Return To Hill House Book I: The Will Revealed

by BazzCatgirl03

It's been a year to the day of the trip to Hill House and Eleanor Vance, her husband Dr. David Marrow and their friends, Luke and Theo Sanderson, and Mary and Todd Watts decide to run the project again. But having their friends coming with them. Little do they know the trouble is about to start when their counterparts decide to join the project, will the movie come true this time.

6. 5) Letters, Memories And Meetings II

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 5: Letters, Memories and Meetings II

"Are there any other problems I need to know about here, before I set this up exactly, because if this is a set up, and something happens they're going to sue us. Let alonee this hospital for bringing them under false pretenses and someone gets hurt. Though considering you're setting up this catch twenty two, I'm off the hook. And because you're the one paying for damages Doctor Vance." I asked and she explained that to me.

"With my daughter she's going to see what it is immediately when or if you got several unexpected scares in the middle of it. She's just like you, she's not going to care, as long as she gets a chance to put her knowledge to use honey. But being around the five of you ought to help now, she hasn't had a real chance to be able to make some friends, with me needing constant medical attention."

"And the last seven years, but she hasn't been back into the office, since my funeral, nor has she stopped looking at the picture of us and her father. As for training, if she explains several things to you while there and we marked it. So you'll know us when you see us, but my husband Robert is going to get stern. If the duo start losing their tempers for whatever reason during the week."

"At the moment I was checking on my daughter yesterday and they were arguing over the will my lawyer gave them, but here's the problem, that will is a fake, and they're in the middle of their integrity test." he read out and I exchanged looks with him at that. "Integrity testing time, you never gave me your family background why were there that many papers and files on the house lying on your desk Becky?" he asked and she explained that to him as I listened to her gently to get this.

"She and Robert are possessing whatever she bought for us to play around with, before she gave the house to Nell?" Mary repeated and he nodded to her. "Yeah that's exactly what she means Mary, but there were several things I knew on her and Rob. But her favorite was hot pink and his was red, fire engine red. They both like the music our age group grew up with and finally their favorite billard games were snooker and 8-ball."

"Rob was a fireman and had one of the F.M. radios we saw in Frequency, he's also a scifi nut in tv shows and movies and they encourgaed this in her as a result. So they gave her several clues to know that it's them, along with whoever is haunting the house. Aside from them, Frederick, Alicia, and possibly Caroline, if I know her. She's marking her favorite books and there's a library in the house." he said and we nodded to the news.

"My great grandfather owns that's house, it belongs to me, everything that Tom sent you on the house is just the beginning, but here's the part she's going to start digging into once you tell her the information on Renee David, but the information, the darkside portion of it, is the part she needs to hear from me, or Rick and Beth, before she finds out on her own, but for the duo, it's different."

"Whatever she says to Luke, he's going to see this as a bait and switch later on, but with you always being around my daughter that cancels out you as the suspect here of what's going on in the house, but the 'Sounds of children' 'Skeletons in the closet' and 'Evil in the walls' remarks are not a metaphor here at all. Whatever you do don't let your guard down, the town legend was loaded with several things that everyone, once they hear it, want to investigate it, but only a parapsychologist can do it safely and with that fact in mind."

"The jolts are going to go from playful, to cruel, to destructive to downright homicidal, and my daughter is the expert on this, because I've trained her since she was fifteen to know these things and see them for what they are. I'm sticking around in the manor to coach her, but you'll hear my voice for real through her, because our added abilities kick in once we're in a true haunted house. She's going to know what's going on once you guys are talking about it."

"But rule one here in a haunted house is that anything that can go wrong will go wrong and two is that anything looks normal won't be okay. So expect my words to be coming from her, she's not going to mind this at all, because she's a thirty two year old me and with you leading the project she's going to act like your second, but you're hearing my words in her voice, but here it is now."

"A psychiatrist or psychologist doesn't need to tell their patients everything so long as they can figure it out on their own, and my daughter thinks too much like me to know what's going on within the first three hours, if some wiseacre starts driving up the scare tactics in the middle of it. But Halloween, and a week at a haunted house, so she's going to put the pieces together at the moment."

"Because she loves this stuff as much as you do, so when you give your alibi for this that's fine, but she's not going to care either. Lie or truth, she's not going to care, so long as she gets to put her thesis to use as well." he read out and I nodded to that as a folder was passed to me. "Oh my god, I know Nellie loves the supernatural, but come on here." Malcolm said in response as he started laughing then.

"You better get ready for this, if Nell is Eleanor, then you're hearing her mother's conversations with me in her voice between you, Mary and Todd later right now." he told me and I nodded. "Am I expecting trouble out of that right now?" I asked as I took the folder and I opened it to see added information in it and nodded. "No, but once the debate gets started, expect the conversation to start getting out of hand here."

"But if our ghosts are children, and watching movies and tv shows from my children's decade, expect the sound effects and movie pranks to start getting out of control here. I've seen this in the job god knows how many times and once Nellie gets started, she starts finding that funny at the moment. She loves children and my triplets see her as an adopted aunt as a result." he told me and I nodded to the news, smiling slightly.

"You have her medical information and psychological reports, I need them, so I can monitor this, but what I will say is if she's holding in severe resentment at the Websters, she's going to drive herself into the ground, in all three areas, just to solves the mystery and legends of the house, and with your being my best parapsychologist. If she's just as good as you are, I'm having the program ran as a family run business now." he said and a second folder was passed to him and he read through them and nodded as he said it.

"If Rebecca did decide on this, she was hoping this was going through right on schedule, since though you're leading the project, if whatever she's holding in get her to open up to you, because if Vance has a secret reason for why she wants to be involved I bet it had to do with the sister and in-laws. But skip the formality if she needs you, it's probably because in addition to needing emotional therapy if Craine really is her mother and she's been holding in her anger at her death and what they've been doing to her ever since."

