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: With this chapter it's going to start reflecting his memories from when things were pretty quiet in their trip to slightly tense to turning into a total intrusion, as this is going to show his memories of the two of them together, had they had a chance to pursue their relationship.
Chapter 11: Movie Jokes, Books And Billiard Ball Pranks I
'Does it really matter here, God you guys enough already, it's been jokes and gags between you guys all night, this keeps up and one of us is going to choke on something as we're getting a drink, now cool it.' I saw Mary thinking with a bemused look on her face as it hit the punchline. "That's what we're trying to find out, we're trying to find out who killed him, and where and with what!" he said and Todd looked at him smiling as I tried to hold in mine as he responded to his remark as he tried to keep from laughing.
"There's no need to shout." he said as the girls tried to get it together. "I'm not shouting!" he said. "Alright I am, I'm shouting, I'm shouting, I'm shout" He started to say as a pillow hit him in the head and he landed on the couch and that did it for the girls as they started laughing at this. "Alright that's enough of that you guys, pull yourselves together here." Mary said, speaking my thoughts out loud as I finished that mentally then.
'God this keeps up and one of us really is going to die laughing here, alright pull yourselves together you guys, enough already here?' I thought as I tried to hold it in as I looked at her as she was shaking with laughter as Luke said it for me. "Alright pull yourself together Nell." Luke said smiling and she nodded as she looked at Theo smiling. "To repeat that, does anyone else love this movie?" Eleanor asked and they nodded.
"Who's the wise guy who started this act of jokes and gags, because they're getting hit with a pillow when I get my hands on them." she added and Theo started laughing at that. "What is this, movie re-enactments, because this keeps up we're going to have one of us choke on a drink through our laughter if this keeps up?" Theo asked laughing and I shrugged to answer her as Eleanor answered that as she tried to get hers under control.
Before she could say it we heard it a second time and the duo lost it completely as she tried to get the words out as I heard her thoughts on this through her laughter. "Are they trying to over do it right now, the guys already did that re-enactment. Once is enough tonight, now enough already here." she said laughing and he chuckled as he looked at me to comment on that as Luke looked at her with a smile.
"Sis, you need pull yourself together here alright." he said and Todd added onto that as he looked at me then to comment on this as she looked at him at that with a smile and leaned her shoulder against his. 'I never thought I'd hear that from a total stranger, these bonds are getting stronger every minute.' I heard her think with a smile as she leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into it.
"Sis, come on, pull yourself together here alright." he said again and Todd added onto that as he looked at me then to comment on this. 'It's only been six hours and already they're calling me that, I just found my closest friends faster then I expected tonight.' I heard Eleanor thinking with a smile as she leaned against his shoulder and he smiled at her, as Todd looked at me with an amused smile then as he said it.
"Alright time to call it now here David, she's going to die laughing if this keeps up." Todd said with a smile and I nodded as I called out to our invisible friends a second time. "Alright the wiseacres firing that gun had better put the safety on it right now, now enough already here!" I called out to our invisible house-mates then as I heard her thoughts through a giggle as I hid a smile at her.
'I don't believe this, the wiseacres are going to have one of us die laughing with the amount of pranks they're pulling tonight if this keeps up.' I heard Eleanor think through her laughter as she looked at Theo with a smile as she said it. "I know they said laughter makes a good remedy, but at this rate it's going to turn lethal if this keeps up." she said with a giggle and I chuckled as I answered her at that with a smile.
"In slow increments yes it helps, but in this case, the wiseacres need to take it down several notches before one of us chokes on something. Though I think your mother chose to help you by getting a few wiseacres into the group. And just who dragged in the crime comedies and regular comedies into the conversation at dinner, because this is getting ridiculous here?" I asked and she chuckled as Theo answered that question smiling.
"Luke did, but the question of whether or not there are going to be anymore pranks over this is another question altogether." Theo said, before I heard another explosion in answer to that. "I think that answers your question Theo." Mary said as we heard it a third time. "That seems so un-necessary right now, so what's next exactly, the gun hitting the chandelier?" Theo asked and in answer to that we heard a third explosion and they started laughing as she answered her question through her laughter as Eleanor said it smiling.
"You had to ask, nice touch Theo, that really adds on to the effect." Eleanor said through her laughter and she smiled at her and Todd followed that up with the next remark as he tried to get his under control as Mary started laughing at this. "These wiseacres keep this up one of us is going to choke on something, pull yourselves together girls." she said smiling and they nodded, before we heard a fourth one and the door slamming shut.
