3 comments/ 10924 views/ 0 favorites One Hell of a Haunting By: sweeteuphoria Note from the Author: This story is an original. Except for the use of Hell and other Michigan cities, it's completely fictitious. There is little sex in the story, so if that's what you are looking for you might want to move on. * "Okay Molly, now close your eyes," Drew said as he turned his car into the long driveway of their new home. As he approached the front of the house he reminded his wife of twenty-five years, "now remember, it's a fixer-upper, but we got it for pennies on the dollar." He stopped the car, gravel settling with the weight of his tires. "Okay, you can open your eyes now, dear." The house itself, set back off the dirt road. A tree lined gravel path led to the house. It was a gloomy day, which made the property seem like that of an old black and white movie set. All that was missing was the spooky music to really set the scene, as Molly opened her eyes and looked around. "Holy shit! Drew, what have you gotten us into?" she asked shocked at the condition of the house and its surroundings. The property, located in a town known as Hell in Southeastern Michigan, had contained a thriving barn and a nice, large country home at one time until the mysterious death of the owner. His wife and young children had trouble keeping up with things and eventually sold the place. The second owner as well as his family lived a short life there and perished after only ten years of residency. After that the property began to deteriorate. Vandals came and went, destroying much of the house. Eventually, enough damage had been done that it was soon boarded up, the dilapidated barn barely standing itself. It had been about ten years after the second tenant's death that the land was bought by a young couple, just starting a family. The wife wanted her children to learn the ways of long ago; in hopes they would be grateful for what they now have. The couple lived there and began remodeling the house into a nice living space, but the renovations hadn't been completed because the wife and children didn't want to stay there anymore. "It's haunted, I'm telling you. I refuse to spend one more night in that old house," she told her husband and by the time he returned from work the following day their belongings had been packed and she was waiting in the driveway for him. "I don't care if you sell it or just chalk it up as a loss, I'm not staying here another minute." The family packed up and moved out, heading for a town far away from Hell. The property went on the market again and even though the price had been reduced several times it still took five years to sell. Drew circled the advertisement in the local paper and soon purchased it. "Can you tell me why it had been on the market for so long?" Drew asked the real estate agent. "Well it has been reported that the house is haunted. I've been in there several times and nothing has happened to me," the agent offered the information hesitantly. "Okay, that's fine. You never know when that might come in handy," he added as he reached for a pen to write a check for the down payment. The main frame of the barn remained intact, however there were boards missing from the sides, one of the doors in the front had rotted and was hanging by one very rusty hinge and the roof had partially collapsed, but all of this could be repaired with the right materials. The house itself looked run down on the outside, with boarded up windows and doors, but on the inside, a two-story dwelling with what smelled like fresh paint, looked quite cheerful. The realtors had come in and fixed some things to prepare for the sale. Molly was beginning to like it now that she was inside. "This is actually quite nice, Drew," she commented in an arrogant tone as if she was surprised that he would choose something so nice for her, considering things haven't been going that well for them. Their relationship had become rocky after their twenty-five years of marriage. She knew he wasn't having an affair because she kept close tabs on him so much, but something had changed with him. He had become distant. He blamed it on the stress of work and life in the big city. Sometimes she wondered. Drew grew up in a small town and after college when he met Molly, he moved to the city to be closer to her. They married and started a family and Drew, not wanting to hear any complaints decided it would be good for his children to grow up with more opportunities than what he had as a child so he bought a home in Flint. After the children had grown and moved out of the house things changed dramatically. He still loved his wife but he couldn't stand to live with her anymore. A divorce was out of the question for him. "She's not getting any of my hard earned money after treating me the way she has for so long," he'd always say. His family knew his feelings towards Molly and wondered why he was buying a new home with her and so far away from civilization, as his sister put it. Drew had a plan. He knew the house was thought to be haunted and he took a chance that would come to be true so he could deliver his plan. Molly grew up in the city and although she enjoyed going to the country for picnics as a child she never thought of herself as a country sort of girl. She loved the fast pace, the hustle and bustle of the crowds. And the shopping, we can't forget the shopping. That was her favorite past time. When the children were small she'd be heading to the biggest mall around for one thing or another. Drew said he should have taken stock in the stores at Lakeside mall. Molly had no problem spending Drew's hard earned money every weekend. Molly agreed to the move knowing Hell wasn't that far from Ann Arbor, or even Novi for that matter; two bigger cities where she could get her fill of the hustle and bustle. It didn't matter much anyway because Drew had made this choice without her even knowing about it until the day the realtor came and put the for sale sign on their front lawn. Molly knew she didn't have a say in the matter and after her prolonged tantrum she decided she wasn't ready to give up the comfortable life she had with Drew. She was never in need of money and Drew never asked her to