To Live Again by Ronald Lee (good books to read for young adults .txt) 📖

would treat Carlos extra special when they got home for agreeing to leave this house, and if she were lucky he’d forget this nonsense. Sue stepped into the van expecting to see her husband’s cam on the front door.
“Damn it Carlos!” Sue exclaimed as she saw the laboratory image on the computer screen instead. Anger flew over her.
“What are you doing down there?” She asked grabbing her headset. There was no answer.
“Carlos Montego what are you doing in the laboratory?” Sue repeated. Silence was her only response. Sue’s anger quickly gave way to fear.
“Carlos?” She called accidently hitting the resume button.
She sat at the computer screen and started to go to her husband when she heard him speak through his head cam.
“Sorry honey. I’m alright.”
“What happened? I thought we were going home.” Sue fussed.
“We are baby, I just had to check this out.” Carlos explained.
Sue sat reluctantly in front of the computer screen.
“Well, since you’re down there what are you getting?” She asked her accent shinning through.
“Can you see the EM meter?” Carlos asked holding it up to the head cam.
“My God!” Sue exclaimed as she saw the needle buried to the right. “It looks like your stripper’s getting lucky. AHHHH!” Sue screamed.
“What’s wrong?” Carlos asked hurriedly. “I’m on my way!” He shouted and started running up the stairs.
“No! Wait!” Sue called out. “I’m okay I just saw the image of someone on the computer screen.”
“What did it look like?” Carlos asked stopping half way up the steps.
“I’m not sure,” Sue said. “It was the face of a pretty young pale white woman. I guess she was in her mid thirties. She had red hair and looked at me so angrily.” Sue shook with fright.
“All righty then,” Carlos started. “I saw that woman lying on the exam table thirty seconds ago. I’m outta here.”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea!” Sue agreed.
“He’s too late,” a female voice said in Sue’s head.
“Carlos?” Sue started. She looked through her husband’s head cam as he neared the top of the stairs. She saw his brown hand reaching for the door.
“The doctor has him now,” the female thought whispered in Sue’s mind again. Sue turned away from the computer but no one else was in the van. When her green eyes focused again on the computer screen she watched in horror as her husband’s hand flung up in the air and the image fell down the steps head over heal!


Chapter Three

Carlos felt the first two violent blows to the back of his head as he fell down the flight of steps. His attempts to grab the railings ended in futility, along with his efforts to stop his fall. When his head hit the concrete floor the Carolos lost consciousness, and his body slid across the floor propelled by his momentum until he came to rest at the base of the exam table. It seemed like an eternity he floated in utter blackness. Until he felt an icy had grip his and another grab his shoulder to help him stand. He dared to open his eyes as he heard a older southern accented voice say: “Up you go my boy.”
“Thanks mister,” The El Salvadorian investigator said. He looked and saw a black fog about four foot thick now covered the floor of the room and everything had a grayish tent to it. He looked in the direction of the voice and jumped slightly at the sight of a tall lanky man with wild busy gray hair and dark black eyes. His teeth were jagged and his breath stank but he looked at Carlos smiling. He looked down at himself and Carlos.
“I must be quite the sight eh?” he said. “You might want to step over here,” Carlos’ benefactor offered pointing beside himself. Carlos obeyed and stared wide eyed as a four foot wide hole opened up in the fog. Carlos grimaced as he smelled sulfur and brimstone and heard the screams of the dammed.
“That my boy is a portal to hell,” the mysterious man said to Carlos as the hole slowly closed.
“It opens every thirty minutes or so to take a fresh soul to the holding cell of the dammed. It’s like God’s playing a cruel game of cat and mouse with us.” The man moved to Carlos’ body covered from view by the fog.
“You mean I’m dead?” Carlos asked fearfully.
“No not yet. But close enough to be on this side of reality.” The man said sitting down.
“Hey what are you doing?” Carlos asked as he realized the man was sitting on Carlos’ chest.
“Hold him my children!” The man said, and Carlos found himself suddenly struggling to brake free of dozens of arms and hands coming out of the shadows and fog.
“Doctor Richard Rineheat I presume?” Carlos said angrily. The doctor smiled.
“I’ve been watching you and your or should I say my wife since you arrived. Pretty brilliant plan wouldn’t you say my boy.” The doctor bragged.
“Carlos!” Susan screamed racing down the stairs. She had called the paramedics when she saw her husband fall and now led them downstairs.
“That’s my cue,” the doctor said and laid back. “I’ll be back to help you all cross over my children.” He promised and disappeared in the fog.
“Sue,” Carlos yelled as his wife and the paramedics raced through him to the possessed body lying on the floor. Carlos watched angrily as his wife stood by watching the MT’s check her husband. “Let me go!” Carlos yelled and struggled in vain against the ghastly looking arms and hands.
“Sue I’m right here!” Carlos screamed desperately as the paramedics lifted the body onto the stretcher and started up the stairs with Sue fearfully following behind them. Carlos watched them pleading for them to notice him as they headed up the stairs to carry his body to Tuomey hospital.
“Let him go!” a female voice said from the darkness and the hands released Carlos. Carlos raced up the stairs to see the ambulance with his wife and body disappearing down the driveway.
“It’s no use,” the female voice said again. Carlos whirled around to see the red headed female sitting on one of the two stone lions that flanked the entrance to the Rineheat estate.
“Who are you?” Carlos demanded.
“Fay Childers,” The ghost answered. “Welcome to deadville.” She joked extending her hand.
Carlos glared at her.
“Don’t catch a ‘tude with me,” The ghost said standing. “I tried to warn you.”
“What do you mean?” Carlos asked throwing his hands in the air.
“That little do hicky of yours. The snack you gave me. I tried to speak to your wife too. I’m sorry but she’s really in for it now.”
“I got to get to the hospital,” Carlos declared.
“It’s not going to be easy,” The female ghost said. “You better come in with me and let me explain what’s going on.” The spirit walked to the top of steps that led to the front entrance of the estate. “Are you coming or not?” She asked.
Carlos looked desperately at the now black driveway and the suddenly menacing forest then followed Fay Childers back into the mansion.
“No offence, but you do realize you’ve been dead for centuries.” Carlos said as he and the specter passed through the foyer of the mansion through the house to the billiard room.
“And you’ve been dead for
Imprint

Text: RL Write Publication Copywrite 2010
Publication Date: 02-14-2010

All Rights Reserved

Dedication:
To My Mom and Dad.