“What I didn’t know is that she’d already attempted to have the house blessed twice before,” Father Wynan continued. “I started going through the house, and I began to feel uncomfortable. What I felt is hard to describe, but if I had to choose a word, I’d say it was foreboding. As I went from room to room, I felt a rising dread, and a knot beginning to form in my stomach. By the time I reached the rooms on the top floor I was completely unnerved, let me tell you. The air seemed thick, and everywhere you looked, things were wrong. I don’t mean things were in the wrong place. I mean it felt wrong. You know how things are supposed to feel. The rooms in that house felt completely foreign, as strange as if I was walking on another planet. I know that must sound bizarre to you gentlemen, but I’m telling you, it was unearthly – like I was in a mental fog. And there was movement in the air. I couldn’t see it, but I could feel it, I could feel the air pressure change as things moved by, in front of me. I remember reading something about that type of thing back when I was in the seminary. Definitely evil, something not of God. It scared me then, when I was young, and it scared me when I was in that house.” He stopped, and sighed. “You must think I’m insane.”
“No, not at all,” Steven said. “Please continue.”
“Well, if you’re friends of Dixon, I expect you have some knowledge of these kinds of things. Dixon always seemed to. I’m very wary of it, I don’t like the dark feelings associated with this kind of evil. So, anyway, I finished up the blessing as quickly as I could, and walked back downstairs. I found it much easier to breathe down there, though the feeling of dread was still present.”
“Could you sense the movement when you were downstairs?” Roy asked.
“No,” Father Wynan replied, “that was only upstairs. In the rooms.”
“Please, go on,” Roy said.
“Well, she asked if I would come by and visit them in a day or two, to check up on them. I could tell she was troubled – something was weighing on her mind that she didn’t tell me. I said I would, and left. Went back a couple of days later. This visit was also in the daytime, right around supper, like the last visit. Got the same feeling when I entered the house. The girls were upstairs playing while we visited downstairs in the living room. Several times I heard a banging from upstairs, and Barbara would comment on how loud the children were. I could tell something was wrong, so I asked her if she needed help. She broke down in front of me, saying she thought there was something evil in the house. She described several things they had noticed that disturbed them; windows that opened on their own, shadows on walls that shouldn’t be there. She was afraid for her oldest daughter. She said her daughter related frightening stories of events in her bedroom. At first they tried to dismiss it all, but she seemed worn out, tired of trying to find excuses for the strange events. Then, I saw it.”
Father Wynan paused, sat up in his chair, and cleared his throat. He looked perplexed and anxious.
“You saw what?” Steven prompted.
“You’ll think I’m crazy, but I saw something in my peripheral vision, above me. I glanced up, and a girl’s face was in the ceiling, sticking out of it. She saw me looking at her, and she pulled back into the ceiling, and was gone. I was terrified. It was as though it was eavesdropping on us, and when it realized I’d seen it, it hid. Gives me chills to recall it.”
Steven looked at Roy, who turned to look at Steven in response. He saw the side of Roy’s mouth hidden from Father Wynan curl into a smile.
“I knew, from that moment on, that something way out of my league was in that house,” Father Wynan continued. “I stopped trying to find rational explanations for the things Barbara described, and instead looked for ways to combat it. I’m afraid I’ve not been very successful so far. I was hoping that by calling Dixon he’d have some approach that could help. Perhaps you two have some idea of what is happening?”
“How long ago did you see the face?” Roy asked.
“Two weeks ago,” Father Wynan replied. “I tried everything in the book that I know to do. The poor girl, Georgina, that’s the oldest daughter, she’s going through hell. One day everything is fine, the next she’s terrorized. Things seem centered on her.”
“Did you encounter any other phenomena?” Steven asked. “Anything else unusual?”
“It was very hit and miss,” Father Wynan said. “I’d visit one day and things seemed normal, though the family was always on edge. I’d visit another day, and they’d be very upset. I only saw one other thing, the last time I visited, and it…”
He paused, looking down at his hands in his lap.
“…I’m not sure I should relate it to you. It’s the kind of thing that makes one sound like a raving lunatic.”
“We’ve heard worse, I assure you,” Roy said. “If we’re going to help, we need to know what you’ve seen.”
“Well, the last visit I made there, three days ago,” Father Wynan said, still looking down, “I was visiting with Georgina in her room. She was sitting on her bed with several dolls arranged in a circle. I was standing by the bed, talking to her, and I felt a change in temperature, like when you’re standing in the sun, and something casts a shadow on you, and you lose the heat. It felt like it was behind me, so I turned away from the girl to see what was there. Nothing. When I turned back…”
Again he paused. Steven and Roy waited while he gathered his courage to speak.
