This is part of the end of the ghost plot. Keep in mind, there's a second plot with Shawn Michaels going on, and they still need to resolve things with him. So don't get mad at me when I get around to HBK! It's an interesting plot, too, it's just not as supernatural.
Chapter 19: Drawing Blood
Day Six at the Haunted House
They came down from the attic and Rey had gave both photographs to Batista, who tucked them gingerly into an inside pocket of his jacket.
"Dave, please be careful with those."
"I will, Rey-Rey, don't you worry."
Rey raised his head to look up into Batista's eyes. Rey's were full.
"I feel bad things in this house. The murders…just thinking about them…it's just so terrible, that it scares me."
Batista rubbed his thumb affectionately across Rey's cheekbone.
"Buddy, don't you worry. I won't let you get hurt."
Rey swallowed shakily.
Batista set his hand on Rey's cheek and lifted the compact man's face back up toward his.
Rey's deep eyes gleamed beautifully.
"Try not to think about the ghosts, Rey. Try not to."
Rey blinked slowly. "Okay."
Batista embraced him. "Rey, you're doing well so far. It's almost over. You've almost finished everything. You just need to help Sylvia and then we can all rest easy, okay?"
Rey hugged his friend in return. "Yeah. Okay, man, I-I can do that."
Batista patted his back gently. "All right. Let's go get some dinner."
**
Batista fell asleep on a couch waiting for ten o'clock to arrive. He'd set the photographs on the coffee table and Rey stared at them for hours on end. The luchador knew every detail about both pictures by the time ten o'clock was ready to roll around.
Everyone else had fallen asleep even before Batista. Rey was alone.
He sighed when it was one minute until ten.
He'd waited as long as he could for Batista to wake up on his own.
"Dave," he whispered.
No response at all from the large man with his mouth hanging open on the couch. His feet lay dangling over the arm of the couch he was so tall. He was breathing loudly.
"Dave," Rey said again, a little louder this time.
He couldn't shake him awake as he would any other person because Dave's first reaction to being woken up away from home was to hit whoever did it.
It had happened to Rey once before and luckily they had been alone in the room together, because frankly the whole thing had been embarrassing for both parties involved.
Rey hadn't expected what was coming and he'd shaken Batista's shoulder one morning. "DAAaaaAAAaave!" he groaned.
Dave started awake, simultaneously cracking Rey across the face.
Rey made a "yipe!" sound and his knees buckled, stunned.
He blinked up at Dave in shock.
"Unnh, Rey, what the hell?" Batista grumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"What did I do?" Rey demanded.
Batista frowned "What did you-?" And he started, realizing what had just happened.
He scrambled down to his knees in front of Rey.
"Oh my God, are you okay?"
"Okay?! What the fuck, man? What did I do to deserve that?" Rey shouted.
"Nothing, buddy, nothing. Aw, damn it, I'm sorry…I hope you don't bruise 'cause of me, I'm so sorry…"
Rey had his hand pressed against his injured cheek and Batista laid his larger hand over it, trying to gently pry it away, but Rey wouldn't budge.
Rey looked at him questioningly. "Do you do that a lot? You hit people first thing in the morning when they touch you?"
Batista shook his head. "No, no, only when I'm on tour. At work. I don't trust-"
Rey was looking at him with such worry in his eyes, his mouth peeking open in disbelief.
Batista swallowed. "I trust you, Rey, I do. No one else but you, though."
Rey looked at him sadly. He didn't know what to say to that.
"Let's get some ice on that," Batista said, and rocked back on his haunches, about to stand up.
Rey shook his head, taking his hand off of his face. "No, man, I'm fine. I'm not so fragile that I-" he winced, having stretched his jaw too far. "Shit."
Batista smiled a crooked, embarrassed smile.
"Why did you hit me so hard?" Rey frowned.
Batista stood up, strode to the ice bucket, found a hand towel, and poured some into it. He knelt down again, and motioned as though he were going to hand the ice to Rey.
