Haunted House Tales

by Riley Amitrani

  In actuality, the Glasses were a perfectly ordinary and average couple. They would have been found to be no different from their neighbors if they had chosen to mingle with them. Circumstances, however, forced Gladys to make the decision to have herself and Henry stay to themselves. When he was middle-aged, Henry had become afflicted with a rare and incurable disease from work he had been involved with abroad as an archaeologist. It had left him crippled and with a progressive form of atrophy resembling Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). He had been a strong and vibrant man in his youth, and he was ashamed and depressed over how his body was failing him now. He relied on Gladys for everything.

  Gladys was well aware of the talk about the two of them in town, but she ignored it. She knew it would only add to Henry’s dejection. So, she took control of their lives, letting the rumors run wild in Carmarthen as she knew it would guarantee their isolation and keep Henry shielded from the horrible and thoughtless stories. But as well, Gladys wanted to keep people far away from the mansion from fear of the Headless Horseman and what he might do if any neighbors came poking around. There was, you see, a dark side to the Glass Mansion and the Glass clan as well. A true story that while not as creative as what many of the locals believed of them, was infinitely more macabre. The Headless Horseman is a ghost from generations gone by. He is Edmund Glass, the son of Henry’s great-great-great-great grandfather, who built the mansion. Edmund had a horrific accident when young and his ghost still remains keeping generations of Glasses prisoner be.

  When Edmund was just a young boy, he was hideously disfigured in a fire that broke out from a kerosene lantern that had fallen in one of the upper bedrooms in the middle of the night. The fire was eventually contained and extinguished, but not before Edmund could escape from his small room at the back of a long narrow hallway. He suffered extensive burns over most of his upper body, which could be concealed with clothing, but the scars and damage to his neck, head, and face remained for all to see. Even with today’s medical technology, it is unlikely the extent of Edmund’s injuries could have been reversed. In Edmund’s day, there was nothing at all available.

  In the aftermath, one he was able to leave his bed, Edmund was relentlessly and viciously teased and bullied by everyone around him. Edmund often took to the solitude and seclusion of the woods and fields that surrounded Glass Mansion, accompanied only by his faithful steed, Lorenz. It was only in the peace and beauty of nature that Edmund could find an escape from what had become a miserable life in Carmarthen. However, one day as Edmund was returning from one of his regular rides into the forests outside Carmarthen, this all changed. A number of the kids around town who were Edmund’s most notorious tormentors set up a trap where the woods ended and the last long open field before Glass Mansion lay.

  They had only wanted to knock Edmund from his horse, this adding to his misery and pain, so they set up a wire that spanned the route that they knew he favored each day for his return to the stables. However, rather than just knock Edmund from his mount, the wire was thinner and sharper than they thought and combined with Edmund’s velocity, the wire sliced cleanly through the boy’s neck, removing his head completely from his body. Since that day, Edmund has roamed the house and grounds of Glass Mansion demanding that various people from Carmarthen be brought forth to be sacrificed for what he had endured all those years as a child.

  Unsuspecting townsfolk were lured to the grounds of Glass Mansion, drawn in by curious and eerie sounds that drifted across the land from the cellar of the mansion. Once inside the place, Edmund emerged to exact his revenge on the descendants of those that had murdered him so long ago. He took perverse pleasure in their suffering and agony, watching them plead and beg for their lives, only to fill the recesses of the vast cellar of Glass Mansion with their corpses. All that was left among the rotting remains with Edmund were the trapped spirits of his victims, somehow psychically trapped in the underbelly of the historic home.

  For reasons known only to Edmund, and perhaps done to not draw undue attention to the disappearance of locals, the murders occurred only once every five years. In an even more twisted and vile manner, Edmund often enlisted the aid of the current Glass residents in his horrific plans, threatening them with the fate that awaited his victims from Carmarthen if they refused. Not only would he take their lives, but he would extend his vendetta to their children and any relatives he could locate. Such was the dark side of Glass Mansion that Henry and Gladys were currently living with at the moment.

  And now the five-year mark was upon them again. Edmund had emerged from his hiatus of murder and was looking for a new spirit to add to his ever-expanding collection in the cellar. As a heavy rainstorm built strength and pounded against the leaded glass panes of the study, Gladys heard the unmistakable creak of the cellar door open. She felt the old familiar shiver race up her spine as she lay her book aside and waited, the only sound the crackling of the fire to her right. She closed her eyes and prayed she was just imagining it, but in her heart, she knew better. The soft, but regular steps of horse hooves stepped along the corridor and stopped just outside the study.

