The Haunting of Pitmon House

by Michael Richan

  “Sure,” Rachel replied. “As long as we do it safely. The stuff I have to drink to make it work isn’t compatible with protection, so I’ll be vulnerable.”

  “We’ll protect you,” Robert offered. “We’ll be listening to what he has to say, but we’ll remain on the lookout. Anything goes wrong, we’ll haul you out of there.”

  Eliza could feel Rachel’s eyes on her. When she looked up to see her, Rachel looked down at the paper in the box she was going through. “Sure,” Rachel said.

  Eliza could tell it was a “sure” filled with doubt.

  ●

  It was dark as Granger struggled with the key. Robert held a light so he could find the hole and open the door to Pitmon House.

  It was dark, but moonlight shone through the large windows, reflecting off the marble surface of the floor. As she raised her gaze upward into the stairwell, the light faded, and the top of the stairs was completely black.

  Robert instinctively reached for a light switch, and they heard it click. No lights came on.

  “No sense in paying a power bill when no one’s here,” Granger said. “Let’s do this quickly. In and out.”

  They made their way to the stairs, each turning on a flashlight.

  “There’s that pressure again,” Robert said as they climbed. “God, I hate how it feels.”

  “I honestly can’t feel it,” Eliza said. “I don’t feel anything at all.”

  “Well, I do!” Rachel said. “Without the protection, it hurts!”

  “We’re approaching the landing,” Granger said. “You’d better take what you made so we can get started.”

  Rachel removed a flask Granger had loaned her and swallowed its contents. Rather than stopping after a couple of gulps, she continued drinking until she’d emptied the entire container.

  “Here goes!” she said, opening the door to Reid’s room.

  They trailed in behind her, shining their flashlights onto the bed and into the corners. It was unchanged; Eliza didn’t expect it to be different, but she felt compelled to check everything nonetheless. She really wanted to shine her flashlight across the landing to the rise of the second story stairs, but she resisted, not wanting to draw attention. It bothered her that if something was coming down them, she’d never see it in the darkness.

  Rachel called out to Reid. One by one they dropped into the River. Eliza became concerned when she saw that Rachel looked exactly the same, and was afraid that if Reid appeared and saw her unchanged, their plan would be a failure.

  However, when Reid sat up from the bed, just as he’d done earlier in the day, he had a look of shock on his face.

  Father! he said, his eyes wide. I’m sorry, I was napping. Have you been here long?

  Not long, Rachel said. Again Eliza was concerned; it sounded like Rachel’s voice, and it still looked exactly like her. It was working on Reid, however, and Eliza realized that whatever image and voice Rachel was reflecting back to Reid, it was succeeding.

  What brings you here? Reid asked, a tinge of fear in his voice. I hope everything is alright.

  No, it’s not alright, Rachel said. You’ve been very disrespectful to your guests. I thought I raised you better than that!

  My guests? Reid asked, turning to look at the others. But they’re outsiders, Father! You remember, you told me. They’re not part of the family!

  They are not, Rachel said. But you should have answered their questions. It was impolite to not tell them what they came here to know.

  Good, Eliza thought. Play on his sense of impropriety.

  Reid seemed confused. You told me to never speak of the family to outsiders, he said. Is this some kind of test? Are you trying me, to see if I will obey you?

  Our family’s secrets are important, son, Rachel said. Sometimes secrets must be shared, and shared with the correct people.

  No, Reid said, shaking his head. You told me to never speak of the family to anyone. I remember. You said you’d rather have a dead son than an indiscreet one, and that you’d see to it yourself if I ever embarrassed the family. Well, I haven’t. People try to get me to tell them things all the time, but I’ve never said a word, and I never will. You can test me all you want. I won’t let you down.

  Eliza could tell Rachel was going to have to try another tactic.

  Good, she said. That’s good, son. Nothing is more important than discretion. We must do everything we can to keep the family’s business private.

  I’m not the one you should worry about, Reid said nervously. If anything ever gets out, it did not come from me.

