The Ghost Hunter IV
Matthew Ryan Fischer
Brother Darius was having trouble staying on his feet; Sophie and
Abigail had to help him walk. I wouldn’t touch him like that, thought Nadia,
not with that arm of his. It seemed to Nadia that his arm had stiffened and now
his whole body jerked in a strange imbalanced manner as if his joints had hardened
and he could no longer bend or turn. Soon he would be stone or stone creature.
One they would have to leave behind. The other they would need a way to kill.
Abigail was too kind and wouldn’t be able to do what needed to be done. It
would fall to me, thought Nadia, as it always did. So far, Sophie was far calmer
than Abigail. Nadia should have been happy, but it seemed odd and made Nadia
suspicious. Why had the cat purred instead of hissing? Why was Sophie so calm?
Nadia glanced back and caught Darius’ glance. He looked scared. Nadia
imagined he was able to read her thoughts and knew what was to come.
“You should rest, let me go ahead and make sure the village hasn’t
been overrun by any of those…”
“Creatures?” Darius finished her sentence.
Nadia nodded, not wanting to say the word, not wanting to acknowledge
what they were all probably thinking, what Darius was most afraid of.
“I can still walk.”
“That won’t help if I have to fight. Or run.”
“No,” implored Abigail. “We stay together.”
“Don’t be worried. I’ll come back.”
“No,” Abigail repeated. “There’s not point to any of this if we
don’t all make it.”
“We stay together then.”
“We stay together,” echoed Abigail.
Nadia glanced over at Sophie and Darius. They were whispering, not
paying attention to the conversation anymore. Nadia swore that Darius had his
sleeve pulled up and Sophie had been holding his hand.
“What do you think?”
“I think you’re right that I should stay here. Sophie can watch
me.”
“Just a moment ago, you were adamant that you could walk.”
“We have to stay together,” begged Abigail. Her terror was growing.
Soon she would be hysterical, thought Nadia, and then she would be completely useless.
“You and Sophie? You know each other?”
Darius and Sophie shared another glace then finally nodded. They
were sharing secrets.
“Do you want to tell me about it?”
“I know what Brother Darius is afflicted with. I can treat him
while you make sure the village is safe.”
“Just like that. How lucky for him that you came along.”
“Do you want him to die? Or would you rather insult me further?”
“Keep your secrets. Deal with him or don’t. But if you’re both
turned to stone when I return, I won’t shed a tear.”
Nadia led Abigail towards town, when the cat paused as it sensed something.
“Come out.” Nadia added, “Now!” to try and sound threatening.
There was something there, lurking in the shadows. A solider stepped
out, but it was an apparition, one of the dead. Luckily Nadia had a history of
battling spirits.
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