A ghost and Lisa

Do you like to reminisce? Reflect on life gone by and try and convince yourself that you are not really getting old, you are just wiser, with more grey hair and wrinkles. Sitting here, with my hands around my warm mug, drinking tea. I’m alone, thinking about my home and family I feel a sense of contentment. Things were right in my world or so I thought.

My best friend, Lisa, has been having health problems. Diagnosed as depressed with a referral to the mental health team, she has joined a waiting list. She will phone me daily, crying, distressed over something she believes to have seen in her home. Husband Steve refuses to move, he believes that she is mentally ill. In his words, “ghostly apparitions, what a load of rubbish”.

I am not sure whether a ghost can exist, there is no evidence against them, but why would Lisa be seeing them? Finishing my drink, my mobile rings, Lisa’s usual phone call. Answering the phone, I feel a sinking feeling, I can hear her crying but cannot hear what she is saying. I knew I needed to see her, I could not ignore this, she sounded scared. I looked around me wondering whether I should pick up my daughter’s rounders bat on the way out.

Stressful journey

Surely nothing was happening to her, I put my mug in the kitchen sink, and grabbed my coat and keys. Hesitating I now collected the rounders bat, better safe than sorry.

Driving through the Friday traffic, I was no longer relaxed. This was the most unwell Lisa had ever been, thinking the worst now, I slammed on my brakes at a red light. Telling myself to concentrate on my driving I now tried to force thoughts of Lisa to the back of my mind.

Fifteen minutes later I swung my car into her drive. Digging in the flower bed I found the spare door key and let myself in.
“Lisa”. No answer. Starting to search for her, I started to feel sick. What if someone had broken in and taken her?

Noticing that the old toy box was open I dismissed it, admiring the familiar scribble on the front. I am not sure what Lisa keeps in it, but its not toys. As I went upstairs, I felt an uneasy feeling, something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t sense what it was. The atmosphere was not welcoming, this is usually a cheerful home, right now it felt as if something bad was about to happen.

The ghost man with the axe

Lisa and Steve, moved in here, just a year ago. I realised now that her issues started just afterwards. Creeping into the bedroom, I could hear a faint sobbing. Getting down on hands and knees I looked under the bed. There she was, hiding, she looked terrified, I crawled under next to her.
“What’s happening?”
“Shhhh, it will hear you.”
Whispering I asked, “What will?”
“The ghost man with the axe.”

“What man? I didn’t see him.”
“He came out of the toy box; I ran up here and phoned you.”
Looking at her, I could see that she really thought she had seen a man. The house did not feel right and I was ready to believe her.

The wooden toy box

“Lisa, where did the toy box come from?”
“It was here when we moved in. Steve refuses to throw it out, but I know it’s dangerous.”
“How do you mean, dangerous?”
“Laura, I’ve seen an old lady with a chihuahua, an old man with a long beard and the man and the axe. He is the worse and I know he wants to kill me.”

“Right, we need to lose that box, you and me, we could burn it.”
“I’ve thought of that, when I tried to drag it outside, I got stopped by the dog. It’s a ghost but it can bite, and it hurt. Steve won’t believe me, he just thinks I’m mad, Laura you need to believe me, I’m living a nightmare.”
“Okay, how do we get out if this bedroom?”
“I’m not sure, we are stuck.”
“Right, I’m texting Phil, I think they are hiding from Steve, there is a clever game going on here.”

A rescue

It was twenty minutes later that Phil arrived, dubious about my story. However, he also sensed something was wrong here. Seeing his boots from under the bed, my heart leapt.
“Phil, is all okay out there?”
“Yes, come on out. Lisa, stand between us, you can come home with us.”

Pleased that he was being so calm and understanding I felt a surge of relief. Leaving the bedroom, we all kept close behind each other as if we were doing the Locomotion. As we got to the stairs, Lisa screamed, I grabbed her hand. It was now that I saw him, I had never seen a ghost before and neither had Phil. The three of us stood stunned, looking at the man with an axe, we could see straight through him, but he was definitely there.
Shaking I said, “Okay, what now?”
Calmly, Phil said, “We keep walking.” He went to walk forward but now got flung backwards by the ghost.

“What do you want?” Phil asked.
“I want you out, I’ve told the lady, get out.”
“Why should they leave here, it’s their home?” Phil was being brave, but I could see he was scared.
“It’s our home, get out,” the man boomed.

“Phil lets go, we need to research this house and the toy box.”
“Toy box?”
“I will explain in the car.”
“We are going now.” I said to the ghost man still swinging his axe.
Now dragging Lisa forwards, we needed to leave and somehow get Steve to come and stay with us. He needed to believe this house was bad, or its ghostly inhabitants were bad. They couldn’t all live here safely.

Steve

Three hours later Steve arrived, walking in, he was frustrated,
“What is this nonsense about the toy box?”
Phil stood up; he had been busy on the internet.
“Steve, you need to see this. Laura, how about you and Lisa get some dinner on.”

Knowing that he must have read something bad, I put my arm around Lisa and guided her to the kitchen.
“Spaghetti Bolognese? Come on.” Thankfully, she followed without questioning me. Putting dinner together I tried to stay cheerful. My parents had collected all the children and bought them back to ours. They were happily playing and excited about spending the night together.

It was during dinner that Phil told us what he had found. We all listened stunned and Steve was apologetic to Lisa. Phil had even phoned the Estate agent and found that the previous owners had been desperate to sell and had asked for it to be sold for whatever the next owner could afford. Hence Steve and Lisa had believed that they had gotten a good deal. They had then left the toy box and its inhabitants behind.

“They probably got bitten by the Chihuahua,” Lisa said miserably.
“Chihuahua?”
“Lisa was bitten by the dog trying to drag the box outside to burn it, ” I said.
“Heck, sorry, and I didn’t believe you.” Steve reached for her hand across the table.
“I have researched the box; its inhabitants are reported to have had a death pact. We do not know how the box got in the house. I can only assume that the previous owners bought it, not aware of what it enclosed, but the scribble on the front is not scribble.”
“Not scribble?” I was curious, “So what does it say?”

The ghost mystery solved

“It’s a warning and you are lucky that the dog bit you. Its ancient, the box dates back decades, but in English the writing says that anyone who destroys the box and its inhabitants will face a gruesome death. So, you have gotten of lightly, bitten by a ghost dog and scared out of your wits but you are still here.”
“Those bloody stupid people that bought that bloody box”. Lisa was angry and shaking but also relieved that she was not mad.

“So, what now Phil?” I asked,
“Well Steve, Lisa and the kids are staying here for now. We are going to research the box further and see if can be moved and where to. After it is moved ,we will need to send a spiritual expert into the house to check that it is clean from ghosts”. Turning to Steve he said, “Your only other option is selling it for a steal and risking the health of another family.”

“Okay” Steve said. “Yes, we will research and try and move the box, but I don’t want to be bitten.”
“There is no hurry, a day at a time, we need to ensure it is all done safely. Maybe a museum might like it.”

I hoped he was right, it was lovely to have Lisa and her family here, but I like my own space as well. I’m glad that she is not crazy, but this really was an unbelievable story, one which I’m sure we will all reflect and reminisce on for years to come.

For more see, The haunted house and our scary night

Please see my other blog – Dedication, time and work of writing

Written for Writers Unite –  Write the story, photo prompt