Ropes in the Attic

by Edward Flora

  The grandfather clock.

  Located downstairs in the living room, it did not care for the routine the Shelly’s were bringing with them. The antique was set to chime at the same time every night and was not about to break habit for its new neighbors upstairs.

  “Ding…Ding…Ding…”

  The soft chimes from the clock echoing through the darkness were just loud enough to wake Peter and Dani.

  “I’ll get it,” said Peter as he got out of the comfort of their bed.

  He made his way downstairs and a mild chill crept up his arms. It’s just a Fall chill, he told himself. However, this strange new setting was the last place he wanted to be. He would much rather have stayed in bed next to Dani than to venture downstairs into unfamiliar darkness. He had barely been acquainted with this new place, now he had to navigate it in the shadows.

  “Not off to a good start,” he muttered.

  He hurried over to the clock, pressing a button on its side cutting off the chiming. As he pressed the button, a “click, click” sound followed which he assumed triggered the bells inside to cease chiming. He was guessing. He wasn’t familiar with old analog clocks such as this one. He grew up in the digital age.

  Satisfied with the silence following the click, Peter turned back toward the stairs so he could join Dani again in bed. He still couldn’t shake the “Fall chill” prickling at him earlier.

  “Click…click”

  Peter stopped at the foot of the staircase.

  The double-click had come back for an encore, but slower, like someone turned the dial by hand. The Fall chill returned. This time it shot up his spine.

  He stood with one foot on the first step and a palm on the banister. He kept his head down as to not look directly into the darkness and braced himself for another series of chimes.

  Silence.

  Good enough for me. Peter breathed a sigh of relief and hurried back up the stairs.

  The bedroom door clicked shut as he slid back into bed next to Dani.

  “While you’re setting everything up tomorrow, if you can add the clock to the list, please do something about it,” Dani said. “We don’t need to be kept up at night when we have an early start every morning.”

  “I will,” Peter agreed without hesitation. Although the sound wasn’t jarring, it had potential to become a nuisance, especially if it would be a nightly occurrence.

  They drifted back off to sleep same as the clock had done. All was quiet for the rest of their first night in Piermont, New York.

  SEVEN

  “BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP…”

  The alarm set by Peter spit rapid fire beeps at 6 a.m. just as the first rays of sunshine crept through the cracks of the blinds in their bedroom. Peter turned over towards Dani who was doing her best to fight against the alarm and catch a few extra moments without having to open her eyes. He reached over, brushed her messy morning hair away from her face and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Her hair smelled like coconuts. It reminded him of home…Brooklyn. This house had not yet earned the place to associate the smell of his wife’s hair with “home”.

  He swung his legs over the edge of the bed when she grabbed his arm, pulling him back for a proper “good morning” kiss.

  “Someone’s eager to get the ball rolling here,” Dani half joked. “Don’t forget about me in your excitement.”

  “Morning, gorgeous.” He loved her subtle wittiness. “Don’t worry, you’re the last thing I’ll forget!” He winked and started towards the kitchen downstairs.

  She smiled at his motivation. One of her initial worries was Peter escaping into his old place and putting walls up again. She worried whether the drive he had over the past year would carry along with them on this move.

  Dani had faith it would. Of course, things had gotten so bad leading up to the accident that…No use in rehashing old bitterness.

  She refocused to all the improvements of the past year instead. Peter’s sessions with Dr. Urbridge had pointed him in the right direction. It was his suggestion to pick up a new activity to benefit him physically while serving as a mood stabilizer. Getting back into a pool so soon was out of the question for Peter so he chose running. It quickly became a staple in his daily routine. It reinforced all other aspects of their lives. Their relationship was back on track and Peter was no longer distracted from his writing. In fact, he was excited about it.

  A familiar aroma caught Dani’s nostrils as she made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

  “It smells like home,” Dani said as she pulled up a chair, excited for the egg, cheese and spinach omelet Peter claimed was the best in the world.

  “Not quite yet,” Peter replied. “But it’s getting there…I like the new hair.” It was the first time he acknowledged the subtle change.

  “New start, new hair.” Dani flipped her silky-smooth blonde hair. Much different than her youthful, crunchy hairstyle. It looked professional.

  Peter poured some freshly brewed coffee into Dani’s mug and grinned. “It’s ravishing.”

  Dani blushed as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Ready to mold the minds of the future?” Peter asked as he finished off his omelet.

  “Nervous…” She put her empty plate in the sink. “I’m ready, I just don’t know what to expect.”

  “You’ll do great. If anybody could get sixth graders interested in literature, it’s you.”

  She warmed at the idea as Peter walked her to her car. He opened the door to her charcoal grey SUV parked in the driveway.

  “You got this,” he said as she buckled in.

