“Oh, ok. That explains a lot.” Alison said. “Come on Tess, I think I need a glass of water and a good nights sleep.” Alison started to head upstairs, Tess following.
By midday the next day the men and Alison had finished putting in the new kitchen. Nick had bought them all a lunch of cheese sandwiches, crisps and fizzy drink. They sat outside in the sunshine and enjoyed a break.
“So,” Nick said. “What are you going to do with this place when you finish?”
“Live in it, I hope.” Alison said, watching Tess as she sniffed around by the edge of the forest.
“Your husband must be excited” Alan said. “This will be worth a fortune when it is finished. Do you two want kids?”
Alison didn't answer. The men looked at each other.
“Sorry. I shouldn’t ask personal stuff like that. What do you prefer, cheese and onion or ready salted?”
Alison smiled. “I’ll take salt and vinegar thanks.” Alison grabbed the packet out of his hand.
That afternoon the men started to fill in the cracks on the exterior paint work before painting it white. They listened to the radio as they worked. Alison meanwhile had decided to go and explore the back garden. She left Tess tied up out front in the shade with a bowl of water. She was quite happy watching the men work. Alison headed out into the overgrown back garden. She didn't really want to head out there, but Alison wanted to assess how many skips worth of junk was in the garden. She headed through the undergrowth towards the shed she had seen the previous day. She could hear the radio playing, which gave her some comfort. Alison negotiated around the overgrown bushes and climbed over and under the tree branches. She got to the shed. Its roof was damaged. Alison tried the door. It was locked with a large rusty padlock securing the door. Alison hadn't thought of bringing any tools with her. She looked around. She saw a large rock on the ground. She tried to pick it up but it was stuck. She clawed away at the dirt surrounding it until she got it free. She picked it up and hit the padlock with it. She hit the padlock again and again, until she started to hear the crack of wood. Sweat started to pour down her face. She hit the lock again. Eventually the wooden door splintered. The padlock fell off, taking a large chunk of rotten wood with it.
She pulled open the door. The inside smelt damp. She looked inside, there were cobwebs everywhere. She moved some with her hand, and they stuck to her arm. Looking inside she could see rows of old fashioned tools. There was a bench and a metal chair. There were two drawers. She wondered wether to go inside or not. She listened and could hear the mens radio loudly coming from the house. She should hear them laughing and joking with each other as they worked. She knew Tess would be having a good time as well. They had befriended her and Tess loved to meet new people.
Alison went inside and had a better look around. No one had been in this shed for what looked like decades. She opened one of the drawers. In it were more tools and a few woodlice. She tried another drawer. In it was a leather bag.
She pulled out the bag. The leather was stiff and brittle in some places, wet and covered in green in others. She unrolled it revealing its purpose was for holding tools of some sort. They had gone rusty. In it were scissors, several scalpels, knives, tweezers and tools with hooks. Alison shuddered. Why would someone own a toolkit like this? She rolled it up and put it back in the drawer. She shut the drawer. Not wanting to look in any more. She turned around to leave. There was no point looking in this shed anymore. Everything in it could be dumped. That was when she saw a brown wooden box on the top shelf of the shed. It was different, as it looked like it was far too nice to be in a shed. Alison reached up. It was just out of her reach. She looked around. There was a metal bucket in the corner. She turned it upside down and tested it with one foot. It looked like it could take her weight. She stood on the bucket and reached up to grab the box. It was heavier than she thought. The music from the radio outside started to crackle. Alison could hear it even in the shed. Then she could hear it pick up recaption again. It started to play the same song that she had heard last night. She momentarily lost her concentration. The bucket started to slide out from underneath her feet. She fell, grabbing onto the shelf to support her. The shelf and contents collapsed. She lost her footing and fell onto her back. She lied there for a moment. When she had assessed herself for any damage she slowly sat up. The music had changed back to the radio and the men were laughing. All was fine.
Alison headed back to the house, carrying the heavy box with her. She set it down in the living room. It was a large wooden box about a foot long. It weighed heavy, there were multiple things inside. It was locked. Alison took a penknife out of her pocket and forced it into the lock. She wiggled it around but it wouldn't open. Next she tried a hair grip. It seemed to work in films, but in real life it proved more difficult. Tess sat on the floor next to her, watching her the whole time.
“What are you up to?” Alan said. He was stood in the hallway, paintbrush in one hand.
“I found this in the garden. I’m just trying to open it.” Alison said.
“It looks old.” Alan said, coming in to have a look. “Hang on a minute, I think I know what to do.” He disappeared outside and returned with a tool kit. He unscrewed the back of the box. Next he unscrewed where the lock was attached. Alison lifted the lid off and looked inside.
“What the hell is all this?” Alan shouted. “Nick come and have a look.”
Inside there were a series of old containers and glass jars. Alison picked one up, inside was what looked like an eye floating in a liquid solution.
“Oh my god,” Alison said. “Is this human?”
“Nah, it can’t be. It must be an animal.” Alan said. Nick came in and had a look.
“What have you two found?” he said.
