Author’s Note: 

Due to the content of this episode, reader discretion is advised. For those of you who do decide to take a peek at Dr. Beckett’s latest journey, be warned; for all is not as it may seem. So, sit back and enjoy this little tale and have a safe and happy Halloween! Oh, and just a little tip for you, in order to achieve the full effect of this story it is highly advised to read it during the late evening… with all the lights turned off of course.

“Once you look into the eyes of Evil, there is no turning back.”

                                                                                       -Anonymous

 

 

PROLOGUE

 

          The incandescence of the blue white light began to fade as yet another Quantum Leap came to an end. However, something was different, he sensed, as he was reinserted into the time stream, into another life. The putrid smell of rotting meat overwhelmed the scientist, washing over him like a torrential flood. The smell was enough to send the Leaper into the throws of vertigo, however just as quickly as it had emanated the smell dissipated. His eyes watered as he took several deep breaths. When the rest of the residual temporal energy had coursed through his body, Sam Beckett was met with the presence of a very scared and concerned young girl. She was standing behind a rather bulky video camera that sat atop a sturdy tripod.

        “Logan?” The girl spoke hesitantly. Her brown eyes were affixed to him, her brow furrowed. “Are you okay?” She pushed a button on the video camera and stepped around it, walking towards Sam.

        Sam swallowed as the vertigo slowly passed. “Uh, yeah,” he said in between breaths, “I’m fine.”

        “What just happened there? One minute you were just fine an’ all, then the next you looked as if you were gonna puke.”

        “Did you smell that?” Sam inquired as he wiped at his watery eyes.

        “Smell what?”

        Sam waved a hand about the room. “That stench, how could you miss it?” The girl only raised her eyebrows in response.

        “It was like… like something had died in here.” Sam explained as his gaze swept across the room that he found himself to be standing in the middle of. A few feet in front of him, just past the video camera, was a monitor. Behind the monitor ran a long orange cord that ran across half the length of the room to the nearest outlet. As silence fell upon the Leaper and the girl, the soft hum of machinery running could be heard. It seemed to be coming from somewhere near, most likely outside, Sam deduced.  The room itself appeared to be of decent size, with an old, blackened stone fireplace to his far left with what appeared to be a piece of furniture under a sheet of plastic. An antique oval shaped mirror had hung above the fireplace. Just beyond where he and the girl stood the room led to a slightly smaller room. Looking down on the wood flooring, covered with layers of dust, Sam noticed two thick padded sleeping bags unrolled and lying next to one another, with a small Coleman lantern positioned between them. Sam’s gaze fell upon three heavy looking duffel bags. Unzipping one of them, Sam peered into the bag and found that its contents were nothing more than a few back up batteries for the video camera, a couple of Mag-Lites, and three videocassette cases. As Sam zipped the bag he found a gray covered notebook. The cover had something written on it in heavy, black marker.

 

A Paranormal Investigation

Of the Chase Manor:

Conducted by Logan and Melissa Rennick

 

        “A paranormal…” Sam trailed off as he slowly looked up, brow furrowed. Four long, once elegant windows graced the wall in front of him. The window to the far left had its heavy purple drapes pulled back, flooding the room with warm, pleasant sunlight. “What the hell is going on here?” he muttered under his breath as he slowly stood up, notebook in hand.

        “Do you think we’ll see him?” The girl, Melissa, asked as she approached Sam.

        “See who?”

        “There’s only one ‘him’, Logan.” When Sam only stared at her she spoke with a sigh. “Reverend Chase.”

        Sam was about to respond when he held up the notebook, only this time paying closer attention to the name in its title. Sam gave Melissa a fleeting smile as he brought his free hand over his face. “Oh boy.”

 

PART ONE

July 23, 1983

 

          “You sure you’re okay?” Melissa placed a hand on Sam’s shoulder as he stared out the window.

        Sam nodded. It was a beautiful clear day as a flock of birds flew past the house singing their song as they took to the sky. The landscape, however, held nothing pleasing to the eye. In fact, the surrounding land was rather barren. From where he stood, Sam noticed that the manor sat atop a hill that gently sloped downward, appearing to wind a bit as the private driveway connected to a paved one. Even through all the clichés of terrible horror movies that ran through his train of thought, Sam couldn’t shake the sense that his presence wasn’t welcomed. An intense sensation of anxiety soon took hold of the Leaper, refusing to let go.                                      

        “I can’t believe we’re actually here. I mean, you talked about nothing else for months an’ all, but I actually didn’t think that you and Mike could pull it off.” Melissa glanced over at the video camera. “With all this stuff that Mike and Uncle Steve loaned us, we’re bound to catch something.” Shrugging she then added, “Or at least be able to prove that ghosts exist.”

        Sam turned and faced Melissa. “Just keep in mind, Melissa, that everything that happens can be explained rationally and scientifically.” As he spoke he couldn’t hold back the uneasiness in his tone. Melissa seemed to notice it as well.

        “You’re not having second thoughts, are you?” When Sam didn’t immediately respond she turned her head, rolling her eyes. “Logan, we can’t back out now, not when we’ve come this far.” She smiled at Sam. “Since January you’ve been preparing for this. It’s our one shot to prove that ghosts exist.” She then patted Sam on the shoulder, a grin slowly spreading across her lips. “Besides, Mom and Dad are out of town until Tuesday morning, and they think we’re staying with Mike.”

        “Which brings me to my next point,” Sam said as he turned to face Melissa. “I don’t think that it’s safe for us to be here all alone, you know? This place doesn’t look to be all that sound.”

        “Fine, then. Then you tell me how we’re supposed to carry all this stuff back. We’re twenty miles from home, Logan, and there’s no phone here. So unless you want to pack up the camera, the monitor, and the sixty-pound generator and walk home, I think we’re stuck here till Mike picks us up Monday morning.” Melissa shook her head at the scientist as she moved past him and opened the front door. “And speaking of the generators, I better go shut it off.” Before Sam could protest she said, “Look. I know how you freak out about me handling this stuff but Mike showed me how to turn it on

and off, it’s a piece of cake.” She was already out the door before she was even finished talking. Sam’s loud, exasperated sigh was quickly followed by the hydraulic sound of the Imaging Chamber door opening and closing. Sam didn’t even look over his shoulder as the Observer approached him.

        “Sam? Hey, Sam, are you okay?” Al peered curiously at his friend, not quite sure what to make of the expression Sam wore. The handlink chirped and beeped as a multitude of lights blinked, reflecting slightly off of his silver colored tie. Al had to try two more times before getting Sam’s attention.

        “Uh, yeah, I’m fine.” Sam held his gaze on the doorway that Melissa had gone through just a minute before. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but the uneasiness that had dwelled within him had been continually growing. Taking a quick breath Sam turned around as he ran a hand through his hair. “What does Ziggy have for me?”

        “Just the basics for now,” Al replied as he held up the link. Tapping at a few of its buttons, Al peered at the minuscule view screen as the information slowly scrolled across. “It’s the twenty-third of July, 1983. You’re in Coventry, Maine.” Al paused as he scratched his nose. “Oh, hey, I remember why that name sounds so familiar. Don’t you remember, Sam?” When Sam only blinked in response, Al went on. “During one of your Leaps, long time ago, you landed here in Coventry.” As the words left his mouth, the memory of that particular Leap came back to him. Al could still remember how strangely Sam acted when he had appeared, and then later telling him of the events that never took place. Dismissing the thought, Al went on to relay Ziggy’s information. “Anyway, you’re name is-”

        “Logan Rennick and I have a younger sister named Melissa who looks to be no older than thirteen.”

        Al cocked an eyebrow at Sam as he slowly nodded. “Uh, yeah, well she’s actually twelve and you’re sixteen.” Al shook his head as he corrected himself. “I mean Logan is sixteen… and quite, ah, unique if I may say.”

        “What do you mean?”

        Al lowered the link as he moved towards Sam standing next to him. “Beeks and I have been talking with Logan in the Waiting Room and he’s convinced that he has crossed over.”

        Sam narrowed his eyes in confusion. “Crossed over?”

        “To the ‘Other Side’,” Al added with a smirk.

        “That’s ridiculous, Al. There are no such things as ghosts.”

        “Come on, Sam, you of all people shouldn’t turn your back on the unexplained. Not after all that you have gone through and have seen since you started Leaping through Time.” Al firmly believed in life after death, God and Heaven… and the Devil. He knew that without a shadow of a doubt the Devil existed; those horrific five years spent as a POW at the Hanoi Hilton had solidified that. Before that period in his life, Al couldn’t have thought of a worse place to be than Hell. Compared to the experiences that Al had had, Hell would be considered a place that some men could only wish to be. “Look, Sam, I know that you may find it hard to believe this stuff but it’s real. There are some freaky things that have been known to happen that can’t be explained.”

        Sam turned and faced Al. For a moment both Leaper and hologram held their gazes on one another, letting their facial expressions do the rest of the talking. After a moment Sam nodded as he turned his head, and once again stared out onto the barren landscape that surrounded the house.

        “Does Ziggy know why I’m here?”

        “Yes,” Al replied as he held up the link and tapped a button on its side. Reading the information from the screen, Al said, “Sometime around midnight on July twenty-fifth, that’s about two days from now, Melissa Rennick…disappears.” Al waved a hand for emphasis.

        “How’d it happen?” Sam closed the space between himself and Al, looking over his shoulder as he tried reading the handlink.

        “No one knows. Well, no one except for Logan, and people thought of him as… ah, crazy.” Al lowered his eyes as he spoke. “The case was never solved. It wasn’t even until twelve years later that some skeletal remains were found, presumably hers, when the house was torn down.”  Al held Sam’s complete attention as he continued to read off the data and neither one of them heard the front door open and close. “Forensic tests concluded that the bones were the remains of Melissa Rennick.”

        “What happened to Logan?”

        “After Melissa’s disappearance, Logan was the prime suspect but there was no evidence to substantiate the accusation. It put quite a strain on his family as well; Logan insisted, and to this day still does, claim that the house had killed her.” Al looked up at Sam, sighing as he continued to the read the dismal information. “After graduating high school, he tried unsuccessfully to start his own business in paranormal investigation. The problem was, was that nobody took him seriously. Right now, he’s a plumber but still does some ‘investigating’ on the side. So, Ziggy gives you a ninety-eight percent probability that you’re here to prevent Melissa’s disappearance.”

        “Well that shouldn’t be too hard,” Sam said after a moment. “After all it’s just her and I all alone. Al, I need you to have Ziggy dig up anything she can find on this house, from the time it was built to when it was destroyed.”

        Al jabbed a finger at Sam. “You got it.” Punching in a command on the handlink, the Imaging Chamber door opened. “I better get back anyway and check in with Beeks and see if she’s had anymore progress with Logan.” Al stepped through the illuminated sheet of light and a moment later was gone.

        Sam turned around and managed a half step before he noticed Melissa leaning against the wall, a single eyebrow raised.

        “How long have you been standing there?” Sam asked hesitantly.

        “Oh,” Melissa replied with a smirk, “long enough to know to not fall for one of your pranks.” Her expression suddenly changed as she closed the space between them, pointing her index finger at Sam. “If you think you’re gonna scare me with that whole ‘I’m losing my mind’ act then you’re in for a rude awakening.”

        Sam couldn’t help but smile; until that point he had been unaware of just how sharp Melissa really was. She reminded him in many ways of his own younger sister. Although her name eluded him her memory was very much present.

        “Okay, what we need to do is set up the tape recorders, right?” Melissa appeared to be thinking out loud yet at the same time asking Sam.

        “Ah… yeah,” Sam replied as he bobbed his head in agreement. “We should set up those tape recorders.”

        Melissa knelt down, picked up one of the duffel bags, and rifled through its contents. “Do you think we should set one up here in the parlor?” When Sam didn’t respond Melissa tipped her head towards the heavy, old, dirty chandelier that hung somewhat loosely from the ceiling. “Remember you told me about what happened to that kid whose family lived here a few years ago? There’s bound to be a lot of activity in this room alone.”

