Okay, okay, I know I still haven't finished some other things I've been working on, but I need to do something different to get the juices flowing again. With that in mind, this has been on my 'to write' list for a while. My favourite genre in movies has to be horror - and being British, I love a good ghost story (there's a really great one about the town I live in, which culminates in the town bridge being destroyed to stop an invasion...but that's a story for another time).
Time to see if my ideas scare you as much as they do me...
The Man Who Wasn't There
'Yesterday, upon the stair,
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd go away...'
- Antigonish
Autumn was in full bloom. That's what she would always say – nothing ever 'occurred', or 'happened', or 'fell into place', but 'bloomed', full of beauty and purpose. That's the kind of woman she was. It was one of the reasons he loved her so much.
It was weird, knowing that she wouldn't be here. He still expected her to walk through the door one afternoon, laughing in that airy way of hers about some sale or play or quaint patisserie that she had found and just forgotten the time... the funeral hadn't registered in his heart, lingering on the edge is his consciousness like a bad dream that refused to be forgotten. He knew that she was gone, but he still expected her to come home...
"Daddy?"
Arthur Kirkland looked around to the voice that had called him – Madeline stared up at him with those big violet eyes of hers, blonde hair even curlier than usual thanks to the moisture in the air. The little girl looked at him expectantly, clearly worried. Arthur's heart pulled in his chest – she looked so much like her mother.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" he asked.
"Why did we have to move?" she asked him, cuddling her bear close to her "I like our old house."
Arthur put the box on the ground, squatting down to look her in the eye.
"I'm sorry, sweetie." he told her earnestly "We couldn't afford that house anymore. Without Mummy's paycheck... Daddy doesn't earn very much on his own. We had to move."
Madeline looked down, pouting. She made that noise children make when they understand what's going on, but still aren't happy about it, shuffling on her toes. Arthur brushed her cheek tenderly.
"Everything's gonna be fine." he promised her "You still have your own room."
"Did you bring Mummy's special table?"
"Of course."
"Can we put it in my room?"
"When you're a big girl. You can come use it in my room whenever you want until then, okay?"
"Okay." she mumbled.
"Daaaaaaaaddddd!" a boys voice called from the window "Where's the key to the basement?"
"I don't know." Arthur yelled back.
"But I neeeeeeeed it!"
"Whhyyyyyyyyy do you neeeeeeed it?"
Alfred, leant over the kitchen window ledge, pouted, half frustrated, half bored.
"Because it's locked!" he pointed out obviously.
"I know it's locked." Arthur replied as he stood, picking up his box again "Leave it be."
"But how will we know what's inside?" the kid pointed out "It could be rats, or monsters, or space aliens!"
"There are no rats!" his father assured sternly "And monsters live in cupboards, not basements. As for aliens... I'm not sure. Check the pantry."
Alfred disappeared from the window like a man on a mission. Truth be told, there wasn't actually a key to the basement – the house had been empty for a long time, and it had gotten lost over the years. Getting a locksmith in was just one more thing on Arthur's list of stuff that needed doing in the old house, along with fixing the gutting and giving the whole thing a lick of paint.
Madeline grabbed the pocket of her fathers jacket as the moving truck pulled up with the rest of their stuff, Kiku climbing out of the cab.
"We made it." he pointed out.
"Did you get lost at all?" Arthur asked.
"Only once." he assured "Good afternoon, Madeline."
"Hi." she greeted shyly, despite knowing the man her whole life.
"If Alfred checking the house for monsters?" Kiku knew.
"Uh-huh."
"I see." he laughed.
"Hey man, we okay to start setting up?" the rooster-haired mover called as his fellows opened the back of the lorry.
"Yes, by all means." Arthur called back "My son is already in the house, but you'll hear him long before you see him."
The mover laughed like he'd heard that all before, going around the back. Kiku gave Arthur a worried expression.
"Is it wise to have the children around while we're moving all the heavy furniture?" he pointed out "It could be dangerous if they're underfoot."
"It's fine." Arthur said "There's a playpark down the road and the weather's pretty clear – Alfred is pretty responsible where Madeline is concerned, so I'm sure it'll be fine to let them go."
"You couldn't have got a babysitter?" he insisted
"Who could I get at such short notice?" Arthur pointed out.
"What about Francis?"
"What about Francis?"
Picking up the tone, Kiku let that thread of conversation drop. Since he wasn't much good for heavy lifting, he was sure he could watch Madeline. No force on earth could stop Alfred getting underfoot, though.
"Y'know, you're a pretty brave dude to buy this place!" the rooster-haired mover declared as he walked past with a stack of dining table chairs in his arms "Every time we pass this place, my girlfriend says it's haunted!"
