When Vic woke she found herself spread out on the bed on her stomach with her head slightly hanging off the side and drooling down the mattress. Her mouth was dry, and her head pounded. The bright, morning sun made her wince in pain when she opened her eyes.

  She felt queasy when she forced herself to a sitting position, and when she stood the room spun. She vowed never to drink again. She shuffled to the bathroom, splashed water on her face, and drank a glass of water. Immediately after, she vomited, barely having reached the toilet. She sat on the floor in front of the toilet while she rested her head on the seat. After a few minutes, she shakily pushed herself up off the floor and sipped some water before carrying the glass back to the bed. She set it on the nightstand and then curled up in the blankets, covering her head, and collapsed into the bed. She promptly fell asleep.

  She woke to a knock at the door. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d been asleep. Croakily she told whoever was at the door to come in. The door was slowly pushed open by Michael, who was carrying a tray with a plate of food, a glass of orange juice, and either a mug of coffee or tea. He walked over to the bed, set the tray down on it, pulled up the chair from the night before, and sat in it.

  “I thought you might be hungover this morning so I figured I’d bring you some greasy hangover food. I made you some eggs, bacon, and toast. Lots of oil and butter on everything, except the bacon which comes with its own built-in grease.” He grabbed two pills from the tray and handed them to her with the glass of orange juice. “Take these, they’ll help with that splitting headache I bet you have.”

  She tried to smile at him but winced instead. The pounding felt like someone had taken a jackhammer to her skull. She sat up and accepted the orange juice and pills, popped them into her mouth, and took the smallest sip she could in order to swallow them. She didn’t want to vomit in front of Michael.

  “Thank you! My head feels like it’s splitting open.” She sat back against the headboard.

  Michael took the tray and arranged it on her lap.

  “You know you didn’t have to do this. I’m a big girl.” She grabbed a piece of bacon and took a bite. Her eyes rolled back into her head. Bacon had never tasted this good.

  “I know.” He sat there and watched her as she ate. “Father Sebastian called me this morning.”

  She looked at him as she shoved a mouthful of egg into her mouth. Her eyes inquisitive.

  “He said he had time this afternoon to come out and cleanse the house of negative energies.” Michael relayed.

  “That’s wonderful! Do you know what time?” The news made her brighten. Maybe things will finally get better and let them do their jobs. Her head still ached, but she felt more positive. It felt like they were doing something.

  “Megan is preparing to take the boys out for the afternoon. I think they’re going to lunch, an indoor gym they can play on, shopping, and then dinner with her parents. There’s plenty of time for the Priest to cleanse the house.” He looked just as pleased as she was about the news.

  She learned that it was ten in the morning and there was still plenty of time before the Priest came. The two of them chatted while she finished her food. There was more than she usually ate, but she gobbled it all up, drank the orange juice, and a cup of coffee. The coffee somehow tasted better than she remembered. Maybe she would drink more later. Michael took the tray and told her to get some more rest and that he would come to check on her before the Priest arrived. She wanted to be up and about when he came. She wanted to see what the Priest did.

  After he left she rolled over and went back to sleep. A few hours later she woke up feeling a whole lot better. She wasn’t queasy anymore, and though her headache wasn’t entirely gone it wasn’t pounding anymore, now it was just a dull ache. Her body, though, felt like a live hollow wire.

  She got up and took the hottest shower she could stand, fogging up the bathroom as she did so. Clean and fully dressed after she felt somewhat human again. A knock came on the door and she walked over to it and opened it. Michael stood there, surprised to see her standing and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

  “I thought you’d still be in bed. Are you okay? Maybe you should lie down again.” He tried to take her by the arm and lead her to the bed. Not convinced she should be up.

  She gave a little laugh and pulled away, “I’m fine. I feel a lot better now. Not 100%, but at least my head isn’t splitting open.”

  “Father Sebastian is on his way. He should be here in ten minutes. Do you want to come down and wait for him with me?” He still wasn’t sure if she should be out of bed yet.

  “Of course. I wouldn’t miss this. I want to see how he works and what he does.” She walked out the door when Michael ushered her.

