Secrets

Jill Roberts could not imagine spending another minute in that house, and she had no intentions of doing anything of the kind.
She had made that very clear to her mom’s lawyer; at least she thought that she had when she spoke with him on the phone earlier this morning. Obviously he wasn’t listening and hadn’t taken her seriously.
Jill had no good memories growing up there. Her mother had been a hopeless alcoholic, trapped in a miserable existence from which she could never escape. Her father had spent very little time at home, and when he was there he treated his family like they were lepers to be avoided at all costs. One summer day when she was just freshly 10, he simply never came home. Jill hadn’t seen or heard from him since that day, not a letter, not a call…… or an explanation. That time was forever burned in her memory. “What could she have done that was so bad, to make him leave” She wondered? Jill could feel the anger rising inside her “ Jill Roberts could not imagine spending another minute in that house, and she had no intentions of doing anything of the kind.
She had made that very clear to her mom’s lawyer; at least she thought that she had when she spoke with him on the phone earlier this morning. Obviously he wasn’t listening and hadn’t taken her seriously.
Jill had no good memories growing up there. Her mother had been a hopeless alcoholic, trapped in a miserable existence from which she could never escape. Her father had spent very little time at home, and when he was there he treated his family like they were lepers to be avoided at all costs. One summer day when she was just freshly10, he simply never came home. Jill hadn’t seen or heard from him since that day, not a letter, not a call…… or an explanation. That time was forever burned in her memory. “What could she have done that was so bad, to make him leave” She wondered? Jill could feel the anger rising inside her “for god sakes, she was just a child.”
When she was old enough Jill began working part time, and eventually had to quit school to support her mother, who had slipped so far inside a bottle she was unreachable. As luck would have it the place she had begun working for had taken an interest in her and recognized her natural instinct for business. They helped her high finish school and then business college. The only thing they asked of her in return was that she continue too take care of her mother… in spite of her problems. Jill more then kept her end of the bargain, and did just that. She fixed up the dilapidated house, and when her mother became terminally ill, hired around the clock care for her.
Jill very rarely set foot in that house. The painful memories were too much. The last time she had been here was the night her mother died. The nurse had called to let her know that her mother was slipping away. Jill arrived to find her mother gasping her last breath. She would never forget the look in her eyes, the panic, and the fear, Now Jill would never know what had happened to her mother to make her crawl inside a bottle. There was only one person left who had the answer, and he was nowhere to be found. The next day Jill put the house up for sale. She had expected it to take awhile to sell and was more then a little surprised when her realtor called two days later. “Jill I know this is a little quick, but I have an offer on the house. This person is very interested in purchasing, and has offered more then your asking price.” Mary Waite was one of Jill’s only friends, who just happened to be a realtor. She was one of the few people that Jill had allowed into her life. “Jill they want to meet you at the house tonight.” Mary said a little hesitatingly. She knew Jill better then anyone, and knew how much Jill despised being rushed. “What time”, Jill said in a little shorter tone then she had intended. “They want to meet around 8 Hon, Is that going to work for you?” “I guess it will have to,” Jill said sighing. “I did have an appointment but I guess I can reschedule.” “Great” Mary said. We can celebrate the quick sale afterwards. No sooner had Jill hung up with Mary, when her phone rang again.
It was her mother’s lawyer. Jill recognized the number on her call display and almost didn’t answer. Bill Conner’s was a little weasel of a man, with beady eyes and a shifty smile. Jill couldn’t stand him. If it weren’t for some unexpected issues regarding the whereabouts of her mothers will she would have ignored the call. “What” Jill asked curtly? Have you found my mother’s will yet? For a lawyer he was definitely not the most organized. “Heaven help anyone who retained him”. She thought. ‘Yes I know where the will is. He had a squeaky voice that grated on Jill’s last nerve. “Great then lets get this taken care of so I can move on with my life’ she responded impatiently. Well Jill it’s not quite that simple he said slowly. Your mother’s will had some stipulations that we need to discuss. “What are you talking about” Jill demanded in a less then impressed manner.” I thought you told me that it was cut and dry”? “I’m sorry I thought it was, but your mother took the will elsewhere and had some revisions made, that she did not tell me about. “Big surprise there” she thought. “Meet me at the Round Cafe around 8:30 tonight, and we’ll go over the details. “ Why not meet at the house” He asked? It’s a little more private. No she responded flatly. I will meet you where I decide, and with that she snapped her cell phone shut. ”What a bitch” Bill Conner cursed “. Getting matters settled with Jill Roberts just couldn’t happen fast enough he snorted.

