Today’s monster was sent in by freelance author Todd Cash (Ghosts of Albion, Exquisite Replicas).

Is Jimmy Sparks a malevolent ghost or something far, far worse?

Jimmy Sparks

Created by Todd Cash

Mason Reynolds propped up his digital camera and then double-checked its Internet connection to ensure his feed would be live. He roughly ran the sleeve of his fatigue jacket, a novelty item that knew no military service, across his sweaty forehead. With that gesture, he focused on the camera’s lens.

“My name is Mason Reynolds and I investigate hauntings, ghost stories, and urban legends out of Missoula, Washington. I’m currently investigating a case I believe centers around the forty-year-old murder of an African-American Blues musician named Jimmy Sparks. My two friends and I traveled down South to investigate two strange murders and over the course of this last week delved a great deal into a possible connection between the two men.”

An elderly woman moaned next to Mason, earning her his full attention. He found it difficult to keep the loathing out of his eyes. “Should I be wrong about Sparks’ weakness, I want to at least tell you about his abilities.”

“First and foremost, Sparks is not a ghost. No, this bastard is fully corporal or, well, seems to be most of the time. Either way, it doesn’t matter a Hell of a lot because nothing can really hurt him. Pure gross kinetics just fling him around like physics demands, but does no lasting damage. I think it has to deal with his freakiest ability, which is his talent at ignoring bonds of any kind. Locked doors, handcuffs, and simple rope are nothing to this freak.

Interestingly, he cannot just walk through walls. There has to be something preventing him from his prey before this intangibility thing, if it is even that, kicks in.”

Mason turned away from the camera for a moment, training his hearing on the unlocked door leading into the room. “His switchblade is another problem. It cuts through damn near anything and always seems to be on him as if it’s an extension of his will.” Mason turned the camera towards the old woman. “This is Amelie Bradshaw. She watched a posse murder Sparks in 1967, the Summer of Love for a crime she knew he was innocent. They locked her away, afraid she’d turn them all in. That’s not what happened though. She kept hearing him scream for release over forty years until something snapped in her head and allowed her to bring him back.”

The woman looked at the camera. Steel in her eyes augmented her frail frame. “They had it coming.”

“Their children and children’s children? Sparks is killing bloodlines, not racists.”

Before Mason could continue his moral argument, he heard a haunting humming coming from the doorway. He looked up while drawing a .44, which he promptly aimed at Amelie. “I want you people to know I’m killing her in self defense, for Shelly and Jonah and all the innocent people Sparks went through. She willed this thing into being and I’m fairly sure ending her will end it.”

With those words, Sparks smiled.

And lunged.

About Todd Cash:
Todd Cash is a freelance writer who has worked on projects with Abstract Nova and Eden Studios. Also, he knows more about comic books and sci-fi television shows than most men should. He maintains a mostly-loved livejournal at spikexan.livejournal.com. He lives in Bowling Green, Kentucky with is wife and son.

Tags | exquisite replicas, ghost stories, halloween horror