Cracking another rare smile, Frank said, “It’s a full time job keeping an eye on your family.” Nodding, he turned left. Nana’s head fell to the side, “And you kids should go to bed too. Finish your hot chocolate and try to get some sleep.”
Emma nodded to Julia and they rose, placing the empty mugs in the sink. When she turned Grace and Lily were following suit. Probably Grandpa and Nana needed some time to decompress and talk.
When they got upstairs, they couldn’t help standing at the window to watch the inferno that now flared across the field. The glow of bright yellow and orange flames pierced the dark night sky. Headlights of a few vehicles raced towards the building but Emma knew they had arrived too late, which was just as well.
It was all over for the Hanson house.
Chapter 18
Rays of sunshine beamed into the window, infusing the bedroom with a warm golden glow when Emma opened her eyes. As she was about to stretch the sleep from her muscles, she noticed Julia beside her, curled up next to the wall, still sleeping soundly. The innocence of her sister’s face was angelic. It was hard to reconcile what had happened yesterday with the peaceful child sleeping beside her. The night over at the Hanson house had been like a bad dream.
She slipped out from under the coverlet being careful not to disturb Julia. As she was passing the other set of bunk beds on her way out of the room, Grace’s eyes popped open. “Wait up. Let’s check the window—see if it’s really gone.”
Grace’s bare feet slid onto the floor and she rose, scampering quickly over to check it out. When Emma joined her there she gave a sigh of relief. For some reason, she hadn’t expected it to be gone. But tendrils of smoke drifting up from the blackened heap were all that was left of the horrible house.
“I’m glad I have the photos.” Grace nudged Emma with her shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’m leaving the memory stick in the barn until we leave. There’s no way I’m going to tempt fate...not after what happened last night.”
Emma smiled. “Thanks.” She nodded her head gesturing for them to leave the room and let the others sleep. When they were in the hall, she turned to catch Grace before she disappeared into the bathroom. “I hope you write a great story. You’ll send it to me won’t you?”
When Grace paused and looked over at her, Emma noticed the stone amulet hanging around Grace’s neck. Somehow, seeing her wear it made Grace seem more vulnerable. The fashionista from New York City was perfectly willing to wear the primitive stone that Frank had fashioned. Her fingers went up to hold her own amulet.
“Absolutely. You and Julia might even make it to the dedication page.” She grinned and went into the bathroom.
Emma turned and continued down the stairs to join her grandparents at breakfast. When she entered the room they looked up from their places at the old kitchen table. Everything was back to normal even if they’d all gotten a later start to the day.
“I just got off the phone with your Dad. He wanted to know how you and Julia are making out with your cousins.” Grandpa chuckled seeing the look of silent curiosity in her eyes. “I didn’t tell him about the Hanson house or anything. There was no sense in worrying him. It’s all over now.”
Emma’s breathed a short sigh. That meant that they were going to finish the vacation with their grandparents. They wouldn’t be sent home and their father would never know. Not unless... “Did you know that Grace is planning on writing a book about the Hanson house?”
Nana’s head drew back and her eyebrows rose high. “Is she? I never knew she wanted to be a writer.” She rose to her feet. “What would you like for breakfast? There’s pancakes warm in the oven.”
Emma kissed her grandmother’s velvety, lined cheek when she passed her. “That’d be lovely, Nan.” Her chest swelled with love for her grandparents. The morning was a new beginning to the vacation, the horror had passed. As she took a seat beside her grandpa she smiled. “After we finish the chores today, I’d like to go swimming at the beach. For real this time.”
Grandpa chuckled. “I’m not worried. There’s nothing over at that place to tempt you anymore, not unless the prospect of getting full of soot appeals to you.” He picked up his mug of coffee and took a long sip.
“Where’s Frank? Has he already finished breakfast?” Emma was surprised to find that she kind of missed seeing him at the table.
“You just missed him too, I’m afraid. He’s probably feeding the pigs by now.” Nana set the plate of pancakes in front of Emma. “We all slept in but I think we deserved it.”