Rey took his hand away from his face to accept it and Batista leaned in and pressed Rey's cheek with the cold.
"I didn't mean to, buddy. Sorry."
Rey swallowed, his eyes bright, and pleasantly surprised by Batista's backhanded kindness.
He closed his eyes and leaned into the makeshift ice pack, his lips turned upward. Batista smiled a little, too, when Rey wasn't looking.
"And in case you were wondering, yes your fat ass bowled me over."
Batista laughed at that. "I wasn't thinking about that."
"I'm on the floor, and you know I wasn't when I poked at you. So of course you're thinking about that."
Batista chuckled. "I can't help weighing more than you do."
Rey rolled his eyes.
"It's either that or you secretly want to smack me around."
Batista snorted at that. "Not a chance, Rey-Rey."
So Rey couldn't wake Batista up now.
He sighed. "I'm sorry, Dave, but I have to go now."
Batista never stirred.
Rey stepped tiredly up the stairs and went to the hallway where he usually met Sylvia. He remembered too late that he forgot to bring a flashlight.
He exhaled through his nose and called softly, "Sylvia?"
The little girl materialized. He wondered vaguely what she drew energy from to manifest.
He was standing in the large room that was like a living room that the hallway with the portrait opened up into. And Sylvia stood at the entrance of the hallway. She looked anxious.
He frowned. "Sylvia, what's wrong?"
Rey felt a chill.
He whipped around and started. "Oh, God…"
He backed away. Sylvia hadn't been the only ghost to materialize.
Sylvia's father stood with an axe in his hand, about two feet taller than Rey, glowing in a sickly way and staring down the luchador with dark, hideous eyes.
Rey swallowed and tried to call out.
"D-Dave? Dave…?!" but his voice was a hoarse whisper and he couldn't make it any louder. He was so frightened.
Rey was shaking, but instinctively, he backed slowly up towards the little girl, moving to a position where he could guard her.
His gloved hands fumbled around in his hoodie pocket and he found his mask. He put it on and secured the strap, never taking his eyes off of the dark spirit before him. It was stepping ever closer.
"Get behind me, Sylvia," Rey whispered. The little girl didn't have to be told twice and she bolted behind him, clutching his pant leg.
"When you can, make a run for it."
Sylvia pulled at his clothing and he looked at her for a second. She was shaking her head, signaling that she didn't want to leave him.
"He already hurt you once. I'm not giving him another chance to," Rey said firmly.
He was deathly afraid, but he wanted to protect her.
"Now run, Sylvia."
The little girl took off to the top of the stairs and stood still, afraid to leave Rey with her father.
The ghost turned his head and started to lunge after the girl.
Rey tackled his midsection and wasn't surprised that the taller man didn't budge. Rey did wind the man for a second before he was caught by the throat.
Rey was covered on his neck and upper body by his shirt and jacket, his hands by his gloves, his lower body by pants and shoes. And his face was now protected by his mask.
Rey gripped onto the ghost's wrists with his gloved hands, and was lifted several feet off the floor.
"If you think I'm not used to being tossed around, you've got another thing coming," Rey growled and hoisted his legs, kicking the ghost hard in the windpipe until he was forced to throw Rey into a wall.
Rey hit his spine and flinched, struggling back to his feet.
"Don't even think about…touching Sylvia," Rey said menacingly.
The girl stared at him from the top of the stairs. She'd never seen someone that wasn't absolutely terrified by her father.
The ghost looked back and forth between Rey on the right and his daughter on the left. He took off after Sylvia, who froze in terror.
Rey bolted and grabbed the girl, dodging the axe just barely with a roll to the side. He didn't have time to stand up as the ghost lifted the axe again. They were at the top of the stairs and the only way to go was down.
Rey felt Sylvia clutch at him tight and he took a breath and kicked off.
He crashed down a flight with a few brutal cracks against his body.
Rey coughed when they hit a landing.
He'd managed to shield Sylvia in his arms. The girl broke his embrace and tried to urge him to stand up.