Alison picked up an old match box. She opened it. Inside were a collection of human teeth. She dropped it causing them to spill all over the floor.
“Yuck! Are they human?” Nick said. Alison jumped up and grabbed Tess. She got her out of the room and shut the door on her. She whimpered then sat outside the door patiently. Alison couldn't risk her eating a tooth.
“That’s human remains,” Nick said. “You need to call the police.”
“No I don’t,” Alison said. “If I do that, they will come here and want to dig everything up. I can’t risk that.”
“You can't be serious.” Nick said, looking to Alan.
“She’s right,” Alan replied. “We need this job we wont be working here if the police are involved.”
Alison looked into the box, it was full of different containers. There were jars and tins and an envelope of red hair. Her stomach turned realising this could be the evidence they were looking for of the missing woman. “I’m going to go and put this back in the shed where I found it. I think you should both cary on, and pretend that this never happened. When the house is renovated I will contact the police then.”
Nick and a reluctant Alan went back to work painting the front of the house. This time they didn't put the music on, they painted in silence.
“Hello R H Property Developers,” the male voice at the end of the phone answered. Alison had spent the afternoon not sure what to do next. This house had a dark past. The murders might explain why no one local wanted to live there. Then Alison had had a brainwave. She had remembered the business card she had found a few days previously. She was hoping they had something to do with the house.
“Hi, my names Alison. I’m calling regarding a property I think your company may be involved with.”
“Well this company is just me and my son, so I’m sure I can help. What property are you calling about?”
“It’s a renovation property. It’s called Alfred House in the Lake District.” The line went quiet. “Did you do work on this property?”
“Are you the owner?”
“Yes, I’ve just moved in.”
“We started to, yes but we decided to sell it in the end. Look if there i
s anything wrong with it, that should have been bought it up before purchasing the house, not now-”
“No, the property is fine, it is nothing like that. It’s just, did you notice anything… strange about the property?” The line was silent for a while.
“In all my years of property development I have never experienced a house quite like it.”
“Like what?”
“Strange things kept happening. Look, just sell the house and get rid of it.”
“But what happened?”
“I just kept hearing strange noises and things, it was like there was someone there, and one day-”
Alison’s phone started beeping in her ear, she had another call it was Dan on the other line.
“Sorry, please can you give me one minute, I have call waiting.” Alison put the man on hold and spoke to Dan.
“Hi Dan, look I know it is so difficult for you to call, but I have someone on the other line I really need to talk to.”
“Really? Whats more important than speaking to me,” Dan said. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you for days, theres something important I want to tell you.”
“I know,” Alison said. “I’ve been caught up with the renovation work. Can I just finish my conversation on the other line? Give me one minute.” Alison switched back to the property developer, but he had gone. She tried to go back to Dan but he had gone as well. She swore and decided to call back the property developer, but he had turned his mobile off. He really didn't want to talk to her. She tried to call Dan back but there was no connection. Alison sat on the staircase in the hallway, thinking back to how shocked the property developer sounded when she had mentioned Alfred house. He had sounded really scared.
“Bloody hell. Who on earth is that?” Alan shouted from outside. Alison ran outside just in time to see the two men chasing an old man. He couldn't keep ahead of the two men who jumped on him and pinned him onto the floor.
“What’s happened?” Alison shouted as she ran over.
“This man was stealing our tools.” Alan shouted. Alison looked at the man. He looked in his seventies, he had matted white hair speckled with dirt. He was dressed in layers of ripped and stained clothes.
“I didn't steal. I didn't steal,” he said.
“Get off him, he’s old he might have a heart attack or something.” Alison said. The men reluctantly agreed. They stood up, and stood over the man in a way that made it clear if he tried to get up and run, he would end up on the floor again.
“I wasn’t taking tools, I was here for the birds.” The man said. One of his eyes was twitching, he was obviously distressed. Alison felt sorry for him.
“Do you live in the forest?” She said. He nodded.
“Lived in the forest for a long time.” He said. Alison offered him her hand. He took it and she helped him sit up.
“Did you chase me in the forest the other day?” Alison said, drawing her hand away.
“I didn't chase you, I never chase. I saw you were lost. I was going to show you the way back.” Alison was relieved, she felt sorry for the man.
“Are you ok with this nutter?” Alan said. Alison nodded. “We’ll get back to work then, be careful.” The men walked back to the house.
“You said you were looking for the birds. What birds?” Alison said.
“The birds in the glass,” he said. Alison realised that he was the person who had taken the taxidermy out of the skip.
“You took the birds out of the skip. Why?” She said.
“They’re pretty.” He said, frowning.
Alison had an idea. “In the skip, did you find a key?”
He looked puzzled for a moment and then answered. “Yes I found lots of keys.”
“I need them. You have to show me where they are.”
Alison followed the man, who had introduced himself as Tim. He shuffled through the forest with the ease of someone who knew where he was going. He led her across the river and up a hill. They reached a series of rocks. He stepped over them until he reached the side of a rocky hill. Within that hill was a cave. He went inside. Alison hesitated for a moment, then she followed. It was clear inside that he was living there. There were blankets on the floor and empty food packets. Alison remembered that she had found a similar mess when she had moved into Alfred House.
