Nae's Nest

Part 1 -The Spirits

A few spirits decided to wonder down to earth.  They were bored with traveling aimlessly through the hemisphere.  They were lost souls with nothing to do.  The most dangerous kind.

They were circling a neighborhood which had caught their eye.  It is a very large house up on a hilltop that was old and spooky in style.  As an added bonus there is a family living inside.  Perfect! Thought, Ulcer the most disgusting of the group.  Carrion, the biggest and the meanest of the group, dived down to get a closer look.  He looked in a window and noticed boxes in the house.  When he peeked in another, he saw a hideously attractive woman unpacking a box.  There was a disgustingly adorable little girl helping her.    He checked window after window, the more he saw, the more interest he had.  Finally, in the last window, he saw a nasty looking man with a pesky boy unpacking boxes in the barn.

The Waldbin House

Carrion went to his soul mates.

He said, “The house is perfect!  It is exactly what we need.  It has lots of nooks and crannies which are perfect hiding places.  The cellar is huge, cluttered, dark and damp and the barn is even better!

Carrion, the self-proclaimed leader of the spirits, aka the "Alpha Male"

A table and a picture suddenly appeared.  Carrion whips out a pen and got to work drawing lines all over the picture showing the others all of the perfect areas they have to choose from to scare the family out of the house.  That is the goal–to scare the family out of the house.   The spirits have no personal attachment to the house.  They want to make the family leave, simply because they were bored and desperate for fun.

The sun is rising, and the plans are complete.  The creatures crawled under some nearby rocks to get some sleep.  Tonight they would begin their fright!

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Part 2-The Family

The Waldbin family were busy unpacking.  They just moved into an old beautiful house a couple of days ago.  Mrs. Waldbin, Edna, was going through family pictures to hang in the stairway.  Mr. Waldbin, Stanley thinks she is crazy, pointing out he will be fixing the house up and all the pictures will be coming down.  Edna shrugged and said, that’s no excuse. Our house can look nice until you start the project.  He shook his head at her and went out to the barn with his son, Vic.  Stanley was busy in the barn stripping paint off the doors to the house.  He has 4 doors completed.  Underneath all that paint, he discovered the doors were solid hickory, very rustic and beautiful.  He had half-a-mind to hang the doors up now, just to prove his point to Edna.  However, it wasn’t worth causing an argument, so he and 8-year-old Vic, got busy stripping another door.  Stanley did most of the work, and Vic was his gopher.  Although, he allowed Vic to use the sander and strip some of the paint when Stanley took  small breaks.  This gave Vic some bragging rights for his friends (Yeah, I helped restore the house, you should have seen how bad it was.  I did the all of the doors!).

Meanwhile, Edna could not decide where to put the pictures, and she grudgingly decided Stanley was right.  So, she and little 4-year-old Shevi went into the kitchen.  Shevi ate Cheerios while Edna unpacked the last of the kitchen wares.  She was wondering what to fix for dinner.  Something easy and not to time-consuming.  She decided on tacos and put the meat out to thaw.

Edna was in front of the kitchen window putting some measuring cups away when she thought she saw something in the corner of her eye.  She looked directly out the window.  There was nothing there….hmmmmmm, she thought.  She kept looking out and had a chilling sensation someone was looking at her.  Just as she was about to convince herself she was nuts,she heard something fall to the floor.n  Shevi starting crying she said she was scared.  Edna asked what she was scared of, Shevi said, “The milk flew ober my head by itself and slashed out all ober me!”, she cried.

Just then, Edna felt that cold chill slither down her spine again.  She shook it off, telling herself that Shevi just said that so she wouldn’t get in trouble for spilling the milk,  She looked at Shevi, who was looking at her with a pitiful, pouty lipped, teary-eyed, absolutely adorable face.

Edna said, “Shevi, go upstairs and jump out of your clothes.  Get your bath toys ready, I will be right up to give you a bath.”

“Oh goodie!  Can I have wats of rubbles?”

“Yes you can!”

As soon as Shevi heard Mommy say “Yes”, she was racing up the stairs, half-naked.  Edna empty the last box of a handful of things labeled ”kitchen”.  Then up the stairs she went.  Shevi was running around butt naked looking for her baby, saying she needed her hair “wasped”.  Edna started to run the bath water.

Stanley yelled up the stairs, “Edna? You up there?”

Edna went to the top of the stairs, “I’m giving Shevi a bath”.

“Have you seen the band-aids?” He asked

“Yep,  I put them in the cabinet next to the fridge.  What happened?” said Edna.

