Rated: R (Language and violence)

Palace of Hell

The burning torches threw odd shadows around the bricks of the old cavernous castle, playing with the darkness around it. The dirt crunched under his boots as he walked through the large arched entrance, his head tipped back to admire the brilliant structure.

�The place is the Devil�s home,� an old man whimpered, standing a couple feet behind him, shaking. �How did you talk me into this, Mr. Brent?�

�Call me Jarod,� he replied, giving him an uneasy smile over his shoulder. �I told you before, Mr. Turner, I needed to see the place at night. The sightings always happen at night, right?�

�I didn�t need to come,� the man mumbled, rubbing his hands up and down his arms.

�No, you didn�t,� Jarod chuckled, turning back to the castle.

The man looked perplexed and then scratched his neck in confusion. �Damn,� he whispered. �Damn, damn.�

�You said there were many s�ances here. None of them worked?�

�That�s why we called you, Mr.- Jarod,� Turner sighed, giving the darkness behind him a quick look. �They say you are the best Ghostbuster- or whatever the hell they call you now.�

The right side of his mouth curled up, but didn�t say anything on that. Instead, asked, �Have there been actual sightings of ghosts or unusual happenings?�

�Yeah,� the man said, wide-eyed. �Tons.�

�Have you seen any kids or anyone around here that shouldn�t be?�

�Like pranksters?� Turner questioned, looking offended. �You think someone has been fooling around for all the years this castle has stood here?�

�No, no,� Jarod quickly corrected. �I was just covering-�

�Right, uh huh... Sure,� the man sighed, nudging towards Jarod when he heard a branch snap in the woods at the right of the building�s entrance.

�Turner, if you�d like, you can return to the van while I look around.�

�And walk back by myself?� the man quivered. �Are you kidding?�

Jarod chuckled and turned for the entrance, finally stepping through the flame lit walk and into the enormous courtyard beyond. He stopped and looked around, a cool breeze blowing through his black trench coat. He shivered and pulled the thick material tighter around him, beginning his trek towards the double doors that stood twice as tall as he was.

�Jarod,� Turner whispered behind him. �Are you sure you wanna do this tonight? I mean, can�t we do this some other time with a lot more other men?�

�I wanted to be able to look around without tag-a-longs,� Jarod explained, peeling his eyes away from the wooden doors.

�Dear god, why?� Turner gasped, again looking around stiffly.

Shaking his head, Jarod turned for the large ringed doorknob and pulled at it with all his might. The door gave a mighty creak and swung open ever so slowly, revealing the complete darkness with in. Quickly reaching in his pocket, Jarod brought out his flashlight and flicked it on, moving it around the large room. There was a grand table that stood in the center of the room, with two matching chairs and a shelf against the furthest wall. On its shelves were worn books collecting cobwebs, set in their places many years ago.

�Jarod?� Turner whispered and Jarod nearly jumped at the man�s sudden breath on his neck. �W-what do you see?�

�Everything but ghosts, Mr. Turner,� Jarod grinned at him. �C�mon.�

Stepping inside, both men shivered at the cool interior air that seemed to have settled. Jarod pulled out a lighter and made a move of lighting the lanterns around the room, the warm glow successful at lighting the room enough to see. Turner stood near the still open door and wrapped himself in his arms.

�Not going to be long, right?� he asked into the silent air. �Because, I, ah, have things to do.�

Jarod ignored him as he crept towards the first door. He braced himself, reached out and yanked the door open. It was only a broom closet, with only cobwebs to fill its depths. Jarod softly released the breath he was unaware of holding. �How many tour groups do you have coming through here?� Jarod questioned absent mindedly, closing the door and walking towards another one.

�As many groups that dare to come here.�

�And out of how many are there sightings?� Jarod asked, turning to look at the man.

�Uh... almost all of them, actually. That�s what people come here to see. I guess the not knowing it isn�t rigged keeps them coming.�

Jarod nodded and turned for a door, pulling it open and peering inside. A long corridor met him and he blinked into it, shining his flashlight down the hall to see doors lining the walls. The beam of light didn�t reach very far and Jarod silently gulped into the black pit.

He heard Mr. Turner groan from behind him. �Please, please, don�t go down there. I like just staying here very much.�

�Then stay here,� Jarod offered, giving him a quick look over his shoulder. �I�m going down there.�

�N-no. Please! Stay here.�

�I�ll be back in a minute,� Jarod called, ignoring the rest of the man�s pleas.

By time he reached the end of the hall, Jarod couldn�t hear him anymore and went about exploring each room along the corridor. The first room he entered was a parlor, which looked like it had to have been once beautiful, but now dusty with worn furniture. The second room was another sitting area, which they once called the �Blue Room�, hence the blue chairs and the blue couch.

When he came to the third door, Jarod slowed his quick pace and shivered as he stepped into the dangerously eerie bedroom. It had a four post king-sized bed and large mirror lining one of the walls. Long linen curtains draped from the window, torn and faded with its old age. Shining the flashlight around, the sight of a child�s cradle met his eyes and he froze, stepping up to the doll that was laid within it.

A cool breeze blew up from behind him and Jarod gasped, spinning around and shining the light around frantically. Nothing... just the empty room greeted him.

�Damn,� Jarod gasped.

�Please,� someone said and Jarod yelped in fear, spinning towards the door. There stood Turner with his head poked in the doorway. �Please, let�s go.�

�Jesus, Turner,� Jarod gasped. �Don�t do that.�

�What?� the man asked, panicked. �Did something happen?�

�No,� Jarod snarled, a little too harshly, but didn�t seem to want to apologize. Storming towards the man, he pushed passed him and briskly walked towards the main room. But, before he reached the door, it slammed shut before him and Jarod skidded to a shocked halt.

�What?� Turner asked from behind him. �What happened?�

�The door...� Jarod whispered, seeing his breath come out in gasps in front of him. Was it really that cold in there? �It closed on its own.�

�Don�t shit with me!� Turner quivered, using language that didn�t fit his age.

Suddenly, something from the side slammed into Jarod and he grunted in pain as he hit the opposite wall. Jarod gasped and slid down to the floor, trying to catch his breath. Turner stood over him, cursing and shivering, looking around like a scared deer.

�Oh lord, oh lord.�

�That�s alright,� Jarod gasped, still trying to recover. �I�m okay.�

Then, something slammed into him again, from the front this time, and Jarod leaned his head back and shouted in pain. His whole body shuddered, as if someone had body slammed him, and his eyes blurred over into a cloud of red.

�Jarod?� He could faintly hear his name spoken by Turner. �Jarod, are you alright.�

He gasped, and could hear heartbeats in his ears, yet it was too calm to be his own. Blinking rapidly, the blurred image of Turner finally came into view. �Jarod? Jarod are you okay? Speak to me!�

�Turner...� Jarod gasped. �What happened?�

�I don�t know, but I want the hell out of here!�

�Yeah,� Jarod agreed, getting to his feet with Turner�s help. �I�m in for it.�

�Good.�

Together, both men ran through the main quarters and out of the castle, not daring to look back when they heard the front doors slam shut behind them.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Broots yawned and stretched his arms high over his head, nearly tumbling over in his chair. Parker came striding in, eyeing the tired tech, and then rolling her eyes. �Sleeping on the job, Broots?�

The tech jumped and he turned around to smile shyly at the brunette. �No, Miss Parker. Just really tired.�

Parker looked at her watch and crooked an eyebrow. �Is it really passed your bedtime?�

�You�ve had me at this computer for nearly nine hours. I�d like a break.�

�Awe,� Parker pouted mockingly. �Well, that�s too bad, Brootsie.� Her face dropped into a dead serious one and she carefully drew out, �Because you aren�t getting one.� Turning on her heel, she made her way to the door and shouted over her shoulder, �Call me if you find anything.�

Broots watched her disappear, before sighing with absolute defeat, and turned for his keyboard again. �Sure,� he replied sourly under his breath. �Whatever you say.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jabbing her finger on the elevator call button, she took a step back and waited for the doors to slide open. But, a large, light-haired man caught her attention as he carefully strode up to her with his dark eyes leveled on her breasts.

�I�m up here, buddy,� she snarled, pointing to her face.

He rose unsettling eyes and smiled into her narrowed gaze. �Of course.�

�Who the hell are you?� Parker sneered, unfazed by his stare.

The man rose a hand to shake, but Parker ignored it, and after a moment, he dropped it to his side with a laughing smile. �I�m Dr. Brown. Mr. Parker hired me as another doctor to work with the children.�

�Another Sydney,� she stated, lifting both eyebrows.

�I�ve heard of the man�s work. Brilliant doctor.� He smiled and added, �Brilliant pretender.� Parker didn�t comment as she went on staring at the fifty-something year-old man, watching as he shifted to the other foot, studying her calmly. �You are Miss Parker, am I correct?�

�You are correct.�

�You look just like your mother,� Dr. Brown smiled, shaking his head.

�You knew my mother?�

�Of course,� he replied. �I worked here a long time ago.�

�Oh really?� Parker said, craning her head to the side. �Why�d you quit?�

�I had family business,� he answered smoothly. �A death took me away from Delaware.�

�Shame,� Parker sighed, noticing for the first time the doors had opened. �Well, Dr. Brown,� she said stiffly. �I have a feeling that I will see you around.�

�Most definitely,� he smiled, bowing his head. She nodded and stepped into the elevators, turning to watch him before the doors closed him out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Resting his cheek on his open palm, Jarod flipped another page and read through the old text that held the castle�s history, filing it away in his head. It was amazing of all the stories that place held, mostly stories of murder or death. It was, however, hard to tell if some were true or just fiction to receive more tourists.

