The Ash House

by Cross, Amy

Chapter Thirty

  Daniel

  I can hear Nana downstairs getting things ready for breakfast. I should go down and help her, and I will in a minute or two, but first there's something I need to do in Mum's old room.

  Kneeling down next to the bed she used while she was here, I carefully pull the zipper open on her red hold-all. I know it's probably really dumb of me, but I want to take some more things that smell of her, before Nana has a chance to throw them out and before her old clothes lose their scent. The sweater under my pillow has already started to smell just like a normal sweater, but I realized during the night that maybe if I can find Mum's old perfume bottle, I'll be able to smell her any time I want.

  Just for a little while.

  Just until I get used to her not being around.

  Reaching into the bag, I start rooting through the various bundles of clothes, but so far there's no sign of any perfume. I find a few books and magazines, however, and then at the very bottom of the bag my fingers brush against some kind of large box. Thinking that maybe I've found the perfume at least, I pull the box out, only to see that it's an old wooden box with hinges on one side.

  Nana's still clattering about in the kitchen, so I set the box on the floor and open it out.

  It's some kind of board-game, with the letters of the alphabet and the words Yes and No at the top and the word Goodbye at the bottom. There's also a loose little wooden block with a piece of glass in the middle, although I have no idea how that could be used to play a game, and there's a folded piece of paper with some of Mum's handwritten notes on the back.

  Opening the piece of paper, I find that it's a print-out from a website.

  “Ooo-wee-ja,” I mutter as I try to figure out how to pronounce the word at the top.

  Mum never mentioned anything about this to me.

  I sniff the note, hoping that it'll smell of her, but there's nothing.

  “There are strict rules that must be followed by anyone who chooses to use a ooo-wee-ja board,” I read out loud. “Failure to observe these rules can result in serious consequences. Ooo-wee-ja boards open a channel of communication with the dead. In so doing, they strengthen the link between the dead and the living, and this link will persist even after the board has been put away. It is therefore essential to end every session properly, to ensure that any contacted spirits are not left strengthened and emboldened.”

  I don't really know what any of that means, but I can't believe that Mum would ever mess around with something like this. She was always very level-headed and serious, and I never once heard her talk about trying to communicate with the dead.

  “Ouija board,” I whisper, as I realize how the word is supposed to be pronounced, and that I've heard something like this mentioned in films.

  “Say goodbye to the spirit,” I read. “Invite the spirit to move the planchette to the word. If this fails, move the planchette yourself and then remove it from the board. Then store the planchette in a cloth bag or similar, so that it is not left in direct contact with the board during storage.”

  If the planchette is the little wooden thing, then it definitely wasn't in a bag. Instead, it had just been left loose with the board.

  “Until you have said goodbye,” I read as I continue to look at the print-out, “the spirit will feel a greater connection to the world of the living. This can have many unintended and dangerous consequences, and is just one of the reasons why it is essential for the board to be used only by those who understand what they are doing. In some cases, if the spirit is particularly vengeful, the consequences of leaving the link open can be catastrophic.”

  Looking down at the board again, I find it hard to believe Mum would have ever touched something like this. Besides, when would she have had the time?

  “Daniel!” Nana shouts suddenly from downstairs. “The eggs are ready!”

  Stuffing the print-out into my pocket, I place the planchette back in the board and close it up, and then I head out onto the landing. I'm still trying to figure out why Mum would have something like this in her bag, but I remember her saying she was traveling light, which means she probably only brought important items. By the time I get to the kitchen, I'm starting to think that maybe Mum wasn't telling me everything during out trip here. I know she had a lot on her mind, but maybe she was keeping things from me.

  I set the board on the counter and go over to fetch some knives and forks for breakfast.

  “How many eggs do you want?” Nana asks as she turns to me. “One or -”

  She stops as soon as she sees the board.

  “What's that thing?” she asks, and now she sound worried.

  “I found it in one of Mum's bags,” I reply, and it's only now that I start to wonder whether I should have kept the board hidden. After all, Nana can be a little highly-strung sometimes. “I was just looking, that's all. It's nothing to worry about.”

  She hurries past me and stops next to the counter. Reaching out, she turns the board over and takes a look, and I can't help noticing that her hands are shaking.

  “Who brought this into my house?” she asks finally.

  “It was in Mum's bag.”

  “Did you bring it?”

  “No, I told you! It was in Mum's bag!”

  “Your mother was not a fool,” she replies. “Why would she -”

  She stops suddenly, as if she's begun to realize something. For a few seconds, she seems frozen in place, staring down at the board, but then finally she mutters something under her breath and turns, hurrying out of the kitchen and through to the hallway.

  “Nana?” I call out, heading after her. “I didn't do anything wrong! I just found it in Mum's things!”

  She storms out through the front door and down the steps. By the time I catch up to her, she's already made her way past the ash house and over to the tree-line.

  “Please don't be mad at me,” I continue. “I was only looking at it, I didn't do anything else. I don't even know how to use it!”

