Daddy Won't Kill You- The Haunting in the Woods

by Caroline Clark

  Gail was tired, and there was a deep throbbing behind her right eye. All she wanted to do was have a bath, take a couple of tablets and go to sleep. Looking at the rundown place before them, that didn’t seem likely.

  Jesse was also looking up at the house, she could see the excitement in the set of his jaw, in the way he leaned forward eagerly and slowly scanned the property. Gail bit back the sigh that threatened to escape her and turned her eyes back to the property.

  It was almost dusk, the sun was setting behind the house and seemed to bathe it in a dusky rose light. The windows were like mirrors reflecting back at them like empty eyes. It was as if it did not want them to see inside and she felt herself shudder. Quickly, she looked away. It had surprised her that it would be called Seafield House when it was so far from the sea, and yet, now she understood. A field next to the house was filled with long grass. As the wind tickled across its surface, it looked like the ocean. True, a green ocean, but the grass waved and undulated like water. The sight delighted her, and she thought maybe this would not be so bad after all.

  Gradually, her eyes were pulled back to the property. It was a large house, dilapidated and obviously empty for many years. Yet surprisingly, there were no broken panes of glass and no graffiti. It was two stories high, the roof had seen better days, and a few tiles had slipped off and laid on the ground below it.

  A crumbling wall surrounded the property and between that and the house was dry patchy grass. It looked as if it had been burned by the sun and yet it had not been that hot this year. There were a few trees scattered about. The leaves were bare, their branches just misshapen twigs that reached up to the sky. For a second, she imagined them beseeching the great god of rain. It was as if they were starved of moisture, starved of something and they were begging for release. Gail shook her head, what was she doing? Jesse was the one who believed in all this and here she was imagining trees begging for water. It looked like she was getting a little carried away.

  “I have a good feeling about this place,” Jesse said, turning towards her.

  Gail nodded. There was a light in his gray eyes and excitement there that had been missing for over a year. This weekend would be good for him, and she would make sure that he enjoyed it as much as he could. Memories might be all they had now, and it was time to create some good ones.

  “It’s certainly a little creepy,” Gail said. “Is somebody meeting us?”

  Jesse shook his head and opened the car door. “No, I have the key. Let’s get all the equipment inside and then I believe there’s a local pub. I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. A good meal, and chatting with the locals sounds like the perfect way to get to know the house a little better.”

  Jesse got out of the Jeep and walked around to the back. He was already unloading equipment as Gail just sat and stared at the house. Something about it disturbed her and yet she knew she was being silly. How many of these houses had Jesse been to? There were dozens, and he had never found a thing. So why was she scared of going into this one? For a moment, tears filled her eyes, she knew it was not the fear of the house but the fear of the unknown to come that made her feel so desolate.

  Blinking back the tears, she took one more look at Seafield House. There were six windows on the top floor, and three on either side of the door on the bottom floor. Her eyes were drawn to the uppermost left window, and a gasp escaped her. Just for a moment, she had seen a child, staring from the window. The girl had long dark hair and was wearing a white dress, but then she was gone almost as quickly as she appeared.

  “Jesse, look,” Gail said and pointed towards the house.

  “What is it?” Jesse asked.

  Gail found herself staring at the empty window. The glare of the sun made it impossible to see through the glass. What had she seen? As if in answer, a shadow from the clouds passed across the window. Gail laughed.

  “I guess I’m just spooking myself, I thought I saw a girl at the window. Good company I’m gonna be.”

  Jesse had his hand's full of equipment, camera bags over his shoulders. “Don’t discount anything you see.” he said with a grin. “I want to hear everything no matter how small.”

  Gail could not help but see the little boy inside the man. Jesse was excited, and part of her hoped that this time he would find something. Another part of her didn’t know whether to laugh at such an idea or to be terrified by it. So, she grabbed a couple of bags from the back and followed him into the house.

  As she reached the door, Jesse was fumbling with the key. It was large and rusted and looked like something out of a comedy show. Eventually, he had the key ready, juggling with his bags, and she had to stifle another grin. This was typical Jesse, instead of making three trips he piled everything he could hang onto into his arms, over his shoulders, around his neck, and then he’d stumble and shuffle towards the house. Now he had so many bags, and his hands were not free enough to open the door. Gail put her own bags down and took the key from him, giving him a little smile as she did so.

  Jesse laughed. “I know, I know. Too many bags, how many times have you told me?”

  Despite her headache, Gail gave him a big smile and then turned quickly to the door. How much she loved this man, it hurt her deeply as she thought of his pain to come.

  Taking the key in her right hand, she put her left hand on the door. The wood felt rough and crumbly beneath her fingers. As she pushed, it became almost slick and moist as if she had put her fingers into a moldy goo. Every instinct told her to pull back and to run. Maybe she was letting this get to her just a little bit too much? As she tried to insert the key, the door moved away from her. The place was unlocked! For some reason that filled her with dread.

  Jesse just laughed. “I guess there’s nothing in here to steal so why would it be locked?”

