Specter of Death- Part 13

        “No way!” Marie screamed. “There’s no freaking way! That board was inside my bag, zippered up, and behind the closed door of my closet.”

Across the room, her closet door remained closed. Panic seized her heart as she padded across the room in her bare feet. Gasping for air, she reached out for the door handle, almost expecting something to reach back. The inside of her closet looked much like it had when she’d thrown her bag in there— except the bag was open. The board and planchette were gone.

            “Okay, there has to be a reasonable explanation for this,” Marie rationalized. “I must have been sleep-walking. That’s gotta be it!”

     Her words held more confidence in the sentiment than her heart. She cleaned her wound and applied a bandage with antibacterial cream, baffled by the depth of the laceration by a blunted object. Unnerved, she shuffled to her kitchen in search of coffee. Gone were the ‘Narnia Cabinets’, this time she could reach in, touch, and feel the wood at the back of the wall. She grabbed the box of K-Cups and popped one into her coffee maker. Ninety seconds later she was inhaling the steamy, slightly-bitter aroma and feeling a sense of normalcy despite of being fully awake at 3am. After her second cup of coffee, she dressed quickly and headed over to the station to get an early start. 

***

Kim, Angela, and Gillian had stayed up only for a short while after Bill’s call. They sipped warm mugs of ‘sleepy-time tea’ laced with honey and talked. Unsettled by what Bill had said after she’d turned off speaker-phone, Kim steered the conversation far away from what had happened at the morgue. Instead, they talked about old times, the crappy apartment they’d shared in college, and their insanely hot English Lit professor. When they finally trudged off to their rooms, each hoped—rather than believed—that they’d have better luck finding clues to Seth’s killer in the morning.

     Gillian flopped onto the bed in Kim’s second guest room and sighed. I should have listened and stayed far away from that stupid Ouija board. Me and my bright ideas are always getting us into trouble. Drowsy, she flicked off the light and curled up under the covers. Hovering on the delicious plane between sleep and consciousness, Gillian’s troubles melted. Her body relaxed until she floated in weightless slumber, warm and safe. In a distant memory, she heard the singing of a lullaby and she drifted deeper. Just then, an icy cold claw wrapped its talons around her foot and pulled. Bolting upright, Gillian reached for the light switch but it was too far away.

            “Shit! Who’s in here?” she barked into the darkness. “Angela, if that’s you, it isn’t funny!” A shadowy form skulked across the room making Gillian fume. “You’re such a jerk! I can see you; now get out and go to bed before I kick your bony butt all the way down the hall.”

Gillian’s eyes laser-beamed at the silhouette and she wished she has something to throw at Angela. Preferably something hard … like an anvil. I’ll go all Bugs Bunny on you and see how funny that is, Gillian scoffed silently. Some friend! She could hear footfalls coming down the hall. You’re busted now. Kim’s gonna see what you’ve been up to and she’ll be pissed too. The door opened and light from the hallway filled the room.

            “Did you call me?” Angela asked from the hallway.

Kim’s head poked over Angela’s shoulder making Gillian’s jaw dropped. Across the room, there was nothing, no one stood in the spot where the shadowy figure had been. Angela flipped on the lights chasing away every hint of shadow.

            “Sorry, I-I, um …” Gillian paused to think up a reasonable explanation. “I sometimes talk in my sleep. I’m sorry I woke you. Man, that was one weird dream though.”

Laughing, Gillian tried to smooth over her lie. Her friends chuckled along to show they weren’t angry—also to hide their concern.

            “You’re sure you’re okay?” Kim asked. “Do you need anything? Wanna talk about it?”

            “No,” Gillian insisted. “No, I’m fine, really. I’m going right back to bed; you should too.”

Worry creased lines between Kim’s eyebrows and around her mouth. She shrugged and offered up a weak smile to her friend.

            “Okay, if you’re sure. Good night then,” Kim murmured as she reached out for the light switch.

            “NO!” Gillian cried out, sending a burning red flush across her cheeks. “Um, I mean, you don’t have to turn off the light right now. I think I’m going to read a little and try to make myself sleepy again.”

Kim nodded and pulled the door closed behind her. As much as she wanted to comfort her friend, she needed to sleep. In a few hours she would have to go to the morgue and sort out whatever mess remained.  

