Return To Hill House
Disclaimers: I don't own the story or the characters, the plot line belongs to me, everything else belongs to Shirley Jackson and Jan De Bont.
Warnings: half this chapter covers the rest of their conversation about the will and the letters her relatives and mother left her, before it switches to a shocking truth of why the sister hated her so much, aside from what we could see in the movie as it reveals added information about the family to her.
And while the movie showed a slight attraction between the characters, it's going to show more than that with this story as his memories reflect the thoughts he had, if she survived the standoff and had Luke survived the blow in the fireplace and ducked the swing as the flue came at him, as this give a bit of an explanation as to how she saw everything, they couldn't see at the time.
Chapter 4: The Fine Print and the Conversations
"To my heirs of the future, with being on a newly set path I have decided that for every generation in our family it's to create a new contest when they come of age. This test is a contest of ingenuity, strength of character and most of all strength of heart, soul and love. As to that starting from the day I have you leave our ancestral home you are to continue the family name."
"While Hugh is your grandfather, your starting pointing, by blood, is the beginning of your bloodline now, your grandfather or your grandmother, they are your true starting points. While I am your great grandmother, your grandfather is now the beginning of your legacy and with his newly created testaments on life and your family. The family name will carry on into the future now."
"With the newly created name your aspects of life are changed and you can choose your paths, but remember every choice you make, you have to live with the consequences of those actions. This contest is going to be the beginning of that testing time, but during your childhoods immerse yourselves in reading and other sciences needed for what you're to become in your future."
"With Charles Dickens and his works a severe motivator, to all my descendants my wish is you read his works and with him the classics from other authors from his timeline, my timeline, what messages the books have in them are important to where your futures head. And secondly when you create the will, add words that have not been in use since from when you or your predecessors were children. If said heir is a woman you hold my necklace and pass it to them."
"A true member of the newly created Craine family name will see this will and test for what it is and act on their station without thinking twice about it. But for the bad egg heir and their mate, if you have more than one heir, will see the will as an admission and take advantage of it. The rules are when writing the will add the key words to it and and underline them several times."
"Secondly create two wills, the first will-will begin the testing time and the second will be the testing results as your decision of the final results will come out along with who you choose as the rightful heir of the family name and your sentence in it to the heir that flunked the testing. Once done have your family accountant put this second will into a secret account and hidden away till eighteen months after the first will gets probated."
"During that time the heirs are going to be tested on the seven deadly sins factor and with them whether or not they take the first will at its word or not, if they act like a Craine and show compassion, kindness and generosity and act like they're supposed to, they inherit the entire properties and riches of the Craine family and of the marital heir's family, if said heir married the heir of another family of the ranking of our family when they were in their prime."
"If not, they not only lose their clan name, but every right to the family name along with it, as such, they only get a tenth of what they deserve for their behavior, but they're disowned of the family name and have to start from scratch. As such the heir loses everything that they and their mate ever worked for, if they got a child, it's return them to their beginning and begin life anew."
"Sabotage of another heir, is not allowed in the testing, and any dishonest act, in the testing disqualifies the second heir entirely and the entire fortune and properties go right to the chosen heir of the family name as the chosen heir chooses the amount for the disowned heir. Though your predecessor is gone our souls left an imprint and can stick around to listen and watch the the proceedings in the testing time as things continue on during that testing."
"My youngest heir, at some point if you had not married when your predecessor passed you're the start of the heirarchy in the family, as such you are now the executor of the family fortune and estate and with you, your mate. Though you're descended from your grandfather, the truth of why he left Concord and moved to Boston is that Hugh had lost his mind and turned into a dangerous man, killing dozens of children and I was dealing with making sure he was getting charged for it, as he had murdered your great Uncle just before."
"To protect you and your fellow heirs from him, I decided it was time for you to start anew and gave your grandfather and great aunt a safe containing $900,000,000,000,000., each, so you could start anew and move forward. Though someday if you're the last remaining heir, your abilities from both your grandfather and myself will activate the day your testing begins and when it does it's time to return to Hill House to start over and raise your family."
"Whatever you told your friend, if they ask why you choose to stay it's that home is where you belong, you found your way home, had your mate chosen our manor for a test, at the time. As a Craine we take life after death, magic, and the supernatural seriously, because we're more than normal, but we have gifts not many understand, and your gifts will activate once your testing begins."
"Remember my darling, it's not who you are descended from that matters, but who you choose to be, we all have good and evil in us, but the part we choose to act is who we truly are, remember that my dear and when the times comes you will find your way home. I love you my heirs. Be who you are meant to be and make me proud."she read out and I smiled as she looked at me with a smile.
"Well what you know, it was a game all this time. Alright so what are the rules here exactly if the next generation is putting them together, so I know that the kids will be ready for this?" she asked and he explained that to her. "Okay, during the time leading up to when the six of you are in your sixties, you create the will, and then in the bold letters write out the key words and underline them three times."
"As soon as the will probate begins and they get the will, it starts and continues for eighteen months, every mistake is added to the list and one by one by their behavior, it starts chewing up their side till theirs nothing left of it. Like what happened between you and Jane." I read out and she nodded as she answered him at that as we exchanged looks at his knowledge of this as she said it for both of us.
"Andy who are you really exactly?" she asked him and the pen picked itself up and started writing his response down. "My full name is Andy Craine, Eleanor, when I said Fred was my big brother that wasn't a lie, he really is my big brother. When you read out the side information to the trio and translated the exact wording we knew you were a Craine, because only a Craine can see the first will for what it is and act on their station without thinking twice about it."