"Again enough already, pull yourselves together girls." Mary said smiling as I answered that as I called out a second time at this. "Alright the wise guy firing that gun better cool it now." I called out, before we heard it a third time and the door slammed shut. "Yeah I think the murderer just left the building alright." Todd said to me smiling and I answered that as I tried to keep from laughing at that as I answered him his remark.
"Alright two explosions in one night they better be doing that in the foyer, there's more room in there, alright this is getting ridiculous, and if this keeps up one of us is going to die laughing at this rate." I said and he chuckled as he looked at her as she curled up against him and he leaned his shoulder against hers as she answered my remark smiling.
"Yeah well with two wiseacres in this group it's we got enough comedians in this group." Eleanor said and he grinned at her at that. "Yeah well it's comedians are one thing, but watch the teasing or you're in big trouble beautiful." Luke said to her smiling and I hid a smile at that as he looked at her playfully. 'I wonder, well best to find out later.' I saw him thinking with a smile and I knew where his thoughts went then.
'The big brother mode just kicked in now, alright watch it baby, you keep teasing them like this, their going to let you have it.' I thought as I hid a smile as he answered his remark. "I know we decided on acting like the comedians, but comedy only goes so far here, and they're now trying to take it a little too far, but this is ridiculous." he said and Luke chuckled at that as he answered him with a playful smile.
"Yeah so what's next exactly, the fight over the gun on how many bullets are in it?" Luke asked and he started laughing as he answered him at that. "No more than likely they're doing the bullets in reverse order, but they keep this up one of us is going to die laughing, before the evening is done here." he said to him and she nodded in agreement to that as he answered his remark. Before he could though I heard another gun going off as I then heard it bounce off the door as I looked at the trio smiling.
"Wasn't one of them shooting at the door to break the lock to get them out of the lounge in that movie?" I asked and he nodded. "Yeah why?" he asked, before I could answer I heard a third explosion as the makeshift bullet slammed into the door. "I think that answers your question Todd, but if they're doing the scenes in reverse order the next one is hitting the chandelier next." Luke said to him laughing as I heard a fourth explosion in answer to that as he answered him through his laughter at that.
"Well at least it's not the locked into the lounge scene or the candlestick falling on top of him, but that was hilarious." Todd said and he nodded as he tried to get his laughter under control as he said it. "Yup you're right, they're trying to get us away from that original thought here Nell." Luke said smiling as she looked at them. "Well don't give them any more ideas otherwise they are going to try that next guys, till we're going to die laughing here." Theo said through her laughter and she nodded as she looked at Todd.
Before she could say it I heard the piano do 'Shave and a Haircut' next, before I heard another explosion from the dining room in answer to that and she started laughing at that. "You had to say that Theo. Hey Luke what's the one talking cartoon animal that, once they see slap stick, they can't stop laughing at it here, and it's another movie Chistopher Lloyd played in that came out six years later and it's another crime comedy?" she said though her laughter and Luke started laughing as he got it and Mary looked at them.
"Alright so what movie is that from exactly?" Mary asked her and he chuckled. "Roger Rabbit, Lloyd said that no toon can resist the old 'Shave and a Haircut' trick as he tapped it against the wall, before Roger finally broke and busted through the wall to finish the song." Luke said smiling and it tapped it out a second time and I heard a fifth explosion in answer to that as we started laughing as whatever song they chose next started up.
"Alright what's going on here, this keeps up and one of us really 'is' going to die laughing at this rate?" Todd asked and she chuckled. "If they were kids who'd been born in the 80's they're choosing movies that, as teenagers, they're going to love later, especially mixed animation with live action, and this happens to be one of them, though this has areas most kids wouldn't find too amusing if they looked at it as adults later."
"Though they've done it four times in thirty years, two from Disney, one from Warner Bros. and the last is mixed which is what this one is, though I don't remember this scene in the movie, Luke do you?" she asked him. "Yeah I think so, give me a minute." he said as we heard the tune and he smiled. "Yeah, he came to the club, gave the password and went into the main room, the music had a familiar ring to it as well." he said to her.
"That sounds like the fight over the piano between Donald and Daffy and I've seen this movie too no less, before..." he started to say as the tone hit some sort of point as I heard a sixth explosion from the dining room and they started laughing as he said it. "Yeah okay that's what I thought, the Ducks were having a fight over the piano, trying to out do each other, before Donald blew up his piano during the finale." he said and we nodded as we started laughing as she added on to his remark through her laughter.
