Haunted Happenings

by Lucrezia Black

  Jill figured they should do so more often; they needed some time as a couple and to be alone together, without the children, even if it was just for an evening. She was determined to make that happen in the years to come.

  She kissed Cam goodnight and cuddled up in bed beside him. No sooner had his head hit the pillow than he was asleep. She heard his soft snores and felt the smile pull at her lips. After sixteen years of marriage she still loved the way he snored and how he felt beside her in bed. She couldn’t imagine life without him.

  She was taking her time falling asleep, enjoying the peacefulness of the quiet house in the knowledge that they’d make it through the night without a child crawling into bed with them. She was enjoying just being there at the brink of such a major change in their lives.

  She was terrified but she was also ready for the adventure and the new beginning. She was ready for independence.

  She had almost drifted off to sleep when the sound of footsteps reached her ears. At first, she didn’t react, accustomed as she was to the children sneaking down the hallway to their bedroom in the middle of the night. Her mind immediately fell on the children and in her semi-conscious state she didn’t even question it.

  The door creaked open and she was still set on the fact that any one of their children would be coming to bed with them. She felt the smile pull at her lips as the sound of feet padding across the room came towards her.

  It was likely Beth. At five-years-old she still frequented their bed quite often to seek solace from nightmares and simply to be cuddled. She was good most nights, but every now and then she needed some extra love.

  Jill heard the small sobs from the end of the bed and shifted over to make room between herself and Cam for Beth to fill. It was an unconscious gesture, orchestrated without thought.

  She felt the weight settle on the bed and the familiar movement of a child crawling in between them.

  Her back was to the centre of the bed and she turned towards her daughter to wrap her arms around the young girl and hold her close. In turning, she remembered where she was.

  She was not at their old house. Her children were not with them. She was in bed with Cam but no one else was in the house.

  Jill sat up in bed, her eyes searching the darkness for the source of the sobbing and whatever had crawled into bed with her. Her eyes fixed on the bedroom door as it slowly swung closed.

  It could have been the wind, she told herself. They’d opened the windows because of the warm summer weather. Yes, the wind.

  She struggled to get her heart rate back to normal and her breathing under control. It had just been the wind, she told herself. And it had just been her overactive imagination turning her missing her children against her.

  She was certain that was all it was. There was no way it could be anything else, after all she didn’t believe in the paranormal. She didn’t believe that doors moved on their own or ghosts haunted houses. It was utter nonsense.

  But as she settled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, she couldn’t help but notice the shiver that went up her spine and the way her stomach rolled with unease.

  She eased closer to Cam and wrapped her arms around him. She needed to be grounded to something real so that her mind wouldn’t get away from her and to know that he was there.

  Her first night in the Ashwood House passed with her barely sleeping, keeping a constant ear out for those footsteps.

  Settling In

  After two weeks they had managed to unpack and go through everything, resulting in as many things to get rid of as to keep. They would have to go shopping to fill some holes.

  Until they could rid of the excess, it was all stored in the basement where Jill hoped it wouldn’t eventually be forgotten; only time would tell. They would be able to make do with what they had without a problem until they accumulated whatever they still needed as and when they could.

  It felt good to have the house in order and to be unpacked, but she was the most pleased about her children arriving home later that day.

  Two weeks without them had been a bit much for her liking. For the first time they’d been apart it seemed to be a long stretch, but she’d made the most of her time alone with Cam, and they’d been productive.

  He’d started work during their second week there and she’d made the necessary calls to set up her business, amid the endless unpacking. But everything was settled now and ready for the kids to arrive.

  Jill waited anxiously for Gran and Pa’s car to pull into the driveway. She was thankful that they’d been willing to make the trip as she had been unenthusiastic about making the trip again herself. They’d thankfully been all too eager to see the new house for themselves.

  She knew that they would stay the night, have dinner with the family, and then be on their way and she was glad to have them. She’d never expected that she would miss them being around but she genuinely did. They had been such a constant in her life for so many years that it was strange no longer having them around. But she knew that they were always just a phone call away.

  Jill had always been close to Cam’s parents. Her own had died when she was young so they were really the closest to parents that she had and they’d always been there for her. She hoped that one day she could return the favour.

  She was in the middle of prepping dinner when she heard the doorbell chime. She had no idea why they would bother ringing the doorbell and not just let themselves in. But Jill hurried to the door, brushing her hands off on her apron as she went.

  She opened the front door with a smile plastered on her face and was almost knocked over by the force of her two children hugging her. She took a step backwards and braced herself so as not to fall.

  She laughed out loud and hugged them back just as enthusiastically. It was great to see them again and to have them home.

  She watched the kids run off to find their father and turned her attention to her in-laws. They were smiling in greeting but both looked a little tired.

  “How was the drive?” She asked as she took their overnight bag from them.

  “It was alright,” Gran smiled and tried to shake off the fatigue. “It was a bit farther than we originally thought.”

