Courtney stood and brushed off the dust from her jeans. “What if they conjured up a demon and closed off the room so it couldn’t get out.” Courtney barked a laugh.
“What’s so funny about that?” Alyssa asked.
“It’s kind of delusional, don’t you think?”
“Why?” Alyssa couldn’t believe her sister was talking about this as if it were real.
“We’re talking about a spirit. You can’t lock it in a room and expect it to stay. It’s not a dog.” Courtney shook her head as if she were talking to an idiot.
“Then what do you do?” Bailey joined the conversation and Alyssa eyed him to see if he was really curious, or just playing along. She couldn’t tell.
“You send it back to hell, metaphorically speaking, of course.”
Alyssa stared at her sister. “And you know this how?”
“I’ve seen it done. On TV.”
“So you’re a real expert then,” Alyssa said sarcastically. She’d had enough of this ridiculous conversation, so she turned her attention to the pictures on the wall. She could barely make them out until Bailey walked up behind her with his flashlight.
She smiled back at him. “Thanks.”
He grinned and nodded.
There was a photograph of people sitting around a table with their hands splayed in front of them, and one lady wore a turban with a long feather on top. By the women’s attire, she guessed the time period was somewhere in the 1920s. They all smiled for the camera.
She squinted at one person in particular; she loosely resembled the lady from her dreams, plus forty odd years. A human skull sat on a shelf. A framed picture of Houdini hung prominently on one wall.
“This is a virtual time capsule.” Courtney pointed to the photograph on the wall. “Spiritualism really boomed in the 1920s. It was quite the thing to have séance parties so people could contact their dead relatives.”
Alyssa wondered who the lady of the house had lost that made her want to dedicate a room in an effort to contact them.
“Oh my God. That lady must be the medium, just look at her outfit. Classic!” Courtney laughed.
Alyssa had seen enough. “Bob, have you learned where the electrical surge is coming from?”
“Sorry, no.” The electrician climbed down the ladder. “It’s the strangest thing. Short of ripping up the floor and tearing into the walls, I don’t know what else to do.”
“I bet this room is the center of the haunting.”
Courtney’s enthusiasm was getting on her last nerve.
Alyssa went into a huge sneezing fit. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
Bailey followed her. “What do you want to do?”
Alyssa closed her eyes and sighed. “I guess we let him tear up the floor or whatever until he finds the problem and deals with it.”
“We could just board up the holes when he’s done and seal off the room again,” Bailey suggested.
“Good idea. It’s not like we need another room. We have plenty for future guests.” Alyssa headed down the hall.
Bailey fell in step with her. “You know, Courtney might have the right idea. Maybe you should get an appraiser in here to look at some of this stuff. I bet you could find an antique store that would be interested in taking things off your hands. Might help with the renovations.”
“That’s a great idea. I just don’t know if I can convince Brandon. This place has some kind of a weird hold on him. It’s as if he’s a museum curator that needs to keep the place intact.”
EIGHT
Courtney waited a couple of hours to make sure her sister was in a deep sleep before she turned off the TV and went up to her room. She’d hid a candle and lighter in her drawer along with the Ouija board and planchette. She was determined to get answers. She climbed the stairs to the third floor and entered the hole that led to the séance room.
She’d brought along a hand towel from the bathroom to dust off a chair and the table before she set the board down. Then she placed the lit candle on the table close enough that she could see the board once she turned off the flashlight app on her phone.
She knew there was a ghost in this house and she was going to talk to it. She was giddy with excitement. Maybe she’d get a TV special, or at the very least she would be interviewed while they dramatized her story. She was going to be famous! She placed her fingers on the planchette and thought about how she wanted to start.
“Okay. Is there a ghost here with me?” She waited with great anticipation, but nothing happened.
Maybe she was applying too much pressure. She eased up to the point where her fingers barely touched the planchette.
“I’m not here to harm you. Tell me your name.”
The planchette began to move. “B.” It slid again. “E.” It moved a little quicker over to the S, then went to the center, then to the S again.
“Your name is Bess?”
The planchette swiftly slid to the YES. Courtney’s heart galloped. She was talking to a real ghost. “Did you die in this house?”
The planchette moved to the M, then U-S-T-L-E-A-V-E.
“Must leave?” It flew to the YES.
“I can help you go to the light.” Courtney felt sad for the poor lady. She wondered how long she had been earthbound.
The planchette moved swiftly now. “Y-O-U.”
“You want me to leave?”
The planchette flew out of her hands as it went to the YES. Courtney sat back, stunned. She searched the room, but she was alone. “Why do you want me to leave?”
“H-I-M.” She wasn’t even touching the planchette now. The damn thing was moving on its own. “Who are you referring to?”
The room became unbearably cold. Courtney shivered and wrapped her arms around herself. As the temperature in the room plummeted she could actually see her breath coming out in shallow pants.
Then the planchette flew off the table and hit the wall. Her heart stopped. The table began to levitate. Courtney abruptly stood, and her chair fell back and clattered to the floor. Something whipped by her head so fast she couldn’t tell what it was until it slammed against the wall.
