Summer's Journal: Forty-Third Entry

Chris once again, bailed out of a date. I’ve gotten used to it. His parents are very controlling, and they do not often let him have any free time. He wanted to come. But his patriarch was hassling him. What was worse, was I was almost to his house when I got the call.

“Summer, I can’t come tonight, they won’t let me.”

I bit my lip gently. It made me very sad, but I couldn’t let him know that, “Okay, baby, we’ll reschedule?” “Yes, of course, I’m really sorry Summer.” “Its not a big deal.” I lied.

“Bye…” I sucked it in for another second, “Bye, Chris.” After the phone clicked, I hung up, and sighed heavily. I wanted to cry. I felt sad. I needed to do something to not think about it. I love spending time with Chris. He makes me smile.

I heard at school, that there was a house, to the west of town, which was supposedly haunted. A crossover or an exorcism. To get there, I had to walk three or four miles. It was a decent ways down the road.

You couldn’t miss it when you saw it. It was classic haunted house, broken windows, cobwebs, creaky fence door. There was a group of boys in the front of it, most of them my age. I had seen them before, but I couldn’t place them. When they saw me, the eldest ran for their car, and they sped off.

I love the way I affect people.

As I walked up the sidewalk, the sky darkened and the wind picked up. I sighed, again. It was more a frustrated sigh then anything else. Sometimes, when spirits get angry, or are old enough, they can affect the area around them.

I opened the front door, surprisingly unlocked, and I took in a deep breath. It smelled musky, old, it was very dusty too, and I saw footsteps in the carpet, fresh ones, tennis shoes. I looked at them closer, I had seen the print before, I don’t remember when.

The house wasn’t filled with spirits, I saw orbs. Very weak spirits, maybe even animals. That’s when I felt the pinching at my calves, I looked down. Black beetles. I held my hand towards them, and blood filled my mouth.

They quickly parted and left me a circle. I was wrong, there was a strong spirit here. Somewhere. The wind whipped through the open doors, and the dust kicked up all around me.

I reached into my side satchel and withdrew my silver cross, I held it in my hand, holding it as a talisman. I looked down, and the tennis-shoe prints were gone. The dust settled. The ghost wasn’t causing the wind, or else during the dust cloud, he would have attacked.

I needed light, I reached into my pouch and withdrew my flare. I cracked it, and lit it. The bright light filled the room, bright red, and it faded to be blue.

“Okay,” I hissed, “Where are you?” It didn’t answer. Instead there was a thunderclap inside the house, and it knocked me to the ground. This was a powerful spirit indeed. Instead of messing around, it was time to get serious.

I began to run, towards the basement, that’s where I thought the sound was coming from, when I entered the basement, there were wine-racks knocked over, and a large black mass with glowing red eyes. It wasn’t looking at me. It was focused on something else in the room.

My hand turned black, blood filled my mouth, it was time to hit him. I reached into his corpus, and he vanished, the flare was glowing red, he would be back, I didn’t have much time. I looked in the basement. Holding a bright yellow flag was my no-good boyfriend.

“Family, huh?” I asked after swallowing the blood. He looked up to me, “Let me expla-“ He was cut off, the spirit was upon us. A lightning bolt flew from Chris’ hand, and it went through the corpus, and came at me.

As it came at me, Chris screamed for me to look out. But it didn’t help, the bolt struck me, and pain filled my body. I hit the ground hard, and the ghost turned to me, his eyes focused on me.

“Summer!” Chris ran through it towards me, and stood in front of me. I tried to rise, but it was too hard. He released another bolt, and it went through him. “Cross in my satchel…” He didn’t motion for it, instead he held his hand up, and a bright light was focused around it.

“Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day, our daily-“ I yelled, “Chris that isn’t going to work!”

I forced myself to rise, and I began to recite the old latin banishing chants. The light pulsated, and there was a flash and he was gone, it was still deathly cold. Chris dropped to me, and picked me up.

“He’s going to come back Chris.” “What can I do to help you?” “You’re a healer!” I screamed. He held his hand over the charred black shirt, and I felt a coolness come over me; then warmth.

I stood shakily on the ground, and I held my silver cross out, and blood filled my mouth, as I began to channel energy into the air, so he could manifest again. When he did, he looked more human then before, but still very evil.

I spat my blood at him, and I rolled underneath him. The chalk fell from my bag, and I began to draw a pentagram around him. He was clawing at me the whole time. I felt the scratches, and the blood rolling down.

Chris began to scream at it, flinging pointless lightning bolts at it. I rolled away, from it, and I began to recite the old latin exorcism I learned from my father. The ghost melted into the circle, and I laid on the dusty ground.

“Summer,” Chris said, “Are you okay?” “No, I’m hurt,” I said shortly. He laid his hands on my wounds and I didn’t feel the burning sensation they were giving off.

“Not physically. I’ve seen that flag before… Why didn’t you tell me?” Chris spoke, “They didn’t want you involved like you were with your cousin.” I looked at him, the dull light of my dieing flare, showing him my hurt, “I want to help you.”

“Summer,” he pleaded, “I thought-“ “Not hard enough.” “They wanted me-“ “No, Chris. I’m going home.” I reached for my necklace and he grabbed my hand, and held it.

“I wanted to see you, really, but…” “But?” “I will just dig myself in a deeper hole.” “Six foot deep enough?” “Summer, I had to prove myself to them.” “I really want to go home Chris.” “I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have lied to you… I won’t do it again… I promise…” “Chris, stop…” “Summer, I’m truly sorry.”

He looked at me, and I was so angry at him, but it just vanished. I kissed his hand gently, “I am the expert in this… Don’t you dare do something like this without me again, and, for your information, I would have considered this a date.”

He smiled at me. He leaned into kiss me, and who should show up, “Chris!” Brendan said, “Did- Oh… Summer… I see…”

Is he ever going to kiss me!

I am going to kill my cousin.

-Dawn