  They walked down the threadbare corridor to the grand stairs and then down to the great hall. In only five days the great hall had been stripped of its outdated wallpaper, woodwork sanded, and broken plaster removed. Work was also being done in the music room and the drawing room. Next week they’ll move to the ballroom. When they were finished with that they would move on to the rooms they were currently using. The dining room, library, and breakfast room. Then She and Megan would begin the work of having new wallpaper put up, Floors sanded and polished, and woodwork re-stained. New plaster would patch up small areas, while larger areas would be covered with sheetrock. It was coming along. Everything would be so much better after the Priest blessed the house.

  They chatted in the great hall while awaiting the arrival of Father Sebastian. They were in the middle of a conversation about the quality of woodworking craftsmanship when a knock came from the front door. Michael strode across the hall, Vic in tow. Standing on the porch was an elderly gentleman with many wrinkles, short grey hair, and an inviting smile. He was tall, slender, and wore brown trousers, a multicolored sweater vest, and a long grey coat.

  “You must be Father Sebastian.” Michael held his hand out “Thank you so much for coming on such short notice.”

  Father Sebastian took his hand and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you, though I rather it were not under these circumstances. May I come in?”

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Michael backed away to allow the Priest to enter. He then closed the door.

  “May I take your coat for you Father?” Vic came forward to offer her assistance.

  The Priest nodded and removed his coat, handing it to Vic who hung it in the coat room off of the reception hall. She returned to the two men and Michael ushered the Father further into the house towards the library.

  “You sure are doing a lot of work.” The Priest eyed everything as he was led down the hall. “It always seems to be major renovations that wake up the spirits. When did you begin them?”

  Michael showed Father Sebastian into the library with Vic trailing behind.

  “Five days ago.” Michael showed him to a seat.

  “Would you like anything to drink Father?” Vic asked.

  “Tea would be lovely dear. Thank you!” Father Sebastian sat and looked at Michael.

  Vic left to go make tea, when she returned a few minutes later she was carrying a tray with steaming cups. Both men were now seated in chairs facing each other. She set the tray on the table and offered a cup to the Priest and then to Michael. Lastly, she took the remaining cup and sat on the sofa. Michael was telling him about all the things that they had experienced.

  “We think the spirits of the deceased are still here and they don’t seem happy.” Michael shifted in his seat.

  “As I said before, renovations usually stir up the spirits that still reside in places they once lived in life. I’ve seen objects thrown across the room at me when I’ve been brought in by people experiencing similar hauntings.” Father Sebastian sipped his tea.

  “What’s your plan? How will you cleanse this house?” Michael hoped that the priest would be able to cleanse the house. There were too many weird and creepy things going on.

  Father Sebastian crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knee. “My process involves prayer, holy water, and incense. I will walk from room to room and bless each one, expelling any negative spirits. Once I complete every room it will be complete.”

  Vic set her teacup down on the table. “That seems pretty straightforward and easy.”

  “Yes, it sounds easy, but in practice, especially in a house with lingering spirits, it can be quite taxing. You see, the spirits don’t want to leave. Most don’t know they’re dead, and so they hang on fiercely and lash out. I’ve had objects thrown at me, including knives. I’ve been pushed, shoved, and knocked around. I have every confidence that I can cleanse the house for you.” Father Sebastian took another sip of tea, set his cup down on the table, and stood. “I’ll begin in this room.

  The priest opened his bag and took out a metal, swinging incense burner, a bottle of holy water, and a bowl. He poured the holy water into the bowl and set it aside. He then removed the lid of the incense burner, added incense, and lit it. A thick, pungent smoke rolled out of the burner. He took the bowl and the burner, walked to each corner of the room, and swung the incense burner about, smoke billowing from it into every corner.

  “In the name of Jesus, I command the spirits that reside here to leave this house.” He then took the bowl in his right hand that was holding the chain for the incense burner. He dipped the fingers of his left hand into the bowl and flicked the holy water into the room. “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit I command you to leave.”

  When he was done with the library he turned to Michael and Vic. “I would ask that you do not follow too closely. When the spirits get riled up by my presence, which they surely must be now, I do not wish you to get injured as they try to force me from this house.”