  “Thanks.” Her nervous expression remained, but she was grateful for his encouragement. “Don’t forget about the clock, please.”

  “Don’t you worry about that.” He tapped the roof as a departing gesture. “You handle the sixth graders and I’ll handle the house.” He closed the door for her.

  Peter watched as Dani drove down the road towards town. It was a brisk Fall morning. Few leaves remained attached to their trees. Instead, most lay scattered about the ground, soaking up moisture of the morning dew. A light mist cast a veil over the Shelly’s new neighborhood and the fog thickened further down the slope of Parkridge Way, until the winding road broke at the river, where the mist was its most dense.

  Though their new house had an incredible view of the Hudson River, it was hard to make out fully right then. It sat on top of the rolling hills of Piermont, leading right into the river. Peter loved this because he could access the best running trails in Rockland County straight out of his front door.

  Headphones dangled from the inside of his hoodie. He found each one and peered into the fog before setting off for his five-mile run. Before setting off into uncharted territory.

  EIGHT

  Looking at himself in the steamy bathroom mirror, Peter followed Dani’s lead and opted for one more change. Grabbing the sparsely used razor from the cabinet, he began shaving his precious beard. A fresh start meant a clean slate in even the smallest of details. The mirror’s reflection framed his new baby-faced look and he grinned with a sense of motivation.

  Peter made quick work of unpacking the rest of the essentials. None of the clothing boxes remained. All shirts, pants and jackets now hung in the closet organized by color. Socks and underwear neatly folded and set away into drawers.

  The few boxes left unopened were labeled “old pictures” and “book ideas”. These remained in the attic until a later time.

  The final order of business before Dani came home was taking care of the grandfather clock. It really was a beautiful piece of furniture and would be a shame to give it away. He would have to consult Dani on the matter when she got home. Peter felt like it belonged. Regardless of the clock’s beauty, it did need to be silenced.

  Peter measured up the clock. It stood slightly taller than him at around six feet. He pulled it away from the wall, giving himself enough space to fit behind to access the back. The rear door featured a small woo
den knob which, when pulled, granted access to the inner workings. Peter took a moment to study the mechanics when he discovered all the wires seem to have already been tampered with. They were neatly tied together and taped to the inside wall of the clock with black electrical tape.

  Peter undid the wires from the tape, confirming that although they were still intact, they had been disabled. At least there was an attempt at disabling them. Peter fetched a pair of wire cutters which he had unpacked earlier in the day and made quick work of the wires. He tried to be as neat as possible, as not to disrupt the overall integrity of the circuitry. If cut the right way, they could easily be restored. It would be a shame to destroy something so beautiful.

  After carefully dissecting the wires, Peter applied a fresh layer of tape and stuck them back to the inside wall. Most of his work for the day was complete and Dani would be arriving home from work at any minute.

  #

  Dani’s SUV pulled into the driveway, as expected, just after 5 p.m. Peter was putting the finishing touches to the living room. After his run, he’d spent a good amount of time exploring the attic, getting acquainted with some of the remnants left behind by the previous owner. Peter hoped the grandfather clock especially would make it to the final layout of the home. If Dani approved, of course.

  “Welcome, my lady,” Peter playfully greeted Dani at the door. “I hope you’re ready for the grand tour of our brand-new home.” He did his best impression of one of those overly excited gameshow hosts. It would be a tall order to convince Dani of keeping some of the items of interest that had been left behind. With enough charm, he believed he’d be able to sell her on the idea.

  “Oh! I’m sorry,” Dani started, playing along. “I think I picked the wrong door. I meant door number three...” She jokingly began to backtrack towards the door, pretending to leave before turning to Peter again, beaming. She studied Peter and the work he put into the house. “I see you’ve had a busy day today.”

  “Yes, I did!” Peter responded proudly. “Also, too bad about the door. You get the same thing no matter what you picked.” He took Dani’s suit jacket and bag, placing them on the nearest high-backed chair.

  “This is different.” Dani caressed Peter’s freshly beardless face. “I don’t know how I feel about it.”

  “Me either but hey, it’s a fresh start. Now, if you’ll follow me this way through the kitchen and dining area. I know you’re mostly familiar with this area already…not much has changed, except for the table of course.”

  Dani glanced back, blushing. “I’m glad to see you had time to order flowers.” She pointed out the arrangement of flowers now displayed on the dining room table.

  Peter winked. “I also want to bring attention to the once noisy but nonetheless stunning grandfather clock. Since the noise issue has been fixed, I believe it would make a lovely addition to our living room.” He brought his A-game in salesmanship. He almost became a different person, as his previously undiscovered talent in acting shone through.

  Dani went for Peter’s bait and agreed to keep the clock.

