The Haunting Within

by Michelle Burley

  “I don’t like it” Lisa stated indignantly. “It scares me!”

  I hope you never have to find out how terrifying it is darling thought Debbie with a fear in her that only two things in this world could provoke: this house and her Father.

  9

  “What did the solicitor say it was about mum?” asked Lisa.

  “He didn’t, love. He said he couldn’t discuss it over the phone and asked us to come down as soon as we could.” Debbie answered her beautiful daughter. She was so proud of how both of her children had turned out. It could have been so different if they had let that first and, until now, last visit to their grandfathers house destroy them, but they were strong kids and they did their best to put it behind them and carry on with their lives. Debbie was pleased they had come with her today. She hadn’t even needed to ask, they told her they wouldn’t let her come on her own and for that she was enormously thankful. They were no longer children, he didn’t have the right to treat them the way he had that day. They couldn’t help but be scared of their grandfather and the terrifying secrets the house had to offer, but they were adamant they wouldn’t let him see their fear.

  As they entered through the large iron gates that led onto the grounds of the manor, taking the same path as they had all those years ago, they all felt like helpless children again. It had been years since they had last made the journey but to them all it seemed like only yesterday for they had all suffered many, many nightmares about the house and all it held since their last visit. The trees were still leafless skeletons, bare of the lush greenery that they should hold and Lisa found it odd that it was the height of summer and there was no greenery to be seen on them. It was like summer couldn’t reach the trees to give them the green fullness that all the other trees had, like its rays couldn’t quite penetrate the drabness of the grounds. Or maybe there was some kind of force that refused to allow any light and goodness through. But that was not the sort of thinking she wanted to entertain.

  They got out of the car and stood in front of the house not wanting to go any further near it, wanting to get back in the car and drive away.

  “Do you think it’s too late to just go home?” asked Lisa hopefully.

  “No, it’s definitely too late for that now” sighed Debbie.

  Lisa followed her mother’s gaze and saw a figure standing in one of the many upstairs windows peering down at them. It was only a split second, but in that second a shudder of pure fear coursed through her veins at the sight. Even though she wasn’t nearly close enough to see his face, she sensed that he was glaring hatefully at them.

  “What’s up? What are you both looking at?” asked Aiden perplexed by the looks on their faces.

  Just at that moment one of the huge solid oak doors swung open with a loud groan that grated on their very nerves, and in the doorway stood a very tall and very slim man in an expensive, yet tacky tweed suit. He was staring at the family for what seemed like an eternity to them, scrutinizing them carefully.

  Eventually he approached them and introduced himself. “Hello, my name is Mr. Leeson and I am your father’s lawyer. I’m sorry to have called you all up here so urgently, but I have some very important business to discuss with you and your family. Please, come inside.”

  They reluctantly followed Mr. Leeson into the house.

  10

  They found themselves back in the house they had vowed never to step foot inside again. They were all surprised and eerily aware that nothing had actually changed in the manor since they were last there. It was like waking from a nightmare, sweaty and scared, but so very relieved to be out of it, hoping you would drift back off into a nice peaceful sleep only to find that as soon as you close your eyes you were back in the very same nightmare again, running from the very thing that had frightened you so much that it caused you to scream yourself awake. Up until now they had been successful in putting the past behind them, but now as they stood in the entrance hall of the house where all their greatest fears were homed, it became painfully obvious to each of them that they would never truly forget that day. Mr. Leeson interrupted their thoughts as he came to stand before them.

  “Like I said, I’m sorry for the inconvenience this trip has caused you. I would like to discuss with you why you are here.”

  Debbie saw her children give the man a confused frown and then exchange glances. Aiden had immediately taken a dislike to the self-assured man with the lifeless eyes and the over pronunciation of his voice. He sounded nasally and irritating. He asked to speak to Debbie in private, so she followed him into the living room, leaving Lisa and Aiden stood near the open front doors, looking as if they were ready to make a run for it. She looked back over her shoulder at them and gave them what she hoped was a reassuring smile, but felt like it was more of an apologetic grimace.

  “I do apologize for this whole situation Mrs. Adams, but you were down as Mr. Hendry’s next of kin and I am under specific orders from your father to give you the keys and the legal documentation for this house.” He finished with a smile that over the years he had perfected to a fine art. He knew how most people felt about solicitors so he had always tried his hardest to be as charming as he possibly could when around his clients. Of course, there were times when it didn’t work and his true coldness came through, hence the fact he was single, and very well off indeed. He was a shrewd businessman who did things only for the purpose of benefiting himself. It was on very rare occasions that other people entered into his feelings. He was far too obnoxious to realize that most people saw him for what he really was.

