The Ghosts of RedRise House

by Caroline Clark

  “That man should not have been here.”

  “What was he?” Noah asked.

  Stacey looked at them for a few seconds and wondered what to say. They had been through so much and she didn’t want to traumatize them further.

  “Was he a ghost?” Noah asked.

  Stacey let out a sigh of relief. Sometimes she forgot that children could see things that adults didn’t. Their minds were more open and Noah didn’t look frightened by the thought.

  “Yes.”

  “Can he hurt us now?” Noah clutched his sister's little hand.

  “No, he is gone. Nick will make sure he can never come back. You have nothing to fear of ghosts, there are very few of them and they are just people. So like people most are good, only a very few are bad and people like Nick and others make sure they cannot hurt you.”

  The children nodded. Sophia’s mouth was open wide but it was a look of awe not fear.

  “Are you a ghost?” Noah asked.

  “Yes.”

  “That’s why you can’t pick us up or open the door?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why are you here?” Sophia asked.

  Stacey moved closer to her, hutching on her knees, so that they were eye to eye.

  “I don’t know, but I feel there is something I have to do.”

  “Then what?” Sophia asked.

  “I will go on to peace, joy, and love.”

  “That sounds nice.” Sophia grinned.

  “It is but only when it is your time. Come now, your dad is looking for you and he is nearly here.”

  “Can we tell them about you?” Noah asked his voice shaking a little.

  “It would be best if you didn’t, if you just said you got lost.”

  The kids nodded and came forward to hug her. They both went straight through and tumbled onto the ground.

  Stacey vanished but was back instantly. She went to them but was surprised to see Sophia giggling, then Noah started and Stacey sat on the floor and laughed with them.

  “The rescuers are close, let’s go find your dad.”

  95

  Once more Nick traveled through the darkness. Whooshing so quickly that his head spun and his stomach heaved. Only his body was melting away leaving his spirit still clutching the thing that made him, him. A vice like grip kept his hand enclosed around his soul.

  What now, what new hell was he going to?

  As the sensations of feeling, of being human passed a moment of sadness went with it. In purgatory he could experience all the wonderful things that we take for granted. The touch of skin, the feeling of air in his lungs, the joy of a smile, feelings so intense and yet so mundane to most were joys to one without a form.

  Though he wanted to fight he couldn’t summon the energy and let himself be dragged to whatever fate there was.

  Twisting, turning, tumbling, pain, fear, darkness, all rushed around him battering him as he was swooped up and around. Like a leaf in a tornado he had no control.

  Then it stopped and he was... where?

  It took only moments for his senses to acclimatize and yet it felt like hours. He was back in RedRise House. He was back on the other side of the rift. Something, someone had pulled him out.

  The blackness seethed before him, swarming and turning a never-ending sea of darkness.

  Then he saw light and Sylvia was before him.

  “You?”

  She nodded.

  “Why?”

  “You are a good man, you have the purest soul I have ever seen and I could not leave you in that place.”

  Nick nodded and looked down at his hand. That glowing mass was what made him good. Though he knew he had to let go of it he wondered what he would become.

  “You will still be you,” Sylvia said. “That is why you must do this. If another lesser person were to do this they would be corrupted but you will still be you.”

  Nick wondered if that could be true or if it was just the lesser of two evils.

  “It is true. Your soul is powerful and so are you. You could leave this place but if you do you will leave the influence of your soul. That would be bad. Stay here, guard this rift and you will remain the man you are.”

  “If I stay close to it then I will still be me?”

  “Yes.”

  Nick pulled his arm back and looked at the glowing ball. So bright so beautiful that it captivated him.

  “You must hurry. The children are not safe yet. Not until this is done.”

  A scream came from within the rift and Nick could see hands, black with filth, scrawny hands, clawing at the edge of the rift.

  “I need you to make me one promise.” Nick looked over at Sylvia, pleading with his eyes.

  She nodded. I understand.

  “I need to hear it. If I become everything I hate. If I become evil, a danger to anyone... you will end me.”

  “I will.”

  Nick threw the soul at the rift. As it left his hand it lit the cavern with bright, pure light and filled him with peace and joy.

  More hands were clawing at the rift, coming through and reaching out desperate to be free.

  The ball hit the rift and spread across it replacing dark with light. As it touched the flesh it purified it with fire leaving nothing, not even ash. Slowly the light coalesced over the darkness covering it all completely.

  Nick dropped to his knees, exhausted both physically and emotionally. But it was over. The circle was complete and he understood that he would stay here to make sure no one else was lost to this evil place.

  Once as a young man he had seen what happened here. At the time he had been unable to believe, unable to fathom it and so he had stood by and things happened. Now he could make amends fully and he was glad to do so.

  “I will check on you, but now I must go,” Sylvia said.

  Nick nodded and then she was gone.