He couldn't. He'd hit all of his limbs and joints on the way down and the pain paralyzed him. He lifted his big brown eyes to hers.
"Sylvia, get out of here."
She stared at him and shook her head urgently and pulled at his sleeve to get him to get up.
"Go. Just go, baby girl. I'll be fine," he wheezed.
She knew he wouldn't be, he was out of breath and hurt terribly, she just knew it. Her father would kill him if she left.
She shook her head "no" to leaving him.
He heard her father slowly, menacingly setting his foot down one step at a time. He was taking his time, toying with Rey.
Rey pulled himself to his feet, wincing as he did so.
He set his hand on Sylvia's head and guided her behind him.
"You have to run, Sylvia, you have to," Rey rasped.
Sylvia clutched onto his leg, wrapping her little body around him. She wouldn't leave him.
He stepped back towards the edge of the landing as the ghost stepped slowly downwards. Rey swallowed apprehensively and met the ghost's eyes. But he knew he had nothing going for him. The ghost was taller, bigger, and stronger, had no life to lose, had an axe where Rey was unarmed, had the high ground, and had no one to protect.
And he'd killed his own family. Why not kill a stranger?
Rey was trembling.
"Sylvia, run and hide behind the couch. Go."
His voice was so full of parental authority that the girl finally obeyed him and turned and ran. The ghost came at Rey at a run and Rey dodged the axe, which struck a wall.
But then the ghost picked him up and smashed him down onto the landing's hardwood.
Rey scrambled, trying to stand, but was unable to.
Sylvia's father picked him up by the throat and, like a rag doll, threw him the rest of the way down the stairs.
Rey rolled out of it as best he could, but hit the back of his skull against the floor.
He gasped and lay twitching in aching, head-splitting pain.
"Oh…" he moaned softly, agonized.
Rey shuddered and tried to sit up, but he couldn't.
Sylvia ran to him, setting her hand on his covered cheek as he struggled to breathe.
"Go…please…" Rey begged her, but she wouldn't.
She buried herself into his chest. As he saw her father stepping towards them he tried to get her to break away from him and run, but she had a death grip around his waist.
He set his arms around her as best he could to guard her.
Rey shut his eyes.
For a moment he thought he heard running footsteps.
He opened his eyes to see Batista chasing Sylvia's father up the stairs. The Animal was even bulkier than her father, but no taller.
Batista tackled the ghost somewhere upstairs and throttled at him.
Rey stared up from where he lied on his back, seeing Dave sometimes and sometimes the ghost. Batista caught the handle of the axe in his hands and wrestled it out of the ghost's grip.
Rey struggled to sit up, but a jolt of pain in his spine made him lie back down.
Punk said that evil ghosts can be summoned with thoughts…maybe we can make him disappear with thoughts.
Rey closed his eyes.
Sylvia shook him, fearful that he wouldn't wake up.
"I'm fine, Sylvia. I'm just trying to will your father away."
As he said that he looked at her and got an idea.
"Baby girl, you have to help me do that."
Sylvia blinked at him, her little hands on his chest as she sat on her knees.
He reached up and set a gloved hand onto her cheek.
"Sylvia, don't be afraid of him any more. Fearing him keeps him here. We have to send him away."
Sylvia looked shakily up at her father at the top of the stairs and back at Rey, worry in her eyes.
Rey murmured to her. "Don't be afraid. Dave and I will protect you. Think about that."
Sylvia looked at him desperately, not knowing how to send her father away.
Rey exhaled. "Close your eyes."
Sylvia closed her eyes. Rey brushed his fingers through her hair.
"Think about good things. Your mother. Your little starling skull. Your garden."
Rey closed his own eyes. He felt Sylvia lay down against his side, leaning her head on his heart. She replaced his hand back onto her head and he smiled softly.
Angie…Dominik…Aalyah…Dave…Rey thought of all of his friends and family. He thought of Sylvia.
I'm not afraid of you…
He felt cold suddenly, like the floor was made of dry ice. It wasn't coming from Sylvia. He was positive that the cold was emanating straight from the floor. From the house itself. He knew instinctively that it was paranormal, it was an evil spirit causing it. The house had been tainted by Sylvia's father.
