Why are the lights on? And where is the pickup? What kind of birds are those? And where did the dog go?

576

17 September 2012

R. Linda:

Last week, Tonya and I were asked to feed our neighbour's animals while they were on holiday. We agreed since they have done the same kindness for us on occasion. They live three long dirt roads away and there are houses within sight of their abode. I'd say 1/2 an acre to the house on the left, and maybe 2 acres distance to the home on the right, nothing but woods facing front and back. The neighbour on the left usually takes care of the animals, but the man is recuperating from surgery, so he can't be the caretaker this time around, thus us. The other neighbour is deceased and the house is empty, so that's that. And even if he wasn't dead, he wasn't exactly the type to be feeding animals and letting them out, more like eating them. The couple used to refer to him as the "chainsaw massacre guy."

The first year they lived there, he had come out with a chainsaw and cut down every tree between his property and theirs. They said for months he was out there cutting the trees into firewood. As a result, they had a clear view of his house and they said he was an oddball. Scary looking, unsociable and definitely a loner.

Let me give you an idea of the neighbouring property. The house is a three-story falling-down affair, it was painted grey but is now sporting a mouldy shade of slate grey with black mould designs. The clapboards are loose and at angles in some places, the attached garage is stuffed full of junk and the roof has caved in. The driveway has an old junk truck on cinder blocks that you can just see from the tall grass that has invaded the driveway, and there is another old junk all rusted but still has tyres, though three are flat. The section of stonewalled field that separates our friend's property and the run-down house has at least 6 feet of high grass and ragweed growing in it, and scattered about are car and truck parts but those aren't readily seen and won't be until the leaves fall and the grass dies down. Then it gets, as my neighbour says, "Scenic over there." Here have a look:

 

Very spooky place it be -- still gives me the chills to look at it

With this in mind, Tonya was not about to go up to feed animals by herself at night because the vacant property gave her the creeps. So I opted to go with her. Now in the mornings before I went to work (since the house was on my way), I'd stop, feed, water and let animals out. Get them back in, scoop litter and leave. At noon, Tonya would run over on her lunch hour and let the animals out, give them fresh water, have her lunch there, spend some time with the furry friends and then leave. At night, we'd both go and of course, the boyos went with us.

There is nothing more natural than two wee boys petting cats, and playing with dogs as their parents got everything ready for those same animals for the night. So we never noticed anything amiss at the vacant house because we were too busy with our chores and keeping our boys in check. Until, Friday night when the boys were at a sleepover and it was just Ton and I going to take care of the pets.

We were an hour late because we had decided to get Chinese food, and we ate it at the restaurant so lazy us wouldn't have to do dishes. After that, we stopped at our own abode, changed out of work clothes, took care of our own menagerie and off we went to our pet-sitting duties three roads away.

It was dark by then, with a hint of rain in the air, the wind was up a wee bit, and as we drove the bumpy dirt roads, there were those swirling mist balls, you know those white misty floaters that back in Ireland we think of as roaming ghosts. Yes, to be sure it did seem a tad spooky as we drove through them. When we pulled up into the driveway, Tonya noticed something was amiss but couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing that was unnerving to me, was the fact that there were five or six huge crows in the yard. I even asked Tonya what they were because I'd never seen crows that big before. They were the size of turkeys!

"Ravens?" She asked me back.

"Ravens don't get THAT big," I said pulling in as the birds took flight squawking.

As soon as we got out of the car, an owl hooted scaring Tonya (she takes seeing or hearing an owl as a bad omen -- where she gets that I dunno, but we have a thing back in Eire about cuckoos so I can't make fun of her), but she voiced her feelings of foreboding with no trouble as she looked around the misty wooded yard. I shook that off and could hear the dogs barking their welcome (food coming) and we went inside. The timers had turned on a few dim lights, so it wasn't like we were walking into darkness. There was also music playing (this was left on for the animals) and what was playing was some funeral-type music which further unnerved Ms. Tonya who stopped suddenly and said, "Gabriel, wasn't there a black pickup truck parked outside?"

