“We’ve done it,” Lisa said, panting with exhaustion.
“No, you’ve done it,” Josh said. He helped her up, and they started to walk hand in hand back to their car. The sun was now starting to rise up. Lisa smiled. It was a new day and a fresh start. They could go back to their new flat and make it a home. Lisa heard a rustle of grass behind them. She swung around and looked around anxiously. Josh pulled her back around.
“Don’t worry Lisa,” Josh said. “Quinn is gone. We saw the cage sink. He can’t hurt us now.” Lisa nodded, and they walked in silence for a moment.
“Josh?” Lisa said.
“Yes?” He said back.
“If we ever decide to get a pet again, I want a dog.” He laughed and put his arm around her neck and kissed her on the forehead. They walked back to the car as the sun gradually warmed the air and illuminated the sky.
Epilogue
“Have you had a cat before?” The man asked. He poured a cup of tea for the woman sitting opposite him. She was in her thirties and dressed in jeans and a smart top.
“I did as a child. Now I want my daughter to have the experience of having a pet as well. And we have just moved into a cottage in the country.” She said. She smiled as she did. It was obvious she wanted to make a good impression. “We don’t live near any main roads or anything dangerous. Just lots of mice.” The woman smiled, hoping to please him. The man sat there ticking boxes and writing on his form.
“And how old is your child?” The man said.
“Lily is twelve. She is very gentle and kind to animals, so you don’t have to worry about that.” The woman said. The man nodded. “And her cousins have a cat and a dog, so she knows not to pull tails or make them jump.”
“Ok, from your home visit and everything you have told us today, I think you would give a lovely home to one of our cats.” The man put down the clipboard. The woman smiled.
“That’s great. Thank you.” She said. The man stood up, and the woman followed. He led her from the waiting room where they were sitting to inside the animal sanctuary. There was the sound of dogs barking in the distance. The place smelled of sterile cleaning products. “Does that mean I can choose one today?”
“Maybe. Let me show you a few that we have here Mrs. Adams,” the man said.
“Please, call me Susan,” she said. The man nodded. He opened a door and led her to a room with several large cages. Each contained one or two cats.
“This is Billy. He’s a two-year-old male.” He said, gesturing to a cat who was playing with a toy mouse.
“Umm, I’d rather not have a long-haired cat,” the woman said. The man moved her on to the next cage. He rolled his eyes. It is funny how many people say they will adopt any cat, but when he starts showing them the ones available, they get picky.
“This is Tom. He’s an adult male, and we’re not sure about his age.” Inside was a ginger cat. He was lying in his basket facing the wall.
“Can I see him?” Susan said. The man nodded and opened the cage. The cat turned and faced them. He had green eyes and dark brown whispers. The woman put a hand in which he proceeded to lick. “Why is Tom here?”
“His family couldn’t look after him anymore, so they thought it would be best to have him re-homed.” Tom had turned around and was nuzzling against the woman’s hand. The man carried on talking. “He lived with the same family all of his life. That was until they decided that it was just too much for them.”
“How sad,” Susan said. A woman wearing a blue tabard came in carrying a bucket of cleaning products. She pulled out a bottle of spray and started to clean the walls.
Tom had been picked up, and Susan was holding him in both arms. Tom had his eyes half closed and was softly purring.
“Well, he certainly likes you,” the man said. “He is very even-tempered. He never wants to be petted though. You are the first person he has wanted to be cuddled by. Do you think we have found a match?”
The woman nodded. “Yes, I think he is rather lovely. And I think Lily will like him too. There isn’t anything about him I should know, is there?”
The man looked at his notes and shook his head. “No, just that you will be doing a wonderful thing by giving an adult cat a good home. Shall we go and fill in the paperwork so you can take him today? The woman nodded. She placed the cat back in the cage. He turned to her and nuzzled against her hand before she took it out and the man closed the cage. He led her out into the hall and directed her to his office. He stayed in the room for a moment.
“Are you not going to tell her the truth then?” The cleaner said as she wiped down the inside of the window.
The man turned around to face her. “What do you mean?”
“About that cat. I heard you talking about the history of Tom the other day.”
The man started writing down information on his chart. He spoke without looking up. “There is no need to tell the new owner what happened to the old one. It has no bearing on the behavior or future of the cat.”
“But still,” the cleaner said walking closer. “The previous owners died in a horrific car crash. And that poor cat was in the car at the time. Don’t you think they should know that in case the cat shows any unusual behavior? It must have been quite traumatic for him.”
“There is no need. And I think that you should just get back to doing your job.” The man walked out of the room and shut the door behind him. He headed to his office to do the paperwork so Susan could take Tom home that day.
The cleaner stared at the door for a moment. She found that man truly arrogant. She walked over to the cage with Tom inside. She stared at him.
“Poor thing, I hope you go to a home where you will be spoiled rotten,” she said. She put her hand up to the side of the cage, but Tom ignored it. “Tom, come here Tom,” she said. The cat ignored her. “You don’t like Tom, do you?” she said. “I bet you much prefer your old name. I liked it. It was unusual. You don’t meet many cats called Quinn.”
