To Be Continued...with Robin Renee Ray

 

Beware the Dybbuk

By Robin Renee Ray

Part Eleven….Part One of the Conclusion

                                          

          Cindy went up a few steps of the basement, holding her arms as the pain of being tied began to subside. It was now the fear of what her brother was doing and why he wasn’t rushing up and away from the madness that could be back at any second. “Mike?” she whispered as she leaned down trying to see what he was doing. “Mike?”

          Mike stepped out to where she could see him and pointed for her to get up the stairs, he smiled as reassuringly as he could then turned back to the secret door hidden under the staircase. He wasn’t sure what the glow was but knew he had to look where it had gone back through where they had found the wooden chest. No sooner than he opened the door, a gust of stale wind and dust blew out of where no wind should be. Reaching into the darkness, he felt something wrapped in cloth. A bang slammed into the wall behind him and he grabbed it and ran for the stairs. And without looking behind him, he ran up to where his sister stood and closed the door.

          “We have to find the others,” Cindy said as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

          Mike took her in his arms. “We will sweetie, then we’re getting the hell out of here.”

          “What were you doing down there?”

          “I just had a feeling that I had to look where that glowing went, and I found this.” Mike held out the wrapped object.

          “What is it?”

          “Not sure, we can look after we find the others. But I think it has something to do with what’s going on. Come on, but stay right behind me, if that crazy son of a bitch tries anything…” he paused, took her hand and squeezed it lightly. “Everything is going to all right, I promise. He will never touch you again.” What he wanted to say was that he would kill the monster and would if he had the chance.

          Sam heard the basement door close and made Gabby follow him into the room where they had stacked the boxes. They both heard the crazed old man moan then shuffling of feet. Both froze fearing he would walk around the corner at any second to finish whatever he had started at the top of the stairs. Looking around he saw his bat by the foyer door and went to get it, getting pulled back by Gabby who was shaking her head. Sam pointed at his bat and nodded, pushing her hand away.  He moved slowly up to the entrance then quickly reached out and grabbed it. Moving back by his sister he readied the bat to hit anything that came through the door.

          The sounds of movement had Sam gripping the bat, ready for the beast to come through. He saw the shadow grace the entrance and ran out and swung the bat hitting something solid. It was then that he heard his youngest sister scream and ran out to finish the job to save her. What he saw made him drop the bat and fall to his knees. Mike lay sprawled out with Cindy leaning over him.

          “Oh shit, I thought…”

          “Oh my God, Mike,” Gabby cried rushing to his side.

          “I didn’t know,” Sam said as he got down on the ground beside him. “I thought he was that man that attacked us.”

          Gabby took Cindy in her arms and broke down crying. “I was so scared.”

          “That man took me to a little room in the basement, but Mike saved me and now he’s…he’s.”

          “I’m not dead babe, I just have one hell of a headache,” Mike moaned.

          “Mike!” Sam threw himself on his older brother. “I’m so sorry.”

          “It’s okay little man. I would have done the same thing.”

          “He’s gone,” Gabby gasped as she looked back where Harold had fallen.

          Mike sat up holding the side of his head, looking to the area where Sam and Gabby were staring. It was then that he noticed the blood on Sam’s face. He looked at Gabby and could see she had had her share of the horror that was caused by the demented butler. He got to his feet and picked up the bat. “We have to do something before that son of a bitch comes back. We all stick together no matter what.”

          “Mike, show them what you found.”

          “What are you talking about, Cindy?” Gabby asked.

          “Here,” Mike handed the cloth wrapped object to Sam. “We need to lock ourselves in our room until we come up with a plan. We’ll see what it is, up there.”

          “What if he’s up there? What if the other thing is up there?”

          “What other thing, Gabby?” Cindy asked as she looked around.

          Gabby looked over at Sam who shook his head. “It’s nothing baby girl. Let’s just do what Mike said.” But the look she gave her oldest brother told him that it wasn’t just nothing. They all helped Mike get to his feet and began up the staircase.

          “Hey, hold up just a minute.” Sam moved Mike’s arm over to Cindy’s shoulder and then took off back down the stairs.

          “Sam, what are you doing?” Gabby reached for him but was too late.

          “We need the bat. If that creepy old man comes back around I’m going to crush his head in.”

          After Sam had the bat and was back up to where his siblings waited on the steps, doors on the first floor started slamming. As soon as he was close to the others a strange wind rushed up behind them from the hallway. “Hurry,” Mike yelled and they all ran into the boy’s bedroom. “What the hell?”

          “How, there wasn’t enough time,” Gabby glanced back at Sam, who was spinning around looking for any danger that might be coming in behind them.

          “All of my clothes are torn to shreds,” Cindy complained as she picked up one of her ruined shirts.

          “It looks like all of our things are destroyed. Sam, get in here and close the door. We have to block it so nothing can come in until we figure out what we’re going to do.”

