Chapter 1 - Arrival
I looked out my car window. The sky was full of thunderheads ready to burst. It was one of those gloomy days where nothing seems right. Today was the end. The end of any happiness I could have had. Within the hour my mother and I would arrive at Brimlake, a town so unheard of that only a few notable families lived there. Mum and me were going to work for Mrs. Bromwell, one of the wealthiest women in the country. We were here to do house work. I didn't mind work. I rather liked it; but the thought of working in a house that large was mind boggling.
Today was the end because I was afraid. Afraid of the tales of Brimlake. Afraid that they might be true. Mum assured me that the tales were made up because no one liked Mr. Bromwell. He was dead now. He hadn't been much liked by anyone but his wife. They said he was a devoted alcoholic that had died from his own brandy. There were rumors of his ghost. I giggled. This was all so silly. Mum was looking at me from the wheel. I shrugged to answer her questioning look.
We arrived at the town at noon. I watched as we drove though the small streets. There was a diner, a book shop, and a food store near the center of the small place. After asking a few people for directions we headed over to the Bromwell mansion.
My mum knocked on the front door as I beheld the scenery there were a few fountains and some evergreens for a front garden. You could see the town nearby and the mountains in the distance. Mum knocked again when we heard a crack of thunder. A boy answered the door. He looked about my age, either thirteen or fourteen. He motioned us in without a word and took our bags up a cherry wood staircase. Mum and I followed him through a hallway until he reached the end of it. He silently showed us to our rooms and left.
"He's rather quiet." mum shattered the silence of the moment.
"Yes…" I trailed off as I looked at my room.
It was beautiful with antique furniture yet it was simple and very old. It had a window and a twin bed with a cherry wood head board. It had a desk in the far left corner and a wardrobe to the right of the bed. I looked at my mothers room from across the hall. It was similar except for the coloring. Hers had an olive tone to it while mine was somewhat burgundy.
"They're beautiful." Was all I could say.
"I thought you didn't like the idea of such an old house." mum grinned. I smiled back and shrugged.
"I wonder why Mrs. Bromwell didn't answer the door." I thought aloud.
"We're only servants Trista." Mum stated. I sighed. I had been interested in meeting her despite my absurd fears. I looked out my new window to observe the town below. Brimlake looked utterly empty with the rain keeping all inside. I sighed and collapsed on my bed. I felt myself dozing off when I heard a knock on my open door. I looked up to see the boy that had welcomed us in.
He smiled shyly. "Lunch is ready if you want some."
I smiled back. "Thank you."
He showed me to the dinning hall and said farewell. Mum was there eating a piece of chicken. I sat in the chair next to hers and helped myself to some green beans, yams, and chicken. It was a simple meal but it was good.
"I wonder why Mrs. Bromwell didn't show up."
Mum raised an eyebrow. "Winfred said she's busy. She'll be here for dinner though."
"Winfred?" I asked.
"The young man that took our bags in."
"Oh…" We ate until 1:00 and returned to our rooms.
After a long nap I wandered around the place. Most of the doors were locked so I decided to go outside. The rain had stopped but the sun was still behind clouds. I went to the back garden to find Winfred working. I waved and he smiled. When I took another step I tripped on a strand of rope. It was so out of place and in such a pointless spot that I was confused until Winfred started laughing. He untied his little trap and grinned at me. I glowered at him and stalked back inside. I walked to the stairs with a stiff back still hearing the faint roar of his laughter.
"Is something the matter?" it was a deep rich women's voice I turned around and smiled.
It had to be Mrs. Bromwell if her clothes said anything about it. "I'm fine. Are you Mrs. Bromwell?"
There was something about her smile that seemed strange to me but what that might be alluded me. "Yes. And you are Ms. Trista Thomson."
"Yes." I felt suddenly shy.
"It's a while until dinner would you like to sit down?"
"Thank you ma'am." She offered me a chair in the living room. To my surprise she sat on a sofa that faced me. I stirred uncomfortably as she looked at me. She almost seemed to be examining me. In return I noticed that she had long wavy auburn hair and red lips. She wore a long formal dress and had such ladylike grace that I wondered how she had picked it up in a century like this. Her lips curved into a smile. I smiled back shyly.
