A Ghost in the Attic

by Solomon Petchers

  “Ever since that dreadful day, the boy has spent his time alone and scared. Scared that the Mr. Henderson’s spell may never be broken,” Moose finished telling the tale.

  To be honest, I didn’t know what to say. I just stared past him and through the window trying to digest the story. Up until the letter, the story seemed believable, but really? A boy was turned into a cat? The idea was well, ridiculous!

  Physically, Moose looked exhausted. It was as if telling the story took something out of him. His shoulders hunched, and his head hung low. Why did this appear so personal? I had this feeling that I knew, but like I said, the story couldn’t be true. Could it?

  I looked for words to break the tension. “So, is that it?”

  Moose’s head remained low. “That’s most of it. Isn’t it enough?”

  “You do know that there’s no way this story can be true. This type of stuff only happens in movies. I mean sure there was probably some dumb kid who may or may not have accidently killed Mr. Henderson’s dog, but the rest is, well, fantasy. Also, it doesn’t explain the three families in four years thing you told me this morning or the fact that strange things happen in my house.”

  With an exhale of his breath, Moose reached into his pocket and fished out a folded piece of worn, wrinkled paper and handed it to me. “What’s this?” I asked.

  “Open it,” Moose demanded.

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Samson please, just open it,” Moose resolved to begging.

  So, I unfolded it and began reading. It was the letter! My hands began to shake as I couldn’t comprehend if this was real or some kind of hoax. I asked the question I already knew the answer to, “So, this is Mr. Henderson’s letter?”

  Moose nodded.

  Then, an understanding washed over me like cool rain on a hot day. “You’re the boy in the story?”

  Moose nodded. His body sunk back.

  “You poisoned Nanuk?” Instead of nodding, Moose leaned against the wall looking ashamed. I tried to put pieces together in my mind searching for understanding. “C’mon man. There’s no way this story is remotely true. What’s next?” I searched for words. “Fairies and vampires? Look, I know there are some issues going on with you. I get it. Like you told me. We’re cool. You don’t have to come up with some sensational story about how you were turned into a – what did Mr. Henderson refer to it as? A feline? Look at yourself. You’re a kid. A big and sometimes scary kid, but still a kid.”

  Moose righted his posture. “Come here.” I walked over. “You want proof? You got it.” He grabbed the bill of his baseball cap and paused. Pulling the cap from his head, he revealed closed eyes. Suddenly, he opened them wide. What I saw will never leave me. His eyes were an iridescent green that glowed in the late afternoon sun. His pupils were not that of a human. Instead of being round, they ran vertical from the top of the green pigment to the bottom. Just like a…like a cat.

  I found myself falling backwards, startled from the revelation. It was as if the birds that had been perched in the trees around us saw the eyes too, because they screamed and flew away all at once forming dark clouds in the sky. My back found the wall behind me. I stared at him. Scared? Maybe a little. But that’s not what I was really feeling. Fascination? Yes, that was it. “Well,” I swallowed hard. “That explains why you wear that baseball cap all the time. I think I’m starting to believe you now. Tell me more.” My eyes fixated on his.

  “I never really could gain access to the attic to try and break the spell. Every time a new family moved in, I insisted that they help me. They were all unsuccessful.”

  Insisted?” I asked.

  “More like forced.”

  “What happened to them?”

  “You read the letter,” Moose pointed to it.

  “Swept away?”

  Moose nodded, “Just like my parents.”

  “To where?”

  “I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to know, but I swear I hear them at night calling for me in my sleep. It haunts me every day.”

  “You said there were three families in four years. Did you mean they were all swept away?”

  “Yes,” Moose dropped his head and moved over to the window again, his cap still in his hand. “The first family to move in after Mr. Henderson’s death was the Johnsons. I convinced Sarah to help me, but it turns out that she was more curious than smart. She went into the attic without me or any information on what to do. The house remained empty for a year after that, and I grew more frustrated and desperate. Then the Singh family moved in. Monica and Manny weren’t any more successful than Sarah. Then the house remained unoccupied for a while. That’s when Freddy Sullivan’s family moved in. I came the closest with his help.”

  “The guys were telling me about Freddy Sullivan. They told me you stuffed him away in a locker.”

  Moose paused. He looked at me through those iridescent eyes. “I haven’t always been proud of my actions, Samson. You wouldn’t know. I’m the one who has to live my life this way. I grew desperate.”

  “So, what happened to Freddy Sullivan?” Moose’s eyes gave the answer. I whispered, “Swept away?” The boys’ telling of the story earlier that day started to make sense. “What happens now?”

  “Well, nearly four years after this nightmare started, you moved in.”

  “What does that mean?” I already knew the answer. “What happens if my family goes into the attic?” Again, the answer presented itself as the words spilled out.

  “There is only one way to end this, Samson.”

  “Oh no,” I insisted. “You aren’t going to get me swept away. You were the one that was a total creep, not me. This is your mess. You’ll need to scoop your own litter.”

  “This time it will be different, Samson.”

  “Oh really? How so?” I felt myself getting worked up.

  “It’s taken me awhile, but I know how to use my instincts. Before, I tried to force myself to act, but now I know that I need to rely on what I naturally do.”

