*Hi to everyone who commented and reviewed for this story,means a lot to me,thank you very much.*
The Forgotten House
Chapter 11
Nate looked in shock as Ste waved his hands in front of his face. Brendan winced with his arm and sat on the sofa.
"Brendan, we need to get your arm sorted out, lets get you to A&E, then we can go get the others and we'll go to the house" Ste spoke grabbing up Nate off the sofa who still hadn't spoke. It was like he was in a trance.
They grabbed Nate's keys, writing out a note for Cheryl,they hurridly left the flat, going down the stairs they realised Cheryl had taken the car. So with no car they had to call a taxi and set off to the hospital. Brendan got checked out and had his arm put into a cast, and wrapped around over his neck. Brendan stuck his bottom lip out as he wandered over to Nate and Ste in the waiting room. Ste shook his head and placed his hand gently over his face bringing him into a soft chased kiss.
"It'll heal, but you are gonna have to be careful now for a while, no heroics back at the house for one!"
"We have to go back to the bloody house! The one with the ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night!" Nate was stood up looking at them; he was cosha now at last.
"Christ Nate, ye only just woken up? We told ye this back at the flat!" Brendan shakes his head as they all walk past the folk in the waiting room looking at them like they were complete weirdo's.
"They all think we're weird in there now!" Ste snapped walking out of the hospital.
"Who cares, we have to visit the pit of hell, AND without Cheryl finding out? I have to lie to Cheryl, nice one for that" Nate claps his hands in front of Ste's face all sarcastic and Ste is unimpressed with it.
They pile into a taxi and sit there. The driver turns to them all gesturing his hands.
"Lets go to the Ghost busters office, thank you driver, and yes it's a real place, use ya sat nav mate" Ste replied looking at Brendan's arm again as he winces trying to get into a comfortable position.
The taxi finds the building finally as Ste Brendan and Nate get out and walk into the building. Darren and Jim look a right state and the building looks like a mini tornado has gone around the room. Dennis is snoring on the sofa there and the other two are sat dishevelled on the floor. They all walk over and Nate widens his eyes and looks on in confusion.
"What's going on?" Nate cries looking at the mess.
"Dennis is possessed" Darren replies
"By the swirly thing" Jim adds
"Oh, right, so a normal day then? I'm off!" Nate cries walking away only to be stopped by Ste.
"Please Nate, don't go we need your help. Look we have a plan" Ste nodded placing a hand on Nate's shoulder.
"A plan? Oh well why didn't you say so! Oh goody I feel tons better now then" Nate spouted rolling his eyes.
"The swirly, spirit effigy can only leave the grounds through a host, i.e. Dennis at the moment, so we are taking him back getting it out and..."
"And?"
"Well that bit didn't come up in the plan, all I know is we need to help Dennis!"
"Right we need two cars" Brendan looked at Darren and Jim.
"Well I have a car, plus we have the van, will that do?" Jim asked getting up off the floor and hauling Darren up.
"Yep, take Dennis in the van with ye and myself, Steven and Nate will take the car" Brendan looked at everyone who nodded in agreement.
They arrive at the gates to the house, they park up the car and van there and get out of them and stand looking up the driveway. The gates are still in a mess from the last time they were here so they all leave Dennis asleep in the van as they all pull out the side gate that's pushed back into the trees and bushes. After a few hard tugs it breaks itself free and jolts them all back unsteady on their feet.
It is still badly buckled from when the car had driven into it but it can still be swung closed. They pushed that side shut and left the other side wedged open with a medium sized rock. There was a chain draped around it, and lock that was rusted.
They all looked at each other and took a deep breath. Darren and Jim helped a groggy Dennis out of the van and moved him slowly through the gates, Nate took up the front and Brendan and Ste walked behind them. Ste reached for Brendan's good hand and held it tight; linking their fingers together they smiled albeit worryingly at each other. Ste leaned his head on Brendan's shoulder momentarily and they began walking up the driveway to the house.
