Taylor knocked as calmly as she could on Stella’s door, not wanting to draw too much attention to the fact that she was scared as hell. Maddy and Aiden were waiting out of sight with Mama Severina, leaving Taylor to try and gain entry by herself.
It was Mac who opened the door.
“Taylor?” His eyes narrowed.
“Hi Mac,” she greeted, trying to be cheerful as she practically barged past him into Stella’s apartment. “Is Stella around?”
“She’s in bed already,” Mac told her, still not looking happy.
“She won’t mind if I go and see her,” Taylor told him as she started to head in the direction of Stella’s bedroom.
Mac grabbed her wrist. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he told her.
“Mac, you’re hurting me,” Taylor winced as he refused to let go of her arm.
“I’m not Mac,” Frankie/Mac hissed, “But I think you know that.” He yanked her arm, pulling her back to the door, pinning her against it.
“Mac!”
Frankie/Mac slapped her. “Stop playing games, Taylor. We’re both well aware of who I am.”
Taylor nodded as best she could against the hand that was wrapped around her throat. “You’re right,” she gasped. “I do know who you are. And I’m here to stop you.”
“You can’t stop me,” Frankie/Mac laughed.
“Maybe not by myself,” Taylor told him, a smile creeping across her face, despite the tightening grip.
“Don’t tell me you brought that pretty-boy detective with you,” Frankie/Mac scoffed.
“Oh no,” Taylor gasped, the smile still there, “I brought people who could actually hurt you.”
Before Frankie could work out what was happening, Aiden came flying through the door, through Taylor, and launched herself at Mac’s body, knocking him away from Taylor.
Taylor sank to the ground in a coughing fit as she watched Aiden engage in a mini-battle to pin Mac’s body to the floor, without actually hurting him. Frankie didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let that happen, as he thrashed Mac’s body around. Taylor leapt to her feet and opened the door to allow Mama Severina in.
Mama Severina was armed with a book, a cross, and a bottle of what looked like water, but Taylor suspected was more likely to be holy water. “Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei.” Mama Severina cried as she threw the water over Mac’s body. It began to steam where it hit, and Mac, or Frankie (Taylor couldn’t quite tell) began to scream in pain. “Patris omnipotentis, et in noimine Jesu, Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus. Sancti, ut descedas ab hoc plasmate Dei, quod Dominus noster ad templum sanctum suum vocare dignatus est, ut fiat templum Dei vivi, et Spiritus Sanctus habitet in eo.”
Mac’s body began trembling under Aiden’s weight
“Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem!” Mama Severina finished in a roar, as, in a cloud of black smoke, Frankie came rushing from Mac’s body.
As Mac’s body slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap, Taylor dashed over to make sure he was alright. Frankie launched himself across Mac’s body and towards Taylor, but Aiden got there first, knocking him away, and disrupting half of the things on Stella’s counters as he did.
“What the hell is going on here?” Stella cried as she ran into the kitchen at the sound of crashing furniture.
From her position over Mac, Taylor turned to face Stella, “Stella, get back in your bedroom, NOW!” she roared. Stella took one look at Mac, Mama Severina, and her belongings which were going flying around her room by a seemingly invisible force and nodded, backing away.
“Mama Severina,” Taylor yelled. “Finish this, before it gets out of control!”
“Child, if I complete this, there is a chance that Aiden will go with him.”
Taylor froze, watching the two spirits battle with each other. Aiden was busy dodging fists as she punched and kicked Frankie around the kitchen.
“DO IT!” Aiden shouted.
“But-!” Taylor tried to object.
“Taylor, just do it,” Aiden told her through gritted teeth.
Taylor nodded at Mama Severina. “Everto , EGO exorcise vos. Licentia is universitas quod take vestri malum vobis!” Mama Severina cried.
“I love her!” Frankie yelled. “I love her!”
“Licentia is universitas, quod nunquam reverto!”
“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Frankie disappeared in a puff of fire, still firmly attached to Aiden.
“Aiden!” Taylor cried, sinking to the floor in sobs.
“What’s the matter?” Aiden asked, cheerfully, appearing behind her, her once perfectly immaculate white suit showing some burn marks.
Forgetting she was a ghost, Taylor leapt to her feet and hugged the poltergeist. “You’re alright.”