“Strangest thing, I was using the sander on a door, suddenly it caught fire!”  he looked at Edna, shaking his head.  ”I didn’t get a burn, I tossed the thing out of my hand so fast, it didn’t have time to burn me”, he laughed.

Shevi yelled, “Mommy!”

Stanley went on to say, “I ended up slicing my arm on the pegboard.  I am going to go back to the barn to put that board up.  I should have done so before now.  I shouldn’t have had nails sticking out of it either.”

“Daddy, Mommys busy wif ME!  You come back later. We are doin womans things now.”  Shevi yelled.

Edna said she needed to get back to the “boss lady”

Stanley chuckled and headed over to get that band-aid.

Hours later, the kids were in bed. Stanley and Edna were snuggled together on the couch.  Edna told Stanley about that strange feeling she had  while in front of the kitchen window and how Shevi  reacted when the milk was spilled.  Stanley didn’t say anything.  Edna looked up at him and asked what was on his mind.

He told her more about the incident with the sander.  He said he felt a strange sensation also.

“It was creepy-like, it made my hair stand on end”, he said.

He felt “creepy” while using the sander.  He said Vic was putting things away on the pegboard.

“Then all of a sudden, Vic yelled out.  I looked over at him to ask what was wrong.  Vic cried, Daddy that screwdriver floated in the air all by itself and put itself away on the peg board.”

“I didn’t know what to say to him.  I didn’t want him to know I was creeped out too.  I didn’t say much and went back to my sanding.  That’s when it caught fire!”

Stanley and Edna just looked at each other.  Each absorbing what the other had said  They didn’t know what to think.  After a while, they decided to go to bed.

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Part 3 – The Introductions

“You Moron, I have to do the thinking for all of us!  You hear me?  You are ALL useless!”  Carrion yelled at his companions.

He glared at the others.  There were 5 in all:

Follicle, she is moody.  She will make her face vanish when she is upset, embarrassed or hiding.  She can never figure out why the others always find her.

All of the spirits have the ability to change their appearance, however they can not change their sex.

This particular group of spirits were kicked out of the realm.  They have been banned.  They are doomed to haunt earth.  They are not permitted to wonder to any other planets, but they do not care.  Those would be dull too.  They are limited in spirit abilities when not in the realm.  The realm provides much more freedom.

Next we have Caesar, he likes to think he is “elite” and “cultured”.  In reality, he is more like Thurston Howell The Third from Gilligan’s Island.

Caesar & Isis

He is always with his cat.  Though he refers to her as feline and will correct anyone who says “cat”.  He is also insistent his cat, Isis is a rare breed, boasting there are less than 50 in the entire world.  He claims she is a Mysticat.  Carrion, believes Caesar made up the entire story to impress everyone.  He is a known liar afterall.  He also has sticky fingers.  He will steal anything, no matter what it is.  He claims he has a “magnetic” personality.  These objects find him irremediable and they are actually stealing him!

A clear picture is beginning to emerge.  It is becoming clearer how and why these spirits were banned from the realm.

Even Isis is an oddball-furrball.  She actually likes Caesar.  Although, they do quarrel over who is smarter.

Isis being from the realm, can speak.  She can read and write.  She can do nearly everything any spirit can do except feed and care for herself.  Actually, a cat from the realm could do these things, but they choose not to.  They believe the spirits are here to serve them and are “beneath” them.

Lets see this brings us to Ulcer, so aptly named because he will eat anything.  He has been known to

chase Isis with knife and fork in hand when Caesar is not around.  Fortunately, for Ulcer, the other spirits could care less if he caught the uppidty-up cat.  Fortunately, for Isis, when Caesar catches Ulcer chasing his “poor poor baby”, Caesar beats Ulcer in the way spirits do.  Caesar swears he would kill Ulcer if only he weren’t already dead.

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Finally, we have Chaos.  His mystical skills are very advanced.  In fact, his skills were more advanced the many who are in the realm.  However, he is young.

Carrion being older and more experienced, is the alpha male.  However, one day very soon, Chaos will most likely make aggressive demands to be leader of the pack, eventually Chaos will win.

In which case, Carrion’s rank will go down a notch, however, he will e revered as an elder and former leader.  He will always be treated with respect and his opinion will be valued.  Well—as much as possible with a group like this.  3 in the group are nearly invalids when is come to their minds and actions.

Carrion crawled out from under his rock, only to find Ulcer  skinny dipping in the Waldbin’s pond.  He had a perfect backside view of Ulcer diving.  From behind, it looked like he had a couple of large baggy bouys he was dragging along.  Carrion could feel his skin turning green.

Carrion cleared his throat and yelled for the group to gather.  It was time for them to receive their instructions for the haunting.