  He strode to the door leading to the smoking room/den. It was a small den with a fireplace, bookshelves, and antique furniture populating the room. The priest walked into the room, swinging the incense burner, speaking the prayer, followed by the holy water and more prayer. Michael and Vic stood in the doorway and watched him work. Father Sebastian’s voice was authoritative, the force of his words charged with command. Goosebumps formed on Vic’s arms and she shivered. When the priest was done Michael and Vic moved out of the way and let him pass through them into the library and then they followed him out into the great hall.

  Father Sebastian went room by room on the first floor, the reception hall, coat room, great hall, dining room, pantry, breakfast room, music room, drawing room, ballroom, and all the other nooks and crannies on the first level of the house. Michael and Vic followed the Priest at what they thought was a safe distance. The cleansing of the first floor went off without a hitch.

  But that ended there. As soon as the priest stopped in front of the stained glass window on the landing of the great stairs the atmosphere drastically changed. The lights seemed to dim, and the windows darkened as if a storm cloud covered the sun. The air was thick like a muggy afternoon and faint chittering could be heard coming from the imps in the stained glass.

  “In the name of Jesus, I command the spirits that reside here to leave this house.” The priest swung the incense around, then took the holy water and said “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit I command you to leave.” He flicked the holy water at the window and the chittering stopped. The room darkened and the image of the imps in the stained glass rose up and covered all of the window as if they had grown enormous and were blocking out everything.

  Vic hissed through her teeth and stepped back. Her blood felt like it had turned to ice and her heart felt like it was stuck in her throat. Michael’s eyes widened as he also took a step back, but otherwise said nothing.

  “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit I command you to leave.” Said Father Sebastian. He continued his chant while flicking holy water. It only lasted moments before the window appeared as it once had, but Vic breathed heavily. “You’re perfectly free to go wait for me in the library dear. The spirits can be quite lively when I am expelling them. The same goes for you Michael. Not everybody wants to be present as I cleanse the house. Many people are frightened when they experience manifestations of the spirit world.

  Vic looked at Father Sebastian. Her breathing slowed as she realized they were not in danger. “No, I’m all right. I’d like to witness your method. I’m writing a book about this house and this exorcism will be perfect.”

  “Cleansing.” The Father corrected.

  “What?” Vic spoke.

  “It’s not an exorcism. It’s a cleansing of the spirits.” Father Sebastian turned and continued up the stairs. “Many people get that wrong. We are not exorcizing the house. It is not a living being. We are merely cleansing it of the unwanted spirits. The spirits that should have moved on long ago.”

  Vic and Michael followed Father Sebastian to the second floor where he cleansed the landing before moving down the hall to the first room. Father Sebastian entered the suite of rooms that Michael’s family were using. He then moved through the room swinging the incense, chanting, and flicking holy water. Vic and Michael watched from the door. A slamming door down the hall caused them both to jump.

  Father Sebastian returned to the hall. “Did one of you slam a door?”

  “No.” Michael looked at him. “And there’s nobody here except us.”

  Father Sebastian pushed by them and continued to the next room. Vic stood with Michael in the doorway again. The air in the house felt stuffy and stale. The Father continued with his incense, chanting, and holy water. All the while the hairs on the back of Vic’s neck stood erect. She turned to look down the hall. Certain that they were somehow being watched. Of course, there was no one there. It was only the three of them in the house, but all the same, her unease grew. She knew something lurked here. She saw it in the cellar with Michael and she hoped the priest’s prayers would be enough to chase it away.

  They went to the room Vic was using next. The door was stuck and after shoving into it with his shoulder Michael managed to get it to open. The room was in shadow, despite the open curtains. Whispers emanated from the darkest corners of the room. Dread filled them as Father Sebastian entered it. He swung the incense burner, purifying smoke flowing freely from it.

  “In the name of Jesus, I command the spirits that reside here to leave this house.” The priest flicked the holy water.

  The shadows darkened and the lights in the hallway flickered. Vic grabbed onto Michael. It was there in her room, where she slept.

  “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy spirit I command you to leave.” The priest swung the incense.

  The whispering grew to a crescendo. Vic let go of Michael and they both covered their ears with their hands. The noise was deafening, coming from everywhere at once. Father Sebastian chanted, sprinkled more holy water, and brandished the cross. Vic felt bile rising up her throat and she backed away from the door. Another moment and she fled back down the stairs. Michael chased after her. The sound of their feet pounded down the stairs and echoed along the great hall. Michael chased after Vic as she ran through the room, into the entrance hall, and finally threw open the front door and stepped through to the world outside.