As he sat next to her she leaned against his shoulder and he looked at her smiling, 'Either our connection is getting stronger or I'm meant to protect her, don't worry sis, I'm here if you need me.' I saw him thinking as I saw the same look on Todd's face and I knew whatever she told us about Webster, if it was as bad as I thought, we were doing what needed to be done to protect her then as she answered his question, smiling.
"As I said, I think they're choosing movies from the last decade that are crime comedies to lighten up the mood after we just had the bejeesus scared out of us." she added as the song of whatever it was started a second time and we heard a seventh explosion. "If there's a winery in the house their using the champagne and not the red wine for this, because that's the only way to get the pressure high enough to get that type of explosion, and Ford already proved that on the Temple of Doom." Luke said and she nodded to that.
Hearing this we tried to get our laughter under control then, before someone started another song and it started getting out of hand and I looked at the piano. "Alright guys, enough already tonight, I know you're trying to lighten up the mood, but leave the wine bottles alone, and choose one song and go with it." Luke said and it started playing a theme song and she chuckled. "Tiny toon adventures, alright I think they've been watching the cartoons that came out the last nine years here." she said and he chuckled.
"Yeah so what's next exactly anyway?" he asked and I heard the theme song to Looney Tunes start playing in answer to that. "You had to ask Luke, first a preteen action show this afternoon, disappearing acts with our food, fights and sparring matches with the added staples on the table and a water fight in the kitchen, this is getting ridiculous right now. You remember Bug's remark, 'Ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer'."
"The rhetorical questions are going to result in several more pranks if this keeps up tonight here." Todd said smiling and it started playing a new song as I tried to keep the smile off my face at this, already knowing what song it was and why it was playing when she was sitting that close to me as Theo looked at her. "That sounds like the love song on the Lion King now, and who's it pointed at exactly anyway?" Theo asked and Eleanor looked at me and I smiled at her as she gave one to me and then answered her.
"I think that was just another subtle hint here that this was rigged actually and whoever rigged it is playing matchmaker." she told her and Mary hid a smile at that remark. "And your face is turning red as well, alright pull it together you two, and whoever is doing that ease back please." Mary called out firmly. "Whoever's trying to play matchmaker for us had better take it down several notches, wise guy, enough already tonight." I added and it started playing another song as she looked at Todd to go into conversation with him.
"So how is it you know the doctor exactly?" she asked Todd and he smiled. "I've known him five years and Mary and I've known each other since high school. So in addition to you three, I got chosen to keep her company. I'm also running studies on this and took a course in architecture and theology, which explains my remark on the doors." he said and she nodded as Luke looked at her with a playful smile on his face as he said it.
"What's your PH.D in exactly, if you're bringing that up?" she asked and he smiled. "Theology, demonology, architecture and parapsychology actually, I was studying the architecture at a few churches and applied it to my major, but this was to give me a chance to study a house of this magnitude. And for some reason I'm seeing more than basic theological points of view, but Greek mythology mixed in with it." he said gently.
"So possible study of parapsychology, theology and architecture huh, that's makes a good fit in bonds of friendship, I'd like to know who rigged this, because it feels like everything you three like seems to be fitting what I like." she said and he nodded in agreement to that. "Yeah well the wiseacre better take it down several notches right now, because these bonds are growing five times faster than normal at the moment."
"At least we're all localized to the same town with Luke heading for Boston in three months." he said and she grinned as she answered him. "If it's rigged I can see where the person who rigged it chose people from both personalities, the wise guy section and the slightly serious, and both in the case of whoever my future husband is. Though it's got an added parental touch to it for some reason right now, if it hit the table just as the will gets probated and your project, Doctor, activates at the exact same time."
"As to how that could be, it's because somebody's toying with the chessboard to ensure I find the right people in friends and soulmate bonds and I'm sure we're finding out later though if mom was the one who rigged this I think she knew finding you guys would help now, because it's now doing gentle psychology here." she said and Luke looked at her, before he could say it she smiled. "Yeah okay mom I get what you're doing here, but take it down a notch please." she said and I looked at her at that as Todd said it for me.
"What's up exactly?" he asked and she explained that. "With the will getting probated right now, you find it a little strange, that just as that's happening. I'm suddenly one of the top ten choices on the volunteers for the project, the house gets chosen at the exact same moment. And suddenly we meet and the bonds are growing faster than normal, and we're acting like a bunch of teenagers or young adults with each other right now."
"But in total truth I think mom wanted it like this, because I could get you guys involved now at the moment. But our bonds are growing even faster right now ?"she asked him and he nodded in agreement then as he answered her at that. "Yeah so where do I fall into this exactly, if our parents knew each other?" Luke asked and she smiled. "Possible twin brother actually, if we're like this around each other at the moment."