  Are there others I should worry about? Rachel asked. Tell me; I won’t blame you.

  I’ve never divulged anything about the family, Reid said. But someone needs to do something about Agnes. She gossips and can’t keep her mouth shut. She runs around here like a busybody. If the right person plied her with a cordial, she’d spill everything. She’s who you should worry about, Father, not me. Not your son. I’ve done as you asked. I always will!

  That’s fine, you’ve done well, Rachel said. Now, which room is Agnes in? Maybe I’ll have a word with her.

  Upstairs, first door on the right, Reid replied. She needs the same kind of talking-to that you gave me. She needs to understand how vulgar it is to discuss family secrets with strangers. I fear if you do not shut her up, she’ll ruin all of Uncle’s plans! I know if you talk to her, she’ll understand and learn how to control her tongue. It worked with me.

  Yes, it has, Rachel said, backing away from Reid, moving toward the door.

  Wait! Reid said. Where are you going?

  To talk to Agnes, as you’ve suggested, Rachel replied. You stay here, in your room. I’ll speak to her.

  But I wanted to ask you about things, Reid said.

  What things? Rachel asked.

  Well, I was hoping you could maybe move me elsewhere, Reid said, turning to walk around in his room. This place, it’s so depressing. No one here is interesting, not in the least. I have no friends here, no one to talk to. None of the others here are my intellectual equal. I feel isolated and cut off from the world. I was hoping you could help me; that you could move me somewhere more interesting, more alive with people who share my interests. I feel like I’m dying here, as though if I continue in this place, I’ll slowly wither away into a shell.

  We’ll discuss it after I speak with Agnes, Rachel said, now close to the door. Granger, Robert, and Eliza all slipped out as Rachel continued to back up. Once Rachel had cleared it, Granger reached for the door, and closed it as Reid continued a protestation. They dropped from the River.

  “It worked!” Eliza said.

  “Think he’ll come out?” Rachel asked, staring at the door.

  “Do you mean from the room?” Robert said. “I doubt it. What Daddy says, he does.”

  “How are you feeling?” Granger asked Rachel. “Doing OK?”

  “Yeah,” she replied, “but I’m not going upstairs to that room. Not at least without a lot of protection in me, and I can’t drink any with this stuff still in my system.”

  Eliza turned to look across the dark landing. She couldn’t make out where the steps began. She dropped back into the River, wondering if that would make things lighter. It didn’t.

  “How about we take you outside and let you rest,” Granger proposed. “We’re all dosed up; the three of us can see about Agnes while you wait.”

  “If you’re sure,” Rachel replied. Eliza could tell she seemed relieved at the idea.

  They escorted Rachel downstairs and out the front door. The lawn in front of the house offered plenty of places to relax, all hidden from the street by virtue of the tall brick fence. They selected a spot and Rachel dropped to the grass, resting her head.

  “Oh, that feels good,” she said. “I’ll be fine here.”

  “You’re sure?” Eliza asked.

  “Yeah, there’s nothing to worry about out here,” Rachel replied. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

  They left Rachel, return
ing to the house through the front door. Once they ascended the steps and found themselves on the landing, Eliza began to worry. They passed by Reid’s door and continued on, the walkway leading them around the landing and on to the second floor staircase.

  “The pressure is a little less over here,” Robert said.

  “Yeah, it’s stronger on the other side of the house,” Granger replied.

  “I still don’t feel it,” Eliza said.

  “Not at all?” Robert asked.

  “Nothing,” she replied.

  Now at the base of the stairs, Eliza looked up. It didn’t curve like the first one; it ran straight up, disappearing into darkness. She strained her ears for any sound that might indicate someone or something was just beyond her vision, but no sound came.

  “Here,” Granger said, passing the flask around. “It won’t hurt to dose up again. Who knows what we might run into. Be prepared to make our way out in a hurry if something bad happens.”

  “Are you sure you want to go up there?” Eliza asked Granger. “With your leg? We know it’s attacked you already. Maybe you should wait for us here.”

