《Odd Jobs for a Occult Handyman》 Pizza Poltergiest Part 1 Winston Shady made it a habit of dressing the same every day, an odd habit for a single 22-year-old. Plain gray t-shirt, brown wrangler pants and work boots, an outfit useful for almost any occasion. But when working he always carried an antique medical bag that seemed to carry everything, he would need to from fixing a leaky pipe to holding an exorcism. Because that is how he made a living, barely, as the only occult handyman to have ever existed. The day started off as a warm spring day, but like most spring days in Spokane the weather could turn on a dime on you. While walking along the downtown of Spokane, the clouds rolled in on him, making him wish he had brought a coat. Scanning the addresses above the entranceways as he walked by them, he couldn¡¯t find where his client would be. That was until he decided to turn down an alleyway that looked relatively clean. Located halfway down, a dingy glass business door with the address painted barely visible on it. New newspapers taped on the inside of the glass blocked his view in. Even the large dirty bay windows next to the door were covered in newspapers. Annoyed that he couldn¡¯t see in, but Winston smirked at the idea of sitting on the inside looking at the scenic views of a dumpster and recycling bins. Checking his phone for the time, he went to go in, but the door was locked. Rapping his knuckles of the glass, he waited a minute and still no answer. He called the number that texted him late last night, there was no answer, but he swore he could hear ringing on the other side of the door. As soon as he hung up, he could swear the ringing stopped. Then the muffled beep, signifying a missed call sounded. A drop of rain hit the top of his head making him look up into the sky, ¡°Damn¡± he said out loud to no one. Looking up between the two building he could visibly see the clouds becoming darker, the rumble of thunder could be heard in the distance. Setting his bag on the ground and squatting he looked to see if anyone was watching him from the street. Opening his bag and reached his hand into it up to his shoulder. His arm deeper than should be feasible for a bag that small. He rooted around pulling out only three things objects, but he really wished he packed a coat or even an umbrella in it. ¡°Mental reminder add an umbrella to the bag¡± he said to himself. He realized that rain was the least of his concerns for some of the jobs he did. An umbrella would come in handy for a lot of situations where disgusting liquids could fall on his head. A sandwich bag of batteries, the cheap off brand ones you could find in a TV remote. An antique skeleton key that would open up most simple door locks in old homes. And X-ray glasses, like the ones you order from comic books ads with a cheap frame and the red and white swirls as lenses. Putting the glasses on, he held one of the batteries in his right hand, so his thumb was resting on the negative end and his pointer finger was on the positive side and then touched the battery to the glasses. ¡°Peek-a- boo¡± he said aloud and with a static shock pop and his pinky twitching, he put the now dead battery in his pocket and blew on his fingertips. Squinting his eyes even though the gag glasses blocked his vision, he could now see through the glasses and the thin paper blocking his view of the inside of the building. The magic that he just used took three parts. The X-ray glasses were his foci for his magic and represented the ability to see through solid objects. The battery was the source of power he used to empower the spell, converting the stored energy into a magical energy. And third was the magic word he decide for this spell, peek-a-boo. The word, even though absurd was also critical to the spell. It created a mental connection between the desired effect the glasses would perform, and the energy he was draining from the battery and pumping into the glasses.to combine the magical energies and the glasses to complete his spell.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The key was for the second spell he decided to cast, a simple unlocking spell. If someone were going to be rude and not show up for their appointment, he would be rude and just let himself inside. He also didn¡¯t want to be stuck outside in a downpour because wet socks are the worst. The world suddenly took on monochrome hues to him. The battery only would power the magic for a minute at best but that should be enough to see if anyone were in the building. The newspapers became barely perceptible, like a faint tinting to the window. Tables and chairs were stacked carelessly against the back wall of the room, paint cans stacked on the ground in front of them. A cheap coffee maker, microwave, and cell phone on the counter. A painter¡¯s tarp lay haphazardly in the middle of the floor, with a hand sticking out from under it, unmoving. In some cases, a spirit could become extremely violent and throw things around the room, occasionally striking people. A lesson Winston learned the hard was and why he always wore his hard hat during a s¨¦ance. Unsure if the person was alright, he thrust the hand holding the key and battery at the lock. Practically yelling ¡°Open sesame¡± flooding the spell with more power than he would usually the battery in his cracked open with an extremely loud crack. The lock on the door slammed open violently. Shouldering the door open while dropping the smoking battery on to the floor. As soon as he barged into the building, he had his phone in his hand prepared to call 911 if needed as he rushed to the body under the tarp. The room reeked of fresh paint and stale beer and snore came from under the tarp, stopping him in his tracks. Thinking that he should go outside and just bang on the door until he woke up whoever was sleeping. He turned around just as a flash of light shone through the newspapers and the heavy rumble shook the air and rain started pouring. Really needing the money and not wanting to wait out in the rain he decided to brew some coffee for some good faith and just lie about the door being left unlocked. Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission as he pulled a chair out of the pile and wait patiently. His patience lasted about a minute and before he was tapping his foot on the ground to unheard beat. He was feeling a little weird just sitting there not doing anything while someone slept. Looking around he could see paint splattered in weird places and behind the jumbled pile of chairs and tables a swinging kitchen door. Almost as if the pile were being used as a barricade and the paint cans were placed to act as a booby trap alarm. As soon as the coffee started percolating the smell permeated the room causing the man under the tarp to stir. Coughing loudly, Winston was signaling to the man that someone else was also there. The man didn¡¯t even react to the cough, he just the grunted and groaned as he stretched, then lifted a leg letting out a long greasy fart. ¡°Hey Jace, get me a cup of coffee. You wouldn¡¯t believe the weird shit that happened last night. It¡¯s definitely not some asshole breaking in and messing with us¡± he said ignoring the fact that he had pretty much dutch ovened himself. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m not Jace, I¡¯m Winston, the handyman you texted me late last night¡± Winston replied. The man under the tarp jerked up quickly to his feet, tossing the painter¡¯s tarp off. Spinning to face Winston, ¡°How did you get in here?¡± ¡°Sorry the door was unlocked¡± using his thumb to gesture at the door ¡°and I let myself in when it started to rain.¡± Grabbing his phone off the counter he checked the time. ¡°Oh man, sorry I was sleeping, I must have missed your call and my alarm¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m Isaac by the way, you want a cup of coffee?¡± ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks¡± Winston replied holding up his hand and shaking his. ¡°Cool, because I feel like shit and only have one clean cup¡± Isaac said pulling a coffee cup from below the counter pouring coffee in it. Isaac looked over to the piled-up tables and chairs that blocked the doorway and took a long sip of coffee. ¡°I think I might be wasting your time, but I have heard about you and what you do.¡± ¡°Ok so why do you think you need me to do then? Winston said happy that he wasn¡¯t here to just snake some toilets. Pizza Poltergiest Part 2 ¡°I dunno like about a week ago, me and my cousin just finished setting up the kitchen so I could practice making pizza dough for when we would open. I was kneading some dough in the mixer while he was in this weird office in the back of the kitchen. We didn¡¯t need it, so we decided to convert it into like a dry storage, which makes so much more sense you know¡± Isaac said talking more and more animatedly with his hands. ¡°It was filled with all this junk and shit from the original owner who I heard killed himself in the kitchen back in the 90¡¯s. That was like 20-30 years ago and this place hasn¡¯t been used since and why we got such a kickass deal! This is like my dream, you know. Running my own kitchen and being an owner is like and my cousin is like super smart and shit. So we both saved up and got some loans to start this place when he found it on the market for super cheap¡± Isaac ranted but stopped when he looked down at my foot tapping. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m a fidgeter¡± Winston said his ear turning a bit red in embarrassment. "So my cousin is in the back office pulling junk out, and going through it in case we could use anything or if he found anything cool. Then he starts like yelling for me like DUDE DUDE DUDE I need your help! He was then yelling about finding something hidden under this huge ass desk and that he needed help moving it to get to it. I was done kneading the dough, so I quickly put some saran wrap on the dough, totally messed the dough up. Forgot to oil it so it probably would have stuck to the saran wrap. I would take you back to the old office to show you what I¡¯m talking about but I¡¯m kind of to freaked out to go back there¡± Isaac said. ¡°What has you too afraid to go back there¡± Winston asked quickly. He was really getting into Isaac¡¯s story and wanted to know what they found. ¡°Don¡¯t laugh, but I think the guy who killed himself is haunting us and its our fault that he is back¡± Isaac said then taking a longer than needed sip of his coffee. ¡°Why would I laugh? Have you seen my business card?¡± Winston stated while pulling out a business card and walking it over to Isaac. It said:
WINSTON SHADY OCCULT HANDYMAN Problem with ghosts, ghouls or the garbage disposal? Call me
Winston was really proud of this card and loved the looks it got when people read it. ¡°Keep it, I ordered way too many, also ghost can¡¯t do anything during the daytime. Sunlight really hamper being from the other side so we will be safe if we go check out what you are talking about. What was hidden under the desk? Winston asked while he started to move the paint cans away from the barricade. ¡°So, we got this heavy ass desk out of the office, and underneath where the drawers were, was a weird safe door. It didn¡¯t have a lock, just this weird knot that I cut off and kept. When I opened it up there was some weird ash at the bottom. No money, no drugs, not even a recipe book, nothing! I was pissed, so we pulled the box out of the ground, dumped it out in the garbage and then we decided to take a safety break. We put the box and knot on this counter and left¡± Isaac went on as we continued to move tables and chairs out of the way.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Safety walk?¡± Winston ask while scrunching his face. ¡°Kitchen lingo for us to destress by taking a break to take a shot or smoke weed. You know, make it safe for other people to be around us. Wanna take one?¡± Isaac said laughing. ¡°Uh, no thanks¡± Winston said unsure of what type of job this was going to be. ¡°I¡¯m going to need some liquid courage before going back there and it¡¯s rude to not offer¡± Isaac said standing up and stretching his back. Most the chairs and tables were out of the way now and Isaac stopped moving stuff. He walked back over to the coffee to pour himself another cup. He then pulled out a bottle of whiskey and poured it into liberally into his coffee. ¡°Cheers¡± he said taking a large drink of coffee without even a grimace. ¡°Did you keep the box and knot?