Monster in the House: Suncoast Paranormal, #2

By Lovelyn Bettison

Rookie paranormal investigators. Hellish demons. A family desperate for help.

 

Adam and Cheryl are trying to get their budding paranormal investigation business off the ground when they get a call from the Lee family. Horrifying demons are terrorizing them at night, and they're desperate for help.

 

But when Adam and Cheryl go to the Lees' home, they find a nightmarish situation that is worse than any case they've ever taken on. Demons possess the middle daughter and even snatch members of the family away.

 

Cheryl must use her unique psychic medium abilities to save the Lee family from the evil lurking in their home, but will she lose her life in the process? Will any of them survive?

 

Monster in the House is a paranormal suspense novel. If you like paranormal investigations, ghosts, general creepiness, and plots with shocking twists and turns, you'll love this book.

 

Buy Monster in the House today for a suspense-filled ghost story that will suck you in and keep you up reading all night.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lovelyn Bettison
• Release date: Mar 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781950205097

Book preview

Chapter 1

H elp! Bella sat up in her bed and yelled into the darkness. Cindy watched as her older sister shrieked with fear. It was happening more often now.

Help! Bella yelled.

Cindy saw her so clearly in the darkness, sitting with her thin, blue blanket bunched in her lap. Her eyes open wide, Bella stared at the wall.

Dad! Bella yelled.

The bedroom door hit the wall as it burst open, revealing their mother, father, and oldest sister in thin, rumpled pajamas. Cindy ran over to her mother, stopping for a moment before cautiously wrapping her arms around her mother’s waist. She waited for her mother to comfort her, but she didn’t. Instead, she held her own arms stiffly away from her body as if afraid to touch her youngest child. Recognizing this, Cindy let go and turned her attention to Bella like the rest of the family.

What is it? Her father was the first to Bella’s bedside. His broad, strong face in front of her, he gripped her shoulders.

Someone flipped on the light, washing the room in a harsh white glow. With hands shaking, Bella spoke. S-s-s-someone’s here. I-i-it’s not over. She raised her finger to point at the bedroom wall. Her family turned their heads as if they were one organism. The pale pink wall stared back at them.

Bella’s father’s hold on her shoulders tightened, and he shook her. Her head moved up and down with the motion. Stop it. Stop it! We’re not doing this anymore.

It didn’t matter what her father said. He couldn’t control it. It had told her as much.

Her sisters knew it too. Gasping and wailing the oldest, Hannah, fell to her knees, her arms outstretched as if surrendering.

Cindy stood motionless by the door, too afraid to even move. She felt herself going again. She lost herself in the dark, swampy feeling that started a few months ago. Sometimes she felt like she was living on the edge of consciousness, watching herself move numbly through the day. Sometimes she felt like there was no air. She did not want to slip away again, but she couldn’t stop it. The rest of the world sank into darkness and disappeared.

Chapter 2

N othing is happening because there’s nothing here, Cheryl whispered in Adam’s ear.

Lowering the EMF meter, he stepped back to the edge of the room. She knew she was right, but he’d wanted so badly to get them some work that he’d taken this job too quickly. Cheryl was the gifted one. She was the reason Suncoast Paranormal existed at all. No matter how many gadgets he bought, he’d still be dependent on her to sense the ghosts. She was the medium.

Cheryl shook her head, and a swoop of loose, dark curls fell across her mahogany eyes. There are no ghosts here, Mrs. Phillips.

Disappointment clouded the client’s face. What do you mean? I feel them around me all the time. Marguerite Phillips looked to Adam as if he could do something, but he couldn’t. He only tagged along for support. You said you could help me, she said.

He stepped forward. It’s not uncommon for nothing to happen on the first visit. We usually see a client multiple times before we can clear the.... He closed his eyes, and a puff of air escape his nostrils. He was still unsure about how to talk about what they did. Before we can clear negative entities.

Cheryl slid him a sideways glance, narrowing her eyes. But if there’s nothing here….