The Haunting of Sprucewood Mansion
By Riley Amitrani
Brodie
19:37
3rd September 1983
Sprucewood
New England
Brodie Churchill rode his new BMX bike down the dead-end street. He looked up at the sun that was hanging low in the sky. He didn’t have his watch on, but he knew he had to be home before the sunset. He needed to be heading home soon. This was the road where all the posh houses were. It was a wide road, perfect for BMXing. He saw a boy in a blue cap and red plaid shirt standing next to a bike at the end of the street. Brodie slowed down as he got closer. It was too late; the boy had seen him.
“Hey Brodie,” the boy said. “Come here.” The boy jumped onto his bike and started heading towards Brodie. He was Karl McClean. Karl was the school bully. Brodie sharply turned his handlebars around and faced the other direction. He moved his legs quick and pedaled as fast as he could. “You can’t outrun me, Brodie,” Karl shouted. The main road came in sight. A solidly built boy appeared around the corner and waddled into the middle of the road. It was Karl’s friend and school’s soccer team quarterback, Josh. Brodie slammed on his brakes and stopped his bike inches from him. Karl rode up behind him and stopped. Brodie was trapped.
“New ride?” Karl said. “Let’s have a go.” He jumped off his bike and dropped it down on the curb. Brodie stayed put.
“My Mom says I shouldn’t let anyone else go on it,” Brodie said.
“My Mom says I shouldn’t let anyone else go on it,” Karl mocked in a woman’s voice.
“He said he wanted a go.” Josh grabbed the handlebars with his ham-sized fists and jolted the bars. Brodie lost his footing and fell to the floor. Josh passed the bike to Karl who jumped on it. He started peddling up the road.
“Hey! That’s mine, give it back!” Brodie shouted. He stood up. Josh pushed him back to the floor. Brodie sat and watched as Karl did wheelies up and down the road.
�
��Hey Josh, I have to get home before dark,” he shouted. Josh looked up at the sky where the sun was starting to dip below the horizon. He looked at the Cassio watch on his wrist.
“Yeah me too,” Karl said.
“You going to give me my bike back then?” Brodie said from the floor. Karl thought for a second then sped off on the bike. Brodie jumped up and ducked underneath Josh’s thick arm as he tried to push him back to the floor. He ran as fast as he could, chasing after Karl. His trainers slipped on the leaf covered ground. He could see that Karl was heading to the old Sprucewood Mansion. He slowed to a stop and looked at it. It was a wood-fronted mansion painted a light grey color which stuck out next to the other white painted houses of the neighborhood. The window frames were painted in a dark grey. There were heavy black curtains up at all the windows. The outer portion of the yard was full of tangled bushes with sharp thorns and gnarled spines. Legend had it that it was haunted. An old couple lived there who everyone was scared of. The kids used to run past it instead of walk. He had asked his mom about it once. She had got really angry when he had asked her. She had said that little boys should mind their own business. Then she sent Brodie to go and play outside.
“You want your bike back Brodie? You have to come and get it then,” Karl said. He rode up the cracked, uneven drive to Sprucewood Mansion and around the back to the yard. Brodie stood and waited for Karl to come back. A few seconds later Brodie heard a wail then saw Karl running from the yard and back towards the street. He had tears running down his face and was missing his cap. Karl ran towards Brodie. Brodie tensed as he approached, but Karl carried on running straight past him. Brodie turned and watched him as he ran away. He could see that there was a dark patch on his shorts. He had wet himself.
“Are you ok Karl?” Josh said. Karl didn’t answer him. He ran straight past him too. Brodie could hear the sound of his sobbing fading as he ran into the distance, leaving his own bike lying in the street. Josh started peddling after him. “Karl, wait up Karl. You’ve left your bike.”
Brodie looked up at the sunless sky. All the streetlights were on. His mom was going to kill him when he got home in the dark. Then she was going to ask him where his bike was, and she was going to kill him again for losing it. Brodie looked at Sprucewood Mansion. The curtains were closed, and there were no lights on. It didn’t look like anyone was home. But what had scared Karl? Brodie took a tentative step onto the drive. Perhaps Brodie had seen a wild animal like a bear. That would make him cry. Brodie wasn’t scared of bears. He had spent a summer camping in white mountain forest. And he really needed to get his bike back. Brodie took a few more steps down the driveway. He took a deep breath and headed around the back of the house. There was a large lawn in front of him. There were trees and bushes in the distance. The trees cast long shadows across the grass. But where was his bike? Then he saw it. It was in the middle of the lawn. He looked towards the back of the house. The back porch looked pretty ordinary. The windows had their grey shutters closed. There was a wind chime hanging down but the night was so still that it wasn’t moving. Brodie ran to his bike. He picked it up. He lifted his leg to climb up on it. Then he heard the noise of the wind chime. He looked up. It was moving yet the air was still. It echoed around the garden. Brodie started pushing the bike along the grass, thinking it would be quieter than riding. He looked towards the driveway where there was an adult standing, dressed in a black cape which covered his or her face. Brodie froze to the spot. This must have been who Karl had seen. Brodie ran, still pulling his bike, until towards the shadow by the porch. He pulled his bike up until it was at the top of the wooden steps. He crept to the side and looked to the drive. There was no one there. He breathed a sigh of relief. It must have been his imagination. He lifted his bike down to the grass.
