A Mother's Second Chance Pt. 02

Part II: Ali-shad-bar the Almighty

Gail was growing both desperate and horny. The house remained depressingly quiet for roughly the next three months. She wondered--would that one wild fantastic night be it? She might have been loath to admit it but Gail wanted more.

Nearly another month passed. Still nothing. With every passing day, Gail became less sure of him ever returning. Deciding she needed to increase her knowledge of the supernatural, Gail started doing some research into the spirit world, leading eventually to a small bookstore in the downtown section of picturesque Wilkesbury, Connecticut.

Wilkesbury was a good thirty minute drive from her hometown of Maylock but it turned out to be well worth it. The bookstore, and its positively ancient proprietor, Ms. Olga Krapchuck was a priceless gem.

She took Gail across the street to a local café for tea and after she told the old lady the barest outline of how she thought she was being haunted by her son, Olga looked at her and cackled in her somewhat broken English. "Me thinks you leave out saucy details Ms. Gail. Maybe embarrassed hmm?"

"Yes," Gail responded in quiet surprise. Indeed, Gail left out much in her story, especially, most especially that is, the sexy stuff, but somehow this stooped over, white haired lady, in her all black dress and black shawl, who looked to be not a day younger than ninety at the very least, knew there was more to Gail's story than what she told.

"OK. Ifs you want my help you must tell all, but not to me. I'm . . . at presently . . . much too deeps into another case. Hmm, similar to yours. Pretty local lady being haunted by her boy. You could waits for me to solve her case, but . . ." She shrugged her shoulders before adding, "Might take a whiles . . . and Olga senses you are desperate for closure."

"I am," Gail said.

"Well if that be the case I have someones else who could help. Hopefully, rights away."

"Who?" Gail asked hopefully.

"My great granddaughter, Katrina, but if she to help yous, you must . . ." Raising one gnarled finger up, Olga waved it in the air at Gail, "Tell my great granddaughter everytine . . . no matter details cause embarrassment or not. Katrina powerful witch, aye not as powerful as Olga but still . . . she no judge you."

The next day, Gail was sitting across the table, in the same café, from Katrina, spilling all of her secrets.

The witch looked more like a classic country school teacher in Gail's mind, right down to the vintage black horn rimmed glasses she wore on her creamy white, somewhat, plain face and her dark flowing pleated skirt hanging coming down past her knees, matched with a loose fitting plain white blouse.

The glasses, along with her hairstyle, blond, short and permed, looked like they came from a bygone era. The fact the middle aged witch wore no makeup was plainly evident, but still, Gail found her to be not at all unattractive.

After hearing all of the story, right down to the sexy details of what happened on that fateful last night roughly four months ago, Katrina paused for a long moment as she peered at Gail over her glasses. "Based on what you have told me you are being haunted by more than your son, Gail. There is, I strongly suspect, a demon involved. There is no spirit powerful enough, at least not so far as I have ever seen or heard, and trust me I have heard and seen plenty, on its own, who could turn himself into a mist like that and . . . you know give such pleasure."

Gail face flushed red as she recalled the encounter of the ghostly spirit of her son turning into that luminous mist and then slipping inside of her panties . . . before making her orgasm so hard.

"A demon? You mean like . . . like in those movies, like The Conjuring?"

"Hmm, not exactly. Demons in the movies are made evil to sell tickets, but not all demons are of the evil variety . . . well at least not in my opinion. I now you have questions Gail but let me explain my opinion fully so just hold them until I am done."

"Sure," Gail said as she tried to relax while preparing herself to hear the worst while hoping for the best.

"So based on what you told me . . . if you left nothing out."

"I didn't Katrina. Really."

