The Afterlife of a Gamer

Chapter 8

Hannah ran to the front doors and pulled on the handles. Neither budged, and it was almost as if the doors were painted on the walls. She kicked it before turning back to the others. 

"What the hell is going on?!" She yelled.

"Just calm down," Martyn reassurred. "Everything will be fine!" The office doors down the hallway began to open and slam shut, making everyone jump. 

"'Everthing will be fine'?!" Simon mocked. 

Martyn looked back down the hallway and saw what used to be Lewis was still standing back there. He saw his office doors swing open and slam shut, and his mind made up what to do. 

"We have to get to my office," Martyn said to the others. "Hurry!" He bolted down the hallway, hoping his friends followed. 

He was halfway down the hallway and looked back. The other three were keeping up, flinching at the slamming doors beside them. Martyn looked back up the hallway and slid to a stop next to his office door. He saw the poltergeist just up the hallway a little way, yellow eyes glaring into him. Martyn tore his gaze away from the angry stare, and ushered the other three of his friends inside his office. 

"What the hell is happening?!" Simon asked the repeated question.

Martyn didn't answer, and instead ran to his desk and reached behind it. He pulled out the container of salt and the old book. He ran to the door, holding it shut as it was still slamming open and close. 

"Help me with this!" He yelled to the others. Duncan ran over to him and helped him keep the door closed, and Martyn knelt and spread a line of salt on the bottom of the door. 

"Now," Duncan said, backing away from the door, which had stopped moving. "Explain to us what the f*ck is going on!" 

"Um, okay," Martyn said, capping the salt container. "Okay. To keep it short, we're being haunted." 

"We--What?" Hannah asked in disbelief.

"Being haunted," Martyn repeated. "By a ghost. Poltergeist, in fact." 

"Are you serious?" Simon asked. 

"100%," Martyn answered.

"By who?" Duncan asked.

Martyn hesitated. For all he knew, they could be angry or break down. But depending on what he heard about on that Ouija Board incident, they would most likely be angry. 

"Do you know who this 'ghost' is?" Duncan repeated.

"Why do you believe me?" Martyn asked in return. 

"What's any other explanation?" Simon replied. "What do you know?" 

"It's...." Martyn trailed off. "It's no one we know. Trust me." The other three exchanged looks, not quite believing his lie, but seeming to agree with it for now.

"Okay," Duncan nodded. "So, now what?" 

Martyn flipped the book he held open to a certain page. He pointed at a page with Latin on it. "We make this guy move on." 

"How do you know so much about this?" Hannah asked. 

Martyn hesitated here, too. He sighed before answering. "Okay. Okay. So, I'm.....A little weird." 

"What do you mean?" Simon asked. 

"I mean....I can see them. The ghosts," Martyn finished. 

"That's a little harder to believe," Simon commented.

"I know," Martyn replied. "But I've had experience with these things, so if you just go along with what I say, then we'll get out fine." 

"Are you sure?" Duncan asked. 

"Yes," Martyn answered. "I've done this before. Twice, actually. We just need to capture it and send it away." 

"And how do we do that, exactly?" Hannah asked. 

"There's a spell, sort of. It's an excorsism. It'll send the spirit away," Martyn explained.

"But how do we....'capture' it?" Simon asked. 

"We have to bait it into a salt hoop," Martyn said. "That's going to be hard, though, since I'm the only one that can see him."

"Then how have you done it before?" Hannah asked. 

"....Right," Martyn chuckled. "I have done this before. Here's the plan: I'll be the bait. I can see him. You'll stay in...." He thought for a moment. "You guys stay in Hatfilm's office. There's plenty of room in there, save for the boxes that still need to be emptied. Create two salt circles; one big enough for all four of us, another for the ghost. Leave the one for the ghost unfinished, like leave a small gap in the circle somewhere. Then you stay in the other circle. Don't. Leave. The circle. No. Matter. What." The others nodded. 

He had left out the part where, the last time he did this, the ghost had possessed someone.

***

They had it all set up. The ghost didn't show his face as they made it down to Hatfilm's office, and didn't show up when they made the two circles. The smaller one had a gap in one spot, and the larger circle was completed. Hannah, Simon, and Duncan stood in the larger circle, but Martyn was outside of it. He held a leather bound book. 

"Okay," Martyn said. "You're all good?" 

The three nodded, although quite shakily. Martyn took a deep breath and gripped tighter on the book. He looked at the doorway of the large office, then glanced back at his friends. 

"Just," Hannah began. "Get this over with." 

Martyn nodded, and took a step out of the three-person office. He held the book close to his side, his knuckles turning white with the grip he had on the bind. 

Then a yellowish light glowed from the end of the hall, and Martyn spun around to face the figure. 

Lewis stood, a distance away from him. Though, instead of the quirky boss that he'd come to know, it was someone - or something - else entirely. His eyes glowed a sickly yellow, and black smoke, outlined with the same yellow shade, and he glared at Martyn. 

"Uh, um," Martyn stuttered over his words. It's been nearly ten years since he's done this, and even though some memories are fresh in his mind, none are ones he wants to remember. 

So, instead of talking, he ran into the Hatfilm's office again, and stood in front of the broken salt line. The ghost stood in the doorway, tilting his head in a bird-like fashion, staring at the blonde with the glowing, yellow eyes. It floated closer. 

Martyn ran around the salt ring, and stood on the other side. He stood near the gap in the ring, picking up the salt container as he went. He prepared for the right time to cover up the gap and stop the ghost from getting any closer. 

The ghost stopped on the edge of the ring, looked down, then disappeared like bad reception on a television. He then appeared again next to Martyn, on the other side of the circle. 

The blonde didn't even have time to move as the poltergeist gripped him by the neck, and forcing him still as the yellow-black smoke pervaded down his throat. The same way his friend from highschool was possessed.