  “Well, you’re welcome to stay as long as you want,” Jill offered though she knew they wouldn’t take her up on it. She knew they’d be gone first thing in the morning, likely before they could even join the family for breakfast.

  Gran and Pa simply liked their house. They liked being home and they didn’t like to go out and about too much. So, she knew they would be eager to return to their home, to their comfy chairs, and to their daily routines.

  “Thank you darling, but we’ll only stay the night.” Pa looked around the house, his eyes appraising. “Well it looks nice in here. You’ve already made it quite homey.”

  “We did our best with the child-free time. Thanks again for watching them for the last two weeks. It made things a lot easier.” Jill led them towards the kitchen where Cam was finishing up the dinner that she’d abandoned.

  “Oh, it was no trouble at all. You know we love spending time with them.” Gran walked over and gave her son a hug and a kiss in greeting. “And since you’re taking them so far away we figured we’d get in all the time we could with them.”

  “Oh, ease off it, Mom,” Cam said with a smile. “It’s not like we’re moving to Australia. We’re just a few hours away. And we’re still going to visit every few months.”

  “You better,” Pa chastised. He picked Beth up and swung her in a circle. “I need to see my little princess.” He reached over and ruffled Greg’s hair. “And my little prince.”

  Beth giggled and Greg frowned over his ruffled hair. He was getting too old for games and such, or so he insisted. But Jill knew that he still liked to be tucked in at night and he’d never turn down a bedtime story.

  “So what are we having for dinner, Jill?” Gran peaked at the stove, the scepticism clear on her face.

  Jill had
n’t cooked often in the sixteen years she’d lived with her in-laws. She’d made the occasional meal, but it had often been when she was just cooking for the children and Cam. Gran was the superior cook, so she’d always just let her do it. That didn’t mean that Jill didn’t know how to cook. It was just that Gran had rarely seen her do it successfully.

  “Roast beef, potatoes, and carrots.” Jill took Cam’s hand and gave it a squeeze. The children had run off to check out their bedrooms. She could hear them running back and forth upstairs as they explored the new space. It was nice to have that noise in the house. It had been quiet without them.

  Jill’s mind drifted back to the footsteps in the night, to the door creaking open. That first night hadn’t been the only occasion that she’d awoken to such noise. It had recurred a half a dozen times over the last two weeks and she was starting to wonder if she was just making it up since Cam hadn’t heard or noticed anything.

  She wondered if it was just her mind telling her that she missed the children. She wondered if it was just an over active imagination. Or perhaps stress from the move and settling in, but each experience had been the same, identical. She had no idea what was going on.

  So it was great to have the children back in the house and to know that if her door creaked open at night, Beth would actually be the one to venture through it. Or at least she hoped it would be.

  She chewed on her lip as she thought about it and jolted a little when Gran spoke again.

  “Well, it smells lovely.” Gran gave a polite smile. “Is there anything that we can do to help?”

  Jill shook her head and waved off the offer, “We’ve got it under control. Why don’t you have a seat in the living room? You’ve had a long trip. Can I get you a cuppa tea?”

  Gran and Pa both nodded and moved to the living room to sit down. Jill set to work making the tea.

  “It’s like we never left,” she whispered to Cam who suppressed a laugh.

  “Except this time they are leaving in the morning and we don’t have to see them until Christmas.” He grinned at her. He loved his parents dearly but it was their time to be a family now and to figure out how that was going to work. It was well past time they learned to stand on their own two feet.

  “I’m going to be sad to see them leave,” she admitted as she took the pot roast out the oven. “But I’m also going to be happy, if that makes sense.”

  Cam gave her a kiss. “It makes all the sense in the world, Darling.”

  “Oh good.” She checked the roast and enjoyed the smell that came with it, “Now if you want to tell the kids to wash up and come set the table, I’m going to get started on Yorkshire puddings and some gravy.”

  Cam nodded and headed for the stairs. He loved the new house; it was absolutely perfect in every way for them and he was glad that they’d managed to get everything unpacked and set up before the kids arrived. He was sure they’d rearrange their rooms in time, but for now they had a place to sleep and all their stuff in one place.

  They’d set up a futon in the office for overnight guests, like his parents, to have a place to sleep. It wasn’t glamourous, but it would do just fine and he knew that his parents wouldn’t complain. They’d never been ones to complain.

  Cam smiled as he headed up the stairs to fetch his children. He was so intently focused on his own thoughts that he didn’t notice the footsteps following him up the stairs. He didn’t hear the whispers of children’s voices. If he had, perhaps he would have considered the stories his wife had been telling him a little more.

  A New Friend

  Moving is always difficult and it is most difficult for children. Transitioning from familiarity to an unfamiliar place can be unnerving. Greg and Beth were no exception.

  Their grandparents left the next morning and then it was just them in the house. Greg and Beth had never lived anywhere but with Gran and Pa and now they weren’t certain that they wanted to, but as their father had so bluntly put it, they really didn’t get a say in the matter.