  “Oh please. You can’t even stand up to Spike.”

  “Listen, I’m not afraid of Spike.” I could tell I touched a nerve there. His eyes began to glow. “It’s my instinct to run. I can outwit him anytime I want.” I rolled my eyes and Moose took a deep breath. “This time it’s going to be different.”

  “How?”

  “I’ll have you on my side.”

  “Huh? How am I going to be of any help to you?”

  “When I watched you handle Spike this morning, it was something I’d never seen before. You were so calm, and you knew exactly what to do. I knew that you were special. With your wit and my feline instincts, we can do this. I just need your help and this curse will be gone from me forever and my parents will return and hopefully, all the other families, too.”

  I stood there. I didn’t know what to say. Everything that happened today was starting to make sense to me; from the howling I heard overnight to the story of Freddy Sullivan. I wanted to help Moose, I really did, but I wasn’t sure risking my mother, and even, Scott was worth it.

  Moose’s cat eyes began to water up and soon tears trickled down his face. “I haven’t seen my parents in four years. I’ve been living on my own. Although I’m getting older, it doesn’t really show in my face. It’s as if the curse has slowed down the process. Everything else about me is aging. My mind. My body. I’ve grown bigger than your average 10-year-old,” he paused, looking down at himself before continuing. “Okay, much bigger, but it’s because I’m a 14-year-old kid trapped inside a 10-year-old’s body.

  “This time will be different. You see, with those other kids, I forced them to go into the attic. I threatened them. I made them seek out the golden vial. I am responsible for so much bad that I must make it right. This time, I want to work together. Samson, I’m afraid that you may be my last hope.” He clapped his baseball cap back on his head but couldn’t hide the tears streaming from his face.

  Seeing Moose cry was somet
hing I hadn’t expected. In a short time, I’d seen nearly every side of this big, scary kid. I wanted to help him, but I really wasn’t sure how I’d do that. This wasn’t going to be an easy decision for me. “Look, I’m going to need a few days to think about this. Is that okay?”

  Moose nodded. He understood.

  We stood in silence for a few moments. “I have a problem,” I said.

  “What’s that?”

  “I don’t exactly know how I’m going to get down. I’m scared to death of heights.”

  A wide smile broke across Moose’s face, “Oh, I can take care of that.” He grabbed me under my arms and tossed me over his back. “Make sure you hold on.” I reached around Moose’s shoulders and locked my fingers as tightly as I could without choking him. Moose walked over to the edge of the treehouse. Without any hesitation, he started to scale down the enormous tree. Halfway down he stopped, “How ya doing?”

  “I’m not going to lie to you, this is probably the weirdest, yet coolest thing I’ve ever done.” And it was. I thought with my fear of heights, I’d be more frantic.

  Moose laughed, “You haven’t seen anything yet.” As the last word left his mouth, he began scaling down again, but this time he moved faster and circled around the tree.”

  A little fear crept back in, but it was still amazing. “Now, you’re just showing off!” I yelled.

  We reached the bottom of the tree. Moose looked back at me still secured to his back, “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Because you can let go now,” he laughed.

  As my feet touched the ground, I noticed that my knees felt a little shaky and my stomach a little queasy. I gathered myself. “I’d better get going. I’ll talk to you later?”

  “Sure.” As I turned to leave, Moose added turning solemn again, “Hey Samson, don’t tell anyone about this.”

  I laughed, “Yeah, like anyone would even believe me.”

  I waved to Moose and made my way through the jungle and back home. I stood outside looking at my house, now with different eyes. Something was living there, and I knew that it had to go. I knew that I had to help Moose, but this was huge. Did I have what it took to help Moose? And, was helping him worth risking my family? Answers escaped my mind and my thoughts swirled as I walked through the front door.

  Chapter Eight

  The Attic

  Convincing Mom to keep Spike was easier than I had expected. Back in Akron, I couldn’t have a dog because we really didn’t have the backyard for it. Also, with the state of our family over the last few years; with my dad being sick and my mom taking it so hard, it really wasn’t the right time. My dad and I would talk about how, when he got better, he would get me a dog. “It’s going to have to be a small one, you know. And, you’re going to have to take it for walks and clean up after it.” He would put his hand on my head and mess up my hair. Of course, he never did get better, and the rest is history.

  My mom did mention that Scott would have to make the final decision on Spike which gave me about three days to get him trained and into a routine. That was going to be pretty easy considering that he was already an obedient dog.

  I woke up, walked into the kitchen, Spike right at my heels, and let him out in the backyard to take care of his business. Noticing Mom didn’t make breakfast this morning, I grabbed a box of cereal and a bowl. It was then I realized that I hadn’t heard from her at all. A wave of panic washed over me. The curse! Nanuk! I dropped the box of cereal on the table, leaving it to spill on the floor and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. The folding attic ladder remained flush against the ceiling. “Mom?” I called. It was silent. This time with a little more panic in my voice I called towards the attic door, “Mom!”

  Just then, the door to my mother’s room opened and out she came. “Yes, Samson. What’s up?”

  Feeling relieved, I responded, “Umm, nothing.”

