Episode 24: Herman Shepard

Nightfall over the Rural’s of Belltower Virginia. Moon high in the sky.

“Thanks again for mowing the lawn, Rico.” The new owner of Souillon House, Erin Parrish freshly showered and wearing a towel that barely covered her privates stepped from the upstairs bath. “Oh! Did you need to use the bathroom?” He was teetering in step almost anxious.

“Si! Kyra is in the downstairs restroom. I was almost ready to go water the lawn too.”

“Sweetie, I think we’re all beyond any shyness, if you ever need to go again while I’m in the tub or shower you just walk right on in. That’s only an invitation to pee mind you.” She winked letting him scurry around her and close the door. Luckiest guy alive. Only guy alive in this crazy mansion.

“Yep! Now that I think about it, where is Izzy?” She ventured to the guest bedroom expecting her to be playing with her on board co-pilot the teenage ghost William. If you can call him a teen, he was technically over 200 years old, one of Genevieve’s former child sex slaves before she killed them. No Willy and Izzy in sight she puckered and took a stroll downstairs rather than go get dressed. She would retire for the night naked anyway. Locating Isabel off of the kitchen in the laundry room she smiled, “There you two are. How’s it coming with Willy?”

“I am showing him how to do laundry. I figure the boys could all use a few lessons on modern conveniences.”

“Good idea! Try the vacuum cleaner tomorrow the place needs a good cleaning with my mom and brother’s family coming in a couple days. Before then we all need to have a family meeting. My mom cannot cope with everything this house has to throw at her. Genevieve alone scares me, even if she was nice that one day in her music room. Can that last? The hand cuffs between you and Rico are concerning but easier to explain that zombies, ghosts wearing gloves and goosing us, and dogs hosting ... God, mom would have a heart attack if my dad revealed himself as being here and able to communicate. I still don’t know how to hide Earl upstairs and his chains.”

“Rico and I can move into the attic while they’re here if you introduce us to Earl. We can maybe keep him quiet.”

“That is a thought. Ventilation up there is kind of stank though. I’ve never tried to open the windows. I suppose we could work on that idea. Are you going to be okay not having Willy up there? The sigils won’t let the boys go near the attic. Also, I need to point out that there are jars of men’s dicks that kind of like being near a female. I need both of you to steer clear of the East side of the attic. We can’t disturb too much up there, or it might freak out Earl. You know what? He deserves a bed all of his own. Maybe I’ll put a twin mattress up there behind the mannequins that he can at least call his own. Oh! He loves playing Jinga.”

“So cool! I love Jinga, I’ll play with him.”

“You’re a blessing Izzy. I’ll look into some other toys to entertain him. Kyra mentioned alphabet blocks so he can learn to spell. Maybe you can tutor him better.”

“Anything I can do to help. Once I start at Goodwill, Rico and I won’t be much help though because he will be with me in my body. Willy can jump into his body to keep it active here at home.”

“I say we let each of the boys get a taste of human functions again. If Rico doesn’t object. It is his body. The bad thing is we can’t always babysit you or Rico. One of you at home at all times is going to be both good and bad. Your mother can maybe use your body to do some gardening projects outside to keep your body going. You can’t just let Willy be the only one using you, so to speak.”

“I understand. He is quite sweet.”

“Thank you, Isabel.” William spoke through her lips.

“Awww! There’s my buddy. Hey, Willy! Maybe you can help me understand Genevieve better while you have speech. While I do have this opportunity, Willy ... the cellar ... I know that’s a touchy subject, it being where all of you boys died. I’ve never down there, so is there anything I should worry about?”

“Only our bones. We were down there a long time before anyone moved in. No one ever stayed long because of all of us. Including the savages in the woods. They scare even us.”

“No more of that savage talk.” Izzy told him from within her thoughts, “Those days are over William.” He knew no better. To be honest it was a surprise how easily they accepted Kyra.

“You speak very good English, William.”

“Some of us are educated, others not so much. Our Mistress, had her moments of generosity.”

“Such as the night I sat with her in the music room. Why didn’t she try and attack me?”

“A good question. We have all asked ourselves that.”