  There was a time when he had almost been married. It was nearly twelve years ago when he was in the prime of his life, a mere twenty-six year old law graduate. He had been seeing a girl called Susie for two years and they were planning the last minute details of their upcoming wedding when he produced some documents from his briefcase. When he placed them in front of Susie and asked her to sign them she ripped them up and threw her ring back at him. They had never spoken again. He couldn’t understand why she would be so difficult. He was only asking her to sign a pre-nuptial agreement stating that, in the event of a divorce she would not be entitled to any of his assets. Oh, he knew how women worked, or so he thought. A lot of years and sheer hard work had gone into his eventual graduation and new job as a lawyer in the biggest firm in the city and he wasn’t prepared to take a chance that may mean he would lose half of his well-earned money. He had a fantastic business mind, a fresh face on his way up and he was going to be the best in the business, a name that would be remembered for years after his demise. If only he had understood his wife-to-be as well as he understood the ins and outs of the legal system. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to go home to his luxurious apartment and eat his rich food and drink his expensive red wine alone every night. He told himself he didn’t need anything more in his life than his money and he truly believed that. His colleague thought of his existence as sad but he thought of it as his dream come true. If he wanted a woman then he paid for one. At least that way he didn’t have to pretend to be interested in small talk and, more importantly, he didn’t have to share any of his wealth. His life suited him just fine. It was a good job too as he could only attract the attention of the women he paid for, although he didn’t see it like that. He believed every woman looked admiringly at him in his expensive clothes and ridiculously expensive car.

  “What do you mean? So you’re saying this house is ours” Debbie’s voice broke into his reverie. She was becoming even more perplexed by the second but trying to keep her voice down for fear her children would hear them talking.

  “That certainly is what I’m telling you” replied Mr. Leeson waiting for the joy to become apparent on her face. However she looked completely confused by this so he added “In your fathers’ will Mrs. Adams, it states that you are to get the house upon his death.”

  “What do you mean upon his death? Are you telling me my father is dead?”

  As the last word hung in the air
like a bad smell, all at once it dawned on Mr. Leeson why she was so confused. He suddenly became aware of his burning cheeks and he wanted the floor to open up. His smart, expensive suit and his gold rimmed glasses that he insisted on wearing perched ridiculously on the very end of his long slender and somewhat feminine nose, and his expensive gold watch didn’t seem to give him the confidence they usually did. He felt nervous; his throat dry and itching as he stood in front of this lady whose eyes seemed to burn through to his very being.

  His throat worked up and down but no sound came out. He shuffled his feet a little as he tried to regain his composure. The successful lawyer was back! “Oh my goodness! I am so sorry, I thought you would have been contacted and told. I’m afraid that is what I’m telling you, yes. Your father died five days ago. He had a heart attack. His cleaner found him.” his patronizing tone was not lost on her. He gave her his most sympathetic look and waited for the news of Mr. Hendry’s death to sink in. Debbie shook her head.

  “Is this some kind of sick joke?” she asked.

  “No joke. Not at all. I understand how difficult this must be for you.” Leeson replied with an amount of compassion that shocked him. For a split second he thought he really did know how hard this was for them. Mentally shaking it off, he reverted back to his fakeness once more.

  “I don’t think you do” answered Debbie with venom dripping in her voice, becoming increasingly angry at this stupid, poor excuse for a man standing in front of her. “You see, you’re asking me to believe that he’s dead when both I and my daughter have just seen him looking out of an upstairs window at us.”

  “I can assure you that this is no joke. Let me show you his death certificate.” He said whilst rummaging through his black leather brief-case. He was ruffled. There was no denying that. Why hadn’t someone contacted her? This was a first for him. He didn’t want to be the bearer of bad news, not because he cared but because he didn’t want to witness any human emotion he himself was incapable of feeling. He volunteered the death certificate and a copy of the notes from the police officer who found him for Debbie to read. They had been left in his care until a time when he could hand them over to Mr. Hendry’s next of kin. She tentatively took the documents from his hands, too scared to believe in case it all came crashing down around her. It explained how he was found in the old part of the house which was once used as a psychiatric hospital, in the room once used as a treatment room, or so it read. He was found laid out on an old piece of equipment used to secure patients.

  11

  Once Debbie had seen the certificate she admitted to the strange man before her it could have been one of her father’s employees seen at the window.

  “That isn’t possible Mrs. Adams, your father had no employees, apart from the cleaner who has left and returned to her home in Cheshire.”

  “So I’m seeing things now Mr.…?” the question hung in the air.

  “Leeson” he offered with a smile. “Not at all. I just think that maybe what you saw was a reflection from the sun on the window.” He just wanted to leave now. He was uncomfortably aware that his heart was pulsing so fast he thought it might run out of energy and stop beating altogether. He nervously smoothed down his already-perfect hair with a trembling hand.