Aiden hugged her back. “It’s gonna take a lot more than that-”
“Aiden!” Mama Severina scolded. “I will not tolerate language like that around me.”
Aiden grinned cheekily, “Sorry.” She glanced down at her outfit. “Huh,” she shrugged. “I wonder if we have a dry cleaners.”
“Is he gone?” asked Maddy as she appeared through Stella’s closed bedroom door. “Because Stella is freaking out in here.”
Seconds later, Stella burst out of her room, a large packed bag in her hand. “Taylor, what the hell is going on in here?” she all but shrieked as she realized that items were no longer flying around the room by their own accord.
Taylor hurried over. “Stella, I think we should sit down a minute.”
“I don’t want to sit down,” Stella told her. “I want to know why there were things flying around my room, why Mac is lying unconscious on my floor, and why there is a strange woman brandishing a cross in my kitchen?”
“Detective,” said Mama Severina. “The Child here has just saved your life.” She walked over to Stella, taking her away from Taylor, and much to Taylor’s surprise, sat Stella down. “The man on the floor was possessed by an evil spirit.”
“Frankie?” Stella whispered, a shiver running down her spine.
Mama Severina nodded. “You are safe now, though. Frankie is no longer here.”
Stella looked around the apartment, her eyes finally settling on Mac. “Mac?”
“He’s fine,” Taylor reassured her.
“He will have a headache and remember nothing when he reawakens,” Mama Severina confirmed.
“We should get him off the floor and wait for him to awaken,” Taylor sighed.
“No, Child. You have a final job to do.”
Taylor stared at the witch doctor and nodded, not asking anymore questions. The look in Mama Severina’s eyes told her that whatever the next job was. Stella didn’t need to know. “Stella, will you be alright?”
Stella nodded. “I’ll watch Mac.”
Taylor smiled and headed for the door, followed closely by Mama Severina. “I’m sorry, Stella,” she told the curly haired detective, before leaving. It wasn’t until they were outside that Taylor asked what the next job was.
“You have to destroy his bones.”
Taylor gaped at her. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”
Mama Severina smiled patiently. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
“Well, why do I need to do that?”
“I think you already know the answer to that, too.”
Taylor nodded with a sigh, heading to the nearest subway station.
It was Mac who opened the door.
“Taylor?” His eyes narrowed.
“Hi Mac,” she greeted, trying to be cheerful as she practically barged past him into Stella’s apartment. “Is Stella around?”
“She’s in bed already,” Mac told her, still not looking happy.
“She won’t mind if I go and see her,” Taylor told him as she started to head in the direction of Stella’s bedroom.
Mac grabbed her wrist. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” he told her.
“Mac, you’re hurting me,” Taylor winced as he refused to let go of her arm.
“I’m not Mac,” Frankie/Mac hissed, “But I think you know that.” He yanked her arm, pulling her back to the door, pinning her against it.
“Mac!”
Frankie/Mac slapped her. “Stop playing games, Taylor. We’re both well aware of who I am.”
Taylor nodded as best she could against the hand that was wrapped around her throat. “You’re right,” she gasped. “I do know who you are. And I’m here to stop you.”
“You can’t stop me,” Frankie/Mac laughed.
“Maybe not by myself,” Taylor told him, a smile creeping across her face, despite the tightening grip.
“Don’t tell me you brought that pretty-boy detective with you,” Frankie/Mac scoffed.
“Oh no,” Taylor gasped, the smile still there, “I brought people who could actually hurt you.”
Before Frankie could work out what was happening, Aiden came flying through the door, through Taylor, and launched herself at Mac’s body, knocking him away from Taylor.
Taylor sank to the ground in a coughing fit as she watched Aiden engage in a mini-battle to pin Mac’s body to the floor, without actually hurting him. Frankie didn’t seem to be in any hurry to let that happen, as he thrashed Mac’s body around. Taylor leapt to her feet and opened the door to allow Mama Severina in.
