The Ghosts of RedRise House

by Caroline Clark

  Dragged through the air Jacob could see those dark shapes closing in and then he was face down on the ground, his arm held behind his back.

  “Calm down,” a voice said over and over until he could eventually comprehend it. “Calm down and I will release you.”

  Jacob turned his head and he could see more clearly. A pair of black trouser-clad legs was in front of him and as he looked up he finally relaxed. It was a uniformed police officer.

  “Help me,” he managed. “My children are missing.”

  The pressure on his arm released and they were helping him to his feet. There were a dozen officers all around him similarly dressed and one shorter man in a crumpled brown suit.

  Closer to the woods a white tent had been set up. A figure covered in white overalls with a white hat and white shoe protectors came out of the tent with a handful of evidence bags.

  Jacob looked up at the officers and a choking sob escaped him as he remembered. Tears ran down his face.

  Once more he felt a strong hand hauling him to his feet and it all became a blur. They handcuffed his hands behind his back as he tried to sob out his story.

  “My children are lost, you have to find them… the woods, it's so dark… something is in there.”

  “Mr. Pitcher, I’m placing you under arrest for the murder of Emily Pitcher.”

  “What!” Jacob felt his world turn over and he looked up at the man in the brown suit. The man peered at him over a large red nose that spoke of too much drinking, but his eyes were hard.

  “I’m Detective Inspector Winters and these officers will escort you back to the station.”

  “No you can’t… my children!”

  Winters smiled and ran a hand through steel grey hair. “Yes we can, now tell us what you did to the children.”

  “I… I… I can’t find them,” Jacob managed as he tried to pull away.

  “Come on don’t cause any trouble,” the officer holding him said and for a moment Jacob saw Aiden. The man who had ruined his career and he wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face. Then his vision cleared and he realized it was a young officer whose features were nothing like Aiden’s. This man was tough, hard and looked at him with contempt. They really thought he had murdered his wife and done… who knows what with his children.

  The sound of dogs barking echoed out of the woods.

  “What is that?” Jacob asked afraid that this was some new terror for his Noah and Sophia.

  Two of the officers looked at Winters. He nodded.

  “They’re tracker dogs. They’ve found something,” the officer said in his ear. “For your sake I hope they find them alive.”

  Jacob felt his knees give way. How could everything go so wrong so fast?

  Jacob watched as DI Winters left the interrogation room and let the door close with a bang. The place was stark, grey and empty except for a table and four chairs. Everything was dull and muted and looked worn and old.

  He had expected a mirror, the people would be watching him but there were just dull, grey walls with paint that was faded and flaking in places.

  They had been questioning him for hours and just kept going round and round in circles.

  Why had he killed his wife, what had he done to the children?

  It was frustrating and time consuming. All he wanted to do was get out there and find his kids.

  He had waived his right to a solicitor but now he wondered if that had been wise. Looking down he could see that his hands were caked with dirt. His fingernails black. His clothes had been taken as evidence and he was sat in a blue overall that felt like paper and irritated his skin.

  All he could think about was Noah and Sophia. Where were they? Were they safe? Surely with the dogs the police would find them.

  Winters came back in and placed a file on the table before him.

  “Have you found my kids?” Jacob asked and he could hear a sob in his voice.

  Winters ran a hand through his steel grey hair and his face softened. A smile curved his mouth and he was transformed into a different person.

  “There was no blood on your clothing,” Winters said. “I’m prepared to listen to you but we need you to be honest.”

  “My Kids… have you found them?”

  Winters shook his head. “No, why don’t you tell us where they are?”

  Jacob sighed and clasped his hands together to fight the urge to grab the man and shake him.

  “I don’t know. We were arguing, me and Emily. Then I noticed the kids were gone. I think they had gone to play in the woods. I ran to find them and it was so dark. Like the lights had gone out and I got lost in the trees. Then there was a storm. I could hear it tossing the branches and I saw a girl in white. I followed her and came out of the woods and... Emily!”

  A choked sob stopped him from speaking and he dropped his head to hide the tears that had formed. Then he reached that moment… that fuck it moment when he no longer cared what they thought of him.

  Looking up he stared straight at Winters and let the man see his grief. “Emily was dead, that branch next to her. I felt her pulse, nothing. I tried to call the police, but no signal and I knew I had to find the children. I sent a text and went back into the woods. I must have searched all day and all night…”

  “What day do you think it is?” Winters asked.

  “We set off on Saturday, this must be Sunday or maybe Monday. Oh God my kids have been alone all this time.” Jacob stared down at the table and watched the tears fall onto his dirty hands. Saltwater traced a clean spot over his thumb and dripped onto the table.

  “It’s Saturday, 8 pm.” Winters said. “Stop lying.”

  “I’m not!” Jacob pushed his chair back with force and it fell over as he stood.

  “Sit down!” Winters also stood and though the man was only 5 foot 7 his voice boomed in the small room and he looked able to handle anything.

  Winters picked up the chair and stared at Jacob. He sat back down.