�Ah, Lucifer Castle,� someone said, peering over his shoulder at the book. �Amazing place isn�t it?�

Jarod tilted his head back and smiled at Mr. Turner�s daughter, Jayda, who helped her father run the tours of the castle and also this small Lucifer Castle Museum. She was mid thirties with shoulder-length blonde hair and green eyes, with a very friendly and attractive face.

�Yes, it is,� Jarod agreed, gesturing to the chair next to him. �Mind if I pick your brain about it?�

She smiled and sat down. �Start picking.�

�How many years have you been running tours at Lucifer Castle?�

�For almost four years now,� she answered, sitting back in her seat.

�And, out of those years, how many people have you had physically attacked by a ghost?�

�Physically attacked?� she blinked, tilting her head. �Well, I wouldn�t put it that way. There are gentle pushes on some occasions. Others it�s just lights flickering, candles going out, gushes of winds, and those sorts. Nothing worth suing for.� She shook her head, clasping her hands on her lap. �We wouldn�t have tours if people�s lives were in danger.�

Jarod furrowed his brow, but didn�t further comment on that. �Does your dad do anymore tours?�

Jayda grunted and shook her head. �Hell no. Dad can be tough when he wants to be, but not when it comes to the �other world�.� She paused and looked down at her clasped hands. �He used to though.�

�What happened?�

�I guess he lost the fun in it when mom died.�

Jarod frowned. �I�m sorry.�

�Yeah, me too,� Jayda sighed.

Wanting to change the subject, Jarod asked, �Tell me the stories that you tell on your tours.�

Jayda smiled a little and sat up in her seat. �Didn�t you get all you needed to know from those books?�

Jarod tossed a look at the table, before shrugging. �Just wanted to hear it from an expert.�

Jayda smiled a little with flattery, before beginning, �There are lots of stories to tell. But, we only tell a couple on the tours to save time and energy. People believe that a ghost of a little girl wanders the castle�s halls. The story behind her is that while sliding down the stair banister, she fell and broke her neck. They think she�s the prankster that is turning off the lights and slamming doors.�

�Yeah, I read about her,� Jarod replied, placing a hand on a book next to him. �Caitlin Chillingworth, right?�

Jayda nodded and continued, �Another tragic story is of a woman, who was murdered by her husband while sitting in front of her makeup mirror. Her back was towards him, so she didn�t see him creep up and slit her throat.�

Jarod frowned. �Who was she?�

Jayda lowered her eyes in thought. �Mmm... Churchill, I think it�s Pearl Churchill. Her husband and murderer, William Churchill, is also believed to be running around. He�s the one that does the pushing and the cold gushes of winds.� Looking at her watch, she tossed him a polite smile. �Sorry, Jarod, but a tour group is going to be here any minute. I need to get my things together.�

Jarod nodded. �Thank you for your time, Jayda.�

�Any time,� she said getting up. �Maybe we can do lunch.�

�That would be great.�

Watching her walk away to the front of the small museum, Jarod turned to the books next to him and sighed. �Lucifer,� he said softly to himself. �What an appropriate name for a palace of hell.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�New search Broots,� Parker announced, stepping into the tech lab. �Find anything you can on a Dr. Brown. Okay?� Broots frowned at her, but said nothing, turning for his computer to complete the brunette�s demand.

�A Dr. Brown?� Sydney repeated from the leather couch he sat at on the other side of the room. �He sounds familiar.�

�It should,� Parker said, turning her head to look at him. �He said he worked here a while back.�

Sydney�s brow furrowed in thought and his eyes lowered to the floor, but he didn�t say anything else. Parker turned away from the shrink to the tech seated at the computer. �I want something on my desk in two hours, alright Broots?�

�I�ll try Miss Parker,� Broots sighed, giving her a look over his shoulder. �But, I�m not making any promises.�

�Then don�t promise me. Just get something.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jarod jumped out of the black van and gave Mr. Turner a sideways glance, seeing that the man was staring at the castle standing tall above the few trees that surrounded the dirt pathway to its entrance. Closing the driver�s side door, Jarod circled around the other side of the van and leaned against it, loading film into his Pro-Olympus camera.

�Why am I here again?� Turner asked, looking over at Jarod.

�It�s daytime, Turner,� Jarod replied. �Nothing will happen now.�

�Don�t be so sure,� Turner growled, tucking his hands deep in his pockets and glowering at the pathway.

�C�mon. I want to take pictures of the rooms before the tour group gets here tonight,� Jarod replied, pushing off the van, Turner slowly inching down the path behind him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The castle wasn�t nearly as frightening in the light of day, but it still had that eerie feeling that made Jarod shiver. Walking room to room, Jarod began to take pictures of various things, like walls and furniture that might help him figure out if anything *real* was causing the castle�s happenings.

Crossing over the hall to the next room, Jarod stood in the bedroom with the baby�s cradle and large four-post bed. Slowly, Jarod approached the doll that was set inside the crib and reached out for it, but froze as a vision crept into the corner of his eye.

It was a little girl with curly blonde hair, laughing and twirling around with the doll raised above her head. The white dress she wore flowed with her body, almost in an underwater effect. A music box played in the background, its tiny music uncanny and strange. She stopped her dancing suddenly and turned for the door, whimpering when a man stepped through the archway. His face was dark and shadowed, but the scowl set upon his appearance was evident to anyone.

Wordlessly, he stalked towards the little girl as she backed away with equal steps. Her face was filled with fear and silent tears streamed down her round, pink cheeks. Her back hit the foot of the bed and she screamed as the man grabbed her by the hair and pulled her off her toes.

�Stop it!� Jarod shouted. �You�re hurting her!�

Jarod ran for the man and attempted to push the stranger away, but he flew through him and hit the floor with a thud. Rolling onto his back, he looked up at the two, but they were both gone, leaving the room silent and bare.

�Jarod? What�s going on?� Turner asked from the doorway. Jarod snapped his head over towards the door and blinked at the man in confusion. �What happened Jarod?�

�I...,� Jarod began, looking over at the foot of the bed again, �I don�t know.�

Turner looked around fearful, before he crossed the room to help Jarod up to his feet. �I told you things can happen during the day! I thought you would learn after the first night! But, no-o! Just had to come back, didn�t you?�

�Turner, shut up!� Jarod huffed, rubbing his forehead.

�Shut up?� the man repeated with a snort.

�If you hate this place so much, why organize tour groups?� Jarod asked, studying his camera for possible damage.

�I�m a greedy man, Jarod,� Turner hissed, brushing the dust off Jarod�s jacket absent-mindedly. �I�m a scared, greedy man who loves money. People are suckers when it comes to supernatural... *things*. Put a very old castle into the package and you get so many greens you�ll be all giddy!�

�Your daughter doesn�t seem to think so,� Jarod replied.

�Jayda loves this stuff,� Turner huffed, looking around the room. �Takes after her mother.�

�Right,� Jarod sighed, looking over at the foot of the bed again. Sliding his eyes over the wooden posts, he stopped at what looked like a small handprint pressed against the dust. Jarod opened his mouth to get Turner�s attention, but remained silent when he watched the print slowly fade away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Parker? Oh, Miss Parker!� Broots called, zigzagging in and out of the people to catch up to her in the corridor. She shot him an annoyed look, but continued walking towards her office. �Parker, I found a file on Dr. Brown.�

She stopped at the doors and turned to him, snatching the file out of his hands. Flipping it open, she frowned down at the very little that was in it. �Gee, Broots, there�s so much-�

�No, no,� Broots huffed, reaching over and flipping to the second page. �The amount doesn�t matter. It�s the picture.�

Parker squinted down at the little black and white picture at the bottom right hand corner of the sheet and studied the two men standing in front and the couple of kids seated in the background. �He�s a friend of Raines, fancy that. So- what am I supposed to be looking at?�

�Look at the kids, Parker,� Broots instructed, watching her face for her reaction.

She squinted at the picture, her eyes skipping to one face to the other. And then, her eyes widened in realization. �Jarod.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

With the absence of windows, the large foyer was darker then the other rooms and Jarod had to get his flashlight out. Shining his light on the banister, he reached a hand out and placed it on the cool wood. He thought of the little girl that might have died there and sadly shook his head. It had to have been awful.

Shining it up the stairs, he was unable to see where they led, but that didn�t stop him from beginning his climb up. Reaching the middle of the stairway, he stopped and stood there with a furrowed brow. It was strange, but he felt as if someone was watching him. Shining the light behind him, he frowned into the empty darkness, before turning and shining his flashlight up the stairs.

A dark form flashed across the archway and he started, blinking rapidly as if it would help adjust his eyes. He stood there, frozen, and waited for any further movement.

Nothing.

After a minute or two, he forced his legs to continued their ascent, but froze again when he heard a load creaking from up above. He swallowed hard and raised his flashlight up to the large dark archway, seeing the door straight across the hall slowly creeping open.