It's late morning now and the sun is trying to break through the greying clouds that are forming in the sky. There is a little breeze that rustles some of the leaves on the trees around them, and they are a little on edge being back here again so each little insignificant noise rattles them.
Dennis twinges and shakes a little as he slowly becomes more and more alert, they make their way finally to the house. The door is blocked by the sofas that had flown there the last time and of course the smashed chandelier is in the way too. The window is still smashed open, and that is the only way through.
Ste is the smallest so he climbs through the window carefully and looks around, it feels eerie but this time he isn't as bothered, used to what this house can throw at him he enters and helps through Brendan next. They help to carry Dennis through and Darren Nate and Jim are the last to enter.
They have to lay Dennis on the Stairs because the sofas are upright against the door, then they all untangle the sofas and lift them back into the lounge and place them by the fire. Brendan rips down a curtain from it's hooks and they use it to cover the chandelier and drag it out of the way, broken glass litters the room, so they throw the curtain to cover up the glass like a rug.
The room is now swirling with dust from the curtain; it flies through the sun beams in the house. The beams feel warm to the touch and Ste shudders as it reminds him of the vivid dream he had earlier when Dennis had attacked him. He wonders if the little girl will be here again.
"Hey, ye OK?" Brendan asks stroking Ste on the cheek and breaking his thoughts
"Yeah, I was just thinking to something I saw earlier, when Dennis was strangling me before I sort of lost consciousness and slipped into a dream state." Ste looked at Brendan with raised eyebrows."I sometimes feel I am being told something, but I can't work it out you know?"
"It's frustrating you isn't it?" Jim interrupted trying to pull down another curtain yanking it with all his strength. Brendan shook his head and took over pulling it down in one swift tug and trying not to smirk.
"Hmm, a little yes. If I could work it all out who knows, these ghosts could finally cross over. One thing I'm sure of is they are trapped, I wonder if the man is keeping the woman and girl here?" Ste thought.
"What about the swirly black thing though? That not doing the same thing?"
"I think that's just an evil spirit that was brought here by accident, just my thoughts anyway" Ste shrugged.
They'd finished clearing up the furniture and the lounge looked a bit tidier now. They all crashed down on the sofas. And Darren sat up quickly looking to the stairs he stood up pointing a shaky hand. They all knew before even looking up what was wrong. Dennis had gone.
"Where the frig has he gone?!" Darren cried
"How are we supposed to know that?" Nate cried incredulous walking towards the stairs stopping and looking back at the others all stood there looking at him
"Well? Come on, we gotta find him!" Nate gestured his arms up and ascended the stairs half way then stopped looking down at his feet.
The others closed up behind him and stopped too looking puzzled at each other.
"Nate, are ye alright?" Brendan placed a hand on his shoulder
"Water" Nate replied
"Ah You need a drink!" Jim interrupted" I can go get you one from the kitchen if you want?"
"Black water" Nate replied
"Eh? No such thing Nate, and I wouldn't advise drinking it if there was" Jim laughed as Nate still didn't move.
Below their feet a stream of water gained on them it had dragged over the hallway and trickled down the stairs and ended up surrounding Nate's feet. It was black and murky water. The others finally noticed it as Nate continued up the stairs splashing through the wringing wet carpet on the stairs; the water had started to stain it all black now.
"Where did this come from?" Darren asked
"Behind the bookshelf, remember the room? It must have flooded and has reached up here." They reached the hallway at the top and it was saturated through.
"We should split up, search for Dennis, he will be in one of these rooms. Yell out if you do and we can all get this sorted and leave" Ste suggested.
"Two groups then?" Jim asked "As there's only five of us, I'm assuming you two wont want to split up again?" He gestured to Ste and Brendan as they'd already held hands, and Ste had slipped a hand on Brendan's stomach.
"Oh Brendan stays with me!" Ste nodded rubbing Brendan's stomach lovingly. Nate, Jim and Darren continued ahead looking in the children's room first.