Jill was parked in front of the house, waiting for Mary, when Bill Conner’s pulled up.
“What the Hell! is he doing here”, she fumed. She got out and walked towards him intending to let him have it once and for all, but before she could say a word he thrust a handful of papers into her hand and turned and walked back to his car. “Oh and by the way” he said ‘You might want to look over those papers before you make any rash decisions about your mother’s house. Jill detected a sense of smug satisfaction in his voice. He drove off as quickly and quietly as he had come, leaving her alone to make some sense of what he had just said. She got back in her car and switched on the interior light, and began reading the contents of her mother’s will. She could not believe what she was reading. The house was to be held in trust for a period of 5 years. Jill could not sell or transfer the mortgage to another person or parties for that period of time. “What the hell” She screamed out loud! How could you do this to me you ungrateful bitch.”
She grabbed her cell and dialed Mary’s number. After what seemed like an eternity Mary finally picked up. “Listen Mary” she stammered trying to maintain her composure. “I have come up against an unexpected complication. Don’t bother to bring the buyer over”. Mary was stunned it wasn’t like Jill to cancel at the last minute. She knew better then to push for answers. “Meet me at my apartment Hon”, “you can fill me in then.”

Mary Waite read the papers in silence. Trying to find the right words to make the situation less frustrating, but there were none. Mary was well aware of the hell Jill had endured as a child and the need for her to find closure, instead she was stuck with a houseful of memories that she did not need or want.
I don’t understand this she finally said. “Why would she do this, it just does not make sense. You did everything for her, probably more then she deserved.”
Anger flashed in Jill’s eyes. She thinks she has won, but she hasn’t. I will never let her win. Her voice was menacing, and tinged with hate, a tone that Mary had not heard Jill use before, only then did she realize how deep her friends her pain was.

Jill Left Mary’s at around 11pm. Mary had tried in vain to convince her to spend the night, but right now Jill just needed to be alone. She needed some time to try and figure a way out of this. She wanted desperately to put her past behind her and move on. She could not do that until that dammed house belonged to someone other then her.

Jill climbed into bed, head weary and bone tired, but she could not fall asleep. Tomorrow
she would contact the lawyer who had helped her mother change her will, and she would do something that she had sworn she would never do…She was going back to that house to see if the answers she so desperately needed were hidden within its cold, empty shell.

Mary’s phone rang around 8am. It was Jill. “Listen Mary I need a huge favor.” Mary could tell that Jill had not slept much. She sounded drained. “I want you to come to the house with me this afternoon. I want to look through some of my mother’s things and see if I can find any clues as to why she pulled this last minute stunt, but I don’t want to go alone. I just couldn’t handle that right now.” Sure no problem Hon, What time were you thinking?” I thought I would pick you up around noon and we could have lunch first, and then go over to the house. How does that work for you? “That sounds great; I’ll see you at 12”.

Jill watched Mary walk towards her. Mary was a striking woman. She had shoulder length thick auburn hair that glistened in the sunlight. She was a natural beauty, with olive colored skin, and flawless features. She was taller then average with a perfect body.
She could have easily been a model. She was still single, even though she could have had her pick of any man she wanted.
Mary climbed into the car, eyeing Jill with concern. “Are you okay, do you really want to put yourself through this”? With a heavy sigh Jill told her “that it was the only way that she might find a way out of this mess her mother had left. Like it or not she had to try.”
During lunch Jill looked preoccupied, and barely touched her food. Several Times Mary had to bring her back from wherever her mind had drifted to. “Jill Why don’t we head over to the house; I think that’s where your head is right now anyway. I know it isn’t here” she teased trying to lighten up the mood. . Jill tried to apologize, but Mary wouldn’t here any of it.