His wide brown eyes stared into the depth of the black pit of the room, his light unable to pick up anything inside. And as if his legs had a mind of their own, he continued upward towards it.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Jarod?� Turner called, creeping down the hallway and shining his flashlight into the next room. �Jarod, are ya in h-here?� Pulling his coat around himself, he shivered into the coldness and let out a long breath just to watch it twirl out from his lips. �Jesus,� he gasped, turning for the hallway again. �It�s freaking cold!�

Reaching the foyer, he eyed the footprints pressed in the red carpet that covered the stairway and shined his light upward into the black pit above. Gulping, he began his climb ever so slowly, wishing to God he was anywhere but here.

Reaching the top, he looked around, then stopped when he saw a bar of light shining underneath the door that was the closest to the stairs. Reaching out for the knob, he pushed it in and froze when he spotted Jarod standing across the room, lighting the last of the candles. Turner gulped and looked around the room, taking in the hundreds of lit candles lining the shelves and tables. If he wasn�t so scared, he would of thought the scene to be beautiful.

�Jarod,� Turner gasped. Jarod spun around and looked at him in surprise. �W-what are you doing? Where did you find all these candles?�

�Shh,� Jarod hushed him, pressing a finger to his lips.

The two men stood in complete silence, just the whispering of the candle flames tickling the air. Turner had no idea what he was listening for, and his stomach knotted and turned to think that Jarod did.

�Turner, look,� Jarod whispered, pointing. Turner followed the indicated direction and watched a large candle on the table next to the door flicker and dance on its wick. And with a soft whoosh it was out, leaving only twirling smoke in its wake.

�A breeze,� Turner explained tightly.

Then, as if on cue, each candle after that went out one by one, causing a domino effect all the way around the room. Turner gasped, his eyes following the trail of candles, turning in a complete circle until the very last candle on the other side of the door was out. Then, an invisible force slammed the door shut and Turner yelped and stumbled away from the thunderous noise.

Jarod caught the old man�s shoulders when he bumped into him, hushing him once again and reaching around to turn off his flashlight, engulfing them into pitch-blackness.

�Listen,� Jarod whispered in his ear.

Turner had as much listening as he could take, but pure horror kept him silent and still. The only thing *he* could hear was his damn heart beat in his ears. His eyes began to adjust and finally he could make out the closed door straight in front of him. He could think of thousands upon thousands of other places he wanted to be right now, and this was certainly *not* on his list.

A click sound brought Turner�s attention to the doorknob and he watched wide-eyed as it began to turn. Slowly, the door creaked open, the sound a high pitched squeal in the dead air. Turner pushed back against Jarod as hard as he could, trying to get as far from the door as possible. But, Jarod easily kept the man in place, whispering, �It�s okay. I want to see what it is. Shhh.�

Softly, the door bumped into the table against the wall behind it, knocking a single candle off its surface. It thumped onto the floor and rolled across the thin red carpet, hitting the toe of Turner�s shoe.

Looking up from the fallen candle, the old man gasped and began to push back against Jarod once again, repeating, �Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!�

In the doorway stood a small dark form, barely able to make out the curly blonde hair and round, pink face. She stood about three feet tall, clad in a light blue dress and staring at them with a pair of large, shadowed eyes.

�Oh my god�� Jarod whispered from behind him. �It�s Caitlin.�

Suddenly, from an invisible force, the door slammed shut and through the room swarmed a violent wind that knocked and tossed the unlit candles everywhere.

�Get down!� Jarod shouted, diving for the floor, Turner following suit.

Covering his head, Jarod grunted as he felt something hit him in the back, before rolling across the floor and underneath a large oak table. Peering out from underneath his shelter, Jarod watched as Turner panicky crawled for the door, ducking and dodging flying objects. Upon reaching it, he jumped up, swung the door open, and shot out of the room like a bat out of hell.

�Shit,� Jarod muttered under his breath, suddenly by his self. Something fell and crashed onto the table heavily, and Jarod ducked in surprise, looking up at the bottom of the desk in question.

And just like that, everything stopped and became eerily silent. Blinking, Jarod reached into his pocket and pulled out his flashlight, shining it around the destroyed room.

It was suddenly too quiet.

Crawling out slowly, Jarod stood, keeping his flashlight moving around the room to catch any further movement. Turning around, he spotted the heavy object that had fallen on the table and realized it was a large framed portrait that had been leaning against the wall face first. Now, the front exposed, Jarod tilted his head to look at it right side up, seeing a young woman with light brown hair sitting in a chair and a man standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders. Neither were smiling.

�Churchill?� Jarod questioned softly.

Turning from the picture, Jarod crossed the room to a small dresser, leaning down and picking up a small book that was thrown down beside it. Tucking it under his arm, he looked around one last time, before he left quickly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�B342?� Parker repeated, shining her light up the shelves of archives as she and her two companions strode down the aisle of SL-26. �Are you sure, Broots?�

�That�s what it said on the file,� Broots stammered, wiping dust off a file drawer and continuing on when it wasn�t the right one. �Or at least, I think it was.�

�Broots,� Parker snapped, grabbing him by the collar and directing her flashlight right into the tech�s eyes. �It was or it wasn�t.�

�It was,� Broots gulped. �I swear.�

�Over here, you two,� Sydney called from the far end of the corridor and both turned their heads to acknowledge him. �I found it.�

Parker and Broots made it to Sydney�s side just as he was pulling the drawer open, revealing a file and a small, black bag inside. Grabbing the bag and folder from its hiding, Sydney frowned upon the items and gave a quick look to the pair beside him.

�Well, stop stalling,� Parker huffed, snatching the bag from him. �Heaven forbid we actually walk forward from time to time.� Pulling the bag open, Parker sneered into its contents and pulled out the small pajamas with printed cowboys on them. �What the hell?�

Broots took the garment from her and studied them, before giving Sydney a smile. �I have a pair just like these!�

Rolling her eyes, Parker dug through the rest of the small pack and brought out a small toy plane carved in wood. �That�s it,� she announced, handing the toy to Sydney to trade for the file. Parker flipped the folder open and jumped back when its contents slid out the bottom and onto the floor, cursing and crouching down to retrieve the papers and a DSA. She picked the disk up and turned it in her fingers, raising her head to look directly at Broots from her crouched position.

�Yeah, yeah,� Broots sighed, bending to take the DSA from her. �I�ll get on it.�

Skipping her eyes to Syd, she froze and furrowed her brow at Sydney�s suddenly pale expression. �Sydney? Are you alright?� Standing, she pulled the toy from his hands that he was so intently staring at and turned it in her hand. On the bottom of the plane was a small engraved word:

Jarod.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jarod looked up from the book and eyed the castle down the pathway in thought. Catching movement in the corner of his eye, he turned his head and watched the shaken old man slide out of the passenger side and circle around to where Jarod sat in the open sliding back door.

�What the hell happened in there today?� Turner asked, looking down at the book. �I mean, a couple of weird things have happened to me in there, but nothing to that extreme.�

�See this?� Jarod asked, holding up the small journal. �I found this in the room before you got there. It was the diary of a woman named Pearl Churchill.�

�Churchill? I know that story. She was murdered by her husband,� Turner gasped, stepping forward and taking the book from him. Running a careful hand over the cover, the man shook his head. �I thought all the important artifacts were removed. Surely, *this* would be important.�

�Did anyone do remodeling in the castle? Was anything large taken away?�

�Like what?� Turner asked.

�Like a piano, maybe?� Jarod questioned, reaching out and taking the dairy from him, carefully flipping through the pages. �In one of her entries she talked about a room with a piano, where she lit every candle in the room when she played. She said the flickering light inspired her.� Jarod paused and held the book out to him. �Here.�

Taking the book, the older man read through it quickly, before handing it back to Jarod. �So, you light every god damn candle in the room to�what�beckon her back?�

�I didn�t beckon *her* back,� Jarod replied. �It was the little girl. It could have been Caitlin.�

�Caitlin?� Turner repeated, turning to begin to pace. �Shit.�

�But, I�m not sure it was Caitlin that did the damage,� Jarod said on an after thought. �Do you remember a piano being taken out?�

�I remember something about it,� Turner sighed, stopping and scratching the back of his neck. �It didn�t play anymore. The keys were pretty much gone.� Turner fell silent, before he turned towards Jarod and took a step towards him. �Suddenly the sightings have become severe. I don�t think your prodding into this is helping any. Maybe we should call this off.�

�I�m too deep now,� Jarod replied. �I want to know exactly what happened.�

�Why? What could you do?�

�Put them to peace, maybe?� Jarod shrugged. �I came here to just research. But, maybe there�s something more I can do.�

�You shouldn�t mess with things you don�t know.�

�I was taught to mess with things I don�t know.�

�Fine, but you�re on your own, Mr. Brent,� Turner huffed, throwing his hands in the air. �No way in hell am I going back in there!�

Jarod slapped the diary shut and stood from the black van. �Alright, fair enough. Let�s get out of here.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sydney ran a gentle hand over the cowboy-printed material, caught in troubled thoughts, as Parker paced the length of the floor behind Broots� computer chair. Broots clicked a couple of buttons, before heaving a heavy sigh.

�The DSA looked like it was in a fire a while back, like someone tried to destroy it,� Broots rambled on, scratching the top of his head. �But, I was able to recover some of it, so-�

�Broots,� Parker snapped, stopping the tech from his babbling. Pivoting in her spot, she lowered her eyes to where Sydney sat on the leather couch and waited for him to look up from the pajamas to her. �You ready to watch it, Syd?�

�These were the clothes he wore the night he was kidnapped,� Sydney mumbled distractedly, lowering his eyes.

