“Get back here!” the spirit bellowed after him as he raced down the hall from the ancient house’s library. He turned his head to see the skeletal form racing down the hall after him, skin drawn tight over rattling bones.

He ducked the thing’s grasping hands, holding tight to the book he had pilfered as he vaulted over a table. Turning quickly he shoved the table hard, slamming it into the spirit and the wall. He thought he had the creature pinned in place as it let out an unearthly wail before smirking at him. Slowly the incorporeal form of the ghost started gliding through the table towards him.

He rushed away from the spirit as it struggled to pull free from the wooden table, heading for the stairs to the floor below. As the ghost reached the edge of the table it seemed to snap into motion, like it had been building up force with its struggles. It shot past its fleeing prey, rocketing towards the ceiling and slamming into the stairs with an earsplitting crash, shattering the staircase.

The spirit slowly rose from the wreckage, seeming to pull itself together from tattered pieces of ethereal cloth and bone. It looked to be stunned by the sheer force of its own attack as it tried to reform.

Racing side to side on the landing, he tried to find a way down before the thing could float back up to him. Finally, he noticed an old sofa on the floor below. Still holding tight to the book, he hopped over the banister and slammed down onto the ancient cushions. He let out a grunt of pain as the wind was knocked out of him, the frame of the couch breaking with a loud crack!

Coughing, he rolled off of the couch onto all fours before scooping the book up again and racing for the door. Letting out a screech of rage, the spirit started after him but pulled up short as he dove through the door and into the cool, inviting night air.

He never even looked back as the spirit raged at him from the doorway before slowly seeming to fade out of existence. He ripped open the driver’s side door to his car and dove inside, panting and gasping for breath.

He sat still for a moment, slowly calming down, whispering to himself, “Okay, it’s okay, you got what you came for. It’s all over now.”

Suddenly he froze as he felt cold, bony fingers grip his shoulder. Trembling, he lifted his eyes towards the rear view mirror and saw the empty sockets gazing back at him. It grinned mockingly at him as it leaned forwards, the rotten stench of its breath wafting over him as it asked him in a soft rasp.

“Why are we whispering?”