"If Todd's the other side of your personality traits, I think you were chosen to be my brothers now, in addition to my best guy friends." she said and he smiled at that possibility as they looked at each other and she hid a smile as she looked into his eyes as Todd chuckled at that. "As a psychiatrist she'd go for a Keirsey temperament sorter in projects like, but both sides of my personality while doing it, at the moment."
"And just to bring out the me that she and my father remember, but if she's now doing psychology. And from beyond the grave and it has to do with the house I think that sums it up now. But here's the thing from a spiritual sense and that is the imprint of the person's soul sticks around as long as it needs to, though if mom is, she's staying as long as I need her." she said and Theo answered her at that gently at the remark.
"If Rebecca is the one toying with us to help you heal since she's been gone, if this was part of your emotional recovery from her passing two months ago, though if this has to do with the house, why select a slightly haunted for a sleep deprivation study project?" Theo asked and she explained that. " I'm not entirely sure, but what I do know if this town has any type of connection of my background origins, it's got to do with why I feel so comfortable around it, let alone I understand the Dudleys concern a bit too much right now as well when she said no one gets closer the nine miles at night."
"Mom had this necklace for years, but whoever the initial stood for, I don't know, though if she said my middle was the initial. Then I think my grandmother was possibly the second wife of the owner of the house, before he died at the time. But the question to why my grandfather moved from Concord, that I don't know right now. Let alone why give me the necklace and set up that test during the probate at the time."
"But what I do know is that's not a coincidence that the project is run just as the probate is getting done, if mom's been following me around, she was probably at work getting the last minute details done just as you and Dr. Marrow are preparing for this Mary. While secondly mom always took it far more seriously with me, because I was her favorite of the two of us, because I shared everything she loved with her and my father."
"If she had an alias or two it explains why the kids recognize my necklace, one alias for work, another here, and her married name with everyone else, but if that's the case, and it has to do with the will. I bet the second alias is the one doing most of the work here, and I don't have to hear her voice to know that if her work alias is the descendant of the person who built this house and I'm descended from his second wife, if he had one."
"I don't know what my mother's pen-name on her psychological reports of parapsychology were, but this has to be connected to it and with that, the pieces of that puzzle are coming together pretty quickly here." she said, before seeing the amused smile on Luke's face and hid hers as I heard thoughts as she looked at him. 'Somehow this kid fits the mold a bit too much with me, because it feels like it's supposed to a brother/sister bond.' I heard her think then as he answered that thought.
'No more like we knew each other in another life, but it feels like I'm your surrogate brother when we were too young to remember that.' I saw him think back to her and she smiled as he answered her with a playful smile as he said it. 'Come on Luke, you really want to start this now, we're getting into a enough playful bickering matches as it is.' She thought back to him as she hid a smile as he answered that remark and I knew it was about to get started.
"So you expecting any math tests here Nell?" Luke asked and she smacked him with the pillow laying on the foot of the couch as he covered up. "Right sorry, drop high school remarks." he said smiling and the duo started laughing at that as Todd looked at him with a smile as he answered that remark as I tried to keep from laughing as I watched the duo joking around on the couches across from where I was standing.
'God this is getting ridiculous between them, after what happened at dinner, guys take it easy. A week together maybe, but you're acting like a bunch of teenagers on a camping trip without parental supervision here.' I thought, hiding a smile as I listened to this as I tried to keep from laughing as I unloaded my suitcase for the tests I packed as Todd looked at them with a chuckle as he said my thoughts out loud.
"You keep that up and the girls are going to beat you senseless man, now take it down a notch." Todd said to him with a smile and he smiled. "I'm the wise guy, you're the straight guy, why don't we use that later this week." he said and Mary hid a smile as she answered that as Theo looked at Eleanor with a bemused smile. "You already did, you wiseacre, now enough already." she said as she grabbed the pillow and hit him a second time.
"Don't look now, but I think they started something here Nell." Theo said and she chuckled at that as I hid a smile. "You get the feeling with us just being here for a week, the guys are are about to start acting like overgrown teenagers now?" Eleanor asked her and she chuckled as she nodded as Mary answered that with a smile. "I'm used to that with Todd, he was like this with Ricky when we were kids, but at this age now."