Grace entered the kitchen, tugging the belt on her sky blue robe tight around her waist. “Good morning!” The pony tail she’d swept her hair up into swayed as she sauntered over to the stove. When Nana made a move to join her there, she held her hand up. “No. I’ll get this. You sit down and relax, Nana. You wait on us too much.”
Emma’s eyes opened wider. For Grace to do this was unusual. She was always so regal expecting everyone to attend to her needs. Even her hair was a little unkempt with straggles falling over her high cheekbones. Grace piled a few pancakes on a plate and then pulled out a chair to join them.
At the thud of footsteps coming down the stairs, everyone turned to see Lily and Julia saunter into the room. If Lily was suffering any after effects from the night before she sure wasn’t showing it. In fact, her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkled, clear as a bell. Julia was her usual mess of curls and giggles as she skipped over to the table and planted a kiss on grandpa’s cheek.
Lily poured a glass of milk and smiled over at them. “What’s up for today? Anymore haunted houses on the island for us to visit?” She laughed as she walked over to the table, her head high and no longer slouching.
“Once is plenty for me!” Grace said with a wave of her hand. She pulled out a chair for her sister to sit next to her. “I thought we’d do something conventional like maybe weeding the garden. That’s enough excitement for today, I think.”
Emma had never seen the two of them so easy with each other, let alone the rest of the family. Last night really affected them, but in this manner was a surprise. She’d never seen Grace actually cry over anyone or anything, but she had last night.
“Well that’s good to hear. The garden is a mess. The weeds are choking out the vegetables.” Nana looked over at Julia. “How about you? How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine now. My hand still tingles a little but it’s better. I think I’m sworn off scary movies. I don’t know how you could even think about going to any other haunted house, Lily.” She went to the stove and took the plate of pancakes from the oven.
“I was just kidding, silly! When I saw that house all black and still smoking, it made me happy. I’m glad it’s gone.” Lily smiled and bit into her breakfast.
“It’s going to be a scorcher today. I think you girls should leave the weeding till tomorrow. Go to the beach and relax.” Grandpa rose to his feet. “I’m going to help Frank finish up outside. I’m sure he’d like to take it easier today as well...especially after last night.”
Emma leaned over the table looking up at her grandfather. “Will you get into trouble for starting that fire over there? Will anyone investigate it?” She’d seen a lot of crime stories and this was something she’d wondered about last night. But last night, had definitely not been the time to bring it up. Not when everything was so fresh and scary.
He paused and the smile left his face. “As far as anyone on the island is concerned it was a blessing to see it destroyed. As for us...no one ever need know about it.” He smiled at Grace. “I hear you’re writing a fiction book.”
Her eyes went wide and she sat straighter in her chair. “Yes. Only fiction. No real names or places.”
“Good. Now I’m off to help Frank.” With that Grandpa left the room.
***
It was almost two by the time the girls rolled their bicycles off the path at the beach. The morning had gone smoothly with all of them pitching in to clean up and help with lunch—even
Grace. When Emma looked over at her cousin, she couldn’t help wondering if this was the same girl who’d irritated the heck out of her when she arrived. Grace couldn’t have been nicer that morning.
Lily set her bicycle down on the grass and turned to look over at the Hanson ruins. Tendrils of smoke still drifted aimlessly in the still air from the burned out hulk. “I don’t feel anything about that house now. Isn’t that strange? It’s as if whatever was there left with the fire. No voices in my head, nothing.”
Grace set her bike down and walked over to her sister. She looped her arm over the thin girl’s shoulders and gazed up at the old burnt out husk. “If I had any idea that going over there would have affected you like that, I would have burnt it myself. Thank God Grandpa did.”
Emma let her bike slip to the ground and then followed Julia down to the shoreline. The water was a clear blue slate with hardly a ripple to mar its surface. She gazed up at the sky, shielding her eyes from the bright glare of the afternoon sun.
“What’s that?” Julia pointed to an object bobbing in the water about twenty feet out.