"Good then I am fairly certain a demon has attached itself to your son and is guiding his actions. I perceive there to be four possibilities here. One, the demon haunting your son, aiding you son in his misadventures is of the voyeur type. That is they like to whispers naughty suggestions or deeds to their host, the host in this case being your son. The host, in almost all cases, will be compelled to follow the suggestion and commit the naughty act while the demon sits back and observes as things unfolds. Two, the demon attached to your son has taken him over completely and, in a sense, mimics your son in all aspects, thus fooling the victim, that would be you Gail, into believing the interactions taking place are between you and him, while in reality it is your son helplessly watching as the demon pretends to be him. Third, the demon is actually inside your son and controlling him . . . like some kind of mischievous puppet master . . . into committing naughty little acts with you, Gail. The fourth and final possibility is the demon is not limiting themselves to only one of the three possibilities I have just outlined, but instead is practicing all three of them from time to time as they see fit."

Gail took a deep breath before speaking. "Number two sounds really scary. I mean if that . . . that was not him I . . . did that with . . . my God."

Katrina reached over and took Gail's hand into hers. "Don't consider that Gail. It will be easier that way for you. It was your son that night . . . it's only moving forward we must consider the second possibility."

The witch's warm, soft hand, combined with her kind words, was reassuring enough where Gail allowed herself to relax again.

"OK so speaking of moving forward what do you suggest? It's been so quiet since that night. I fear he is gone."

"Doubtful. I imagine whatever has attached themselves to your son knows or senses your growing frustration, your growing need to want contact again, and is simply biding their time. Simply put, the more desperate you become for contact the more easily they will be able to get what they want from you."

"And what do you thing they want from me, Katrina."

"I think they have shown that already Gail."

Gail sighed knowing the witch was right.

"So if he is not gone what then do you suggest I do?"

"Have you considered moving. That might solve the issue."

"I don't want to move. I want . . . I need closure. I need to apologize to him. To make him understand."

"If you won't consider moving and truly want another . . . hmm encounter, a chance to apologize maybe, then we must invite contact. The sooner the better."

"How do we do that?"

"Invite me over to your house and I will hold a séance and try to contact the demon, maybe speak to him, and see what I can bargain for you."

"Consider yourself invited Katrina. When can you come by and . . . ahh how much should I pay you? I don't expect you to do all this for free."

"Pay is not necessary in this case. To be honest I am writing a book about people who have had naughty encounters with spirits slash demons and this could make a wonderful chapter all to itself. Of course, I would change your name and a few details to keep your identity secret so really all I want is a chance to explore your case further and to see if we can get the demon to come out and play some more . . . but only if you are really willing to allow such a thing Gail. I mean you must consider what happened before and that it could happen again."

"I am willing to risk it." Gail took a deep breath before whispering, "I miss him, Katrina."

"I know you do sweetie."

Three days later Katrina showed up at Gail's house just before sundown, looking pretty much as exactly as she did the first time they met right down to her flowing skirt and loose fitting blouse.

After getting settled down on the floor in the dark living room across from each other, Katrina proceeded to place in the center of the table, a half dozen small tea light candles before inviting Gail to reach out and hold her hands in between the flickering candles.

"Are you ready to begin, Gail?" the witch asked quietly.

"Yes," Gail responded quickly.

The witch closed her eyes for a brief moment as she chanted something quietly in a language Gail wholly did not understand before switching back to English.

"Our beloved William, I beseech you to make contact with your lovely mother. Please, William, for her, do this."

The living room remained deathly quiet as Katrina repeated her request and then fell silent. There was a slight stirring of the curtains across the living room and then the candles began to flicker.

"He is here. Oh yes, most certainly, I can sense him," Katrina whispered.

"William I can sense you but your mother, she needs a more distinct sign. Please show her something . . . let her know her son has not abandoned her. A soft kiss on her cheek maybe."

Gail held her breath as the air around her became first chilly and then she felt it . . . a brush of lips against her cheek.

She wanted to cry out but Katrina had given her strict instructions: only speak when addressed by me directly, and keep any answers simple, direct and very truthful.

Remaining silent, Gail allowed the good feeling the kiss gave her to wash over her.

"Now William . . . are you alone? Rap once on the table for yes, two for no."

After a brief pause there was a pair of soft knocks.

"Who is with you? Is it Ali-shad-bar?"

After another brief pause there was a single knock on the table.

