Promised Land Lane

by Brown, Marcus

  “I’m so sorry, Sandra. I truly am, but I had to tell you the truth because whilst you think there is a chance your sister is alive, you will carry on coming back to this place.”

  “Why are you lying to me, David?” Sandra sobbed liked a child.

  “Trust me. I’m trying to protect you. You’re only safe now because she can’t come out of the well during daylight. She knows you’re here.”

  “I have to see her, David. I want to hear it from her.”

  “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  Sandra raised her voice. “I need to see her for myself.” She gripped David’s hand tightly.

  “I can’t allow that. You’d never walk away from such a confrontation. Do you want to suffer the same fate as Sarah?”

  “Did she suffer?” Sandra asked, scared of what the answer would be.

  “Momentarily,” he said quietly, kissing the top of her head.

  Tears cascaded down her cheeks. He grabbed hold of her face with both hands and kissed her gently on the lips. She responded to his kiss, feeling emotion she had never experienced.

  “Sandra, you must go. It will be sundown very soon and she will come for you. Look around, the cats are stirring.”

  “Is she afraid of the cats?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know why they affect her so much. She was never bothered by them when she was alive, although Samantha was. Maisie must carry a part of her mother inside her.” David gestured towards the cats that had congregated around the garden. “They’re my closest friends, and for generations they’ve stood guard with me, even though they seem wary of her. Maisie rarely goes near the cats, but I have seen her attack them when she is feeling particularly strong.”

  “So they can’t always stop her?” Sandra pulled a tissue out of her pocket and dabbed her eyes.

  “No, not always. Maisie doesn’t like it when they circle her and she screams at them until they back away. They don’t like her screaming -– it scares them.”

  Sandra quickly changed the subject. “Tell me what happened to Dianne Gallagher.”

  “Why do you ask questions you already know the answers to?” David snapped, shaking his head.

  “I’m trying to make sense of everything in my head. Dianne told me her version, but I have to hear it from you so I know she isn’t crazy. Please don’t be angry with me.”

  “I’m not angry with you. I’m scared for you. Time is running out and the sun is setting.”

  “Tell me and I’ll go.”

  “Dianne looked into the eyes of the doll and Maisie came for her that very night. She accused me of harming Maisie and foolishly went to help her. It nearly cost Dianne, her life.”

  “Dianne died not long ago, do you know that?”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, but I was thankful she never returned here.” He looked up to the skies and closed his eyes. “I believe she will be at peace – she suffered far too much and our Lord will look after her. I truly believe that.”

  “What about the Priest that came from Ireland?”

  “Why?”

  “I want to hear it from you, please.” Sandra needed him to be honest with her.

  “You have to understand. Maisie, never shows mercy to her victims, but it’s the only time I’ve seen her play games.”

  “What do you mean play games?”

  “He was a fool and thought his vestments would protect him.”

  “What happened? It tortured Dianne not knowing.”

  “He came here looking for answers after Dianne told him her story.” David cast his mind back. “The arrogance of religion emanated from him. I talked to him many times, but he only came during the daylight hours. He thought that he could talk and she would listen to him,” he said laughing quietly to himself. “He figured out she rested at the bottom of the well and lowered himself down and waited for her to wake. He sat staring at her as she slept and armed himself with his Bible and holy water.” David laughed.

  “Oh, my God, David! Why did you allow him to do that? What did she do to him?”

  “I had offered as many warnings to him as I could, and nothing I said made any difference. As I said earlier, the arrogance of religion. But to answer your question, she did nothing to him. She knew he was there of course, but she paid him no attention at all.”

  “If he went down there, why didn’t she harm him?”

  “Because he hadn’t looked into the doll’s eyes.” David worried as the sun began to set. “He sat there for hours on end, watching her sleep and making notes. Even as Maisie ate the rats she caught, he preached from his Bible, feebly trying to exorcise the evil from within her. I knew he couldn’t help her and told him he was wasting his time. He grew frustrated at the total lack of progress - nothing he tried seemed to work. He touched her as he prayed to his God, but she simply turned her back to him.”

  “Why didn’t you stop him, David?”

  “Because I knew he hadn’t looked into her eyes and as long as he didn’t, he was safe.”

  “You should still have tried to stop him.”

  “He was a man of God and truly believed his faith would protect him, and in my heart I hoped he was right. He was very young and too inexperienced to deal with what was happening.”

  “How long was he here for?”

  “He came every day for seven days and always around the same time. He would climb down the well just before the sun set and wait for her to wake. He would pray out loud and throw his holy water over her and yet, she did nothing. She behaved as though he wasn’t there and crawled around him grabbing at and eating the cockroaches and other things that infest her resting place.”

  Sandra gagged at the thought of eating cockroaches.

  “He would sit and watch her for hours on end. I knew the mystery of what she was obsessed him, but foolishly thought he could help her. I understood the pull he felt. His whole life had been built around shunning evil and, faced with it, he couldn’t leave it alone.” David relayed the story like it was a fairytale and without any emotion.

