Page 58 of Left Hand of the Divine
A door to a house that looked like it was one step away from crumbling into dust.
“Nope. I am not going in there,” Lila said, then started to fade away into the night air.
“Hey, don’t be ridiculous. What’s the worst that could happen?”
She popped back into a solid state, hands on her hips. “You mean something worse than being put into the Games of the Gods?”
“Fair point,” I said as I stepped closer to the house. The acrid scent of death and decay permeated the air around the house, and I wasn’t sure whether that was just a deterrent or if there was a festering soul in there.
I put my hand out and reached for the doorknob, internally praying the thing didn’t fall off in my hand, but before my fingers touched it, the door swung inwards with a loud creak.
“Fuck this,” Lila said as she peered over my shoulder and into the darkened building.
“It doesn’t look that bad. With a bit of TLC, I’m pretty sure this place would clean up a treat.”
Lila rolled her eyes at me. “You’re ridiculous. The place is close to being a pile of bricks.”
“Let’s just get this over with.” I pulled my scythe out of the shadows; the weight of it was familiar and comforting. It pulsed in my hand, clearly glad to be back in business after Thane’s scythe had been given back to him.
Lila and I shuffled across the threshold, ready and braced for attack.
The creaky door slammed shut behind us.
Well, that was ominous.
“Hello,” I called out, stepping slowly down the dark hallway.
“In here.”
The ghost popped her head through the wall, and I might have screamed a little.
“Wow, you’re jumpy,” she said before disappearing back through the wall.
Of course I was fucking jumpy. I’d been brought to an actual ghost house. I shouldered my scythe, straightened my jacket, and brushed off the fear. I was a goddamn Reaper. I was afraid of no one.
Yeah, if I said that enough times, hopefully, I’d start to believe it.
I entered the room where the ghost had disappeared to and found a spectral welcoming committee. There were at least ten ghosts, maybe more, all with the same translucence as the woman I’d followed. Some of them looked terrified, and they huddled together at the back of the room.
I put my scythe away, not wanting to scare them anymore than they already were.
“You shouldn’t have brought them here, Penny,” one of the men hissed. He was about forty and of medium height, and the only noticeable thing about him was that I could see right through him. There was barely anything left of him. “Especially not her.”
The woman I’d followed—Penny—faced the man who’d spoken. “Hush, Jack. They’re here to help.”
“Am I?” I asked. “With all due respect, I don’t know why I’m here. Who are you, and why are you all fading?”
Penny stood protectively in front of the ghosts. They were all different ages, races and genders. This wasn’t just affecting one type of ghost.
“We noticed that ghosts were going missing a few months ago,” Penny started, her voice steady. “But then my friend faded away right in front of my eyes. I couldn’t stop it, no matter what I tried. We even tried to change her power source, but nothing worked.”
“I’m sorry,” Lila said as she drifted closer.
Penny sniffed and brushed away a tear. Her brown hair looked limp, and her essence was incredibly dull compared to Lila’s. What the hell was happening to them?
Another ghost stepped forward. At least I think he did; his feet had completely gone. “Look, Jack doesn’t speak for us all. Thank you for coming here.”
This ghost looked older, about sixty, with a mop of white hair neatly combed to one side. I could just about make out the lines in his face and the smile about his eyes.