“Please help me!” he heard a voice come from inside the building. It was a girl’s voice. He dropped his bike in shock, and it made a loud bang as it hit the porch. A light came on inside the house. He leapt backward so his back was against the wall of the house. He held his breath. He heard the door open, and someone came outside. This person also wore a hood over their face. Brodie shrunk back even more into the shadows. The person looked around then went back inside, shutting the door behind them. Brodie jumped down the steps onto the grass. He tripped over the bike and knocked over a plant pot which made a loud bang as it landed on the stone floor and smashed. Brodie froze. Then he heard the noise of the door opening again. Brodie jumped up, not stopping to pick up his bike. He ran across the grass towards the driveway, not stopping to look back. His leg hurt from his fall, but he kept going. Each step he took with his right foot hurt more and more. He could hear the noise of someone behind him, but he didn’t look back. If he could just get to the road, then he would be alright.
Ashley
10:53
28th May 2017
Sprucewood
New England
“Have you got your toothbrush?” Ashley’s mom said as she pulled the car up next to the sidewalk. She undid her seatbelt and looked to her daughter, Ashley Croft.
“Yes, I have mom, and if I haven’t I heard there are these stores which sell new ones!” Ashley said back from the passenger seat, not looking up from her mobile.
“There is no need for the lip Ashley,” her mom said as she opened the car’s trunk. “What about your phone charger? I can’t check on you if you don’t have your charger. What if there is an emergency?” Ashley looked up from her phone and peered over the top of her sunglasses.
“Mom, do you really think I would go anywhere without my phone charger?” Ashley got out of the car and grabbed her bag out of her mom’s hands. “I can take it from here.” She shut the boot of the car.
“Oh, can I not at least look inside?” Mom folded her arms and gave Ashley one of her best looks. She looked up at the house. “This can’t be it, can it?”
Ashley turned and looked at the house. It was a mansion. The yard was white picket fenced. The driveway led up to a double garage. The house was white painted with grey windows. There was an unusual mock Tudor style turret at the front of the property that was not in keeping with the New England style but looked strangely grand. The garden was planted with fresh beds of pink and purple azaleas. It was beautiful.
“This is it,” Ashley said, picking up her bag and heading towards the house.
“Bye then,” her mom said as she watched her go. “You’re not going to thank me for driving you all the way out here?”
Ashley didn’t answer. She was too busy walking up the drive, in awe at where she would be living for the next two months. She turned around. “Bye mom,” she said. But her mom had already got back into the car and was driving off. She didn’t hear her.
Ashley felt a twinge of guilt that she hadn’t thanked her mom, but when she turned back to look at the house again, she soon forgot it. The house was amazing. She ran to the front door and dropped her bag on the porch. She took her key out of her pocket and opened the door. Inside was a stone tiled floor and a sweeping wooden staircase. An alarm went off making her jump. She had forgotten that there was going to be an alarm. She ran inside the hallway and looked for the alarm box. She saw it on the wall near the door on the right-hand side, like she had been told in her email. She opened it up and put in the security code. She pressed enter, and the alarm stopped. She breathed out with a sigh of relief.
She noticed a table in the middle of the hall. On it was a vase of fake flowers and an envelope with Ashley written on it. She went over and ripped it open.
Hi Ashley,
I hope you had a good journey, and everything was clear from the email. The first viewings will be from tomorrow, so please keep the house up to the standard it has been left in.
The cat food is in the bottom left-hand cupboard in the kitchen,
Miss Faye
She put the letter back on the table and looked around. She jumped up and gave a little squeal. For the next month, this place would
be all hers. In exchange for house sitting, feeding the cats and letting people in and out she had this whole mansion to herself. She ran into each room; the lounge with its enormous fireplace, the dining room with its grand chandelier, the many bedrooms each decorated with four-poster beds, the kitchen which was bigger than the whole apartment she shared with her mom. This place was amazing. She ran up to the main bedroom and jumped onto the King-sized bed, still wearing her trainers. She jumped up and down and squealed with joy.
“-Yeah and the job is like totally easy,” Ashley said into her cell phone she was balancing between her shoulder and her ear. She opened the fridge and looked at all of the food and drink that was in there for her arrival; chicken, vegetables, milk. She reached to the back and took out a pot of dip. She shut the fridge, grabbed a bag of potato chips and headed to the living room. “All I have to do is feed their pets and open the door to let people in and out, it’s only what I do at home, but here I’m at least getting paid.”
“I’m so jealous right now Ash,” Britney, her college friend said down the phone.
“So, come join me for a few days then?” Ashley said as she jumped onto the sofa. She kicked off some of the cushions and put the bag of chips and dip next to her.
“I can’t. I’ve got studying to do for mid-terms, you know what it’s like,” Brit said. Ashley felt a twinge. She did know what it was like. She knew too much. After spending her first year of college partying and drinking she had blown her exams. Then she was kicked out before she could make up for it.
Haunted House Tales Page 101