go out and get a job. She had it made. Or so she thought. Back in Hell, Drew and Molly began the grueling task of unpacking their belongings that had been delivered by the moving company. Molly started in the kitchen while Drew started with the big appliances. Within a week everything was in place and Molly actually began to relax a tad. Living in the city she'd always been so high strung, barking at everything Drew did that she didn't like and that was the main thing that caused the distance between them. He had grown tired of her bickering about the smallest of things. For example, a pair of socks left on the floor after he changed from his work clothes, or a dirty plate left in the sink after a midnight snack. These things would drive her ballistic and then the nagging would start. She wouldn't ease up on him until he would get mad enough and go to bed. These outbreaks were a daily event. "Would you give me a break? I work all day sometimes a double shift so you can have the luxuries you are accustomed to. When I get home I am dog tired, the last thing on my mind is if I picked up my socks and put them in the hamper, or if I got the dish from the sink into the dishwasher. Now stop the bitching, will you? I could use some peace and quiet for a change." "You don't understand, you'll never understand. I work hard to keep this house running smoothly," was Molly's response. "Work hard? Hell, you never worked hard a day in your life. I don't think you know what hard work is!" Drew stormed back at her. "Everything you have was given to you, you never had to work for anything. I don't consider keeping a house clean or running errands hard work. I'd like to see you survive a day in my line of work. Actually I don't think you would last five minutes, bitch. So don't stand there and tell me you work hard. I've had enough for tonight, I'm going to bed." This was one of biggest issues with him. Molly felt no one in the world worked harder than she did and she expected everything to be as perfect at the end of the day as she had made it during the day. Drew knew that would never happen. The sex between them had lessened some over the years, but Molly loved her orgasms and knew, even after an argument, how to push Drew's buttons. Because of her love of shopping, Molly had an extensive wardrobe and much of that was lingerie. After a fight and Drew storming off to bed, she would wait for him to calm a bit then she would go up to the bathroom and shower then slip into one of her sexy camisoles and snuggle beside her husband. He would stir when the mattress shifted and catch a whiff of her perfume. She knew which ones turned him on the most and would splash some on after her shower if she were particularly horny that evening. Molly, five foot seven inches with long, thick brunette flocks had kept her figure even after the children had grown. She had enough time on her hands to get to the gym a couple times each week for her regular workout. Drew had many complaints about his wife, but her figure wasn't one of them. She still turned him on, even though he was mad as hell at her after a heated argument or a rough nagging session. When he was irate with her the sex was rough, but she didn't seem to mind and it relaxed them both. When morning came they were all lovey dovey again, if only for a few moments. Even after the great sex, Drew was still planning her demise. Although he wondered if the realtor was telling the truth about the house being haunted, because he hadn't seen nor heard anything out of the ordinary. He put those thoughts in the back of his mind for the time being to concentrate of finishing the renovations that had ceased so many years ago. The kitchen still needed light fixtures and the living room needed a new floor. The front of the house would have to wait and probably become a summer project due to the change in weather; besides, with today being Halloween, Drew thought it fitting to have the front appear dilapidated. Drew made a list of supplies to get at the local hardware store in the morning and planned to begin the tasks first thing, but Molly had other plans. She hated Halloween, always has. So while Drew stood at the door waiting for trick-or-treaters she started in the kitchen. She didn't like the tile behind the sink and with hammer and chisel in hand she gave one firm 'whack' and the tile crumbled onto the counter. "What the hell was that? Oh don't tell me they are at it again. When will these people realize they shouldn't mess with MY house?" ghost Fred said as he floated through the air in the direction of the kitchen. "Well now, what do we have here? New tenants to scare off! I wish the message would just get around and they would all leave me alone," he thought to himself as he made his presence known by grabbing the hammer and chisel from the counter when Molly bent down to pick up some cracked pieces that had fallen to the floor. Righting herself, Molly reached for the tools she was using, but they weren't there. She looked around the counter and under the rubble of the tile only to find nothing but more rubble. "Oh come on now," she huffed, irritated by the fact that she couldn't place the missing tools. "What the hell is going on here?" she mumbled to herself as she stormed into the living room to ask Drew if he came to get them without her knowing. "Tools? I have no idea what you are talking about, Molly. I haven't left this door in over an hour. What the hell are you doing in the kitchen at this hour anyway? What's so important that it can't wait 'til morning?" As Molly turned and stormed back into the kitchen Drew exhaled a deep breath, "It's about time they showed up. I was beginning to think that sales guy was being a shyster and there is something else wrong with this house he didn't want me to know about until after I had signed the papers and closed the deal," he mumbled to himself then gave a sinister grin toward the kitchen that was meant for his wife. Returning to the kitchen Molly walked back to the counter she where she had been working and there before her very eyes lay the hammer and chisel, right where she thought she had placed them before bending to the floor. "This is too weird. I must be getting tired," she