Crimson Shadows - 17. Chapter 17

Everyone had gone to bed finally, leaving Markus and Kyle alone to watch the monitors and continue to shift through the various pieces of evidence. Kyle had taken to reading through various articles about the house and the people in the pictures, using a small scanner to get run through any pictures available, while his uncle switched out the data chips and labeled them. Putting his ‘pad down, the younger of the two nibbled on his bottom lip.

“Uncle Markus, did you know that most of the people that I’ve been able to get information on had an upswing of good luck in their financial situation while having their personal life go to pot?” Kyle asked, getting a raised eyebrow from his uncle who lent back, crossing one leg over the other.

“How so?” Markus asked, eyes scanning over the monitors, watching for a moment as Kyender stole Kyles pillow and curled around it on one of them before checking on the others. Marana looked like she was talking in her sleep but he doubted there was any sound coming from her.

“Well, take the woman who nearly had to rebuild the house back in 2012. When she moved in she had a kid, a fiancé and a rather nice job. She was an aspiring artist and her kid was nearly 14 years of age. All around a pretty nice living situation if I do say so,” Kyle drawled, picking up one of the frames. It was a heavy silver one and was delicately decorated with silver vines and a date on it.

“So what happened?” Markus prompted, looking away from the monitors for a second. Turning back, he frowned at one of them as something moved. Making a note to look at the play back at that minute mark, he recrossed his legs as Kyle walked over and put the frame down, taking over so his uncle could look at the rather pretty woman with what looked to be dyed green hair and bright blue eyes that popped out from the basic make up that she wore.

“About six moths after they moved, she got her first gallery deal. From there her stuff became some of the most popular items to be bought. Hell, she even did things for comic book characters when they came out with an important part of the comics or things like that,” Kyle continued, shaking his head and sitting down next to the other man, grabbing his ‘pad from the coffee table. Opening the last article about her, he scanned through it quickly. “Of course, she also started to experience a lot of trouble. Her fiancé and her started to fight a bit about stupid things or so friends said later on. Her son started to get into fights, ditch school, the usual teenage rebellion ship but it added to the personal drama.

“After her second big showing, her bank fucked up with her mortgage and she almost lost the house, which added to the shit in her life. After getting that fixed she got really fucked over. She was diagnosed with a rather nasty brain tumor that was pressing on her brain but it also stimulated her artistic ability. She had two choices and both would end in a death of some kind, either hers or her artistic career,” he finished, putting his ‘pad down with the article of her death. “She chose to die instead of losing her talent. I haven’t even gotten to her personal journal but I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting read.”

“Damn, you can’t be serious,” Markus muttered, taking the ‘pad and letting Kyle watch the monitors s he continued to read over the information in the article.

“Oh yeah, am I serious. All of the people that I’ve found so far have pretty much the same format going for them. They move in, six months later their personal lives suck while their careers take off,” Kyle replied, running a hand through his hair. “Uncle Markus...do you think we were chosen to do this case for a reason? I mean, there are two other groups with a lot more experience and knowledge then us.”

“Possibly. Something just doesn’t feel right. Tomorrow, we will need to go hunting for any more secret rooms or compartments. They should have our answers if that one room is any indication,” Markus hummed, grabbing his jacket and pulling it on, rubbing at his arms.

“Yeah, sounds like a good idea,” Kyle sighed as they fell silent. Later that night Kyle updated Kyender on the research that had been done while Markus told Richard what had been done on his shift and what would need to be done yet. With that done, the two went to bed, Markus trying to shrug off the feeling of being watched while Kyle stole his pillow back and took Kyenders with it.

*~*~*~*~*

Smiling to itself, the Blood hummed lowly before idly patting the girl-child’s head, leaving her to rest much more peacefully then before. Melding with the shadows, it found its newest pet, reaching out with one blood clawed hand and grasping the soft black hair, tugging on it.

“They feel us. I forgot that the bastards spawn was so very open to the world of misplaced souls,” the young spirit sighed, voice soft and breathy. Ever since he had become free, he had taken a chance to speak, to hear the voice he lost centuries ago.

“How so, Everient?” the Blood asked, his own voice grating, almost a hiss. It gently tugged on its pets hair again, rather enjoying the soft hiss of pleasured the move received.

“My slut sister took after a grandmother from our whore of a mothers side of the family. She was a seer, a toucher of the veil and so it passed through her line. It has only gotten stronger in the last few generations from what I’ve seen. The brat can see but doesn’t quite understand it,” Everient said, eyes turning to trail over his master, lips twitching. “They want to hunt for more hidden rooms tomorrow. I wonder if they will find any more.”

