Just Checking Up! Part Twenty: The Chill of Winter!

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An icy breeze brushed my cheeks, a heavy layer of snow blanketing the front yard. Glancing behind me, Avery and Silks were helping my old man decorate his Christmas tree. Residents of the lake skated across the thick layer of ice that usually was the lake, a shiver making its way under my thick black double breasted coat. The Gothic style spoke the tale of my true nature, a click and several crunches stealing my attention. Silks came out with a platter of homemade cookies, shadows under eyes speaking of endless nights. Pointing to the distance, a rotten energy swirled in the distance. Chanting echoed in my ears, a tremble coming over Silks. Exchanging the same look, both of us knew what we had to do. Excusing herself to get ready, Avery smashed into her open arms. Kissing the top of his head, a true smile lingered on his lips. Nothing but love shimmered in his eyes, hope burning to life within my soul. Ruffling his hair, her thick burgundy wool coat hung off of her arm.

“Thank you for watching him. Avery, be a good boy for grandpa. Save me a couple of cookies.” She spoke softly, his head nodding as he smoothed out his cute skull sweater and black pants. Sliding on her jacket, her bump stood out. Remembering that twins were blessed upon us, pride glittered in my eyes. Plucking her emergency bag off the floor, Flamios flared up in her soul. Arguing with him under her breath, Liz ultimately chose to act as the mediator between the two of them to keep the peace. Sliding on her gloves in a huff, Liz dropped a comfy knitted bat hat over her ears. Throwing me a matching hat and gloves, determination burned in her eyes. Grimacing in my direction, the sting of her secrets haunted her beyond what I could fix. Tugging on my winter gear, our matching winter boots would allow us to hike deep into the mountains if that proved necessary. Making our way to the hearse, pure annoyance seared to life in my eyes at the disturbance in my rare day off. Slamming our doors shut at the same time, her lips parted several times.

“Let’s solve the fucking problem and get back to our freaking family time. Evil never rests, does it?.” She bitched rightfully, a click securing her safety. “Maybe a few clues can come from this.” Staring numbly into the early morning sun, her fingers drummed on the door handle. Leaning over to kiss her, her lips pressed mine tenderly first. Grinning like a goof, her intuition knew no bounds. Driving carefully towards the stench, her sleeve covered her nose. A muddy green haze hovered in front of an abandoned Victorian mansion, dead coven members floating about the mess. Dead alert was all I could think, her eyes rolling with mine. Pulling up to the front steps, screeches pierced our ears. Hopping out with her bag, snow crunched as I met up with her. Poking the barrier, legends of this home flashed in my head. How many Halloweens had I avoided this home?

“Open up a portal to Hell?” She suggested casually, her breath reminding me of a dragon. “Leave the cleansing to me.” Placing her hands on her hips, her stunning eyes met mine. Orange flames danced in her eyes for a moment, her powers feeling more stable than ever. Praying that she could cleanse it from this side, Flamios would support her on both ends. Liz popped up behind us, her head nodding towards a leaking corner. Rushing over, Liz and Silks bumped fists. Happy to see them getting along, a swift sear granted us entry. Crossing over, an oppressiveness threatened to consume us. Elephants might as well have been sitting on my chest, Silks not surviving much better. Adjusting the collar of her ivory turtleneck sweater dress, discomfort wrote itself all over her features. Mumbling a couple of spells, pressure melted off of our chest. Thank goodness for her skills.

“Sorry about that. Some ghosts don’t know when to quit drowning you in their shadows.” She apologized adorably, her breathing returning to normal. “Can you breathe now?” Confirming her fine work with a dashing smirk, a nudge reminded me of the old days. Digging around her bag, a fine flashlight found its way into her palm. Offering me another one, our energy needed to be reserved on our phone.

“Is this our first ghost hunt together?” She asked serenely, that sweet smirk of her own stealing my heart away for the millionth time. “You used to go on these with Cal all the time, right? Keep the good spirits here and ditch the bad apples. How fun!” Chuckling to herself, work really did relax her. Hugging her from behind, giggles twinkled in the air. Snuggling into the crook of my arm, her lips brushed against the sliver of exposed skin. Shivering with ecstasy, her touch could be gentle as a fine night. Crashes had us snapping into the attention position, flames crackling to life on her palm.

“Are you idiots done taunting the shit out of me or are you going to come at me? That barrier of yours is kind of fraying.” She called out sarcastically, her patience wearing thin. “Do you think you can scare me? I see pieces of shit like you every fucking day! Thanks for ruining mine!” Cocking her brow, my warnings fell on deaf ears. Lights flickered angrily, that mischievous grin scaring the shit out of me. Shaking her shoulder, this side of her had me panicking internally.

