Staring up at the old warehouse, I contemplated what I was about to do. I was back, and being moments away from finding out if it'd been a ghost I'd seen the night Zil had gone inside with me, or just my imagination, I was apprehensive.

"These arm fasteners should keep the recorders in place – my contribution to your cause," Rhys said as he finished strapping mine to my arm and inserting one of the recorders snuggly into it. He turned, and with the second recorder already inside of it, I strapped the other fastener to his arm. He reached into his backpack and, keeping the EMF detector for himself, he handed me the thermal. "I don't know if it's intentional or not, but you've been too quiet tonight, like you're trying to set the stage – and it's creeping me out."

"Set the stage for what?" I asked.

"For this place. It's spooky, or haven't you noticed?"

"You're the one who suggested we come here."

Scrutinizing the warehouse, he muttered, "Yeah, but now that we're here, I'm not so sure about it. But," he added quickly, "if you'd rather go to Cortland Bridge, I'm fine with that."

"It's no place for mortals,"

He smiled. "Let me guess ... it's a passage into Zil's world." When I didn't answer, his smirk began to fade. "Ashe?" Then, his eyes narrowed. "Are you ... serious?"

"I didn't say anything."

"It was what you didn't say that gave it away ... and you took me there! Is this another way into Zil's dimension?"

"His 'dimension' is called the Underground, and no, it's not." Unsure if I'd just lied. I turned on my flashlight and grasped the door's rusty handle. "Hero or coward."

"I vote coward and we leave."

I pulled the door open, and its loud creak nearly made me rethink my decision of going back inside. Keeping my guard up, I entered, with Rhys right behind me.

We both jumped at the door's loud slamming shut behind us. Cursing under my breath, I shone my flashlight around as the sound carried throughout the massive structure.

"Something about this place doesn't feel right," Rhys murmured.

He was right. It felt ominous. But because nothing had happened yet to validate his feelings, and mine, I didn't suggest we leave.

We'd only taken a few cautious steps forward when Rhys halted. "What's that?"

Deeper within the eerily quiet warehouse, a light glinted. Curious to know why nobody had called out, or started toward us, if it was a signal for help by someone who'd been injured, or if the source wasn't human at all, but supernatural, I started slowly in the direction.

Rhys took my arm and stopped me. "Not a good idea. You don't know what's causing that."

The flashing stopped. I waited to see what would happen next. Within seconds, the strange blinking started again, much faster than I knew was humanly possible – and then, unexpectedly, the EMF detector's shrill alarm started, making Rhys almost drop it.

With the blaring noise continuing, the EMF lights added to the chaos as they began to pulse rapidly in a disorderly pattern. Suddenly the device shut off completely – and immediately popped back on again, flashing wildly and mimicking perfectly the mysterious light further in.

"Why is it doing that?" Rhys asked, holding it away from himself.

"It's only supposed to do that if something supernatural is close," I muttered. "We've found our proof. This place is haunted!"

Despite how isolated we were, or how unwise it might be to draw attention to ourselves, especially if the ghost wasn't friendly, I called out, "Is someone in here?"

I shuddered at the sound of my own voice.

In the distance, and from the EMF, all flashing ceased, and the signal quit its noise. Gradually, my echoes faded and the warehouse fell silent.

"Let's get out of here," Rhys whispered. Without waiting for me, he started for the door. As I started to follow, something in the dark moved behind us. We turned, but our flashlights weren't strong enough for us to see if it was nearby, or further in. Keeping watch of our surroundings, I said quietly to him, "Hold out the EMF. Let's see if it picks up on anything."

Reluctantly, Rhys did. For a few tense moments there was no activity. Then, all of its lights came on – and stayed on. Its signal shrilled, but only briefly after something nearby clanged loudly and stopped.

"I don't like this, Ashe."

"I'm not afraid – let me see you!" My voice echoed.

Rhys moved closer to me. "Speak for yourself."

With my hand shaking, I held the thermal tightly and slowly moved it side to side as I stared fixedly at the screen, trying to find the source of the noise. Tall pillars, a debris-covered floor, yellow, jagged lines forming the outline of a broken wall ... but then ...! Gliding away from us, and just starting to take human shape, was a small, filmy, blue figure! Equally wanting to run out of there as much as I wanted to stay and try to get up the nerve to make contact, I whispered to Rhys, "I can see it."

