Fall of the House of Crain

by Cindy Winget

  Luke stepped fully into the room and glanced into the hole in the floorboards. “Is that what I think it is?”

  Dr. Montague nodded. “The remains of Ernest Valdemar.”

  “So he never really left,” whispered Luke. “How did you know he was here?”

  “I put him there,” Dr. Montague said bluntly.

  Theo gasped. “You murdered your best friend!?”

  “No! I didn’t!”

  Tell them, came the voice of Valdemar. Tell them what you did.

  “No! They would never understand!”

  Tell them…Valdemar laughed gleefully.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Dr. Montague once again found Valdemar standing before him. Giving the foul apparition his full attention, he pleaded with Valdemar not to force him to relive the moment of his second death.

  “Who are you talking to?” asked Luke, a slight quiver in his voice as he looked around the room.

  Dr. Montague looked at Luke blankly, then glanced back to where Valdemar had stood seconds before. The space was empty, devoid of the caricature of his best friend. Where had he gone? Would he be back?

  Dr. Montague took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He dropped the heart back underneath the floor, where it gave a sickening thud, before wiping the blood from his hand.

  “Are you alright?” asked Theo.

  “Yes, I…Yes, I’m fine,” replied Dr. Montague. “Just thought I saw something, that’s all.”

  “Did you have any luck finding a way out?” asked Luke.

  “No. You?”

  Luke shook his head. “It would appear that Hill House is reluctant to let us leave.”

  “Are you two being serious right now?” said an exasperated Theo. They both turned and looked at her. “We aren’t going to talk about this?”

  “I’m not sure I want to hear one more horror story about what the house did,” said Luke, his ears turning red. “Not when we’re trapped here with no way out.”

  “You aren’t the least bit curious about why Dr. Montague would hide Valdemar’s body beneath the floorboards?” Theo shrieked at him. She rounded on Dr. Montague. “And you! You claim that you didn’t murder him, but then how did he die? Why did you lie to us and tell us he left? This,” she gestured to the hole in the floor, “isn’t what a normal person does.”

  “I can explain,” said Dr. Montague, holding his hand up defensively.

  “Please do,” said Theo.

  “Not here. Not with…” he glanced fearfully at the remains of Valdemar.

  Theo sighed heavily. “Fine. Let’s go to the sitting room.”

  Dr. Montague stalked from the room, wishing to distance himself from the evidence of his guilty conscience, Luke and Theo following close behind.

  When Luke and Theo had settled themselves upon the couch, Dr. Montague took the armchair, crossing one leg over the other. “Valdemar was sick,” he began.

  “We know that,” growled Theo.

  “What you don’t know, is how sick. He had tuberculosis.”

  Theo’s jaw dropped and Luke’s eyes widened. “Seriously?” said Luke. “It’s a wonder we didn’t all get sick!”

  “He was very careful to stay away from the group as much as possible and when he had to be among us, he sat a distance away,” explained Dr. Montague.

  “That’s true,” said Theo. “He did do that. Why didn’t he say anything to us?”

  Dr. Montague shrugged. “I didn’t even know myself until he had arrived. The only reason he even came was because he wanted me to mesmerize him.”

  “What?” said Theo.

  “To what end?” added Luke.

  “He wanted to see if we could suspend his death.”

  “Well, obviously that didn’t work!” said Luke.

  “Actually,” said Dr. Montague quietly, “it sort of did.”

  “What do you mean?” piped up Theo.

  “He did die, as Luke surmised, but not in the traditional sense. He had ceased to breathe and his heart had stopped, but he could still move around and talk. All his senses but sight and hearing were taken. He could no longer feel, taste, or smell. He was alive, but not alive, stuck in a state somewhere between life and death.”

  Theo gasped.

  Dr. Montague had tried to keep this conversation as precise and scientific as possible, but as he described what had happened that fateful day, the horror came rushing back. “He was a walking corpse!” he cried. “He wasn’t natural!” He gave a shudder at the thought of Valdemar’s unblinking stare.

