The Ghosts of RedRise House

by Caroline Clark

  The light revealed a large kitchen. There were red slates on the floor. A huge range cooker and deep mahogany units. The sink was old fashioned and ceramic the steel taps looked antique.

  Looking around she saw a kitchen table and chairs an old dresser and behind them two doors. One was in the corner of the room and the other the middle of the same wall. She went to the left one first and for a moment didn’t want to open it.

  Then Jack was behind her. “That will be the pantry, my gran has a kitchen just like this. He opened the door to a small room packed with shelves full of tins and other items.

  “I hope you feel like cooking,” she said.

  Jack laughed. “I know you won’t. You never stand still long enough to cook a meal.”

  “I like things burned,” she said and gave him a smile. “What’s behind door number two?”

  They both walked over to the door in the corner. There was a note pinned to it.

  This room is out of bounds.

  Do not enter.

  “What the...?”

  “Shelly,” Jack admonished. “I imagine it’s the cellar and it’s probably unsafe. We should stay out of it.”

  “Really!?”

  Jack knew her well enough, to know that wasn’t happening, but before she could say anything, there was a knock at the door.

  “Food at last,” she said and raced for the door.

  Shelly opened the big heavy door to find nothing but black, the expected delivery driver was nowhere to be seen. Peering out, she could hardly see the tangled front garden. Light from the inside stopped at the threshold.

  Hunger growled in her stomach, and she sighed with frustration. Where was he? She peered out as far as she could without stepping from the light. It was no use. If the guy had wandered around trying to find them, then he wouldn’t see her.

  “Hello,” she called, her voice weak and ineffectual.

  Pulling her phone from her pocket, she stepped out and shut the door. Using the phone as a torch, she wandered back to the gravel where Jack’s car was parked. There she hoped to see another car. There was nothing, the drive was bare except for the Clio. So who had knocked?

  Jack watched Shelly run from the kitchen like a kid chasing Christmas. She was so excited over a simple takeaway. He took a few moments and crossed to the cupboards. Opening a few doors, he soon found plates and cutlery. He set these on the table and was about to see where Shelly was when there was another knock at the door.

  “Shel, did you get that?” he called, but there was no answer. The silence in the house was driving him mad. He would have to get out a portable speaker and set up some music. Anything would be better than this emptiness. Especially when he felt so inadequate around her. How he wanted to tell her that they should try and be more than friends, that he wanted more, but it never seemed to be the right time. Maybe at the end of this stay, he would pluck up the courage.

  There was another knock at the door. He crossed the vast hall wondering if she had locked herself out by mistake. “On my way.”

  He opened the door with a big smile on his face, it wasn’t Shelly who stood there, but a priest.

  “Oh,” he said and stepped back. Heat flooded his cheeks, and he grinned an apology. “Sorry I was expecting someone else. Can I help you?”

  The man gave a friendly smile. “I understand, it is dark and lonely here. I just wanted to see what you were doing, why you were here? My name is Nick Aubrey. I’m the local priest.”

  Jack stepped back a little. The man looked in his early thirties. He had short dark hair and a friendly smile. An old-fashioned black suit hung loosely on his lean frame, and his dog collar shone like a beacon in the darkness.

  What was a priest doing here and why was he asking such questions?

  “I’m here with my girlfriend... well she’s a girl and my friend if you know what I mean. Why are you asking?”

  The priest gave him a placating smile and shook his head. There was something about the way he wouldn’t hold eye contact, and he constantly looked behind him.

  “Is Shelly alright?” Jack asked as fear flared in his gut.

  “I don’t know a Shelly, I need to talk to you especially if you have a girl here. Would you please step outside and give me a few minutes of your time?”

  “Girl... Shelly is a woman really, not a girl.” Jack knew he was making a mess of things. He was confident when it came to anything but Shelly. Around her, talking about her, he was like the village idiot. It was as if his brain melted just at the thought of her.

  “I understand.” The priest stepped back. “If you would just step outside and give me a few minutes of your time.”

  “No, if you want to talk you can come into the kitchen.” Jack opened the door a little wider and stepped to one side.

  The man looked uncomfortable. He glanced behind Jack and looked at the house as if he was afraid. For a moment Jack thought that he would turn and run but in the end, he nodded his head and stepped across the threshold.

  Jack shut the door behind him. “Shelly we have company,” he called but the words fell on an empty house... he was sure. Where had she gone, to the car for something?

  “If you follow me we can sit in the kitchen.” Jack led the way into the kitchen and pointed Nick to a seat. “Can I get you a drink?” he asked out of politeness.

  “No, no thank you. I wouldn’t eat or drink anything from such an accursed place.”

  “Okay,” Jack said, “I think you should leave.”

  “Please, hear me out, but where is your friend? I would like her to hear this too.”

  Jack nodded despite himself. Whatever this man had to say he suddenly wanted Shelly to hear it too. “Let me check the bedroom, maybe she’s there.”

  The priest nodded, Jack left the room. He was starting to worry about Shelly. She was never quiet, never far away and she moved about so quickly that if she had gone to check on the equipment, she would be back. Had she gone outside when the knock came earlier?