“…when I turned back, she was no longer on the bed. She was on the wall, naked, upside down. There were spikes – they looked like railroad spikes – in her feet and hands, pinning her to the wall. She’d been crucified. She was staring at me with her mouth open, trying to scream, but nothing came out. I stepped back in shock. I remembered stepping on something, a toy on the ground, and I looked down, trying not to lose my balance. When I looked back up, she was back on the bed, just as before – playing with her dolls, looking at me as though nothing had happened. I excused myself and left. I’m afraid that when I reached Barbara downstairs, I was so distressed at what I’d seen that I told her I wouldn’t be able to help her any further. Then I left. By the next morning I was feeling so bad about abandoning her and that little girl that I decided to call Dixon and see if he could help.”
“What do you think it is?” Roy asked. “In the house?”
“I have no idea,” Father Wynan said, “I honestly don’t, and I haven’t got the faintest clue what to do about it. I only know it’s evil, and it’s way above my pay grade.”
“Well, it’s not evening yet,” Steven said, checking his watch. “But it will be soon. Do you suppose we could go to the house? Introduce ourselves? Maybe talk with them?”
“I’ll give you directions,” Father Wynan said. “And I’ll call Barbara to tell them you’re coming.”
“You won’t come with us?” Roy asked, standing up.
“I doubt I’ll ever set foot in that house again,” Father Wynan said.
Chapter Two
Steven saw the correctional facility looming over a hill to his left just as they passed a sign warning motorists not to stop for hitchhikers.
“Didn’t know this was out here,” he said.
“Surprised they live so close to it,” Roy replied. “Usually people don’t like prisons in their backyard.”
They drove on another mile before finding the turn into the small outcropping of homes, many situated with a view of Grays Harbor. There were five rows of small streets, arranged on a hill, each lined with houses of differing ages, and a comfortable distance between each. The house that Father Wynan directed them to was on the second street, and looked large and modern.
In addition to an SUV in the driveway, a large white van was parked in front of the house with its back doors open. Steven parked in front of the van, and he and Roy walked to the front door as two men carried a large metallic trunk from the van into the house.
“Can you get the door?” one of the men asked Roy, who was standing next to it. Roy obliged and reached for the door knob,
but it opened before he could reach it. Inside was a short man with a moustache, who held the door open as the two men carried the case inside. He was wearing a white polo shirt with the initials WES embroidered on the front. He started to shut the door when Roy stepped up.
“Excuse me, we’re here to see Barbara,” Roy said.
The man eyed Roy up and down. “Who are you?”
“My name is Roy, and this is my son, Steven. Barbara should be expecting us.”
The short man squinted at them as though he did not believe Roy, but he held the door open. “Come in. She’s in the kitchen.”
Roy stepped in, and Steven quickly followed. It was chaotic inside. There were cables running in all directions on the floor. They stepped over them, walking down a hallway, trying to find the kitchen. People were moving throughout the house and metallic crates were stacked everywhere.
“What’s going on here?” Steven whispered to Roy as they made their way down the hall, avoiding the people and the cables.
“I have no idea,” Roy replied. “Maybe they decided to move?”
“These guys are moving stuff in, not out,” Steven said, glancing into a room as they passed by it. Electronics were spread around the room, wires running everywhere. He saw light stands, control panels – even a parabolic dish. “They’re not movers.”
Roy found the kitchen and walked inside. It was quieter than the other rooms. A woman was sitting on a stool at a counter, looking dejectedly into a cup of coffee that she held between both hands.
“Barbara?” Roy asked.
She looked up, and Steven saw how deeply worried she looked – the weeks of stress and sleepless nights were evident. Underneath the worry was a pretty, young face. She stood up. “You must be Roy?” she said, extending her hand.
“I am,” Roy said, taking her hand. “And this is Steven. He’s my son.”
“I have to admit, I was a little surprised to get Father Wynan’s call. I figured he was out of the picture.”
“We just came from his place,” Roy said. “I think he feels a little guilty about running out on you the other night. He made a few calls, and here we are.”
“Well, as you can see, you’re not the only ones!” Barbara said. “Brad – that’s my husband – called in these people. Some ghost hunting outfit from Seattle. They claim to be able to eradicate everything from a house. Not bugs or mice, mind you. Just spirits.”
“You seem skeptical,” Roy said.
“Would you like some coffee?” she said, smiling at them. “I just made a pot.”
“Would love some,” Roy replied.
“Please, sit,” she said, motioning to the stools at her kitchen counter. As she poured them both a mug, they could hear the men in the other rooms banging equipment and hollering at each other.
“It seems impressive, all this stuff,” Barbara said. “Cream? Sugar?”
“No, thank you,” Roy replied. “I guess after Father Wynan said he couldn’t do any more to help, you decided to call in these folks?”
“It was more Brad’s idea. Calling in the church was my approach. He said that since the church couldn’t handle it, we needed to step it up. I’m not sure this is going to be any better. I don’t have a lot of faith in contraptions and gizmos.”
“Me neither,” Roy said.
“Father Wynan told you what’s been happening? Here in this house?” she asked.
“He gave us a rundown on his involvement,” Steven said. “Sure would like to hear your side of things, however.”
“Barbara, can you come here for a moment?” a voice came from the room behind them. Steven recognized it as the short man at the front door.
“Excuse me,” she said, placing her cup of coffee on the counter. “I’ll be right back.” She walked out from behind the counter and into the next room.
