Bradley had to watch his wife fade away and die before his eyes, their infant son in her arms. It was the worst of his experiences, and as her life slipped away he felt his heart break. He lost the two great loves he had in this world. He lost his wife and his son.
Overwhelmed with grief, Bradley buried them together in a single coffin. He wanted his two precious loves to remain together forever. He dug the grave and placed them down in the earth. He said a prayer over the filled grave and he walked away from it. He walked away from everything. He couldn’t bring himself to stay in that cottage without them. He couldn’t even bring himself to stay in the town.
Friends came to visit the next day and found the cottage abandoned. There was no note. There was no indication of where the family might have gone. It was not until they found the grave and read the names carved into the wooden cross that they realized what had happened, by which time there was no chance of finding Bradley.
He may have been spotted walking off into the forest, but the sighting was not certain. He simply seemed to have disappeared. He was gone. Another sad soul left to wander the earth.
The church staff mourned the family. After all, they had been like children to them. They mourned the loss of Mary and Timmy and the disappearance of Bradley, but like all things in life, they moved on.
A New Home
March 1939
Village of Painswick
Gloucestershire, England
* * *
If someone had told Ken Dire that he would be leaving his home in the city to take up a job at an orphanage, he would have believed them to be a liar. He had fully expected to be dragged into the upcoming war. He didn’t expect his age of forty-nine to exempt him from battle. But it seemed as though the powers that be had a different purpose for him.
If he was being completely honest with himself, he was happy about it. One war had been enough for him. He didn’t think he’d see another like it in his lifetime, but powers were stirring in Europe and it would only be a matter of time. Of that he was certain.
His wife, Babs Dire, was equally ecstatic about the move. She’d always had a soft spot for children. They’d had four of their own who were now grown up and gone. Now it was a chance for her to be around children once again. She had been offered the chance to teach, something she’d done for years in the city, and the hope was that by being out in Painswick, they may avoid some of the destruction they’d lived through in the last war. Neither of them wanted to live through that again.
They wanted to pass their days in the country, helping the children whose families were lost in the fighting and the scarcity of resources that had followed. They wanted to do their part.
They weren’t overly religious people, but they went to church like everyone else. Living through war made any sane person believe in a higher power a little bit more. They were certain they would get on well with the members of the church that ran the Painswick Orphanage. And they were sure they would enjoy Painswick, especially after the chaos of the city.
The church had offered them a quaint little cottage on the outskirts of the lot of land. It was secluded enough to be private, and yet close enough to the orphanage that it was no imposition to walk there every day.
The cottage had suddenly become available. Babs didn’t know what that meant exactly. Had the prior residents absconded? Had they died? Had they been fired? It was really hard to know for certain. People came and went so often now. Many died. Some were running away from the upcoming war. Everyone could feel the shift in the air. Everyone knew something was coming, they just didn’t know what.
They made the move. They packed up what little belongings they cared about and they took a carriage out to Painswick. It was an interesting distance to travel but the journey was pleasant and the scenery was beautiful. So much of this part of the country had been left unscathed by the fighting during the Great War. Farmland remained intact. Homes still stood tall and proud, and families continued to live their lives.
Many had lost fathers and brothers and sons, but life went on. There was a resiliency that many in the country possessed. Life continued whether you wanted it to or not. You either moved on or you were left behind.
Babs and Ken had no intention of being left behind. They also had no intention of being dragged into another war. She’d almost lost her husband once, and she didn’t want to risk losing him again. The flip side of that being that she now got to fear for the lives of her sons. Her three boys were all in the army and she knew that if a war did begin, she may never see them again.
Babs stood looking at the cottage with admiration. It was simple. It was quaint. It was all the two of them really needed. In the distance, behind the trees she could see the outline of the orphanage. It wasn’t a massive building, but it was big enough to do the job it was meant to do, and she was very much looking forward to working there. It would be a nice change from the school she’d been at in the city. It would be nice to know that she was actually making a difference in the lives of these children.
They had given away many of their possessions when they’d packed up to move to the country. They hadn’t needed many of those things, and she knew many people who were wanting. So she’d sacrificed a great many of her belongings. They’d packed up only what was absolutely necessary and they’d headed out. They had to hope that their new job with the church would be fulfilling enough that they would not miss the material possessions that they had abandoned with the change in their lifestyle.
She had to admit to being a little sad at seeing some of her things go. These were items that had been in her life for years, but there simply wouldn’t be room for them in their quaint little cottage. Sacrifices and decisions had to be made. It had been like watching bits of her life float away, but she kept reminding herself that it was all in the pursuit of retirement, all in the pursuit of a grand adventure, a change of life.
Babs had to wonder what their kids would think of the change. They’d lived in the city all their lives and now they were suddenly moving out to the countryside. She was certain at least one of them would question the decision. At least one of them would wonder if this was some kind of midlife crisis. Out of all of them, she was fairly certain that their youngest would understand. He’d always been a bit more of a free spirit than the others.