        “Sure,” Sam said, unable to think of anything else to offer. “What about upstairs?” He looked over at the staircase that was just past the parlor.

        “Good idea. I can put four upstairs; one in the master bedroom and the other two rooms, and the fourth at the end of the hall.” After Melissa had placed one of the tape recorders in one of the corners of the parlor and checked to make sure that a tape cassette was placed in its deck, she hefted the bag over her shoulder and started towards the staircase.

        “I’ll, uh, set up the rooms down here,” Sam called out as Melissa started towards the stairs.

        “Then don’t you think you’re going to need a couple of these?” Melissa slid the bag off her shoulders as she turned around. Sam tipped his head and made his way over to her, kneeling down and picking up two bulky tape recorders. Melissa watched him intently. “You sure you’re alright, Logan?”

        Sam nodded. Melissa looked at him for a moment before picking up the bag and heading up the stairs. “Oh boy,” Sam said under his breath as he glanced at the two recorders, one in each hand. He took a moment to get a closer look at the parlor.

        The parlor itself held nothing worth any interest. The room was of decent size, with a small doorway just a few feet ahead of him and another, significantly wider doorway to his right. The flooring creaked a bit under his weight with even a few thin planks protruding slightly, warped with age and neglect. In fact, the only thing even remotely interesting was the old, blackened gray stone fireplace on the left side of the room. Upon closer inspection the fireplace held a couple of charred wood logs, complete with a coat composed of several layers of dust and even a few cobwebs. Sam reached out and brushed his fingertips against the wood, small portions of the log crumbling upon contact. The fireplace appeared as if it hadn’t been used for quite some time, although strangely enough he could faintly smell the unmistakable scent of wood burning. Furrowing his brow, he stood back up and started towards the room ahead when he caught a glimpse of his reflection out of the corner of his eye. Pausing in his tracks, Sam turned around and leaned a bit towards the mirror, wiping away with his sleeve Sam was able to get a much better view.  Logan Rennick had longish brown hair that was parted down the middle, a light complexion, thick eyebrows, and dark brown eyes. Sam smirked, and then it was at that moment that Sam noticed a certain mischievous appeal about the kid. One thing was for sure; Sam would never have guessed that Logan was a believer in the paranormal. Had he not known better, Sam would’ve figured Logan to be picking up a surfboard and catching some waves rather than a camera and catching ghosts.

“Logan!” Melissa’s voice had called out to him from somewhere on the second floor. “The recorders are set and ready to go! I’m gonna do some looking around up here for a bit, okay?!” Apparently she didn’t wait for an answer as her voice was quickly followed by the sound of light footsteps and the creaking floor.

        “Great,” Sam muttered under his breath as he turned around, his gaze falling onto the doorway to the room ahead. Sam hadn’t even managed a single step when the room was suddenly filled with a loud knocking sound. The knocking continued as Sam followed the sound to the front door. Before he opened the door Sam peered through the dirt caked glass and could make out a small form standing outside. Hesitantly he reached out and turned the knob, the hinges squeaking in protest.

        There, Sam was met with the smiling face of an elderly man dressed in a white shirt, tan overalls, and boots. He wore thin-rimmed glasses and possessed a neatly trimmed white moustache. His green eyes gleamed as he smiled, quickly easing away the discomfort that the scientist experienced.

        “H-how can I help you?” Sam asked after a moment of studying this strange person.

        “No need to be alarmed,” the elderly man replied as he held up a hand. “I’m not here to harm you. I won’t even take up much of your time.” As he smiled the man’s green eyes twinkled. “Would it be too much trouble if I could come in and sit a spell?”

        Sam nodded. He wasn’t exactly sure why but he didn’t feel that this man was of any threat to him. In fact there was this alien sense of familiarity that he carried around him, and Sam actually felt the tension ease with just his presence. Although a part of him rebelled against the idea, he was here for a reason, and that reason was Melissa. What if Sam was here to stop this man from abducting her? Even though Al said that her remains would later be found on these grounds, what if he had somehow snuck in during the night and killed her? What it had boiled down to was that while his conscious was telling him to let this old man into the house, his sense of rationality was crying out against it. Sam had to play it safe. “How about out here on the porch instead?” Sam asked.

        “That’s perfectly fine,” the elderly man replied, his smile never wavering. “I completely understand. In fact, I must say that that’s a much better idea.”

        “What brings you out here?” Sam asked as he shut the door behind him. He didn’t want to come off too strong but this person’s presence was rather questionable.

        “Oh, just reminiscing, actually. You see,” he said as he removed his glasses and wiped at them with a handkerchief that he had pulled out of his breast pocket, “long ago in my younger days, I used to be the caretaker when the Wainwright family lived here back in the sixties, as well as a few other families before them. Spent many years here, taking care of the property. Every now and then I still like to come by.” He put his glasses back on as he folded his handkerchief and slipped it back in his pocket.

        “I see, Mister…” Sam let the sentence hang, as he hadn’t even known the man’s name.

        “Oh, where are my manners? People around here call me Pa. Pa Baker.”

        Sam extended his hand. “I’m Sa-ah, Logan Rennick.” Sam shook his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Baker.”

        “Please, call me Pa.” The two men shook hands. “But I must say that the pleasure is all mine. You know, Logan, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen anybody on these grounds. And, if I may be as bold as to ask why?”

        Sam smiled nervously as he hedged around the question. “Oh, well you know…” Pa looked on at the scientist, clearly amused at Sam’s nervousness, “Just a couple of kids getting into trouble.”

        “Yes,” Pa said with a nod, “well I’ll be off for now but I just might stop by a bit later on. Let me say, Logan, that if you stay here much longer then trouble is exactly what you will receive.” Sam narrowed his eyes at Pa’s comment. “This house has a terrible history. A lot of pain and suffering reside within those walls.” Pa’s mood had suddenly shifted, throwing Sam completely off balance. Pa took a step, closing the space between them, “Sometimes, in the dead of night, the echoes of the past can be heard. And if you listen real carefully you just might hear them.”

        “Who are you?” Sam asked a bit forcefully as he took a step back.

        “Just be careful, young man,” Pa said as he turned around and started walking down the winding dirt path. At the end of the path was a black, pristine Studebaker. Pa didn’t look back as he called out over his shoulder, “Keep your eyes and ears open. Don’t be deceived by the shadows.”

        “Shadows?” Sam repeated, with confusion deeply etched into his features. Sam snapped out of his repose and watched Pa Baker walk down the path. Pa smiled and waved as he got in the car and shut the door. Sam’s gaze didn’t waver as Pa turned the car around and steered it down the path. When he was out of sight Sam looked around for a moment and then opened the front door.

        “Who was that? We’re not busted, are we?” Melissa asked as Sam stepped inside. Sam wasn’t expecting the young girl to be standing there, so it came as little surprise to his startled reaction.

        “No, we’re not busted. That guy used to be the caretaker here years ago,” Sam said as he moved past her. The hallway leading from the front door was rather wide, with the kitchen directly ahead of him and the staircase just off to his right. “I guess he still comes by from time to time, to check up on the place.”

        Melissa furrowed her brow. “Why? The place’s been empty for a long time.” Sam didn’t seem to hear her; his gaze was fixated on the room that lied just ahead, a deep thoughtful look in his eye. Melissa didn’t really seem to notice it. “Anyway I set up the recorders in all but one room. The master bedroom; it looks like the door is locked or something, I couldn’t budge it. So instead I just put other recorder near the stairs.”

        “I’m going to check out the kitchen,” Sam said as he started down the wide yet short hallway.

        “Okay. Seems pretty creepy that some old guy would show up out of nowhere, don’t you think?” Melissa was at his side. Sam looked over at her. “I heard you two talking and stuff. I thought for sure that we were busted.” Just as they had stepped foot in the kitchen, Melissa turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, Logan, what did he mean when he said ‘Don’t let the shadows deceive you’?”

        “Couldn’t tell you.  Perhaps he was just trying to scare us away.” Sam of course didn’t believe this but the expression on Melissa’s face was hard telling.

        “Yeah I suppose,” she offered with a shrug. “Although, wouldn’t it be quite a long way for anybody to come out here, just to scare us?”

        Silence followed as Sam thought about what Melissa had just said. She was sharper than he had given her credit for. Sam wondered just exactly how much of the conversation with Pa Baker had she really heard. After debating it for several long moments, he decided that it was best for the time being if he didn’t explore that avenue just yet. So instead he turned around and cocked a thumb towards the kitchen. “C’mon,” he said as he tousled Melissa’s hair, “let’s go check this place out.” Melissa giggled as she followed Sam into the dark room.

                                       

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

        

The sun had just about set when Sam had gone outside to turn on the generator. According to Melissa, they had just enough fuel to make it to Sunday night. The rest of the afternoon had passed without incident. Pa Baker had not returned and no ghosts had been found. The house, Sam had discovered, was pretty much empty with the exception of a few pieces of furniture in the parlor and upstairs in the two bedrooms, the door to the master bedroom remained locked. The house hadn’t been lived in for some time, evidenced by the way the floors creaked loudly, and the walls, once a lustrous white, were now heavily soiled and stained. Thick, sticky strands of cobweb stretched out across the corners of the walls, and even through the banister on the staircase. The stairs themselves were a bit unsound, the wood nearly rotted through in the center, forcing one to step to either side when ascending them.  The house had a distinct feel to it. Throughout its desolate interior lay a sense of familiarity, one that Sam had strongly felt since his arrival. You could almost feel the history behind it.

Sam and Melissa settled down in the parlor.  Melissa chatted on about several ways they could acquire the proof they needed that ghosts exist while Sam searched the contents of one of the duffel bags for any kind of food for dinner.

        “I think we should set up the camera in one of those bedrooms,” Melissa said as Sam had found a couple cans of barbeque flavored baked beans, “We’re bound to catch something up there.”

        “Uh huh,” Sam said a bit absently as he held up the cans, grimaced, and then proceeded to open one of them with a flimsy can opener. “I’m not certain that we’re going to catch anything good with the equipment we have.” Sam tossed a glance towards the red and black JVC video camera across the room. “Those things are so obsolete that the chances of even catching anything remotely-” Sam stopped himself when he saw the quizzical look that he was earning from Melissa.

        “What are you talking about, Logan? That camera is brand new, and so are the tape recorders and everything else we brought.”

        Sam flustered as he tried to come up with a quick way out of the hot seat. “Oh, yeah I know that, but I was just saying that with the… uh, poor lighting in the house what ever we’re going to film won’t come out clearly. If we do any filming then it’s probably best to do it during daylight.” Once Sam handed the young girl a plastic fork and an opened can of beans he quickly looked away.

        “Daylight? Now I must know what’s gotten into you.” When Sam didn’t offer any quick response, Melissa shook her head. “You know better than I that the best time to try and catch any paranormal activity is at nighttime. I don’t know what’s going on with you, but you’ve been acting quite strange since we got here.”

        Sam wasn’t sure what to say as he removed the carefully cut lid from his can, and instead of answering her inquiry he simply smiled as he ate a fork full of beans.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  

       

        After the two had filled up on baked beans and bread, it was near eleven o’clock. Melissa had fallen asleep sometime around ten o’clock and Sam was sitting in front of the fireplace, carefully sifting the logs with an old poker that he had found propped in a nearby corner. The wood crackled and popped, the strong aroma of the smoke filling the house. Oddly enough this was the very same scent that Sam had smelled earlier in the day. Sam slowly stood up, stretched his arms, and yawned. Al had not made another appearance since Sam’s arrival, not that Sam was worried or anything of the sort.  However, at the same time the scientist hoped that all was well back at the Project.

