A Haunting In Wisconsin

by Michael Richan

  When Eliza awoke, both Granger and Robert were already up.

  “There you are,” Robert said. “I was about to give you a shake.”

  She swung her feet to the floor. Her mouth felt dry, and she was sure she had morning breath. “Give me a second,” she said, trudging to the bathroom.

  Once inside, she sat on the toilet. So strange, she thought. This feels just like I normally do when I wake up. Slow to get going. She finished and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was ragged, so she brushed at it until she felt she was swirling around her head in a more normal way, and then stepped out.

  “Shall we make our way to breakfast?” Granger asked.

  “Yes,” Eliza replied, and the three of them left. They walked downstairs to the breakfast room. Inside were Abbey and Teresa, seated at their regular table.

  “Good morning!” Eliza said as they entered.

  “Good morning,” Abbey replied. “You must be the new ones!”

  “I’m Eliza, and this is Robert, and his father, Granger,” Eliza said quickly, tired of the routine.

  They exchanged introductions all around, as though they’d never met before.

  “Do you like horses?” Abbey asked Eliza.

  “Sure,” Eliza replied. “I grew up on a farm.”

  “Well, Teresa is going riding later today,” Abbey said, “and you may wish to join her.”

  “Abbey!” Teresa scolded. “They might have plans for the day!”

  “I appreciate the invitation,” Eliza replied, “but we do have plans later. Thank you, though.”

  “Of course,” Abbey said. “Teresa needs the company because I’m useless around horses.”

  “If I need a riding companion,” Teresa said, “I’ll take Wanda.”

  “Wanda?” Granger asked.

  “Oh, that’s right, you’re new,” Abbey said. “Wanda is a little girl who’s staying here with her mother. Teresa has taken her riding a couple of times.”

  “Huh,” Granger said, surprised.

  Ivan and Mack entered the room, sitting at a table next to them, and the woman who Eliza had first seen in the kitchen appeared, wearing an apron.

  “It’s oatmeal with fruit today,” the woman announced to the room. “Half grapefruit. Coffee and juice. Who wants some?”

  All hands went up except for Eliza and Robert.

  “Right,” the woman said, spinning on her feet and leaving the room.

  “Ivan, these are new people,” Abbey said. “Eliza and Robert. I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name!”

  “Granger.”

  “Yes, Granger, who is Robert’s father, I believe,” Abbey continued.

  “I’m Ivan, and this is my son, Mack,” Ivan replied, smiling. Everyone nodded.

  “Well, the place sure seems to be filling up,” Abbey continued. “Soon it’ll be at capacity!”

  “Then the food will be even slower,” Teresa grumbled.

  At that moment, a small girl came bounding into the room. She sat at the table with Abbey and Teresa.

  Wanda! Eliza thought, recognizing the child.

  “Good morning!” Abbey said.

  “Good morning!” Wanda replied.

  Abbey introduced Eliza, Robert, and Granger, and greetings were exchanged. “It’s oatmeal,” Abbey said to Wanda.

  “And grapefruit,” Teresa added.

  “Oh, good!” Wanda replied, bouncing a little in her chair. “I love grapefruit!”

  Eliza turned to look at Robert and Granger. They had a look of shock on their faces.

  Conversation continued, mainly about plans for the day. The group spoke with Wanda as though they knew her well, and liked her. It was a complete one-eighty from their last experience with the ghosts.

  Time to move this along, Eliza thought. “Do any of you know a Horace Lyons?”

  “Is that the salesman?” Abbey asked Teresa.

  “I don’t know,” Teresa replied. “It could be.”

  “There’s a salesman upstairs,” Abbey said to Eliza. “That might be his name. He came down for breakfast the first day, but we haven’t seen him since.”

  “How long has he been here?” Eliza asked.

  Abbey looked at Teresa. “A week?”

  “No, four or five days,” Teresa replied. “A quiet man. A bit odd.”

  “I thought he had a flair,” Abbey responded. “Charming. I’ve been quite disappointed that he hasn’t joined the rest of us for breakfast since.”

