The Secrets of Hawthorne House

Chapter 8: Inside Hawthorne House

It was a crisp autumn afternoon, a few days after Halloween. The squirrels in the large oak trees lining Hawthorne Drive were enjoying the beautiful Fall weather as they gathered the acorns they needed to last through the long, cold Indiana winter. Matt and Gerallt had just arrived home from school, and Matt was the first one back outside after dropping off his schoolbooks in his room. He was leaning against a tall oak tree in front of the Hawthorne House when Gerallt burst out of the door and ran up with a huge smile on his face.

Before Matt could even say "Hi," Gerallt surprised him by exclaiming, "Matt, you know how my mothah and great ahnt have this thing about nevah havin' anyone ovah tah ah house? Ahnt Vivianne is always complainin' she needs her peace and quiet, and Mothah just nevah feels up tah seein' anyone and always makes a big deal about how much work it would be tah prepare for entertainin' a guest..."

"Uh huh."

"Anyway, I've been askin' and askin' them foah a couple of weeks now, explainin' how you'ah my best friend. And it's not like you'ah some important guest that they have to fix up the house foah, and you don't really care what the house looks like. Besides, those ah just excuses tah justify keepin' outsidahs out, and I've been ovah tah youah place lots of times, and it's just not fair not bein' allowed tah have you ovah tah my room. I promised them we'd be as quiet as a couple of mice in a house full of cats, that we wouldn't be any bother at all, and they wouldn't even know we were there."

Gerallt stopped just long enough to take a quick breath before continuing.

"Well, I walked in as Ahnt Vivianne was talkin' tah Mothah, and I heard her remarkin' how you've been a great help with the doah yard this fall. I asked them again, and they both finally said ayuh! You can come ovah this evenin' for an hour after suppah if I get my homework and chores done by then."

Matt could hardly believe his ears. After weeks of not being allowed to set foot inside the front door, he had begun to resign himself to never seeing the inside of the infamous Hawthorne House.

"I need tah head right back in and start on my homework and chores," Gerallt continued. "I'll come ovah tah get you as soon as we've cleaned up after suppah, say around 7:30. See you then!" With a rush, Gerallt ran back through the gate and into his house before Matt could say a word

Visions of what the inside of Hawthorne House might look like filled Matt's head. Although everyone in town called her "Old Lady Hawthorne" and half of the children believed she was a murderous witch, Vivianne Hawthorne had never been anything but kind to him. Still, there was no denying that the Hawthornes were by far the strangest people he'd ever met. If Gerallt could be believed, they were all 'witches,' even if Matt still wasn't exactly sure what he meant by that.

Before dinner, Matt followed Gerallt's example and quickly finished his homework and chores so there would be no reason for his father to refuse to let him go. At dinner, over plates of homemade stir-fried chicken and Chinese vegetables, Matt raised the topic. "Dad, you know how I've never had a chance to see the inside of the Hawthorne House?"

Sam looked up from some documentation he'd brought home from work. Tina also looked at Matt with interest.

"Well," Matt continued, "Gerallt's invited me over to his house for an hour this evening after dinner."

"Are you sure it's okay with his mother and Mrs. Hawthorne?" Sam asked. "She has made it quite clear ever since we moved in that she never allows anyone inside her home."

"Yeah, Dad. Gerallt got it okayed and everything. He even said his great-aunt called me a good worker."

"But what about Matt's chores and homework?" Tina interrupted. "I don't want to get stuck doing his chores on top of my own, especially while he's out with a friend on a school night."

"Already done," Matt said, glad he'd anticipated one of them would raise the issue, and happier still that he'd done most of his chores. "All I have left is cleaning up after dinner, and I can do that now and still be done by 7:30. That's when Gerallt's coming over to get me. I can go, can't I?"

"Okay, Matt," Sam said, "but make sure you're not a bother to anyone, and you're back by 9:00. Remember, it's a school night, and you need to be in bed and ready to fall asleep by 9:45."