  They wandered down from their rooms together to the breakfast table. They’d said goodbye to their grandparents the night before, knowing full well that they’d be up with the dawn and out the door.

  They emerged downstairs, tired after a night of tossing and turning in the unfamiliar space. They could smell breakfast cooking and that at least brought a smile to their faces. It was rare for their parents to be around to cook a full hot breakfast, but they had a feeling it would become more common now that their mother would be at home.

  Beth paused on the stairs for a moment. She was certain that she’d heard something: a footstep or a voice, she wasn’t positive.

  She turned and glanced behind her up the staircase. No one was there. The stairwell was completely empty and her brow creased in confusion.

  “Did you hear that?” She asked her brother who was already at the bottom of the stairs.

  Greg glanced back towards her, his mind now fully on breakfast. “Hear what?”

  Beth looked behind her again and then looked at her brother. “I don’t know for sure. I thought I heard a voice or someone behind me.”

  Greg glanced around his sister and up the stairs. He shrugged. “There’s no one there, Beth. You’re just imagining things.”

  She frowned but there was nothing she could do about it. She no longer heard the voice or the footsteps. Perhaps she had been imagining it, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was behind her the rest of the way down the stairs.

  Their mother greeted them with a smile as they entered the kitchen. “Just in time for breakfast. I should have known you two would smell it.”

  “Where’s dad?” Greg asked taking a seat at the table.

  “He had to go to work, but he’ll be back this evening.” Jill placed a plate of food in front of him. “I hope you brought your appetite, because I made plenty.”

  “Do you have work today, Mum?” Beth inquired as she joined her brother at the table.

  “No dear, I work from home now.” She smiled as she said it. “It means I get to spend all this time with you guys.”

  Beth and Greg exchanged a look. They weren’t sure what it would be like having their mother home all the time. They loved her and she could be fun sometimes, but she wasn’t Gran and Pa. They would miss the freedom they’d had when Gran and Pa had been their babysitter.

  “This looks good,” Greg observed as he tucked into his breakfast. It was better than the cold cereal he’d planned on having, but he had a feeling this wouldn’t be consistent. His mother had the best intentions but she rarely stuck to a household task of any kind.

  “So, what are you two going to get up to today?” Jill asked looking from one child to the other. She had plans of her own to sit at her computer and finalise a business plan, but she wanted to make sure the kids had something to do. She knew that the summer months could be tedious.

  “We figured we’d go outside and play for a bit,” Greg provided. He was eager to see what the yard had for them. It wasn’t as big as their old yard, but he was certain that they could find something to do.

  “What a lovely idea. It’s such a nice day out already.” Jill smiled and sipped at her morning tea. It would be one of many she would consume that day, she was certain of that fact already. “Well, I’ll just be in here at the table working if you guys need anything. Sandwiches for lunch sound good?”

  Greg glanced at his breakfast. He was far from thinking about lunch at the moment but he nodded anyway. He knew that she was trying a little too hard to be a good stay at home mom and he was hoping that she would relax a bit. They didn’t need to be catered to especially when they were used to not having her around.

  Jill watched them finish their breakfast and then run off outside once they’d put their dishes in the sink. She knew that she was trying too hard, but she was also really excited to finally have some time at home with them. She needed it and she had a feeling that they needed it as well. They just didn’t know it yet.
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  Once the breakfast dishes were done, she set to work on her business plan. She was almost done and she was determined to finish it today.

  Three cups of tea and several hours later, she was closing her laptop with a sense of satisfaction just in time to see the kids running back into the house, no doubt starving, as it was well past one o’clock.

  “I’ll have your sandwiches ready in just a moment,” she said as she got to her feet. But when she glanced over at the children, her heart sank.

  It was not her children standing in the doorway of the kitchen, but a boy and girl, she guessed to be about eight or nine. Their clothes were covered with soot and their faces were blistered with burns, and they wore the most unnerving smiles on their faces.

  Jill took a step back and choked on the scream that wanted to rise in her throat. Who was she going to scream for? Her own children? No, she didn’t want them to see this, and Cam was at work so there was no yelling for him.

  She sobbed and her hand flew to her mouth. The children stood in place staring at her, smiling in the strangest way. Their eyes were intently fixed on her.

  Jill swallowed her fear and took a step towards them. They were children after all. What could they do to her? And they looked like they needed help and she’d never been one to refuse help to a child in need. They were clearly in need.

  “Hello,” she said hesitantly as she took a step closer.

  They exchanged a look and then disappeared. They didn’t run out of the kitchen. They didn’t sneak around the corner. They simply vanished.

  Jill could only stand and stare at the now vacant spot. Where had they gone? People didn’t just disappear. That wasn’t possible. But perhaps they weren’t real.

  No sooner had the thought popped into her head than Greg and Beth ran into the kitchen, out of breath. Their faces were flushed and they looked as though they’d been having a grand old time outside.