So this is the most haunted house on the East Coast of America hey? It doesn’t look too haunted to me, just old and run down.

I step through the metal gates that surround the circumference of the Victorian style home. Curious about its history, I had done a bit of research, and according to Google the home had been abandoned a long time ago. The previous residents left when the woman of the house went mad with rage and murdered her entire family. She apparently had no prior conditions of insanity or any other mental illnesses that would induce a sudden breakdown in her mental state. Like making her go bat shit crazy on her family and chop them up into little pieces before burning their remains in the fireplace. The reports state that she advised the cops she was possessed, that she knew everything that was happening but could do nothing to stop it.

The courts had deemed her insane and not fit for release into the real world. There were over 20 cases like these which showed residents of the home being driven to insanity due to the “devil”.

I stare up at the dilapidated old house with the gutter hanging low, which is only connected by a thin piece of metal. A light gust of wind will have it tumbling to the ground. The grass is so old and dry that there is no way to revive it back to its healthy and green state. The overgrown dead trees look more like old, wrinkly fingers than actual branches as they twist and turn around the pillars of the front balcony of the home. The windows are smashed in and there is graffiti all over, most of it crudely drawn pictures or curse words. There were some pentagrams along with stupid shit like “The devil rules” and “hail Satan”. I’ll never understand humans and their obsession with Lucifer.

The energy from this house is extremely strong, it kisses my skin, the all too familiar tingling feeling of absolute power. I don’t know whether that is from the high spirit energy from the house or whether it’s because the gate is here. I’m about to head to the stairs when someone grabs me by the shoulders. I spin around quickly, slamming them against the iron fence. The culprit lets out a hiss of pain as I allow the dark power to rise up to the surface.

“What do you want?” I spit out.

“I-I-I-I’m. . .”

“Well spit it out, I don’t have all day”

“I-I-I-I was going to tell you not to go into the house man. P-P-P-Please don’t hurt me!” the man wails. He whimpers like a scared little puppy, shrinking down to make himself look less of a threat to me. I let go of his shirt and brush him off.

I give him the most sheepish look I can muster without it making me want to vomit from the sheer act of it. “I’m so sorry about that, you just took me by surprise.” I let out a nervous chuckle.

Ugh, this is so degrading.

I hate human emotions, they always get in the way. Ever since I rescued my vessel from sure death, I had to fight off a flood of emotion from her and everyone who had obviously known that her husband was a psychotic dick. It’s the reason I moved away from her little Gitano clan and ventured out on my own. They started doing my head in with all of their crap.

“It’s okay, I’m fine. Why are you going into that house anyway? A girl like you should be out celebrating the day like the rest of America, not venturing into a haunted house.”

“That’s none of your business.”

I start to walk off before he grabs me by the arm. I look down to where he has his hand before looking up and shooting him a ‘really? after last time?’ look. Realising what he’s done, he quickly removes his hand from my arm like it’s on fire.

“I seriously don’t think you should go in there.” He sounds desperate to try and stop me.

“This guy is kind of annoying.” Vee’s annoyance is clearly showing in her tone.

“I know right? Would it be bad if I just teleported him somewhere else?” I ask.

“Yes! Don’t do that, remember that you aren’t evil anymore and you are trying to coexist with humans. That means NOT messing with them.” She scolds me like I’m a kid that has just done something naughty.

He pleads with me to not enter. The poor sap looks genuinely scared. I look into his eyes and using my ability of mind control I compel the guy to move on.

“You will leave me and this place right now. You never saw me; do I make myself clear?”

“Didn’t I say not to mess with humans Dee?!” Vee shouts.

“Well what do you suggest I do? Huh?”

“Ummm. . .”

“Exactly.”

He indicates his understanding and without a word, leaves the premises, heading to the city. I walk up the stairs to and grab a hold of the door knob and push it slowly. It creaks against the rusted-out hinges. There is darkness all throughout. I thought the exterior of the home looked like shit, well, it is nothing compared to the inside. It seems that the trees wanted to be the new residents of the home and a couple of them have sprouted in various spots.

I follow the energy pulsating from the house, the feeling of it is exhilarating as it roils through me, awakening all my senses. I walk into the kitchen and then into what could have been mistaken for a closet. The basement.

Typical.

The timber stairs creak beneath me as I make my way down. Walking off to the right I find the spot the dark energy is emanating from. There is no pentagram with runes surrounding it, the energy is purely from the presence of ghosts in this house. There is a malevolence here, there is no doubt about that, but not the kind I’m looking for. I search the rest of the home, in case the gate is in a different part of it, but come up short.

This only leaves the church.

I have to be careful teleporting there this time, it’s daylight and full of people. Closing my eyes once more I teleport myself behind the church where there is a less of a chance of being spotted by unsuspecting humans. I make my way to the front and I’m immediately grateful for my decision. The courtyard is bustling with people setting up for some kind of festival. Chairs and tables are being set up at the far end, the various restaurants and other businesses setting up banners from the overhang of their shops. A stage is being set up in front of the church steps with crew members grunting and people giving directions on where to put various parts of the stage.

I’ve seen a lot of churches. A lot. And after you’ve seen one you’ve pretty much seen them all. But this one is quite a church and I can’t help but admire it. I know right, a demon admiring a church. Laughable. It’s massive and looks like there were actually two little churches combined to make the one church. There are a lot of columns that are attached with a walkway which connects them. Sticking up from the middle behind the walkway is a bell tower, and below that, a little window. Perched along the ledge around the church are gargoyles, looking menacing as they overlook the city, with one big gargoyle in the centre.