Specter of Death-Part 12

           “Billy, what’s going on,” Kim whispered into the phone. “You told Gillian she’d be fine.”

            “Well, there’s a couple things she said that could be … well, it could be a concern. One, she said the planchette was erratic and made repetitive figure eights. That can be a sign of a malevolent spirit. Two, she took her hands off the planchette and they never said goodbye. Some people believe those things can open the gate for the spirit to cross over into our world. I’m not sure I believe all that but Gillian is pretty freaked out right now. If she decides to search the internet, her fears could manifest … even if they aren’t real, if you know what I mean. For example, if you break a mirror, you’ll be looking for signs of bad luck. When we look for bad omens, we usually find them or create them.”

            “Yeah, you’re right.” Kim murmured. “People who believe Friday the thirteenth is bad luck usually have a really bad day. I’ll keep an eye on her just to be sure.”

***

     Across town, Kenj sat in the emergency room. She waited for two hours before a doctor came to remove the Hagadorn Needle from her palm. With the help of morphine, not only did she not care how long it took, Kenj did feel a thing when the instrument was removed. When she finally staggered out to the waiting room, she found Marie waiting for her.

            “Hey, can you give me a ride home?” Kenj slurred. “The doc said I shouldn’t drive.”

            “Of course,” the detective answered through a yawn. “I’ve been waiting for you the whole time.”

     Once Kenj was settled into her apartment, Marie drove home. She was anxious to get out of her damp, mildew-smelling clothes and into a hot shower. The stink of stagnant sprinkler water had made her queasy. After hauling in the bag with the Ouija board into her room, she kicked it into her closet and slammed the door.

     The warmth of a steamy shower beckoned her aching muscles and Marie hurried to heed the call. Enveloped in the heat of its embrace, she let the shower-spray massage her chilled, stiff neck and shoulders. Only when the warmth seeped into her core did Marie turn off the water, towel herself dry, and pull on a pair of warm pajamas. Exhausted and achy, she shuffled to her bed and crawled under the covers. Sleep came moments later.

     A dull thud forced Marie to pry open her bleary eyes. Seemingly of their own accord, her legs swung off the bed, plunging her feet onto the cool, wood floor. The shock of cold pulsated through her nerve endings like a thousand needle-pricks stabbing into her brain. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and found herself in her kitchen. Damn, I must really be tired. I don’t remember walking in here. Too weary to retrace her steps, every cell in Marie’s body screamed for coffee. Even with an IV drip, I wouldn’t be able to get enough caffeine into my body, she thought while rooting through her cabinets for the magic beans that made her feel human. The shelves stretched out into oblivion but not even a measly ground remained.

     Caffeine withdrawal jackhammered through the concrete-like shell protecting her brain, shattered fragments scattered deep inside never ending shelves and cabinets. She stretched her arm until her shoulder threatened to separate and still she couldn’t reach the back.

            “Lucky me, I’ve got the cabinets to Narnia,” she scoffed. “Where’s the freaking coffee?”

Behind her, a garbled voice repeated her words. When Marie turned around, she was no longer in her kitchen but inside the morgue. Her Ouija board sat on a table surrounded by flickering candles. Am I dreaming? The words never passed her lips but the shadowy figures seated across from her at the table cackled as if she’d said it aloud.  

     Pulled by a force stronger than her, Marie’s fingertips settled onto the planchette. Rapid, jittery figure-eights pulled her arms along with the rhythm until the tiny plastic triangle slipped from her hands. In mid-air, the planchette froze, spun in the opposite direction, and embedded itself into Marie’s eye.

     Screaming, she sat up, clutching her face. Warm, salty tears trickled down her cheeks but there was no blood. Her eye was fine and when the cries of terror ended. Marie was sitting in her bed, clutching her blankets. It was just a dream, her inner voice soothed. Laughing at her own silliness, her toes reached out for the coolness of her hardwood floors and stood. Her foot slipped, sending her sprawling head-first into the bed frame. Blackness overtook her before she hit the floor. Seconds later, she blinked hard to stop the room from spinning. Stabbing pain ripped through her left shoulder. Still face down on the floor, she reached over to feel for damages.

            “That lump on my head is going to throb later,” she muttered to herself. “And damn, it feels like I’ve got an ice pick stabbing through my shoulder.”