  “These things are not fit for decent homes,” she replies, tossing the board to the ground and then grabbing a spade that was left leaning against one of the trees. She immediately starts digging a small hole, before kicking the board down into the empty space and then shoveling soil on top. It only takes her a minute to bury the board, and then finally she takes a step back and lets the spade fall to the ground.

  We stand in silence for a moment, as a cool breeze blows toward us through the forest.

  Her hands are trembling worse than ever.

  “Your mother was a very sick woman,” she says finally, still staring at the spot where she just buried the board. “She was extremely intelligent, but toward the end she must have started developing some strange ideas. You mustn't let those influence you, Daniel. There are certain things that people should leave well enough alone. Your mother knew that, I raised her well, but I suppose in her desperation she began to explore other options. I can't even begin to imagine how scared she must have been to consider such foolishness. She must have barely been herself toward the end.”

  She sighs, before taking me by the hand and starting to lead me back toward the house. She's holding my hand tight and she's walking fast, and I can tell she's upset. I don't think I've ever seen her so shaken.

  “I didn't know Mum had the board,” I say finally, struggling to hold back tears. “She never said anything.”

  “You should have told me about it as soon as you found it.”

  “I did.”

  “Then why did I have to find such a wretched thing in my kitchen?”

  “I was only -”

  “What was that bloody foolish girl thinking?” she shouts, stopping and turning to me with tears in her eyes. “I raised her to be a good, respectable young woman! I never in a million years thought she'd do something so utterly foolish! Even in her worst moments, why did she have to resort to such terrible practices? Why was she such a stupid, stupid little idiot?”

  I swallow hard, not knowin
g what to say. I don't like her saying bad things about Mum.

  “I have to go to my room for a few minutes,” she says finally, taking a step back.

  “What about breakfast?”

  “I'll eat something later. Help yourself.”

  With that, she turns and heads inside, leaving me alone at the bottom of the steps. I don't quite understand why she got so upset and shaky, but that was the first time I've seen her cry since Mum died.

  Reaching into my pocket, I take out the piece of paper I found with the ouija board.

  “Until you have said goodbye,” I read again, “the spirit will feel a greater connection to the world of the living.”

  I suppose burying the board was a way of saying goodbye. Anyway, even if it wasn't, I'm certain Mum would have said goodbye properly. There's no reason to be scared.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Diane

  “What was that bloody foolish girl thinking?”

  Suddenly hearing Mum's voice echoing from the front of the house, I turn and hurry through the dining room. I've been alone all morning, searching for some sign of her and Daniel, but with no warning at all I can suddenly hear her.

  “Mum?” I call out as I reach the front door. “Where are you?”

  “...was she such a stupid, stupid little idiot?”

  There's no sign of her, but I swear her voice was coming from right here at the front of the house. Looking out across the yard, I wait to hear her again, but there's only the rustle of trees as a light wind blows through the forest. At the same time, the world around me seems to be swimming slightly, as if I'm not quite anchored to even the ground beneath my feet.

  “Mum?” I shout, before starting to make my way down the steps. “Are you -”

  Suddenly I feel something brush past me, banging around my shoulder. Startled, I turn and look back up toward the door, but I don't see anyone. Still, I swear I felt a figure pushing against me and hurrying into the house, even though I definitely didn't see the person. I take a step back, still looking up at the house, before realizing after a moment that I can hear someone walking across the yard behind me.

  I turn and look toward the ash house, but again I can only hear footsteps. I can't actually see anyone.

  “Hello?” I say, as I make my way closer. “Who's there?”

  I'm worried that I might see the man again, although at least in daylight I'd be able to get a better look at his features and maybe I could find some way to force him to acknowledge me. In the back of my mind, I keep thinking back to my last night at the hospital, and I'm not entirely sure how I got away from there and ended up in the forest, but I figure there'll be time to work that out later. For now, I'm more concerned about the footsteps that seem to be trudging around to the other side of the ash house.

  Crouching down, I peer inside, but there's still no sign of anyone. I wait a moment, just in case I see the little girl again, and then I get to my feet.

  “Daniel!”

  He's around the other side of the ash house, looking down at the ground.

  “Daniel, where have you been?” I shout, rushing around and dropping to my knees, putting my hands on his shoulders. “Daniel, I've been looking for you everywhere! I was terrified something had happened!”

  I stop suddenly as I realize that not only has he not even looked at me, but a tear is trickling down his cheek as he continues to stare at his shoes.

  “Daniel, it's me,” I continue, trying to gently shake his shoulders. “It's Mummy. What's wrong, are you mad at me?”

  His bottom lip is trembling, as if he's on the verge of sobbing, but after a moment he suddenly turns and looks toward the house.

  “Daniel -”

  “It's not my fault she had a stupid board in her bag,” he mutters angrily, as if he's annoyed about something. “Why are you blaming me for her being stupid? It's not fair!”

  “What are you talking about?” I ask, although it's becoming increasingly clear that for some reason he's blanking me. Either that, or for some reason he doesn't know that I'm even here. “Daniel, what -”

  Suddenly he turns and steps away, before crouching down and crawling into the ash house.