I thought, yes there had been, it was me neighbours knocking around vehicle. I looked outside to where it had been parked and it was GONE! We talked about it as we took care of the feeding when suddenly the dogs got crazy and were all over each other at the door. They had seen or heard something and wanted out. I was reluctant, but Tonya reassured me that whatever was out there was threatening, so out they went barking and growling. They were in the driveway, but we couldn't see anything so I went outside to make sure they didn't take off.

As we closed everything up and were still discussing the missing truck, Tonya happened to look over at the vacant place next door and there were lights on! This spooked her more, but worse it spooked me too! We drove slowly passed the old dilapidated house and saw no movement from within.

"Should we notify the police?" She asked me.

"No, nothing worth taking in there, could be the old man's ghost has risen and he's just turned some lights on from habit," I said with inner glee I'd unnerve her further. And I did, but truly there was nothing in that old junky abode to worry over, so I drove us on home and in the process we both forgot about the missing vehicle.

The next night I had to work late and the boyos were home with their friends for a sleepover at our house, so Tonya was in charge and I ran over to take care of the evening feeding. It was as dark as the night before and once again I drove through those mist balls which brought back the previous evening's uneasiness. As I came up to the turn in the road where the vacant house was, I slowed down. No lights. I stopped and let the passenger side window down, and listened. Nothing but the chirping of tree frogs, so I slowly pulled off to my destination. As I stood in the driveway, my heart suddenly stopped, as I looked at the shiny black pickup parked in its place in the driveway.

"No! Can't be." I declared and this set the dogs inside to barking as I walked over and looked over the truck. It was locked! "HOW is this possible?" I said aloud.

I went in let the dogs out, got the food and water ready, scooped the cat pan and then went out on the front porch and rang up Tonya.

"Ton, the truck be back!" I said, and she was as mystified as me.

We discussed this and then she asked me if the lights were still on at the vacant house. I glanced over and told her no, it was dark.

"Well, if you are done then come on home," she said, her voice filled with nervousness.

I hung up, got in my motor and started backing out. As I got on the road, I started on passed the vacant house when a light flashed on in .  . . of all places . . . the attic of the dilapidated abode! I slowly drove up and pulled into the grassy driveway. I went to the door leaving the motor door open in case I needed a fast getaway. Yes, I did! I know you are chuckling at that, but I tell ya it was an uneasy feeling that had me. I knocked, but nothing. I even rang the doorbell knowing it probably didn't work and it didn't. I called out, no answer.

I got back in the motor and looked up. The light was off! I flew home knowing I hadn't imagined that light being turned on.

I told Tonya the story and she of course got upset I'd even get out to investigate being by meself. Well, no pansy be this Irishman. If someone was there I wanted to investigate, especially when you consider the truck was there one day and gone the next, and then back!

The next day, Sunday, I went to do the pet chores while Tonya took care of getting breakfast for our crew. I looked at the abandoned property and all was still over there, the only sound was the wind blowing through the grasses and the muffled sound of hungry dogs barking. As I closed the motor door I spied the next-door neighbour being helped out to sit in his garden. He waved, and I called over to him and he waved me to come and visit with him.

"How are ye doin' Mack?" I asked as I sat in one of those Adirondack chairs that slid me back so me long legs were up at an angle and me knees were at eye level.

"Oh, I am doin' well now. Just anotha week of takin' it easy and then I can be moa active." He smiled.

"Mack, I was wondering about dat place over dare," I pointed at the vacant house. "Ya know anyting about da owner?" I get very Irish when talking to New Englanders, I think it's their accent that gets mine going.

"Just he was dead tha for a week before they found 'em," Mack said in his heavy New England accent.

I did not know that. That creeped me out big time which was hard to do since we were sitting in snow-white chairs in a sunny garden surrounded by gaily coloured flowers.

"Ey-yah, he committed suicide, he had an illness he couldn't cope with and decided to end it. He sta-ved himself to death. Awful way to go," Mack said shaking his head, "but he was an odd duck. Kept to himself, lived alone foa ova 40 yea-s and neva had no visitors ta speak of."

