Charlie the Great White Horse and the Journey to Egypt

by Kenneth Mullinix

  ~Chapter 4~

  Miss Trumble's Attic and Mr. Harvey the Ghost

  "Hi Louis", said Molly with excitement in her voice "you're right on time".

  "Hey guys. Yeah, I'm glad I made it here. I almost overslept. I fell asleep on the back couch, and was out like Ole' Growlar the Cave Bear hibernating in winter."

  "Oh don't bring him up Louis, it brings back bad memories. Hey Louis, is your cowl-lick going to show up tonight" asked Chug as he took off his baseball cap, then pulled upwards, at the back of his hair.

  "Man, are you guys going to start picken on me again? I think you're all just jealous of my good looks...freckles...and...all".

  "Yeah, like I want to have freckles. You look like someone spilled a whole vat of red paint on you during a windy day. And that white hair of yours, you kind of look like a rabbit's tale on an Easter Sunday. What a combo."

  "Come on Chug knock it off, or I'm going home, plus I've already heard those tired old jokes before, how about something new already?"

  "Alright Louis, but you know every single time we go to try and see Harvey the Ghost you get scared, and your cowl-lick stands up on end again. I just wanted to see if you had brought your cowl-lick with you, or if it was already standing at attention."

  "Chug...!"

  "Now I was just thinking; we have never really ever even seen Ole Harvey, not ever, not even once. We thought we did one time before, remember it was last year at about this time, but it is always so dark up there" proclaimed Chug as he again, pushed his hair up in place at the back of his head.

  Louis just shook his head, with displeasure one more time.

  "Miss Trumble swears he's up there. She says she talks to him almost every night. Do you really think he's up there, or do you think Miss Trumble is just a little crazy?" asked Molly.

  "Yes she is a little crazy and kooky, we all know that. And as for my cowl-lick, well I have learned to control that darned thing, so don't you guys go worrying about that now," said Louis as he pulled at the back of his hair, mimicking Chug "and I bet we do see that old ghost tonight for sure. I can feel it."

  "Well I can feel it as well, for some reason Louis," chimed in Tessie "and hey I brought a surprise with me. I'll show you later when we get up in the attic."

  The four friends headed for the front porch of Miss Trumble's house.

  Chug poked his head in through a partially open window, seeing no signs of anyone home.

  The house lights were all turned out.

  "I don't think anyone is home, no lights on. Alright you guys let's get around to the back of the house, and climb up on the woodshed, and into that attic" said an eager Molly, as she signaled for everyone to follow her around back.

  "This is going to be fun guys," said Chug as he spied about the front yard one last time.

  "Yep...Ole' Harvey is gonna have some company tonight, that's for sure," said Molly, while she cleverly winked at Tessie "and I am just sure as can be that Harvey is coming out tonight without a doubt."

  Tessie grabbed Chug's hand; Molly grabbed Louis's. All went running around to the rear of the house.

  All the kids in town had heard the weird stories about Harvey from Miss Trumble over the years. She would serve him dinner, and play her piano for him late into the night, after he ate. Sometimes some of the kids from town would hide behind a few low lying bushes found underneath her living room window, and watch her talking to her imaginary ghost. No one ever saw him, but it sure was fun every few months or so, to sneak up into her attic, and try to goad Ole Harvey into showing himself.

  Molly was the first up over a few neatly piled, stacks of wood, then to the top of the woodshed she climbed, onto a flat area of the back roof, and then through the rear scuttle-hole and into the attic.

  Next were Tessie, Chug, and then Louis.

  Louis took out two small candles out of his front shirt pocket. Chug grabbed a match out of his front pants pocket, lit the match, and then lit the medium-sized candle, which sent off a soft eerie yellow and red glow around the average-sized, musty room.

  There was a piano sitting in the very back of the attic, with a cloth dustcover concealing most of it. A large, full-length, oval-shaped, floor mirror stood in the middle of the room that appeared to be a few hundred years old by looking at it. A few wooden mannequins with tattered dresses were strewn about the room, and there were a few old cardboard boxes stack up to the open wood-beamed ceiling in another area.