  Jack knocked on the bedroom door and entered when there was no answer. The room was empty. The bathroom was also empty. He moved across the rug and peered into the office it was also empty. Where was she?

  Panic spiked inside, he rushed back to the hallway and into the kitchen. Fear and panic were like twin horses racing through the night and pulling a cartload of dread. Had this man done something to her? He turns up, and Shelly goes missing, it had to be more than a coincidence.

  “Is something wrong,” Nick asked.

  “My friend, did you do something to her?”

  “Jack.”

  Jack turned to see Shelly standing in the door of the kitchen. Her hands were shaking, her skin was white as paper. “Where have you been?” he said too harshly, and she backed away.

  The priest stood and took her hands. “Come sit for a moment, and then we will get you out of here, both of you.”

  Shelly couldn’t find anyone, and it took her a while to make it back to the house. It was so dark, so very dark that even the phone’s torch app could hardly chase away the blackness.

  Once inside she could hear voices. She followed them to the kitchen. Jack was upset. She could see it in the set of his shoulders and the way he clenched his jaw but who was the man sat next to him?

  “Jack,” she managed.

  Jack turned. “Where have you been?” he barked at her the anger even more apparent. Without realizing it, she moved back.

  Someone took her hands, and she blinked to see a strange man stood in front of her.

  “Come sit for a moment, and then we will get you out of here, both of you.”

  “What do you mean get out of here?” she said as she pulled her hands from his.

  “My name is Nick Aubrey. I have been the priest for this district for... for a long while. You need to leave and now, while you can.”

  Shelly winked at Jack and pulled out a chair across from the priest. She sat down and pointed for him to do the same. He sat, and so did Jack.
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  Shelly leaned forward. “Jack and I are ghost hunters we are exactly where we want to be. We are here to research this house and to put the spirits here to rest. If you can help in that matter by providing us with some history, then please tell us all you know.”

  “Do you not see the danger you are in,” Nick said. “Do you not see that many have died in this house and that if you don’t leave you will not free the spirits... you will join them?”

  Shelly could swear the air was sucked from the room as he said the words. It was hard to breathe. It felt as if her lungs were being crushed. She would not let him know that he rattled her. “I see that you want to scare us. I would ask that you help us rather than simply try and chase us away.”

  The lights dimmed, and the house was plunged into darkness.

  Shelly let out a squeal and the room filled with evil. The presence was like mist in the darkness. There but unseen. You could feel it. Could almost reach out and touch it but still, there was only the deepest blackness she had ever seen.

  Light filled the room, and she could see that Jack had pulled his phone from his pocket and activated the torch app.

  Nick Aubrey’s face was a mask of fear. He believed what he was saying, and so did she. Part of her wanted to run, to do as he said, but this was her big chance and this only made her more interested.

  Torchlight lit up the table but the darkness pressed against the beam.

  “I have to go,” Nick said, his chair scraped across the floor as he stood.

  Bit by bit the dark encroached onto the light. Nick stepped closer to the table, to stay inside the light.

  Shelly wanted to run, but she feared that dark touching her. She tried to reach for her own phone, but her hand was shaking so badly she couldn’t hold it. Should they run or should they stay and face this?

  The lights came on, the house was once more normal.

  “Do you see what I mean?” Nick asked as he stood there shaking.

  “It’s just the power going out,” Shelly said with a laugh. “The Duncan’s warned us about it. Now, why don’t you tell us a bit about the house, to help us with our job?”

  “Please leave with me now.”

  Jack shook his head. “No, we can’t do that. Why not help us out?”

  “There is a book, The Sacrifices of RedRise House and the Rise of Old Hag, it tells the story of the house by those of us who were here. Even I have written in its pages, but please leave this place before it is too late.”

  “We cannot do that,” Shelly said. “The book is not here. It is in an evidence locker in Leeds. However, we have heard much of what is in this book but to hear it from someone else would be very useful. Each person has their own take on a subject. Please tell us your tale, please help us.”

  “I cannot help you if you are too foolish to see. I will stay close, but please leave before it is too late.”

  “There’s no need to be rude.” Shelly couldn’t believe the man. What right did he have to call them fools? Her eyes flicked to Jack, she could see he was angry. Once more color had risen on his cheeks, and there was tension in his jaw.

  “She’s right there was no need for that. I want you to leave.” Jack stood and crossed his arms.

  “I’m sorry.” Nick shook his head. “I will not stay here a moment longer. Just promise me one thing. When things start to happen get out of here quickly. You will find my residence via a path behind the house. Find me if you need me but don’t risk your lives.”

  “We can handle this,” Shelly said, but she wondered why he was so afraid.

  Nick nodded before quickly walking to the door.

  Then he was gone.

  Shelly and Jack sat alone in the silence.

  55

  “Do you think we should leave?” Jack asked as the silence was once more deafening.

  Shelly shook her head, but she was wondering the very thing herself. Maybe they could stay somewhere local and just come back during the day. The house was super creepy when the power went out. Then again, was she just being paranoid, allowing her fear of the dark to rule her? There was nothing else to be afraid of. The Old Hag, the spirit who had once terrorized this house and held children here, was gone. The children she killed and kept here wanted their help. They needed their help, they should stay. Before she could say any of that, there was another knock at the door.

