The Grey Girl, The Van Tassel Murders

The room was instantly thrown into darkness by the slamming of the front door. A hush fell and time seemed to stop. Slowly, lights began to glow overhead, casting an eerie pallor over the foyer. Low gas flames burned in sconces and the chandelier overhead.

Emily giggled while she skipped around the group. “Oh, so much fun. We never get visitors. Have you come to play with me?” On her second time around, she stopped suddenly. She was looking straight ahead, the smile slipping from her face to be replaced with confusion. Her head turned slowly to peer straight at Chloe. “You’re not supposed to be here.” She frowned. Walking slowly around Chloe, her head bobbing like an inquisitive pigeon, Emily studied Chloe from every angle.

Feeling a bit unnerved and self-conscious, Chloe crouched down, holding out a hand to the young spirit. Emily recoiled fearfully, her tone changing from questioning to accusing. “You’re not supposed to be here!”

A cold wind whipped through the hall. The gaslights flickered and went out, throwing the room back into semi-darkness. The front door flew open, slamming with a deafening crack against the wall. Suddenly, daylight streamed into the room, causing everyone to shield their eyes. Chloe gasped upon seeing that Emily was so transparent she was almost invisible.

“Uh, oh.” The young ghost recoiled and whispered, “Daddy’s home.” Before Chloe could reach her, Emily melted into the floor.

Chloe reached out to the spot where the young girl had been. A shadow fell across the floor as an outline filled the doorway. Henry Van Tassel’s rotten visage stared at them through hollow eye sockets. “I warned you not to come here.” His voice boomed around the hall.

“Well, get used to the company. This isn’t your house anymore,” Alex responded loudly. “Does he seem more solid than he should?” he hissed out of the corner of his mouth at Aaron.

“A specter can take on many forms, depending on the situation and the result it is hoping to obtain,” Aaron quoted.

Heavy, thudding footsteps echoed through the hall. Slowly, Henry crossed the threshold. “As long as I remain here, I will be the master of this house. And this will always be my home.” The coal embers of his eyes burned brighter. “And I will always be here!”

“A specter can take many forms?” Alex turned questioningly to his brother. “Where the hell did you get that?”

Aaron’s attention was completely on Alex. “You know I’ve been studying this stuff since we met Chloe.”

“I know that, but that made no sense.”

“What do you mean?” Aaron fired up. “It makes perfect sense.”

“Boys,” Arthur interrupted, his eyes never leaving the ghastly figure approaching them. “Is this the time?”

“This is my house!” Henry boomed, finally recapturing the attention of the arguing siblings.

“Yes, we understand that.” Chloe spoke quietly as she pushed her way between Alex and Aaron. “We know you’re attached to this house. I know how that feels.”

Henry backed away slightly as she advanced.

“I was trapped for years in a house,” Chloe continued.

Alex hissed a warning at her, reaching out to restrain her, but she shook his hand from her arm, waving at him to hush.

“I couldn’t leave that house. How did you? How were you able to show up at our house? I mean, where I live now.” Chloe stumbled over her thoughts as she finished.

Henry looked at her. What could only have been confusion covered his dried husk of a face. “Where you live now?” His voice was low. “How do you live now?” He bent slightly, observing her. Suddenly, he came to himself. Looking past Chloe to her companions, he pointed at them, the accusation clear in his voice. “How could you bring her here? Get her out of this house immediately!”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Chloe stated. Henry advanced on her, but Chloe stood her ground.

Henry pushed roughly past her and grabbed Alex by the front of his shirt. Alex’s feet left the ground. Aaron and Arthur both tried to hit the specter, but their swings went right through the ghost.

Alex’s hair blew back as Henry shouted into his face. “If you love her you will take her away. NOW!”

Alex collapsed onto the floor. Scrabbling to his feet, he shot towards Chloe, but skidded to a halt when Henry roared, “Nooooooo!”

Emily stood behind Chloe. Next to the little girl was what could only be described as a banshee. The woman was either eight feet tall or floating. A greenish glow surrounded her. Her hands and face were shriveled, but her eyes burned with actual flames. She pointed, her mouth opening impossibly wide. An ear-splitting screech sent those alive crouching and covering their ears in agony.

Both Henry and Alex rushed at Chloe, but Emily appeared in front of her, holding up a hand. Henry stopped as if hitting an invisible wall. The banshee continued to howl. Blood trickled from one of Alex’s ears. He reached out for Chloe, who reached for him, but her feet were firmly stuck to the floor. Fear flooded her face as Emily wrapped her arms around Chloe’s middle.

The little girl turned to face Alex. The smile on her face forced him back, it was so unexpected. Turning back, she looked up at Chloe.

Alex saw complete terror on the face of the woman he loved. Fighting against the forces holding him back, he tried to reach her. It was like trying to run through setting concrete, each step more difficult and draining than the last.

“It’s time for you to come play with me.” Emily laughed. Chloe’s scream tore through Alex’s heart. Emily walked through Chloe, pulling with her Chloe’s soul dressed in the gray coat and clothes from the Sterben house.

He was so close. His hand flashed out as time slowed. Chloe seemed to fall forever, his fingers grasping at the air just in front of her. A slight tug of two fingers was all that registered, other than the ice gripping his heart.

Chloe’s body landed stiffly on the floor. Her dry, gray skin clashed wildly with her tie-dyed T‑shirt. Her face resembled an ancient mummy; there was no trace of the active woman she had been seconds before. Stumbling and screaming her name, Alex fell to his knees. Above the body, eyes wide in horror, Chloe struggled against the girl at her waist.

In a blink Emily and Chloe were gone and Alex could only stare, speechless, at where they had been. He reached out for Chloe’s body. Shocked, he watched in horror as it zoomed away from his grasp, his scream of anguish lost as chaos exploded around him.

A howl of anger and pain erupted from his family. With a flash of brass, crashing of furniture and glass, half hidden by wind-whipped debris, Henry and the banshee struggled higher into the air. Arthur was pulling on Alex, whose own cries mixed with the din around him. Several voices repeatedly cried Chloe’s name. Aaron ran past Alex, searching the wall where he had last seen her. Flung by Henry, the banshee flew past Aaron and she too disappeared through the wall.

Aaron ran toward Alex, who was pulled from his knees to find himself in the air again, as was Arthur. They were spun around twice before being flung like ragdolls to tumble out the door and off the porch. Aaron, arms over his head, stumbled after them. The door slammed shut, knocking him the rest of the way out of the house. In seconds, Alex was on his feet, pulling and pushing, banging and kicking to no avail against the sealed portal.

“You were warned, you know,” said a calm man in a pinstriped suit. He cleaned his glasses with a white handkerchief as he leaned against a post. “Now it seems we need to find a way to help your friend.” He checked the glasses, smiled, and returned them to his face.

“Who the hell are you?” Aaron demanded.

Unhurried, the man carefully folded the handkerchief. Calmly, he returned it to his pocket and straightened his tie before replying. “Abernathy. Lewis Abernathy.” He held out his hand.