¡± Winston asked moving the last table out of the way. ¡°Yeah I did, its down here is the cool shit to keep box. Jace also found the whiskey in the office¡± Isaac said while reaching down under the counter to rummage around for it. He stood up holding an intricately tied rope. ¡°May I¡± Winston asked holding his hand to Isaac. ¡°I have seen this type of knot before. If I remember correctly, it¡¯s for binding something, but not ghosts. I just don¡¯t remember what¡± Winston said while turning the knot around in his hands. ¡°I dunno man but me and Jace locked up and walked down the street to this little bar called Whisk to grab a drink. We only meant to have one, but we ran into friends and ended just calling it a night and hung out¡± Isaac said then took another large drink of his spiked coffee. ¡°So why do you think this place is haunted?¡± Winston asked not quite following the story as he turned the knot around in his hand. He was still trying to remember what the knot was for. ¡°I¡¯m getting there, we locked up and called it a night. When we showed up the next day, there was dough everywhere. The dough I forgot to put away was all over the ceiling, like it exploded. We cleaned it up and I started another batch and made sure to put it away until the next day. We then finished up for the day and when we showed up the following day my knives were stuck in the wall. I thought Jace was messing with me and did that to my knives and we got into this huge fight about him messing up my knives¡± Isaac said getting a little louder as he talked about someone messing up his knives. Isaac went on with his story talking about how everyday they showed up something else was trashed or ruined. They had even called the cops, but they were no help to them. It had escalated every day until last night when Isaac volunteered to stay the night and work on the front area and find out who was messing with them and possibly hit them with a metal pipe they found in the alley. ¡°Last night I was getting some painting done, drinking, and waiting for someone to start something. I heard something in the kitchen and grabbed my pipe to scare whoever was screwing with me. I ran into the kitchen, all pumped up and shit, feeling like a straight gangster! I went in there all pissed and ready to mess someone up and right in the middle of the kitchen there was this guy there with his back to me. But he was floating, and he was kind of transparent. He then spun around and pointed at me and screamed OUT OF MY KITCHEN! I was totally freaked out and threw my pipe at him and he kind of just burst into light. Then everything just went crazy lights started flickering and the ovens started opening and closing and the island worktable slammed into me, and I just bugged out and left¡± Isaac stated in almost one breath. He quickly poured another coffee that was mostly just whiskey. ¡°If you left how did you end up back here?¡± Winston asked. ¡°I got super wasted last night and I also forgot my phone here so I couldn¡¯t call an uber. I came back called an Uber but I had to wait a bit for it. I somehow decided that it was a reasonable idea that the table and chairs would stop a ghost and if I was hidden under the painter¡¯s tarp, I wouldn¡¯t be seen. And then I must have passed out¡± Isaac said then checked his phone. ¡°I also missed my Uber, obviously.¡± ¡°Well from how you described your ghost, you would actually call it a poltergeist. And you would have had no problem with any ghosts if that pipe were mostly iron. I think, well, yes I can help you¡± Winston said still holding the knot. ¡°You actually believe me?¡± Isaac said incredulously. ¡°Occult Handyman remember¡± Winston stated pointed a finger at himself, just as lightning flashed through the newspaper covered windows. Thunder rattled the window in their frames and sheets of rain came down harder, hammering a staccato rhythm on the ground. ¡°Well that¡¯s ominous¡± Winston stated flatly. Pizza Poltergiest Part 3 Winston walked around the kitchen, looking for clues to figure out what caused the haunting. Long gashes across the walls and prep table were new from what Isaac said when he peeked back. Isaac had refused to go into the kitchen after seeing the gashes, and that possibly saved him from the anguish of seeing that the motor to his mixer was broken apart. The mixer was fixable, and Isaac could fix it, thanks to one of his foster parent, Mortimer. Picking up the pieces of the motor, Winston organized the pieces just like Mort taught him. Mort always ¡°keep it organized, keep it simple stupid.¡± He would fix the motor after he performed the exorcism and protected this place from further hauntings. He then walked into the old office to check the hole in the ground but found nothing. There was no hole, or evidence of any hole ever being in there. The cement ground was old stained chipped and all in one piece. Running his hand across the floor he didn¡¯t feel any invisible cracks and his hand came up clean. Not even a speck of dust. The box and weird knot lay on the table next to the rusty iron pipe. The pipe was what made this haunting extra confusing. The pipe was mostly iron and would have banished any spiritual being back to the realm called Grimmlands. The Grimmlands went by many names in many stories, and because of that the intelligent denizens of that realm named it the Grimmlands after the brothers Grimm. He explained to Isaac about the pipe, and how nothing strange should have happened after the pipe struck the apparition. Issac was sure that the pipe struck the poltergeist and then everything went crazy happened. Winston thought that maybe Isaac took to many ¡°Safety Walks¡± last night and was imagining some things. Picking up the wood box he turned it around in his hands unsure what it was for. He set it down then reached into his workbag and pulled out a large magnifying, then fished out a battery from his pocket and said ¡°peek-a-boo.