by Amy Cross
Behind her, where she'd been leaning, there were now several dark patches that she'd left on the wall.
She immediately stopped on the ladder's first step and flinched as she felt a sharp pain in her left leg. She was used to the pain, of course, although now it seemed to be radiating through her entire body. Reaching down, she felt her belly, and for a moment it seemed as if something sharp was poking through her blouse. She took a moment to gather her senses, before wincing as she started climbing again. She hadn't anticipated getting so out-of-breath, but by the time she hauled herself into the dark attic she was not only struggling to breathe, she'd also developed a nasty cramp in her gut. Rolling onto her side, she waited for the worst of the discomfort to pass, and then she realized that she'd neglected to bring a flashlight.
Turning, she looked along the dark attic, but she could see nothing at all. She reached back and pulled the ladder up, and then she carefully closed the hatch while making sure to leave it so she could open it again easily.
Getting to her feet, she balanced cautiously in the darkness, making sure to stay on the main beams. She took a couple of limping steps forward, shivering slightly in the cold air, and then she reached out and grabbed one of the roof beams, supporting herself as she glanced back over her shoulder. The only light came from the hatch itself, but the rest of the attic was impossible to make out. Looking around, she told herself that most likely the Goldmans hadn't brought most of their belongings to the house yet, but those suitcases had been large enough to cover the essentials. Taking a pained step forward, she spotted one of the suitcases tucked away next to the wall, and she immediately realized she might have found her prize.
After all, why would they put a suitcase in the attic? It made no sense, and she could only assume that they were trying to hide something.
Stepping over onto another of the main beams, she made her way to the suitcase and then crouched down. Placing the bone between her teeth, she took hold of the suitcase and turned it around until it was on its side, and then she started fumbling with the lock. Fortunately, whoever had shut the suitcase had neglected to close the combination system properly, and she couldn't help smiling as she realized that they'd made such a rookie mistake. With trembling, painful fingers, she began to unzip the case's sides, and then she pulled the lid open, only to find nothing inside. She reached in and double-checked, but sure enough the case was completely empty.
“Satisfied now?” she heard Harry's voice ask.
“Go to blazes,” she muttered out loud, before flinching as she realized she'd said something so awful to her beloved late husband. “I didn't mean that,” she added, “I just -”
Stopping suddenly, she realized she was in danger of being overheard. Sure enough, a moment later she realized there was something happening in one of the downstairs rooms, and she turned to look at the hatch just as she heard the sound of someone wandering along below. Holding her breath, Patricia listened to the sound of a door creaking open and shut, and then she waited. About half a minute later, she heard a toilet flushing.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Hey,” she heard Mr. Goldman saying down below, “you okay?”
She waited.
“Is he talking to me?” she wondered.
“Fine,” Alexandra replied. “I just needed the bathroom.”
Patricia let out a sigh of relief.
“I thought I heard a noise,” Mr. Goldman said, “but I guess it was just you.”
“I hope our furniture finally arrives tomorrow. It's creepy with everything so bare. Was that wall always so dirty? It's like it's stained or something.”
“It'll be okay here, you know,” the husband continued. “I know you don't exactly love the neighborhood, but I think it's fine. It's not the Hamptons, but it's not a ghetto either. And once we get back on our feet, we can buy a house in a better part of town.”
“What are you talking about?” Patricia whispered. “Waffingham Heights is the envy of the entire state!”
“Come on,” she heard Mr. Goldman saying. “Back to bed. We don't want to wake the kids.”
Once the couple had returned to their room, Patricia waited, giving them time to get back to sleep. Finally, she stowed the suitcase away and began to crawl through the darkness, making for the far end of the attic. She could see nothing at all now, so she moved slowly and carefully, while regularly reaching out to ensure that she didn't bump into anything. Finally she felt the cold wall, and she stopped for a moment. Taking the bone from her mouth, she used her teeth to grind at some of the remaining meat, which she then pulled away in a long, sticky strip. The bone was bare now, so she slipped it into her pocket and then pulled out another, which she'd brought as back-up. This bone was thick with juicy meat, and she eagerly chewed several large chunks away. The meat made her feel better and helped her focus on the task at hand.
“What are you hiding?” she whispered finally, filled with a greater sense of determination than ever. “Who are you people? Why have you moved into -”
“Mommy?” a little girl's voice shouted suddenly from downstairs. “Mommy, I heard something!”
She heard footsteps running, and a door being pushed open.
“Come on,” Alexandra said after a moment. “Let's go take a look around. You're just scared because it's a new house.”
“No, Mommy, I really heard something. I think there's someone in the house!”
“What's wrong?” Mr. Goldman's voice called out.
“Nothing,” Alexandra replied. “I'm just going to take Emma for a little tour so she can see there's no reason to be scared. We'll be back up in a minute.”
“Lucy's lame,” the pudgy son complained.
“Back to bed!” Alexandra said firmly. “I mean it, Bobby!”
Crawling quickly but quietly across the beams, Patricia stopped at the hatch and peered down through the crack. A moment later, she saw Alexandra and Emma walking below, hand-in-hand, but neither of them looked up.