  Gail nodded, she supposed that made sense.

  Her first view of the house was a little disappointing. It just looked old, dirty and run down. What had she expected?

  It took them about half an hour to unpack all of the equipment. They put most of it just inside the door in a large entrance hallway. There were four doors leading off the room and a staircase on the left. Gail watched Jesse check over some of the equipment. She did not know what most of it was. Obviously, she recognized the cameras, the video recording equipment, the tripods, et cetera. Over the years she had heard Jesse talking about much of the rest of it. There were EMF meters, temperature recording equipment, equipment to record radio waves and other waves that she just could not remember. By the time it was all unloaded, she was exhausted and the thought of spending the night in this damp and desolate house filled her with a disquiet that she could not understand. Maybe it was just the idea of being so uncomfortable, of having no electric, no hot water, and the dread of having to tell Jesse about her diagnosis. Yet, something about the place made her hair stand on end.

  There were plenty of windows. It should have been light inside, and yet a gloom hung over the place like a heavy cloud. It was also eerily silent, but maybe that was just the difference between a secluded house and living for all her life on a busy London street. There was no traffic noise, no noise from people, and no anything. There wasn't even birdsong or the sound of the wind. The house just seemed quiet. It was almost as if it was waiting for something.

  "Are you ready?" Jesse said.

  Gail nodded.

  Jesse looked more alive than he had in months. There was a constant smile on his face, a spring in his step, and a glistening desire for sheer excitement in his eyes. Watching him made her feel good. It gave her the ability to push away her gloomy thoughts. She would enjoy this night, the excitement of exploring this house together. It was an adventure and one she should relish.

  "I'm ready,” she said. "How far is this pub and what's it called?"

  Jesse laughed a little. "It's only a five-minute walk. It's actually the closest neighbor, being just on the outskirts of the village. Real cheery sounding place. It's called ‘Th
e Hanged Man’."

  Gail couldn't help but laugh. There was a time when they used to go out for expensive meals, to fancy restaurants, and yet Jesse was more excited about the local village pub with the silly name. Something about his excitement made her feel good.

  "Let's go eat," she said and followed him out the door.

  This time Jesse did lock up. There was a lot of money's worth in their equipment and more than that, if it was to go missing then the investigation would be a waste of time.

  Gail thought back to when she first met Jesse. It had been a Halloween party, in a fake haunted house. She could still remember screaming as she ran around the building with her friends. All of them had had too much to drink, and as the fake skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls had jumped out at them, the shocks had been both frightening and exhilarating. When they made it all the way through the house, there was a big party, and Gail had gone to one side just to catch a breath of fresh air. That was where she met Jesse. They hit it off instantly, and he had told her how he had seen spirits as a child. At the time, she thought he was joking and that it was just a line, but as she got to know him, she knew he really believed it. Apparently, his grandfather had been the same. They believed they could see the souls of those poor individuals who could not cross over. Yet, when Jesse hit puberty, he stopped seeing ghosts, and he had always sought to relive those times or to find an explanation for what he saw. He was driven to know if he had really seen those things, or if it was merely the imaginings of a child driven by stories from an elderly relation.

  Gail really hoped that this house would give him answers. At 24, Jesse was in the final year of a degree in paranormal studies. When he had first chosen the degree, they had argued about it for weeks. Gail was in many ways the exact opposite of Jesse. She only believed in what she could see, touch, and measure. Maybe that was why she became an architect. It was a good job and one she really loved. Most of the time she was simply designing houses for a building company, but every now and then she got to do something really exciting. Maybe she should look at this house as a project. If there were strange goings on here, maybe they could be explained by the build of the house. It was a comforting thought.

  Jesse took her hand in his, and they started to walk down the path and away from the house. As they stepped onto the streets, Gail felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She turned back to look at the house, and a shiver ran down her spine.

  "You feel it too, don't you?" Jesse said with a big grin on his face.

  Before she could stop herself, Gail nodded, and she watched as his grin widened.

  "I knew it," he said. "This is the place, this is where my questions are answered, and my work is validated. I cannot thank you enough for coming with me. This is gonna be great, Gail, just you wait and see."

  Gail nodded. How she hoped that he would find answers. That he would find something to keep him going through the long months ahead, and yet her stomach twisted inside of her and she suddenly felt a little sick.

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  The Sacrifice – The Ghosts of RedRise House Preview

  October 31st 1750

  RedRise House

  Yorkshire Moors

  England.

  10 pm

  Alice knew it would be tonight. She was eight now. Sometimes it seemed that she had waited for this day for more years than she could count. Every year, on this night, they came for someone and tonight it would be her. She knew this wasn’t logical. There were seven girls her age and it could be any one of them. Only, she knew it would be her. She felt it, and the fear was like a beast inside. Clawing to take control and to pull her down into its pit of dark despair. None of the other girls believed her tales. They said the missing ones had simply run away. Only there was no escape.

  Alice knew, she had tried. She had been watching and one girl went missing this week every year. That had to be more than a coincidence. It had to be! Tonight, if she let them they would take her and she would never return.