Mama Severina was armed with a book, a cross, and a bottle of what looked like water, but Taylor suspected was more likely to be holy water. “Exorcizo te, omnis spiritus immunde, in nomine Dei.” Mama Severina cried as she threw the water over Mac’s body. It began to steam where it hit, and Mac, or Frankie (Taylor couldn’t quite tell) began to scream in pain. “Patris omnipotentis, et in noimine Jesu, Christi Filii ejus, Domini et Judicis nostri, et in virtute Spiritus. Sancti, ut descedas ab hoc plasmate Dei, quod Dominus noster ad templum sanctum suum vocare dignatus est, ut fiat templum Dei vivi, et Spiritus Sanctus habitet in eo.”
Mac’s body began trembling under Aiden’s weight
“Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum, qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, et saeculum per ignem!” Mama Severina finished in a roar, as, in a cloud of black smoke, Frankie came rushing from Mac’s body.
As Mac’s body slumped to the floor in an unconscious heap, Taylor dashed over to make sure he was alright. Frankie launched himself across Mac’s body and towards Taylor, but Aiden got there first, knocking him away, and disrupting half of the things on Stella’s counters as he did.
“What the hell is going on here?” Stella cried as she ran into the kitchen at the sound of crashing furniture.
From her position over Mac, Taylor turned to face Stella, “Stella, get back in your bedroom, NOW!” she roared. Stella took one look at Mac, Mama Severina, and her belongings which were going flying around her room by a seemingly invisible force and nodded, backing away.
“Mama Severina,” Taylor yelled. “Finish this, before it gets out of control!”
“Child, if I complete this, there is a chance that Aiden will go with him.”
Taylor froze, watching the two spirits battle with each other. Aiden was busy dodging fists as she punched and kicked Frankie around the kitchen.
“DO IT!” Aiden shouted.
“But-!” Taylor tried to object.
“Taylor, just do it,” Aiden told her through gritted teeth.
Taylor nodded at Mama Severina. “Everto , EGO exorcise vos. Licentia is universitas quod take vestri malum vobis!” Mama Severina cried.
“I love her!” Frankie yelled. “I love her!”
“Licentia is universitas, quod nunquam reverto!”
“Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!” Frankie disappeared in a puff of fire, still firmly attached to Aiden.
“Aiden!” Taylor cried, sinking to the floor in sobs.
“What’s the matter?” Aiden asked, cheerfully, appearing behind her, her once perfectly immaculate white suit showing some burn marks.
Forgetting she was a ghost, Taylor leapt to her feet and hugged the poltergeist. “You’re alright.”
Aiden hugged her back. “It’s gonna take a lot more than that-”
“Aiden!” Mama Severina scolded. “I will not tolerate language like that around me.”
Aiden grinned cheekily, “Sorry.” She glanced down at her outfit. “Huh,” she shrugged. “I wonder if we have a dry cleaners.”
“Is he gone?” asked Maddy as she appeared through Stella’s closed bedroom door. “Because Stella is freaking out in here.”
Seconds later, Stella burst out of her room, a large packed bag in her hand. “Taylor, what the hell is going on in here?” she all but shrieked as she realized that items were no longer flying around the room by their own accord.
Taylor hurried over. “Stella, I think we should sit down a minute.”
“I don’t want to sit down,” Stella told her. “I want to know why there were things flying around my room, why Mac is lying unconscious on my floor, and why there is a strange woman brandishing a cross in my kitchen?”
“Detective,” said Mama Severina. “The Child here has just saved your life.” She walked over to Stella, taking her away from Taylor, and much to Taylor’s surprise, sat Stella down. “The man on the floor was possessed by an evil spirit.”
“Frankie?” Stella whispered, a shiver running down her spine.
Mama Severina nodded. “You are safe now, though. Frankie is no longer here.”
Stella looked around the apartment, her eyes finally settling on Mac. “Mac?”
“He’s fine,” Taylor reassured her.
“He will have a headache and remember nothing when he reawakens,” Mama Severina confirmed.
“We should get him off the floor and wait for him to awaken,” Taylor sighed.
“No, Child. You have a final job to do.”
Taylor stared at the witch doctor and nodded, not asking anymore questions. The look in Mama Severina’s eyes told her that whatever the next job was. Stella didn’t need to know. “Stella, will you be alright?”
Stella nodded. “I’ll watch Mac.”
Taylor smiled and headed for the door, followed closely by Mama Severina. “I’m sorry, Stella,” she told the curly haired detective, before leaving. It wasn’t until they were outside that Taylor asked what the next job was.
