CHAPTER 4 - Encounter
Arthur turned off the highway and onto the long driveway. His heart caught in his chest as the skeletal remains of the glass house came into view. He pressed on the breaks and turned the ignition off, listening to the dead silence of his surroundings. Although the area was heavily wooded nothing moved, and no birds sang. It felt as if he had stopped time by turning his car off. Arthur was reluctant to exit the safety of his Toyota, but opened the door and stepped into the warm late spring air. Memories came flooding back and he had to close his eyes for a brief moment. He took a few steps towards the house and peered around cautiously, half expecting to be picked up and flung around like a rag doll - just the same as Dennis. Arthur had thought about Dennis as much as Jean in the months following his bizarre encounter with the house and his Uncle Cyrus. The man he barely knew who had sacrificed his life to save the lives of Arthur and his children. He held Dennis is great respect and made damn sure that he had a good funeral.
Arthur shook the thoughts out of his head and continued to take small cautious steps towards the house. He shivered even though the weather was warm, and wrapped his jacket around himself tighter. Everything remained still and quiet, and Arthur found himself whistling softly to calm his frazzled nerves. He stopped though, when a ghostly presence began to whistle back.
~*~
Dennis chuckled to himself and watched the expression on Arthur's face change from quiet fear to straight on terror when he pursed his lips and mimed the tune that Arthur began to whistle. He didn't laugh anymore, save for the odd moment, but this was too funny. He frowned suddenly as Jean appeared and gazed lovingly at Arthur.
"I can't believe he came! It worked!" Her face fell slightly. "Oh, but he can't see me, can he?"
"Nah, but he can hear you." Jean smiled again and took a few steps towards her lost love.
"Arthur? Darling, can you hear me?" Arthur turned white and his lips quivered as he forced his reply out of his mouth.
"Jean? Jean, is that really you?" She smiled broadly.
"Yes, Arthur, it's really me. You came to me."
"I had to - I had to know for sure that you were..you had.."
"Crossed over?" She offered.
"Yes."
"Well, I haven't. Something terrible has happened, Arthur. You must help me, help us." His face twisted into confusion.
"Us? What do you mean us?" Jean glanced over at the other wraith that stood beside her.
"Give him the glasses, Dennis." She whispered. He nodded and tossed the slightly bent pair of glasses over to where Arthur stood. Reluctantly, he reached down and fixed them upon his face. His expression was a mixture of fear and surprise. Arthur cast worried glance at the ghosts, who were casually situated behind Jean and Dennis around the house. Instead of their former horrific appearances, they took their natural forms, that is to say - how they looked BEFORE they died. It was hard to tell some of the ghosts apart. Finally his eyes fell on Jean and he smiled. She looked lovely - they way he remembered her, not how he had seen her after the attack by the Juggernaut.
"Hello Arthur." She said calmly. Dennis gave a small wave.
"Hey there."
"Dennis? Jean! What's going on here?" He went to his wife's side and was surprised when she placed a cold hand on his arm. Arthur quivered and took her in his arms. She was cold and very light, but felt exactly the same. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a loud engine and the sight of a large black truck roaring up the driveway. Arthur grimaced.
"Oh shit."
Arthur turned off the highway and onto the long driveway. His heart caught in his chest as the skeletal remains of the glass house came into view. He pressed on the breaks and turned the ignition off, listening to the dead silence of his surroundings. Although the area was heavily wooded nothing moved, and no birds sang. It felt as if he had stopped time by turning his car off. Arthur was reluctant to exit the safety of his Toyota, but opened the door and stepped into the warm late spring air. Memories came flooding back and he had to close his eyes for a brief moment. He took a few steps towards the house and peered around cautiously, half expecting to be picked up and flung around like a rag doll - just the same as Dennis. Arthur had thought about Dennis as much as Jean in the months following his bizarre encounter with the house and his Uncle Cyrus. The man he barely knew who had sacrificed his life to save the lives of Arthur and his children. He held Dennis is great respect and made damn sure that he had a good funeral.
Arthur shook the thoughts out of his head and continued to take small cautious steps towards the house. He shivered even though the weather was warm, and wrapped his jacket around himself tighter. Everything remained still and quiet, and Arthur found himself whistling softly to calm his frazzled nerves. He stopped though, when a ghostly presence began to whistle back.
~*~
Dennis chuckled to himself and watched the expression on Arthur's face change from quiet fear to straight on terror when he pursed his lips and mimed the tune that Arthur began to whistle. He didn't laugh anymore, save for the odd moment, but this was too funny. He frowned suddenly as Jean appeared and gazed lovingly at Arthur.
"I can't believe he came! It worked!" Her face fell slightly. "Oh, but he can't see me, can he?"
"Nah, but he can hear you." Jean smiled again and took a few steps towards her lost love.
"Arthur? Darling, can you hear me?" Arthur turned white and his lips quivered as he forced his reply out of his mouth.
"Jean? Jean, is that really you?" She smiled broadly.
"Yes, Arthur, it's really me. You came to me."
"I had to - I had to know for sure that you were..you had.."
"Crossed over?" She offered.
"Yes."
"Well, I haven't. Something terrible has happened, Arthur. You must help me, help us." His face twisted into confusion.
"Us? What do you mean us?" Jean glanced over at the other wraith that stood beside her.
"Give him the glasses, Dennis." She whispered. He nodded and tossed the slightly bent pair of glasses over to where Arthur stood. Reluctantly, he reached down and fixed them upon his face. His expression was a mixture of fear and surprise. Arthur cast worried glance at the ghosts, who were casually situated behind Jean and Dennis around the house. Instead of their former horrific appearances, they took their natural forms, that is to say - how they looked BEFORE they died. It was hard to tell some of the ghosts apart. Finally his eyes fell on Jean and he smiled. She looked lovely - they way he remembered her, not how he had seen her after the attack by the Juggernaut.
"Hello Arthur." She said calmly. Dennis gave a small wave.
"Hey there."
"Dennis? Jean! What's going on here?" He went to his wife's side and was surprised when she placed a cold hand on his arm. Arthur quivered and took her in his arms. She was cold and very light, but felt exactly the same. She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by the sound of a loud engine and the sight of a large black truck roaring up the driveway. Arthur grimaced.
"Oh shit."