¡± That same sound electric popping sound happened, and he tossed the dead battery back into his pocket. He had to shake the hand he used to channel the energy from the batteries. To many spells in a single day made his hand tingle with pins and needles. The more or stronger spells he casted the longer and more powerful the effects would be. Looking through the magnifying glass at the box, showed that it was just a simple wood box. When he looked at the pipe, he saw that it was covered is weird black slime. Running his finger through the slime he knew what it was, it was ectoplasm. Isaac was telling the truth and he did hit the ghost with the pipe and banished it. That didn¡¯t explain what Isaac said happened afterward unless there were multiple weaker ghosts in the building. And the one that Isaac struck was the oldest and strongest one of them if he could appear to someone without any eldritch powers. Looking at the knot through the magnifying glass showed that it was imbued with tiny strands of power that were slowly unraveling. Focusing more on one of the strands of power, the magnifying glass zoomed in on it like the zoom function of a cell phone. The silver strands were actually little chains formed from pure magical energy. The chains led up to the knot and the knot actually worked as a magical lock. He had heard of this type of spell and it was an entrapment spell, and the box even though unmagical was the jail. Walking back to the old office, he scanned the floor with his magically charged magnifying glass. He managed to look at every inch of the floor for any magic that might be hiding the hole in the ground before the magic ran out. Winston stood back the table where he placed everything. He now knew what the box and knot were for, but he didn¡¯t know what the ash was for or what happened to the hole. Drumming his fingers on the table, he started repeating the word ash out loud to no one but himself. ¡°What are you asking about back there¡± Isaac yelled from the front. Winston sighed and grabbed the box and knot and walked to the front room. ¡°I figured out what the knot and box were for. When combined they worked as a jail for a spirit and when opened it you guys released the ghost¡± Winston stated to Isaac. ¡°Oh shit, for reals?¡± Isaac said looking extremely perplexed.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yeah but I can¡¯t figure out what the ash was for, or what happened to the hole your cousin found the box in. But I think I can use this box and knot to bind the spirit back into it before I exorcise it¡± Winston said. ¡°I think Jace said he was going to fill in the hole. I would call him, but I think the storm knocked out cell service¡± Isaac said. Winston reached into his pocket and pulled his phone out ¡°I don¡¯t have any service.¡± Placing his phone back into his pocket, Winston was feeling a little pensive about something but he couldn¡¯t figure out what. ¡°I¡¯m going to go back in there and start a s¨¦ance and no matter what you hear or see DO NOT enter that kitchen¡± Winston exclaimed with such fervor that Isaac took a step back. ¡°And if your cousin shows up, you better not let him back here either!¡± Winston didn¡¯t know why he was so adamant on Isaac staying away. He pondered on that for a second and just took it as the storm making him a bit jittery. Heading back into the kitchen, Winston started off by pushing the island prep table against the wall and clearing the ground of debris. Grabbing a box of salt off of the spice rack, he set it on the ground next to his bag. No use using his own supplies when he could use his employers. Opening his bag, he started gathering everything he needed to perform the s¨¦ance and binding spell. The s¨¦ance he planned on performing would be a cake walk but using the box and knot as the binding spell would be difficult, but the glimmer of an idea came to him when he was studying it. The first item he pulled out was a black rotary phone from the 1970s. It was a gift from his other foster parent and Mort¡¯s wife Dolores. She was the one who taught Winston all about the being that came from the Grimmlands and how to use his gift. Dolores made her living as psychic and worked for a psychic hotline and used this rotary phone. All the years of communing with spirits and customers had imbued this particular phone with the ability to make calls to any spirits in the same room as it. It also was a lot easier to use than a Ouija board, and copying every letter from the other side. The second item was a syringe to draw blood from his arm. He never saw the need to cut his palm to draw blood like most movies showed, simply drawing some blood would suffice. He tried using blood he stored in a freezer to trap a summoned creature. It had failed miserably; he was attacked by a very angry summoned creature that wanted its pound of flesh. Winston had learned the hard way, the wound from that fiasco took months to heal. The third a hardhat, he immediately put on. Items tended to fly around when spirits were angered. And lastly, he pulled a rechargeable battery pack that he wired the pads of a tens unit to. Before starting the s¨¦ance, he poured salt across all the doorways, trapping all of the spirits in the room with him. This would also keep any wandering creatures from entering when he offered the blood to the spirit. No one ever truly knew where a random apparition could be when not actively looking for it. He set the phone on the ground next to the box, and then tied his arm off to draw blood from his arm. The syringe full of his blood, he would need a small vessel to put it in, to lure the ghost into the box. Grabbing a black ramekin from a sleeve, he was ready to start the s¨¦ance. Setting the ramekin in the middle of the box, he put the blood-filled syringe right in front of the box. He made sure to remind Isaac to not come into the kitchen for any reason. Winston even took it a step further by explaining how he had salted the entranceway and it must not be crossed to keep the spirits in. He was secretly glad that there was no window allowing Issac to look in and see what came next. Winston proceeded to take his shirt off and looked down at his stomach. Three long, very angry looking, keloidal scars ran horizontally across his stomach. He ran his fingers gently along them remembering an important lesson. The lesson he took from trying to use his old frozen blood during a summoning. But the scar across his stomach were nothing compared to his back. His back covered in a myriad of long thin scars crisscrossing his back. Some of those scars old and faded, looking as if they were decades old. To old to be on someone so young, unless they were received at a very young age, almost infantile. Most disturbing though were the five individual brands on his back. Each brand individual in form and cruelly burnt into