Oh, it’s Haunted all-right!
“Knock.Knock. Miss Pena, I have a question to ask?”
“Yes come in, pero por favor call me Sam.” Short strands of dark brown moving back and forth as Sam shook her head with a soft sigh. Raising her head from her paperwork to smile at Gabriel. “I consider you a good friend of mine, Gabriel. Feels too formal otherwise.” She raised a brow at him as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Niña, you may be ok with it but we’re at work. We must be professional at all time while working!” He waved a finger at her in a fake disapproving way. Though he was sure she could see he was only teasing and pretending to sound like her uncle when he got strict with them.
That got a chuckle out of her. “Professional my ass. Me tratas como si fuera tu sobrina that you like to pick on. Just like my mama’s brother-it’s like you two could be related...” She sighed, but smiled once again while watching the older man place his hands on his stomach as he belly laughed. He sighed deeply afterwards as he calmed down. She took note of his energy. It was different today-well much less then it usually was as of late. This man usually had a lot energy but, he looked a bit drained.
Something was definitely up but, she was going to be patient until her friend was ready to tell her.
“Mira Sam, I don’t know if you noticed the...como te lo explico? Strange?” Gabriel scratched his chin, pronouncing his words in his thick accent. “Yeah. Strange shit that’s been happenin’ in this house and wanted to ask if you’ve been noticing them too?” He asked with a tilt of his head.
Sam stared at him curiously for a moment, and was honestly a bit amused at her friend’s question since when isn’t there strange things happening in this house. Honestly with four giant mutant turtles roaming around the house, that was strange enough. Though she had a feeling that she knew what Gabriel was trying to explain but-she had to make sure what he meant. “Strange as in what exactly, Gabe?” She asked, eyeing the man’s fingers as they tapped his cheek. Shoulders were tense and a foot was tapping on it’s own. He almost looked...nervous to just spit it out? Which was rare to see from him since he seemed so brave and confident all the time.
“Have you...ever heard voices at night when you are trying to sleep? Had the feeling that someone was in the room with you when you are physically alone? Things falling on their own? Like even some of my stuff in my room was moved to a different place and you know I don’t let anyone go in my space!” He sighed deeply, crossing his arms once again. Glancing around the room. “It’s like this house is-“
“Haunted?” Sam interjected, keeping her smile as to not to worry the old man. Sitting up and leaning back against her seat, her hands neatly clasped on one leg that was crossed over the other. “Yes sir, it’s definitely haunted.” With the all the death that was brought about in this house, she would be surprised if it wasn’t flooded with the souls of the dead. But she knew that Gabriel didn’t know about the number of people that were killed in this house and maybe it was better that he doesn’t...
He wouldn’t like that one bit.
Clearing her throat, “I am too a witness to the paranormal activity that happens here. I feel like I know too much at this point and that might piss off the ghosts.” She laughed, though a part of her felt bad that some of Gabriel’s color drained from his face. Sam wasn’t afraid of the paranormal but-she knew better never to mess with them because that in itself would send this house into flames! “Mikey, and some of the boy’s clients have also witnessed a bit of activity for themselves from what they told me.”
“Ah so we’re not the only ones?” The older gentleman pulled a chair and sat across from Sam. Curious now.
The brunette nodded. “Do you remember Miss Vivian, the tall blonde veterinarian with two cats?” She asked.
“Smart woman that one and she seems like a good person to have around la tortuga gruñona. Doesn’t take his words to heart, and it’s as if they almost understand one another in a way.” Gabriel chuckled a bit as Sam nodded in agreement about that last part of his statement for Donatello.
“Well, she told me that she would sometimes hear things being dropped at nighttime but, guessed that maybe it was her cats getting into things they shouldn’t be.” Sam shook her head before tilting it back as she remembered the others. “Another was with Ms. Beauregard aka Blossom, the blue-eyed brunette with a southern accent?”