  The woman appeared with a coffee pot, and worked her way around the room, filling mugs.

  “You’re right,” Ivan said. “His name is Horace. Mack and I were in reception when he checked in, and that was the name he gave. Not that we were eavesdropping or anything.”

  “Of course not,” Abbey replied. “Well, there you are, Eliza, the salesman upstairs must be him.”

  Eliza was watching Wanda while the discussion about Lyons ensued. Wanda appeared to be caught off guard by Abbey’s comments, seeming uncomfortable as they talked about him. I wonder if she’s stolen the kaleidoscope yet, Eliza thought.

  “We’re going riding later today,” Abbey continued. “Wanda, you’re welcome to join us.”

  Eliza saw the girl’s countenance change. “That sounds fun!” she said sweetly. “But I better not. I’m supposed to help my mother this afternoon.”

  This child is good natured, Eliza thought. And for some reason, they’ve all changed their tune about her.

  “Pardon me,” Eliza said, rising from the table. She walked toward the door, then turned to see if Robert and Granger were coming. They were still back at the table, looking at her, confused. She waved surreptitiously for them to follow, and they hurried from their seats. The conversation in the room continued without them.

  “What?” Robert asked, once they were walking in the hallway.

  “I want to find Horace,” Eliza said, headed for the stairs.

  Robert turned to Granger. “Is that a good idea?”

  “Doesn’t matter,” Granger replied, nodding toward Eliza, who was halfway up the stairs. “She’s doing it.”

  Eliza rounded the banister at the top of the stairs and made her way to a room on the other side of the hall, the room she calculated was over the flowerbed — the room from which she’d seen someone looking down at her. She knocked.

  “I suppose you know what you’re going to say to him,” Robert whispered.

  “No,” Eliza replied, knocking again. “Haven’t got a clue.”

  They waited, but there was no response. Eliza leaned her head toward the door, pressing her ear against the wood. There were no sounds inside.

  “Mr. Lyons?” she called. “Mr. Lyons?”

  Nothing.

  She dropped to her knees to examine the lock. After a few seconds of assessing its nature, she rose and jiggled the handle a few times, pulling in a certain direction. The door opened.

  “It’s really quite incredible how you do that,” Granger muttered.

  They walked inside. The bed was unmade, but clothes were all put away. Eliza saw a large bag on a side table, near the entry. It had tough leather sides, and a metal latch at the top under its handles, like an old doctor’s bag. She opened it.

  She reached in, pulling out a small, brightly painted top. It was filled with similar items.

  “Kids’ toys?” Robert asked.

  “That must be what he sells,” Granger replied, joining them at the bag.

  Eliza dropped the top back into the bag and rummaged through it.

  “No kaleidoscope,” Eliza said. “Wanda must have already stolen it.”

  “So, she might have it on her?” Robert asked.

  “Maybe,” Eliza replied.

  “And where’s Lyons?” Granger asked.

  “Interesting,” Eliza said, abandoning the bag. “The first two times, Wanda was nowhere to be found. Now Lyons is the one who’s not here.”

  “We never saw Lyons before,” Robert said.

  “It was him at
that window,” Eliza said, pointing. “I’m sure of it.”

  “You weren’t sure of it yesterday,” Granger said. “You just saw a figure.”

  “It had to be him,” Eliza replied. “This is his room.”

  Suddenly they were plunged into darkness. Eliza reached out, hoping Robert might be nearby, but she felt nothing in the air in front of her. Slowly, as though her eyes were adjusting, she saw a blue mist, drifting in a circle around her. She turned; it was behind her, too, swirling, spiraling.

  Then, just as suddenly, the darkness disappeared and she was standing by the window, looking at Robert and Granger.

  “Wha—?” she asked, confused, disoriented by the sudden change. “Did you see that?”

  “Yes,” Granger said. “Things went dark.”

  “I didn’t see you,” Eliza said. “You both disappeared.”

  “I didn’t see you two, either,” Robert replied.

  “What was that?” Eliza asked. “Some kind of blip?”

  “In a way,” Granger replied, “it looked a little like a vortex, with all the blue mist swirling around. But it couldn’t be.”