mumbled as she cleaned up the mess she made on the counter. She wiped it down with disinfectant spray and tossed the shards of tile into the garbage can before heading to the bathroom upstairs for a relaxing bath. Drew emptied the few remaining candy bars from the bowl of candy into a youngsters bag, said Happy Halloween and then closed and locked the front door. He walked into the kitchen to place the bowl in the sink for his wife to get later, not thinking it would start another nag session, but he was tired and just wanted to go to bed. "Oh Fred, darling, it's Sadie. Are you here?" "Sadie? Oh Sadie is it really you? Oh how I have missed you. Come here love," Fred said to his wife, now a ghost herself. Fred hugged his wife close, feeling her spirit melt with his. Before Sadie arrived Fred felt incomplete and appeared to the invaders of his home as a fog, a cloud so to speak, but now that his wife was with him again, he felt complete. Now they both appear as regular people, except that you can see through them and they can see each other the way each looked before their death. "Oh Sadie, you feel so wonderful. I've been waiting for you to join me. I could hardly believe our house was gone when I got here and now THIS! These people are destroying everything I've worked so hard to build for us." "Well, now that I'm here, WE won't let that happen. Together we will scare them off and continue doing so until they get the message." "I knew I could count on you to help me, but for now I want to welcome you back home properly," Fred said as he guided Sadie to Drew's bed. Drew walked back to the living room to turn off the lights and heard a noise coming from the bathroom, then another noise coming from his bedroom. Knowing his wife couldn't get from one room to another that quickly he thought it must be the ghosts the realtor was speaking of. He quickly flicked the switches and ran up the stairs in hopes of seeing something besides his wife. He took the stairs two at a time at the beginning but as he neared he top his pace slowed considerably as he tiptoed up the three remaining steps and down the hall to his room. Slowly, he peeked around the corner of the doorway and froze in amazement. He wasn't afraid, just shocked he could actually see them, the ghosts of Fred and Sadie, right there on his bed. He just stood frozen in amazement at the love and tenderness they showed toward each other. "Oh how cool is this? I never believed in ghosts before this and to actually see that they are having sex. Amazing, truly amazing!" he thought to himself as he watched the long lost love return right before his eyes. Drew could see the movements of the figures on his mattress and faintly hear sounds, but not as if they were actually speaking like you and I, even though he could see that their mouths were moving as though speaking to each other. "Oh God! Fred, that feels so wonderful, I don't ever want to let you go again," Sadie said as Fred pulled her close and kissed her lips tenderly, yet with a passion he was glad he could show once again. Fred floated off Sadie and began to remove her dress, then her undergarments and tossed them to the floor before he removed his own clothing; his denim overalls lay stiff beside the bed. He floated back down to his wife and caressed her breasts before taking each separately into his mouth and suckling gently, teasing the nipple just the way she'd always liked it. "Oh Fred! You little devil!" Sadie exclaimed as she felt his member press against her thigh. "I can't believe that after all this time you still got it in you to do that! Let me feel it? I want it inside me. Please, Fred, fuck me!" she pleaded. "Are you sure that after all this time you can handle it?" he said with a chuckle. "Well actually I can and to show you, after you fuck me I want to make love to you, just the way I did the night before your accident." Sadie said, a lusting tone in her voice. Drew watched as the mattress shifted when Fred removed Sadie's clothing. He could see the clothing pile on the floor beside the bed. He heard a soft thud as Fred's overalls settled in the pile. He could make out a grayish outline of the husband and wife and a lighter shade of gray for their body parts as they moved about changing to different positions for the different sexual acts. "What the fuck is wrong with you man?" Drew thought to himself as he felt the growing member in his own jeans. "They are ghosts! I can't believe I'm letting ghosts get me aroused like this," he thought to himself as he walked away to check on his wife, hoping she was still in the bath and not wanting her to see the events taking place in their bed at the moment. When Drew returned from the bathroom the ghosts were gone. The pile of clothing beside the bed was gone as well. He looked all around for them, but they were nowhere to be found. "I hope the two of you had fun on my mattress," Drew said as he flipped the covers off slightly and crawled into bed. As he closed his eyes he felt a warm glow above him, he smiled and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep quickly. "Well he seems like a nice young man," Sadie said to Fred, holding his hand as they floated out of the room and down the hall. "I don't think he's the one we have to be concerned about," Fred said as they settled on the sofa to cuddle more and then continued, "It's his wife! She's the one evoking chaos here. I caught her earlier tearing down the tile I carved by hand for the back splash behind the sink. Oh, and you should hear how she speaks to that poor guy. I felt sorry for him earlier when she was nagging him about our house and when things would get done. They just moved in this morning and she already wants to make changes and wants them fixed immediately," Fred said. "Well, I blame that on living in the big city. It can make a person cold and heartless," Sadie replied looking up towards the bathroom, seeing the door open and Molly emerge with only a towel rapped around her wet hair. "Well, will you join me for a moon lit stroll, my sweet?" Fred asked Sadie as he floated from the sofa after hearing the bedroom door close upstairs. "Oh that sounds wonderful, darling. It's a beautiful night for a stroll around our