"Mother asked the twins to create their integrity tests, with me gone she was determined to get rid of father for this and put him behind bars for his entire life, but she was diving even deeper into it as she did it, because it was not only me he killed, but he was acting like that dream menace in the movie, I'm not the only child he killed. In truth my gang and the others, in total there 120 children that were killed, when he lost his mind completely after Renee killed herself."
"Once she saw Renee hanging there the conclusion hit her of what was going on. So to get them started off she removed $18,000,000,000,000,000,000. at $900,000, 000,000,000,000., each, and put it into two safes and got them out of the house they both moved out here and started their families, but I'm not sure what happened to Alicia's side of the family." I read out and it wrote something out.
"Despite making the rules on this clear for my side of the family my heirs ran through the money I gave them within eighty years baby. They ignored their true heritage and started getting corrupt. But the blood line is so obscured so it's been six generations and the oldest happens to Jane actually, she became exactly what your grandfather, my twin, never wanted your side of the family to become baby."She read out and we looked at each other in shock.
"So not sisters, but distant cousins, why was she so jealous Aunt Alicia?" she asked and I heard a sigh in the tone as she wrote it out, before she could though the tone turned male as he explained it to her. "The main heir was the prize heir of the family my darling you were first born and had everyone of my mother's, and my, gifts in you and it circulated for six generations till it reached you. So with you being youngest of my heirs and with the men being the head of the household, though now it's equal treatment. You're the final piece of my side of the family name and the manor and everything in the Craine name belongs to you now my darling."
"Your mother chose her own kind growing up up, found your father and saw she found a man, to all intents and purposes, was everything she wanted, but the added topper was he too was special. His gifts were the clencher, he shared your mother's love for science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal, and your grandparents approved automatically when they saw him at the time."
"In your case though it was parental approved she was looking for the right one who shared everything you enjoyed and he loved the studies you were working on as well. So to her that's all she needed to know in his case, but it didn't matter to him that you were gifted and the same goes for your friends. With the house belonging to you now, you're now the matriarch of the family."
"As a young woman with every gift and virtue that made up our side of the family, you became exactly who we hoped you'd become baby." I read out and she looked at me as she said it. "Grandpa, that really you?" she asked and I heard a gentle smile and hid mine as he answered her. "Yes my darling baby it's me, as you know the added gene allows the bearer to see and speak to the netherworld."
"Jane has gotten so corrupt over the last twenty years since she learned who her mother was and then found out that she was the descendant of a beyond wealthy woman, but their family squandered their side of the fortune till there was nothing left of it and Emily Peterson put her up adoption, and she saw that she was the niece, rather than daughter, of our side of the family."
"The heir, if they're female, wore the necklace, but the necklace never went to her, instead it went to you. My wishes, as you read in my will, were you to read Dickens starting from the time you were in high school till the will was brought out and once you heard the exact key words, words that have been out of date since your mother was your age, you'd see the first will for what it was."
"A true heir, once they heard the words can see the truth of it without needing to look at it and start acting on their station the second your integrity test begins and you did that without thinking twice about it. Mother decided to help it along by getting you involved in it and David's project and then they and Diane dropped the papers and photograph of our family home into David's filework."
"Prompting the project to get started, with giving you a chance to work on your thesis, Rebecca knew that having someone who shared your love for this was a plus along with everything else and we were watching you from the books, because, we, your parents and your grandfather were in the house listening to your entire conversation with the quintet. You figured out what we wanted you to figure out, because you're a true Craine you saw what I wanted you to see, darling."I read out and she smiled and nodded to that as Andy picked it up from there.
"After father killed mother he died two years later. The house was closed and preserved for several years and Fred created the doors and had a wizard put a curse on them that acted like Mirror of Erised in Harry Potter. You translated what the doors were meant for perfectly as well, and only a true Craine can see these things automatically. Your sense of being at home is because it was your home, that's your place of origins and the house belongs to you."
"At the moment with us trapped in the house your mother did the oldest age group, they were eight graders and you did the seventh graders, but my age group and their younger brothers and sisters. We're still stuck within the property, physically, but at the moment we can travel around town and out of it. But with him stirring in the door, the door of oppertunity of having that freedom is getting ready to slam shut at the moment on being to able to travel around town and outside of it." I read out and nodded to that as she answered him.
Before she could though I saw several of her stuffed animals from her childhood she bagged, along with everything else that she left in her room, as seven of them walked over to us. "I take it you wanted a real hug here?" she said smiling and they nodded and she smiled as the first moved up to her and she gave him a hug then, before she heard a slight purring coming from the lion doll and I chuckled at that.
"First your billiard ball forms and now you're possessing my toys, guys, if you're watching those tv shows and start getting into it, make sure you don't get too rowdy or you're likely to break something next." she said and they nodded to her as they gave her a hug then as Frederick answered her at that gently as I read out his remark in answer to that, his tone gentle as he said it and I hid a smile then as I said it for him.
"At the moment with the house already furnished, you can just add your stuff to the rooms in the house, your books and research into the library, the pool table to the game room and you can choose a place in the house that is made up so can create a tv and entertainment room in the house, but whatever else you choose to set up is up to you, the house is yours, you pick the add ons."he said and we nodded as she opened up the message from Rebecca next with a smile.
As she opened up the letter Rebecca wrote her, she smiled. " I knew it, mom did that on purpose, left the necklace out in the open when she died and was waiting for the debate to get started over the apartment, listen to this. 'My darling Eleanor, I know you always wondered why you could see anything that had to do with the paranormal, let alone why there were several poltergeist outbreaks when you were a child, well as to why that is, it is because we had the ability of second sight, our family has the gift to see souls and and understand the supernatural, the courses of theology and mythology were part of why that is."