"And never mind the fraternization's with her, patient maybe, but in her case, if you guys are really soulmates, it's fine just this once. Alright cellphone on stand by here, but again any trouble further than what you're learning and pull the plug, because the next jolt or two can or will cause a serious panic attack." he added and I nodded to him as we separated as I thought over what he just told me as I grabbed her file to read it.

As I looked at her file I figured that she'd dealt with more than I expected, but she obviously needed someone to open up to. "David, before you do anything, I need to make sure, let me put this on the speaker phone. So you can hear her voice, if Becky is her mother this should answer every question we need." he told me and I nodded as he dialed a number and after two rings it picked up and I heard a gentle voice.

"Vance residence." she said and he smiled gently. "Hey Nell, it's me." he said and I heard her immediate response to his voice then. "Hey Malcolm, what's up, exactly?" she asked and he went over it. "Little catch here at the office, just after you phoned us over my subordinate's ad, your mother possessed the chalkboard to talk to us here. As a result she filled in the reason why you look just like her." he told her and I heard a smile.

At that remark gently in her voice as she answered him then. "Yeah I get why right now, but if this doesn't add on to the forensics, nothing ever does right now. But I'm taking up his experiment, but trust me, if I was completely active I would choose this month and the week leading into Halloween to do it. Let alone the location is a spending a week in a haunted house right now."

"If that house is haunted here, but what better way of running sleep deprivation studies then in a haunted house exactly. But look you guys, if there is a double motive here, don't worry about it in my case now. As to why I'm saying this, it's because mom's added thesis is the same as your cover story. Whatever it might be right now, and I don't mind about it." she said and I nodded as Mary smiled.

"This should be good, well if we needed an expert in this, I just got it now." Mary said for me at that remark and I heard a chuckle on that. "Yeah, but you're getting a first class training session in being parapsychologist, Mary as such, I'm laying down 6 rules, before you guys. Or your boyfriend do anything stupid here, so before anyone starts pointing fingers at some of this, remember this." she said and we nodded to the advice.

"Yeah Todd's my boyfriend alright." she said and I knew she nodded. "Want for a better word here, the Kiersey temperament sorter is going to come in handy here, but Todd is the rational, me I'm an idealist and the rest of my quartet are the artisan and guardian. So stand back when the trouble starts, as they're going to be like Tony, Peter and Janet when we were kids here, as for this now guys."

"And too late, I already did figure it out, not just sleep studies, this is a study of fear and performance, I don't care, but my thesis now. Said is based on your's, Doctor, if mom hijacked the chalk board, she did this to bring us together, but my friends, my quintet. They are all in Malcolm's department, and as is his wife, my adoptive twin sister now." she said and I nodded to the news in shock to that.

"So you're not going to care once you figure it out, huh, before the four of us get undercover to talk?" she asked her and I heard a smile in her tone then as she answered her. "Nope, in fact this is just as good as starting work in the office now, my expertise is connected to your thesis actually. But the wiseacres getting involved in this need to keep it together while we're there, or someone is going to get hurt here now."

"But issues of repeated jolts in the first few hours after getting there, the results are someone is getting a bit spooked. And till you get the final jolt of running into each other if you're not paying attention to where you're going. But to switch subjects, Malcolm, I was running over something interesting here. When running through mom's records, when you and Dana were here."

"But you remember how Dana was acting as her accountant, since she got started getting worse?" she asked and he nodded. "Yeah I do, Rob offered, but she chose Dana, what you learn if you're asking that exactly. And especially if Lou and Jane crossed a line here right now, because if it's enough for us to take to a judge. Then there is no going back right now." he said and I nodded as he completely relaxed at that.

"Why do I get the feeling we're going to be surrounded by the ghosts of children?" Mary asked and I heard a laugh. "That's the piece that I forgot to mention, but my great uncle and his gang were choosing time-lines in tv shows, but hijacked the pool tables. If they chose from this decade, expect them to start acting like kids, preteens of this decade and there is only one tv show they got in common with the triplets."

"Said is the power rangers, before they created the next 2 1/2 seasons since the original 11 stopped their performances. But my uncle's best friend's favorite color is red, his, Andrew's, wife is hot pink, the tinge that Johnson dressed in before she retired. And Uncle Andrew himself, he went with either green or white, but they used to follow me all over the house from toddler to 18." she said and we nodded to the news.

"Guess he was trying to protect you, if Craine broke out of the doors again." Malcolm said and I knew she nodded. "If he did, that's what I got to look into, as no one, since my last visit up there now, said was 11 years ago, has been up there since Mom's accident, Malcolm. Though this maybe why the Dudleys, Jared and Bentley are nervous about having visitors right now." she said and I nodded to the news gently.

"Not that I blame them, if this lunatic is as deranged as Krueger or Vader after the power lust went right to their heads." I heard and turned to see Malcolm's wife and nodded. "Yeah and if they chose the power rangers as way to get communicate with us, this maybe what mom's last gift, in both birthday and Christmas gifts is going to be, Dana, so they may want to know who in rangers the triplets like." she said and they nodded.

"Creating models of the power coins and medallions on the robes, they're creating the costumes and robes for the triplets, and they needed to know who in the originals the boys and Jamie like, okay that's cool go ahead and tell them if they ask you about that." Malcolm said to her and I knew she nodded. "You recall the last broken window we had there after Sarah blasted Eddie across the room?" she asked and Dana nodded as she started laughing.

"Want for better word here is this, but when you're surrounded by inanimate objects that get possessed and lose their tempers. You better get ready to duck or you're going to get hit by accident, if someone, or something, gets blasted across the room." she said and I nodded. "Your adopted aunt blasted this wiseacre across the room and he broke a window?" Carol asked as she started laughing at that and I heard a chuckle.