Even though he wasn't quite finished eating, Matt jumped up, carried his dirty dishes to the sink, and started putting away the food. Having completed his half of the after-dinner chores, he headed outside to wait for Gerallt.

The sun had set, and the weather was turning colder, with dark clouds rolling in from the west. After ten minutes that crept by like thirty, the front door of the Hawthorne House opened. Gerallt stepped out, saw Matt standing by the gate, and waved him in from the cold. Matt ran to the door where Gerallt, his mother, and his great-aunt stood waiting on the porch.

"Matt," Vivianne Hawthorne said, "I'd like tah introduce you tah my niece Gwendolyn, Gerallt's mothah."

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Hawthorne," Matt said, trying to be on his best behavior. He briefly shook her hand when she offered it.

Gwendolyn Hawthorne was tall and slender like Gwyneth, with long, straight black hair. She was also as beautiful as her daughter, or rather would be if only sadness hadn't left its mark on her. Although Gwendolyn looked nothing like her aunt Vivianne (having married into the Hawthorne family), both women wore nearly identical black dresses: old-fashioned, floor-length, with a high neck and long, flowing sleeves that partially covered the backs of their hands.

"Nice tah finally meet you, too," Gwendolyn said. "Gerallt's told me so much about you. I'm glad he has found such a good friend."

Matt followed Gerallt and the Hawthorne women into a corridor dimly-lit by oil lamps on tables and numerous wall sconces, each holding a long white candle. Oblong mirrors appeared to duplicate each candle so that one burned a few inches in front of the wall while its reflection burned just as brightly. The flames flickering in the draft from the open door gave the foyer a warm golden glow, and the air held the smell of lavender, cinnamon, and other less-common spices.

A straight, narrow staircase led steeply up to the second floor, while two large portals with pocket doors on his left and right, opened into the darkened parlor and dining room respectively.

"Here, let me take youah coat," Gerallt's mother said, after carefully closing, locking, and bolting the front door behind them. Matt handed her his jacket, which she hung on a beautifully-carved, antique coat tree by the door.

To his left, Matt caught a glimpse of the parlor where a small crackling fire in its corner fireplace dimly illuminated several overstuffed chairs and Tiffany lamps with beaded fringes along the bottom of their shades.

"Come on, Matt," Gerallt said, heading for the stairs. "Let's go up tah my room."

Matt followed Gerallt up two narrow flights of stairs to his friend's bedroom at the top of the stairwell. Because the doors to the other bedrooms and bathrooms were closed, all he could see of the second and third floors were hallways that looked nearly identical to the downstairs foyer, with its oil lamps, candles, and high-patterned ceiling.

"Well, what do you think?" Gerallt asked, as he led Matt into his bedroom.

The first thing Matt noticed was the cheerful little fire in the stone fireplace in the far-left corner of the room. Several candles burned brightly on their reflective wall sconces, while two oil lamps sat on a small oak desk and two more sat on either end of an antique chest of drawers, added their light to the fire's warm glow.

"This is sweet!" Matt answered in awe, looking at the flames which were crackling merrily in the fireplace. "I can't believe you have your own fireplace. Dad won't even let me have a candle in my room."

Matt's eyes rapidly adjusted to the relatively dim light in Gerallt's room, and it soon seemed entirely natural that there were no electric lights in the Hawthorne House. He glanced around the room, taking in its antique furniture, the tall narrow windows, and the high ceiling. Unlike Matt's bedroom, there was no clutter, and everything was clean and in its place.

Matt was somewhat taken aback by the lack of electricity. However, the presence of Nightwing, Gerallt's pet crow, more than made up for the absence of a TV, stereo system, computer, or any visible toys, electronic or otherwise. She was sitting on a big bird stand over a large litter box to catch her droppings. A water bowl and pie tin containing dry cat food, peanuts, corn, and raisins sat on the floor in a nearby corner. Matt walked over to take a closer look at Nightwing, and the crow c****d her head to one side and stared silently back at him.

