The Haunted House From Hell

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Pam placed her other hand over her mouth to prevent a scream escaping.

“What’s the matter?” Derek asked, re-emerging through the front door.

Pam looked at him, her eyes wide in shock.

She pointed towards the top of the house, without saying a word.

Derek came down the steps to join her, and looked up, following the line of her finger. He, too, had to strain his eyes, but all he could see were the empty windows staring back at them.

He turned to Pam. “What do you see?” he enquired, desperately trying to keep the trepidation from his voice, for he already suspected what her answer would be.

“There was someone there,” Pam stuttered. “Standing at the attic window, I saw them as clearly as I see you now.”

Derek looked up, once more. “Well, there’s no one there now – perhaps it was a shadow from the sunlight against the pane,” he suggested. Hopefully.

Pam turned to him, scowling. “I think I’d know the difference between a reflection and an actual person,” she hissed. “Someone must be up there.”

Derek held his hands up. “I checked the entire house when I arrived, and there was no one anywhere inside. Plus which, there was no sign of a break-in.” He looked deep into her eyes. “If there was someone up there, I think we both know who it was.”

Pam pulled back. She was all too familiar with the rumours about the old house. The company lawyers had even suggested that they mention it to future buyers for fear of being sued at some later date for failing to disclose the house’s history.

But Pam refused to believe that what she had just seen was anything other than an intruder from this world, not the next.

“Stop talking rubbish!” she spat. “I want you to go up there right now and check it out.”

The authority in her voice did not betray Pam’s alarm but Derek could see the woman trembling where she stood. Whether she wanted to believe what she saw, or not, it was clear that the rational side of her mind was desperately trying to keep a firm hold on her sense of reality.

For himself, Derek was not overjoyed with the prospect of searching the house again that morning. But Pam was his superior and he could do without her making a complaint against him for refusing to carry out his job.

Finally, he agreed. “All right, you stay here,” he told her. “I’ll go back upstairs and have a look around.”

As he turned, Pam’s arm shot out and grabbed him by the cuff. “You will be careful, won’t you?” Her eyes were almost pleading.

Derek patted her hand. “Listen, whether or not we want to believe what’s there or not, we both know that it won’t do either of us any harm. She never has done in the past.” He sighed. “That said, if I’m honest, I’m not looking forward to this.”

As he reached the top step, Pam called out to him.

“Wait.”

Derek turned. Pam was nervously nibbling at her thumbnail. She waited a moment longer before calling him back.

“You’re right,” she admitted solemnly. “It’s just that I’ve been here so many times and she’s… I’ve never seen anything. I was beginning to believe it was all just an elaborate folk tale, designed to scare children and stop them trespassing.”

“Whatever it is,” offered Derek, “after today, it’s no longer our concern.”

Pam managed a half-smile.

Derek noticed that she appeared to be purposely keeping her eye level straight ahead. It was almost as if she were afraid to look up again, just in case she caught another glimpse of something loitering at the upper windows.

A sudden breeze kicked up some of the dead leaves littered across the grassy banks on either side of the drive, making both of them shiver involuntarily.

“What time can we expect the new owners?” he asked.

Pam checked her watch. “Well, contracts are due to be exchanged at noon, so I suspect they are already on their way. Once I receive the call from the solicitors, the place is legally theirs.”

Derek scratched his head. “I take it they know about their permanent resident?”

Pam looked startled. “Good thing you said that. The husband knows all about it, full disclosure, but he asked that no one should mention it to his wife and daughters, so please remember that when they arrive.”

Derek nodded. “I suppose he thinks it’ll be a lovely surprise for them,” he speculated. “Something to talk about at dinner parties.”

Pam chuckled. “That’s very funny,” she observed. “Odd that you should mention that, when the husband and wife came down for their viewing, the wife commented on the fact that the large downstairs room would be ideal to host one.”

“Why do you think he doesn’t want his missus to know anything before they arrive?”