Warm, sticky blood smeared the tips of her fingers but still Marie’s fingers probed the source of pain  
            “What the hell is this?” She muttered.

She plucked the offending piece from just below her collar bone and stood. In one hand she clung to the sharp piece that had pierced her and with the other she reached for the lamp on her nightstand. With one click, the room was bathed in a soft glow. She held the planchette in her hand. Blood dripped from the plastic triangle onto the floor. When Marie looked down, she was standing on top of the Ouija Board. A blood-curdling scream of profanities bubbled out from her core and she threw the planchette across the room. 

Specter of Death- Part 11

            “Bill, are you sure it’ll be okay with the university if you head straight here?” Kim asked. “I don’t want you to lose your job.”

            “No, it’s fine. I worked it all out. Right now, let’s just focus on finding the killer before anyone else is hurt. Anyway, I’m dying to find out what happened at the morgue so let’s have it, Jilly. How did it go?”

Gillian groaned. Her evening had been complete chaos and she hated the thought of rehashing it, especially since the feelings of dread hadn’t dissipated since she left the morgue. Knowing Kim would hear all about it anyway, Gillian told her friends everything. She had expected laughing or even a few good natured jokes at her expense but Kim, Angela, and Bill remained silent until she ended her story with sloshing to her car and cranking up the heat. For a few seconds, the silence hung heavy in the air, each waiting for someone else to speak. Then they all spoke at once, words jumbling together in confusion.

            “Oh my God! Is Kenj okay?” Kim gasped.

            “Wait, you took your hands off the planchette before saying goodbye?” Bill asked.

            “So who touched your shoulder if it wasn’t Marie or Kenj?” Angela wondered.

Nervous giggles rippled through the group when they all blurted their questions out at the same time. Gillian wasted no time allaying Kim’s fears. Kenj would be fine after a few stitches. It was the other questions that made her squirm.

            “Honestly,” Gillian said, “I have no clue who touched me. I was nowhere near the door so it wasn’t one of the firemen, either. I’ve been trying to convince myself that it was just stress and I imagined it but …”

Gillian paused as she stared out the window. A shadowy figure had caught her eye and the feeling of being watched made her skin crawl. It wasn’t until Kim and Angela turned to look out the window that she redirected.

            “Bill, what were you asking me about the planchette?” She said, trying to cover up her concerns.

            “You said you pulled your hands off but you said goodbye first, right?” Bill’s voice was thick with concern. “You didn’t just pull away, did you?”

            “Um, yeah … I was a little thrown off when he said the devil and my hands came up. That’s when the planchette flew out and hit Detective McDonald. What do you mean say goodbye? What’s that all about?”

            “There’s a spot at the bottom of the board that says goodbye. It’s just good manners to say goodbye to the spirit,” he replied but Bill’s voice changed pitch as he attempted to lighten his tone. “Don’t worry, Jilly. We both know Seth was never the type to stand on ceremony. Look, I need to get a few things then I’ll be on the road so I’ll see you all soon.”

Kim took her phone off speaker to say goodbye but Bill urged her to go into another room before hanging up the phone.

            “Kim, listen, you need to keep an eye on Gillian. Make sure she stays close. She might not be safe.” 

           “Oh my God! Why?” 

Specter of Death- Part 10

Billy’s sigh on the other end of the call sent an icy dagger into Kim’s heart.

            “Hey, I’m gonna put you on speaker phone but hold off on telling us what you found. We’re waiting for Gillian to change … she came home soaking wet. I don’t even want to imagine what went on inside my morgue.”

            “What was she doing inside your morgue without you?” Billy asked.

            “I told you they were using that Ouija Board tonight.”

            “You didn’t say they were doing it inside the morgue. What the h—”

            “She back,” Kim interrupted.

The time for grilling Gillian about what happened would come but Kim had been on the edge of her seat, waiting to find out what Billy had unearthed.

            “I have to say, there are some incredible people at the university. I had fellow professors, grad students, and even a few suck-ups from my classes all working on these symbols. Overall, the consensus is that they’re ancient runes but we don’t know if they’re Old Norse or Anglo Saxon.”

            “Why must there always be a ‘but’ in there?” Angela groaned. “A clear cut answer would have been nice, for once.”

            “Tell me about it,” Bill agreed. “The meanings behind the symbols are totally different in many cases, even though they look exactly the same.”

