The Haunting of Pitmon House

by Michael Richan

  She walked around the wall. It stuck out eight feet from the side of the attic, and rose all the way to the roof. She turned the corner, and it ran another eight feet along one edge before ending and continuing back to the attic wall. It effectively carved out an eight by eight space.

  She tried to press her hand into the wall here, at the far corner, but the bricks held firm. As her hand scraped over their rough surface, she sensed something else; a smell. It was floral. She’d smelled it before in her life, but couldn’t put a finger on it.

  She turned to look back at Granger and Robert. They were both watching her, about fifty feet away. Behind them she saw movement; something was approaching them, and they were unaware.

  She sped back to them, moving rapidly over the floorboards, passing through stacks of boxes and furniture on the way. As she got closer, she saw the red eyes and the ignition of the flame in Dominic’s hands. This time there was no black fog hiding him; his lean body was fully on display. In his hand was a blowtorch. He cracked an igniter and the flame roared to life.

  Granger! she called. Look out!

  A giant burst of yellow and orange erupted from Dominic, billowing forward and enveloping Granger and Robert in a split second. She watched, horrified, as the flame wrapped around them and through them, emerging on the other side.

  Then, just as quickly, Granger and Robert slid rapidly out of view, past the edge of the attic wall, leaving Dominic standing between her and the direction they’d left. He looked confused, and she saw him center his gaze on her, lifting the blowtorch. He grinned as he pulled on the torch’s trigger, sending a giant plume of flame directly at her.

  Eliza backed up rapidly, accelerating with each second until she found herself passing through the wall of the attic behind her, moving out into the open air. In a nearby dormer window she saw the flame inside the attic, chasing after her, stopping at the walls. A second shot of fire erupted from the blowtorch, and she wondered if it would set the house on fire.

  She moved quickly through the air, wanting to return to her body and the others. She rose, going over the top of the house, seeing Granger and Robert lying on the grass below. Within seconds she descended, returning to her body so quickly it sent pain shooting into her neck and racing up the back of her skull.

  She sat up. “Are you OK?”

  Granger rolled over and stood. “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not,” Robert said, sitting up. “You’re still bleeding.”

  Eliza watched as Granger checked his nose, then she turned to Robert. “You too,” she said. “It wasn’t just in the River. You’re bleeding now, out here.”

  Robert reached up to his lip and touched the blood that was there, examining his fingers.

  “I was afraid he’d burned you,” Eliza said. “Like Rachel.”

  “Can’t burn us in the River,” Granger replied, “all dosed up.”

  “He looked pretty confused when you sped off,” Eliza replied. “He came for me, and I left the other direction.”

  “Aside from these nosebleeds,” Granger said, “we protected ourselves pretty well.”

  “Did you see me inspecting that wall?” Eliza asked.

  “It looked like you couldn’t go through it,” Robert replied. “I don’t want to sound mean, but it was a little amusing to watch you hit your head against it.”

  “I found a display case next to it,” Eliza said. “It looked like the kind of stuff Kendall might have collected.”

  “You think something’s behind the wall?” Robert asked.

  “I do,” she replied. “We need to see what’s inside there.”

  “If you couldn’t pass through it,” Granger replied, “it’s protected. That might be where the legend shelf lies. Getting through one is impossible.”

  “But this one might be broken,” Eliza said. “You said there might be something wrong with it.”

  “That was just a theory,” Granger replied. “It might be fine for all we know.”

  “How do we get through it?” Eliza asked. “Whatever is inside is what Kendall doesn’t want us to see.”

  “We don’t know that for sure,” Robert replied.

  “No, I do,” Eliza replied. “I felt it. The answer is inside there. How do you get through a wall protected by a legend shelf?”

  “As I said, you don’t!” Granger replied. “That’s the whole point of them.”

  “There has to be a way,” Eliza replied. “Is it the legend shelf that makes the pressure you’re feeling?”

  “Probably,” Granger answered.

