A Ghost Story
Looking up exorcisms was a joke. He kept on getting redirected to a thousand and one crappy movies about exorcism. There was only so much spitting up of pea soup that Finn could take. (Even if the head turning thing was kind of cool.)
Finn grunted in frustration. He knew that there were no decent books in the library to help him (knowing Figgins that is). He chewed his lip thoughtfully before seeking out Artie again.
He found him at a table during study with Kurt Hummel, Mercedes Jones, and Tina Cohen-Chang. Sitting down across from Artie, Finn fixed him with a long stare.
“I need your help.”
Artie looked up and met his gaze. He swallowed.
“With what?”
“The…y’know.”
Artie’s eyes widen imperceptibly from underneath his glasses.
“Has he done something to you?”
“What! No! Nothing like that. We need to help him.”
“What? Why?” hissed Artie.
Finn fidgeted before taking out his notebook and sliding it across the table.
“He’s trapped here. No one deserves that. He needs peace…”
“What are you two talking about?” demanded Mercedes Jones, crossing her arms over her chest in a huff.
“Mister Schuester,” whispered Kurt looking as if he was going to start honest to God swooning at any minutes.
“Ah hell no,” said Mercedes jumping up and backing away, “My nana warned me against messing with the afterlife.”
“I’m not asking you too,” said Finn as he glanced down at his hands, “I’ll be doing it. But I don’t know where to find books with what I need. Artie’s smart and he knows some of this stuff. So I thought he could help me.”
Artie was flipping through the small notebook that Finn had taken to carrying around with him. Mercedes opened her mouth to begin to question Finn.
“Mercedes,” began Artie effectively shutting the other girl up, “thanks but I want to do this.”
He glanced at Finn who was shifting in his seat. With a serious look on his face, the wheel-chair bound boy said, “This is one of those situations where the less I know the better right?”
“More than likely.”
“You need an exorcism?”
“And a cleansing ritual if you can find it.”
Artie spared a glance at Tina, who after several minutes of silently and furious debating nodded.
“Give us a week.”
“Thanks, man. Oh and any of the sports guys give you shit? Direct them my way,” said Finn with a smile, standing up to his full six foot five height.
“Thanks,” said Artie with a genuine smile on his face.
*
“A couple friends are looking up ways to help you,” Finn told Will the next time he saw the ghost.
“Thanks,” murmured the spirit with a small grin on his face, “You have the room looking really nice.”
“Yeah?” asked the quarterback with pride. Most of the dust had been done away with. Now the student was tackling the cobwebs.
“Yeah,” assured the former teacher, “This used to be my room.”
“You taught Spanish right?” asked Finn, even though he knew the answer.
Will nodded with a wistfully sad look on his face.
“I always wanted to be a teacher. But my dad and Terri kept pressuring to be an accountant.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah…but I was like fuck that. But I still appeased them. I have a double degree in Accounting and Education.”
“That must’ve been a bitch.”
“It was,” said Will with a fond smile, “But I loved it. I wanted to make Spanish fun. I know it sounds stupid but the teacher I had in high school was terrible. Which was a pity because I loved the language.”
“I wish I had you as a teacher,” said Finn as he watched how Will’s face lit up talking about his passion, “Maybe then I wouldn’t have been so bad at Spanish.”
“You’re having problems?”
“It’s nothing new. I don’t think I’m cut out for school.”
“Well it could be because you haven’t found something.”
“What do you mean?”
“Everyone has something that sparks that interest in them, that gets them eager, that makes them want to learn. Maybe you haven’t found that yet.”
Finn paused, mulling over what the spirit told him. It was true that school had never held a great interest to him.
But lately…
He was researching and learning. He wanted to know more about ghosts and sad spirits and siren songs.
Huh, it figured that he wouldn’t want a normal job.
“It’s a good thing you weren’t my teacher,” admitted Finn slowly.
“Why?” asked Will, looking up under eyelashes. The silver light of the moon made him glow and unearthly color.
“I would’ve distracted to even attempt to pay attention to the class.”
Will flushed, making Finn laugh.
He didn’t know ghosts could blush.
He found that he liked it.
*
That night, Finn dreamed of angry hazel eyes and a screeching voice.
He woke up choking, feeling hands around his throat.
However, no one was there.
It didn’t stop the angry purple bruises from appearing the next day.
Or the next.
Or the next.
*
“She’s hurting you,” whispered Will as his icy, transparent hands hovered a few inches above Finn’s neck.
“I can take it,” answered Finn, “She knows I’m getting close.”
“I don’t like seeing you hurt,” admitted Will softly.
“Don’t worry. It’ll all be over soon,” promised Finn, “I’ll free you from her.”
Will’s lips quirked before speaking, “You don’t understand. You’ve become dear to me.”
Finn felt his own face flush and he glanced down, flushing.
“I like you too, Will. I just want you to be happy.”
“I am happy.”
“I want you to be happy and free.”
“One out of two isn’t bad.”
“But it’s not enough,” answered Finn earnestly.
“It can be enough for now,” said Will decisively.
He, then, leaned in and pressed his transparent lips to Finn’s.
Normally, this would lead to a big existential freak-out on Finn’s part and much angsting on Will’s. However, the road to this had been so bittersweet that neither had it in him to truly care. All the kiss did was strengthened the resolve to free Will on Finn’s part and allow Will to dream of another life…one where he was alive.
This wasn’t a normal situation.
This wouldn’t have a happy ending.
“I could’ve fallen for you,” one whispered to the other.
