The Sibyl (16 page)

“Ah, yes. My ghost hunting reputation.
Whatever would I do without it?” I got in the front seat and
buckled my seatbelt. “Whatever would I be?”

***

I was more than just a little disappointed to
find the house still standing as we pulled into the driveway
leading up to it. Wasn’t Kansas known for its wicked tornadoes? I
was even more disappointed to find Joanna standing on the porch
with her gloved hands crossed over the front of her skirt.

“What is she still doing here?” I turned to
Joey whose eyes widen into the very picture of innocence as he
shrugged.

“Don’t ask me. The setup crew told her to
clear out before the sun went down.”

“Well, it’s not night yet.” I muttered as I
pressed the button to release the seatbelt. “Maybe she is hoping
for one more monologue on camera.”

“Oh, wonderful!” Joanna bounded down the
front stairs with a dexterity I found surprising given the layer of
skirts she was wearing. “You’re back.”

Elliot stepped out just as she came to a halt
in front of the car. I didn’t miss the disappointment in her voice
as the woman continued. “You’re all back.”

“Of course we are.” I slammed the car door as
Joey began to unload our equipment. “We are supposed to start
filming tonight, right?”

“Yes, well,” Joanna’s disappointment turned
into a sickening sweetness. “I just thought, since you were hurt,
Elliot here might need someone to stand in as co-host.”

“So you wanted to take my place.” I tilted my
head in her direction as I turned towards Elliot. “I don’t think
she realizes what we are here to do.”

“You are here to document my darling
Catherine and Samuel.” Joanna’s eyes flashed. “I wanted to make
sure the show was still going to happen despite your breakdown
earlier.”

“Breakdown. How nice.” I had a sharp retort
ready, but swallowed it down as I remembered the ironclad contracts
and flight across the country. “Ok. Let’s start over, shall we? Ms.
Whitaker, I am fine. I did not have a breakdown. I saw
Catherine.”

“You saw her?” Joanna gasped, placing her
hands over her heart. “Why didn’t you say so?”

“I am not going to say anything more. You
will see our evidence when we are finished. I believe this was in
your contract to Theia Productions which allows us to film here in
the first place. Now if you will excuse us, we need to make sure
this location is secure.”

I gestured for Cyrus to follow behind me as
Joey took Ms. Whitaker by the arm to escort her to her own vehicle.
When we got to the porch, I turned to him.

“Are you sure I can do this?” Even outside in
the fading afternoon sunlight, the darkness of this place was
starting to surround me. “Because I’m starting to think this was a
very bad idea.”

“You can always leave.” Cyrus shrugged. “I
will do what I can to explain to Apollo why you decided against
being a part of this horrible television show. Perhaps you can
attend conferences much like Ms. Carter did.”

“No,” I sighed as I watched Elliot and Joey.
I decided to ignore what he said about conferences. I’d had enough
of those for a lifetime. “Those two are depending on me. I won’t
let them down but Cyrus, you have got to tell me how it is you are
able to talk to Apollo someday. I am curious about it. Do you go
somewhere sacred? Does the room shake when he speaks?”

Cyrus gave me his lopsided grin and waved his
ever present cell phone in the air next to his head. “Text
messages. The golden one loves human technology. He uses it every
chance he gets.”

Well that explained why Cyrus was so attached
to his smart phone. I chuckled and snatched it from him. “Let me
see.”

“Actually,” Cyrus pulled out a flat phone
much like his own, except this one was encased in a shiny gold
case. “Apollo asked me to give you this.”

“A gift?” I took the phone with more than
just a little hesitation. “Why?”

“So you won’t burn candles on his mirror
anymore.” Cyrus smirked at my surprise. “Yeah, he told me all about
your little spell back in New York.”

“You found out about that?” I grimaced. “Did
I cross a line or something?”

“Or something. There are no rules saying you
can’t contact him directly. In fact, Apollo found it amusing.
Hence, the cell phone. He thinks you are quite the entertaining
creature.”

Cyrus leaned over my shoulder, touching the
sun symbol on the screen and a blank screen popped up. “Here. This
is how you contact him.”

“So no more candles?”