property. Later we can discuss what to do about the intruders." Molly slid in bed beside her sleeping husband and although she was looking forward to a sexual release tonight she hated to awaken him, partly because she knew he had a long day, but mostly because she didn't want to listen to his complaints about how tired he is the next day. The morning sun awakened Molly and Drew as Fred and Sadie plotted their revenge. "Good morning Molly, did you sleep well?" Drew asked as he grabbed his robe and walked to the door. "It was okay I suppose, but I kept hearing noises all night." "Well, you have to keep in mind that this is an old house and it will make noises occasionally. It's probably just settling into the ground," Drew explained, knowing that wasn't what she had heard, but not letting on about the ghosts. Drew proceeded downstairs to make a pot of coffee while Molly dressed and met him in the kitchen. "So what's your plan for the day, Drew?" she asked walking to the fridge pausing to pull a piece of broken tile from her foot. She glanced at the work she had started last night, only to find most of the tile back on the wall. "What the hell? Why did you put that hideous tile back up there?" her nagging starting already and she hasn't even had her morning coffee yet. One Hell of a Haunting "I have no idea what you are talking about. How the hell do you think I could get all those small pieces back up here and have it look so nice after the hack job you did at tearing it off?" he barked back at her. "Well I know I tore it down last night," she said sounding confused now as she rubbed her forehead, staring at the backsplash in disbelief. "Well, I guess you will just have to start all over again. I can't explain what happened here any better than you, but you have the house to yourself this morning 'cause I got to make a run to the hardware store. I will be back as soon as I can," Drew said as he walked out the back door toward his car, hiding his coy smile. Drew jumped in his car and headed out the driveway only to realize he'd forgotten the measurements he needed for one of the projects. Turning the car around he headed back to the house, going in the front door this time to avoid another confrontation with Molly. As he closed the door behind him he saw the ghostly figures floating up the stairs. He dropped his keys on the end table and followed them. Walking slowly as he neared the top of the stairs, he watched closely to see where they went then heard noises coming from the bedroom again. Knowing it wasn't his wife, because she was in the kitchen; he moved down the hall standing close to the wall. He peeked around the corner of the bedroom door the same as yesterday, secretly hoping to see them at it again. To his dismay they weren't on the bed, but standing in front of the window in line with the door. "I thought you said he was leaving?" Sadie asked as she peered out the window looking at Drew's car parked in the driveway. "He did leave. He must have come back for something," Fred said as he too peered out the window over Sadie's shoulder. "I'm getting tired of all this waiting around, Fred. Can't w e just start our plan now? Who cares whether he sees us or not. I just want our home back and will do anything to get it," she added as she floated toward the bed to sit. "Oh shit, I think she saw me," Drew thought to himself then gasped as Sadie floated toward him. He wanted to back away from the room, but was too stunned by the fact of being seen. "Who are you and what are you doing in our home?" Sadie asked, staring at Drew. "Hello there! I'm Drew -- er—um – Andrew," he stammered the continued as he watched the ghost float above the floor in front of him. "I purchased this property last month and my wife and I just moved in yesterday." Not wanting to appear rude, but couldn't resist not knowing asked, "Um – excuse me – but who are you, if you don't mind me asking?" "Hello Andrew, I'm Fred and this is my wife Sadie. This is our house. I built it with my own two hands and we just want it back. So, you say that woman downstairs trying to discard my hard work is your wife?" He stood in awe, hearing every word the couple said to him clear as a bell. "Um, yes she is." Drew answered, a look of astonishment on his face. "What's the matter son? You look as though you've seen a ghost or something." "Will you listen to yourself, Fred? We are ghosts and yes he can see us. How did you expect him to look?" "Drew," Molly shouted up the stairs. "What the hell are you doing up there? I thought you were going to the store for supplies? Now, thanks to you I'm going to be up all night doing the things I put on my list. You know, you can be so inconsiderate sometimes. I don't know why I st…" Molly began her nagging once again, this time going on and on about stupid things, things from the past that no one had control over anymore. Drew grasped his hair in his fists and anger spread across his face as he tried to block out Molly's screeching voice. "Oh dear, there she goes again. Tell me Drew, how do you take it? Better yet, why do you take it? No one should ever speak to his or her spouse that way, much less another human being," Sadie said as she hovered closer to Drew emitting a warm comforting glow. "Well actually Sadie, you don't mind me calling you that do you? Or would you prefer Mrs. um – I'm sorry, I don't know your last name." "That's okay Andrew, Sadie is fine." "Well as I was saying, I have wanted to leave her for quite some time now, but if I do then she gets half of everything I've worked so hard for. She hasn't worked a day in her life and now that the children are grown I don't want her getting my home, my car, half of my business, nothing!" he said angrily, walking to the bed to sit down. "Oh you poor dear. Living with her must be hell," Sadie whispered as she and Fred sat beside Drew on the bed. Drew breathed deeply then continued, "I heard about this place a while ago and thought if I could get her to move here I might be lucky enough to drive her crazy and then blame it on the house being haunted. She'd never know it was me doing things to her, but then you two came along and…" As Drew spoke, Sadie and Fred had disappeared hearing Molly draw