"Really? Wow." I said feeling almost sorry for the guy.

"Why, you interested in buyin' the place. I'll tell ya what, you'll have to knock all that rot down, it's full of mould, mice, and Gawd knows what else, and I am surprised the town hasn't condemned the proper-tee, it's in bad shape."

"No, no, I'm not tinking of buyin' it, I just noticed some go-ins on over dare and wuz curious."

"Go-ins on?"

"Yeah, da lights were on da night before last and den last night the attic light wuz on. When I stopped and knocked it went out."

"Hum," Mack looked thoughtful, "maybe the lights ah on time-as?"

"Uh no, can't be because more lights were on one night and last night only the one in the attic."

"That is strange Gabe. I don't know. Could be someone was in the-ah looking for coppah pipin', the-ah is a lot of that goin' on in these abandoned places." Mack suggested.

"Yeah, I guess -- could be," I said thinking that was probably it, or kids smoking weed. I got up to leave when I remembered the truck. "OH, the pick up wuz missin' out of Ken's yard night before last. Now it's back," I said.

"Really? That's strange . . . unless Rodney borrowed it for haulin'. Ken lets him do that occasionally." Mack said. "You repot that to the town?"

"No, actually we were so unnerved dat night about da lights on in the vacant house it slipped our minds."

"Probably best, if Rodney had the truck," and he laughed, "wouldn't be good to be settin' in the jail until Ken got home accused of grand theft."

Well, it all made sense I suppose, so I left to do the chores. All went well and the same at noon. But that night the weather had turned to thundershowers. We had just finished dinner during a lull in the weather and were sitting at the table sipping coffee. Tonya had her elbows on the table her face in her hands looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I know you went twice to feed the animals and I'd go with you tonight, but I'm awfully tired," she yawned, "and the kids are worn out."

"No, that's all right, I'll go," I said not really wanting to and I guess she knew it. Next, I know she's got her mobile phone and talking to Lois. Would Lois just come to watch the boys while she and I ran over to feed the animals we were pet-sitting? Of course, Lois would be right down.

"Why? I can go as easily by meself," I said.

"Because I know you," she pointed at me. "You are creeped out." And she laughed but I knew she was too. I also think she was afraid something would happen to me, so as soon as Lois arrived we were off.

The weather was electric with a storm coming, you could smell the ozone and almost feel the electricity. As we pulled out I asked her once more if she'd rather stay home, no, said she. As we drove lightning rented the sky. No ghostly fog people to drive through, just stark clarity and dripping leaves from a prior storm as we rode down the bumpy dirt roads. No streetlamps (well there aren't many streetlamps on New Hampshire roads) and as we turned onto THE road, I slowed it down, I don't know why, I think because I wanted to creep up on the vacant old house to see if anyone was there. We drove at a crawl by it, no lights, nothing but the wind blowing the tree branches as the storm started its approach.

I turned into Ken's driveway, the gravel crunching under the tyres. As I pulled in, it was then we saw them, the large birds, five in total sitting on the dumpster. They did not scatter this time, just sat their eyes gleaming in the motor's headlamps. I heard Tonya audibly gulp.

"Why aren't they leaving?" She asked as I turned the motor off, the lights still hitting the place where the birds perched. "Why aren't they making noise?"

"They will scatter as soon as we get out of the motor," I said with as much reassurance as I could muster. But I had to wonder if their behaviour was odd, we were only seven feet from them.

We got out, they didn't move, no barking came from the house, the lights weren't on. Now I was concerned; the lights were all on timers. I looked over at Tonya and realised she was thinking the same thing.

"Gabe . . . Gabe . . . something is off. I don't feel good about this, the dogs are silent."

"Jaggles!" I yelled and this caused no barking but the birds made a sound of irritation. "Louie!" I yelled, nothing, "Sassy!" I looked at Tonya who had stepped out of the motor but still had the door open. She was looking at me frowning.

I started walking passed the dumpster when the birds decided I was too close and took flight to a tree nearby, but one of them flew low and just grazed Tonya's head. She was dancing around flaying her arms over her head and making distress noises. I went to her and held her to calm her down.