Jill pulled up in front of the house. It was well cared for. Jill had spent her hard earned money making sure of that. She wanted this albatross in good salable condition so she could off load it as quickly as possible after her mothers death, “What the hell did it matter, She was stuck with it for the next five years no matter what condition it was in” she thought.
Jill fumbled through her purse looking for the key. She had used it so little that it had sunk into it’s inner reaches. Smiling sarcasticly Mary dangled her key in front of Jill.” Hello, Real estate agent” she teased.” Why don’t you use mine Hon”. She had completely forgotten that Mary had her own key.
Jill pushed open the heavy wooden door. The old hinges creaked with despair. The dark stillness was overwhelming. All of the heavy curtains were shut tight. Not a trickle of sunlight could find its way into the oppressive darkness. Jill’s fight or flight receptors were threatening to kick in, and if it hadn’t been for Mary standing in the doorway Jill probably would have turned tale and ran.
Quickly Jill headed into the living room and hastily opened the curtains, letting some light into the dismal place. “Where do you want to start Hon”, Mary asked trying to be as upbeat as possible. “I’m not sure” Jill responded hesitatingly. Let’s check out her room first, maybe go through her drawers and the closet, and see what we find.

The two of them were headed down the hall towards the bedroom when a loud bang from somewhere up above, stopped them in their tracks. “What the hell was that” Mary stammered. Beats me Jill said in a hushed voice. It sounded like it came from the attic, probably a squirrel. They had begun moving down the hall again when they heard the bang a second time, only louder. “Bloody squirrels Jill grumbled. She reached up and yanked on a latch that protruded from the ceiling directly above her head. She stepped back and waited as a set of metal stairs dropped slowly to the carpeted floor. “I had better check it out. Those little buggers could cause a fire”. Jill began ascending the stairs .The attic was the only spot in this whole house that Jill did not despise. It had provided her with a welcome refuge when she needed to escape. She had spent hours up here reading, doing homework, and dreaming of another life. “I’m coming with you” Mary whispered as she followed Jill up the ladder, rubbing her shoulders, trying to ward off an unexpected, sudden chill. The room was quite large and very dusty. As Jill stepped onto the old wooden floor it creaked and groaned under her weight. She walked over to the far corner of the room and flipped the light switch. Nothing happened, Must be a blown bulb. I’ll have to hunt down a flashlight. She peered into the darkness trying to catch a glimpse of any evidence of furry little creatures that might be lurking about. She couldn’t see a thing. They headed back down the rickety stairs.
It was already 2:30 and they hadn’t even started yet. Mary “What would you think about grabbing a bottle of wine and cozying down here for the night. We could pretend we were giddy teenage girls having a sleep over.” Mary clapped her hands together and let out a squeal. “Yea let’s do that”. It was about time they had a little fun.
They made their way to her mother’s bedroom and started going through the drawers one by one. Jill was starting to get a little frustrated. She hadn’t come across one single thing of any consequence. Jill was struggling to push in the drawer of her mothers night stand, it wouldn’t budge. She yanked it out hard in frustration. A small key dropped onto the carpet.
“Hey Mary Look at this, I found a key. It was stuck to the bottom of this drawer. What a lucky break, I almost missed it. I wonder what it’s for. Mary detected a hint of excitement in her voice. “Maybe, just maybe if we locate the lock that fits this key, I’ll find the answer to my problem.”
“Hey” Mary Chuckled “look at the pair of us; we’re like two characters out of a Sherlock Holmes novel,” Trying to solve the ultimate mystery.
“Listen Watson”, Jill said in a mocking tone, “why don’t we take a break and get some thing to eat we’ll continue the search for the missing treasure after dinner. “Cheerio my good man” Mary chortled doing her best Dr Watson imitation. Jill broke into a fit of laughter, falling onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. It caught her off guard. It had been so long since she had any reason to laugh.
Mary ordered Chinese while Jill went to the store to grab some Vino. Jill came back to find a table cloth spread out on the living room floor, complete with candles, and place settings for two.
Mary and Jill had so many commonalities. They liked the same food, the same music, and both were extremely driven. What they did not have in common however was their childhood. Mary was raised in a very affluent, strict catholic home, where divorce was a dirty word. No matter how bad your marriage, you were in it for life, and for that very reason Mary had no intentions of marrying anyone. Life was too short to spend it saddled in an unhappy marriage. Jill on the other hand had never had the opportunity to see what a marriage should or shouldn’t be. Her father had taken off when she was so young, she felt she like she had been raised by a single mother and not a very good one at that, if the truth be told, most of the time Jill felt like she had raised herself.
“Mary this is a wonderful surprise. It looks so cozy and inviting. I really appreciate your coming with me today” You’ve made this so much more bearable. Listen it was no big deal. I just have fetish for eating off the floor” Mary chuckled. “Sure you do” Jill said in a playful, mocking tone. “Miss not a hair out of place”. She handed Mary the wine and went into the kitchen to track down a cork screw. If there was one thing she knew she would have no trouble finding, that was it. Her mother’s drink of choice was expensive wine.
Another loud bang came from directly above her head. It was the same noise they had heard earlier, only louder. Mary came running into the kitchen, her face as white as a sheet. “What the hell was… that”? “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out. She opened the bottom drawer of the kitchen counter and pulled out a large black flashlight. Come on Watson we have a mystery to solve.
The attic stairs creaked and groaned as they made there way up for the second time, Jill leading the way .As Jill approached the top stair she switched on the flashlight and shone it around the parameter of the large room. “I don’t see anything” she whispered to Mary, who was standing so close behind her Jill almost elbowed her in the head. “Something had to have made that loud bang. Are you sure you didn’t see anything knocked over like a box, or a lamp, or something. It’s hard to tell from here I’m going to go up and check it out. She continued into the dusty chasm panning the light as she went, Nothing looked out of place. The cobwebs clinging precariously in the corners of the room looked undisturbed. Layers upon layers of thick dust covered everything. If something had been moved or had fallen it would be easy to spot. Jill’s earlier frustration had begun to return. She began making her way back to the attic stairs when she heard something that sounded like a rustling coming from the right side of the room. She shone a beam of light in the direction of the noise. She could see that a large crate had been moved from its original location. The odd thing was that although there was a clean bare spot where the crate had sat originally, there was no evidence of track marks to show that it had been pushed. It was like it had been picked up and dropped… but by who or what…………?

