ANGRY SPIRIT Part 3 Chapter 9

The sun light that struggled through two grimy windows separated the large room that lay beyond the double doors. An overwhelming smell of mustiness filled the air. Obviously a result of the battered and worn items of furniture that cluttered the cobbled floor space.
At the far end of the warehouse, a rackety flight of wooden stairs ascended to another level with a long landing running along the full width of the building. It offered access to three offices all of which had large windows looking down onto the ground floor.
"They must have gone up stairs," Nathan said, after making a slow and careful sweep of the lower area for Jimbo and his companions.
"I can’t see anyone. There must be some more rooms somewhere," Miranda replied, in a nervous whisper.
Picking their way slowly through the settees and tatty armchairs, the adventurous trio advanced further into the building, all the time straining to detect the voices of other occupants.
"They have to be in here somewhere," Miranda announced. "They can’t just disappear into thin air!"
Nathan laughed. "Are you sure about that? We seem to manage it quite often."
At that point a deep guttural voice cut through the damp musty air. At first it’s direction seemed to have no origin. The words echoed around the room, surrounding all three visitors with its devilish tones.
"What kept you Deacon?" it bellowed, but still no trace of where it came from could be detected.

Miranda and Nathan stared in disbelief at Max. Their eyes pleaded for pleaded for some form of explanation. A clue to whom and where the evil voice was coming from.
"You weren’t thinking of trying to trick me" Where you Deacon?"
Nathan looked at Max, his mind already raging in suspicion. "Why Deacon?"
"No. Nathan. Max wouldn’t betray us," Miranda sobbed. "Tell him Max!"
Max offered no reply, he wore his guilt for all to plainly see. His face showed no sign of regret, not the slightest hint of remorse.
"Wake up Miranda we should have seen this coming."
"No. Tell him Max! Say something!"
"I’ve brought them to you, like I said I would. Now you keep your side of the deal and release me from this damned hell hole."
"Max, why?" Miranda’s tears dried away. She stood starring in belief at the man she had trusted. More than trusted, she had worshipped, Max Deacon and everything he stood for. "Why, Max? Why?"
"To save his own pathetic ass, that’s why!" Nathan spat angrily.
"Don’t you judge me!" came Deacon’s emotionless reply. "You don’t know what it’s like being trapped in a place like this. You don’t know the strength of Joshua Edward’s rule of fear over the poor souls held for eternity on this hellish realm."
"You could have stood up to him, you had the strength, and the knowledge from what Miranda tells me …"
"You’ll see how long strength and knowledge lasts in this God forsaken place. Do you think if there was the slightest chance of escaping, I wouldn’t have taken it?

Miranda remained conspicuous by her silence. Everything had happened so quickly. Too shocked to cry. Too terrified to scream. The only response available to her was complete and total silence, yet inside her mind, she screamed from the agony of her every sense being torn apart.
"You sold us out to save your own sorry ass, Deacon!" Nathan’s words were unguarded and enflamed with unimaginable rage. "You deserve to be trapped here. It’s the perfect place for you."
Edwards stood above the threesome, looking down from the long wooden landing. His red evil eyes creased into wrinkled slits, as he gorged on the emotions oozing from his captives. His skeletal features glowed crimson, filling with a life force that he had been deprived of for so long.
The angry exchange of vicious insults, the fearful thoughts of what terrible fate lay ahead were a fantastic sustaining feast for the pathetic dried and shriveled form of Joshua Edwards.
By the time relative calmness returned, Edwards had gone, taking with him the will of his captives.
"We need to find a way out of here!" Nathan said. His voice was low and mumbled. His hung low, the feeling of defeat overwhelmed every sense that had survived.
"There is no way out. We’re all trapped in Edwards world now." Came Deacon’s sad reply.
"But there must be a way. What about his vow to claim three generations of Harrison sons?"

When Miranda finally spoke, her two companions were instantly filled with a realization that robbed away their last morsel of hope. The confirmation of their absolute defeat suddenly became horribly obvious.
She laughed loudly in devilishly evil tones. As the words left her youthful lips, her features began to dry and wither;
"My father as fulfilled his vow! The three Harrison sons are now an eternal source of sustenance for us both for all eternity!"
"But …?" Nathan began, though the sudden revelation had stunned him beyond his ability to speak.
"Only you father avoided our grasp. The German Army took his life force when they shot him dead in the D-Day Landings. You complete the threesome my dear, pathetic friend. You are the third Harrison son to complete the cycle, now my father’s revenge is absolute."
"What about me? What about your father’s promise to release me?. I kept my side of the deal."
"You betrayed your own friends to save yourself. Do you really think my father would strike a deal with someone capable of such disloyalty? You are a worthless mortal Max Deacon and you are receiving a just reward for your treachery."
By the time her proclamation of victory had concluded, she stood before them, no more than the withered and frail wretch of Elishia Edwards, the long-dead, yet eternally loyal daughter of Joshua Edwards. Once again she had served him well and lured the sad, gullible mortal souls for him to feed on.
Both Nathan’s and Deacon’s physical bodies would be locked in forced coma by conspiratory care of Lady Alice and her faithful aid, Gilbert. Their souls were doomed to wander for ever in the Astral World, where Edwards and his conniving daughter ruled supreme.
With a final, deafening, cackling laugh she was gone, leaving the two unfortunate captives defeated and broken.

THE END