"How could they do that?" Mary asked and Tony lowered his head as he tried to control his own. "They're possessing the pool tables." he said to her and I nodded, before the punchline hit and I started laughing at that. "Those pool table balls are made of marble, get shot off the table you're going break a window that way." Mary said laughing and I nodded. "And they possessed the balls themselves, so get ready to take cover." Carol said to her and she nodded to her.

"Yeah, but she's a firebird, so test her temper, she's going to cook you or blast you across the room, but she's Johnson when she loses her temper." she said and I started laughing at that. "Get ready to duck, but there's the warning of watch what you say, or you're going to get it here, and you, young man, stop antagonizing your sister." Malcolm said with a chuckle. "I'll keep that in mind." Janet said through her own laughter at that remark.

"At least Jamie never blasted Tony yet, but he knows, do anything reckless, and he won't have to worry about the girls killing him as Jamie will." she said to him and he nodded in agreement to that remark as Mary tried to control her voice as she answered her then. "I take it that happens all the time to you when you were constantly going up there, Nell?" she asked and I heard a laugh and hid a chuckle.

"Yeah that happens all the time, but Sarah is a firebird, tick her off and you're likely to get blasted, Jamie's the same way in truth. But the girls are like me, I'm an introvert, but when surrounded by friends I let go here, but the girl the boys all love, it's like being in a wolf pack. Said now, werewolves no less, the omega is the entire world to a pack animal, if it's a girl, and the boys all love their omega now."

"So long as she's happy that's all they care about in their eyes, but Jamie is me as a preteen, but the quartet, Dana and I were a quartet. Spent all our lives together here, before we added Malcolm and now you to the gang, guys." she said and we both nodded as he hid a smile at that. "Yeah that's us alright, before we added you, Todd, the duo and Dave to the gang next." Dana said with a chuckle and I nodded with a slight smile at that.

Covering the mouth piece, he looked at us and nodded. "Yeah it's her alright, she's Becky's daughter, this is her, when we're discussing things at the office." he told us and we both nodded. "Before we hit the added issues in her will, my subordinate may have just chosen your house. Frederick I know is your grandfather, but the subjects on that house are pretty vague here." he said and I heard her slip into my tone in lectures.

"Well if she was still alive and helping him run the tests, no need to think twice, I'm doing this myself now, Malcolm, so I can just take her place. But whoever my fellow members of the group are, it's getting them to understand here. That if your friend and his assistant are always with me. That whoever is haunting the house is trying to frame them for whatever is going on in mishaps."

"I was just doing some research into mom's studies, that house, I'm not sure, but something doesn't feel right. It's not the experiment, it's the fact that the necklace is trying to open up a vein in my memory. And since dad was killed in the explosion when I was a kid, but the fight over the will. Let's just say it's beginning to annoy me here." she said and he nodded firmly at that news then.

"What happened now if you're saying that, your mother never told me her added powers in the office where parapsychology is concerned. We hit a slight red flag, if you found Becky's necklace, I think we started something." he said and her tone went firm. "Tell me about it, I just got into an argument with Jane and her husband. And over that will two hours ago, but I've been running over the bills carefully here."

"She says they can't afford to keep me here any longer, but why need that mom was getting funds from the house. While I was in college here at the moment, and Wilson gets me those funds when I needed him to now. But whatever this is, clearly had a true red flag in my eyes, regarding her and Lou. But here's the reason I'm saying this right now, if your subordinate is listening to this too."

"Mom already paid four months in advance on the apartment, but if you found a copy of the will in her stuff at the office. Then she obviously knew what she was doing here over that will at the moment." she said and he crossed his arms. "I take it they never read the fine print when this argument you had with Jane and Lou. It came close to an altercation, again?" he asked and I heard an annoyed tone in her voice.

As he signaled to a member of the team and they nodded as they headed for Dr. Craine's office and then came running back in then. "Yeah I got it in front of me, Tony just checked the files and found a copy of the real one that's probably with Rob. So I take it the duo never looked into this right now at the moment, your mother is a psychiatrist, so what now exactly." he said and I heard a tone of agreement in her voice then gently.

"They didn't and I don't need to read it when it had words that we stopped using 70 years ago. The stupid fools don't realize this could be a financial bait and switch at the moment, where are you?" she asked and I nodded to the tone of her voice. "At the office, my subordinate is the one who's ad was in the paper, if you want you can take your mother's position on the job." he said and I heard a smile then.

"Thanks and I will, my disrotation was a stand by just in case, but I think mom wanted me to finish school so I could start work in the department, Malcolm. That's true and it just turned into a family ran business at the moment here. But before anyone does something stupid, let's get this worked out. And before you send the directions to the house to them." she said and he smiled at that remark.

"Whatever mom told you about me, Malcolm, that was true, I'm the young woman that was looking after her after the surgery. Unfortunately for the Websters, with the fact they don't know what mom did for a living, and I did. They just pissed you off right now at the moment." she said and he nodded. "Who's Webster exactly?" Mary asked and I heard a business like tone enter her voice.

"Lou Lance Webster, he's a lawyer, unfortunately mom clearly knew what she was doing by that will, if there's a copy of it in mom's things right now. But Lou is an idiot, if you need further information have your friend run a background check on him. Because trust me, you're not going to like what you see when you see him later." she said and I crossed my arms at that news as Malcolm answered her.

"He touches you again, at all like that after you ended up in the hospital twice, just to prevent his causing another heart attack. And I'm going to kill him, before throwing him to Rick this time at the moment, you okay honey?" he asked and I heard a gentle tone enter her voice. "Two months and I'm still on the automatic response to her calling me, every time I try to sleep I can still hear that at the moment."