"It be okay, they are up in that tree."

"Oh that was terrible," she gave a nervous giggle decidedly not feeling it. "All I need now is that damn owl."

No sooner had she said that and there it was, the hooty hoot hoot of the owl.

"I spoke too soon," she said hurrying on towards the house.

We went up to the porch and I tried the door but it was still locked. That was good, I got the key and could hear doggy claws on the wooden floor. I opened the door and switched on the light. Three sleepy-eyed dogs were blinking at me, and two hungry cats meowing. I looked around and nothing looked disturbed. While I checked the rest of the house, turning the lights on as I went, Tonya let the dogs out and started feeding everyone. I could find nothing wrong. Lightning continued to flash in the background as thunder rumbled nearer.

"This is the last can, let's get the dogs in and get the hell out of here," Tonya said as I readjusted a few light timers in the living room.

"Looks like the power had gone out," I said to her as she went to the door to call the dogs. I had just adjusted the last light timer when I heard her shout my name. One of the birds had dived at her head again and frightened her badly. I told her to stay inside I'd get the dogs. I got the boxer and the Shepard mix in, but the hound was missing. Oh great, I thought, I don't need to be wandering the woods in the dead of night during an electrical storm looking for a dog. Usually, all three of them stayed by the house. The birds, for all I could see, were gone to shelter as the storm seemed fast approaching.

"Jaggles! Jaggles!" I yelled. I went out and looked around calling him, but nothing. The raindrops came down cold and hard, so I ran back inside.

"I'll have to drive around and see if I can find him," I said and instantly her eyes got big I was leaving her alone. "You'll be fine you have two dogs here, I have my mobile, I'll just go down the road and if I can't find him, I'll come back and we'll go."

She nodded not liking the plan, but I had to at least try to find that dog.

I was soaked by the time I got in the motor, and as I started to back out my headlamps caught two green eyes in the bushes. I stopped and looked hard thinking they might be the dog but as soon as I opened my door, the eyes disappeared. I called, but nothing. Lightning flashed and the place where the eyes had been was empty in the quick flash of light. I slammed me door shut and pulled out, I could just see Tonya through the sheet of rain standing in the lit doorway with the two dogs watching.

I went slowly down the road, the wind bending the trees back and forth, the rain whipping the leaves to the ground; the road was very muddy and slick from the wet leaves. The motor slid a bit but I kept a slow speed to stay on the road and not end up in a culvert. I opened me windows a crack and called the dog, the beating of the screen wipers scraping the windscreen hard as I tried to peer through it. I turned around and went down the other way and as I passed the house I could see Tonya was no longer waiting at the door. As I neared the vacant house I was shocked at what I saw and slammed on me brakes sliding me motor sideways. The entire house was lit up! You'd think there was a party going on. I got bogged down in a rut as I tried to right the motor and worried since it was a dark colour it would not be easily seen by another motorist coming down the road. I could be hit full on either side. I worked it back and forth, never losing sight of the lit-up house, looking for movement in the windows, but nothing did I see for the sheets of rain obstructing a clear view, as the wipers worked faster. Finally, I got the motor righted and just as I was about to go forward towards the vacant house, who should have appeared out of its yard? The hound, soaked and looking guilty. I opened the passenger side door to let him in.

"Where have you been?" I caught meself asking it as if it would tell me. "Tonya is not going to like sitting in a wet seat." I huffed as I forgot the lights and got out to get him, but just as I started to walk up to him he ran toward the vacant house. I called but he didn't come and I lost sight of him as the lights went out. This stopped me from moving forward and I began to back up to the motor never taking my eyes off the house. I got back into the sound of the wipers and the sight of the dim console light gave me small comfort.

I drove back to Tonya. I told her where the dog was and said I'd go on down there and look for him but I needed a torch. We found one, she insisted she go with me, but I wasn't having any of it. I told her to stay put, I'd leave the motor with her and so I slogged on down the road soaked to the skin, the torch showing the way. It was slippery but I got to the house without incident. I called the dog, and I saw him poke his head out the door, I walked to the front door and as I did, all the lights in the house flashed. I stopped dead in my tracks the rain pouring in me face.

