Haunting and Scares Collection

by Rosemary Cullen

  “Thanks, Mom,” Stephanie said. “Please, you don’t have to criticize everything. Really, I just need your support, more than anything. This all is a little scary, I have to admit. Just a little.”

  “Okay, okay,” Eloise said. She’d just turned around to head upstairs when she noticed the dog’s bowl and food by the doorway.

  “Oh, that bowl is cute,” she commented. “Maybe this won’t be so bad.”

  Stephanie shook her head as she finished cooking dinner. Her mother spent some time upstairs with the kids before coming back down. Eloise congratulated the children on finally breaking their mother down enough to get a dog. She headed home, to make a light dinner for Judd.

  ~~~~~

  Around eight o’clock, shortly after taking the trash out, Timothy called Scout’s name, saying it was time for him to eat. Remembering where his mother had set the dog’s dish and food, he headed toward the kitchen. The bowl and food were nowhere to be found.

  At first he thought maybe his mom had gotten confused and put the dishes somewhere else. He looked in the cabinet, behind the trash can, in the nearby kitchen closet, and even in the den. Still, there was no bowl. And he found that the food was missing, too.

  After checking the dining room and living room, Timothy stepped out onto the back porch. He plopped down on the steps for a moment to think. He tried to recall where, and if, he’d seen the bowl sometime before or during dinner, when Grandma had been there. He drew a blank.

  This was very strange, on many levels, since his mother was so good about keeping track of where she put things. Nothing was ever out of place in their home. The eerie feeling settled back inside him—a feeling that had been resonating within him since the first day in the house. That first day when their bags got moved was still on his mind. That had been spooky.

  Standing up, Timothy looked over the edges of the porch. Something told him that maybe his mother decided to put the food and Scout’s dish out next to the back porch, which was understandable. Scout was a big dog who would surely be outside a lot of the time, especially while they were at school. Much to his surprise, the small bag of dog food and Scout’s bowl were pressed up against the brick foundation.

  “Mom,” Timothy said, shaking his head. “Why did you do this?”

  Timothy jumped over the edge of the porch and grabbed the food and dish. Just as he was heading back up the steps to take them inside, his mother stepped out onto the porch. “Oh, there you are,” she said. “Timothy, I thought you were feeding Scout.”

  “I am, Mom,” Timothy said.

  “Well, why did you put his food and bowl out here?” Stephanie asked. “You know what? I was thinking about that. Maybe Scout should be an outside dog.”

  “Mom, no,” Timothy persisted. “He should be inside with us. At least until we get a fence or something. What if he runs away? And I didn’t put his food and bowl out here. You did.”

  Stephanie’s forehead wrinkled up. “No, I didn’t,” she said. “What are you talking about, Timothy? You didn’t put them out here? I put them in there by the closet door, like I told you.”

  “I didn’t put them out here, either,” Timothy said. “I found them out here.”

  ~~~~~

  Stephanie watched as her oldest son rushed passed her and into the house. At first, she was going to say something to get to the bottom of how Scout’s food and bowl wound up outside, on the side of the back porch.

  However, much like the eerie feeling Timothy had sensed, she couldn’t deny her own anxiety about the situation. How in the world would the dog’s food and bowl have gotten outside? It just didn’t make any sense.

  “Go on and feed Scout, Timothy,” Stephanie said, pushing the back door closed and locking it. “And make sure we leave his food and bowl by the kitchen closet door.” She parted the back door curtains and looked out at the dark yard. Something didn’t feel right, but she didn’t know what it was. And she wasn’t going to alarm her children. She needed to stay calm while she figured out what this feeling was all about.

  Chapter 4

  The following couple of days would start off just as strangely as Saturday ended. Once the kids had gotten out of the house to their various summer programs and play dates for the morning, Stephanie straightened up around the house. Shortly after making lunch for herself, she sat in her favorite room—the dining room—and looked online to check on her bank account. She’d been closely watching her finances since Brett passed away.