  “What did you do to him?” asked Theo, glaring at him with accusing eyes.

  “I righted a wrong. He was supposed to die. It’s part of the human condition. We aren’t meant to live forever. Especially not like that.”

  “What. Did. You. Do?” Theo repeated.

  “I-I hit him over the head,” Dr. Montague confessed, looking away. He stood and turned his back on them. “I knew that none of you would understand what it was I had done, so I hid his body under the floorboards and told you all that he left.”

  “That’s despicable. I can’t bel—” Theo began.

  “Theo, stop,” said Luke quietly. “Leave the man alone. He obviously already feels bad enough, and Valdemar was already dead. For all we know, it was Hill House who made him do it.”

  “Are you really defending him!?”

  “Look. I agree. What he did is beyond wrong. I just think we need to focus on getting out of this house. That should be our priority.”

  Theo remained silent before finally conceding. “Fine.”

  “I have a notion that Hill House is stronger at night,” said Dr. Montague.

  “The Dudleys seemed to think so as well,” said Theo. “They told me.”

  “Then perhaps we’ll have better luck in the morning,” said Dr. Montague. “I think for now we should stay together and try to wade out the storm, as it were.”

  “Fine. Should we all sleep in here tonight?” asked Luke.

  “Yes. I think that would be best.” Dr. Montague walked to the side of the room. “I’ll gather some blankets,” he called over his shoulder. Pulling the blankets out of the closet— along with three pillows—he handed them to both Luke and Theo.

  “I couldn’t possibly sleep right now,” Theo said.

  Luke nodded in agreement.

  “It’s still early yet. Let’s go to the kitchen and I’ll make us some tea,” Dr. Montague told them.

  Luke and Theo hung back a bit. “Don’t let your guard down around Dr. Montague,” Luke cautiously whispered. “Hill House may still be influencing him, and I would hate to know what he may do to us if he was willing to kill his own best friend.”

  Theo nodded her understanding.

  When they arrived in the kitchen, Dr. Montague also scrounged up some cookies, cheese and crackers, and some cucumber sandwiches left over from the luncheon. As the three of them sat at the dining room table, munching on snacks and sipping their tea, Dr. Montague told them how sorry he was that things had turned out the way they had.

  “If I had even the slightest inkling that this would happen…” he trailed off.

  “Nobody could have foreseen such an event,” said Luke.

  Dr. Montague nodded his thanks and took another sip of his Earl Grey. A door slammed some distance away.

  “Was that the nursery?” asked Theo.

  “Probably,” was Dr. Montague’s reply.

  The door slammed once more. Then knocking began on the dining room wall to Dr. Montague’s left.

  Theo jumped. “I hate this! I am finished with this place! As soon as the house releases us, I’m outta here!”

  “If Hill House releases us,” said Luke sardonically.

  All through the night, doors slammed open and shut, frantic knocking pounded on the walls, a harsh wind swept down the hallways at odd intervals, and girlish laughter that ended in screams of terror wafted through the house.

  They didn’t ev
en make a pretense of sleeping. Their blankets remained unfolded and their pillows untouched. At midnight, the power went out, plunging Hill House into darkness. Dr. Montague helped Luke build a fire, and they took turns feeding it throughout the night.

  They didn’t speak much. Luke kept a comforting arm around Theo’s shoulders and placed a warm blanket on her lap.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  When morning light finally shone in through the windows, the three harried people made a slow beeline for the front door, hoping beyond hope that it would open, and they would finally be free of the house’s influence.

  The hallways in between the rooms were shadowy with the power still out, causing more damage to Theo’s already frayed nerves, and she was glad to reach the sunlit entryway. But as the front door came into view, she came to a halt.

  “What is it?” Luke asked her.

  She pointed towards the door with a shaking finger. There sat Agnes Crain’s black cat. “Why do you keep following me!?” Theo screamed at it. The feline blinked at her, looking bored, then turned and glided through the solid door.

  “Should we try it?” asked Luke. Without waiting for a reply, he walked to the large door and tugged on the handle. It wouldn’t budge.