"You can pet her if you want," Gerallt offered. "Just don't make any quick movements, and keep your hands away from her head and beak."

"Thanks," Matt said, moving his hand slowly so as not to startle the crow. Nightwing remained still as Matt ran the tips of his fingers gently down the bird's back. "Sweet! I didn't know feathers were so soft and smooth," "Does she do any tricks?"

"Quite a few," Gerallt answered, reaching down to pick up a raisin and holding it out so she could take it. Nightwing looked at the raisin with mild indifference before eventually accepting it as proper tribute from her "pet" boy. "Crows are really intelligent, but she does have her little quirks. She likes tah hide food and other things around the room. It's annoyin' tah get intah bed and find pieces of dry cat food under youah pillow. Still, it's a lot bettah than it was when I first got her. I tried to give her a more natural diet. You won't believe where I would find her hidden worms, beetles, and pieces of rottin' fruit."

"Ugh," Matt said. He stepped over to the tall, narrow window on his left and pulled back the old lace curtains. "I was wondering which room was yours. Hey, you can see my bedroom window on the second floor, down there on the right." Matt said, pointing down across their darkened yards to his house.

"I know. Sometimes you leave youah curtains open, and I can see you watchin' TV or playin' with youah video games. It makes my room feel kind of empty and borin' by comparison." Gerallt paused, a little embarrassed by the envy he had let creep into his voice. "So, what do you want tah do first? I have some games in my bottom desk drawer. We could play cahds or maybe dominoes or chess."

Gerallt walked over, opened the bottom drawer to his desk, and then looked back at Matt with a mischievous grin on his face. "I know what we can do," he said, pulling out a small, wooden box and opening it to reveal a deck of very old and strange-looking cards. "This was Fathah's first Tarot deck from when he was our age. Do you want me tah use it tah foretell youah fortune?"

"Sure," Matt answered, getting into the "spirit" of the evening, even though he didn't actually believe in fortune telling. "So, what do we do?"

"Well, first I want you tah shuffle the deck a few times until you feel comfortable with it. Then cut the cahds, and give them back tah me," Gerallt said, as they sat down facing each other on the hardwood floor.

"Now what?" Matt asked, after shuffling the deck three times, cutting it, and handing it back to Gerallt.

"Okay. Now, I am goin' tah lay out the first ten cahds, one by one, on the floor, in a traditional pattern called the Celtic cross spread. The first two will form a cross, the next four will form a circle around the cross, and the last four will form the staff. As I lay each cahd down, I'll tell you what the position represents and what the cahd signifies. Got it?"

"I think so," Matt said, looking uncertainly at the cards in his friend's hands. "Go ahead."

Gerallt began by drawing the top card from the deck, turning it over, and placing it face up in the center of the floor in front of Matt. "This first cahd in the spread represents your immediate problem." The card bore the image of a seated man who appeared to be wearing the robes of a pope. "This cahd is called the Hierophant, and it symbolizes education. So, it looks like your primary problem is related tah school."

Gerallt drew the next card from the deck, turned it over, and placed it crosswise on top of the first card. The card carried the image of a medieval peasant holding a wooden staff, standing behind six more staffs stuck into the ground. "The second cahd represents the forces that oppose you in solvin' youah immediate problem. This is the seven of Wands. It stands for aggression. I guess it's safe tah say this card signifies our 'good friends' Colin, Clayton, and Dylan."

"Next, I'm goin' tah draw four cahds that will form a circle around the first two," Gerallt said as he drew the next card and placed it face up below the first two cards. The card showed a sad figure in a black cloak standing over five golden goblets on the ground. "The third cahd represents the ultimate source of youah problem. The 5 of Cups means bereavement and loss. This cahd must symbolize the death of youah mothah."

