'Ash? Come on, you've got to wake up.'

Ash grunted, lifting her hand to her head.

'Thank God.'

'I wouldn't thank him just yet,' she said, finally figuring out how to open her eyelids.

'What just happened?' The Deputy pulled her to her feet, gripping her shoulders when she wobbled.

'My sister just got possessed. That's what just fucking happened,' she grumbled.

'Possessed? You've got to be kidding.'

Ash glared at him. 'Is there anything about my face that says I'm joking?'

He gulped and looked away. 'No. But she didn't take off her necklace?'

'She's more powerful than that necklace and they weren't ordinary lingering spirits. They were vindictans.'

'What?'

'I'll explain when we're in the car,' she reasoned, already heading for the door.

As they ran through the building, the flickering ghosts of the other two forms appeared and watched as they passed.

'Why aren't they doing anything?' The Deputy huffed as they skidded out of the front door.

'Because they've already got what they wanted. Ghosts can't possess just anybody, they have to possess someone who is able to pass through the veil. And I bloody gift wrapped her for them,' she cursed.

They threw themselves into the car and were tearing down the road before the Deputy realised he had no idea where they were going.

'And how do you propose we find her?'

'After the last time in the graveyard, I made sure I could track her phone.'

The Deputy drew a hand over his face. 'Do I even want to know if that's legal?'

'Probably not.'

'My life was much simpler when I didn't know you.'

'Are you really expecting me to argue?' she said, tapping her credentials into the app and allowing it to track down her sister. 'Take a left here.'

She held onto her seat as the Deputy took the turn sharper than she expected.

'Now explain. What are these ventus things?'

'Vindictans are vengeful spirits. Their deaths are always traumatic and they blame another for their passing. If they get strong enough, they can appear in an indistinct form to everyone, not just those like Jess.'

'What makes them strong?'

'Take the next right,' she commanded. 'It's usually tied to the strength of their personality, the length they've been dead, and how likely they are to get retribution for their death. To name just a few reasons.'

'Jess kept talking about retribution.'

'That wasn't Jesse,' Ash snapped. 'That was just the thing that was controlling her.'

'Either way. Could that woman be trying to use Jess to avenge her death?'

'It's the most likely reason,' admitted Ash.

'Then I have to wonder if she's connected to Charity.'

But Ash was already shaking her head. 'She flung us against the wall like it was nothing. That type of power takes decades to build up. I'd wager that Charity wasn't even born when that woman died.'

The Deputy grimaced, not liking her answer.

'How are you planning to get Jess back?'

'We're going to catch her, and then we're going to exorciser her.'

'Of course we are,' the Deputy muttered.

'You asked.'

'And how are you going to exorciser her?'

'Just leave that to me.'

The Deputy risked a glance at her. Ash was practically vibrating with anger and remorse.

'Take another left here. She's somewhere on this road.'

He followed her instructions, keeping his opinions to himself.

'Where does this road go?' she asked.

'It's a dead end. Just a couple of frat houses.'

'Why would she take Jesse here?' Ash frowned.

'She could be using it as a cut through? The road ends here, but there is a public path behind the frat house at the end that'll take you into town.'

'Could be.'

Silence filled the car as they slowed, trying to spot Jess. The night was quiet. All the students were safely tucked away in their beds, ready for a new school day in a few hours' time, all the partying drawn out of their system by a busy Saturday.

'I'm going to need your belt.'

The Deputy gave Ash the side eye. 'And why is that?'

'The ghost that's possessing Jess has probably exhausted a lot of energy, so she won't attempt to throw us into any more walls.'

'Good to know,' he interrupted.

'But she won't go quietly,' Ash continued, as if he hadn't spoken. 'I need to restrain Jesse's hands in case the ghost holds her body as a bargaining chip.'

'I need you to be honest with me. How serious could this be for your sister?'

Ash took the offered belt, her lips meshed together. Guilt clawed its way up her throat, cutting off her vocal chords. It was hard to admit how far this could go if she didn't get a handle on the situation. She refused to lose her sister now. She'd get her back by any means necessary.

'This is extremely dangerous for her. Her body can withstand a possession but, she's not superhuman. If that ghost decides to step out in front of a moving car, my sister dies. And I don't want to think about what this will mentally do to Jesse when we do get her back.'

'She must be terrified.'

But Ash didn't reply. She knew that terrified was just one emotion that her sister could be feeling. But she was more worried about Jess feeling the exact opposite. She'd rather her sister be terrified than the alternative.

'There she is,' the Deputy said, slowing the car even further.

'Can I borrow this?' She snagged his waterproof overcoat from the back seat.

'Okay.' His forehead wrinkled as he watched her preparing.

'The key is to be quick and to disorientate. They're in a foreign body and that makes their reactions slower.'

He reached over to grip her arm, forcing her to look at him. 'What are you planning to do?'

'I'm planning to get my sister back. I need you to be ready to drive back to Tabitha's. Can you do that?'

'Yes,' he said crisply. 'It's the least that I owe you.'

'The way this is going, I may end up owing you,' she said before she took off sprinting.

Jess didn't turn at her thunderous footsteps. The ghost inside her was too focused. Too single minded on her goal. She was detached from her surroundings and that was the perfect time for Ash to grab her.

Ash's arms moved automatically, though it had been years since she'd had to do something like this. She drew the coat over her sister's head, feeling Jess' possessed body fight against her.

The Deputy got out and held the back door open. He helped her heave a struggling Jess into the back seat. Ash climbed on top of her, gripping her hands and wrapping the belt around them. She would have killed for some cable ties, but she was working with what she had.

The Deputy slammed the door shut and revved the engine.

