Phantasma

By Ellie Douglas

You won't hear it. You won't see it. But… You will feel it!

 

Set in Ohio, the story tells of the haunting tale of newly weds, Liam and Zoey Hall. After moving into their dream home, the Ohio couple started to feel as though they were being watched, stalked and taunted.   

 

Unable to find any evidence of this, they tried to carry on as normal. Only to experience traumatizing apparitions that appeared during the night and day.   

 

Not wanting to give up their home, they do everything to get rid of the unwanted spirits, but the phantasm has other plans.   

 

Unheard and unseen, they find themselves trapped. Fighting an invisible force that should never have been fought with.   

 

Flee their home? Or find a way to evict the most unwanted, uninvited guest on the planet.   

 

Can they do this?  

 

There are evil spirits on the other side… no soul is safe!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ellie Douglas
• Release date: Jan 12, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215764497

Book preview

—Prologue—

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He heard his name spoken in what sounded like a creepy voice. ‘It is time once again, Matthew. Seattle will do us just fine, you’ll see!’

Dismissing the voice as coming from someone on the radio that sat on the dining room table, he leaned over and switched it off. Reading the newspaper at the table, his eyes caught the date. October 12, 1957. Smiling to himself, he put the paper down and touched his face, happy with his clean shave.

His smile quickly faded when a phantom touch upon his shoulder gave him a nudge. His eyes went to the open window as a shiver ran the full length of his spine. Shrugging it off as best he could, he downed the remaining coffee in his cup. He stood up, put his cup in the sink, and left the house.

As he walked down the path and headed to his garage, he became distracted by the sight of a very comely neighbor lady struggling to carry a large box out to her car. The eldritch presence pushed on his shoulder again, a little harder this time, causing him to stumble forward. Overcome by a strange urge, he hastened off to assist the beautiful woman.

Here, let me help you with that, he said, taking the box from her and carrying it to her car.

Thank you, she said sweetly. Just set it down in the boot, if you don’t mind.

No problem, he said, fitting the box into the trunk of the car and closing the lid. My name is Matthew Donaldson. What’s yours? He stood up and she shook the hand he proffered. He felt the warmth and softness of her hand as it caressed his palm. It reminded him of stroking a rabbit. She already had his heart leaping with joy.

I’m Victoria Dundee. Nice to meet you, mate. Have you lived here long, Matthew?

Pointing to his house, he cleared his throat like a gentleman, then answered her. No, I just moved in. Er, ‘mate’, he added with a smile.

He found himself smitten by her Australian accent. She chuckled and looked down at her feet, so she didn’t see his eyes briefly go completely white. He didn’t notice the change either, but he felt something cold fill his entire being. But then his eyes returned to normal and he returned his attention to the woman standing in front of him.

Well, I’ve been here for about a year now. My late husband and I emigrated all the way here from Australia for his work, if you can believe it, but then the bounder passed away a few months ago. I’m finding adjusting to all that a tad hard, as you might imagine. I don’t know many people around here, and I’ve not been able to find a decent job. The insurance money will eventually run out, you see, so I’ll have to work now. But no worries, I’ll probably find one soon enough.

I’m sorry to hear that. That must all be very difficult for you. If you don’t mind me intruding, I’m sure I can get you a job where I work, if you want to work.

Yes, I do! Victoria effused.

Well, I’m heading into work now. I’ll get my boss to set a time for you to come in for an interview. I know they’re looking for a secretary. I’ll let you know what happens when I get back this evening. How’s that sound to you?

Amazing! Blimey, you’re a right good bloke, you know that? Thank you for your help, Matthew! she said. Then she came closer and, out of the blue, kissed him on the cheek. He felt his whole body heat up.

I’m happy to help, he demurred. He smiled at her as he turned his back to her, and then his grin morphed into an evil smirk. He wasn’t sure why until he got into his car and a little voice in his head said, ‘This one will be better than the last! Good work!’

He was puzzled by the voice in his head until a massive flashback suddenly began flooding his mind. A pang leapt from his heart into his throat, leaving him sitting in his car confused and wondering why. But he was shortly horrified to realize that he knew the answer.