  “A vortex?” Robert asked. “What’s that?”

  “It’s a space created by a vorghost,” Granger replied. “I told you about them, years ago. Don’t you remember?”

  “Vaguely.”

  “Well, doesn’t matter, this isn’t one.”

  “I thought it felt a lot like how the River behaves, here in the house,” Eliza said. “Except it wasn’t tilted and I didn’t get nauseous.”

  “Neither of you initiated it, did you?” Robert asked.

  “Not me,” Eliza answered.

  “Me neither,” Granger replied. “Entirely spontaneous.”

  “But it happened to all three of us, simultaneously,” Eliza added. “Things seem to be shifting.”

  “I think you’re right,” Granger replied. “Discovering Wanda’s bones might have altered things. Obviously the ghosts view her differently now.”

  “We need to follow her,” Eliza said, heading for the door. “She already has the kaleidoscope. We need to find out what she did with it.”

  They walked back down to the breakfast room. It was empty.

  “Wow, that was a fast meal,” Robert said.

  “We weren’t gone that long, were we?” Granger asked.

  Eliza turned and walked down the hallway until she came to the entry. No one was around, so she walked out the door to the front porch. She could hear children playing, and Wanda and Mack came around the corner of the building, chasing each other.

  Eliza looked up into the sky; the sun was overhead.

  “It’s not morning,” she muttered. “I’d say by the sun it’s closer to noon.”

  Granger walked to the Adirondack chairs and sat. “Well, if we’re going to keep any eye on her, this is a comfortable way to do it.” He settled into the chair, watching the children race around the yard.

  Eliza sat too. She had no sooner parked herself than Abbey and Teresa emerged, decked out in riding attire.

  “We’re off for a leisurely day of horse riding!” Abbey said. “Well, Teresa at least. Sure you won’t join us?”

  “No,” Eliza replied, watching as Teresa continued on without Abbey. “Thanks for the invitation, though.”

  Abbey turned to follow Teresa, and they walked through the front yard, Wanda and Mack chasing each other back and forth in their path.

  “Mack!” Teresa said. “Don’t run with those!”

  Eliza sat up in her chair, trying to see Teresa and the kids better.

  “They’re dangerous!” Teresa continued, scolding him. “You might trip and hurt yourself, or Wanda! Go put those up!”

  Eliza watched. Mack was carrying a pair of garden shears. She hadn’t noticed it, but he’d been chasing Wanda with them. Mack hung his head and turned, marching around the side of the house to return the shears to the gardening shed.

  “Come along, Abbey,” Teresa said, continuing on her way to her riding appointment. Abbey followed, and they walked down the dirt road that led into the forest.

  “Well, well,” Robert said, sitting between them in the porch chairs. “Turns out Mack was the one with the shears.”

  “Everything we were told about Wanda wasn’t true,” Eliza replied. “It was like a conspiracy or something, all the ghosts acting together to gang up on her. Have you ever seen such a thing before?”

  “No,” Granger replied. “If how we’re seeing things now is how things originally were, something came along and changed their opinions about the girl.”

  “Horace Lyons,” Eliza said. “Remember, Abbey and Teresa kept saying he thought Wanda was evil, that they should do something about her.”

  “You think Lyons changed their minds?” Robert asked.

  “He’s had forty years to do it,” Eliza replied. “Plenty of time.”

  Wanda came running around the corner of the house and into the front yard, this time not being chased by Mack. She had something in her hand.

  “Look!” Eliza whispered to the others.

  She watched as Wanda walked around the front of the house, tentatively examining spots. She stopped in front of the flowerbed; its tulips swayed gently in the breeze, as though they were waiting for something to happen.

  Wanda knelt, and suddenly everything went dark again. Eliza couldn’t feel the chair underneath her anymore — she was floating.

  Robert! she called. Robert! Granger!

  She looked left and right, but no one was there — only a faint blue mist in the distance, barely illuminated enough for her to make out. The darkness seemed to be creeping into her, taking over her sight, forcing her eyes closed.

