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Chapter 3
Ste made them all some coffee, as they sat down in the lounge. The fire was out now, so instead they took a sofa each and wrapped themselves tightly under blankets. Ste laid on Brendan's chest his hands cupped the warm mug of coffee. Cheryl and Nate sat legs entwined on the other.
Nate broke the silence.
"There's three of them here isn't there?" Nate asked.
"Three what love?" Cheryl asked taking a drink of her coffee.
"Spirits" Interrupted Ste. "You mean the spirits in this house don't you?
"Hmm" Nate nodded.
"Well, there's the light Brendan saw, then there's the child in the basement and..."
"The black swirling effigy" Ste interrupted again.
"That's the evil one isn't it?" Ste shuddered.
"Maybe it's trying to communicate" Brendan suggested "After all it spoke to me" He admitted while stroking his fingers through Ste's hair.
"What about a Ouija board?" Nate asked. They used those to speak to the spirits right? We could ask em to jog on!" Nate laughed
"Ghosts can't jog! They float!" Cheryl spouted
"Jesus, it's a figure of speech Chez!" Brendan rolled his eyes. "Besides they're dangerous, shouldn't mess with it"
Talking for a short while amongst themselves the house began to fall silent. Soon they fallen asleep.
Saturday. 7am
Cheryl woke first, Nates' foot was stuck in her ear as realization they'd all crashed out in the lounge.
she moved and winced as a sharp pain shot through her neck, rolling her head about it cracked painfully.
Cheryl watched over Nate sleeping soundly, then across to the other sofa where Brendan and Ste were wrapped tightly together asleep too.
The sun was shining through a crack in the curtains, she was happy they'd got through the night.
The house was peaceful now, had a different feel to it, after the occurrences they went through last night. It had really frightened Cheryl, but she did have a plan up her sleeve. Cheryl quietly stepped off the sofa, trying not disturbing Nate or the others and went into the kitchen. Cheryl took out her phone and dialed a number.
Cheryl: Hello? It's Cheryl! Um Brady? Yes that one! Um,Can ye come to the old house I told ye about? We are having some problems."
Cheryl: "I wouldn't ask if it weren't important, we really need your help,please come?"
Cheryl: "Oh, thank you, ye, thank you, ye won't regret it no. Bye"
"Chez? Who was ye talking too?" Brendan had heard Cheryl.
"Oh hey, Bren. Just doing something about our house problem, you know? Cheryl sighed.
"Want some breakfast? Cheryl asked, putting on some coffee.
"Always, tell ye what, I'll pop out to the village and get us some things?" Brendan suggested looking through the almost bare cupboards.
"Ye could do babe, but I doubt Ste will let you leave, he was shuck up after yesterday, he's still terrified of losing ye"Cheryl replied while lining up 4 mugs, heaping 3 spoonfuls of sugar into Brendan's.
Just then a disheveled Ste and Nate walked into the kitchen. They were all very tired after last night. They all sat down and drank their coffee, Nate came up with an idea.
Perhaps they could have a search of the house to see what they can find any clues as to what's going on. Couldn't hurt to try. He suggested there might be answers about Cheryl and Brendan's relative who lived here before too.
They all agreed it was a good plan, but first breakfast was needed.
"I'm gonna go up to the village get in some food" Brendan stood up to leave.
"Hey, do you have to go" Ste looked worried.
"I'll be alright Steven" Brendan pulled Ste in close and kissed him. "I won't be long I promise, besides we have our phones, I will text when I arrive okay?" Brendan compromised pulling Ste into a tight hold.
"Okay, just keep in touch, and I really fancy some crumpet, pick some up for us will ya?" Ste grinned at Brendan and kissed him back.
"Crumpet" Brendan rolled his eyes before grabbing his wallet and phone and driving off.
The others all drank up their coffee before preparing to venture back upstairs where they had last seen the black apparition. Nate lead the way, as Cheryl and Ste had organized a game of rock, paper scissors to determine who'd go first.
Despite serious protests from Nate that they'd cheated shamefully. Cheryl and Ste winked at each other behind Nate strenuously denying it and tightly linking arms.
There was nothing, the hallway at the top of the stairs was quiet and had the usual musty smell that lingered in the air. They went into Nate and Cheryl's room first. Nate opened the curtains as sunlight burst into the bedroom.
