The Haunted Home

 

 

                James sat in the dirty kitchen with his feet propped up on the table and looked around the dilapidated room. He watched a rat climb over and around the counters and sink, looking for scraps of anything. James rolled his eyes knowing anything that even resembled food had long since been carried away by other animals or decayed so much it became dust.  Still, it scurried around in a hurried way, as if it had to get one more morsel of food in before it goes back to the office.

                “Or maybe it has to get back to Mrs. Rat,” James said to no one in particular.

                “You know they say a sign of going crazy is talking to yourself,” a voice said behind him.

                James sighed, unaffected by the sudden intrusion of his solitude.

                “I wasn’t alone, I have Mr. Rat here to keep me company, Sheila.”

                “And why are you sitting down?”

                “I gotta be here all night and I don’t want to get my feet tired.”

                Sheila gave a short laugh, “You’re dead, you don’t get tired anymore.”

                “Well I remember being able to be tired. I remember sitting here at the table with my mom and telling here I was too tired to do dishes.”

                “You realize that was 50 years ago, right?”

                “Wow…that long ago? Time does fly when you’re dead.”

                The rat was joined by another rat on the endless and fruitless search for food.

                “So what is tonight’s mission?” Sheila asked in a way that implied she already knew the answer.

                James rolled his eyes. “It’s Halloween, so we gotta keep watch and find out which little asshole is going to break into this place to do ghost hunting. Just like last year, and the year before, and the year before that and apparently for the last 30 years.”

                Now James took his feet off the table and put them on the floor. His feet never disturbing the dust or debris strewn about. He stood and turned at look at Sheila. Tonight she appeared in a white blouse and tan pants which didn’t surprise James. For some reason she felt like she needed to appear official on Halloween and not like the ghost that she was.

                “I really would like a different assignment, this one is a pain in the ass.”

                Sheila sighed, “You know the rules, the last person who dies in the house has to keep it safe until the next one does.

                “I didn’t die in the house. I died near the house,” James corrected her.

                “Apparently the exact location doesn’t matter. Your mind was in the house when you died. Also, nice shirt”

 

                James smiled. “Thanks. I never saw the Grateful Dead before I died because they were not around when I was alive. But I think they would appreciate me wearing this.”

                “You aren’t wearing anything, it is how you choose to appear. You don’t have a closet to choose from, you just manifest your appearance.”

                “You really take this ghost thing seriously.”

                “I’ve been here a lot longer than you.”

                “So why wear the serious stuff?”

                Sheila looked at him, “You know sometimes they can see you, and I like looking as non-descript as possible. A man in a concert t-shirt is recognizable, a woman in regular pants and blouse blends in.”

                “It’s not like they will pick me up out of line up, I never made it to my 20s so there are no pictures of me.”

                “Dying young has advantages in this existence. You took your rawest energy with you when you died. Someone like me, who died at 96, had less raw energy.”

                “I should thank the guy who hit me on my bike when I was 10, he did me a big favor,” James said sarcastically.  

                “Well he should be somewhere in this realm by now. Did you ever think of finding him?”

                James brow furrowed and a place inside of him that felt like it was rising to the top, like a slow burning volcano pushing out magma. The chair he was sitting on previous flipped over and the rats ran out of the room.

                “Fuck that guy.”

                “Calm down, James. Save your energy for later,” Shelia’s voice was steady and calm.

                James looked away from her for a moment and felt the energy begin to settle in him again.

                “Yea, you’re right. Just give me a minute,” and he walked into the living room. He looked out the window but was seeing beyond the window.

 

                When James died, it was like a blink of an eye. One minute he was riding his bike and he felt the car strike him and crushing pain filled him. He remembered screaming in pain as they carried him out of the road and toward his house. There were voices telling him to hold on and he opened his eyes to see his front door, and thru his pain he realized he was on his front lawn.  Slowly he blinked as he heard his mother scream his name.

When he opened his eyes he was standing in a room with other people. James looked around and it looked like a horror movie as some people were bloody, missing body parts, or looked so old they were hunched over and crippled. A few were burned so badly they didn’t look human. James’ first instinct was to call out for his mom, but he didn’t. While the room was filled with strange people, he had no fear.

                People began to filter out thru different doors that appeared and this confused James more. How did they know what door to go thru and what was on the other side? The room began to empty and James thought, “will I be left alone?” Suddenly a familiar door appeared before him, it was the front door of his house. He instantly walked thru it, silently hoping he would wake up in bed and all of this was just a dream.