Her body trembled as she stared at the skull on the floor. Then the entire room shook like an earthquake. The pictures on the walls crashed to the floor and glass scattered in all directions. Her heart beat so fast she thought it might explode.
Courtney made a beeline for the exit, but the candle went out, plunging her into utter darkness. She patted her pockets looking for her cellphone and realized she didn’t have it. Clenching her eyes tightly, she prayed the ghost would go away. Then she felt hot breath on her neck and a foul stench followed. She screamed, hoping her sister would hear her and come to her rescue.
“Kill her,” a menacing voice whispered in her ear.
Her eyes flew open and she realized they’d adjusted to the dark. She could now make out the hole in the wall. She ran toward it, only to trip and fall onto her knees. Something grabbed her ankle and yanked her back. Her hands feebly reached for something, anything to stop the momentum. Then suddenly it let go and her leg dropped to the floor.
She scrambled to an upright position and fled the room, heading directly to the floor below and the safety of her sister. To her surprise, the room was dark. The noise had not woken Alyssa. Courtney turned on the overhead light, but still her sister slept.
She shook her. “Alyssa. Alyssa!” Even with her shouts, she didn’t stir. Courtney was trapped in a nightmare that would not end. She climbed into the bed and slipped under the covers, wrapping her arms around her sister to form a protective shield. With the light on, she vowed to stay awake all night. Her eyes darted around the room, making sure nothing moved.
*
The doorbell rang and Alyssa headed toward the foyer. Her body ached, her movements slow. Her arthritis was acting up today. Even in her sweater she was cold. The weather had not been kind, with the beginning of October came the rain. She opened the door and found the paper boy.
“Jason. What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Ms. MacDougall, I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m here to collect for the paper.”
“You know the rules. You are to leave the bill in the mail slot.”
“I did, but you didn’t pay. Now I need to collect double or they’ll cut you off.”
She looked down at the pile of mail on the floor and tried to remember the last time she’d collected it.
“I’m sorry, Jason, I’ll get the money. Be right back.”
She shuffled toward the kitchen. Kill him. “Shush.” She reached into the cookie jar and pulled out a roll of bills. Kill him. “Shut up.” She counted out the money and returned the extra to the jar. She shuffled back toward the front of the house and saw Jason standing inside, the door shut behind him. She started to panic.
“Jason, what are you doing inside?” She tried to hurry.
“You told me to come in.” The boy gave her a curious look.
“No, I– never mind. Here, take this and go.”
Kill him now!
“Go away.” She swatted at the voice beside her ear.
“I’m sorry, Ms. MacDougall. I’m going.” Jason turned and put his hand on the knob. “It appears to be locked.”
Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
“You leave him alone!” she yelled.
Jason’s eyes turned into saucers as he backed up against the door. “Please, Ms. MacDougall, just unlock the door and I’ll go. Don’t hurt me.”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Jason. But you must leave just the same.” She tried to open the door herself, but it was jammed. HE wouldn’t let her.
Kill him. Kill him. Kill him.
“No! You leave him alone. He’s an innocent,” she screamed at the ceiling, then realized how crazy she must seem. When she eyed Jason, he was trembling in fear. The boy took off toward the interior of the house.
“No, Jason. Not that way. You have to get out now!”
Alyssa awoke. The clock read 3:33 AM. Again. She noticed Courtney curled up beside her. Although that was strange, the dream was even stranger. She wondered what it meant as she headed to the bathroom. As she washed her hands, she decided not to wake her sister. She actually welcomed the company.
*
Courtney opened her eyes and found herself alone. The clock on the nightstand read 10:15, and the room was bright with sunlight. Suddenly the night’s events came rushing back and she scrambled off the bed. She threw open the door. “Alyssa?” Her voice echoed down the hall.
Men’s voices along with the sound of hammering came from somewhere in the house. Courtney ran down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. Finding it vacant, she continued her search. When she came up empty, she walked to the middle of the dome and took a deep breath. “Alyssa!” The sound reverberated off the walls.
Alyssa appeared over the third floor railing. “What?”
Courtney panicked. “Don’t go into that room!”
Alyssa’s face scrunched up. “What room?”
“The séance room,” she yelled back.
“What is wrong with you?” Alyssa’s irritation was evident.
Courtney raced to the stairs and took them two at a time until she was standing next to her sister. She tried to talk as she caught her breath. “I. Was.” Huff huff huff. “Attacked last night.”
Alyssa gasped. “What? When?” She searched her sister’s body. “Are you all right? Did you call the police?”
“They wouldn’t have been able to help.”
Alyssa grabbed her arms. “Did you get a look at your attacker?”
“Not exactly.”
Alyssa shook her. “What do you mean? Did he wear a mask?”
“Well, no, but—”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“I tried, but you were sound asleep.”
Bailey, who was standing behind Alyssa listening to the conversation, stepped forward. “Okay, this is getting us nowhere fast. Let’s try and calm down so we can get to the bottom of this.” He looked around. “Let’s go in here.”
He led them into the nearest bedroom and removed the covers from two high backed chairs. He sat Alyssa in one and Courtney in the other while he took a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Now Courtney, take a deep breath and start from the beginning.”
