It was hard to see everything. Only spears of light pierced through the boards covering the window, leaving the far corners deep in shadow. When Barry’s flashlight roamed over the room, she was able to see the stove and an over-turned wooden chair. Layers of dust and dirt coated every surface. Spider webs floated from the ceiling and clung to every piece of furniture.
“Shine the light on the table so I can get some pictures.” Grace held her cell phone up and a series of bright flashes of light sliced through the air. She nodded to Barry as she moved around the room aiming the cell phone camera, following the beam of his flashlight.
All the while Emma stood stock still, hardly breathing watching her cousin. Hopefully this ordeal would be over soon. It wasn’t just the dirt and decay, there was an uneasiness in the house, like they were being watched. A couple times she glanced to the side, sure she’d seen something move, but found only still shadows.
“Let’s see the upstairs!” Grace pocketed her phone and then grasped Barry’s arm, tugging him along beside her for the light.
Mike must have sensed Emma’s unease because he slipped his hand over hers, pointing his light on the floor so they could see where they were walking behind the other two.
“Thanks.” Emma’s voice was a hoarse whisper when she looked up into his eyes. The look he shot her, nodding showed a silent tension. Why were they even in there? Their intrusion was disrespectful as well as downright scary. People died here!
Even Grace and Barry were hushed, their feet slow and quiet as they walked up the old stairs. The creaks of the wood were like low groans as they climbed.
At the top step, Emma looked down a narrow hallway where three doors on each side gaped open. The windows on that floor were uncovered and it was easier to see with the daylight shining in. An ancient threadbare carpet ran the length of the hall and cobwebs crouched in the corners high above. Grace and Barry slipped through the first door to the left and Emma looked up at Mike, nodding to the other door, the one on the right.
She sighed. Tufts of gray stuffing and horse hair protruded from the torn striped fabric of a slim mattress, hanging askew on an iron bed frame. From the stained and faded wallpaper of pink roses, it looked like the room was used by a girl—probably a girl, the same age as she was. Her shoulders slumped lower. How sad.
Emma wandered over to an ebony wooden dresser where a hairbrush and comb still sat on the top. The hairbrush was tarnished black with a few silver swirls in the design of the handle peeking through. Her hand rose and as she was about to touch it, a resounding ‘No’ reverberated in her head. She drew back quickly, staring at the hairbrush while her fingers tingled. What the...
“Ready?” Mike cleared his throat and turned, to leave.
It was enough to bring her back to the present. “Yes.” She took a deep breath and followed him down the hall and into another bedroom, this one larger than the first. There was a double bed and two sets of dressers and a wardrobe.
“This had to be the parents’ room, don’t you think?” Mike walked over to the far wall and opened a narrow door. He shone the flashlight inside. “Hmmm...not much in here, just an empty closet.”
Creak!
Emma spun around, looking through the open door. “What was that?” It had come from the stairway. Her heart was in her mouth!
Mike’s blue eyes were rimmed with white as he strode by her. “Who’s there?”
Grace and Barry were just coming from the first room when Emma stepped out into the hallway. She looked spooked out as well, with her fingers fluttering low on her throat.
“It’s just us. Sorry. We wanted to see inside.” Julia led the way up the stairs, no longer trying to be quiet about it. Behind her, Lily was white as a sheet, her eyes gazing quickly around.
Emma’s jaw tightened. “I told you to stay outside! Go back!” They’d scared the hell out of her! And she was the one who wasn’t supposed to believe in this supernatural nonsense! And the way Lily was acting...so quiet and strange, this was the last place that girl should be.
Grace shook her head and looked over at Emma. “Let them stay. Not that we can stop them anyway!” She turned and her eyes were mere slits staring at Julia and Lily. “But be careful! Stay together and make sure you’re in our sight...well at least on the same floor as us, okay?”
“They’ll be fine! C’mon, let’s check out the next room.” Barry reached for Grace’s arm, leading her down the hallway.
