Ghost in the Closet: Suncoast Paranormal, #6

By Lovelyn Bettison

Two families. Two children. One serious problem.

 

Adam and Cheryl tackle two investigations with startling similarities. Two young girls from different families are interacting with entities from another world. Troubled by their strange behavior, their parents call on Suncoast Paranormal to help them decipher what is happening.

 

When both girls vanish, the pressure is on to return them to this world unharmed. As they try to unravel the mystery of the missing girls, Adam and Cheryl discover they are working on a case with far-reaching consequences. Will they be able to control their powers long enough to save the girls, themselves, and maybe even the entire world?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lovelyn Bettison
• Release date: Dec 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781950205240

Book preview

Prologue

No one else was there when the light came on in Chloe’s closet. Her parents were in the living room watching television. Chloe could hear the screech of a car chase through the walls. Carson, her younger brother, hadn’t been feeling well that day and had fallen asleep soon after dinner with a smudge of chili still on his cheek.

Chloe played alone in her room with the plastic horses she’d gotten for Christmas that year. She loved horses almost as much as she loved her family. She slid the horses along on the carpet, imagining them trotting through fields of long grass and wondering what they said to each other when humans weren’t around.

She was sitting on her yellow-and-white chevron rug, pushing her horses along, when the closet door silently glided open behind her as if pushed by an invisible hand. She picked up the larger horse and neighed as she made it leap through the air, completely unaware of the door now gaping open, spilling light into the room. Chloe turned to see a soft yellow glow pouring out of what should’ve been a dark space. The light had not been on before. At least she didn’t think so. She crinkled her nose and pulled her thread-thin eyebrows together. The earthy scent of hay and manure wafted into the air.

Is there a real live horse in there? she asked the plastic horse in her hand. She got up and crept over to the closet door. It smells like there’s a horse in there, she said. She looked at the bedroom door, wondering if she should tell her mother.

How could a horse be in her closet? It was too big to hide among her toys and clothes. Then she thought that maybe it was a tiny horse, like the plastic one she held in her hand, but real. The idea delighted her.

On television shows and in movies, sometimes the kids entered closets only to end up in fantastical worlds where trees were made from cotton candy and the rivers flowed with chocolate. They met magical creatures like dragons and unicorns and had adventures that Chloe wanted to have in real life, not just in her imagination. In those shows, the children never went and got their mommies. Those children were brave. They went to those magical lands without any grown-ups ever finding out. Chloe wanted to be like those children, so she set her plastic horse on the ground, took a deep breath, and walked into her closet, hoping to step into a different world.

She’s right here, Chloe’s father said from the hallway. Before he could set foot in her room, her mother rushed past him, sweeping her up in her arms.

There you are! Tears ran down her cheeks.

I’ll go check on Carson. Her father went up the hall to her brother’s room.

Her mother frowned when she realized Chloe was covered in slime that looked like snot. What have you gotten into? Chloe thought her mother would put her down, but she didn’t. Instead, she squeezed her so hard it hurt. Where were you? We looked all over for you! She lowered Chloe to the ground and held her out at arm’s length so she could look into her eyes.

Chloe would never tell anyone where she was. He told her not to, and she was more afraid of him than she’d ever been afraid of anything in her life. I was right here. She tried to make her voice as small as possible so he wouldn’t hear her.

She could tell by the way her mother’s face wrinkled up that she didn’t give the correct answer. No, you weren’t. I checked your room. She scanned Chloe’s body. What’s all over you? I don’t understand.

Chloe didn’t really understand yet either, but even if she had, she knew she could never explain anything to anyone. She pressed her lips together and pretended they were glued shut. She hoped she wasn’t in trouble, but she knew it was better to be in trouble with her mother than it would be to be in trouble with him.

***

No one ever believed her, but Maia knew there was someone living under her bed. So, every time she’d go to sleep, she’d take a running leap onto her mattress. When she got out, she jumped as far she could, landing with a thud on the floor. Her parents didn’t like it, but they didn’t understand. Her grandfather understood though. He told her the thing under her bed was very scary, but she didn’t need to be afraid because he would protect her. She believed him. That was the only way she was able to play in her room.

It was midafternoon, and sunlight poured through the windows, illuminating her lavender bedroom. Maia ran into the room for a minute to get her favorite doll. It sat on the floor in front of her dresser. She liked it because it looked like her, with brown skin and dark curly hair her mother had braided for her just yesterday. She picked it up by the arm, pausing for a moment to look at the dark space under her bed. No matter how bright her bedroom was, inky blackness seeped out from under her bed. The place was a chasm where all manner of frightening things could hide.

Maia stood, gripping her doll and staring at the darkness.

Don’t look at it too long, her grandfather said to her.

She turned to look at him. He seemed to shimmer in the sunlight.

Staring into the darkness is just inviting the evil to come out.

Maia swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded her head. She knew he was right, but there was something about it that made her want to look.

I know, she whispered.

Maia! her big sister Imani yelled from someplace else in the house.