near. Just before the door opened, Drew felt the mattress shift and he stopped talking. He just sat there waiting for her to barge in and start with her complaints again, which is exactly what she did. "Oh Fred, we have to help that poor boy. I don't want that creature living in my home and I feel Andrew deserves much better," Sadie voiced as she and Fred floated out of the bedroom. +++++ "Okay, you can stop your bitching now Molly. I have the things you asked me to get from the hardware store," Drew said, slightly annoyed with the whole thing now as he set the bag on the table and walked outside. "Where are you going? Hey, Don't you dare walk away from me when I am speaking to you," Molly shouted as Drew continued to walk, never turning to look at her. The property behind the house was somewhat wooded and Drew walked back in the trees a bit, stopping when he heard Molly scream. He turned slightly, debating if he should go check on her or not. He didn't, he needed time to calm down from her noise and continued to walk. "Hehehe! That was a good one Sadie!" Fred said as he watched Molly run up the staircase and into the bedroom. "Yes it was, wasn't it? I'm going to let her think about it for a while and go check on Andrew to let him know his plan is in action now." Molly was in the kitchen trying desperately to get the tile off the backsplash again. She was bound and determined that it wasn't going to stay up any longer. She picked up the blow torch, turned it on and when she aimed it at the tile, a gust of wind blew the flame back at her; burning her hair. She dropped the torch and ran upstairs to the bathroom screaming. Looking at her scorched hair in the mirror, the hideous sight caused her knees to become weak and she suddenly fell to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "Helllloo? Andrew? Are you out here? Andrew, it's Sadie and Fred. Can we talk to you?" Sadie called out as she and Fred flew around the property trying to find him. "Look down there, Sadie. There he is." Fred had spotted Andrew leaning against a tall birch tree, his arms folded above his head with a broad smile on his face. "I should've gone to check on her. I feel kind of bad for not checking on her after she screamed," Drew told Sadie as she appeared in front of him. Sadie and Fred told Drew what happened and all he could do was laugh. "It's about time she did something with that hairdo anyway," he said with a chuckle. "So what's in store for her next, Sadie? I think I'm gonna like this." After Drew learned of Sadie's plans he said good night and headed back inside to check on his wife and grab a shower before bed. He was going to make it an early night since he had so much planned for the morning. "G'night Sadie. G'night Fred and thanks. Hey feel free to stay in the house and make yourself at home," he said and then headed inside. "Molly? Hun? Where are you? He called out as he entered the kitchen from the back yard. Drew headed upstairs to look for her and when he reached the top of the stairs he heard sobbing coming from the bathroom. "Molly! Oh Molly, what happened?" he said sounding surprised to see her in the condition she was in. "C'mon, lets get you off the floor and into bed," he said as he helped her up. Drew couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he walked her to the bedroom, smelling the scent of burnt hair and seeing the frizzed ends of her hair sticking out in all directions. "I told you to be careful with that, it can be a dangerous tool if you don't know what you are doing," he added as she sat on the bed. Molly didn't have anything to say to him. She was angry that he didn't come to her rescue, but more angry that he didn't try to help her earlier. She just rolled to her side, curled into a ball and went to sleep. "Finally! A peaceful night," Drew said as he undressed and crawled into bed beside his wife. ++++ Morning came too quickly for Drew as he lay in bed trying to wake up. His mind recalled the events of last night and Molly's experience as that same smile crept to his lips once again. Wanting to speak with Sadie and Fred before his morning got going he got out of bed and slipped into his robe then whispered their names. "Sadie? Fred? Hey guys it's me, Drew. I was just wondering hat you had in store for Molly today." "Good morning Andrew. Did you sleep well?" Sadie replied in her soothing voice and then continued to inform Drew of her plans for the coming weeks. Drew liked what he had heard and agreed to Sadie's conditions that he be in the same room with her most of the time when things occurred, but sometimes she wanted him out of the house; saying she would explain later. The morning flew by as Drew worked steadily on the house, mainly repairing broken windows and the roof. He'd talked to Fred earlier about the things he planned on fixing. "I know this is your house and I love it here, but I don't want to get a face full of rain or snow with all the leaks in the roof, so I'm gonna tackle that project first. I also noticed my socks getting snagged on the rough wood and I would hate to cover it with a carpet. I can only imagine how beautiful it was when waxed and buffed. That will be my second task, along with the things that are broken. I think Molly is gonna try to remove that tile one more time but after that she will probably just cover it with something. I promise not to let her destroy it." "I won't bother you while you are working Andrew. I know your wish is to preserve the natural beauty of this old house and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, um – I don't have that anymore, but I think you know what I meant," Fred said as he patted Drew on the back and followed Sadie from the room. The morning passed without incident from Sadie or Fred and Drew was on pins and needles waiting for them to strike. At lunch, Drew asked Molly to fix them something to eat. She cleaned up her mess from the counter and started to fix them both soup and a sandwich. She opened two cans of tomato soup and then made some tuna salad for the sandwiches. As she poured Drew's bowl of soup she called him to the table. "Oh boy, that sure smells great!" he said as he sat across from where Molly usually sat. As drew ate his soup, he'd