"Whatever you told the doctor leading this experiment you were right and I can explain further once we meet face to face, guys. But two problems at once, but 1) is this and the other is the fact I need the money and a confirmation to the fact. That, now, that this will was a fake, as their chewing up their side of the inheritance and I get all of mine." she said and the three of us nodded to that.

Before I could answer then, a message landed on the table then and Mary grabbed it up and smiled. "Yeah about that, your mother left us a clue breaker in the library at the house, and with it some sort of emergency insurance plan to prevent a lawsuit. But the three of us, Todd and the rest of the group can go over it together." she told her and Malcolm took it from her and read it and gave a nod as he said it to her at that remark.

"What they decide, though your mother paid four months ahead on the rent and utilities in the house?" he asked and I heard a tone of anger enter her voice then. "They're selling the apartment and whether I agree with it or not, but if those words were underlined. And I mean three times, there's a clear message in that will when it had words we stopped using 70 years ago at the moment."

"Whoa, ow, damn it Peter watch it will you!" I heard and she shouted it over the speaker. "What the heck was that about, Tony?" she asked and he covered his eyes as his team mate answered that. "We were working over the latest haunted house results and Peter dropped a box loaded with file folders on his foot, Nell." he said and I knew she shook her head at that as she answered him, as I tried to keep from laughing at that.

"Alright guys, we get problems like this all the time, but there is no reason for a fight over it either." she said and Mary went into that, smiling gently. "Just how often does that happen exactly, and especially if you knew that. And what the answer was going to be this time exactly?" she asked her and I heard a chuckle as she answered her. "A lot and though I didn't go active completely yet, at the moment."

"I was working from home with the guys, Malcolm, Carol and Janet, with mom out of commission, I get my training from my mother. With you working in another branch of the department it's enough we can combine both together at the moment. Though what I say is if there's more then children haunting that house, then keep your guard up." she said and I nodded as Malcolm hid a smile then.

"Are you guys always like this with each other though?" she asked and I heard a smile enter her tone as she answered her. Before she could say it, I heard a female voice call out to her in delight then. "Hey Nellie, looking forward to you joining the team here sis!" she said and I nodded as the tone had a smile of delight at that. "The quartet are my quintet in college, Mary, that's why Malcolm is trying to get me in."

"And nothing is holding me back now finally, and I can explain it further when we meet face to face later. But look Doctor, if you're also listening to the conversation, heads up, just expect the unexpected when at a haunted house and two. Just check what you're toying around with and before you start playing with it, though there's frequent intrusions and here's a tip."

"But at times they go from playful to cruel practical jokes, start getting dangerous and then turn homicidal. If there's more then just kids haunting the house, but a more sinister ghost, so never turn your back on a statue and two. If said statue is in a pool or fountain never stand in arm's reach of it. And with you working another department you need a parapsychology expert."

"I know someone's feathers are going to get ruffled, but there's no reason to get plastered either, so relax." she said and I nodded to the advice as Tony called out to her. "Coming from personal experience Nellie?" he asked and I heard a tone of laughter in her voice at that. "Are you ever going to let me live that down?!" she called back in response and Mary covered her eyes as she tried to keep from laughing.

And at that remark as Malcolm ended the conversation at that. "You guys can discuss this next month once you get in here Nell, now can it with that. I'll see you tomorrow in your mom's office okay." he said and I heard a chuckle at as she answered him. "See you then guys and see you next week, Doctor, Mary." she said and we nodded. "You too, Nell." she said and we ended the conversation as he turned off the phone at that.

"I take it that was a common occurrence over the phone between them right now?" I asked and he nodded as he started laughing at this. "Yeah I hear that all the time between them, but what she told you was the truth. In truth Peter, Tony, Carol and Janet were her best friends in College, so if Todd and Sanderson are just like Tony and Peter. Then this should be interesting in putting them together this week now."

"And the same is said for Mary and Willis, so I think you guys were the chosen emotional therapy Becky had in mind for her now. She's lonely, because her mother knew her best and though stuck st home, she was involved in things in my department. But she needs change in sceneray and you choosing her, that helps her now." he said and I nodded to the news as he passed the file back to me and I added her to the top of the list then.

Seeing a gentle look in her eyes, I saw a slight tone of anger and whatever it was about I could tell she was pissed at the person that caused it as I looked at the photo, I thought it over. 'Whatever feelings she's hiding I don't doubt if I'm who her mother would choose, I can probably help her, before the venting gets thrown on someone else in the group while we're there.' I thought to myself as I looked at Mary.

"Mary you better add this under the contract for volunteer status, because I just had a conference with her mother's ghost, when I went to Malcolm." I said and passed her the added information and she read through it and nodded. "Smart move, end the scandal by sweeping it under the rug, in case someone gets hurt. Alright I'm sending out the envelopes with instructions on how to get to the house and these are in the envelope."

"But they sign this and send it back after that, but once signed, there's no going back, because this is under catch twenty two and they had no reason to be angry. Especially if Eleanor told them for three days straight what it really is we're doing regarding this, and if she herself get hurt and this nearly kills her, and they nearly kill themselves out of fear, it's they lose volunteer status." she said and I nodded in agreement to that.

"Just got the phone a second time with her right now, after Malcolm rang her up, she was working over her thesis. And like I said she really want to do this, and for two reasons, but evidently it went three reasons. But 1) to get the money to save the apartment for another month, 2) she gets to put her thesis to use. 3) Just give her a chance to heal emotionally and get away from Jane for a while." she told me and I nodded to that.

"Mary did you get anything on her tone when she called you?" I asked and she nodded with a sigh. "Yes, evidently whatever resentment her sister is throwing her, she's getting sick of it, secondly from what she told me about her mother. I heard a tone of adoration, whatever her mother did she idolized her. Altogether everything the last two months is hitting her hard right now. To put this bluntly when I did a check on the Websters."