"Yes, that's why it was cheap." Arthur joined "No-one wanted to buy it. A little DIY and all the 'hauntings' will disappear, I guarantee it."
"Rather you than me!"
The mover received a stern look from him colleague, who shooed him inside with a boot to the buttocks. Kiku waited until Madeline had wandered up the path to watch them before speaking.
"You're sure this place isn't haunted?" he asked.
"I promised, didn't I?" Arthur sighed "Marianne would never forgive me..."
Kiku held out his hand as if to steady his friend when the mere mention of his late wife drained all the colour from his face, but Arthur shook his head to compose himself.
"It's the same as any other old house." he assured him "A few cobwebs to clean out, rickety stairs to fix. There's no ghosts here, and even if one comes along... if one comes along, I can take care of it."
"On your own?" Kiku asked quietly.
"There's always Luca and Vlad, if it comes to it. There's no need to get my family involved."
Kiku just nodded. He didn't disbelieve his friend when he said there were no ghosts here – if anyone would know it was him – but it was easy to be wrong where the spirits were concerned. It had been a trying time for the family lately, and Kiku had had to lead Arthur away from one or two mistakes. He didn't mind propping him up a little: he missed Marianne as well...
"Alright." he complied "Let's get this done as quick as we can so we can get some dinner."
Alfred had never been in such an old house – his mother had always preferred new ones, and his father had always given in to whatever she wanted. Being 12 years old (nearly 13, but who's counting?), he had a much better grasp of what was going on than 6 year old Madeline. He knew his fathers librarian salary couldn't pay the mortgage on their old home, and that his dad wasn't coping very well with his mothers death – that's why Kiku was always around, making dinner and taking care of him and Maddy. Sometimes, when he got up to go to the bathroom at gone midnight, he would hear the two men still talking downstairs. Sometimes his father would be crying. Sometimes he'd be drunk. He had more respect for him when he was crying.
He finished checking all the cupboards – no sign of any monsters or rats, but the verdict was still out on the aliens. He chuckled to himself as he got the last bedroom: the wallpaper was faded pink with some white pattern on – this definitely had to be Madeline's room.
"Alfred?" he heard her call up the stairs.
He dashed down the hall to the head of the stairs, looking down to see her waiting. She didn't move, looking up at him expectantly.
"Did you find any?" she asked.
"No monsters in this house!" he declared "They must have heard that your big brother is a hero and all run away in terror!"
"Are you sure?" she asked again.
"Completely sure!"
"Positive?"
She looked around nervously, ignoring the movers lugging the furniture around. Alfred bounced down the stairs, picking her up.
"Extra super-duper absotively posolutely!" he swore "Come and see your room!"
"Okay!"
The big brother laughed, happy that the little girl seemed satisfied, and proceeded to carry her upstairs, holding her like a precious Ming vase until he reached the top, where he put her down carefully. He took her hand and led her to the pink room.
"You see? Your favourite!"
Madeline froze at the doorway, going very stiff. Alfred immediately stopping pulling, kneeling down to her.
"Maddy? What's wrong?" he asked "What happened?"
"You said there were no monsters." she whispered, clutching her bear with white knuckles and refusing to look at him.
"There aren't any." he promised "I checked everywhere! Where did you see one?"
Still not looking, Madeline pointed at the door to the cupboard. Alfred wasted no time in getting up and crossing the room, tearing the door open. It was old and creaked badly, the paint torn and peeling, but there was nothing out of the ordinary inside. Just an empty hole in the wall, a railing, a shelf and some old wire coat hangers.
"I don't see the monster." he told her "If I-"
"NO DON'T GO IN THERE!" she suddenly screamed like she had been burned "DON'T GO IN THERE ALFRED IT'LL GET YOU! ALFRED!"
He slammed the cupboard door closed again, darting over and wrapping his arms around the hysterical girl. She was physically shaking, nearly crying she was so upset.
"It's okay." he told her "It's okay. I can make the monster go away. Tell you what, this will be my room, okay? Monsters don't like me because boys taste like dirty socks."
Madeline laughed, her shaking easing.
"Hey, what are you two doing?" their father called as he appeared at the top of the stairs "What's all the yelling about?"
"Maddy just saw a monster." Alfred told him.
Arthur pulled a face that was far too concerned for the circumstances, walking up the hall towards them.
"Where?" he asked.
"In the..." she started.
Maddy pointed at the cupboard, pulling a confused face.
"It's gone." she said "Did Daddy make it go away?"
"That must be it!" Alfred assured "He's old, so he's like really dirty socks!"
Despite what Madeline said, Arthur walked into the room and opened the cupboard, inspecting it thoroughly. He didn't seem satisfied when he found nothing.