Why are you doing this to me again? he wailed aloud in anguish. Then he started to mumble, sobbing inconsolably as his words trailed off.

‘Because I can,’ the voice in his head coldly replied, ‘and because it amuses me. You should know that by now, silly mortal!’

When the flashback was over, he no longer had any recollection of what had happened. He happily put his key in the ignition and drove to work, thinking only of his gorgeous new neighbor.

—Chapter One—

In a low voice that almost tickled my ear, Zoey whispered, Liam, he’s looking at us. I think we just got it!

Beaming a wide smile and nuzzling into the side of Zoey’s cheek, I muttered in her ear, It is us. We just gotta wait for the auctioneer to say, ‘sold’! I turned to face the short balding man. His bright red tie stood out against the blue of his suit. I searched his face for any tell-tale signs of a higher bidder coming in at the last second and prayed that none would.

Going once! the auctioneer called out loudly.

Going twice! he announced, even louder. My heart was thudding in anticipation. Then he took a long pause. Just hurry up, I muttered under my breath.

Sold, for eight thousand! To the lovely couple over there. He pointed a big stubby finger at us. I was thrilled to have won! I wanted to jump up and down, but I had to refrain from juvenile behavior. I had a feeling that this year was going to be our year, and I was right. It was only July, and 1954 was already hands-down our year! I turned to look at my lovely wife., Mrs. Hall, I do believe we’ve won, I said, mocking her English accent while my hands grabbed her around her tiny waist. I hoisted her into the air, spun her around, and let out a robust sound of joy after all.

When I put her down and turned to face the balding man, he was clapping his hands. Most of the other bidders clapped and congratulated me and Zoey as well, and some of them showed disappointment. I didn’t care. We’d just won our dream home! Sure, it was a fixer-upper, but damn if we hadn’t just scored ourselves the best deal in Ohio.

Oh my flippin’ God, babe, we actually got it! Zoey exclaimed, beaming an infectious smile at me. Right at that moment, every other person there didn’t exist, and I leaned in and passionately kissed her. I heard someone yell out, ‘get a room’. It was at the point I realized I’d taken things too far in a public place. But at the same time, I didn’t really give a shit, so I kissed her again, my hands rubbing up and down her back. For the second time, my passionate moment was disrupted, this time by someone tapping me lightly on the top of my left shoulder. I pulled away from the embrace, kissed Zoey on the cheek, and then turned to see who it was.

Sorry for the interruption. I just wanted to personally congratulate you and talk about the financing, the auctioneer-slash-realtor said. He was blushing, and I could tell he felt awkward.

That’s okay, Mr. Hanson. You’ve got paperwork for us to sign, I presume?

I do. You can call me Pete, most people do. Would you and your wife please follow me inside? He extended his hand, and I took it and shook it firmly. He really had the fattest hand I’d ever touched, and it felt kind of gross and sweaty. I removed my hand and when he turned to go inside the house, I rubbed my palm down the front of my slacks.

Come on Zoey, let’s go into our house. It felt so good to say, ‘our house’. As we walked toward the entrance I nodded to the other bidders. Some had already left, but others still hung around hovering like flies. I gave them a smug smile as I entered our house. Inside, I looked around the foyer and thought about what we would be fixing first. My thoughts were broken up when Pete solicited my attention.

We’ll need you to pay ten percent of the purchase price now, and you’ll have to sign this auction sale and purchase agreement. The balance will be due on settlement day. When everything is done and you’ve got your deed sorted, you and your lovely wife can move in. Pete handed papers to me, and I glossed over them. I didn’t bother with the fine print, knowing my lawyer would handle everything. After I signed the papers, Pete shook my hand again and left the house. Zoey and I did a quick walk-through before we left.