“Pray, no. It took me two hours to scrub the
wax from the glass. I do not wish to do that again anytime
soon.”

I was so busy teasing my keeper I failed to
notice the other two had finished moving all the cases inside.
Elliot came over and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“Ready?”

“Yeah.” I handed Cyrus back his own cell
phone. “I want to see what you’ve been saying about me later.”

I let Elliot lead me inside as I sent my
first message on my new phone to Apollo, crossing the threshold as
I hit send.

Protect us, Golden One. I believe we are all going
to need it.



The inside of the old farmhouse was quiet. It
was almost peaceful. Elliot whistled as he stepped around the power
cords running across the floors connecting large boom microphones
to the walls. The tacky furniture remained, but it had been
rearranged to give us some breathing room. I joined Joey next to
the cases, pulling out the tape recorders we would need to pick up
any audible noises made by Catherine or Samuel. We decided to use
some of the more basic equipment to substantiate my communication
with the spirits. Spirit boxes, digital recorders, motion sensors –
all could be used to track the movements of the dead.

“It feels like a thunderstorm is brewing in
here.” Elliot joined us. “The energies in this room are
amazing.”

“If you say so.” I checked the batteries of
the recorder in my hand, making sure to tuck a few extra ones in my
pocket just in case. I may not have been a paranormal expert, but
I’d seen enough television to know spirits liked to drain battery
sources. A few extra couldn’t hurt in case we were stuck upstairs.
“I don’t feel anything.”

“Really?” Elliot took the recorder I handed
him. “Joey, let’s get some dialogue on film before we turn the
lights off.”

“Sounds good to me.” Joey stood and lifted
his camera onto his shoulder. He focused it onto me. “Just act
natural. Be normal.”

Natural? Normal? In a house known for its
tragedy? Where I knew there was a really big mirror with a really
angry spirit inside of it?

Yeah, ok.

I nodded then moved to stand by the
staircase. We were going to improvise our lines when talking about
the history of the house. It was decided I should be the one to
start, since I was officially coming out to the public as the
Sibyl. Elliot shifted around the sofa and stood behind Joey.

“Welcome to the very first episode of
Grave
Messages
.” I didn’t know what to do with my hands, so I
tucked them into my back pockets. “My name is Eva McRayne. I am
joined by Elliot Lancaster and Joey Lawson. Tonight we are
showcasing the Tillotson farmhouse which is located in the heart of
the middle of nowhere otherwise known as Black Hollow, Kansas.

I was sure Joanna was not going to be pleased
that I refused to use the term ‘murder house’ on television. It
sounded too cheesy. Thankfully, the guys had agreed with me. I
locked eyes with Elliot as I continued. “The local papers
documented the deaths of two people –Catherine and Samuel
Tillotson- here at this very house during the blizzard of January
1876. Their bodies were found weeks later after the ice had thawed.
Catherine was nothing more than a pile of bones while her husband
had stabbed himself to death. Since then, there have been numerous
reports of paranormal activity within these walls.”

“Cut.” Joey grinned as he flipped the camera
up towards the ceiling. “I’ve always wanted to say that. Anyway, so
far, so good. Let’s get Elliot in there.”

Elliot moved over to stand next to me,
introducing himself to the camera much as I had. But where I had
gone into a brief history of the house, he focused on the
paranormal activity.

“Locals claim to see shadow figures walking
through the rooms. Objects move around the rooms; sometimes thrown
at unlucky visitors. Voices call out from the walls. In fact, we
have had our own experience here earlier today.”

“Shall we?” I picked up the recorder I’d
disregarded on the table next to the stairs. “We will start with
the classic EVPs. Electronic voice phenomena. This will be our
initial method for contacting the spirits. Then I will use my own
gift, which will be featured later on during the show.”

Elliot took a second recorder and walked the
length of the first floor. Joey was following behind, stopping to
swing the camera back around to focus on the front room. He moved
so quickly he almost knocked me over.

“What was that?”

“What?” I turned to see a shadow sweep across
the room heading towards the stairs. I could see its outline
against the windows. I beckoned for Joey to follow me as I
approached the front. “Whose there?”