        He was about to sit back down when through his peripheral vision he caught a slight movement. Slowly turning around, he furrowed his brow as he made his way towards the small, darkened kitchen. When he reached the doorway he stopped, looked back behind him; Melissa snored softly as she was curled up in her sleeping bag. Turning back he peered into the darkness but couldn’t make anything out. Guiding his hand on the other side of the doorway his fingers brushed against the light switch. Flipping the switch, Sam managed a foot inside before a soft popping sound was heard, the small room once again cloaked in darkness. “Just great,” Sam muttered as he slowly moved around in the dark room; the only light source provided being the soft, pale moonlight that came in through the window across the room. Sam saw that just to the right of where he stood was the doorway leading to the kitchen. As Sam made his way across the dining room another movement had caught his eye, this time coming from the window. Stopping in mid stride he looked over his shoulder and saw Melissa standing by the window, looking out into the darkness. Apparently she didn’t notice Sam. “Melissa?” Sam started towards her, shaking his head as he spoke with a chuckle. “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping? Don’t make me-” Sam abruptly stopped when, looking over in the parlor, he saw the still sleeping Melissa curled up in her sleeping bag. When Sam slowly turned back he was met with the pale, slightly obscured face of a young girl.

        The girl slowly reached out her hand and took a step towards Sam. Her mouth moved yet no words came out. As Sam backpedaled the girl continued to talk.

        “W-who are you?” Sam asked slowly. The girl only continued to talk. The longer Sam held his gaze on her, the more he noticed her slight transparent appearance. The moonlight had shone through her and, for a brief moment, Sam was able to see her with crystal clarity. What he saw wasn’t some horrific apparition but the face of a scared young girl in a light colored dress, old fashioned judging by its design, with what appeared to be on her neck a thick, dark line that went across her neck. Sam frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I can’t hear you.” The girl continued at attempting to speak with the confused scientist, yet this time her lips were moving faster. As she spoke she reached out one hand, beckoning Sam to come to her. Sam, on instinct that suddenly came to him, started to walk towards her.

        “...Saaam...”

        Sam abruptly stopped. He had clearly heard his name. “What do you want?” he asked again as he continued to walk towards her.

        “....Sam...Sam...” The voice was beginning to fade as Sam got closer.         “....Sam..”

        “Sam?” The familiar gravelly voice caused Sam to snap his head towards its source; Al stood in the doorway that connected the parlor to the kitchen. When Sam looked back to the girl she was gone.

        “No,” Sam said softly as he quickened his pace. He reached out with one hand and waved it across the space where he had seen the girl just moments before. He felt nothing out of the ordinary except for a slight coldness in the space that of which had been occupied by his visitor.

        “Sam, what’s gotten into you? Are you okay?” Al’s face bore much concern.

        Sam looked back up at Al. “Did you see her... ah, it...” Sam shook his head in confusion as he spoke. “Did you see... her?”

        “Oh, ah, no, Sam, I didn’t,” Al said softly. “Just you.”

        “Somebody else was here, Al,” Sam said with certainty in his tone. “I saw it.”

        Al narrowed his eyes at the scientist.

 

PART TWO

 

          “There was someone, or something, in this room with me,” Sam said as he paced about in the dining room. Al stood next to him, looking on as the handlink chirped and beeped in his hand. “It appeared just before you did. She was trying to talk to me but I couldn’t hear her... well, as I got closer to it I did.” Sam was speaking a mile a minute, clearly unable to hold back the anticipation. “You know, Al, maybe Logan was right about this place. Perhaps this place is haunted.”

        “I thought I’d never see the day where Sam Beckett would proclaim the existence of ghosts.”  Al let out a chuckle, but it was brief for Sam didn’t share in the humor.

        “It was more than that. It-she,” he immediately corrected himself, “seemed more real than that. She was there with me. She was trying to tell me something but I couldn’t hear her. Like I was saying, Al, as I got closer to her I could hear her call my name.”

        “I’m telling you that I only saw you in here, Sam.” Al chose his words carefully. He knew that Sam believed what he was saying, although Al had been standing in that doorway for a good couple minutes with Sam talking to himself.

        Sighing with frustration, Sam stopped his pacing and turned to face Al. “Okay then,” he said, “tell me what Ziggy was able to come up with on this house.”

        The tapping of a couple of buttons on the handlink produced a few more chirps and beeps in the process, Al waited a moment as he read the information scrolling across the small LCD view screen. “Quite a bit, actually.” Walking over to Sam he continued to read off the data. “Back in August of 1901, construction on this house started and was completed in February of 1903. Reverend William Chase had this house built for his wife, Elizabeth, and their little girl, Lily. This Reverend Chase practically ran the church here in Coventry at the time, and was highly respected.” Al shrugged.  “Well, he was pretty respected up until the murders occurred.”

        Sam raised an eyebrow. “Murders?”

        Al nodded. “Yeah. This guy was one twisted piece of work, Sam. In August of 1903, Reverend Chase went insane and killed his wife and daughter. The wife was murdered upstairs in the bathroom. She was drowned in the bathtub, and the little girl, Lily, was...” Al hesitated for a moment as he nervously hooked his index finger around his collar and tugged at it slightly. “She was decapitated, Sam. According to the local urban legend, she was killed in her own room. She was only five years old.”

        Sam’s eyes grew wide. “That’s horrible. How could someone commit such a heinous act?”

        “I don’t know, but unfortunately there’s more. According to the urban legend, the Reverend had believed that his wife and daughter were possessed by demons and that the only way to save their souls was through death. After he’d killed them he took his own life.” Sam was speechless. Al went on. “The story doesn’t end there, either. About twenty years after the Chase murders, another family had the house renovated and moved in. The Carter family had lived in the house from 1923 to 1924 when their fifteen year old son, Michael, was killed when the chandelier that hung over there in the parlor had somehow fallen from the ceiling and fell on him. After that the house remained empty for another twelve years. Then in June of 1936 the Wilcox family moved in but their stay was rather short lived as well when their sixteen year old daughter, Samantha, died when she fell down the staircase. Broke her neck.”

        “I can’t believe this, Al. It’s like something out of a bad horror movie.”

        “If it were only that, Sam. In 1949, thirteen year old Nate Kincaid committed suicide by hanging himself in the hallway.” Al gestured upward with the handlink. “No one ever found out why. From ‘49 to ‘55 the house remained empty. It wasn’t until 1956 that the house was lived in again. The Wainwrights moved in, and that’s the most interesting case. Seventeen year old Alicia burned to death when she fell into the fireplace.”

        “Wait a minute. How could someone fall into the fireplace?” None of this was making much sense to Sam.

        “Like I was saying, Sam, none of these bizarre deaths were ever actually explained. All their parents swore that the kids were seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. This kind of reminds me of that movie uhm...” Al snapped his fingers a couple times before he remembered the name of the movie. “A Nightmare on Elm Street’. The first time I saw that movie it freaked me out. After I saw that movie I didn’t sleep for the next two days.”

        “Never mind the movie trivia, Al. What matters here is that this house seems to be a death trap for the children that have lived here.”

        “Exactly,” Al said as he read more of the data. “Obviously by then word had gotten out about the house being ‘cursed’, so it remained vacant from that point up until 1972 when the Parkers moved in. It was rumored that they were warned about the place but didn’t listen. Anyhow, they, like the others before them, had only one child. A girl. Angela was eight years old when she fell out of her second story bedroom window.” Slowly lowering the link and slipping it in his jacket pocket, Al looked somberly at Sam. “That was the last occurrence until July 25, 1983. After Melissa Rennick disappeared the house remained empty. No one dared to even step foot inside it, and no one ever did.

The house was torn down in September of 1995 to make way for some park, and that’s when they found her remains.”

        Looking back over at the sleeping girl, Sam said, “Well that’s not going to happen, Al. I’ll be damned if this house is going to claim one more life.” Even as he spoke he removed the video camera from its tripod and slipped it on his shoulder.

        “What are you doin’, Sam?”

        Sam looked up at the hologram with a smirk. “I’m going to continue the investigation.”

        “What investigation?” When Sam only nodded, Al held up a hand. “Look, I can understand how you could be spooked by the grisly past of this dump but I don’t think you’re going to accomplish much by running around here with that camera. This isn’t like you, Sam.”

        “Al,” Sam said as he turned around to face Al, “I know what I saw tonight and I have a feeling that there are others as well. I’m beginning to think that Logan was on the right track here. Obviously there was a reason why I saw that apparition and I’m going to find out why.” Once Sam had adjusted the camera on his shoulder, he started towards the stairs.

        Al watched him go until he disappeared around the corner. “Something tells me that we’re in big trouble here. Big.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        The floor creaked loudly under his weight as he slowly made his way down the hall. Sam squinted, as he looked through the small viewfinder, unable to make out much in the dark. Before his encounter back in the dining room, Sam would never have even thought of going along with this so called investigation, but seeing with his own two eyes that apparition of that young girl, Sam knew that he had only reached the surface of what truly dwelled within the aging walls. Of course he knew fully well that Al would play devil’s advocate on the matter, even though the admiral was a believer in the supernatural.

        The hallway was rather dark and there were no working light fixtures present.  The only light provided, came from an old Coleman lantern that was placed near the corner by the stairs. Sam knew better than to try and film anything in the dark, especially with the equipment he had to work with, but he had to try. He felt compelled to move forward, even though his instincts cried out against it. For a moment the image in the viewfinder flickered a bit, as if the battery was getting ready to die out. Sam leaned his head back as he lowered the camera. He noticed that it was a bit cooler in the hallway than the rest of the house. As he passed by the master bedroom the air grew significantly cooler. He briefly looked behind him and was only greeted by the thick shadows that enveloped the hallway. He continued on, trying to drive out the inner voice of reason that screamed for him to turn the other way and leave. He had to find out what was going on, he had to know the truth.

        “Sam.”

        Sam flinched when he heard his name being called. He quickly jerked his head around and saw Al standing next to him with a lit cigar in one hand and the handlink in the other. “Jeez, Al. You scared me.”

        Al chuckled. “Who were you expecting, Sam? Casper?” Al continued to chuckle as Sam hefted the camera back on his shoulder. Al watched for a moment as Sam peered through the viewfinder. “I don’t know what you expect to catch on that, Sam. You won’t be able to see much in the dark.”

        “I know that, Al,” Sam whispered. He remembered that Melissa had set up one of the tape recorders at the end of the hallway earlier. “I can’t explain it but I feel compelled to do this. It’s like something is driving me forward, leading me almost.”

        “I just think that it’s too late to be running around some moldy old house, chasing things that aren’t even there. Really, Sam, you should go back downstairs and get some sleep.”

        Sam hardly acknowledged the hologram as he came upon one of the bedrooms on his left. Slowly reaching out he turned the knob and eased the door open. Both he and Al poked their heads in the doorway. To his slight dismay, Sam found nothing extraordinary in the room, only an open window. Sam lowered the camera and walked in the room. He let out a sigh as he closed the window. “There’s more to this place than either you or Ziggy knows,” Sam explained as he closed the bedroom door, looking at Al. “The only other person who knows all the stories and such is Logan. Al, I need you to go back to the Waiting Room and ask Logan about what he knows about this place.

Perhaps he knows something that can be useful to me.”

        “Alright. I’ll go back and check on-” Al stopped himself as he caught Sam’s odd expression. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

        “Do you hear that?” Sam shifted his head.

        Al rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Sam, I’m telling that there’s nothing here but your imagination running wild. Now I think you should....” He frowned as he looked at Sam.

        Sam held up a hand, his index finger pointed upward. “Just listen.”

        At the other end of the hallway, not far from where Sam and Al stood, a faint sound could be heard. The sound grew louder.

        “Saaaaaam,” Al said with widened eyes. He glanced over at Sam and found only anticipation in the scientist’s eyes.

        The sound –footsteps- continued.  At first they were slow and heavy, but as the sound drew closer to the pair, the louder and quicker the footsteps became. For a moment neither Sam or Al moved a muscle, then Sam quickly placed the camera back on his shoulder and squinted into the viewfinder. “This is incredible, Al.”

        “Ah, ‘incredible’ isn’t the word I’d use,” Al retorted.

        The sound quickened in its pace up until it reached the two men. A sudden rush of extremely cold air shot through Sam, knocking him down and sending the camera clattering noisily to the ground. Sam felt groggy, his vision blurred. Al stood over him.

        “Sam. Hey, Sam, are you alright?”

