“Free,” I said victoriously. “The old woman gave it to me for nothing.”
“You mean Clive’s Mum, Dotty Lottie,” exclaimed Ruby. “No one sees her much these days, she’s very poorly you know, and quite eccentric.”
The book was full of descriptions of mythical creatures, elves, goblins, witches and ghouls and was signed by the author - LD-. Now ghouls were something I had never heard of before and apparently grave robbers according to the description. It went on to say how graveyard security men have a hard time managing their graveyards, especially when ghouls are about, as they would frequently invade the graveyard in an attempt to steal treasures from the coffins of the dead, cool I thought.
It was then I arrived at an incomplete page. It appeared roughly torn, with part of the text missing, and as I examined further what was left I noticed it must have been the title of the page that had been removed, leaving only a portion of the description still intact – so - carefully I read what remained, hoping it would give me a clue as to what was missing.
The text described a mythical creature no one had ever seen, and that it had only ever been heard through the faint sounds they appear to make as they leave, a creature hidden by all those noises in our houses at night, like the creak of the floorboards and the click of the radiators as the central heating comes on.
It went on to explain. They arrive for a while but then are gone, leaving only the disappearance of cherished items like toys and amusements, as a clue to they're presence. Now, I had to look up the word amusement and apparently, it means – “something that causes laughter or provides entertainment”- now as a thirteen-year-old boy that means most things, but in this case, it could mean... my missing Xbox controller.
Clive
It was getting late and the rush of customers had begun to ease off at the Bloody Cauldron.
“Are you Ok, Mom,” shouted up Clive?
“Yes I’m fine, just making tea.”
Lottie made tea at the same time every day, and it was always Earl Grey. Clive preferred Tetley but drank the Earl Grey just the same.
“Nice of you to give Barnaby the book, do you think he'll find them?”
“I hope so; Aimee’s nightmares have been getting worse. If we could just find Lulu they might stop - I want you to give Barnaby the diary - you'll know when; it may help him understand a little more.”
“Or freak him out completely,” replied Clive, “and what about the link?”
“Yes, give him the link too,” replied Lottie. “It’s the key to a doorway of some kind... I’m sure of it.”
“And the missing page from your book,” inquired Clive?
“Yes, that too, maybe he can finish it for me. A German bomb nearly killed us all that night, it destroyed the whole side of our uncle’s barn and yet Aimée never had a scratch on her, I somehow think whatever it was that came into the bedroom may have saved Aimée’s life.”
“Do you think it took Lulu?”
“Maybe,” replied Lottie, “but we may never know.”
Reassuringly, Clive then reached out across the table to hold his mom's hand.
“It wasn’t your fault Mum, there was a war on.”
Clive locked up the shop and pulled down the shutters for the last time. He stood back for a few moments looking at the sign hanging there motionless in the still night air. ‘I’m going to miss this place,’ he thought, and whilst he stared silently at the old building that had been his home for many years, he wondered if the stories Mum had told were entirely true, and if Barnaby would ever find the elusive creature that had visited their uncles farm house that night, all those years ago.
A couple of weeks had passed since our visit to the Bloody Cauldron and I was increasingly busy with homework and school projects. Ruby had a new boyfriend, Andrew, who was Ok and didn’t cry at all when Carter chased him home from school, and tomorrow was Thursday; the night Greg was due to come around for our next dual to the death.
Mom had also bought me a super-sized air freshener for my bedroom, which she allowed me to use at my own discretion - that being Thursday night and probably down Greg’s trousers.
It was the Saturday before that Mom had come looking for that old soft toy I had when I was a baby. She needed it for some picture book she was creating but couldn’t find it, and I’d almost forgotten about the old lady and the shop when Ruby told me ‘The Bloody Cauldron’ was closing, as the old lady had died.
“Told you she was ill,” said Ruby. “I’m going to the closing down sale; do you want to come with me?”
I felt quite sad the old woman had passed away; she seemed quite nice, although a little spooky, so I decided to take the book back, after all, I didn’t need it and Mum said Clive, the shop owner, might like it back.
Ruby and I arrived at the shop early and there in window was a huge for sale sign. Clive was busy with the masses of customers that had turned out for everything that was on sale and Ruby had scuttled off to see Andrew, ‘The Super Goth,’ who was busily searching the clothes racks for something weird to wear; maybe a cloak of invisibility to protect him from Carter might be a good option I thought.
“Hello young man,” said Clive.
“I’ve brought you the book back. Mom thought you might like it returned.”
“Thank you,” replied Clive. “You could have kept it you know.”
Clive then reached across his desk and into an open drawer. “Mom left this for you. She said if you came back you should have it,” passing me a small envelope and a package with my name on. “She wrote this book you know,” informed Clive, as he flicked through a number of pages quite obviously familiar to him.
It was then I realized that the first letter of the signature at the bottom of the opening page- LD- was for Lottie... “The L is for Lottie, DOTTIE LOTTIE!” The only problem was I had said it aloud.
“That’s what everyone called her,” smiled Clive, “I think she quite enjoyed it.”
