23: Resurrected

The girls tried to maintain a calm state while Jill read from the book. She kept glancing up at them every once in a while to ensure everyone was still sitting where she’d left them.

Daijah was fiddling with her phone, walking in numerous spots within the living room to try and establish a connection to the Ferryman. She sighed as the familiar busy and disconnect tones belted in her ear.

“No luck?” Holley asked looking over with a frown.

“Still nothing. Have any of you any bars?”

They checked their phones and each gave her a negative nod. “It’s hopeless,” Lizzy said. “What time does the Ferry arrive anyway?”

“7 am. It makes three rounds through the morning and takes a break from 1-3pm before resuming an evening schedule with three more runs.”

“Then we should be packed and ready to get out of here at 4,” Quiana said.

Karima giggled as the room agreed with her. “It’s getting late. We should try and get some sleep so we can be alert for what this house has in store.”

“Should we take turns watching? You know being on guard for others?” Holley asked standing.

“That would be great. We should do so in pairs of two while the others sleep,” Nedra added. “I can take first watch, who’s with me?”

“I’ll stay with you,” Kalene chimed in. “I don’t see myself resting any time soon.”

The girls headed upstairs and a line formed outside the bathroom as they took turns bathing and preparing themselves for bed. They moved as a group to the masters’ bedroom and set up the sleeping bags around the floor.

Again Jill and Karima took the bed as the others settled around the room. “If you hear or see ANYTHING wake us immediately,” Jill cautioned as she blew out the candle beside the bed and Kalene and Nedra stepped out into the hall.

“If I would have known the history of this place beforehand I’d have never left the comfort of home,” Kalene said as she took a seat beside Nedra on the sofa.

“Yeah tell me about it! My invitation wasn’t as descriptive as Daijah is saying they were. It simply said: ‘You are invited to a Halloween treat, please RSVP by Sept 3^rd’. I would have never have known it was…dangerous.”

“I never received an invitation. I was called actually by someone who said they worked for Daijah and that she was throwing this party and wanted me to come.”

“Called? By who? Did you get a name or phone number from the caller ID?”

She shook her head no. “It was a blocked number and normally I just don’t answer those but something told me to…I wish now I’d stuck to my guns and not answered.”

They continued comparing invitations and going over everything that had been happening each hoping to find comfort in the others’ words. Before long they’d dozed off without waking another pair for relief. 

The house grew quiet quickly and the door to the study creaked open as a large figure stepped from within the darkness. He stood over Nedra and Kalene for a moment watching them sleep.

“How easy it would be to take them now,” he smiled as he leaned over Nedra, inhaling her scent before stroking a hand through Kal’s hair. “Soon my Dears, you’ll all be mine.”

He stealthily moved towards the masters’ bedroom to check in on the other girls being wary to keep silent.

Jill found herself unable to rest and pulled herself up from the bed to check on Nedra and Kalene. She slid her feet into her warm slippers and was careful not to disturb the others as she prepared to exit the room.

They come every year for an unpleasant scare

their presence is marked by the chill in the air
stirring and climbing from the moist dirt
putting black cats and dogs on red alert

These men, these demons want but one thing
to feast on your body; the pleasure in biting
better take heed for the undead are near
they relish in the moment and can smell your fear

You cannot hide from the walking dead
armed to the teeth you’re still filled with dread
their faces are twisted into an unsightly frown
as they slowly but surely move through your town

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