�Sydney, are you with us?�

Shaking his head to clear it, he looked up at her and nodded. �Yes, I am. I apologize.�

�No need to,� Parker replied gently, watching him lift himself up from the couch to approach them and the DSA player.

�Alright, play it.�

~* FOR CENTRE USE ONLY

As soon as the screen began to come to life, child screaming sliced through the speakers and sent chills down the viewers� backs. The scene was a small white room, the usual Centre apartment, and on the bed was a tangle mass of sheets twisted around a small, thrashing body underneath. A troubled man paced back and forth by the door, his head turning repeatedly towards the small form covered in bed linen every time the kid let out a bellowing, panicked scream.

As soon as the camera caught the face of the man, all three Centre operatives leaned forward to study the face they all expected: Dr. William Raines.

A man had just made an entrance into the room, seeming oblivious to the child�s horror filled screeching, and turned to the evil doctor. �I got here as soon as I could.�

�Not soon enough,� Raines growled. �Take care of it. Now.�

Billy Raines was quick to leave the room, leaving the strange man standing in the middle of the room, facing the bed. He stepped forward and pulled at the sheets to uncover the child, revealing the whimpering 7 or 8-year-old boy underneath. *~

�Jarod-� all three gasped, watching intently.

~* �Throwing a fit, Jarod?� the man growled.

�Get the fuck out of here!� the little boy screamed, thrashing arms at the man. *~

�Oh my...� Parker gasped, giving Sydney a quick look.

~* The man grabbed the child by both shoulders and slammed him down onto the bed. �That�s no way to talk to me,� the stranger snarled.

Immediately, Jarod stopped struggling underneath his hold and stared up at him with unsettling black eyes. �I know you, Dr. Brown. Get your kicks with little boys, don�t you?�

Dr. Brown raised his hand and slapped the child across his face, snapping Jarod�s head to the side. With the child still stunned by the blow, the doctor took a step back and pulled out a black bible. �You must leave now.�

Little Jarod turned his head to look at the man, his eyes narrowing with such hostility it radiated off the screen. �I�m not going anywhere, shit head.�

Brown quickly flipped the bible to its correct page, but as soon as he opened his mouth to begin, Jarod lunged out of bed and hit the book, it becoming air born and hitting the opposite wall with a slap. Brown threw his hand back and smacked the child across the face again, causing him to stumble backwards onto the bed.

Jarod leaned his head back and laughed, the laughter too deep to be his own young voice. �Try as you might, ass. I�m not going anywhere!�

�The Centre wants the child alive!�

Jarod bowed his head into a devilish smile and rasped. �Then, you better be careful.�

�We *will* make you leave!�

�You can try.� *~

Turning the DSA player off, Broots sat back in his seat with a pale expression on his face. Silence was all any of them were capable of at the moment, for there were no words that could have been found to say. Turning his head to look at the two, he shared their shocked expression, waiting for them to speak first.

�What the hell was that?� Parker mumbled, placing a hand to the base of her neck in disgust. �And where were you, Syd?�

Blinking out of his reverie, Sydney slowly opened his mouth to answer softly, �Europe.�

�What did they do to him?� Broots gasped, breaking the uneasy silence. �What the heck was wrong with him? It didn�t sound like-�

�Something Raines did to him?� Parker asked, turning to look at Sydney. �A drug? An experiment?�

�Jarod would have never talked like that,� Sydney said, shaking his head. �He didn�t know *how* to.�

�Was that all of it, Broots?�

�There�s more, but that�s all I could recover from the damage,� Broots answered on a sigh. He looked at her carefully. �So, what do we do now?�

�*You* are going to get the rest of that disk recovered, while I am going to go hunt for Dr. Evil,� Parker snarled, standing from her seat.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Upon entering the small museum, Jarod noticed Jayda sitting in the far back corner with her feet propped up on a table and intently reading a romance novel. Approaching her, Jarod smiled at her when she looked up.

�What happened to your tour group tonight?� Jarod asked.

�Dad told me to cancel it,� she said, laying her book down and sitting up. �He told me, rather animatedly, what happened.�

�And you believe him?�

�I�ve seen first hand the things that go on in that place,� Jayda replied calmly. �Although, my dad stretches the truth a little, I believe that something very dangerous happened today.� She looked him over. �Are you alright?�

�I�m fine,� Jarod smiled. �I�m more confused than worried.�

�It�s amazing, isn�t it? I suspect you�re a believer now, huh?�

�A skeptic is always a skeptic.�

�Wait, wait,� she said, shaking her head. �You still think that someone is tinkering with the place?�

�I�m not sure. It *did* seem pretty real.�

�Hmph,� she murmured, standing from her chair. �I suppose you�re in for a surprise.�

�I think we all are,� Jarod replied.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Mr. Brown. Fancy meeting you here,� Parker smiled all teeth at the man, stepping up the elevator to where the man was waiting.

�Miss Parker,� the man nodded. �Is there anything I can do for you?�

�Yes, I think I misplaced something,� Parker frowned. �You haven�t seen a bible laying around, have you?�

The man�s face dropped and he stared at her with an unreadable expression. �Digging around, Parker? Well, now you know I was once a priest.�

�Once?� Parker crooked an eyebrow. �Oh, but I know more than just your priesthood.�

�What else is there?�

�Jarod,� Parker said simply, taking a menacing step towards him. �You failed to mention you *worked* with him as a child.�

�I suppose I forgot to mention it,� Brown said with a shrug, turning around to walk away for another elevator when the door refused to open.

�I suppose you did,� Parker said, catching up to him. �You also didn�t mention about the experiment you and Raines did to him.�

�Experiment?� Brown repeated, turning to face her.

�I saw the DSA. I saw the effects of the drugs or whatever the hell you did to him.�

�I didn�t do anything of that nature to him.�

�Oh really? Then, what *did* you do to him?�

�An exorcism.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Crouching down, Jarod opened the �ghost detector� case, as he called it, and quickly checked the antenna for any problems. Satisfied, he looked up and caught Jayda�s eyes.

�Sure you want to do this?� he asked.

The tenseness dropped from her stature slightly and she flashed him a winning smile, crouching down beside him. �My father may be a coward, but it certainly does not run in the family. I can do this, Jarod.�

�Alright,� Jarod smiled, handing her a flashlight. �I just want to get some readings and then we�re out of here.� He watched her check her flashlight, before she looked at him again. �And any sign of something weird, we�re out of there, okay?�

�I thought we *wanted* to see something weird?�

Jarod chuckled softly, despite the knot in his stomach. �I�m not so sure I want to anymore.�

�Oh c�mon, tough guy,� she grinned. �I thought you were a Ghostbuster.�

�Purely research, don�t you forget that,� he smiled in return. Aiming the beam of light on his watch, he sighed and looked up at the large fortress down the pathway. �Well, let�s get this show on the road, shall we?�

�I�m all for it,� she beamed, getting to her feet.

He stood as well, aiming the light at her and saying, �Remember you said that.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Parker?� Sydney said with concern, looking up at her from where he sat as she entered his office. �Are you alright? It looks like you had seen a ghost.�

�Funny you should say that, Syd,� Parker sighed, dropping into the overstuffed chair in front of his desk. �I just talked to Dr. Brown.�

�And?�

�And he told me��

�Sydney!� Broots shouted, barging into the office, panting.

Both turned towards the overly excited tech and waited for him to catch his breath. �Is there a reason why you just pissed your pants, Broots?� Miss Parker inquired with a crook of her eyebrow.

�Good, you�re in here too,� Broots gasped, lifting a folder up. �I found something on Dr. Brown. And it�s rather disturbing.�

�What Broots?� Parker questioned, standing and circling around the chair to face him. �That Dr. Brown turns out to be a priest?�

Broots straightened in surprise and nodded dumbly. �Yeah, how�d you��

�And he worked very closely with Mr. Raines and Jarod?�

Broots blinked. �Uh huh.�

�And that it was not a drug, but actually an exorcism?�

�Er... yeah,� Broots replied, scratching the back of his neck.

Smiling smugly in self-pride, she turned on her heel to face Sydney, who was staring at them with an appalled face. �An exorcism?� Sydney repeated.

�What do we pay you for, Broots?� she said over her shoulder, before walking over to Syd�s desk.

�An exorcism? One was performed in the Centre? On Jarod?� Sydney asked.

�Wait, you believe in them? You actually think they work?� Parker asked, crossing her arms over her chest and resting her weight on one leg.

�An exorcism is a religious ritual to drive Satan or evil spirits out of the body. Many cultures used such rituals and *still* use them today,� Sydney explained. �I just can�t believe an exorcism would be used on Jarod. And for what purpose?�

�To drive away Satan?� Broots asked, shrugging.

Stalking over to him, Parker snatched the folder out of his hands and began flipping through it. �There has to be *something* useful in all this load of crap you found.� She silently scanned through the papers, before lifting her head and offering, �Maybe Dr. Evil and Dr. Billy-Be-Bad were trying to see if an exorcism really did work. Jarod could have just been pretending to be someone else. Maybe he was just simulating the exorcism.�

�Possibly,� Sydney said gingerly, touching his chin in thought.

�Believing in demons is one thing,� Parker huffed, slapping the manila folder against Broots� chest to give it back. �But, to believe that you have a remarkable ability to summon evil spirits and Satan himself with boundless power out of someone�s soul is just plain ludicrous.�

�Everyone has their own beliefs, M-Miss Parker,� Broots replied, clutching the folder to his chest.

