Then it hit the top of the tank.

The spirit jolted and bumped the top. It shook, it spun, it shuddered, and suddenly the blue mist form began to take on a greasy, solid form. It tried to rise again, but nothing; it hit the roof again. For a moment it just stayed there, suspended. Then it seemed to decide something and began to descend to the body again. It was trying to get out, but it would find no way there either.

The spirit just bumped against the body as it had the roof. Then it began to panic. It began flying around the tank, trying every direction. It hit the glass and the sound of it made us all jump.

Mo’Lock stepped toward it. “It’s trying to get out.”

But no one said a word. We just watched the soul swim in its cage. The expression on its smooth blue face was one of agony, fear, confusion. I suddenly felt terrible. This is what Mo’Lock had been afraid of. I understood. Souls are supposed to pass on to some other place or form, not get trapped in a big fish tank.

I looked over at Ponytail. He was grinning at me. “Well, Mr. McDonald. Do you believe in souls now?”

I glared at him. I almost attacked him, but where the fuck would that get me? I walked toward the door instead and signaled the ghoul to follow.

As we passed by Ponytail I shot him one last glare.

“You suck,” I said and left.

Behind me I could hear the soul pounding against the glass.

Back at my office I got good and drunk but it didn’t help. I felt like shit. I couldn’t believe I was a part of that horror. Mo’Lock was standing at the window staring out and didn’t say a word for hours.

Then, “It’s not your fault, Cal,” he said. “You didn’t know.”

I looked at him. I was slobbering drunk and could hardly speak. “You told me. I didn’t listen.”

“Now you know.”

I shrugged a drunken shrug. “Shit.”

I was about to whine some more when there was a crash outside in the yard. I sprang to my feet and pulled my gun. I was drunk but not that drunk. Mo’Lock came over to me as I came around the desk. There was another crash, then a thud and with each noise whatever was out there got closer to my door. Then it hit the door. The ghoul stepped over to it while I fixed my gun on it.

I nodded. He opened the door.

There at the door was Horn-rimmed, sans specs. He was covered with blood, beaten to a pulp, his lab coat torn apart. The top right side of his head had been chopped away and I could see skull and brains. The kid should have been dead.