The front door was open. I took a deep breath and stepped inside flashing the torch around. No dog, just gloomy discoloured walls, ratty rugs, dirt, mouse droppings or maybe rats, and some furniture covered in dirty old sheets looking ghostly in the torchlight. I moved forward, there was a large hole in the floor and I almost fell through it, only seeing it at the last moment. I heard a sound like a door slam down the hall, I followed the noise and it led to a messy kitchen, old food or what once was old food rotting in the sink and on the counters, some of it on the floor. The smell was disgusting so I backed out but not before shining the light in to see if the dog was there.

I opened the door across and there was an old busted telly and a dark blue chair with the stuffing hanging out. I had a start because the impression of someone sitting in the chair shone ghostly in the torchlight. I realised it was the impression of a man's body left too long. There were dark puddles on the floor and I thought they were blood only to realise it was where the plumbing had leaked. I shined the light there and no dog so I shut the door. I had the feeling the owner had died in that chair and later found I was correct. I went back towards the front of the house, it was I guess, what used to be a living room and I shined the light around, then I went behind some of the covered furniture softly whistling for the dog. Nothing. I saw a light switch and flipped it a few times but nothing happened. Same thing with the floor lamps. How odd I thought, the lights were all on and now . . .

I heard a bang above me and looked up at the ceiling. It was stained from God knows what, and I stood there stock still listening. I thought I heard someone walking. I went to the stairs and slowly started up, they creaked and there was one missing and a few well-worn holes in others as I progressed up them. I shined the light around as I got to the top. My breath caught in me throat as I looked into a room where a ghostly figure stood. I almost dropped the torch but I flashed it at the figure and realised it was a dresser and mirror that someone had thrown a sheet over. I was relieved, but I knew I had heard footsteps so I opened the first door on the right, and as I did the door made a groaning sound. I stepped in, and the room was empty. I closed the door and went to the one on the other side, the same thing. I started to the big room where the covered mirror was and walked in. There was an old bed where the mattress was half on the floor and blackened from the leaky roof. I looked up and saw a huge gaping hole where the roofing had caved in and the mess was on the floor. It was then I heard it, growling, low and ominous. I slowly moved the light to the sound and there he was, the hound had cornered a raccoon which was snarling and making a bloodcurdling sound. I let go of the breath I had been holding inside and softly called the dog, he paid me no mind, he was focused on the raccoon.

I got me mobile and rang Tonya.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be here, but I found the dog. I'm in the vacant house on the second floor."

"YOU ARE WHERE?" She asked me alarmed.

"Calm down, I'm OK. I just have to find a way to distract him from that animal."

"WHAT animal?"

"A . . . a rac . . . a cat . . . I mean a rat," I said not wanting to alarm her any more than she was. I knew she wouldn't believe the cat, so I tried the next best thing I could think of at the time. Just as I said that the thing made an awful noise.

"THAT is NOT a RAT!"

"I didn't finish, RACCOON," I said covering me tracks.

"Be careful Gabe, those things can be rabid. Gees, just leave him, come on back here."

"I can do this, I'll be there in a little while. I just wanted you to know where I was." And I hung up.

"Jaggles, come on boy, leave the kitty alone." I know, but I didn't know what to call it. I also realised he was a red Coon Hound and that's what he found and that's what he was going to take care of. And there I was thinking rabid raccoon, but he had his shots, but still I hadn't had mine! Just how I was going to handle this I had no clue. I certainly didn't want to walk up to either of them and get in the middle of what was sure to be an ugly biting affair. I saw a clothes pole and I got that. I rested the torch on the top of the upended mattress and shined it on the two of them, the dog was getting closer, his teeth gleaming in the dim light, a low growl emanating from deep within him as he stalked the coon. The raccoon had backed itself into a corner, its long canine fangs showing as it curled its lips back in a grotesque snarl, its eyes glittered in the torchlight as it stole glances at me, then at the hound. I knew it wouldn't stay there, so I had to work fast. I moved the end of the pole in front of the dog trying to hold him back at his chest level, then I tried to push him back but he was unbelievably focused on that coon and I had to use all the strength I could muster to push awkwardly with the weight of the hound pushing against the other end of the pole. This action upset the raccoon OR it saw its opportunity and scampered towards ME! I dropped the pole as it leapt and scampered up to the top of the four-poster. I moved away and caught at the dog's collar as it came full-on towards the post. I knew if it stood up it had a good chance at the raccoon. I struggled with that damn dog and pulled him out of the room kicking the door closed behind me, as I fell with the dog in tow. Only now we were in the dark hallway, the torch still in the room WITH the angry coon, I could see the light under the door as if the torch mocked me.

