Haunted House Flipper

Chapter 21

I drove straight to the church and barged into the pastor's office without knocking.

"You know, your ideas have really messed things up for me."

He put down a book he was studying, folded his hands, and gave me his full attention.

"It's nice to see you too Ray."

"Claire and I were just about to get started on the house when some fool drove up and offered to buy the place."

The pastor didn't say anything. He just squinted his eyes, tilted his head a little, and sat silently with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"I could have bought that house from the old man!" I screamed.

To his credit he didn't flinch.

"Yes," he said calmly, "but there would still be a demon living in it."

Well he was right about that. I hated it. I had nothing to say to that, so it was my time to be silent.

"I'm assuming by your anger that the homeowner wants to sell to this man?" Pastor Clarke asked.

I folded my hands and nodded my head. I can be quite childish at times.

"Well, I'm sure it's not final yet. Why don't you go over and actually meet the owner? Talk to him. Explain why he will get more money after you restore it, and convince him that you will be able to sell it. Aren't you realtors good at convincing people to buy and sell houses?"

"I'm sure that's not going to work but I guess I don't have any other options do I?"

I stood up and left. On my way out he said, "You're welcome," without even a hint of annoyance in his voice. His constantly joyful mood made me sick. I walked to my car, got in, and called up Mr. Pennwater. Before I hit dial, I took in a few deep breaths and tried my best to calm myself. I couldn't sound desperate. I needed to sound convincing.

"Hello?"

"Hi this is Ray."

"I thought I would be hearing from you again."

"Yeah, listen Mr. Pentwater. Would it be alright if I came over and talked to you in person? I would love the opportunity to try and get you to reconsider letting me restore and sell the mansion for you."

"Well sure, come on over. I truly just want to get rid of it, but I feel like listening to you is the least I can do after all the hope you've given me. You've made me believe it's possible to finally get this place off my hands," he said.

"Great. Thank you so much," I said.

He gave me the address and I started driving. As I left the parking lot and turned on to the street with the bus stop bench where this all started, I saw the homeless man with his accordion. No one else was around. Either that or they had all run off because of his behavior. I thought he was playing his accordion, but it looked more like he was trying to kill it.

Then something happened that had not happened to me in a very long time. I still think that I was able to feel this way about the man because of something unlocking inside me emotionally when I cried my eyes out laughing with Claire earlier that day. I felt sorry for the homeless man. I guessed he had to be on drugs from the way he was moving, but the truth turned out to be much more frightening.

I pulled my car over and got out to check on him. It looked like he was either fighting someone over his accordion, or just really high and playing his instrument in a crazy way. I ran up to him.

"Hey man! Are you okay?" I asked.

He didn't even look over at me. It was as if I wasn't there, but he was talking to someone. It was hard to understand. I walked a few steps closer and yelled to try and snap him out of it.

"Hey! Can you hear me? Is everything okay?"

He stopped mumbling and looked up at me, then he snapped his head away and did some yelling of his own, but it didn't seem to be at me.

"I'm not worthless! I'm talented! People like it when I play for them! I don't need the drugs anymore!"

Then his face changed, as if contorted in anguish, and he spoke again but in a low guttural voice.

"You're worthless. Sell your instrument and buy drugs with it."

I took a step back. Then I had a chilling thought. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the magical glasses. When I put them on I froze in fear.

A demon was wrestling with the homeless man. He was grabbing the accordion and yelling in the man's face. I pulled the sword from my hip and stabbed it into the back of the demon. It shrieked with an otherworldly cry, let go of the accordion, and jumped away from me. It turned toward me, a handsome glowing man whose vibrant beautiful face looked gruesome with more hatred than I had ever seen from anyone.

"Who are you?" it said in a deep raspy voice.

I didn't want to talk to it. I just stood my ground. The homeless man had fallen to the pavement and was cradling his head between his knees.

"Leave us!" the demon said.

I don't like being told what to do. That really ticked me off. I decided I did want to talk to the evil devil.

"Ah, ah, ah. Sword, remember?" I said in the most syrupy sweet sarcastic voice I could muster. I was still pretty scared, but anger gives me courage sometimes. I kept the sword out in front of me ready to defend myself. I knew it would work against the demon because I was using it in the service of others. Somehow the demon's face became even angrier and he growled and lunged forward at me.

I swung the blade to meet him and it sunk into his chest, repelling him instantly. He looked at his gaping wound, then back at the sword. To his credit he gave it one last try and dove for me again. His seven foot tall frame made for an easy target and I thrust the sword toward him once more this time piercing him through the shoulder. He shrieked and sped off, floating across the cracked sidewalk faster than a powerful motorcycle could have traveled. And just like that he was gone.