  “Let us out!” Theo screamed at the house. She ran at the door and kicked it furiously, accomplishing little more than a hurt big toe. With her foot smarting, Theo ran to the closest window and tried to wrench it open. It was stuck fast. “Let’s break it!” she cried. She went in search of a solid object to use, stopping when she heard a whisper.

  “Did you say something?” she asked Luke.

  “No.”

  “Dr. Montague?” she tried.

  “No, I didn’t say anything either.”

  “Theo,” came the soft voice once more. She walked in the direction of the voice.

  “Where are you going?” asked Luke, following her.

  “Don’t you hear it?”

  “What am I supposed to be hearing?”

  Theo ignored him and continued following the ethereal voice throughout the house, having to turn around and try again when the disembodied voice became too faint. Luke and Dr. Montague, looking baffled, followed after, thankfully not asking any more questions. She didn’t have time to stop and answer them. She needed to listen. Coming to a halt just inside the ballroom, she caught sight of the black cat sitting by the statue of Hop-frog and Trippetta.

  Instead of shying away from it as she always had before, she decided to embrace the feline. “Okay, cat. What is it you want?”

  The large cat blinked at her, stood, and sauntered toward the staircase in the corner, its tail twitching back and forth as it walked. Theo followed after it until she reached a large room. The attic. The cat wanted her in the attic. But why?

  “Theo…remember,” came the soft whisper once more.

  As she listened, Theo thought she recognized the voice this time. Glancing around, her eyes rested upon a spectral figure standing in the middle of the room. Theo took a step back. “Eleanor, is that really you?” At Luke’s gasp she knew that he could see her as well. Eleanor wore the clothes she was wearing when she crashed her motorcar into the tree. The black cat rested in her arms, closing its eyes in pleasure as Eleanor stroked its back.

  “Remember the painting,” said Eleanor.

  “Painting? What are you talking about?” Theo asked.

  “Remember…” Eleanor began to fade.

  “No! Wait!” Theo cried.

  Before Eleanor dissipated completely, she pointed a ghostly finger to the side of the room where some old paintings leaned against the wall.

  Of course! Eleanor was trying to tell her to remember their discussion about the oval portrait. Theo thought back and tried to consider what Eleanor wanted her to glean from that conversation.

  “We have to ignore the house,” said Theo.

  “What?” said Luke in confusion.

  “That’s what Eleanor was trying to tell us. She told me once that Hill House likes attention. If we ignore it, perhaps it will let us out.”

  “How?”

  It was Dr. Montague who answered. “Yes, of course! I see what you’re getting at. When Hill House tries to scare us, we give it no heed. We pretend not to notice.”

  “Exactly!”

  As though Hill House had been listening, a great wail of terror rang out through the house, causing the group to jump.

  “What was that?” asked Luke.

  “The little ghost girl, maybe?” replied Theo.

  “Maybe.”

  A slamming door was heard from somewhere in the house. Theo’s instinct was to run, to rush back to the relative safety of the sitting room, but she forced herself to stay still. The floorboards creaked, footsteps thumping ever closer. Theo quickly schooled her face into a look of boredom.

  When she noticed Luke looking around, trying to ascertain the direction of the noise, she nudged him with her foot and shook her head. His ears reddened and he stopped.

  “Should we go somewhere where we can at least sit down?” asked Dr. Montague. Theo nodded and they left the ballroom.

  Along the way, they heard another door slam shut. Then one by one, more doors opened and slammed shut, one after the other. Floors creaked and windows shuddered as though blown upon by a fierce wind.

  Theo realized that this wasn’t going to work. She couldn’t just sit calmly on the couch, forcing small talk. Her nerves would shatter. She needed a distraction, something more than a book, which she would never be able to focus on. Besides, she dreaded going to the library. In a place without a radio, she came to only one conclusion.

  “I have a better idea. Let’s go to the game room,” she told the others.

  “Really? You want to play a game…now?” Luke asked in surprise.