  The last thing she wanted was to wind up in a situation of financial duress in a new town over a house that she was the only one who was sure it was the right one for them. Stephanie had enough on her plate as it was that she certainly didn’t need that, even if her parents were willing to help.

  Stephanie prepared a quick snack lunch for the twins when they got home from half-day school around 1:30. She took a look at the online job sites for nursing jobs in the area. Then around 3:30, she unlocked the front door for Tim and headed upstairs to lay down for a moment. There, on her bed in the silence of the mid-afternoon, she zoned out in thought.

  She loved this home—the long driveway, the architecture, the home’s age. Yet while it was supposed to be a fresh start for her and her children, it was far from feeling like home. Soon enough, she started thinking about the strange things that happened. At first, she tried to shrug it all off to her being tired and having to keep up with three kids; however, she was at the point now where things just weren’t making sense.

  Of course, she thought about the first day in the house and about how their suitcases had been pushed across the floor from the door to the opposite stairs. She was convinced that maybe she was more tired than she thought from the long drive down from Chicago.

  Then, she started thinking about that night she’d taken snacks and milk up to the kids as a surprise. How in the world would she have not closed the dishwasher door? For heaven’s sake, she thought she remembered turning the dishwasher on. Why would she have left the kitchen lights on when she wasn’t planning to come back into the room?

  The shovel in the back yard? Stephanie couldn’t even recall having walked toward the house, much less up onto the back porch, to where she would’ve left the shovel by the door. Then, the most recent event, which was Scout’s food and bowl being outside, was just outright ludicrous. Stephanie specifically remembered Timothy racing past her to go and feed the dog. Jane and Jonathan weren’t even been downstairs, so they surely wouldn’t have been able to get past her to put the bowl and food outside.

  “You’re overthinking it, Stephanie,” she said to herself, turning her head toward the window at the other side of her bed. “You need a vacation, you need a vacation.”

  Stephanie nodded off for a quick nap until she heard the front door slam shut. Her parental instincts flared up, causing her to jump out of bed and rush to the top of the staircase. She yelled down. “Timothy?”

  “It’s me, Mom!” a voice yelled. Stephanie recognized it as Timothy.

  After deciding she wasn’t going to go lay down and finish her nap, Stephanie headed downstairs. “Might as well start dinner,” she mumbled to herself. “Why not, Stephanie? Wee, isn’t it fun being a mom, Stephanie?”

  As Stephanie started preparing dinner, Timothy had gone upstairs. The twins had been taking a nap and were now waking up. Stephanie quickly reminded them to pick up their book bags, which they’d left by the front door. They zipped away, disappearing after doing so. “They’re going to play with that dog,” Stephanie said to herself. “I already know it.” The woman chuckled as she pulled dishes out and went to the refrigerator to dig out vegetables. “They do love that dog. Scout has already made his mark on this family.”

  Just as Stephanie started cutting carrots, Timothy came walking into the kitchen. He turned from side to side as if he were looking for something. “What?” Stephanie asked. “What are you looking for, Timothy?”

  “Scout,” Timothy answered, sticking his head into the den. He then w
alked past his mother and looked out onto the back porch. “Mom, you didn’t let him outside, did you? I told you that since we don’t have a fence, he might run away.”

  “I didn’t let him outside,” Stephanie said. “I told you all that it would be your responsibility to walk him every day when you get home from school. Scout is probably around here somewhere. Go ask your brother and sister. I’m pretty sure they’re playing with him.”

  “What do you mean, Mom?” Timothy asked. “I just went and asked them and they said they hadn’t seen them since they got home from half-day.”

  Stephanie paused and looked at her son. “Huh?” she asked. “I could’ve sworn the twins were playing with the dog earlier, after lunch, Timothy.”

  “Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Timothy said. “But they said they hadn’t seen him since they had lunch.”

  Stephanie checked the time, remembering that she’d fed Jane and Jonathan lunch a little while after one o’clock. She’d gotten so busy doing other things that she wasn’t sure if she’d even thought much about the dog.