  “Why are you looking at the attic door? Did you think I was up there?” she chuckled.

  I laughed nervously. “Why would I think you were up there?”

  My mom laughed back, “Why else would you be staring up at the attic door?”

  “I was…umm…wondering how much room there is up there is all. We have so much stuff,” I tried to cover up my fear with nervous laughter.

  “Yup, we have a lot to store up there and I’m not doing that task by myself. That will be an us job, not a me job. I was thinking about heading up there this afternoon after we get home. See how much storage we have to work with. Perhaps, we can see how much we need to clean up and start putting boxes up there.” She must have read the panic on my face. “What’s the matter?”

  “Umm...nothing. Let’s not work on the attic today. It’s probably a good idea to wait until Scott gets here.” I laughed again, “I mean you and I have done so much already. By the time he gets here, there’s going to be nothing left for him to do.”

  My mother mulled it over for a moment. I thought she bought it, but then she said, “Oh trust me, honey. Scott will have plenty to do once he gets here. We’ll get the easy stuff out of the way and leave the tough things for him.” She winked, put her arm around my shoulder and guided me down the stairs and into the kitchen. “How did Spike do last night?”

  “He did fine,” I wasn’t really telling the truth. I mean he did do fine, but he was clearly uneasy. Throughout the night, I could hear what I assumed to be Nanuk howling in the attic and not wind blowing through the cracks of the house. Every time, Spike would settle down next to my bed, we would hear that howling. Spike would get up, stare at the ceiling and whine. Also, I spent most of the night thinking about Moose’s dilemma. His problem now had become my family’s problem. I wasn’t ready to tell Mom about the story Moose told me. It wasn’t like she’d believe me anyway. But I was curious if she heard anything through the night. “How did you sleep?”

  As she finished packing up her camera bag, she turned towards me, “I guess I slept okay. It sure does get windy at night though. I could hear the wind howling through the attic again. When Scott gets here, that’s the first thing I’m going to have him look at. Maybe he could seal some of the holes up there.”

  “Or you could call animal control,” I whispered under my breath.

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing,” I said forcing a smile.

  “Honey, I have to leave a little earlier today. I am meeting with a family about some portraits. Are you going to be able to get off to school okay?”

  “Mom, I’ll be just fine,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  She kissed me on the forehead, “You’re getting to be such a mature, young man.” I blushed. “And, don’t think I didn’t notice the cereal all over the floor. Make sure you clean that up before going to school,” she threw her eyebrows high on her forehead, which meant she was serious. As she was walking out the door, she reminded me, “We’re going to start putting the house together today. I need you home right after school. We‘re checking out the attic.”

  What was I going to do? Mom was determined on going up into the attic. What would be up there waiting for us? I let Spike in and sat on the couch. He put his head on my lap and stared up at me. “You wouldn’t let anything happen to us, would you, boy?” His head turned from side to side as he licked my hand.

  I needed to talk to Moose. He may have an idea on how to handle this. We met at the bus stop. He had his cap back on his head, his black and red flannel covering a different shirt, and what appeared to be the same jeans. I needed to talk to him about the problem we’re facing.

  “Did you think about it last night?” he asked.

  “Yeah, that’s all I did. Between that and listening to Nanuk’s howling throughout the night. Anyway, we have a problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “My mother. She wants to go and clean out the attic. Today!”

  “I don’t see how that’s a problem,” Moose righted himself.

  “What are you talking about? How i
s that not a problem?” Just then the bus pulled up. It was then that I realized Nathaniel wasn’t there. It was probably better that way. We had a lot to talk about and didn’t need his interruptions. After we found our seats, I pressed in a whispered tone, “Help me understand how my mother and I going up to the attic is not a problem.” I looked around the bus. People shot stares at us. Perhaps, they weren’t used to seeing Moose carry on a conversation.

  “It’s not a problem because it will give you a chance to scope it out. There’s really only one dangerous spot in the entire attic.”

  “Oh, that’s good news,” I said in a hushed whisper. “The entire attic isn’t cursed, just a part of it.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

  “That is good news. You see the golden vial is tucked away on the far-left end of the attic when you come up the stairs behind an old trunk. The two times I was up there I saw it. I was so close.”

  “Let me guess. That’s also where Nanuk’s ghost is, isn’t it?”

  “Umm, yup.”

  “Yup? That’s all you have to say?” I waited for an answer. “Look, I don’t want my mother swept away,” I belted out in a hushed tone.

  “Shhh! I understand. Neither do I. Just keep her away from it. You stay away from it too. Just check it out and let me know what you think. Together we can come up with a plan.”

  I remained silent for a long time. This was all too much for me to handle. Finally, I addressed Moose, “Listen, I don’t think I can help you in the way you want me to. My family is just too valuable to me. I know you want this thing gone, but I’m not sure how else to help you. Your friendship means a lot to me. So, I will do this. I will scope it out for you and help with a plan, but after that, you are going to have to get it on your own.”

  Moose dropped his head. “I understand. Just do that, and whatever you do, keep yourselves away from that side of the attic.”

  We rode the rest of the way in silence. In fact, we were silent the rest of the day.