He heard an ethereal growling.
"Dave, are you there?" Rey called, worried by the sound.
"I'm-I'm in the middle of something, Rey, I'll be down there in a second!" Batista said, tackling the ghost again.
"Dave, you have to try to will the ghost away!" Rey called.
"What nonsense are you spouting now?!" Batista demanded.
"Just do it, Dave! You have to think that you aren't afraid of Sylvia's father! Keep thinking that and we can make him go away!"
Batista growled deep in his throat. "I. Am not. Afraid."
He didn't have to think about it long to make it convincing.
Sylvia's father backed up, startled.
The minute Batista saw that the ghost had thrown his precious Rey-Rey down the stairs he was ready to take on an entire army. He felt nothing but raging hatred towards the ghost.
He couldn't be afraid of Sylvia's father if he tried.
Rey squeezed his eyes shut, thinking.
I don't need to be afraid of you with Dave here. You will never get through him. I'm putting all of my faith in him, and he won't fail me. I know he won't.
Rey tensed up and Sylvia felt his heartbeat get stronger.
I'm not afraid of you anymore.
All I need is my family and friends.
All I need is one friend with me to help me through.
And you are out of luck, I have Dave with me.
But you…you worthless piece of trash…you hurt your own daughter. Your own wife.
Rey felt a deep anger in his stomach towards the man. He would kill himself sooner than hurt his family.
Sylvia's father screamed as an incredible burn came aching out of the floor.
Rey gasped and shut his eyes tight. Somehow he knew what he was doing.
He felt his energy leaking out from him through the floor, just as the ghost's evil cold had, but frighteningly stronger.
You hurt your family. I will hurt you.
Sylvia felt Rey using all of his energy at once, and knew that somehow, his heart was leaking through the walls, flooding the entire building with his inner warmth. If Rey's power was a color, it was a rich, sumptuous red. It soaked through the floor, doused the furniture, and took over every single thing there.
He grunted with the effort as the floor around Sylvia's father was the last thing for him to take over. He couldn't manage it alone. Not there. Sylvia's father was using all of his energy just to maintain a small barrier around himself.
Rey's power was dripping from the ceiling, rising up like floodwater out of the floor, running down the walls, he so thoroughly possessed it. But he couldn't close in on that barrier.
Batista stared, transfixed. If one looked through his eyes, everything had become red. At first he was frightened because it looked like blood, but then he realized what it was. He felt it all around him, brushing past him softly, utilizing him. It took a small piece of Dave's energy with it and was making everything drenched with scarlet.
"Rey…" Batista whispered.
He knew his friend's essence better than anyone else's.
From the moment Rey had set foot in the house, it had made him shudder and look around, nervous. It wasn't just the stories that he'd heard. Rey hadn't known it, but he actually sensed the aura of cold, dark evil coming from Sylvia's father.
The little ghost could manifest in the house, but she wasn't strong enough to leave her mark there or rule it as he could. Sylvia's father was like a blue force, touching the house, making it icy and menacing. But even Sylvia's father had only been able to make sections of the house seem gray, and lost and dangerous.
Rey was able to overtake the whole thing within moments.
Sylvia looked at Rey in awe and knew that he would protect her, and that he could, if she helped him. She hugged him tightly and shut her eyes.
A deluge of red splashed down from the ceiling onto the ghost of Sylvia's father, and swirls of red liquid-like material rose up from the ground, rushing, filling up his barrier like blood in a glass.
The ghost flailed around, trying to take over at least his barrier again, but it was no use, and the cylinder barrier that was his filled to the top with red liquid and then burst open like an overfilled aquarium.
The ghost lay on the floor, twitching, spent. He was helpless and fading into the afterlife.
Batista narrowed his eyes and snorted when he stood over it.
He stomped it square in the temple and it vanished. Sylvia's father was vanquished.
Rey heard Dave finish him off.