  She fought it as best she could, but it was too strong — it was overpowering, smothering her, making sleep the only option. She felt her consciousness slip away as she tried desperately to hang on to it.

  Chapter Ten

  “No, I don’t have a problem taking them out,” Milton said, looking down at the slabs of cement. “I never much liked them anyway. Didn’t seem to fit in with the place.”

  The four of them stood in front of the house, staring at the spot where the flowerbed used to be. Granger dropped to the ground and dug at the edge of the cement with a spade. “It’s thick,” he said. “At least six inches.”

  “I was going to say a sledgehammer,” Robert said, “but if it’s that thick, a jackhammer might make more sense. It’d be quicker, and a lot less effort.”

  “Right,” Granger replied, rising from the ground.

  “There’s a rental place in town,” Milton offered. “We can use my truck.”

  “A lot of square footage there,” Robert said. “Any idea where she might have buried it, Eliza?”

  “Well,” Eliza replied, “she was approaching it here.” She stepped up to the cement, standing where she’d last seen Wanda. “That doesn’t mean she buried it right here. She could have walked into the flowerbed at this point and buried it anywhere.”

  “If we start taking up the cement,” Milton said, “I’d just as soon it all goes. That patch over there, too. It’ll look bad to leave any of it.”

  “Yeah,” Granger agreed. “You’re right. If you start, might as well take it all out.”

  “There’s a contractor I know who’ll haul it away for cheap,” Milton replied. “We just gotta bust it up.”

  “Any reason not to start now?” Granger asked.

  “Not that I can think of,” Milton replied. “Eliza?”

  Eliza had been scanning the surface of the cement, imagining how Wanda might have hidden the kaleidoscope. Milton’s question caught her off guard. “Huh?”

  “Any reason not to get started busting up the cement?” Milton repeated.

  “Hold on,” she said, and turned back to the slab. She dropped into the River, hoping something might indicate where the item was. Instead of the crazy tilt and nausea, she was met with darkness and the hazy, blue mist in the distance, just lik
e she’d experienced before being forced out of their interaction with the ghosts. She focused on the ground in front of her, hoping she’d be able to detect something under the cement.

  Nothing.

  She left the flow and looked up at the others.

  “The River feels different here since we liberated Wanda,” Eliza said. “But it’s still not normal. I can’t detect a thing. This might be a wild goose chase, Milton. Are you sure you don’t mind this cement coming out, even if it doesn’t yield anything?”

  “It’ll yield new flowerbeds, which will look a lot nicer,” Milton said. “Let’s get rid of it.”

  “Alright,” Eliza replied. “I can’t see any reason not to start.”

  ●

  It was a thirty minute drive into town, another thirty minutes to rent the jackhammer, and a final thirty back to the B&B. Milton located a long extension cord, while the others moved the potted plants from the cement.

  Robert took the first crack at the jackhammer. The noise was loud and annoying, even with earplugs. Eliza watched the slow progress. The sun was beating down on their endeavor, and soon Robert had a thick sheen of sweat, with a two by two section of cracked cement to show for it. Milton brought out drinks for the group, and while Robert downed a glass, Eliza and Granger removed the broken cement into a wheelbarrow. It was slow going.

  Granger took over the jackhammer after a while, letting Robert rest.

  “Is it hard?” Eliza asked Robert as they watched Granger work.

  “Not hard,” Robert replied. “Just shakes you up. I feel like I’m vibrating.”

  “At this rate, it’ll take the rest of the day to clear this slab,” Milton said. “I was hoping it would go faster.”

  “Can I use your phone, Milton?” Eliza asked. “I’ve got to call my work and make arrangements. I was expected back tomorrow.”

  “Of course,” Milton replied.

  As Eliza walked into the house, she tried to come up with a good lie to tell her supervisor, Lois. She didn’t know how much longer it would take to resolve things for Milton, so she couldn’t claim car trouble or something like that.

  In the end, she went with sickness. Sickness can go on and on, she thought. It buys me flexibility. She pinched her nose closed with one hand and made the call, which went fine. She had a good enough reputation with Lois that she wasn’t going to be questioned.