“So, your bones are all still down there? Good lord! They ... all of you need a proper burial. How could no former owners not do that for you boys? For that matter, where are Earl’s remains? There are no bones in the attic ... just boners.” She peered up at the ceiling, “Sorry Earl.” He too had a missing pecker before being put to death.

“Fear! We scared them aware from the cellar. Burying us might not be so easy with the symbols protecting and preventing us from certain areas.”

“A shame! I’ll work on a proper respect for you boys, I promise. For now, I might need all of you boys to reside in the music room when my mom gets here in a few days. She’s as strong as I am, but I don’t know if she can cope with spectral shenanigans. Maybe keep Genevieve from even playing the piano if that’s possible. I’ll lock that door and say we haven’t found the key to it yet. But if she or my sister-in-law hear that piano it’s game over.”

“We can only try. It has been a while since everyone was in one room with her.”

“The sigils! How did Genevieve escape her room if a sigil is supposed to prevent her leaving it?”

“Our guess is there was a lapse in the symbol that holds her. We can enter and exit but she should not be able to.”

“Surely, she didn’t lock herself in there. Who enacted the sigil to prevent her.”

“The DeVore woman.”

“Excuse me? Vivian DeVore? The lady I bought this home from? Well, her kids anyway.”

“Yes! She dabbled in the attic, and it took her sanity. Please Mistress Erin ... be careful what you do up there.”

“The books of witchcraft?” Isabel shrugged thanks to William’s use of her limbs. “Did you know there were books of witchcraft up there?”

“No Mistress. We were never allowed in the attic where her child lived. It was forbidden.”

“I can see that. For the record there are books of witchcraft up there. The entire East side is dedicated to dark magic I’m guessing. From what I understand Genevieve is a witch. Which ... pardon the pun, makes me wonder if Mrs. DeVore may have been one. I’ll have to pay her a visit and see if there’s enough in her mind to give me a clue. Maybe Gemma here can guide her back even if it’s for a short period.” She lifted her necklace then just as easily let it fall to her cleavage, patting it as if a creature comfort.

“What’s everyone doing?” Kyra Whimsey snuck up behind them.

“Laundry!” Isabel stole her voice back. “Teaching Silly Willy.” She giggled.

“You look beautiful tonight, Miss Kyra.” William spoke out.

“Don’t go making Izzy jealous now.” Kyra smirked. “You’re her man, not mine.”

“Riiight!” Izzy touched her heart yet was followed by strong male hands slipping from her flesh in Willy’s ghostly aspect, to palm her breasts and juggle them about. “Hey! I didn’t know you could inhabit me and still grope me. Why didn’t you finger me earlier instead of using my hand on Erin’s toy.”

“Your toy now.” Erin shook her head. “Okay! We can talk more another night Willy. Thank you for the information.” She filled Kyra in as they left the kitchen. Once gone, Isabel found herself up on top of the spin cycle as it sped up.

“And this really gets a girl turned on. Can you feel it, Willy?”

He sure did! Shake, rattle, and hole!

The tiny burg of Wolverton, Virginia! Blink you miss it.

Pretty much a ghost town where only a select few dared to remain. One such person was Lucas Ramsey. Tonight, he had a special guest. Tied to his one and only bed, yet fully clothed was Vivian DeVore’s 18-year-old granddaughter Ewing Lambert. The poor girl was terrified beyond belief. Pacing around his bed he held a hunting knife intimidating her, yet unable to pursue killing her for some reason. His eyes long gone, pure black and his breathing heavy, part of him wanted to butcher her. Obviously, Lucas was resisting as best he could, possessed by something dark and ancient.

His house resting alone amid vacant rundown lots she could scream all she wanted, and the next set of ears would happen to be nine houses away. They however worked nights, so, have fun Songbird. Her cries outbound to the night fell upon deaf fears.

Ewing’s cellphone was ringing off the car trunk walls, going unanswered in her plight. Lucas not even remotely interested in its incessant ringtone of Destructible by Siiickbrain. Matters worse, when her father called, the ringtone reverted to Kill the Girl by RORY. Both songs ironic under the situation. It was unusual that Ewing never made it home for supper. Concern setting in, her parents would inevitably call the local police as a follow up the later it got. They were told there was a 24 hour wait before a person could be classified as missing. For Dane and Joanna Lambert, it would be a long night. Longer for Ewing herself, Lucas was such a sweet guy up until she got his goat. Silence taking him over, there was no reasoning with him. Even she could tell he was not himself.