Brendan kissed Ste and then walked with him to the bedroom Cheryl and Nate had shared. The floor was a little sodden as the water had tried to seep under the door. They had a look around but no one was in there. Brendan sat on the bed and patted seductively to the side of him to Ste who smiled shaking his head.
"You're insatiable Bren!" Ste smirked opening the huge curtains.
"We got this bed to ourselves Steven, come here!" Brendan growled.
"I am going to look in the bathroom, behave you" Ste winked and wriggled his arse at Brendan as he entered the bathroom. Brendan groaned at flung himself back closing his eyes. Underneath him he didn't hear a figure slowly creep out from under the bed.
Ste was in the bathroom staring at the bath, there was dried blood inside of it from when Cheryl had cut herself on the razor in there. He shuddered remembering how she had not been breathing. Ste turned to the sink and mirror and walked over to it, he turned on the tap and splashed the cold water over his face and looked up, his face was covered in black water as his eyes widened in fear. Ste rubbed at his face quickly,his breathing quickened Ste looked down at the water in the sink it ran clear ,and so did the running water coming out of the tap.
He looked up again to the mirror seeing his face wet with clear water, and noticed a face appeared behind him of a woman, teeth wide and menacing. Ste turned quickly but no one was there. His heart began to beat faster as when he looked back at the mirror his face peeled in front of him, he watched his skin slowly falling off and blood pooling out everywhere, he gasped as the mirror cracked into many long streaks across it. Outside the bathroom the figure was still crawling along the floor dragging it's arms out ahead of it and scraping it's finger nails into the wooden floor, it got close to the open bathroom door.
Brendan is walking up to the lake and he stops and stares out over it into the distance. The sun is high in the sky and it's light glistens off the water blinding him. He feels a tug at his hand and he glances down he sees a little girl stood next to him, she is looking out into the lake too. Then she glances up at Brendan and moves back a little but then tries to smile. She tilts her head to the side and studies Brendan's face then moves closer again. The little girl says something but Brendan can't hear her so he crouches down to her.
"Are ye the little girl my Steven speaks of?"Brendan asks smiling at her
"Yes, I am. Steven, he is my friend. You...love him don't you?"The little girl asks
"I do, very much, he is my best friend" Brendan replies.
"I was scared of you, as you look like my Daddy. He wasn't a nice man" The little girl sits down and curls up her legs. Brendan sits down too and stretches his legs out.
"My Daddy isn't a nice man either" Brendan tells her and looks at the little girl as she glances up with a sad face.
"You need to wake up Brendan" The little girl says as she picks out some daisies at the side of her and begins to make a chain.
Brendan picks some for her too and passes them to her "What do ye mean? I am awake?" Brendan looks confused
"No, you fell asleep on the bed, he was hiding under it. He wants to hurt Steven" The girl nods trying to concentrate putting the daisies together.
"Why does he? Why does he want to hurt Steven?" Brendan winces, shuffling his body uncomfortably.
"He has a kind soul, he wants to hide inside it" The girl spoke as she weaved the daisies together and made a bracelet.
"Can we stop it?" Brendan felt silly asking a young child such a question.
"No, it was brought from a bad place, my mummy she made a mistake, it is trapped in the grounds here and needs to leave"
"What happened to ye? How did ye die?"
"My Daddy was mad I went into the maze again,I ran away from him, he hurt my arm, it burned" The little girl showed Brendan the burn on her arm "I was scared and ran to the lake, got into a boat to hide. The boat moved, and I was on the lake. My Daddy was angry and shouted at me, I fell into the water." The girl looked up at Brendan and passed him the chain
"Did your Daddy push ye into the water?" Brendan closed his eyes waiting for her to answer.
"No, he shouted so much, I was scared and fell, he tried to save me, but I drowned. He died too, after me, because he was sad." The girl stood up and pointed to the lake.