"You think it's bad now just wait girls, once he finds someone of the alternate personality he starts acting like the two are doing right now, and as to how I know that. We've been friends since high school and he had a friend who was like Luke and I had to break it up a lot when they started fooling around like this. And Luke you keep that up and she's going to beat you senseless, you better cool it now." Mary said to them and they nodded.
"So where being an artist is concerned you look at styles from different cultures right, if you're saying it like that Theo?" Mary asked and she nodded. "Yeah, for an artist we study every way to be one and that includes stuff like landscapes or just architecture, and we look into cultural histories of what would be best here. For the moment the reason I recognized the doors is because I studied one similar to it when I was going into my major, but the statues are a bit of over kill, they're made of marble."
"If this guy is as rich as I think he decided to get the most expensive pieces of wood and marble to create the statues and carvings and marble's not easy to break, not without a jack hammer if you're sculpting it. So the added statues and carvings are going a bit too far here." she said and Mary nodded in agreement to that. "If the kids know this March person, I bet this is connected to it then." Todd said to them and she nodded to that.
"If mom was descended from the second wife it explains why they recognize my necklace, but if it's connected to this legend it means it's going through right on schedule now. That is if she chose to not only get me out of Boston for a week, but she just..., my thesis, she's giving me a chance to get my thesis done and I think it might be connected to yours Doctor, because though I never got the chance to finish college, I've been working on my disrotation and it's on haunted houses and Dream deprivation."
"If the manor belongs to me, I'm doing as mom suggested thought. Whatever the added side project is, might connected to why I feel so comfortable in this room, though if this was the family manor and where both sides of the family came from, than mom got me involved at the right time now." Eleanor said to him, before a book pushed itself out of the shelf slightly in answer to that as Eleanor stood up to look at the bookshelves then and was scanning the books, as it nudged itself out further to get her attention then.
Watching I knew it was waiting till she looked at it to yank it from the shelf then, before her eyes landed on the one that got pushed out then and she smiled as she looked at the duo as she pushed it in, and it pushed itself out and we exchanged looks at this. As she pushed it back in, it pushed itself out a second time as she did it a third time and it pushed itself out again as she hid a chuckle as she answered the unspoken request.
" I'm not going to read you right now." she said and pushed it back in a second time and it pushed itself out again. "Well somebody's persistent over this, I never seen books that were begging to be read for once here, especially not the classics" Todd said with an amused looked at she pushed it in for a third time and it pushed itself out and she pushed it back in and it pushed itself out. "Alright now this is trying my patience." she said firmly as she did it again and it pushed itself out as it started going back and forth.
As she pushed it back in, it pushed it self out and she pushed in again and left her hand against the spine of it this time and it turned into a fight as it pushed itself against her hand, like it was saying to 'let me out, just look at my title page please', as she shook her head as she answered that request with an amused look as she said it. "Whatever this is about whoever is trying to get my attention right now.
"They're trying to send me a message and it's through this book." she said and I nodded as Todd said it for the five of us at that with a bemused look. "Just what is the fight about here exactly, if that ones trying to get your attention?" Todd asked and she shrugged as she looked at it and she pulled her hand away from it and it pushed itself off the shelf and into her hands and she sighed in resignation as she said it.
As she put it back on the shelf and it pushed itself out slightly. ""Alright fine, I'll see what story you are, alright." she said as she removed it and opened it and then grinned as she saw the title as she looked at the others as her eyes lit up. 'Mom, that you, yeah okay, I'll look.' I heard her think as she looked at the it and then looked at the others firmly as I heard a gentle voice answer her statement, the voice sounding maternal as it said it.
'Baby come on, just have a look, everything you had and loved to read as a little and as a teenager is right here in the room, and I did that on purpose sweetheart, the house belongs to you. Every book in the room has a connection to your childhood baby, remember, the feeling of comfort. That you have in this house, it's because this house belongs to you, honey, in fact."
"It's your abilities are coming out now, this is just the start of it now. Don't keep holding it in baby, you got a shot at happiness now, just let go now baby, you found your quintet and mate, and you found your aunt and uncle, just keep digging and your memories are going to come forward, I love you my baby. I did this for you, every book on the bookshelves were from your childhood."
"So just have a look around and you'll see baby girl.' I heard the voice I heard earlier say to her softly as I thought this over, whoever this voice was sounded maternal, and I figured it was her mother who was sticking around to keep her company as she looked at the others. "Nell something fell out of that book there." Mary said and she nodded as she picked it up at that she read the message and looked at the books.
