The Elm House Page 10

  Boom!

  He crashed down onto the floor. His mother’s screams echoed loudly through his ears. The room became blurrier and blurrier. Soon, Brad saw darkness.

  CHAPTER 9

  Brad’s eyes opened. He wasn’t inside his house—the tainted and damned house—but found himself in the hospital. He groaned as a pounding ache thumped on the back of his head. Brad felt the nice small lump that formed and swelled. Well, he—sure did—knock his head pretty damn good.

  Both mother and father worried eyes stared at Brad. Jesse sat on a comfortable chair next to his hospital bed. Her eyes seemed worried as she witnessed her brother collapsed off the dining room chair.

  “How are you feeling, champ?” father asked him.

  “A bit sore,” Brad replied.

  “I’ll say!” Father grinned.

  Moments later, the doctor headed into the room with clipboard in hand.

  “Everything’s checked out. Brad seems to be normal. There’re no signs of any brain injuries or anything. I’m curious, though… what caused you to fall from the dining room table?”

  Brad shrugged his shoulder. Only bits of pieces of memory flooded back. But he wouldn’t dare say in front of anyone. If he did, the doctor would certainly send him to the psychological unit for a chit chat with a therapist. He knew what he saw, but Brad wasn’t dumb enough to take a vacation to the psychological unit. Despite, how great the ice cream and cafeteria food (maybe) would taste.

  “I felt lightheaded… dizzy… and blacked out.”

  Dr. Hein’s lips perched inward and nodded. It appeared that his hamster was turning inside his big head, Brad thought. Possibly, he was searching for clues of a fib or two, Brad assumed. But Dr. Hein was a doctor and not a lie detector.

  “Anything else… do you remember, Brad?” asked Dr. Hein.

  Brad shook his head, recapping the distorted and mangled snarls on his family’s faces at the dining room table.

  “Nope,” he said.

  Dr. Hein’s eyebrows raised then relaxed. It appeared he was convinced enough that it was just a minor innocent, Brad hoped.

  “Well, like I said… he’s completely fine to go home. Maybe after a couple of blood tests, we’ll know more. But other than that, he should relax when he gets home.” Dr. Hein smiled.

  “The nurse will come in and take some blood, and we’ll call back in case we spot anything out of the norm.”

  “Thank you,” father said, reaching out his hand to shake Dr. Hein’s hand.

  He firmly shook Brad’s father hand and headed out of the room. Only moments later, the nurse came in to take Brad’s blood.

  Come… pray with us, Brad. Pray with us, Brad vividly remembered. It has to mean something. It got to, at least, mean something… something vital. But what?

  It was getting late, and Brad was beat tired. It was nearly around midnight (or so—it seemed) before Brad tucked himself in his own bed. He rubbed the back of his noggin. He even noticed how the pulsating ache has subsided. Hell, Tylenol Max will certainly make any ache and pains, all better. He closed his weary eyes, turned onto his side, faced his bedroom wall, and began to drift away into slumber land.

  Come… pray with us, Brad. Please, pray… come and pray.

  Do they want me to pray for them to enter Heaven? Brad wearily thought. I need to sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll figure it out. Tomorrow, new day, will be better.

  Mary, Brad’s mother, puckered her lips at the mirror, smearing red lipstick around her lips. She tucked in her lips and made a pop sound. John loves this lipstick, but he loves this perfume more, she thought. Mary took the perfume bottle and sprayed a mist on her other wrist, placed the bottle down then rubbed both wrists together. She was dolled up, alright, for their date night. She preened herself in the mirror and smiled seductively.

  Come here, sexy!

  She grabbed her pearl earrings and placed them on as she headed out of their master bathroom. In the living room, she saw her husband stand up.

  “Well, don’t you look lovely.” John gave his wife a seductive look.

  “You like?” Mary asked.

  He nodded with a big fat grin.

  Brad and Jesse sat on the living room sofa couch. She could tell Brad’s cheeks glow red.

  “You look good,” Brad said.