"The fourth cahd represents the past, somethin' you should let go of." Gerallt drew a card showing a dog baying at the crescent moon and placing it face up to the left of the first two. "Ah, the Moon cahd. It denotes fear. The cahd seems tah be tellin' you tah overcome your fear of Colin and his gang."

Gerallt turned over a card and placed it face up above the first two cards. It bore a medieval woodcarver carving one of eight disks, each inscribed with a pentacle. "The fifth cahd represents youah beliefs, assumptions, and even youah delusions. The eight of Pentacles signifies knowledge. This cahd is tellin' you youah belief that magic isn't real is a delusion." Gerallt grinned. "Maybe you don't know as much about magic as you think you do."

Gerallt drew another card and placed it to the right of the first two cards to complete the cross part of the spread. It bore a large yellow sun, its golden rays radiating down onto a field of sunflowers. "This sixth cahd represents the future and completes the circle. The Sun cahd stands for enlightenment. Maybe I'll get you tah believe in magic after all." Gerallt smiled.

"Don't count on it," Matt said, grinning back at Gerallt, who ignored the remark and continued with his reading of the deck.

Gerallt drew another card and placed it face up to the bottom right of the others. "The seventh cahd forms the base of the staff, a column of four cahds tah the right of the circle and cross. This cahd represents how you see yourself." The card bore the ugly image of Mephistopheles with large curling horns and cloven feet, sitting over two figures bound in chains. "The Devil is a very negative cahd that typically means hopelessness and b*****e. Maybe you see yourself stuck heah in Indiana without hope of evah returnin' tah the coast. I know that's the way I sometimes feel about evah going home tah Deeah Isle."

Gerallt drew a card with three swords piercing a large red heart over a background of clouds and rain. He placed it face up to the right of the first six cards, just above the seventh. "The eighth cahd is the second cahd in the staff and represents the environment you find yourself in. The three of Swords signifies heartbreak, loneliness, and betrayal. The death of youah mothah has hurt everyone in youah family. Her death is building walls between you, youah sister, and youah fathah, leaving you lonely. And you might even feel youah fathah betrayed you when he took you away from youah home."

Gerallt drew a card with a single wand being held by a hand emerging from a cloud and placed it face up above the sixth and seventh cards of the staff. "The ninth cahd represents your hopes and feahs. The Ace of Wands signifies confidence and courage. This cahd means you'll find the confidence and courage tah face youah problems and solve them, even though you feah you won't be able tah."

Gerallt drew one last card holding the image of ten golden goblets in the arc of a rainbow over a joyous family. He placed it face up above the ninth card to complete the staff. "And the tenth and final cahd represents the outcome of youah problem. This is excellent. The ten of Cups means joy, peace, and family. It looks like things will work out just fine in the end for you, Tina, and youah fathah." Gerallt laid the remaining cards down on the floor and smiled smugly at his friend. "Well, Matt, what do you think of that? Looks like the cahds know you pretty well, don't they?"

"Nice job," Matt replied, looking down at the pattern made by the strange-looking cards. "Not that I really believe a word of what you said, but it was definitely interesting. You made it sound so convincing I almost believed you. But how do I know you haven't just used what I've been telling you about myself and made it all up as you went along?"

Before Gerallt could reply, there was a soft knock on the door, and Gwyneth walked in, carrying a silver platter with homemade sugar cookies and cups of hot spiced apple cidah. "Mothah thought you two might like a snack." She sat the tray down on the floor beside them.

"Great, Gwyneth. Thank you," Gerallt said.

"Yeah, thanks," Matt added as he took a cookie and the cider.

Instead of leaving, Gwyneth wavered, first looking down at the Tarot cards on the floor and then over at her brother. "I see Gerallt's been tellin' fortunes. Well, Matt, what did you learn?"

"That if Gerallt's right, we won't have to put up with the bullies at school forever," Matt answered with a grin.