“This is spooky, isn’t it? I mean, it was awful outside but in here...” Julia’s eyes were the size of marbles when she reached the top step. She jerked her head to the side, indicating the first room from the stairway. “What’s in there?”
“It was the Hanson girl’s bedroom. Her name was Irene.”
All three of them turned to gape at Lily. Her voice had been low but the quiet assurance in it, made the hair on Emma’s arms spike.
“How do you know that?” Emma eased forward, standing closer to Mike and watching Lily. “Grace told you about the family, didn’t she?” But that still didn’t explain how she knew the name, Irene?
Lily shrugged her shoulders and there was a forlorn expression on her face. “I just...know. As soon as I stepped inside the house, it came to me.” She stepped by Julia and then went inside the first bedroom.
Julia leaned into her sister, whispering softly. “That was weird.”
“Totally.” It was out of Mike’s mouth before Emma had a chance to say anything. “Let’s check the rest of the upstairs and then get the hell out of here.” He turned to walk to the last room on the side of the hallway they’d started with.
When he stepped inside, his voice rose, “Holy shit!”
Chapter 8
Emma’s hand tightly gripped Julia’s arm. She practically dragged her sister to the last room where Mike had gone. There was no way she was letting Julia out of her sight.
“What is it?” Emma spoke though Mike’s back was to her and he was looking down at the floor on the other side of the room. She hurried over and stood close to him, following his gaze with her eyes.
She jerked back with a gasp. A scattering of toy trucks, tin soldiers and blocks sat on the floor near the window...but it was the doll in the torn gingham dress, the blue eyes open staring blindly at her, that sent a shiver up her spine. The blonde hair was in dirty tufts, showing a pink flesh colour of scalp in places. The mouth of the doll was wrong. It gaped wide at an angle that showed it’d been smashed and torn, never to close again. It looked like it had seen all sorts of horror...or been party to it.
She almost jumped out of her skin at Grace’s touch on her shoulder.
“What did you find?” Grace edged by her and looked down at the doll. “Gross! Imagine having that thing as a toy! Dressing it and playing with the horrible thing. I’d never sleep a wink.”
“No kidding!” Barry had joined the group.
Mike bent forward to pick it up and Emma snapped. “Don’t! Leave it alone!” It was the same feeling that’d she’d had with the hair brush. This stuff was bad. She didn’t know why or how she knew it, but she did. “Let’s get out of here.” She spun around and started for the doorway. They shouldn’t be there.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Emma jolted back and her breath caught in her throat. The floor under her feet vibrated with the force of the bangs. Her heart thundered fast in her chest and she froze to the spot.
“What the hell was that?” Barry crouched lower, looking like he was ready to race out of there at any minute.
“Emma?” Julia stepped over to the doorway, her eyes and face panic stricken. She clutched her sister and held her hand. “What was that?”
It was enough to spur Grace into action. “Lily! Where are you?” She shoved past her cousins and Barry, racing out into the hallway. She heaved a slow sigh. “There you are...thank God.”
“It was the front door. It banged shut. We’re not supposed to be here. Now we’re trapped.” Lily’s voice was soft and without e
xpression.
Barry stepped out into the hallway. “What do you mean, we’re trapped? We’re not—”
BANG! Followed by the sound of breaking glass.
“Shit! What was that?” Grace pulled Lily’s arm, bringing her sister close.
“Let’s get out of here! Hurry!” Barry’s feet thundered on the stairs. Grace pulled Lily along, following him quickly.
When Emma stepped forward a flash of silver seemed to protrude out of Lily’s back pocket for a second. But there was no time to give it any thought as she and Julia scrambled to the stairway. When she rounded the landing and could see the front door, Barry was yanking on the handle, trying to pry the door open. The muscles in his tanned arm strained. His other hand hung limp at his side, the blood staining the tissue thoroughly.
“Here! Let me help!” Mike raced by Emma and Julia, running down the rest of the stairs and over to Barry. He shoved his brother aside and his hands closed over the knob.