"From an early age you were being groomed to for this, the classes you took were meant to help with this, everything that are is because you showed who you are a member of the Craine family and your sister has no Craine blood in her. In fact she was adopted when I thought I could never have children, but your father Robert changed that forever and I chose to start this test of integrity when you were fifteen as your sister left for college and met Lou."
"I understand the feelings you probably suffered, because I was like you were when I was your age, those memories of the stories I told you may have faded, but your ability of sight doesn't. So if you were selected to participate in anything involving Hill House I understand that suddenly have your ability kick in when you were there was scaring you, but if it took seeing Caroline's Necklace to understand I understand you did exactly what needed to be done."
"Continue on with our family tradition and take care of our family home, you and your husband are the legal executors of the home and the Dudleys are getting a pay raise of whichever amount you choose for them, the amount in the inclosed check is to help pay for the final payment on your apartment and so you can move to Concord to take back possession of the house."
"So with these final words my dear, you've done wonderfully and continuing doing and being who you are. Raise your family in the country, it's time to return to our ancestral home and town. The Concord Craines are returning to Concord and the house is now back and back to being the home it should be instead of the rumors the townspeople have created about it."
"Concord is a nice town for children, and though it's nine miles away you have plenty to do within the house, just choose to add things that would modernize it for your children as they get older. Take care my baby and I will see you again one day. Love you, your mother Rebecca Craine Vance." she read out and I nodded as that told me everything I needed to know about what happened when we were there.
"Well that sums it up, those weren't visual hallucinations, your family had the ability to see the souls of the people who died. Luke said you just about panicked at seeing Renee hanging there." I said and she nodded. "That's the problem, I didn't know my abilities would kick in once we were there and between seeing that, the skeletons in the fireplace, I smelled a scent of decay by the nursery door and Craine knocked me away from it. I didn't know what was happening to me that day and then he really got started."
"Which explains why I was going into shock when you told them the truth, it wasn't what you told the,, I was in shock from my ability kicking in and I realized he was coming after me, because I was the heir of his son and I was a reincarnation of Caroline. After she left the room, he chose that moment to start screwing with my head and that explains the broken window, though you didn't hear the thumping, because it was headed into the south wing of the house and from there my ability started getting out of hand."
"It was like every time I was alone he started pushing it up, starting with the fireplace, from there they lead me to a bookcase leading into a secret passage and his study, the next day after I checked the books I found one that had a photo album of him and Caroline and she pointed out the fireplace to me. it may have been filled with ashes, but those ashes were burned remains of the children he killed and he possessed a skeleton."
"After seeing that, the kids lead me to the nursery door and I got a whiff of decay and he probably slaughtered them in there, before dragging them into the fireplace and then just as I was opening the door, I got hit with a fist and he possessed the door to keep me out and that did it finally. I realized he was out to either kill me or drive me crazy till he could get me out of the house and after those scare tactics it started getting worse."
"After three scares in barely two hours the realization was building and I was starting to lose control over that till they started bombarding me on both ends and it ended up on the platform and from there after he nearly drowned you when he realized that you were beginning to realize what was happening to me, he decided then he was waiting for Luke to fall asleep, before he pulled the one that got all of you into my room and you saw for yourself what was going on." she told me and I nodded to that as I answered her.
"Will you be able to control that this time, now that you know the truth honey, because I don't doubt whoever I choose for this as the team medical doctor is going to start classifying this as schizophrenia when you can see and hear things we can't. Considering I'm the family psychiatrist now, I'm the one dealing with the added repercussions of this later?" I asked and she nodded to me as she answered that.
"Now that I just gotten a taste of what my abilities do, yes I can control it this time, but this is being kept between us and the quartet. Anyone else who learns this is going to think as you did and tell the doctor you chose and he or she's going to think I'm hallucinating. As for the ghosts if those kids are haunting the house a second time, it's going to result in the same situation, so we got to get this under control."
"So with that, we add certain things to the house, but we block off the contaminated rooms, by that I mean my room when we were there and the other three, they're off limits. But the house is the same size as Buckingham palace so we just add certain things to it to give our children plenty to do and as soon as we cleanse it a second time, if he broke out of the door again." she said and I nodded to that in agreement.
"Whatever else mother hid from me, I suggest we go talk to Wilson, I want to know what else is going on to cause me to getting targeted by him, because it's more than simply the necklace, there's an unattached connection from me to Caroline that caused this and whatever it is I want to know what it is, because if it means protecting you guys I'm using everything at my disposal this time." she added and I nodded in agreement.
"When I found those bruises I thought Lou was the one who hurt you honey, you have no idea how furious I was when he aggravated your condition. Rick knew I wasn't leaving your side unless I had to at the time, but to ignore the condition of a patient when in recovery from a severe injury, is enough he could have landed himself in jail for that. And we were ready to have him committed then for coming into the hospital drunk."
"And with that if he tries to attack us and brings a weapon, we have no choice, but to do that now. As of now, we keep that with us at all times." I said and she nodded in agreement to that. "Whatever amount mother left with Wilson I can arrange it till they're able to cope, but it's only ten, maybe twenty percent what they deserve for their attitudes when you came into my life." she said and I nodded in agreement to that.