            “So, how do we know which is the correct interpretation?” Kim asked.

            “Well, I’m on my way now. I should be there in a few hours. I think it’s best if we all review them together with the detective working this case. Kim, can you call her and set up a meeting for sometime tomorrow?”

*** In the push to get my next book launched there will be a two week hold until Part 11 so I will see you all back here on Tuesday, June 2nd. Happy Memorial Day and thank you to those who served or are currently serving. You have my deepest respect! ***

Specter of Death- Part 9

Soaked to the bone in stagnant water from the sprinkler system, the three women sloshed across the room, arms outstretched, looking for the shut off valve and the light switch. Without their candlelight, blackness swallowed the room and everything in it. They tripped over table legs and stubbed toes on corners as their fingertips caressed the walls in search of the elusive switches.

            “Shit!” Kenj shouted as she and a tray of autopsy tools fell to the floor with a crash. “Oh God … this isn’t good. Um, anyone make it to the door yet? I really need some light over here.”

            “I’m working on it,” Marie replied. My fingers are so cold I’m losing feeling. We’re gonna catch pneumonia at this rate.”

            “Jilly? What about you?” Kenj called.

For several seconds there was silence except for the sound of water pouring down on them. Kenj wondered if the icy shivers up her spine came from the cold water, her injury, or worry.  

            “Gillian?”

            “Marie,” Gillian replied though her voice trembled. “You found me. You can take your hands off my shoulders.”

            “Um, I’m over here. I’m not touching you; I swear.”

Before fear could send an icy dagger through their hearts, the lights flicked on, leaving them momentarily blinded. All three let loose a scream that reverberated off the walls. When Marie opened her eyes, three firefighters were standing in the doorway. One still had his hand hovering over the light switch. Another raced off, seeking the shut off valve for the sprinkler system.

            “Are you ladies okay?”

It was then that they noticed Kenj on the floor with a scalpel sticking out of her thigh and more than half the length of a Hagadorn Needle embedded in her hand. Beneath her, the pool of stinking water was tinged red. Both firemen sprang into action, gingerly lifting her as if she weighed nothing and whisking her outside to the waiting EMTs.

     Gillian shivered, both from cold and shock. Thinking quickly, Marie grabbed her bag and placed the board inside before anyone from the fire department returned. She didn’t want anyone to see what they’d been doing. Even though she was willing to do whatever it took to catch the killers, if word got out it would damage her reputation in the force. Gillian rushed to her side, soggy candles in her hands. Once the room was clear, they went in search of Kenj.

            “Oh God, are you okay, Kenj?” Marie gasped.

            “Don’t worry, Detective.” She answered. “I’m fine. It was my own clumsiness. I was just telling the guys how we were discussing the latest case when the power cut out. They think maybe the power surge set off the sprinklers because, obviously, there wasn’t any fire.”

The deliberate tone of Kenj’s voice said more than the words she’d carefully chosen. Marie gave her a kind smile and sat down beside the injured MDI that had effectively thrown herself on a live grenade to protect what they’d been doing inside the morgue. Despite her protests, the EMTs insisted on taking Kenj to the hospital.

            “I’ll follow behind the ambulance,” Marie offered. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

            “I don’t see any reason why Rodriguez here can’t just stitch me up here,” said Kenj. “C’mon, we both know there’s no reason to waste anyone’s time, especially mine, at the E.R.”

            “I’ve got two words for you,” one of the EMTs responded. He held up two pudgy fingers in front of his devilish grin to demonstrate  “Mor— phine. They’ll gave you a little and you’ll sleep like a baby instead of the agony you’ll suffer through if you let any of us sew you back up.” The EMT gave her a wink and attached the gurney straps around her.

Sensing she was outvoted, Kenj sighed in defeat. “Hey, Gillian, you should head home so you can get out of those wet clothes. I’ll give you a call in the morning. Thanks for your help tonight.”

     Gillian hauled herself to her car and cranked up the heat. Warm, dry, air washed over her, chasing the chill away. As she rode across town to Kim’s home, she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Shadows cast from the streetlights above seemed to take on ominous shapes that shifted to rear their ugly heads. Even when she pulled into Kim’s driveway, a dark form dashed across the rearview mirror. I need a hot shower and a good night’s sleep, her inner voice insisted.