“Kind woman with a good head on her shoulders as well. I’ve seen the way she and ol’ blue boy look at each-other from across the room...kind of like when you and Mikey do that too. It’s precious!” He teased with a grin.
She gave him a stare like she wanted to burn a hole through his head. Doing her best to ignore the heat growing on her face as she moved on. “Anyway- she came to me confused one day asking if I or someone moved around her things at night. Same to you Gabriel. Every once in a while they would end up in a different spot then where they usually are before. She thought someone came in to clean up her room and would move her stuff. Thing is, we don’t do cleaning services until after the client moves out. Clients are responsible for their own space until the job is done.” The two nodded in agreement with that last statement.
“Another was Miss Immogene Waters, the red-head biker same height as me. Remember her?”
“I like that girl’s spirit, she has a lot of spunk and a good taste for good food. I can see why Rafael is growing a bit soft for that one.”
“Yet he doesn’t know it. We gotta knock some sense into that boy till he understands.” Sam shook her head with a sigh before she continued. “Immogene had mentioned once or twice about some very odd but soft whispering that she hears at night at around midnight. But, has put it up to maybe stress making her hear things. That or Raphael is trying to get her attention and sneak into her room at night.” She rolled her eyes at that. “Wouldn’t be the first time with a client but I for sure know it’s not him since that boy can’t stick to a schedule ever in his life.” She sighed but chuckled as she straighten her position and leaned forward against her desk.
“But honestly Gabriel, I’ve been through all of these rooms enough to know that spirits are playing around in them since before they moved in. So it’s no surprise that you’ve experienced paranormal things too.” She nodded, giving him a reassuring smile. “You’re not alone.”
“Hmm...” That didn’t seem to ease his nerves completely but, knowing he wasn’t going crazy and wasn’t alone in this matter made him feel a tad better. “...So tell me niña, none of this bothers you nor creeps you out? At all?” He asked with his brows furrowed. Raising one of them as he watched the young woman shake her head with a still smile on her lips. One of few things he has learned about this kid was she was able to stay unusually calm for many situations. Ghosts being one of them apparently.
This child was full of surprises. Odd ones at that...
“Gabriel-I’ve seen enough horrors in my lifetime since the day I was born so not a lot scares me nowadays. Not even when I see shadow people in the corners of my room or over my bed during my sleep paralysis. Breathing in my ear and speaking in words that I hardly understand half the time. This place is haunted-” Sam stood up from her seat while fixing the wrinkles on her uniform. She glanced up at her friend with her hands clasped behind her back. “But it doesn’t scare me.” She shrugged. “I do my best to tell them to pass on or I don’t bother them at all. Especially the most violent ones.”
“Shadow people? Violent ones?-Ah cheez, no me digas que también tenemos demonios? Because if we do I’m fucking packin’ up!” He frowned. “I’m calling a priest.”
Sam walked around her desk and patted the chef’s shoulder. “Cálmate. Honestly I don’t know if there are demons in this house or not because I’ve never actually seen one.” She shrugged once again and sat on top of her desk. Hands gripping the edge of the mahogany wood. “But I do know those specific spirits are bad and overall angry-hence they are consider violent. That’s why it’s best that you stay away from the rooms marked with red tape if you see them Gabriel.” She looked up and stared at the door for a moment while thinking. After a moment of silence she turned back to her friend. Facial features hardening, eyes sharper as they narrowed. “Definitely stay away from the basement floor...That’s the worst of them all and please keep that to yourself as to not scare the others. Especially clients.” Voice was firm as to show she dead serious.
“Wouldn’t it be best to war-”
“Please.” She stopped him but with a soft voice.
Gabriel stared at Sam for a moment while taking in her warnings. Nodding slowly as the new information settled in. “All-right...but if heads start spinnin’ and they crawlin’ up the walls I’m callin’ a exorcist. Got it, Niña? I’m here to only feed bellies and not throw hands with demons.” He slouched in his chair and grumbled to himself.
Sam tilted her head back in a light laugh before giving a sigh of relief. “Loud and clear, chef.”