"Great!" I said loosening my hold on the dog as he went back to the door and started barking and scratching at the door. I sat there completely drained and of course, my phone rang.

"Gabe are you all right?" Tonya asked frantically. "I hear barking what's going on?"

"It be fine, I've got the dog but the torch be closed in the room with the raccoon."

"Don't be a fool and go in there, just leave it and get back here."

For sure, there were steps missing and holes in the steps and it was dark. How was I to get down without breaking me fool neck? I had to go back for the torch. I grabbed the dog by the collar.

"Listen you," he barked at me and I shook him, "LISTEN UP! Shut up and STAY. You hear me? STAY!" He sat down and licked his chops. But he didn't move. I opened the door a fraction and I heard the coon snarl. "Great, just great." I looked in, the torch was near the other side of the room where I must have knocked it over, I couldn't see the coon but it sounded nearby. I looked around, Jaggles sat, ears pricked, eyes focused and I knew if I opened that door any wider he'd be through in an instant.

Sighing I shut the door and let me eyes adjust to the darkness.

"OK," I said to the dog and grabbing him by the collar, I dragged him to the top of the stairs. "YOU and I are going to traverse the impossible. If I fall through you fall through and it will be all your fault." I said as we both looked down. He whimpered. It was as if he understood me. Carefully, I got down on my backside and sat me way down the stairs staying to the right where I knew there were no holes. BUT try dragging a reluctant 50 lb. and now frightened dog down with you. I stopped and hauled him onto my lap holding him tight, he shaking like a leaf and whimpering. It wasn't easy I can tell ya that much but I'd lift me and dog at the same time and plop on down to the next stair, hoping all the while the weight of us combined didn't put us through the stairs and in the cellar! We were four stairs from the gaping hole on the third stair from the bottom.

"I can jump, can you jump?" I asked the dog. "Because it be time to jump and YOU are going first me doggy friend, because I can't trust you to go back up there." He looked at me his eyes looking very intelligent and without another word and a push from me, he flew over the hole and landed on all fours turning to look at me like YOU NEXT! I measured the distance and jumped catching hold of him as he saw the opportunity to reverse direction back up the stairs.

"Oh no you don't!" I pulled him around and hauled his doggy arse outside and down the road back to Ken's. Tonya was sitting on the couch with the two cats in her lap and the dogs at her feet.

"So he was IN that house?"

"Oh yeah, he was. He found that coon and had chased it to the top floor. It is a mess over there, and all the lights were on until I got inside, only when I went to turn them on nothing worked!" I said towelling off me, then the wet dog. Here is the hound for your viewing pleasure, so you get an idea of his size.

 

The Hound looks all innocent by daylight

Tonya had got up and looked out, the rain had ended as she looked at the house in the distance.

"No lights now," she said.

I went and looked, all was dark you couldn't even see the house. Our lights flashed as Jaggles whimpered, and with his tail between his legs ran to another room.

"Wow, what a coward he be now. Before he was super hound. Gees!" I said. I had an idea because I was still convinced someone was in the vacant house. "Listen Ton, why don't you take the motor and go home. I want to stay here and see if anything happens."

"Happens? What do you mean IF anything HAPPENS?"

"I just find it curious the lights go on and off over . . . there," I pointed toward the direction of the vacant house.

"Oh, and if you see someone are you and Super Dog going to investigate?"