look up occasionally for a sign of Fred and Sadie, still nothing. "What the hell are they waiting for?" he questioned to himself. He started a conversation with Molly to pass the time as she sat to eat her food. A sudden scream shocked Drew and he dropped his spoon on the floor. "What's the matter hun?" he asked knowing Sadie was up to something. "There's something in my soup!" Molly squealed as she stirred her spoon around in the bowl. "I don't see anything. It was probably just a hunk of tomato or something," Drew replied as she sat there staring at her bowl. "No! It wasn't a tomato. Tomatoes don't wiggle in your mouth or scratch your throat when you swallow. What did you put I my bowl when I wasn't looking Drew?" "Damn it, how could I have put something in your bowl without you seeing me? C'mon now think about it? Maybe you are working too hard. Perhaps you should go lay down for a while." Molly finished her sandwich and tossed her soup in the garbage disposal before taking Drew up on his offer. The steps squeaked as she made her way to the bedroom. About half way up, a breeze startled her. She froze in her tracks hen she felt someone or something pushing her and then heard a woman's voice, "Enjoy your sleep my sweet." She glanced behind her thinking it was Drew playing tricks on her but she could still see him sitting at the table. Feeling faint, she began to walk again, ignoring the voice. Three hours passed with no sign of Molly. Drew enjoyed the peace and quiet; that is until he heard the sound of glass breaking; it was coming from his bedroom. He rushed up the stairs, taking then two at a time. He ran down the hall and into the room. "What the hell are you doing Molly?" he shouted, running to her as she stood by the open window. "Oh Drew, did you see the spiders? They were all over the wall and the window. I couldn't get them to stop crawling toward me," she said trembling and holding a shredded blanket. "No, I didn't see anything and I don't see anything now," he said as he took the blanket from her and dropped it in the corner. "I think someone has been sniffing too many fumes or something." "There's nothing wrong with me, damn it! I feel fine and I know what I saw. Why don't you believe me?" "Well Molly, if there were spiders here, as many as you said there were, don't you think you would have been able to get at least one with that blanket? I don't see one dead spider anywhere." "Are you calling me a liar? "Um, well, no not exactly. I just think you probably imagined it or it was a dream or something. Perhaps we should call the doctor to make an appointment." "Fuck you Drew! I'm not going to see any doctor. I'm not crazy. They were here; I know it. I'm going back down stairs to work now, you go do whatever it was you were doing before and just leave me the hell alone!" she shouted as she stormed out of the room. Sadie appeared, as Drew was about to close the bedroom door and head downstairs. "Well, well, I see the little miss is afraid of spiders! How wonderful!" she said in a wicked voice. "Good call with the spiders, Sadie," Drew said as Sadie gave him a high-five and then floated over to repair the broken window with a simple wave of her hand. "Oh man! How cool, thanks Sadie! Now that's one less thing for me to worry about today!" ++++ Sadie and Fred continued with their plan to drive Molly from their home and Drew's life. Their tricks and schemes alternated from horrifying, like with the spiders, to things that would simply make Molly question her own sanity. They would do things for several days in a row then stop suddenly. This lasted for months. Mid September approached quickly and Sadie wondered what she was doing wrong. Why was Molly still here, why was she still sane? She picked up the pace on her scheme and just about every time Molly turned around, something strange was happening. The lights would flicker whenever she walked into a room. She saw things move right before her eyes, but when she confronted Drew about it the items were always back in their original location. "Damn, thank God it's Friday!" Drew said exhausted, after a long, busy week between his day job and the tasks that awaited him in the evenings. Molly decided to surprise him with a special dinner, something she didn't do very often. She prepared a late dinner for the two of them, starting the dessert just as she heard him pull up in the driveway. Walking to the cupboard, she reached to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Thinking it was probably the humidity because of all the rain lately, she tried it again. When she had no luck the second time, she grabbed a knife from the drawer in an attempt to pry it open. She pushed the knife in gently and twisted it, still no movement of the door. Molly then she used all her strength and twisted the knife again, only to have the blade of the knife snap off at the handle, she cursed under her breath, "Oh that's just great," she said with a heavy sigh. "Oh wow, something sure smells good in here," Drew said as he walked in the front door. Setting his things down in the usual spot, he headed for the kitchen. "What's all this for?" he asked taking a big whiff. Molly didn't answer him right away and Drew didn't want to ask again. He knew how she could respond if he tried to get her to talk to him when she didn't want to, so he turned and headed to the upstairs bathroom. "I hope I have time for a shower before dinner," he said as he disappeared up the stairs. "Hey Drew?" "I'm taking a shower, can it wait?" "Well no it can't. I need help with this cupboard door first so I can finish dinner then you can go take your shower." "Okay, I'll be down in a minute," he said as he tossed his work clothes in the hamper and wrapped a towel around his waist. "Now, what seems to be the problem here?" he asked as he reached for the handle on the door and pulled it open with ease. "Well shit, I figured that would happen," Molly said with a giggle as Drew headed back up stairs. Just as he passed through the doorway Molly turned to reach into the cupboard to get what she needed and it slammed shut, barely missing her fingers. "Oh c'mon, what the hell is going on in here?" Molly couldn't get the door to open for her so