  The sacrificial chamber felt different. It felt clean and the glowing wall gave enough light for him to see. This was his home now and he knew that he could make it what he wanted. Maybe he would imagine a little cottage, like the one he used to live in. If it were here over the rift then he would be close if anything happened.

  96

  The pull of the rescuers was strong to Stacey. They were tired but determined and they were so close to breaking through.

  “Can you open the door?” she asked.

  Noah went to it and pulled with all his might but it wouldn’t budge.

  Stacey bit back her frustration, had she come so close to fail now?

  “I can help,” Sophia said and went to pull on her brother’s arm adding her meager strength to his.

  They were so tired, so exhausted that the heavy door, swollen and sticking was too much for them. Maybe she could go and guide the rescuers here? They would find the children eventually if they searched all the tunnels. Only Stacey knew there were miles of underground passages. It could take days and she wanted these kids safe, now.

  The room lightened for a moment and Stacey felt the most profound peace and joy. As the light faded the door opened just a few inches. The children squeezed through.

  Stacey thought herself on the other side and greeted them.

  Sophia laughed and Noah nodded.

  Torches lit up the corridors, spaced wide enough to cause shadows but they gave off enough light to help.

  Slowly she ushered the children along the dark narrow corridors toward the sound of the river. Soon the river was rushing alongside them. It added a deep chill to the air but this was a natural chill and they all felt the difference. Since the chamber the house had been lighter in spirit and it gave them the courage to keep going just a little bit longer.

  Stacey could hear the shouts of the rescuers and knew they were close. Up ahead were the stairs to the house. She ignored them. The house was gone and they were blocked. Following a passage to the left she came to another junction. Three tunnels were lead away into darkness. None of them were lighted and she could sense the reticen
ce of the children. Where they were they still had residual light from the torches but once they stepped into one of those tunnels it would be dark.

  Stacey longed to take their hands or to provide her own light. Closing her eyes she thought of light but it was no use, she was too new, too tired. So instead she concentrated on the rescuers. They were close.

  “Stay here. I will just be a little while.”

  They nodded and Stacey let the feeling of the rescuers pull her to their location. They were digging and close but they needed to dig to their left and were going to their right. That way they came to a cross beam. It would take a long time to move it and she wondered how much more the children could take.

  Eyes closed she felt the building and sought out the weakness. Maybe if she tried really hard she could loosen the rocks that were there.

  So she thought of being in just the right place and let the pull of it call her. Nothing. She didn’t have the power to do this and the team were slowing down.

  “There’s no way they could have got through here.”

  She heard one of them saying.

  “The dogs must be confused.”

  “Or maybe something died down there and they’re just hungry.”

  “No. They can smell the children. They passed this way,” another voice added to the conversation. This one a little desperate.

  “The daylight is going. We can only give this another 30 minutes at most.”

  “We have to keep looking,” Jacob said and Stacey could feel him digging with his hands.

  Closing her eyes she reached out to him. Whispering in his mind to move to his left. At first nothing happened but then she felt him balk at the touch she had made with her mind. Would he ignore it, go against it?

  Jacob stopped for a moment and then he moved away.

  Stacey hated to fail, maybe she should go back to the children and try and find another way out. What she had done would feel like intuition to him, like he had an idea. Some people went with that idea and were guided by spirits others rebelled against it. It looked like Jacob was one of the latter.

  Then Jacob was back, digging where she had pointed him with a crowbar. His actions were determined, desperate and within just a short time Stacey saw the dust and debris fall as he made an opening.

  “Look, look here we’re through!”

  Now more hands were digging and soon light illuminated the tunnel.

  Stacey touched his mind again. Telling him to turn left. Showing him a picture of his children huddled in the dark but she didn’t stay. The light would give her a way and she thought herself back with the children.

  “Wow,” Sophia said as she materialized in front of them. “That’s really cool.”

  “Your dad’s here. Come this way.”

  The light was just penetrating along the edge of the tunnel and the children saw it. The further they walked the brighter the light and soon they ran past Stacey and down the corridor straight into the arms of Jacob.

  Jacob dropped to his knees and hugged his children close as a cheer went up amongst the rescuers.

  Stacey watched from a distance. The feeling of love washed over her and she knew that changes were coming but they were safe. Her time here was over, at least for now.

  Just before she left she saw Noah and Sophia pull from their father’s arms and look at her.

  “Go,” she whispered in their minds.

  “Thank you,” Noah thought.

  “Come to see us,” Sophia added.

  “I will if I can.” Stacey gave them one last smile and then she let herself fade and she was gone.

  97

  “Do you really think this is necessary,” Gail asked as they drove up to the ruin of RedRise House. “We saw on the news that the children were found, that it was just an accident.”

  “Do you really believe that?” Jesse looked across as she pulled the car over in front of the ruin.

  Gail shook her head. They both knew something had happened here, they just didn’t know what, or if it was truly over.

  “Everything looks the same.” Gail got out and walked to the rubble.