The one in the middle is less hideous than its buddies and my thoughts trail off to Quinn, the gargoyle I had met yesterday. It doesn’t look a thing like him. It isn’t tall and handsome like he is, but short and stumpy like most gargoyles, just to a larger scale. Its face is harsh, mouth open with fangs jutting menacingly out. Its wings are tucked in a little behind it and the way it leans over in a crouched position gives the impression of a hunched back.

I step into the small entrance that I had teleported myself into the night before and make my way into the main area. Stained glass windows line the sides depicting the great accomplishments of God, Jesus and his many saints. There is a row of confession booths right at the entrance made of timber and stretching quite a few metres are rows and rows of pews. At the front of the church sits a marble table where the priest stands to spit out a whole bunch of drivel about God and his gloriousness and how caring and righteous he is.

Standing in the middle the isle in front of the table, I close my eyes to concentrate on sensing any darkness. At first I feel nothing, then comes the faintest of darkness seeping through, slithering its way through the church like a worm. I open my eyes and follow it to a door to the right, the energy becomes stronger as I get closer to it.

This is a different feeling to what I sensed in the cemetery and the haunted house. This dark energy comes to me in waves, pulsating, though it still has a strong sense of malevolence to it. I can feel it tainting my very soul, threatening to turn it black again. There is no mistaking that this is the gate to the Underworld. Who’d-a thunk it. A main gate to the Underworld located within a church of Christ. It is just dripping with irony.

I’m about to jiggle the door knob to see if it is unlocked when a male voice speaks to me. “Can I help you there miss?”

My head shoots in the direction of the stranger’s voice. Standing there is a priest, dressed in simple black trousers and button up shirt with a white clerical collar.

Time to play the sweet and innocent little human.

“No Father, I just came to check out one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen.” I lean in and whisper. “And I have seen a lot of churches.” He gives me a look to say he isn’t inquiring about my presence in the church but my interest in the room I’m standing in front of. “Oh, sorry about this Father, I was hoping to find you, actually, well not you specifically, but a priest, as I have some questions.”

He relaxes at my beautiful lie, giving me a warm and gentle smile. “Sorry my dear. I was just in my office doing some work, I didn’t hear you come in I’m afraid.

“Oh no that’s fine, I can be pretty quiet.” I let out a chuckle that sounds like wind chimes singing in a breeze.

“So, what would you like to know dear?

“I just wanted to ask some questions regarding the history of the church Father—?”

“Father Frollo.”

“Father Frollo, nice to meet you.” I extend my hand in an invitation to shake, which he obligingly accepts. “Like I said, I’ve been to many churches and you rarely find ones that still hold this gothic design, especially with the gargoyles on top.

“This is an old church and has been around since the dark ages. It is very lucky to have the council on its side to maintain it though.”

“I’m glad, a church like this should be kept in tip top condition. So nothing was here before the erection of the church would that be right?”

He thinks for a moment than says. “Not that I know of my dear.”

“How long have you been serving at this church father?”

“I’m relatively new here, I took over from the last priest who is now retired.”

“So it’s safe to assume you don’t know much on its history?”

“That’s right. All I know is that this church gets busy during the special holidays and that we have a mass tonight, if you would like to attend.” He offers.

“What time would that be?”

“6:00pm, during the Halloween celebrations outside.

I think back to the set up that is happening.

So that’s what all that is for.

“Oh, so that’s what is going on out there. Interesting. So what happens on Halloween here?”

“Parents take their kids out for trick or treating and come here to party with the rest of the community. Every year they hold the festivities in the courtyard. There are games for everyone and lots of food and drinks.”

“Oh wow!” I express excitement.

“So, will you be attending the festivities with the rest of them?”

“Oh I don’t know, I’ve only just arrived in this town, I don’t even have a costume and I’m sure all the good ones would have been taken from the shops already.”

“Oh come on Dee! Let’s have some fun! I miss celebrating Dia De Los Muertos! This is the closest thing to it! Pleeeeeease.”

“Quiet down!” I hiss.

“Well, if you are a tourist here, then you must join in on the festivities. There is a shop just down the road where you will still find some costumes, they are our biggest costume store, so you are bound to find something that’ll take your fancy.”

“Please don’t take this as an offence Father, but I’m surprised that you would be into an event such as Halloween, considering what it celebrates.”

“I’m not an old Father, I am hip with the times.” He lets out a light chuckle.

Halloween is a frivolous exercise. No matter what you called it and no matter where you celebrate it. The innocent go about their daily lives thinking that Halloween is just some celebration where they can let their inhibitions go and dress up as something scary, when in fact all it does is give us free reign to fuck shit up. We run rampant at this time of year. Halloween has the highest crime rate annually and yet the humans still don’t believe in the monsters that lurk in the shadows.

Lucifer had one thing right when he spoke about the humans, they are dumb as shit and so naive to what is really around them. I guess ignorance is bliss. I don’t want to attend this stupid tradition.

I groan inwardly. I’m going to have to attend this piss shit celebration.

“Well, I guess it does sound pretty wonderful, and I don’t have any plans tonight. Okay, I’ll go, I’ll check out the costume store on the way back to my hotel. Thank you Father, what’s the name of the store?”

I feel Vee jumping around and shouting and I can’t help but feel happy for her. I like my vessel and I never give her any time to just be here and take control of her own body, so I’m glad that I can at least give her something.

“It’s called All Things Heavenly and Devilish.”