"Okay, you got what you wanted – you've seen it. Now, let's go!"

"No, Rhys. That," I said, pointing, "is why we're here."

"I don't see anything."

I held the thermal so he could see the blue object, too.

His eyes widened, but he kept quiet.

As I looked back at the thermal detector's screen, I could see out of the corner of my eye two of the EMF lights flicker and then die out. Before the spirit could leave without me first trying to communicate with it, I turned on the recorder strapped to my arm. I whispered to Rhys, "Start recording."

"Already there," he murmured back.

Watching the figure closely through the screen, and hoping to capture its voice, I raised mine. "We're not here to hurt you. We're here to see if you need closure."

The ghostly, bluish hue seemed to move back to the left, as if it'd turned, but then stopped and began to dim. Hurriedly, before it disappeared, I called out, "What's your name? Can you talk to us? Do you need help?"

Very quietly, Rhys said, "All of the EMF lights are on, the highest they can go. I think he, she – it ... is trying to answer you."

I took a step forward, away from Rhys – and the ghost shifted. Through the screen, I caught sight of the face ... it was a little boy! With my heart pumping, I looked up ...

My breath caught. I could see him clearly ... and without the use of the thermal detector!

He opened his mouth, but no sound escaped. Barely keeping calm, I asked, "Can you say it again, but louder?"

He began to dim – and then disappeared. "He's gone," I murmured.

"That little ghost put out a lot of energy. The lights stayed on until he vanished."

I glanced over at the EMF detector. "What's it at now?"

"Zero."

Looking back to the place where I'd just seen the small apparition, I said, "EMF readings, thermal outline, and an actual sighting! I just hope his voice was captured!" I turned to Rhys. "We can't just let this go."

"I disagree. I say we can."

The sudden noise of the EMF as it began to whistle again caused me to take a quick step back and Rhys to almost drop it. Rhys' eyes widened drastically as he stared past me, pointing. "Ashe, look! I think something over there just moved!"

"What was it?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure I'm going to end up hating you for it."

I turned. Something shadowy was moving along the fallen wall. "Little boy? Have you come back – or is someone else in here with you?"

"I hope it's the boy," Rhys muttered.

Something made a pinging sound. Even with the flashlights, it was too dark to see where it'd come from. Rhys tapped my shoulder and pointed to the door, indicating that we should leave. Then, the sound happened again. As Rhys shined the flashlight around, I used the thermal ... and noticed something purple and small bouncing along the floor toward us. Finally, it came into view. I looked from the thermal's screen and watched as a pebble hit my foot, rolled between us, and stopped before it would've struck the wall – just like what happened before with Zil!

Another strange sound started. Instinctively, I looked deeper into the warehouse, to where I'd seen the mysterious light. It wasn't on, but the noise was growing louder.

"What's that whirring sound? It sounds like it's close," Rhys said, shining his light around.

"I don't know," I whispered. I looked back at the thermal detector's screen. "I don't see anything." Suddenly a large, orange object came onto the screen. It was getting bigger – it was flying straight at us! "Down!" Dropping the device, I grabbed Rhys and pulled him with me to the ground.

We huddled together as the thing sailed over our heads and smashed into the wall behind with enough force that chunks of plaster and brick broke free and rained down on us. As the echoes of the impact rang out, and then gradually began to die away, I lowered my arms to shine the flashlight's noticeably weaker beam to see what it was.

A bent, elongated piece of metal!

Again, I peered out into the pitch darkness of the warehouse to see if anything else was about to come at us. I saw nothing, heard nothing.

Spooked by how still everything had become, I whispered to Rhys, "Let's go."

We stood and started for the door.

I stopped in mid-step when I heard a grating sound against the dirty cement floor, and grabbed Rhys' arm. Sounding panicked, he said, "What was that? Please tell me you moved something with your foot!"

"No." Searching frantically, I caught sight of the same metal piece that had nearly hit us, slowly rocking back and forth – on its own! Unable to tear my eyes away, I watched its pace increase until it was nearly a blur, thumping so hard against the ground that the concrete began to chip and crack. Suddenly, it launched straight up into the air, halted, and then flew sideways, out of view! Terrible noises, sounds of crashing and banging, reverberated throughout the old building before it landed heavily onto the floor and skidded to a halt.

