Ghostbane

George crouched down, his face serious but calm. "Alright, who's watching?" he asked, his voice low but full of intent. He scanned the room, his gaze sharp.

Nat didn't even flinch at his tone. "Be more polite, you old man," she shot back without hesitation.

George muttered under his breath, a bit annoyed, but he didn't argue. "What do you want me to do?" he grumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on the girl.

Nat moved closer to the girl, sitting down on the bed with a soft grunt. She leaned in, speaking in a calm, reassuring voice. "What is troubling you, sweetheart? Tell these men here; they can help you."

Max, standing to the side with a skeptical grin, raised an eyebrow. "Did I just hear that cunning old lady say 'sweetheart'?" He looked at George, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

George turned to him, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yeah... I think I heard it too." His expression betrayed his surprise.

Max crossed his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. "The ghost is already playing tricks on us," he muttered, a bit too amused by the whole situation.

Nat, without missing a beat, snapped back at him. "Shut the fuck up," she said, her voice as sharp as ever.

Max blinked in mock shock, putting his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay, 🫡."

Meanwhile, the girl, still gripping the blanket, began to shake her head, her lips quivering. "No... No... They can't save me... No one can," she muttered in a voice that barely rose above a whisper. It was full of terror.

Nat's face softened as she spoke again, her tone gentle. "They can save you, sweetheart. Trust them. They're experts." She placed a hand gently on the girl's arm.

The girl's eyes widened in panic, her voice rising as her body jerked, as though fighting something invisible. "No... No... No. Noo. Leave me alone... LEAVE ME ALONE!!" The girl suddenly jumped to her feet, tossing everything in her reach—pillows, the blanket, whatever she could find. Her tantrum was violent, chaotic.

George reacted immediately. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out a small canister, the contents of which he sprayed into the air. The room went still for a moment. The girl's body slumped, her eyes drooping as her resistance melted away. Within seconds, she collapsed back onto the bed, her breathing steady as the sleep-inducing mist took hold.

"Max... Watch over her," George said, his voice firm, though there was a flicker of concern in his eyes. He didn't trust the girl's erratic behavior to settle so easily.

Max walked over to the bed, inspecting the girl. He checked her temperature, placed a hand on her forehead, and then moved to examine her neck. He was as careful as he was skeptical, not sure what to think yet. "She's out cold, but something doesn't feel right," he muttered under his breath.

George turned toward Nat, his voice serious again. "We need to talk," he said, his tone carrying the weight of authority.

Richard stood back, watching as the scene unfolded. His mind raced with questions, but he remained silent for now. He wasn't sure what was going on, but something told him it was about to get a whole lot worse.

As George stepped toward the hallway, he motioned for Richard to follow. "Write down whatever she says in this book," he instructed, handing Richard a small notebook and a pen.

Richard looked at the notebook, his hands slightly trembling as he took it. He nodded, determined to stay focused. "Understood," he replied, his voice steady, though his heart pounded in his chest.

George cleared his throat and turned to Nat. "Since when did she start having these problems?" he asked, his gaze sharp and analytical.

Nat looked troubled, her face wrinkling with the effort to recall. "It's been about five days now..." she said slowly, clearly thinking hard. "She was fine before that. Nothing like this has ever happened before."

George leaned in slightly, his brow furrowed. "Does your granddaughter have any spiritual force?" he asked, his voice deliberate.

Nat hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. "She's a healer, like me…" she said quietly, her voice softening. "But not... not anything out of the ordinary."

George's eyes narrowed. "Did she go into any haunted places? Any areas with strong spiritual activity?"

Nat shook her head quickly, her brow furrowing. "As far as I know... No." She seemed almost defensive at the thought.

George crossed his arms, his mind working behind his sharp gaze. "Do you have any enemies? Someone who would try to harm her?" His voice was steady, yet there was a tension in the air now.

Nat frowned, her expression serious but tinged with confusion. "I'm just a healer. I don't have enemies. No one should want to hurt her."

George's expression softened just slightly, but it was clear that he wasn't finished. "Listen closely, Nat," he said, his voice growing serious. "Your granddaughter is on the verge of being possessed. We need to deal with this ghost before it can fully take over."

Nat's face shifted to concern, though she didn't speak immediately. After a long pause, she finally spoke. "Well, then kill the ghost," she said, her tone direct and resolute.

George sighed, his face hardening. "It's not that simple," he said, almost tiredly. "To kill the ghost, we need to locate it first."

Nat blinked in confusion, looking between George and Richard. "Locate it? Isn't the ghost already here?" she asked, the confusion evident in her voice.

George's eyes hardened as he answered. "This appears to be a long-range ghost. It's not just hanging around here—it's hiding. We need to track it down before it's too late."

