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The Forgotten House

Chapter 9

The water kept pouring in as the wall suddenly collapsed against the only exit to the room. Brendan's heart sank as he knew how Ste would be feeling, after the heart warming speech he'd given promising him he'd be right back. Brendan and Darren looked at each other and then at Jim who was stirring awake. They settled him down against the wall near to where the doorway had fallen and began removing the rubble in a desperate attempt to escape the rising water.

On the other side of the rubble, Ste and Nate were coughing with the plume of dust created by the stone pieces. Ste had screamed upon seeing what was about to happen, he got up to his feet heart thumping a terrible rhythm in his chest, he touched his palm up against the rubble and closed his eyes, trying to somehow connect with Brendan on the other side.

He had one thing in mind, and that was to get to him quickly. He pulled himself together wiping away the tears and hitching a deep breath he looked down at Nate cradling Cheryl on the floor. Ste went over to Dennis and shook him awake. He was very dizzy and mumbling to himself.

At the front gate they had visitors; the call to the recovery team Brendan had made earlier had arrived. The Roscoe Brothers drove up their recovery van and saw the mangled car, the gate had now been pushed further into the bonnet of it thanks to Darren's high speed shunt at the gate. The wrought iron was mangled at the bottom one side of the gate was pushed free of the car and lay pushed far back into a large bush and trees. Joe got out of the van and inspected the damage.

"What the hell happened here?" Joe scratched his head looking through the window at Freddie who was yawning.

"Oh I'm sorry am I keeping you awake? How about some help?"

"OK keep your hair on!" Freddie got out of the van and looked up the winding driveway, stretching his neck to see what was further up.

"Shall we go find the owners first? For all we know it was a crank call" Freddie shrugged getting back in the van. Joe did think Freddie had a valid point and the place looked weird too. He got back in the van and drove up around the winding driveway foe a good while until they came upon the creepy house.

Joe applied the breaks earlier than expected and pulled on the hand break looking over the house with wide eyes close to the window screen of the car. He turned to look at Freddie who was mirroring his earlier position gawping at the strange house before him.

"Do you think we should have brought reinforcements?" Freddie shuddered looking pale and wide eyed at Joe.

"We should be alright Fred, let's just get this over with, Oh and bring the crowbar" Joe nodded getting out of the van" Just in case" he added gesturing to the house.

Freddie nodded in agreement stretching over to the bag of tools and grabbing the crowbar and also a wrench. Just in case he told himself.
They wandered up to the front door and Joe knocked on the door as a booming sound echoed inside the house.

"Joe! You heavy handed lout!" Freddie cried to a confused Joe

"That wasn't me! I knocked lightly! You try think you're so bloody clever" Joe moved back and gestured to Freddie to try.

Freddie smirked and moved his hand to knock as the front door opened up before them, creaking loudly as it slowly pulled away from them. Freddie gasped and looked at Joe before looking around the door and shouting for anyone who was there. Of course there was no answer.

Joe pushed Freddie into the house smirking as they walked into the front room. The lounge was still up heaved from earlier when the furniture was thrown around, only the sofas looked relatively tidy up near the fireplace. A loud creaking noise made them cover their ears and look up as the always moving chandelier began swaying to and fro.

"Erm maybe we should leave?" Joe suggested backing up, before the front door swung shut banging very loudly. He ran over to the door and grabbed the handle but it wouldn't open.

"It's locked!"

"Looks like we'll be staying after all then? Let's at least look around, there must be someone around here, besides the ghosts anyway" Freddie grinned as Joe looked worried.

"Ghosts? Come on, there's no such thing!" Joe cried looking around.

"Come on scaredy cat, lets try these stairs shall we and here" Freddie tossed over the wrench to Joe. "Just in case" He shrugged walking towards the staircase.

Brendan's hands were cut as blood began pooling from them as he desperately tried to remove the stone wall separating him and Ste. He clawed at it, panting and sweating with the hard task. Darren was neither use nor ornament pacing up and down splashing the rising water under foot. Mumbling to himself how he should have stayed in bed this morning. More cracks began to form on the walls as the water pushed it's way through, then he noticed a hole had formed in the other side of the collapsed doorway.