  “What if we knock it down?” Eliza asked. “Come back with a sledgehammer?”

  “It’ll stop you,” Granger replied. “Hell, Robert and I can’t even get within fifty feet of it.”

  “It’s on the same side of the house as the landing, isn’t it?” Eliza said. “That’s why the pressure was stronger there; that’s got to be it. We have to try something.”

  “I don’t know,” Granger replied. “All I’ve ever heard is that legend shelves are impenetrable.”

  “Is there an expert on them we could talk with?” Eliza asked. “Pose some questions too?”

  Granger pushed himself up from the ground. “There are experts, sure. We can give it a shot, but don’t hold your breath. No legend shelf expert will have any interest in lessening the reputation of them.”

  “Who’s the best person we can get?” Eliza asked. Robert rose from the ground and extended his hand to her, pulling her up.

  “I don’t know off hand,” Granger said. “There might be some names in my mother’s book. I’ll look into it if that’s what you want.”

  “Would you?” Eliza asked. “I know that’s where the answer lies. I’m telling you, I could feel it! If we can get past that wall, something behind it will help. I know it!”

  They walked back to the car, and Granger drove them back to his place.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Eliza tried to sit still, but she’d been holding motionless for a long time, with the woman’s device hovering over her face like an optometrist’s exam. The woman smelled of tomato juice and vodka.

  Bloody Marys, she thought.

  “I’ve been misled,” the short, dark woman said, pulling the thin slate from Eliza’s face and using her fingers to move sliding panels on the device back into their original position. “It was a long drive at great inconvenience. I do not appreciate being lied to.”

  “Lied to?” Granger asked. “No one lied to you.”

  “This is far from what you told me,” the woman said, folding her contraption several times until it was the size of a dollar bill, and sliding it into the purse that hung from her arm. “What I see before me is a timid, cowed girl who lives in fear. She is full of self-doubt and self-hatred. This is not something I can work with.”

  She walked to Granger, their height difference significant, and raised a finger to him.

  “False pretenses,” she said, wagging the finger. “A bad tactic. You’ll gain a reputation. I know others.”

  “But she didn’t feel the pressure!” Granger replied. “I didn’t lie to you! It’s true!”

  “There could be a dozen reasons for that!” the small woman snapped back at Granger. “You told me she was special!” The woman turned to look at Eliza, eyeing her up and down. “She’s not special. She’s as common as the day is long.”

  Eliza felt her eyes begin to sting. The woman had put some kind of drops into them before she began her exam. It had caused them to itch, but she hadn’t been allowed to rub or scratch. Now the itch was becoming unbearable.

  “We need help!” Granger said. “You’re one of the foremost experts. Her brother is at risk.”

  “You’re all at risk!” the woman snapped back. “You’ll reimburse me double my time and expenses, but I’m so annoyed with you right now, I’m tempted to charge you triple. I didn’t want to come tonight, I told you so. It has been a complete waste of time.”

  Eliza could see tha
t Granger looked desperate. He turned to look at her; the best she could do was shrug her shoulders.

  “What’s wrong with her eyes?” Granger asked the woman, pointing at Eliza.

  “Give it an hour,” the woman replied. “It’ll go down.”

  “Can’t you give her something now?” Granger asked. “It looks painful. Is it painful, Eliza?”

  It hurt, but Eliza wasn’t going to admit it to this woman. “No, I’m fine.”

  “And she’s dishonest,” the woman said, walking to Eliza. “Lean back again,” she ordered.

  “No, I’m fine,” Eliza said.

  “False bravery,” the woman sighed. “Even more pathetic. You’re not fine. I have drops that will neutralize the others. Do as I say and lean back.”

  Eliza reluctantly lowered her head back to the sofa, and the woman leaned over her, positioning a small vial over her eyes. “You’re a lovely young gifted, my dear. I just can’t help you.”

  “I believe you can,” Eliza said, reaching up with her hand to grab at the woman’s wrist. The bones under her skin felt thin and frail, but the woman snatched her hand from Eliza’s quickly.

