That kindly old voice was no disembodied serial killer. Instead an old woman long past her years stood on the other side of the door. Thick wrinkles plastered her tan skin, squinted eyes stared up at Nate with warmth. She wore a flannel dress with an apron. The yellow and white checkered pattern matched with the living room.

  “Come now deary, I’ve got a place set for you.”

  “Is it alright if I invite a friend?”

  Nate wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do to play along with a spirit’s delusion. What he did know was he needed Karah to protect him. Containing her foul mouth hadn’t crossed his mind.

  “Oh, my of course dear. I’ll set another place mat.”

  She waddled away toward the kitchen. The living room had been rearranged to accommodate the dining table. Couches pushed to either side of the room, a dog bed lay next to one of them. The table had long since been prepared to receive a huge family. Each seat was ready, yet no one was there. Karah formed right next to his body. She twirled in her dress before clinging onto his arm.

  “This place is fucking spooky.”

  Nate looked at her with an obvious face of No Duh. In the corner a dog bowl lay half empty. An odd sight as the only thing that looked disturbed. All the objects in the room including the food were in perfect condition, meticulously placed.

  “Try not to curse in front of the old lady. Never know how this is going to play out. Maybe, we won’t even have to fight to get a new companion.”

  “Then it kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?”

  She had tempered her voice, how long it would last was anyone’s guess. The old lady came back out with an empty plate and mat in hand. When she looked at Karah she was surprised. Obviously she didn’t feel when she had appeared. Taking it in stride she greeted Karah.

  “My such a lovely little girl. You look so skinny, come, grandma will get some meat on those bones.”

  “Oh, Grandma, you know I’m watching my figure. I’ll eat but only because it's you. Teehee.”

  It was almost worse hearing her speak all cutesy than having her curse. Nate almost wanted to tell her to just act like she was a sailor. At least it would spare him the embarrassment of this twisted game she was playing. Relenting he let her continue with her farce.

  The old woman was none the wiser and smiled happily. Pulling the two of them to sit down before taking her seat across from them. The real world was slowly but steadily following suit to the changes in the spirit world. The table in the real world was one left over by the previous owner.

  “I didn’t think anyone would make it this year. It's been so long since any of the family has come.”

  “Do you know why that is?”

  Nate asked as he put his hand up as Karah tried to take a bite of food. She must have been unable to see beyond the illusion being displayed. The food was rotten, dripping wet with puss. Putrid smells surely wafted unnoticed throughout the room.

  “I’m not sure dear. It’s just good to see the two of you here.”

  “Is that so grandma?”

  Karah spoke happily with that venomous sweetness. Nate could feel the cold edge laying just beyond. Something was setting off Karah in the worst way possible. Grasping at straws he asked the only question that seemed relevant.

  “Where’s the dog?”

  “I’m sorry, dear?”

  The old woman’s smile cracked a bit. Twisting at the corners in irritation. Nate was sure this was what he needed to know. Nothing else was jumping out at him. If he needn’t to search the whole place top to bottom it would save time. Otherwise he saw a long day ahead.

  “The Dog. You have a bed and a bowl. Surely, your pet would be home.”

  Flaring nostrils followed a disgusted frown. She stood from the table. It would have been intimidating if she weren’t so small. Her size was even below that of the diminutive Karah. Shaking hands grabbed at the table cloth. They weren’t in fear, as Nate had expected. He’d assumed it had something to do with the murders but it was anger. That emotion he was oh so close to.

  “Yes, Dear. The DOG. You must put her down. She bit me, your poor old grandma. Whoa is me, how am I to live in such a place?”

  “Grandma, won’t you tell me your cute little guest? Is that everything the bitch has done?”

  It wasn’t lost on Nate what Karah had done. He’d let it pass this time. The old woman covered her face with her hands and began to weep. Bloody red tears spilled down her face as she did so. Nate could only apply it to her being a spirit.

  “That thing, *SNiif* It did this. It caused all that to happen to the family. It's all her fault.”

  “Don’t worry, Grandma. We’ll take care of this, Bitch.”

  Nate tossed a look at Karah but she ignored it. He wasn’t entirely convinced of what was happening. Something about the old woman was off putting, even beyond being a spirit. Still his Teacher had told him to try to finish up quickly. If they finished with Jeb’s list a visit to the neighboring town's market would be in the cards. Nate was excited to experience the world on a necromancer.

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  “As she said. We’ll take care of this problem for you. Where is the dog?”

  “Right down that hallway. It's the door with its name on it.”

  She pointed a crooked finger toward the hallway. One hand remained plastered to her face. The blood was now dyeing the once white tale cloth a murky red. Nate began to walk toward the hall closely followed by Karah.

  “One last question, What's the dog’s name?”

  “Oh, my Dear. Of course its name is Lupita.”

  Down the hall the two walked in silence. As they did so it seemed to stretch on forever. The ominous door at the end dripped with purple miasma. It rolled along the ground in large clouds and gusts. This was the only room with a visible name “Lupita”. Further on they trekked as the hall warped into a large field.

  Grass made from the shag rug rustled in the wind. The walls became distant mountains as the yellow painted crown molding morphed into a ring of sunlight. Karah pulled Nate behind her as she walked. She ran her mouth but his safety was still her top priority.

  “Nate, how is this happening?”

  “I’ve only seen this on a much smaller scale. My other vision isn’t showing the real world. We must at least in some way actually be here. The moment we find the actual hallway I’ll let you know.”