  Unable to hold it in, Vic leaned over the railing and vomited into the bushes. Michael stopped beside her and rubbed her back. When she was done she wiped her mouth and sat down on the steps. Michael sat beside her.

  She went to say something, laughed, and then said, “I guess I'm not very brave.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  “That makes two of us.” He ran his hand through his hair.

  “Do you think Father Sebastian can cleanse this place?” She looked at him.

  “I don’t see why not. He says he’s cleansed many other houses. It seems like just a day of work to him.” They watched the traffic go by.

  “I hope we can get back to work tomorrow.” She sighed looking up at the sky.

  “We’ll be able to focus our efforts on the job at hand. This house is going to be back to its gorgeous self in no time.”

  Vic laughed. “You make it sound like she’s some beautiful woman making a recovery.”

  “Isn’t she?” He looked at her with a half-crooked smile.

  “Touche.”

  It was cold outside, but Vic didn’t mind. She had Michael beside her to keep her company. She wasn’t going back into that house until the priest came out and told them that it was done.

  “Will we notice the difference?” She looked at him.

  “What difference?”

  “The house. Will we notice the difference after the cleansing?” She wrapped her arms around herself.

  “I don’t know.” He saw her shivering and moved closer to her so that he could put his arms around her to keep her warm. When that didn’t work very well he got up to go back into the house.

  “Where are you going?” She looked at him.

  “I’ll be right back.” And he dashed inside.

  A few moments later he returned with their coats from the coat room. Michael helped Vic into her’s before donning his.

  Feeling warmer Vic stood and walked into the yard to look up at the house. Michael followed her. “She’s amazing!” She said.

  “That she is.” Michael agreed.

  They stood around outside and went over the different aspects of the architecture on the front and sides of the house. Aspects such as what color should the trim be painted, and if they can replace rotten elements with replicas.

  After some time Father Sebastian stumbled through the front door looking haggard and spent. Vic and Michael rushed to his side but he waved them away. “It is done.” He looked past them to his car. “All is well now.” He walked across the porch and held onto the railing to steady himself as he descended the stairs. “Do not hesitate to call me if needed, but I must go and rest now.”

  “Thank you, Father.” Michael shook his hand and then he ushered Vic back into the house.

  When Vic crossed the threshold she felt the difference immediately. The atmosphere felt light and airy. She could breathe easily, not like in a closed hot, and stuffy room. Michael took her coat and deposited them back in the coat room and then the two of them walked into the great hall.

  “It feels like a different place. It feels light and airy, it’s bright, and there are no shadows clinging to the corners of the room.” She looked around at the obvious change in the lighting and atmosphere of the great hall.

  She strolled from room to room on the main level and Michael followed behind. In every room she entered, bright afternoon light streamed through the windows. No shadows were lurking anywhere except where the light hit the furniture, and even those seemed lighter than usual.

  “Can you feel it?” she looked at Michael.

  He could. The house felt empty. There was no longer this oppressive weight that he hadn’t realized had been there all along until it was gone. “Yes.” He walked to the window of the drawing room and looked outside. The glass was clear as if it had just been cleaned.

  “It’s amazing! The priest did it. He actually did it!” He smiled at Vic. “I had hoped, but I wasn’t sure if it would work or not.”

  Vic sat on an orange bucket with the lid on it and let out a breath she had been holding. She then breathed deeply. Even the feel of the air in her lungs felt light. “I came here thinking I’d be buried deep in work on the history of the architecture of the house and never once thought that being here would change my worldview so drastically.” She looked at Michael. “But already I can feel my mind trying to rationalize my experiences. My memory feels muddled, like maybe we hallucinated what we thought we saw and experienced.” She fidgeted. “I’ve been trying to be scientific about this whole thing, but suddenly it feels as though I’ve woken up and it was all just a strange and terrible dream.”

