The House That Wants Project

Chapter 10

THTW 2023 Chapter 10

         Just inside the door of Cannover House Kristin sighed. "We can start packing up the books in the study, I guess. I need help with my Aunt's room. I can't bring myself to go in there."
         "Mitch and I can go pack up that," said Darrel.
         "Okay. I'll start packing up the knickknacks all over the house."
         When the guys had the few odds and ends from Mrs. Shelby's room put on the trailer, Kristin had a bin full of knickknacks packed. Mitch called Tim Logan to make sure everyone was awake and ready for the day.
         "Stuff like these knickknacks I'm going to put in storage somewhere," said Kristin. "Why don't you go up to the manor. Mitch and I will make some calls."
         "Those would probably sell in an estate sale. Maybe you can find someplace with a lot where you can store stuff and have the sale."
         "I'll meet you at the manor," said Darrel, "I need to look at something."

         Marissa met Kristin as she got out of the car.
         "You need to come see the basement. Tim and Brad finished the drywall this morning."
         Kristin followed Marissa downstairs. The basement looked ten times cleaner.
         "Oh, Kristin. Doesn't it look nice?" asked Nancy.
         "The boys are here," called Parker. "You want us to bring the stuff down from the trailer?"
         "Yes, thank you."
         "You are entirely too generous, Kristin," said Marissa.
         "I want you two to come to the house with me again and see what else you need."
         "We can't keep taking advantage of you."
         "It's not taking advantage. It's generously accepting the help you need."
         "It looks great down here," said Mitch. "You know, there's enough room left for a washer and drier. The hookups are even here already."
         Tim came down the stairs. "I was hookups down here or if we could put some in for a half bath."
         "It might be able to be worked out. You'd have to ask Darrel. He's the construction man."
         "I wonder where he went," thought Kristin.
         "It's almost lunchtime for the little ones," said Marissa.
         When they got to the play area, the gate was open, and the children were not there.
         "Where are they? Bethany? James?" said Marissa.
         Kristin shut her eyes and reached out with her mind. She could see the children from her visions. They ran past her and around the house. She heard the little girl whimper. Kristin opened her eyes and ran around the house.
         Marissa followed Kristin. James was trying to drag Bethany's limp body to the open well.
         "James!" yelled Marissa.
         The boy did not respond. Marissa pushed James away from Bethany and rocked her unconscious body in her arms. James sat on the ground and scratched at the dirt with a stick.
         "She made Mama sick," said James in a gruff voice. "She should die too."
         Kristin turned James to face her. His eyes were black as coal.
         "You won't stop me," said another deep voice coming from James, "I will have them all."
         Kristin gripped James' forehead and chanted an incantation. Some force propelled the two apart and James slumped over on the ground.
         "What did you do to my son?!" screamed Marissa. She gathered James close to her and held both children in her arms. "You get away from us! This stuff only happens when you are here, you witch! I rebuke your evilness! Leave now!"
         Tim came running and slid down next to Marissa checking the children. "I don't know what happened here, but you better leave."
         Kristin got up and stumbled a little. It had taken a lot out of her to drive whatever it was out of James. She started for her car but halfway there dropped to her knees. Darrel came out of the house.
         "What happened Kris? Are you okay?"
         "The Logans want me to leave. Take care of everyone as best you can."
         "You can't drive like this. Let me get Mitch."
         Kristin nodded and leaned against her car until Mitch came out.
         "I seen you both looking for the children. Then you ran to the side of the house. I couldn't see over there."
         "You can bring my car back up here after taking me to the house. As many of you as can need to be up here to protect each other."
         Parker started driving down the hill. "So what happened/"
         "I think that James was possessed and might have hurt his sister. He was trying to throw her down the well."
         "The old well was boarded up tight."
         "I had to drive whatever it was out of James. I did an incantation in front of Marissa."
         "That must have been interesting."
         "She called me a witch and rebuked my evilness."
         "I don't know how much we are going to be able to protect each other if this is something supernatural."
         "You can yell and tell it to stop. Sometimes that works for a little bit. Marissa must be a Christian woman so you can always pray."
         "Take care of you, too, Kristin. I'll call you if things get out of hand."
         "When you bring my car back, bring the trailer, hopefully empty. I will have stuff to take to storage."
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         Kirstin went into the house and to the study. She went to the chair but the books on it slid off and closed. She reached for them, and they slid away.
         "What do you want?"
         An empty plate with crumbs on it slid toward her.
         Kristin sighed. "You think I need to eat first?"
         The study doors opened.
         Kristin made a sandwich of leftover chicken and grabbed a glass of iced tea.
         Kristin's cell phone rang. "Hey Mitch.... Sure, the boys can bring the car back... Oh, right, the information I wanted... Okay, I'll see them later."

         "Knock, knock, can we come in?" called Dean opening the door.
         Shaun ran in and hugged Kristin. "Here's what we found so far, Kristin."
         "Looks like all the same things I found," said Kristin. She found the same picture of the Maitlins. "They are the family I have been seeing in my visions. I don't think they are the only thing at the manor though."
         "Mitch and Darrel said we could stay until they come get us in an hour or so," said Dean. "We brought the trailer back. The Logans were saying something about not wanting anything more from you. Tim had to convince Marissa not to send everything already there back."
         Kristin sighed. "My Aunt wondered why I didn't want to be a public witch."
         "People area going to have opinions no matter what you do," said Dean.
         "People are going to find out. The question you need to ask is if it is a part of you and how you feel about it. Other's opinions don't matter," said Shaun.
         "You have gotten philosophical in your old age."
         "If it helps people than what is the harm?" asked Shaun.
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