Steven and Roy drank their coffee for a moment, then Barbara walked back into the kitchen with the man in tow. “This is ridiculous,” she said. “If you want to know who they are, just ask them!”
The short man followed Barbara and stood at the side of the counter next to Steven and Roy.
“Steven, Roy, this is Samuel White, owner of White’s Eradication Services, from Seattle. Sam, this is Steven and Roy.”
“Nice to meet you,” Roy said, nodding.
“What are you doing here?” Sam asked tersely.
“Visiting with Barbara,” Roy replied. “What are you doing here?”
“We’re in the middle of a delicate operation,” Sam said, sweat beading up on his forehead, “and it would be best if the family had some privacy while we work.”
“What kind of work?” Steven asked.
“It’s a private matter between myself and the Winters.”
Roy turned to Barbara. “Your last name is Winters?” he asked, surprised.
“It is, why?”
“Oh, nothing,” Roy said. “We’re good friends with someone who shares your last name. She lives in California.”
“There’s certainly a lot of us around,” Barbara said, smiling. “Sam here is setting up equipment to try and figure out what’s been happening in our house.”
Sam looked flustered. “Barbara, I’d advise you not to talk any further to these men. They’re not part of the operation.”
“They’re friends of our priest,” Barbara replied. “He referred them to me.”
“We talked about this before,” Sam said with just a hint of condescension. “Priests can’t solve this.”
“You may be right,” Barbara replied. “But what does it hurt to have two more people working on it? If they’re willing to help, I’m not turning them away.”
“We have a lot of delicate equipment in there,” Sam said pointing to the next room, his face starting to turn pink. “I can’t guarantee anything if they interfere with things.”
“As I understand it, you’re not guaranteeing anything, anyway,” Barbara said, sipping from her mug. “You told my husband there were no guarantees at all. Even with all the money he’s paying you.”
“This type of work is highly variable,” Sam replied. “Things can’t always be predicted accurately.” Sam stopped for a moment, and eyed Steven and Roy warily. “Their presence here while we work could jeopardize the results.”
“It’s my house,” Barbara said. “They’re my guests. I guess you’ll have to factor them into things.”
Sam turned in a huff and walked out of the room, giving Roy and Steven a sour glance as he passed.
“Well, he’s an interesting fellow,” Roy said.
“He’s a little shit is what he is,” Barbara said, lowering her voice. “He’s been here all day, nipping at me like a little chihuahua under my legs. When Brad gets home, we’re gonna have a talk.”
“It doesn’t sound like you have much confidence in him,” Steven said quietly.
“I’m not going to turn away any help,” Barbara said. “I’m desperate. Maybe what he’s doing with the gadgets will work. I don’t know. So far, nothing has worked, so I’m willing to try anything. Which is why I wasn’t going to kick you two out just on his say so. Like he owns the place!” She rolled her eyes.
Steven could tell that Roy liked Barbara. She was his kind of person – didn’t take shit from anyone.
“We were hoping to get your side of things,” Steven said. “As we mentioned, Father Wynan told us what he knew.”
“He’s a scared man, isn’t he?” Barbara asked. “I’d have found it odd if two priests before him hadn’t had the same reaction. You look at this place from the outside, you’d never guess it could frighten away three priests, would you?”
“Well, that’s hard to say,” Roy replied. “We’ve encountered some unusual things in very normal places.”
“Have you?” Barbara asked, genuinely intrigued. “That lot in there wouldn’t give me any references or history, something to suggest they knew what they were doing, or were good at it. Have you had some experience with this type of thing?”
/> “We’ve had experience with a variety of unusual things,” Roy replied. “Hauntings, mainly. I’d say we were successful in most cases. But I couldn’t really say if we’ve had experience with your particular problem, since we don’t know the details yet.”
“See, that’s a hundred and eighty degrees from the song and dance the bozos in the other room gave my husband,” Barbara said. “They’d sold him a ‘ghost cleaning package’ before he’d told them a single thing about what has happened here.”
“Well, we can’t promise anything, either,” Roy said. “But if you’ll tell us what’s been going on, we’ll see what we can do.”
Barbara looked past them for a moment, then grabbed her coffee cup and the pot from the coffee machine. “Follow me, would you?” She walked out of the kitchen, down the hallway filled with cables, and up the stairs. Steven and Roy followed, bringing their coffee along. She stopped on the second floor and went down another hall, and into a bedroom.
Inside, a king size bed sat haphazardly in the middle of the room, its covers nearly made. On the opposite side was an entrance to a bathroom. Barbara shut the bedroom door behind them once they’d entered, then walked the pot of coffee to the bathroom, where she removed a washcloth and placed it on a counter. She sat the hot coffee pot on the washcloth.
“That little man was listening to us in the kitchen,” she said. “I could see his head poking from around the wall. I wouldn’t mind him hearing what I’m about to tell you, but I don’t like being eavesdropped on like that!”
The Haunting at Grays Harbor (The River Book 8) Page 2