"Well . . . I'll just watch and if I see anything amiss I'll ring the minions of the law."

She didn't want to go, but I reminded her of Lois and so off she went. I settled down to wait for her call she was home all right. I sat on the floor and looked for the remote to the telly but couldn't find it. I sat there petting dogs and cats when Tonya rang once again, voicing her nervousness. I clicked off after reassuring her I was safe. I took meself to the kitchen in search of a snack. I got meself a bag of crisps and a coke and returned to the couch where I could see directly the old house.

Another electrical storm came crashing in as I munched and sipped, never taking me eyes from the direction of Spook House. Every flash of lightning revealed the vacant place, otherwise, I could see nothing. I sat there talking to the dogs telling them they lived next to a haunted house and for the love of God, I don't know what possessed me, but just saying the words out loud, began to wear on me and I creeped meself out. I know, foolish.

The storms kept up all night and I must have fallen asleep because suddenly something wet was licking my face and I awoke with a start to find all three dogs lying on top of me and the lights blazing in the "haunted house" across the way. I jumped up, looked for another torch, found one and ran out the door in the direction of the house. Maybe it was because I was partially awake that I found the courage to do that.

I had jumped the old stone wall and ran through the goldenrod-filled field instead of down the road, I thought if anyone was there they'd be focused on the driveway entrance, not someone coming from the field. I found my plan a little stupid because as I said before hidden in the grass were booby traps -- old car and truck parts -- and I fell headlong over some wheel rim losing the torch in the grass, and to add insult to injury it went out. I made an oof sound when I fell and knocked the wind out of me. It took a few moments of gasping for breath before I could breathe. Nothing from the house stirred, so on hands and knees I groped around for the unlit torch. I lucked out because as I crawled I put me knee on something hard and there it was. Meanwhile, the lights were still blazing, the rain pounding and I considered meself lucky there was no lightning, but just as I thought that there it came with a crack of thunder directly overhead. That alone spurred me toward the vacant house and I found meself at its backdoor where the kitchen was. I put my hand on the door handle and slowly clicked it, it was unlocked! Being very careful I slowly opened it a crack and looked in. No one, but the mess of the place was worse than I first thought. There were holes in the floor, mould blackened the walls and cabinets and the smell was bloody awful. As I stepped in I shoved the torch in me belt and used the sleeve of me shirt to cover my nose and mouth.

I took hold of the doorknob in the hallway and slowly opened it but the door creaked like in a spooky movie and that made me pause, but as I was in I might as well go all the way. I closed the smell of the kitchen behind me and looked down the hallway. There were no lights there, but the door where the room with the chair was, showed light under it. I stealthily crept towards the door fully expecting to find a skeletal form sitting in there with glowing eyes and a demonic grin, but as I turned the knob and pushed the door, there was nothing but water dripping from the ceiling where the rain had made its way through the roof and ceilings. The chair had black dripping down its arms like skinny fingers that looked like dark blood, but I knew it was only the water. The dead body impression was there and I visibly shook. I felt a chill and closed the door and walked quietly down the dim hallway. I had no time to look around the living room, but I did notice the front door was open, I had closed it when I retrieved the dog, but my focus left immediately I heard what sounded like a screech above me on the second floor.

I bounded carelessly up the broken stairs, one foot going through causing me much pain as I went down hard on me knee. I pulled the ankle up and sat there cradling it until the pain eased. I then realised all was quiet except for the raging storm. I listened and could hear the drip, drip, drip from the leaking roof and saw drops here and there coming off the ceilings and running like dark blood down the walls. I took a deep breath and eased meself up to a standing position still listening. I eased more carefully up to the landing and stopped to listen again. A large black rat came out of the baseboard and scurried over my shoe as a bad chill went down me spine and back up. I literally shook from it, I had the image in my head of hundreds of rats pouring out of the wet places in the walls and running over me.