Ste walked over to the huge window while Cheryl and Nate got changed in their ensuite. He looked around at the grounds, they were big, he thought about exploring again, but the maze hadn't been the greatest idea.
Just then he saw something outside, he squinted his eyes to focus, it looked like a figure, a tall figure walking. "Bren...?"
Ste rubbed his eyes and saw the man walking past the maze. He spun round to see where Cheryl and Nate were,he could hear them giggling in the bathroom. He rolled his eyes playfully and looked out the window again, the figure had gone now. He thought it was strange how Brendan was still in the grounds after he was meant to be driving to the village.
Ste took his phone and called Brendan. "This is Brendan, leave a message, if I like ye I'll call ye back, first beeps,then speak"
Ste smiled,"Bren change ya bloody voice message will ya !
Erm, why ain't you gone to the village?
Just seen you outside, anyway coming to meet ya! love you"
Ste walked out of the bedroom.
Brendan drove down to the village, it was a pleasant drive and if he'd been honest he was glad to leave the house. He was missing Ste though, they'd never been so happy together. He decided as soon as he'd reached the village he would text him.
He turned on the radio, to see if there was any news or weather.
'There is something in my house - my house,
It's just a ghost of the long long dead affair,
There is something in my house - my house,
I just keep a hearing you runnin' on up my stairs,
But you're not there' -Dead or Alive
Blasted through the speakers. Brendan would have laughed at the irony, except he'd not been that surprised after the recent events. Brendan put in his Johnny Cash CD instead. The village was small, old thatched houses dotted the winding roads. He drove into the car park, and grabbed his phone.
To Steven:
'I am in the village
back soon Love you xx'
Brendan walked into the shop, it was an old looking building, it was a convenience store and post office. He put crumpets,croissants,butter,milk,bacon and bread into his arms and took it to the counter and serving were an older man and woman.
"Good morning sir" Greeted the man "How can I help you?"
"Just these groceries thanks" Replied Brendan
"Not seen you about these parts before, small village here" He smiled as he pressed the prices into the till.
"Oh stop being nosy Richard! Let the gentleman shop" Sighed the woman.
"Married 50 years and he's always been a busybody!" Smiled the woman gently pushing the man.
"That's okay, smiled Brendan. "Just here visiting really, an old family member passed away, left us an old house here" Brendan replied grabbing his wallet to pay.
He glanced at his phone, Ste hadn't replied to his earlier text, he thought it a bit strange, as he usually did straight way.
He shuck out of his thoughts as the man spoke again.
"Oh really, which house is it? We have lived here all our lives, we know everyone, every place" He smiled intrigued.
"Um, about half hour up the road? Large Victorian looking property, even has a maze would you believe" Brendan smiled, then frowned as he looked up, the expressions had changed on the couple dramatically.
"Oh, yeah, we know about The forgotten house" The woman spoke softly, like she was trying to whisper.
"The forgotten house?" Brendan replied "Why is it called that?"
"Well, because that's what folk round here prefer to do with that place, had some bad history" The man replied as he bagged up Brendan's shopping.
"Okay, now ye have my attention" Brendan leaned on the counter, moving his hand questionably at the shop keepers.
Cheryl and Nate finally came out of the bathroom, they we're happy and giggling. They looked at the window where Ste had been stood, but he wasn't there anymore.
"Ste?" Cheryl asked as she looked around the room, and around to the door which was ajar.
They went into the hallway and shouted Ste's name again.
"Hey there he is, look" Nate replied pointing to the study.
The door was wide open.
"Oh god, Ste! Please don't walk off like that ye will give me a bloody heart att..." Cheryl paused as they made it into the study.
Ste wasn't there. The room was empty. The books Nate had put on the table were gone and the desk looked like it had been searched, as papers were flung on the floor.
"Maybe he has been here though, and gone downstairs maybe?" Reasoned Nate as he started to pick up the paper.
"Maybe" Cheryl replied walking over to the desk, she noticed one of the draws had been opened. There was various papers inside, so she grabbed them all and put them on the desk.
"Nate, come and look at these babe" She asked as Nate settled on the corner of the desk.
There were some letters and photos. Cheryl and Nate looked at an old black and white one,it showed the house and a man woman and child. They were wearing Victorian clothes. They smiled at the man in the photo, Cheryl moved her hands over his face, he had a moustache like Brendan's.