"I am in there, on the bottom of the lake. Steven has my locket now, and my box,it will protect him now. Please tell him to look after them for me. It's time for me to leave. The daises are for you, I am not scared of you any more " The little girl smiled as Brendan stood up again.
"You need to wake up, Brendan, now"
Brendan opens his eyes and blinks a few times registering where he his. He sits up and looks around.
"Steven?"
"Steven, where are ye?" Brendan walks into the bathroom as he sees Dennis on top of him again, he races over and uses his good arm to grab hold and throw him, he falls against the bath and Brendan kicks him over into it.
"Bren?" Ste whimpers as Brendan drags him up and stands in front of him.
"you're not having Steven, ye will have to get through me first Dennis, and that ain't gonna be easy"
Dennis scrapes his long nails over the bath leaning out, his face is covered in black veins and his eyes are red and glowing. He snarls as he tries to get out of the bath.
Ste moves Brendan out of the way as they fight each other, Ste looks at Brendan.
"I wont let it hurt you Bren, it wants me not you"
"I saw the little girl, in a dream,she has gone now but she said to look after her locket and all her things,the locket protects ye she said"
"What this one?" Ste holds up the locket and it shines.
"Ye that one, so lets go."
Dennis has climbed out of the bath now and he's walking towards them.
Jim, Darren and Nate were in the child's room and having a look around. Dennis wasn't in here either. They were all looking at the weird pictures on the wall as Nate explained they had thought the little girl that haunted here had drawn the black spirit on one particular drawing. behind them they hear a creaking noise on the floorboards as the rocking horse begins to rock by itself behind them.
"Can we get out of here now please? Let's find the others." Darren cries gripping Jim around the arm.
They pass it wide eyed and walk back into the hallway. They hear a loud noise in the study, Nate leads the way to the door and opens it to find a lot of water spilling from behind the book case, it's closed itself but the water has managed to find a way through and has brought the majority of the books down. The walls at the side of it have begun to crumble away and the black water is pouring out down the wallpaper.
"We need to find Dennis and get the hell out of here" Nate warns as they back out and shut the door too. They walk over to the bedroom Brendan and Ste stayed in and look around, but find nothing in there. They make it to the room Brendan and Ste are in and call for them.
"In here! Get Darren quick!" Brendan yells as they all pile into the bathroom and jump back seeing Dennis, he looks more frightening than ever.
Darren gulps and holds out a hand too him but he scratches out and cuts across Darren's face making the blood gush out and splat in sprayed droplets over the floor. Darren cries in pain and winces but still walks over to Dennis. He grabs hold of his arms but Dennis counter acts and digging his long nails into Darren's wrists cutting deeply.
"Arrgghh, Dennis No, you're hurting me! Stop this, hear my voice." Darren has tears rolling down his face. "Dennis it's me please, Darren ya mate!"
"What can we do for him?! He's gonna do something bad here" Jim cries as Brendan and Ste rush over to them.
"Ye two get out now! Go start up the cars, don't leave each others side! We will be there, wait for us with the ignition running!" Brendan shoves them back out of the bathroom as Nate looks at both of them worried.
"Nate, don't worry, we will be there, just go quickly" Ste holds his hand and Nate agrees pulling them both into a hug he grabs Jim by the arm and they run.
"What's ye plan Steven?" Brendan asks holding his hand
"We get the fucker out of Dennis, and then we all run for our lives. It can't leave the grounds without a host; it'll be trapped here as long as we..."
"Close the gates?" Right, lets do this" Brendan pulls Ste into a passionate kiss taking his breath away."I love ye Steven"
"I love you too baby" Ste pulls him into another kiss and pushes him out of the bathroom and slams the door shut leaving Brendan wide eyed and in shock.
"STEVEN, NO!" Brendan pounds on the bathroom door.
Inside the bathroom Darren is struggling to control Dennis,Ste walks over and speaks.