  The moon shone down through the thin curtains. Its silvery rays painted shadows across the walls. They were like monsters with long creepy fingers that pointed at her. Others were like the crone from the storybooks they were sometimes allowed to read. Bent and wizened and yet as powerful as the dark. She screwed her eyes tight to shut out the dancing figures created by the wind and the moon as it shone through the trees. Only, she dare not shut them for too long. If she fell asleep, she would lose and somehow she knew this was the battle she had to win.

  Gradually the house grew silent. All the other children were asleep and she just had to wait for the hourly check and then she could make her move. In the darkness her heart beat in her throat and the blood rushed through her ears. How would she hear when they came if her head was filled with the sound of her own pulse?

  The minutes passed so slowly and she started to get tired. Was Mary already asleep? Could she leave her? How could she have such a thought? Mary was just a year younger and if they could not take Alice then maybe they would take Mary.

  Footsteps echoed down the corridor outside. They approached quickly and confidently. It would be the last check of the night. The one to make sure that they were all asleep. The lantern would shine over her and she must make sure that she did not blink, did not move and yet what if she had mistimed this? What if she had slept and the last check had already gone. What if this time the footsteps were the man in the hood? The one who would take her away.

  The thought was so frightening that she felt sick and her eyes burst open. She had to close them, had to lay still and yet she did not think she could.

  The door opened and the lamp light swung into the room. Footsteps approached the first bed. It was two away from her and she tried to close her eyes. They didn’t want to shut but eventually she managed to force them closed. Only now she couldn’t breathe. She had to breathe slowly and quietly and yet she was gasping for each breath. Almost hyperventilating in her panic. The lamp light flared which meant it was raised above the first bed. The footsteps had stopped as Matron looked down on Jennifer. She would be asleep, at only six she was always tired and often asleep just as her head hit the pillow.

  The light was moving, coming closer and she held her breath for a few seconds. The light was over Mary’s bed now and once more it was lifted. She crossed her fingers hoping that Mary would be asleep. That she wouldn’t move and risk the belt. The lamp was raised and she screwed her own eyes down tight and took another breath. In the silence it sounded like a gulp and she knew she had to calm down. If they suspected then maybe they would take her now and then it would all be over. Who would save Mary if she were already gone?

  The lamp lowered and the footsteps moved across the hard concrete floor. Each one was like a slap, slap, slap and Alice had to screw her eyes tight to not jump at every sound. Slowly she let out a breath and relaxed her eyes and face. This had to look natural. Matron was hard to fool and if she was found awake then the least of her problems would be the belt. It had happened only five times in her four years at the home. Each time had left deep welts on her buttocks and legs and as matron approached some of the scars began to itch. It was as if they could sense the belt, sense the punishment she deserved for defying her betters and staying awake.

  Breathe, slowly, calmly. The footsteps stopped at the side of her bed. Through her eyelids, she could sense the light as it rose above her. How she wanted to gasp or breathe. To pull the thin and stiff blanket over her head and hide beneath its perceived safety but she must not. Stay calm, stay still as a dormouse.

  In her mind she could see Matron. Her thin lips drawn tight over sharp pointy teeth. Her dark eyes sunken into her sallow skin. Her gray hair pulled back into a severe bun that stretched the skin across her bones making it look as if it would tear if she ever dared to smile. She didn’t of course, she was always angry, always mean and yet after each disappearance she looked younger, more al
ive. Did she eat the girls?

  Matron let out a breath and she almost jumped. The sound was coarse and phlegmy. Though she did not understand the consumption that was gradually killing the old woman, she sensed that her time was near. It made the old matron even more angry and prone to dish out punishment even when it wasn’t warranted. Yet, Alice knew she deserved it tonight. She had defied them and forced herself to stay awake. What would be the punishment for that, if they knew?

  Alice almost shuddered at the thought but she clenched her fists beneath the covers and kept still. Soon she would have to take a breath and then it would be over. How she wished that the matron would move away. Would go look at one of the other nine beds in this room or move on down the corridor to one of the other rooms.

  The woman seemed to hesitate too long and Alice was sure she had been caught. Any second now a hand would reach down and snatch her thin frame from the bed. Any second...

  Matron coughed causing the lamp to shake in her hand and the light from it to bounce across her eyelids. Then she heard the slap, slap, slap as the footsteps moved away.

  Slowly she let out a whistle of air and relaxed just a little. The footsteps were moving on, the lamp was fading.

  Alice gripped tightly to her covers as Matron checked each bed and then she slap, slap, slapped back to the door and was gone. The footsteps faded down the corridor and went into another room. A yawn escaped Alice and she wondered how much longer she would be able to stay awake. They had worked extra hard these last two weeks. Scrubbing the massive house from top to bottom as well as working in the gardens and on the farm. There would be visitors tonight and so they had needed to prepare laundry and extra rooms. It was exhausting work and their rations had not been increased so they went to bed hungry each night and woke up weak for the following day’s work.