        “Oooooohhh boooy,” Sam groused as he stood back up on wobbly legs. He nearly fell back down when he knelt to pick up the camera. “I feel like I’ve been hit by a train.” When he was able to regain his composure, he took a couple deep breaths and leaned against the wall. “If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve sworn I felt somebody shove me to the ground.”                           

        Al looked quite nervous. “Oh, ah, well I didn’t see anybody, Sam. Maybe you got dizzy and... fell.” Even as the words left his mouth, Al knew that it was a weak excuse. Sam must of thought the same but didn’t comment on it. “What I think you should do is just go back downstairs and get a good night’s sleep. I’ll go talk to Logan and find out what he knows.” Al quickly punched in the code on the handlink that would open the Imaging Chamber door. The familiar sheet of white light appeared, and just as quickly, he stepped through it.

        “Are you feeling alright, Al?” Sam noticed something odd about his friend. If it weren’t for the poor lighting or the fact that he was in such a hurry, Sam would’ve noticed that Al was looking a bit pale.

        “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. I’ll... be back soon.” Al briefly made eye contact with Sam before the illuminated sheet of light vanished.

        As Sam started towards the stairs he looked over his shoulder towards the direction where he had heard the noise. For a moment he pondered on a thought that had just come to him. After a few moments he briskly walked down the hall to the end. Kneeling down he was about to pick up the tape recorder that Melissa had placed there earlier when he noticed that the recorder had been stopped. Frowning, he picked up the recorder and, with the camera still on his shoulder, Sam quickly made his way towards the stairs. When he went back into the parlor, he saw that Melissa was still asleep. For a moment he held his gaze on the tape recorder that he’d brought down with him. Didn’t Melissa say that she had the tapes set up to record during the night? Perhaps she forgot to push the record button. He’d placed the recorder next to the duffel bags and caught sight of Logan’s notebook. He thumbed through its pages, not finding anything that might be able to help him. The last entry had been on the twenty-third. Setting the notebook back down Sam turned on the monitor and proceeded to connect the wires that led from the monitor to the camera. Turning the camera back on, Sam pressed the rewind button and let the tape rewind. He turned down the volume on the monitor as to not wake up Melissa. When the tape was finished rewinding Sam pressed the play button. Sam sat down in front of the monitor.

        “Is it on? Are you recording?” The voice, which was that of a young male, could be heard as the picture was blurred, the person filming walking as it came into focus. After a moment or so the picture focused in on a teenaged boy, dressed in a pair of blue jeans, a dark blue and white striped shirt. The face was familiar, as it should have been. It was the same face that Sam had seen in the mirror earlier.

        “Tape’s rolling.”

        “Hi. I’m Logan Rennick and I’m standing here in front of the infamous Chase house. It is Wednesday, July twenty-first, Nineteen-Eighty Three, one twenty-three P.M. Here with me is Mike Callaway, my cousin and partner. This weekend I will be conducting an investigation to prove conclusively that the tortured spirit of Reverend Chase in fact haunts this house. Many of those who have stepped foot inside have met an untimely end, the truth of what happened never revealed... until now. By conducting this investigation, I will unravel those mysteries as well as proving without a shadow of a doubt that there is life after death.”

        Sam fast-forwarded the tape.

        Today is Friday, July twenty-third, Nineteen Eighty-Three, ten A.M.. Here with me is my sister, Melissa, who will be accompanying me on this investigation.” Melissa stood next to Logan, smiling into the camera. “If you would take a look behind me I have here several types of equipment to aid in my investigation. This here,” Logan hefted one of the bulky tape recorders, “will be used to hopefully capture some electronic voice phenomenon. What that means is by letting the tapes record overnight, I should be able to capture the voices of the dead. This technique has been proven quite useful in the past decade in various professional investigations.”

        Chuckling, Sam fast-forwarded the tape some more.

        The picture was a bit shaky; Logan and Melissa were walking up to the front door of the house. Logan looked eagerly into the camera. “It’s twelve-thirty and here we are, standing right outside the house. It has been vacant for the past eleven years. It is even rumored that the last family to have moved in here went insane when their eight-year-old daughter fell out of her bedroom window. Which is, if you’ll look up here,” the camera moved up as Logan pointed out a window on the second story, “right there. Of course, if you choose to believe in the truth like myself, then you may think that there’s more to the story. And,” Logan said as he slowly turned the doorknob, revealing to the camera a very dark, dusty hallway, “if I’m lucky, I just may find out.”

        The picture cut to static but only for a moment. The static gave way to near darkness; a faint outline of a person was visible with a couple faint beams of sunlight a few feet behind him. The picture became a bit blurry and then gave way to Logan Rennick. “It’s two thirty in the afternoon. Thus far no signs of paranormal activity, yet I wasn’t expecting things to be that easy. Research has shown that paranormal activity is more likely happen to occur in the later hours of the day. If need be I will stay up through out the remainder of the night. I will not let a moment pass when-” Logan abruptly stopped talking just as a faint wave of static quickly graced the screen. During that brief period Sam noticed a blank look on the boy’s face. Then, just as quickly as it appeared the static went away. Logan looked as if he were going to be sick. Suddenly a voice, young and female, could be heard from somewhere off camera.

        “Logan? Are you alright?”                           

        Sam knew the rest of what was said. He was about to stop the tape when he caught a brief movement in the background. Sam stopped the tape and rewound it up to the point where the picture had become hazy. “There,” Sam said to himself. He paused the tape, staring at the faint shape that appeared when the static had faded away. The image dark and grainy but it was there; a shape in the form of a tall man stood a few feet from the camera looking directly at Sam.

        “Logan?”

        Sam looked over and saw Melissa sitting up as she rubbed her eyes. “What’s the matter?” he’d asked when he saw that the girl looked to be a bit bothered by something.

        “I had a bad dream,” she said. After yawning a couple times, she began to recount her nightmare. “In my dream, I was walking up the stairs. I don’t know why I was but I felt like I had to, you know? I was walking up the stairs when this man, I-I couldn’t see his face but his eyes glowed bright red. He stood at the top of the stairs and when I got there, he told me that you weren’t really my brother. That you were some man who had taken him away from me. He also said that you wear his face like a mask and that you were here to kill me.”

        Sam tried not to let on his nervousness. “Well you know that it was just a dream.”

        “I know but that’s not the worst of it. I remember screaming and running back down the stairs, but as I did the stairs became all goopy. It was like the house was trying to swallow me up or something.” She blinked away a few tears that tried to escape. Looking past Sam she saw the monitor. “What’s that?”

        “That,” Sam said, “isn’t something that you probably should be seeing right now. Not after that nightmare you told me about.”

        Melissa stood up and went over to Sam, moving past him. “I can handle it, Logan. I just want to see what’s so important.” She crouched down in front of the monitor, stunned at what she saw. “Holy crap,” she breathed. “You did it, Logan. You got the proof.” She smiled broadly as she hugged Sam. “I knew you could do it.”

        “What I need is to have this tape analyzed. I’m not doubting what it looks like but I need to know for sure. The image is rather blurry and it only appears for a moment. Look.” Sam rewound the tape for a moment and then pressed the play button. “Now watch closely,” Sam told Melissa. Just as the static appeared, so had the image. When the static faded, the image did as well. “Right there. It lasts for only a moment or two but it’s there.” Sam sighed. “I need more.”

        “What more can you get?” Melissa asked.

        Sam smirked as he held up the tape recorder that he’d brought from upstairs.

        Sam and Melissa sat on either end, the tape recorder in the middle. Sam rewound the tape until it’d stopped on its own. Melissa looked rather anxious, as did Sam, but he hid it as much as he could. Sam glanced up at Melissa, index finger hovering above the play button, and when he got a nod from her he pressed the button.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        Through out the majority of the tape there wasn’t much at all on the recording. The faint voice of Sam, or rather Logan, for that matter, could be heard in the background apparently talking to himself. Melissa had questioned this but got no response from Sam. The quality of the recording wasn’t as clear as Sam had hoped. After a few moments it came in. The sound of the footsteps were heard, followed by Sam’s inquiry to Al. Melissa’s eyes grew wide with anticipation as she heard the quickening of the footsteps. Then a loud clattering followed and then, without any preamble, the pitch of the recording had dropped a bit. What both Sam and Melissa had heard made them both do double takes.

 

       

       

        “Rewind that,” Melissa said quickly. Sam rewound the tape and played it again.

        “I hear it too,” Sam said as he leaned down, his ear brushing against the recorder. “It sounds like he’s saying ‘Save me’.” When Sam had been upstairs earlier, he hadn’t heard any voices other than his own and Al’s. The voice had followed just after he had been knocked to the ground. He had to show this to Al. With the ghostly image captured on the video and now the voice on the tape cassette, Sam had found himself thrust into a situation that went beyond normal comprehension. It went beyond what could be labeled as ‘normal’. For Dr. Samuel Beckett, not only could he hear the voices of the past but also they were calling out. They were calling out to him.

        They spent the majority of the night discussing what they had acquired in the terms of proof of paranormal activity. There had not been, in fact, any further phenomenon of any sort, and they played the EVP recording at least a dozen times or so. So intent were the two that they hardly noticed as the shadows dissolved into the warm sunlight and the melodic chirping of the birds.

        Finally, when she stood up and stretched, Melissa rubbed her reddened eyes. “Oh man, Logan,” she said as she rubbed at her eyes, “I better go shut off the generator.”

        Sam shook his head as he stood up, stretching out his arms in an attempt to rid his body of the sore kinks. “No, I’ll do it. You should probably get some rest.”

        “Come on,” she said as she yawned, “it’s not that big of a deal. Besides, I’m not that tired, really.”

        “Melissa, I need you to get some rest. After all,” Sam said with a shrug and a smirk, “what good will you be to me if you’re falling asleep on the job? I’m going to need your help tonight.” Sam met Melissa’s gaze and after a few moments she reluctantly, yet a bit sleepily at the same time nodded in agreement. Melissa was asleep as soon as she laid her head on her pillow. Sam watched her for a moment before he went outside to shut down the generator. Just as Sam was about to shut the generator off he caught sight of someone walking up the private driveway.

        “Logan,” Pa Baker called out as he waved at Sam. Sam stood on the porch and waved back. Pa extended his hand and the two shook hands. After greetings were exchanged, Pa took a seat on the last step of the porch. Sam joined him. Pa took a moment and simply looked at Sam. “You look like hell, son,” he said with a chuckle as he took note of the scientist’s ragged features. “Didn’t sleep much, eh?”

        “Not really,” was Sam’s reply.

        “In that house I wouldn’t doubt it.”

        “I guess the house spooked me out a little more than I’d expected.” What wasn’t a lie was that part of the reason that Sam had stayed up through out the night was partly due to his encounters. The other, of course, was getting to the bottom of that mysterious tape recording and the image caught on Logan’s video camera.

        “I didn’t think you’d have it easy in there, kid.” Pa looked over at Sam. “It’s kind of the reason why I came by here at this hour. You know,” Pa said after a moment of silence, “they say that the dead are envious of the living.”

        Sam narrowed his eyes in thought. “That’s quite an interesting theory there, Pa.”

        Pa met Sam’s gaze. “It’s not a theory, son. There are things in this world that are best left alone. People who have lived in that house learned that lesson a bit late.”

        Sam nodded; in that regard he was inclined to agree with Pa, however the way he spoke didn’t quite sit well with him. “You seem to know an awful lot about... ghosts and stuff.”

        Pa chuckled as he ran a hand through his thinning hair. “It’s not just ghosts that I believe in, son. It’s the simple act of knowing that there’s more to life than meets the eye. I guess you could say that I’m a bit open-minded. After all, isn’t death just another part of life?” For a moment neither man spoke, and instead simply enjoyed the sunrise, how the oranges mingled with the purples and reds. Even in the early hours the temperature was rather warm. “I guess I should be on my way,” Pa said as he stood up. Sam stood up as well. “I just wanted to make sure that you and your sister were all right.” Sam walked with Pa about halfway down the private driveway. “I’ll be in touch with you shortly.”

        Sam said with a half smile, “You know where to find me.”