“Cut it out.” She whispered loud enough for only me to hear, her alert eyes meeting mine. “If I know how quickly their pride gets stung, we are about to get a hell of a show. Start your portal to Hell spell. I got this. Do you trust me?” Choosing to trust her, floorboards creaked as I crashed down to my knees. Slicing my palms on the closest piece of metal, a passing thought of the latest tetanus shot popped into my head. Waving it away, that could wait. Squeezing my palm to build up my paint, cloaked negative dead spirits circled her. Liz hovered behind her to act as a bodyguard, a bit of relief returning.

“Touch a nerve, did I?” She laughed jovially, her fingers tracing symbols into the air. “Happy for you to be my audience for my new tricks. Flamios taught me a few things that take a hell of a lot less from me. Try to keep up. Flames of the Earth! Form the links to bind these monsters down. Bound them down by every sin, have every death seal their fate closer to who they made a deal with!" Clasping her bloody palms together, fiery chains shot up from the floor. Orange links curled around their legs, my fingers moving a mile a minute to keep up with her. Damn, she wasn’t kidding. Hovering off the floor, intense heat melted any snow in the home. Yanking them down to the wood, cheeks met splinters. Time to play my part, a line of ruby pouring from her nostril almost distracting me.

“Chains bring you down. Victims of your sins, I call upon you to drag them down to Hell! As one can say, go to Hell!” I shouted over the background of chaos. Slamming my palms onto the closest symbols, wooden floors gave way to the howls and hotter flames of Hell. Children’s hands yanked them down, demonic claws stabbing them in their souls. Clawing at the wood, one final wave of energy sucked them into their deserved fate. Sealing shut with a blustery heated breeze, a tuckered out Silks landed gracefully above the repaired circle. Getting to work on cleansing the space, something seemed off. A tremble shook her hand with every symbol, her protests falling on deaf ears as I enveloped her body. Cupping her hands, we were going to do this together. Steadying her hand, her flames roared a bit stronger. Lowering our hands gingerly, a beautiful wave cleansed the space of any shadows. Good spirits floated out, gratitude finding its way into their features. Struggling to her feet, every attempt failed. Picking that she wanted to talk to them, a single placement of back was met with no protest. Chatting away, not one wanted to leave. Smiling while holding her sleeve to her nose, that gorgeous expression never left her lips. Realizing our gloves were destroyed, a fit of laughter burst from our lips. Flipping my hands into hers, flames reversed our wounds into another layer of scars. Curiosity drove her to examine the rooms they spoke of, that devious side of her returning. Trudging to the first one, a green wallpapered room greeted us. Old wooden cabinets greeted us, adventure returning to her eyes.

“Who the hell else would put up with me like this?” She joked blithely, her breath twirling into the air. “Shall we discover some lovely treasures, my dear king?” Still too weak to move, a flash of that sadness dimmed the fire in her eyes. Laying her head on my shoulder, something began to bubble to the surface.

“Please, your weirdness makes you my dream girl. Imagine if you were simply as ordinary as the rest!” I pronounced dramatically, half the stress melting away from her features. Sitting her on the closest dust covered couch, a shadow of her smile returned. Cabinets opened by themselves, older files fluttering to her lap. Thanking the spirits, a pregnant pause alarmed me. Scooping up the closet box, bringing these home would beat this damn cold. Creaking over her, no protest met me packing them away. Struggling to her feet, her breaths drew ragged. Using the wall to maneuver a way out of the room, coming out to a pale faced Silks threatened my composure. Staring in the direction she was looking, a shivering Avery stood in front of a dark shadowy demon. Dropping the box, every attempt to summon flames failed. Silent tears stained her cheeks, true terror rounding her eyes. The color drained from my cheeks, every breath becoming a cloud.

“Avery, can you come over here?” She pleaded through a fresh wave of panic, his body smashing into her legs. Sinking down to his level, her weakened body swallowed him from any danger. Snapping my head in the monstrosity’s direction, something told me that the bastard had always been with Avery. Stepping in front of them, courage would have to find me. Avery poked his head up, a timid apology slipping off of his tongue. Waving away his concern, both of them needed to get out of here.

“Take him out of here, please. I have this.” I assured her firmly, her head nodding shakily. The two of them rushed by, the monster focusing on me. Tossing her my hearse keys, her fingers curled around the sharp edges. Disappearing into the winter wonderland, privacy was mine.

“Really, guy? Attaching yourself to a small child. What do you get from that?” I taunted cruelly, a row of fangs glinting in the steadying lights. “Nice, I touched a nerve. No one fucks with my family. Much to your damn misfortune, your filthy claws are screwing with that very thing. One chance is all you are going to get. Detach your dumb ass or go somewhere you belong.” A low growl rumbled in his throat, an obvious answer slapping me in the face. Orange flames crackled in the corner of my eyes, a fire elemental floating next to me.

