Chapter 22

"Can you get up?" He asks me with concern.

"Don't know," I reply as I try to sit up while massaging my neck. It feels like it was on fire.

"The kids are on the second floor. Third room to the right. I left them in the care of this Valerie ghost I met."

Using my other foot, I stand up unsteadily while holding onto a nearby sofa. My foot is bruised purple.

"We need to get away quickly," Alex says as he breathes heavily. It must have taken quite a toll on him.

"I called the cops earlier. They will be here soon."

"Miss Lisa!" I hear a faint shout from the emergency stairs. The doors Suddenly open and the three kids enter holding a red flashlight that I had taken from the Kidnapper's base.

"We were so worried! The emergency door was shut so tightly, we couldn't open it." Alice says as they come towards me. I guess that was Valerie's doing. Good.

Upon seeing the lifeless body of Theo on the ground they all gasp and get nervous.

"That's the other guy who helped us! He was a bad guy too!?" Shawn cries, fearfully.

"It's ok. He's dead. Listen we need to get out of here. The men will be-" I say but a loud noise Suddenly cuts me off.

"ALEX! THEY'RE HERE!"

A shabby guy in a brown coat and curly hair enters the lobby straight through the walls indicating that he's a ghost. He goes quiet and stares at us, surprised, clearly not expecting people to be around.

"What were you saying?" Shawn askes confusingly.

"Oh, umm...as you can see I'm having trouble walking, could you please go look for something like a stick?" I grin with unease as I change the topic. The three of them comply and scatter throughout the lobby.

"Who are you?" I turn and ask the newcomer.

"This is Nathan. Met him while I was there. Nathan, this is Lisa, the ghost talker I told you about. Now let's get back to the main point. Look, Nathan is a wandering spirit, Like me. I told him to get any others like us to this exact spot. I have a plan. Is everyone here?" Alex asks the other ghost to which he nods his head.

Then, before my very eyes, several ghosts float inside the big room. The moonlight from the window illuminates them as they stand next to it. 5 or 6 of them I think. There's a shy looking girl with a ponytail, wearing glasses and hiding behind a gentle brown woman wearing a poncho. Identical stoic Twin boys holding hands as their eyes dart around the room. A man with a beard and a cowboy hat eyeing me suspiciously. The last one is a young boy in suspender pants sitting cross-legged while floating upside-down in the air.

"This is the human you told us about," the one in the hat says unamused.

"Yeah. I didn't know she was in such rough shape." Shrugs Nathan.

"It's unbelievable how a highschooler like her is trying to save a bunch of kids from some very dangerous people" the boy floating upside-down says sarcastically.

"So for starters, that boy is Mitch. Those twins are Andy and Randy. The woman in the poncho is Edith. Ponytail girl is Gemma and the cranky man's name is Oslo." Nathan explains one by one orderly.

"Listen. I know we don't even know each other well but please, you have to help us." Alex pleads as he walks up to them.

Is...that his plan? Getting all these ghosts to help us escape? I admit it's a good one but will they agree?

"Do you have a plan?" Edith asks him.

"I do. We all need to keep the men away from Lisa and the kids while they escape. Simple right?" He grins as he spreads his hands apart with enthusiasm.

"It's not always that simple. How do we even keep them away? There are like dozens of them and only 6 of us." Mitch says as he turns back around and lands on his feet gracefully.

"We would like to help of course, since it's about those wretched child traffickers but how do we actually do it?" Gemma asks.

"We take away their guns and spook them!" Alex declares proudly.

None of the others including me seems to be on that page.

"That's ridiculous. We'll be exhausted sooner or later. Then what? They'll just proceed to go after the humans. And based on this girl's condition, she and the kids wouldn't have gone far enough. It's futile, I tell ya" the man, Oslo, says logically. He certainly has a point. I've...become a burden now. I can feel that ball of frustration deep in my chest.

"I found it!" I hear Alice. Everyone looks towards the hallway as a giddy Alice runs out holding a long metal rod and a flashlight. The others follow behind her.

"Great! This is perfect!" I say to her.

Then an idea suddenly hits me.

"Hey, Valerie could be of tremendous help! I've seen her powers, it's definitely what we'll need" I exclaim to everyone.

Everyone in the room, both ghosts and kids, look at me sceptically as I yell for Valerie.

"Lisa, are you ok? Who are you calling?" Shawn asks his friends.

"What if she's going crazy!?" Alice whispers worriedly.

A pair of legs Suddenly emerges from the ceiling as the body moves down slowly revealing a bored Valerie.

"You're right. She could be our trump card." Mitch says approvingly.

"You're quite bossy, aren't you? Just because I helped you once you think I'm your tool or something?" She says angrily as she floats towards me.

"Please. Look, I think the perpetrator you're looking for is someone among the men. So you'll be getting your revenge too." I tell her.

Her pitch-black eyes open wide with excitement as she grins maniacally.

"Ok then. Just tell me what to do." She says joyfully.

I take a deep breath and calm myself. Looking towards the confused and worried expressions of the kids, I lean towards them.

"Look, I'm fine. Just trust me and do as I say. Go upstairs, get everyone and hide in one of the rooms on this floor. I'm going outside to face those men. While I'm with them, leave the building and go to the one next to it. You know where that is, right? Once there, find the kitchen and open the freezer room door. It's a big metal door, ok? You understand?" I ask them. They all silently try to process all the information I've told them and give an understanding nod.

"Wait...face them? No, you need to go with them!" Alex frowns.

"But how are you going to face them?" Harper says at the same time.

"I'm injured. I'll only be a hindrance to the plan. I know of a way to distract them. You should move, quickly. If you find the police then lead them here. Now go!" I say and stand up straight again.

The kids still look worried and want to ask more questions but chose not to and quickly walks back towards the stairs.

"How will you distract them?" Gemma asks softly.

"Depends on you guys actually. I'm just going to get them all in one spot. You guys unarm them and hold them at gunpoint while Val, your role is the most crucial. The black smoke you formed earlier, could it also become a barrier?" I ask her curiously.

She thinks about it for a second "I suppose I could. Never done it before though."

"You do know that our strengths have limits and holding onto-" the man starts to say when out of the blue, the twins, who have been silent this entire time utter in a deep eerie voice.

"The men are here"

Wait...! It's too soon! The kids haven't left yet! I have to think fast.

"How far and how many?" I ask them as Nathan fly out of the building.

"17 and near an old car. They're almost here" the twins say simultaneously.

Valerie gasps and We notice the dark aura surrounding her slowly get bigger.

"It's him! I smell him! I smell him! He's here!" She cheers and grins from ear to ear revealing her sharp jagged teeth.

I have to do this. Now.

Using the rod as support, I walk towards the entrance. The faint moonlight from outside the doorless portal calling out to me from the darkness.

"Are you sure about this?" Asks Alex. His voice was drenched in worry, concern and doubt.

I smile and keep going forward. The rod making a tapping sound every time it touches the floor.

"Yeah. Definitely." I assure him. All the ghosts in the room then float into the air and then moves outside through the wall. Alex, I know you're extremely tired right now but just bear with me a little while longer.

I can hear faint sounds of men coming in this direction along with visible rays of flashlights. From behind me, I can hear the footsteps of the children moving down the stairs.

As I step over the threshold, the cold and dry air hits me making my hair flutter through it like grass in a storm. The throbbing pain in my foot makes me just want to cut it off. I can see the light from the flashlight getting closer.

Taking a deep breath, I step forward, mustering up all my courage and keeping the immense fear locked deep inside my heart.