"How much is on that check exactly?" I asked and she looked at the number and she smiled. "900,000 actually, but that's enough to pay for the rent and get everything we need to get the house ready for when we move back, my guess is she liquidated five or six of the gold coins and turned them into cash. The box just gets whatever amount you want to add put in there, locked and then put in the safe, till the next generation gets it."
"I'm lucky they didn't believe in using gold bars back in the Wild West, but this is enough to have everyone who sees it going crazy. Alright as soon as I crack the codes to the fortune, I'm adding an added thirty each of each metal into it, along with the letter to the next generation, but that's five years down the line here." she said and I nodded as I thought over everything she told me as the memory of what happened hit me.
At the time when I decided on this I didn't know what we were getting into till we finally arrived as the memory of my conversation with Mary and Malcolm came to mind, as things shifted direction and became as this began changing my life forever at the time as barely a week and our relationship started unfolding.
The Haunting-Marrow's POV
My name is Dr. David Marrow, I'm a psychiatrist studying fear and sleep deprivation, which, ironically, was how I met my new friends and how we became friends. As back then I was getting ready to run a few experiments on fear and decided to set it up. And like a test of Sleep deprivation as the two weeks before our trip came up.
I figured one of them had more than their fair share of trouble, what I was expecting that week was a normal reaction, but I wasn't expecting the amount of severe emotional stress or the amount of heart stopping attacks we'd have to deal with that week. I figured the quartet I chose were going to get along pretty well as I read their files.
As I prepared for the trip I stood against my desk as I looked at her photo I felt an inkling of something changing in me as I read her file and saw that everything her medical doctor put down translated to her being very sensitive, kind and she had no chance of standing up to herself. As I was in the office I heard Mary explaining her suggestion of what to look for in this project then.
"Here's how they're organized, the groups have very different personalities, scored over the Kiersey temperament sorter just like you asked for, and they all score very high on the insomnia charts." she said as I read through Eleanor's file. "Well what a beautiful profile, a classic dependent personality disorder. However we are looking at suggestible." I said and she answered with a firm look on her face at that.
"Her mother died two months ago, she really wants to do this." she said and sighed. "There may be more than one reason for her wanting to get involved, but I think she needs a week away from Boston right now." she said and I nodded to that. "What are your feelings Mary, tell me what your intuitions say?" I asked and she hid a smile as she answered me. "I put my favorites on top here David, but of ten candidates for it, the four are on the top of the list and she's one of them." she said and I nodded to that.
As I looked at the trio's profiles, since number four was a friend of ours and read through it. "What else we got here, low self esteem, high narcissism, chronic feeling of emptiness, identity disturbance, good, good, very good." I said and she yanked a picture of this house out. "Is this where we're going?" she asked and I smiled. "It's Hill House, it's perfect, isn't?" I asked and she looked at me. "Nice choice in locations David, whatever rumors are revolving around that house I'm sure we're finding out later."
"Whatever the inside of the house looks like, I'm sure the trio are going to get a kick out of it, because Todd's into architecture and studying theology, Theo's an artist and Luke just graduated from college and is starting his job as an architect and contractor soon enough. But I don't doubt that their bond is going to get pretty strong after a week together here." she said and I nodded in agreement to that as I answered her.
"Half these projects result in building very deep bonds, though at this rate a week in town with no contact to the outside world is going to cause a bit of cabin fever, since there's no telephone service or tv, the house can't take a land line, so the only option is bringing a cellphone." I said and she nodded to that. "Whatever person chooses this they better get the message for it, or it's going to get out of hand." she said and I nodded in agreement to that as I set the files down on my desk.
After going to my boss, I knew he was going to run a debate on this as my research had shifted to areas of different phobias and fear and this was information that was needed then as we started going over it. "The Hill House project..." he started to say and I interrupted him. "It's absolutely essential to my research Malcolm." I said and he sighed. "Just listen to me, I grant you fear and performance is a big sexy idea, but as chairman of this department, I can't." he started and I explained it as I answered him at that.
As I said it to him. "Malcolm I know you clinical guys don't like to ask this question, but think about it, what is fear anyway, it's a series of automatic responses characterized increased heartrate, respitory activity and adrenaline function. The only problem with fear with is that is has largely become inappropriate and non adaptive. Do sweaty palms help to talk to your boss, does a raising pulse help some kid score on a SAT."
"And yet we carry these responses that do the opposite of what they're attended to do, so why is that?" I said and he smiled as he answered me. "David, no one is saying these aren't proactive questions, but you can't run this research ethically or responsibly and on top of that you're bringing your insomnia a to this house on false pretenses." he said and I answered that as I gave my cover story then as I went into that well.
"Because the experiment needs a credible cover story, calling it an insomnia study allows me to provide an environment to Investigate the dynamics of fear. You don't just tell the rats they're actually in a maze Malcolm, come on." I said and he nodded to that as he answered me at the remark then as he said it firmly. "Alright, but if there's trouble, more serious than a injury, I want you to drop the act and tell them the truth."
"Considering your role as a psychiatrist studying both, you better use everything piece of medical training you can in case of trouble, because I heard faint rumors that house is haunted. Who'd you choose exactly?" he asked and I explained that to him. "Aside from Todd, Theodora Willis, Luke Sanderson and Eleanor Vance. But four from both personalities, the house looks like it's going to give some interesting pieces of art."
"And architecture and everything the trio would prefer and other areas as well, but that sums it up." I said and he nodded that. "Wait Vance, what does she look like exactly?" he asked and I passed him the photo. "Jesus Christ, she looks like a thirty two year old version of Rebecca Craine, if that's her daughter. I bet she could determine whether or not the house is haunted for real." he said and I smiled at that news gently at that.
