The Haunting House |
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Double Jeopardy!
by Sean LoftissThis is the winning story from the contest. Congratulations Sean!
thump... thump... thump...
Frank glared at the ceiling. "What did I tell you about roughhousing?!" he shouted. Gee'z! Those kids are gonna tear the place apart before we even get it remodeled.
He rubbed his temples. His migraine felt worse, and now he was too nauseous to eat - not that it mattered. He picked at his plate. The roast tasted like leather and the vegetables, mush. At least the beer was still cold. He pressed the can against his forehead and closed his eyes.
The house was dark, barring the glow from a Coleman lantern and a battery powered TV. Brushes wrapped in aluminum foil filled the sink, and a toolbox and several gallons of paint sat beside the door. The rest of the kitchen was covered in drop cloths or boxes.
"I'LL TAKE 'HAIR-RAISING PHENOMENON' FOR $200..."
Frank wasn't really watching the set, but the noise helped block out everything else. He was too tired to think after all the overtime he'd been working, and the hour-long commute to their new suburban home didn't help things either. This was gonna be a long weekend. Gloria had insisted that everything be painted before they finished moving in - and the lease on their storage space expired next week. The fact that the fuse box had burned up last night only complicated the matter.
Where was Gloria? And what was she thinking, leaving the kids by themselves? There was no telling what kind of mischief they might have gotten into. From the sounds of things, they'd probably demolished the entire second floor by now. Frank knew he should have checked on them as soon as he'd gotten home, but he wasn't in the mood. Let Gloria cleanup their mess when she got back. After all, it was her fault for leaving them there without any supervision.
thump... thump... thump...
"Hey! Knock it off!"
"WE'LL PLAY 'DOUBLE JEOPARDY!' AFTER THIS..."
They'd gotten the house for a song. None of the locals wanted it. The real estate agent insisted it was because they were too lazy to make any repairs. It wasn't until after the deal had closed that the stories started to surface. But Frank wasn't the type to be put off by some silly superstitions. He knew a money-making opportunity when he saw it. Once renovated, they could sell it for ten times what they'd paid.
thump... thump... thump...
"You boys better straighten up! You hear me? Don't make me come up there!"
Of course, none of that drivel made any sense. Every old house had its peculiarities, and this one was no exception. It made noises when the foundation shifted, lights blinked on and off due to faulty wiring, and those "footprints" outside weren't really footprints at all - they were just the natural result of melting icicles dripping onto the snow. A sound at the front door interrupted his reverie.
"Frank? I'm back. Did you find your dinner in the oven?"
"Uh-huh," he grunted. What good was that when the power was off?
"Mom offered to bring by lunch tomorrow so we wouldn't have to stop working."
Oh, great! he thought, another meal I won't be able to digest!
"HERE IS TODAY'S 'FINAL JEOPARDY!' ANSWER..."
thump... thump... thump...
Frank's kettle finally boiled over. "That is it! You kids have had it now!"
Gloria walked in from the hall. "Frank, I left the boys at my parents'. Remember? They promised to watch the kids while we finished up."
"Then who's upstairs?"
thump... thump... thump...
They stared at each other with pallid faces.
"YOUR RESPONSE WAS..."
Frank's jaw set as he turned and grabbed the Coleman.
Gloria clutched his shoulder, "Frank! No!"
"THAT IS INCORRECT. AND YOUR WAGER?"
Frank shrugged her off and pulled a pipe wrench from his toolbox.
"EVERYTHING..."
"Frank!" Gloria pleaded, "Please don't go up there!"
Her words only infuriated him even more. He quickened his pace as he stamped down the hallway and up the stairs. She trailed along behind him hysterically.
"Frank! We don't know who's in there! What if they have a gun?"
He faltered for just a moment and then pressed on. At the top of the steps, he stopped outside the boys' bedroom door and set the lantern on the floor. With his free hand, he reached for the knob.
thump... thump... thu-
The noise cut off abruptly with his fingers just inches from the handle. Frank froze in place, every fiber straining to hear the next telltale sound to betray their intruder. But only a bone chilling silence followed. The throbbing in his head intensified, his outstretched hand trembled in excitement, and the wrench in his right suddenly felt like it weighed a ton. Gloria was blubbering behind him. Frank steeled his resolve, grabbed the latch, and twisted.
The door cracked open, but no further. Frank set his shoulder to it. Something scraped across the floorboards as it gave way, and then he was inside, squinting into the gloom. There was no one else within, but ample evidence that someone had been abounded. The lantern in the hallway cast a dull yellow gleam across a floor covered with rubbish. Toys, clothes, bedding, curtains - even the boxes that held them - had been torn and shredded and strewn about. Strips of wallpaper had been ripped down, and the sheet rock was gouged where the wiring had been pulled clean through. But despite all the carnage, the window remained untouched, and there was no other way in or out except through the doorway he'd just entered.
Frank reached behind him for the Coleman and held it aloft. As the light hit the far wall, it revealed a message smeared in blood: 'GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!' There was more, in smaller letters, underneath. Frank stepped closer, leaned forwards, and lowered the lantern for a better look. He could just make out the words, 'DON'T MAKE ME COME DOWN THERE...' when the batteries in his Coleman gave out.
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