Emma squinted her eyes peering to where her sister indicated. Sure enough, there was something floating in the water...something about the size of a loaf of bread, bobbing gently. She could barely make it out but there was a flash of pale pink. When she leaned over, peering hard, her mouth fell open. It seemed like a small face, the roundness above topped with a dark shadow.
She jumped when Lily stepped close to her. “Oh no. It can’t be…” Lilly’s voice was flat.
Emma spun to face her, saw the same blank look on her face as she’d worn the day before, going into the Hanson house. Emma turned back to the object and waded farther out into the water, never letting it out of her sight. When she was a couple feet from it, she gasped.
It was the doll from the Hanson house. The only difference in it now was that the hair was gone, replaced by charred soot, the plastic melted to the scalp. One if its eyes stared sightlessly at her. A shiver crept through her shoulders as she stood frozen in place.
This couldn’t be! The doll had been in that room! It should have burned up with the rest of it!
Her hand rose to clasp the amulet hanging over her chest. She turned, and started back up to the beach where Julia and her cousins stood. Her eyes met with Grace’s. “It’s that doll! That thing that was in the Hanson house! Hurry, let’s get out of here!”
Grace’s hand clasped her arm on the way by, stopping her. “Wait!” Her eyes were wide and she looked as scared as Emma felt. Already Julia was at the edge of the beach, picking her bike up from the ground.
“Why? I know it’s the one! It shouldn’t be here! It’s like it knew we were coming here today...waiting to scare the life out of us again.” Emma turned back and scowled at the doll that bobbed nonchalantly in the gentle surf. That bloody thing! Would this ever be over?
“We need to take it back there.” Grace raised her hands high in exasperation. “Don’t you see? It’s not over! This is a sign.”
“Are you nuts? I’m not going back to that place...no way!” Emma continued on her way, the smooth rounded beach rocks shifting under her strides.
Lily raced after her and gripped her shoulder. “Wait. She’s right. We need to take care of this. The doll needs to be destroyed. But not there! Not back at that horrible place.” Her fingers clasped the amulet that hung around her neck. “We’ll sink it.”
Emma shook her head. “That won’t work. If the fire didn’t destroy it, the thing is indestructible. We need to get Frank and Grandpa.” But how on earth had it moved? The fire had been a blaze when they’d left the Hanson house. No one could have been in there to survive and get the doll out. She glanced out at the object and shuddered seeing it come closer to the shore. Pushed by whatever current was there. A thought flashed in her mind that made her knees weak. It’s coming for them.
“No. This will work. I know it.” Again, Lily had that far away look in her eyes.
Emma gaped at her cousin wild eyed. “Are you crazy?”
“No,” Lily said. “I know this to be true.” Just like yesterday, her voice had flattened.
But when she glanced at Emma, there was another aspect to her expression. Her lips were set in a determined line, not slack like they were the day before. She’d been the one who had heard the voices, sensed the presence of spirits in that house. Maybe she was right about this.
Grace stepped over and put her hand on Lily’s shoulder. “I believe you. We’ve got to do this, don’t we?”
Lily nodded. “Grandpa and Frank finished the house. It’s up to us to finish this part.” She looked over at Emma. “You were right yesterday, you know. You knew that the doll was evil. It is. We have to destroy it.”
Julia set her bike down and joined the other three. “You can’t do it here at our beach. I’ll never go swimming here again knowing that thing’s at the bottom.” Her lips were pursed as she scowled out at the floating doll. “That thing just ruins everything for us.”
“You’re right. We’ll take it farther down the beach, to the Hanson’s property. Then we sink it. Maybe water will do what fire couldn’t.” Grace turned and stared at the doll. It was only about twelve feet away by now.
“Right! How are we going to do that? I’m not touching it!” Julia stepped closer to Emma and nudged her. “C’mon. Let’s go and get Grandpa or Frank.” She started back towards her bike.
Grace called after her. “Wait! I think we all need to stick together to finish this. We can poke it with a stick. None of us has to touch it.”