  “What do you mean Saturday? I walked for hours and it was so dark.”

  Winters took his time walking back to his own seat and he sat down with studied patience. “Mr. Pitcher, the woods are a little gloomy but not that dark and not that big. The dogs have been all over them several times and they keep coming back to the ruins of that old house. Is that what happened? Did you get angry with the kids? Hit Noah again.”

  “No, I never hit Noah.”

  “We spoke to one of your neighbors and he told us about the boys bruise.”

  “That wasn’t me! He was being bullied. The school didn’t do anything… I told him to stand up for himself, that bullies were cowards. That they would back down.” Jacob gulped down the lump of guilt that had formed in his throat. “I was wrong. They hit him.”

  “Really!”

  “Really... and I have to live with that, now let me out of here so I can go find my children.”

  Winters let his eye drag over the coveralls that Jacob was wearing.

  “I don’t care what I’m wearing. My kids are out there and you may think those woods are small but I was frightened out of my life. Something hit me, knocked me out and something was stalking me. Either charge me or let me go.”

  “I can get you your clothes, they are dirty and disheveled…”

  “Who cares what I look like, my kids are missing,” Jacob yelled and he saw something change in the man before him. Maybe it was doubt, or maybe it was a touch of belief. It didn’t matter if it would get him back to those woods, back to find Noah and Sophia he would take it. Hold on kids I’m coming.

  88

  Noah took Sophia’s hand and led her toward the light. It was just a glow and moving but it was so welcomed that he wanted to run. Only his legs were tired and it was so dark that he knew he would stumble and fall and he was worried about Sophia.

  They walked through the darkness for what seemed like an age. That tiny light glowing in the distance pulled them to it but Noah could feel Sophia dragging. She was exhaust
ed and afraid and he knew that all she wanted to do was curl up in a corner and cry. Or at least he thought he knew that for that was what he wanted to do.

  A sob escaped him as tears warmed a track down his cheeks. Coughing to hide his emotion he tried to move faster. It was not good, the light is moving away and no matter how much he rushes they didn’t seem to be getting closer.

  “I’m tired,” Sophia whined.

  “I know but we have to rush.” Noah pulls her a little harder than he intended and she stumbled into him.

  This wasn’t working. He could feel how cold she was, even colder than him and he pulled her into his arms. What could he do?

  Then it came to him and he couldn’t understand why he hadn’t done it before. Taking a breath he shouted, “Dad is that you?” into the darkness.

  The murmuring of the trees stilled momentarily and then it was back. Faster and louder as if the leaves were excited for what was happening.

  Noah held his breath.

  The light stopped and then it was coming toward them.

  “We’re saved,” he sobbed and pulled Sophia to him. “Dad found us.”

  Bit by bit the light was getting closer and as it did he could see it flickering. It was a flame torch and flickered and spluttered but created a warm and enticing glow. Slowly they move toward it as it came to them.

  Noah wanted to call again but he was too scared. He wondered why his dad hadn’t shouted back. All sorts of things came into his mind. This wasn’t dad… but it had to be. Who else would be out in these woods?

  Still, the silent lamp came toward them and Noah wanted to shout at it to make a sound. For a moment he wondered if he should turn and run.

  The leaves murmured.

  He couldn’t. Having been in the dark for so long that glimpse of light was pulling him like a moth to the flame.

  What else was there but the never-ending darkness and this feeling that something was after them.

  Closer and closer, the light came, blinding and enticing but hiding all around it. The woods seem even darker and Noah could feel the dread in his stomach. Maybe this wasn’t dad, but it had to be, help, didn’t it?”

  Then the torch was there with them and they could make out a large man holding it. His hair was stuck up all over his head and there was a scar across his lip and up into his nose. As the light showed him to them he looked grotesque, his shoulders hunched, his face a sneer.

  Noah let out a grunt of fear.

  The man came closer, limping on his right leg.

  “What are you doing out here?” he asked with a slur to his voice.

  Jacob could see that his mouth was scarred and making it hard to speak. Fear had rushed back in, replacing the euphoria of lightness.

  “We’re looking for our dad. We were playing near these woods and we got lost.”

  “Can you help us?” Sophia asked as she stepped out from behind Noah.

  “Oh my, aren’t you a pretty one. My name is Seth and I will take you back to the house.”

  Noah let out a sigh of relief. They were safe. There was a house.

  As the man turned he could swear he could see through him, but that just had to be his exhaustion and the flickering of the flame torch.

  89

  Stacey was back. She had no knowledge of where she went or how long she had been away and it was taking all her concentration to keep her here. Fatigue tugged at her soul and dragged her down but she wouldn’t let it take her, not before she had found the children. After all, she had promised Emily.

  People were milling all around, policemen and women going about their duties with professional detachment. She wanted to scream at them and wondered if any would be sensitive enough to see her. Only that would take up considerable energy and if it failed she could be gone again. Sadly, she turned away from them. It was not worth the risk.