The hair on Jill’s neck stood on end. Her mind refused to accept what she had just witnessed. What the hell was going on!! Objects didn’t just move themselves. She was caught somewhere between curiosity and panic. She began to climb back down the stairs forgetting that Mary was right behind her nearly pushing her off the rickety staircase. “Whoa girl, what’s the hurry”, Mary asked. What did you see up there? When they finally reached the bottom Mary caught a glimpse of her friend’s face, she was as pale as a ghost, and trembling like a leaf. Mary put an arm around Jill’s shoulder to steady her and guided her into living room. “I think you better sit down before you fall down Hon”. Jill did not argue. She let herself drop into the first chair she saw. Mary hurried into the kitchen and located the illusive corkscrew, and poured a glass of wine for both of them. She hoped it was strong enough to calm both of their nerves. Weird things were happening in this house, strange things that defied explanation.
“Mary, I don’t know how to explain what I just saw up there.” “Why don’t you just tell me what you saw” Jill sat in silence for several moments as if she were trying to find the right words. When she finally spoke, it was as if she were trying to convince herself. “One of the crates in the attic moved all by itself…. And that’s just not possible. …I know it isn’t, but I saw it with my own eyes. It wasn’t dragged; it was like some invisible force picked it up and moved it. Things like that just don’t happen……..Do they?
Mary was at a loss for words. What Jill had just described would certainly explain the loud banging noises that they had heard earlier, “Something very odd was happening in this house” she thought to herself, A cold shiver went through her. She had an uneasy feeling that whatever was happening here was not of this world.