  Michael leaned against the fireplace mantel. “I get what you’re saying. You’re a very scientifically oriented person. You believe in facts. Things you can see, feel, and verify. Anything that can’t be studied scientifically, such as ghosts, isn't real to you. Except, you’ve entered my world. My family and I believe. I’m pretty sure Megan believes but is in denial. It’s why she’s been reacting so badly. The proof is in her face and it’s harder for her to ignore. Growing up my Abuela took us to church, and we prayed to the Virgin Mary. We believed in God, the Holy Ghost, The Devil, and evil spirits to lead us astray.” He strolled over to the old sofa covered in a drop cloth and sat down. “The spirit world has always been real to me. That’s why I find this so fascinating. Though it does scare me. I believe in evil spirits. I think we brought the priest out just in time. There’s no telling what would have happened next. The power of the Lord is real. I don’t know if this will have made you a true believer, but if I wasn’t already I’d be now. You can feel it now. In here. I can breathe again. It’s as if a dark depression has lifted.”

  Vic stood and walked over to look out the window, “You’re right. It is difficult for me to believe. I wouldn’t have believed any of this if I hadn’t experienced it myself. I do believe in ghosts now, but that doesn’t equate to a belief in God. There’s too much evil in this world, and I can’t believe in a creator that doesn’t help their people. War, famine, disease, murder, abuse, neglect, rape. An all-powerful being who allows for these atrocities and doesn’t do anything to stop them isn’t one I can believe in. God doesn’t exist, but spirits do. I don’t know what to do with this information yet, but I will be conducting more research into this area.” She turned away from the window back toward Michael. “But for now I’m going to start with writing this all down in my notes. I don’t know yet how this will feature in my book. Or how I will incorporate this into my life and how I view the world. It’s equal parts fascinating and terrifying at the same time.”

  Later, Vic found herself standing in her room admiring how lovely and quaint it was. This room had harbored so many shadows that she thought the windows were not big enough to let in a good deal of light, but that was not the case. The room was brightly lit and felt light and clean. She still had a bit of a headache so she laid down on her bed with hopes of taking a nap.

  An hour later Vic found herself in the Library with Michael. He was going over the supply order for the next day. She strode over to one of the bookshelves and began perusing the antique books. She ran her hands along the dusty, fraying cloth covers while reading the titles. Dracula, by Bram Stoker, The Picture of Dorian Grey, by Oscar Wilde, The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton. She also found non-fiction titles such as The Interpretation of Dreams, by Sigmund Freud, The Varieties of Religious Experience, by William James, and The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, by Max Weber. The books one read said a lot about a person, she mused. All of the books in this section were from the 1800s to early 1900s. After Edward's death, it looked like Virginia, or somebody else had continued collecting books. The books looked to be shelved according to when they were published and it was like walking through the history of publishing. With titles such as Ethan Frome, and My Antonia from the 1910s to The Great Gatsby in the 1920s, to Fahrenheit 451 in the 1950s. It appeared that the person who owned these was well-read.

  Michael looked up from his paperwork, “There are quite a few first editions in there.” He stood up and walked over. He pulled a book from the shelf and handed it to Vic.

  She looked at the cover, “On the Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin.” She carefully opened the cover and found his signature right there. She looked up at Michael astounded. “This must be worth a fortune. Why is it still sitting here on the shelf?”

  Michael grinned. “I need to get a book appraiser in here, and learn how to properly store them so that they don’t deteriorate more than they have already.”

  “What are you going to do with them?” She carefully reshelved the book.

  Michael walked back to his desk, “Well, the more valuable ones will probably be stored in a safety deposit box. The less rare and least valuable ones will probably be encased and put on display for viewing once the Inn is open for business. This place will be an experience for people to get a look at what it was like for people living back in the late 19th century.”

  Vic went and grabbed her notepad, and then returned to the library to make notes on the collection of books, their titles and copyright dates, and the order in which they were shelved. The oldest books, which most likely belonged to Edward were in a different order than the ones which probably belonged to his wife Virginia. Several of the oldest books had personal letters stuffed into them from the authors. It appeared as though Edward Charles kept a correspondence with several of the authors. These letters themselves were also quite valuable.

  Vic spent the next several hours documenting the collection for her book., Michael spent the same time making business calls. When the shadows from the darkening sky grew long Michael turned on his desk lamp, and then walked over to the wall switch and pushed it flooding the room once again with bright light.