     Inside, the house was well lit and cheerful, leaving Gillian to wonder if stress had made her jumpy. Kim and Angela were waiting at the door to welcome her.

            “Oh my God! Are you okay? You look … wait, why are you all wet?” Kim asked.

Gillian shook her head and raked her hand through her still-damp hair. Before she could reply, the phone rang.

           “Billy! Hey, how are you? Please tell me you have some news for us.” 

***By now, you know the drill. Unless the zombies rise up, I'll be here next Tuesday for another installment of Specter of Death***

Specter of Death- Part 8

At quitting time, Kim gathered up her things and wished her friends luck. Both she and Angela had made their feelings known. There was nothing more they could offer on the subject. No one doubted her sincerity or concern.

            “Please, be careful. Okay?” Kim’s voice was heavy with emotion.

            “Don’t worry,” Marie replied. “Besides, we might not be able to make contact and you’ll have gotten yourself all worked up over nothing.”

            “I hope you’re right, Marie. I hope you’re right.”

Gillian walked her friend out to her car, reiterating there was no need to worry. The feeling of dread in Kim’s stomach said otherwise.

            When Gillian returned, Marie and Kenj had set up small table surrounded by three chairs, in the center of the room. The board was in the center with the planchette resting on the table next to it. Candles flickered on nearby surfaces, making Gillian wonder what OSHA would think of such a fire hazard.

            “I was starting to wonder if Kim and Angela talked you out of it,” Marie teased, throwing Gillian a wink. “Looks like we’re all set up … I think it would be best if you ask the questions since you knew Seth and we didn’t. He’s more likely to respond to your energy than mine.”

            “I read that someone ought to write everything down. Technically, they don’t actually take part but when that pointer really gets going it helps to have someone jotting every letter and number down.” Kenj added. “Do you want me to do that, Detective or would you rather?”

            “You can do it, if you don’t mind taking the back seat on the action,” said Marie. “I’d like to be involved and I can’t help wondering if Kim and Angela might have made you a little nervous. It’s best to approach a situation like this without uneasiness or negativity. Positive energy is our best shot at making a connection and we desperately need some answers.”

While Kenj settled in with a pad and a pen, Marie turned off the overhead lights so that only the dancing flames atop each candle provided light. The three ladies took a deep, cleansing breath, exhaled, and then nodded to signify they were ready. At the same time, Gillian and Marie placed their fingertips on the planchette.

            “We’re trying to reach my dear friend, Seth Lee. Seth, if you are here, please speak to us. We need your help.” Gillian’s voice was clear and calm even though excited little butterflies danced in her stomach. “Seth, are you here with us tonight?”

     The planchette did not move. Marie looked deep into Gillian’s eyes and gave her a nod of encouragement.

            “Don’t give up,” Kenj whispered. “Sometimes it takes a few minutes. Try again.”

Gillian called out again to her departed friend on the other side. Beneath her fingertips, the piece of plastic trembled then slid a couple of millimeters.

            “Seth, is that you? Are you here with us?” This time the planchette moved back and forth across the board.  “Marie, are you moving it?” she demanded.

Not wanting to interrupt whatever connection they’d established, Marie shook her head no. The detective’s wide eyes reflected sincerity and honesty.

            “We are looking to make a connection with Seth Lee. Seth, are you there?”

The pointed end moved rapidly to the corner marked ‘YES’.

            “Seth? Is it really you?” Gillian’s eyes clouded and her chin quivered when the plastic under her hand slid away from YES circled the board once and then returned. “We want to find whoever hurt you and stop them from harming others. Do you know who attacked you?”

Faster now, the planchette jerked away from the ‘YES’ mark and made sloppy ovals before returning to the same affirmative marker.

            “Good! We need you to give us a name.”

Erratic, rapid, circular motions gave way to loops like an infinity symbol or a figure eight before landing on ‘NO’. Marie had to bite her tongue to keep from saying anything aloud but her inner voice muttered a few choice profanities.

            “Seth, we want to stop them from hurting others. You don’t want anyone else to be killed, do you?”

The pointer circled back to ‘NO’ which gave Gillian hope. She knew Seth was always reasonable; it just took time to get him to come around sometimes.

            “Good, we don’t want anyone else to get hurt either. Together, we can stop them! Now, please, tell us who did it.”

