The Ghoul Next Door

chapter Forty-Five

Forty minutes later and we were parked in front of the charming bed-and-breakfast that Jane had made her home for the past few days. I felt so bad for the owner, not only for having to deal with Jane but for what was about to happen in her living room. I just hoped things didn’t get too violent.

We paused, all staring up at the large Victorian home.

“Do you think she’s in there?” Mindy asked.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out. I know my sister and she’s vindictive. She’s probably up there sleeping off the spell that I cast against her. When she wakes she’ll be like a hornet.” Karyn climbed out of the car.

Great. That was exactly what I’d wanted to hear.

“Unless she is wreaking havoc with someone’s life, she’ll stay in bed to get her beauty sleep, as she calls it. That’s how she gets over a spell.” Karyn motioned for us to join her.

I grabbed the bag containing the necessary ingredients and met Karyn on the sidewalk. “Too bad beauty sleep doesn’t help with beauty from within, because she truly needs it. Sorry.”

‘It’s okay. I know she’s my sister, but that doesn’t mean I’m blind to the fact that she’s a terrible person. I’ve known that since we were kids.”

“Let’s do this,” Mindy said moving toward the house.

I followed Mindy and Karyn, but I couldn’t deny the apprehension that was lodged in my throat like a large piece of hard candy. Soon it might choke me all together.

We walked together up the path as if we were Charlie’s Angels… the paranormal version. We were on a mission. If this didn’t work, well, I didn’t want to think about it. The demon in my head was pulling me back. He wanted me to turn around and walk right out in the street. He’d love nothing more than if I just killed myself. I wasn’t going down without a fight though. I wouldn’t make his job easy.

When we reached the door, Karyn knocked. Luckily, she knew the owner.

Mrs. Ragland opened the door. “Karyn, what a lovely surprise.”

Mrs. Ragland’s gray bun was drooping on one side of her head. Dark rings circled her eyes and she could barely muster a smile. Everywhere that Jane went she had the same effect on people. She was like a virus, turning stomachs everywhere she went.

“Won’t you please come in?” She looked at us and stepped back so we could enter the foyer.

The home was eerily quiet except for the tick-tock of the old grandfather clock in the corner of the room. I looked up at the staircase. Mrs. Ragland caught me looking and a worried expression spread across her face. It was as if she was saying, please don’t wake the beast. It was only going to get worse before it get better. I hated to tell her.

“What brings you ladies by?” She looked at us inquisitively. “Won’t you please have a seat? Would you like lemonade and cookies?”

“I could use some lemonade and cookies,” Mindy said.

I poked her in the side. I knew she should have skipped the pole fitness class today. I’d heard her stomach growling in the car on the way over.

“No, thank you. We need to see your guest,” Karyn said.

Mrs. Ragland fidgeted and her hands shook. “Oh, no. She’s sleeping and we musn’t wake her. She isn’t very nice when she’s awoken.”

Just as I’d thought. It was like waking a beast.

“I really don’t care, Mrs. Ragland. Jane will be checking out today.”

“She will?” The tone of her voice brightened. “Well, in that case, would you like to go up and wake her yourself?”

“I’d love to.” Karyn stood, then moved back out into the foyer.

“I’ll go get that lemonade and cookies just in case you want any,” Mrs. Ragland said before disappearing around the corner.

This was so going to get ugly. I was glad I hadn’t worn my nice clothes. Karyn made her way up the stairs and Mindy and I stayed behind to set up our ingredients for the magic spell. Normally, the coven liked to perform these spells outside so that they could draw on Mother Nature’s energy, but that wasn’t part of our plan today.

After pulling the ingredients out of the bag, Karyn and Jane bounded down the stairs. Jane looked like a mad hornet whose nest had just been disturbed. She would be even more pissed when she saw what was about to happen next.

“What is all this about? You silly little bitches think you can come over here and do something to me. I can tell you now, it ain’t happening. You are weak. I have the power now.” She touched the pendant.

I looked down at her chest and the necklace was draped around her neck.

Jane met my gaze. “You think you’re getting the necklace back? I’d give it back to Karyn before I’d give it to you. At least she had experience running the coven, although I think she’s lost her mind for giving it to you in the first place.”

“We’ve come to perform a spell that will force you to give the necklace back. Once the spell is broken, they’ll be taking you away again. You’ll never get out this time,” Karyn said.

Where was this mysterious place that they were taking people? It really was like the land of the misfit witches. I didn’t have time to contemplate it right now. I’d have to ask Karyn later, if there was a later. By the look on Jane’s face, I wasn’t convinced there would be. She looked like she was ready for Armageddon.

There was no time to waste. I had to break free from this spell before I did something that would harm me or someone else. There was no time to go to the usual spell-casting spot. We’d have to do it right there in the cozy bed-and-breakfast around the teapots, delicate china and lace curtains.

What would happen to Mrs. Ragland’s trinkets if the spell picked up the wind like it had when we were surrounded by the trees? It was a chance we’d have to take. The knickknacks could be replaced. Well, most of them anyway. We’d have to hope for the best.