"Hey, it's me you want don't you?" He asks as Dennis slowly turns his face grinning at Ste. Dennis nods his head to him slowly.
"You have to leave Dennis first, if you do that and he is alright I will give myself to you willingly" Ste pushes up straight and stands his ground eyes looking into Dennis' glowing red ones with intent.
Darren looks over to Ste and gasps, he feels Dennis loosen his grip and he stands up straighter again.
"Ste, have you lost your mind?" Darren whispers
"I can control it, I have had it inside me before" Ste states staying near the door next to the lock. His hands are wrapped around it tightly."If they get to leave this room, I won't fight you, that's my conditions."
Brendan is still hammering at the door and it breaks Ste's heart, but he now feels he has no choice he has to get the spirit out of Dennis. Darren looks back to Dennis and speaks to him again.
"Come on mate get ya arse back up here, we can go back to having a laugh again eh?" Darren pleads and he sees that Dennis is slowly getting his colour back again. He looks at Ste and sighs heavy.
"Don't you tell anyone what I'm about to do! I mean it Ste,but I want my mate back, and it worked for Brendan right?" Darren closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Ste watched open mouthed as he saw the black swirly thing leave Dennis and then Darren pucker up and kiss Dennis on the lips as a desperate attempt to get his mate back. However all he got was a slap as Dennis was already free of the spirit,and Darren had just...
"SNOGGED ME! You just bloody snogged me! Are you crazy?!" Dennis cried in shock.
"Yeah, this isn't awkward...guys! Fucking RUN!"
Ste had unlocked the door as the spirit had moved out of Dennis and Brendan had rushed in to witness the kiss. While he looked on wide eyed Darren grabbed Dennis and ran as the black spirit looked at Ste, he could feel it boring into his eyes,it wanted Ste and made awful terrifying noises as the black mass swirled there in front of them.
Ste grabbed Brendan's hand and whispered "I want you to run the fastest you ever have and don't let go of my hand"
"Never" Brendan replied and yanked Ste out of the bathroom as Ste slammed the door the entity screeched and came through the door at them. They ran out of the bedroom and down the stairs jumping over the last few to gain distance. The front door had been left wide open and they breathed a sigh of relief seeing it.
Brendan carried on running grasping a tight hold of Ste. Brendan picked up the pace but a little too fast and their hands began to slip from their grip till they only had tips of their fingers holding them together but that soon loosened as their hands lost contact.
As they ran from the house perspiration beads dropped from their faces as the heat rose in their bodies. Panting heavy Ste turned his face behind him and screamed terrified when he saw the black entity race towards them, he tried to pick up the pace but tripped over a strewn branch that lay on the ground,Ste fell heavy on the floor and rolled on his back.
The spirit gained on him shrieking and wailing terrible noises. He placed his hands behind him and tried to crawl backwards with his fingers and his nails, bleeding against the concrete slipping each time he tried to get up. His heart beat quickened and eyes widened as it got closer, not again he thought, please. Ste closed his eyes.
He felt a strong hand on his arm pulling him up, Brendan was there, he pulled on his hand again and gripped so tight it almost stopped blood circulation, and ran faster with Ste behind almost dragging him along. Brendan was running towards the gate, but it was taking a lifetime on this stupid long driveway.
Ste was struggling behind him, and slowing down and Brendan felt pain searing through his legs, his muscles aching to death. He can't stop though the malignant spirit is behind them and it will take Ste again and that's why he is running faster and faster he has to protect Ste no matter what. And then he sees the gate in the distance and he shouts to Ste that they'll be out soon.
Dennis, Darren, Jim and Nate are waiting for them by the cars, screaming at them to hurry up and the spirit is nearly touching them, and then Ste is screaming its almost upon him, Brendan hears the noises it's making and his heart beats so fast he can hear it throbbing in his ears. He looks at gates and sees the chain slumped around it with the lock open and he swings Ste around and throws him through the gates and he falls hard as Jim rushes to pick him up.
