“Adria! Right, right!” Coming down once more, Bret cleared his throat. “Is Nellie or Adria with us? Walter or Alice, can you tell us if Adria is with us?”

“Addy is-” Walter started to answer.

Walter knew very well that I wanted to keep a low-profile. Why did kids have to be stubbornly disobedient even in death?

Pissed, I gathered my energy and rushed the men. My footsteps stomped on the wood flooring, causing them to creak loudly. The men reacted to that, but I didn’t stop there. I passed through them at a run, causing Bret to fall backward and almost drop the SB7. Rick stumbled a little as well, but he wasn’t directly in my line of attack. He did shiver audibly in reaction to the sudden, extreme drop in temperature.

“B-Bret, ar-re yo-ou okay?” Rick stuttered out, leaning down to help Bret to his feet.

“HOLY!” Bret breathed out forcefully. “I felt like I was just body slammed!”

Rick nodded, straining to help the heavier man up. “I caught on camera the moment of when you were falling.”

“Do...do you think that was Adria? Or maybe the murderer?”

“I don’t know, but that was totally insane!” Rick gushed out. “You didn’t break anything, right?”

“No, I’m fine. Just a little shook up,” Bret laughed nervously.

“...I was talking about the equipment,” Rick corrected him in a deadpan tone.

“Oh, thanks,” Bret grumbled sarcastically.

“Seriously though…”

Abruptly screams were heard downstairs. Female screams.

Bret and Rick both stood frozen for a second before panic sent them shooting down the stairs. “Shit! I hope it's not-”

“Who just touched me ?!” a female voice shouted in rage.

...That would be Ross, I thought, feeling sympathy and pity for her. Flashes of memories I’d rather forget cut across my mind. At the same time, echoes of that pain welled up beyond my ability to hold them back. A sob tore from my throat as the atmosphere around me charged with energy.

“Noooooo! Stop!” My voice cut through the electricity, clear as a bell and it made the men who’d started rushing down the stairs stop cold.

“Is that?”

“A-Adria? Are you with us?” Bret whispered.

From downstairs, a female voice called up. “We’re okay guys. Viki was just tou-”

I screamed in pain, rage, and sorrow. The scream cut off all voices of the Living as it filled the dark house.

“Addy…” Alice cried softly, hugging Nellie’s side. Her voice was too quiet to be heard by the Living.

Now that I was on this side of the Veil, I knew these spirits had been the only active witnesses to the horror I’d undergone and died from at Ross’ hands. Though the children had never grown past their ages of death, they’d been old enough to understand the things done to me were things no one should do. Even now I had faint memories of the voices or hands of children trying to offer me comfort when I was delirious before passing on. I just hadn’t realized what they were until dying myself.

Rick let out a heavy, shuddering breath as I felt the overwhelming emotions start to subside. “God,” he half sobbed, most likely sensing some of the sorrow I’d let off like a shockwave with my scream.

A black mist came shooting up the stairs—Ross, drawn to my echo of events in our lives. His voice cut through the static of the SB7 that had been forgotten in the flurry of panic brought on from all the activity experienced by the hunters.

“SHE’S MINE!”

Ross’ low, feral snarl was as clear as my scream from a moment before as he moved to my side, wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

“Fuck…” Bret swore violently, dropping the SB7 in reaction to Ross’ fierce words.

The air was charged with the hostility and evil Ross let off from the taint of his soul.

“...I think it's too dangerous to continue, Bret,” Rick whispered in fear.

Bret’s voice was reluctant, but he agreed. “Yeah. Let's go downstairs slowly.”

“What if…?” Rick didn’t finish his sentence, the worry obvious in his voice.

“Just be careful,” Bret answered harshly, voice cracking with tension.

I stepped away from Ross, glaring at him in rage. But I swallowed down my words, worried they might be picked up by the hunters’ equipment. He merely smiled darkly, rubbing his fingertips as if savoring the sensation of touching me from earlier.

Once the hunters had made it safely to the first floor, he laughed coldly. “The redhead had nice legs and thighs. They reminded me of yours,” he almost purred.

I turned away, starting back up the stairs to the attic.

“Run all you want, Addy. You’ll be mine forever. Even in death, we’re together. I just regret all the others couldn't join us.”

I froze, fighting not to fly into a sobbing rage.

The others.

Closing my eyes, I forced myself to continue upstairs, heading to my rocking chair.

I had forgotten that I wasn’t the only one. In some way, it made me feel better. But mostly, it just deepened the sadness I already felt.

Sitting down in my chair, I let myself drift into a state of spirit that was as close to sleep as possible for a ghost. My energy dropped to its lowest levels, all sense of my presence to the Living vanished, and my own awareness disconnected.