Haunted Happenings

by Lucrezia Black

  “Mom, we’re starving!” Beth announced and collapsed into a kitchen chair.

  Tag was no fun with only two players, but with four it had been super. She glanced at Greg who had flopped down in the seat across from her. She wasn’t sure whether they should tell their mom about their new friends. She wasn’t sure if she would understand.

  She gave Greg a questioning look. She would always default to him for an answer. He was the oldest, after all. He knew more than she did and therefore he would know what they should do.

  She was leaning towards not telling mom, which seemed their safest bet to keep their fun going, but ultimately she would let her brother decide.

  “I’ll start making your lunch,” Jill said, her voice a little shaky.

  Greg looked at her, the concern clear on his face. “What’s the matter, Mom? Are you ok?”

  Jill chewed on her lower lip and tried to calm her racing heart. She felt weak and wobbly! It was to be expected considering what had just happened, but she wasn’t about to say anything to the kids.

  “I’m fine, Hun. Likely just a little tired.” She smiled and ruffled his hair. “I’ll get those sandwiches started.”

  Greg glanced over at his sister and shook his head. They weren’t going to tell Mom about their new friends. She looked like she had enough on her mind at the moment. They didn’t want to add to it.

  “Are we going to tell her?” Beth whispered across the table. “We really should tell her.”

  Greg shook his head again. “We can’t tell her. She won’t understand. Besides, us having friends is the best thing that could have happened here.”

  “Are you sure that they’re our friends?” Beth asked. She chewed on her bottom lip in the same manner that her mother did. It was a habit that she’d unconsciously learned to mimic. “We should always be able to tell our parents about our friends.”

  “I don’t think that rule applies to these friends, Beth. They’re not normal friends.” Greg glanced towards his mother who was still busy making lunch. He wanted to be sure that she wasn’t listening in on their conversation.

  “What do you mean they’re not normal friends?” Her brows creased in confusion.

  “I don’t think mom can see them.” He glanced over at his mother with a confused expression on his face. “I mean, they’re standing right behind her and she doesn’t even know.”

  Strange Behaviour

  The first week with the kids in the house had gone well, or at least Jill thought it was going well. She couldn’t really say for certain because the kids weren’t really themselves. She wanted to blame it on the new house or the new town, but she knew that it wasn’t that. They were behaving oddly and she couldn’t figure out the cause.

  Greg and Beth had always gotten along well enough considering they were siblings and the age difference between them, but they had never been as buddy-buddy as they were now.

  While a part of her was ecstatic that they were getting on so well, there was still her sceptical part. She didn’t believe that this was just a stroke of luck and sensed something behind it, but she just couldn’t figure out what.

  They were always huddled in a corner whispering, or outside playing and having the time of their lives. She didn’t want to complain about them being outside, since that was all good and better than them being stuck inside complaining that they were bored. They were simply having more fun than any two children should have on their own. It wasn’t normal.

  Added to that, Jill kept seeing the other children. She kept seeing their burned faces and their soot-covered bodies. She wasn’t sure if it was her imagination or she was still seeing them.

  She wasn’t sleeping at night. Every time she tried to get to sleep, she would hear the footsteps in the hallway. Every time she would close her eyes, she heard the door creak open or felt the weight settle on the bed.

  She’d talked to Cam about it, but he hadn’t noticed a thing. He hadn’t heard footsteps or seen any strange children.

  He told her it was simply stress from the move and that she just needed to give it some time. They’d gone through some big changes moving to this house; she’d given up her job and she was starting her own business. She was home with the kids full time now and it was a lot for her to take on.

  He was certain that it would all level out and now that it was the weekend and he would be home with her, he just hoped that it would help. He knew that it was all very difficult for her and he wanted to do whatever he could to help her adjust.

  The family was down in the kitchen on Saturday morning, like any other Saturday. Everyone had eaten. Cam and Jill were at their computers, puttering away at work stuff that had carried over into the weekend. Greg was playing a video game in the living room and Beth was sitting at the table with her parents, colouring in.

  It was a quiet morning. It was a normal morning.

  Until Beth burst out crying over her colouring book as if someone had hurt her.

  Jill jumped to her feet and ran to Beth, picked her up out of her chair and held her close, making soothing sounds.

  “Beth, what’s the matter?” Cam moved to stand next to his wife. “What’s the matter, sweetie?”

  Beth sobbed against her mother’s shoulder, enjoying the comfort of her arms. “She changed.”

  Jill glanced over at Cam with confusion in her eyes. “What do you mean she changed?”

  Beth sobbed and tried to find the words. “She was there with me, helping me colour and then she was different. She was all red and dirty and she was screaming.” Beth choked on a sob. “Why was she screaming, Mommy?”

  Jill looked at the space next to her daughter at the table. No one was there. The seat was empty, but the description she’d given reminded Jill of the girl she’d seen around the house - the girl with the burned face, covered in soot. The girl who kept haunting Jill around the house.

  “I don’t know, Darling.” She pressed a kiss to Beth’s hair and passed her off to Cam for some cuddles.

  She chewed on her lip and stared at the chair. “What did the girl look like before she changed?”