  “No way!” Granger replied. “I want to meet this Agnes. You might need my help!”

  They turned and Eliza took a first tentative step, feeling the sole of her shoes sink into the carpeting as she pushed herself up. They took each stair slowly, their flashlights bouncing ahead, trying to penetrate the darkness at the top. Hints of a hallway beyond appeared; artwork on walls, side tables, more doors.

  “Do you think Nick knew of Agnes?” Eliza whispered, feeling the need to keep her voice down.

  “He never mentioned her in the journal,” Granger replied. “I got the feeling he never got information out of Reid, like we’ve just done.”

  They stopped at the first door on the right. It had the same inlaid patterns as Reid’s door. Robert reached out and opened it, pushing it open. They stepped inside; Eliza quickly closed it behind them, not wanting anything to walk by and observe them through the open door.

  “This would be so much easier in the daytime,” Robert said. “Look at those tall windows. They’d light up the place.”

  Their flashlights danced over the room. Only a bed and dresser remained; if it had once contained feminine touches, they’d long ago been removed.

  “Agnes!” Granger called. “Agnes! We want to talk to you. Show yourself!”

  They waited, but the room was silent. Eliza found the muffled silence to be nerve-wracking, afraid that at some moment something might pop out at them. She noticed Robert holding a hand to his ear, pressing on the side of his head. The pressure, she thought. It’s bothering him. I wonder why I can’t feel it?

  “Agnes!” Granger called again. “We know you’re here. We talked to Reid. We want to talk to you, to get your side of the story.”

  He paused again, and again no reply came.

  “It was well known that the other ghosts in this house weren’t communicative,” Granger said to the others. “It might be difficult to rouse her, if she’s even rousable at all. I’m dropping in.” Eliza saw Robert jumping into the River, so she followed him.

  The room didn’t change. Granger called again, trying to entice the ghost to manifest. Everything remained still and quiet.

  Ah! Robert said, taking a step back. Ah, OK!

  What? Eliza asked. She saw Robert drop from the flow, so she slowly exited the River, trying to avoid the pain in the back of her skull. She was almost successful.

  “She’s not coming out without some kind of protection,” Robert said. “She’s afraid of being poisoned.”

  “She talked to you?” Granger asked.

  “Not just talked,” Robert said. “I could feel her hands all over my body.”

  “Ah,” Granger replied. “One of those.”

  “Those?” Eliza asked.

  “I’ve seen more than one female ghost — and a couple of male ones, for that matter — develop a crush on my son,” Granger replied. “They think he’s handsome and only talk to him.”

  “She likes you?” Eliza asked Robert.

  It was too dark to tell if Robert blushed, but he did seem a little embarrassed by it. “Yeah,” he replied. “She was pretty handsy.”

  “What kind of protection does she want?” Granger asked.

  “I’ll tell you on the way down,” Robert said. “There’s no point in staying. She’s adamant, and my head is starting to hurt.”

  “Yes, alright then,” Granger said. “Let’s go.”

  They turned to leave the room. As Eliza walked out of the door, she looked to the right, trying to pierce the darkness of the hall that continued on, into the area of the house Nick had said was the most dangerous. She half expected to see the head she’d witnessed the day before, or the creature she’d seen walking up the stairs. A quick turn of her flashlight down the hallway revealed only more artwork, more doors, and more darkness where her beam petered out.

  They descended the stairs quickly, passed the landing, and made their way down the final staircase. Once outside, Robert and Granger seemed to be relieved at the drop in pressure. Eliza saw Rachel lying prone on the grass, and she ran to her, afraid for a moment that she wasn’t breathing and that leaving her had been a mistake.

  Rachel opened her eyes and looked up at her. “How’d it go?”

  Eliza let a sigh of relief escape her. “Robert made contact. Apparently Agnes likes him.”

  “Oh, really?” Rachel said, raising an arm to Robert as he approached. He pulled her up. “She likes you?”