Strange noises began to fill the air around
us; moans and creaks I would have caulked up to it being an old
house. Elliot stood in the center of the room, firing off questions
then pausing.

“Who are you?”

“Is anyone there?”

“What’s your name?”

He stopped only to allow the spirits a chance
to answer. I went to stand beside him as he rewound the tape. His
voice came through loud and clear. There were no answers to the
first two questions. Yet on the third, a thin whisper could be
heard beneath the white noise.

“Sibyl. I’m waiting.”

“Oh, wow.” Elliot grinned like a kid at
Christmas as he replayed the message. “As you can see, folks, none
of us were talking or moving when this was captured.”

I wanted to be happy for him, but I was
shaken. I found Cyrus in the shadows and he gestured down to the
equipment cases. I knew what he was referring to. I had hidden the
mirror in my duffle bag. He was saying I needed it. I shook my
head.

I wasn’t ready to contact Catherine. And even
if I was, I’m sure the large mirror upstairs would be a much better
conduit for the communications.

“Sibyl. Sibyl, come to me.”

I spun around to face the direction the voice
was coming from. Joey had followed my lead, whistling as he spoke.
“Did you hear that?”

“Yeah.” I swallowed. “Catherine wants us to
come upstairs.”

“So let’s go.” Elliot had his recorder ready
as he leaned to the side, attempting to look up the staircase.
“Eva, you stay here.”

“Are you kidding me?” I was hit with an anger
I couldn’t explain. “Do you think I can’t handle her? Do you really
think I can’t face this thing?”

I don’t know where the anger came from, but
it was as if someone had lined my vision with red. I cursed,
snatching the recorder from Elliot’s hands and shoved him aside.
“Get out of my way.”

“What the hell, Eva?” Elliot went to grab my
arm but froze as the voice from above could be heard again.

“Sibyl, oh, Sibyl.” Catherine was singing the
title I’d been given as sweetly as a lullaby. “Come. See me. I’ve
got a message for you.”

I shoved past Elliot, bounding up the stairs
two at a time. I didn’t stop running until I was in the bedroom.
Catherine had fallen silent, yet I could feel her presence. I could
feel the anger radiating from the mirror showcased in this wretched
place. I wanted to be afraid, but I didn’t hesitate as I entered
the room.

The door slammed closed behind me.

I paid no attention to it, or the sounds made
by the others as they tried to get inside. “What do you want from
me, Catherine? What is your message?”

Her image was just as terrifying now as it
had been that afternoon. Yet she made no moves to harm me.
Catherine Tillotson laughed as if delighted, caressing the line
across her throat.

“My message is more of a request. A demand if
you will.”

“Well what is it?” I stomped my foot in
frustration. “I don’t have all day.”

“You are immortal, are you not? I am well
versed in your history, creature. We all are.” Catherine’s dark
eyes flashed. “What I want is simple enough. I wish for you to free
me from this purgatory Samuel cast me into.”

“Samuel.” The second spirit who was supposed
to haunt this place had yet to make an appearance. I didn’t see
anyone else in the mirror, nor had we had any interaction with him
since this whole thing started. “Where is Samuel, Catherine?”

“Down below.” She turned as if to see
something in the darkness behind her. “So far down below.”

“Let me speak to him.”

“Samuel is gone. A hopeless cause.” Catherine
returned her focus onto me. “Do come closer, Sibyl.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” I planted my feet
in the carpet, crossing my arms over my chest. “I still have a mark
where you cut me earlier. I am not going through that again.”

“It was a test. Nothing more. I had to make
sure you were truly who I thought you were.”

I sighed, dropping my arms to my side. I was
being hit with an exhaustion which caused my eyes to burn. “I am a
messenger, Catherine. I will tell your story to the world. This is
all I can offer you.”

“Ah, but you are very useful. More so than as
a simple mouthpiece.” Catherine pressed her hands against the other
side of the glass. “Please, come closer. I fear my strength is
waning much like yours. I am losing my ability to speak.”

I moved, not realizing how she had drawn me
in until I was almost touching the glass. “What happened the night
of the murder? Is this your message?”

I was distracted only when the old door
finally gave way. I turned at the sound of the crash to see Elliot,
Joey, and Cyrus rushing into the room.