Their hands swirled across the board and Marie drew in a sharp breath when they moved too close to NO but they did not return to it. Instead, the clear circle encompassed the letter C. Kenj scribbled it onto her pad, followed by A then N. Frantic circles whipped across the board until it settled on the letter T. After several seconds, there was no movement.

            “C’mon, Seth. Don’t tell me you can’t!” Gillian groaned. “Yes you can. Give me the name.”

Before her sentence finished the planchette was moving again in rapid swirls. Marie made a mental note to look up the meaning of an infinity sign on the Ouija Board later. The letters came in rapid succession: SCARRED.

            “Yeah, Kim told me about the scar. It looks like someone branded you, she said but it was an open wound when she first saw you.”

The pointer went back to ‘NO’ making Jillian sigh in frustration. Kenj held up her pad. It had one word: scared, followed by a question mark.

            “Was it scared? Is that what you were saying?”

‘Yes’ was the reply which quickened the breathing of all three girls.

            “You don’t have to be scared, Seth. Not anymore … we’re going to catch whoever is responsible. And when we do, Marie is going to arrest them. Did I tell you she’s a detective?”

            ‘NO’

            “Sorry, I should have introduced you. She wants to help but she needs a name, Seth. Please?”

Faster than ever, their hands circled the board. Gillian wondered if she’d pushed too hard. Seth’s agitation showed in the rapid, jerking, movements but she said nothing. The first letter, D, appeared for just moment before the spinning recommenced. The rest followed in quick succession, almost too fast for Kenj to see: E-V-I-L. Startled, Gillian lifted her hands for just a second and planchette flew across the board and struck Marie just below her collar bone on the left side. Before any of the ladies could react, the candles flickered for a second, as if a breeze blew through the room, and then the overhead fire sprinklers doused the entire room in icy water.“

             "Damn it!” Kenj shouted. “Where’s the turn off valve?”

**Please return next Tuesday for another installment of Specter of Death**

Specter of Death- Part 7

All day, the feeling of dread gnawed at the pit of Kim’s stomach. She didn’t like the idea of messing around with dark forces but the others were resolved to make it happen. Only Angela had been on her side. At lunch they both tried to steer the investigation down a different path but their reluctance was met with disdain.

            “If you’re not into it, that’s totally fine but there’s no reason for you to try to talk us out of it,” said Marie. “We need answers. Besides, there’s nothing to be afraid of; this isn’t a horror movie.”

Those words echoed in both Angela and Kim’s minds the rest of the day. In a last ditch effort to stop what they were sure would end in disaster, Angela placed a call to Billy’s cell phone.

            “Maybe he can talk Gillian out of it,” Angela whispered as the phone rang.

            “Even better, maybe he’s got some information about those symbols. If there’s work to be done, Marie won’t have time to mess around with those damn Ouija Boards.” Kim replied.

The phone rang again, then a third time and a fourth. Angela was just about to hang up when Billy’s voice came through the receiver.

            “Angela? What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?”

            “Hey, Bill, I hope this isn’t a bad time. No, we’re okay. No one has been hurt … yet. We were hoping you could help us avoid that.” Angela answered.

            “What do mean yet?” Bill’s voice was thick with concern. “Where’s Kim and Gillian?”

            “Kim is right here with me and Gillian will be back in a few minutes. She ran over to the coffee shop for some lattes so we wanted to catch you before she got back.”

In one deep breath, Angela relayed the entire story and their concerns about what could happen if Gillian, Marie, and Kenj, used their Ouija Board in the morgue. For a second, there was silence at the other end of the receiver. She and Kim exchanged worried glances, waiting for a reply.

            “Seriously? I ducked out of my class for that? It’s a freaking kid’s toy! It says right on the box for ages eight and up. I can’t believe you called me for this. Tell Kim I’ll call her tonight after my classes to talk about the symbols. I gotta go.”

            “He hung up,” Angela gasped.

            “Well, at least we tried,” Kim said as she draped her arm across Angela’s shoulders. “Maybe, nothing will happen and we’re worrying for no reason.” 

***Again, I apologize for my absence. Hopefully, the plague has been vanquished but I see my doctor this afternoon to be sure. Don't tell him I was working! If all goes well, the next installment of Specter of Death shall be Tuesday, May 5th or Revenge of the Fifth for my fellow geeks. Until then, avoid the plague!!!***