Promised Land Lane

by Brown, Marcus

  “Is she expecting you?” the nun asked.

  “Yes, she knows I’m coming.” Sandra felt guilty for lying to a nun.

  “This way please,” the nun said, gesturing to the direction of the main door of the building.

  Walking through the entrance was a nerve-wracking experience as she was greeted by an enormous statue of the Virgin Mary in prayer. Religious iconography always unnerved Sandra. She had never stepped foot in a church since her wedding day.

  The nun escorted her down a long white hallway as Sandra tried not to look at the many pictures of Jesus that lined the walls. She focused on the marble floors. They had been buffed to perfection.

  At the end of the long hallway was a single oak door.

  Her guide knocked on the door and was greeted by a much older nun. She stepped outside and closed the door behind her once she realized the young nun had company.

  “Why are you here, my child?” the older of the two asked.

  Sandra explained that she wished to talk to Dianne and concern crossed the older nun’s face. Bowing her head, she knocked on the door and pushed it open.

  “Dianne, you have a visitor. Isn’t that nice?” said the elderly sister. “She’s from England and says she must speak to you.”

  Sandra peeked through the gap in the door and noticed a number of other nun’s hovering around a bed. They reminded her of a waddle of penguins.

  “Tell her to go away. I don’t want to talk to anyone,” a frail voice responded.

  “Dianne, she is most adamant. She says her name is Sandra and she has to speak to you about the house on the lane.”

  “I don’t wish to speak with anyone about the lane. Ask her to leave.”

  “Mrs Gallagher, please, I’m desperate,” Sandra shouted through the door. “I’ve come a long way to talk to you.”

  The sisters looked at one another and stepped away from the bed.

  “Then come in if you must.” Dianne sounded agitated. “Thank you, Reverend Mother,” she said dismissing them all.

  Chapter 14

  Sandra entered the comfortable room and was greeted by the sight of a wrinkled old woman lying in the single bed.

  “Hello, Mrs Gallagher. My name is Sandra Miller, and I’m a journalist for a national newspaper. I’ve flown over from England to speak to you urgently.”

  “Something has happened in that cursed place, hasn’t it?” Dianne asked, even though she knew the answer.

  “Mrs Gallagher, I traced you through the land registry and then found your solicitor who told me that you were here. I don’t know what happened to you, but I need to talk to you and I need you to be honest with me. Can you do that?”

  “My dear, I never wanted to think about that house again, and I would be happy to go to my grave never having to, but it seems God has other plans for me. I will tell you what I can, young lady. You may call me Dianne.”

  “I’m so sorry, Dianne. It’s not my intention to distress you, but a little while ago a twelve-year-old boy was killed in the grounds of your property.” Sandra approached Dianne’s bedside.

  “Oh, Lord Jesus,” Dianne whispered, picking up her Bible and rosary. “Carry his soul to heaven and protect him. That evil child……” she said, her voice trailing into murmurs.

  “Evil child? What are you talking about? I have to know what happened to you in that house, Dianne.”

  “That house was cursed by the Devil himself. Those cats, that child… and him, the man, all evil. You must never go there, my dear,” she said as the tears ran down her wrinkled face.

  “I went to that house many years ago, long before you lived there. I also returned there three nights ago, and there was a man. I’m sure it was the same person I had seen years before, but it’s not possible as he hasn’t aged a day since. Could this be the man you’re talking about?” Sandra asked.

  “He is the devil incarnate and controls that wicked child. She was terrified of him, and all those cats. God help me,” she whispered, clutching her rosary. “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

  Sandra didn’t know what to think, but something awful had happened inside that house and only Dianne could give her the answers she so desperately sought.

  “I need to know what happened. Please talk to me. Strange things happened to me there. All those cats, I’ve seen them too and heard that noise coming from the bottom of the garden. I was so scared, and then he appeared.”

  “Did you look at the doll house, my dear?” she said grabbing hold of Sandra’s hand. ”Well, did you?”

  “Yes, I looked at it many years ago. We all talked about the doll house. You know what kids are like. They think they’re invincible and I was no different. The arrogance of youth, I suppose. It was all my friends and I talked about until that silly dare went wrong and my sister disappeared. There’s been crazy stories about your house for years, so I went into the back garden and there it was, the doll house. A doll was inside, but it looked like it didn’t belong. I picked it up, but it scared me. Something about the…”

  “Eyes. Something about the eyes and the way they looked at you,” Dianne interrupted.

  “Yes, it was the eyes. They frightened me, but the garden was so overgrown and creepy that I think my mind was playing tricks. It was dark and it was very cold…”

  “You have looked into the eyes of evil and you’ll never be safe. The eyes you looked into were the eyes of that devil child. She will come for you,” Dianne said, dramatically.

  “Come for me?” Sandra asked, confused. “Why do you say that?”

  “It’s simple, my dear. She has seen you through the doll’s eyes and won’t stop until she gets to you. You must never return to that wretched place. Why do you think I have hidden away in this holy place for all these years?”

