Human vs. Phantom

Chapter – 8 Episode – 9

Chapter – 8

Episode – 9

“Wow, that was some useful information we got there.” Reeve said with a loud chuckle as he got inside his car. “we wasted hours to heard a poor man’s tragic story? Oh, come on. And, I couldn’t even get a drink.” He added igniting the engine.

“I don’t think it was that useless reeve,” Jim said. “I have heard about these kinds of stories. There are a hundred of them at least, hundreds of lore on them too, where you wished for the truth and you get it granted. But when you start getting the truth, it gets too overwhelming, sometimes enough to drive a person insane. They will do anything to stop it.” Jim told him.

“but they are just stories, isn’t it?” Reeve asked driving the car.

“could be or could not be,” Jim said.

“well, then who grants these wishes, any words?” reeve asked.

“I don’t know, maybe some wish-granting angel or something. Or maybe some spirit or ghost powerful enough to do that. Some monsters, some creatures, or some pagans can be anyone, anything. There are no limits to those stories and there is no hard proof on it either.” He said looking through a journal.

“they can do that? That’s crazy.” Reeve chuckled his eyebrows arched.

“Yeah, that’s crazy and that’s just our life, crazy,” Jim said with a chuckle.

“But you think it’s actually that, it could just be any usual road accident. Humans are insane, getting cheated on could drive you insane.” Said Reeve.

Jim pursed his lips down and said, “It could be, but his name being on uncle’s journal connects it to this case somehow. It can’t just be a coincidence.” He reasoned.

“are there no specific clue that you can conclude from this otherwise meaningless conversation?” Reeve asked going through the traffic.

“Nope, nada…” Jim replied nodding his head right to left.

“a 9.8 in high school and 900 credit for university, what have you learned in your four years there?” Reeve said making Jim chuckle and pursing his lips in a straight line.

Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Wallington hotel.

“what just happened?” Jim said his eyes moving around the room.

“beats me, I don’t know,” Reeve replied moving his shoulders.

They were looking through their room, thunderstruck. They just left for a few hours and this is what happened, the address is the same and so is the room number, but the hotel, its interior, even the wallpaper, it’s all no longer the same. And there is no explanation for that. Reeve walked to the bathroom to see if his jacuzzi was still there or not, or his hot shower.

“here it is….” Reeve said from inside the bathroom and walked back out.

“what?” Jim asked turning to the voice’s direction to face him.

“Someone dumped it in the jacuzzi…” he replied bringing their luggage out in the room.

“what the fu**. Who would do such a thing like that?” Jim said angrily quickly running to him grabbing his laptop to check if it was still alright.

“We are certainly not at the wrong address,” Reeve said slouching his shoulders up and raising his eyebrows.

Suddenly someone knocked at the door. Alerted from the sound, Jim walked and stood at the back of the door, his gun in his hands. Reeve peeped through the hole. They were not expecting anyone at that time. But as he looked out, a woman was standing behind the door. Reeve approached the knob slowly twisting it, he opened the door, while his hands were behind his back hiding a gun, finger on the trigger.

“yes?” Reeve said peeping through the slightly opened door hanging his head out.

“chill boys I am not here to hurt you.” The woman with long hair and mixed accent said.

“Who are you? Do we know you?” Reeve asked.

“Jim, I know you are behind that door.” She said with a louder tone.

“I said, who are you? Are you not gonna answer that?” Reeve said in a now louder voice.

“let me come in at least. You don’t want me to get angry.” The woman said as she walked in the room as Reeve moved back to give the door space to open wider, he was confused but ready to shoot anytime.

Both boys still had the guns in their hands as she walked inside. Jim shut the door and Reeve again said,

“We are asking something.”

“relax hot blood, this ain't no manner to talk to a lady.” She spoke.

“BS, tell me how do you find us. And who are you? How do you know Jim?” Reeve again demanded while Jim had his gun on her head.

“I know you too Reeve. If I wanted to hurt you boys, I would have done it long ago. I'm just here for a civilized chat like normal people do.” She said again.

“Oh. You know us, so you can’t be normal and neither we are normal; so why don’t you get started and answered what we asked you,” Jim said walking closer.

“I know you Beaver brothers and I know what you do too,” she told them.

“yeah? And what is that?” Reeve said sitting on the table, opposite to her pointing his gun at her.

“you are a hunter. I have worked with your uncle before. He was a great hunter.” She said casually, not being bothered by the gun.

“enough of us, how are you?” Jim said.

“I am Ruby, a witch.” She spoke finally.

“and you said uncle Charles worked with you. You don’t know us. We don’t work with people like you, we hunt you and kill you.” Jim said.

“enough of the gun boy, you are very rude” she fisted her right hand, “‘inferrous oppupanawe’”, she said opening her fist in the air.

All of a sudden, the gun they had in their hands flew away and fall on the bed.

“you don’t kill a human. I am a human. You kill evil sons of bitches, monsters, not humans.” She spoke. “and I told you to put the gun away.” She said again with authority in her tone and a hint of anger.

“Why are you here?” Reeve said agitatedly.

“to talk…” she again said.

“then talk, we are not interested in your tricks.” Said Jim.

“I have been following you guys for the past few days and I know you are investigating the murders and deaths in this town. And I also know that you haven’t had anything yet.” She begins.

“you can’t be here to help us,” Reeve said, rudely.

“I know what is going on, so if you guys want, I can help you.” She offered.

“This bag, your clothes, and all these gems, bracelets; I can see your work for money, not for good. Why are you interested in helping us?” Jim said as he too sat on the chair.

“do you want my help or not?” she asked.

“what do you know about the case?” Reeve asked.

“I know you boys don’t work with others, but I can assure you only I can help you.” She said and looked at the boys’ expression. And continued after a pause, “you boys ever heard of Veritas?” she asked.

“the god of truth.” Jim answered. “oh damn, is this Veritas behind this chaos?” he added.

“can you guys fill me in?” Reeve said.

“God of truth, Veritas. He can make people say only the truth.” Jim explained.

“so, what you are saying is that he is behind all this. and how are you so sure,” Reeve asked.

“because someone I know summoned it and now, he is out in the open doing all this stuff.” She responded.

“can you send it back?” Reeve asked.

“it’s possible, but for that, we have to find where he is hiding.” She replied.

“so how can we find it?” Jim asked.

“I have some spells up my sleeves to help you guys out.” She replied.

“wait did you do this to our room,” Reeve asked.

“do what.” She asked confused.

“This unnecessary renovation.” He said.

“no, I just got here. I was tailing your car from that old man’s home.” She replied.

“are you serious? Then who could have done that? Our stuff is here but the room changed three-sixty degrees in just a few hours.” Reeve said out.

“is there something supernatural behind you?” she said.