"I learned he's one of those who takes delight at taking the defendant for all they have in the court room, and every time he gets in trouble with the cops he somehow weasels his way out of it. Basically if this was the Harry Potter series, the sister ended up marrying into a family that most decent people would cross the street to get away from, rather than marry into. While the decent one ended up gaining everything that made the maternal family who they are and the sister is taking her resentment out on her."

"For whatever reason she's jealous that the girl was the favorite of their parents, and found a man that their parents would approve automatically and don't care that kid is gifted and she's taking it out on her kid, while spoiling her little brat of a son when doing it." she said and I nodded to that with a sigh, knowing I was going to have to have a heart to heart talk with her to get her to open up to me.

"Great, so her feelings over this and the will are going to get dragged into it, but if some wiseacre chooses to pulling cruel practical jokes. And what anger she's holding in at her sister and brother-in-law is going to get vented into the fight when that happens. Well if she's out of town for a week at least that give her a chance to heal slightly. Though if I'm the one her parents would approve of if they saw me, I don't doubt I'm the one who's going to help her to heal from that." I said and she smiled as she nodded to that.

"She probably didn't get the chance to really live her life after her father died, but whatever her mother did for a living she idolized her. As to that, if she never got the chance to have a life, she's going to enjoy making some new friends here, once we meet them next week." she said and I nodded in agreement as I answered her as I read the psychological report and and saw something else her eyes then that caused my alpha male side to wake up then as I said this out loud.

"Whatever reason she seems to hold loathing for where Webster is concerned I'm finding out, because if he's constantly getting into trouble with the cops, whatever catalyst he's got is putting him upstairs next. If he's been arrested repeatedly for DUI's." I said and she sighed. "We meet the guy and learning this is one thing, but whatever her Medical records hold I don't know, because if he's the abusive boyfriend type, and he's really in trouble when our duo find out about it." she said and I nodded in agreement to that.

"Luke sounds like the guy who'd go big brother if he hears this, but if I find out and he's a deadman if our relationship starts while we're there later, and we find out through Jefferson what's going on and I'm going to beat the crap out of him if he ever touched her like that at all." I said and she nodded as we ended it at that, as I looked at her files.

I knew she needed an understanding person to talk to, but something about her called to me and after a few days the preparations were made and we headed up there as we settled into the car ride. I wasn't sure what was going to come, but I could see that this was going to give a major case of adrenaline for this trip and after arriving there.

I saw my patients cars parked in the driveway and smiled."Well they're here, so what do think?" I asked and Mary Lambetta answered that. "I'm guessing the truck belongs to Luke, the Hugo is Eleanor's and Theo has the red convertible, but that just screams what their personalities are. She's quiet and sensitive and evidently that car belongs to Rebecca, before she died, so hand me downs and her sister is very controlling."

"Luke is a college graduate and just begun whatever career he chose and that car is a pick up no less, so he's either an architect or a contractor or both, as for Theo she's outgoing and she's an artist, because that car is freshly painted and remodeled now. But altogether, opposites in personality and they and Todd are going to grow close this week." she said and I nodded as that fielded my opinion then.

Todd was a bit of a straight guy and if what I was seeing from the way the trio were parked that close together, they just met as a trio now, though just as I was opening the door, I heard a startled scream and figured they ran right into each other after exploring the house and gave it five more minutes, before I walked in as I looked around the hall I felt a jolt of shock go through me. "Jesus." I said under my breath.

From the outside it didn't look that spooky, but from the inside the house looked like someone turned it into a funhouse and maze, because there were halls going in different directions and the trio just ended up in the foyer. "Here we are." I added and walked in as Luke called out a greeting as they walked over to us. "Hey." he said and I placed faces to names as I saw everything I couldn't see from the photos on them.

Seeing the trio standing there I saw that that duo placed themselves on both sides of her and hid a smile at that, already knowing they decided to become her trio. And if things continued during the week her emotional therapy in her mother's case was going to work out. 'Mary wait till we reach the reason for this experiment and get her to explain her reason for coming on this trip, and I'm going to her evaluation after that.' I thought to her and I knew she gave a mental nod as I said it then smiling.

"You're Luke, you're Theo, you're Eleanor, hi I'm Dr. Marrow, welcome." I said and we shook hands. "Hello Dr. Marrow." he said and I introduced the duo to them. "This is Todd Watts the fourth member of the group and Mary Lambetta, my assistant." I said and he gave her a wave as I focused on Eleanor then. "So how was your drive Eleanor?" I asked her and she smiled. "It was fine." she said and I looked at her with a smile.

Seeing the smile in Theo's eyes, I could tell she could see Eleanor was hiding her thoughts about me, whatever it might be and I knew Mary could see the same. 'Oh boy, I can see the physical attraction in her eyes in my case, this keeps up during the week and I know that spark of match making just kicked in. Alright Dr. Craine, if that's your intention regarding me, I get that, but take it down a notch.' I thought to myself then.

"Good, good, welcome to Hill House everyone, come on." I said and we walked in together. "Alright let the good times roll." Luke said with a smile and Theo looked at me then. "I seen houses like this on the movies, but this is ridiculous." she said and Todd looked at her at that. "Why exactly?" he asked and she explained that. "Does this house look familiar to you, because I think he went to Harlaxton, but it gets better."

"Whoever built the house over did it here Doctor, because you better look at this." she said and I turned around as she and Eleanor pushed the doors closed and I felt my shock go through me. "Holy crap, that's more detailed than any sculpting work I've ever seen here." Luke said and I nodded in agreement to that thought as Todd answered him at that. "Jeez, just who's bright idea was it to build that into the house."

"That's cement chiseled into the spookiest set of characters I've ever seen, if I wasn't sure before I am now, but that looks like the gates of Hell actually, yeah okay, and that looks Saint Paul fighting the devil." Todd said as he looked at the doors with a calculating look and they nodded in agreement to that as Luke looked around the rest of the floor. And with a calculating look as she answered him at that as she looked at it.