  “Do you feel anything?” Jesse could feel a sense of peace and love. It was strange and the exact opposite of what he expected.

  “Not... not anything evil,” Gail said and he could see tears forming in her eyes.

  “What is it?”

  “Love, peace, acceptance.”

  Jesse nodded and walked over to the ruins. Just before he got there Stacey appeared. She looked so young and healthy and so sane. Yet seeing her always gave him a slight fission of something wrong. Maybe it was just his training. For all his life he had been taught that spirits should move on less they lose their grip on reality and on right and wrong.

  “I’m fine thanks,” Stacey said and she winked at him.

  “What...” Jesse started as Gail walked up.

  Gail was more understanding and she smiled to see the young ghost.

  “What happened?” Jesse managed.

  Before Stacey could explain, the vision before them changed. Instead of the old blackened ruins, a small, quaint cottage stood surrounded by gardens. Pink roses grew over the front door and the garden was full of lupins, hydrangeas, daisies, and other flowers he couldn’t name.

  The door opened and Nick came out dressed in a T-shirt and jeans he looked very different from the priest they had first met.

  “H... h... how,” Jesse managed. “Your clothes are you...”

  Nick smiled and it was like a wave of sunshine.

  “I’m still me. Still a ghost but I have worn those same clothes for a long time. I fancied a change and now I have another calling and it is this house. My job is to stay here, to guard it, and I may as well be happy.”

  Gail came forward and it looked as if she would hug him, of course she couldn’t so she nodded as tears ran down her face.

  “Happiness is important, it is part of the difference between good and evil, for happiness is contentment and evil can never be content,” Nick said.

  “Okay, enough preaching.” Stacey appeared beside him.

  “I can serve you tea.” Nick pointed and a table and chairs appeared in the garden.

  While they drank the tea Nick explained about the rift and how he had to guard it.

  “That will get lonely.” Gail sipped her tea.

  “I have everything I need and friends who will visit.” He raised an eyebrow as he checked around the table.

  They all nodded and then laughed.

  Jesse looked around him at the difference he could see and feel. Somehow he knew that this time it was over. RedRise House may be evil but Nick was good to his very core and he was a match for the old place.

  98

  Jacob hated that he had to go back to work. Looking after Noah and Sophia was the most rewarding thing he had ever done. How he wished he could have seen that while there was still time to be a real family.

  Noah ran from the car happy to see his friends. Sophia clung to him as he walked her to the school gate. The last month had been hard on them but he knew it was time to move on.

  A little girl with a brunette ponytail came up to them. Sophia turned around and the girl pulled her into a hug. She looked back and smiled before they walked off together.

  This had been a big hurdle and there had been a lot of them recently. Telling them about their mum, the funeral, all the things he had never done before like cooking tea, bath time, washing clothes, preparing school uniforms. They had been as challenging for him as they had for the kids. Today was another first. He had never dropped them at school before and he missed Emily so much.

  The bell rang and the children disappeared into the building like bees called back to the queen. They would be fine, and if they weren’t he would be here for them.

  Soon he was walking into his offices and he had one more hurdle to cross. Everyone greeted him with that embarrassed sympathy. Wanting to give support, afraid he might break down, pleased it was
n’t them.

  Jacob nodded politely and made his way straight to Mr. Martins’ office. Though he had a bit of a breather, Emily had been insured and it would keep them going for a year if needed. But he didn’t want to use that money. He wanted to save that for college or for deposits on houses for the children. To do that he had to make this work.

  “Jacob, it’s good to see you. I’m deeply sorry for your loss,” Mr. Martins approached him and shook his hand.

  “Thank you,” Jacob said and he sat down waiting for his boss to do the same.

  “Is there something I can help you with?” Martins took a seat his eyebrows rising in query.

  “It is something I wanted to talk to you before. I have been with the firm for 10 years now and I believe I have earned the right to tell it like it is.”

  “Yes, yes of course.”

  “Then I have to tell you that Aiden is not up to the job. He is smart, but inexperienced. A degree cannot replace that experience. I am the right person for that job and if you don’t want me to have it then I will be leaving.”

  Martins' shoulders relaxed and he dropped his hands onto his desk.

  “I had come to the same conclusion while you were off. If you want the job it is yours, along with the salary increase.”

  “Thank you,” Jacob said. “I also want you to know that I will be working flexible hours. I will see that the work is done and I will hire new staff if needed. What I won’t do is put my family life at risk for the job, not like I used to.”

  Jacob waited for his boss to argue.

  Martins smiled. “I understand totally and I know that you will get the job done. It’s great to have you back Jacob and call me Daniel, after all now you are management.”

  Jacob stood and shook his hand again. It was a firm shake. “Thank you Daniel. Now I’d better get to work.”

  “Yes, I’m afraid there might be a few bits to sort out.”

  Jacob laughed. That was just the sort of challenge he needed.

  I hope you enjoyed these four books read on for details of more Haunted Houses and Spooky goings on.