Winston¡¯s flesh when he 13 years old as part of a ritual that was left unfinished and forgotten. Winston sat cross legged on the ground, the phone, box, knot, and syringe within arms reach of him. The portable battery rested between his legs as he place the pads connected to it on to his chest. Taking a long steady breath, he put his hand on the phone. Making the conscious effort to pull the power into him he turned on the battery pack. The energy from the battery coursed into chest causing his pecs to twitch crazedly and his stomach muscles to tighten causing him to grunt. Gasping out his magic phrase ¡°Call me right now¡± he couldn¡¯t help but use a horribly fake Jamaican accent when casting this spell. The spell cracked into existence leaving a slight smell of ozone and the phone began ringing. Winston picked up the phone after the third ring and held it to his ear, ¡°Good afternoon sir or ma¡¯am, my name is Winston Shady and I¡¯m here to set you free.¡± Politeness cost him nothing and he hoped one day a spirit would be taken off guard and come quietly. This wasn¡¯t going to be that time. Pizza Poltergiest Part 4 ¡°NO CALL IN ORDERS¡± screamed the ghost through the phone receiver. Each word it screamed sounded as if it was said three times almost in unison. The voice rocked Winston¡¯s inner ear making him dizzy. The pizza oven door started opening and slamming. ¡°I¡¯m not calling in an order, I just want to help you¡± Winston replied. ¡°NOT HIRING¡± screamed the ghost causing Winston to lean away from the phone. It¡¯s voice still in that 3 disconcerting voices. At this point the broken mixer started shaking as the dough hook started moving. Changing tactics Winston went with ¡°I know your not hiring but I¡¯m calling about that problem you have.¡± ¡°YOUR LATE, NOW GET THEM OOOUUUUT¡± wailed the ghost. Winston had quickly wisened up and pulled the phone from his ear. The large prep table began levitating off of the ground. Winston¡¯s mind started going into overdrive, did the ghost mean Isaac and Jace. Was he trying to ruin their business or was he trying to keep his kitchen the way it was at his death? Where did the hole in the office go? How did the ghost get bound into the box and hidden if this place has been empty for decades? Before Winston had the chance to ask who the ghost wanted out, the lights in the room flickered and went out. The deep bass rumble of thunder rumbled so strong that even through multiple walls he could feel it in his chest. ¡°Who do you want out¡± Winston squeaked out startled from the sudden darkness. ¡°EVERYTHING¡± the ghost hollered so loud that the speaker on the phone popped loudly and the phone went dead. Winston felt that last scream like a slap in the face and punch in the gut. Slamming the receiver down on the phone, Winston was quickly was losing his patience with this ghost. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he used the flashlight function to locate the syringe of blood and then squirting half of it into the ramekin in the box. The pizza oven doors started slamming more violently and the prep table slammed back down onto the ground. The mixer machine was spinning so fast that it started making a loud keening noise. Winston lifted his phone to start shining light around to see if anything was being affected by the ghost. A heavy wooden rolling pin was levitating in the middle of the room, and then flung at Winston. Rather than try to dodge the rolling pin, he lowered his head down and braced for impact by pure instinct. The rolling pin smashed into his safety hat knocking Winston onto his back, his phone flying from his grip. White and red lights flashed in his vision, the sharp taste of metal in the back of his throat and hearing began to ring. Winston was used to taking abuse, but this rolling pin had really rocked him. If he hadn¡¯t been wearing a hard hat it would have really brained him. Laying on his back Winston was confused on what just happened as he opened his eyes and saw nothing. For a second, he thought he was still in that dark basement he grew up in, and another beating was coming. Adrenaline started pumping through his veins, blocking the pounding pain coming from the top of his head and thoughts cleared enough that he could hear someone screaming.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°What the hell is going on in there¡± Isaac yelled from the other side of door. Winston rolled over onto his stomach, and pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. ¡°JUST KEEP OUT¡± Winston yelled back his heartbeat pounding in his ears. Crawling around he started feeling around for the box and knot. He was ready to bind this ghost into the box ?and purify it in fire then piss on its ashes. One of the tens sticky pad pulling from his then the other. His left hand touching the battery pack before the box he gripped it and held it in front of and in the general direction of where the rolling pin came from. ¡°SHOW YOURSELF¡± Winston commanded the ghost as he channeled power from the battery pack. The soft blue glow of light formed a little to the left of where he was focusing. A short, unshaven, and grizzled man in a chef¡¯s coat came into focus floating inches above the ground. His arms crossed as he gave Winston a death glare. Ligature marks around his neck showed that his death was suicide and most likely in that kitchen. The blue light of the ghost created enough ambient light that Winston could see the box and knot and crawled over to it. ¡°YOUR LATE¡± screamed the ghost in its discordant voice. The air around it seemed to ripple with force of his scream, as it stared at Winston crawling back to the box. Winston¡¯s right hand grasped the box, pulling it to his chest as he balanced on his knees. The ghost flung a ford at him, it sticking deeply into his right shoulder. Winston could easily ignore such a small pain, especially as pissed as he was. He adjusted his grip on the box, holding it by its lip. His left hand gripping the battery, he shoved the battery in the direction of the ghost and began drawing power from it. His left hand tensed up as the muscles in his forearm began writhing. The power coursing through his arm from the battery causing every muscle in his left arm up to his elbow spasm. Ignoring this fact, he channeled his best impression of Brad Pitt and