They stayed like that for a very long time, neither saying a word, only exchanging icy-hot kisses under the moonlight.
*
Finn woke up the next day with scratch marks on his back and chest.
A message written on his wall.
HE’S MINE
Finn clenched his hands into fists and felt the determination steel within him.
That bitch was going down.
*
“This was the best I could fine,” said Artie three weeks after Finn had come begging for help, “We just kind of threw a bunch of stuff together.”
Finn looked over the list, “It’s probably for the best. She’s turned her attention to me. But maybe if I cleanse the room enough then she’ll be weakened.”
“A-a-a-are you s-s-sure you w-w-want t-t-to do t-t-this a-a-a-lone?” stuttered out Tina.
“I promised him that I would free him,” whispered Finn with a steely determination in his eyes, “And that’s what I’m going to do. Thanks for the help guys. I really appreciate it.”
The group watched the quarterback walk away.
“Is anyone else a little aroused?” asked Kurt after a moment’s pause.
The group turned to stare at him.
“What?”
*
“How were you able to get all this stuff?” asked Will as he glanced over Finn’s shoulder.
“Let’s just say I had to a couple things that I’m not very proud of,” answered the quarterback as he carefully lit the sage. He paused for a moment before quickly adding, “Nothing sexual.”
“So you think purifying the space would weaken Terri?”
“It’s worth a shot. I’m hoping it would weaken her or slow her down enough for me to get most of the exorcism out.”
“Be careful, Finn,” whispered Will gently. His words made all the hairs on the back of Finn’s neck stand up. The quarterback mustered a smile.
“I will,” promised Finn softly as he gently put his lips over the shape of Will’s mouth.
The ghost gave him a sad, nervous smile before letting Finn do his work.
The quarterback let the sage burn as he gently blew the smoke into every corner of the room. Walking around with the smoldering sage bundle, he kept an eye out for Terri as he worked. He left the sage burning in a dish, as he lit several pure white candles that he washed in holy water earlier.
He was just making sure that he had all his bases covered. So Finn had taken what looked to be the best from every purifying/exorcism rituals that Artie had given him and made it into one super-ritual.
With Will watching him from the corner with wide eyes, Finn knelt in the circle of white candles and smoldering sage before opening a worn book. With a shaking voice, Finn began to recite the prayer to Saint Michael.
“Most glorious Prince of the Heavenly Armies
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in ‘our battle against principalities and powers…”
With a shriek, Terri appeared. A woman in her mid-twenties with long blonde hair and angry hazel eyes, she was a vision of a pissed off spirit. Her white dress seemed to meld with the darkness and blood gently traced from her temple down her cheek. The wind whipped around her as she fixed Finn with her stare.
“STOP! STOP!”
Finn, who knew that he couldn’t break the prayer, kept on going.
“…against the rulers of this world of darkness,
against the spirits of wickedness in the high places…”
“WILL! MAKE HIM STOP!”
She pounded against the barrier that held her back from attacking Finn. The shadows in the room seemed to come alive. Finn kept his eyes on the page, too terrified to look up.
“No,” whispered Will hesitantly.
“WHAT?!”
“No!” stated the other spirit with more force behind his words, “It’s because of you that I’m here! It’s because I let you have control over me for all these years!”
Finn, who kept on praying, was inwardly proud that Will had taken his advice.
“You’ve been hurting people for too long, Terri!” said Will clearly angered before quietly stating, “Those girls…you made me…”
“It was to reaffirm our love.”
“That you destroyed when you cheated on me! So no more, Terri! I’m through listening to you!”
Terri turned her furious gaze on the praying boy.
“I’LL KILL YOU!!!!”
She flew to the barrier, intent on breaking it this time. The wind in the room reached an almost tornado like intensity. The pages of Finn’s notebook fluttering and the candles flickered desperately trying to stay lit. The football player kept every ounce of his strength to keep them down so he could read the faded words in the candlelight.
“No you won’t,” stated a young female voice.
Finn eyes flickered up before widening.
The four girls were there. Each tragically beautiful, each with a noose around her neck, each looking like they were out for blood.
Rachel Berry, the last girl who Finn vaguely remembered, turned her doe brown eyes onto him.
“Finish the ritual Finn.”
With a gulp, Finn said the ending word.
“Amen.”
Almost like taking it as permission, the four girls surged forward grabbing Terri’s limbs and hair.
“Someone wants to see you, Terri,” whispered one maliciously.
“You’ve been a bad, bad girl,” said another with an evil grin on her face.
“We’ve been waiting to play with you,” promised the third one.
“After all,” said Rachel with an almost evil smile, “it’s our anniversary.”
Terri screamed and struggled as the girls dragged her into the shadows.
“WILL! WILL!”
Will turned away and looked down. He stayed like that until the wind died down and Terri’s screams only became echoes in the night.
“Is it over?” asked the spirit.
“Yeah…” said Finn as he sat back on heels, “I think it is.”
Will turned and gave Finn a weak smile, “Thank you.”
The football player looked at the ghost and smiled.
“Told you I set you free.”
“I never doubted you,” said Will with a smile, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” said Finn as he stood and walked out of the circle.
“You know what this means…”
“I do,” admitted Finn sadly, “So the other side huh?”
“Yeah,” murmured Will with his bittersweet smile, “I’ll be watching over you though.”
“Really?” asked Finn feeling a funny tightness in his chest.
“Really,” promised Will as he faded away, “I’ll wait for you on the other side.”
And as Will faded away into the moonlight, Finn found that he believed him.
It was odd that he felt so lonely.
Epilogue