"Considering I've taken that course as well and as you said this was the basis, fear and performance, or more accurately a parapsychology study of a haunted house while living inside it for a week, she reads the fine print, she's not going to care. Especially if I have to tell her the truth, because she's going to realize that I just gave her a shot to put whatever Craine taught her to use finally. Because if she tells me what she was studying that's enough to determine whatever theories they created about the house."
"Though if this was rigged in advance by Craine herself, it just brought me into her life finally, I'm probably what she needs most right now, not just as a psychiatrist, I'm her exact match probably and with that if I'm who she was waiting for it means that Craine decided to bring us together for this by getting me into her life finally when she needs a change of scenery the most right now." I told him and he chuckled as he answered me.
"You find anything in your desk and file work, because that's the clue I need right now if she did rig it at the moment.?" he asked, before I could answer I looked at the chalkboard against the wall and saw it was writing something out. "What's your department exactly, aside from being head of the hospital?" I asked and he went into it. "I run the parapsychology department and she's my best parapsychologist why?" he asked and I nodded to the chalkboard and he turned around and shook his head.
"Life after death, it just took on a whole new meaning right now, Becky is that you?" he asked and the chalk wrote a message to him. "Yes Malcolm it's me, though I'm gone, I'm trying to finish my research off for my daughter. As to why, it's because there's nothing holding her back and she needs this once things start picking up. Though at the moment it just got worse, because the Websters crossed the line here, and you're hearing from my daughter later regarding this."
"But I don't doubt Todd or May are going to run a background check on Louis later, and you're hearing from Eleanor later regarding this but here's why I showed up now, because the duo's names were at the top of the list. Guys if you're choosing applicants you already chosen who I would have at the moment. But during your conversation at the dinner table get Eleanor to open up, because her sleep deprivation is more serious then you think David."
"With my condition crashing slowly the last two years she hasn't had a true full night sleep in several months leading up to the heart attack and since I started dealing with several other health problems. The last eleven years since she was twenty one have been the hardest on her and as to why it's because of Jane and Louis, but that portion of it you got to get from her, because with me gone."
"It's only gotten worse and Louis is ending up in here if he does what I'm thinking, the will has been activated for now, but if she figures it out she's going to know what's going on while you're there and meeting you guys is enough she's going to start changing from the way you see her and into a completely different person, said person a thirty two year old me when I'm on a raid here at work, though I'm a psychiatrist, I'm payapsychologist as well."
"As to that expect me to be listening in on the conversations, but you're going to wind up with a few surprises up there, and my added recommendation here is making contact with my friends in Concord, as to why the name comparisons are going to get your attention here, but my married name is her maiden so don't freak out if there's added trouble while you're there, honey."
"As to that, this is what I sound like when I'm completely myself, so expect her to know I'm involved in this, if you start hearing from me in the middle of it, okay." he read out and I nodded to that as we exchanged looks at that. "Wait a second, I said she looked like a 32 year old you, are you saying she's family?" he asked and a gentle message was written out as I heard a maternal tone in the remark then.
"Yes she's family Malcolm, in fact, David you recall Mary telling you that her mother passed away two months ago?" He read out and I felt my heart start pounding at that. "Yes I do, and when did you pass exactly anyway Dr. Craine, because if the dating is exact, then I just chose your house for this?" I said in response then. "It was two months ago, and for my daughter, it's though I'm gone right now."
"It's she's still on the automatic response to respond to my calls to her at the current moment. But you remember, after my heart attack and surgery, I was diagnosed with diabetes type two. And then hit the Addison's disease as a result now, but with that in mind, I may not have been working. Directly in the office since then, but she's going to know it's me, who helped you set this up."
"But there's a few clues to her to tell her I'm involved, and I left her my pendant as well, so expect my young counterparts to check things out. As to why it's because they know my necklace means maternal protecter. And they've been waiting for her to arrive, but that explains movie three. Of the elm street series, Eleanor's disrotation is focused on sleep and dream deprivation."
"So she's going to get a kick out of this when she goes there now." he read out and I nodded as I heard the maternal tone and love in her voice for my latest patient as he said my thoughts out loud at the way she was talking about her. "Who is Eleanor to you exactly, if you're getting ready to give that to her, and what's your married name exactly, Becky?" Malcolm added to her and a second message wrote itself out.
"My married name is Vance and Eleanor is my daughter Malcolm, but my great, great grandfather is Frederick Craine, and what's coming is a test of the family name and my daughter proved she is a Craine. As to how it's by refusing to go with Jane's plans regarding our apartment and here's the other thing. But everything you remembered and remember in me got manifested in her."
"And it won't be long before she shows that at the moment, Malcolm, but once she finishes school I suggest making our department a family ran business. But you're seeing her as a thirty two year old me, and when I'm in business mode. And though she idolized me, with my being parapsychologist, she knows me way too well not to see what it is you're doing, as to how and why now."
"If she chose to do fear studies, it's in a haunted house in the week leading into Halloween and she's going to realize that as well son. I was actually getting the house ready for when you went there David but it's furnished with several items that make it easier to socialize, so though no telephone. Let alone tv or radio, there's plenty of things to use there, and you're learning that later."
"In fact, I set aside funds for this, so anything goes wrong, you have the money to pay for damages David, and as to how, it's because my grandfather is the richest man on earth, I'm the previous sole heir and Eleanor is the next. So as to that, with the fact Louis and Jane just shot themselves in the foot, there's no going back if you learn anything else, because sabotage is against the rules."