Parker looked at him, before rolling her eyes. �Whatever Broots. Go find me a lead.�

�Yes, ma�am,� he said with a fake salute and turned to leave.

�Oh, and Broots?� Parker called after him.

Broots paused at the door and looked over his shoulder expectantly at her. �Yeah?�

�Call me ma�am again, I�ll nail your balls to the ceiling and let you dangle for a while.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�It�s sensing a lot of heat over here, Jarod,� Jayda said, looking over her shoulder at him as he entered the room. Approaching where she stood by the baby cradle, Jarod looked down at the heat sensory and checked her readings.

�Yeah, a lot,� he agreed, reaching around and taking the instrument from her to look at it better. �Odd.� Reaching out, Jarod ran a careful hand across the face of the doll in the cradle, feeling for himself for any difference in temperature. Furrowing his brow in confusion, Jarod leaned back up and looked over at Jayda. �There�s no reason for this area to be warm.�

�Want me to get the antenna out?� Jayda asked.

�Sure,� Jarod replied. He turned off the heat sensor and watched as she leaned down to open the large case and began putting it together.

Hearing a soft thud, Jarod turned his head towards the door and raised a hand out to Jayda to halt her movement. Both held completely still, listening intently for any further noise. For the longest time, there was none...

Until...

Thump.

Jayda turned her head to look up at Jarod. �What was that?� she whispered.

Pressing a finger to his lips, Jarod slowly crept towards the door and poked his head into the hallway. Pulling out his flashlight, he shined his light down the hall towards the foyer, the direction he thought the noise had come from.

Hearing nothing more, Jarod slowly crept down the small corridor until the low ceilings gave way to the large open area of the foyer. Shining the flashlight up the staircase, Jarod paused to listen again. Sure enough, another soft thump came from the floor above. Licking his dry lips, he tossed a look over his shoulder to see Jayda entering the foyer shortly after him and gestured with his head upward. She gulped, nodded and slowly followed after him as he lead them up the stairs.

Upon reaching the last step, the noise had suddenly quit and there was dead silence in the large palace. Jarod stood rigid, shining his flashlight back and forth slowly, his brown eyes seeking any movement. Jayda stood as close to him as possible, her breathing haggard with fear as her green eyes darted back and forth around the dark hall as well.

�What could have made that noise?� she whispered after a moment.

Jarod paused and aimed the beam of light at her. �I thought *you* knew. You said you�re a believer.�

�I believe in... shit...� she gasped.

Jarod furrowed his brow. �You believe in what?�

�Look!� she hissed, pointing at something in front of him.

Turning his head, Jarod watched as the door across the hall from the stairs slowly opened, the same door that he and Turner were �attacked�. Squaring his shoulders, Jarod licked his lips and whispered over his shoulder, �It�s the piano room. C�mon.�

�But...� she began to protest, but was no use for Jarod was already pushing his way into the room. Rolling her shoulders, she too entered the room and took a good look around at the hundreds of candles scattered around on the floor. �My father wasn�t kidding.�

�Here�s our noise,� Jarod announced, closing the window that had been blowing its shutter against the wall. Hooking the latch, Jarod turned his attention back to the room, aiming his beam at the portrait still laying on the table.

�Pearl Churchill,� Jayda said, noticing the picture when Jarod�s light revealed it. She reached out and softly touched the face of the woman who sat looking rather serious. �So, she really was here.�

Jarod looked at her oddly. �You weren�t certain that the story of the Churchill�s were real?�

�Well, no one can be completely certain of these things. These stories get passed down from generation to generation. Something is bound to change within those years.�

�What about the books that documented them? Aren�t those all true?�

�They belong in my father�s museum,� Jayda said with a roll of her eyes. �There is has to be *some* fiction in those books.�

Jarod craned his head in question and was about to ask her what she meant, when suddenly the door slammed shut with a mighty explosion. Both gasped and turned towards the door in surprise, watching as the candles next to the door rocked slowly.

�What the hell?� Jayda whispered.

Like a ripple in water, the candles began to part down the center of the floor, as if someone were walking through them and kicking them to the side. Jarod followed the path with his eyes, until it lead straight to him and he was hit backwards from an invisible impact. Hitting the wall behind him, Jarod gasped and slid down to the floor, momentarily stunned.

Jayda quickly ran to his side, keeping her flashlight moving around the room in caution. �Jarod?� she said, watching him in the corner of her eye as she kept her attention on the room. �Are you alright?�

�What the hell happened?� Jarod asked, looking up at her dark face.

�Hell if I know,� Jayda replied, finally looking at him. �This room is bad news. Let�s get out of here.�

Jarod�s body tightened suddenly and he began to gag. �Jayda-,� Jarod gasped, lifting both hands up to his neck. �I... I can�t breathe!�

She looked at him wide-eyed. �What?�

�Something... Something is squeezing me.�

�Jesus,� she gulped, wrapping her hand around his elbow and trying to pull him up. �We have to get out of here now! Something is seriously wrong!�

Jarod began coughing violently, both his hands clawing desperately at his neck. Becoming desperate herself, Jayda tried pulling him up by herself, but he was too much weight for her 125 pounds.

�Jarod! Let�s go! Please!�

And as quickly as it had begun, the coughing stopped, and Jarod bowed his head, panting. Jayda relaxed slightly, her wide eyes staring at him in fear for a moment for any further hazards.

Then, as quick as lightning, Jarod reached out and snatched her arm in a vise like grip. Jayda gasped and her body tightened in fear as Jarod slowly rose to his feet in front of her, raising his head to meet her eyes. Her stomach knotted to see that something was seriously wrong, for the look in Jarod�s eyes was nothing she has ever seen before in another man�s. Her agape mouth wanted to scream, but pure horror kept the noise in her throat. All she could do was stare and cower in his grip.

�What did I tell you about this room?� Jarod rasped.

Jayda�s jaw opened and closed for a moment, before she was able to force out, �I-I don�t...�

�Never go in here! Your damn music is a waste of bloody time!�

Jayda stared at him with wide eyes. �Jarod?�

�Stupid woman!� he shouted, yanking her arm so hard she yelped and fell to the ground.

Looking up, she began to scoot back in fear, watching as he began to advance towards her. �Jarod... Jarod stop!�

�Stupid woman! Stupid Pearl!�

Jayda froze and blinked a few times in surprise. �What?�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pushing her way through the door, Parker stopped short and stared dumbly at the exorcist that was leaning over a very nervous Broots� shoulder. Looking over at her, Broots smiled in relief and stood from his chair. �Miss Parker, um... hi.�

Ignoring him, Parker slowly walked over to the two, keeping her fixed gaze on Brown. �Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Brown?� she asked flatly.

�Ah, Miss Parker,� the man smiled. �I heard great things about your search party and just wanted to see it in action.�

�My� search party?� Parker repeated, with one eyebrow arched. Taking another step closer to him, she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back to stare at him over the bridge of her nose. �Please tell me of all the *great* things you have heard, because frankly, I�d love to hear it.�

Brown tossed Broots a look, before turning back to the fiery brunette. �Well, you create excellent programs and you�re the only ones that ever come close to catching the runaway.�

�Ah, yes the runaway,� Parker repeated. �Speaking of which, tell me exactly what you did to him.�

�What *I* did to him?�

�The exorcism, Mr. Brown,� Parker hissed, taking another step towards him.

Brown backed up an equal distance away, but still managed to keep his face neutral. �I only freed him from the demon that was haunting him. If it weren�t for me, he�d be dead.�

Parker�s hardened face softened slightly. �Dead?�

�One�s mind cannot survive an attacking spirit. Slowly it gets weaker and weaker. And when the mind gives up... so does the body.�

�Was Jarod really attacked by an evil spirit?� Parker asked, furrowing her brow. �Was the exorcism real?�

�Very real, Miss Parker,� Brown replied, shaking his head. �All I did was free a scared little boy from the clutches of an evil spirit. I did nothing wrong.�

Parker stared at him for a moment, before her eyes narrowed. �Yes you did,� she replied and Brown looked at her with a furrowed brow. �You infected him in the first place.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

She was running as fast as she could, her feet pounding onto the carpeted hallway and the beam of her flashlight shining wildly out in front of her. The tours didn�t take her through all eighty-five rooms, only twenty-eight of them, so that left 67% of the castle left she�s never seen. She did, however, know that there was another flight of stairs that lead down to the first floor. All she had to do was find *that* staircase.

�Pearl! Where are you?�

Turning into a room, she pressed her back against the wall, panting, and cupped her hand over her light to muffle it.

�Pearl!�

She gasped, turning her head to look around the room. He was getting closer, and she knew the only way she was going to get out of this unharmed was if she could get out of the castle. She needed to get *him* out of this place as well.

Crossing the room, she shined her light over the dusty window to unlock it and slide it open. The moon was full that night, illuminating the entire grounds and enabling her to see. Leaning out the window, Jayda looked down and gulped at the thirty-foot drop. She was only on the second floor, but due to the high ceilings on the first, it was like three-stories, not two.

�Oh, shit,� she whispered, eyeing the small ledge on side of the structure. Turning her head to the side, she spotted the next window across and took a deep breath. �Alright, Jayda, you can do this,� she said to herself, swinging her leg over the windowsill and stepping onto the ledge.

�Pearl!� Jarod shouted, standing in the doorway.