“They more then likely will, but nothing important. Come, I wish for time with you pet,” the Blood hummed, using his hold to drag the soul to his personal room, the entire time his mind spinning with what was to come. The spirit group had never dealt with things like him and his pet before after all, so it was hardly worried about them.

It was worried about why they were brought in so soon and what was fighting against the plans his Master had set in motion. It could be dangerous if whatever it was wasn’t stopped. His master would be very displeased and displeasing him meant that he would lose his pet and be forbidden from feeding on the blood and hate of the land around it.

That wouldn’t do.

Oh no, it just wouldn’t do.

*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning found every one together, Marana and Orian taking quick naps as Kyle checked his inbox and worked on drowning himself in fresh coffee as Markus muttered and labeled data chips, tucking them away with the written information. Richard and Kyender had taken over making breakfast, talking about what needed to be done that day as they created waffles for everyone.

“So, me and Uncle Markus are going to be going over the walls in an attempt at finding the hidden rooms,” Kyle finally said as Kyender and Richard walked into the living room with the food on trays. Taking his plate, he put his pad aside before nodding to the dark haired man as he was handed a cup of juice. “Someone needs to go and check out that side building, do a session in there and see if you can’t go over some of the things there.”

“Lien is coming out to check out those pieces actually and take some of the chips back to the house,” Markus said, already working on his own plate of food and going over the known plans of the house. He was planning out what he was going to do and how they would check for hidden rooms when they started to do that.

“Yay and the such. I can continue monitor duty, change things out and what not,” Marana said as she sat up to take her plate of fruit and waffles.

“I’ll do the same thing as her as long as someone takes lunch,” Orian hummed from his place before the monitors before shoving a piece of toast into his mouth.

“That leaves me and Richard to check out the furniture and shit with Lien,” Kyender said, having chosen to drink his orange juice instead of eat for the moment. “So, we should check this shit out soon right?”

“Yeah. Orian and Marana, how about you two rest for a bit more? Me and Uncle Markus can do dishes after breakfast and then start on the hunt,” Kyle said, getting nods from everyone. Richard watched the monitors as they ate, occasionally talking about the people that had lived there with Kyle or Markus. After the food had been eaten and dishes cleaned up, everyone was updated on the actual pattern of what happened with the past owners before they finally split apart to look around the house and to do their jobs.

Markus was frowning to himself as he tapped the wall with a small hammer that was often used to find weaknesses in the wall. His mind was running wild as he tried to shrug off the feeling of there being something more then just the ghosts and the entity that was doing most of the things about the house. Kyle was tapping along another wall of the basement, watching his uncle with a careful eye. Pausing in his movements, he turned around and blinked several times at the other man.

“Uncle Markus, did you ever find out what the name of our mixed ancestor was?” he asked, little wall hammer swaying back and forth in his hand.

“It was Everinet, why?” Markus returned, looking at his nephew with curious eyes, watching him pale a bit as they locked eyes.

“Well, I scanned the last owners journal and I might be a coincidence but, an Everient was mentioned as a new pet to the being that’s supposed be helping these people,” Kyle said, slowly, making Markus go pale with him.

“Could be just a coincidence,” Markus said hopefully, watching Kyle nibble his bottom lip and eye his uncle. “Damn it! I don’t want to be dragged into that shit again! I dealt with our psychotic uncle ancestor once before and I really don’t want to see what the Satanic loving idiot can do outside of a porcelain body,” he whined, kicking a part of the wall, the thunk that sounded making the two jump.

“Wasn’t that wall solid when we checked it yesterday?” Kyle asked slowly, walking over and hitting the wall again, getting a solid sound.

“But what if it’s not a room but a compartment?” Markus asked in return, dropping to his knees. Poking around on the wall, he soon had the compartment open and was looking into it, finding a velvet bag that apparently held something small but heavy. Looking to Kyle, he stood up and nodded to the door and stairs. “Come on. did you take pictures?”

“Mini digi,” Kyle replied, holding up a slim camera. “That and we can pull stills from the monitors later if need be.” Nodding, Markus led the way to the living room, finding his lover watching the monitors with Orian who was trying to follow in Kyles foot steps and drown himself in coffee.

“Hey, tilty, saw you on the basement monitor. What did you find?” Lien asked, standing up from before the monitors to steal a kiss from his lover as Kyle rolled his eyes.

“When did you get here? And we found a bag, but we haven’t opened it yet, actually,” Markus hummed, smiling at his lover and sitting down on the couch as Marana came back from the bathroom.

“Found what where now?” she asked, sitting down in Liens chair as he moved to sit next to his mate.

“We found a compartment near the floor board that held a velvet bag. Where’s Richard and Kyender?” Kyle asked as he pulled out a camera, screwing on a lens before putting in film and putting it aside. Picking up a pad of paper, he wrote down the series of events that led up to the discovery.

