Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Chapter 16 - Calling All Witches Tricks

Goosebumps tightened Kyle's skin underneath his clothing. It definitely was cooler than normal as he crossed the cement floor towards the wine racks. The quiet was always thick as if the air was protecting the bottles. They only had been able to keep one wall filled with wine, but they had the option of bringing in nine more racks to line the rest of the room's walls. The room kept its own regulated temperature by a set thermostat which is why Kyle was surprised it was the same temperature as outside.

The left rack to the wood wall hanging contained their favorite wines. The right rack of wine was only for special occasions. Kyle's collection only started from wines twenty years back. They did the wine tasting tours every fall in the Rogue Valley of Oregon to stock up on newly exposed aged flavors from climates of the seasons. They always grab some of their favorites to get through the cold winters in Washington and to occasionally dull out the imperfections of life.

Kyle stood next to the wood carving and grabbed a bottle of a blackberry variation made eighteen years earlier from one of the vineyards of the Rogue Valley. The handle looked frosted. Cold wetness layered his hand, so he tightened his grip. He walked to the thermostat which read freezer temperatures. He tapped it with his knuckles and the needle moved. The vents started to blow in a slightly warmer air. The system had been updated the year before, so it was frustrating to think that the needle could get stuck. He accounted it to the multiple snow storms that were cold enough to break pipes and mess with a house's coziness.

Kyle turned around and stared at the stairs that would lead him back up to the light. The far corner under the stairs seemed much darker than when he first came down. He froze as he thought he had caught movement behind the filing cabinet that was peeking out of the shadows against the far wall. Kyle couldn't tell if it was a person or a mouse as they tried to get into the warm houses during the winter. They were blessed to have a cat so for Kyle to see a mouse in the house would be a miracle. Even as his cat got older, he never was off his hunt.

Kyle looked above the cabinet and saw the light bulbs on the strip had burned out, as well as the ones on the opposite corner. They must have been a bad batch for he just changed them last month and they were guaranteed to last two years.

"Help me." Kyle heard a whisper. Kyle's heart slammed against his chest.

"Stacy. Is that you?" Kyle's voice felt loud in the empty space.

There was no response.

"Please don't play games," Kyle said lowering his voice before he listened in the silence.

"It's not funny. I have a gun." He warned her getting irritated.

The lights flickered, and Kyle saw a girl standing on the side of the file cabinet. At first, he thought it was Stacy in darker makeup, but immediately saw a slight difference as this girl was older. Is was the girl he had seen in the window at the crime scene earlier during the day.

As solid in death as she was in life, Jolene stood staring at him. She smiled before the lights went off completely. With his heart racing up to his throat Kyle fumbled around for a wall with his left hand as his right formed a death grip around his bottle of wine. He'd hit someone with it if he had to, he thought though how much damage it would do on a ghost he wasn't sure.

Remembering the flashlight attached to his keys he removed them from his pocket and hit the button. A bright light formed a colander shape across the floor which gave Kyle a step of comfort from the borderline of panicked insanity. He flashed the light in the corner and back and forth across the rest of the room. Nothing was there. He was alone.

The light above the wood carving flashed on and off behind him as he moved towards the stairs. He was rushing as fast as he could to avoid getting caught in complete darkness but stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of two spots of silver in the shadow where the eyes were near the stairs. Kyle stood frozen not sure his heart was beating anymore, as he flashed his light in that spot where it showed nothing but the cabinet.

He sprinted up the stairs hoping nothing, or nobody was going to grab at his legs. Once Kyle reached the top of the stairs he turned to see if he was being chased. Relieved his heart was working but surprised it hadn't ripped through his skin, he saw he was safe from ghosts or movement. The lights stayed off when he flicked the switch a few times. Not wanting to risk going back down, Kyle decided he'd switch the lights out tomorrow and maybe include a separate lamp in case the light strips burned out again. The last place he wanted to feel fear was in his house. It was the only place he could lock fear out.

With speed, Kyle reached his kitchen as his heart calmed down a bit and rushed in. Kyle set the wine on the counter and wrapped his arms around his wife.

It was the safest place he could think to be.