"Have you heard any of the tales of this house?" She asked abruptly. I was a little surprised as she broke the strange silence.
"Yes. They frightened me at first but I think they're silly."
She smiled. "I assure you that this house is ghost-less." My shy smile widened.
"I hope Winfred hasn't caused you distress." said the woman.
My smile faded a little. "I tripped on a rope he set up in the garden."
The woman laughed. "He's quite a little trouble maker sometimes. Don't take it personally. I'm sure there was no malicious intent."
About an hour later a dinner bell rang simultaneously with a large grandfather clock that read 7:30. Dinner was a stew with rye bread this time, a rather nice meal. Mrs. Bromwell was fairly quiet but she made some small talk. After about an hour she wished us a good night and departed. I went to my room feeling full and at ease.
I heard a loud ringing sound. The clock had struck.
"Trista… Help me… Open your door…" The voice had a moaning quality.
Afraid as I was that it might me Mr. Bromwell's ghost I was curious. I cautiously got out of bed and put on some slippers and a robe. I approached the door as suspense built up in my chest. My heart was beating faster as I reached the simple wooden door. My hands sweated as I turned the brass knob. I screamed as someone jumped at me. Then I heard laughter. It was the laughter of Winfred. I glared at him. He looked down at me and grinned. I pushed him out and slammed to door in his face.
I had a hard time sleeping after that but I managed. I awoke to find a list of chores on my bed.
Clean and polish the living and dinning room.
Sweep the halls of the second floor.
Change the candles on the first floor.
And dust the library.
I examined Mrs. Bromwells's fine cursive and thought about my chores. It was a short list compared to many I'd had. Sweeping the halls only took me thirty minutes. I cleaned the dinning and living rooms which took about an hour. The chimes of the clock always helped me know the time without looking. I changed the candles in fifteen minutes finding them was something else. I ended up having to go to Winfred to find out where they were. He took me through two dozen miniscule rooms before he showed me where they were. One hour wasted. When I went to the library I gasped. This room could hold three libraries in it and still not be full. Now I knew why the list was so short.
I tediously dusted the large room of cherry wood furniture and bookcases until the lunch bell rang. I would finish after lunch. Mum was there and I looked at my water glass carefully.
"Why are you looking at that?" mum asked.
"To make sure Winfred hasn't put any salamanders in it."
Mum burst into guffaws. "Why would he do that?"
"Never mind." I said with a sigh. Only a first grader would tattle.
I guessed it was about 3:00 when I finished dusting the mountainous library. My list was done with four hours until dinner. I decided that there couldn't be harm in reading some of the books. I laughed and cried with the characters I read about. I was halfway finished with a book when I noticed Mrs. Bromwell looking at me.
"I'm sorry…" I put my head down then I looked up slowly.
She was smiling that strange smile again. "You can come here whenever you want. I was just watching you read."
I sighed with relief and she laughed. "My husband spent a great deal of his life adding books to this library. It was his favorite room."
I chill went down my spine. Then I felt annoyed as I remembered last night. Mrs. Bromwell raised an eyebrow.
One thing I had learned from past jobs is to not hold information back from your elders. Especially if they seem upset by your silence.
"Last night Winfred played a prank on me. He pretended to be a ghost." I explained.
"He what?" the woman asked.
"He pretended to be a ghost that wanted me to open my door. I did out of curiosity and there was Winfred. So I slammed it in his face." I smiled at the memory.
The woman was not smiling. "I'll have to talk to Winfred." she abruptly left leaving me silent. Maybe I should have kept quiet.
Mrs. Bromwell did not show up for dinner and I wondered if I was the reason. Mum didn't seem the least bit concerned. We went to bed quietly and I thought about my mistake. I had upset my boss and I felt utterly guilty. She seemed so nice and I had ruined her day. Sleep came more easily but my guilt added weight to my covers.
Get some grocery's from town.
Mop and polish the first floor.
And dust the parlor.
