The Stories That Haunt Us by Bill Jessome Read Free Book Online

house. They nodded in agreement, shook hands with the man, and a couple of days later they moved in. The first tragedy happened very soon. The old man came out of his bedroom, and the demon spirit came up behind him. When he reached the top of the stairs she pushed him and he went headlong down the stairs. It was awful. The evil spirit stood at the top of the stairs laughing at the old man on the floor, and I heard it all happening! I wish I could have helped then, but I didn’t even know I could leave the attic.
    â€œAgain and again over the last ten years, I have listened to nice, innocent people dying, without being able to help them. And then you came, and you were so kind, and you taught me how to leave the attic, and oh—I wanted so much for you to stay. I should have warned you, but I couldn’t bear to lose the only friends I had in all these years. Will you forgive me?”
    Surprisingly, it was Charles who spoke first. “Forgive you? Cassie, you just saved my life. Now, those other people who died, they weren’t your fault. I reckon now you have got rid of that evil spirit for good, and you can relax and—well, like Margaret said, we never had our own children…”
    Charles’s voice trailed off as he realized Cassie had stopped listening. He followed her gaze across the kitchen to the back door, which had blown open suddenly in a gust of wind. There stood three ghostly figures. Cassie jumped from the table, ran to the newcomers, and embraced the tallest. At this point, all three figures became more solid, and Margaret and Charles realized what was happening.
    â€œOh Charles, they’ve come for her! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.”
    Cassie looked truly happy, and was whispering excitedly with what must have been her brother. Her parents—her real, ghostly parents—were beaming down at their long-lost daughter. Margaret and Charles couldn’t help but be happy for their little ghost.
    Cassie’s father thanked Margaret and Charles for caring for his daughter. Margaret invited them all to stay but her invitation was refused; the family had to return to England as soon as possible.
    Cassie hugged Margaret and told her that she would never forget her, and that she would always be her earthly mother. Margaret had tears in her eyes when she thought of what lay ahead. “I’ll never see you again, will I?”
    â€œNever is a long time. Perhaps we’ll meet somewhere later.” When Cassie turned to say goodbye to Charles, he was waiting with open arms for a hug from this girl he had barely believed in a few hours before.
    â€œIt is time,” called Cassie’s father. “We must hurry.”
    Margaret and Charles walked with Cassie to the veranda, where her parents and brother were waiting. They watched as the Fielding family disappeared inside a swirling bright light that lifted them skyward. They stood there watching, transfixed, until the four lights disappeared in the night sky. The couple turned to go back in. From a distant corner of the house they heard a thumping sound, then silence.
    Footsteps
    A young couple, David and Helen, stood on the veranda of a beautiful house in Truro discussing the age and history of the house with the real estate agent. “Old, said the agent freely, “very old indeed. Built in 1810 as a matter of fact.” The agent told the couple that the same family had stayed in the house for those years. Then, hesitantly, she told them the home had remained vacant for quite a long time because of a tragedy. When they inquired as to what happened, David and Helen were told only that a murder had been committed. The agent was reluctant to go into any more detail, and changed the topic by asking them if they would mind living so far from town and neighbours. “The nearest neighbour is two miles away and the town itself, seven,” she said. David said that he and his wife would welcome the