Chapter 18

The ghost hunter, an old woman with a stern expression was moving around Regan's house with a hint of purpose. Her hair was a mess of black tangled curls and she was wearing a long sleeved black dress that reached down her ankle along with stiletto boots of the same color. 

On her neck there was a silver necklace with what looked to be animal's teeth. Regan didn't know what to think about it. Her dress had also a belt adorned with weird symbols and two long chains carrying the animal's teeth, running from her waist down her dress.

Her wrists were filled with bracelets of the same symbols.

Vesper was downstairs, enjoying herself on the couch, sipping at her drink with a careless expression.

"So you're saying that this 'ghost' leaves roses in your bed?" the ghost hunter, Ruxena asked, her eyes narrowing as she took in the details of Regan's room. She lit a stick with a lighter and began to wave it. Regan held her breath, the smoke filling her nose.

"Yes," she said, swallowing hard, "and they're not normal roses. They seem from another world. They have sharp thorns and a scent that makes me very dizzy."

Ruxena nodded, "I understand. But you know that that's anything but romantic, right?"

"I never said it was," Regan muttered, not even bothering to link anything with that word, "It's more like a threat. A warning."

"Do you have any of these roses?" the ghost hunter asked, focusing on the flame of her stick.

"No," Regan shook her head, "I always throw them away. But....but I don't think it's just a ghost," she added, unsure.

"I'm not specialized only for ghosts, you know," Ruxena replied, looking at her, "And in your case, you might be right. The fact that you've seen him and felt it like that, and those roses.... that's not the usual ghostly stuff. Do you live alone?"

"No, I live with my aunt."

Ruxena nodded slowly, her eyes narrowed, "And your aunt has never complained about it, right? She has never seen or experienced anything of this?"

"Yes," Regan replied, "she doesn't believe me. But she saw the roses. And thought they were from some boy from school."

The ghost hunter didn't say anything for a moment. She waved the stick in each corner of the room. Then she approached Regan's bed.

"We might be dealing with a demon, a powerful one," she said, her voice calm, way too calm.

"Demon? Like....like from hell?" Regan exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock.

"No, not necessarily," Ruxena shrugged. "They're not only from hell. And you said the man's handsome, correct?"

Regan nodded awkwardly. She hadn't mean to call him that but Ruxena had forced her to describe things in detail.

The ghost hunter waved the stick strongly that time and the flame flicked off. Her eyes lingered on Regan's pillow. "There," she said, pointing at it, "it's the only trace of dark energy I've picked so far."

Regan's heart skipped a beat. What did that mean? That he was invisibly lying on her bed? She knew he had heard her when she described him, but she hadn't used the word at all, Ruxena had said it.

"What does that mean?" Regan asked, fidgeting with the hem of her sweater.

"It means," Ruxena said as she rummaged through her old bag, "that's we've checked your entire house by now, and that's the only spot with energy. When houses are haunted, they usually have traces of energy on their whole, not just on one spot. And I can also feel the same energy coming from you."

"So?" Regan crackled, her voice trembling slightly.

"So, I don't think it's about the house," the ghost hunter said and sat on the bed, "It's about you."

Regan's blood ran cold. She had thought about it before, that she was haunted, but hearing it like that was another story.

"But why?" she asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

Ruxena gave her a small smile, "Don't worry, I've seen worse. I've seen people who've been possessed and they've been in far worse situations than you. They've attempted suicide, been violent to others, or gone completely mad. You're still standing in shape and that's a good sign."

Regan released a breath, Ruxena's words making her feel a little less worse. Just a little. Why she was haunted? Why....possessed?

"Okay, but why....why am I haunted?" she asked, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice, "And where did this demon come from?"

Ruxena stood up from the bed, her eyes narrowing, "He might've taken an interest on you. In a way you've never thought. I mean, it's more than just a normal demonic possession. The words he says in your dreams, the roses and the fact that he watches you asleep, that means it's something else."

Regan's heart raced. Interest in her? Well, she knew that wouldn't be for good. But why her?

"What type of interest?" she asked, fear gnawing at her, but also eager to know more.

"I can't say anything for sure," the ghost hunter answered, her expression thoughtful. She remained quiet for a moment that stretched so long, too long that Regan felt the room spinning around her. "Sometimes it's about the appearance. Sometimes it's about the essence of the soul. Based on what you've described, it could be the latter."

Regan's heart pounded rapidly. Demon? Essence of the soul? What did all that even mean? It was hard to believe it, but after everything that had happened, she didn't have doubts anymore. She wanted to change the subject. "And what's the difference between.... between these entities?"

"The difference is easy," Ruxena said, "ghosts don't interact with the physical world the way demons do. I mean, what's haunting you could easily appear in the living room for your aunt to see. But he doesn't want to. They have powers. Invisibility as well."

Regan's mind raced. It was scary, terrifying. She didn't know what to do.

"And what now? What am I going to do now?"

"I'm going to give you some herbs to keep around the house," Ruxena said reassuringly, looking through her other bag. "You're going to place them around here and where you sleep. And you're going to spray yourself with that," she said, taking out a vial from her bag. It was filled with a green liquid. "Just like you use perfume, use that instead. It smells good and keeps the evil sources away. I'm also giving you my phone number, you can call when you wish."

Regan nodded, still fidgeting with her hands as the woman scribbled something on her notepad. At least she knew something more now, not like the psychotic stuff her aunt was interested in. She paid Ruxena for the service and before the woman she would leave, she turned to Regan.

"Don't tell her anything about this," she whispered, her voice tight with warning.

"Whom? Vesper?" Regan asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"Yes, don't tell her about the demon. Just don't tell her what happens anymore, okay?"

"But....why?"

"Because I don't like her," Ruxena answered with a frown.

Regan nodded slowly, "Okay, I won't. Thank you."

She left then and Regan followed her downstairs. Vesper was still there, sipping at her coke and watching a movie.

"So what did you find?" she asked Ruxena with a knowing smirk.

"Just haunting," Ruxena replied tersely, "I gave the girl some things and she's going to use them."

"What things?" Vesper raised an eyebrow.

Ruxena sighed, "Just some herbs and stuff. To cleanse the house."

Vesper's eyes narrowed but then she nodded. "Fine, I guess we'll say goodbye then," she said, standing up from the couch. Regan was still there, her mind racing.

"Reg, I have to leave too," Vesper said, turning to her, "I've got some work to do."

"Yes, it's okay," Regan said with a shrug. She saw t

hem leave, her heart pounding in her chest. She couldn't get it, why Ruxena talked that way about Vesper?