  She looked over and sure enough, there was Edmund atop Lorenz…Edmund sans his head of course. His maniacal and eerie laughter infiltrated the lower level of Glass Mansion and after so many visits, no further communication was required for Gladys to know what she had to do. She closed her book and removed some stationary from the small table that held the lamp where she had been pleasantly reading just moments before. With a dark knife cutting her heart, Gladys filled out a short advertisement that she was soon to post in town. Over time, odd sights and sounds from Glass Mansion were no longer enough to draw in Edmund’s new victims. More direct enticements were now required of her to protect herself and Henry from Edmund’s hand. She began to write as tears filled her eyes. Times had gotten hard in Carmarthen for the young crowd these days. Gladys knew kids in school were always on the lookout for a way to make ends meet or just to make a few extra dollars. As she finished the ad she looked it over:

  WANTED

  PERSON TO WATER PLANTS AND ATTEND TO SIMPLE HOUSEHOLD CHORES DURING 2 WEEK HOLIDAY

  INQUIRE AT 44 1873 852797

  ASK FOR GLADYS AT GLASS MANSION

  EASY WORK, EXCELLENT PAY

  Yes, Gladys said to herself, this should be just the thing….

  Bye-Bye, Overdue Rent

  Carmarthen, Wales, United Kingdom

  March 16, 2013, 11:45 AM

  Rhiannon Martel came back to the table where her friend, Kristen Layton was sitting warming herself with a coffee as the next in a long line of cloudy and overcast days settled in over Carmarthen. She was all smiles and Kristen, to her great chagrin, knew this was not good news for her. Rhiannon and Kristen had been good friends forever…at least since they were in primary school back in Cardiff. After they completed their secondary education, they both banded together to set off for this new university opportunity in Carmarthen as their other friends opted for more traditional opportunities closer to home. All that the girls thought of as they approached graduation in Cardiff was to get away. They both were hungry for independence and something different than everyone else, and Carmarthen seemed to be about as far away as they could go and still stay in Wales.

  However, despite their close friendship and loyalty to one another, their personalities could not have been more disparate. Rhiannon was always the more dominant of the two, typically taking the lead for both of them. Kristen was not especially timid or shy, but in the dynamic of their relationship, Rhiannon was the dominant of the pair with Kristen in tow. It had been that way as long as Kristen could remember, and as she saw her friend returning to their table at the café, she had a sinking feeling she was about to be taken along for yet another of Rhiannon’s adventures. Kristen cringed slightly inwardly as Rhiannon plopped down in her seat and tossed a message from the café’s announcement board on the table and it skittered across toward her.

  “Why do I have this feel
ing I am about to be dragged into yet another of your wild schemes?” Kristen asked.

  “What wild? Just read the card…” Rhiannon replied as she put her feet on an empty chair at their table and smiled.

  Kristen reluctantly picked up the card and read it over. It was worse than she had imagined.

  “House sitting? At the old Glass Mansion?”

  “Sure. What’s the big deal?”

  “Really? Are you serious? You do know the stories and legends of that place, right?”

  “Oh, come on, Kristen…don’t tell me you buy into all that nonsense of that place? All those stories are just brought out year after year to scare little kids. And to maybe drum up some tourist traffic from around the UK.”

  Kristen hesitated before answering. Rhiannon was well aware of Kristen’s interest and beliefs in the supernatural. She was also keenly aware that Rhiannon found all that stuff to be nonsense.

  “I am not so sure, Rhiannon. A lot of the locals seem pretty convinced of what is going on out there. It’s not just a few eccentric kooks around Carmarthen. That place has a long history and besides…have you seen it? I can see where it gets its reputation.”

  “Relax, Kristen. It’s just for two weeks and look at what old lady Glass is offering just to water some plants and keep the place clean. We go out there every few days, take care of the place and pick up a nice fat check at the end. How hard can that be?”

  “I think you should think this over a bit, Rhiannon. Why would someone offer this type of money for such a simple job if there was not something to worry about?”

  “Who knows why they want to pay that much? They are old and probably have more money than God anyway. And besides, this is the answer to all our money problems at the moment. We are getting behind in our rent and until I saw this notice, I was not really sure what we might do to get ourselves out from under it. You know?”

  Kristen just nodded. She was very familiar with their financial woes at the moment. Their last financial aid payments had gotten delayed, something they had both been counting on to get them through the current semester until they could both work full time in the summer. And like her friend, the last thing Kristen wanted to do was to have to call back home in Cardiff asking for money. They had both made such a big deal of how independent they were going to be. The mere thought of it made her sick to her stomach.

  “I know…I know…” Kristen replied as she sighed and looked away over the mist-covered fields just adjacent to the café. “It’s just that there is something in my gut that tells me this is not such a good idea.”

  “If you’ve got a better idea for how we pay off our debt, I’m all ears.”

  “You know I don’t, Rhiannon. I guess it will be OK.”

  “Great! I knew I could count on you.”

  Kristen nodded as Rhiannon jumped up to go call the number on the advertisement. It was just like always, she thought to herself. Rhiannon finds these things and despite my better judgment, I end up going along for the ride…

  ……….

  Kristen headed back to their flat that was in the basement of a duplex old house just a few blocks from the university, still wondering what she might be getting herself into. She and Rhiannon had, from time to time, gotten themselves into minor jams, but fortunately, Rhiannon seemed to be one of those unique people that despite the predicament, always landed on her feet. Kristen hoped this was another one of those times. As she rounded the corner, she could not help but see their landlady out in front of the house. At first, having her living in the same place as them, just upstairs on the upper level, had seemed ideal. But ever since she and Rhiannon had hit this unexpected money shortfall, seeing Mrs. Langdon had become something Kristen would have preferred to avoid.

