The Haunting of Pitmon House (26 page)

“I am so freaking hungry,” he said, closing his eyes.

“Help me undo these straps, will you?” Eliza asked Robert.
They unbuckled the leather restraints and Shane slowly raised his arms to his
face.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

“My arms hurt.”

“Shane, this is Robert,” Eliza said. “He’s going to stay with
you while I go talk to someone and figure out how to get you out of here. Wait
here with him, OK?”

“Alright,” Shane said, and she turned to leave the room.

“Bring me a cheeseburger!” Shane called after her.

She smiled.
He’s back,
she thought.

●

“Well, well!” Donette said, standing in the doorway. “I
honestly didn’t know if I would ever see you again.”

“I said I’d return it,” Eliza replied, holding up Nick’s
journal. “Here it is.”

“I just made some iced tea,” Donette said. “Would you like to
come in and have some?”

Eliza imagined she’d hand the journal back to Donette and
leave, but the invitation to talk more with her suddenly seemed welcome, and
she nodded yes.

Donette’s apartment was decorated with leopard print fabric
and bright colors. She led Eliza to the kitchen, which was painted a deep red,
and offered her a glass.

“This must mean you were able to save your brother,” Donette
said.

“Yes,” Eliza replied. “He came home from the hospital
yesterday. Seems fine, aside from missing a lot of school work that he’ll have
to make up.”

“And Granger? Robert?”

“Granger was hurt in Pitmon House,” Eliza said. “He’s still
in the hospital. They expect to release him Friday.”

“What happened to him?” Donette asked.

“Knife wounds,” Eliza replied. “Lots of them, on his back.”

Donette raised a hand to her mouth. “Just like Nick.”

“Nick died from a knife attack?”

“I think they said thirty stab wounds,” Donette answered.
“That was what killed him. He was burned after that, but the autopsy said it
was the stabbings that killed him.”

“I’m so sorry,” Eliza said. While they’d been in the middle
of trying to help Shane, the full weight of what had happened to Nick hadn’t
settled on her. Now, after the attack upon Rachel and Granger, she was
realizing just how dangerous the entire enterprise had been.

“I’m just glad to hear Granger is OK,” Donette said. “If
they’re letting him out of the hospital, he must be on the mend.”

“He’ll be fine,” Eliza replied. “We were worried at first,
but none of the knife wounds damaged anything internally.”

“Thank god,” Donette said. “Robert? And your other friend?”

“Robert is fine,” Eliza answered, “My friend Rachel was
burned pretty badly.”

“Oh, no!” Donette said. “How is she doing?”

“I don’t know,” Eliza replied. “She’s completely disappeared.
She checked out of the hospital she was in. I tried other hospitals, but she’s
not at any of them. I went by her home, and she’s not there either. So I don’t
know.”

“Just up and left?” Donette said. “How strange.”

The room fell silent for a moment, then Donette asked, “What
happened at Pitmon House?”

Eliza related the story of their activities, ending with the
removal of the items from the attic room. “I think Tena and Dominic are gone,”
she said. “Dominic is most certainly the one who killed Nick.”

“Well,” Donette said, wiping at her eyes. “Justice has been a
long time coming. It’s good to know it’s been resolved, and I have you to thank
for it. I guess loaning you his journal was a good move. It’s actually a
relief, after all this time, to know the reason.”

“You really weren’t sure I’d come back?” Eliza asked.

“No,” Donette said. “I honestly didn’t think any of you would
make it.”

They chatted a while longer; Donette recounted some of Nick’s
stories, and Eliza answered some of her questions about her schooling and work.
After a refill of the tea, they parted and Eliza left the apartment, anxious to
make her appointment with Robert in Spring Green.

●

“You’re sure?” Robert said, breathing heavy as he stared down
into the hole he’d just dug.

“I’d rather know where it is than wonder who might be
stumbling upon it,” Eliza said, standing next to him. “Besides, you assured me
it’s inert, right? Can’t radiate anything and cause any harm anymore?”

“I soaked the wood in the counter agent for three days,”
Robert said. “Then I lined the inside of the metal box with the wood, and
welded it all shut. The metal will keep the wood from rotting.”

Eliza looked at the three foot metal cube at her feet. She’d
wrestled with where to bury Sydney, but in the end she decided to inter her on
her property, choosing a heavily wooded spot, far from the house and barn. And
the graveyard.

“Should we say something?” Eliza asked. “I’m not sure I know
what to say.”

Robert jumped into the hole, and carefully lifted the metal
box.  He placed it gently on the soil at the bottom of the hole, then climbed
out and joined Eliza, looking down into the grave. “Well, she was loved,”
Robert said. “Whatever she was, she was loved. I suppose that’s as good of a
thing as you can say about someone.”

“Yeah,” Eliza replied. “I agree. It is.”

Robert took the shovel and began filling in the hole, rocks
ringing as they hit the metal. Eliza watched as he worked and the grave was
slowly filled. Soon it was covered completely. The mound wasn’t in the shape of
a human grave, since it was square. Eliza was reminded of times when they’d
buried family pets on the property.

“Well, that’s finished,” Robert said. “For what it’s worth, I
think you’ve done the right thing. At least it won’t become someone else’s
problem.”