she just gave up on dessert. As she and Drew ate, she kept glancing at that door. After dinner, Drew stayed and helped her clean up. Several times he'd gone to that same door to put something away and each time it opened with ease. Molly couldn't get over it. When everything was cleaned they both headed out of the kitchen, but on her way out Molly tried the door one last time and this time it opened for her. "Well fuck you," she said looking at the open door and walked out of the room. "I think a fire would be nice tonight, don't you?" Drew asked as he walked over to get the wood from the pot to the right of the fireplace. "Yes. That does sound nice, it's been chilly in here all day, probably because of all the rain we've had this past week," Molly answered as she took her usual seat on the couch and curled her legs beneath her. "So, have you seen or heard anything strange today, Molly?" Drew asked as he lit the match and tossed it onto the logs. "Well, except for the cupboard sticking it's been a nice day," Molly said as Drew excused himself to get a beer. "You want one?" "That does sound good, thanks." Drew returned with two bottles of beer, handing one to Molly before he sat down and kicked up his feet to relax. Molly reached for the remote and switched on the television searching through the TV guide for something funny to watch. As Molly flipped through the channels, Drew saw Sadie and Fred enter the room and sit directly across from them in the two chairs that faced the sofa. Drew smiled as Sadie gave him the two-thumbs up signal that something was about to happen. "Hey, I was hoping we could watch a scary movie tonight hun. It's almost Halloween, there should be tons of scary movies on tonight." "Um – eh – well actually I think I've had my fill of strange happenings for a while, if you don't mind," she replied as she clicked on a sappy, romantic movie and settled back with a smile. "Well if this is what you're choosing for us to watch then I'm going to bed," Drew said in a huff as he scooted to the edge of his seat. Not wanting to be alone, Molly decided to change the channel and make Drew happy; at least she wouldn't be left all alone at night in that big dark room with only the glow of the fire to keep her company. One Hell of a Haunting "Okay, okay," she said as she selected the horror channel on cable. She began to scroll through the movies and when Drew saw The Blair Witch Project "We are watching this! I've never seen it all the way through and right now I can't think of a better movie to watch." Drew settled into the sofa as the movie began. "This isn't so bad I guess," Molly said as the opening scene played. "It's just a bunch of kids in the woods," she added as she too settled into the sofa to watch the movie. "Okay, this is our big moment," Sadie said to Fred as he watched Molly's expressions change from content to scarred stiff as she watched the movie on the edge of her seat. "What do you have in mind dear?" "You just sit back and enjoy the show. I have control over this one," Sadie suggested as she swirrled above Molly's head creating a breeze. Fred snickered when he noticed Molly continue to straighten her hair after each swift pass by Sadie. Sadie continued this movement for about three minutes and just as one of the kids in the movie screamed as they walked into the old house, Sadie knocked over the lamp at the end of the sofa; causing Molly to jump out of her skin. When she leaned to see what had fallen everything was in its place. Drew didn't even flinch. Of course, no one realized he had fallen asleep. Sadie continued her assault on Molly after she settled down again from the scare of the lamp falling. Sadie drifted toward the window and made the curtains move slightly, which allowed the moon to shine through the window. When Molly looked around the room the furniture was in a different position. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Am I dreaming all this?" She questioned herself. Sitting back down on the sofa she reached for the light on the end table beside the sofa and flicked the switch. As soon as she settled back in her seat the light flickered and went out. She glanced around the room quickly, noticing that the fire had also gone out. Now the room was in total darkness; a cloud shadowed the glow of the moon. Molly tried to turn the channel, thinking that if she put something else on she would feel better. Every time she would hit a new station the screen would flicker and The Blair Witch Project would reappear. "Oh great, now this is broken too?" she said, becoming increasingly scared as the moments passed. "Drew? God damn it, Drew. Would you wake up please?" she shouted, shaking Drew's shoulder to wake him. "What the hell are you doing all that for?" he shouted back, annoyed because she'd awakened him for a wonderful dream watching Sadie and Fred get it on in his bed again. "How could you have slept through all that commotion? I just don't get it," Molly said as she slumped back into the sofa again. "What commotion? I didn't hear a thing." "Well here let me get a flashlight and show you exactly what commotion," she said as she felt her way to the mantle above the fireplace. Pushing the button to light the bright beam she moved it around the room to show Drew what had happened while he was asleep. "What, I don't see anything wrong. What the hell is going on with you? I think you are really loosing it woman." When Molly's eyes followed the beam of light everything was back in its place. The fireplace was burning bright and the curtains were closed again. She walked to the end table to turn on the light and to her astonishment it lit. "I can't believe you woke me up to show me the arrangement of our living room hadn't changed while I was asleep. Thanks a lot dear. Now if you don't mind I am going to call it a night. You can watch whatever it was you wanted to watch earlier, I'm going to bed." Drew huffed as he stood from the sofa and walked to the stairs. "Like hell you are. You aren't leaving me down here all alone. I'm going with you," she said as she too stood from the sofa and ran behind Drew, following him close all the way to their room. "Turn the light off will ya, but leave the door cracked a