House of Ralston

Falina existed in a state of perpetual suspension. She had no concept of time and knew nothing for certain except a longing for a life that was tragically cut short.
She attached herself to life forms, any time a living being was near. Nobody had lived in the House of Ralston for decades because of her. Any time a visitor came, she surrounded the person with her sadness and longing. She had been photographed many times, a child of seven, curly blonde locks pulled away from her face in a ponytail. Her story had been told numerous times around campfires and in the night when friends tried to scare friends.
During the retelling of her story, she would make her presence known by a howl in the wind or by knocking something over. As the story went, she could not rest until someone came forth with the name of the person who murdered her. Once she knew for certain, she would certainly be free.
This time she heard a voice. It was far away, yet she knew it was real.
“Is anybody there?”
She was able to find the location easily. There were two boys, about twelve years old, playing with an Ouija board. She moved the planchette to Yes. The boys were excited and each accused the other of moving the oracle, yet they felt her chill and curious desperation.
“What is your name?”
She clumsily spelled Falina. “How did you die?” One of the boys asked.
K-I-L---L
“You were killed?”
The oracle moved to Yes.
One of the boys pulled his hands away quickly. “This is too freaky.”
“Why, Todd? It’s interesting.”
“It’s the ghost of the House of Ralston. They say it’s haunted by a little girl who was killed there.”
“Do you really believe it?”
“You’re new to this town, Johnny. I’ve been there and it’s freaking creepy.”
“No way. Come on, play.”
“I think I’m done. Mom was right. I shouldn’t have let you bring that thing here.”
Falina was tired of watching them talk. She knocked over a pencil holder, sending writing utensils scattering.
The boys both put their hand on the oracle. “Was that you?” Todd asked.
Yes. She spelled out H-E-L-P.
Johnny was shaking, but more with excitement than fear. “How?”
Todd stood up and moved away from the board. He faced Johnny with a grim look on his face. “Well the story is that she was playing in the woods when she mysteriously disappeared. Her body was never found.”
“Creepy,” Johnny muttered.
“Her father died when she was a baby and over the years, her mother slowly went insane. She became a recluse and never left the house. She basically starved herself to death, mourning for her only child.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah.”
“I want to go there.”
The boys rode their bikes down the winding road. It was several miles to the House of Ralston, but Todd knew exactly how to get there.
Falina watched them as they stood in front of the old, decrepit house. “Told you it was creepy,” Todd whispered. “You want to go?”
“Inside?” Johnny’s face lit up. “Yes!” He pushed through the creaking gate, a sound that always roused Falina. She was closer than ever to these boys. She thrived on living energy, only the living never stayed around for very long.
Johnny led Todd up the creaking porch stairs. He tried the door, but it was locked. The boys wandered the length of the porch, stepping over holes in the floorboards. Todd tried one of the windows. Johnny helped him push and it opened just enough for them to squeeze inside.
The stench of decay was unbearable. Falina made her presence known by knocking over a coat rack. Both boys screamed.
“Let’s get out of here.” Todd whispered.
“No way.” Johnny pulled the Ouija board out of his backpack.
“Are you serious? Here?”
Reluctantly, Todd joined Johnny on the filthy floor. They touched knees. Falina was so aware of their energy, she felt like she was in human form once again.
“Who do you suspect killed you?” The planchette fell off the board completely. Todd’s eyes looked like they might pop out of their sockets.
“Do you know where you’re buried?”
She slowly spelled out B-A-S-E-
“In the basement?
Yes.
Todd nervously followed, as Johnny pried the basement door open. He pushed past cobwebs down rickety stairs, Ouija board tucked under his arm.
Falina touched them with icy cold fingers, leading them on. They walked through past piles of junk, rotted with age, then past a broken furnace.
She led them toward a brick wall. “This is it.” Johnny felt along the wall as Todd watched him, shivering. Falina felt a connection with this boy and led him along.
“Hey, what’s this?” Todd said and pointed to a tiny lever, something so small it blended right into the wall. Johnny pulled it and a stone came loose. Behind it was a small book. Johnny stared at it in wonder.
“What’s it say?” Todd asked.
Johnny gently turned the crumbling pages. “It's a diary. It was written by her mother, Matilda in 1789. It says…well she was having an affair with their neighbor Winston…he was smitten with the child. His attention was waning.” Johnny looked up and stared Todd in the eyes. “She admits it right here.”
“The mother?”
“Yes, listen to this. ‘I know God will never forgive me as I will never forgive myself. She was beauty and innocence as I have taken it away from her. Her body burned in the furnace, her soul torments me. God I pray not to burn for all eternity!”
Hearing these words allowed Falina a freedom she had not experienced since her death. Her life had ended by the hands of her own mother, who was burning in hell this very moment.
At that moment, a light opened up for Falina to ascend into heaven. A red light also opened beneath her feet and she heard the sounds of those in torment below.
“What’s going on?” Johnny whispered. They could hear the awful sound coming from below.
“I don’t know,” Todd whispered back. They were too terrified to move.
Falina descended into hell and found her mother chained to a large red rock, lava flowing past her feet, burning her. She was screaming in agony. The young girl stood before her and took her mother’s hand. The words were not so much spoken as felt. “I forgive you.”
With that, the chains disappeared and Falina’s mother’s pain was gone. The white light beckoned them. Hand in hand, they stepped into the realm of the absolute together.
A ray of sunlight came through the dusty window and the boys knew that the sad little ghost had finally found peace.

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