  She asked the question without taking her eyes off the chair. It was almost as though she was trying to will the girl to reappear in the chair. She wanted to know that she wasn’t going crazy. She wanted Cam to see her.

  “Is that really necessary?” Cam asked as Beth continued to sob in his arms.

  “She said that the girl changed. What did she look like before, sweetie?” Jill ran a hand over her hair and tried to get her attention. “What did she look like?”

  “Her name is Angela,” Beth choked on her sobs. “She used to live here.”

  Jill looked at Cam, a brow raised. “Did she now?”

  “Her and her brothers and sisters, but only Tom is left now.” Beth chewed on her bottom lip as her chest heaved with sobs. “Why does she look like that?”

  Jill shook her head. She didn’t know. She didn’t know why the child looked like that. She didn’t know why Beth had seen her. She didn’t know why she’d seen her. She had more questions than answers.

  Her gaze went to Greg who was still in the living room, peaking around the corner and watching them. Jill waved him over and she watched him walk towards her looking guilty. He’d never been good at hiding his guilty expression.

  “Do you know anything about this, Greg?” Jill asked. She kept her voice level but her heart was racing. Were her children seeing ghosts? Were there ghosts in the house?

  She’d never been one to believe in such things, but she didn’t know what else to think. She was seeing and hearing things. Beth was seeing things. She had apparently seen this girl over several days now. It was now just a matter of determining whether Beth was the only one among then seeing this ghost or if Greg had also seen the children.

  “Have you been seeing things as well?” Jill asked.

  Cam looked from one child to another and then to his wife. Was she really asking this? Did she really think there was something
in the house? He’d believed it was just stress, that she was overwhelmed, but Beth and Greg seeing things… that was a different matter altogether. He’d never known the children to be fanciful or to make things up. If they were seeing things, perhaps he should be taking it more seriously.

  “Um, I don’t know,” Greg shuffled his feet and stared at the floor. He didn’t want to tell them about Tom and Angela. He didn’t want them to know about his friends, but neither did he want to see his sister crying anymore. He hated to see her cry.

  “Gregory…” Cam’s tone was filled with warning and his eyes said it all. He wouldn’t stand for lying. He had taught his children better than that.

  “Fine…” He shuffled his feet again. “Tom and Angela have been playing with us since we got here.” He wrung his hands. “It’s been great fun. They play tag and hide and seek. They’ve been very lonely here.”

  Jill looked at Cam and saw disbelief in his eyes. “Are you talking about an imaginary friend?”

  Greg shook his head enthusiastically. “No, they aren’t imaginary. We didn’t make them up. They’re just here. They were here when we got here.”

  Jill chewed on her lip. “I’ve been telling you about them, Cam. I told you I saw them. I told you I heard them.”

  She looked from one child to the other. “And they’ve seen and heard them too, but they seem to have seen the nicer version of them. That is, until now.” She heaved a sigh. “Why would Angela suddenly change her appearance now?”

  “I don’t think they mean to do it.” Greg supplied.

  Jill looked over at him, surprised at what he’d said. “What do you mean, Greg? What do you mean by they don’t mean to do it?”

  He shuffled his feet again. “I’ve seen their dirty clothes and burnt faces. Flashes of it while we were playing. I don’t think Beth ever noticed, but they don’t control it. I think it just happens.” He shrugged. “Whatever happened to them, I think they’re trying to tell us something.”

  Cam’s brow creased. He didn’t know what to make of all this. He’d never believed in such things but he seemed to have landed right in the middle of it all. It was hard to ignore the look in Greg’s eyes. He was being honest.

  “Are you telling me that you think there are ghosts in the house?” Cam couldn’t believe he was saying it.

  “No,” Greg’s voice was level. “I’m telling you that we don’t have imaginary friends. I don’t know what Angela and Tom are.” He shrugged as though it made the most sense in the world.

  “Uh huh…” Cam looked at Jill and she could see the disbelief in his eyes. “Well what are we supposed to do about this?”

  “I have no idea.” Jill tossed her hands up in the air. “I don’t know how to handle this.”

  Cam set Beth back down now that she was done crying. Beth went to stand next to her brother while their parents discussed this. She looked at Greg and they both stared into the kitchen behind her parents. There, standing as though they belonged, were Angela and Tom, their fingers to their lips demanding the children’s silence.

  Haunted House

  Cam thought it a good idea they all get out of the house for a while. He wasn’t convinced about this whole ghost thing, but he did believe that they’d all been in the house for too long. Jill hadn’t left, other than to get groceries, since they’d moved in, and the children hadn’t left the property all week.

  They’d been outside, but apparently they’d been playing with ghosts. He didn’t want to dwell on it. Cam figured it was time they took a walk around the block as a family. It was time they did something as a family.

  He felt bad that he’d been gone for most of the week but work had been busy. He’d put in longer hours than he’d intended to but it was good. He liked the job, he just hoped he’d be able to spend more time at home in the future. The whole point of moving away was to be able to spend more time at home. He wanted to be around the children and see them grow up. He didn’t want to live at work.