"Brendan, look!" Darren pointed to the hole where some light shone through

Brendan looked up and walked over to look through to another hallway.
"Maybe it leads up to the house then? Can't be behind the bookcase though, but even so we should try and get out of here quickly" Brendan suggested looking at the rapidly rising water.

"What about the others? They're bound to be trying to get through to us, if they do and we're gone...?" Jim spoke for the first time since he got knocked out by a piece of stone. He rubbed his head hauling himself up to his feet.

"We have no choice, I have tried contacting their phones but there is no signal down here" Brendan grabbed a piece of stone and knocked around the forming hole in the wall as the others followed suit. It took a long time for them to make a big enough hole through, but Darren went first his skinny frame getting through easily. He walked up a little; it was pretty much the same as the other corridors, littered with cobwebs and various spiders swinging around happily.

"It seems safe enough" Darren nodded as the others looked on wide eyed

"What besides that ghost stood behind you?!" Jim cried as Darren froze on the spot

"Only kidding, nothing there really" Brendan and Jim chuckled as Darren sobbed.

Jim was pushed through the hole next as Brendan took up the rear. He looked back through the hole into the room which was now looking like a pool, and prayed Ste would go back up to the house instead of trying to get through the wall to him.

They all eventually came to a door, it was locked, and Cheryl had the only key to the house. They all looked at each other realizing they were again stuck. Darren jolted at the door handle and pounded on the door shrieking 'let me out' and 'screw you ghosts' in to the air. Brendan put his head in his hands and sloped down the wall onto the floor.

Then someone knocked.

Ste was trying though, he was on a mission to save Brendan,he rallied Nate to help as they formed a two man operation moving bits of rubble back into the hallway. Cheryl was stirring awake now and was sat fumbling with her phone lifting it up in the air and wafting it around trying to find a spark of a signal. It wasn't to be though, she sighed heavy and stood up to help out as much as she could, wincing every now and then at her throbbing head.

Ste asked Cheryl to look after Dennis as he and Nate continued to move the stone blocking the way.

"Ouch!" Dennis moved to sit up wincing."What happened?"

"The black spirit ran through you Dennis" Cheryl put a hand on his shoulder as Ste moved her quickly away from Dennis,

"Look at me!" Ste shouted at him putting his head in his palms.
"Do you feel yourself Dennis?" Ste asked looking into his eyes. "Yes of course I do, why?"

"I know what that spirit can do if it gets inside you that's why, it takes over you. If you feel anything tell us OK? I mean it Dennis, any change" Ste shook Dennis to his words making sure he understood, as Cheryl looked at him shocked.

"Ste? That thing possessed you?"

"Yeah, and I hurt Brendan because of it, he has terrible scratches on his chest. Brendan saved me, and I won't give up till I have saved him, Nate lets get this wall down" Ste moved over to Nate as Cheryl watched him, behind her Dennis smirked to himself and looked behind him. His eyes shone red as his face crawled over with blackened veins through his cheeks and down his neck. Dennis shuddered and rounded his head waited until the others were busy and he crept off back towards the house.

Joe and Freddie made there way upstairs to the long hallway,shouting out to see if anyone was there. They wandered onto the landing searching through the rooms that were opened. Joe felt a hand on his shoulder and span around quickly but there was no one there. He hurried up to Freddie who was sniggering at his cowardice.

They wandered over to the study door as the light began to shine again under the door; Freddie was unperturbed and opened the door, as Joe stayed behind him. They walked into the study and saw the bookcase wide open, the light on the desk flickered brightly, and the windows were swinging open and shut making a loud banging noise. Freddie walked up to them and closed them shut. He looked at the bookcase and walked over to it.

"Hello? Hellooo? Anyone down there?" Freddie shouted through the bookcase.

"What kind of place is this? Who has a hidden room behind a bookcase?" Joe looked down the dark corridor raising his eyebrows.

"Only one way to find out!" Freddie cried just before he heard a noise down the hallway outside the study door.

They both walked out and watched as one of the handles on the doors rattled over and over. Joe and Freddie looked at each other and walked over to the door. Joe deciding to be brave tried the handle, but the door was locked. The handle moved vigorously again making them step back.

Freddie moved over to it and knocked on the door. To their horror someone knocked back then waited until the knocking persisted into a crescendo of loud banging both Joe and Freddie stood back, nodded to each other and shoulder barged into the door, it crashed open knocking Darren flying backwards in a heap on top of Brendan.