We’ll have to consult with one another. His deep blue eyes met her brown ones searching for a sign that she agreed, but after only a split second she looked away. As you know, Cheryl is the one with the gift. Once we talk, we’ll make a plan and come back. He hoped what he was saying was true.

You’re going? Marguerite’s voice shook as she spoke. You can’t leave me here with that thing another night. She grabbed hold of Cheryl’s arm.

Do something to make her feel better, he whispered in Cheryl’s ear.

Cheryl gave an almost imperceptible nod in reply. She returned to the center of Marguerite’s cluttered living room. Putting her hands on the back of the pink and white flowered chair to steady herself, Cheryl closed her eyes. Marguerite joined her on the threadbare carpet, her eyes fixed on Cheryl’s face.

Adam stood near the doorway, watching. Her long purple skirt grazed the tops of her sandal-clad feet as she swayed. Her black hair moved back and forth just below her shoulder blades. He could only see a bit of the profile of her face from where he stood, her small round nose, the gentle slope of her forehead. Her lips moved, saying something he couldn’t quite make out.

When she finished, she looked back at him. Her face glowed in the afternoon sunlight. Her eyes shone with life.

Thank you, he mouthed.

She nodded and looked at Marguerite. He won’t bother you anymore.

Marguerite walked in a slow circle around the room, stepping over stacks of books. She ran her hands along the backs of furniture until she completed her tour of the tiny living room. You’re right. He’s gone for now, but .... Her worried eyes flitted around the room before landing back on Cheryl.

He won’t be back. Cheryl’s voice was gentle but firm.

And if he is, call us. We’ll take care of it. Adam took a step forward.

He won’t be back. Cheryl glanced at him.

But if he is, I’ll call. Marguerite folded her arms across her chest and looked around the dusty room. It feels better in here already. A hint of a smile played across her face. Thank you.

Cheryl smiled back. One of the things Adam liked most about Cheryl was her smile, wide and bright. She never faked it. You’re welcome.

Her disposition cooled as soon as Marguerite closed her front door, leaving them alone.

What’s wrong? Adam asked as they hurried up the driveway to his red SUV.

Nothing’s wrong. Her exasperated tone told a different story.

Something is obviously wrong. Why are you acting like this?

She stopped and looked at him. You can’t just take jobs like this without talking to me first.

I tried, but you wouldn’t answer your phone.

She huffed and picked up her pace.

Adam clicked the remote and the horn beeped. I don’t know what’s going on, but you have to be willing to talk to me. Otherwise, this business just won’t work.

There was nothing wrong in that woman’s house. She’s just a lonely old lady who thought she saw a ghost. She probably has some kind of mental health problem, and you took her money!

Adam’s jaw tightened. We can’t run a business if we don’t charge.

Yeah, but we need to be charging people we can actually help.

You helped her by giving her peace of mind. Did you see how she was smiling when we left?

I’m doing this because I want to help, not scam little old ladies. There were no ghosts in her house.

What do you want me to do? Do you want me to go give her the money back? What do you expect to live on, goodwill and kindness? Last time I checked, those don’t pay the bills.

She scowled. I don’t need money from con jobs to survive. Don’t act like you took that job for me.

But he had taken it for her. Once she told him about her financial problems, he’d taken every job that came along for Suncoast Paranormal for her. He still freelanced as an IT guy at a few businesses. He didn’t need the extra money. Cheryl had debt and some other problems she hadn’t shared with him yet, but he had a feeling they were pretty big. Why couldn’t she see that he was trying to help? You never seemed to have any problem taking money from people to read their tarot cards even when you didn’t believe in it. He backed out of the driveway and onto the wide suburban street. We have to get paid for our time, and I think the peace of mind you bring people is worth our going rate.

She slouched in the passenger seat as if his words were too much. I don’t know. She sighed.

You have to be willing to put a value on what you have to offer. He turned onto the main road, joining the rush of traffic.

She chewed on her bottom lip, the creases in her forehead deepening. I don’t believe tarot can tell the future. They give people insight into what’s happening in their lives. I never claimed anything different.

But if people think they tell the future, you don’t correct them, do you?