The list was simple enough. I did the mopping first then dusted the parlor. When that piece of work was done I went into town. The Food shop along with a few other shops was in the center of Brimlake. The sun was shining nicely and I felt at ease until I noticed the staring. I bought the groceries quickly and left for my new home. Mrs. Bromwell missed dinner again and I began wondering if I'd ever see her again. That night there were no ghost sounds.
Refill the lamps
Clean the stairs
And help Winfred with the gardens
I groaned as I read the last line of my list. Oh well. I cleaned the stairs in thirty minutes. It took me an hour to put new oil in the lamps simply because I had never done it before. This house was so old that it still required oil lamps. I took my time walking to the garden. I did not want to see Winfred. It was a strange name. An old name like this town. Like this house. Winfred was clipping Juniper bushes when I joined him. He was as quiet as the first time I'd seen him and just motioned to a second pair of clippers.
"No ropes today?" I asked. He didn't answer. He didn't look like he'd slept well. I wondered what was wrong with him. I silently joined in the work. It was a cloudy day, and I missed the sun. I cleaned a few of the fountains while Winfred cleared up the clippings. After an hour of yard work I looked at the sky.
"Hey! The sun's coming out!" I smiled. When I looked where Winfred had been I frowned. He had left the work to me.
After dinner I went to the back garden to watch the stars come out. The sun was far behind the mountains but it wasn't pitch black yet. After a while I checked my watch. 8:45. I listened to the calm gurgling of the fountains as the brightest stars began to appear. I marveled at their clearness. I turned my head towards a tree as I heard a fluttering sound. It couldn't be a bird. Birds didn't come out at night. I walked closer to the tree and gasped. A bat! It was a huge bat! I screamed and ran inside as it flew off.
"Trista what's wrong?" Mum was in her robe and slippers with a sleeping mask around her neck.
"I just saw a huge bat!" to my annoyance mum laughed.
"It's only an animal Trista. It's probably more afraid of you than you are of it." I took a few deep breaths and calmed down.
"Your right. It's just… Ever since…"
"Ever since that movie night with Clair."
I nodded. I'd had a movie night once with my ex-friend Clair. We'd lived only a block apart so she walked me home. On the way a group of bats fluttered around us. We ran home screaming. Those bats were tiny though. This one was the largest bat I'd ever seen.
The days went by like this and Mrs. Bromwell did show up sometimes for dinner. I was glad she didn't seem upset anymore. She reminded me that I was allowed in the library and I was glad. I loved books and I owned so few. After dinner that night I was reading in the enormous room when I heard squeaking. I lifted my feet off of the floor and looked for any signs of a mouse or rat. When I looked back up at the desk I withheld a scream. That same bat was sitting there on the desk looking at me.
I took a deep breath and straitened my shoulders. I would show this insignificant little rodent that I was not afraid. It just looked back at me with calculating eyes. I stirred uncomfortably as neither of us took our eyes off of the other.
"Well. Are you gonna just sit there?" I asked. Then I felt foolish. Why was I talking to a bat? The bat didn't stir and I began to wonder if it wasn't just a stuffed prank of Winfred's. I changed my mind when it started flying around the room.
"I'm just going to go to my room. Good night." I left the library feeling sick with humiliation. I had talked to a bat as if it would understand me.
Winfred and I did more gardening the next day. He looked a little less tired than before but I wondered what was going on in that sly little head of his.
"You didn't by chance let a bat into the library last night Winfred?"
He looked at me bewildered. "No." He turned his attention back to his work.
I wondered what was up with his mood swings. One day he was ready to play a prank on me another and he was withdrawn and quiet.
"It was the biggest bat I've ever seen. It's probably flapping around up there because I closed the door." I grinned at the memory.
Winfred started laughing. "What?" I asked.
"Nothing. It's nothing." He tried to suppress a smile as he finished clipping the bush he was working on.
After dinner that night I went to the library to check on my captive. It was gone.
I sat in the moonlight feeling uneasy. It had been three weeks since I had seen the little pest and that made me edgy. I wanted to confront it again. I wanted to loose my fear of bats. I had come out here every night waiting to see if it would show up. Was it dead in the library somewhere? I had checked that place at least ten times though.