  An hour later the sounds of a car pulling into the driveway could be heard. A moment later William could be heard yelling “Quit it Liam! Stop touching me.” and then “Come, let’s go see your Dad and tell him all about our day.” said Megan. The front door opened and they could hear the two boys running down the hall toward the library. And then, two small boys burst into the room and ran straight for Michael. He opened his arms and scooped up both boys sitting one on each knee.

  “Did you have a fun day?” He beamed at them.

  “Oh yes! We went to the library and had story time and got to check out books.” Liam exclaimed

  “We got to play at McDonald’s, but Liam wouldn’t eat his food.” He lifted his arm to show Michael the toy in his hand. “Look what I got.” it was a figurine of the main character in the new children’s movie that was out.

  “That’s really cool bud.” He smiled at William and then looked to Liam, “What one did you get?”

  “The same one.” He grumped.

  “Well, now you two won’t have to fight over who gets to play with them first.” Michael looked up and watched his wife enter the room.

  Megan glanced at Vic sitting in a chair looking at books and then walked towards her husband. “Whose car is out front? Is the Priest still here?”

  Michael was puzzled, “There’s another car in the drive?”

  “Yeah, it’s a black sedan.”

  “Father Sebastion has a black sedan, but he left hours ago.” He put the boys down, stood up, and walked around the desk. “I’ll go take a look.” He left the room.

  His footsteps echoed down the hall as he made his way to the front door. The knob was cold in his hand as he turned it and pulled the heavy wooden door inward. Cold air rushed inside, chilling him. He stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind him. He looked toward the drive and could see the priest’s black sedan sitting right where it had been earlier.

  Why was his car still here? He had left hours ago. Did he have car trouble and call somebody to pick him up? But if he did, why didn’t he come back in and let them know? He walked down the sidewalk toward the drive. He noticed frost covering all the windows making it opaque. He couldn’t see inside. He walked toward the driver’s side and tested the door handle. It opened.

  Sitting in the driver's seat was the body of the priest sitting upright with his head tilted back. His eyes were open, but what struck Michael was the priest’s mouth frozen in a wide-open scream of utter terror. His blood turned to ice. He pulled back quickly, shutting the door. Then he pulled out his phone and dialed 911.

  A few minutes later Michael came back in. “Boys, why don’t you go up and put your pajamas on and play in your room until I or your mother comes up.”

  “But we want to know who’s here,” William Whined.

  “None of that now. Go on up and take Liam with you.”

  The boys hesitated.

  “You heard your father,” Megan said to them. “Go on now and I’ll be up shortly to read your library books to you.”

  The boys shuffled out of the room and Michael waited until the sounds of their feet disappeared up the stairs.

  Megan raised an eyebrow as she looked at him and Vic opened her mouth as if to say something and didn’t.

  “The car out front is the priest’s. He’s dead.”

  The two women looked at each other, eyes wide, and then back to Michael. They spoke in unison.

  “Father Sebastion is Dead?” Vic’s voice hitched.

  “What? In our driveway?” Megan’s voice wavered.

  “What happened?” The women said in unison again.

  All the hair on Vic’s body prickled as it stood to attention and a tight, heaviness settled in her chest.

  “I called 911, somebody should be arriving soon.” Michael sat heavily on a chair and ran his hand through his hair.

  Megan sat beside him and took one of his hands in hers. Vic walked to the window to look out, but couldn’t see the car from where she stood. It was so strange. Father Sebastion was elderly, but Vic thought he had looked in good health. He was maybe in his mid-70s. He got around the house okay and didn’t have a problem with the stairs. She had a sudden horrible thought. What if he was killed by the ghosts? But she quickly shoved that thought away with her rational mind. Even though he didn’t look ill, he was still elderly, and sometimes things happen. Maybe it was a heart attack or a stroke. She wondered if they would find out after the morgue did an autopsy on him.

  Michael and Megan spoke in hushed tones as he told her that while tragic, the priest had been elderly and that he had probably over-exerted himself while blessing the house. It was probably just a heart attack and there was nothing they could have done.

  Megan excused herself to go up to the children because she didn’t want to be around when the police arrived.

  Right after Megan went upstairs flashing red and blue lights strobed through the windows. Michael went to greet the police and Vic followed. Stepping out onto the porch, they were blinded by the bright strobing lights on top of the police cruiser.

  Two officers got out of the car. A tall, African American man and a slightly shorter white man. They took out their flashlights and turned them on.