Startled, Jayda screamed as she slid out of the window, catching the ledge with her hands just in time. Dangling there, she watched helplessly as her flashlight rolled off the sill and fell the thirty-foot drop. Looking up, she watched as Jarod approached the window slowly, smiling devil-like, and she began to feel the panic creep into her chest.

�Jarod please! Snap out of it!� she pleaded. �Please Jarod!� He reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her roughly upward. �No!� she screamed through her teeth, pulling her fist and hitting him with her best right hook. He let go of her and stumbled backwards, and Jayda fell onto her side on the tiny ledge. Grabbing onto the window frame before she could roll off, she carefully climbed to her hands and knees and began to crawl towards the next window.

�Pearl!� Jarod screamed, leaning out the window and grabbing her foot.

Jayda screamed, dipping her fingers into the brick to stop herself from being pulled backwards. Leveling herself on her left side, she used all her force to kick at his grip, successfully freeing herself. Quickly, she got back up on her hands and knees and distanced herself from his reach.

Arriving at the window, she gripped the bottom and pulled with all her might. But, it wouldn�t budge.

�Damn it!� she cursed, pounding on the window. Clasping both hands together, she swung with all her might, shouting as her fists connected painfully with the glass. But, it did not shatter. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hands back and was about to swing again, when the window slid open. Jayda screamed as Jarod reached out and grabbed her arms, pulling her roughly towards him.

She struggled as he pulled her over the windowsill and dropped her onto the hard floor with thud. Without wasting a second, she kicked out and nailed him in the abdomen and he grunted, doubling over. Rolling, she climbed to her feet and sprinted out of the room, suddenly engulfed in the dark interior. Feeling along the wall with both hands until her eyes adjusted, she ran until she felt her fingers brush the frame of a door, reaching down and turning the doorknob.

�Shit,� she whispered when she came to realize it was locked.

Suddenly, she felt warm breath on her neck and she screamed and spun around, coming face to face with Jarod. She backed up until her back hit the door and she stared at him with wide eyes.

�Why do you run away from me, Pearl?� Jarod asked, craning his head to the side with an uncanny.

�Jarod... I...�

�Why did you run away from me?!� Jarod screamed suddenly, grabbing her by both shoulders and shaking her. �Why?�

Jayda whimpered, lifting both hands up and pushing at his chest, but his grip did not weaken. Looking up into his eyes, she gasped when she came to realize that his pupils were completely black and his once handsome features were hard.

�Answer me!� he bellowed, his voice suddenly rasped and dangerously deep, which was not his own.

Jayda screamed in fear and began to struggle madly in panic. She balled her fists, hitting and kicking him, once striking him in the shin. He hissed in pain and she took the opportunity to rip out of his grip, falling into a dead sprint down the hall. She heard a metallic sliding noise and looked over her shoulder just in time to watch him slide a long ax out of the hand of a suit of armor that was set against the wall, before running after her.

�Oh my god!� she screamed, skidding around the corner of the hall and almost tripping. Clenching her teeth, she pushed her legs to go faster, willing herself to keep going. But, suddenly the floor gave way to stairs and she screamed as she fell, rolling down six steps before she fell with a thud on the platform where the stairs turned. Groaning, she pushed herself up to her feet and stumbled down the last of the steps on a now swelling ankle.

Across the small room was a window and she limped towards it, bracing her hands against the pane of glass. Reaching up with one hand, she unlocked it and gripped the edge with both hands, pulling up with all her might. But, it didn�t budge.

�God damn it! Doesn�t any windows work around here?� she hissed, turning around. Jayda screamed and ducked just in time as Jarod swung the ax at her, the weapon penetrating the glass and flying through.

Bracing herself, Jayda balled a fist and swung at a now unarmed Jarod, nailing him in the jaw. He stumbled back, stunned, before growling and charging after her. Jayda screamed as he rapped his arms around her waist, tackling her backwards and both flying through the shattered window.

As if in slow motion, they fell and like a black cloud, something sucked out of Jarod, retreating back into the window. With a thud, they landed on the grass in a heap, panting.

Jayda was the first to move, scooting out from underneath Jarod and staring at him in fear. Slowly, Jarod rose to his hands and knees, raising his head and looking at her in utter horror.

�Oh my god...� Jarod gasped, before sinking to the grass.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�*I* did not infect him with that spirit, Miss Parker,� Brown explained, watching her pace back and forth the length of the office.

She stopped and faced him, crossing her arms. �What happened then?�

Glancing around briefly, Brown said, �You of all people know that information doesn�t come without a price.�

�This office is safe,� Parker replied with a crook of an eyebrow. �Now, spit it out.�

�It was all Mr. Raines� doings,� Brown began.

�But, of course.�

�He made the boy simulate a psychopath, a man that had died in the electric chair about two hundred years ago for the murder of nine people. But, it turned out to be more than just a simulation.�

�Are you saying that the man got �stuck� in Jarod?�

�His spirit did,� Brown replied. �His name was Jack �the Devil� Dalton and he was the most feared man. He mutilated his victims... Tortured them. He was a horrible, horrible man.�

�And Raines made a little boy simulate him? That�s horrible,� Broots mumbled.

Brown looked over at him. �According to Raines, it wasn�t. He thought it was a Centre break through. The boy wasn�t just simulating Jack, but he was *actually* him. You could actually interact with the *deceased* Jack!�

�But, it went to hell from there, didn�t it?� Parker said, beginning to pace again.

�Raines was unable to free the boy from him, so he turned to me, the exorcist.�

�And it worked?�

�At first, no.... Of course, the demons are never cooperative, but this Jack was determined not to leave. See, there are many tatics in an exorcisim, many of which didn�t seem to do any effect at all.�

�Tactics?�

�Holy water, prayers...�

�Was the exorcism recored?�

�Mmm, I believe so,� he answered. �But, I have no idea where they would have stored it.�

�I�m sure we can recover it,� Parker answered, looking over at Broots, who took a deep breath.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Here,� she said, handing him the steaming mug. Jarod looked up and took the offered tea and sipped at it carefully as he watched her take a seat across from him.

�I�m sorry, Jayda,� he whispered.

She looked a little hesitant, before she shook her head. �Don�t be, Jarod. I know it wasn�t you.�

Jarod leaned forward and sat the mug down on the coffee table, before looking around the lounging area of the museum distractedly. �Has this ever happened to anyone else?�

Jayda looked up at him and shook her head firmly. �No, of course not.� She lowered her eyes to her clasped hands and sat there silently for a moment, before asking, �Did you know what you were doing?�

Jarod sat back in his seat and furrowed his brow in thought, thinking back to the horrid experience. �I remember bits and parts� But, it�s in a red haze. Everything is blurry and distorted. I remember running and I remember your screams,� he said, looking at her in apology. �And I remember his anger.�

�Who�s?�

�The man that possessed me,� Jarod answered, lowering his eyes.

�William Churchill.�

Jarod looked at her in surprise and slowly he nodded his head. �How did you know?�

�You called me Pearl.�

His eyes drifted away from her face and stared at the wall in thought, saying softly, �It�s happening all over again. He is trying to kill his wife.�

�Jarod, what if he tries to take someone else over? And what if he succeeds in killing?� Jayda said, leaning forward in her seat. �I can�t live with that on my shoulders or put that on my father�s. But, we can�t just stop the tours. It�s our life.�

�Then, we�ll have to free the castle of its evil spirits.�

Jayda sat straighter in her seat. �And how do you propose we do that?�

�An exorcism.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Well, Broots, what have you found?� Parker asked, walking up behind him and peering over his shoulder at the monitor.

�Um, well, some interesting facts about exorcisms,� Broots answered, leaning slightly away from Miss Parker�s hovering face.

A site was displayed, with the word �Exorcism� across the top and a picture of an angel with his foot on the head of a demon. Miss Parker straightened up and crossed her arms over her chest, staring at the back of Broots� head. �And?� she prompted.

�Well,� he cleared his throat. �It says that the only way an invading spirit can enter the body is when the person is terrified. And through that fear, the demon can enter easily. Different reasons a person is infected are cursed from the womb, purification by God, Lack of love, spells-�

�Broots!� Parker snapped, and the tech jumped. �Anything *useful*?�

�Um, well, there are some facts on the procedure,� Broots mumbled, clicking on a link. �H-here, let me read some��

She slapped a hand on his shoulder and he jumped again. �The DSA, Broots? Anything on the DSA?�

�Oh, ah, the DSA... Well, no, I haven�t found anything on that yet, Miss Parker. But, I am working on it.�

�Get to it, then,� she hissed, turning on her heel and heading for the door. �I want answers yesterday, Broots.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Wait, wait, are you saying you were once a priest?� Jayda asked, crooking her eyebrow.

Jarod looked up from his laptop and blinked in confusion. �Yes.�

�An exorcist?�

�No, but I�m a fast learner.�

Jayda shook her head and walked over to where Jarod was sitting, perching on the table top next to his computer. �Listen, we need a *real* exorcists in order for this to work. Besides, I don�t think you could handle the head spinning.�

Jarod furrowed his brow. �Head spinning?�

Jayda smiled a half smile and said, �Y�know, �I need a young priest and an old priest�.� Jarod just stared at her. ��The power of Christ compels you! The power of Christ compels you!��

�What are you talking about?� Jarod asked.