“Please don’t do this Lucas. I don’t want to... “ She could not even say the word die, her will to live great. Yet talking did not seem to be getting through whatever had control over him. Maybe another tactic might, she tried to rationalize her situation. Her bonds were thin ropes such as used on a clothesline and just wiggly enough she might be able to get herself free if given plenty of time. Silence like Lucas himself seemed to give the man pause to tilt his head from side to side as if trying to understand why her emotions were changing. Fear was becoming defiance and almost challenging. Lucas was definitely in there trying to get out.

Ignoring him she ventured into humming songs as a distraction, just to see his reaction. Being a goth girl in her early teens she often explored the girl band scene for empowerment. As she grew older there was less painted hair and eye makeup and more the true beauty within. Maybe this was in her favor, like Lucas she was not the person she used to be. Back in the day, a mere four years ago her classmates often called her Scary Mary. As in Mary had a little Lambert, fleece as black as coal. An interesting twist under these circumstances of the here and now.

She noticed an animalistic motion in his eye contact, a careful study in her desire to someday be a veterinarian. He reminded her of sheep in its timid glare, an insanity brewing from within yet remaining calm before the storm in characterization. He did work in a sanitarium, so she wondered how he might take a bit of insanity on her part.

“Baaaaa!” She challenged him with a softer side at first. It did seem to relax his pacing on the floor. The other thing she seemed to pick up on was his footfalls on the wood floor. It didn’t sound like shoes with a muffling sole, more a clop of a hardened hoof. Odd it was! After hearing stories from her family of their experiences trying to live in Souillon House what few months they managed to cope she might believe anything. “Baaaaaaaaaaa!” A second time and Lucas dropped to his knees and actually bowed his head. Eyes wincing at his sudden persona change she nearly called out for Lucas by name but wondered if that might agitate whatever held him hostage. The eyes definitely alluded to possession.

For ten more minutes she either remained silent or softly bayed like a true lamb. It kept him calm, a good thing she hoped. All good things rarely last however, a deafening thud on the outside wall of his house made Lucas react with simply a stare. The racket led him to rise up and check out the disturbance through the window beside the bed. A pole light on the street offered a soft illumination, enough that he could see his car. Beside it stood a black ram, the very goat that had been set free by Dan Moody over in Melas. Stares between he and the beast made Lucas begin to bay himself. Hearing him, Ewing bayed right back, troubling his persona. It took the ram outside to attack the fender well of his GTO with a loud bang denting the metal. That car was his baby, he had restored it. Pissed off he sat the knife he was holding on an end table and marched out of the bedroom.

Ewing Lambert could not believe her luck. With time to work at her binding she managed to free herself. Once untied she snatched that butcher knife up for safety and looked outside the window. Lucas faced the ram up close and knelt before it almost as if it were his leader, his master. In a cold display the ram lowered his own head and charged Lucas. His antlers penetrated his skull and tossed his body about until those horns came dislodged, Lucas falling to the grass in a bloody mass. “Oh, fuck!” She gasped, tears falling over the fact she knew Lucas was a pawn in some greater evil. The ram looking her way simply strolled off down the street as if nothing had happened.

Fear simmering found enough bravado to step outdoors and carefully approach Lucas, she presumed his car keys were in his pocket. A saddened look down at him she heard him choke up blood, reacting defensively. In a muffled breath Lucas apologized, “Sorry! Run!” Her future date perished in a gurgle of filled lungs. Finding his keys in the car she heard her cellphone ringing again. Realizing it was still in the trunk she got out and opened it. Snatching up her cell she answered it. “MOM! I need help.”

“Baby? Where are ewe?” Hearing ewe in a different context she paused and dropped her cell back into the trunk. Her eyes going black like Lucas had once been, she picked up his body with an unheard-of strength for her size, casting him into the trunk like she had been earlier. Slam! Stepping around the GTO she peered down the street to see a large van with a pull behind black trailer. On the sides and back it said Shepard’s Lawn Care. Next to the trailer stood a tall imposing man in a trench coat and a derby of all hats.