  “Thank you, darling.” She looked at her wrist watch that John bough for her last Christmas. A gift she’ll cherish forever. Money was a bit tight last year, but he stuffed enough cash aside to purchase her the watch from Kay Jewelry store. He wouldn’t admit the cost, of course. He insisted that the watch had a sale tag for the holiday. Mary wasn’t one to be flashy, only on certain occasions.

  “The babysitter would arrive, shortly.” Mary glanced over at Jesse and Brad as John placed on his brown swayed leather jacket.

  “I want you two to behave and be nice to her.”

  “We’re always good,” Brad said.

  “I believe that!” John said in a smart-ass tone.

  Brad chuckled as the front door bell rang.

  “Can you get that, Brad?” Mary asked.

  Brad stood up and headed towards the front door.

  Brad opened the front door. It was like time had frozen still. Whoa! he thought. His heart thumped a bit behind his ribs. It appeared if Brad was in love at first sight.

  “Is this the Herrick residence?” the babysitter said.

  Brad tried to say something but nothing came out, but his head nodded slowly. His pupils enlarged. Is it apparent that I’m love struck? Brad questioned.

  Goof ball, she’s probably older than you. It’s not the time to fall in love with the babysitter or attempt to seduce the babysitter.

  Seduce the babysitter? I couldn’t even begin to know how to seduce a woman of her caliber.

  Well, good… just act like your normal self.

  Normal self? That sounds like a horrible idea.

  Trust me, Brad. You’re not going to get this babysitter’s number. She’s only here for the money, of course. Money, remember that, is all she’s after. Not because she thinks you’re some hot stud.

  “I’m Tiffany,” she smiled, reaching out her hand and bending slightly down. Her cleavage slightly showed.

  Brad’s eyes dilated even wider. His heart thudded faster.

  Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

  His heart danced fast inside his chest. He reached out his hand and shook her hand. Brad’s hand felt clammy and moist.

  “I’m… Brad.”

  She smiled and stood upright.

  “Hi, Mrs. Herrick and Mr. Herrick. I’m Tiffany.”

  “Brad, will you let her in. It’s cold outside,” Brad father said.

  Brad moved out of the way. Jesse darted into the hallway and looked up at Tiffany. She had to smile a big cheesy smile at Tiffany. She always does that when she meets new people.

  “I’m Jesse!” she chimed.

  Tiffany smiled widely and bend down, placing her hands on her knees.

  “Hi, Jesse. I’m Tiffany, your babysitter for the night.”

  “Can you be our babysitter forever?” Jesse asked.

  I hope so! Brad optimistically thought.

  Tiffany laughed and stood upright.

  “She’s a darling, alright.” She nodded.

  “Oh, she—sure is.” Mother nodded. “Well, Tiffany, if you need anything… anything at all… our number is on the refrigerator.” She warmly smiled. “We won’t be out too long. But if we are, we’ll pay you extra.” She headed out of the front door.

  “Have a good night, Tiffany. They shouldn’t be a problem. If they give you any lip, call us.” John said, leaving the house.

  “Have a great night,” Tiffany said, waiting until they both got into the Ford Explorer. She closed the front door, turned the deadbolt and faced Jesse and Brad.

  “So… which one of you want to hear a really… spooky story?” Tiffany asked, grinning like she ate a canary.

  Do we want to hear a spooky story? Brad questioned
himself.

  “I do! I do!” Jesse jumped up and down.

  Tiffany raised her one eyebrow up and smirked.

  “Are you sure?” she asked.

  Jesse and Brad both nodded their heads.

  Story time with a hot babysitter.

  CHAPTER 10

  Jesse plopped down on the sofa couch inside the living room. Brad on the other end of the sofa near Tiffany. Tiffany sat on the sofa chair, leaning inward as she prepared to tell them a spooky story.

  “Do you know where you guys live?” asked Tiffany, smirking a bit. She knows something about this house, Brad thought. Possibly more clues, Tiffany could tell me. Brad leaned slightly forward.

  “Yeah…” Brad said trailing off as he gazed into her ocean-color eyes. Her perfume smelled of strawberries and cream.