Nat stared at him, still processing. "How do you plan to do that?" she asked, clearly skeptical but willing to listen.

George glanced at Max, who had returned to examining the girl. "Ask Max," he said. "He's the brain around here."

Nat sighed, her shoulders slumping in frustration. "Okay… I'll trust you. But I want answers."

With that, she walked back into the room, her face drawn in worry.

George turned back to Richard, his voice softer but still firm. "Did you write everything down?" he asked, glancing at the notebook in Richard's hands.

Richard quickly flipped through the pages, showing George his notes. "I did," he confirmed, his tone a little more nervous now.

George gave a nod of approval, though his expression remained serious. "Good. Let's go inside. We have work to do."

George motioned for Richard to follow him into the room, his expression darkening as he stepped inside. Max was still inspecting the girl, looking for any signs that might indicate what kind of spiritual force they were dealing with. His hands were steady, almost clinical, as he checked the girl's pulse and body temperature. But then he seemed to linger, almost unnervingly, in areas that made Richard cringe.

Richard entered the room just in time to see Max hovering near the girl's lower body, an eyebrow raised, his fingers brushing lightly over her pant leg. Max looked like he was in the middle of some kind of examination, but Richard couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in his gut.

"Max…" Richard started, his voice uneasy, "What exactly are you doing?"

Max looked up, clearly unfazed, and with a grin that made Richard even more suspicious, he said, "I'm just checking for anomalies, dude."

Richard's eyes narrowed as he looked at Max, his mind racing. "Anomalies? What kind of anomalies?"

Before Max could respond, George stepped forward, his tone sharp. "MAX! What the hell do you think you're doing?" George's voice wasn't loud, but it carried authority, and Max immediately straightened up, looking a little too innocent.

Nat, who had been standing there, still, frowned. "What is he doing?" she asked, her face a mix of confusion and concern. Richard could feel the tension building in the air, and the heavy silence that followed only made it worse.

Max, his face suddenly serious, put his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, I can explain," he said, his voice soft but deliberate.

Richard wasn't buying it. He crossed his arms and scowled. "You better explain it well, Max."

Max hesitated for a moment before speaking, his tone shifting to something more serious. "The girl... her lower body is cursed. The source of the possession seems to be rooted in an unusual curse."

Richard's brow furrowed, confusion spreading across his face. "Cursed? How?"

Max glanced at Nat before answering. "It's... well, it's not just a simple curse. There's a chance it's connected to her... well, her having sex." He shifted uncomfortably, clearly aware of how absurd it sounded.

Richard blinked in disbelief. "Wait—what? You're telling me that she's cursed because of that?"

Max sighed, clearly frustrated with how hard it was to explain. "I know how this sounds, but yes. The curse likely comes from an encounter where sexual energy became intertwined with a powerful, lingering spiritual force. The ghost that's haunting her... it's not just any ghost. It's been feeding off her energy."

Richard opened his mouth to argue, but George beat him to it, his voice calm but authoritative. "He's right," George said, locking eyes with Richard. "The ghost's curse can linger in the most unexpected places, especially when sexual energy is involved. It's one of the most powerful and dangerous ways for a spirit to latch onto someone."

Richard turned to Nat, his eyes wide.

Nat's face remained unreadable, but her lips tightened. She didn't speak immediately, her gaze falling to the floor as she processed Max's words. When she did speak, her voice was low and tight with emotion. "Are you accusing her of having a relationship with someone?" she said, her tone defensive but not angry. "But if something has attached itself to her... I need to know how to stop it."

Max nodded, his expression serious now. "That's why we need to get to the bottom of this. There's a chance that questioning her friends, or even finding out if she has any relationships, could lead us to the cause of the curse."

Richard felt his stomach churn. "But how does something like this even happen? How does sex lead to a curse?"

Max sighed again, clearly exasperated. "I'm not a damn expert on every curse that exists, but I've seen things like this before. A powerful entity—usually one with a twisted or malicious intent—can latch onto the emotions, the intense energies, generated during sex. It's vulnerable in that moment, and if the spirit is strong enough, it can attach itself and use the person as a vessel."

Richard's mind raced as he pieced it together. He still didn't fully understand it all, but one thing was clear: they had a dangerous ghost on their hands, and things were more complicated than they initially thought.

"Okay, so now we go after this ghost, right?" Richard asked, his tone anxious but determined.

George spoke up, his voice unyielding. "Not so fast. We need to track it down, and that won't be easy. Max's ability to detect anomalies will be key here. But before we move forward, we need to question the girl."

Max stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the unconscious girl. "We need to find out where she's been, who she's been with, what might have triggered this."

Nat's voice broke through the tension in the room. "You think my granddaughter... is involved with some kind of malevolent spirit just because she might have... had a relationship?"

George nodded gravely. "It's more complicated than that. And the only way to stop it is to uncover the truth."