Without a second thought, Maia ran from the room. As she sprinted up the hallway, a tentacle of light slithered out from under the bed like a snake.

Chapter 1

Jules said Chloe had been acting strangely. The slight shake in her voice told Adam it was serious. Ever since the day Chloe took him into her room to tell him someone had been watching them, he’d been worried about her. If he hadn’t been so busy, he would have gone back to their house sooner. Now he was kicking himself for not having done that.

Cheryl crossed her arms over her chest as they walked up to the front porch. He could tell by how she chewed on the inside of her cheek that she was nervous. Are you okay?

Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just that I haven’t met your family before. I know this is an emergency, so it’s kind of messed up that I’m making it about me. Ignore me. I’m shutting up now. She waved her hand in front of her face like she was swatting away a fly.

Don’t worry about it. They’ll love you. He put his arm around her back before reaching up to knock on the door.

His sister didn’t take long to answer. Jules stood before them with wisps of chestnut hair coming out of her ponytail and a drawn face as pale as ivory. Thank you for coming. Her voice still carried that urgent, shaky tone.

Adam and Cheryl went inside.

This is Cheryl. Cheryl, Jules. Adam smiled as he motioned back and forth between them.

For a moment, the panic on Jules’s face softened. Warmth passed over her as she made eye contact with Cheryl. I’m so glad to finally meet you. I’m sorry it’s under such unusual circumstances. Forgive me for being a bit distracted.

Of course. I’m just here to help. Cheryl’s words were stiff.

Adam marveled at the silence. He was used to Chloe and Carson running up to him and grabbing his legs every time he walked through the front door. This time his niece and nephew were nowhere to be found. Adam looked around the living room.

They’re in Chloe’s room. Jules answered his question before he could even ask it. She started up the hallway, but Adam called her back.

Before we talk to them, why don’t you tell us what’s going on?

The three of them stood together in the center of the living room. Jules leaned toward them and spoke in hushed tones like she didn’t want the children to hear. I don’t know what’s going on. That’s the problem. Last night, when I went to put Chloe to bed, I couldn’t find her anywhere. I looked all through the house. She wasn’t in her room. She wasn’t in her closet. She wasn’t in Carson’s room or the bathroom or the kitchen. I couldn’t find her anywhere. I finally got Tim to help me look. He goes right to her bedroom, and she’s sitting there on the floor, but she was covered in goo.

Goo? Adam asked.

Yeah, Jules continued like that little fact wasn’t important at all. I swear she wasn’t there before. I would’ve seen her. I searched for her, and she was nowhere. She reached up and took the scrunchy off her ponytail, smoothed her hair, and put it in again. I must look a mess.

You look fine, Cheryl reassured. You’re worried about your daughter, so you have an excuse to be a wreck. But you’re not, of course. She stumbled over her words. You look fine. Amazing.

Jules smiled weakly at her.

What’s been weird about the way Chloe’s been acting? Adam asked. He glanced down the hallway, wondering why he couldn’t hear them playing.

She won’t really look at me. No matter what I say, she gives yes or no answers. You know how Chloe is. She usually talks her head off, but right now, she’s silent. Jules sighed and looked at the floor. I know it probably seems minor, but I can feel it. Something is deeply wrong. I know it.

I don’t doubt you. Adam walked around his sister and started up the hallway. I’m going to go talk to her.

Cheryl and Jules got up to follow him, but he turned to them and said, Maybe you should let me talk to her alone first. Just to see what happens.

Jules nodded, but her eyes were reluctant. Okay. We’ll wait here.

Adam walked up the hallway to Chloe’s room. The white door stood ajar, and he could hear the children whispering to each other inside. He pushed the door open to see Carson and Chloe sitting together on the floor. Chloe played with her horses, making them gallop beside each other across the floor. Carson folded a piece of construction paper on the floor in front of him. He looked up when Adam entered the room. Uncle Adam! He jumped to his feet and ran to his uncle, wrapping his arms around his legs. He looked behind him, expecting his sister to follow. When she didn’t, he let go of Adam’s legs and returned to the floor to hold his piece of paper quietly.

What’s going on, buddy? Adam bent down, putting his hands on his knees to be closer to them.

Carson glanced over at his sister before returning his eyes to his sheet of paper and shaking his head.

Adam looked to Chloe, who continued playing with her horses, not even acknowledging that he had entered the room. Your favorite uncle is here, he announced as if she couldn’t see him standing there.

She glanced up from her horses only for a second before returning her gaze to the floor. She made her horses leapfrog over each other.

What were you whispering about?

She shook her head and glanced up at him briefly.

Your mom is worried about you. Do you know why?

Chloe’s shoulders tensed, and she froze for a few moments. Then she went back to playing.

Adam squatted down in front of her. She told me about last night. Where did you go?

Chloe glanced at her brother, who had folded his sheet of red construction paper into a small lopsided rectangle.

Adam turned and looked at him. Carson, why don’t you go see what your mother is doing? I need to talk to Chloe alone for a little bit.

Carson