          Mike waited on his younger brother to give the staircase and the hall closest to them one more look before he took him under the arm and pulled him into the room. All four started stacking things in front of the door. The bed was too heavy for them to move so they used the chairs and the smaller of the two dressers. The girls stopped shoving the last that could be carried to the door when they noticed Mike and Sam staring at something.

          “That’s how he got back in here without the two of you seeing him,” Mike spoke as he walked up to the hidden door that was behind the dresser they had moved.

          “He didn’t have time, Mike. He was down on the foyer floor just seconds before you and Cindy stepped out. I can’t believe you didn’t see him.”

          “Beware the Dybbuk,” Sam whispered. “It had to be what was in the box we found and it got after that butler somehow.”

          Gabby rushed over to where she had laid down the wrapped object that Mike and Cindy had found. She, nor anyone else told Sam to stop talking about the stories they had all been told, because they now believed some sort of evil was happening. “It’s a book, but nothing like I have seen before.” Gabby picked the leather bond book up and opened the front cover. “Sara Bernstein ~ eighteen forty seven. This must have been Lady Bernstein’s grandmother or aunt?”

          “This is all stupid. We all know there isn’t anything like what dad has told us about, but Mike and I can tell you who is doing all of this. To talk about a bad spirit or demon is a little over the top when we have all dealt with Mr. Grey.”

          “You weren’t the one hanging in midair with an invisible whatever yanking out your hair and slapping the shit out of you. And none of that started until we found that horrible wooden chest.”

          “She’s right Cindy, it hit me also when I tried to help her. That happened before we had our encounter with gross face. The way he looked makes it hard for me to believe that he would be fast enough to slam doors on both of the floors, or two or three at one time.”

          “He’s right…Sam’s been right all along.” Gabby walked over and set down in the middle of the floor at the foot of the bed. “Sara and her sisters put that thing in the box with a warning that it should never be opened. It says the Dybbuk was released by a witch to curse the Bernstein family.”

          All of the siblings walked over and sat close to Gabby as she continued to read. “It says here that Sara’s husband was the first to be attacked by the demon known as the Dybbuk and started doing things out of the normal. Oh my goodness, it says his eyes were as red as blood and then shortly after his body showed signs of turning into the walking dead. A servant of the evil.”

          “What does that mean?” Cindy asked, scooting closer to Mike.

          “It means that he’s falling apart. That’s why the flesh pulled off of his face when I hit him.” Sam looked over at Gabby and nodded.

          “We saw him talking to thin air like someone or something was sitting there in front of him. I knew then that there was something wrong with the man, but when he fell to the ground…” Mike paused, remembering.

          “His body was all twisted and he moved like he was being electrocuted. He just flopped around while his body looked like it was deformed.”

          “It was, Cindy,” Mike looked down then over at Gabby. “How did they put that thing in the box?”

~ῲ~

            Blood pooled under the motionless form of Harold Grey, in a dark space between the walls that he had used for many years. “Yes, yes I will but stop screaming at me,” he moaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “How can I kill them if you keep harming me?” Blood poured from his nose when he leaned forward to use the wall in front of him, to stand. Harold pinched one side of his nose then blew out hard, spraying bits of flesh with the thick red liquid on the dust covered passageway. He touched the side of his face while wiping the gore from his lips. “What have you done to me?” he yelled and threw himself forward, running down the dark space somewhere in between the first and second floor.

          A bright golden glow appeared as soon as Harold stumbled out into the small room off of the main basement, where he had first brought Cindy then soon after, Mike. The oldest male was the one he wanted the most, but the screaming voice insisted on the youngest boy’s life, saying he was too pure and could harm them both. Harold raised his hand not knowing if the glow was from the one who controlled his actions, or something altogether different.

          “How dare you bring danger to my kin, Harold!”

          “Lady Bernstein,” he bowed his head, sniffling the constant drip of blood that came from his nose. “I only wanted things to be right and they were coming in to destroy your things. I could not allow that.”

          “You never were a good liar. And because you are so weak you have allowed the Dybbuk to use you only to discard your remains after.”

          “It promised me I would get…” he paused, lowering his eyes.

          “My estate and all that goes with it? The demon lies as well and will do anything to become a part of the living world. You are already dead you just haven’t realized it yet. You rot like a carcass on the side of the road and yet you still believe all will be made whole.”

          “I was the one who cared for you, not those who have gained what should be mine. It was me that held you when you were too sick to hold up your own head.”

          “You were also the reason I became so ill. They may never know of the poison you put in my food, but you will pay for it in the world of the Dybbuk for all eternity.”

          Harold’s back bowed and a horrific, guttural cry escaped as he dropped to the ground and started writhing in agony. He reached out as the glow backed away then disappeared through the ceiling of the basement. “Please,” he cried. “I’ll do anything you ask.” The sound of Harold’s backbone cracking, rang out. Once again he reached out but then collapsed.

 

The final conclusion next week…