  Don’t get distracted by her perfume, Brad. Your head is already swirling into the deep strangling oceans of love, about now—isn’t it? Too much gaze into her eyes, she’ll have you become a puppet. Act normal and be yourself, Brad. Not like a goof, desperate wanting her number at the end of the night. We all know, Brad that she’s here to babysit. Babysit because she needs money, for whatever reason, and you’re on the young side for her. Hell, you don’t even have hair on your chin. And you’re about to swoop this hot babysitter off her feet? Brad, you’re completely funny.

  “The urban legion says—when a family moves into this house. This very house… they move out faster than they moved in, or they all die.”

  “Die?” Jesse gulped.

  Tiffany nodded her head, smiling from ear to ear.

  “Yes, they die. One family member murders their entire family… then… themselves.”

  Brad’s eyes widened as he listened to her voice. He noticed how she would speak soft and slow then fast. Almost like she was luring them into her web. Maybe she was luring him into her web, Brad thought. His heart thumped against his chest. He wanted more of her story.

  “Those that do move out; they say the house is damned and tainted,” she continued telling the story. “A curse—almost. Or… a strong evil entity that forces them to do something against their will.”

  “What’s an entity?” Jesse asked, tilting her head with a question mark above her head.

  “A spirit or something that’s demonic,” Tiffany told Jesse.

  “Demonic?” She asked.

  “Yes, Jesse… a demon. Lucifer’s children that make people do horrible things to each other. For example, if I would to slit Brad’s throat because I became possessed, it was because—the demon told me to do so. Sure… the court would just throw me into prison. And I’ll never be able to babysit again.”

  Jesse’s eyes widen. Her eyebrows raised. She’s practically scaring the shit out of her, Brad thought. She’s actually scaring the shit out of me, too. Sleep with one eye opened, Brad.

  “So… what I understand… and I could be wrong… there’s a woman, here, that forces people to do really bad things to each other.”

  “I don’t know if I want to hear this story,” Jesse whined. Her face appeared to be petrified.

  “Go to bed, and I’ll tell Brad the rest of the story,” Tiffany said. Her tone sounded nasty, Brad thought. Where did my parents find this babysitter?

  “I’ll stay and listen,” Jesse said, submissively.

  “This woman… she’s old—well, maybe—not that old like a grandma. But she’s in her forties or so. I’m not entirely certain, though. She was an extremely Christian woman. She would force her children to head up to the attic, make them get on their knees, and pray to God. Pray to God for their forgiveness. She would rant about how naughty they were, and God wanted them to be pure. Pure from all of their sins, she told her children. But God became displeased with the woman… and told her—no, commanded her—to kill her children. She pleaded and begged, but God relentlessly struck flesh wounds upon the woman. She would wake up with bruises and sometimes deep cuts into her flesh. She even bled from her ‘special place’ and was repeatedly forced into deprived sex with God.”

  “What is… de-de-deprived mean?” asked Jesse, interrupting Tiffany’s story.

  “She was raped… rape is forcefully having sex with a woman.”

  “Sex?” asked Jesse.

  Tiffany sighed, rolled her eyes. She’s becoming a bit annoyed, Brad thought.

  “When mom and dad show how much they love each other, they express their love in bed,” Brad said to Jesse.

  “But… I don’t understand… why would God force love to her?” asked Jesse, scratching her head.

  Tiffany shook her head.

  “Never mind,” she said, sharply. “Where was I? Oh… right… the woman couldn’t take it anymore. After night and after night, she was constantly raped by God. Her screams would bellow out through the house. Her husband, so stressed out from the horror, became an alcoholic. Each night, her wails would make her husband indulge more into booze. He nearly drowned himself each night and even contemplated on leaving her or throwing her into the looney bin. Then… God took hold of her, and she couldn’t shake him. He was inside her forever, and she became his vessel…his work… to complete his will. His will to help her kill her naughty children. Sinful children, God felt was needed to be corrected.