  “Why did he keep coming back?”

  “Because he thought his presence would help her, and that he could restore her to what she once was, or send her to heaven. I told him that God had abandoned her long ago, but his Catholic pride would never break.”

  “Did he ever talk about where he came from?”

  “The Priest never revealed much about himself, or where he had come from. He told me little about Dianne, but when he wasn’t praying or reading from his Bible he would write in a notebook rather than talk to me. I don’t know what happened to it.”

  “As far as the Church is concerned he simply disappeared and a missing person report was filed. The Church and the police are aware of where he travelled to, but nobody heard from him after he left Ireland.”

  David lowered his head.

  “You said he came every day for seven days, so where is he now?” Sandra asked.

  “On the seventh day I found him standing by the old doll house. I tried to stop him, but he had hold of the doll and was looking into its eyes. Even in the daylight I knew she had seen him and I begged him to leave and never return, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He climbed down the well earlier than usual that day and sat quietly waiting for her to wake. I couldn’t stop him. He began saying quiet prayers and throwing holy water onto her. I was terrified as I knew what she would do to him. The sun slowly set and she woke up. It was like watching a lion stalk its prey. I sat back waiting for her to attack, but she ignored him once again and sat there with her head bowed and for that he should have been thankful. He had yet to witness the full horror of what hid behind her curtains of hair.”

  “I don’t understand. If he’d looked into the doll’s eyes, why didn’t she attack him?”

  “Maisie played with him as though he were food she was pushing around her plate.”

  “I don’t understand what you mean?”

  “For the first time in over one hundred years, she spoke out
loud. I was so shocked, I couldn’t move.”

  “You told me she didn’t speak.”

  “And I told you the truth when I said that she only spoke whilst she slept. She always says the same things when she sleeps, but this time was different. She knew he was there as she raised her head in his direction and sniffed the air so she could find him.”

  Sandra shivered as he told the story. The sniffing part bothered her more than she liked to admit, especially after reading the comments about Samantha in his diary.

  “Maisie crawled across the floor and continued to sniff the air as she approached the priest. It was the first time I’d ever been afraid of her.”

  “Why were you afraid? You know she can’t harm you.” Sandra could feel herself being consumed by the story.

  “I was afraid because I knew right then there was a conscience within her. She knew what she was doing, and the silence through the years had been out of choice.”

  “What did she say?”

  David looked up to the setting sun He took her by the arm and began to walk towards the house. “Sandra, you must leave now or you won’t be safe. I can hear her. She’s about to wake.”

  “I’m not afraid whilst I’m with you.”

  “Then you’re a fool. She’s awake and sniffing for you, Sandra. Please,” he begged. “I can’t protect you indefinitely. I will tire and that is when she’s most dangerous.”

  “I have to know, David.”

  “If you return during daylight tomorrow, I promise I will tell you everything you want to know. But please only come during daylight,” he begged.

  “I promise.” Sandra stood on her tip toes and kissed him gently on the cheek before turning and running off.

  The sun had completely set as she ran up the side of the house. There was no need to worry about the security guard now it was dark He’d be long gone.

  Sandra reached the gates and stopped dead in her tracks when a harrowing scream echoed from the rear garden and filled the air.

  Sandra picked up the pace again and didn’t stop running until she reached the safety of her car.

  Chapter 21

  Sandra squinted at the clock on the bedside cabinet as the ringing shook her back to life. Shit, she muttered as she noticed the time – ten am. She picked up the phone. Rachel’s name was flashing on the screen. Groaning, Sandra pressed the phone icon and waited for the onslaught.

  “I’m so glad you finally decided to answer. Did you forget that little thing called a staff meeting?”

  “I’m so sorry, Rachel, I haven’t been sleeping too well lately.”

  “I don’t really care to be honest. What I do care about is the story I assigned to you, weeks ago.”

  “Yes, I know and I’m on it.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Yes, I’ve been working hard at it every day.”

  “If that’s the case, you should have plenty to tell me because up to now you’ve given me bugger all.”

  “I know, but it’s been difficult.”

  “I’m not in the mood for excuses, Sandra.” Rachel continued with her superior attitude. “I’m well aware of your ties to this story, and that’s precisely why I gave it to you. I was stupid enough to believe you would do all you could to crack this, but it seems any faith I had in you was misplaced.”

  “I know what I’m doing, Rachel, but I did warn you there wasn’t much to go on,” Sandra snapped.

  “Well that’s good to know. I’ll look forward to hearing all about it. My office, three o’clock sharp, and no excuses,” she said emphasizing the last two words.

  “Got it,” Sandra agreed.

  Rachel slammed the phone down without saying goodbye.

  “Shit. Shit. Shit,” Sandra cursed, furious with herself for sleeping past her alarm. She was on the clock now and needed to move quickly if she was to return to the lane and speak with David.

  She jumped out of bed and headed for the pile of clothes in the corner of the room. Sandra pulled out the first things that came to hand and sat on the edge of the bed. She slid into her jeans and pulled the creased top over her head. She pulled her hair into the usual messy ponytail.