Of course, that meant we kissed in each room, starting with the kitchen. It joined onto the dining room, which was small and quaint, I thought. Next was the narrow hallway, with the bold stairs going up to the second floor. There was a bathroom a few steps down the hall, and at the end of the hall was the living room. I took hold of Zoey’s hand and twirled her around the living room, imagining our furniture and where it would be placed. My mind was racing. I turned to kiss Zoey and found her staring at the fireplace.

What do you see? I asked, curiously looking past her and fixing my eyes on where she was looking.

You see that shelf above the fireplace? I was just thinking how gorgeous it will look with my ornaments, and then at Christmas with our stockings hanging from it. It will look picture perfect! She spoke so radiantly and with such charm, it knocked my socks off. I pulled her in and hugged her tightly, kissing her full lips and then leading her out and up the stairs.

You’ll have to use your fine carpenter skills to fix these groaning stairs, she said, cringing at the sound as we climbed up to the landing. It looked out over the banister directly to the hallway below. She grabbed my hand and skipped into the spare room, then the second bedroom, and finally the master bedroom. She let go of my hand and stood in the middle of the room and twirled around with her arms outstretched.

Our bed can go dead center, what do you think?

I think that’s a great idea. How do you feel about the wallpaper in here? I asked, squinting my eyes half-shut.

It is positively disgusting! she giggled. She ran to me and wrapped her arms around my body, her lips on mine. We kissed for a while, then checked out the upstairs bathroom. We opened every cupboard and closet in the house as we explored each room.

There’s gonna be a lot of work to be done on this house, but I can’t wait to get started, I said with an energetic smile.

We were both on such a high that neither of us could stop grinning. As we made our way downstairs, the hairs on the back of my neck spiked for no reason. I caught a glimpse of a shadow moving along the wall, and paused briefly to watch it. Then it vanished. I shrugged it off and we exited out the front door to find Pete waiting outside. I thought he’d already left, but he was the one with the key and had to be the one to lock up when we left. I was laughing inside, as we’d made him wait nearly forty minutes.

Before heading back to our rental apartment, we stood on the street facing our new home. 8 Court Avenue, Mason, Ohio. It had such a lovely ring to it, and it was all ours. We went back to our apartment beaming with excitement. Zoey and I couldn’t stop talking about what we would fix up first.

Just shy of thirty-two days later, the house was officially ours and we were free to move in. Once we’d moved our stuff in, it was decided that we’d take on the kitchen first. It was the room that needed fixing the most. I let Zoey handle the appliance purchases while I started to rip out the cabinets and strip the wallpaper.

I hated the décor, the wallpaper, the flooring, and the fixtures. We’d known this place would cost us another few thousand to fix – which was understandable, since the house had been unoccupied since 1945 for some reason – but it was still an amazing bargain. By the time I’d ripped out the cabinets and stripped one wall of the kitchen, I was exhausted.

Zoey, bless that woman, had already gone out and picked up some takeout. Chinese, my favorite. We ate on the living room floor with unpacked boxes surrounding us. We talked a lot, and by the time we’d finished eating I couldn’t stop yawning.

Babe, why don’t you go take a shower and get into bed, Zoey said, standing up.

I’ll never tire of her beautiful English accent. I did however always have to resist mimicking her in fun. That’s a great idea! Why don’t you join me? I said. Hearing what had come out of my mouth, I laughed inside. My attempt at not copying her accent sounded like I was auditioning for a part in a cheesy commercial.

You don’t have to ask me twice, she said, giggling. She rushed up the stairs and straight into the bathroom. I could hear the shower being turned on. By the time I got there, she was standing naked and ready to step into the shower. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into me, kissing her on the forehead, and then her nose, until my lips found hers. You have the most gorgeous, flawless skin. I want to kiss every inch of it, I whispered in a low voice while my lips traced down her throat and then back up until our lips entangled like two lost souls. As we kissed, she frantically removed my clothing, and together we almost fell into the shower.