Courtney explained about her horrific ordeal, trying hard not to leave anything out. After she was done, they stared at her in silence. “Don’t you see? She wants us out of here.”
“Who?” Bailey asked.
“This Bess person.”
“Now correct me if I’m wrong, but Bess is a woman’s name and you just said the voice in your ear was clearly a man’s,” Bailey said in a condescending tone.
“Seriously?” Courtney’s irritation escalated. “You’re debating gender with me now? I was attacked and we’ve got to get out of this house before someone gets hurt or even killed!”
Alyssa put her hand on Courtney’s knee. “Are you sure it wasn’t a dream? I mean, since I’ve been here I’ve had some real bizarre ones. I’d be surprised with the stuff you watch on TV if it didn’t manifest in your subconscious.”
“No,” she all but yelled. “It was not a dream.” Courtney stood. “Come with me, I have proof.”
Alyssa looked at Bailey who shrugged. She turned back to Courtney. “Okay. Show us.”
Courtney marched out of the room and down the hall. When she came to the hole, she pointed. “Just go in there. You’ll see that everything I’ve said is true.”
Bailey and Alyssa stopped in front of her, but didn’t so much as turn their heads in the direction Courtney was pointing.
Courtney stabbed the air with her finger. “You aren’t even looking.”
“That’s because we’ve been in there already this morning. Nothing has changed. The room is in the same condition it was when we left it last night,” Alyssa said calmly.
“What about the pictures, the glass all over the floor?”
Alyssa frowned and shook her head.
Courtney stuck her head in. “What?” She stepped into the room. All of the pictures were back on the wall in one piece. The skull sat on the shelf. There was no sign of the Ouija board, candle, or planchette. In fact, the area she’d dusted off the night before showed no sign of being disturbed. It was as if none of it had happened. But it did! She knew it from the bottom of her heart. “I don’t get it.”
“Never mind. We all have nightmares. I’m just relieved. I thought someone had broken in here last night and attacked you.”
Courtney stared at her sister. “But I was attacked!”
“Hey, I get it. I’ve had dreams myself that seem so real I’d swear they happened. You’re under a lot of stress right now with the break-up and all. Maybe you should just get some rest today,” Alyssa said.
“Stop it. Just stop it! I’m not a child. I know what I experienced and it was not a dream.”
Alyssa’s eyes became slits. “Whatever. I have more important things to do than stand around here all day debating with you.” She huffed off.
Bailey looked at her compassionately.
“You believe me, don’t you, Bailey?”
He seemed to be thinking about it before he said, “I believe that you believe it. Maybe your sister is right, you need rest. With the time change and a recent break-up? That’s a lot to handle all at once. Add to that the story the pizza guy told you and I think it adds up.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “Alyssa told me you were going to help with the renovations, but maybe you should just take the day off.”
“Whatever.” Courtney stormed off. When she got to her room, she opened the top drawer of the dresser. There sat the Ouija board, planchette, lighter, and candle. “What the hell?”
NINE
Jane Spencer walked into the house and gently set her keys in the bowl by the door. She didn’t want to wake her boyfriend, Brad. She’d been at the hospital all night with her mother. Her f
ather was in the ICU after he’d had a heart attack.
She had intended on staying the night, relenting to go home only after her sister Susan arrived to sit with her mother. She would return in the morning to see him before they took him in for his triple bypass surgery. Brad had left the hospital around 7 PM. He had a presentation in the morning and he had to prepare.
As Jane entered the living room, she noticed the remnants of a fire dying down. That was odd. Brad never lit a fire, it was always her. Being on the frugal side, he felt it was a waste of wood. She decided to keep the light off as she slid down onto the couch, kicked off her shoes and put her feet up on the coffee table. Reflecting on the day, she watched as the fire burned down to embers.
Her father had looked so pale, so drawn, as if he’d aged ten years overnight. What if he didn’t make it? She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. Not yet. She let go of the tears she’d been holding in all day; she no longer had to be strong for her mother.
Once she was all cried out, she dried her eyes and decided to go cuddle up next to Brad, her rock. He could always make everything better, he was just that kind of guy.
Jane slipped her feet off the table, and one foot hit a glass and knocked it over. “Shit!” Red wine spilled across the table and dangerously close to the edge. She ran to the kitchen and grabbed the roll of paper towels. On her way back she flipped on the light and stopped.
There were two glasses on the table alongside an empty bottle of very expensive Merlot. She should know, she’d bought it for Brad’s birthday next week. Obviously she hadn’t hid it very well. One of the glasses had a bright pink lip print.
He hadn’t mentioned having anyone over, and she wondered who it was. Out of nowhere a feeling of unease crept up, but she dismissed it right away. Not good old dependable Brad.
After sopping up the wine, Jane snagged the glasses and bottle before heading to the kitchen. Her bare foot landed on something sharp in the carpet. “Ouch. Son of a…” She lifted her foot and stared at the shiny item. She bent down and lifted it up to the light. It was an earring. One of those big gypsy type earrings. It looked familiar. What was her neighbor Mary Ann doing here?
Spirits 04-Spirits of Seacliff Manor Page 6