  “That, on the other hand”—Dani nodded in the table’s direction which was pushed up against the far wall—“has to go.” A typewriter sat on top of the table, exactly in the center. It was an older, up-right aluminum model which had seen its fair share of stories. Certainly better days as well.

  “Maybe we can talk about it?” Peter suggested as he approached the old piece of writing equipment. “I kind of like what it adds to the room. Gives it a rustic feel, no?”

  Dani just shook her head.

  “Alright,” Peter went on. “Well, honestly, it also covers up this ugly stain on the table.” He pushed the typewriter back from its original position revealing a gross-looking stain running deep into table’s surface.

  “The table can go too, then,” Dani answered quickly.

  “Hm.” His brow wrinkled in disappointment. “Let’s move on. If you’ll follow me upstairs, you’ll notice my office with the breathtaking view.”

  Dani peered in…Breathtaking it was. The room boasted two large windows which overlooked the lake. The desk sat directly in the center of the room to allow for the perfect view.

  “To conclude our tour” —Peter blustered, guiding Dani along—“this final hallway leads to the master bedroom, as you already know.”

  Dani followed along attentively.

  “This here leads to the attic.” Peter pointed out the string dangling from the ceiling. “I found some interesting things up there today that I want to show you.”

  “No,” Dani said sharply.

  The disappointment grew on Peter’s face, his lips puckering and his eyebrows drooping.

  “There was this old chest. It had some weight to it. I’m thinking there must be something valuable inside. I just wasn’t able to find the k”—

  “I said no.” Dani started to walk off.

  Peter’s silence drew her back.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just don’t want anymore unwanted surprises. I’d be willing to give things a chance…just be careful.”

  NINE

  “How was your first day of school my caped crusader?” Olivia glanced at the rearview mirror to catch her son’s answer.

  He sat there quietly staring out the window at the trees passing by. His hair fluttered in the breeze from the open slit.

  Eventually, he shrugged his shoulders in response.

  “It couldn’t be that bad honey, come on, did you make any friends?”

  “No.”

  “Well you know you’re supposed to make friends at school. You can ask the other kids if they like Iron Man too.”

  Johnathan still quietly looked out the window.

  “I don’t want to go back,” he finally blurted out.

  Olivia snapped her gaze once more to the rearview mirror feeling the sadness in Johnathan’s tiny voice. She wanted to stop the car and tell him everything would be alright. Of course it would be.

  “I know it’s scary honey, but school is a good thing, and you’ll make a lot of friends.”

  “Lauren told me it’s not. She said parents’ only send their kids to school when they want to get rid of them.”

  “Well Lauren is probably afraid just like you are. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s big changes for you guys!”

  Johnathan broke his focus from the window and studied his mom driving.

  “I don’t like her.”

  TEN

  The alarm went off at 6 a.m. like it had the previous morning. Peter swung his feet onto the hardwood floor by the third ring, ready to start the day. Today, he jumped into his routine with a purpose. It would be the first full day in which writing was his priority instead of unpacking. As Dani reached for the snooze button, Peter had already backtracked to give her a quick good morning kiss. A small detail he almost overlooked out of excitement for the day ahead.

  Fifteen minutes later, Dani waved him goodbye from the SUV. Her lips curled into a smile as she felt content with this new life. Although her ultimate goal was to teach high school literature, this was a start. One she didn’t think would be possible without Peter’s leap of faith idea to move to a new town. Sometimes his impetuous nature brought its benefits.

  Peter slipped his headphones in, taking off for his morning run. He ran the same route as he had yesterday. This time around he took proper notice of Piermont’s idea of a village. And what a beautiful village it was. The roads were maintained to a higher standard than they were back home in Brooklyn…scratch that.

  “This is home now.” Peter reminded himself as he kept up his pace. It was a thought he needed to get used to. One he needed to accept.

  He navigated the twists and turns, taking note of each passing home, every last one beautiful yet being swallowed by the morning fog as it began to increase, making it hard to see. Every lawn appeared perfectly manicured. Every window pane painted white. Peter’s curiosity urged him to glace upward to catch a peek inside, but the g
rowing, heavy mist made it impossible.

  Piermont seemed to be the ideal place to live. Quaint neighborhood with a view of the Hudson River to die for. It also boasted a nice balance of quiet town and city. Much of the village was accessible simply by walking. Every detail was executed to perfection, down to the lines in the pavement. Each one separated by an equal distance. Peter knew this because every fifth stride he took matched evenly with the beginning of a new stripe of white on the pavement.

  Peter did his best to overcome the impulse to count strides. That was his watch’s job. He would check it at the end of every run. It fed him information like number of strides, average heartrate and total distance. He caught himself counting periodically and became flustered.