30. Gas Can

In his right back pocket was a lighter, and, in his left hand, he was holding a gas can. He looked around, bewildered, taking in the dimly lit, dusty basement covered in cobwebs. His knees and hands were black, as though he had been kneeling in the muck, and his disheveled appearance added to his disorientation.

He glanced outside, realizing the sky was already beginning to turn gray. He had been down there for hours, lost in the disturbing trance that had overtaken him. The realization struck like a bolt of lightning, and Jimmy dropped the gas can in horror.

31. A Few Days

“It’s just for a few days, Marie, maybe a week, tops.” James stuffed her suitcases in the Country Sedan and slammed the trunk. His wife looked at him as though he lost his mind. “James, what’s really going on?” “I told you,” he said, trying to keep his patience.

He gave Betsy a big kiss on the cheek, whispering in her ear that he loved her. She smelled of baby powder, and he felt tears well up in his eyes as he said goodbye. “It’s just for a few days.” It was not something he wanted but he had to do it.

32. Black Mold

That was what James had told Marie was in the house. He said he’d found it in the basement and needed to get rid of it. She knew he was lying, but she hadn’t questioned him, sensing something far more unsettling at play. The night had left them both shaken, and the ominous presence in their home had cast a pall over their lives.

The next morning, as the sun rose, James resolved that he would call a priest. He couldn’t dismiss the strange events that had unfolded, nor the darkness that had taken hold of him. With a newfound determination, he turned and walked back into his house, his plan to confront the malevolent force within.

33. My Land

This is my land, James thought to himself. It was his house. His property. He walked back into his home, daring anyone or anything to test him. He was going to get rid of this spirit once and for all, whoever she was.

His mother had passed away shortly after he returned home. He had no one to ask about this apparition, but it didn’t matter. She was the enemy in his sights. That was all he needed to know.

34. 10 P.M.

As dusk fell, James kept the lights on. He had a feeling the woman, whoever she was, only came in darkness. She used the black of night to reach her full form. She’d only dissipated that first night because Marie had turned on the kitchen light.

All James had to do was keep her at bay until the priest came. It was a solid plan until, around ten at night, the lights went out with a dull click. Panic welled up within him as the darkness enveloped the house. He fumbled for a flashlight, casting its feeble beam around the room, searching for any sign of the malevolent presence that he knew lurked just beyond the reach of the light.

35. Barking

Barking. James was crouched by his bedroom window, trying to soak in as much bright moonlight as he could. This witch could cut the lights off, but she couldn’t get rid of the moon. While in the moonlight, James heard a barking noise from his yard. It was a sound he couldn’t place, like no animal he’d ever heard before.

With trepidation, he peered out into the yard, scanning the shadows. What he saw struck him with such fear, he felt as though his heart was about to stop. Emerging from the darkness was a pack of spectral, luminous hounds, their eyes piercing through the night, teeth gleaming like moonlight.