Nathan woke up earlier than usual after a restless night, fixed himself a cup of coffee, and went to the study.
To relieve his apprehension about his family and the problems with the house, he spent a few hours researching over-the-counter pink sheets and checked his trades from the day before.
Josslyn woke up about an hour later but stayed in bed for a while.
Thank You, Lord, she prayed in thought, for waking me up this morning. Thank You for this day that You have made. Thank you for blessing us with your protection as we slept the night before. Thank You for Your blessing of another day of life. Let us rejoice this day and rejoice in the Lord. In Jesus’s name, amen.
She went downstairs and made some tea, then checked her online boutique to process customers’ orders and answer e-mails. She looked forward to meeting members of the Skylar and Associates Paranormal Research Institute and to working with them.
Josslyn decided to do some laundry in order to pass the time before the paranormal investigators arrived. She picked up a hamper of dirty clothes and went to the laundry room. She put the clothes in the washer.
“Josslyn,” a voice said.
She added detergent and turned on the washer unit.
“Josslyn,” the voice said again.
She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see her late parents standing before her. The sight of their dead-gray, decomposed flesh made her gag.
Josslyn’s parents had been dead for twenty years. Her father had succumbed to acute myeloblastic leukemia, at the age of fifty-six after battling the debilitating disease for a little more than two years. Her mother had died due to complications from Parkinson’s Disease, which she’d had for eleven years, along with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis.
Josslyn’s father held out his arms with a leery, toothless grin. “Come to Papa,” he verbalized, which Josslyn was able to lip read. He beckoned her to come to him and give him a hug.
“Yes . . . come to Papa,” Josslyn’s mother articulated with a sneer. She beckoned with a wave of her arm. “He’s been waiting for you.”
Josslyn screamed and ran from the laundry room.
“What happened?” Nathan signed as Josslyn ran into the study.
“I just saw my parents in the laundry room,” Josslyn signed, pale and shaken. She wiped tears from her cheeks. “I went to do some laundry and when I walked in, they were standing there. They looked horrible!”
Nathan went around his desk and drew her to him with his arms.
“It was awful!” Josslyn signed. “I know it wasn’t them! I just know it!”
“It’ll be all right. The Skylar and Associates group will be here soon to help us. If you want, I’ll go with you back to the laundry room and help you with the laundry. Give you some company to make you feel a little better.”
“Thanks, hon. I appreciate it.”
They went back to the laundry room and neither saw Josslyn’s parents. But they did see a dark, solid form run from the middle of the room and through a wall. They saw that it had a full-bodied humanoid contour with a head, shoulders, arms, a torso, and legs. They knew it was the demon.