“Howdy! Would you like a spot of help?” He asked with a wink, his bond floating up and down out to the hearse. “Distraction is my thing. Like I told your wife, do your thing. Send him to Hell. Free that boy.” Whistling sharply, the bastard darted over towards him. Flipping through the air, his gift wouldn’t prove to be useless. Crashing to his knees, his purifying spell would have to stand. Wood shards whistled by me, one of them slicing open my palm. Squeezing my palm, ruby reached the top of my cupped hand. Dipping the tip of my finger into the ink, symbols practically drew themselves to life. Rubbing my palms together, a wet splash activated the spell. Lights flickered with the aggravated fluctuation of power, the symbols waiting for the spell.

“Going after my son is the ultimate sin. Join my mother in Hell!” I chanted over the chaos, beat up floorboards giving way to the screeches of Hell. clawed hands curled around his hooves. Others attempted to escape, an invisible wall knocking them back into the fiery pit they might as well call home. Yanking him down to his face, his claws dug into the floor. Hanging on for dear life, Flamios popped up behind him. A ball of orange flames spun over his head, sick pleasure shimmered in our eyes. Hitting him full force, flames devoured the whole way down. Sealing shut, her flames repaired the barrier and the floor. Collapsing onto my back, the wind had been knocked out of me. Hovering over me, playful eyes shimmered with adventure.

“Wow, not one ounce of blood. Who the heck birthed you?” He queried gaily, his arms folding across his chest. “How curious?” Narrowing my eyes in his direction, we had a couple of people to check up on. Rolling onto my side, his hand prevented me from popping to my feet.

“A monster and a nice man. Yes, they both are my parents.” I shot back sarcastically, that damn twinkle in his eyes shining brighter. “No, this ability came from nowhere. Do you know, good sir?” Sitting down inches from me, his flames danced higher. Tilting his head to the left, his hand hovered over me. Humming a few spells under his breath, instinct told me it was best to let him cook. Retracting his arm, his hands crossed on his lap.

“Not from nowhere. Maybe an aunt or someone has your abilities. Seek them out if you must.” He suggested bluntly, a seed planting itself in my head. Not appreciating what he did, one touch to my palm sealed it shut into another rough scar. Not sure whether to hate him or like him, Silks’ attitude made sense. Liz clapped behind us, both of us leaping to our feet. Pointing to the door, she didn’t have to tell us twice. Zooming back into her soul, heavy footfalls preceded me crunching into an odd scene. Avery and Silks huddled in the front seat, neither of their gazes darting towards ours but to something behind us. Spinning on our heels, every negative spirit in town had sniffed them out, Liz ordering me to get my ass into the car. Climbing in, silver spikes pierced them in place. Floating in behind me, a click had a crying Avery and Silks in safety. Peeling out of there, clouds announced another blizzard. Comforting him the whole way to my old man’s, his lights clicking on. Scooping up Avery, howls of angry spirits had Silks sprinting in at an intense rate. Catching her before she hit the floor, Avery scurried over to my free arm. Locking the door behind me, ghosts bounced off the dome. Sally Sue clacked up to my side. Adjusting her sweater and pants, her eyes watched the ghosts fail at entering over and over again.

“Something tells me that you made friends.” She joked jovially, her head nodding once at Silks’ snoring in my arms. “My girl has to stop pushing herself too hard. Carry her on up. Don’t run off like that again, my dear boy. We were worried sick about you.” Apologizing sincerely, guilt shrank him back into the crook of my elbow. Following her to the guest bedroom, the corner of the blanket had been pulled. Setting Avery at the end of the bed, his fingers clawed at his knees. Please don't do that. Peeling off her winter gear proved easy, her body curling into a ball. Tucking her in, Avery swung his feet around to burn off a bit of earned fear. Checking on the salt dough ornaments, the energy shone strong and bold. Offering him my hand, Sally Sue suggested his favorite holiday movie. Perking up, his smile illuminated his features. Flamios and Liz lingered behind to keep an eye on Silks, Liz waving for me to go ahead. Mouthing thank you, Avery required a happy moment to squash a bit of the darkness. Running off to make his favorite snack, the four of us remained.

“Did you get rid of the bad guy?” He asked adorably, my hands cupping his cheeks. “For so long, his grip on me has been way too strong.” Burying him in a bear hug, a grip on his shoulder had him looking into my soul. Donning my real smile, hope brightened his eyes that much further. Brushing the top of his head with my lips, anxiety swelled within my chest. When would luck go our way?

“Yes, I did. Flamios helped but the bad guy is gone. No matter what you are going through, you can always count on me. For too many years you were missing, Hell would have to come at me before I give you up. I love you like my son, Avery.” I promised him in a fatherly tone, his forehead hitting my chest. “Next time a mean spirit is on your tail, please find one of us.” Sally Sue called for us, his feet bounding away. Chasing after him, it was almost as if today didn’t happen. Making a mental note to watch out for how much he liked to bury his emotions, his habits were similar to my wife’s. Pausing in the doorway, a prayer might go a long way. Please protect all that is dear from the shadows, my powerful Lord. That is all I require of you, my dear fellow.