"He looks a bit like our Bren eh?" Laughed Cheryl. "Wonder who they are?"
Cheryl turned over the photo, it read 1899.
There were lots of photos of the family, with the little girl, one playing in the maze, another at a lake, and a boathouse.
"There's a boathouse here?!" Asked Nate
"Don't know love" Replied Cheryl "I mean we haven't looked around properly yet eh?"
Suddenly there was a loud thump noise, the same noise they'd heard in there the day before.
Nate slid off the desk and walked over to the book led on the floor.
"Seems to happen a lot in here huh?" He turned to put it back when another book fell on his head.
"Ouch!" Hey stop that, how would you like it if I threw a book at you!"
"Who on earth are ye talking to Nate?" Cheryl looked over at him strangely.
"Whichever one of those ghosts that haunts here that's who!" Nate rubbed his head as he groaned putting the books back on the shelf.
Cheryl gathered up the papers and photos from the drawer and walked with Nate back down the hallway. Under the study door the light had appeared again.
"STEEE! STEEE!" Cheryl shouted as she walked down the stairs.
"Ste where are you? Answer us will ya!" Nate shouted as they searched downstairs, lounge, kitchen. No Ste to be found.
"That's it, I'm calling him, this is not like him, just to walk out, and with what's been going on here I am now worried"
Cheryl dialed Ste's number. No answer. Tried again, still no answer.
New text message
To Steven: Babe please call or
text me, where are you?
Worried about you. Chez xxx
New text message
To Steven: Ste please! This is getting stupid now,
where are you?! xxx
New text message
To Brendan: Bren call me,
it's important. Chez xxx
A loud knock came at the huge front door,making Cheryl and Nate jump.
"Who on earth is that? Nate looked at Cheryl as he walked to the door. "Ste maybe?"
"No,I think it's someone else love,here let me get it,will you go put the kettle on? I'm parched,and our guest will be too"
"Guest? So you are expecting someone then?" Nate looked puzzled as he left and walked into the kitchen.
Cheryl opened up the door and smiled.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice,please come in"
Cheryl moved to let the guest in and gestured to the sofa's by the fire.
"Please have a seat" Cheryl said as she closed the door.
"Right! Kettle on,so who was at the door...oh,sorry,hello" Nate walked in to the lounge and sat down opposite Cheryl's guest.
"Nate,this is Father Des,I called him this morning,thought he could help us with our house problems" Cheryl beamed and sat next to Father Des.
"Father please meet my fiance Nate,Brendan is out at the village but will be back soon,and Ste,his boyfriend has gone walkabout" Cheryl looked concerned as she looked at Nate.
"Look,tell you what,I will go look outside for Ste,he may have gone for a walk,I will take my phone with me,call if he turns up ok?" Nate kissed Cheryl and placed a warming hand on her shoulder.
"Don't worry I will find him,oh and lovely to meet you father" Nate shook Father Des' hand and left the house to look for Ste.
Ste left the bedroom quietly, his heart was skipping as he had seen Brendan walking in the grounds, even though it seemed weird, he wanted to be with him again. He hated it when they spent time apart, and it was a weekend together after all.
Ste was walking out of the house when he thought perhaps he should've told Cheryl where he was going, then he decided he'd tell her once he'd found Brendan, and besides she was busy with Nate to notice he'd left. Ste smirked to himself as he walked past the maze and round to the area he'd seen the figure walk to.
The grounds were bigger than he'd realized, as he walked round a cobbled pathway, large oak trees towered above him, it was a beautiful place. He walked along a while when the path came to a clearing, he hitched a breath when he saw a vast lake.
There was a jetty and boathouse beside it. The sunlight made the lake sparkle, there was a small wooden boat moored there. He was taken aback by it all and began to walk up towards the boathouse.
Ste walked up to the edge of the lake and sat down on the embankment. He took his phone out, but his signal was low.
"Typical" he thought, as he typed out a text.
New text message
To Brendan:
My signal bad, seeing if you get this?
Where abouts in the grounds are you?
I am at the boathouse. Love you xxxxx
Message failed, Try again?
Message failed, Try again?
Ste sighed, He put his phone in his pocket and sat a while taking in the view.
He looked over to the boathouse, a shadow walked past the window inside.
"Bren..." He spoke to himself as he grinned wide.
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