Emma’s heart was in her mouth watching him work at the door, lifting his foot to brace it against the frame while his arms were tight tendons pulling on the door handle. Beside him, Barry held his hand before his chest, the tissue wrapping his fingers started to drip blood. Oh my God! This was a nightmare!
She stepped down from the last stair, her arm around Julia, holding her tight to her body. “Hurry! We’ve got to get out of here!”
“What about the back door? Maybe we can kick the boards away.” Grace clutched Barry’s arm and urged him along the hallway to the kitchen.
THUD! THUD!
Emma squealed, gripping Julia tight. It was coming from upstairs now! They were trapped! Mike turned at the sound. Sweat rolled down the side of his face and his eyes were like dinner plates.
“Hurry! Just get us out of here!” Julia turned her face into Emma’s shoulder, Her shoulders shook as she cried, clinging to her sister. “Oh God, why did we come in here?”
“GET BACK!” The heavy growl came from the other side of the door.
Oh my God! It sounded like Frank! It was the sweetest sound Emma had ever heard. Help had arrived!
“Emma? Grace? You girls okay?” Her grandfather sounded frantic.
“Grandpa!” Emma and Julia leapt forward, pounding their hands against the door. “Help us! We’re trapped!”
Emma turned at the sound of fast footsteps racing down the hall. Lily stood silently next to the stairs dumbstruck while Grace ran down the hall past her. “Grandpa! Help us!” She slapped the door with both her hands. “We can’t get it open, Grandpa!”
“Stand back! We’ve got a sledge hammer! We’re going to beat the door down.” Again it was Frank’s voice, strong and steady.
Mike and Grace stepped back and he gripped Emma’s arm tugging her and Julia back past the stairwell.
The door shuddered at the pounding of the heavy hammer. Emma huddled Julia’s head beneath her arm and looked up the stairwell. Whatever had banged around up there was quiet...for now. Something strange had made that noise. She shivered picturing what it could be from all the spooky movies she had seen. The house really was haunted. What else could explain it?
At the sound of splintering wood, Emma turned. A shaft of light shone through the hole in the door next to the handle. After more hearty thuds, the door fell open and Grandpa was framed in the bright sunlight outside. He looked scared to death, his leathery face drawn tight with worry.
Julia was the first one through the door, rushing into his arms. “I was so scared, Grandpa! It was coming for us!”
He patted her head, holding her close and his gaze at Emma, looking over Julia’s shoulder, brought tears to her eyes. He’d been so right about the house! If only she’d had the sense to listen to him. She rushed over to him and his arm circled her shoulders.
“Come on! Let’s get going, Lily!” Grace sounded frantic.
Emma turned and looked back through the doorway. Grace was tugging at Lily who moved like she was in some kind of a daze. The poor girl was scared to death, like a deer in the headlights. Behind her cousins, Mike and Barry edged forward, doing everything but shove the girls out of the way.
Grandpa leaned forward to clasp Grace’s arm and then reach to fold Lily to his chest. “Thank God, you’re all right.”
“I’m sorry Grandpa.” Grace had tears in her eyes as she stepped by him and went down the steps.
Frank’s voice was choked up and low. “Not half as sorry as you could have been. Believe me.”
Chapter 9
Later, back at the farm, the girls huddled on the sofa in the living room while their grandfather paced in front of them. Emma had never seen him this angry. His hands clenched and unclenched and his eyes were fierce chips of blue grey steel, scowling at them.
“It’s all my fault, Grandpa. I wanted to see the place. I kind of bullied the others into going with me.” Grace’s voice hitched and her fingers rolled constantly over and over one another.
Hearing Grace, Emma’s head swiveled to stare at her. She was actually willing to take the heat for this? She would never have given her cousin credit for doing anything noble. Up until this moment she always saw Grace as self centered and selfish.
Emma’s shoulders dropped lower and she sighed. “No. That’s not entirely true. I went along with her. But Julia and Lilly aren’t to blame. Please Grandpa, don’t punish them for our mistake.”