I swallowed hard and moved forward to the room where the ghostly mirror stood draped in a dirty old sheet. I was mindful of the raccoon's presence being a possibility of still being in that room. I turned the handle and pushed the door open. There was the torch on the floor still lit, the window directly in my line of vision was open, a tattered curtain blowing in the breeze and rain and a pair of green eyes as if floating in the open window. I stared at it, and it stared at me. Finally, summoning my courage I stepped in and stood in the doorway, no raccoon did I see. I looked back at the green floating eyes and suddenly the eyes came through the open window directly at me, screeching like a banshee it flew down the hall.

I had fallen as I moved backwards from it and sat there shaking, but I knew now what it was and it was the same pair of eyes I had seen at Ken's, it was the screech owl. I got meself up and walked toward the torch, picked it up and turned it off. I looked around and then it was I saw it! I jumped back and think I made a sound of fright, but I can't remember, it was all too quick. There standing in the corner was a tall black-draped figure, it took me a minute to realise it wasn't a person, or a dark spectre, but a lamp covered with a black drape. Yes, R. Linda, I just about scared meself into heart failure. I did not expect to see anything so stark and I did not see it when I was after the dog, for it blended into the darkness. Now I stood there, chest heaving looking at it wondering at meself. Just as I had my racing heart back to a normal rhythm I heard heavy footsteps and doors slamming below. I couldn't move, the footsteps were coming up the stairs and there was no doubt I heard real footsteps. It wasn't my imagination.

Slowly, I turned in the direction of the steps now coming in my direction, what to do? I held the one torch like a weapon and faced the doorway, the lights flashed and went out! A light came on dancing on its own as it moved over the floor and doorway to the ceiling and around and then to me! I could see nothing for the glare, just a round source of disembodied light beaming through the raindrops falling from the ceiling between me and IT.

"I wasn't sure where you were," a deep disembodied voice said.

"Who . . . who . . . are you, what do you want?" I said shakily backing away from the dark spectre.

"You," it said as suddenly the lights came back on and I stood there looking at a policeman.

Oh for feck's sake, I said to meself filled with relief.

"You're Mr. O'Sullivan?" He asked and I nodded. "Your wife called and said she was concerned, you were staying at the King's place but when she called you didn't answer the phone and she was afraid you were here where it isn't safe." He said turning his torch off.

I realised I had left my mobile back at the house and had run out half awake not thinking. Well, that much was obvious.

"I . . . I . . . I . . . saw the lights on here so I came to see what was going on, I knew no one lived here . . ." I stammered.

He smiled at me and explained it all.

"Your wife told me about your . . . fascination with the old place. The electricity isn't turned off, but it will be by tomorrow. The power company hadn't got to turn it off, and there are shorts in the system, well, as you can see the mice have eaten through a lot of the old wiring and well, the lights come on and off. There are also a lot of wild animals that have taken up residence here and you can hear them in the walls or walking across the floors." His eyes sparkled with another thought which he voiced much to me embarrassment, "And of course, there is the rumour of a ghost but . . . " And he grinned widely at me.

The storm had levelled off to a light rain as we made our way out. He accompanied me to Ken's house where I retrieved my phone and locked up. Then he drove me home since there was no need to stay and I tried silently in my mind to find a way to repay his kindness of looking out for me and driving me to me doorstep, but couldn't think of a way to say, hey why don't I buy you a box of doughnuts and a thermos of coffee for going beyond the call of duty?

As I got out of the squad car I said, "I don't know how to repay you for your kindness."

"It's all in my job description," he chuckled.

"No, really . . . " I said.

"You can buy two tickets to the Policemen's Ball, how is that?"

Well, I did, thirty bucks a ticket. Now that wasn't exactly what I had in mind. Doughnuts and coffee would have been the better route after all. So now I haven't heard the end of this. Tonya has told the neighbours of me "night in fright house," and Policeman Percy has got wind of me little adventure as well, and actually pulled me over, only to walk up to me vehicle to point and laugh his fool arse off. Yup. And as it turned out Rodney Cavanagh HAD borrowed the truck, something he did a lot and thought no need to leave a note. Yee-ah. As to the large crows, no one seems to believe either me or Tonya on that one. We never saw them after our housesitting adventure, so we are both clueless. But the electricity is turned off at Spook House and that's a good thing.

Gabe
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