A Haunted Marriage & The Cookie Baking Poltergeist

Chapter 7: Mouse Traps

    Julia sat on the couch with her bare feet resting on the coffee table. A rerun of The Golden Girls played on a television that she wasn't paying much attention to at the moment. Upon putting on a coat of toenail polish, Julia had placed cotton balls between each one of her toes. Ruby red was her husband's favorite color. As Julia held her cell phone with one hand, she moved her thumb across the Iphone 7 screen to send her resume via Indeed.com to more prospective jobs. With the other hand, Julia held Bogey on her lap. Bogey's purring intensified with each pet from his owner's steady hand.

    Only about another minute and these will be dry. I can do my fingernails later.

    Putting her Iphone down, Julia picked up the remote control and turned the channel to NBC. A news conference was featured from the White House with President Trump pointing to a reporter in the back of the press room.

    If a reality show host can be elected president of the United States, then I guess anything is possible, including surviving in this new house and living upstate.

    Julia flipped the television off before picking up her cell phone to check her f*******: page. She recently updated her profile picture of her and Michael dressed up as colonists from their date at the Saratoga Battlefield. Julia's sister had commented on the photo posting that, 'you too look like a bunch of love struck teenagers. Steve and I can't wait to come up and visit you in your new house.' I don't feel like a love struck teen, Julia thought.

    Julia changed websites back to Indeed.com to see if someone had at least looked at her resume. She applied to three other receptionist positions the past two days. They haven't even looked at my resume yet. I am so f*****g bored sitting at home all the time.

    Bogey's purring ceased before darting out of Julia's lap into the kitchen. Julia checked her email and heard a scratching sound from the kitchen.

    "Bogey knock it off."

    In one minute the scratching stopped before resuming and this time becoming louder than before.

    "Cut it out," Julia said as she picked up a pillow from the couch and flung it over her left shoulder. Although Julia didn't notice, the pillow landed in the kitchen next to the basement door.

    Even though the pillow found its mark, the scratching sound continued. Loud meows started to emanate from the kitchen.

    "What the hell is the problem Bogey?" Julia said jumping up from the couch. She bent over the remove the cotton balls from her toes before putting on her slippers. On her walk to the kitchen, Bogey's meowing grew louder, almost into a growl. Julia found Bogey scratching at base of the basement door. Scratch marks ran for six inches along the bottom of the door. "Bogey you have taken some of the paint off the door." Julia kicked Bogey away but he ran right back to the basement door, this time to let out a growl.

    Mike is going to have something else to paint, but he brought home the cat so it's his problem.

    Julia opened the door and Bogey quickly ran down into the basement. "I should lock you down there. You've been a pain in the ass today."

    Julia left the door open a crack so Bogey could come back up.

    Maybe he will act like a cat and catch any mice that might be down there.

    Within a minute, Bogey darted back up the stairs, running through Julia's legs before curling into a ball on the couch. "Didn't catch anything? What kind of a cat are you? I guess we will have to do this the old fashioned way."

    Julia opened the drawer next to the refrigerator and pulled out a bag containing two mouse traps. Julia walked over to the cabinet above the sink to remove a jar of peanut butter. She tucked the traps under her arm before making her way down the basement stairs. No need to turn the light on since the daylight streamed into the windows, illuminating the entire basement.

    "I had better place these where Bogey can't reach them," Julia whispered to herself.

    Strange I don't smell anything anymore. Maybe keeping the windows open helped finally air this place out.

    Julia walked over to the metal shelf and noticed a one inch space behind it, plenty of room to place the traps. Julia also looked around the entire basement to see if any of the boxes had been chewed. Nothing. Julia also stared at the floor hoping to find mouse droppings. Again nothing.

    After tearing open the plastic bag, Julia carefully wound back one of the springs on the trap to set it. She crouched on the floor before opening the jar of peanut butter. Julia dabbed a small amount on a plastic knife and spread it on the trap. After taking a broom from the room's corner, Julia slid the trap behind the shelf with the broom handle.

    Bogey won't be able to fit back here.

    Julia took the other trap and set it up in the same fashion she did the first trap. Julia read the packaging. "Traps should be effective within one day."

    We'll see about that. Mike should be home soon. I have to start putting the meatloaf together.

    Julia jogged back upstairs and shut the basement door behind her. After putting the peanut butter away, she took out a carton of eggs and a pound of ground beef from the refrigerator. She placed these items next to a bowl and a cup of breadcrumbs. Julia put on an apron she took off of a plastic magnetic hook hung on the side of the refrigerator. Rolling up her sleeves, Julia pierced the plastic with her finger to open the ground beef.

    The sound of a car door shutting came through the kitchen window. Julia left the kitchen table to look out of the window at her husband jogging to the front porch with what looked like a bouquet of yellow roses. Hearing the front door close, Julia left the kitchen to greet Michael in the hallway.

    "These are for you," Michael said handing his wife the roses.

    "How nice. You haven't done that in awhile, but I greatly appreciate it," Julia said before kissing Michael on the mouth.

    Michael ran into the kitchen and filled a vase with water that he handed to Julia. Julia placed the flowers inside and put the vase on the coffee table. Bogey didn't move from his slumber on the couch.

    "I see you're making my favorite tonight. How's the cat?" Michael said.

    "Ok, but I want him to act more like a cat, which are supposed to be like one of nature's best predators, but Bogey is a big coward. I know there are mice down there, but he hasn't caught anything yet. I found him meowing by the basement and I let him down there, but he ran right back up. I put down some mouse traps."