"My hero…" Rey rasped sarcastically to Sylvia, who giggled.
He swallowed and let go. All of a sudden the red drained back, rushed back towards Rey, and was sucked up back into him. To Rey it felt like taking a deep breath after surfacing from the ocean. And he felt exceedingly light-headed, like a door inside his body had opened and was closing slowly.
Batista ran down the stairs, his footsteps heavy, like a Clydesdale horse. He gazed at his friend in disbelief as he saw the red liquid sink into flat color and become absorbed by Rey's body.
Sylvia had been right. There was a lot of power in Rey's heart; more than in Batista's entire body.
A small puddle of ruby red went back into the ghost girl's soul.
Rey's eyes fluttered open.
"Dave…?"
"What is it, Rey? I'm right here," Batista said, kneeling down beside his friend and elevating Rey's head onto his lap.
"You saved my life," Rey murmured, blinking tiredly.
Batista smiled. "Any time, Rey."
He paused. "Rey, please tell me you saw that you made the house flood with blood red…stuff."
Rey smiled. "I didn't know I could do that."
"Did you see it? It was incredible, what you did."
Rey laughed a little. "I felt it. It felt…interesting. It felt good. Sylvia added to it just when I needed her. Right at the right time."
He beamed at her proudly and the little girl grinned happily back at him. There was a flood in Rey's soul, an absolute waterfall. And the waterfall was thanking the sweet little bucket of water that Sylvia's soul had for the few extra drops.
"Was that your…your soul?"
Rey blinked sleepily. "I don't know. I just know that it was something inside me. And it went back in. I wonder how long it's been in there."
He stared down at Sylvia.
She was staring back up at him. They searched one another's eyes.
"I wish you could speak to me and explain what just came out of me, Sylvia," he whispered.
The little girl laid her head back down against him and hugged him.
Rey patted her back.
"I think it was a part of my soul, Dave. I don't know what else it could have been."
"Why was it red, Rey?" Batista asked awkwardly. "Are you way more morbid than I think you are?"
Rey smiled, a little embarrassed. "It's for love, Dave, red is for love."
Sylvia nodded, smiling.
Batista sighed and shook his head. "You're pretty damn romantic, then, aren't you?"
Rey laughed. "Well, I guess so."
Batista looked at Sylvia a little resentfully.
"Rey, I can't believe you protected a dead girl over defending yourself. You got tossed down the stairs for her."
Rey smiled weakly. "Sorry…it was my instinct."
Batista exhaled through his nose.
Rey chuckled. "Sorry, Dave."
Batista looked at Rey's sugar-coated smile and rolled his eyes. "You're crazy."
Rey chuckled. "Probably."
"Are you hurt?"
"Ah…no, no." Rey murmured and sat up.
"Rey…" Batista sighed. "Your sleeve is torn and your arm is bleeding."
Rey blinked and saw his wound. "I…I didn't feel that at all."
Batista raised his eyebrows. "You're joking, right? He cut you with an axe and you didn't feel it?"
Batista reached out and touched the edge of the cut. Rey winced.
"Well, I feel it when you poke at me like that, yeah."
"But at the time, I didn't feel any pain, just like a rush of air on my arm. I was trying to keep him from touching Sylvia; I couldn't check and see why air would be blowing through my shirt sleeve."
"Rey, we need to get that wrapped up."
"Okay…"
Rey looked at Sylvia, who was sitting nearby, looking concernedly at her friend.
Rey smiled sadly. "Baby girl, I told you…"
Sylvia looked up at him.
"You're better off with Dave. He's stronger than me."
Sylvia shook her head and dove into Rey's chest, hugging him gratefully.
Dave looked at Rey and smiled softly. "She only has eyes for you."
Rey hugged the girl. "God only knows why."
Dave sighed. "You're like a father to her, Rey. Like a better father."
Rey blinked at Dave and looked at the girl in his arms.
Sylvia smiled up at him and nodded.
Rey stroked her hair gratefully, in awe of that thought.
"Thank you."