screamed a phrase he never thought would be used in a magical spell while shoving the box at the ghost. ¡°WHAT¡¯S IN THE BOX¡± while then shoving the box in the ghost¡¯s direction. The words chosen not from watching the movie, but a commonly used scene parodied and mimicked. The ghost¡¯s eyes widened as it started being pulled towards the box. Its essence stretching like a rubber band as it fought the pull of the spell. Until the barest part of the ghost was pulled into the box and touched the blood. Like a junkie, his eyes took on a glazed look and he froze for the briefest of seconds. It slammed its ethereal body into the box to absorb the vitality emanating from the fresh blood. The force was so strong it knocked the box out of Winston¡¯s hand and onto the ground, the lid swinging shut. It shook for a second and then stopped, and everything that was affected by the ghost just stopped. Knives, forks, and spooks clattered onto the ground, as the mixer slowed down to a stop, and the pizza oven doors were left open. Feeling around the floor with his right hand for the knot, his right hand touched one of the loose strings and grasped it. Shoving it onto the box, he pulled the last vestiges of energy from the battery and yelled ¡°Gotchya.¡± The cut strings from the knot dug into the box, knots weaving around every side. The strings tightening until the wood began to creak. Winston collapsed onto the ground, exhausted, every inch of his body hurt. He could see the light from his phone under the prep table, and he began crawling over to it. The fork moved around aggravating the cut until he stopped and pulled it out and shove it in his pocket. Grabbing his phone, he used the flashlight function to locate his shirt. Pulling it over his head, he was extra gentle with his wounded shoulder. The blood staining his shirt, he was thankful that he wore cheap clothing and had a ton of these shirts. Grabbing the locked wood box, he was happy that he had finished the job. He was ready to purify this ghost with fire but first he need to show it to Isaac first, then he needed to fix the mixer motor. Pizza Poltergiest End Hiding his pain as he walked into the front room, Winston felt as if every muscle in his body was cramping. The box in his arms heavy with a metaphysical weight. Isaac was standing furthest away from the door. His phone flashlight pointing directly into his Winston¡¯s eyes, making him night blinding. ¡°Can you shine that light somewhere not in my face. If I trip and break this box, you¡¯re dealing with that ghost again¡± Winston said. ¡°No, just don¡¯t break it, put it down¡± Issac said panic in his voice. His phone flashlight illuminating the counter next to the microwave. Winston felt a bit vindictive about Isaac shining the light in his eyes and slammed the box harder than he needed to. The lights turned on at that exact same moment with a soft golf clap. Isaac screamed dropping his phone, Winston spun around to see a man walking out of the kitchen. His limbs gangly, fingers long with long dark black nails, his torso looked squished compared to his limbs. He stopped staring at Winston clapping with a wide smile. His teeth were all golden and shaped like a shark¡¯s. ¡°YOU DICK, YOU MADE ME DROP MY PHONE!¡± Isaac screamed dropping to his hands and knees picking up the broken pieces. Winston just stared at Jace¡¯s teeth, he saw teeth like that as a child and it was always accompanied with pain. He knew that Jace couldn¡¯t be Isaac¡¯s cousin or even human for that matter. ¡°Sleep¡± Jace said and waved at Isaac as he was picking up his phone pieces and he collapsed. Thoughts started flashing through his mind, Winston started piecing things together. ¡°Thank you for dealing with Chef Brown Mr. Shady I couldn¡¯t have done it without you¡± Jace said holding a hand up. A manacle with a broken chain on it. ¡°That wasn¡¯t a Poltergeist was it. He was protecting Isaac and trying to get him away from you¡± Winston stated. ¡°Yes and no. Chef Brown was the last of his line, and my jailer. He was in charge of keeping me in that prison, even in death. His ashes were even put in the box to help keep me caged¡± Jace said staring at the box. Looking back at Isaac, ¡°I don¡¯t know why the box was here, but when Isaac opened it I started to change his memories. The hole was just something I thought of at the spur of moment when he freed me by dumping Chef Browns ashes out of the box. This act has bound me to Isaac and with the ghost no longer stopping me, he is mine to eat.¡± ¡°WAIT, what you can¡¯t eat him, he thinks you¡¯re his cousin¡± Winston replied. He was trying to use the fake familial ties as a way to guilt Jace into not doing whatever evil thing he was planning.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°I¡¯m a Gremlin, buffoon now shut your mouth unless you want to be part of dinner¡± Jace said with vitriol as he walked towards Isaac¡¯s unconscious form. ¡°The furry things from that Spielberg movie¡± Winston asked knowing what a gremlin really was. He was praying that Jace would go on a rant like any evil villain should. ¡°No¡± Jace replied flatly while staring at Isaac¡¯s prone body. He waved his hand in Winston¡¯s general direction. The cord from the microwave looped around Winston¡¯s throat and lifted him off the ground. Winston managed to shove a hand under the wire, allowing a little blood to still pump to his brain and mere seconds of consciousness. His free hand reaching to the box, his fingertips just barely brushing against it. His fingers gained enough grip pulling it closer to him. Jace slammed his hand on top of Winston¡¯s hand, trapping his hand against the box. Winston¡¯s vision slowly going dark, he could hear his heartbeat in his head. He watched Jace slowly push his nails into the top of his hand, a sadistic act that reminded Winston of his childhood. Cruelty and humiliation, he kept buried deep bubbled up inside him. He knew he was weaker than this bastard, but he still was going to fight. He spit in Jace¡¯s face, causing him to flinch a bit freeing Winston¡¯s hand. Giving him enough time to knock the box off of the counter. With an unnatural grace and speed and caught the box before it smashed into the ground. His smile literally stretched from ear to ear, it resembled a shark¡¯s mouth even more now. He stood there staring at