The room fell into an uneasy silence as the weight of their task settled in. Richard stood still, feeling the pressure mounting. He had a bad feeling that things were only going to get darker from here

The tension in the room was thick as everyone processed the weight of their next steps. Richard stood with his arms crossed, his mind spinning. What Max had said about curses and ghosts connected to sexual energy seemed almost too bizarre to be real, but the look on George's face told him otherwise. There was no time to second-guess; they had to figure this out.

Max stood by the door, clearly itching to start the investigation, while Nat hovered near the girl, her expression unreadable. Richard could feel the pressure of the situation, his pulse quickening. This was no longer a simple ghost-hunting job. They were dealing with something far more sinister, something that had wrapped itself around the girl in a way they hadn't expected.

"I don't like this," Richard muttered under his breath.

Max glanced at him and smirked. "You're not the only one, man. But we've gotta face it head-on. Ghosts don't wait for you to be ready."

George cleared his throat, signaling that they needed to focus. "We need to question her, but not in the usual way. We can't just barge in and expect her to open up. She's in a vulnerable state right now, and we need to be careful."

Richard nodded, suddenly feeling the weight of responsibility. This wasn't just about hunting ghosts anymore—it was about protecting someone who didn't fully understand what she was dealing with. The girl wasn't just a victim of a ghost; she was caught in the middle of something dangerous, something that was already threatening to take control of her.

"I'll take the lead," George said, his voice steady and authoritative. "I've dealt with possession before, and I know how to approach it. We'll start by asking the girl gently, see if she remembers anything unusual. If she gets agitated, we'll back off and regroup."

Nat looked at him, her face tight with worry. "You're sure this will work? We can't just let her suffer like this."

George gave her a reassuring look, though it was clear that even he wasn't entirely confident. "We'll do everything we can. We have to know what we're up against."

Max stepped forward, rolling his shoulders as if preparing for something physically demanding. "While you do that, I'll go over her room. If there's any trace of the ghost's energy lingering, I'll find it."

Richard's mind raced as he tried to process everything. He wasn't sure if he was ready for what was coming, but he knew he couldn't back down. Not now. Not when someone was depending on them.

With a nod from George, the team moved into action.

The room was dimly lit, the only sound the soft hum of a ceiling fan spinning lazily above them. The girl lay unconscious on the bed, her face pale and drawn. Nat stood by the door, her hand resting on the frame as she watched them closely. She seemed calm on the surface, but Richard could tell she was holding back a storm of emotions.

George walked to the side of the bed, his movements slow and deliberate. He crouched down beside the girl and whispered something under his breath, an incantation meant to put her at ease and bring her out of the unconscious state. For a moment, there was no change, but then the girl stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open.

She looked around the room in confusion, her breathing shallow and rapid as if she had just woken from a nightmare. Richard could see the fear in her eyes, the sense of helplessness that made her seem far younger than she really was.

"Hey there," George said gently, his voice soft and reassuring. "You're safe. You're not alone. We're here to help."

The girl's eyes widened, and she shrank back against the pillows. "No... No... please... I don't want to—"

"Shh, it's okay," George continued, his tone never wavering. "We're not here to hurt you. We just need to ask you a few questions."

Max hovered nearby, his gaze flicking between the girl and the rest of the room. He could tell that the atmosphere was tense, and though he wasn't directly involved in the questioning, his mind was already working, calculating every possible outcome.

Richard took a step forward, trying to look as non-threatening as possible. "We need to know if anything unusual has been happening to you lately," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "Have you seen anything strange? Heard anything you can't explain?"

The girl looked between them, her face twisting in fear as if she were caught in a web of confusion. "I don't know... I don't know what's happening to me," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I hear things... feel things that aren't real..."

Richard felt a chill run down his spine. This wasn't just a haunting—it was something much darker. The girl was already showing signs of possession, and it was spreading fast.

"Anything in particular?" George pressed. "A place? A person?"

The girl's breathing quickened again, her eyes wide and panicked. "I... I don't know. I don't know! It started after I went out with my friends... but nothing strange happened. I swear!"

Max turned to George, shaking his head. "She's not lying," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "There's something more to this. The spirit is playing with her mind."

George nodded, his expression darkening. "We're not getting the full picture. It's hiding something, and it's trying to keep her in the dark."

As the girl continued to tremble on the bed, Richard couldn't shake the feeling that they were running out of time. Every moment spent here, questioning her without concrete answers, was a moment the ghost had to deepen its grip on her.

"We need to get to the source of this," George said, turning to the rest of the team. "Max, search the room. Richard, stay with her. Don't let her out of your sight."

Richard nodded and sat by the girl's side, his heart pounding in his chest. This was just the beginning, and he knew it wasn't going to be easy.