Even with limited experience with the paranormal, I knew the metal pipe wasn't possessed. Something supernatural had made it happen.

The EMF's lights popped on. The panel began to flash wildly again. At the exact moment it happened, the strange, distant light came on brightly and began to respond in tandem.

"STOP!"

Except for my echo, the EMF alarm stilled and the lights went off, leaving us in darkness again.

Rhys was headed for the door. "I'm leaving!"

Forcing myself to stay put, I struggled to sound unaffected as I called out, "It's not working! You don't scare me. We're just here to ..."

A cold wave went through me, preventing me from saying more. It passed, but before I could fully recover from the disturbing sensation, I was hit by another wave, followed by another, and another ... I shivered involuntarily. As the last icy ripple passed, a noise, like bees buzzing, started in my ears. I began to feel disoriented and weak. I murmured, "Rhys ..."

"If I say I'm afraid, can we go?" When I didn't answer, he sounded worried. "Ashe – what's wrong?"

"I feel ... strange." I started towards him, but something I couldn't see was in the way of me reaching him. I clumsily stepped to my right to get around it, but still couldn't. I then staggered to my left – that way was blocked, as well. Confused by what it could be, I shined the flashlight. "Rhys, do you see anything? It feels like a wall's here."

Suddenly shoved hard in the center of my chest, and with nothing there to prevent it, I stumbled and fell backwards over a pile of brick and wood, and onto something sharp that pierced my right shoulder. Fighting panic and straining to see in the darkness the thing that had touched me, I started to get up. But before I could, something cold coiled around my waist and began to squeeze so hard that when I opened my mouth to scream, it died in my throat. Brutally, I was dragged sideways, across the floor ... and thrown! Without a way to stop myself, I rolled onto something hard, hurting my right leg.

"Ashe!" The dull beam of Rhys' flashlight zigzagged as he raced to where I was lying on the floor. Reaching for me, he sputtered, "Get up – we need to get out of here!"

His distress was contagious, but as much as I wanted to admit defeat and run, I refused. Rhys was scared – and as difficult as it would be, I had to be strong for us both.

"No. That's what it wants us to do." I took his hand, and he helped me to stand. "Give me the thermal. I want to see where it is."

Just as Rhys handed it to me, I heard a sound I didn't like and eyed him warily. "Why did you just growl?"

In a near whisper, he answered, "I didn't."

"Then, if that wasn't you ... what was it?"

"AH!"

I shrank back and stared after Rhys as he was jerked backwards off of his feet, catapulted into the air, and came to an abrupt stop. A moment's pause was all either of us had to understand what had happened before he started to fall ... and landed face-down a few feet from me. Then, in a sickening display of the harm the spectre had committed against him, the flashlight fell from above, landed beside Rhys, and whipped around to shine on him.

My whisper was barely audible, "Rhys?"

He didn't respond and his eyes stayed closed.

"No, no, no!" Fearing the worst, I staggered over to him as quickly as I could and clumsily knelt beside him. "Rhys?"

He slowly turned his head. He opened his eyes and moaned, "That – hurt, but I'm fine."

I breathed out, "Oh, my God – you're not dead."

"Not yet. Is it gone?"

I glanced around. "I think so."

With him holding his side, we worked to pick ourselves up from the floor. "Ashe, it obviously wants us gone, so let's listen to it and finally leave!"

We turned to start for the exit ...

Someone was there. I cried out and stumbled backwards, into Rhys. "What the –?" he stammered.

With a look of stern solemnity, the woman said, "You must leave this place of vicious unrest. It has been awakened and you will be harmed."

I couldn't believe it – she was the same weird woman I'd seen coming from the woods the night I went looking for a place to hang out inside of Cemetery Raven!

Gone – she'd vanished!

Banging noises, and then echoes, started up again from the depths of the building ... and continued to grow louder, as if they were getting closer. Rhys flung the door open. We exited – and came to a halt. She was there, looking as if she'd been waiting.

Behind us, the door slammed shut.

Just as I started to demand to know who she was, Zil was there.