  “Surely it’s just madness. Those eyes were simply dolls’ eyes. The man told me exactly the same, that she would be waiting for me, but it seems too far-fetched. I think it must just be an old wives’ tale designed to perpetuate the myth surrounding that house, a silly urban legend.” Sandra hoped she sounded more convincing than she felt.

  “Myth? What myth are you talking about? Tell me my dear.”

  “You lived there Dianne. Surely you were aware of the stories surrounding the lane?”

  “I had lost my beloved husband and fell in love with the place as soon as I set eyes on it. I was told nothing about the house, and if I’m honest, I wasn’t interested in its past. I just wanted somewhere to run to, and nothing would have stopped me from buying it. I suspect the selling agent knew everything about its history, but at the time I was grieving and finding the property was the answer to my prayers. I was cursed from the moment I stepped foot in the place.”

  Dianne put her head down remembering events she had quite clearly tried to forget.

  “There have been stories surrounding that house for over a hundred years. I can tell you if you want to know?” Sandra offered.

  “A part of me never wants to hear anything about the place, but I have wondered for all these years, and before I go to my grave, I need to make peace with my past.”

  “If you’re sure, I will tell you everything I know?” Sandra said as Dianne nodded her approval.

  “Years ago, a man and wife lived there with their little girl. According to the limited records I could find, the little girl went missing and was never found. The mother was found dead and the father was said to have been driven mad with grief, and he also vanished not long after. From what I’ve discovered, they didn’t have many friends and kept themselves pretty isolated from the rest of their community. They never let their daughter mix with the other children on the lane. I have a picture of them that I found in our archives.” Sandra pulled the picture from her folder, pushing it into Dianne’s shaking hand.

  Breathing deeply, Dianne took it from her and closed her eyes, mustering the courage to look at the image in front of her. She slowly opened her eyes and scanned the picture of the lit
tle girl holding her doll before dropping it as the screaming started.

  The nuns ran into the room, pushing Sandra out of the way.

  Sandra was startled by the sudden change in Dianne’s mood.

  The nuns rushed over to try and calm Dianne down. A few minutes later, she was lying quietly in her bed once again.

  Sandra felt guilty for upsetting the old lady, but had to know the truth. She stood up and moved towards the bed as Dianne looked straight at her.

  “That little girl is evil and can’t be stopped. You have to stay away from that house. Swear on this Bible”, she said, throwing the Bible at her feet. “Swear that you’ll stay away. Swear it.”

  Sandra was startled by Dianne’s outburst and jumped back from the bed. She looked down at the Bible and picked it up. She quickly set it down on the book shelf to her left. She was not religious in the slightest, but would not swear on a bible regardless.

  The nuns had managed to settle Dianne back down into her bed and were feeding her water from a glass on the bedside table.

  “I should go, Mrs Gallagher. I never wanted to upset you like this.”

  “Don’t go. There is much that I need to tell you.”

  Sandra looked to the nuns. The eldest of the two nodded her head, giving permission for her to remain.

  “God be with you, Dianne,” the elder of the nuns said as they left the room once again.

  Dianne patted the bed with her hand and beckoned Sandra to come and sit beside her. Sandra smiled and did as she was instructed.

  “I’m so sorry, Dianne. I didn’t realise the picture would upset you so much, but I have to know what happened in that house”.

  Dianne grabbed hold of Sandra’s hand and started telling her story. Sandra observed an expression of relief and fear on Dianne’s face.

  “You have to promise you will not return to that evil place. my dear. Your life depends on that. Now that she’s seen you, she will never forget. He is as evil as she is. Don’t be fooled by him.”

  “Dianne, listen to me. There’s one thing I’m sure of, and that is the goodness in him. I don’t believe he would ever harm me.”

  “Then you are doomed, my dear, for I saw the power he had over her and those cats. Only evil has such power, and what he did to that little girl was beyond my comprehension.”

  “If that’s the case, why did he stop her from harming you more than she did?”

  “I don’t know why, my dear, but I’m sure he is evil.” Dianne reached up to touch her own face, the scars now barely visible to the naked eye. “The scars healed a long time ago, but the doctors couldn’t do anything about my eye and every time I put those damned glasses on, I remember the pain that child inflicted upon me.”

  “I don’t believe he’s evil. I truly don’t. He protected you and kept her away until the police came. You said yourself you passed out from the shock and woke up as they were putting you into the ambulance. He would’ve had the perfect opportunity then, don’t you think?”

  “I can’t answer that question, my dear. Even after all of these years, I lie awake and wonder what he is. My head tells me he is evil, but my heart tells me something else. All I know is he controls her. I have seen it for myself with my own eyes. I have prayed for answers time and again, but they never come.”

  “Why did you never sell the house?”

  “I keep it, not out of sentiment, but to protect others from the evil that lies there. I’ve made sure nobody will ever live in that house again. It can rot until it’s nothing, but dust.” Dianne let go of Sandra’s hand.

  “And when you die? What then?”

  “When that day comes, my church will bear the responsibility of the wretched place. I saw to that.”