You see, it’s very difficult for young boys to show their emotions, we need to stay cool at all times, but I somehow managed to be brave and replied as an adult. “Yes, I’m sure she did, she was a nice lady.”
Ruby having heard all the conversation came over and ruffled my hair. “Well done brother,” she said,” that was very grown up,” which made me feel quite proud.
“Open it up then.”
“Not yet,” I insisted. There was something inside me that kept saying, “Go on Barnaby, open it,” but no, I was going to wait till Midnight; after all this is what they do in all those great horror movies, then Ruby called me a spoilsport hoping I would give in, but no, midnight it would be.
Lottie’s Letter
Well, midnight arrived and as arranged Ruby and I met at the agreed place, which happened to be the bottom bunk of my bed, to read the letter and open the tiny package Dottie Lottie had left for me.
“Come on, let’s get on with it,” said Ruby, “Andrew will be texting me soon.”
“I reminded my sister that Mum said we should turn our phones off at night, and that if we didn't there would be consequences.
“I know,” pleaded Ruby, “but you won’t tell her... will you, after all I did take you to the ‘Bloody Cauldron’”.
Now this was true so I decided I would let it go, just this once. Ruby then suggested we should have some candles burning, to give the whole process a spookier atmosphere.
Pointing out, Henry our cousin had nearly burnt his house down doing the same thing, we decide on Ruby’s phone night light instead. As its bright glow illuminated the nooks and crannies of our room, strange shapes began to form in the oddest places except for one. Now dancing across the bedroom wall as ruby fidgeted around, they suddenly came to a standstill. It was almost as though they were waiting in anticipation of what was about to take place, so I tore the envelope open - pulled out the letter - and began to read what was written - it began....
Dear Barnaby
“I am so glad you came back, althou
gh I thought you might, and Ruby dear girl yellow really isn’t your colour.”
“How the hell did she know I’d be here,” whispered Ruby?”
“She’s probably watching us right now,” I replied, and at that moment the colour that was left in Ruby’s face drained away, could it be my sister was scared. I had never seen my sister scared of anything before, even when next doors dog had attacked Jake, our cat, and Ruby just waded in there - broke the fight up - and sent David - which was a strange name for an Alsatian, on his way.
“You scared?”
“Not at all,” protested Ruby, “and yellow does suit me, so I don’t care what Dottie Lottie thinks.”
My sister then insisted I carry on reading, which is exactly what I did.
“Hope you liked the book, even if it scared you a little, and I guess by now you've worked out who wrote it.
Many years ago, my family moved from France during the Great War to England to stay with our uncle who lived in an old farmhouse deep in the countryside. My sister Aimée and I were given the attic bed-room. The only light we were allowed was from a few candles our uncle had given us, our uncle wasn’t mean he was just trying to keep us safe and had explained that if the German Bombers saw the light from our windows from above they might mistake us for their target.
My sister had a lovely pink doll called Annabelle. Aimée took Annabelle everywhere with her and always left her on her bedside cabinet at night time wrapped in a tiny blanket. One morning Annabelle was gone and wasn’t to be found anywhere. We searched and searched but we never found her.
Other things then began to disappear, so I decided to set a trap to capture our invisible thief whatever it maybe.
Aimée had a hand knitted doll, Lulu, that she had kept since she was a baby and we decided we should use her to tempt our invisible friend into the open. We placed the doll on the floor and sprinkled flour powder around her, so anything coming near would be revealed by the footprints made.
“Lights out Girls,” cried Uncle, and as I blew out the last candle darkness descended along with an eerie quietness broken only by the hoot of a distant owl somewhere beyond the wood line.
Morning came and like all young girls we had fallen asleep far too soon... or so I thought. I looked across for Aimée but her bed was empty. “Aimee,” I shouted, but there was no reply from a room with a floor now covered in white powder, then I heard her.
“Under here,” whispered Aimée. “Has it gone?”
I looked under the bed, and there was Aimée. “I saw it she said, I saw it.”
“Saw what,” I replied?”
Aimée held out her hand to reveal a tiny link, neither silver nor gold but something in-between and totally weightless.
“I saw it, there in the white powder Lottie.... it tried to take Lulu, so I grabbed her and pulled... and the chain broke, then fell to the floor.”
I grabbed Aimée and hugged her as tightly as I could. “I wasn’t scared Lottie, said Aimée “I don’t think it was going to hurt me, I think it just wanted Lulu.”
Whatever had visited that night never came back, and after a while Aimée thought the whole thing was dreamt... and I was forever left wondering what had really happened. I kept the link on a chain and wore it occasionally as a reminder of that strange night, until one late evening when I noticed something different about the necklace.
What once felt completely weightless was now pulling on my neck.... almost like it needed to be released and that day you came into the shop I felt the pull of that tiny chain even more, then you asked Clive for a book on weird noises and I knew you had heard them, because that’s exactly what Aimée heard, the night before they tried to take her doll. I’m not sure exactly what they are but they need things, objects that bind us to memories like toys we have as children or things we cherish. I tore the page from the book because I never really knew exactly how to end it; maybe you could finish that one for me.
That’s really all I can tell you Barnaby, apart from one more thing, take something precious you had as child and hold it in your hand, then take the link in the other hand and close your eyes.