"That was my thought when I saw this actually, but we've been looking at three hundred carvings and marble statues since we came from our wing of the house and they're as strange as it gets. There's several lions, a griffin, a few boars and what looks like either a Pegasus or something else. Because all these guys are from Greek mythology, that's not normal and neither are the carvings and several have got the looks of cherubs or just cupids." Theo said to him and he nodded to her as Luke answered her at that.

"So what's your occupation exactly Theo?" he asked and she smiled. "I'm an artist, but I studied every version there is, but I'm not like O'hara's character, if that's what you're asking here Luke. I'd say these got more of the look of the studying and sculpting life rather than theory and secondly here, if he was studying myth, he must have liked Ancient Greek, because all of these are from Greek and Rome." she said to him gently.

"Yeah well I'd say that God sent us a message if we found that and my mother wanted us to see this for some reason. Though why, I'm not entirely sure yet here, because this house feels familiar to me, like it belongs to me for some reason." she said to us and we all nodded to that. "I'd say he's doing a few themes of ancient culture myths and and whoever created those doors decided on running a judgement run here."

"Because I've seen stuff like this in paranormal horror flick, but this has all the makings of a 'Ghost' theme in this house and it's like that..., wait a second, yeah okay I get what the door was created for, if the house is haunted, so if the deceased were like us. Than they wind up in front of the doors, and get judged innocent and are free to go to heaven. If the deceased were like the duo that killed him, they got dragged into the doors." she told us and Luke looked at her at that remark as he said it.

"Did you study art or anything like that?" he asked and she shook her head. "No I studied purgatory, and this is where the souls are caught between the living and the dead and with that, if you want the other truth I'll tell you later. But what I can guarantee is if we found this, it's a hint that we're getting a few visitors from the other realm and we got company arriving here." she said and he nodded to her explanation.

"If this house is haunted it's by one group or another, but what I can guarantee here is that if it's by a homicidal ghost, don't left your guard down here. Because that's a good way to get hurt. To answer the other unasked question, I was studying haunted houses and my mother is the biggest name in the business regarding the exorcisms of haunted houses or just study them in general, but get a better angle here.'

"Luke did you ever see anything like this before, because on the outside it looks like Harlexton, but from inside it looks like somebody turned it into a maze and funhouse. And the place has all the looks of the college in it, and adding in several twists and turns while doing it." She asked and he nodded as he answered her. "I did a disrotation in Europe regarding architecture and checked out the college in the U.K.."

"But in this case, he decided he was creating as many carvings as he could, but the house has to have several other details you see in movies. In houses like this they build things you don't normally see nowadays, because this town was and is three hundred years old and the equipment is along the lines of across between Tudor and the stuff the created when we were still living in Paris and the musketeers were still around.

"And he evidently combined two timeframes together, along with the added look of a haunted house, a church and monastery. And then to top it off a maze and funhouse into a house this time, if we're finding carvings and marble statues, if those things are marbles, but that sums it up, but this stuff is stuff you don't normally see nowadays. Use of gamers sickles and a few other things, they don't and didn't use the equipment we use we did back then here and with that in mind."

"And as to why, it's because they make one mistake and it breaks it, but this house was created when we had just begun using wrenches and a few other things. But the equipment is still across between our timeline and 130 years old, so with that, be careful if something is so old it could collapse." Luke said and the girls looked at him at that as Eleanor said it for the three of this with an impressed look on her face. "How could you know that Luke?" Eleanor asked him and he smiled gently as he answered her.

Before he could answer her, I saw something I didn't catch yet and felt my heart give a slight thump as I read it, 'All ye who stand before these doors shall be judged.' well if we've been judged it means that somethings likely to come up this week.' I thought as I saw something move and looked down to see a red billiard ball rolling it's way around the hall as it rolled up to her gently and she looked amused at that.

"Great practical jokes along with things moving on their own, anyone else see that?" Eleanor asked and they nodded as the ball rolled itself out through the doors and left. "Where'd he come from exactly, because this house is 130 years old and they didn't create pool tables till the early 20th century?" Todd asked her and she chuckled as she answered him then as she looked at the red ball as it turned to look at us then

And I saw its number looking up at her. "Boy or girl, do you suppose?" Luke asked and he looked at me and I nodded. "Boy, alright pal, who are you?" she asked and jumped and tapped out a sentence. "My name is Robert, but don't worry, we're not going to hurt you guys. And it's its good to see you again, Ellie, been a long time, baby." he read out and we nodded to the remark as the nickname got my attention.

"Uh oh, I haven't see you guys in years here." she said and he looked at her and, if he had a face, with a gentle paternal smile on his face and hid a chuckle. "Where's Sarah and Uncle Andrew." she said and he tapped it out to her. "They're checking on the spots you tried to redirect me from when toddler-hood to before dad was killed, alright thanks for the warning." she said and I nodded to that as she looked at him then gently at that.

"Nice to see you too, Rob, care to tell me how you know who I am?" she asked and he jumped once. "Last time you saw me was when exactly?" she asked and he tapped six times, followed by a sequence and she nodded. "You saw me every summer from June to early September and for 18.5 years, last time you saw me. It was the summer before dad was killed at work." she translated and we nodded as she said it then gently.

"Alright if that is the case, then were you just waiting for me to return, before you and whoever is with you could see me as an adult finally?" she asked and he jumped once and she nodded. "You're not a stranger to me, if my toddler to teenage self considered you, whoever you are, a friend?" she asked and he jumped a third time before tapping out a message and she straightened up at that as she answered him at that.