  “What does your church know of the house, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “A long time ago, I came here and people thought me mad. Constant questions forced me to relive the experience. I tried but failed to forget. It took me a long time, eventually, I entered the confessional and told, Father O’Brien everything that had happened whilst I was in England. It was the worst thing I could have done as he couldn’t forget and leave it alone. Don’t misunderstand me. He never broke the bonds of the confessional, but the mystery surrounding that house pulled him in. Not long after, he wrote me a letter begging me for forgiveness.”

  “Why did he seek your forgiveness?” Sandra wondered why a priest would require forgiveness from one of his parishioners.

  “Because he had taken leave from the Parish in order travel to England and see the house for himself. By the time I received the letter, it was too late and there was nothing I could do but pray for him.” Dianne looked stricken. “I should never have told him anything. I led him to his death.”

  “You can’t blame yourself for his actions. He’s a grown man.”

  “I’m well aware of that, my child, but one day I will answer to God for my part in it.”

  “What did he find out, Dianne. Do you know anything?”

  “Nobody knows. Father O’Brien, was never seen or heard from again. His death has rested heavily on my conscience since.”

  “You don’t know for sure he’s dead.”

  “What I know is, he left to go and see that house and was never seen again. I know in my heart he’s dead and God forgive me for it.” Dianne closed her eyes. Sandra got the feeling the visit was at an end.

  Sandra got to her feet, leant over and kissed her on the forehead. She left her card on the bedside cabinet. “Call me if you ever need anything,” she said, picking up the rosary from the pillow and placing it firmly in Dianne’s hand before walking towards the door. She turned back and smiled at the frail old lady, then closed the door firmly behind her.

  Sandra left the convent and headed for the airport. Her mind was spinning from the visit with Dianne. She felt sympathy for what the old lady had been through, but did wonder if parts of the story were the ramblings of a mad old woman. The picture of the little girl had disturbed Dianne so much, Sandra couldn’t help but feel there was some truth in what she had been told.

  She arrived at Dublin Airport and made her way to the bar. Ordering herself a double gin and tonic, she made her way to the corner of the room wanting a little peace and quiet before her flight.

  She took out her notepad and made notes the old fashioned way. She couldn’t dictate what she had been told. The other people in the bar would think she was a lunatic.

  Reading back her short hand notes, she felt her brain was going to explode as none of what she had been told made any rational sense to the rational part of her mind.

  She rose out of her chair as her flight was called, gathered her belongings and threw them into her bag. She picked up the drink and drained the glass in seconds. It wouldn’t be the last drink she had before the night was over.

  Chapter 15

  It was nearly nine am when Sandra dragged herself out of bed. She hadn’t slept well at all and was still trying to process what Dianne had told her. She could feel the sadness creeping in whenever she thought about her sister, and although some questions were answered, she was still no closer to finding out what happened to Sarah, or Ashley Lee. Something told her ‘the man’ could give her the answers she was looking for.

  She wanted to shut herself away from the world, but she had to find out what was happening at Promised Land Lane – she owed her sister that much.

  In the bathroom, she turned the shower on and stepped under the spray. The cold water shocked her, but not enough for her to move. Standing there, she allowed her mind to wander.

  It hadn’t occurred to her before now to speak with the other residents on the lane. She wondered if the neighbours were aware of what had been happening and if so, what they thought about the strange house. It wasn’t hard to find out who lived in the other properties along the lane by searching the Land Registry records.

  By eleven thirty, Sandra was parked outside number five Promised Land Lane. She surmised the occupants wouldn’t app
reciate her intrusion, but she had nothing to lose. Maybe somebody inside the house would be willing to help her. If she lived there, she wouldn’t want the stories to continue and would do her best to put a stop to them.

  The property was every bit as grand, but much less creepy than the house next door. A brand new black RX 350 SUV Lexus was parked in the driveway. She walked nervously up the path and could see a Doberman looking out of the window. It started to bark as she got closer to the front door, startling her. An angry looking face briefly appeared in the same window.

  Sandra was stood waiting for a few minutes and wondered if he was going to simply ignore her and knocked a few more times before the front door swung open revealing a handsome and smartly dressed man with greying hair.

  “Can I help you?” he shouted, clearly pissed off at the intrusion.

  Handing him her credentials, she said, “My name is Sandra Miller, and I’m a reporter for News Group UK. I wanted to ask you a few questions about this house and the man who used to live here, David Price.”

  “When are you lot going to understand that we’re hardworking people and don’t want scum like you bothering us with your crazy stories?”

  Sandra knew she wouldn’t have been the first reporter to try to interview the man. He looked extremely irritated, and she expected him to turn her away. She started to speak before he could slam the door in her face.

  “I’m sorry you feel that way, sir, but a child was murdered next door not long ago and…”

  “And nothing,” he interrupted. “The child was trespassing.”

  “He was only a child.” Sandra was shocked by his attitude.

  “I’m well aware of that… Miss Miller, but what do you want me to say? That I believe the house next door is haunted, because I’m a fifty-seven-year-old man who knows better than to believe the twaddle people like you print in newspapers.”

  “I wanted to talk to you about David Price.”

  “What about him?” He sounded guarded, but the look on his face told Sandra he knew who she was talking about.