  Ignoring them she closed her eyes and let her spirit become one with the world, searching out the children. It was instantly darker and she was inside the woods. Though she could still see the people they were out of phase, no longer on the same plane that she was.

  Where were the children? Letting her spirit float she searched but nothing called to her. It was as if they were all around her and yet nowhere. No matter how she tried she couldn’t feel them.

  Then she searched for Nick and again found nothing. In frustration she searched for Jesse. The last time she had done that the woman Sylvia had appeared and helped her but this time there was nothing.

  “Sylvia, help me,” she called.

  For long moments she waited in silence. Feeling the very fabric of the world, feeling the molecules moving, turning, spinning but no one heard, no one answered.

  Once more she let her spirit spread out into the world, feeling for the vibration that was the children. It was something she was still learning how to control but from what she had learned she could be anywhere that she had a tether to. The world was simply a mass of moving atoms and molecules, a vibration. Everything had its own unique signature and if she could find it and it was somewhere connected to her then she could reach out and be instantly there.

  She had a connection to this place, the former RedRise House and to her sister, Shelly. So far she seemed to be able to appear anywhere Shelly was and at this house. When she had tried to go to other places it didn’t work. She would close her eyes and imagine the ice cream parlor they used to visit. At first it would feel as if she was traveling but then she would be yanked back and dumped where she was.

  There was always a feeling of contempt when she tried to do this. As if some being was admonishing her, as if she was behaving like a naughty schoolgirl.

  So she closed her eyes and thought of the children. Little Noah was terrified and yet he was being so brave. Sophia was scared but didn’t truly comprehend the danger and so she was mainly just exhausted.

  The essence of Noah’s fear was raw on the wind. Astringent, like lemon juice it made her eyes want to water. Taking a deep breath that sucked in no air she concentrated on that core part of the boy that was all around her. It seemed he had been walking around and around the woods never coming too close to the edge. For a moment she got a view of what happened to him. Whenever he got close to the woods edge something scared him and he was turned in the opposite direction. So he had spent the time crisscrossing back and forth with little Sophia in tow.

  Though on the mortal plane only a few hours had gone by, where the children were it had been a day and a night. They must be exhausted, cold, and terrified. So why couldn’t she find them?

  Stacey searched the woods from one end to the other. The further she got from the house the less influence she had. Was it possible that the children had been taken away from the woods?

  If so she could do nothing. Not that I’m doing much anyway?

  Stacey stopped as close to the edge of the woods as she could get and waited. There was nothing that she could feel. Nothing going that way. No, the children were here and if they were not in the woods there was only one place left. The caverns beneath the ruin of RedRise House.

  Stacey shuddered at the thought of going there again.

  A deep rumbling groan echoed through the trees and sent Nick hurtling forward. He didn’t know whether his pursuer was human or animal but it just kept coming.

  Laughter echoed to his right and he turned left, darting around a twisted tree and slipping on the damp ground.

  The sound of heavy breathing was getting closer and something raced through the trees. Branches whipped aside and footsteps heralded its approach but Nick could never catch sight of his pursuer.

  Once more he turned to look, peering out from the crook of a twisted tree. The branches swayed getting closer and he knew he couldn’t wait any longer.

  Lungs, burning, legs aching he turned to run once more. Could he be injured in this place, could he die? Somehow he doubted that any death would be permanent but he was sure that the agony would be real. Then, no doubt, he would waken again in
this awful place to be hunted once more.

  Despair weighed him down making his steps slower but he fought it off. He got here so there must be a way out. Stacey had called him about some children, were they here? Was he sent here to save them?

  That thought brought him to a grinding halt but the sounds of pursuit meant he couldn’t stop for long. Not if he wanted to survive and instinct told him that time was of the essence. Wasn’t it always?

  So he tried to use his senses to locate children in fear any child in fear. Of course, he was not a spirit here and so he couldn’t connect to the fabric of life and everything. He suspected if he could that there would be many scared children in this place. There was something about it that bred misery.

  So was I sent here to rescue someone?

  No, that made no sense. He had been pulled here because he was vulnerable when he was pulled back. He had to escape. Maybe Stacey could help.

  Once more he was running and dodging and racing through the darkness.

  “Stacey help me!” he yelled as loud as he could trying not to slow down as he dodged left and right around trees.

  A branch whipped his face and drew blood. Part of him was intrigued but he didn’t have time to think about it, the breathing was so close now he could feel water droplets on his neck.

  Twisting left he raced for a gap in the trees. He was through and had gained a little ground. Again he went left and around another tree. If he could just get ahead them maybe he could hide.

  A gap presented in front of him. It was nothing but a shade lighter and he raced for it. Heart pounding, breath coming in desperate gasps he kicked with all he had.

  Bursting from the trees he was in a small clearing. Ahead was a solid wall.

  Nick turned left but the wall surrounded the clearing. Pivoting on his heels he flung his body to the right but within three strides the wall loomed out of the darkness. It was sheer and ragged. Coming up to the face he reached out. The stones tore at his hands. Even if he could climb he would be cut to shreds.