“Well,” Pam lowered her voice, and again looked around her as if afraid someone might overhear their conversation. “I got the distinct impression that the wife was not exactly overjoyed by their prospective move. They live in London at the moment, but I believe they rent their property, so this is their first step on the ladder, so to speak. I happened to overhear the wife speaking very disparagingly about living outside the capital.”

Derek frowned. “Why, it’s a lovely house, save for the unwanted guest, in a beautiful area, lots of parks, good schools, fresh air. Better than stuffy old London, I’d have thought.”

Pam shook her head. “You don’t understand,” she remarked. “I get the impression that their circle of friends all lived in London, so their moving away might mean they can no longer afford to live there.”

Derek shrugged. “Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say. They’ll soon change their mind when they settle in.”

“Yes,” whispered Pam, “that’s if the G.H.O.S.T doesn’t send them packing overnight.”

“And what if it does?” Derek continued. “You’ve done your bit by making the owner aware, caveat emptor, and all that. After 12 o’clock it’s no longer your problem.”

“Yes, I know,” replied Pam, uneasily.

They waited out the rest of the time in their respective vehicles. Under normal circumstances, Derek would have been on his way to his next job by now, but Pam had insisted he wait with her, at least until the new owners arrived.

Just after 12, Pam received a text to confirm that the contracts had been exchanged.

Approximately 15 minutes later, the lorry arrived with the new family’s belongings.

Derek waited in his van, as instructed, just in case he was needed to demonstrate how the boiler worked, or to show them where the stopcock was housed.

The house came fully furnished, which had been another idea by someone on the board as a selling point.

Pam approached the lorry and spoke to the three men in the cab. She explained that as the formalities had all been taken care of, they could begin to unload if they were confident that they knew where everything went.

The driver, Larry, thanked her, but told her that the Jeffersons were not far behind, so they preferred to wait.

Ten minutes later, a Jaguar pulled into the drive. Pam recognised the driver as William Jefferson, the new owner.

While they were exchanging pleasantries in front of the house, a silver Mercedes rounded the corner, and pulled up next to the Jag.

“This’ll be my wife and daughters,” Jefferson explained, before suddenly turning around to face the house. “You haven’t forgotten my request about you know what?” he asked, from the side of his mouth.

“Not at all, Mr Jefferson, rest assured, my staff and I have been fully apprised.”

Once the Mercedes was parked, the two back doors flew open, and Pam watched as two excited girls came careering out, screaming to each other that they were going to bag the best room.

They raced passed Pam and Jefferson, almost knocking the estate agent off her feet in their haste.

“You must forgive them,” said Jefferson apologetically, “They’re both very excited by the move. Or, at least they were once we bribed them with new tablets and what-not.”

Pam watched as Mrs Jefferson emerged from her car. She looked as if she had just walked out of a beauty salon, which, considering the hour and the drive from London, meant that she must have been up with the lark, if that were the case.

The woman was wearing a dark-green roll-neck jumper, and what looked to Pam like riding jodhpurs tucked into knee-high brown boots.

She reached back into her car and pulled out a hacking jacket, which she threw around her shoulders as she stared up at the house.

Jefferson walked over to her, excitedly. “Isn’t it marvellous, darling?” he enthused, kissing her on the cheek.

Pam could tell by the woman’s demeanour that, unlike her husband, she was somewhat less than enamoured by the look of their new home. Even so, she managed a smile when she approached Pam, before making her way over to the lorry to dish out her instructions to Larry.

Pam, felt obliged to go into the house with the family. She knew it would be far safer with people around her, but even so, she prayed that the weeping woman would not choose this particular time to make another appearance.

Celia Jefferson soon established herself as the one giving orders to the workers, whereas her husband seemed perfectly content to stand aside and keep out of the way.

Pam remained on hand to answer any last-minute questions either of them might have although, if truth be known, she was itching to leave the old house for the last time. The sight of the figure up at the window earlier was still very much on her mind and just being inside the house now was making her feel uncomfortable.

She considered heading back outside and bringing Derek in for moral support, but decided it might look too obvious, so she stayed put and smiled whenever one of the Jeffersons glanced in her direction.

