Free The Calling: A Paranormal Mystery Vol. I by Daria Kacie

friend’s yard. 
    “You know I’m not a professional or anything, right?”  said Janet.
    “Who’s professional here?” Lizzy spouted.  “We need to help Tina and I feel that you might pick up on some information that could help us. I feel like my radar is off and you seem to have a natural talent for this.” Lizzy paced the floor in excitement as she talked to Janet and began to see her mish mash of a plan taking some shape.

Chapter 9
    When Greg smelled the perfume in his apartment and felt weird like someone was watching him his first and only reaction was to bolt.  It’s funny how fast a person can move when they are scared. Greg packed a bag for the weekend and was in the seat of his car in 4 minutes flat.  He was fifteen minutes from his parent’s house.   He took a deep breath, Calm down dude! You don’t even believe in ghosts!  His parents, Tom and Deanna Hoskins, lived a few miles out of town.  Greg called his Mother. “Mom? It’s me, your son.”
    “I know who you are Greg, you goof ball!” Deanna said laughing out loud.  “If my caller ID didn’t clue me in, uhm let’s see, my keen intuition as your mother probably recognized your voice!” 
    “I’m coming home for the weekend.” He said flatly.
    Deanna could hear in his voice that he was stressed about something.  “Ok, Son, we’d love to have you.  Is everything all right?”
    “Yes.  Everything is fine, just fine.   My neighbors have just been a little noisy this last few weeks and I’m tired and thought I might sleep better there.”
    “Oh, so the girls are partying harder than the boy these days, huh?” Deanna said with a little sarcasm.
    “I guess,” Greg said quietly.  
    “Are you on your way now?” Deanna asked.
    “Yes, is that ok?” Greg said feeling an odd sense of panic.
    “Of course it’s OK!  We’re just getting ready to run out to Rudy’s for dinner.   If you want to join us then meet us there, we should be there in about 15 minutes.” 
    “Will do, Mom.” Greg hung up the phone and pressed down hard on the accelerator.  He wanted to get as much distance between him and his apartment as he could.  His mind took off like a horse out of the gate.  What was that perfume I smelled? If there really was a spirit in in the building, can we get rid of it somehow? Should I move?” The questions flooding his head simultaneously.
    “Shake it off man!” Greg said out loud.  He reached over and cranked up the radio. Rudy’s Café was just a few miles away and he could relax with his family.  He felt odd and a little light headed but his stomach had calmed down.  He was actually surprised by his reaction to the whole incident at the apartment.  Fear is a funny animal, he thought. When he believed the girls were being loud and inconsiderate he was simply annoyed. When he realized they weren’t the culprits, a cascade of feelings had taken over.  He didn’t think he even believed in spirits or that kind of stuff, but he knew in his gut that those girls were not lying to him.  He wasn’t the one making the noises and he believed them when they told him they weren’t doing it either. He pushed down any guilty feelings about leaving the girls there by themselves.  All he knew is he absolutely had to get out of there.  He pulled into Rudy’s Café on old Hwy 45.  His parents would be there shortly and maybe he would begin to feel normal again. 
    After dinner, Greg followed his parents back to the house.  He had hardly spoken through dinner, which was a complete deviation from his normal jovial, social self.  Tom and Deanna talked about it briefly on their way home and concluded that he must be exhausted from his neighbor’s partying.  
    The three of them walked into their living room and were hit immediately with a strong aroma.  The blood drained from Greg’s face immediately.  The only other person in the room that seemed as shocked and alarmed as Greg, strangely, was his