As I saw something in her eyes firm up as she looked at the one in her hands as I heard her say it in a gently spoken whisper as I heard her amazement then as another book shifted position and dropped something on the floor and she picked it up as she read whatever was on it and her eyes widened. "March, mom, it can't be, mom is that really you?" I heard her whisper as she looked at the books carefully.
"What's on that message exactly?" I asked and she said it while scanning the books. "It's a list of the authors I liked growing up and with it several numbers next to the names. They, she or whoever dropped this on the floor, is telling me that the books are on the shelf, but these are hardback books without the dust jackets. Alright guys I need, if you're listening to this conversation, I need a little help regarding this."
"As I read out the names of each author, show what books are on the shelves here." she said and the pillow off the couch jumped off it in answer to that. "You hit me with that and you're grounded kiddo." Luke said looking at the pillow with a bemused look on his face as she hid a smile. "Was that really necessary Luke?" she asked and and he looked at her. "Trying to prevent a pillow fight from breaking out at the moment, Nell."
"Though in this case if one does get started, get ready to duck." he said and she nodded with a chuckle as she refocused. "Robert Stevenson?" she said and five pushed themselves out of the shelf next to me. "Dumas?" she asked and four came out at that gently. "Verne?" she asked and seven came out at that. "Dickens?" she asked and six came out at that. "Twain." she asked and four pushed themselves out as she read the last name on the list. "Tolkien?" she said and seven pushed themselves out at that.
"Man that's quite a collection here, regarding childhood novels at the moment." Theo said and she nodded to her as she explained it to the two of us then. "I get the feeling whoever decided on this was, they're running a bit of a scavenger hunt here regarding these books, because I have no clue what the stories are. With the fact that the books are now in paper back and the have the titles on them regarding the stories."
"Though everything I had brough with me was in the car and the paper back copies of these stories, whatever they are, are in the back seat of it. If these books are familiar and she was leaving me a clue here here that this house does belong to me. It's she's packed it with the books I read when I was a kid." she said as she opened up the one she was holding and read the name of it. "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea."
"You're kidding, but if that's the one you wanted to show me first than how..." she started to say as she read the list again and nodded softly as she said it quietly. "Mom, is that really you, mom how could you know what books these are, my favorite authors, these books are really every book that you bought me when I was nine to thirteen. Yeah okay I get it, time to start back on the old classics you raised me on back then."
"While I'm here now for the week." I heard her say softly to herself then as I looked at Mary and she nodded gently as her eyes said it softly to me. 'Name Comparisions here, if her mother was the previous owner of the house you just selected their family manor David I think her mother is sending her a message right now, we just begun whatever emotional healing her mother wanted for her.'
"And by us coming here for the week, we're the intended therapy for her and the other is giving her a link by to Rebecca by showing her that list of books she read out.' she said to me with her eyes and I nodded as I looked at Luke and he nodded as he called her name out gently. "Any idea why that one was trying to get your attention Nell?" Luke asked to get her attention gently then and she nodded.
"Yeah it's one of the ones mom had on my book collection when we were kids, I loved action stories like Treasure Island, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea and about thirty others. I had about five favorite authors and twelve favorite books from each one were involved in their works that were on my library bookshelf in my bedroom, my parents decided to limit tv and encourage my love for reading."
"The numbers indicated the books I loved growing up, that's what she was trying to tell me by dropping the message to me. With the amount of books scattered on the shelf. She's got the categories scattered by genre, but the ones she chose first to get my attention were the ones she raised me on, which in this case I was like the narrator of the Princess Bride as an adult, enjoying being a bookworm at the time."
"Though when you get into college, you have a certain booklist to read and the names of the authors are the names on the list here. Whatever ability my grandmother had though, and I think it's the ability to see the souls of the deceased. But at the moment my ability hasn't reached full power so they're getting our attention by possessing inanimate objects like the billiard balls to get my attention, as for the other."
"Evidently whoever owned this house, the next generation or two after he died decided to add books that were meant to encourage a child's love for reading and with that fact in mind, mom, and I know that's you. But I get the message here, if you want me to read the books you raised me on, I'll do that." she added as I chuckled at that as she looked at the titles, before looking at Todd with a smile as she got his attention then.
Before she could say it the one next to her pushed itself out then and she sighed as she pushed it back in and then the one above her did the same thing and she pushed that one in, before the next one did the same thing as she put that one in and three more pushed themselves out and she looked at the book trio sternly. "Uh oh, alright you wiseacres, you better cool it now." Todd said as he tried to keep from laughing
"Alright wise guy, whoever's doing this better cool it." she said and the books pulled themselves back in at that. "Well that's one way to get the books to leave you alone here." Luke said and I started laughing at this, as she answered that, before she could though one of them got removed and moved itself into a recliner in the back of the room, before another song started and she smiled as she said it.