        Pa glanced over at Sam. “Oh I know.” Sam stopped and frowned at Pa’s comment. Pa must have seen it. “Don’t worry now. Just take it easy, will you? If you get hurt there’ll be no one around to help you.” Sam nodded and then shook hands with Pa. “Have a good day now.”

        Sam waved as he watched Pa walked down the private drive towards his shiny black Studebaker. Pa honked the horn three times in quick succession as he steered the car back to the dirt path. Sam walked back to the house. When he opened the door Al, who had been in the parlor standing near Melissa, greeted him. “Hey, Sam.” Al took a couple puffs off his cigar as Sam walked over to him. Sam glanced at the sleeping Melissa and gestured towards the dining room. Al followed. “I came by here to check up on you.”

        “I’m fine,” Sam said.

        “Well I had a most interesting conversation in the Waiting Room. This kid is something special, Sam. Apparently he knows just about as much on this house as Ziggy does. He’s really done his homework.”

        “Has he told you anything that maybe I could use?”

        Al shook his head. “Sorry, buddy. He still thinks that he’s crossed over and refuses to say anything else. He thinks he’s having some sort of out of body experience or something.”

        Sam held up a hand, his index finger pointed upward. “Just one moment, Al. I got something I want to share with you.” Al looked on as Sam went into the parlor and grabbed the recorder. When he met with Al he said, “You have to listen to this. Remember last night when we were upstairs?”

        Al nodded nervously.

        “Well it turns out that there was more. It went unheard by us but not by the recorder. Listen.” Sam played the tape for Al, whose eyes went as wide as they could, as the color seemed to suddenly drain from his face. After playing it three times, Sam stopped the tape.

        “I, uh... I don’t know what to say.” The handlink chirped and beeped in Al’s hand. After looking at the readout, he said, “And Ziggy doesn’t either. She referenced this electronic voice phenomenon and she says that that clip can be classified as a ‘Class A’ recording.”

        “Class ‘A’?”

        “Yeah. Apparently when an EVP clip is captured it’s given a class rating depending on its validity and the clarity. And what you got there is the real deal.”

        Sam’s smirk grew into a broad smile. “If Ziggy’s impressed with that then wait till you see what I got for you next.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        Al watched the video along with Sam. After its first run, Al had been even more confused. “I don’t get it. What was it that I’m supposed to see?”

        “Alright,” Sam explained in a soft tone, “what I’m going to do is rewind the tape. Now when the static appears on the screen, pay close attention to the background.” When Sam replayed the tape, he paused it on the static. “There.” Al stepped closer as he knelt in front of the monitor.

        “Oh... yeah, yeah. I see it, Sam. That looks like a man.”

        “Could you have Ziggy analyze the video? Scan it with the handlink and see what she says.”       

        Al did as instructed. He held the link in front of the set and tapped at a couple buttons. A wide beam of blue light emanated from the link as Al swept it in an up and down motion. After a couple moments of this the beam dissipated and the link produced a series of chirps and beeps. When Ziggy was finished analyzing the video, Al read the data with an intent look on his face. “Hey, ah, Sam. Ziggy was able to pull a clearer image from the video. I-I think you should take a look at it.” Sam furrowed his brow as Al pulled up the scanned image and displayed a larger three-dimensional image of it via the handlink.

        Sam took a couple steps towards it. “This is amazing, Al.” Upon closer inspection Sam could make out a face. It was blurred a bit still however he could ascertain that the person was male, with what appeared to be a beard and wearing a tie. The image had a bluish tinge to it. The person wore a suit of some sort and appeared to be rather tall. From the angle of its head, it appeared to be looking directly at Sam.

        “Ziggy says that there’s definitely something there. Unfortunately, in our time, there’s no existing copy of the tape, well of anything that Logan Rennick may have recorded, so going off of what we have Ziggy’s concluded that the image on the video is genuine.”

        “Come with me,” Sam said as he started towards the stairs.

        “What are you doing, Sam?” Al asked as he followed the Leaper.

           “I’m going upstairs. There are two other recorders there and I want to see if there’s anything on them.” Sam led the way up the stairs and to the bedroom that had been opened. Sam went inside and retrieved the tape from the recorder. Out of the corner of his eye, just as Sam was about to leave the room, he noticed that the window was open again. Frowning he went over and closed the window. Walking over to Al, Sam opened the recorder he held and ejected the tape inside, slipping it in his jeans pocket. He then placed the other cassette into the deck. Looking up at Al Sam rewound the tape and, after a few moments, pressed the play button.

 

       

 

        Both men were speechless. Sam had to replay the clip two more times just to make sure that he’d heard correctly. It was just after hearing the window close. Actually, just before the clip was heard, Sam had heard his own footsteps as he had closed the window earlier. It was recorded while Sam was in the room.

        “This is truly amazing,” Sam breathed. “They’re calling to me, Al.”

        “Yeah I heard that,” Al replied a bit shakily.

        “I wonder what they’re trying to tell me.”

        “I don’t think I’d want to find out. Sam, this is giving me a serious case of the heebie jeebies. I think you should forget all this ghost hunting crap and focus on saving Melissa.”

        “I have that under control, Al. There’s nowhere else she could go, it’s just the two of us in this house.”

        “Sam, according to you and Logan this house is full of spooks. I wouldn’t stay a minute longer in here than I’d have to. Just be careful, okay?” When Sam nodded Al punched in the command on the handlink to open the Imaging Chamber door. Al was just about to close the Imaging Chamber door when he called for Sam’s attention. “It’s about last night when we were upstairs. When you said you’d felt a rush of cold air well I... I felt it too. I don’t know how, but I did.”

        Sam furrowed his brow. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

        “Hey, I didn’t know what to think. You, this house, and everything in it is a hologram to me. I’m not supposed to feel anything.”

        “What does Ziggy say about it?”

        “She hasn’t. She refuses to even think about it. Beeks thinks that it was all psychological, that my own fears manifested the entire experience.”

        Sam shrugged. “Well I’m sort of inclined to agree with her.” Al’s eyes flared with anger but Sam quickly finished his sentence before Al could take it any further. “However if that is if it hadn’t happened to me. Al, something is going on here that science alone can’t explain. Ah, I’ll go ahead and catch up with you later. I’m going to check this place out further and see if I can dig anything up.”

        “I’ll see you later,” Al said as he closed the Imaging Chamber door.

        Sam didn’t waste any time as he set about exploring the house, and the first place he’d start would be the master bedroom.

       

 

PART THREE

 

          Sam leaned forward and pressed his ear against the door. The sound was muffled but it was clear enough to the scientist to know what it was. He heard a voice. It sounded deep, commanding. Sam stood there and listened; it sounded like the voice was speaking to someone else. Sam listened intently and within a matter of moments another voice was heard. This one was female, Sam noted, and sounded as if the speaker were quite terrified.

        “...please...”

        “I shall release.. .evil...”

        Sam tensed, his hands pressed firmly against the door. The voices were getting louder, more prominent.

        “Please don’t do this!”

        “It’s the only way to save your soul. Can’t you see?”

        The footsteps had become heavier, louder.

        “Stay away from me, you hear me? Stay away!”

        “Don’t fear death, for your soul is eternal. And I shall release it from Satan’s grasp.”

         “No...” The voice was barely above a whisper. “Please, dear husband. Don’t. I love you.”

        There was a slight pause, even the footsteps had ceased. What Sam heard next made his blood run cold. He pounded his fist on the door several times in quick succession but it did nothing to alter the outcome.

        “I am the beginning and the end. I am eternal, for Satan shall not claim my soul. You shall be released. We all shall be released.”

        “No!” Sam cried out as he quickly stepped back and, in a single fluid motion, dropped his weight to his left leg as his right leg shot forward. His foot solidly connected with the door, sending slivers of wood fluttering to the ground in the process. Sam entered the room and wildly looked about. He was promptly met with an empty room. The window curtains were drawn and the dust was so thick that Sam could practically taste it. As Sam stepped into the room the floorboards creaked quite loudly and bowed slightly under his weight. Not finding anything in the room Sam stepped back out and tried to close the door but the door would only close partially. The door jam, along with part of the door itself was ruined.

        He went back downstairs, not bothering to check out any of the other rooms for the time being, and went straight out the front door. He shut down the generator and was about to go back inside when he decided to take a moment to himself, to attempt to calm himself down and to help clear his mind. The experiences he’d had since he arrived defied all logic and reason. Through out his continual trek through Time, Samuel Beckett, quantum physicist and time traveler had encountered many strange and unusual things. However, the majority of those instances could be explained rationally and scientifically. Through the holes of his Swiss-cheesed mind he recalled Leaping into an UFO investigator who had been investigating claims of sightings in the Nevada desert. Those claims later turned out to have been perpetuated by the very person he’d Leaped into. Yet there had been at least a couple Leaps he could recall that did defy logic and reason, for instance Sam recalled being identified by his actual name during a session with an Ouija board. For some reason the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons came to mind, yet Sam couldn’t quite make the full connection with that one. It had something to do with witches and warlocks, that much Sam could remember. Either way, it proved without a shadow of a doubt that some things in this world are better left unexplained. The matter of the Chase house was no exception. He took a deep breath and had let it out slowly, focusing at the task at hand.

        Sam had until midnight tonight before Melissa would disappear. Sam kept telling himself that all he had to do was stick close to her to ensure her safety. Sam went back inside and, as he closed the door behind him, noticed that Melissa wasn’t in her sleeping bag. “Melissa?” he called out. When he received no answer, he walked through the parlor and into the dining room. “Melissa?” he called out once more, and again he got no answer. Panic had begun to set in as Sam quickly searched the small kitchen, and then darted back through the dining room and parlor. “Melissa!” he called out when he stood at the foot of the stairs. He ran up the stairs as he called out her name. When he reached the second story hallway he wildly looked to either side. Sam darted past the master bedroom and one of the smaller bedrooms when out of the corner of his eye he saw Melissa. She was standing in the bedroom that he and Al had been in earlier. Letting out a relieved sigh Sam entered the room. He was about to call out to her when he noticed that she was standing a little too closely to the window. Sam moved around to get a better view; Melissa’s eyes were glassy and blank. She simply stared straight out the window, muttering something that Sam couldn’t hear. “Melissa, are you alright?” Melissa did not respond. Sam narrowed his eyes as he slowly reached out to her. “Listen. Let me take you back downstairs and you can get some rest.” He gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Sam quickly removed his hand; she felt chilled to the touch, yet her body retained normal color. “Melissa?” he asked slowly.

        Melissa took a couple steps towards the window, closing the space between. She stretched out her arms and placed her hands against the cracked, dirt caked window and shoved outward. The window swung open.

        “What are you doing?”

        She seemed to not even hear the Leaper as she leaned forward through the open window. Her muttering had become faster. Her body rocked back a couple times and she was about to let herself fall when Sam grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her back inside. “Melissa!”

        As they tumbled to the ground, Melissa landed on her back, the back of her head slammed against the floor. Her eyes fluttered and she blinked a couple times. “L-Logan?” she asked hesitantly.

        “Yeah,” Sam replied as he picked himself and Melissa off the floor. “Are you alright?”

          She looked up at him and frowned. “What happened? How did I get up here?”

        “I guess you were sleepwalking,” Sam said. He didn’t dare tell her what really had happened. He didn’t want to frighten her, she was already frightened enough.

        “That’s funny,” she replied, “I’ve never done that before. I must be really tired.” She shrugged as she let Sam walk her out of the room. “You know something, Logan,” she said as the two descended the stairs, “I could’ve sworn I heard someone talking to me.” She nodded when Sam looked at her curiously. “Yeah, I remember someone calling my name. It sounded like a girl, a little girl, actually. The next thing I remember is seeing you.”

        “Why don’t you go and get some rest,” Sam said as he led her back over to the sleeping bags.

        “What about our investigation?” she asked.

        “Don’t worry about that. I’ll handle things for now, I just want you to get some rest.”