the box containing his old jailer like it was a world series homerun ball in his hands. But knocking the box off of counter was just a misdirection. While Jace was standing there holding the box, Winston managed to pull the fork out of his pocket by letting go of the power cord. He did the thing parents always warned small children about and slammed the fork into the power socket. Electricity coursed through the fork superheating and burning Winston¡¯s hand. That was not even registered in his mind and he channeled more power than he ever had before. Lichtenburg styled burns started crawling up his arm, as he focused through the pain and into the cord around his neck. How the cord connected to the microwave, and how a microwave produce a form of radiation He soundlessly spoke the words ¡°Manhattan project¡± and the microwave dinged. Its door flew open and light as bright as lightning started shooting out, instantly burning a groove into the counter. The light only lasted a second but it instantly incinerated Jace¡¯s chest and burnt the bricks on the far wall in the square shape of the microwave. The power Winston channeled luckily threw him through the kitchen door and not into a wall. He slid across the floor landing next to his phone, his body smoking. Little arcs of left over power coursed all over his body as he rolled over and channeled it all into the phone as he dialed a number. The line only rang once before it was answered, a staticky voice answered, ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°Hey Mort, can I get a ride please¡± Winston asked. ¡°Be there in a few, but your going to need to clean my rims if driving in this weather¡± Mort replied. ¡°No problem¡± Winston said, and the phone went dead. He hoped the rain would wash the pain and stink off his body. He must have been going into shock because he felt no pain from all that power he just channeled while he collected all of his equipment and shoved it into his bag. The last thing he grabbed was Jace¡¯s head thinking to collect all the gold out of his mouth instead trying to collect from Isaac. Explaining everything to Isaac would cause to much of an issue and he was just sleeping. He also had a lot of questions about how this all happened also. Winston took one last look around then opened the front door and stepped out into the rain to walk to his ride. ¡°I really need to pack an umbrella in this bag¡± he said to no one as he instantly became drenched and lightning arced across the sky. Interlude: Dolores, Mort, and Death Winston awoke but kept his eyes closed to the soft knocking on a bedroom door. He knew he wasn''t in his own bed at his apartment, but this was his home. He felt guilty for leaving Isaac unconscious and alone, but his injuries were grievous and needed immediate tending. "Come in, I''m alive" he croaked out he throat parched and dry. Trying to move he felt bandages tightly bound around his limbs, hampering him. In came in Dolores, the closest thing he had to a mom, in her signature cat sweater and spandex. Her hair still in the curlers she wore to bed. Her short and round stature gave her a very matronly vibe. Her arms laden with a wet rag, gauze, and jars full of weird-smelling poultices, whiles still managing to carry a glass of water for him. Smiling at him she handed him the water then started setting down everything else on to the bedside table. "Morning Chere, glad to see you awake. You have been sleeping for 3 days, and I was getting mighty tired of sponging you off" she said grabbing his left arm and slowly peeling the brown stained gauze off of his left arm. Wiping the brown crust off of his arm, fresh pink skin appeared as if he just scoured his arm in a hot shower. Only a white Lichtenburg patterned scar starting from between his thumb and pointer finger and ended at his elbow marred the flesh. The burn could be easily confused as being a tree tattooed with white ink rather than a scar. Dolores clicked her tongue while looking at his scar and held her hand out "Gimme" she demanded. Winston acquiesced, handing her his other arm. She unbound it also wiping off a pale-yellow crust, turning his arm and examining it every inch of it. "You gonna be in pain for a couple days, but nothing worse than sore muscles" she said dropping his arm. Then smacked him in the forehead before he could say anything. "What did I tell you about drawing that much power," she said pointing at his newest scar. "I had to" Winston replied sounding whiny even to his own ears. "Chere you need to be careful, and I don''t need or want to know what happened. But please for me and Mort you need to be careful" she said with so much love it made Winston feel pain. "I''m sorry ma''am" he whispered. "Good boy now get up and shower. When you finish, I will have lunch ready and then you need to help Mort in the garage" she said patting his chest. "Yes ma''am" he said as she walked out of the room. Walking down the stairs, his hair still wet from the shower. He grabbed his bag from the coat rack in the front room. He reached his hand in to make sure Jace''s head was still in there, but he only felt ash. Pulling some of the ash out, he sliced a finger on something razor-sharp. Gingerly reaching in he pulled a gold tooth in the shape of a shark tooth. Sucking on his bloodied finger he couldn''t help but grinning as he thought of all those gold teeth sitting at the bottom of his bag. Sitting down at the kitchen table, he couldn''t hide his excitement, even if his homecooked lunch was just a bologna sandwich and chips. "Sorry Chere, since you moved out, I don''t ever get groceries except for Sunday supper" she said giving him a motherly smile. "Doesn''t bother me, and I''m taking you out to dinner tonight" he said holding the gold tooth up. "Let me see that" she demanded to hold it up to her eye and squinting at it. Then putting her reading glasses on, magnifying her eyes. Winston just sat there eating, not paying attention to Dolores as she turned the gold in her hand. She examined every little piece of it, staring at the base of it the longest. "Papa nou ki nan Sy¨¨l la" she whispered while making a warding sign with her hands. "You''re done now, go help Morty now" she said in a commanding tone. "Huh" Winston grunted in complete confusion. She walked away from Winston, pulling a key out from her cleavage. She unlocked an armoire that Winston had never seen opened. The door blocking his view, he couldn''t see in it, but Dolores did pull out a bottle of amber liquid.