The 13th Step (working title)
an excerpt

Dan turned and stood in front of the fire and just looked at her. She was so pretty and smart and he loved her for it and was so happy that she felt the same way. He could not have been happier; he’s got the woman of his dreams and is basically staring a ghost in the face which was a dream come true for him. He grew up watching ghost movies and studying the paranormal, always hoping to one day see a real ghost for himself. “If there is visual evidence of this ghost on that tape I can die a happy man now,” he thought to himself. With a smile on his face he slowly walked over and sat down next to his new girlfriend on the couch to see what their recordings will show.

“How’s it going,” Dan asked as he put his arm around Sara’s shoulders.

“We shall find out soon enough,” she replied and then she kissed him and smiled.

They cuddled up close together on the dusty couch as they turned up the volume and watched the small screen on the video camera to see what the séance revealed. A few orbs flew around the room on the black and white screen as the friends all sat around a table and talked into thin air. Dan noticed the fire grow bigger in the background just as he had started to feel the pain in his neck.

“Oh, did you see that?” he asked Sara with excitement. “The fire got bigger there when my neck began to hurt.”

“That is a lot of orbs floating around. You’ve definitely got something here, hon.” Sara replied as she patted Dan on the leg. They continued to watch the video with mixed emotions. Excited at having some evidence that Tom Yates is haunting his old plantation but scared by what they’d already seen and experienced, not sure if they want to see any more.

“Whoa!” Sara screamed as she rewound what she just saw on the screen. “What the fuck was that?!” Dan took the camera from her, hit play and watched the part again. He watched as Sara was pushed back from the table by a large grey mist. It wasn’t a human figure but it did seem to have arms of sorts. Limbs that came out as it pushed her chair against the wall.

“That is definitely a spirit Sara.” Dan said with excitement. “We’ve got visual proof! This is great! What did that feel like?”

“Well, it’s hard to explain but it felt like, um…like a tornado but without the wind. Just the brute force of it, ya know. It didn’t hurt just scared me.”

“That is just so cool! I hope it happens to me next time. I’d love some one on one with a ghost.”

They cuddled back up to one another and continued to watch the séance for any more appearances. Dan gently stroked Sara’s hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. She smiled as his fingers swam through her long brown locks; she was so happy that they were together now. Sara had had a crush on Dan for a good while now but she was nervous about taking it any further for fear that it would ruin their great friendship. She never really fell for the jock type but he was brainy as well, not all brawn like most of the other football players at their college who were there because of their sports scholarships. Like her, Dan was into sciences and psychology. They had a lot in common and she was looking forward to a nice, comfy relationship with him. She knew that with Dan she wouldn’t have to pretend to be someone she’s not and neither did he.

Dan continued to watch the screen for more visual evidence of Tom Yates being there in the bedroom with them.

“I think he’s running his hands up and down my arms. It feels like a small wind just going up and down on me.” Taylor says on the video. When she says this Dan notices a human figure beginning to form behind her.