�The Exorcist!� Jayda exclaimed. �The scariest movie of all time! You�ve never seen that?�

�A movie?� Jayda nodded enthusiastically. �No, I haven�t. I wasn�t allowed to watch many movies while growing up.� Looking away from her stunned face, he turned to his computer and tapped a couple buttons. �Well, I can do a search for a *trained* exorcist, if you like.�

�Alright,� Jayda agreed. She slid down into the chair next to him and watched as he worked for a while, before she leaned back in her seat and checked her watch. Making a face, she looked up at the clock on the wall to double check her readings.

�What is it?� Jarod asked, without peeling his eyes away from the screen.

�The tour group is going to be here in about a half an hour. I�m not sure I want to go back in that place. What if something terrible happens?�

�Then cancel it. Say its due to unique circumstances.�

�Certainly unique,� Jayda said with a roll of her eyes. She stared at him carefully for a moment as he continued to type feverishly and then said, �I suppose you�re a believer now, huh?�

He looked over at her, one eyebrow arched, and he sighed heavily. �Not so sure I�m a skeptic anymore.�

�You shouldn�t be. Isn�t being possessed enough proof that there�s more to that castle than what meets the eye?�

Jarod smiled. �I suppose it is.�

�So, you believe?�

�I believe.�

Jayda bobbed her head in approval and her face beamed with a smile. �Good. I�m not the only nut case around here.�

�What about your father?�

Her smile widened. �Oh, he�s always been a nut case.�

�No, I mean, does your father believe?�

�I think he believes too much,� she answered with a frown. �When mom was alive, the tours were all fun and games to him. She *loved* the supernatural and would go on the tours whenever she could get the chance. Dad was a little braver back then. But, now...�

�He doesn�t do the tours because of your mom�s death?�

Jayda shrugged. �Maybe he lost interest in them after mom passed away. Or maybe he was scared that he might find her there at the castle. He just didn�t want to play around with the after world anymore.�

�If you don�t mind me asking, how did your mother die?�

Jayda�s eyes dropped to her lap and she shook her head sadly to herself, saying, �We aren�t certain. A disease of some kind. She just... faded away.�

Jarod leaned forward and placed a comforting hand on her arm, giving it a squeeze. �I�m sorry, Jayda.�

�Yeah, me too,� she whispered. �There was just nothing that could be done.�

The computer gave a beep and both turned to acknowledge it. Jarod quickly read the screen and his face grew pale, saying, �Well, the computer found several *good* exorcists, but there�s only one that still practices it today.�

�Only one?�

�That it could find.�

�Well? Where is he located?�

Jarod looked at her, trying to keep his face neutral. �Blue Cove, Delaware,� he answered.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Parker stopped and pushed the button for the elevator, looking over and catching sight of Dr. Brown down the hall. He was leaned up against the wall with his cell phone pressed against his ear, talking urgently and looking at his watch. Narrowing her eyes, Parker abandoned the elevator and walked over to where the old man was standing, not bringing attention to herself until he disconnected the call.

�Miss Parker,� Dr. Brown acknowledged.

�Who were you talking to?� she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

�I�m needed overseas,� he answered, tucking his phone in his pocket.

�For?�

�An exorcism.�

Her eyes went wide, before she recovered, narrowing them again. �What? You still practice exorcism?�

�Of course, Miss Parker.�

�Who is it?�

�Not who, *what*. A castle, Lucifer Castle.�

�Where is it?�

�So many questions, Miss Parker,� he smiled, his unsettling eyes dancing over her face. �I must go now. I�m required as soon as possible.

Parker�s narrowed eyes followed him as he walked by, watching as he disappeared around the corner. Turning around, she slowly walked back to the elevator, saying to herself, �Where can I find an exorcist for an exorcist?�

Before she could step into the elevator, she heard someone calling her name frantically, and looked over to find Broots running down the hall. �Miss Parker! Oh, Miss Parker!�

�What, you moron?!� she hissed, looking around.

�I found it,� Broots whispered, stopping next to her. He held up a DSA and nodded with excitement. �It took some time, but I found it.�

She snatched it out of his fingers and studied it with her eyes. �Did you watch it yet?�

�Well, no, I was going to wait for you and Syd.�

�Well, let�s get to my office then, shall we?� she said, shoving Broots into the open elevator, smiling when he yelped, and stepping in after him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

�Stop your stalling,� Parker snapped, swatting Broots on the back of the head. �And just play it, alright?�

�I was going to,� Broots whined, looking over at her.

Huffing, Parker snatched the DSA from him and slid it into the player, hitting the button with more force that required. All three sat back and watched as the black screen came to life.

~* FOR CENTRE USE ONLY

�He�s getting worse,� Raines was arguing. �I want something done before its too late.�

�I�m trying, Dr. Raines,� Brown said, calmly, wearing an alb and a purple stole. �But, I might need assistance. He�s becoming harder and harder to control.�

�Anything, just fix the problem.�

Dr. Brown looked annoyed by the comment, but didn�t say anything further as he turned and entered the white, sterile room. In the corner of the room sat the bed, where a small form was nestled underneath the white sheets, looking very ill. His face was pale and thin, and his brown, once childish eyes, were dull and unmoved.

�Kind of you to join us, Dr. Brown,� the little boy�s lips murmured, the voice from them raspy and deep. �Gets sort of lonely when all Dr. Pussy does over there is cower at the door.�

Dr. Brown looked away from him to Raines that stood in the doorway, looking rather angry towards the disturbed child. Clearing his throat, Dr. Brown spoke up, �Could you send in some help, Dr. Raines? I need an able body.�

Raines� eyes narrowed, but he remained silent as he turned and left the room, the door closing behind him. Turning back to the task at hand, the priest swallowed hard and approached the side of the bed.

�Can I speak with Jarod?�

�Go fuck yourself, doctor,� he laughed. Sighing heavily, Dr. Brown leaned over the child and placed his right hand on his forehead, and instantly the possessed Jarod lashed it away. �Fuck yourself!�

At that moment, a man walked in and Dr. Brown turned to acknowledge the unaware guard. �Please, help me strap him down,� the doctor instructed and slowly the man walked over to him, his eyes never wavering from the sick kid.

�What�s the matter with him?� the man dared to ask.

�He wants you to fuck him!� the 7 or 8 year old said with a grin.

The guard�s face went completely pale, as Dr. Brown turned to him and answered, �He�s possessed.�

�Possessed?� the guard repeated.

�Just strap him down, please.� *~

Broots leaned forward and switched the DSA off, sitting back in his chair and looking over at Miss Parker. Peeling her eyes away from the now blank screen, she gave Broots a nod, saying, �Find the location of a castle overseas by the name of Lucifer Castle. I have a feeling about this one.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jayda paced the length of the room, looking over at her father every once in a while. �So, he�s coming?�

Turner looked at Jarod, who sat silently in the corner of the room, before giving his daughter a nod. �Yeah, he said he would be on the next flight.�

Jayda stopped and craned her head a little. �He was that enthusiastic?�

�With the money I offered, anyone would be that enthusiastic. We�re going to be doing tours for ages until I can pay back this debt.�

Jayda walked up to him and hugged him tightly, whispering, �We�re doing the right thing, dad.�

Turner sighed, hugging her back. �Yeah, I know. I just hope it works.�

�It will,� Jayda smiled, stepping back from him. �Won�t it, Jarod?� She looked over at him and found him staring at the wall, caught up in his thoughts. �Jarod?�

Jarod blinked and looked over at her, shaken out of his reverie. �Hmm?�

�Are you alright?�

�Um, yeah,� Jarod mumbled, standing from his seat. �I�m fine.� He looked a little nervous, before he asked, �Would it be alright if I wasn�t at the exorcism?�

Jayda�s face dropped and she took a step towards him, shaking her head. �No, please be there. I would like if you were there.�

�Why don�t you want to be there, Jarod?� Turner asked, furrowing his brow.

�I did a background check on this Dr. Brown,� Jarod answered slowly, studying their faces. �And I found that he works at a company I used to... work for. I don�t know him, but I�m afraid he will inform the company of where I am.�

�Why don�t you want to be found?� Jayda asked, furrowing her brow.

�It�s a long story,� Jarod said lamely.

Jayda bit her lower lip, taking a step towards him. �Please Jarod... I would really like it if you were there. I would *feel* better if you were there.�

Jarod stared at her as he thought it over, knowing he was at great risk at being found earlier than he had anticipated. He wasn�t prepared for a close call, but he was needed for the exorcism. He just had to think up an escape plan just in case this Dr. Brown was to inform his hunters of his location.

Jarod made a show of looking exasperated and heaved a sigh, saying, �Alright, fine. I�ll be there.�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The night air was crisp and cold, the chilly wind biting at the skin on Jarod�s face. He leaned against the side of the van, his ankle hooked over the other one and his arms crossed over his chest. He was staring up at the castle, caught in thought as Jayda and her father talked quietly.

Just then, a black sedan pulled up and out stepped an old man in a black suit. He wore a purple stole over his chest and Jarod blanched when looking at it, feeling as if he seen the article before.

Immediately, Turner and Jayda approached him with hand shakes, thanking him for coming. Jarod slowly straightened from the van, but was a little reluctant to join the trio for he had an uneasy feeling that had settled in his gut.

�Thank you so much for coming all this way,� Turner was saying. �You don�t know how much this means to us.�

�That�s quite alright,� the man replied, walking along with Turner towards the van. �But, you must excuse me. It has been a long time since my last exorcism,� he said, and his gray eyes flickered up and met Jarod�s. Jarod blinked and leaned back a little in confusion, wondering why he felt he knew the man from somewhere. Dr. Brown seemed oblivious to Jarod�s odd stare and held out his hand. �Hello.�

Jarod slid his hand to his and shook it. �Hi, I�m J- Mr. Brent.� In his the corner of his eye he saw Jayda and Turner exchange looks.