Good Luck.
Signed
Lottie Durant
“What a load of rubbish,” scoffed Ruby.
“Well at least the color has come back to your face,” I replied, although I didn’t really know if the color actually had returned to Ruby’s face as you’re not supposed to be able to see colors at night, according to the BBC Science website, but I thought I’d say it anyway.
Still staring back at me, was the package Lottie had left and just for a moment my interest in opening it, thinking Ruby might be right and this was all a wind up, left me. Sensing she had upset me a little, Ruby handed me the package. “It does all sound a bit silly, doesn’t it,” she then confessed?
I opened the package and there inside was the link Lottie had described. “Wow! It’s so tiny,” remarked Ruby, peering inside. “Go on then take it out.” So I reached inside ... then hesitated... what if it’s just a normal piece of chain, like the jewelry dolls wear and as I took the small piece of chain from its box, I realized that Lottie might have been telling us the truth.
“Feel how heavy this is.”
“Let me feel, “let me feel,” replied Ruby, excitedly.
“Oh my god, it weighs a ton.”
The tiny chain that had been weightless, in its box, had now become the world’s heaviest object for its size and I just sat there looking at it knowing Lottie’s night in the old farmhouse attic may be real after all and I really did need to finish that last paragraph for her.
That night, I went to sleep thinking about the last few lines of Lottie’s diary, the strange events that had taken place that day and what would happen if we held the chain as Lottie had described in her diary.
“Good night, Barnaby,” whispered Ruby, which was a first, as Ruby hadn’t said goodnight to me personally for ages. Maybe this had been a good day for both of us after all, and as I drifted into that sleep only young boys know about... you know... football and stuff, I felt quite contented.
School.
The morning came and half asleep, I looked across at my bedroom cabinet. Still there, exactly where it was the previous night was the box and chain. Relieved, because for a split second I thought I might be in one of those false awakenings where you are convinced you have woken up but in reality, you are asleep, and as they are most likely to happen when you are excited about a big day ahead, I thought I had better check.
Now not needing to as the pain from my stubbed toe, caught on the edge of the broken bedroom doorframe, brings reality tumbling in, I shout. “’Bloody hell. That hurt.’”
“Language Barnaby,” scolds Mum having heard my profanity. “And watch that broken door frame; you might hurt your toe again.” I thanked Mom for a warning given far too late and noticed Ruby had already gone down stairs and was waiting in the kitchen.
“What shall we do with the chain?” she whispered.”
“Not sure yet, we can decide after school.”
“Fine with me,” replied Ruby, at which point Mum turned around and asked us what we were whispering about.
“School stuff,” I replied. Luckily, Mum was distracted enough, by the shopping channel promoting its Botox product, to pursue any more questioning. I then had an amazing idea. I would take this moment as an opportunity to explain to Mum that she didn’t really need Botox, as she looked fine for her age.
As Mum turned around to face my comments, I could see Ruby waving at me and mouthing the word ‘NO.’
It wasn’t the look on Mum’s face that scared me the most, it was the wrinkling of her angered forehead that made me think... maybe she does need Botox after all, and I was just about to put my foot it in again when Ruby’s timely intervention saved me from a fate worse than death.
“Exactly what do you mean by, ‘Fine for my age,’” Inquires my Mum, angrily?
“What he means Mom... is... you lo
ok absolutely fantastic - and you’re Botox years... if at all... are way off yet.”
“’Oh,’ thank you Ruby, that’s really nice,” replies Mum as she switches channels to a programme on ‘How we can all live longer.’
School as usual was school, and Gregor as usual was signaling across the classroom reminding me of his previous victory, which at best was annoying and at worst was attracting the attention of Danny. Now Danny was a nice girl, but I wasn’t ready for girls just yet and even if I was, the raining schools judo champ Danny, might not be my first choice, although Danny may have had other ideas.
“Hi Barnaby,” she smiles.
“Good weekend,” I ask.
“Yes, I bench pressed over 100kg on Saturday,” declares Danny.
I told Danny that was impressive and tried to imagine what 100kg looks like, it then struck me is was about four Gregors or two Rubies’... and I thought WOW, that really was impressive.
“Would you like to see the video,” inquired Danny.
“Sounds great,” I reply. Not knowing what next to say, I am saved just in time by Gregs and his dragging me away to the safety of the school fire escape.
“Sorry Danny,” mouthed Gregs, “I need to talk to Barnaby, boys stuff, OK?”
“Oh, OK,” replied Danny, “but make it quick, Barnaby wants to see my bench pressing video.”
“Really,” exclaimed Gregs, as he looked at me full in the face with that really annoying immature smile which was always followed by ‘The Sarcastic Wink’. In truth... I did like Danny; she was nice, but now was not the time, so we made our timely exit down the back stairs and out into the schoolyard. As Gregor and I met, face to face like Roman Gladiators, I knew it was time to own up to my strange behavior, but strangely and totally out of character it was Greg's who was the first to challenge.
“What’s been going on then? I’ve been texting all weekend and you didn’t reply.” It was then I bombed out and told potentially one of my biggest lies ever.
Doll Page 3