“Are you ready, Larue?” Karyn asked.

“It won’t work. I’ll fight the spell. You won’t be able to get rid of me,” Jane said.

We didn’t respond. We couldn’t give her the satisfaction.

“I’m more powerful than you ever dreamed possible. The longer I’m around you the more I can feed off your energy. You’re helping me destroy you. How ironic is that? It really sucks being you.” She snorted.

“Come on, ladies, let’s form a circle.” Karyn held out her hands.

Jane’s face grew red as we began to chant. I’d never seen that shade of red on anyone’s face before, but we kept going. Nothing could stop us now. We had formed a circle and we weren’t going to let it be broken. Mindy looked a pale shade of green, a stark contrast to Jane’s crimson shade.

Jane ran around the circle yelling at us, but we kept chanting. Karyn’s eyes were determined. And that was exactly what Jane hated to see. It was making her furious. Her eyes flamed, her mouth twisted into an evil grin. She was turning into a demon. Maybe not literally, but she was pretty darn close. The closest I’d ever seen any living person and I’d seen quite a few exorcisms.

When Jane lunged into the circle, Karyn jumped on top of her. Karyn had warned us that Jane would try to fight us off and she had been right. It wasn’t even necessary to perform the magic spell at this moment. Just the act would make Jane so furious that she’d lose her cool. Now if Karyn could just get the necklace from her.

The women rolled around on the floor. Mindy and I exchanged a glance. I nodded and Mindy agreed. We moved forward and climbed on top of Jane. She had Karyn on the ground.

From over my shoulder, Mrs. Ragland said, “Oh my. This is awful. What are you girls doing?”

Furniture was being turned over and I heard glass break somewhere in the room. We’d have to pay Mrs. Ragland back for all that. I knew it was going to be a bad day for Mrs. Ragland but if couldn’t be avoided. With one big pull, Karyn yanked at the chain around Jane’s neck. Karyn fell backward, but the necklace was in her hand. Success.

“Give that back,” Jane panted.

Already Jane’s power was diminishing. Now that we had the necklace, we could perform the spell that would banish the demon back to hell forever. I couldn’t breathe a sigh of relief yet, but at least I was one step closer than I had been just a few minutes ago.

Karyn jumped to her feet. “Come. Let’s join hands,” she said as she placed the necklace around her neck.

I was glad that she’d kept it. I didn’t want anything else to do it with it. The necklace had caused nothing but problems for me. It certainly hadn’t helped. We stepped into the circle again. Jane was still on the floor. She didn’t look as if she had the energy to fight. We joined hands and began the chant again. After several seconds, the wind picked up, whipping wildly around the room. What hadn’t been destroyed during the fight with Jane sure would be now. I wasn’t sure where Mrs. Ragland had vanished to. Probably to call the cops.

Just when the wind had reached what I thought would be its peak, a voice sounded over the roar of the wind.

“I want you all to stop and stop right now.”

When I looked up, I knew where Mrs. Ragland had disappeared to. She was pointing a gun in our direction. Well, if that didn’t beat all. Just when you thought things were looking up, a little old lady drags out a firearm and points it at your head. We couldn’t win for losing.

We slowly released our hands and shoved them above our heads, breaking the circle, and with it, the spell. What would we do now? This would give Jane the opportunity to get the necklace back. Was Mrs. Ragland in cahoots with Jane? She did have that strange glow in her eyes. Or was she just a little old lady scared for her life? I couldn’t say that I blamed her for the latter. A bunch of crazy women fighting and chanting in her living room was enough to scare the heck out of anyone.

“I want you all to get out of my home right this moment.” She gestured toward the front door with the gun.

I chanced a glance over at Jane. She was trying to get to her feet. If we didn’t hurry, she would jump back up again.

Before I had time to think about what to do, the gunshot rang out and with it a scream too. Jane had jumped up and lunged for Karyn. At that moment, Mrs. Ragland had pulled the trigger.

Karyn screamed out. “Jane, are you okay?”

I knew Jane was a bad person, but it was still Karyn’s sister and I knew she wouldn’t want her hurt. Thankfully, the shot had hit her in the leg. She wasn’t going anywhere. Now if only we could convince Mrs. Ragland to allow us to continue the spell, preferably in her living room.

Karyn leaned down to her sister. “You’ll be okay. We’ll call for help. Just keep pressure on the wound. In the meantime, we have to break the spell. Jane, if we don’t the demon will come after you too. He tricked you into thinking that he was only there to help you. He just wants to help himself.”

Jane nodded. She didn’t have the strength to argue.

Mrs. Ragland had dropped the gun. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shoot it. The gun just went off.” She fell into the green velvety chair.

Mindy ran over and grabbed the gun, placing it on the sofa behind us.

Karyn gestured for us to hold her hands again. “The ambulance will be here soon. We have just enough time to finish the spell.”