"Though they turn this into a murder/suicide and you're going to want to kill Louis yourself, boys, and as to why, it's because of me. You've known me for twenty years Malcolm, and I was your best friend, so hearing that exact truth to how I died and what caused it in the first place you're going to want his head on a platter, while seeing the exact evidence on her medical records."
"Well you guys are going to get overly territorial with her." he read out and his tone hardened, before he could say it the rest of the message appeared. "Malcolm, you remember how I invited you, Dana and the triplets to my apartment for several games of candy poker or bridge every weekend?" he read out and nodded. "Yeah I do, you mean that young woman is your daughter, Becky?" he said to in shock at that.
Before a picture frame moved to him and he nodded to me and I saw a woman in her late 40's, my patient and a man also in his late 40's. "I take it that's her, Eleanor and her husband?" I asked and he nodded to me. "That was before Rob was killed and she had the bypass, but if this was when she was in high school. That answers the question right now, this was her as a child." he said and a message wrote out in response then.
'Malcolm remember, you already know this, my daughter went by another name with you, Dana and the triplets, and the quartet.' he read out and he thought it over and his eyes widened. "Nell, her real name is Eleanor, but her nickname is Nell." he said and a message wrote itself out at that. 'Yeah son that's it exactly, you're my daughter's best guy friend, Malcolm, you know my wife, my name is Rob.' he read out in an add on and nodded.
Before a second picture was passed to him and I looked at it to see his children, wife himself, Dr. Vance and her daughter and he closed his eyes in annoyance. Looking at the picture, I saw his arms across her and his wife's shoulders. The trio with smiles on their faces and at an apartment, with the tree in the background. "Eleanor, I never called her that, I called her Nell." he said quickly as he looked at the picture as he got it right then at that remark.
"Last Christmas, not Eleanor, but Nell, Nell Vance, she wanted me to call her Nell all that time, best of friends, Eleanor, 'Nell' Vance." he said, his tone going firm as he changed the name on the volunteer status sheet to her nickname. "The name she goes by with everyone our age is Nell actually, but she, Dana and I are a trio, the best of friends, her mother is Dana's godmother." he said and I nodded quickly to the news then as I said it to him gently at that news.
"When was that taken exactly?" I asked and he said and I knew he was pissed as he realized what the heck she meant. "My triplets are 11, but that was taken last Christmas, she passed a couple months ago, but thing of it was that the reason she never needed to pay rent right now. In truth was because her mother paid 5 months ahead, the probate is still ongoing, damn it Jane what did you do, if she signed up for this exactly." he snapped at that and I nodded firmly.
'Dave one other thing, the doors in the house are all like the house in Beetlejuice, or on Cinderella, so you're going to need this.' he read out and an envelope was passed to me and I opened it and saw an old colony style key and nodded. 'Issues in the cruel practical jokes and Eleanor knows it's not you, when she knows the house is haunted, he's broken out again.' he read out and I nodded. 'He, as in Craine?" he repeated and I nodded then.
'Yeah Malcolm that's exactly what I mean, but if you start finding those dummies all over the house, she's going to know it's not you, Dave. As to how I know this is that when you never leave her alone for more then five minutes right now, and you're pairing off repeatedly now. And all of next week, she's your expert in the case of parapsychology, you're going to need her help, so this turns into a cross between R.L. Stine.'
'And Poltergeist you're going to know this immediately so if noises and whatever happens next doesn't work, it's cruel practical jokes now. I also know this for a fact, my daughter is introvert and you got her personality exactly, so you were the good one in my eyes right now. To know this, but Luke ad Theodora are basically like Anthony and Janet here at the office.' he read out and we all nodded with a bemused smile.
"So let me take a wild guess, but Todd and I are like her other version to us?" Mary asked her and a gentle smile entered the next remark and I hid mine. 'Yes Mary that's it exactly, this was to get her prepared when you guys finally meet right now, so she's got the 8 of you, and I did several. Now of the things meant to help her out, but Jane never considered I was going to shove her words down her throat.' she read out and we nodded.
'Your boss is exactly who I had in mine for her soulmate, he's everything I want for my daughter right now, as to that, it's once you do this, you better run a back ground check on Louis.' he added and he nodded. "Too late and no need to right now, I met that bastard and he's a real asshole and beg your pardon." Malcolm said and a gentle remark answered him. 'It's fine Malcolm, you hated each other since you met.' she said and he nodded.
"And I get why now, if this guy's like the bastard Campbell was dating that makes plenty of sense." I said and he nodded. "He's like Wilcox's boyfriend's mother in the second half of the duology focused on her, but out of jealousy and Becky doted on Nell, she's taking that anger out on her, now that's she's gone." his counterpart said sternly and I nodded. "So Tony or Peter?" she asked and he smiled. "Tony, my name is Tony." he said and she nodded smiling.
"You got the files for our own counterparts?" he asked and she passed him the duo's records and he checked it and nodded. "Yeah that sounds about right at the moment, but she's going to see it immediately that you guys, Theo and Luke are us in everything that counts." his counterpart said and she nodded. "So let me take a guess, you're Janet?" she asked and the girl nodded to her. "Meeting Jane ourselves, we hated her on sight." Tony said and we nodded then.
"Where have you been?" Malcolm asked and she smiled. "Just got off the phone here with her, she's looking forward to this trip out of town, Malcolm." she said and Malcolm nodded smiling. "Well that makes perfect sense, she's needing a break out of town right now in this case at the current moment, but this helps right now. But where short notice is concerned, this is a matter where only her closest friends can manage, at the moment." he said and the duo nodded then.