They all stood shocked looking at each other with puzzled faces.

"Who the hell are ye two?" Brendan asked pushing Darren off his lap and standing up brushing himself down.

"We are the mechanics you called for, Roscoe Brothers." Joe held out a hand and took Brendan's in a firm shake.

"Ah, excellent! Have ye fixed the car?" Brendan prayed they would say yes.

"Nope, it's a right off, however we have a van so we can give you a lift somewhere?" Joe compromised looking at Freddie.

"Gotta ask, this house? What the hell is wrong with it?" Freddie interrupted gesturing around

"What isn't wrong with it is what you should be asking" Jim pushed past all of them and walked onto the hallway."However right now we need to get to the others"

Brendan had already set off towards the study leaving the others behind. They raced behind him and made their way back through the bookcase.

"Why do I get a déjà vu feeling here?" Darren cried trembling.

Ste and Nate were making good progress through the rubble,so much so water had now began pouring out through it.

"Oh my god Bren, he's still stuck in there!" Cheryl was getting better as her hysterical level had upped itself significantly.

"Chez please, I will get to him if it's the last thing I do!" Ste turned around to reassure her when his eyes widened as he stopped and walked over to where Dennis had been.

"Where is Dennis? Chez? Did you see him go?"Ste asked worried. He looked back into the darkness and noticed a familiar light there, a brilliant white aura. He walked off and gestured to the others to wait, as he walked up to the little girl who was stood further up in the corridor.

"Hey, you Ok, you need to tell us something?" Ste knelt down a little away from the little girl.

She was floating or moving around somewhat erratically. Ste noticed her face looked scared. How could a ghost be scared? And if it was there had to be something bad. The girl pointed behind her, then looked back at Ste. "You need me to go that way? Back to the house yeah?"

The spirit girl nodded with fear as she pointed back again then looked panicked and disappeared.
Ste sighed heavy he looked back at the wall of rubble then back at the corridor leading back to the house. There was no contest, he would never leave Brendan. Ste walked back to Cheryl and Nate.

"Did you see her? The spirit child?" Ste asked as he continued to move the stone.

"What spirit child Ste?" Cheryl asked wide eyed.

"The one I have seen a few times now, I think she was trying to tell me something again, she pointed towards the house"

"Something is wrong at the house?" Nate asked "Well no change there then!" Nate chuckled

"I have to find Brendan first, then we will go back, I will stay here as long as it takes I wont leave him" Ste began rushing the rubble away cutting at his hands as blood trickled down his wrists.

"Ste, Ste take it easy yeah. We won't ever stop either, OK. We will find him, and the others too, Dennis might have got frightened and wandered back to the house" Nate reasoned

Ste felt tears roll down his cheeks as he nodded to Nate, he took in a deep breath and moved another piece of stone as the water pooled in quicker.

Brendan and the others had now made it back into the bookcase, Joe and Freddie had torches to help see the way. Darren and Jim had decided to wait in the study as they all reasoned someone had to stay behind just in case the others had made their way through the wall and came up the other exit too. They got comfy sat at the desk waiting.

After a while walking Brendan stopped suddenly as he heard a shuffling in front of them, it got louder and louder until they realised it sounded like footsteps. Brendan had to blink and rub his eyes as he swore he saw two red ones staring back at him, but then it was just Dennis. No red eyes and looking cheery considering.

"Hey! Where is Steven!?" Brendan grabbed Dennis as the others held him back

"He's looking for you lot that's where! The wall collapsed they're trying to break through. How did you escape?" Dennis tilted his head to them as Brendan stared hard at him.

"Never mind us, why are you on your own and not helping the others?" Brendan managed to get free of Joe and Freddie's' grip.

"Oh that, well, I was feeling better and needed some air, the others said I could leave, and I was going to go back with, supplies to help." Dennis looked around awkwardly as he tried to pass by them.

"Your friends are safe by the way" Brendan added "Just in case ye were worried?"

"They are? Oh fabulous, they back here then?" The others all nodded as Dennis pushed past them "Great well, see you back at the house" His eyes glowed red again as he ran back up to the bookcase, Dennis grinned.

Brendan carried on walking down the corridor and now began to shout in the hope his voice would carry an echo to Ste and the others.