It really didn’t matter if they understood. It wasn’t their decision, after all, and she knew that she and Ken would be happy in their new home, in their new life. At least she hoped they would be. That’s really all she could hope for.
Living without kids had been a change for them. Their kids were grown up and had all moved out. The big house had suddenly been too big and too quiet. It had taken less than three months for them to decide that they needed a change. They could no longer live in the house where they had built a family. They needed a home for just themselves because they were the only ones left.
“So, do you think you’ll like it here?” Ken leaned back on his heels and glanced over at his wife. Her expression was contemplative and he hoped that she wasn’t second-guessing their decision. He’d always had a hard time reading her expressions, and even after all of these years he hadn’t gotten much better at it.
“Oh, I think it’s perfect,” she replied with a smile. “I was just pondering what the children will think when they find out that this is what we’ve chosen to do with our free time.”
Ken chuckled at that. He should have known that her thoughts would be on the children. They almost always were. “Let’s just say I think they’ll be hosting Christmas this year. I don’t think any of them will want to make the trek out into the middle of nowhere to join us.” He gave her a sideways glance and a knowing smile. “And I can’t say I’m too sad about that either.”
“It’s really not the middle of nowhere,” she countered. She glanced over at their neighbour, the orphanage. “Okay, maybe it’s a bit more secluded than the city. But this place is so very quaint.”
“A bit?”
He laughed. He looked at the cottage. It was perfect. It was everything he could ask for in a new home. There was a yard he could work in. There were gardens for Babs. They could finally plant that vegetable garden they’d always talked about. Maybe they’d even get some chickens. He’d always thought that raising chickens would be fun. The possibilities were endless. And he was certain they’d be able to find the time to do it all, even with their work at the orphanage.
“I love it though,” Babs took her husband’s hand. “It’s going to be wonderful here.” She glanced over at the orphanage. “And it will be wonderful to work right next door.”
“Awfully convenient, isn’t it?” Ken grinned. He figured he might be getting a little too old to do some of the tasks that the orphanage would need him for, but he had a feeling that he would find no shortage of strong, young backs in that place to help him if he needed it. And many of them would likely be happy for the distraction and the chance to work outside, to work with their hands.
“Think of all the things we can do here. Or perhaps we’ll do nothing at all and simply sit outside drinking tea and reading every day,” she continued, her eyes bright with the excitement of it all. “After we’re done work, of course.”
“I think we would get quite bored with sitting outside every day and drinking tea,” Ken countered, looking at his wife knowingly.
“We won’t know until we try,” she said with a smirk and he leaned over to give her a kiss.
“You’ll go stir crazy after just one day. I would put money on it.”
“Well it’s a good thing that we have plenty to keep us busy in case my drinking tea and relaxing plan fails.”
Ken nodded. There was indeed plenty that they could do. It was nice to have space again. It was nice to be able to consider planting and growing things.
They’d both grown up on farms before they’d met and moved to the city. Both of them missed that farm life. They hadn’t really realized how much until they were faced with the opportunity to pursue it again, at least in some fashion.
“We should likely tack down the horses and get our stuff in the house,” Babs said, giving her husband a sideways look. “Which do you want to do?”
“I’ll take the stuff in if you handle the horses.”
She nodded. She wasn’t really in a hurry, but she also wanted to get a start on things. It was starting to get late in the day and she wanted to get a start on things while they still had light.
“Why don’t we head into the village and grab something to eat after we get the stuff inside,” Ken suggested. “We don’t have enough with us to make a decent meal anyhow.”
“I could go for an early dinner.” She nodded. “And I would like to look around the village a bit.”
“I know, dear.” He grinned as they made their way back to the car.
This was going to be an adventure for both of them but they were ready for it. They were ready for a change in their lives, and if their kids didn’t approve, they didn’t really care. They were adults, capable of making their own decisions and they planned to do just that.
A Surprise Guest
It took two days before she was happy with how things were in the cottage. They hadn’t brought many possessions with them but she still took her time unpacking them and making the house a home. On top of that, they’d started work almost immediately at the orphanage. She had been hopeful for a few days of rest after the trip but they had no such luck.
She worked around the house when she wasn’t teaching, and slowly got everything in order. She was happy with the progress. She was happy with how things were looking at the cottage. It really felt like home again, even with so few of their belongings. It felt comfortable, a place she’d be happy to call home.
After a long day of work and a long evening of finalising things in the house, Babs was exhausted. Ken was also fairly worn out. He wasn’t as young as he used to be and the full days of physical labour were taking their toll. Still, he kept his chin up and knew that he’d get used to it again. He knew that he wasn’t useless just yet.