  No one knows what she had done with their bodies nor her husband’s body. She, herself, ended up in the Old Willows Brooke Asylum. The asylum is still there, of course, on Brooke Street and off I-80. Few years later, she hung herself from the second-floor railing. She wrapped her bedsheet around her throat and the railing, threw herself off the ledge of the railing, snapped her neck from the fall, and died.

  There was a note attached to her shirt. It read: Sorry, my little children and loving husband—for I have sinned. I will rejoice with you again, soon.”

  Tiffany paused briefly, nodded her head then smiled. Did I piss myself? Brad questioned, checking his pants then gazed back into her swirling ocean blue eyes.

  “I remembered something… her name—Eveline Garner. Yup, her name was Eveline Garner. Now, I remember.”

  Eveline Garner… the woman’s name was printed on the paper that the recorder’s office receptionist gave me. It’s also the name that Casandra told me. God made her kill her children.

  The house is evil.

  God instructed her to kill her children.

  Come… pray with us.

  Now it all makes sense. It makes sense, now. They don’t want me to pray for them. They want… they want… shit! They want my soul.

  Wait, a minute, before I get all goofy on this idea. Let’s calm the fuck down and breath, Brad thought.

  “I won’t be able to sleep, tonight,” Jesse whined.

  Tiffany laughed, waved her off with her left hand.

  “It’s just a story, pumpkin. You’ll be fine.”

  Jesse shook her head.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “I’ll tuck you in,” Tiffany said, getting up and reaching out her hand to Jesse.

  “I don’t want that mean woman to get me,” Jesse told Tiffany.

  Tiffany whispered softly, “No one will get you. You’re safe and sound with me. Okay?”

  “Promise?”

  Tiffany nodded.

  “Promise, cross my heart and hope to die.”

  “Pinky swear?”

  “Pinky swear,” Tiffany said, crossing her pinky with Jesse’s pinky. She gave a wink and lead her to upstairs to Jesse’s bedroom. Moments later, footsteps sounded down the stairs.

  I’m not hearing things again—am I? Brad questioned himself as he sat alone on the sofa couch.

  Thump-thump-thump-thump.

  The footsteps came down the stairs then in the hallway.

  Brad recalled the time when he thought he heard his mother come into the house, but his mother wasn’t home yet. Now that freaked him the hell out. This reminded him so much of that one time.

  How much of it is just—a story? How much is it—actually real? How could she know so much about i
t? Did she make it up as she went along?

  Thump-thump-thump.

  The footsteps came closer and closer to the living room.

  Is it Eveline’s ghost? Is it something else? Who is it?

  Brad’s heart skipped a couple of beats. He didn’t feel a chill run down his spine, though. But his heart thumped inside his chest.

  “Hey,” Tiffany said, entering the living room then plopping down on the sofa next to Brad.

  “Got any good movies?”

  Brad shrugged his shoulders.

  “What kind?” he asked.

  Tiffany looked upward, shoulders raised, lips pulled downward.

  “Maybe… horror?” she asked. “Maybe… Freddy Vs Jason?”

  “I have, Species…” Brad said.

  Tiffany motioned to the Blu-ray player. “Put it on, then!” She smiled. Brad got up, looked through the collection of Blu-ray disc and found the movie. He plopped the disc in and pressed play on the Blu-ray remote. After the movie began to play, he plopped next to Tiffany. She sat slightly half an inch next to him.

  “Turn the lights off,”

  “Sure,” Brad said, getting up to flick off the ceiling lights off then returned to sit next to Tiffany.

  Whatever you do, funny man… don’t be dumb. She’s clearly not into you. She’s just interested in watching a movie to pass the time. Pass the time until your folks come back home, so she can get paid.

  “Is there a blanket? I’m kinda chilly.” She smiled at him. Does she know I have the hots for her? Brad asked himself. Is it that transparent? He got up, grabbed a fleece blanket and handed it to her then sat back down.

  She covered her upper torso then placed some of the blanket on Brad.

  “I figured you looked cold, too.” She smiled.

  Brad gulped and returned with a smile. One of those smiles that shout “I’m in love,” and his heart thudded against his chest. Here he was—with a very attractive babysitter—and already soft as pudding between her fingers.