“Mistake! No, it wasn’t a mistake! I told you not to go over there and you deliberately disobeyed me!” His eyes were narrow, sparking fire when he looked at Grace and Emma.
Emma sat still as stone, wishing she were anywhere else but facing the wrath of her grandfather. Julia reached over and held her hand.
Nana had been standing just inside the doorway. She stepped forward and put her hand on Grandpa’s arm. “Dan, they’re just kids. And—”
“Exactly! Kids! They could have been hurt!” His hands covered his face and dragged slowly down and he shook his head. When he looked at them again, his face was haggard and lined. “Or worse. If anything had happened to you, I couldn’t live with myself. Now you know why I was so set against you going over there, don’t you?”
Julia leaned forward. “For sure. It really is haunted! There were loud bangs upstairs and then the door slammed shut and wouldn’t open! I thought we were goners! Thank God, you showed up when you did.”
“Thank God and Frank.” Nana’s voice was hushed, unlike Grandpa’s when she spoke. Her chin was lowered and she looked up hesitantly at her husband.
He huffed a short sigh. “You know of course that I have to punish you. You’re grounded for the rest of the week. No beach, no riding the bikes to the village. You’ll stay in our sight until we know that we can trust you again. AND...under no circumstance are you to ever go over to the Hanson farm again.”
“You’re not sending us home?” Emma’s felt her face loosen and a smile begin. If someone had told her a few days ago that she’d be happy to stay on the farm with her cousins, she would have said they were crazy. She sneaked a glance at Grace and Lily. Grace’s eyebrows bobbed high, but Lily was still in kind of a dazed state, sitting there quietly.
“No. I probably should but I’m not going to. I’m so thankful, you got out of that...that horrible place in one piece.” He slumped down into the chair across the room from them and sighed. “As for those boys...I’ll have to give their father a call later. They should have known better than to go over there.”
Emma leaned forward. “But what about Dad and Aunt Cynthia? When they were growing up, didn’t they ever sneak over there? Dad’s never mentioned the place to me.”
“Cynthia and James knew to never go against their father, although Cynthia sometimes pushed the envelope. But as far as the Hanson farm goes, she was deathly frightened of it. I never knew why in particular, but her being afraid of it was enough for me. She never went over there. Not as far as we knew.” Nana’s voice trailed off and she sighed.
“It’s got something to do with that neckl
ace she wears.” Lily surprised everyone when she spoke softly. Her eyes met Emma’s and then she looked down at her hands.
“That ugly thing?” Grace sniffed, about to say more but Emma cut her off.
“How do you know that? Did she tell you something?” Emma stared at Lily. There was more to this that her young cousin knew. She’d acted so strange ever since they’d set foot at the Hanson farmhouse. It was still affecting her.
Lily looked up. “Just that Frank gave it to her. It was some Native thing...kind of a talisman, something for protection. That’s why she warned us not to go over there. She must have sneaked onto that farm, when she was young.” Lily’s eyes were dead and her voice was a flat monotone.
Grandpa and Nana exchanged a look but neither said a word after Lily finished. Emma watched them closely. This had come as a surprise to them. Maybe only Frank knew anything about that. He’d given Aunt Cynthia the odd looking necklace for a reason.
“We’re done talking about that place. Suffice it to say, the house is evil and should be torn down.” Grandpa got to his feet and once more his face was set in stern lines. “You girls can stay in your room until we call you down for supper. I’d like you to think about what you’ve done today.” He stepped across the room but paused before going out the door.
He turned and his eyes were sad. “Maybe you should go home, after all. This was a mistake asking you here.”
Chapter 10
Emma felt the weight of the world pressing on her shoulders as she trudged up the stairs to their bedroom. Grandpa looked heartbroken when he’d left them in the living room. She could have stopped all of this, if she’d only told her Nana that morning. And she sure could have done without the horrible experience in that haunted house. She’d be lucky to ever get a good night’s sleep again after that.
The Ghosts of Hanson House: A Haunting In Kingston Novella (The Hauntings of Kingston Book 5) Page 7