Darren helps Brendan to yank the gates closed and wraps the chain around it as the spirit is there right in their faces and the noise is so loud they cover their ears. Brendan pushes the lock together and backs off panting hard watching it move from side to side of the gate and it's trapped, it can't leave the grounds without a host, and they are relieved.
Brendan falls to his knees desperately trying to catch his breath as Ste crawls over to him sobbing. They fall close together and hug tightly, Brendan doesn't think he'll ever let go as he kisses Ste on the forehead and whispers I love ye over and over in his ear. Ste kisses him on the lips small peppering kisses on his face, eyes hand everywhere he can and tells Brendan he loves him more.
Eventually they stand up helped by the others and they're all so tired, they continue to watch the angry spirit as it freaks out behind the gates, they can't do anything but watch.
"Have ye got some card of thin wood in your van?" Brendan asks the others. Dennis obliges and gives Brendan some card and he gets a pen and scribbles on it. DO NOT ENTER, DANGEROUS GROUNDS, KEEP OUT BY ORDER OF THE OWNER. He slides it between the chains hands shaking when the spirit flies at him and the gates rock back and forth at the chain binds.
"I hope people will take notice, and the rumours surrounding this place, I think they will do." Brendan looks back at the others and they all look a right mess, dishevelled, filthy scared and tired.
"Lets go home Bren" Ste asks placing a hand to his cheek "I never want to see this place again"
Brendan manages a smirk nodding his head."I agree Steven, lets go"
Ghost busters H.Q
The van pulls up to the building and Dennis Jim and Darren get out as Nate drives Jim's car at the side of them. They all get out of the car and stand around looking at each other.
"Dennis, how do you feel now?" Ste asks looking into his eyes.
"Better now, but, those images it gave me, they were terrifying."
"I know, me too. It takes over you, I am surprised you managed to survive with it inside you so long"
"Darren helped me, and I wouldn't have been able to get through it without him" Dennis looked over to Darren who still felt awkward about earlier.
"Dennis about what happened in the bathroom I..."
"Don't ever mention it again"
"Don't know why you're knocking it, makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside" Brendan beamed taking Ste in his arms and licking in a deep kiss into his mouth and humming content.
Darren and Dennis look away from each other as Jim wonders what on earth is going on. Ste breaks the kiss and feels light headed and he moans slightly before blinking back into reality again.
"I am in agreement with Brendan on that" Ste laughs and they all shake hands and wish each other well. Nate Ste and Brendan share a taxi back, Brendan and Ste nuzzle into each others lips in the back seat as Nate rolls his eyes and gives the driver directions to hollyoaks village. Nate is dropped off at the flat as Cheryl is there with her arms folded across her chest.
"Another fine mess you two have gotten me into" Nate grumbles as he leaves the taxi, Brendan and Ste giggle and carry on their kissing in the back seat as the driver takes them home.
One year later.
A car pulls up to the large wrought iron gates; it's covered in thick ivy now barely any part of the gate visible. A group of people get out of the car laughing and joking, daring each other to climb the spooky gates and see what's behind them. A young girl finds the piece of card Brendan had placed there a year ago, but the writing has faded and she can't make out the words, she tosses it to one side as they help each other over the gates. They're still giggling and messing around as they wander up the driveway, they don't see it lurking, why would they? They are just four curious youngsters daring each other to have a fun time. Then there's a terrible scream, and nothing. The car stands empty at the gates.
Back in Hollyoaks
Ste sits bolt upright in bed sweating and panting eyes wide open, he looks to the side of him and Brendan's stirring awake then, he stretches a hand out to Ste.
"Hey, what's wrong Steven?" Brendan moves up on his elbow looking at Ste.
"It's got someone" Ste gasps.
Please Review? :) Thinking this will be the final chapter for this fic, I have had fun writing it,now feel it's come to a natural end. I may do another ghostly one again though. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Sleep well, and if you see a black swirly thing, leg it! xx