"Case of short notice, not enough time, but we'd all give her a place to stay till she got back on her feet, but no need to now, as she takes that remark here. In it at face value she blows every time in her half of the inheritance." his counterpart said smiling sternly and I nodded as I also smiled at that news. "She said that any real Craine can hear it the second they read those words, you also knew this didn't you?" I asked, looking at the duo and his wife and they all nodded.
"Just before we all left for college, Becky took us along so we can see the house, and we saw the size of this thing, to realize this was the real prize now here. The contest was for the family inheritance and the house itself, so whoever sees it first, acts accordingly and whoever doesn't gets nothing more then 10%. And what they deserve for their behavior, along with Jamie and Dan's movie on trading places, and Jane sees what it's like." Tony said and we both nodded.
"Looks like they plan to put the apartment up for sale as soon said probate closes right now, but try that, and whatever said secret in the walls is now. Is enough I'm now involved, Dr. Craine, you choose me on purpose, I'm just like her?" I asked and a gentle remark appeared. 'Yeah David I did, you're parental approved.' he read out and I nodded. "Oh boy, this means that you're the marital heir for the inheritance." I heard from someone behind us then.
"And on Nell's side of the family here, but if she and Jane are still having problems whatever she said to make her sign up for this just came right to us." his counterpart called out and I nodded. "Peter, Carol, Dana, you better get in here, we've been paged." he called out and the trio walked in at that. "Aunt Becky?" Dana asked and I heard a gentle smile in the tone. "Yeah baby it's me, I just had to set up my office for her." she read out and the girls smiled at that.
'A real Craine, they know this will is a fake when they hear said words we haven't used in 70 years in truth, I was watching the entire thing. Jane tried to get her to check the will, but she never needed to, she knows and knew I chose her in advance guys as the heir of all of it. As I waited to see who would becomes the marital heir, and watching you the last few months, I knew you were who her father and I, in truth.'
'Wanted for her, she's just like you, so she figured it out, she's not going to care she was brought under false pretense right now in truth. The house is being looked after by a few friends of the family, Rick and Beth Dudley." she said and I nodded to the news. 'But as our wording changed as time went on, said words, are not proposition, but rather a question, once she figures it out, she's telling the five of you what it means.'
'As I told this to Malcolm and Dana already, but the 8 of you make up who really gets the inheritance, Jane is not my blood-line at all here. But my grandfather's sister's blood-line, Alicia Crane-Hancock.' he read out and I nodded sternly. "Yeah okay, that helps right now, but Dave, before you meet her, there was a change in names here, but Nell went by the added name of Craine, but Dr. Rebecca Craine-Vance, David."
"Nell's birth name and she used that on her disrotation, was Nell Caroline Craine-Vance, daughter of Dr. Rebecca Sarah March/Craine-Vance, Dana and I knew this. Damn it, we already had that conversation in case Lou and Jane tried this. Yes, alright I get what you're saying Becky, Dana and I considered her part of our family ever since. And secondly the triplets love her like she's their aunt." he said and I nodded in shock to that.
"Aside from being her boss, you're also the adoptive son-in-law?" I repeated and he nodded to me gently. "Becky's known Dana since we were kids, but Dana was the fifth member of their team. Before Becky got sick and had that heart attack, in truth, the girls adopted each other as sisters and Dana made it clear too. But in Nell's eyes, she was more sister than Jane ever was." he said and I smiled at the revelation as I said it then.
"Dana adopted her as a surrogate sister and to you she's family?" I asked and he nodded to me. "Yeah I met the Websters 9 to 10 years ago, after Jane finished college she left town, before Becky got sick and had the heart attack, Nell, Dana and their friends. That's Tony, Peter, Carol and Janet chose to stay and she at times worked in the lab. As a result the six of us and Becky became a family, Nell saw me as a brother and best friend."
"It wasn't till the last two years, that I actually saw Jane and Lou, but I could see the hate in his eyes when he looked at me. To Becky, I was fine as were Tony and Peter, even you, Todd and our new recruit were fine, in her eyes. But Jane was beyond jealous, Nell never came to her for help, she had us and we made it clear if she needed us. And we were going to be there for her all that time over the last 30 months now."
"That explains this photo, that was taken last Christmas, as her condition got worse over the last 7 months. And things got worse with Jane and Lou, but the girls, Nell and Dana, they been friends since we were 7 years old. And since Becky took second in command we had a bond like the one you're about to have with her now. Anyway, since then that's the last 30 months since her condition started getting worse at the time now here."
"Every time Dana, the triplets and I are at their house, we have the Websters dropping in and seeing this personally, and in our eyes, that her and by that. I mean Jane, but her son is a little brat and the triplets are completely disgusted at the way they treat Nell in truth here now, and ever since. and I'm saying this the way Becky is about to phrase it to you now, she thought of Dana as a daughter and the girls considered each other sisters for years now."
"Jane's son is going on seven, but he's as bad as Dudley Dursley is, and the same is considered for Lou, he's Vernon and Jane is Petunia. All jealousy, because Becky doted on Nell all that time, but we kept to our own kind and to Nell. Well her own kind was us specifically, but you got the type of personality that Becky and Rob wanted for her. If this is a set up to get you together." he said and I nodded with a bemused smile at that.
"I get why and she and I can get to know each other, but if you're trying to do matchmaking I get that, but take it easy on us during this trip, Doctor Vance." I said and I heard a chuckle from the rest of his team at that. "Doc Vance, was that really necessary right now?" I heard and I heard a chuckle through next message. "Only way to get her everything she wants Tony, but again and I know this right now."
