Shards of Red Glass (A Ghost Adventures Story)

Luke's Friend

How come the nights of lockdowns where evil spirits reside always have to be clear and bright?

We're all sitting in the van, silent as we wait on Jim to come lock us in. We see Jim pull up in his stupid neon green convertible. Idiot. Winters are bad in Missouri. I can't imagine Montana.

We pile out of the van, me from the very back, since Jay took my normal seat. We walk up onto the porch, and greet Jim. "Welcome to the Kire Mansion in Scire Creek, Montana. This place has already shown us that something resides here yesterday," Zak says. My stomach twists at the memory of me puking after seeing my dead ex-boyfriend's ghost.

Zak eyes me, then turns to Jim. "And, I thank Jim here for locking us in tonight. Jim, will you do the honors?" Jim smiles at Zak, and I see something like admiration in his eyes. "As a fellow paranormal investigator, Zak, I wish you luck," he says as he gives Zak a fist bump. He does that to everyone as we walk past him into the house. His gaze lingers on me as he closes the door, like he's memorizing my face for when he sees my obituary in the paper after I die during this investigation.

We all turn around to watch Jim lock us in. Then, Zak leads us to nerve center. Jay and Billy take their normal seats at the table in a small bedroom that we deemed appropriate for our home base. On the main monitor, the screen is split in four, with the monitor closest to Billy showing two.

One x-camera in the foyer where we just were. Another in the living room. One in the kitchen, one in the basement, one in the second-floor hallway, and one in Milly's room. Zak goes through all of them, along with a list of things that've happened in each place. Then, he sends Aaron and I to the living room, and he goes up to the third floor.

I hear some military veterans say that war is ninety-five percent boredom, five percent absolute terror. I'm at the boredom stage in my war with this house.

After four and a half hours of waiting, something finally sparks my interest. I'm in Milly's room with Billy, doing an EVP session, staring at the mirror that leans against one wall, when I see a spirit with my own eyes.

I look into her eyes, ignoring her blue-white halo that surrounds all spirits. She snarls at me,"He won't live for very long, Collings. You have been warned numerous times about this. He won't survive past next week." "Yeah, right. You see, I've been told this several times, but it never seems to happen," I say.

Billy looks over at me, but says nothing; the guys have gotten pretty good at not interrupting me when I speak to spirits only I can see, even when it looks like I'm talking to air. Very respectful.

The woman bares her teeth. "It will happen, Collings. It is his fate. You can't change your fate." I roll my eyes and reply,"Of course you can. Haven't you ever watched A Knight's Tale? Or, I don't know, read any fiction book ever? I mean, Harry Potter, Eragon, and Percy Jackson have avoided death and fate quite a few times. Why can't normal people?"

The spirit rolls her beautiful eyes, which are a rich golden-brown, like hardened honey. She starts to speak, but I override her. "You're Milly, aren't you? I imagined you-oh, I don't know-more friendly." The woman glares even more. Jeez, this woman is a champion glarer. Damn.

"No, I am not Milly. I am Miranda, Milly's sister," she replies in a voice like iron, which is a relief, since her normal voice sounds like she gurgles acid in her spare time. "Oh," I say as I nod. "The murderous one. Got it."

Miranda snarls,"I did what I had to." I blink at her and ask,"Did you really? Killing your husband, along with most of his family-except for his mistress, who was pregnant with his child-what you just had to do?" Her face contorts with rage, making her even uglier. Only her eyes are pretty, I swear.