�Hello, Mr. Brent,� Brown replied with a tight smile. Looking towards the castle, he sighed and straightened his sole a little. �Alright, shall we?�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Candles lined the room once again and Jayda shivered visibly as the last candle was lit, the dark room now illuminated by the brilliant flames. Their shadows danced on the walls as the four stood in a small circle in the middle of the room. Dr. Brown carefully pulled his Bible out and began to read a passage from it as he walked around the room, sprinkling holy water.

Jarod watched the lights flicker in disapproval as drops hit them, his ears tuned in to everything the minister was saying, but he was unable to place the dread that was rising in the pit of his stomach. Dr. Brown finished his task and tucked away the Bible, joining the other three and holding out his hands.

�Let�s join hands now,� he requested, taking Jayda and Turner�s hands. Jarod joined in with a little hesitance, standing directly across from the minister as he began to chant, �To those who still live in this house, come out and show thyself now!�

Silence�just the whispering candles. Everyone looked at each other quietly, half hoping to hear something, half hoping not. The dead stillness was resounding, bellowing off the walls and furniture. The candles flickered and their lights danced on the walls, but that was it.

But then...

*Ping*. It was so quiet he thought he might have imagined it, but as Jarod looked up from the minister, he watched before his eyes as a piano appeared in the corner where it might have once stood. Then, the unmistaken music filled the room and he looked at everyone to see if they all heard it as well. From their pale expressions he could tell they had.

�Don�t break the circle,� the doctor warned. �If we don�t break the circle, then we are safe from any harm.�

The music became louder and Jarod could see a woman appear on the piano bench, her long slender fingers gliding gracefully over the keys. She hummed to her tune, her lean body swaying back and forth.

Then a thunderous noise erupted and everyone jumped and looked over at the now open door, staring into the dark pit behind it.

�Oh god, not again,� Jarod heard Turner whisper under his breath and he could feel the man�s grip behind tighter.

One by one, the candles began to flicker, as if something were passing them by. The flickering path lead straight to where the woman and her piano sat, and she immediately stopped her playing and looked up in fear. �I�m sorry,� she whispered. �I didn�t mean to disturb you.�

A terrible hissing began and all the candles began to flicker and whirl. The woman started to plead and she covered her face as the room began to spin, the candles becoming streaks of light as they spun faster and faster.

Jayda gasped, looking away from the surroundings as a wave of dizziness washed over her.

�You must leave this place!� Dr. Brown was shouting. �You must pass on! Leave this place!�

The room roared with anger and the floor shook violently, the four people desperately trying to keep their balance. But, it was all too much for Jayda and she lost her footing, falling to the floor and losing her grip on Jarod and her father�s hand. The circle was broken and Jarod grunted as he felt something hit him in the back. His eyes blurred over in a haze and he could feel control slipping away.

Dr. Brown helped Jayda up quickly, worry gripping his face as the room became more violent. Pictures were flying off the walls and the furniture was sliding from one corner to the other, and the candles were flying through the air, spinning and spinning. Knowing he had to stop it now, Dr. Brown pulled out his Bible, but a hand whipped him across the face and he grunted as he fell to the floor. Looking up, he was surprised to see Jarod standing over him and he pointed a finger down at him.

�*You* leave! This is *my* house!� Jarod bellowed in a voice that was not his own.

Taken back for only a moment, Dr. Brown climbed to his feet and held tightly to his Bible. �You cannot live here anymore! Your place is in the other world! Leave now!�

Jarod took a step towards him, pulling back an arm to hit him again, but Turner and Jayda grabbed him and pulled him back. He struggled against them, pushing Jayda to the floor and spinning towards Turner to punch him. But, before he could, Jayda kicked his legs out from underneath him and he fell to the floor with a thud. Jarod howled in anger as the three collapsed on him, holding him to the floor. He kicked and cussed, trying with everything he got to launch them off him. Dr. Brown pressed his right hand to his forehead, shouting a passage that was in a different language and Jarod whipped his head back and forth, trying to get away from his touch. But Brown pressed harder and shouted louder, nearly screaming the passage over and over again.

Then suddenly, everything dropped with crashes and clatters and the room becoming deadly silent once again. Their ears rung from the absence of sound and Jayda took a deep breath, looking around the destroyed room. The piano was gone and so was the woman she realized, before turning back to Jarod where he laid completely still on the floor. Dr. Brown still had his hand on his forehead and Jarod was staring up at him with wide eyes, his chest heaving as he panted for breath.

�You...,� Jarod whispered shakily to the doctor and then blinked and looked at Turner and Jayda, who were watching him with worry. Brown pulled his hand away and Jarod tried to sit up, but they wouldn�t allow it. �Let me up.�

�Jarod? Are you alright?� Dr. Brown asked.

�I�m fine,� he replied tightly and then paused. �Wait... what?�

Dr. Brown opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when music began to fill the air. Everyone turned and looked at the corner to find the piano there once again and the woman playing her song. She hummed and rocked back and forth, caught in her beautiful song.

Everyone stared at her, but twisted around in surprise when the door shot open again and there were the sounds of footsteps walking towards the piano. The woman stopped and looked up in fear, whispering, �I�m sorry. I didn�t mean to disturb you!�

Then she began to scream and the room began to spin violently, its contents once again being tossed about. Jarod got to his feet with the help of the others and everyone looked around helplessly as the chaos started all over once more.

�It�s happening again!� Turner shouted over the noise, as Jayda stood next to him covering her ears.

�We mustn�t let him get in again!� Brown shouted, holding out his palms. �Do not break the circle.�

They joined hands and held on tightly, their knuckles white with tension. Jayda looked around herself in fear, gasping when a chair flew right passed her, nearly clipping her shoulder. Glass could be heard shattering and heavy furniture scraped across the wood floor. It was like a tornado whirling around in the room and they were directly in the middle of it.

Turner yelped and ducked his head as a vase flew right over it, watching the object shatter against the wall. Jarod clenched his teeth tightly and squeezed his eyes shut, the sound so unbearably loud in his ears.

Then, Jarod�s eyes flew open and he gasped, looking down. All four were raising off the floor, suddenly suspended in the middle of the room. Looking from the horrid faces around him, Jarod looked up and saw a brilliant light above them, which was growing larger and larger. It looked as if it were going to swallow them whole and Jarod squinted up at it, not knowing what to do.

Then, when the sound, the light, everything was about to become too much to bear, it all went black�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Jarod slowly peeled his heavy eyelids back, looking around the silent room. His hands were still firmly clasped by Turner and Jayda�s, all four of them bounded by their grips and laying crumbled on the floor. Carefully sitting up, he pulled his abused hands from them and rubbed his sore neck, studying the destroyed surroundings. They must have been out for a while for sun was poking through the single window, its rays illuminating the wooden floors.

Then something caught his eye and he slowly stood, walking over to where a beautiful black and shiny piano stood. Running his fingers over it to ensure to himself that it was real, Jarod blinked and looked over at the three still laying on the floor in question.

�Unbelievable,� Jarod whispered, looking back at the piano and his breath caught when he realized there was a pair of gray eyes staring back at him. The woman sat on the bench and smiled up at him, before turning to her prize instrument.

She played and played and Jarod watched her, smiling softly and feeling great relief. He watched amazed as she began to fade away, her piano fading as well, but the music remained strong in the room. When she was completely gone was when the three others raised up from the floor, looking around in confusion as the song neared its end.

Jarod laughed softly, realizing after all these years, she finally got to finish her song.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Grumbling under his breath, Turner eased his sore self into the van and shut the door behind him. Jayda opened the side door and loaded up some of her equipment, watching in the corner of her eye as Jarod approached Dr. Brown at his car parked a few yards away.

�You called me Jarod,� Jarod said, staring carefully at the doctor as he opened his door.

Dr. Brown paused and looked up at the younger man. �Yes?�

�I didn�t tell you my name.�

A smile slowly slid over his lips and the old man reached a hand out and put it on his shoulder. �I knew you a long time ago, Jarod. And as odd as it sounds, I�m happy you do not remember me.�

�Why?� Jarod asked carefully.

�We all have demons, but some are just made to be kept in the closet,� Dr. Brown whispered, lowering his eyes. But, his face was lit when he looked up at him again. �I hope you enjoy yourself, Jarod.� Leaning down, he slid his frame into the car.

�Wait,� Jarod said, stopping his door from closing. �You know who I am, but you aren�t going to turn me in?�

Dr. Brown sighed. �Let�s just say I�ve seen enough of the devil for one day.�

Letting his door go, Jarod took a couple steps back and watched him drive away, before turning towards the van and the two awaiting him.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Miss Parker walked into the museum and looked around, before approaching the counter with her two companions a step behind her. The woman behind the desk looked up at her expectantly as Parker pulled out a picture and handed it over.

�Have you seen this man?�

Jayda studied the picture and smiled down at it warmly. �Jarod,� she said, handing it back. �Of course I have.�

�Is he still here?� Parker asked, leaning forward.

�I�m sorry no,� Jayda sighed and then smiled at the three. �But, are you interested in a Lucifer Castle tour?�

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Feedback is a writer�s candy.