Burt ran over to her. “What’s going on?”
“There is something else besides the Waynes in there. A large black mass. It picked me up like I was nothing and threw me towards the stairs. I think it wanted me to leave. I tossed some salt on it and got Cid and Mike down the stairs.”
“Your lip’s bleeding. Go inside and have Ted fix you up,” Burt said.
Mia did as she was told. She was rattled. She’d absorbed too much blackness to shake off the fear. She touched her earcom. “Teddy Bear, I’m coming in.”
She flipped open the small door and let herself into the cool darkness of the command center. The monitors were lit, and Ted had frozen a picture of the mass on the center screen. He turned around, holding the first aid kit, and beckoned her over.
“Let me see that lip. Ouch,” he said as he inspected it. “There goes my birthday present.”
Mia swatted him on the butt. “Cut it out.”
“I see your temper is intact. Let’s do a bone check.”
“Honestly…”
“I said bone, not boner. Get your mind out of the gutter, dear.” Ted moved his hands over her body and lifted the back of her shirt. There was considerable bruising starting. “You’re done for the day. Lay down and ice,” he ordered, sending her to the lounge chair. He sat down and opened the com. “Burt, she’s got massive bruising to her back as if the thing was trying to break her in two. If it wasn’t for those super ribs, I think it would have succeeded.”
Burt shook his head. “Keep her in there. Tie her up if you have to,” he said. “Remember, Mia doesn’t take kindly to being dwarf-tossed.”
Ted turned around, and Mia was gone. She was out the door before he could grab her.
Mia jumped off the truck.
Burt was right there. “Mind if we film the bruises?”
Mia whipped off her shirt and turned around. “Go ahead.”
Burt waved Cid over who rolled film as Burt described the injuries. “She was grabbed by massive hands and squeezed before she was tossed ten…?”
Mia nodded, confirming the distance.”
“Ten feet,” Burt finished.
Mia put her shirt on and turned around. “You want more?” she growled, tugging on her shirt.
“And cut.”
Mia walked over to the cooler and pulled some ice out for her lip. She turned her chair away from the team and sulked for a few minutes. Audrey watched her clench and unclench her hands.
“Mia, are you alright?” she asked.
“Where the hell is Murphy!” she shouted, getting up.
Mike was the first to get to Mia. “Calm down. I know you’re upset, but, Mia, you’re not yourself. You’re super acting out. Look at me, come on.” He grabbed her chin and saw a world of hurt and pain on her face. “We’re here to help you. You don’t have to do it all yourself.”
“Hands. Maggot-ridden hands trying to twist me in half. That can’t stay here. Someone is going to get seriously hurt. There’s a pit around the house. Can’t anyone see that?” She pulled his hands off her face.
“Honey, we can’t. That’s why we depend on you.” He grabbed her shoulders. “Something’s got you overwhelmed. You have to fight it.” The solution popped into his mind. “Friends, Mia, friends.”
It was as if a switch was thrown. Mia’s expression went from anguished to loving.
“Holy shit, that still works. Ted, you can stop pacing in there. Your wife is back,” Mike said.
“What’s going on?” Mia asked, looking around. She managed to ask, “Where’s Murphy?” before her back seized up and she was on the ground withering in pain.
~
Murphy heard Mia shout for him, and he had been trying to get to her. He had gone to explore Buckley Pond and found himself on the wrong side of the ley line. He couldn’t move through it without the line pulling him away from the old house. He retraced his steps and was able to move away from the pond area. He rushed to the old house and arrived to see the PEEPs under the awning, having a serious conversation.
“Hello, Murph,” Mia said evenly from her prone position on the lawn chair. “So nice of you to drop by.”
“I got caught on the other side of the ley line,” he explained.
“Crap, I forgot about that. I may have used your name in vain a few times. Sorry,” she said.
“She was off-her-rocker mad,” Ted said. He lifted the back of Mia’s shirt and laid the ice pack on her back. He sat next to her and put a strong hand on her so she couldn’t rise up.
“What happened?” Murphy asked.
“May I?” Cid asked.
“Go ahead,” Mia said, laying her head down in frustration.
“We went into the house and up to the second story. Mike and Mia successfully communicated with the two young boys. We have film of them playing jacks with the kids. After, we checked out the parents’ room, and Mia found all these shoes lined up in the closet. We were about to look further when a black mass drops down from the ceiling. Mia shoved Mike out of the way, and she was picked up and twisted and tossed down the hall. She managed to get to her salt supply and attack it. It left. Mia ushered us down the steps, and by the time she reached the safety of the command center, she was off her nut.”
“Really, nut?” Mia complained. “I was angry. I wanted revenge, and I wanted to bite it… Okay, I was off my nut,” she agreed.
“Remember when we were all given safety words?” Cid asked Murphy.
He nodded.
“Mike used it on Mia, and she became Miss Mary Sunshine again.”
“That’s Mrs. Mary Sunshine,” Mia corrected.
“Now who’s being pedantic?” Cid said, shaking his head.
“What are we going to do about it?” Murphy asked.
“I was thinking about getting my sword and slaughtering it,” Mia said. “But Ted said no.”
Murphy couldn’t help laughing. She looked so pathetic lying there, pinned to the
