Dead Pool by Marty Shaw

Author:Marty Shaw [Shaw, Marty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-25T07:00:00+00:00

THIRTEEN

Lochlan yanked the shower curtain to the side, ripping it free from some of the hooks that held it up. He stared at the creature strangling Ashley, its cold eyes fixated on its victim, ignoring Lochlan’s presence. That was about to change. He thrust a wooden crucifix at the creature’s face. Its head snapped to him, pinning him with dead eyes filled with an inhuman rage. “Be gone from this place, demon,” he shouted. “This child of God is under His protection and you shall commit no evil here under His watchful eye.” He pressed the cross against the demon’s forehead. “Be gone!”

The creature cried out, dark, putrid-smelling water spewing from its mouth, covering Lochlan with its foulness, and then it vanished, collapsing into a shower of water that fell to the bottom of the tub and disappeared down the drain. He caught Ashley as she fell, lifting her from the tub and carrying her quickly to the bed. He felt for a pulse, releasing a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when he found it. Weak but steady.

She snapped awake instantly, breathing in sharply, reaching out to push him away. He stepped back, hands up, palms out. “It’s okay. You’re okay. That thing is gone.”

Ashley looked around, struggling to get her bearings, mentally catching up with what she missed. Her breathing slowed as she realized she wasn’t in the shower anymore, that the thing she had seen was no longer trying to kill her.

And then she realized she was naked. “Holy hell,” she cried, twisting and lifting and fumbling around until she managed to get under the covers.

Lochlan laughed, taking a seat at the small table that still held the open laptop. It was hard to believe that only a few minutes had passed since watching that video. He reached down, pulled a leather-encased flask from his duffel bag, unscrewed the top, and took a healthy sip of Red Bush. And now I know the carpet does indeed match the drapes. He slammed the door on that thought, keeping it buried in the shadows. He was at least ten years older than her so there was no need to even imagine anything happening with her.

Ashley stared at him, the sheet and blanket pulled up over her shoulders. Her cheeks were almost as red as her hair. “Ummm ... thanks for saving me... again.”

Lochlan grinned and took another sip from his flask. “You do seem to have a habit of keeping a guy busy.”

“It was her, wasn’t it?” She nodded towards the laptop.

Lochlan nodded.

“How? We’re not anywhere near that pool.”

Lochlan leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs. “Most ghosts are tied to one particular place or object, but they can break free—temporarily—if they have the strength, the drive, to do so.” He nodded towards the laptop. “You saw her. And lived. She sees you as a threat. That can be strong motivation to fight against the boundaries that confine her.”

Ashley leaned back against the headboard and sighed heavily. “Great.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.