                What was on the other side was not his home, but part of it looked like his home. A woman was sitting on the couch who looked a lot like his mother, but it wasn’t his mother. James felt confused and started to get angry.

                “James, I’m your great grandmother.”

                “I doubt it, she was like 100 and you are way younger.”

                The woman smiled and James watched as her features began to shift. Almost instantly an old woman stood in front of him.

                “If I look like this would you believe me?”

                James backed up and suddenly recognized her from the pictures his mother would show him.

                “What’s happening? Where’s my mom? What is going on?”

                The lady in front of him change back into a young woman again.

                “You have to calm down and I will explain,” she sat on the couch again and patted for him to sit next to her which James did willingly.

                James had no idea how much time has passed for great grandmother Helen to explain to him what he needed to know.
                “You died,” she started, “One of your kin had to find you in order to bring you to this place that you created.”

                “How did I do that?”

                “You thought of the only place that would get you out of that room, and that was your home.”

                “How did you find me?”

                “We are connected thru the stories your mom told you about the family. Your stories called out to me and I came.”

                “Just stories?”

                “Oh dear boy, stories are never just stories. They are little worlds where we spend our energies in. Sometimes those stories are of love and family, sometimes they are things that make us cry and be sad, and sometimes they are dark and mysterious.  Thinking and dreaming connects everyone from the previous realm to this one.”

                “Where is this place?”

                “Where is anyplace? This place is everywhere and nowhere. We are in the spaces those who are Alive cannot see.” Helen paused. “Well, not all the time.”

                “That doesn’t make sense!”

                “Did you ever wander into a place that just didn’t seem real. Or you were alone in a room, but didn’t feel alone? Did you ever feel like you could see something out of the corner of your eye? When you were just falling asleep or waking up, did you ever feel like the room was bigger than it was or you were in a different place? That’s where we are now.”

                “My mom knows I’m dead,” James realized slowly.

                “Yes, my dear child, she does.”

                “Will I see her again one day?”

                “Only if you want to,” Helen said slowly.

                Helen stayed with James for a bit as he adjusted. Once he was comfortable enough to manifest his appearance as he choose, Helen drifted away. It wasn’t that she abandoned him, it’s just he didn’t feel the need for her presence and she then drifted back into other areas of their realm.
                James was enjoying his existence when one day Sheila showed up. He was moving along through is childhood memories and suddenly she was there on his front lawn, where he died. That’s when James was told he had a job to do.

                Shelia explained to him they had to protect their realm from unwanted energies. He was told that there are some places of The Realm that share thin walls of existence with those who are alive. Those places need to be guarded in order to keep The Realm safe. When James questioned her, she brought him back to his real house back in the place where people were alive and saw firsthand what she meant.

 

                “Do you sense something out there?” Sheila said behind him.

                “Not really, I was remembering how I got to this point. When you showed me this house for the first time again.”

                “Does it bother you?”

                “I’m not certain. I remember loving this house, loving coming home.  Then I watched as this house slowly became infested and abandoned. I wish they would just tear it down.”

                “These places rarely get torn down.”

                “They did it with the other houses that used to be here.”

                “The Alive hold onto these places because somewhere deep down they know what they are.”

                James tiled his head, “Well we got 3 Alive coming up to the front door now. I used to love Halloween when I was alive, but when you are a ghost you realize how overrated it really is.”

                “Just watch out for the one hanging in back.”

                “Do you think they will pay me overtime?”

                “You say the strangest things. Quit kidding around and get ready. Focus, we are going to need your energy.”

                James sighed and hoped this group was empty.

               

                The three teenagers stood in front of the house just staring at first. It seemed like a good idea to visit the old abandoned house at midnight when they were drinking in the park earlier this evening, but now the liquid courage evaporated.

                “Dan, are you sure we won’t get caught?”

                “Mike, who do you think is out here, ghost patrol?” Dan asked sarcastically.

                “My dad says the police watch this house for kids,” the younger girl said.

                “All the adults say that shit to keep kids out of the house, Pam.”

                She wrinkled her nose, “It looks like it smells inside.”

                “if you’re too chicken, stay out here and we’ll go inside,” Dan mocked, “I’m pretty sure the kid died right where you’re standing so he’s probably right next to you.”