    "I had meant to do that. I haven't seen any dropping but mice are like little ninjas, they climb through the walls to get where they need to go."

    The sound of two snaps, clicking one after the other, emanated from the basement.

    "That was fast. Would you be able to go down to the basement to check it out. Dead mice are going to freak me out."

    Michael opened the basement door and walked downstairs. At the foot of the stairs he reached down to find both mouse traps, already sprung, but no bodies of mice stuck to them. Michael picked up both traps and brought them back upstairs into the kitchen.

    "Where are the dead mice?" Julia asked.

    "I didn't find any. These were at the bottom of the stairs."

    "How the hell did that happen? I put both traps behind the shelves. Bogey must have gotten down there and moved them. But how the hell did he fit down behind the shelves?"

    Michael walked over to Julia to wrap his arms around her waist. "Don't worry about that now. I appreciate the effort. Let's make this meatloaf together, that way we can head upstairs faster, if you're in the mood that is."

    "Anytime baby," Julia said before kissing her husband on the lips.

    "Screw the meatloaf. We will make it later after our time," Michael said as he scooped up Julia in his arms. He didn't put her down until he dropped her on the bed. Michael slammed the bedroom door shut behind them.

                                                                                    #

    A few days after the great meatloaf dinner, preceded in Michael's opinion by even greater s*x, he sat at a wood table in his basement staring at a blank page on his laptop computer. A pad containing character sketches for a novel that Michael hoped to begin to write lay at the right side of the computer. Michael's idea for the novel was to chronicle a deteriorating marriage set against the events of 9/11. Michael sat with his elbows on the table, his head resting in his palms. Bogey lay in the corner under the sink, curled into a ball.

    I have no clue how I am going to start this. Should I write it in a first person perspective of the husband or a first person perspective of the wife? Or should it be third person? Too many writers today write in the first person. It's become kind of a cop out. I want to try something different.

    Michael had several of his short stories published in small college publishing presses the past five years, but this was the first time he attempted to write something that was actually longer than twenty pages.

    Michael typed one sentence that read, 'Stacey said, "Nate, why did you leave the sponge in the sink again?"'

    Michael laughed at himself. Julia hasn't complained much lately. She said that two employers on Indeed.com even checked out her resume. We have been getting along great lately for some reason. And no more smells from down here. It's peaceful enough down here to finally get some writing done.

    Michael began to type another sentence before he heard the basement door creak open. Michael looked up to see his wife's ankles, then the rest of her descend the stairs. Julia carried a cup of coffee in the New York Yankees mug and placed it next to the computer. Michael stared back at his laptop and finished a few more sentences.

    "Honey how is it going?"

    "Hard. I just started the first chapter and I've been sitting here a half an hour. This book has to work itself out. It will take its time. Writing a novel is not like a fifty yard dash, more like a marathon. "

    Julia bent over and kissed Michael on the forehead. "I believe in you. As long as you believe in yourself you'll do fine. I can proofread it for you when it's done. You can self publish it. f**k the publishers. Their rejection rate is over ninety percent anyway."

    "I love you."

    Julia placed her palm over her mouth to stifle a smile.

    "Mike I am late. I should have gotten my period by today and I have always been regular."

    "That's, that's hopefully wonderful news," Michael said. He rose from his chair and rubbed Julia's back. "We should run out and get one of those pregnancy tests to find out for sure."

    Julia reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out an unopened Clear Blue pregnancy test. "I took the liberty before. I actually have to pee now so I am going to run upstairs so we can find out for sure. I can really feel it Mike. I think this time might be the one. How does it feel like to know that you might be a father?"

    "Daunting, but exciting at the same time."

    "I am going right now," Julia said before jogging up the stairs.

    Michael sat back down and jotted a note on the legal pad before staring back at his computer screen. After finishing the first paragraph of chapter one, Michael thought, I should go check on her.

    Michael slammed the laptop shut before jogging up the stairs. He found the kitchen empty. "Julia, are you ok?"

    No answer.

    Michael ran down the hall and noticed the bathroom door ajar. He knocked but didn't receive an answer. He pushed open the door to find Julia hunched over the toilet bowl. She was sobbing into her elbows and held the pregnancy test in a fist in her right hand.

    "It's f*****g negative. f*****g God hates me."

    Michael walked over to help Julia to her feet by lifting her below the armpits.

    "Just get out Mike. Leave me the f**k alone."

    "Julia I know you're upset, but just try to calm down a little."

    Julia jumped up and ran out of the bathroom past Michael. "HOW THE HELL CAN I BE CALM? I AS SO SICK OF THIS s**t, THIS SHITTY HOUSE, THIS SHITTY HICK COUNTY WE LIVE IN. I WANT TO GO HOME."

    Michael walked into the living room to find Julia laying on the couch with her head buried in a pillow. Julia sobbed every few seconds into the pillow.

    "Sweetie this is our home now. We can always try again."

    "I am so pissed off right now. Nothing has gone right since we've moved up here."

    Before Michael could answer he smelled burning from the kitchen. He sat down next to his wife and placed his arms on her shoulders.

    "OH NO, MY OVEN IS ON FIRE," a female voice said that emanated from the basement.

    Simultaneously, Julia and Michael jumped up from the couch. "Mike who the f**k was that? There's a stranger in our house."