Ah, I heard her moan as she pushed me against the wall of the shower. The water cascaded over my head and splashed across her back as she got onto her knees. Her delicate kisses across my stomach put me into a trance. Feeling her mouth on me, hot and luscious, I rested my hands on her head. Then I felt her rhythmically bobbing up and down, filling her mouth with my entire shaft. Teasingly she stopped and gazed up at me through her incredibly long, wet lashes. Her eyes were a tranquil mirrored lake of blue-green. Her fingers teasing my balls, she never broke eye contact as she trailed kisses up and down my member, along my upper thighs, and then back up again.

I could barely breathe. I closed my eyes as she devoured my cock. I felt her tongue stroking my shaft, encircling the tip before her mouth sucked it in again. My entire body tingled and I tilted my head back, my mouth opening as I moaned.

Why did you stop? I asked her, breathing heavily and looking deeply into her blue-green eyes, which now seemed to have darkened significantly.

Didn’t you hear that?

Babe, the only thing I heard was the water rushing over my head. My eyes were closed. I was too busy enjoying the way you were sucking me off. I could see she wasn’t amused. I pulled her up off her knees and held her close. Hon, what did you hear?

I don’t know, it sounded like something pitta-patting in the ceiling.

How could you possibly hear anything with my dick in your mouth and the water rushing over your back like that? How about we finish up here and go to bed? I’m sure whatever you heard is nothing to worry about.

Raincheck, babe, sorry, she said while stepping out of the shower. She wrapped a towel around her body. I wasn’t done, but I knew when she was, and that was that. Frustrated, I contemplated staying in the shower to finish the job myself, but when she’d stepped out of the shower it killed my arousal. I got out, dried myself, and climbed into bed. Wrapping my arms around her, I surprised myself with how quickly I dozed off.

Babe, move your legs, Zoey said while pushing at me. I rolled over and caught the time on the analog clock. 1:20 a.m. Sighing through a yawn, I closed my eyes and fell back to sleep.

Liam, please.

I blinked my eyes open and then shut them again, desperately wanting to go back to sleep.

I moved, hon. Look, I’m all the way over here. If I move any more, I’m going to fall out of the bed, I grumbled. I felt the sheet and blanket being pulled as she sat up. My eyes opened again and I turned over to look at her. She was sitting upright and looking at her feet. I turned to follow her line of sight, but in the dark I couldn’t see anything.

What are you doing? I asked her through a large yawn.

There is something heavy resting on my legs. I can’t see it, but I can feel it. Slide your feet toward mine and tell me if you can feel it, she requested in an ominous tone.

I’d never heard her talk like that before. I didn’t know if she was still asleep and maybe having some kind of sleepwalking dream. It kind of freaked me out. I humoured her and slid my feet toward hers. As soon as they touched, I too felt something heavy resting on top of our feet. I pulled my legs away quickly, then tried it again in case I’d imagined it. But I hadn’t. Something was there.

It felt like the weight of a cat was sitting on the very bottoms of our legs. I withdrew my feet and jumped out of bed, switched on the light, and scanned the bed with my eyes. I couldn’t see anything. When I returned to the edge of the bed and placed my hands over where our feet would have been, I felt nothing and saw nothing. I gave her a fleeting look as I got onto my knees and looked under the bed. Finding nothing, I stood back up and shrugged my shoulders.

What the hell was that? she said. I could see the fear all over her tiny face, in the way her nostrils flared, her lips slightly parted, her dimples deepened at the corners of her mouth, and her eyes darted around every inch of our room.

I don’t know, babe. I don’t see anything. I did feel it, though. Maybe it was the way the blanket bunched up? I didn’t know what the hell it was. Not seeing anything, I turned the light off and climbed back into bed.

It didn’t feel like the blanket! she said, trembling and gluing herself to my body. I could feel her shuddering, so I took hold of her hand and pulled it to my chest. Her breasts were squashed against my back, and though she was quaking, it felt good having her naked body pressed so firmly against mine.

It’ll be okay, babe. Try to get some sleep. It’s our first night in this new house.

No, it’s something different than that, she said, her voice muffled as she spoke into my back. I felt her move her knees further up, which forced me to pull my own legs up to give her more room. I drifted back to sleep. When I woke at sunrise, she was still holding tightly to me. I gently peeled myself away from