At one point, Celia appeared in the hallway and strode over to her purposefully.

“I’ve been meaning to ask,” she announced, “on the deeds to the property it states that this is called Willow House.”

Pam nodded. “Yes, that’s correct. I believe it was named after the man who commissioned it to be built in the mid-19th century.”

Celia nodded. “I see, I only ask because on my way here this morning, I stopped off for petrol at the station around the corner, and the chatty woman behind the counter asked if we were new to the area, and when I told her we were moving here, she insisted on calling this place Porter House. Any idea why?”

Pam cleared her throat.

She looked around desperately, hoping that Mr Jefferson might be nearby, but she heard his voice coming from the large dining room. He sounded as if he were on his phone, so Pam realised she was on her own.

“Well,” she began, “from what I understand, the Porters were the first family to occupy this property, and they stayed here for several generations, until…”

Pam looked perplexed. “Until?” she repeated.

“Er… until the end of the 19th century, when the only surviving member died without issue.”

Pam nodded. “Oh, I see. How quaint.”

Just then, their attention was drawn to the Jefferson girls rushing down the stairs, calling out excitedly.

“Mummy, Mummy,” yelled the eldest, “we’ve chosen our rooms. Mine is at the back with a lovely view of the woods.”

“And mine is in the attic, facing the front of the house,” chirped in the younger girl. “Oh mummy, it’s beautiful, but I don’t like the bed in there – could I swap it for one of the others?”

Celia sighed. “The attic? Why on earth would you want to sleep in the attic?”

Pam felt a shudder slide down her back.

Her memory of the figure at the attic window returned once more.

“It’s beautiful Mummy,” replied the younger girl. “Oh, please say I can have it.”

“And what’s wrong with the bed? I seem to remember it was a fine sturdy one.”

The young girl wrinkled her nose. “It’s old-fashioned and nasty-looking, but there’s a lovely one in the room below. Please can I have that one instead?”

Celia turned to Pam and rolled her eyes. “Oh, I suppose so.”

The two girls held hands and jumped together in unison.

Just then, Larry entered the house carrying a large box.

“Larry, just the man,” called Celia. “Would you follow Jennifer upstairs, please? She has chosen her room, but the bed is not up to her majesty’s standards. Do you think you and your team could dismantle it and swap it with the one from the room below?”

Larry smiled and put the box down to one side. “No problem at all, ma’am, I’ve got all the tools in the van.”

Jennifer rushed forward and grabbed Larry’s hand. “Goody, come with me please, I’ll show you.”

“Me too,” chipped in the elder girl, taking his other hand.

Together they led the poor removal man back up the stairs.

Just then, William emerged from the dining room. “What’s all the noise about?” he asked, evidently annoyed by the commotion.

“The girls have chosen their rooms, but Jennifer wants a different bed,” replied Celia. “Who were you on the phone with?” she demanded. “We agreed no work for the next couple of days.”

William sheepishly stuffed his mobile back in his pocket. “Sorry, I had to take that, I’m missing an important meeting today and they just needed a few questions answered.”

Celia was fuming, and as far as Pam could tell, she was not attempting to hide the fact. “You are all supposed to be equal partners so why is it that they cannot seem to wipe their noses without your input?”

William flushed and stole a quick glance at Pam. “They’re not that bad, really.”

Pam decided to try and defuse the situation. “Mrs Jefferson was just asking why the locals often call this house Porter House.”

William shot her a desperate look. His bottom lip trembled slightly, as he tried to think of something to say.

“I explained,” Pam continued, pretending to ignore his discomfort, “that the house is known locally by the name of the family who lived in it for so many years when it was first built.”

William’s shoulders relaxed.

“Still seems a little odd to me,” stated Celia. “Still, there’s no accounting for the thought processes of people living this far from town.”

She took out her car keys and dangled them in front of her husband. “There’s some provisions in the boot. Please retrieve them before they go off.”

William obediently took her keys and made for the front door.

As he passed by, he gave Pam a grateful wink.