        Melissa hardly brooked an argument as she lay back in the comfortable blue sleeping bag and fell back asleep within a few moments. Sam smiled as he watched her sleep for a few moments before his wandering gaze fell upon the heavy-duty duffel bags. He rifled through the contents of one of them and found a couple of handheld silver tape recorders. Sam checked them and found them both to have cassette tapes in them. Along with the recorders Sam also found a Polaroid camera with film already loaded. He pulled out the camera and zipped up the bag. He slung the thin strap over his neck, the camera weighing a bit on him. He was about to go into the dining room when he walked past the mirror. Sam took a moment and looked at himself; Logan’s brown eyes stared back at him. Looking into the young man’s eyes it suddenly dawned on him how much older Logan Rennick appeared. The intensity, the drive, a strong willingness to prove what he believed Sam could feel. Looking back he ran a hand through his hair and started towards the dining room.

        He stood in the exact spot where he’d seen the apparition of the young girl. She had been trying to tell him something but couldn’t hear a word that she had said. The events that had shortly followed only prompted him further to believe that he wasn’t being targeted but that they were trying to reach out to him. For what, he had yet to figure out, but the feeling that he experienced when listening to the EVP clips and seeing the ghostly image on the video didn’t frighten him as much as one would think. They were trying to establish contact with him, plain and simple. Taking the recorder that was in his hand, Sam pressed the record button and placed it on the spot where the apparition had been.

        Sam took his time in the small kitchen. The room itself held nothing to offer except a heavily soiled porcelain sink and a rotary phone fastened to the doorway that led to a much smaller room. Judging from its layout, and not to mention the old washing machine, it had appeared to have been used as a laundry room at some point. Sam hadn’t really spent much time in the minuscule room. There was mold growing in all corners and even portions of the wall were caved in. Sam saw something particular that seemed to be jutting out of one of the holes. He went over and reached a hand inside the hole. Whatever it was it had quite a bit of weight to it and, after a couple good tugs, Sam was able to pull the item out of the wall. It was a heavy, leather bound book. Brushing a considerable amount of dust and drywall aside Sam was able to make out an inscription.

 

Cherished Memories

 

The Chase Family Album

1868 - 1903

 

 

        Carrying the dusty volume back to the parlor, Sam sat cross-legged by the fireplace. He flipped through a few of the pages and found several photos of the Chase family, post-Civil War era. The pictures were old and faded. Some of them had writing on the backs but were too old and faded to read. A few of the pictures were even torn and cracked. Sam wondered just why the photo album was stuffed away in the walls. Then again, not much of this Leap made sense to Sam so he didn’t spend much time dwelling on the matter. Sam continued to flip through its pages until a certain photo caught his eye.

 

 

 

 

        Sam held his gaze on the aged photo, his eyes refusing to look away. The face that he saw did not look like that of an honored reverend. Instead it fit perfectly well with the description that Al had given him. The voice that he had heard earlier, that deep, commanding voice, must have been the Reverend Chase’s. Sam ran a hand through his rumpled hair. “Echoes of the past,” he thought out loud. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to come together. Had he Leaped into the Chase house to undo a greater wrong -- not saying that Melissa Rennick’s disappearance wasn’t anything to disregard in the least. It just seemed to him that since his first encounter with the restless spirits, he had been able to hear the voices of the dead; they even had made their presence known to him via video. They were calling out to him and the more frequent the instances were, the more he felt compelled to find the answers -- answers to questions that could not be found under normal circumstances.

        The last few pages of the album were blank. Just as Sam was about to close the album, a slip of yellowed paper slid out from one of the pages. Furrowing his brow, Sam set the album down next to him and picked up the paper. It was folded in sections of four, each crease heavily worn into the paper. Sam gingerly unfolded each section, being cautious as to not create any tears. And when the paper was completely unfolded he found it to be a letter, written from the Reverend Chase to an unknown party.

 

                                                                               July 25, 1903

 

        Every time now when I look upon their faces do I see the evil for what it really is. They are no longer themselves. Their very souls have now fallen under Satan’s possession. Elizabeth looks at me as if I have gone mad. The entire town of Coventry looks at me as if I’ve gone mad, but it’s them who have been blinded. It is them who have fallen from the grace of God.

        I am God’s servant and it is my duty to release them from Satan’s hold. No longer will they live in the darkness. No longer shall they stray from the light, for I shall show them the way. I will not stand idly by any further and let my loved ones be taken prisoner. I know that Satan is punishing me through Elizabeth and Lily.

        The time is nearly at hand for me to take a more drastic measure, but I feel that it is the only way to truly save them. May God be with me when the darkest hour shall fall.

        May God be with us all.

 

        Sam noticed the date on the letter. Exactly eighty years to the day that the letter had been discovered. Something told him that it was more than mere coincidence. How could it be any less? Perhaps the spirits that dwelt in the house were guiding him in some direction unbeknownst to him. The compelling need to move forward, to discover the strange and horrible truth about the past of the house had found its way into the person of Samuel Beckett.

        What he had just read was only a glimpse into the mind set of the deranged Reverend Chase. There was still one question that remained to be answered, and that question being the location of where Sam had found the photo album. What was it doing half buried in the walls of the laundry room? Perhaps someone before him had found it and placed it there, intending it to be never found again. Then again, he realized, that he might never find the answers that he sought.

        He dismissed solving the mystery of the photo album and instead focused on preventing Melissa’s disappearance. He had less than a day remaining; not that it would be difficult to keep an eye on her however in light of recent events, Sam wouldn’t exactly take things easier either.  The house was quiet, perhaps a little too quiet for Sam’s liking. His gaze had fallen on the video camera. Even if the tape might never reach the public, it would at least help him sort out his thoughts, help him cope with the confusion that he felt like he had been drowning in.

        “I’m in the second day of my investigation,” Sam said into the camera as he stepped into the picture, “and already I have collected what I feel is undeniable proof of life after death. Captured on cassette tapes I have heard with my own ears what I believe to be the voices of the deceased. When I first arrived at the house I felt as if my presence wasn’t welcomed, but after hearing what I’ve heard it may very well be exactly the opposite.” Sam thought for a moment, he rubbed his chin and then ran a hand through his hair. “The line that separates reality from fantasy has quickly become blurred. I don’t even know what is real anymore and what’s not. I see things that shouldn’t be there, I hear voices of those whom have long since passed, and there’s not a damn thing that I can do about it.” Sam paused as he looked over his shoulder; Melissa had stirred in her sleep. Sam took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I’m in way over my head yet I just cannot turn around and walk away. It’s not that simple. It never is.” Giving the camera a half smile Sam went over and stopped the recording.

        For several long moments, Sam simply sat there in the dusty old chair, his eyes soon refusing to stay open. Up until that point he hadn’t realized just how tired he actually was. Things were quiet around the house; not a sound could be heard. Well that wasn’t strictly true; there were the occasional creaks of the house settling. And somewhere outside the melodic chirping of birds could be heard. Sam tried to fight off the sleep but the battle only lasted about a minute or two. Soon thereafter sleep hadn’t just crept up on the scientist, it full on took over.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        Slowly his eyes opened and focused on the fireplace. The position in which he had fallen asleep in didn’t quite work out in his favor; he now had a sore back and stiff neck. After standing up and doing a few stretching exercises, Sam stifled a yawn as he made his way towards the parlor windows. He noticed that it was dusk, the sunset appearing in a reddish orange color, which in turn made the thin wisps of clouds that stretched across it appear darker, more ominous. Sam looked over and saw that Melissa was still sleeping. He took a quick look around the room and found nothing out the ordinary. It took him another moment or so to notice that the temperature in the room was rather chilly.

        He crouched in front of the fireplace, sifting the charred logs with the poker. Not wanting to go outside for some fresh wood, Sam decided to reuse the ones that were already in place. Using Logan’s heavy brass lighter, he flipped its top open with this thumb, and leaned slightly forward as he lit the logs. Once the fire had started going, Sam sat back and held his hands out as he warmed himself. 

        The parlor, and soon thereafter the rest of the house, had been filled with the heavy scent of the smoke. Sam closed his eyes and leaned his head back. When he opened them he noticed something rather odd. The fire had grown considerably at that point. Sam then noticed the shape that the issuing smoke took on. It was long, stretched out even, but what it resembled quickly sent chills down his spine. As the smoke had risen it took on a more definite shape. The shape grew wider as its features had set in and took form. Its mouth opened widely to an impossible state as it let out a pitiful wail of pain as its eye sockets were wide and dark. The face looked feminine yet distorted in such a way that caused the scientist to recoil in fear.

        “Damn it!” Sam shouted as he roughly landed on his back.

        “Logan?”

        Sam looked over and saw Melissa sitting up as she rubbed at her eyes. “What’s going on?”

        “Oh, uh,” Sam stammered as he glanced back over at the fireplace. He saw nothing except the flickering of the flame and the issuing of the smoke. “I’m fine. Just my imagination running wild.”

        Melissa nodded. “How long have I been asleep?”

        “All day.”

        Melissa then said, “Why did you let me sleep that long? We don’t have much time left before Mike picks us up. We need to get as much proof as possible.”

        “You needed your rest,” Sam replied. “And that’s more important than wandering around this house.” Melissa was about to protest, but Sam held up a hand. “Don’t worry about proof, Melissa. We already got plenty to support our claims.”

        “Yeah I guess so,” Melissa said after a moment. “Then again,” she added, “this place seriously gives me the creeps.”

        Sam smirked. “That it does.” His gaze then fell onto one of the duffel bags. “Are you hungry?”

        Melissa nodded. “Oh yeah, but what I want isn’t cold beans in a can.” When Sam only narrowed his eyes at her she said, “What I want is a nice, greasy cheeseburger, the ones that Dad makes.”

        Sam’s mouth watered at the mere mention of the food. “With onions and pickles and-” He stopped when he saw the strange looked he earned from the young girl. “What?”

        “Logan, you hate onions. In fact you hate onions and pickles.” She chuckled. “You’re weird, you know that?” She paused as she smirked at the scientist. “Don’t worry, I still love you.”

        This time Sam laughed. “Well that’s good news.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

        After another bland meal of cold beans and bread, Sam and Melissa were sitting in the parlor discussing recent events when the Imaging Chamber door opened. Al stepped through, reading data off the handlink. He glanced up at Sam and quickly tapped in the code to close the door. “Sam, we gotta talk.”

        Sam tipped his head and then stood up. “I, uh, have to...you know,” he stammered.

        “Then shouldn’t you go outside?” Melissa asked as Sam was headed towards the staircase. She giggled when she saw now Sam’s nervous reply.

        “Oh...right,” Sam said as he quickly made his way towards the front door. “I should probably turn on the generator anyways.” After he’d gone outside and turned on the generator he then glanced around to make sure that Melissa wasn’t within earshot. “Okay, Al. What’s up?”

        “Ziggy just informed me that you’ve changed history.”

        “For the better I hope,” Sam said.

        Al took a couple quick drags off of his cigar and then held it between his index finger and thumb, rolling it nervously. “Well not quite. It seems that now that not only does Melissa disappear, but Logan’s body is found in the parlor. According to the coroner’s report it said that the cause was a heart attack.” Gazing at his cigar Al continued to read the dismal information. “Not only that, but now Ziggy’s saying that Melissa’s remains are never found. She simply disappears.”

 

 

PART FOUR

 

          “I-I don’t know how that could’ve happened,” Sam replied as a huge weight had suddenly found its way unto his heart. “I’ve been keeping a close eye on her, she hasn’t done anything to merit suspicion. It just doesn’t make any sense.” Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “Nothing in this Leap makes much sense.”

        “I know, kid. I can’t figure it out either. Neither can Ziggy, but she’s insisting that you’ve somehow changed things and now Logan winds up dead and Melissa vanishes. Isn’t there a way to get the both of you out of here tonight?”

        Sam shook his head. “I wish there were. It seems that Logan and Melissa’s cousin had dropped them off and won’t be back till tomorrow morning. I guess they live about twenty miles out of town or something.”

        “Oh,” Al said thoughtfully. “Well all you can do at this point is to stick like glue to Melissa till the morning and then you get the hell out of that place.”

        “I don’t know, Al. Something’s telling me that it’s not going to be that easy.”