  “Okay, this is a little wonky,” Stephanie said. “And I know your brother and sister wouldn’t have let the dog outside to run away. I’m pretty sure I saw him earlier, like you said, when they got home. I don’t even think they’ve been outside—not unless they slipped out there while I was lying down.”

  “Well, I can’t find him,” Timothy said. “I looked all over the house, even up in the attic, and I can’t find him.”

  Stephanie dropped her knife and called the twins downstairs. At this point, she was convinced that something was going on. And she was determined to figure out what it was. She knew she’d drilled into the twins’ heads that they shouldn’t be going outside when Mommy wasn’t around. As for the dog, there was no way that dog would leave the twins’ sight. Since coming home with Scout, the pup had practically stuck to them like glue.

  Several seconds passed before Jane and Jonathan walked into the kitchen. “What is it, Mom?” Jonathan asked.

  “Where is Scout?” Timothy asked.

  “Scout?” Jane asked. “What do you mean, where is he? You still haven’t found him, Timothy?”

  “No, Mom says you guys were playing with him,” Timothy said. “That’s why we’re asking you.”

  Stephanie looked at her precious little twins. As much as she wanted to adamantly remind them on how they shouldn’t step out of the house without her knowledge, something told her they hadn’t done such a thing. Something told her that, like she thought, they had stayed inside the entire afternoon. She quickly rethought her own steps around the house. It would have been impossible for them to have gone outside without her knowing.

  “Did you two take him outside after lunch?” Stephanie asked Jane and Jonathan. “It’s okay if you did, but I just want to know. Remember we talked about walking out of the house without me?”

  “No, we didn’t,” Jonathan explained. “Remember, Mom? We finished eating and we were playing with him, but he didn’t want to go outside.”

  “Okay,” Stephanie said, figuring they’d better use the good daylight hours they had left. “We’ll have to look around the neighborhood for him. Get your phones.”

  Stephanie watched as her three children raced upstairs to get ready to search for Scout. She grabbed her keys, jingling them nervously as she waited. A bit frustrated, she figured that front door hadn’t closed all the way or something. It was old and the latch seemed to not always catch. It was one thing she’d meant to work to get fixed sooner and now she felt really guilty.

  There was no other explanation as to how Scout would’ve gotten out. Within a few minutes, they headed out the door and fanned out in the neighborhood, texting one another with their whereabouts. Jane went with Timothy; Jonathan went with his mother. About an hour past and there was no sight of Scout, even though Stephanie had walked at least three blocks away from their new home.

  She texted Timothy, telling him to bring Jane and come back to the house. The sun was slowly sliding out of the sky. And the last thing Stephanie needed was to have two of her children lost in a neighborhood in which they weren’t all that familiar.

  Stephanie and Jonathan waited on the porch for Timothy and Jane to come back up the driveway. Once they arrived, she shuffled the kids into the house where they continued calling Scout’s name, to no avail. Shortly before going to bed, Jonathan set a bowl of food and one of water out on the front porch. He set food and water out on the back porch, too, in hopes that maybe Scout would come home. If he did, surely he’d be hungry and thirsty. He’d get something to eat and drink, then plop down on the porch and wait to be let back into the house.

  Stephanie had been leaning against the kitchen counter when Jonathan stepped back into the foyer. Because of where she stood, she could see straight through to him. Jonathan clearly was worried about the dog. His face was long and he looked like he would start crying any moment. More than anything, Stephanie wanted to comfort her children, but she knew they’d probably go to bed worrying about Scout. They were afraid he was lost forever. She would probably do the same.

  “Jonathan,” Stephanie walked to meet her son and wound an arm around his boney little boy shoulders. “We’re going to find him. Okay? We’re going to find him. Moorestown isn’t like Chicago. We’re going to find Scout, so please don’t worry. Think positively. First thing tomorrow morning, while you guys are gone, I’ll ride around and even call the shelter. If anything, somebody saw a loose dog roaming around and called Animal Control to come pick him up in case he’s lost his collar.”