“Let's start downstairs,” she heard Alexandra saying, sounding tired. “Come on, sweetheart. There's nothing to be afraid of. Mommy's going to show you.”
Staying completely still, Patricia listened to the sound of mother and daughter heading downstairs. She knew she just had to wait until they went back to bed, but at the same time she was finding it hard not to panic. Chewing on her fresh bone, she was at least able to focus for a few minutes on the juicy, succulent meat. After a short while, however, she felt her teeth grinding against nothing but bone. Slipping the bone back into her pocket, she fumbled around for a moment before pulling out a fresh meal, and she quickly started chewing at the meat.
“You ran out of food a few weeks ago, Patty,” Harry's voice whispered. “Remember? Where are you getting the meat?”
“I had some saved,” she said out loud.
“You ran out of that too. Remember when you were frantically going through the freezer? Why couldn't you have just gone to the store, like a normal person? Why did you have to do this instead?”
Turning, she scurried through the darkness, figuring that she might as well check for any more suitcases. She stopped after a moment, however, realizing that she should stay completely still. Turning again, she began to wonder whether she'd truly explored every nook and cranny of the attic, so she crawled in a different direction, before changing course again, and then turning, her mind spinning as she thought of ideas. Finally, she crawled forward and -
Suddenly she slipped from the beam. Unable to stop herself in time, she crashed through the ceiling and landed below in a pile of plaster and smoke, with more debris raining down as dust filled the air. Not daring to move for a moment, with a bone still gripped in her teeth, she realized she'd landed on something soft, and finally she realized it was a bed. She blinked a couple of times as the dust cleared, and slowly she saw the horrified face of the family's little boy staring at her.
And then he screamed.
“Mom!” he yelled, clamb
ering off the bed. “Mom! Help! Mom, she's here!”
He ran out of the room, leaving Patricia crouched on the bed. Looking up, she saw the hole through which she'd fallen, and then she heard voices shouting and people running toward the door. Filled with panic, she scurried off the bed and ran across the room, just as the other members of the Goldman family arrived and stared at her in horror.
“Gross!” the son shouted, covering his eyes. “She's naked!”
Pushing past them, Patricia scurried along the corridor and then clattered down the stairs, almost tripping several times before slamming into the wall at the bottom and letting out a shriek of panic.
“What the hell is wrong with her?” a voice stammered at the top of the stairs. “It's looks like she's... her body, what the...”
Covering her face with her hands, Patricia ran down into the basement and then out through the door that led up into the garden. She tripped and fell, landing hard on her knees against the damp grass, but she immediately stumbled to her feet and ran across the lawn. She could hear voices shouting in the distance, but by the time she got to her front door she was starting to think that perhaps the Goldmans hadn't recognized her, and that the whole fuss would be discreetly forgotten by morning. Once she was safely back in her own home, she leaned back against the wall and struggled to get her breath back. Her heart was pounding and she felt she might collapse, but gradually over the space of a few minutes she managed to pull herself together.
Staggering through to the kitchen, she stopped suddenly as she saw that the place was a complete mess. Brown, yellow and dark red smears covered the walls, and there were bloodied footprints all over the floor. She blinked a few times, which was usually enough to make things go back to normal, but this time the horrific image persisted. Rubbing her eyes, she dug her knuckles deep into the sockets until the pain was too much, and then she looked again.
She breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that the kitchen was back to normal. Beautiful drapes and clean walls, and all those wonderful tea-cups hanging from their neat little hooks.
Perfect.
Just the way Harry had left it.
Feeling a little weak, Patricia stumbled to the table and sat down. Her mind was racing, but she quickly put all thoughts of the wretched Goldmans out of her mind. She was right, they were weird, and she'd just have to find another way to prove it. After all, she couldn't possibly let such uncouth people live next door. They'd bring the tone of the neighborhood down, and property prices would soon start to tumble.
Closing her eyes, Patricia paused for a moment before leaning forward, almost doubling over. She felt a sharp pain around her waist, and she began to let out a slow, agonized groan as the pain became stronger and stronger. Just when she thought she could stand it no longer, however, the pain faded and she sat up straight again. She hesitated, before looking down and seeing that the kitchen table was now set, and a beautiful, plump steak was waiting on a plate.
Already starting to feel better, she picked up the knife and fork and began to cut a slice from the side of the steak. Her hands were shaking more than ever, but she knew she'd be okay. She just needed to calm down and wait until morning.
“What the hell are you doing?” Harry asked.
She tried to force his voice out of her head, but somehow he seemed stronger this time. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as she tried again.
“Look at you,” he continued. “When I was here, I managed to keep on top of things. I knew how to handle you, Patty, and I worked hard to keep you more or less on the right path. And now look. A couple of years without me, and you're a mess.”
“You shouldn't have left,” she whimpered, sniffing back more tears. “Why did you leave?”
“I couldn't put up with you anymore,” he replied. “There's only so much one person can do to keep another one together. I saw this coming, Patty. I knew you were gonna end up in a bad state, although I never realized quite how bad. It's about time you started facing reality.”