  Michael walked towards them, “Hello officers.” He waved at them.

  Vic followed him. The taller one shined his flashlight over both of their faces and they each winced at the brightness.

  The tall one said, “I’m Officer Curtis, and my partner here is Officer Donaldson.” He pulled a notepad out of his pocket and asked, “Which one of you called this in?”

  “I did,” Michael raised his hand in the air.

  “And you are? Do you know the deceased?” Officer Curtis was writing in his notepad.

  “I’m Michael Williams and we just met him today.”

  Officer Donaldson flashed his light back at Vic and asked, “And who are you?”

  “I’m Vic…Victoria Grey.”

  Officer Curtis made more notes and looked back up at Michael. “So you just met the deceased today? Who is he and what was he doing here?”

  Michael explained, “He was a priest down at one of the local Catholic Churches. My wife and I are fixing up the house here…”

  Officer Donaldson interrupted, “Is Vic your wife?”

  Vic and Michael looked at each other and she blushed. It made her heart flutter for a moment. She was glad that it was too dark for them to see. They both laughed and talked over each other saying that ‘no she wasn’t his wife.’

  “My wife Megan is inside the house with our two boys. We didn’t want them to see what was going on.” Michael stuffed his hands in his pockets.

  “Then who are you, Vic?” Officer Curtis questioned.

  “I was hired by Michael and his Wife Megan to help with the renovations on the house.” She watched him scribble this into his notes.

  “So you, your wife, and Vic here are renovating this house. How does the priest fit into this?”

  Michael let out a breath and he watched the steam float away from his face. “I don’t know if the two of you believe in ghosts or not, but we’ve had some odd things happening in the house…”

  “You think the house is haunted?” Officer Curtis Surmised.

  “Well, odd things were happening, so I thought maybe a priest could come out and bless the house.” He glanced past the officers and looked over at Father Sebastian’s car and then back to Officer Curtis.

  “What kinda odd things we talking about?” Officer Curtis gestured with his two hands. “Bumps in the night, ghostly apparitions?”

  “Officers, If I may?” Vic butted in and Officer Curtis nodded for her to perceive. “I’m a very scientific-oriented person and I did not believe in ghosts or hauntings before I came here, but I’ve seen things that have caused me to reevaluate my worldview.”

  “Such as,” Officer Donaldson spoke.

  Michael stepped forward. “Ghostly apparitions officers. We saw ghosts in the basement. The children were seeing ghosts, and our nanny quit because of it. So I called around until I found somebody who was willing to come out and cleanse the house.”

  “Did it work?” Donaldson was also taking notes in his own notepad.

  “Yes, we think it did.” Michael breathed.

  “What time did the priest arrive?” Officer Curtis said without looking up from his notepad.

  Michael and Vic told both of the officers about what time the priest arrived that afternoon, what was said and done, and How they eventually waited outside until he was done.

  While Michael and Vic talked to the police an ambulance arrived and neighbors were peeking out their windows or standing out on the sidewalks.

  “When he was done he exited the house, said it was all clear, and left.” Michael looked at Vic, who was nodding her head. “He looked a little tired, but the house is big and he was old. We just figured he got tired blessing the whole house. We went back inside.”

  “You didn’t wait to see him drive off.” Officer Curtis asked.

  Vic had wrapped her arms around herself, her breath was white as she breathed out and it floated away, “No, we didn’t wait. He said it was done and we were freezing. Plus he seemed ready to just leave. He didn’t want to stay and wait. We didn’t even know his car was still here until Megan came home with the kids and mentioned the car in the driveway.”

  “Stay here.” Officer Curtis demanded and then he and Officer Donaldson turned away to greet the paramedics and walked over to the car and took their first look at Father Sebastian.

  Vic huddled next to Michael as they waited for the police and paramedics to finish and leave. She watched Officer Curtis open the car door. His eyebrows shot up and she heard him mutter profanity. They were at it for almost an hour before the paramedics left with the body and a tow truck took off with the car.

  Officer Curtis walked over to them, “We’re all done here. This is my card.” He handed a business card to Michael. “If you have any other information you can call me, but the paramedics say it looks like a heart attack.”

  They thanked the officers and went back inside. Vic excused herself and went up to bed.

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