“Come back, Julia. We can do this. Actually it has to be us, I think. It was a child’s toy...so we have to do it.” Lily started walking up the beach towards the Hanson waterfront.
Emma stood looking at the doll, trying to digest Lily’s words. The young girl seemed so sure of all of this. Even Grace was on side, willing to take care of it and not upset her grandparents any further. God only knows, they’d been through enough with all of this.
“But how are we going to sink it, if we don’t touch the thing?” She turned and started following Lily and Grace. “C’mon Julia. Just this last time. I think she’s right. Maybe the water will destroy its power”.
Grace picked up a long branch that had washed up on the shore. “We’ll tie a big rock to it. We’ve got the laces in our sneakers and God knows there’s no shortage of rocks on this beach.” She waded into the water and then held the stick next to the doll, pushing it farther along.
Again, Julia set her bike down and rushed to catch up with Emma. They watched Grace slip on a slimy rock and catch herself just before she toppled in. The doll had gone under but popped up again, the eyes open and blank. Even though she had no wish to go any closer to that doll, Emma could see that Grace needed help. The rocks submerged at the beach were slippery and coated in satiny seaweed. Besides her sneakers were already wet.
She waded in and reached for Grace’s free hand. “Here. Hold my hand. We’ll keep each other from falling in.”
Grace smiled. “Thanks. I’m glad you and Julia decided to stay and help with this.” Her smile fell. “This is my fault and I have to see it through.”
“No, I don’t think this is all your fault, Grace.” Emma looked over at the shoreline where Julia and Lily walked side by side. She turned to Grace and smiled. “We all have to do this...it’s not just your fault. You didn’t twist anyone’s arm. The four of us got into this together, and that’s how we’re going to finish it.”
They walked a few more steps seeing Lily and Julia up ahead, stopped at the beach that was part of the Hanson property. Grace sighed and gave the doll the last big push. They stood watching as it rolled onto its belly with only the flimsy dress floating above it.
Grace turned to her before continuing on. She squeezed Emma’s hand and there were tears in her eyes when she spoke. “You know? If I had to be stuck here for a month on this farm, I’m glad you and Julia were here too.”
Emma fe
lt her chest expand and she squeezed Grace’s hand right back. “What would you expect? We’re cousins. We can do this.”
Emma turned and waded through the water going up to the short shoreline of the Hanson farm. Lily and Julia were already crouched low, threading the laces from their sneakers. She glanced over to the water and the hair on the back of her neck spiked seeing the small ancient doll bobbing in the water. Grace gave it one final poke and then joined them on the shore.
Taking a heavy square shaped rock in her hand Emma looped her laces over it, making it look like some garish boxed gift. She took the laces that Lily and Julia had and tied the ends to hers, making a long rope of them. She watched Grace form a noose with hers and then take the lace end from her hand.
She hefted the rock up and shadowed Grace back into the water. Behind her she could hear the ripples that Lily and Julia’s feet made, following them. Taking care not to actually touch the doll, Grace spread the loop and tugged it so that it slipped over the doll’s head. She gave another yank and it tightened around the neck.
“Should we say some sort of prayer before I throw this rock out there?” Emma looked over at Lily who seemed to be the one most in tune with this kind of thing.
Lily gazed at the doll and sighed. “Just throw it. The sooner it lays on the bottom of the lake, the better. It doesn’t deserve any prayers or any more of our attention. Let’s just get rid of it.”
Julia snickered. “Amen!”
Emma hoisted the rock and threw it for all she was worth. The doll went air borne for a couple of seconds before being swallowed in the loud splash of the heavy rock. She felt Julia’s hand close over hers and then turned when Grace took her other hand. The four girls stood in a line knee deep in the lake, united by their hands and hearts.
It marked the start of the last summer vacation on their grandparent’s farm. A summer where they left the rivalries and petty grievances of young girls. To not only become women, but close friends who’d been tried and tested by an evil, haunting experience. Much like their grandfather and Frank had so many years ago.
The Ghosts of Hanson House: A Haunting In Kingston Novella (The Hauntings of Kingston Book 5) Page 12