When she was old enough Jill began working part time, and eventually had to quit school to support her mother, who had slipped so far inside a bottle she was unreachable. As luck would have it the place she had begun working for had taken an interest in her and recognized her natural instinct for business. They helped her high finish school and then business college. The only thing they asked of her in return was that she continue too take care of her mother… in spite of her problems. Jill more then kept her end of the bargain, and did just that. She fixed up the dilapidated house, and when her mother became terminally ill, hired around the clock care for her.
Jill very rarely set foot in that house. The painful memories were too much. The last time she had been here was the night her mother died. The nurse had called to let her know that her mother was slipping away. Jill arrived to find her mother gasping her last breath. She would never forget the look in her eyes, the panic, and the fear, Now Jill would never know what had happened to her mother to make her crawl inside a bottle. There was only one person left who had the answer, and he was nowhere to be found. The next day Jill put the house up for sale. She had expected it to take awhile to sell and was more then a little surprised when her realtor called two days later. “Jill I know this is a little quick, but I have an offer on the house. This person is very interested in purchasing, and has offered more then your asking price.” Mary Waite was one of Jill’s only friends, who just happened to be a realtor. She was one of the few people that Jill had allowed into her life. “Jill they want to meet you at the house tonight.” Mary said a little hesitatingly. She knew Jill better then anyone, and knew how much Jill despised being rushed. “What time”, Jill said in a little shorter tone then she had intended. “They want to meet around 8 Hon, Is that going to work for you?” “I guess it will have to,” Jill said sighing. “I did have an appointment but I guess I can reschedule.” “Great” Mary said. We can celebrate the quick sale afterwards. No sooner had Jill hung up with Mary, when her phone rang again.
It was her mother’s lawyer. Jill recognized the number on her call display and almost didn’t answer. Bill Conner’s was a little weasel of a man, with beady eyes and a shifty smile. Jill couldn’t stand him. If it weren’t for some unexpected issues regarding the whereabouts of her mothers will she would have ignored the call. “What” Jill asked curtly? Have you found my mother’s will yet? For a lawyer he was definitely not the most organized. “Heaven help anyone who retained him”. She thought. ‘Yes I know where the will is. He had a squeaky voice that grated on Jill’s last nerve. “Great then lets get this taken care of so I can move on with my life’ she responded impatiently. Well Jill it’s not quite that simple he said slowly. Your mother’s will had some stipulations that we need to discuss. “What are you talking about” Jill demanded in a less then impressed manner.” I thought you told me that it was cut and dry”? “I’m sorry I thought it was, but your mother took the will elsewhere and had some revisions made, that she did not tell me about. “Big surprise there” she thought. “Meet me at the Round Cafe around 8:30 tonight, and we’ll go over the details. “ Why not meet at the house” He asked? It’s a little more private. No she responded flatly. I will meet you where I decide, and with that she snapped her cell phone shut.”What a bitch” Bill Conner cursed “. Getting matters settled with Jill Roberts just couldn’t happen fast enough he snorted.

Jill was parked in front of the house, waiting for Mary, when Bill Conner’s pulled up.
“What the Hell! is he doing here”, she fumed. She got out and walked towards him intending to let him have it once and for all, but before she could say a word he thrust a handful of papers into her hand and turned and walked back to his car. “Oh and by the way” he said ‘You might want to look over those papers before you make any rash decisions about your mother’s house. Jill detected a sense of smug satisfaction in his voice. He drove off as quickly and quietly as he had come, leaving her alone to make some sense of what he had just said. She got back in her car and switched on the interior light, and began reading the contents of her mother’s will. She could not believe what she was reading. The house was to be held in trust for a period of 5 years. Jill could not sell or transfer the mortgage to another person or parties for that period of time. “What the hell” She screamed out loud! How could you do this to me you ungrateful bitch.”
She grabbed her cell and dialed Mary’s number. After what seemed like an eternity Mary finally picked up. “Listen Mary” she stammered trying to maintain her composure. “I have come up against an unexpected complication. Don’t bother to bring the buyer over”. Mary was stunned it wasn’t like Jill to cancel at the last minute. She knew better then to push for answers. “Meet me at my apartment Hon”, “you can fill me in then.”

Mary Waite read the papers in silence. Trying to find the right words to make the situation less frustrating, but there were none. Mary was well aware of the hell Jill had endured as a child and the need for her to find closure, instead she was stuck with a houseful of memories that she did not need or want.
I don’t understand this she finally said. “Why would she do this, it just does not make sense. You did everything for her, probably more then she deserved.”
Anger flashed in Jill’s eyes. She thinks she has won, but she hasn’t. I will never let her win. Her voice was menacing, and tinged with hate, a tone that Mary had not heard Jill use before, only then did she realize how deep her friends her pain was.

Jill Left Mary’s at around 11pm. Mary had tried in vain to convince her to spend the night, but right now Jill just needed to be alone. She needed some time to try and figure a way out of this. She wanted desperately to put her past behind her and move on. She could not do that until that dammed house belonged to someone other then her.

Jill climbed into bed, head weary and bone tired, but she could not fall asleep. Tomorrow
she would contact the lawyer who had helped her mother change her will, and she would do something that she had sworn she would never do…She was going back to that house to see if the answers she so desperately needed were hidden within its cold, empty shell.

Mary’s phone rang around 8am. It was Jill. “Listen Mary I need a huge favor.” Mary could tell that Jill had not slept much. She sounded drained. “I want you to come to the house with me this afternoon. I want to look through some of my mother’s things and see if I can find any clues as to why she pulled this last minute stunt, but I don’t want to go alone. I just couldn’t handle that right now.” Sure no problem Hon, What time were you thinking?” I thought I would pick you up around noon and we could have lunch first, and then go over to the house. How does that work for you? “That sounds great; I’ll see you at 12”.