  The long, burning glare from the woman made Kristen hasten along. She was hoping to scoot down the stairs quickly without yet another confrontation about their overdue rent, but when Kristen saw her turn and plant her hands firmly on her ample hips, she knew today was not to be one of those times.

  “Oh, Miss Layton?” the woman called as Kristen picked up her pace. “Could I have a word?”

  Kristen cursed under her breath and exhaled as she slowed and walked over to where Mrs. Langdon was standing. She knew what was coming, and she supposed that if she was in the woman’s position she would be pissed as well. Despite that, it was not like she did not know they were behind on the rent. It really did not help to be harangued about it every day.

  “Of course, Mrs. Langdon. What can I do for you?”

  At this point, Kristen was just annoying the poor woman. Deep down, she did not like the situation she found herself in, but a dark part of her seemed to be enjoying irritating her landlady all the same. This was a one-act play that seemed to be performed regularly, and Kristen concentrated hard not to snicker or even crack a smile as Mr. Langdon walked closer.

  “You know certainly well what you can do for me…and save the sarcasm, please.”

  “Sorry, Mrs. Langdon…I did not mean to offend you.”

  “I don’t suppose you have my money?”

  “Not at the moment, ma’am, but Rhiannon and I have taken on some extra work just today and all our back rent should be taken care of very soon.”

  Kristen was praying that Rhiannon had gotten the house-sitting gig now that she had stretched the truth with Mrs. Langdon.

  “I see. For both of your sakes, I hope this is true. I have bills of my own, you know. If I do not see something very soon, I am afraid I may have to ask the two of you to find alternative accommodations. Do I make myself clear?”

  Yes, ma’am.”

  Kristen felt her shoulders slump as she watched Mrs. Langdon return to her own portion of the duplex and she finally made her own way back inside as well. Kristen had never been a good liar, and she suspected that their landlady could see through her. She collapsed into the ratty, threadbare chair next to the small table they used for meals pondering her predicament. What if Rhiannon did not get this job? What then? Kristen felt overwhelmed at the possibility of being out on the street. Just then, Rhiannon burst through the door, all smiles and gaiety.

  “I got the job, Kristen!”

  Kristen just nodded, torn between the good news that the money they so desperately needed was soon to materialize and the nagging concerns over having to attend to the old Glass Mansion to get it.

  “Did you hear me?”

  “Yeah. I heard.”

  “So why all gloomy?”

  “You know very well why Rhiannon…plus Mrs. Langdon hit me up for what we owe her again.”

  “That happens almost every day, Kristen. What’s the big deal?”

  “For the first time, she mentioned evicting us if she does not get her money soon.”

  “Oh. Well, you can put that threat out of your mind. As soon as Mrs. Glass pays us, we are free and clear of our debts to Mrs. Langdon. By that time, I am sure the snafu over our financial aid stipends will be cleared up and we will have fulltime jobs for the summer as well.”

  “I guess…it’s just that house…”

  “Oh, would you drop all that! It’s just an old house with a lot of made up stories and rumors.”

  “I suppose. Tell me about the job and Mrs. Glass.”

  Let the Games Begin

  Carmarthen, Wales, United Kingdom

  March 16, 2013, 5 PM

  Rhiannon grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and handed one to Kristen as she plopped down onto the very lumpy and well-worn sofa to fill her in.

  “She was very sweet and friendly on the phone. It is a real shame all those stories about her and her husband and her family have been spread all over Carmarthen. There is no way the timid, nice woman I spoke to on the phone just now could possibly be what they all say.”

  “You mean a witch or murderess?”

  “It’s absurd, Kristen. It’s like talking to your grandmother. Anyway, she explained everything she wanted to be done and where I can find a key to get in
. She just wants me to come by every two or three days and check on the house plants. Water them if the soil seems dry and just some other minor checking around to keep the place tidy and in order. She and her husband are going away for two weeks on a cruise of some sort. Something about revisiting places where the Glass family has roots in Europe, I think she said.”

  “That’s it? For what she was offering for payment?”

  “Apparently. I was the first one to call and apply, so I got the gig.”

  “Seems strange to me.”

  “Maybe. But this solves a bunch of problems for us, right? Who cares?”

  Kristen shrugged in agreement.

  “Only odd thing is that she insisted I come alone.”

  “Really? Wonder why?”

  “No idea, but she was very emphatic on the point of not bringing any friends. That I come alone. Maybe she is afraid I will throw some wild parties or something.”

  “That really makes me nervous, Rhiannon. You all alone in that spooky old house. What if something happens?”

  “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. A rotted floorboard could give way under your weight or something. There is no way I am going to let you go over there all alone. Besides, how is she going to know who does or does not come along with you? It’s not like you’d be inviting the whole campus.”

  “Sure. Why not. It might be fun for us to hang out there. Just us in the ‘haunted Glass Mansion’…wooo…. maybe bring some pizzas and binge on some old horror flicks. What a perfect atmosphere for it. Unless you are too scared?”