solid now, where he had been before. Was that a sign of weakness? Or a growing threat? He also noted that John looked normal, no overlay.

The laughter had stopped for a moment, but as soon as all eyes were facing him, John threw back his head and laughed again, the sound as awful as it had been before. Jim shook his head in an instinctive attempt to clear his ears. The sound filled the room, as if John were in the house with them, even though Jim’s eyes insisted the spectral form was outside. Then he heard a sound which didn’t belong. The creak of a door opening behind him. He whirled to see Kevin leaving.

“No! Don’t go out there!” But it was too late. An unseen hand slammed the door behind the detective.

Turning back to the window, he was unsurprised to see that Jo...

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