"You love my daughter like a sister, I get that, but that's why I know she'd want to be part of the team as well, just so you guys are back together. This gave me one option as she gets hands on training in a haunted house. And by that I mean truly haunted, there were several pieces to the legend. That Tom and Peter never got around to telling you guys yet and to answer your question."
"Yes, she's my daughter, to answer the other question, my last trip to the house resulted in the triple bypass, long story there. But my necklace was a family heirloom, once the test activates, the previous heir passes it to the heir that's chosen. Said heir then becomes the family executor of the entire family fortune as a result, you get Todd involved and you better get Louis checked out."
"Because only the sole heir knows that the will is fake once they hear the words, 'The executor shall have the right to dispose of any and all personal property as he shall see fit.'. My daughter's favorite author was Charles Dickens and my grandfather was a philanthropist as a result here now. But Rob and I became civil servants, so once my daughter cracks the remarks here."
"She's going to realize it, and turn the copy of the will, I hid it in one of her favorite books, over to Beth and Rick Dudley. And they're going to reveal half the truth, before I tell her the first third of the entire story. But my friends are the medical and legal council in town, Rob and I are from Concord. So let her ask the duo and Jack, regarding this when you go there, but believe me."
"David, once she tells you her feelings over Louis, I suggest you phone Rick Jeffeson at the precinct, he's also a Concord local. As his cousin is the CMO at the town hospital." he read out for both of us and we nodded. "So what caused you to retire from the field exactly?" I heard Mary ask and I heard a sigh in the next remark. "Prior to my retirement, I was dealing in things at the house 11 years ago."
"After getting the legend and what had to be done from her grandmother, I risked a heart attack by freeing the older brothers and sisters. And of the group you're meeting this trip, and my friend, Doctor Jared Jefferson. He's the cousin of Rick Jefferson the chief of police here in Boston, he had to run a bypass. Surgery, cardio surgery on me as I got hit hard enough it caused coronary."
"Eleanor can explain further, but trust me, she finds out too soon, before I can tell her, and the reaction is going to be like Skywalker's. And after he got the truth from the wrong person his father turned on his mentor. She has to hear that truth from me, or from Beth and Rick, let alone Jack. Beth and Jack are her godparents, she's seeing them for the first since the accident."
"But frankly if the quartet are sitting this trip out, then the duo, Todd and you, Mary, honey, are just as good in my eyes. As their, and your, personalities match her friends, in my and Malcolm's team at the moment. In fact you four are matched to the quartet to her she's lonely. And the team wants her with them so their quintet is back together finally." she read out and I nodded to that.
"I'm not going to like what she has to tell me here, but 1) the two I chose, are matched to who in the team exactly. And in addition to my assistant and Todd, I take you're doing therapy for her this way?" I said and I heard a sigh. "Todd is like Peter and Luke like Tony actually, Carol like Mary and Theo possibly like Janet. But she needs someone to get her mind off Becky's loss and this is it." he told me and another one was written out.
As she answered me. "Yes, in truth ever since my heart attack, she never got the chance to truly live her life now, but she hates her sister and Louis for leaving her. And for them leaving her to have to deal with my condition, I don't know if anyone was listening to the argument between them yesterday. But I know you're going to kill him once you read her psychology reports now."
"But the first night, just get her to open up to you, and then once things get started, in case of trouble. And you're to hear my words in her voice, but anything that can go wrong in a haunted house will go wrong. And two expect trouble later on, but my friends there are the caretakers, the chief of police. The CMO of the hospital and the town judge, so if there's trouble there, Dave."
"Call an emergency meeting and it's turning into a lawsuit, on Lou's head." he read out and nodded as he said it firmly."Whatever her medical records say when she reveals this to me, if he even tries to attack her, if she's here, I'm having him committed for attempted murder. Alright so what's your fall back plan just to prevent a lawsuit exactly, because this experiment at the house is unethical and slightly irresponsible."
"And you're the leader of my parapsychology department Becky?" he asked and her tone shifted to faint amusement as she answered him. "I had a suitcase loaded with a few hundred million waiting on stand by for this. So whoever causes her or one of you to nearly get yourselves killed if Craine broke out of the doors, again. I'll explain later, regarding that and that's the last thing she needs now."
"But you have money to pay damages and few hundred other things, but here's the fine print now, regarding your flyer, because it's been melded with mine. And it's any injuries annul the volunteer status and you get paid damages, but there's no scandal regarding this. As to how, the amount is ten times what's on the flyer, you set up for this, and here's the added chapter catch twenty two."
"In fine print regarding volunteer status now, because anyone winds up in my friends, by friends I mean Jared Jefferson, and Dave Walker's care. The quintet that are friends of the family. And the ones she's closest to are Jack Benson, the Dudleys, Peter Hawthorne and Jared Jefferson. But the quintet haven't seen her since my husband was killed in the explosion at the time here."
"But here's the bottom line, because despite the fact that Rob, Jack and I made it clear to keep calm and don't tick him off if he starts losing it. And someone gets hurt, that's enough to call off volunteer status and though they still get their money, it's enough to tick us all off. Parental orders given, they get broken and the quintet are not going to take it lightly of the damage done."
'As if that's not enough Jack is not going to take it well and they lose volunteer status, but they get fives times what's on the flyer to make up for it. As if that's not enough that amount is going to last you till you return to the house, but with nothing holding her back, but you better send these with the papers." she said and piece of paper floated over to me and I read it and nodded to that.