"Dad?" Alfred called.
Snapping to his senses, Arthur shut the door, walking back and kneeling on the floor beside them.
"You see any more monsters, you tell Daddy right away." he ordered his daughter.
"I will." she promised.
"Alright, sweetie, you're a good girl – go downstairs and put your coat on so you and Alfred can go to the park."
"Okay."
Released from her brothers grip, the girl got up and wandered off. Alfred kept his eyes on his father, who remained oddly serious.
"Did you see anything?" he asked "In the cupboard, or anywhere else?"
"No." Alfred admitted "Nothing. You don't think there is something?"
Arthur immediately smiled the kind of smile adults use when they're lying, placing a reassuring hand on Alfred's head.
"Of course not, son." he assured "But this house has been empty a long time – there could be wild animals that are used to coming in here, or a family of cats, or even some birds. You know how easily your sister gets scared. Keep your eyes peeled for me, okay?"
"Okay. Dad?"
"Yes?"
"I think I should have this room. But I want to paint it! Like, tomorrow!"
Arthur chuckled, getting up from the floor like the ageing geezer that he was.
"Pink is just a colour, Alfred." he told him "But if you insist. Take your sister down the park and I'll let you pick the next colour."
It was pretty late when the move was finished, so Arthur treated everyone to a takeaway. All the large furniture was in place, and with all the beds set up they could get a good nights sleep before setting everything up the way they wanted it tomorrow.
Well... theoretically.
Alfred didn't believe in monsters – he believed in science, he believed in maths. He believed that a family of wild animals might move into an empty house, and that his sister might have seen one, or thought she saw one. He believed in being a good big brother, in taking more responsibility now that their mother wasn't around. He did not believe in monsters. But he still didn't like that cupboard. There was nothing at all wrong with it, and he knew he was being silly – he was just tired and stressed from the move, and he wasn't used to being here yet.
It's just like his dad said – a little work, and this place would be just fine. A little paint, a few nails. Maybe call in animal control. They would definitely call an exterminator. First thing in the morning, that's what he would tell his dad to do. He had proof there was some kind of animal in the house now.
What else could be making that scratching noise?
From that cupboard.
Scratch, scratch, scratch.
There's no such thing as monsters.
Scratch, scratch.
There's no such thing as monsters.
Scratch, scratch, scratch...
…
…
…
"Let me out..."
Alfred bolted from the room before his heart even started beating again, dragging his bed sheets with him and almost slamming the door shut. Starting to hyperventilate, his first instinct was to go to his dads room, wake him up, tell him there was something in the house! He shook his head, still panting.
There was no such thing as monsters. He had been half asleep, half dreaming. That voice hadn't been real. The stairs creaked loudly as someone came up, startling him again. He thought everyone was in bed already. Was his dad having another bad night?
"Dad?" he called, walking along the hall "Are you still up? You'll wake up Madeline."
He came to the top of the stairs. There was no-one there. It had definitely sounded like there was someone there.
"Haa..." he laughed nervously "This old house needs more work than I thought."
The noise moved. Footsteps from downstairs. He wasn't going to be fooled twice. Maybe someone really was walking around, but they had been going down the stairs, not up. He was tired, that was a understandable mistake.
"Dad?" he called "Uncle Kiku?"
He put his foot on the top stair, and it creaked under his weight. The footsteps downstairs stopped.
"Dad?" he called again.
There was silence. No-one answered.
The footsteps broke into a run, sprinting towards him. Instinct took over and he fled, bursting through the first door he came to and slamming it closed behind him. The footsteps stopped. Alfred strained his ears to listen, the sound of his pounding heart right up in his ears. Shit, this was Madeline's room. He had better not wake her up.
The floor creaked right outside the door. Alfred leapt away from it, retreating to the only safe place when you were 12 years old and it was middle of the night: he jumped on his sisters bed, pulling the sheets up over him. Madeline groaned, stirring as she woke up.
"Mummy?"
"Shh, it's just me." he whispered, voice shaking as much as his hands "Go back to sleep. Go back to sleep."
"Mmmm." she moaned, rubbing her eyes and squirming a little.
Alfred put his arms around her, shushing her again. His ears were desperately straining, his heart still going like a jack-hammer in his chest as she fell back to sleep.
Alfred got no sleep that night.
OOOoooohhhh, scary first chapter! Is this house haunted? And if so, by whom, and why?! So many scary questions...
But seriously, I'd love some feedback on this. My own house is old and creaky, and I was jumping at every noise while writing this. Is it as scary as I think, or is it just because I know all the answers? All reviews welcome!
Please look forward to the next eerie chapter, coming soon...