  Catching sight of herself as she dashed past the full-length mirror, she stopped and stepped back.

  “Fuck me, you look rough,” she said aloud to herself. There was no way she could leave the house looking like that.

  She quickly undressed and ran into the bathroom. She turned the shower on. She glanced at the clock on the wall, aware she only had four hours before her meeting with Rachel, and in that time she had to get to the lane and back. Jumping into the shower, she shrieked as the cold water hit her skin.

  Time wasn’t on her side but she threw her head under the spray and washed her hair for the first time in a week. The water was gradually heating up and felt good as it ran down her naked body.

  Sandra picked up the sponge and washed herself, allowing her mind to wander back to the conversation with David the day before. She knew she was attracted to him and felt sad he was connected to her sister’s death. Every time she thought about David, she would think of Sarah. Grief hit her like a tsunami. “Sarah,” she whispered, her hand pressed against her mouth muffling anguished cries as the tears began to fall. Her sister was gone and would never return home. She could never tell her parents what happened to their eldest daughter as they wouldn’t believe her. Losing the strength in her legs, she slid down the wall, slumped in the corner of the shower. Sandra sat under the spray for what felt like an eternity, remembering the fun times with Sarah and praying for her, hoping she was safe. She forced herself to her feet and out of the shower.

  She moved into the bedroom whilst drying herself, picked up the jeans from the floor and slid into them once again. Then she dried her hair before taking a tight white top out of the wardrobe and putting it on. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she decided she looked good enough. Sandra picked up the perfume Nathan had bought her for Christmas and sprayed it behind both ears and on her wrists. Sitting on the top stair, Sandra pulled her boots on before getting up and running down the stairs. She grabbed the car keys off the hook in the vestibule and shot out of the front door.

  ***

  Sandra arrived at the lane nearly an hour later, totally forgetting the security guard would be there. She pulled up and waited for him to disappear into the house before getting out of the car and pushing open the gate, making her way towards the side of the house where he was already waiting for her, smiling as he stood in the sunlight.

  ***

  David smiled as he sensed Sandra had arrived and walked to meet her.

  “How did you know I was here?” Sandra’s eyes lit up when she spotted him.

  “I always know when somebody is here. Besides, I was expecting you,” David said, still smiling.

  Sandra blushed and walked towards the doll house.

  “No,” he said firmly.

  “I want to see it again, in the daylight.”

  “I said no!” David warned again.

  “But why not? She knows I’ve seen it once so what difference will it make?”

  “Don’t torment her, I beg you.”

  “But…” Sandra opened her mouth to argue.

  “No, Sandra. I forbid it. You don’t know what she is capable of.”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. I won’t go near it again, but I want to get a closer look at the well.” Sandra walked down the garden towards the well as David caught up with her.

  “You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Perhaps a little of both?” David sighed and knew he was dealing with somebody as headstrong as himself.

  “Probably. My mum always said I didn’t have the sense that I was born with.”

  He nodded. “She’s probably right.”

  “But now, tell me, you promised you would.” Sandra stood next to the well and peered over the brick wall into the darkness below. There was nothing she could see, but knowing how close she was to Maisie made her shu
dder.

  “And I will, but I can’t settle with you so close to the well. Please step away and let us move to the other side of the garden. There are seats there and we can talk properly, but remember, you must be gone by sun down.”

  “Yes, I promise, but spill. I don’t have long. I have a meeting to attend this afternoon.”

  “Spill?” he asked, unsure of what she meant.

  “I mean, tell me please.” Sandra grinned.

  David led her to an enclosed area of the garden surrounded by hedges. Hidden inside was a small table with cast iron chairs. The table and chairs had badly rusted, but she sat down anyway. David sat on the chair opposite.

  “I made a promise to you yesterday and I’ll keep it, but the story I have to tell you isn’t a pleasant one. Even now, thinking about how she deceived me for all of those years frightens me.”

  She reached out and grabbed his hand.

  David nodded. Closing his eyes he recalled the story as though it was yesterday…

  Maisie approached the priest, a cunning smile on her lips.

  “Do you really think that cross will protect you?” she asked in a menacing, but child-like voice.

  The priest shrugged. “I have the Lord on my side. I know that he’ll protect me.”

  Maisie giggled at his words and sniffed the air as she crawled around him. “Your God is no match for me, Priest! He will tell you that himself.” She turned her head sniffing in all directions, trying to locate David.

  “I have faith child and know that if you truly meant to harm me, you would have done so by now.”

  “She’s toying with you, Father,” David said.

  Giggling again at Father O’Brien’s words, she ignored David, then she sniffed the air three times, making her way around the priest in a full circle.

  “Your faith offends me, Priest,” Maisie whispered into his ear. “Your time will come.”

  The priest recoiled at her putrid breath and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief. He placed it over his nose as he heaved.

  A smile stretched across Maisie’s face.