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. She looked right at Winston, "Boy go, go. I will make us a big dinner when your done helping my Morty." "Yes ma''am" he said politely. Not even worried about the gold tooth he just left with her. He could never thank the two of them enough for everything they did for him since he was 16. They were his saviors and the closest people to him. Standing in the garage, he always admired Mort''s pride and joy. His 1977 Eldorado, his baby. He bought the car the day he met Dolores in Louisiana, and never left either one''s side since. Even after he passed away 2 years ago. "Hey Mort" Winston said holding a hand up like he was waving hi. A soft rumble came from the engine as the car turned on, the passenger window rolled down and a shrunken head hung from the rearview mirror turned to him. "Hey kid, you look like your feeling better. I thought you were going to have to join me in here as a pair of fuzzy dice" the shrunken head Mort said. He even laughed at his own joke causing the engine to rev. "Real funny Mort" Winston replied never really getting why Mort thought he was hilarious. "What do you need me to do," he asked? "Nothing my boy lets just go on a cruise. Dole never wants to just drive, or fill me up with the premium gas. Unleaded makes me gassy" Morty said before breaking out into hysterical laughter. This time even his lights turned on and the horn started going off. He even backfired, said excuse me, and started laughing again. Even Winston had to join in with him. He opened the garage door, letting Mort pull out. He locked the garage up and climbed into the passenger side. "You should let me install a garage door opener one day" he said buckling himself in. "Why I got you" Mort said laughing and revving at another stupid joke before taking off. They drove around town and into the countryside, Mort only speaking whenever a bug hit the window. They sat in amicable silence, the soft rumble of the engine the only music they needed. As soon as they pulled back into the driveway, Winston jumped out and grabbed a hose to rinse the bug off the grill before Mort pulled in. Grabbing Mort before going inside, Winston stopped sniffing the air. "Do you smell that?" Winston asked Mort. Mort''s shrunken head started sniffing the air. "Damn dried sinuses, wait. Sniff sniff. Oh no, boy, we gotta go, this is bad. Get back in the car now!" Mort demanded. His head ripping itself from Winston''s grip flying back into the car. "We need to get Dolores first!" Winston cried. He was panicking from Mort''s actions, but he refused to leave if something is wrong. "THAT''S WHO I''M AFRAID OF" Mort screamed, the car backfiring. Winston froze in place, his hand on the doorknob leading into the kitchen. The handle turned in his grip, the door pushed open causing him to take two steps back to avoid the door. Dolores stood in the doorway, her eyes white and cloudy. A lit cigar in her mouth, a constant stream of sweet peppery smoke came from her nostrils. She held a tumbler with ice clinking around the amber liquid. Winston just stood there staring at her, he knew her eyes meant she was channeling a spirit. She never let the spirit take over her body. "Ah crud" Mort whimpered as Dolores pulled the cigar from her mouth and took a long slow drink from her glass. Winston could see her teeth; they were gold and silver now. Not the stained yellow of years of coffee drinking. Before Winston could speak, Mort coughed loudly as if he were clearing his nonexistent throat. "Hello Mr. Samedi, it''s been what 2 years since you last visited" Mort politely asked. The politeness in Mort''s voice stopped Winston from asking any questions. "Mortimer, how many times have I told you to call me Papa. We''re family" Dolores said in a deep smoky bass voice with barely a discernible accent. "Every time since you showed me my grave, sir" Mortimer curtly replied. Dolores erupted in a deep gravely bass laughter, that shook every small item in the garage. "You should have asked me before you married Dolores" he replied. "I''m sorry sir, I never knew any of this was real until after I married her. Just before you take me just let me say goodbye please" Mort replied. Winston just stood there between the two transfixed about what was going on. Samedi laughed even harder at that. "I''m not here for you, I''m here for him" he stated looking directly at Winston. "Give me the teeth child, and I will be gone" he said holding out his hand. "But their mine" Winston replied. Too confused to realize he was arguing with a being far stronger than him. "That is why I''m asking and not taking. My precious daughter asked for my help, and deigned her with MY presence not a simple spirit" Samedi said venom in his voice at the end. "Just do it boy" Mort implored to Winston. Looking at Mort, "they are in my bag, you can take them. But can I ask why Dolores asked for your help" he asked Samedi? "She is protecting you, child. She has always known she could not become a mother, but she thinks of you as her child and in extension my grandson. So I gave her this favor and taking that cursed gold from you" Samedi said his eyes softening as he looked at Winston. Samedi reached a single hand out as if he was grabbing something, then he opened his hand and showed a handful of sharp golden teeth. He put them in Dolores''s mouth and downed his drink. "Ahhhhhh" he gasped in satisfaction. "One last tip child always looked at the teeth. They signify age and may give you clues to who or what you are talking to" then he reached into his mouth and pulled a single silver tooth from his mouth. A coffin engraved into it. "Never get rid of that, it may save your life" Samedi said. "Mort take care of Dolores; I give you tonight with her" he said. The door slammed shut on her. Winston turned to ask what just happened only to see Mort sitting in his car, knuckles white gripping the steering wheel. He sat there, tears in his eyes looking back at Winston. "We will talk about this later Winny. Please let me enjoy this gift from my father in law" Mort said choking up a bit. He opened the door and climbed out of his car.