  They both jumped and then laughed.

  “Takeaway?” Jack said.

  “God I hope so, I couldn’t cope with anything else tonight.”

  They crossed to the door to see a slim man about their age. His eyes were flicking behind him, and he kept turning his head.

  “How much? Jack asked.

  “£27.50.”

  Jack gave him a twenty and ten and took the bag. “Keep the change.” It was warm and smelt delicious.

  The man snatched the money and scuttled down the path to disappear into the darkness.

  “Thank you,” Jack called after his scurrying back.

  “Maybe he’s late,” Shelly said as she took the food back to the kitchen.

  She stopped as she entered. “Where did that come from?” She pointed at one of the kitchen chairs.

  Curled up there was a black cat. Shelly left the food with Jack and ran over scooping it up into her arms. “Hey there,” she whispered as the cat purred in reply and rubbed against her cheek.

  “Oh, you are cold.” She cuddled him close while Jack served up the food.

  The smell of beef and mushrooms in black bean sauce wafted through the kitchen and all their fears were chased away on countless good memories.

  Jack placed two plates on the table, his had just the beef in black bean, a little foo yung, and a few chips. Shelly’s plate had the beef, foo yung, sweet and sour chicken, ribs, rice and a large portion of chips.

  “Will that be enough for you,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Just about right.” She started tucking into the food by eating her chips with one hand and still cuddling the cat with her other. Jack grabbed two glasses of wine before he sat down.

  “To our first ghost hunt,” he said raising a glass.

  “Our first ghost hunt.” Shelly took a big swig of the wine and closed her eyes. “This is wonderful.”

  As they ate, they discussed what they would do tomorrow or even later that night.

  “I want to review the exorcisms from the book we brought,” Shelly said.

  “That sounds like a good idea... do you think we’ll need them?” Jack had turned white again.

  “I imagine so... if any spirits show.”

  “Here’s hoping.” He raised his glass of wine. “Our first ghost hunt.”

  “Our first ghost hunt.” They clinked glasses.

  “We should get out the Ouija board and do a séance,” Shelly said.

  “Do you think that’s a good idea?” Jack downed the wine in his glass and left the table to grab the bottle.

  “I do. So far we have had no spirit activity, and that is why we’re here.”

  Jack topped up both of their glasses. “What about the priest, about his warning?”

  Shelly took a sip and rolled it in her mouth while she thought. “I’m not even sure he is a priest. Did he look weird to you?”

  I guess... he looked old fashioned, but it’s hard to tell now. Maybe it’s because he’s from the country and doesn’t get out much.”

  “Maybe. There was just something... I couldn’t put my finger on it, but some of the things he said didn’t ring true.”

  Jack nodded. “I know what you mean. Maybe his church doesn’t approve. Maybe they heard we were coming and they want to stop us.”

  Shelly got up the cat was meowing in her arms. “Do you think he’s hungry?”

  “Maybe, maybe he’s lost and snuck in and got caught.”

  Shelly found a few pieces of chicken and scraped them into one of the trays. As she put it on the floor, the cat leaped from her arms and straight to the dish.

  Shell
y watched him for a moment. Then she cleared the plates from the table before sitting down. It gave her time to think and at last, it came to her. The thing he had said that just couldn’t be true.

  “Remember what Rosie told us about that book, The Sacrifices of RedRise House and The Rise of Old Hag?”

  “Not all of it.” Jack shrugged.

  “She said the last entry was made over a hundred years ago and here is this so-called priest telling us he wrote in it. I think we caught him out.”

  Jack laughed. “Unless of course, he’s another ghost.”

  Shelly laughed as well. “That would be funny. What should we do now?”

  Jack shrugged again. “I don’t know, what should we do?”

  “We have to wait, and you know how good I am at that.”

  Jack rolled his eyes and then winked. It made Shelly’s knees go weak, she was glad she was sat down. Jack was so good to her. He knew how impatient she was. How she hated waiting for anything and yet that was all they could do now. Sit and wait for the spirits to make contact unless they helped with that. “Should we get out the Ouija board?”

  Jack put down his glass of wine, the smile fell off his face.

  Was he scared?

  “I’m a touch tired tonight. I bought a Blu-ray of paranormal activity. We could curl up on the bed and watch it on the laptop.” He picked up the half-empty bottle of wine. “And we could finish this. Start in earnest tomorrow when we’re a bit more rested.”

  “That sounds like a fab idea.” Shelly got up and looked for the cat. “Where’d he go?”

  They both looked around, but the cat was nowhere to be found.

  Shelly followed Jack back to the room. She was pleased that he had suggested such a romantic interlude. She was also pleased to be going back to the bedroom. It was like a little oasis, they could shut out the creepy house and the weird people and forget ghosts for just one night. As she had the thought she was filled with a mix of emotions. Disappointment at herself for giving in but also fear of what lay ahead and relief at not dealing with it for tonight. She was such a worry-wart. Never happy.