  Out in the hall Lisa and Aiden waited nervously. The house was incredibly quiet, but still they could not hear what was being said in the other room. Starting to get worried Aiden approached the door, about to knock to make sure everything was ok when it opened before him and his mum and the slimy solicitor stepped out. Their mum said nothing to them, just showed Mr. Leeson to the door, thanked him and closed it quietly behind him. Turning she observed her children, not sure whether laughing would be appropriate.

  12

  Mr. Leeson got into his shiny silver sports car (which he refused to admit was much too young for a man of his advancing age) and wondered if he would receive a phone call from the woman with a good figure, but haunting eyes. He had left her his mobile and office number, telling her if there was anything he could do for her (and he did mean anything in a literal sense for she was a looker) just to give him a call. As much as he appreciated her beauty he couldn’t wait to drive out of the gates and get as far away from this place as possible. He hoped he would never see it again. They could be good together though. He already had enough money to live how he wanted but with the money she was due to make on the manor house if she sold it he would be laughing. He couldn’t help wondering why she showed no emotion towards his client’s death. He had always found him to be nice enough, if a little old fashioned.

  He recalled when he waited for them to arrive. In that big old house all alone he felt nervous. He had heard numerous creaks and groans which he knew were to be expected in such a large old house, but it wasn’t so much the noises that had bothered him. The house just didn’t feel right. It had a very oppressing atmosphere and he didn’t like it one bit. As he was walking around when he first got there he felt as though he was being followed and when he reached the door beyond the kitchen that he could not open (and in a way was pleased he couldn’t open it) he felt like someone or something had brushed by him. Thankfully, that was when he heard the car pull up in the drive. He shivered involuntary at the thought and shifted uncomfortably in the plush leather seat of his six month old car that he had to have as soon as he saw it in the window of the dealership. Undaunted by the huge price tag as he could easily afford it, he purchased it immediately under the false belief he would attract the attention of the right sort from females. He had bet if her daughter had seen him in it he would be taking her for a ride right now. Yes, the mum was nice, but the daughter was young and pert. He wouldn’t say no. Driving home from the dealership in his brand new sports car he soon realized it didn't attract the admiring glances he was expecting. People around here were too prudish and set in their ways. He knew if he wanted to get on in the world then London was the place for him.

  They watched from the front window as Mr. Leeson neared the end of the drive. Just as he was about to drive down the long lane leading to the grounds gates and out onto the country road, he looked back one last time, hoping the mother and daughter were admiring him and his car, and as he did, he thought he saw someone looking at him from an upstairs window. He glanced away before he registered what he was seeing and then slowed his car to have another look. He felt his insides churning as he prepared to face the old house again. He really didn’t want to look and told himself what did it matter anyway? He didn’t have to go back there again. If the ladies wanted to meet up they could meet somewhere else. He tried to shake the curiosity away but it was like a magnet was turning his head in the direction of the stone building, like whatever he saw wanted him to see again. With great trepidation he turned his head and kept his eyes fixed on the house. To his enormous relief he saw nothing in any of the windows.

  He let out a sigh and chuckled to himself. “Jesus Christ Leeson, what the fucks the matter with you. Getting spooked by an old house!”

  As he finally drove out of the grounds and turned onto the country lane with large elm trees lining either side that were probably older than the house, he began to think rationally again. It seemed like the house had taken control of him, or at least his thoughts.

  “First thinking there were ghosts in the house and thinking I saw one. I don’t know, I must be going crazy.”

  He was aware of both the fact that he said that out loud and also of the awful irony that he had just left a place that once was a mental asylum. As he pushed that thought to the back of his mind he understood why the mother and daughter had thought they’d seen Mr. Hendry in the upstairs window, after all he thought he had as well. It was a horrible feeling and he wiped it from his mind as quickly as he wiped the sweat from the palms of his hands onto his expensive tailored trousers. The last thing he wanted was for his hand to slip from the gear stick and stall his beautiful new ride.

  13

  They entered the large old-fashioned kitch
en and sat down at the rustic pine oval dining table which would be plenty big enough to fit eight people easily around it. They sat in stunned silence for a few minutes until Debbie rose and went over to the work-top, her sensible low-heeled shoes making a quiet, pleasant clacking sound on the stone floor. Almost any sound would have been pleasant to them at that moment in time, something just to break the eerie silence that engulfed the room and magnified the emptiness of the huge house. The silence seemed so loud. Lisa and Aiden watched as she filled the worn and rusted stainless steel kettle and put it on the hob of the large aga. On tip-toe she then rooted around in the creaky cupboards that were barely stocked, for three mugs and the coffee.