        Al met Sam’s gaze and it was at that moment that the hologram could see that the Leaper was holding something else back. Whatever it was, it sure had the man either worried or scared. Perhaps it was both. “Sam, what’s troubling you? I can tell when you’re bothered by something.”

        “Earlier,” Sam said after a couple moments of silence, “I was over by the fireplace... and, uh, I saw this... thing in the smoke,” Sam spoke with his hands as he paced about. Al looked on with much concern. “It looked like it was trying to talk to me... I think... but I couldn’t tell for sure.”

        “A thing in the smoke?” Al questioned.

        “Yeah. It happened right after I lit the fireplace. That scream... the fireplace actually screamed at me, Al.”

        Al clearly didn’t know what to say. He wanted to offer some comforting words to his friend but what could he say?  “Sam... I, uh, don’t know what to say. Trust me, though; I want this Leap over as much as you do. I know you’ll pull through on this.”

        Sam nodded and offered Al a slight smile. “Thanks, Al. For now I guess I’ve just got to stay close to Melissa and keep her out of harm’s way. I’m going to head back inside,” Sam said as he started towards the front door. “Just keep me posted, okay? Oh and have Ziggy run a check on a Pa Baker.”

        “You got it, kid,” Al said as he opened the Imaging Chamber door. The luminescence of the door caused his metallic colored suit to shimmer a bit. “I’ll be back soon.” Sam tipped his head and Al closed the door. Sam turned around and went back inside the house.

        Unbeknownst to both the Leaper and the hologram, a tall figure stood nearby, cloaked in darkness, watching and listening to their entire conversation.

        “That took a while,” Melissa said as Sam stepped inside. In her lap was the photo album.

        “Oh, well I was just enjoying the peacefulness,” Sam replied. “Just getting some fresh air, you know.”

        “Well while you were outside getting that fresh air,” Melissa said as she cocked a thumb towards the staircase, “I’ve been hearing some noise coming from somewhere up there. I was gonna check it out myself but I knew that you’d have a heart attack if I went alone.”

        “I’m glad you didn’t.”

        “I’ve been reading this book you found,” she said as she opened it. “That guy Chase looks uber creepy, don’t you think?”

        “Yeah,” Sam said. “I really don’t think you should be looking at that.”

        “Why not?”

        Sam really didn’t have an answer to her inquiry. Just looking at those old photos had given Sam a real bad case of the creeps. “I just think that it’d be best for now.”

        “Fine,” a defeated Melissa mumbled as she laid the album by the sleeping bags. “I really don’t see what the big deal is.”

        Sam sat back down in the chair. “I think we’ll just stay in here for the night and then be ready to go by sunrise. I’ve had my fill of this place to last me a lifetime.” He didn’t look over at Melissa as he spoke, instead he held his gaze on the window to his far left, and the curtain had been pulled back slightly.

        “Yeah I guess so. Really, Logan, I don’t ever remember you being this scared about anything.”

        “I’m not scared,” Sam replied immediately, “I just don’t feel comfortable in this place. I just think that it’s for the best that we leave as soon as possible.”

        “Well Mike won’t even be here till around seven or so, I think.”

        “I think we should still be ready to go. I mean, what if somebody catches us up here? We could get in trouble for trespassing.” That was partly the truth; Sam didn’t want the kids to get caught trespassing, however his main priority was making sure that no harm would fall upon Logan and Melissa.

        “What’s with you?” Melissa leaned forward as she wrinkled her nose at Sam. “You’ve been acting so strange lately. It’s like once you got to this place you’ve been a totally different person.”

        If she only knew, Sam thought. “I just don’t think that this is a safe place to be by ourselves, and that was my fault for not properly planning this whole thing.”

        “Properly? Logan, both you and Mike have been planning this thing since January. I think you’ve spent a lot of time planning the investigation. Don’t sell yourself short. We got those tapes with the voices on it, that alone is proof that there are ghosts here.”

        “It’s not the proof that I’m worried about here,” Sam said to the young girl, “it’s your safety and your safety means a hell of a lot more to me than proving the existence of ghosts.”

        “Whatever,” Melissa retorted as she lied back down on top of her sleeping bag. “Don’t know what’s gotten into you, Logan, but it’s starting to get old.”

        Sam was about to say something when suddenly the room was filled with a loud, ringing sound. “What the hell?” Sam muttered as he quickly stood to his feet.

        “What’s that?” Melissa asked nervously as she went over to Sam.

        “Don’t know.”

        The ringing continued. Sam followed the sound from the parlor, through the dining room, and finally into the kitchen. Sam felt alongside the wall for a light switch and, after several moments of fumbling around in the dark, his fingers finally brushed up against it. Flicking the switch on, Sam and Melissa made their way across the small kitchen, over to the old rotary phone that was tacked on the side of the doorway leading to the laundry room.

        “It’s the phone,” Sam said in complete shock.

        “There’s no way,” Melissa said with fear in her tone. “For one thing, there’s no phone line.”

        “That’s not stopping it from ringing.” Sam slowly reached out and, after four more loud rings, picked up the phone. “H-hello?”

        There was nothing but laughter on the other end.

        “Who is this?” Sam demanded.

        When the laughter finally subsided, a deep voice was soon heard. “Ready for a little fun, Mr. B?”

        “WHO ARE YOU?!” Sam shouted into the phone.

        “You’ll find out soon enough.” Then the line was disconnected.

        “What the hell is going on here?” Melissa said as Sam slammed the phone back down, hard enough to tear the unit away from the wall, sending it clattering to the floor.

        “I don’t know,” Sam replied shakily.

        “You’re right about this place, Logan. Let’s get out of here now.” Melissa turned and started to run but Sam held her firmly by the shoulders.

        “We can’t go anywhere until tomorrow morning. I know how you feel, trust me, but if we just stick together through out the night, we should be okay.”

        Melissa’s eyes watered and soon tears spilled down her cheeks. Sam held her closely as he comforted her.

        “It’s going to be alright,” Sam said to the terrified girl. “I’ll never let anything happen to you. I promise.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        The next five hours were spent playing cards in the parlor. The game of choice was poker. It hadn’t come as much surprise to Sam that Melissa had known how to play poker. It turned out that Logan had taught her how to play. Although both were still shaken up from the incident in the kitchen, playing cards did help them alleviate some of the tension that both had been experiencing. Since retiring to the parlor nothing more had happened yet both of them didn’t know what to expect anymore, either.

        “Full house,” Melissa said triumphantly as she laid her hand down for Sam to see.

        Sam chuckled as he laid his hand down. “I should’ve folded. When did you get to be so good?”

        “Watching you and Mike play, and no one can beat Mike.” Melissa collected the cards and shuffled them. “Ready to go again?”

        Sam stood up and stretched as he worked out the kinks in his lower back and legs. “Ah no. I think I’ll sit this one out.”

        “Oh come on, Logan. What’s the matter? You chicken?” Melissa laughed as she continued to shuffle the cards.

        Sam smirked. “It’s not that, I just know when I’m bested.”

        Melissa laughed back as she set the deck down on the floor. “It’s about time. For the longest time I could never beat you.”

        “Well tonight’s your lucky night.”

        Melissa sat on her sleeping bag, thumbing through their journal. She fished a pen out of one of the duffel bags and started writing in it. “I’m going to make a few notes in here if you don’t mind,” she said as she already started writing.

        “Oh no, go ahead.” Sam sat in the chair and looked on as Melissa wrote in their journal. About ten minutes passed before she closed the journal and set the pen down.

        She looked straight at Sam. “Those who dance with the Devil are bound to get scorched.” The voice wasn’t Melissa’s yet she had spoken the words. The voice that Sam had heard was low, almost like a record playing at very slow speed. Sam’s blood had ran cold as he leaned forward, staring at Melissa. She blinked a couple times and then looked back at Sam. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

        “What did you just say?” Sam asked as he went over to the girl. He knelt down in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulder.

        “What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything.”

        “Yes you did,” Sam insisted. “I heard you. Now why did you just say that? Where have you heard that?” This time Sam became nearly desperate, his grip on her shoulders had tightened slightly.

        “Logan, let me go!” She shoved herself away from Sam and then took off towards the stairs, her footsteps loud and fast.

        “Melissa!” Sam quickly stood up and started jogging after her when he felt an unseen force shoved him off his feet and sent him flying, his head slammed against a nearby wall. Darkness washed over him as he collapsed to the ground.

        Sam awoke by something clicking nearby. The pain throbbed at the back of his head. Placing a hand on the back of his head, Sam slowly stood up and looked around. His vision was still slightly blurred, his body rocked. After several moments he started to regain his equilibrium. He then looked about the silent room. “Melissa?” He spoke rather softly, as he was slightly disoriented. When he called out to her two more times there and still there was no response, he started towards the stairs when something had caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. There, in the dining room, was the tape recorder that he had placed there earlier in the day. It had been recording all the while. Sam went over to it and picked it up. He noticed that the tape had been no longer recording. Something compelled him to find out what was on it.

        He rewound the tape for a few moments. He pushed the play button. At first there was nothing of interest on the tape; Sam could hear himself and Melissa in the background talking. Sam had become even more confused when he didn’t hear the phone ringing on the tape yet he heard both himself and Melissa questioning it. After that had been Sam questioning Melissa, her running up the stairs, and Sam attempting to go after her and instead getting knocked out. Then, just as the recording had changed its pitch, a faint voice could be heard.

 

       

 

        “What?” Sam narrowed his eyes. He played the tape again. The voice, which was hardly above a whisper, had been recorded right after Sam had been attacked. Sam’s eyes went wide as he dropped the recorder. “Melissa!” Sam ran across the parlor towards the stairs, taking two steps at a time all the while calling out her name. There had been no way of telling just exactly how long he’d been out. When he’d reached the top of the stairs he looked wildly around. “Melissa!” He looked into the first bedroom and found no sight of her. He went to look in the master bedroom. The door had been opened.

        “Logan!”

        What Sam saw terrified him more than any apparition, EVP recording, or other ghostly encounter could. He saw that the floor had given out and collapsed. Melissa was clinging onto a few protruding floorboards. “Melissa! Hang on! I’ll get you!”

        “Logan! I’m scared! Please help! I don’t want to fall!”

        Sam took a couple of cautious steps towards her when a figure had stepped out of the walk in closet. The light bulb that was affixed to the ceiling had flickered a few times before the room was bathed in its soft light. Who Sam saw standing before him threw him for a loop.

        “Come to save the girl, I see.”

        “Pa? Pa Baker? What are you doing here? How did you get in?” Sam went towards Melissa. “Help me get her up.”

        “Actually,” Pa said, “I was wondering how long it would take for her to fall.”

        Sam had already been pulling Melissa to safety as Pa spoke. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. When he had gotten Melissa out of harm’s way and back on her feet, Melissa ran over near the window. Sam turned and faced Pa. “What’s going on here?”

        “Isn’t it obvious? I thought you’d have it figured out by now.” Pa’s eyes suddenly took on a dark red color, they almost were glowing.

        “Just like the man in my nightmare,” Melissa breathed.

        “Who are you?”

        “We’ve met before, a long time ago.” Pa walked around the gaping hole in the floor, as did Sam. “You really have been the thorn in my side, Samuel.”

        “Sorry to be such a bother,” Sam said mockingly as the two drew closer. “All those encounters I’ve had; they weren’t attacks, they were trying to warn me. Warn me of you.”

        “You know, it doesn’t have to end this way. I can help you. I know what your heart truly desires.”

        “And what might that be?” Sam had stopped in his tracks, eyeing the embodiment of evil.

        “To be with your loved ones. To be able to wake up in the morning and be able to see your own face in the mirror.” Pa stood still as he gave Sam a thin smile.

        “An honest Devil?” Sam retorted with a raised eyebrow.

        Pa let out a sinister chuckle. “Oh come now.  I have many names; Beelzebub, Satan, Lucifer. It all means the same thing. Tell me something, Samuel. What do you gain from living other people’s lifes? The satisfaction of a job well done?”

        “I do it for the greater good,” Sam said. “I do it because I can, because I want to.”