  “Ok, because I think we have company.”

  From the mountains great doors split open. Out from their recesses came the blurring bodies down on four legs. These were no mere dogs. As they approached their full forms emerged into view.

  Black fur cascaded down their bodies, large vicious claws and teeth to match. Wolves. From far away a low long howl split the air; its origin lay somewhere beyond the door. Karah’s smile spread wide. Energy ran out of Nate’s body and into her own. Scales crackled to life, before they had covered some of her face and forelimbs. Now it ran from the tip of her finger to the tops of her shoulders. Her legs still only housing the front facing protection similar to a soccer leg guard.

  “I’m going ahead. Babe, try not to get eaten while I’m gone.”

  With long strides Karah took off in the direction of the closest wolf. They were obviously grade one spirits. Nate didn’t feel he’d need to act at all. His assumption was confirmed almost immediately.

  The wolves structured themselves into three groups. First was the four smaller wolves, that were small only relative to the others behind them. Each still stood at half Karah’s height. Her first opponent lunged directly at her.

  Snapping teeth snatched at her right arm. Its goal obvious to tangle her up and let the others assist. Karah just smiled wickedly, Nate thought she might start laughing out loud. Just as it clamped down tight, throwing its body weight to the side to bring her down, her arm pulled in with a sharp move.

  The first wolf felt its gravity reverse along with the sky and the ground. Karah had thrown her body out, arresting the momentum of the world and slamming it hard into the ground. Teeth popped loose from her scaly and unblemished arm. She looked was the picture of a pitcher having thrown a strike.

  All the while the other wolves hadn’t stopped their actions already in motion. Two had circled and lunged at her heels which were now more exposed. The last had been waiting for a moment to strike and appeared surprised by the girls' display. Wheeling back unlike its siblings.

  As the two lashed out, Karah grabbed the first wolf she’d driven into the ground by its neck. With a grunt she turned on her soles still in a squat position. Sweeping out her wolf club caught the one aiming for her right ankle. This one was black with a white stripe down its spine.

  *Bang**Crack**Slap*

  The struck wolf with the stripe was knocked off its feet hurdling toward its companion. The sound of bones shattering flowed out along with the bodies. Being the slower of the two it managed to jump back. Karah let go of the first wolf, both bodies sailing out to the side. Limbs tangling and snapping as they went. Both of the remaining wolves circled her with caution.

  “I knew you’d be a bunch of Pussies. Who’d even think you were dogs?”

  She cracked her shoulders as Nate shook his head. It was obvious to him what was to come next. Something that would be potently unpleasant for him. He’d have to take note for later, when they trained.

  The two circling wolves were soon joined by the much bigger wolves. They were double in size. The last wolf watched on looming dangerously. Just as they joined the two smaller ones took off in Nate’s direction. As he’d expected.

  The cane stuck the ground as a shimmering light shot out. A twirling silvery dagger struck the wolf that hadn’t fought, it shrieked a blood curdling scream. Body writhing in the sunlight as blood poured from every hole on its body. The other world which had tasted the near miss of Karah took distance.

  With a final puff the struck wolf melted into a puddle of blood. The shag rug was colored a murky black and red color. It would not be coming out with a normal cleaning. This was all only possible using the cane that Wayne had provided to Nate. Separating out one of the souls within the mass that had formed from the hospital spirits he pushed it into the cane. Its functions a host of pre-made spell circles. Each ready at only a turn of the top of the cane’s head.

  The one that Nate used was a basic spirit dagger. Condensing down the form of a spirit into a weapon. He was honestly surprised at the damage the spirit had caused. The dagger was purely physical, the bleeding effect had to be from the soul. As the dagger faded and soul returned he made sure to mark it out for future use.

  Nate presented a strong front but he could only pull that move three more times. After that he’d need the souls to recover. A slow process from how the first one was acting. The various parts from the hospital room had only amounted to four complete souls. For now they would have to make due until he shaped the basement better to accommodate their kind.

  The limited space astounded him. If this is what Dr.White had to deal with then he understood how bad it could be. The limited usage of souls and the time to wait for them to recover. It wasn’t practical for battle that's for certain.

  The last of the young wolves ran back to the largest standing in the distance. Karah grew fed up with their circling and became angry over letting the other two run off. As Nate dealt with them she kicked off the ground. Hurdling her body at the first of the larger wolves. A deep gray rather than the black of the others it didn’t have time to react.

  A powerful right handed punch caved its chest in. Blood and air shot out with fury from its mouth. Slumping to the ground a howl was let loose from the other wolf. As it pounced down in anger from above Karah, two more wolves formed to her sides. These two swiped with their massive claws. Each wolf was now bigger than Karah and it seemed a dangerous situation. Nate was still tied up with the other two at the time.

  *BOOM*

  Karah blocked the slashes with her arms as the teeth of the third came down at her head. Thrusting out she caught the edge of the wolf's mouth with her fingers. The force pushed her back across the shag grass. As she came to a stop the wolf tried to pry its mouth free. It started to make frantic panicked sounds.

  “You tried to target my man!”

  With pull in opposite directions the head snapped back along with a sickening *POP*. The jaw hung wide as she let it fall lifeless to the ground. She popped her own neck giving a quick glance to Nate to confirm his condition. Seeing him fine, her body lost some tension.

  *HOWL!*

  The largest of the wolves now charged out. It had seen enough carnage. Now it would put this human in its place.