“They’re upstairs poking around the attic. Apparently the Reams cleaned it out, put everything into one of the other storage buildings to go through later. So those two went to put up cameras and do a quick session,” Marana replied, pointing to the monitors where a new camera was coming online as Markus and Kyle recorded and Lien watched.

“Can you two call them when it looks like their done?” Markus asked as he took pictures of the bag in various positions. “Kyle, the object looks round.”

“Right,” Kyle hummed as he wrote that down before looking up to gaze at the monitors. “We also have a few things to go over about the house and something about the entity that the ghosts seem to skirt around, when we get anything. Mind you, it might just be a coincidence though.”

“what might be a coincidence?” Orian asked, looking away from the monitors before looking back just as quickly.

“I’ll tell you guys once Kyender and Richard gets back. I only want to have to go over that particular story once,” Markus said, watching as Marana picked up one of the walkie talkies, calling the other two back to the home base. As soon as the two walked in, he looked up from writing down the questions running through his mind and the possibilities, a journal in one hand. “Okay, lets start with this. Marana, did you have any odd dreams?” he asked, watching her eyes narrow at him.

“Why are you asking?” she asked in return, irritation flashing in her eyes. After all, her dreams were her own and they weren’t to be shared.

“Because whatever is here has far reaching properties and tends to go for women if at all possible. If you look closely, the pictures we found are mostly of women. From what I’ve read last night, they were offered success in whatever place they wanted, but it also came with a price. According to the journals, they all started with a shift of attitude or amplification of their current topic and progress into dreams,” Kyle replied, pinning Marana down with his gaze. “Considering your crush and hope to get back Kyender went form harmless to trying to molest him in from of friends in the day that we were here, it makes me curious.”

“I had a dream about some black guy with hair that looks as if it belonged to someone white despite the fact it was dark black and blue eyes,” Marana replied after a moment. “But I’ve had dreams like that since I moved into the house with you guys.”

“Hey, sounds like your mixed ancestor there, Markus,” Lien said, tilting his head to the side, eyes glowing with anger. “Looks like the little bastard just couldn’t stay dead huh?”

“I suppose so,” Markus sighed, ignoring the looks he was getting from the others, Kyle nibbling on his bottom lip.

“On that note, we found his name in the last journal of the last owner, who is apparently alive and trying to ignore the fact that they ever owned the house,” Kyle finally said, getting blinked at by the others.

“Why is it your family wants to bug us after death?” Lien asked finally, getting a sheepish smile from the two as they shifted. “Okay, so since that piece of information in unconfirmed, lets down to what we need to do and open that bag there would you?”

Nodding his head, Markus picked up the bag, opening the top and reaching in, Kyle taking pictures every step of the way. Pulling out a round glass ball, he set it down and let his nephew continue taking the pictures. Everyone was staring at it, eyes wide as they took in the barely there line that bisected the middle of the ball. Inside there was a mix of what looked to be of dirt, or it could have been dust or ash, and what looked to be bits of herbs and bark, making them wonder what it was.

Picking up a ‘pad, Orian took a picture of the ball and sat down to run a search on it while everyone started talking about it, Markus taking detailed notes and Marana sketching out several pictures of it. Soon, Orian found out just what the ball was and smiled as he shared the information.

“It’s a ball of protection and cleansing. It wasn’t really used until the early 2020’s. It’s a cross between a cleansing crystal and a gris-gris. The creator would use dirt from the land, making sure that it came no more then a mile away from where the home is, bark of a tree from the same land, maybe some rocks if possible. If someone died in the house, graveyard dirt from their grave or their ashes if they were cremated were added in,” Orian said, nodding to the ball.

“So, what’s the crystal made of?” Marana asked, Markus furiously writing notes down.

“Depends on the person and what they’re attracted to. This one is glass but some have been made out of quartz. One was made from a rare gem and still has its mix in it in the museum that owns it,” Orian replied, smiling lightly in amusement. “Most are tinted or clear glass now a days and any one who knows where to find a Wiccan shop, the really good ones, not the wanna be places.”

“So why was it in the wall compartment?” Markus asked, taking the roll of film from his nephew after he removed it from the camera, tucking it away to develop later, once they got home.

“It’s to make sure the purification takes. Ideally it should be buried under the house but since it’s not, I can only guess that the one doing it didn’t have time to finish it,” Orian told them, making everyone look at each other.

“Well, that just turned this into more then a simple investigation. Should I call that one guy to help cleanse the house and land?” Kyender asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked to his lover.

“Yeah. Tell him to come out later this afternoon to cleanse a very dark home, to purify it of the very evil entity,” Markus sighed, rubbing his face with a groan.

Things had just gotten very complicated and none of them were looking forward to it.