“Until I sell the house,” Eliza replied, turning to walk out
of the woods.

“You planning on selling anytime soon?” Robert asked.

“Nope.”

“Good.”

She smiled at his response. “Come with me back to the house,”
she said. “I’ll make you some lunch.”

●

Shane!
she thought, forcing herself out of bed. She assumed the loud noise that
had just woken her up must have come from her brother. She quickly pulled on a
pair of pants and walked out into the hallway.

The door to Shane’s bedroom was closed. She opened it slowly
and looked inside. Shane was asleep on the bed; everything looked normal and
quiet.

What did I hear?
she wondered.

She walked back to her bedroom.
I need to get back to
sleep,
she thought.
I’ve got a double tomorrow.
She wasn’t looking
forward to it; Lois’s niece was annoying, and with Rachel now apparently out of
the picture, it was likely the niece would be around for a long time.

Instead of slipping into bed, she decided to look out the
window, down into the front yard. There was no moonlight this time, and
everything seemed dark.

I know I heard a bang,
she thought.
Maybe it was part of a dream.

She looked at the barn; in the window she could see a face,
staring up at her. Its mouth was moving rapidly, as though it was speaking to
her. She looked at it with amusement.
I wonder what it’s saying?
she
thought. Then she heard the bang again. It was coming from the barn.

Great,
she thought.
Just what I needed.

She laid down on the bed and dropped into the River. Leaving
her body, she drifted down to the front yard. The head in the barn window
turned to face her as she approached, and it backed away as she entered the
building.

Is that you making noise?
she asked.

How dare you!
the ghost shrieked at her, raising his hands to show her the
tiny faces on its palms, their yellow eyes glowing and the foul air of their
breath beginning to fill the barn.

How dare I what?
Eliza asked impatiently.

Defile my home with your filth!
it shrieked.

She studied the man. She remembered being scared of him at
first, but now, after what she’d experienced at Pitmon, she was more intrigued
than afraid.

It’s my home, not yours,
she said.
I’ll do with it what I want. If you don’t
like it, move on.

The man moved closer.
It’s not just yours. Look at you.
When you were little and came in here, I used to play with your long hair. Do
you remember the feeling of it rising in the air?

Eliza did remember. It had been one of the things that
spooked her about the barn.

Now look at you!
the man continued.
Your hair unkempt, like a bum!

This is about my hair?
Eliza asked.

No, it’s about that abomination you buried next to us!
the man said, furious.

Next to you?
Eliza asked.
You’re buried out in the woods?

No, I’m buried in the graveyard next to my wife,
the man replied.

Well, then it’s hardly buried next to you,
Eliza replied.
It’s on the other
side of the property.

It shouldn’t be within twenty miles of our home!
the man shouted.
It’ll taint and
twist everything, making things unholy!

It’s sealed in a soaked-wood box,
Eliza replied.
It can’t leech
anything.

I know that!
the man snarled.
You think I can’t detect that? If its
unsanctified nature was seeping into the ground, I’d be even more angry with
you!

Well then, what’s the problem?
Eliza asked.
Do you know
something about it I don’t?

I know it’s profane!
the man screeched.
The thought of my poor dear Justine,
lying in the same earth as that abomination — it’s an insult to the family! I’m
ashamed to call you an heir! You are to dig it out immediately!

I’ll do no such thing!
Eliza shot back.
This is my property to run, and I say
she stays.

It’s not a she!
the man said, his hysteria increasing with each sentence.
It’s
not even a he! You can’t tell what it is! It’s a sacrilegious disgrace! It’s a
blemish upon our good name, upon the memory of our family! You were raised
better than to associate with that kind!

Exactly who are you?
Eliza asked.
Which of those graves out there are you?

You don’t even know your own history!
the man replied.
You sicken me.
The shame you bring upon us this day will live forever.

Eliza had had enough.
I’m thinking of digging it up…

The man’s countenance changed; he looked up at her, hopeful.

…and reburying it here in the garage.

His face contorted in horror.
You can’t do that! You
perverse, sick child!

Or,
Eliza continued,
I can dig you up and move you to the county cemetery.
How about that?

The man looked even more terrified.
No! You mustn’t!

Why mustn’t I?
Eliza asked, walking closer to the man.
You’d be far, far
away from Sydney; you should be happy about that.

No, you have no idea what you’re doing!
the man said, retreating from her.
As she got closer he raised his hands again, exposing the faces in his palms.
They hissed their odor at Eliza, and she stopped.

I don’t know what your problem is,
Eliza said.
You’ve obviously been
in this barn a long time. You liked it when I was scared, when I was a little
girl and afraid of you, didn’t you? Things have changed. If you want to stay,
you’d better learn who’s in charge around here, and show some respect. I just
exorcised ghosts from Pitmon House, and I can exorcise you in heartbeat. Now
I’m going back to sleep, and I expect you to shut up! Don’t make me get up
again!

The man’s look of horror froze, and he faded from view. She
knew it was a defensive move.

She looked around the barn. It was still and quiet.

As she returned to her body, she wondered if the old man got
the message.
If he turns into a problem,
she thought,
I may have to
figure out who he is.
She settled back into her body, dropping slowly from
the River, and tried to get back to sleep.

●