Katrina put the three day prior to conducing the séance to good use doing some research on powerful demons linked to being naughty and mischievous and finally, after gathering as much information as she could find, came to an educated guess the demon attached to young William was one called Ali-shad-bar.

Actually Ali-shad-bar, despite being very powerful, was one of the lesser known demons, mainly because it was highly selective in who it made contact with. The last known contact anyone had with Ali-shad-bar was in 1955 in India.

What little information Katrina could dig up on this shadowy demon of the underworld was spotty at best, but indicated he was very much a highly mischievous, highly randy and very lustful demon, who preferred to push his host into making amorous advances upon members of their own family. While usually attaching itself to a living being, Ali-shad-bar had been known, from time to time, to attach himself to a recently deceased spiritual entity-- especially if the spirit in question died in a highly sexualized situation--in order to be naughty with a living relative of the spirit.

"Good, good," Katrina muttered quietly to herself. "I would like to speak to Ali-shad-bar directly in the Old Latin. Can he oblige me?"

Quickly there came a loud thump on the table.

Katrina titled her head to one side, murmuring something Gail again didn't understand.

After maybe ten to fifteen seconds at most, Katrina straightened up, announcing loudly, "They are gone. Both of them."

"He did whisper in your ear right Katrina?" Gail asked excitedly. "What did he say?"

"Let's retire to the kitchen, turn on the lights," Katrina said as she climbed to her feet, "We talk there."

Once they got settled in the kitchen Katrina started to explain to Gail what was told to her, by Ali-shad-bar the Almighty.

"Listen Gail, I cannot tell you, well anything right now. His request but what I can say is this . . . we need to hold another séance, quickly, two days from now, which is good because it gives me just enough time to consult with my great grandmother and gather what has been requested of me to obtain. If we are willing to be . . . ahh, open minded I guess you might call it about certain things we very well may be able to strike a bargain with him and he shall release your son from his servitude so he can pass happily over to the other side . . . after having the closure you both seek."

Despite several curious inquired from Gail, the witch would speak no more of the details of her short conversation with the randy demon. Gail, of course, agreed to hold another séance in two days' time.

It was a warm Friday evening just around dusk, when Katrina showed up, dressed much the same way as just the other day, ready to hold yet another séance.

After Gail led her into the living room, they settled down on the sofa next to each other.

"OK before we venture down this road I must tell you what advice my great-grandmother gave me. It seems she has had some dealings with this Ali-shad-bar character in the past, and oh I must say, Ali-shad-bar is quite the character Gail, quite the naughty character I mean."

"He is?" Gail replied dumbly. She felt out of her depth here talking about demons and such.

"Yes, so one last time I must ask you, are you really prepared to go down this path, in the manner I suspect, as does my great- grandmother, that would satisfy Ali-shad-bar and hopefully secure your son's release? To do so you must trust me, and my great-grandmother, fully and don't doubt any or our advices."

"I trust Olga and I trust you Katrina. I mean it's weird, I am really not a trusting person, all that much, but for some reason I fully trust both of you . . . especially you."

Reaching out, wanting to emphasize her point, Gail grabbed Katrina's hand and squeezed it tight, and was rewarded with a heartfelt smile, and a tight squeeze back, warming both her heart and her soul.

After Gail hurriedly prepared the living room the same way she did for the first séance, Katrina asked her, "So are you ready to begin, Gail?"

"Yes," Gail responded quickly.

The witch closed her eyes for a brief moment as she chanted something quietly in what Gail assumed to be the same language she used the first time before switching again to English.

"Our beloved William, once more I beseech you to make contact with your lovely mother. Please William for her, do this."

The living room remained quiet forcing Katrina to repeat her curious incantation before falling silent. Just like the other night, there first came a slight stirring of the curtains across the living room, and then the candles started to flicker out one by one until only a sole candle was left.

"They are here," Katrina whispered.

Gail eyes flickered around the dark living room searching for some sign of them before she jerked forward on the sofa. From a far corner came a grim male voice. "Over here," it stated flatly.

Gail stared into the corner. There was definitely someone, or maybe something there, as a shadowy but clearly defined image was silhouetted in the darkness. The image, most ominously, possessed a pair of red glowing eyes spelling danger in large capital letters.