"Mom's favorite music from this time frame is a couple bands, one being the Beatles and the other was Queen." she said and he smiled at that. "Yeah well this one sounds like one of the Bette Midler songs but what exactly?" he asked and she listened to it and then chuckled. "It's her hit from that Halloween movie she made six years ago, though if that's another subtle hint this a nice way to lead it into whatever legend this is."
"That you're telling us here, though if she's also saying something here and I think the storyline genre for books in here are romance, science fiction, horror, fantasy and adventure. The collection is highly eclectic here, so whoever loves to read can come in here, borrow the book and take it to their room so they can read at night." she said to me and I chuckled as the books started up a second time and she sighed in aggravation.
"What's next exactly here, because this is getting ridiculous right now, and Luke say it and you're getting smacked here, buster." she added and and ten pushed themselves out in answer to that. "If that's not desperate nothing is right now, I've never seen books that desperate to be read before." Todd said and she nodded though I could tell she was trying to keep from laughing at his remark as she looked at them firmly.
"Alright the wiseacre doing this better knock it off, I'll read you but I'm not doing it tonight, now enough already, anymore pranks like this and you're all grounded this week, now cool it." she said sternly and they quickly pulled themselves back into position at that as Luke and I started laughing at this and she looked at Todd with a smile. "Nice touch Nell, that helps." Theo said smiling, before a pillow smacked Luke in the head.
"Hey, alright who threw that at me exactly?" he said and before she could answer, someone started toying with the piano next to add more music to the room. "I'm not sure, but the wiseacre is trying to start a pillow fight here and we can't even see them." Todd said and after dodging the next swing and I ducked the pillow that got thrown across the room. "Alright guys enough already, if another pillow gets thrown and you're in big trouble." I called out and the pillows put themselves back on the couch.
After looking at me she tried to keep from laughing at that."Our wiseacres are now getting a bit too playful here." she said and I nodded. "I'm lucky I love kids or these kids would be in big trouble." Luke said and I chuckled. "Aside from my nephew, I'm the same way Luke." she said and I sighed. " Let me guess I'm looking at the Dursley family in terms of relatives here Nell?" Mary asked and she nodded as she answered her.
"Yeah, he's like the cousin, and they're letting him get away with anything you can think of. To put this bluntly Jane's the odd one out, we're all dark mousy brown in hair color and she's blond with blue eyes. If your chairman said I looked like the head of the team if she was thirty two years old, it's genetic. But mom had the surgery when she was fifty three, so an added eleven years and that explains the photo." she said and she nodded
"As for Jane's she's got the attitude the sister had when the kid's mother got her letter and the parents were showing their pride in the fact that their daughter was different. And was going to school to learn something that they considered intriguing, that's my parents all over though and to them I'm everything she isn't. To her, if she was saying that the will was a fake, it's a family integrity test at the moment."
"And if the house was part of the test, she's telling me that the prize is the house and the billions or whatever number there is in monetary values that comes with it. But if Dickens was part of the list that's the clue she's trying to give me a clue now, because she's showing me what's to gain from this test. And with that if I'd been the kid's mother or just his surrogate twin sister, I'd cut myself off and get into my new life then."
"The jealousy is so bad she's been taking her resentment out on me for eleven years since the heart attack, but if this is the needed payback during the will. Then there's more than meets the eyes here, because if she showed me what's to gain now. The test has begun, the painting you found is one clue, my necklace the other and this list of book authors is the third, but the clues are pointing out a riddle to me."
"Said riddle is what the will is and it's saying I figure it out first and I act in the attitude according to my station I get everything. And she gets only 10% for her attitude and that's there's a proviso in the will. But what you have to figure out later." she said and he nodded. "We're better off you telling us about that will tomorrow here." Theo said to her and he nodded in agreement to that as he looked at her.
Looking down own at the floor after the kids left the room, I saw a piece of folded up paper with Eleanor's name on it and I nodded. "Eleanor, who was your favorite author growing up exactly right now, out of the books?" I asked and she turned to me at that. There were two, one was Stevenson and the other Dickens, why exactly?" she asked and Todd looked down as he got the point to that question as he answered her then.
"What's the book exactly?" he asked and she explained it. "That was the Christmas Carol." she said and he nodded. "Hey Nell, there was more than one message in that book, get a look at this." Todd said as he picked up the paper and opened it and she sat down next to him at that. "That's a copy of the will mom wrote up, uh yes okay, Mary, Theo, Luke, check this out right now, she had the key words are underlined 3 times."