  “Daniel,” I continue, “can't you -”

  “I hate you!” he shouts suddenly, and I hear a series of heavy bumping sounds.

  Leaning down, I look into the ash house and see that he's furiously kicking the wall.

  “Why did you have to leave?” he yells, kicking harder and harder. “Why did you have to go away and leave me with Nana? I hate her! She's a stupid old woman!”

  “What do you -”

  “I hate her!” he yells, kicking the wall even harder.

  “Stop!” I say firmly. “Daniel, you're going to hurt yourself!”

  Letting out a gasp of frustration, he turns and starts crawling out the other side of the ash house. I head around and follow him as he stomps over to the steps, and then all the way into the main house.

  “Will you listen to me for one moment?” I ask, trying to grab his arm but somehow not quite managing to make contact. I try again, with the same result. “Daniel, what's wrong? I've never seen you act like this!”

  He starts hurrying up the stairs.

  “Daniel!” I shout. “Come back and -”

  Suddenly a figure appears from nowhere, materializing from thin air on the stairs and starting to follow Daniel up to the landing. I stare in horror at the figure's broad, hulking shoulders, and I immediately realizing that it's the same man whose silhouette I saw during the night.

  “Daniel?” I whisper, as I realize the man just showed up out of nowhere.

  Daniel has already disappeared around the corner at the top of the stairs, and I watch in horror as the man follows him.

  Filled with a sudden sense of panic, I start hurrying up after them, although by the time I get to the top I realize I can hear raised voices at the far end of the corridor.

  “It's not my fault if Mum was doing stupid things!” Daniel yells into my mother's bedroom, as the tall man stands right behind him. “I didn't know she had that board and I didn't see her using it, and if I hadn't found it in her bag, it'd still be there and you wouldn't know anything about it! So don't blame me!”

  He grabs the handle and slams the door shut, before storming across the landing.

  The man turns and follows him, and for the first time I see that the man's face is old and gaunt, with prominent cheekbones and dark, bagged eyes.

  A moment later, the man lets out a brief, rasping cough.

  Daniel turns and looks over his shoulder, as if he heard the cough, but he doesn't respond to the man's presence at all. Instead he merely looks around for a moment before muttering something and heading into his room.

  “Who are you?” I whisper, as I start walking over to the man. “Why are you following my -”

  Suddenly the man turns and stares straight at me, and I stop dead in my tracks as I feel a powerful sense of anger filling the air. I've never felt anything like this before, but it's as if the man's fury is boiling over and causing the air all around us to shimmer. His eyes are black as tar and glistening in the light, and after a moment a thin dribble of dark liquid starts trickling from one corner of his mouth and running down across his stubbled chin. He looks furious, as if somehow I'm intruding, as if somehow he feels this is his house and I have no right to be here.

  “Who are you?” I ask again. “What are you doing in my mother's house?”

  I wait for a reply, but he's simply staring at me.

  “I want to know who you are,” I say firmly, stepping toward him, “and -”

  Before I can finish, he leans toward me and opens his mouth, roaring with pure anger. I can see worms and maggots wriggling in his mouth, festering in his tongue and gums, and the force of his cry sends me stumbling back against the wall. As the cry continues, I have to squeeze my hands tight shut and put my hands over my ears, desperately trying to block him out, but it takes several more second
s before he falls silent.

  Opening my eyes again, I watch in horror as he turns and steps into Daniel's room.

  “Stop!” I shout, hurrying after him before spotting Mum sobbing on her bed. “Mum!” I yell. “There's someone in the house! There's a man in Danny's room!”

  She doesn't respond.

  She doesn't even look at me.

  She just continues to sit on the bed, with her head in her hands, and I can hear her weeping.

  Hurrying through to Daniel's room, I see that he's sitting at his desk and furiously writing on a sheet of paper, while the man stands right behind him and looks down at the top of his head. After a man, he reaches forward and places a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

  “Leave him alone!” I scream, rushing forward. “Stop following my son! Leave his -”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Daniel

  Suddenly feeling something brush against the back of my neck, I turn and look across the bedroom.

  For a moment, I feel as if there's something I should be seeing. In fact, I feel as if there might actually be someone here in the room with me, and I swear my ears are tingling slightly. I listen to the silence for a few seconds, before realizing that the only thing I can hear is Nana still crying in her room.

  Sighing, I get to my feet and head across the room.

  “I'm trying to write in here,” I mutter, slamming the door before marching back to my desk.

  I know it was mean to yell at her just now, but that doesn't mean I'm ready to tell him I'm sorry.

  Once I'm back in my chair, I look down at what I've managed to write so far. I know there's no point doing this, but at the same time I feel like I want to write a letter to Mum, telling her just how angry I am. I want her to know that she left me at the worst possible time, and that dumping me here with Nana was a huge mistake. Sure, it's pretty much impossible for Mum to ever read the letter, but I still think it'll make me feel better if I manage to get the words down.

  The problem is, I don't really know how to start.

  “Dear Mum,” I read out loud, “it's Monday morning and...”

  That's as far as I've managed to get so far.