They stopped at a red light. He watched her reach for the door handle. For a moment, he wondered if she would get out. She didn’t. She returned her hand her lap and began to speak, her voice quivering. I want to help people. I can’t control what they think. I can try to influence it, but that isn’t always successful.

We’re on the same side here. That’s why we started this business. He looked over at her. She stared at her lap. Why was she so sad? All this time and she still didn’t trust him.

I know, she whispered. She wiped her face with her hand. Was she crying? The curtain of her hair obscured her profile. And I do value what I do.

Sometimes it doesn’t feel like it. He wished he could see her eyes. I want to help you, but these days it feels like you think I’m the enemy. He reached over to push the hair from her face, but she moved away.

You’re not the enemy. She returned his gaze. I need to be alone for a while. I’m sorry. I can’t do this right now. Her hand shot toward the door handle again. This time she pulled it, and the door swung open. She got out just as the light turned green. A cascade of horns honked as she crossed the lane of traffic. The wind picked up, blowing her hair in a wild mane around her face.

She walked up the sidewalk, leaning into the wind, her sandaled feet slapping the cement. Adam sat still in the far lane of traffic, the cars behind him blaring their horns. A bright yellow hatchback stopped in the lane next to him. The driver rolled down his window and yelled something at Adam, but he didn’t care. He’d thought he’d found the love of his life, but it was all falling apart, and he didn’t understand why.

**

Cheryl shouldn’t have let this happen. She’d realized when she woke up one morning to his broad, freckled back in her bed. His mouth slightly open, he snored softly into the pillow. His clothes lay strewn across the floor. His electric toothbrush sat on the edge of her sink. She left the apartment to do a few readings at her friend’s metaphysical bookstore, and when she came back, he was still there; the newspaper lay open on the sofa, and a cup of coffee sat steaming on the coffee table. When she walked in, he looked at her over his glasses, and something inside her snapped. She thought of Mark and how he’d rotted her whole life before finally trying to take it. She’d wasted all of her youth with a man who turned out to be a monster. She’d been blind to it then. Maybe she was blind to it now. Sometimes she watched Adam and wondered what she wasn’t seeing. Her internal clock ticked away, measuring the seconds. How long until he’d reveal his true self, the angry piece of him that wanted to destroy her? It wasn’t hard for her to imagine his fists striking her. It had happened before, and she was terrified of it happening again. Her blood ran cold. Her stomach turned. She couldn’t help but close herself off. It was the only way to stay safe.

The relationship died slowly. She’d forgotten their dates and stopped returning his calls. It was hard because when she could forget the past and lose herself in who they were as a couple in the moment, she was happier than she’d ever been in her whole life. Some things are too good to be true. She’d thought she was happy with Mark in the beginning too. Look what that got her. Broken bones. Concussions. Scars. She’d lost everything because of him. She wasn’t going to go through that again. Love would never be worth the price.

Eventually, Adam got the hint, but the business was a different story. He was determined to make it work. Secretly, she wanted it to work too. She’d spent so many years believing Mark when he told her she was no good and would never be anything without him. Once she realized she had the gift of seeing the dead, she knew she was special. She could use what was uniquely hers to help people in ways few could.

When Adam called her about work, she delayed answering him but always did eventually. She needed real work to rebuild herself. This haunting wasn’t that, but it wasn’t his fault. He had no way of knowing.

Cheryl wasn’t thinking clearly when she hopped out of his car. Now she was stuck on the side of a busy road in Clearwater, ages away from home. She had to get back to start her Psychic Hotline shift soon. She stopped on the sidewalk and pulled her phone from her purse. Her bank account was nearly empty, but she’d have to get a ride. She opened the app on her phone and requested a pick-up. The wind blew her hair in front of her eyes. She pulled an elastic band from her bag and put her hair up in a messy bun on top of her head.

She watched the car coming to pick her up advance through the grid of streets on her phone. The numbers at the top of the screen counted down the minutes to its arrival. Watching it calmed her frayed nerves.

When the black sedan pulled up in front of her, the window