"Read the will, it states in plain language the executor shall have the right to dispose of any and personal property as he shall see fit.' If she was smart she'd have see that the words were underlined 3 times at the moment. This will was never the real one in fact it was a fake, as to how and why right now. It's getting into cracking a code only a true Craine knows, and I mean any Craine heir, knows the second they hear these words."
"They know it's a fake the second they hear them right now, okay..., the executor shall have the right to dispose of any and personal property as he he shall see it. That's not a proclamation, it's reverse psychology, she's into law, I'm psychology. And I'm also the daughter of a psychiatrist right now in addition to parapsychologist." she said as she thought it over and then smiled as she looked between us then gently.
"So think it over, why choose now to drop that copy in front of you guys as you're about to tell us who my grandfather's father really is, Dave, this house belongs to me now. The house and the family fortune is the prize right now, I'm descended from a billionaire. Alicia's heirs chewed up their side of the Inheritence before they could blink, so why would he be this determined to sell the apartment right now, if it wasn't for the fact."
"That he doesn't realize that the will is a fake, it's a financial bait and switch, they take the bait in the admissions in the will. And the real will is with Rob Wilson, my mother's lawyer and accountant." she said to me smiling and I started laughing as I read it out then. "Oh that's too good right now, they just shot themselves in the leg, the prize is the entire family fortune and the house itself." I said and she nodded to me gently at that.
"Yeah and she and dad already chose the family executor of the entire family fortune, she chose you, Dave, if you're my mom's voice and through me. Then that means now that the connection has already made, she chose you." she said and I nodded to her. "Well we've been had right now, she's decided to help your relationship along and with it, you figured this out and before we could tel you Nell." Mary said and she nodded to her.
"Yeah and it's because if I was completely active I'd choose to do this inside a haunted house in the weeks leading into the end of October. And as for everything else and the repeated comments, but 'life is really hard out there, you have no idea how hard it is out there, don't have a real job, you can't afford to pay the bills. But everything she's said is a case of shed about to eat her words right now, when you're the witnesses now."
"to the fact I found that post note to the fact that the will she has is the fake, and I've got a copy of the remarks reading that I have the real one. And second it's a need to do a bit of research. In the family history and the studies of being a philanthropist now. And She mentioned Charles Dickens and..., that's it, it's a fake, that will is a fake. This is copy of that will, this is test on what we looked into and I found my mother's necklace."
"So if I'm reading this right, the chosen heir knows that will is a fake the second they see these words and if it's a girl. Then the previous heir passes the necklace to the next one, I'm the chosen heir and she's leaving everything to me, and if she and dad like you, Dave. Then you're the marital heir now, and now the family executor of the entire family fortune and everything else." she said and I nodded as I left my hand on her arm.
"Read the will, it states in plain language, ' the executor shall have the right to dispose of any and all personal property as he shall see fit.'." she said again in annoyed undertone as she read it out as she grabbed a red pen and circled the key words as she looked at us. "They stopped talking like this in 1945, only a true heir of the Craine family knows this will is a fake the second they hear these words and I never had to see it."
"I'm the sole owner of the property of the house now." she said and before turning around looking at the books on the shelf. "Guys Dickens please, I need the Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist." she said and they pushed themselves out and she took them off the shelf at and brought them to me as we looked through it and I saw several pages marked and smiled as Todd grinned as we, Mary and Luke exchanged smiles.
"She was intending on us decoding this, so I know the message in the will, but they don't, but that's why she got us together. Because while they left to have a party we're the ones working our tails off just to get a job done. And aside from being study of sleep disorders and possible fear studies, it's so you and I can decode this. If she decided you were my exact match then she wanted you to make contact with my parents friends."
"Well if the Dudleys are friends of the family, I'm showing this to them first thing in the morning later after they get here tomorrow." she told me and I nodded. "Good idea, if she and Rob chose me, then I think this trip was meant to become a chance courting. Because if I'm your exact match and soulmate, then the guys and the duo are your quintet, and what was the remarks she threw at you?" I asked and she explained that.
"Life is really hard out there, you have no idea how hard it is out there, you have a real job, you can't afford to pay the bills.'. Unfortunately for her, mom tended to pay them three to four months in advamce to give me four months to prepare. And I snagged everything that's worth taking that mom gave to me it's in the car." She told me and I nodded as Luke and Theo moved to us as Mary said it for me then gently at that