  All four kids headed for the two rocking chairs, and small couch that sat in a small clearing at the center of the room by the odd looking, mirror. Louis placed the lit candle on a dusty coffee table then sat on the soiled, torn-up couch, next to Molly.

  "Alright Molly, why don't you put on some make-up like you did that night in the Boreal Forest, when you called for Black-Elk?" asked Chug with a smirk on his face.

  Molly smiled. She gave a look to Tessie as if to say, you two wise-guys just keep it up with the lipstick cracks.

  "Nah, don't do that Molly, no lipstick, we don't want to scare Mr. Harvey off" quipped Louis as he and Chug started to laugh aloud.

  "Louis...now...be kind...?" asked Molly.

  "Remember we're here so he can scare us; not the other way around," said a once again, smiling Louis.

  "You guys are so mean. I will get Harvey here tonight. I bought something that I think will help us out," said Tessie as she pulled a small, out of the ordinary, old wooden doll, out of her coat pocket (that was dressed up like a Schoolmaster). The doll was wearing matching slacks and shirt, and had a black, leather-covered book attached to one hand.

  "Where did you get that weird-looking, old doll Tessie?" asked an intrigued Louis, as he bent over to get a better look at it, in the dim candlelight.

  "My dad owns the Five and Dime, remember? He buys old dolls, wooden toys, trinkets and the like. He said he bought this from some old gypsy-woman, and one of, her peculiar friends that had rolled into town about 10 years ago, in a gypsy-wagon. My dad had it kept in a back room all these years. I was messing around this afternoon in his shop. I just happened to stumble across it."

  Molly slowed down her speech, and dropped her voice an octave.

  "Well Tessie don't you know? that?old Miss Trumble's husband, who passed away all those years ago, was a Schoolmaster as well. Just think?no one knows how he died, for sure. Some people say it was an accident. Some others say that?it...it...was murder?and that he had been pushed by something, or someone?out of that very, attic window that we just passed through."

  Molly raised a shaky hand; pointing over to the open rear window.

  Tessie raised an index finger then made a slashing gesture across her throat, smiling strangely all the while.

  "Now you two girls stop it. You're scaring me?er...a...little bit," said a not so smiling Chug.

  "Tessie why'd you bring some weird old wooden voodoo-doll up here into this scary old attic anyway, that ain't fair?" asked Louis as he too, started to become a little alarmed.

  "Yeah you two girls stop talking like that;" chided in Chug, "we're supposed to be having fun. This is starting to not be, too much fun."

  "Again Tessie, now why did you bring that doll? Oh, I've got it, you two are just trying to scare us aren't you?" asked a now relieved, and strangely smiling Louis.

  Tessie took the candle sitting on the table in one hand, slowly placing it ever so gently under the dolls wooden shoes being careful not to bring it to close to the flame. The image of the toy doll now cast a strange shadow over the entire room and onto the odd, aged, mirror standing nearby.

  Tessie started to talk in a deep, monotone voice, which really started to scare Louis, and Chug that much more.

  Harvey who lives in darkness

  your time has passed

  Come out of hiding

  and appear on this mirrored glass

/>   In our hands tonight

  we bear your fate

  So come out tonight

  and don't be late

  Chug quickly spun about in his rocking chair to face the dusty mirror. Tessie, Molly, and Louis all leaned forward in their seats to get a little closer to the mirror as well, when Tessie screamed out.

  "Ouch! My finger; someone bit my finger!"

  Everyone in the room jumped backwards at the sound of Tessie screaming.

  Chug fell backwards out of the rocking chair, only to land in pile of cardboard boxes, which sent them flying out in all directions. Everyone started to laugh aloud at seeing Chug somersaulting about the room. Finally, Louis's probing eyes found their way back to the strange mirror that was now almost imperceptibly glowing, a pale blue color.