"Surrogate family member, you are the best friend to my grandfather's baby brother, so why choose this as a way to make contact with me first. And why not show yourself, before the others arrived?" she asked and he tapped out an explanation. "Because my parents, grandfather, uncle and your friends are showing yourselves to us. Before the week really gets started later, you wanted to be first to see me, so you could tell them."

"Your gang and my grandfather, great aunt, that my friends and team just arrived." she asked and he jumped once to confirm that. "Ookay, alright whoever the rest of you are, just come out one at a time, as none of us were expecting that." Theo called out and I heard several thumps somewhere in the house as he sat there. "The pool table sets were possessed by my grandfather anf extended family so they could talk to us here."

"The previous owner probably bought a pool table, if that little guy just rolled into the foyer, though I doubt he's the only one coming to see who the guests who came to visit are, before they start something in the hallway." she added as the green and blue came rolling in as well, gave a jump to greet us and then left and joined the red in the hallway. "Huey, Dewey and Louie, great, what's next exactly?" Todd asked and I hid a chuckle.

Before I could answer though, the other twelve all rolled into the hall as well. "You had to ask." she said in response and Luke and Theo started laughing and I heard several clangs and crashes in the hall as the street hockey version of a game of pool got started and then a minute later it broke out in the hallway as the white cue came rolling into the hallway as well and into that hall as she exchanged looks with me at that. "Well there's something you don't see every day." she added and I chuckled as we got a look at the statues in the foyer and she, Theo and Todd went into it then.

"Hey Aunt Sarah!" she called out and the pink turned and jumped and I nodded. "Okay so that's Sarah, so where is Andrew, and Bill?" I asked and the green and blue gave a tap to me and we nodded and we heard a tap and I looked down. "And of course there's you Rob, and nice to meet you." Mary said and he jumped once to answer that. "So you said you had your uncle and his wife and best friend following you around?" Mary asked and she nodded to us then.

"Yeah though why is the next question and that's the part I forgot." she said and I turned to get a look at the door. "I think I found said reason, every time you came up to visit, that position was always filled before, but looks like whoever left it this time is back on the loose Eleanor." I said and she turned. "Oh great, Sarah is he the reason you had me surrounded till dad was killed every time I came up?" she asked and the pink gave a jump to answer her and we nodded.

"Todd, they tell you of our conversation over the phone?" she asked and he nodded. "Mary did, but I didn't realize you were that into this type of thing." he said and she chuckled at that. "Well if you think it's strange now just wait, for any real parapsychologist, this is heaven to them, we want to check on it, and anyone that never considered that theory was a skeptic, till something like after Tangina leaves and said house goes crazy." she said and we all nodded then.

"I'd hate to be the poor idiot that pisses off whoever filled in that spot." I said and she nodded as she moved to us then at that remark. "First class training session so whoever was haunting the house next to the kids and possibly my aunt, grandfather and my parents is going to be more dangerous. So 1) stick together, or we're on the buddy system, and 2) never turn your back or get in arm's reach of those humanoid statues." she said and we all nodded to her then.

"Said grandfather is the owner of the house, his father is the one we need to worry about, though why that I don't know, but I found said necklace there. In my mother's room she left it to me, but the C stands for Craine, so he knows, said Craine is my grandfather, Frederick, his mother is his second wife. She's possibly like Tangina in decontaminating the house guys, so it's going to be confusing for a few days till he goes all out." she said and they all nodded then.

As Luke checked her necklace and nodded. "That's 130 years old." he said and I nodded. "And that goes with the time-line of the house now." I said and she nodded. "It is 130 years old, but his second wife was where my added ability comes into play, and I know that's going to be tough to believe now here." she said and I nodded. "After seeing this house is haunted, no I don't find that strange at all at the moment." Mary said for me and Todd and she nodded.

Before they could say anything I heard a crack of marble on marble and turned to see a second set of billiard balls come rolling in as they joined their counterparts in that hallways and we looked at each other. "That's not a coincidence, whoever owns the house bought two pool tables I bet and several sets of balls for whatever game they like to play, but whoever the previous owner is, if they're from our parents decade, any my parents knew our age group was dealing with the game."

"Though if my family happens to be it, I think she's telling me we got things we can enjoy. I bet that's the reason they decided to investigate just as I arrived in the house if the duo decided on that greeting." Eleanor said and I nodded, before two pinks rolled into the room next and I chuckled. "I think that's so we don't have a fight in the game over equal rights in the hallway out there." Mary said, before a third pink and set rolled into the room at that and she started laughing as Theo said it for all of us.

"Great, 24 on 24, why do I feel like this is going to result in a riot if one of them starts something in there?" Theo asked and she started laughing. "Because I think these ghosts are kids and they decided to go for our versions of sports, just in pool mode right now." she said and she nodded as Mary answered her with an amused smile at that. "You sure they're kids?" she asked and they nodded as she explained that to her.

"Yeah we've been finding carvings of kids not much older the twelve all over the hall we're bunked in, though if they're kids they wound up with six adults arriving tonight. So as to that, if they recognize me they need a maternal guardian in the house, though if this results in them going for added practical jokes with the pool tables and anything else it's going to be a very long week for us here." she said and she chuckled as she answered her with a smile and I could see the connection building.

"Wait a second, hey pinkie, could you come back in here for a minute." she said and a minute later the ball rolled back into the room, before the rest of the pink ball's set did the same thing. Looking at it carefully she smiled. "My parents favorite billiard game was snooker, alright kid whoever you are. Was that a clue to me, telling me that whoever the previous executor of the house was related to me?" she asked and and it jumped once.

"Are all of you kids?" she asked, looking between the two groups together and the pink jumped once. "I take it you and the red knew if I arrived, you all been looking forward to seeing me, since it's been a while since I came to visit, right?" she asked and it jumped again. "To you when was the last time you guys saw me exactly, if you knew I was coming and chose a way for me to identify you?" she asked and it tapped a number.

