HAUNTED

HELP

Nora haunted her way through her map and it should have been a nice relaxing summer but it wasn't. She was worried about Soren. She missed him terribly. Nora was a week away from going back to school.

She was ready to have something to do again. Ready to move on. She would be a junior with no direction in her life. She realized she was a little depressed and the phone rang. Unknown caller. Soren!

"Hello." Nora answered with some hope.

"Nora. I missed you. Sorry it's been too long." Soren stated.

Too long. "You okay?" Nora couldn't help worrying. She finally felt relaxed. She had been stressed all summer.

"I wanted to ask for help actually...If you can trust me." Soren didn't know how this would go. "We found a spirit. He is hateful. Well, it is a demon."

"You want my help?" She should be thinking this is a trap but she trusted Soren with her life.

"Yes. I know how this looks but we need you. I think you could help with this. I don't want to hurt you." Soren promised. There were a lot of things that he wanted to do with her but he didn't want to hurt her. "Ryker is still on the fence."

"Right. Are you sure that Ryker won't kill me? I'm not sure..." Nora began but Soren interrupted.

"It's not a trap. This demon had trapped a number of people and we are trying not to kill the people but we also don't know where they are. I think, we think, that we need help. Please." Soren begged. "Ryker is against me asking you."

"Okay, as long as Ryker is against me helping." Nora smiled and Soren chuckled. "One condition. I just want to kiss you once more before you kill me."

Soren agreed and rolled his eyes. He wasn't letting anyone kill her. He missed her.

"Tell me where you are and be prepared I am coming as myself." She warned him. She thought about him and the address he gave her and she was gone.

The house was in terrible shape and Nora saw their car on a side road. They were there. She was wearing her standard shorts and a tank top, she wasn't pretending this time. She was afraid and still figured it was a trap but she had to try.

Nora heard someone yell. Soren? And furniture crashing, she flew into the house. There was a...something. Not a ghost or ghoul. It wasn't human, not even close.

It was marred and disfigured. It resembled a person but taller and thinner. It definitely not human and not a ghost. No one could mistake it for a human, even at a distance.

It had Soren against the wall. "I just want the people you took!" Soren yelled at it. He punched it in the face.

It laughed but it was injured. There was black tar on its face. "They are dead. I took them and fed on them. They are no more."

"You lie!" Soren had to find a way to save those innocent people. He punched it in the face again.

It looked like that hurt. It spit some tar on the floor and shoot it's head. "I have better things to do with my time besides lie. I took them and ate them. They are what gave me more power. They are lost now. I am not lying."

He squeezed Soren tighter. "You are strong, I bet you would be helpful to me. Give me more power. I would be invincible with your power, my boy!" He licked his lips.

Ryker ran at it and attacked it but he was already beaten up. Ryker was thrown across the room and hit a wall hard. Plaster fell on him as he landed. Nora picked up Ryker off the floor. He was hurt.

"Oh, glad you could join us. Is there anything that you can do?" He casually pointed to Soren. He was still fighting but he was losing. Nora watched defiance in Soren's eyes as he punched the monster. Nora found him even more appealing.

Ryker shot some salt at it but that didn't hurt it bad enough. Not enough damage. This was a powerful being. It smelled evil and Ryker wasn't prepared to fight a demon, just yet.

"Just don't kill me yet! I won't hurt you." Nora warned Ryker. He nodded. He had bruises and a swollen lip. He was bleeding from a couple of cuts on his face. She was sure he had a few broken ribs also.

Nora was the phantom. She floated up to the creature, the target and grabbed his arm, the one holding Soren. It began to freeze and the demon screamed. She wasn't sure that freezing it would work but she had to try something.

Soren realized that the demon couldn't see her. He thought that was awesome. Nora froze most of its arm and it let go of Soren and she caught him before he fell.

Soren was too beat up to stand. Nora pulled Soren over to Ryker. She made a shield to keep the demon out but that wasn't going to last.

"We need to get out of here. Can you walk?" Nora asked both of them. They couldn't quickly enough.

"Okay. I am going to do something but it will cost me. I've never done it before, like this. Just don't hurt me. Oh, and the shield will be gone soon so I have to hurry. Hold on."

Nora was holding one hand up holding what looked like...ice. Maybe. It was a clear shield that the demon couldn't get through. He was trying and Ryker noticed a small crack in the shield. He would get through soon. Nora was trying to hold on. He saw pain in her face. He wondered if it hurt her when the shield cracked.

Nora smiled at Soren. It was great to see him and she hated to see him beat up. She took both of their hands, Ryker flinched. That hurt her a little.

"This won't hurt you. I won't hurt you. Trust me this one time." The demon was almost through the shield. Nora thought about the car, their car and she took them there. 

Thanks very much for reading and please don't forget to vote! ;)

They are teaming up!!!