        “Yet what you long for the longest has eluded you time and time again. I can help you, Samuel. All you have to do is want to go home. Don’t you want to be reunited with your loved ones?”

        “What are you talking about?” Sam inquired.

        “Hey, Sam,” came Al’s voice from behind. “I got here as soon as I could. Ziggy wasn’t able to come up with anything on this Pa Baker person but-” Al stopped talking when he caught sight of Pa. “Oh... this isn’t good. Not good at all.”

        Pa looked over at Al. “Well now, look at this. You’re more of a ghost than I am now, aren’t you Al? How ironic is that?”

        “Sam, Ziggy says that there’s definitely something here.”

        Pa ignored the interplay. “Samuel, like I was saying before, I have the power to grant you your fondest wish. All you have to do is say that you want it. Why waste your time on these kids? Or on any other stranger for that matter? They’re not going to remember you, neither have all the other people you’ve helped. In the end, who’s going to save you, hmm? Him?” Pa pointed upward. “Your beloved Bartender? That guy just jerks you along, Leap after Leap, always there to dangle that tiny shred of hope. Who do you think really brought you here?”

        “Don’t listen to him, Sam.” Al stood beside Sam, his image hovering above the hole. “He’s only out to destroy us.”

        “I control my destiny,” Sam replied. “ I choose to do this as long as I want to.”

        Melissa looked on in much confusion. “What’s happening here?”

        “So you’re responsible for what happened to Reverend Chase, his family, and everyone else,” Sam said as his gaze never wavered.

        Pa gave him a thin smile. “Well I wouldn’t say that. Let’s just say that they went before their time.” Pa smirked. “Don’t you want to see your wife again?” He started to close the space between himself and Sam.

        “What are you talking about?” Sam said, his stance wavering.

        “Oh boy,” Al said. “I don’t like where this is going. Sam, don’t be tricked by him.”

        Pa smirked as his form took on a dark red hue. In a flash of red light Pa Baker had taken on the form of a different person.

        “D-Donna?” Sam said helplessly.

        “Sam,” ‘Donna’ had said, “I love you very much. Please come home.”

        Sam took a step closer as he held out his hand. “Oh, Donna... how could I have forgotten you?” His eyed started to water.

        “Please come home. Stephen and I miss you.”

        “Stephen?”

        The form of Donna shimmered and then rippled as ‘she’ took on another form. “Dad?”

        Sam took another step. “Stephen... my boy. My son.” Each word took an incredible amount of effort to speak.

        “I love you, Dad.” ‘Stephen’ reached out and embraced Sam.

        “Son,” Sam said with a tearful smile as he tightly hugged ‘Stephen’.

        “Saaaaam! Nooooo!” Al yelled. “That’s not Stephen! Can’t you see? He’s deceiving you! He’s using Stephen and Donna to get to you! Sam! Snap out of it!”

        Sam continued to hold onto the boy, unable to hold back the tears that were streaming down his cheeks. “I’m so sorry,” he choked.

        “Sam! Please listen to me. That’s not Stephen! Stephen’s home, he’s home and he’s waiting for you! Donna and everyone else at the Project! Sam, please!” Al didn’t hold back the desperation as he fought for Sam to regain control.

        Sam heard Al’s words and when he looked down at the young boy, anger flowing white-hot through his veins. He forcefully shoved the boy away from him. “STOP IT!”

        ‘Stephen’ grinned like that of a vicious shark as he morphed back into Pa Baker. “Damn you, Samuel Beckett! I gave you your chance! Why you forsake your family for complete strangers, I can’t figure out, but now you will never see them.” Pa’s arms shot out, grabbed Sam, and pulled him towards the closet, which had suddenly changed into a swirling vortex of darkness.

        “Logan!” Melissa howled as she cowered in the corner near the window.

        “Sam!” Al looked on in pure horror as his best friend was being dragged away. “Let him go, you bastard!”

        Sam struggled against Pa’s increasingly tight grasp. He struggled to move his arms but to no avail.

        “Quit resisting, Samuel. It’ll do you no good.” Pa laughed as he continued to drag Sam towards the vortex. “Where we’re going no one can help you.”

        “Melissa,” Sam said through gritted teeth, “get out of here now!”

        “I-I can’t!” she called out to Sam, too terrified to even move.

        “Now, now,” Pa chuckled as he stopped just in front of the vortex, “I can’t very well let that happen now, can I.” Pa then shifted his gaze towards an old oil lamp that had been lit and placed across from Melissa on the other side of the window. It rocked back and forth for a moment before crashing to the floor. Glass shattered as a sudden burst of flame emanated and quickly trailed across the floor. Within moments the room was aflame.

        “Melissa! The window,” Sam said to her, “go out the window! It’s the only way out!”

        “I can’t! I’m afraid!” Melissa had her knees drawn up against her chest in the corner. The fire had amplified, as it was quickly finding its way towards her.

        “Melissa!” Sam yelled. “Nooow! Go!”

        Melissa stood to her feet. “What about you? I can’t leave you here.”

        “Don’t worry about me, just get out of here!” Sam struggled against Pa’s grasp as Pa started to pull him towards the vortex. Pa’s laughter only fueled Sam’s rage, giving him in the process a renewed strength. Melissa nodded as she wiped the tears from her eyes. She pushed open the window and climbed out onto the roof.  For a moment she froze, it was too far for her to jump down. She then crawled across the roof to the other side, looking for any means to help her on her way down. “Oh God,” she breathed.

        “Sam! You got to fight him!” The handlink squealed uncontrollably in Al’s hand. “You can take this guy, I know you can!”

        “All that fancy kicking of yours isn’t going to do you much good,” Pa said as he and Sam were mere inches from the vortex. The darkness within had crawled out of its mouth and started to wrap itself around Pa and Sam.

        “Sam! If you can touch him, you can hurt him!” Al shouted.

        Sam planted his feet firmly on the ground, his body tensed.

        Pa only laughed some more.

        Melissa had found a safe passage down near the back of the house on the roof. It had sloped down just enough for her to jump and land on a patch of yellowed grass. She ran back around to the front of the house. She looked up at the window as the flames started to lick around the edges of the window.  “Come on,” she pleaded under her breath.

        The flames had crawled up along the walls and soon blanketed the ceiling. Pa tugged Sam a couple times, grunting slightly as Sam refused to move. “I’ve waited too long for this moment and I won’t let you spoil it.”

        Sam threw his body forward as he turned slightly and elbowed Pa in the ribs. Pa released his hold on Sam with a gasp. Grabbing him by his throat, Sam looked Pa straight in the eye.

        Pa only chuckled. “This is far from over. Through my unknowing servants I will kill you.”

        “Go to hell,” Sam said as he shoved Pa into the vortex. The shadows had wound itself around Pa and pulled him into the vortex just as it collapsed. Sam took a step back just as a piece of the ceiling had fallen knocking him unconscious.

        “Sam!” Al rushed over to Sam and knelt beside him. Debris had continued to rain down, some of it passing completely through Al. “Come on, buddy. You gotta get up.”

        Small flames had caught onto Sam’s pant leg. It was then that a tall figure emerged through the fire, strode right up to Sam, and knelt down, picking him up with two strong hands.

        Al looked over at the mystery savior in utter confusion. “Where’d you come from?”

        “Come on, Doctor Beckett,” the man said as he patted at his leg, putting out the fire. He smiled as he helped Sam to his feet.

        Sam slowly opened his eyes and looked up at the man. “R-Reverend Chase?” he asked groggily. The man only smiled as he helped Sam to the open window.

        Melissa saw Sam stumbling his way out the window and jumped in excitement. “Logan! Hurry up!”

        Sam heard Melissa calling to him and continued to make his way out the window and across the roof. Sam took the same route as Melissa had and soon joined her on the ground. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly. Sam looked back up at the window and had seen the Reverend Chase standing next to a woman and a young girl; upon closer look Sam saw that it was the same girl that he had seen in the dining room the other night. Her face wore a wide smile as she stood close to her parents. It was then that five others had stepped into view. All of them had smiles that equaled Lily Chase’s, all of them standing close to one another. Sam smiled back at them.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

        Sam and Melissa had watched the Chase house burn to the ground. The smoke was thick and black as it rose into the early morning sky. Off in the distance the sound of sirens could be heard. Sam and Melissa, along with Al, walked down the winding road leading from where the house once stood.

        “Did today really happen?” Melissa asked Sam.

        “I don’t know,” Sam honestly replied. The last few hours had been so surreal that he wasn’t so sure himself. Al hadn’t said a word since Sam had managed to escape the inferno. The hologram had been equally disturbed and shocked by the recent events. They were standing at the end of the private road.

        “I sure hope that Mike gets here soon. I don’t want to be around when those fire trucks get here.”

        The handlink beeped a couple times. Al held it up and looked at the readout. “Hey, ah, Sam,” Al said as Sam turned around. “Things turn out well for both Logan and Melissa. Ziggy says that Logan still goes on to start his side business in the paranormal but this time around he brings on Melissa as his assistant. And they make quite a name for themselves, too. Melissa ends up publishing a book based on what happened to you two back there called ‘Echoes of the Past’. Doesn’t quite make the Bestseller’s List but both she and Logan are safe.”

        “You know, something?” Melissa asked.

        “What’s that?”

        “I’m very glad that we’re safe an’ all, but we lost everything in that fire. All our evidence, gone. We got nothing to show for it.”

        Sam furrowed his brow as he patted at his pant pockets. He reached in his right pocket and slowly pulled out the cassette tape that he’d taken from one of the recorders earlier. “I wouldn’t say that.” Sam grinned when Melissa looked over at him and saw the cassette.

        “Oh my...” Melissa trailed off as she smiled broadly. “I can’t believe it.” Just as Sam showed her the tape the sound of a vehicle pulling up caught their attention. Both Leaper and hologram looked over and saw a white cargo van approach them. “Mike! Thank God you’re here!” Melissa ran over to him.

        “Well, kid, I think this is where you get off,” Al said as he slipped the handlink into his vest pocket.

        “Yeah,” Sam said with a half smile. He walked over to the van. Mike looked to be no older than Logan. “Hey, Mike.”

        “Logan?” Mike was in shock upon seeing Sam, his face streaked with soot, his clothes slightly burned. “Holy crap!  Are you alright?”

        “I’m fine,” Sam replied as he opened the passenger door and climbed in. Melissa had opened the side door and slammed it shut.

        “I heard the sirens on the way up here,” Mike had been explaining as he turned the van in a U turn. Al re-centered himself inside the van, next to Melissa. Mike glanced over at Logan as he started down the road. “I could smell the smoke across town. I took a short cut, hoping that I’d beat the fire department.” Just as Mike spoke the wailing of the sirens became increasingly louder till two fire trucks sped past them, heading towards the house. A couple minutes later they had been back on the paved road, heading towards the freeway. Mike glanced over at Sam, “I take it everything was lost in the fire.”

        “Not everything,” Melissa said as she leaned forward. “Logan had one of the tapes on him.”

        “Really? That’s cool. Did you get anything on it?”

        Sam nodded. “Yeah, I got something.” Mike seemed concerned as he turned a corner and pulled over to the side of the road.

        “There’s a tape recorder in the back. Melissa, could you get it?”

        “Here,” Melissa said as she handed Sam the recorder. Sam placed the tape in the deck and pressed the play button. Mike listened intently as Sam played the EVP clip.

        “That’s incredible,” Mike said. Sam nodded and was about to stop the tape when Mike held up a hand. “No wait. I think there’s more.” Sam continued to let the tape play. He was taken aback by what he heard.

        “What did it say?” Melissa asked.

        Al tapped at a couple buttons on the handlink. “I have no idea why you haven’t Leaped yet, Sam. Ziggy figured that you would Leap as soon as Melissa was safe.”

        Sam replayed the last few seconds on the tape.

 

       

 

        Sam closed his eyes as a couple tears rolled down his cheeks. “Mom,” he breathed.

        Al, Mike, and Melissa looked on at the scientist curiously.

        Sam placed the recorder on his lap and smiled as he leaned his head back against the seat, eyes closed. Sam was still crying tears of happiness when he Leaped.