“You have to destroy his bones.”
Taylor gaped at her. “How the hell am I supposed to do that?”
Mama Severina smiled patiently. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
“Well, why do I need to do that?”
“I think you already know the answer to that, too.”
Taylor nodded with a sigh, heading to the nearest subway station.
* * *
Taylor walked wearily into the morgue, thankful that only Marty was there.
“Taylor, are you alright?” Marty asked, his voice full of concern as he noticed her distraught expression.
“Not really,” she admitted. “I need to ask you something.”
Marty was over by her side in an instant, seating her on a stool. “What?”
“Has Frankie’s body been claimed?”
Marty frowned. “Come again?”
Taylor took a deep breath. “I’m going to tell you something, Marty, and it’s going to sound crazier than anything I’ve ever told you.”
“Go on,” Marty encouraged, pulling up a stool beside her.
Taylor raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Frankie came back, as a ghost, to me… but then he disappeared. And I mean in a ‘Maddy and Aiden couldn’t find him’ kind of way.” She took another breath. “We found him eventually. He had possessed Mac, and… well, he going to kill Stella – Frankie through Mac, I mean. And then we did an exorcism.”
There was a long pause as Marty processed what she had just said, “I think that made sense. But how does that relate to Frankie’s body?”
“I need to destroy it.”
“You what!” Marty exclaimed.
Taylor turned to look at him. “Whilst he still has that body in one piece, he still has ties to this Earth.”
Marty stared at her for the longest time, and finally sighed. “Don’t say I don’t ever do anything for you,” he muttered as he headed over to the office and disappeared inside, reappearing several minutes later with some paperwork.
“His body hasn’t been claimed. It was going to be dealt with by the city,” he frowned as he poured over the paperwork. “Alright, I’ll let you claim the body.”
Taylor bit her lip. “Could you do something else for me?”
Marty looked up from the paperwork and frowned. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a favour that I really shouldn’t agree to, but will do anyway?”
“I don’t know the name of the procedure, but I know it’s possible to strip the flesh and such away from the bones…”
Marty looked away. “You know, I think you are one of the few people I can’t say no to,” he muttered. “It’s going to take a while.”
“I’ll wait,” she told him quietly. “Thank you.”
“Taylor, are you alright?” Marty asked, his voice full of concern as he noticed her distraught expression.
“Not really,” she admitted. “I need to ask you something.”
Marty was over by her side in an instant, seating her on a stool. “What?”
“Has Frankie’s body been claimed?”
Marty frowned. “Come again?”
Taylor took a deep breath. “I’m going to tell you something, Marty, and it’s going to sound crazier than anything I’ve ever told you.”
“Go on,” Marty encouraged, pulling up a stool beside her.
Taylor raised her eyes to the ceiling. “Frankie came back, as a ghost, to me… but then he disappeared. And I mean in a ‘Maddy and Aiden couldn’t find him’ kind of way.” She took another breath. “We found him eventually. He had possessed Mac, and… well, he going to kill Stella – Frankie through Mac, I mean. And then we did an exorcism.”
There was a long pause as Marty processed what she had just said, “I think that made sense. But how does that relate to Frankie’s body?”
“I need to destroy it.”
“You what!” Marty exclaimed.
Taylor turned to look at him. “Whilst he still has that body in one piece, he still has ties to this Earth.”
Marty stared at her for the longest time, and finally sighed. “Don’t say I don’t ever do anything for you,” he muttered as he headed over to the office and disappeared inside, reappearing several minutes later with some paperwork.
“His body hasn’t been claimed. It was going to be dealt with by the city,” he frowned as he poured over the paperwork. “Alright, I’ll let you claim the body.”
Taylor bit her lip. “Could you do something else for me?”
Marty looked up from the paperwork and frowned. “Why do I get the feeling this is going to be a favour that I really shouldn’t agree to, but will do anyway?”
“I don’t know the name of the procedure, but I know it’s possible to strip the flesh and such away from the bones…”
Marty looked away. “You know, I think you are one of the few people I can’t say no to,” he muttered. “It’s going to take a while.”
“I’ll wait,” she told him quietly. “Thank you.”
Originally posted 08/09/2006