I sighed and with humiliation called out. "Would you quit playing hide and seek? You have to be out there somewhere. What are you afraid of? Are you afraid of me? A girl? Ha!" I put my hands in my face sobbing with humiliation. I was making a fool of myself.
I waited for fifteen minutes and decided it was useless. "Ok. I'll admit it. I'm afraid of bats." I started walking towards the front door then froze. It was right in front of me flapping it's wings looking at me. I swallowed and squeezed my eyes shut. It was still there when I opened them. I trembled with tension as it flew around me.
"Ok. You scared me. I just want to get rid of this fear of bats." I swallowed with embarrassment. I watched the bat foolishly wishing it could answer. It was moving from me to the direction of the woods and back. It took several of its trips before I considered that it might be beckoning. I took a deep breath and with tears of humiliation went towards the woods.
I shivered as I pushed branch after branch aside. Whenever I fell behind the strange bat waited for me to catch up. I was panting with the effort.
It started squeaking at me. I glared. "Not everyone has wings you know."
After probably fifteen minutes we came into a clearing. It was a fairly large patch of soil within all the trees.
"Why are we here?" I asked the pest.
It seated itself and I copied. "You know. You're pretty smart for a rodent." I paused. "Why are we here?"
I tensed as it sat on my lap. "You better not have rabies." I could have sworn it shook it's head. I shivered. This was no ordinary bat. It was too smart and too large to be ordinary. It looked up at me with it's wings folded. At that moment it looked so cute and innocent that I actually petted it. An ordinary bat would have recoiled but this one just nuzzled my finger.
I petted it over and over and found myself smiling. I wasn't afraid anymore. Not of this one.
"Trista! Where have you been?" Mum sounded furious and concerned at the same time.
"I was out for a walk." I answered innocently. If I told her the truth she would freak and think I was crazy.
"It must have been a pretty rough walk."
I sighed. My clothes were ripped and my hair was tangled from the endless branches. "That's because I walked in the woods."
"In the woods!? At this hour? You are to go to your room young lady. Those woods are dangerous at night. A wild animal or worse could have gotten you!"
"Or worse mom? I thought you didn't believe in ghosts."
"In this house I'm not sure."
I sighed and went to my room.
The next day I helped Winfred in the garden again he seemed to suppress a smile the entire time.
"Can you keep a secret?"
He looked at me and grinned. "I'm an expert at keeping secrets."
I took a deep breath. "I have a friend." he stared at me blankly. "Its not an ordinary friend." I continued. "it's a bat. A really smart one. It led me into the woods last night. It let me pet it… It was kida cute." suddenly Winfred burst into laughter.
I gave an irritated sigh and continued my work. That night I waited again on the moonlit bench. At about 9:00 it came. I actually smiled and followed it again. This time I was careful not to rip my clothing. When we made it to the clearing it started flying around. I watched with interest. After a while it landed and hopped onto my lap. It looked at me expectantly and I laughed. I petted it's little head again and it made a contented sound in its throat.
"You make some pretty funny noises." I commented no longer feeling foolish to speak to the creature. This was no ordinary bat and it seemed to understand me. Suddenly it flew off. I looked in the direction it had gone and grimaced. It was eating bugs. It returned a minute later to my lap.
"Thank you for sparing me a few mosquito bites." It hopped around squeaking then flew in the air returning with puffy cheeks. I gagged as it emptied a mouthful of nats into my hand.
"Ok my mistake. Nats, not mosquitoes." I could have sworn it seemed to be laughing. I checked my glow in the dark watch.
"The sun will come up in about an hour." The bat suddenly froze and fled. I tried to follow it but I couldn't keep up. After some trial and error I made it back to the house. My clothes were fine my hair was something else. I rushed to my room, changed clothes, and groomed myself. I was surprised to see a list of chores already on my desk. Mrs. Bromwell must get up very early. I thought. I felt a jolt of excitement as I considered seeing her at this time of day. I rushed down the stairs and checked the clock. 6:45 . I sighed. I always got up 6:30 and had never seen her then. I helped Winfred make breakfast and I waited for mum to come down.
"You look tired." He commented.
"I was with my friend again. I shouldn't stay in the woods so late. Promise you wont tell my mum?"