Jill watched Mary walk towards her. Mary was a striking woman. She had shoulder length thick auburn hair that glistened in the sunlight. She was a natural beauty, with olive colored skin, and flawless features. She was taller then average with a perfect body.
She could have easily been a model. She was still single, even though she could have had her pick of any man she wanted.
Mary climbed into the car, eyeing Jill with concern. “Are you okay, do you really want to put yourself through this”? With a heavy sigh Jill told her “that it was the only way that she might find a way out of this mess her mother had left. Like it or not she had to try.”
During lunch Jill looked preoccupied, and barely touched her food. Several Times Mary had to bring her back from wherever her mind had drifted to. “Jill Why don’t we head over to the house; I think that’s where your head is right now anyway. I know it isn’t here” she teased trying to lighten up the mood. . Jill tried to apologize, but Mary wouldn’t here any of it.

Jill pulled up in front of the house. It was well cared for. Jill had spent her hard earned money making sure of that. She wanted this albatross in good salable condition so she could off load it as quickly as possible after her mothers death, “What the hell did it matter, She was stuck with it for the next five years no matter what condition it was in” she thought.
Jill fumbled through her purse looking for the key. She had used it so little that it had sunk into it’s inner reaches. Smiling sarcasticly Mary dangled her key in front of Jill.” Hello, Real estate agent” she teased.” Why don’t you use mine Hon”. She had completely forgotten that Mary had her own key.
Jill pushed open the heavy wooden door. The old hinges creaked with despair. The dark stillness was overwhelming. All of the heavy curtains were shut tight. Not a trickle of sunlight could find its way into the oppressive darkness. Jill’s fight or flight receptors were threatening to kick in, and if it hadn’t been for Mary standing in the doorway Jill probably would have turned tale and ran.
Quickly Jill headed into the living room and hastily opened the curtains, letting some light into the dismal place. “Where do you want to start Hon”, Mary asked trying to be as upbeat as possible. “I’m not sure” Jill responded hesitatingly. Let’s check out her room first, maybe go through her drawers and the closet, and see what we find.