“Did you live in Alfred House before I bought it?” Alison asked. He nodded.
“Strange house,” he said. He started looking through his piles of belongings. There was a traffic cone, branches, a supermarket trolley, newspapers and at the front a pile of the taxidermy animals from the skip. He looked through until he found a set of keys on a large metal ring. He held them up to show Alison.
“Thank you,” she reached to take them from him. He didn't let go.
“You can stay here with me if you want.”
“No I can’t I have to go back to my house. She pulled at the keys and he stepped towards her. She pulled harder. He let go and she fell back onto the floor. She got up and ran back to the house, hoping he wasn’t following.
As Alison ran back to the house she could see something was wrong, the mens white van had gone. As she got closer she saw that the ladder was on its side on the floor, on the ground was a bucket of white paint which had been knocked over, spilling all over the lawn. She could hear Tess barking from inside the gate.
“It’s ok Tess, I’m on my way,” Alison called. The gate to the house was locked and on it was a note scrawled on the back of an envelope. Alison picked it up.
Alison. We can’t work here any more. After you'd gone we carried on working. Then we saw something inside the house. It looked like a man holding a knife. But when we went in he wasn’t there. Sorry but this place is too weird for us. Alan and Nick.
Alison screwed the note up and threw it on the floor. She opened the gate and Tess jumped out and jumped all over her. Alison looked up at the house. She had had her suspicions of it before, but now was even more frightened. She really didn't fancy spending any more time there. She decided to try and book her and Tess to stay at a bed and breakfast for the night. She got out her phone and noticed that she had two missed calls from Dan, ignoring them she went onto the internet and looked up places to stay in the area. It didn't take her long to find out that the quaint pub she had been to only a few nights previously had a room above it, which allowed pets. Alison decided that she would rent that room whilst deciding what to do. She called the number.
“Hi, I’d like to make a reservation. Have you got a room free for tonight?” She said. The woman on the phone confirmed there was a free room. Alison got her card out of her wallet and gave her details.
“I’m sorry,” the woman said. “But your card has been rejected.” Alison hung up. She knew why it had been rejected. She had run out of money.
“Well Tess, I guess this is it. We will be staying here, and we will finish renovating the house, just the two of us. Even if it kills me.” Alison said the last part as a joke, but as she said it, it didn't seem that funny.
Alison unlocked the front door to the house and looked around. She couldn't see a sign of any ghost. Perhaps the men were lying. Maybe they had found another job. Alison had paid the days wages in advance, maybe when she took off after the homeless man, they had taken it as an opportunity to leave early.
Alison went to the living room and picked up a piece of wood to use as a weapon. She walked around the house with it, checking room by room for anything out of the ordinary. Everything looked fine, in fact better than fine. The house was beginning to look finished. The men had almost finished the exterior of the house. It was now a crisp bright white. The outside garden was cut back, although the back still needed doing. All of the rooms were plastered and painted white. The new kitchen was a traditional pine with a large butler sink. The living room now had a new fireplace installed. Upstairs all of the rooms were now freshly plastered and painted.The wooden floors had been rubbed down and glossed. As Alison
checked the rooms her fear subsided. This would be a lovely home. Her and Dan’s home if she could convince him.
Alison went back to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. “Tess, it’s just me and you for a while longer. Lets have a nice evening together.” Alison put out a bowl of food for Tess, and had a look in the fridge. She got herself out some salmon, new potatoes and fresh vegetables. She put the radio on and started to cook herself a meal. She decided that tomorrow she would call Dan and admit what she had purchased and come clean about the fact she had invested so much money into it. She would also call the bank and see if she could a get a loan. Then she could buy another property and renovate that. But this time she would choose a property in the Lake District. There would be no more travelling in her life now. This would be their family home. Alison put on the new oven for the first time. She made a list of all of the things she needed to buy now she had somewhere to call her own.
It was half eleven at night. Alison had fallen into an alcohol induced sleep. She was in her sleeping bag on the floor of the spare room of the newly painted bedroom. She slept with the window open to try and get rid of the smell of the paint. It was a calm still evening and Alison dropped off to sleep with ease, long forgetting the eventful day. Tess was barking and scratching at the door. Alison rubbed her eyes and opened them. It was dark outside. She leaned over and searched for her mobile phone. She looked at the screen, squinting against the bright light. It was 2:05 AM.
“Tess, what is it?” Alison croaked. She sat up and looked at Tess who was still desperate to get out of the door. Alison stood up and went over to her. She opened the door and Tess ran out into the hallway and headed down the stairs. Then Alison heard it. It was music, the same song that she had heard several times The Way you Look Tonight. It was louder and clearer and coming from somewhere downstairs. She turned on the light switch, but it didn't work. The electricity wasn't working. Alison put her trainers on and grabbed her phone. Using it as a torch she headed out into the hallway. The music was clearer here. …You’re lovely with your smile so warm…
Haunted House Tales Page 18