'All the doors are locked.'

But Ash didn't answer. Being quick, she moved the coat and positioned it under her sister's chin, using the arms to secure her to the headrests.

Black ooze slipped down Jess' mouth and her obsidian eyes glared at Ash.

Ash found it difficult to hold her sister's gaze with so much hatred clouding it. It reminded her of a different set of identical eyes that still haunted her nightmares on the occasions when she allowed the past to catch up to her.

Jess thrashed and gnashed her teeth at Ash, but the restraints held fast.

'Hurry.'

'I'm trying,' snapped the Deputy. 'It's not like they ever covered this at the police academy.'

'Well next time they have a review, you have my permission to submit it as a suggestion,' Ash snarled back.

The Deputy drove straight onto Tabitha's driveway and slammed on the breaks. Ash's back collided with the front passenger's seat, but she gritted her teeth against the tingle in her shoulder.

The Deputy opened the car door, and she dragged her sister out, staying clear of her sharp kicks.

'What do you need?'

'Take her to the conservatory. There are things I need to get.' She didn't wait for him to agree, but raced upstairs, flying through to the study.

'Ash?'

'It's just me, Tab,' she called back.

She ransacked the room, finding the things that she'd hidden from the police. The door creaked open, but she didn't bother turning. Tabitha's cane always made a distinct sound on the wooden flooring.

'Something bad happened?' Tabitha guessed.

'Jess got possessed.'

'Really?'

Ash paused in her searching to throw her old friend a scathing look before she started rummaging through the desk.

'What are you looking for?'

'A marker or some paints.' Ash knew she sounded insane, but there was no time to sugarcoat what was happening. She'd already left the Deputy too long with her sister.

'Spare bedroom, third door on the right. My granddaughter is into fingerprinting. Please feel free to use it all. The mess she created last time.' Tabitha shuddered.

Ash clutched her items to her chest and raced past Tabitha, seeing the paints neatly lined up on the shelf.

'I'll get them replaced,' she vowed.

'Don't feel like you have to,' Tabitha said. 'She ruined my favourite rug last time,'

'She's only four.'

'Old enough to be more dexterous.'

Ash plucked the biggest paint brush, toppling the rest onto the floor. She picked up the first bottle of paint. Red. She shook her head. Of course, it was red, she thought to herself.

'Stay up here,' she said as she passed Tabitha.

'You don't have to tell me twice. I hope your sister feels better,' Tabitha said as Ash bounded down the stairs, her shoulder colliding with the family portraits that hung there.

Ash concentrated on not tripping over her own feet as she flung herself down the hallway. She found the Deputy restraining an angry mute Jess in the centre of the conservatory. She kicked a chair in his direction.

'Tie her to it. As close to the middle of the room as you can.'

The Deputy hesitated for only a second before complying. Ash watched to make sure he was doing as she asked whilst she allowed the items in her hand to tumble to the table. The weathered looking book was the first to get her attention as she flicked through the pages. She was glad that she'd used teenage Jess' highlight arrows to mark the page she needed. Though she'd hoped to never have to perform another exorcism again.

'She's tied.'

Ash glanced over her shoulder. 'There's a bag of table salt in the kitchen cupboard next to the mugs. Grab it.'

She had to give it to the man, he didn't even question her as he left. Unscrewing the lid on the paint, she dropped to her hands and knees, avoiding the calculated kicks Jess aimed at her head, and painted a circle around her sister. She went back and drew a larger one, filling in the space between with symbols, the ages of which were unknown to her.

'Please say that's not blood,' the Deputy growled.

'Paint. Did you get the salt?'

He heaved up the bag. 'I dread to think what you're going to do with it.'

Ash didn't reply as she wiped her hands on her jeans, leaving the paint brush sticking out of the pot. If Tabitha thought that her granddaughter had made a mess, she'd have a coronary if she saw what Ash had done to her tiled floor.

Jess strained against the jacket. Ash wished that the Deputy was more used to carrying around his handcuffs on his nights off, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

She collected the book off the table. 'Stand by the circle but don't step on it or cross it. I need you to hold the salt so that I can reach it.'

The Deputy didn't say a word as he took up his position.

'Retribution,' croaked Jess.

'You will get your retribution, but not this way.' Ash held the book, stepped carefully over her painted circle, and read. Her mouth twisted and her tongue flicked over the foreign words.

Jess thrashed harder as Ash took a fist full of salt and tossed it over her. A sound like two car bumpers colliding erupted from Jess' mouth, but Ash didn't stop. The darkness in Jess' eyes lightened, but the ooze from her mouth multiplied until it covered her chin and ran down her throat.

'Libero,' Ash shouted. Taking a handful of salt, she forced it into Jess' mouth, recoiling at what she was having to do, but not once did her hand falter.

She jumped over the circle as her sister's body convulsed. A blue light emitted from Jess's mouth and in one whoosh, her entire body glowed before she slumped forward in the chair, the light snuffing out like a candle.

'Is it over?' the Deputy asked.

'Ash?' Jess whispered.

Ash didn't have time to answer the Deputy as her sister's voice almost brought tears to her eyes.

'I'm here, Jesse.'

Jess' face cracked and big tears slipped down her face.

Ash pulled her sister into her arms. 'It's okay. I've got you. It's over.'

She felt Jess' body slowly relax, sleep claiming Jess quickly even though her tears were soaking through Ash's t-shirt.

'Is she going to be okay?'

Ash looked from the Deputy back at her sister. Jess was sleeping, her body exhausted, but it didn't look like a pleasant time. Her face was scrunched up and her hands were like a vise on Ash's.

'I don't know,' she said honestly. 'I really don't know.'