"I should hope not," Gwyneth said, smiling with relief that Gerallt was restricting himself to the Tarot deck. "I would like tah think the two of you will graduate sooner or later." She paused to let the jibe sink in. "Did the cahds make any predictions about Gareth?"

"No...." Gerallt said, unsure where his sister's question was leading.

"Well, I can predict that Gareth would like tah be invited in. Ever since the day with the seagulls, he's talked about nothing except how Matt came tah his rescue. You know, it wouldn't hurt for you tah ask him tah join the two of you every now and then."

"Okay," Gerallt said. "Send him up. We could use another person for the next game anyway."

"Wise decision. Mothah always notices these sorts of things." Gwyneth stuck her head out into the hallway and called, "Gareth! It's okay. You can come on up."

Instantly, they heard a pair of feet flying up the stairs, two at a time. Gwyneth opened the door fully, and Gareth raced in, his stockinged feet sliding on the smooth hardwood floor. "Can I really play too?" he asked as Gwyneth left, closing the door behind her.

"Sure, Gareth, you can play, too," Gerallt answered as he carefully placed the Tarot deck into its box. "Put this back in my bottom drawer and bring over the Ouija board."

Gareth put the box away and pulled out a large, flat, wooden game board. The alphabet was written across its center in two arcs of ornate letters, underneath which were written the digits from 1 through 9 followed by a zero. A figure of the sun labeled with the word "yes" was printed in the top left corner, while a figure of a crescent moon labeled with the word "no" was in the upper right. The words "good bye" were centered at the bottom of the board. Gareth also brought over what appeared to be a flat triangular piece of wood.

"The Ouija board is a little like a Tarot deck," Gerallt explained as the three boys sat down on the floor in front of the board. "Both are used for divination, but the Ouija board gives you more information because it will actually answer your questions."

"So how does it work?" Matt asked, looking skeptically at the board in front of him.

"You use an Ouija board tah contact someone from the Spirit World and ask questions. This is the planchette," Gerallt said, holding up the triangle of wood. "We place it on the board, and we all lightly rest our fingertips on it. Then one of us asks the spirits a question. With any luck, a spirit will move the planchette around the board tah give us its answer."

"If you say so," Matt said skeptically.

"Well, actually, that's exactly what a lot of New Age pagans believe," Gerallt said with a chuckle. "But this is really just a simple board game we'ah going tah play for fun. People don't realize they ah subconsciously moving the planchette to spell out messages from beyond. This is just a poor imitation of a real Ouija board."

"Okay," Matt said, wondering how much longer his friend was going to continue pulling his leg. "So, what does the real Ouija board do?"

"It predicts the future," Gerallt replied with a straight face. "And you don't move the planchette; you don't even touch it. It moves itself. Ahnt Vivianne has a real one hidden downstairs in the library. Maybe one day, she'll allow me to show it tah you."

"Good one, Gerallt." Matt laughed. "Once again, magic is real; I just have to wait to see it." He reached out and placed his fingertips lightly on the waiting planchette. "Okay, let's play."

When Gwendolyn entered the room 20 minutes later, the boys were asking silly questions about the future and laughing as each one secretly tried to move the planchette to spell out the most outrageous answers possible. "Time tah go, Matt," she said. "And Gareth, it's time for you tah get ready for bed."

Matt walked over to say goodbye to Nightwing as Gerallt put away the Ouija board. While Gareth stopped at the second-floor bathroom to brush his teeth before bed, the older boys continued down to where Gerallt's mother and great-aunt stood waiting for them by the door. Matt made sure to thank them both for letting him come over, especially on a school night.

Matt put on his jacket and walked outside into the dark and freezing air. Heavy clouds carried the threat of the year's first snowfall, even though it wasn't expected to stick. Matt glanced back at the Hawthorne House as he stepped onto his porch. Somehow, the old house next door didn't seem spooky at all.