The air turned cold around Jim and Darren as they both looked at each other, their breaths could be seen as white clouds of mist through the air. There was a noise down the corridor behind the bookcase as Jim wandered over to it. He looked into the darkness and listened. He could hear Darren behind him calling him back into the room as he shushed at him with his hand. Walking forward a while he squinted as he saw two red lights in the distance he moved closer inside the bookcase as the eyes disappeared again and then Dennis was there, smiling.

"Dennis? Oh thank god!" Jim pulled Dennis into an unappreciated hug before moving him back again "Hey,where's the others? Ste, Cheryl and Nate? And Brendan has just..."

"Passed me on the way here, yes I saw them." Dennis shoved passed Jim and walked into the study smiling at a surprised Darren.

"What's wrong with you? You seem different?" Darren observed as he walked over to Dennis and put a hand on his shoulder.

Dennis grabbed hold of his hand in anger as his eyes shone red making Darren scream, Dennis quickly stifled the noise with a tightened hand over Darren's mouth and moved him backwards against the bookcase just before Jim came back through he whispered into Darren's ear.

"If you say anything, I will break your scrawny neck, do you understand? NOD YES!"

Darren nodded over and over trembling as Dennis let go Jim looked at them both incredulous.

"What?"

"Nothing Jim, right Darren?" Dennis prodded Darren as he whimpered a yes.

The water was pooling out badly as they could finally see a way through,Ste shouted to Brendan,but there was no answer. His heart sank into his stomach as he continued calling his name till it ended up a whimper. His tears mixed with the sweat rolling down from his brow as he scrambled with the last few boulders.

"What's that? Stop, STOP for a minute, listen" Cheryl stood up

"What? we are wasting time! Brendan!" Ste fell to his knees as Nate cradled him close.

"Guys please,I can hear a noise"

In the distance Cheryl could hear a cry, and loud shuffling coming towards them.

"It'll be Dennis with supplies" Nate suggested as he tightly hugged a crestfallen Ste.

"No, it's..oh god ,it's Brendan! Ste?"

Brendan finally came through running fast towards Cheryl he hugged her quickly looking over to Ste on the floor with Nate. He let go of Cheryl, whose eyes had now widened on Freddie and Joe stood there.

"Jesus! I mean, um, Hi, I'm Cheryl" Cheryl quickly closed her mouth and swallowed looking over at Nate sheepishly.

Brendan put his hand on Nates shoulder as he got up and Brendan knelt down in his place, the water had pooled out enough to create a steady stream now, so he sat down in the water in front of Ste. Ste's face was white with all the dust and the streaks from the sweat and tears had left lines down his face. Brendan tilted his face up to him and smiled looking in Ste's eyes.

"Hey.." He whispered "I am sorry I left ye for a while, but I said I'd be back didn't I?"

"Bren..?" Ste couldn't believe his eyes he just flung his arms tight around Brendan squeezing any life he had left out of him. Brendan pulled him in tighter to his chest choking back tears and a lump in his throat. "I love you" He whispered to Ste as he turned to Joe and Freddie.

"Guys I will give ye a thousand pounds if ye take us the hell away from this house"

"Deal!" Freddie cried happily as Joe shook his head. "Mate we will drive you away regardless,looks to me like you've all had a proper shit time"

Cheryl and Nate followed Freddie back as Joe waited back for Brendan and Ste. Ste was holding on so tight to Brendan he just picked him up in his arms and carried him instead. Ste was lighter than air in Brendan's arms, so he was easy to walk with. Joe smiled fondly at them.

"Looks like he was glad to see you then" Joe nodded to Ste practically strangling onto Brendan's neck.

"Our lives ain't complete without each other, I love him more than anything" Brendan sighed heavy, he was very tired from all the crazy days spent at the house, he just wanted to get Ste home safe now, and all the others too.

"Listen, will ye help us to escape this house? It won't let us leave at the moment, and we need to, before someone gets seriously hurt or worse."

"Yeah mate, I will, lets get out of here" Joe agreed as they walked back up the corridor the water continued to stream behind them.

Darren kept looking over to Dennis who was pacing up and down fidgety. He was mumbling to himself and every now and then he would circle his head closing his eyes and shudder.