She reached down to start eating her steak, but her hands were trembling furiously.
“Where'd you get the meat from, Patty?” he asked.
She paused, before looking across the table and seeing Harry sitting opposite.
“Harry...”
“Where'd you get the meat?”
“I...” She thought for a moment. “From the freezer...”
He shook his head.
“Yes,” she continued, “I'm sure, it was... I got it from the freezer...”
“You did at first,” he replied, “but it ran out a few months ago, didn't it? So where'd you get the meat after that?”
She swallowed hard. “Harry, please...”
“It's not even really me,” he continued. “That's how insane you've become. Even when you imagine me, you know what I'd be saying to you if I was here.” He paused, staring at her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. “Where'd you get the meat, Patty? You've really gone too far tonight, with all your adventures next door. Your little fantasy world isn't gonna last much longer.”
“Harry...”
“Where'd you get the meat?”
Trying to ignore him, she raised a slice of steak to her mouth and slipped it between her lips, even as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Where'd you get the meat?” he asked again.
“You're being horrid to me,” she whimpered, barely able to chew.
“Where'd you get the meat, Patty?” he continued. “Come on, admit it. Where'd you get the -”
She blinked, and he was gone. She froze for a moment, before looking across the table and seeing no sign of him. She glanced around the kitchen, but everything looked absolutely perfect. The wallpaper, the hooks with the tea-cups, the clean, pristine sideboards. Everything was as beautiful and tidy as it had been all those years ago, on the day when Harry had left.
Smiling, she began to carve another slice of meat.
Eight
“Okay, M'am,” Officer Lucas replied with a sigh, “well... I mean, we can certainly go and have a word with her. From what you and your kids have said, it sounds like she's been causing you a lot of trouble.”
“I don't want you to upset her,” Alexandra said, glancing over toward the house next door. “I'm sure she's a...” Her voice trailed off for a moment as she tried to think of a nice way to describe Mrs. Offerman. “We'd just prefer it if she left the children alone,” she continued diplomatically. “My daughter in particular is kinda sensitive. I don't want you to arrest her, and she doesn't even need to pay for the damage, but we really need her to keep away.”
“A lot of people would want the book thrown at her.”
“She just looked so...” She hesitated, struck for a moment by the terrible state of the next house along. Waffingham Heights was well known as one of the area's less pleasant streets, but still, Mrs. Offerman's house stood out as a dilapidated eyesore. “I don't think she's well,” she added finally. “Mentally or physically. You should have seen the state of her. She was naked, and it was like... her arms and legs, her whole body was just... I mean, pieces were...”
Her voice trailed off, as if she couldn't bring herself to describe the woman.
“We'll have a word,” Lucas told her with a smile. “Don't worry, I'm sure this'll all die down real soon.”
Once Alexandra had gone back inside and shut the door, Lucas and his partner, Dan Brady, wandered down the steps and across the driveway. Lucas glanced over his shoulder, to make sure that there was no chance of them being overheard.
“So you didn't feel like you should tell her?” Brady asked.
“Tell her what? That her next-door neighbor's the local freak?”
“More than a freak,” Brady pointed out, as they stopped for a moment and looked at the Offerman house. “Remember that time about a year ago when -”
“I remember,” Lucas replied, interrupting him, “but I'm sure the old woman's just eccentric. She's not actually going to hurt anyone. I mean,
she's in her sixties. She's just some harmless old dear who went a little nutty.”
They stood in silence for a moment, still watching the house, before finally Brady sighed.
“Are we gonna go do this, then?”
“We're gonna go do this,” Lucas continued, before heading across the driveway and up the steps that led to Mrs. Offerman's front door. Still, he hesitated for a moment before knocking, and he grimaced as if he was physically repulsed by the idea of speaking to the old woman. “God,” he muttered, “I hope her house doesn't stink as much as last year.”
“You think she's alright in the head?” Brady asked.
At this, they both chuckled.
“I spoke to her ex-husband this morning,” Lucas said with a smile. “A guy named Harry Offerman, lives on the other side of town. He said he hasn't had any contact with her for more than three years, but he reckoned she was losing her mind long before he moved out. He painted quite the picture. Apparently she even bit him.”
“Seriously?”
“Several times.”
“Jesus. Some people, huh?”
They waited, before Lucas knocked again.
“Mrs. Offerman?” he called out. “Are you in there, M'am? We're from the local police department, we just want to have a quick word with you.” He waited, but still there was no reply. “You're not in any trouble, M'am, but we really need to talk to you about your neighbors. About an incident that occurred last night.”
They waited.
Silence.
“Maybe she's out,” Brady suggested.
“I heard she hasn't been seen in town for more than a year,” Lucas replied, taking a step back from the door. “God, doesn't it make you feel a little sad? Some old lady, left alone like this, probably just rattling around all day with no-one to talk to. I spoke to the guy who runs the local store, he said about a year ago she started going in and buying loads of frozen food, like she was stockpiling it or something. Still, she must have run out by now, so what the hell has she been eating? It's crazy how some people just go spiraling off the deep end.”