"Last time you saw me was 15 years ago, and for you it's been 11 years since you had someone called, you called, Mama March. Yeah okay that makes perfect sense, so you watched me grow up if you were related by blood or marriage to my grandfather. Then you are the ones following me around when mom came to visit Uncles Jack, Peter and Rick and Aunt Beth, you are the one of the trio?" she asked and it jumped once gently.

"I'll take that for a yes, yeah alright, if that is the case, with it being close to 16 years since you saw me last, did the caretakers know. Know that the house is haunted by you and your friends, and you knew me on sight. As I look like the executor, the previous heiress of the house and I just took their place?" she asked and it jumped a fourth time. "So I look like the previous owner and executor of the house, this Grandma March."

"And it's been 11 years since she left and retired?" she asked and it jumped a second time and she went to the next question. "Was this person wearing this pendant when they were here." she said taking her necklace off and showing it to the ball and it jumped once before tapping out a sentence at the question. "Yes she was, she was here eleven years ago when you were in college, getting some added funds."

"From the vaults, but she looked like 51 year old version of you, Eleanor, she asked us to call her grandma March. She was our maternal protector, and she gave you that necklace, so we could know that her true heir was coming to visit and with her. The added group with you now, my name is Sarah, Eleanor, and the red normal billiard ball you just met was my surrogate twin, Robert."

"While the blue ball was our friend Billy, but my boyfriend is the baby brother to your grandfather. Frederick was from Concord/Manchester United, this is where your family originated from. Had Andy and I been alive, I'd be your other great aunt, along with Alicia, she's the twin sister to your grandfather. Andy is your uncle, if I was alive I'd be his wife." she read out and we nodded to her gently.

"Eleanor, you don't remember we get that, but do you remember a purple, pink green and red billiard and Snooker ball following you around. You were still a child to young adult, your last visit was after Rob was killed in the accident. You considered Robbie and me your aunt and uncle, as we were Andrew's girlfriend and best friend?" she asked, tapping out a question and Eleanor translated that.

"Red, green and pink, I had a trio of billiard balls following me around in every visit when mom brought me to visit her inner circle. Dudley: Rick and Beth, Elizabeth and Richard Dudley, retracing my steps, it was like I knew where everything is and..." she said trailing off and her eyes widened and she quickly sat down in front of her then. As she answered her at that and Theo rested her hand on her shoulder and she nodded to her.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute here, Sarah if you know who I am, then when was the last time you saw me, as I just hit my 33rd birthday in the past 6 weeks?" she asked and they put themselves into a number and she nodded. "15 years ago, that was when my father was killed in the explosion." she said and we nodded in shock to that. "What was your father exactly?" Todd asked and she sighed as she told him the truth gently at that.

"Dad's a fireman, the crash and explosion was at the gas station, I'll explain later, alright Sarah, when was the last time you saw my mother here. Especially if you said she looked like me at 51?" she asked and they put themselves into an 11 at that. "I was 21, bordering 22 at the time she had the heart attack and bypass. Alright who was the original owner of the house after the builder?" she asked and they wrote out a name.

"My grandfather's name was Frederick, this was his house, before he moved to Boston?" she repeated and Sarah jumped off the floor to answer her. "So if my adult version was here, would her name be Rebecca March/Vance-Craine by any chance?" she asked and it jumped a 2nd time. "Would that visit to the house have anything to do with the triple bypass surgery, if she had that heart attack?" Mary asked and she jumped a third time.

"Great, my mother was here at the time eleven years ago, and our young friends decided to send me a clue to that by possessing the one billiard ball set. That would make me recognize her and my father the second I see them, everything in the house was chosen by select tastes for the six of us. But that's why they came out, I think she knows you, Todd and Luke are into billiard games if there's a pool table or two in the house, guys."

"As to that, she also knows I'm a bookworm, I'm into certain card games like candy poker and bridge. I'm also into the paranormal, which was why she wanted me involved, because she's giving me a chance to put my training to use. And by several gentle incursions in the house, before we get settled." she told us and then smiled. "And one being fear and performance in the initial training as well." she added and Mary smiled.

"Fear studies just took on an entirely whole new meaning in this house at the moment, but my mother was a parapsychologist when she was working. And if my grandmother had the gift of second sight it's been passed down five generations. Meaning that a love for the paranormal was common in my family. But that's why I signed up when I found your ad, before I found this on the dresser." she said, passing a folder to me and Mary.

"Whoa, looks like your mother was one gifted parapsychologist if you found this on the dresser. 'Parapsychology: a study of Fear and Performance by Dr. Rebecca Sarch March-Craine. 'To my darling Eleanor, if you found this before I gave it to you, it's time you finished your schooling. My friend Malcolm Keough and his second in command are running my department right now at the moment.'."

"Once finished at the college head for my hospital and give this to him, this is going to insure you're getting a job in my department now. But remember, though I'm not here physically, I'm always going to be here with you. Just because you can't see me doesn't mean I'm not watching over you. Good luck honey and we will be together soon.'." Mary read out and Todd looked at Sarah.

"Great, if she left this to you, then she knows my thesis as well, but you're studying dream deprivation. While I'm doing fear studies, combined with sleep deprivation and insomnia at the current moment. Looks like your parents want us to combine both of them together, while leaving us stuff in between the tests I brought. That are suited to our tastes right now at the current moment." I said and they nodded as he said it gently.

"Hey Sarah, did Rebecca do that on purpose, knowing that for the six of us, it's so we have our tastes in recreation, music and art and architecture quenched. If the house is filled with things that we can enjoy, when there's no tv or phone here. Though we have things we can fool around with, reading, just looking around. During the week while we're here now?" Todd asked and she jumped to answer him, the girls exchanged smiles.