"Whoa!" Rhys exclaimed, jumping back. "What the hell is going on – and where did you come from?"

Zil addressed the woman. "Thank you for coming." He turned to me. "I could hear your thoughts and came immediately."

Clearly feeling uneasy, Rhys asked, "You can do that?"

Zil gazed at him darkly. "Yes, and I suggest you watch yours." He leaned in toward Rhys a little closer. "Especially because I feel the same about you."

I'd hardly taken my eyes from the mysterious woman. "Who are you?"

"I am Zaamee," she answered calmly. She turned to Zil. "Though it remains inside, the ghost can still gain its energy from their fear. For their safety, they need to be cleansed of its touch."

Rhys asked, "Did you just say ..." He turned to me. "Did she just say, 'Zombie'?"

Zil narrowed his eyes at Rhys. "No, you fool. Her name is Zaamee. She is a revered woman of the higher spirits within the Underground, and I will not accept you making rude comments. Shut up and stay ... leave voluntarily – or," his faced hardened, "be involuntarily put back into that building."

Zaamee said, "Zil, you know where to take them." She looked at the warehouse and then back at him. "Tomorrow night."

"He's not touching me and I'm not going anywhere with him!" Rhys exclaimed, but she was gone.

Zil turned to me. "Why did you come back here without me?"

I ignored his question. "You know her?"

"Yes. She is a part of my world."

"And Zaamee's a ..." I paused while Zil looked at me in silence. "Ghost?"

He nodded.

"But she looks mortal."

Inside the warehouse, sounds of destruction began again. Just like Cortland Bridge, its appearance was deceiving, and both housed something dangerous that held a grudge against the living. I instantly moved a few steps away while Rhys had already separated himself from the building, and us, by a few feet.

"You are injured," Zil said.

"A little. My leg was hurt, but I'm fine," I replied.

He glanced at my shoulder. "You are bleeding." Before I could question if he remembered his promise not to hurt me, he said, "You are not in danger – from me."

Ready to get his mind, and mine, off of my bloodied shirt, I said, "Zil, what's in there? I saw a boy and then something attacked us."

"A boy, his mother, and a priest are inside. They are being held by the entity you encountered."

Speechless at first, I blurted out angrily, "Did you know about that ... thing the night we were here?"

"I did not. I was only made aware of it tonight when Zaamee told me."

"But you're part of the Underground! How could you not know these things?"

"Before that night, I had no reason to be here, and so I never came."

His answer frustrated me. "Zaamee said we needed to be cleansed. Cleansed of what?"

"To handle something of this magnitude, a cleansing is necessary and will help to ensure your safety against that beast." He added knowingly, "When you return."

"So if we don't come back, we won't need a cleansing?" Rhys asked.

Zil said, "It is more complicated than that. It is impure and it has touched you. The cleansing is crucial."

"If that ghost is impure, then what are you? How do we know this isn't a trick to get our blood?"

Zil glowered at Rhys. "It would be best not to speak so freely with me, because if I wanted your blood, no trick would be necessary. I would simply take it – without your consent. It is solely because of Ashe that I have not done anything to you – yet."

"Enough of the scary for one night – both of you!"

His menacing of Rhys over with, Zil offered, "Chere, if you like, I will take you back to your house."

Rhys didn't want Zil there, and given what we'd both just gone through, and his being injured too, I wouldn't abandon him to walk back alone. "Thanks, but I'll stay with Rhys."

"I do not feel comfortable leaving you without protection. I will walk with you," Zil said.

I leaned closer to him and whispered, "If you do, Rhys will be more freaked out than what he already is."

Zil side-glanced him and then looked back at me. "Fine, but only as long as you do not go back inside."

"We won't. I can promise that even if she can't," Rhys said eagerly.

Zil shot him a hard look, and then was gone.

"Eavesdropping?" I asked.

"He's a vampire. Wouldn't you?"

I didn't blame him. Being that Zil had openly voiced his dislike of Rhys, his comment was valid and understandable.

"Hey, have you seen the recorder I had?" Rhys' holster was empty, but my recorder had somehow stayed strapped to my arm. We both glanced back at the warehouse.

Looking like he'd just taken a hard punch to the stomach, Rhys said, "Damn – it's at the door. Where are the EMF and thermal