                “Oh my God, there he is!” Mike pointed to a space next to Pam.

                “Shut up, that’s not funny!” Pam said, clearly shaken as she moved from her spot.

                “Just run home to mommy,” Dan said.

                “No,” Mike snapped, “she’s not going anywhere, she’ll just tell on us.”

                “I will not.” Pam stood her ground. “I snuck out too and that means I would be in trouble.”

                They all turned towards the house again. It was Dan who decided to lead the way towards the door.

 

                Inside, James and Sheila watched as the front door opened and the three young people walk inside.

 

                Pam was right, the inside of the house smelled. They only had 1 flashlight that Dan carried and he slowly shined it in the living room. The light passed over James and Sheila and the kids didn’t notice them at all. They walked from room to room, exploring the ruins of James’ childhood home.

 

 

                “I don’t think we are going to have a problem this year,” James said as he walked along with the kids.

                Sheila said nothing and kept moving, keeping a special eye on Pam.

 

                “This is boring,” Mike said with disappointment. “I thought it would be so much cooler.”

                Dan suddenly darted away with the flashlight, leaving Mike and Pam in the dark.

                “What the hell, Dan, this is not ok!” Pam yelled.

                “Dan, you dick, get back here!” Mike shouted.

                Suddenly, Mike and Pam felt something thrown at them. Whatever it was felt alive as it hit them and they started to scream as Mr. and Mrs. Rat ran back into hiding in the dark house and Dan just laughed at his two hysterical friends.

 

                “Oh fuck,” James exclaimed as he watched something rise up out of Pam.

                “Here we go,” Sheila said calmly.

 

                Suddenly the room became colder and Dan stopped laughing. Mike stopped screaming but Pam seemed to be unable to not scream. Things started to move in the room and the front door snapped shut. This time even Dan began to scream for help.

 

                James watched the form rise up out of Pam and then separate from her. This is what Sheila told him from the beginning. The energies trying to break thru into The Realm were carried by people. What people called Hauntings were not dead people in a place, it was people’s negative energies being released into the thin spaces between The Realm and the Alive.

 

                Pam’s newly born, malevolent energy bounced around the room, trying to get its bearings. As it got stronger, it’s cold energy came off of it in waves. The children screamed and it gobbled up the fear because that is what made it thrive. It shook the room and threw things around to terrify the children more. The more they screamed the more it lived…and it wanted to live.

 

                The feeling James pushed down before he now allowed to rise up in him. Sheila also bring up her internal energy, but she was no match for the new malevolent being. She tried to tether it to the room, but it easily slipped her grasp. By the time James was ready, she was already beginning to drain and fade.
                James released his inner core and was able to grip the being to the ground. It thrashed and screamed and tossed the debris around more, renewing the screams in the children.

                “Sheila, open the door and get the kids out of here!”

                She did exactly what she was instructed. At first, the terrified children didn’t realize the door was open, but she was able to get the flashlight from the ground and show them the way out. As soon as the way was lighted, all three children ran outside, screaming into the night. Pam turned around for a moment and she would later swear she saw a lady standing in the door as a man stood under a dark cloud.

                Without the children to feed on, Pam’s malevolent force began to struggle. It fought but it was weak and James’ core was strong. He had been doing this for 30 years and he was able to wrestle the energy to the ground and hold it there until it was spent. He could feel it getting weaker and weaker as his core held it down. Within moment, it became nothing more than a dark wisp that turned into ash.

                Once the energy dissipated, James turned to Sheila. “I wish I could watch out for that young girl, she has some extreme power in her.”

                “When she unlocks it next time, may it be for her benefit.”

                James sighed, “Well I guess we lasted another Halloween night. This entry to The Realm is safe. I remember as  kid I was always afraid of ghosts. I had no idea you all feared us.”

                “Things never are what they seem. I’ll let you know if I need you again.” Sheila said and faded off before James could reply.

                James went back to the kitchen and looked around. The table was the only thing still upright, and  everything else was strewn about. He knew the routine, that the kids would come back with friends during the day and show them the mess and tell them their version of things. In the end, no one would believe them.

                Just to be sure, he used his core and righted a chair and put his feet on the table again and waited. He knew his job wasn’t done and he had to protect The Realm.

                “I hope Mr. and Mrs. Rat are okay,” he said to the empty room as he continued his watch.