The two of them were headed down the hall towards the bedroom when a loud bang from somewhere up above, stopped them in their tracks. “What the hell was that” Mary stammered. Beats me Jill said in a hushed voice. It sounded like it came from the attic, probably a squirrel. They had begun moving down the hall again when they heard the bang a second time, only louder. “Bloody squirrels Jill grumbled. She reached up and yanked on a latch that protruded from the ceiling directly above her head. She stepped back and waited as a set of metal stairs dropped slowly to the carpeted floor. “I had better check it out. Those little buggers could cause a fire”. Jill began ascending the stairs .The attic was the only spot in this whole house that Jill did not despise. It had provided her with a welcome refuge when she needed to escape. She had spent hours up here reading, doing homework, and dreaming of another life. “I’m coming with you” Mary whispered as she followed Jill up the ladder, rubbing her shoulders, trying to ward off an unexpected, sudden chill. The room was quite large and very dusty. As Jill stepped onto the old wooden floor it creaked and groaned under her weight. She walked over to the far corner of the room and flipped the light switch. Nothing happened, Must be a blown bulb. I’ll have to hunt down a flashlight. She peered into the darkness trying to catch a glimpse of any evidence of furry little creatures that might be lurking about. She couldn’t see a thing. They headed back down the rickety stairs.
It was already 2:30 and they hadn’t even started yet. Mary “What would you think about grabbing a bottle of wine and cozying down here for the night. We could pretend we were giddy teenage girls having a sleep over.” Mary clapped her hands together and let out a squeal. “Yea let’s do that”. It was about time they had a little fun.
They made their way to her mother’s bedroom and started going through the drawers one by one. Jill was starting to get a little frustrated. She hadn’t come across one single thing of any consequence. Jill was struggling to push in the drawer of her mothers night stand, it wouldn’t budge. She yanked it out hard in frustration. A small key dropped onto the carpet.
“Hey Mary Look at this, I found a key. It was stuck to the bottom of this drawer. What a lucky break, I almost missed it. I wonder what it’s for. Mary detected a hint of excitement in her voice. “Maybe, just maybe if we locate the lock that fits this key, I’ll find the answer to my problem.”
“Hey” Mary Chuckled “look at the pair of us; we’re like two characters out of a Sherlock Holmes novel,” Trying to solve the ultimate mystery.
“Listen Watson”, Jill said in a mocking tone, “why don’t we take a break and get some thing to eat we’ll continue the search for the missing treasure after dinner. “Cheerio my good man” Mary chortled doing her best Dr Watson imitation. Jill broke into a fit of laughter, falling onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. It caught her off guard. It had been so long since she had any reason to laugh.
Mary ordered Chinese while Jill went to the store to grab some Vino. Jill came back to find a table cloth spread out on the living room floor, complete with candles, and place settings for two.
Mary and Jill had so many commonalities. They liked the same food, the same music, and both were extremely driven. What they did not have in common however was their childhood. Mary was raised in a very affluent, strict catholic home, where divorce was a dirty word. No matter how bad your marriage, you were in it for life, and for that very reason Mary had no intentions of marrying anyone. Life was too short to spend it saddled in an unhappy marriage. Jill on the other hand had never had the opportunity to see what a marriage should or shouldn’t be. Her father had taken off when she was so young, she felt she like she had been raised by a single mother and not a very good one at that, if the truth be told, most of the time Jill felt like she had raised herself.
“Mary this is a wonderful surprise. It looks so cozy and inviting. I really appreciate your coming with me today” You’ve made this so much more bearable. Listen it was no big deal. I just have fetish for eating off the floor” Mary chuckled. “Sure you do” Jill said in a playful, mocking tone. “Miss not a hair out of place”. She handed Mary the wine and went into the kitchen to track down a cork screw. If there was one thing she knew she would have no trouble finding, that was it. Her mother’s drink of choice was expensive wine.
Another loud bang came from directly above her head. It was the same noise they had heard earlier, only louder. Mary came running into the kitchen, her face as white as a sheet. “What the hell was… that”? “I’m not sure, but I intend to find out. She opened the bottom drawer of the kitchen counter and pulled out a large black flashlight. Come on Watson we have a mystery to solve.
The attic stairs creaked and groaned as they made there way up for the second time, Jill leading the way .As Jill approached the top stair she switched on the flashlight and shone it around the parameter of the large room. “I don’t see anything” she whispered to Mary, who was standing so close behind her Jill almost elbowed her in the head. “Something had to have made that loud bang. Are you sure you didn’t see anything knocked over like a box, or a lamp, or something. It’s hard to tell from here I’m going to go up and check it out. She continued into the dusty chasm panning the light as she went, Nothing looked out of place. The cobwebs clinging precariously in the corners of the room looked undisturbed. Layers upon layers of thick dust covered everything. If something had been moved or had fallen it would be easy to spot. Jill’s earlier frustration had begun to return. She began making her way back to the attic stairs when she heard something that sounded like a rustling coming from the right side of the room. She shone a beam of light in the direction of the noise. She could see that a large crate had been moved from its original location. The odd thing was that although there was a clean bare spot where the crate had sat originally, there was no evidence of track marks to show that it had been pushed. It was like it had been picked up and dropped… but by who or what…………?

The hair on Jill’s neck stood on end. Her mind refused to accept what she had just witnessed. What the hell was going on!! Objects didn’t just move themselves. She was caught somewhere between curiosity and panic. She began to climb back down the stairs forgetting that Mary was right behind her nearly pushing her off the rickety staircase. “Whoa girl, what’s the hurry”, Mary asked. What did you see up there? When they finally reached the bottom Mary caught a glimpse of her friend’s face, she was as pale as a ghost, and trembling like a leaf. Mary put an arm around Jill’s shoulder to steady her and guided her into living room. “I think you better sit down before you fall down Hon”. Jill did not argue. She let herself drop into the first chair she saw. Mary hurried into the kitchen and located the illusive corkscrew, and poured a glass of wine for both of them. She hoped it was strong enough to calm both of their nerves. Weird things were happening in this house, strange things that defied explanation.
“Mary, I don’t know how to explain what I just saw up there.” “Why don’t you just tell me what you saw” Jill sat in silence for several moments as if she were trying to find the right words. When she finally spoke, it was as if she were trying to convince herself. “One of the crates in the attic moved all by itself…. And that’s just not possible. …I know it isn’t, but I saw it with my own eyes. It wasn’t dragged; it was like some invisible force picked it up and moved it. Things like that just don’t happen……..Do they?
Mary was at a loss for words. What Jill had just described would certainly explain the loud banging noises that they had heard earlier, “Something very odd was happening in this house” she thought to herself, A cold shiver went through her. She had an uneasy feeling that whatever was happening here was not of this world.