The 4 of them gathered around, including the still naked Ulcer.  Carrion glared at him and ordered him to dress himself.  Ulcer, always the smartass, snapped his fingers and was immediately dressed as one of Santa’s elves.

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Part 4, Come Edna!

The next morning, Edna decided to clean out the breakfast nook.  She asked Stanley if he would start on that room first.  He said as soon as he finished up the doors he would.  So, Edna began preparing the room.  It was probably the room needing the most attention in the entire house.

Edna loved this room, she dreamed of how beautiful she would make it.  She happily swept, while singing to herself.  She was lost in her own little world when she suddenly jumped!  She heard a blood curdling noise, a scream……she couldn’t tell if it was a woman or perhaps a cat?  Whatever it was, just where was it?  She began looking around the house for the source.

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“Great job, Ulcer! She thinks you’re a dying cat!”, Carrion hissed  as he smacked Ulcer upside his head.  ”If you want anything done right…..” he wondered off grumbling to himself.

Carrion, angry with Ulcer

“Edna! Come here Edna! Come!  Edna!”, Carrion knew exactly where she was.

In fact, he was in the bathroom with her right now.  She was running a nice bubble bath.

“How sweet”, thought Carrion as he breathed cold air into the water.  Edna, had already checked the temperature, and was ready to  get in.  She started to lower herself into the water and quickly jumped right back out.

“That’s odd”, she thought.  She began to run more hot water into the tub.  The kids went to the hardware store with their father, giving her a little luxury time.  She was tired and sore from preparing the breakfast nook.  Stanley offered to take the kids with him, so she could enjoy a soak before starting supper.  Edna’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted.  She thought she heard something.

“Edna! Come here Edna! Come!  Edna!”, Carrion softly hissed.  Edna could feel gooseflesh popping up on her skin.

“Get hold of yourself Edna”, she thought to herself.  She tested the water, perfect.  She lowered herself in.  She laid back her head and closed her eyes.

The next thing she knew, she was was being lifted up in her dreams.  Blissful peace.  No worries, totally relaxed.  ”Edna! Come here Edna! Come!  Edna!”, Carrion softly hissed.

Without opening her eyes, Edna responded, “Yes?”

“Can you feel the breeze Edna?”  Carrion asked.  ”Can you feel it blowing over your wet skin?”  ”Is it too cold for you?”

Edna stirred a little, without opening her eyes, she responded “Yes”.

“Can you hear this?  What do you think is causing this noise?”

“I, I…I don’t know”, Edna stammered.

“OH come on now Edna”, hissed Carrion.  ”Think now, what do you hear?”

She opened her eyes and looked at him.  She thought she was still dreaming.  His face glowed at her from the dark room.  She vaguely wondered, why was it so dark?

Carrion began to soothe Edna.  He gently cleansed her face, closing her eyes again.  She was completely relaxed again.  A hypnotically sensual state of mind.

Carrion crooned in Edna’s ear, “Think now Darling, what is that sound?”

“Dddigging”, whispered Edna

“Yessssssssss” hissed Carrion.  ”That’s right Dear.  What do you supposed we are digging?”

“I don’t know”, murmured Edna.  ”It could be anything?”

“Exactly, what it is you hear?  Listen carefully now and tell me”

“I hear shovels hitting rock”

“Do you smell anything?”

Breathing in deeply, Edna said, “Yes.  Must, it’s musty.  I smell dirt and mildew and spider webs.  It also smells damp.  Like earthworms.”

“Ah!  I am impressed Edna.  You described it all very well.  Perhaps, you would like to open your eyes and look around now?  I want you to see what we are digging.  Come now, you’re curious, aren’t you?”

Suddenly Edna felt chilled again.  She said she didn’t want to open her eyes.  She wanted to soak and enjoy herself.  Carrion became angry and bellowed at her,

“I TOLD YOU TO OPEN YOUR EYES!”

Edna opened her eyes.  She was shaking all over.  She looked around.  She saw 7 men who all looked alike, yet were exactly different.  They each had a pick or a shovel or some other tool used for digging.  They all had their hands on her body, touching her!

She felt fingers of ice trailing slowly down her chest and dripping off her nipples.  She knew then what they were digging.  It was a grave.  Her grave.  She didn’t know what terrified her more, their hands on her body or being held above her own grave!  She began to scream!

“Stanley!  Help me!

She remembered she was alone.  She wretched herself out of Carrion’s grasp as he viciously laughed.

She ran out of the bathroom, his laugh slowly faded until it was gone.

Edna, shakily dressed in her bedroom and then went outside on the porch.  It was there she sat, until Stanley came home with the children.

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Watch for Chapter 5