  “Are you going to let me put these drops in your eyes, or not?” she asked.

  Eliza held her eyelids open while the woman placed several drops into each eye. Then the woman patted her hand. “There. Wait a couple of minutes, and you’ll be fine.”

  “I won’t be fine,” Eliza said. “My brother is tied to a hospital bed, losing his mind. My friend is in the hospital with severe burns to her head. And here I am, letting some crazy old witch screw around with my eyes. I must be insane.”

  “Bravo!” the woman muttered as she stood up and placed the vial into her large purse. “Not the first time I’ve been called a witch and not the best presentation of feigned courage in response to a diagnosis, but you gave it a shot and that’s better than some.”

  She wheeled around, looking for Granger. “Where’s the way out?”

  “You won’t stay?” Granger asked. “You won’t help us?”

  “If even half of what you say is true,” the woman replied, “which I doubt, that would place you tenth or eleventh on my list. Are you going to show me the exit, or is it up to me to find it?”

  “I’ll show you,” Robert said, leading her away.

  “Enjoy Detroit,” Eliza called after her.

  The woman stopped dead in her tracks and wheeled around. “You two!” she said, pointing at Granger and Robert. “Out!”

  “Out?” Granger asked. “This is our home!”

  She turned to Granger and spoke slowly, condescendingly. “Go somewhere else while I speak to her.”

  “Come on,” Granger said to Robert. “We’ll go through to the garage.”

  The woman waited while they left, then she slowly approached Eliza. “What about Detroit?”

  “It’s where you’re headed, isn’t it?” Eliza asked. “The first name on your list, the people you put off to come here instead?”

  The woman sat next to her on the couch, and looked at her intently, her eyes squinting a little. “I was thinking about Detroit as I was headed to the door,” she said. “You read my mind? How?”

  “I don’t know how,” Eliza said. “It just occurred to me.”

  “Your timidity will be a huge stumbling block,” the woman said. “The real answer is that you were upset, and you decided to look into my mind. That’s what really happened, isn’t it?”

  “No,” Eliza replied.

  “Liar,” the woman shot back. “Did you drop into the River to do it? Or stay normal?”

  “I didn’t drop.”

  “No, I didn’t think you did. What am I thinking now?”

  “I don’t know.”

  The woman reached out and slapped Eliza across the face. “What am I thinking now?”

  “You’re thinking about an Italian meat sandwich,” Eliza replied, raising a hand to her face. “Ow, that hurt!”

  “When you were at that wall, what did you feel?”

  “The wall in the attic?” Eliza asked.

  “Of course that wall!” the woman spat. “Stop dithering!”

  Eliza thought. “I felt a tugging in my chest.”

  “Could you sense the thoughts of the being that constructed the wall?”

  “I didn’t try. I was confused as to why I couldn’t get through it, and then my friends were attacked.”

  “Did you smell anything?”

  “Yes.”

  “What?”

  “It was floral,” Eliza replied. “I’d smelled it before, but never in the River.”

  “What was it? What was the smell? Think!”

  Eliza racked her brain, trying to remember the floral smell at the wall and compare it to others from her memory. “It reminded me of an arbor my father tended on our farm,” Eliza said. “That’s it. Wisteria.”

  “Wisteria!” the woman replied, her eyes opening wide. Her head turned away, and Eliza could see her looking around the room as her mind raced. “You’ll come with me to Chicago,” she said. “There are a couple more tests I’d like to conduct.”

  “For how long?” Eliza asked.

  “Through tomorrow,” the woman replied.

  “I can’t,” Eliza said. “I have a job. I’m covering for others. I have to be there.”

  The woman stared at her. “I’m not offering lightly,” she said. “The last time I offered was seventeen years ago. Take it or leave it.”

  “I suppose I could call in sick,” Eliza said, already feeling guilty.

  “Tell your friends to pick you up tomorrow at six,” the woman replied.

