Dug Up

The basement was always damp. Being near the water, we assumed it was the price to pay for our piece of Heaven on Earth. It was our new beginning. We were trying to rebuild our friendship, our life, our marriage and this was a grand place to start. We decided to leave the ugly, mistake riddled past behind and bury it. We could start over. It wasn't until we wanted to change the look of things that we got socked with it. Oh they would have to dig and restructure and fix our Heaven. We foolishly thought it would be better. After all, everything needs work. We, more than most, knew that and for a while it was. It was drier, more quiet, peaceful and confirmed that we had done the right thing.  We just didn't know what we'd dug up.

It began simply enough; with little noises, misplaced shadows. It's funny to me now when I think back how the warning signs were there; subtle as a whisper. I remember my mother's silver watch disappearing from its green velvet pouch inside my drawer and showing up more than a month later on the top shelf of my closet, draped neatly over the wire rack where I conveniently kept nothing. I smiled at the playful trick my husband must have played on me and even said aloud "Very funny."

There were the games with the faucets;.They would turn on and run at their discretion. I would simply sigh and blame mine or my husband's carelessness, forgetting that we had not been in that end of the house for a day or more. Things shifted around. Cords for the lamps? Often unplugged and draped in to the middle of the room. My phone disappeared and despite the fervor to find it, it was discovered two days later laying in the middle of the coffee table. The lone item in the center. I shook my head and laughed at the mischief. Rarely was I frightened or upset. Once when I lay on the couch, staring into the night, wishing I didn't suffer from insomnia, the television came on; no channels, just snow, which is unusual because our system defaults to one. I stood and watched it for a while then said quietly. "That is not nice. You scared me."

The tv clicked off while the remotes remained on the table.

I had kind of given in to the idea of having extra tenants, certain I could talk myself out of  the eeriness most days. At night, it became more difficult.  Maybe it was trying to get my attention,. Maybe there was more than one and I was sent a warning? I guess it doesn't matter now. My husband, Jake, never believed or experienced much. He was at work a lot. I noticed stresses in our newly created utopia. I seemed to be the only one in it. He was away more and more. His tone with me was sharp and impatient. He would sit and watch me but when I tried to speak with him, even about the most simple things, he simply became irritated and angry; leaving with sharp hurtful words and a disgusted grunt. For a day. Maybe more. I knew we were failing.

It began in October. The real fun.

Jake was away again  on business and I indulged myself as I always did with snacks in bed, my dogs and scary movies. At last I felt the warm coaxing of sleep and snuggled down for the night. I enjoyed  the comfort of the dogs and their soft breathing. I was soothed by my exhaustion and welcomed rest.

There was a scraping like metal on metal that jarred me; like the front window being opened. I sat up and looked around, adjusting to the darkness and shadowy furniture. I strained my ears, hearing my heart and own breath  thundering in my ears.  A shuffle came from downstairs in the family room.  I shook the groggy cobwebs from my head and noticed the dogs had not stirred. They were my miniature alarm system, since Jake was away, yet they happily chased rabbits and chuffed in their own undisturbed dreams.  I thought I had simply frightened myself with a nightmare. I laid back down and closed my eyes. Sleep reluctantly crept up and revisited.

I don't know how long it had been but the dogs woke me and brought real fear. They sat up growling and snarling.  They stared at the door but would not move. They smacked at the blankets with their paws and moved in defensive circles. I saw nothing. I could hear the same. Getting up, I slipped in to my robe and pocketed my phone. I quietly moved to the edge of the hall and looked down over the balcony into my family room. Empty. But the curtain shifted, waving to me. I had closed all the windows before I retired. This was not possible. I drummed my fingers on the banister and decided peace of mind could only be achieved with it's closing.  I pushed the curtain back and gave the window a shove. A laugh echoed at the back of my neck,causing me to spin. I froze.

Standing in front of me was a tall man. His eyes were dark and hollow. His skin had a greyish hue and the smell of him was that of sour mud. He leaned in close to me and grinned. His teeth seemed too long and were stained; broken. I gasped and ran from him, flying down the hall and up the stairs.  I fumbled with my phone, trying to dial my husband for help.  I reached my room and slammed the door, flipping the lock and jumped on my bed.  The dogs were quickly on me, sniffing, licking all in reassurance. I heard the steps coming down the hall and saw the handle turn.  Receiving resistance, it stopped.  There was a light scratching and another laugh. Then silence.

We all cowered for the remainder of the night.