Babs crawled into bed that night with Ken, content with how their new home was coming along and content with the progression of their new life. She was looking forward to tomorrow when she could do something other than unpack in the evening. Perhaps she would make them a nice meal. They hadn’t yet had one in their new home.
She curled up in bed with Ken and knew that tomorrow would be another day, another adventure, and she couldn’t wait for it to come. She was starting to enjoy being at the orphanage. The children were all so unique, all so different. They had come from so many different places. They had experienced so many different things in their young lives and they were so resilient.
She hadn’t imagined she would find the children in the orphanage to be so optimistic. After all that they had been through, all that they had seen, they still possessed such energy, such a love of life. They had no families to speak of. They had very little in the way of possessions, and yet many of them were happy.
She couldn’t say that was true for all of them. But there were a greater number of cheerful children than she had expected to find. They had made the best of a bad situation. They had found family among the other orphans and among the members of the church. It was beautiful to see, especially considering how sad their lives had been beforehand.
The following morning, she woke early after a restful sleep. She usually woke before Ken, and as such she usually made the tea and got breakfast started. It was just what she’d always done and, even in the new home, the routine stayed pretty much the same.
She wandered down the hall towards the kitchen and set the kettle on the stove to boil. She was humming under her breath some song she’d heard the other day and hadn’t been able to get out of her head. She was going about her morning routine like usual when a movement caught her eye.
She whipped around and was shocked to see a man seated at the kitchen table. Still half asleep and functioning on autopilot, she had to blink several times to assure herself that she was actually seeing a person. By the time she registered that there was indeed someone sitting at her table, the fear was gone.
“Hello,” she said hesitantly, her eyes darting towards the hallway and their bedroom. Perhaps she should call out to Ken. Fear was hovering about her, but she couldn’t make herself fully feel afraid.
The man at the table looked up, a surprised expression on his face. It was as though he didn’t realize that she was there either. He blinked a few times in confusion and then glanced slowly around himself.
“Hello…” he replied, his voice slow and sceptical. “This is the cottage next to Painswick Orphanage, correct?”
Babs nodded, still glancing down the hallway towards their bedroom where Ken was still sleeping soundly. “Who are you?”
The man blinked again, slowly. “The name’s Bradley Manlin.” He stared down at his hands contemplatively. “I used to live here. I still live here?”
Babs nodded even though she had no clue what he was talking about. “Well I’m Babs, dear, and I’m just going to wake my husband, Ken, and see if we can’t help you.”
She backed out of the kitchen slowly, never taking her eyes off their uninvited guest. She wasn’t really afraid of him, but she knew that it was best to be cautious. Which is why she wanted to wake Ken. If things went sideways, she didn’t stand a chance against their guest. Ken was a large man, a strong man, and he could go up against the stranger if needs be.
“Ken!” She shook his shoulder aggressively and listened to him moan in protest. “Ken, wake your ass up, now!” she whispered harshly.
“What, what?” his eyes fluttered open as he tried to fight away sleep and focus on the sound of her voice. “What’s that matter?”
“There is a man in our kitchen,” she informed him and watched him blink slowly. “He seems very confused. He thinks he lives here.”
“Did you offer him tea?” He joked and then took a moment to examine h
er face. Clearly this wasn’t a joke. “Well who the hell is he?”
“Bradley Manlin, apparently. That’s all I got out of him before I figured I should wake you.” She shrugged. “He seems pretty harmless. Perhaps he’s just looking for a meal.”
Ken sighed dramatically and gave her a sideways look. “Let me just grab my housecoat and then we’ll go see what’s what.”
She nodded and waited for him to toss on his housecoat before they both made their way back into the kitchen.
Babs was a little surprised to find the man still in the kitchen. He hadn’t moved from where she’d left him and he still looked a little confused about his situation.
“Hey Bradley, this is my husband Ken. We’re going to help you in any way that we can.” She set to work making tea. She set the mug in front of him and he made no move to reach for it. He simply stared at his folded hands.
“So, what brings you to our kitchen?” Ken sat down at the table and wrapped his hand around his mug.
Bradley looked up at him, his eyes becoming distant. He once again glanced around himself as if struggling to take in his surroundings. “I need to find her.” His voice shook as he spoke and he looked at them with desperate eyes. “I’ve made a big mistake and I need to find her.”
“Okay, okay, we’ll help you find her,” Babs tried to keep her voice reassuring but there was an intensity to his gaze that was disturbing. “Who are we trying to find?”
“My wife. I need to find my wife.” He looked from Ken to Babs, his eyes desperate. “I need to fix it all.”
Ken nodded even though he had no clue what the man was talking about. Everything he said seemed to be vague and cryptic, but it was clear that he was in some kind of distress and that he needed assistance.
“Where was the last place that you saw your wife?” Ken asked. He didn’t know a great deal about dealing with missing persons, but he did know how to pretend. “We should start looking there.”
Haunted Happenings Page 59