  Eliza rose from the sofa and found Granger and Robert in the garage. “She wants me to go with her to Chicago. She wants you to pick me up tomorrow at six. Should I? Should I go?”

  “Go!” Granger said. “We’ll come get you tomorrow! Learn what you can from her!”

  She turned to Robert. “I don’t know this woman.”

  “It’s a rare opportunity,” Robert said. “You’ve got nothing to worry about. Go. This may be the information you need.”

  “And don’t take guff from her,” Granger said. “She doesn’t respect guff-takers.”

  She looked at them both. “Tell me this is the right thing to do?”

  “It’s the right thing to do,” they replied in unison.

  ●

  Eliza sucked in air as the woman narrowly missed the back bumper of the car in front of them. She had tried to engage her in conversation, but the woman could barely see over the top of the steering wheel and her chaotic driving kept Eliza on edge. She was afraid if she asked her a question, it would distract her from the road. When they pulled into the driveway of a house in Forest Glen, Eliza felt a tremendous amount of body tension dissipate. It had been a harrowing drive, and she didn’t want to experience it ever again.

  The house was large and beautiful, and they were greeted at the back door by a butler who asked the woman if she required anything. She requested tea and led Eliza through the home to a large study, not stopping to point out anything about the house. When they were inside, the woman pulled sliding doors closed, sealing them in.

  The room was lined with bookcases, which Eliza wondered how the little woman was able to navigate. Perhaps they’re for show, she thought.

  “I collected each of these books carefully,” the woman replied. “I could have had hundreds more, but I curate them, just as I do people.” The woman sat in a chair. “They’re not for show.”

  She can read my mind, too? Eliza wondered.

  “Impressive,” Eliza said. “Fiction?”

  “You are a smart ass!” the woman replied, rising from her chair and walking to a desk. She opened a drawer and removed a long box, which she brought to Eliza. Inside was a knife.

  “You are naive,” the woman said. “Nothing wrong with that, unless it gets you killed, or stops you from getting what you want. Have you ever taken an elemental oath?”

 
“Never heard of it.”

  “I’m going to share some things with you,” the woman said. “And I want secrecy. I want to know you will not divulge things to others. You will promise me that what we discuss will remain confidential, and you’ll seal your promise with this.”

  Eliza looked down at the knife. It was shiny silver, with an ornate handle and a long, thin blade. “What do I have to do?”

  “Take the knife in your right hand,” the woman said. “And slide the sharp end of the blade against the palm of your left hand.”

  “Cut myself?” Eliza asked.

  “Yes. Then I’ll tell you what to say.”

  “Tell me what I’ll be saying before I do.”

  The woman smiled. “You’ll say, ‘I swear an elemental oath that I will not reveal the information I’m about to receive.’”

  “That’s it?” Eliza asked.

  “That’s it.”

  “What happens if I break the oath?”

  “You’ll die.” The woman’s smile grew. “Well, it’s hard to break an elemental oath. Forces move around you to stop you before you do. By all means, if you’re not comfortable making an oath to keep these things I’m going to show you between you and me, then don’t do it.”

  “No one — not even Granger and Robert?”

  “No one,” the woman replied, her eyes becoming firm. “Not a soul.”

  Eliza looked down at the knife in the box. Like Rachel, here was someone offering to teach her things that her father hadn’t seen fit to share; and perhaps more than that, things that many gifteds weren’t privy to.

  Moment of truth, she thought. No going back.

  She reached for the knife and brought it up to her palm in a quick move. Blood began to drip from her hand.

  “Show me,” the woman said.

  Eliza turned her palm to the woman.

  “Say the words.”

  Eliza repeated the oath the woman had provided.

  The woman smiled. “There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

  Eliza replaced the knife in the box, surprised that there was no blood on it. She looked at her left hand; there was no blood there, either. No mark at all.

  “First things first,” the woman said, replacing the box in the desk. She walked back to a sofa and motioned for Eliza to sit. “The first secret you must keep,” she said, “is that my name is Aceveda.”