms in exasperation, slapping Kelly with his open hand, which resulted in a squawk of protest.
John visibly relaxed at the unintended smack, and realized Marco was telling the truth, along with being embarrassed about his inability to help. One of those strong feelings that he had become very familiar with himself these last few days along with having had the same experience of not being able to move. Lopez's explanation also made him consider the fact that he had no idea where even Roy had been those first few minutes after the surprising jolt of power; after all, hadn't the captain called for him?
When he lifted his head from his musings, ready with an apology for his shift mates, Chet had slipped away. Marco was staring at what was left of the fire, hands in his front pockets and shoulders slumped.
"I'm sorry man, I'm uptight and shouldn't have lost my cool," Gage said, laying a hand on the other man's shoulder.
Marco, absorbed in his thoughts, twitched slightly and flashed a tired smile. "I think under the circumstances, Johnny, you have every right to be "uptight". Why don't we go see what rooms Aunt Maria has come up with for us before the power goes, because once it does….…"
He shook his whole body violently, eliciting the intended laugh from the medic. Thunder boomed again and they both flinched in unison before hurrying towards Marco's aunt, who was once again conversing with the medium. Mrs. Butler had not moved from her chair in the alcove but had at least seemed to have regained some of her composure. Her untidy hair was tucked behind her ears and she was nervously pulling on one of her hoop earrings.
"Excuse us, tía Maria, but I was wondering which rooms you would like us to use tonight? I think you said the blue room for Chet and me, es verdad?"
"Oh yes, that is correct, my dear boy. Mr. Gage, do you mind sharing with Mr. DeSoto? I have only two rooms that have twin beds, the rest are set up the same as… let's just say the rest of the bedrooms have double beds." Mrs. Torres giggled, her face lit up in merriment.
Johnny hesitated a second, a bubble of distrust beginning to form concerning DeSoto, but forced a nod. "Sure, that's fine, ma'am."
If she noticed the pause in his answer, she didn't let on; she clapped her hands together. "Splendid! Marco, show this fine young man to the room next to yours, and I shall have the Captain and Mr. Stoker occupy the rooms on either side. Mrs. Butler, dear, you will have the room right next to mine."
"But I cannot stay in this house any longer, especially overnight!" The woman protested, tossing her head. Eyes narrowing and face twisting into an ugly shape, she pointed an emphatic finger at Johnny. "And you, you bring great evil here!"
Johnny slapped a hand to his chest ready to do his own protesting but paused and took a cautious step backwards. The fear that was radiating off the medium washed over him and he wondered if she really did have some kind of mystic power, or at least was sensitive to her surroundings. Confused, he shook his head and kept his mouth shut.
Keeping his own thoughts and comments to himself, Marco snagged him by the arm and tugged him away. "Come on John, my aunt can calm her down. There's no place she can go tonight, and once she sees that, she'll cool it."
Following the lineman, Gage glanced over his shoulder. Mrs. Butler was still staring at him and he felt a quiver of foreboding shoot through his body. He stumbled and resolutely turned his head, quickening his step. He could still feel her eyes boring into his back as he entered the wide hallway. Here it was calmer, the rain muted and the lightning flashes unseen. Strangely though, the quiet made him tense up and he abruptly stopped several feet into the area, trying to put a positive spin on his growing paranoia and pretending it was nothing more than nerves. He gritted his teeth and hoped Alice wasn't trying to make an appearance; he hadn't had much success in keeping her at bay that was for sure.
The crew of "A" shift was scattered throughout the hall. Stoker was sitting on a wooden bench inset into the wall and talking on the phone, while Hank was conversing with Chet near the dining room doorway. Roy was loitering casually at the base of the staircase, one foot perched on a step and the rest of him leaning into an ornately carved newel post. When he saw Gage, he straightened up and approached, smiling.
"Hey Johnny, I got my phone call in." His grin faltered at the look on his partner's face. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, just fine," he answered flatly, his eyes flicking from Roy to Chet and back again. Where HAD those two been? He rubbed his arms, unsure of whether it was from the chilly draft eddying about him or just the plain fact that he was suddenly very distrustful of some of his fellow firemen.
Mrs. Torres's pleasant voice interrupted the conversations. "My guests, here are some candles and matches for you to take upstairs, as well as the more modern flashlights. It never hurts to have backups for the backups, yes?"
Smiles and polite chuckles of laughter met her query. Hank, always the leader, stepped forward and took responsibility for the lights, both kinds, handing them out to his crew and Mrs. Butler, who stood well away from the men. She accepted them ungraciously and continued to glare at Johnny.
Gage, feeling her animosity, stiffened and turned his head to stare back at her, refusing this time to back down. She held the shared gaze for a moment then dropped her head and pointedly turned her back to him.
Roy watched the interaction, both puzzled and alarmed. "What was that all about? Does she remember us, you, from the Teal house?"
"I think it's more than that, my good friend," he answered sarcastically, his eyes narrowing as he turned the same challenging stare upon Roy. "I'm possessed, remember, and somehow she knows it. My question is who's the person in this house who has that other hitchhiking spirit attached to them? You and Kelly are the only two of our crew that were unaccounted for after that séance, and YOU are the only one that has been around me this whole last week while on shift. Or maybe good old Alice has really possessed you this whole time…"
"You don't actually believe it's me do you John? I mean, come on, that's impossible." DeSoto, realizing his mouth was hanging open in shock at the thinly veiled accusation, snapped it closed. Hadn't his partner seen him trying to crawl towards him, a slow motion creep through a pond of molasses, while he was choking? Apparently not, especially since Stanley hadn't seen him either. Chet on the other hand…..And Johnny had not been told about the green eyes he seemed to acquire whenever Alice took hold of him, so that was their fault. It was time for a full disclosure no matter what the results.
"Look Johnny, there's some things I need to tell you, things that I guess we haven't," his voice dropped off, covered up by an earsplitting explosion of thunder that rocked the house on its foundation. The two large chandeliers that adorned the plastered ceilings swung violently, flickered, and plunged the hall into complete darkness.
Thankfully this time there were no screams or yells, just the low murmur of calm voices and the normal sound of flashlights clicking on. Roy pivoted on his heel and noted that they were all in the same positions as before. Mr. Lacey joined them from a hall that narrowed and went beyond the grand staircase; he swung a lantern in his hand and seemed unconcerned at the power outage.
"Well, folks, I suggest we head upstairs and get settled in for the night." Captain Stanley said.
Mrs. Torres nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's do just that. Mr. Lacy will check the house once more, and I will show you the location of the two bathrooms. All the necessities are in there, towels, etc., as well as toothbrushes, which I am sure none of you have."
She proceeded up the wide staircase, her shoes making no sound on the carpeted runner that protected the original wood. Mrs. Butler darted forward and stayed at her heels; Hank followed, with Marco behind him and Mike bringing up the rear. Roy shone his light about to see where Kelly had disappeared to and spied him hesitating near the phone bench, a hand to his forehead as if he had a headache.
Roy turned around to ask Gage if he had any aspirin on him and froze as he flicked the flashlight up to his friend's face. He gasped and reached out a hand.
"Johnny…"
~TBC~
A/N – *sorry couldn't resist, but I really can see Jo's snooty but also severely economical mother making this "interesting" Jell-O dish from the Better Homes and Gardens Library: lemon flavored gelatin, can of sauerkraut, green onion tops, and pimiento, as well as horseradish flavored mayonnaise!
** Remember the catchy song/phrase "Weebles Wobble but they don't fall down"? These are part of Hasbro's line of Playskool toys that came out in the 1970's, and are still made today.