Katrina put a hand on Gail's arm whispering, "Let me do the talking."

Turning to address Ali-shad-bar, in a loud voice full of confidence, "So you are and are you prepared to bargain with us Almighty One about releasing the boy from your servitude."

The confidence Katrina was showing was utterly lacking in Gail, probably thanks to those menacing eyes which appeared to be totally fixated on her.

"Hmm, right to the point, I like that. OK so let's not dilly dally shall we. This is what I offer. I will allow William to pass peacefully to the other side but only if the pretty mommy can pass a series of challenges over the course of the next year or so."

Gail was about to speak but before she could Katrina touched her lightly on the arm. "Let me do the talking for now hon."

Gail nodded her head in silent agreement, relieved actually Katrina was taking the reins in bargaining with the demon.

"How many challenges must she pass?"

"A total of at least three, maybe more, depending on how she does would be adequate."

"OK let's hear about them," Katrina quickly replied.

"I shall only inform you of the initial challenge for now. Pass it and you shall move on and only then will you learn about the second challenge. Agreed."

"If she fails the first challenge or any challenge for that matter what then and will the standards of passing or failing be clear to us?"

"Very clear and if she fails any of the challenges the boy stays with me. It is that simple. With this in mind are you prepared to hear what scant details I shall impart to you regarding your initial challenge, Gail?"

"We are," Katrina replied for the both of them.

"Fine. The first of her challenges is simple. Sometime within the next two months I shall send William to his mother with the terms of her challenge. If she accepts the challenge she must fulfill its terms fully in order to consider it passed. More I cannot or will not say. There is a couple of things though. While waiting the allotted time for William to come to you Gail you must remain utterly chaste. No dating, no flirting with other men at work, no anything including self-pleasure. Also, no speaking with your witch friend Ms. Katrina. In fact, limit your contact with anyone to the barest of minimums. Basically, I am expecting you to abandon everyone in your life until your beloved William returns to you to offer your challenge. After the challenge is over, only then can you reach out to anyone. Trust me, if you disobey I shall know and it will not go good for young William. So do you accept Gail?"

Gail looked at Katrina. Dropping her voice to a low whisper, Katrina told her, "He is being tricky as usual by withholding as much information as possible and I don't like the fact you can't communicate with me. Of course, he wants you to limit all contact with people so you will be both desperate and lonely by the time your son actually visits you and I doubt it will only be two months. I expect it might be quite a bit longer."

"I'll be fine. I can do this," Gail whispered back. "I wanna do this."

Katrina smiled at her friend before turning to the demon. "We agree."

The witch was right: it was much longer than the stated two months as a full five months passed with no sign of William. Then another two months and still nothing. Again, just as before her meeting Katrina, Gail was growing desperate and lonely. She was beginning to think maybe the demon flat out lied to her and William would never return. She badly wanted to seek the advice of Katrina but, of course, contact with the witch was strictly forbidden.

Finally, one night, after a hot bath before bedtime, Gail wrapped a towel around her naked body and entered her bedroom. She let out a small gasp. Her bedroom was awash in soft candle light. Finally, he is here! Gail whispered to herself.

Glancing about the room, she searched for further confirmation her son was here.

At first, nothing broke the deathly silence in the room. Time seemed to stretch out forever as her bedroom remained entirely silent and empty but then, just as she was starting to get discouraged, she heard the telltale sign of her closet door gradually swinging open.

She turned toward the soft creaking noise, but in the dim candle light she could see nothing but darkness beyond the partially opened closet door.

"Maybe he needs a little encouragement," she whispered to herself as she strode across the room, to the small bar in the corner. She could sense him tracking her as she moved across the bedroom.

After pouring herself a glass of champagne, she took several generous sips before refilling it and making her way over to the scene of her earlier misadventure with the ghostly spirit of her son: her now-- tainted with wickedness-- vanity table.

Gail took another large swallow of champagne before sitting down to put on some makeup. She took her time, applying her makeup carefully while continuously sipping on her champagne until it was nearly gone.