  Louis thought, something very small could now be seen, stirring in the in mirror. He could not take his eyes off the well-worn, glass face.

  "What are you staring at Louis? Ain't nothing to see but an old ghost" said Tessie as she cleverly looked at Molly, while she chuckled under her breath.

  Louis thought he saw a small dark figure starting to appear in the center of the dirty old mirror, but the candlelight was so dim, and the room was so dark, that he could not be sure.

  "What are you doing Louis? Why are you so intently staring at in the mirror? Molly, and I were only trying to scare you guys, nobody bit my finger" said Tessie as she, and Molly started to laugh out again, at Chug and Louis's expense.

  "This ain't any creepy old gypsy-doll Louis. It's just an ordinary old toy-doll. I just dressed it up, before we came out tonight, to look like a Schoolmaster. I just made up that little riddle a moment ago. Molly and I had planned this all along. We were just trying to scare you. You're always laughing at Molly's lipstick, that Crimson Passion, and we just wanted to get back at you."

  Louis ignored Tessie and Molly.

  Chug stared intently at Louis.

  Louis just could not take his eyes off the small image appearing in the mirror.

  The image kept materializing, and appeared to be growing larger as Tessie spoke.

  The mirror began to glow a little brighter, sending very soft blue light about the room, Louis was apparently the only one who could see the abnormal light growing.

  "What is it Louis...?" asked a now perturbed Tessie.

  "Do you see that blue light...do ya?" asked a flummoxed, and very bewildered Louis.

  Louis stared into the mirror face so intently that the others started to grow a little more worried about him.

  "What light Louis? Have you gone daft?" asked a now scared Chug.

  "Like she said Louis, it's only a joke, really. Just look at her finger. She's just fine...," said Molly.

  "No I see him Molly, I really do. I see Harvey. He's right there. Can't you guys see him?" asked Louis as he pointed towards the mirror with a shaky forefinger.

  The air in the attic grew deathly still.

  No night birds were heard singing outside; the nighttime seemed to grow darker by the minute. The small candle lighting the room flicked, and danced about from Molly's animated breath. Tessie's heart could be heard pounding in her chess, and Chug who was still sitting on the floor nearby, became as quiet as a butterfly in flight.

  "What do? do?ya?want with us Harvey?" asked Louis in a quivering voice.

  Louis's gaze towards the mirror kept growing in intensity, as the air grew heavier in the creaky old attic.

  "Are you here to do us harm?" asked Chug who now thought that Louis was just trying to return the favor, and scare the girls back.

  The ploy worked.

  Molly grabbed onto Tessie's arm for support. She now started to believe Louis and Chug.

  Chug gave a small smile in Louis's direction.

  "Harvey you don't go after my Louis, or I will beat you up and down, about the ears until you hear church bells, and I mean it!" said a now very scared Molly.

  "Come on Louis, are you fooling us?" asked Tessie who was now just as scared as Molly was.

  "Yeah are you just kidding us Louis?" asked Chug who could now see in Louis's eyes that he really was frightened.

  Everyone just kept staring at Louis, then back at the mirror, and then back at Louis. Molly could not take it anymore when she, out of desperation and worry ripped at Louis's coat, trying to pull him away from the mirror.

  Louis broke free of her grasp in a fit, falling face first towards the glass, ending up on the dirty floor, not more than a few inches away from the growing, ghastly image as it continued to appear; growing all the clearer at each passing moment.

  As Louis sat up, he looked up at the image in the mirror in horror.

  Louis narrowed his eyes.

  It was now perfectly crystal-clear, a full-length image now shown on the face of the mirror.

  A sickly, tall dark figure wearing a long black trench coat, wide-brimmed black hat, and two leather eye patches over both eyes, fully appeared for Louis to see, in all its hideousness. The odd stranger used his two thin, grubby, and foul hands to reach up towards Louis's face, lifting the brim of his hat all the while, to show the shear ugliness of his face.

  Louis scrunched his face up in pain, as he gazed into the dreadfulness he saw on the mirror face.