  “She felt him up,” Eliza replied.

  “Did she?” Rachel asked.

  “Stop,” Robert replied. “Just stop.”

  “What was this about protection?” Granger asked. “What kind of protection is she asking for?”

  “I think she’s replaying the gas leak,” Robert said. “She realizes she died from inhaling something, and wants to be protected from that happening again.”

  “Of course it’s not going to happen again,” Eliza said. “That was a moment in the past. What, is she stupid?”

  “Many ghosts are,” Granger replied. “Most of them are stuck in some way or another, reliving pivotal moments that were important to them. If this is hers, we just have to accommodate it.”

  “I’d say something like a gas mask,” Robert said. “She knows she was poisoned. If she has a gas mask, she might reveal herself.”

  “Even though she can’t use the damn thing?” Eliza said.

  “Even though,” Granger replied. “She thinks she can, and it’s a gesture of goodwill on our part.”

  “Where are we going to get a gas mask?” Rachel replied.

  “Army surplus,” Robert replied. “They’ll be open at 8AM tomorrow. We can go back in to the house once we pick one up. I’d rather talk to Agnes in the daytime, anyway.”

  “Do you two want to stay over?” Granger replied. “We have an extra room and a couch. Save you driving all the way back to Spring Green.”

  “I don’t work tomorrow,” Eliza replied. “You, Rachel?”

  “Half shift, starting at 3,” Rachel replied. “I could probably beg out of it if we’re not done by then.”

  “Alright,” Granger replied. “It’s settled. You’ll stay with us, and we’ll start again in the morning.”

  They walked over the grass to the iron gates. Granger used his key to open them and let them out. Eliza turned to look back over her shoulder at the house beyond.

  Another day, she thought, worried about Shane.

  Chapter Twelve

  When they returned to Granger’s place, they discussed how the day had gone over beers. When it was time to turn in, Rachel took the extra bedroom, and Robert gave up his room to Eliza, saying he’d take the couch. They said their goodnights, and Eliza was left in Robert’s room, feeling a little awkward. She’d spent the night in a man’s room before, but never by herself, and she felt guilty looking at the things on his dresser: deodorant and cologne,
combs, a picture of his parents. She picked up and looked at the picture of a much younger Granger, standing with his arm around a young woman with dark hair. She wondered what happened to her.

  She had insisted that she’d sleep on top of the bed with a blanket, resisting his desire to offer clean sheets. As she laid down on the bedspread, she enjoyed the smell of his pillow. The more she thought of him lying in the bed with his head in the same spot, the more she found herself becoming aroused, and she contemplated slipping her hand inside her pants before she decided it was inappropriate. Instead, she tried to fall asleep.

  In the morning, she found Granger in the kitchen making breakfast, and she asked if she could use his phone to call the hospital and check on Shane. While making the call, she watched as Robert awoke from the couch, his hair twisted and flattened. He swung his legs onto the floor and raised himself into a sitting position. He was wearing shorts, and as she waited on hold, she couldn’t help but notice the muscles in his legs. When she glanced up at his face, he caught her looking.

  She turned away quickly, just as the nurse came on the end of the line. They discussed Shane’s condition, and when she turned back, Robert was gone.

  “How is he?” Granger asked once she hung up.

  “No change,” Eliza replied. “Still the same.”

  “Coffee?” Granger asked, pointing to a pot. “Help yourself.”

  “Thanks,” she replied, walking to the counter and pouring herself a mug. She sat at the bar behind the stove and cutting board, watching as Granger cooked.

  “Just a veggie scramble,” he said. “Bacon’s on the side in case you’re not a meat eater.”

  “Only in Madison would someone say that,” Eliza replied.

  “I suppose you’re right,” Granger chuckled. “Robert’s in the shower. Haven’t seen Rachel yet.”

  “I’ll wake her up,” Eliza replied, leaving the counter and walking to the hallway that led to the bedrooms. She passed Robert’s room and knocked on the next door.