"Promise." He said with a grin. I eyed his grin with suspicion and he started laughing. I felt like I was missing some sort of inside joke but I pressed no farther. Mum came down at that moment and looked at me.
"You have circles under your eyes." She accused.
"I couldn't sleep." I said honestly.
"Why?" she asked.
"I saw that bat again." It was true but I still felt a bit guilty.
"Trista you need to face your fears!" I swallowed with embarrassment and mum chuckled as she glanced at Winfred. He was in guffaws.
Work went by as always and after dinner I waited for my friend. It was almost nine when it showed up. I grinned.
The clearing was brighter tonight. There was a full moon. I smiled as I petted the bats little head.
"You need a name." I said. "But considering how smart you are I bet you already have one." it nodded. My friends little displays of communication didn't bother me anymore. "Are you a boy or a girl?" It stirred uncomfortably.
Of coarse. It needed a yes or no question. "Boy?" I asked. It nodded its head and relaxed.
"Do you already have a name?" I asked. It nodded. I smiled. "Is it a squeaking sound or a spoken name?" It cocked its head and I grinned. "I keep forgetting to ask yes or no questions. Is it in spoken in bat?"
He shook his head. "In English." It nodded its head. My smile faded when it began to rain. I checked the time. "Three hours until dawn." I petted his little head under some trees as it began to pour.
I checked the time and groaned. "I wont be able to get back now! It's almost six. You probably need to sleep." The bat nodded and flew off. I waited for a half hour and the storm was only getting worse. I was on the verge of tears when I heard a voice.
"Trista! Are you out there? It's Winfred!" I followed the direction of the voice and without warning bumped into him.
"Trista! What are you doing out here?"
"I was seeing my friend." I answered.
"In this?" he motioned to the sky.
"Never mind." I said irritated.
We ran back to the house to find mum in tears.
I was shivering and I had to take a hot bath. It was so embarrassing. Why did it have to rain? I could have gotten home so quietly if not for the whether. I took the day off. I had a nasty cold now and would have to stay in bed. I practically lived on cough drops in that miserable room. That night I lay there feeling bored out of my mind. I had slept all day and was wide awake. I grinned as I saw my friend outside my window. I opened it with a creak and he flew in. I petted him again and again.
"I missed you." I said. He made that contented sound in his throat again and my smile widened. "It's really boring being confined to this bed. We probably shouldn't meet for such long times in the woods." The bat nodded. I fell asleep with him in my bed.
"Wake up Trista!" It was mum I was disappointed to find that my friend was gone.
"Trista! It's 5:00 pm! You need to get up!" I tried but I fell back clenching my stomach. Mum checked my temperature and sighed. "Congratulations. You have a virus." I groaned. I was sick.
Winfred brought my dinner to my bed frowning. "Maybe you should stop seeing your friend. Maybe it's not safe. Maybe it's not even safe to live in this house." He looked sad.
I raised my eyebrows. "I think I'm doing fine in this house."
He raised an eyebrow. "Enough to be in bed for two days?"
I sighed. I didn't want to argue right now. "Look. I'll be better tomorrow. I'm a good worker and we have nowhere else to go. What's your point?"
"My point…" he sounded frustrated. "My point is that maybe it's not as safe here as you think." He left abruptly leaving me even more confused.
I took a long nap and when I woke up the moon was shining. I checked my watch. 10:00. I searched for my friend and smiled as I spotted him on my desk. It hopped onto a piece of paper leaving paw prints on it. I was astonished. It had dipped its paws in ink and written something. I curiously picked up the parchment and read.
I have to show you a secret at midnight. Make sure you're paying close attention.
The words were a bit smudged but I read them well enough.
"You can write?" I was almost speechless.
It hopped frantically on its note and I smiled. "I'll pay very close attention. Don't worry. I like secrets. Only one other person knows ours."
I wasn't completely sure but the bat seemed sad tonight. I petted its head and it nuzzled me. I watched the clock closely. When we had five minutes until midnight it hopped onto the floor. I watched closely wondering what it was doing.
I watched the minutes pass and just as the grandfather clock gave its last chime I gasped and staggered back. In place of the bat was Winfred!