  “Animal Control?” Jonathan asked. “Who is that?”

  “The dog pound.”

  “Oh, okay,” the little boy said, clearly a bit down about it all. “So we just have to wait. I hope they found him. I hope somebody does. Maybe somebody will call. I really love him, Mom.”

  “I know, sweetie. So do I. Now, go on upstairs and finish cleaning your room so you can get ready for bed. Scout’s a big dog who’s probably been in this town longer than you have. He knows his way around. He’ll be okay. He has a collar with a tag, so I’ll bet we hear from someone tomorrow for sure. It’ll all be okay.”

  Stephanie watched her son trudge up the steps. The little boy looked like he’d lost his last friend. It pained her so much to see such a thing, especially considering that the children had just lost their father.

  She stepped over to the kitchen sink and peered out at the dark back yard. Once again, the eerie feeling settled in and made itself comfortable all around her. Stephanie glanced over at the door. They didn’t open the door today, she thought. I was down here all afternoon and there’s no way those kids opened the door and let Scout out. Even if they had, there’s no way they would’ve let the dog out of their sight. They love that dog too much.

  Once again, Stephanie stepped up to the back door window and parted the curtains. The house had grown still. She ignored the dishes she needed to get into the dishwasher. For several long seconds, Stephanie Case zoned out as she looked out into the back yard. Just over the tops of the woods, in the distance at the edges of town, stars twinkled as she looked at the night sky. It was as if the stars were talking amongst one another and she just so happened to be watching the conversation. With each twinkle they were trying to tell her something, but she didn’t know what.

  It wasn’t long before she thought about the way her mother and father looked at one another that night at the dining room table. Stephanie turned around and looked at the house, their new home. A lot of strange things had been happening here. Nothing like this had ever happened to her before. There, in her quiet kitchen, Stephanie’s heart thumped in perfect unison with the clock above the refrigerator. The two sounds together were deafening. Suddenly, a strong wind—stronger than it had been all day—rattled the windows.

  Chapter 5

  Stephanie’s eyes popped open the next morning to see the sunrise. The sun beamed over the hills, ready to sit in the sky and watch over
Moorestown like a new mother watches over her child. For a few moments after stretching and kicking her legs under the sheets, she lay in bed in a state of comfort. The sky looked so beautiful in the morning this time of year. There was a light haze seeping over the hills and spilling down into the streets. Since living in crowded Chicago apartments, if her bedroom window didn’t look directly into another window or at a brick wall, she made it a point to leave her blinds open just for this very reason.

  Stephanie reached for her phone, wondering what time it was. She was so used to waking up on her own that she didn’t need an alarm clock; however, she could tell when she’d gotten up just a little too early. She felt groggier than she usually did. Opening her eyelids was like lifting weights at the end of a tired day. Just as she’d gotten her phone off the nightstand, Stephanie realized why. She’d woken up earlier than usual, at 6:30 in the morning.

  “What is that noise?” she asked herself, looking around her bedroom, still half-asleep. A scratching sound came from somewhere—a sound that alarmed her because it was so out of place.

  The scratching noise continued, like claws against a wall. Stephanie dropped her head back into her pillow, assuming that maybe she was hearing things—maybe it was the sound of the tree on the side of the house blowing into the siding. However, this train of thought was soon derailed. The scratching sound still hadn’t let up. In fact, even though Stephanie was still groggy, the scratching sound became more intense with each passing moment.

  Finally, unable to take it anymore, Stephanie slid out of bed and made her way over to the door to turn on the light. She looked around the room, eventually walking up to the front of the bed so she could look into the closet.

  “Where is that sound coming from?” she asked herself again. Now, she looked up at the ceiling, wondering if perhaps some kind of animal had gotten into the attic. “Great… Another problem.”

  Stephanie then paused, her forehead wrinkled. How would a rodent have been able to get into the roof if not a single tree around the sides of the house was high enough to reach the roof? This, along with other events since moving in, just wasn’t making sense.