Each night after that was progressively worse; a horrible game of hide and seek. He would make a loud noise to ensure I was paying attention then he would wait for me to come out to find him.  He would approach me, sometimes as if to scratch, shove or attempt to strike with more force but I always ran from him.  His chase was slow and methodical. He refused to run up the stairs, choosing instead to contort and crawl with his back low and flat and his legs and arms outstretched like a spider. He would stop at my door and tap, laughing at my fear. Then he began to come in, standing at the foot of my bed. He just kept getting closer to me; enthralled with my terror.  During the day, I did the research I should,  I looked at the local history and searched crime logs. I found very little; a man had disappeared in the late 1800's leaving a young wife who left the area not long after. His name was Joshua Lambert. It was unremarkable. and no other listings of violence or tragedy seemed to dog the property or even the area. I contacted various paranormal societies but more often than not, they seemed like scam artists.  I had the house blessed and conducted certain cleansing rituals and although these things worked for short periods of time, they were never pemranent solutions. He stayed with me.

The last night I lived in the house began as so many others; the sound of metal on metal. My eyes slammed open and my heart began to pound. I heard footsteps moving along the wood foyer and up the stairs. I saw his shadow, darker than the night, come in to my room. I heard his soft maniacal laughter and opened my eyes to see him. He stood at the foot of my bed and grinned. My blood ran cold. He leaned down and slowly sat on the edge. I pulled the covers up and in the softest shakiest voice I could find told him to leave me alone.

He smiled and in a voice that was choked with water, wreaking of  decay he bubbled. "No. You belong with me."

"You need to move on. You don't live here anymore. I do now. " I said hearing my own bones rattling under my goose bumbed flesh

"You belong here with me." he repeated and flashed his grin.

I felt nausea begin to burn inside me. "No I am alive. You are dead."

"Not for long." and he began to crawl  up the sheets toward me, his laughter seeming to steal the scream I so wanted to release.  I closed  my eyes and prayed for a swift end. I wanted Jake to save me. In my head I begged for that. There was a squeak as the front door opened. I heard footsteps wander down the hall and slowly begin up the steps.  My prayer had been answered. Jake was home to save me; to save us It would all be okay. My ghostly assailant seemed bewildered by the noise and pulled away, rushing to become nothing more than a darker shadow in the corner. Relief flooded my veins; a smile crept over my mouth.  My knight appeared in the doorway and looked at me. He came around to his side of the bed and leaned over me. I couldn't wait to feel the reassurance of his arms. To hear him whisper my name and hold me tight.

I felt his hands around my throat and his weight on my chest.  My lungs burned and begged for help. My eyes began to feel tight inside my skull. He squeezed my neck and sneered my name with disdain. He shifted his body  to kneel on my chest. Panic flared in my belly. My brain cried out for air. My heart sobbed and stopped.

The laughter tickled my ears like an autumn breeze. I glanced around to see the man standing in the corner; smiling as always. He moved toward me and I pulled away curling up on the bed.

"Don't." I choked.

"I can't hurt you... any worse." he smiled.

The tears came. Well, I guess the feeling that comes with tears; the heaviness, the tightness and the hollowness. Disbelief replaced sorrow.

"What do I do?"

He raised his hand and tilted his head sadly. "come with me."

"I'm afraid." I squeaked childishly.

"There is no more of that. You can come with me. " He said again. His voice somehow sounded more clear to me than before, less offensive. He stepped forward and I saw more distinct features; brown eyes, a thin face, dark curly hair. "It will be easier if you do."

"Why?"

"Why what?" he asked.

"What's happened?"

"You are dead with me."

"Where am I? Is this Heaven? Purgatory? Hell?"

"None of those things. This is ... "

And there was movement. Jake came in and sat down on my side of the bed. He pulled up my phone and called his cell. I heard it ring. He answered it and set them together ... as if we were talking.  He packed some of my things and my purse into a bag and put it into the trunk. I saw all of this as if I was looking though a dirty window. His shoes were caked with mud. It smelled sour and rotten. Like the old basement.

"Where am I?"

The man turned and gave me a sad smile. "With me now. I will take care of you."It was a soft voice now. It contained a gentleness.

"No. Where am I?"

"Ahhhh ... where I used to be.."

"What do I do."

"Stay. Until you too are dug up." he said quietly and left me to take in the words. He walked down the hall and waited at the top of the steps.

I slowly followed him. He raised his hand once more.  I took it. 

And we will wait.



And a happy Sunday to you. With all the construction we've had done on Promises and with my favorite season getting in to full swing, I had to write this. Most of you know I've had some strange things happen up there and with the history... it's understandable. I hope you enjoyed the twist. I did. This piece began as something else entirely and it is in fact three months old. Well, I hope you had a good time while you were here. I did. You know I miss your company. I am heading for a warm sexy vacation soon. It's been a long haul. I'm looking forward to it. Hope to see you soon. Thank you for comeing nd sharing this with me.