Jim was also watching him puzzled he opened his mouth to speak but changed his mind as he heard footsteps coming from the bookcase. Dennis stopped pacing and looked back at the entrance. Darren edged his way closer to Jim sideways keeping eyes on Dennis and his sideways smirk bumping into a startled Jim.

"Hey,watch it!" Jim cried shaking his head as he smiled and gestured to Freddie,Cheryl and Nate.

"We can't leave the house" Darren whispered to Jim

"What?"

"We can't..." Dennis moved closer to Darren so he stopped talking.

"Hi guys! Good to see you're all still in one piece! What a day eh?" Jim laughed as the others didn't.

Joe soon appeared later with Ste cradled in Brendan's arms,he'd fallen asleep,the tears had been too much for him. Cheryl smiled and stroked her hand through Ste's hair waking him up.

"Morning sunshine,we are leaving yeah?" Cheryl spoke to Ste but looked at Brendan and Nate who nodded in agreement.

Ste moved his arms lose and got out of Brendan's embrace,but held onto his hand as they all made their way down the stairs. They had reached the bottom when one of the sofa's moved sharply across the floor and crashed upright against the front door. Then as they stepped forward the other sofa flew up against the other barricading them in the house.

Dennis burst out laughing as they all turned to look at him. he stopped and coughed into his hand. "Sorry" He smirked.

Darren moved away from him and edged his way to the door quickly. A lamp flung itself at him narrowly missing him as he crouched to the floor shaking. The house wouldn't let them leave now,not without a fight.

"Right,this is just crazy!" Freddie cried "We are getting out of here"

Freddie walked over to the lamp that had flown towards Darren and threw it hard at the window as it shattered into a thousand pieces. He smiled and looked at the others until Cheryl screamed "LOOK OUT!"

The glass stopped and turned back on itself flying back towards the house and at Freddie. He quickly crouched his head under his arms as glass poured all over him and the floor.

The window was broken now though so they all ran towards it. Ste jumped out first and helped Cheryl out of the window. The furniture began to move towards them at terrifying speed,and the chandelier rocked faster than ever from side to side above them.

Everyone but Dennis and Brendan was left now. Dennis looked up to the chandelier above them and smirked as he saw it tear from the celling each side thrust. he looked at Brendan smiling as he ran first to get through the window. Brendan saw the look Dennis had given him and he looked up and saw the last strand of wire snap and the chandelier fall towards him.

Dennis crawled out of the window and landed on his feet spring in his step as a loud crash could be heard inside the house. Ste looked through the window as a plume of dust pushed onto his face obscuring his view.

"Brendan?" There was no answer,Ste pushed away the dust and put his head close to the window. "Bren...?"

"Yep,I'm here" Brendan climbed through the window covered in dust coughing.

"Chandeliers broke" He quipped laughing not before glancing over at Dennis who seemed to look peeved.

"Hey,Dennis,thanks for ye help in there,for a minute it looked like you knew it was going to fall on me?"

"Not at all,how would I know that?" Dennis cried.

Dennis Darren and Jim got into their van as Freddie and Joe got into theirs and offered Brendan,Ste,Cheryl and Nate their drive home to Hollyoaks.

"Wait! Can I come with you lot?" Darren asked as Dennis put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Why would you want to do that Darren?" Jim asked surprised

"Yeah Darren,why do you want to leave us? We are going home now,remember?" Dennis smiled and pushed his fingers deep into Darren's shoulder making him wince in pain.

"I never thought I'd ever leave this place" Dennis beamed wide as Jim drove them away from the house.

Joe and Freddie did like they had promised and drove Brendan and Ste, Cheryl and Nate home to Hollyoaks. They dropped Cheryl and Nate off first, ending up back at Ste's flat with Brendan. Joe had towed Brendan's car back with them and he promised to sort out the car for him as Brendan paid him some money.

Ste walked in to the flat and slouched hard onto the sofa sighing. Brendan passed a parcel onto his lap.

"Hey,this was left outside, It's addressed to you" Brendan shrugged and sat next to Ste nuzzling into his neck and kissing him gently.

Ste looked at the box shaped parcel and opened it. Inside was a golden box which resembled an old style music box. On the front of it was a key hole.
Ste gasped and sat forward,interrupting Brendan's kisses. He searched his pockets franticly until he found a small shiny golden key.

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