  “I need a distraction,” Theo explained. He nodded in understanding, and they changed direction. As they reached the hallway that led to the game room, Theo saw that the walls had begun to drip with blood. Swallowing, she forced her gaze away and stared straight ahead.

  “What will it be?” Luke asked as he entered. “A game of three cushion billiards or cards?”

  “Billiards,” she said definitively. “It’s more active. I don’t want to sit still.” She was glad to see that this room had enough windows that it was still light.

  “I’ll watch,” said Dr. Montague. “Make sure nobody cheats.” He tried to laugh, but it came out sounding weak.

  “I call stripes,” said Luke, grinning at Theo.

  “Then I guess I’m solids,” said Theo, who actually preferred solids anyway.

  “I’ll set up the balls,” Dr. Montague told them as Luke and Theo grabbed pool cues from off the wall and rubbed the ends in chalk.

  “I’ll break first,” Theo said with her eyebrows raised, daring Luke to argue.

  “That’s fine by me,” Luke replied, leaning on his pool cue.

  When Dr. Montague was done, she lined up her shot and was about to break when the room rang out with girlish laughter. Theo almost covered her ears but caught herself just in time. She took her shot, not surprised when most of the balls stayed pretty much where they started, and moved out of Luke’s way so he could take his turn.

  Bang!

  The door to the game room slammed shut. Theo jumped, but she didn’t look up from the billiards table.

  “Nice shot,” she told Luke when he sunk his first ball into the far-right pocket.

  He grinned. “I’ve spent my fair share of time in pool halls and gambling dens.”

  As he took his next shot, sinking yet another ball, Theo gasped with feigned shock. “You spent time in those nests of vice and corruption?” She laughed with genuine mirth until Hill House quickly reminded her that she wasn’t here to have fun. Knocking began pounding upon the walls.

  Theo was tempted to shout at the house, “That’s all you got!?” but that would defeat the purpose of this experiment, so she kept her mouth shut.

  Ghostly vo
ices began to manifest in the room, sounding like people of long ago also playing a friendly game of billiards. Luke missed the next ball, his jaw tight. Clenching her teeth together, Theo took her turn.

  Doors within the house began to open and close at a furious pace, fraying her nerves even more. As time went on, Hill House threw everything it had at the group of trapped individuals. Windows shuddered, floors creaked, ghostly voices invaded their own conversation, and knocking pounded upon the walls. All the while, Luke and Theo played their game, giving no heed to the actions of the house.

  “Watch out!” Dr. Montague called from behind her. Without thinking about it, she ducked. A loud thud thumped upon the pool table. She looked up and found a deck of cards splayed out upon the surface. A vase shattered on the other side of her. Luke dodged as another object—a tin of poker chips this time—clattered to the floor in the spot that he had just vacated.

  Theo looked over and found Dr. Montague staring at a spot in the corner, his face pale and his lips trembling. “Dr. Montague, look away!” she shouted at him.

  “But it’s Val—”

  “Don’t look. It’s not really him. It’s Hill House trying to break you!” Dr. Montague looked away quickly.

  With trembling hands, Theo took her next shot, the white ball caroming wildly off the side without hitting anything.

  A loud, deep growl echoed around the room, as though the house itself was venting its frustration. As the roar sounded a second time, all the windows in the room shattered, imploding inward. They all threw their arms up, covering their heads as shards of glass rained down upon them. A third howl sent them rushing for the door as a large crack appeared in the wall.

  “Run!” yelled Dr. Montague.

  Not needing to be told twice, Theo ran pell-mell through the doorway and out into the hallway. As she sprinted toward the front door, the walls began to crumble and fall.

  “Hurry!” Theo said unnecessarily. Please open! she thought as she reached the door. With a squeal of rusty hinges, the door opened, and they all breathed a sigh of relief as they hurried through it. Theo looked back in time to see that Hill House had split at the long crack that ran from the tallest turret to the base of the porch, collapsing with an earsplitting crash that reverberated through the wooded hills.