The Figure

Chapter Four - Family Home

After hearing nothing back from Gary, I felt it was safe to head over to my old family home with Teddy and Milly.

I waited until it was nearly dark before fitting them into my little Ford KA and beginning the one-and-a-half-hour drive to the house. I appreciated being able to drive. it must have taken my younger siblings ages to get to my flat by public transport.

By the time we reached the house, it was completely dark. My mind immediately flashed back to the dark figure that seemed to follow me around this place. I had to push the thoughts away so I can focus on the task at hand.

As we came to the row of terraced houses, I inspected the state of the overgrown garden and the rusted bikes that laid across it. The rubbish from the bin was overflowing and the lock on the shed was broken.

We walked up the garden path and I slowly turned the key in the front door to the house. The paint was noticeably peeling off and almost looked dirty from the lack of upkeep.

I turned to my brother and sister who seemed to be in their own little world. Afterall, I suppose this was normal for them now. I hadn’t lived there properly since I was 17, even though I visited regularly for the first few months to make sure my family was managing, I still felt guilty for leaving them alone.

The door opened without any struggle and I made my way through the messy and unclean home. I first walked through the kitchen. The walls looked stained and a layer of dishes and dust and grime coated the counter tops.

I hurried the kids to their rooms to get the things they needed so we could get out of there as soon as possible. The awkward and empty feeling was returning with every minute I spent in the house.

I found a brush and began sweeping some of the glass to one side to make a slightly safer path for Teddy and Milly.

The house was cold and lacked all warmth of a family presence. I was beginning to wonder how long the place had felt like this…

I slowly made my way to the stair case that lead to the bedrooms upstairs. As I climbed all thirteen stairs the anxiety and pain began to cover me like a blanket. I shouldn’t be here. But I continued.

The rustling of Teddy and Milly was evident as they were rushing to get their belongings together. I could see them through their open bedroom doors as they threw things into bags. They almost looked as anxious as I felt to get out of there…. Was I missing something?

This only caused my anxiety to increase.

I slowly opened my mother’s bedroom door. The room was in complete disarray. The bed was not made and had dark stains on it. There were clothes hanging from every fixture as well as in piles on the floor. An ash tray full of used cigarettes was on the bedside table along with some empty food packets.

I checked the drawers in the bedside table but they were empty. Something felt strange about this house now. I felt a complete disconnection from my home and my family.

The kids soon presented themselves to me by popping their heads through the doorway instead of stepping into the room. They still looked exhausted but I was happy to see a slight tint of relief in their faces as we made our way back down the stairs and towards the car.

When they were settled in my tiny car with their luggage I decided it might be a good idea to find their documents to keep just in case they were with me for the long haul.

I quickly made my way back to the house by myself and ran to the big cupboard under the stairs where the family used to keep the things they deemed as important. I found all sorts of pictures and ornaments which I thought were long gone and forgotten about. Soon enough I found the birth certificates and passports and started putting things back to where I found them.

A picture slid out of the cupboard just as I was about to close it. My own eyes looked back at me as well as the loving eyes of my nana. I felt my heart flip as I gripped onto the photo, fearing that someone was going to snatch it away from me.

I tried my best not to think about my nana and my family life these days. I was getting used to keeping my emotions at bay but at times like these I did not even realise was crying until a tear fell across my thumb that was gripping the picture.

I slowly locked the cupboard and took a deep breath. This place was getting to me. 

As I looked up, a familiar sight caught my eye. It was the figure standing in the corner of the kitchen, visible from where I was standing next to the stairs. His presence was looming as he remained as still as a stone.

I had almost become accustomed to him popping up in my imagination and watching me when I would get too involved with my emotions. He seemed to be my own shadow that popped up every now and again to remind me that he was still there.  He never communicated and he never showed his face. I was still cautious of him after the incident when I was a teenager but I was still unsure of whether this figure was in my head.

What I definitely knew was that I was the only one that could see him. After nana died, he would sometimes be standing in the corner of the room or behind the couch, silently observing while I was stood stressing over what the kids were doing or trying to get my mother to rest. It was as if he was part of my imagination, so I kept it to myself.

I carefully walked by the figure and made no attempt to look at his face due to how uneasy I was beginning to feel. I locked up and returned to my car to find two sleeping siblings. Obviously exhausted from the day’s activities.

I looked up at the house and started the car.

I was grateful the Gary decided not to show as I would not have been able to keep my composure. And I needed to be strong for Teddy and Milly. I was still unsure of what had actually occurred at the house or what exactly happened to my mother to make her behave like that.

For the next few days, the kids slept constantly. They got up every now and again for food but apart from that, they just slept.  No one had contacted me to ask about the kids and to make sure they were safe. Where was everyone?