  They all put on their shoes and emerged from the house. The kids got onto their bikes and the parents opted to walk. It was a gorgeous day out; perfect for a walk, and they were eager to explore the neighbourhood. It was of interest to know who and what you live around.

  They walked around the first half of the block without any occurrences. The neighbourhood was quiet for a Saturday, but the houses were lovely and the lawns were well kept. They had settled in a serene neighbourhood.

  The school was close by as was the grocery store, and Cam’s workplace was just a short drive away. It was everything they could have wanted, and it had really been a miracle that they’d stumbled upon the property. Cam was happy here; he just needed to ensure that everyone else was.

  He needed to get a handle on this situation. This was supposed to be their fresh start and now things were getting strange. He didn’t want a haunted house. He just wanted his family to be happy. Was that too much to ask?

  They were on their way back to the house when they saw their first sign of life. A middle-aged man was out watering his garden, and he looked up at the sound of their approach and waved a hand in greeting.

  “Hello there!” He called over as he set down his watering can and moved to the pavement to greet them. “You’re a set of new faces. Visiting, or did you move in somewhere around the block?”

  “Moved in. I’m Cam and this is my wife, Jill, and our son, Greg, and our daughter, Beth.” Cam introduced with a smile. It was always pleasant to see a friendly neighbour.

  “I’m Bob Hastings. Where did you guys move in? I don’t remember seeing a place up for sale.” Bob scratched his head as though trying to remember if he’d seen any listings over the last few months.

  “We stole it right off the market. The agent said it hadn’t had a sign on the lawn for more than a few days.” Cam grinned. He was still happy about that eventuality.

  “Which house? I’ve been here all my life. I know all of them.” He glanced up and down the street. Barely anything changed in the neighbourhood without him knowing about it. He was surprised that a whole new family had moved in and somehow it had slipped under his radar.

  “The Ashwood House,” Jill provided. Greg and Beth had already grown bored of the adult talk and were riding their bikes up and down the street. Jill was keeping an eye on them while also following the conversation. If Bob had lived there his whole life, he might know about the house and be able to offer some information on the children she kept seeing.

  “They did such a good job with that house. The restoration was really rather miraculous.” Bob nodded in an appreciative manner. “Really a lovely job. Only those who had seen the old house would know the differences.”

  “Restoration?” Cam’s brow creased in confusion. He t knew nothing about a restoration. The agent hadn’t mentioned a word of that.

  “Oh yeah,” Bob nodded enthusiastically. It wasn’t often he got to tell the story of Ashwood House and he jumped at the chance to do so whenever possible. “About seven years it took to rebuild it all. I mean they took their time with it. They made sure that they did it right and they did a great job at it too, at least if you ask me. It’s hard to rebuild a house like that.”

  “Why was it rebuilt?” Jill took Cam’s hand instinctively and kept her attention divided between Bob and the children riding their bikes up and down the quiet street.

  “Oh, the old house bunt to the ground. There was barely a stick left of it. The only thing they could salvage was the foundation, but those old houses have some pretty solid foundations. It would take a lot to destroy that.” Bob nodded as he considered his words. “I suppose it was nice to have the original foundation when they did the restoration.”

  “Burnt to the ground?” Cam looked over at Jill. They hadn’t heard about either a fire or a restoration. Why hadn’t the estate agent mentioned anything? He supposed it wasn’t necessary information. They’d been given the information on the house that stood there now. It hadn’t been important to tell them about th
e house that had stood there before.

  Would he have bought it if he’d known? Cam was certain that he would have gone through with the sale regardless. After all, what did a burnt down house have to do with their lovely home now? He hoped nothing, but he had a sinking feeling that the burnt down home would explain everything.

  “Oh yeah. That’s what you get for not hiring a chimney sweep. A clogged chimney led to the fire, ‘least that’s what I was told.” He took a moment, as if trying to recall all the information.

  “Was anyone home when the house burnt down?” Jill hadn’t wanted to ask the question because she really didn’t want to know the answer but she knew that it had to be asked. She had to know what had happened.

  Bob’s expression became very sombre. “Oh yeah…” He scratched his head and ran a hand over his head. “It was a real shame. The whole family died. Both parents and all four children. It was a real tragedy, but you really do have to clean out your chimneys. Can’t skimp in that department.”

  He said it in such a matter-of-fact tone that Jill had to wonder if he really cared that the whole family had died. Or perhaps it was just another piece of gossip to him. It was hard to tell.

  “That’s terrible.” Jill felt Cam give her hand a reassuring squeeze.

  “Tragedy!” Bob shrugged. “I didn’t know the ins and outs of it…so long ago, see! But everyone took the fire very hard evidently. It’s always difficult when people in the community die.”

  Jill and Cam both nodded but they had no idea of an appropriate response; sometimes it was just best to remain silent.

  “They rebuilt the house though, as you know, and it looks good as ever, well I’m assuming. An older couple moved in the minute it was rebuilt and you’re the only owners since then. The older couple, the Roberts, wanted something smaller.” Bob leaned forward as though telling a secret.

  Jill and Cam leaned forward as well, more out of habit than wanting to be closer to the man.