  His lungs failed to take a breath.

  His boney knees rattled together.

  His heart skipped a beat, as he stood transfixed in fear.

  The un-godly figure lifted up the two eye patches off his face, exposing two steely dark evil eyes. In all their glory, they started to spin wildly in their darkened sockets.

  Up and down, back and forth, over and over again, they spun in wild concentric circles.

  A broad, devious, and sinister smile grew across the bony face. The horrific image began to laugh hysterically, showing his rotted and blackened teeth.

  Louis's eyes about shot right out of his head.

  His breathing now returned, becoming very rapid, his brow began to sweat profusely, and his heart rate shot up to that of jacket-rabbit, on a run to save its life.

  "Agggg-gg-hh!"

  "It's Squint-Eye Pete!" cried out Louis in pain.

  "It's Pete?" cried out Chug.

  "Help me!" screamed out Louis, sending his violently wiggling epiglottis (found at the back of his throat) well into everyone's view.

  "He's alive!" screamed out Louis as he scrambled for safety backwards; kicking the mirror in the process, which sent it spinning forceful in circles inside of its frame. Each time the glass came back around, all Louis could see was Squint-Eye Pete laughing manically.

  "Run!" shouted out Chug.

  "Run everyone. Run!" shouted back Louis.

  That was all the prodding that the others needed.

  Chug shot up off the floor, bounded over the old couch heading without delay for the open rear window. Molly was quick to take Chug's lead, knocking over Louis, as she bolted for the rear window as well. Tessie grabbed onto Molly's coat for support and courage.

  Both girls flew though the open window, landing with a loud thud on top of Chug, who was already lying on the flat part of the farmhouse roof.

  Suddenly Louis was alone in the musty attic, with only wickedness to keep him company.

  The spinning mirror came to a slow stop, with the image of Pete directly in front of Louis once again.

  Louis could see Peter the Terrible, slowly mouthing a few insidious words:

  "Your mind will be mine..."

  "Soon Louis, very soon...you will be mine..."

  "Your mind will belong to me."

  "No...no...!" cried out Louis..."

  "It can't be, not Pete again...!" shouted out a hysterical Louis.

  Louis's cowl-lick shot straight up in the air, it became as rigid as a blacksmiths anvil. Louis's eyes grew even wider, as
his mouth and throat went dry. He tried to swallow but could not. His eyes began to sting from the sweat pouring off his forehead. He raised his hands to wipe his eyes clear, but the stinging would not cease.

  Chug, Molly and Tessie crawled back up to the outside windowsill, looking in through the window as Louis screamed out again in anguish.

  "Agggg-gg-hh."

  "I will beat you Squint- Eye. I will someday! I will, because I am Louis the White," yelled out little Louis.

  Repeatedly Louis screamed out. With one great last breath, Louis shrieked out, louder than he ever had before.

  "You will not take my mind Pete...not...ever!!"

  As Louis's voice rose to a fevered pitch, the mirror shattered into a thousand pieces.

  The glass flew outwards, covering Louis from head to toe.

  He cowered.

  Louis turned his back just in the nick of time as the glass flew past him. The sounds of the glass falling all about the room were horrifying.

  Molly called out.

  "Louis over here...run...!"

  Louis regained his thoughts.

  He was once again the master of his emotions.

  He shook himself clean of the glass, gathered himself the best he could, then took off for the window; running as fast as his thin legs could carry him.

  All three kids ducked below the windowsill as Louis sailed pass them, with legs and arms flailing about, out in all directions. Upon hitting the roof with a loud thump, with quickness Louis scrambled to his feet.

  All four kids then scampered off the roof as rapidly as they could, down the side of the woodshed from whence they came, and towards the front of Miss Trumble's front yard.

  None looked back, not even once at the old farmhouse, as they scattered and disappeared out of sight, down the dirt pathway that lead away from Miss Trumble's attic, Mr. Harvey the Ghost, and the terrifying Squint-Eye Pete.