bit," she said as she headed for the bed. Molly didn't even bother to change from her clothes as she jumped beneath the covers before Drew got to his side of the bed. "Aaaah!" she screamed a blood curdling scream, kicking her feet wildly. "Oh God! What is happening here? Drew, help me!" she screamed and yelled. Drew left the door cracked and then headed back to the bed to see what Molly was getting hysterical about now. "What? Help you, why? What do you think is going to hurt you? There's nothing here," he said, pulling the covers off her legs and staring at the bed. "Oh God, Drew! Why can't you see them? They are all over me!" she screamed, horrified. "What do you want me to do? I can't see anything?" he said as he walked to her side of the bed. "Please get me out of this bed! I can't sleep I here anymore. The sna – snak - - sna-kes! They're all over me. Please, Drew. Get me out of here," Molly cried hysterically as Drew cradled her in his arms and carried her to the chair. She clung to him as he set her down. "If you want me to help you, you must let go of my neck. You're choking me Molly. Damn it! Molly! Let go now!" he shouted angrily as he pulled her arms from around his neck and stepped away from her. "I'll change the sheets. Will that make you feel better? Honestly I think you should definitely go see someone about this," he told her; knowing full well she wouldn't because of her fear of being labeled 'crazy'. "Where are you going? Don't' leave me here!" she cried. "I'm just going down to the kitchen to get a glass of milk. I'll be right back, don't worry." Drew said as he walked quickly out of the room and down the stairs. Drew never told her that he had spoken to the doctor in town about her situation. Acting concerned about her, he told the doctor he thought she was going crazy, but refused to seek professional help. He thought this would keep the blame away from him when she finally did crack. The doctor told him because she was an adult, he couldn't force her to see him, but to keep him informed if things were to change. Drew once again phoned the doctor telling him of her episode just a few minutes ago. "She seems fine now, but I'm concerned," Drew said and then listened to the doctor's instructions. "If she gets any worse call me immediately! I will come over and take her to the hospital myself," Doctor Frank said and then the line went silent. Molly spent a restless night on the lounge chair and Drew returned to the bed only to fall asleep as soon as his face hit the pillow. He was exhausted and all he could think about was sleep. Morning came too soon once again as Drew, still exhausted, tried to get more sleep. "Get up you bastard!" she shouted angrily at him. "You're the one who's crazy if you think you are gonna go back to sleep while I have to get up and clean up the mess from last night," remembering what had happened to the lamp and the furniture, not to mention the bed. "You are gonna get dressed and get to the hardware store or where ever you have to go to get something to exterminate this house with. I don't want anymore sudden outbreaks of spiders or snakes again!" she shouted at him as if he was her personal slave. "That's it, Fred. I've had it with her bickering and the way she treats poor Andrew. If it's the last thing I do, she will be out of here soon, very soon," Sadie said as she watched Drew struggle to get out of bed. "You know what, Molly? If you are so scared to be here, maybe you should just leave." "Drew, something's not right about this house. I don't feel safe here anymore. I want you to put it up for sale and we can move back to the city. Nothing has ever happened like this in the city." "Save your breath, Molly. We aren't moving. We can't." "Mind if I ask why?" "Well, I wanted to spare you this information until I could get everything straightened out, but if you insist on knowing everything, I'll tell you why we can't move. The business isn't doing well at all right now. I am forced to file bankruptcy. I have to talk to a lawyer first thing Monday morning. We are broke. Well actually, beyond broke. All we have is this house and the only reason e got it was because the bank wanted it off their hands!" Drew yelled then took a deep breath and continued, "if you are so set on accepting there's something wrong with this house, why don't you call the kids to see if you can come visit for a while?" he finished, knowing full well they wouldn't allow her access into their homes because of the way she treated them when they were younger; he didn't blame them either. "Well, I tried to call Sandra, but she is out of town on business, at least that's what her secretary said. Then I called Anthony and he said now isn't a good time for him either, something about the children being sick." "I'm tellin' ya, you should go see a doctor. Maybe they can give you something that will calm you down. I bet you are just overwhelmed from the move out of the city to this small town." "Oh you think you know everything, don't you?" Molly said as she stormed out of the house. "I'll show you I'm not crazy and there is something wrong with this house, just you wait and see." ++++ "Well Sadie, I can't believe it's October already. Well actually I can and you promise that her time is coming soon? In three weeks it will be our first anniversary of living here. I truly hope I don't have to go through another year of her crap," Drew said to Sadie as he hung the last of the Halloween decorations on the front porch. "Oh I can guarantee it Andrew. She is fading quickly. She will break any day now," Sadie replied, floating above the house to view the decorations. "Looks superb Andrew, just like Fred would have done if he were still alive. As she returned to the porch she looked Drew directly in his eyes and swore, "By the end of Halloween night she will be out of your life forever." "Thank you Sadie," Drew said the reached out to hug her. "I know you mean well, but there's no time for that right now. We will celebrate properly when the time comes. Right now I must get busy," Sadie said as she disappeared through the side of the house. Once again, Sadie and Fred set their sights higher and called out to their friends for reinforcement for Molly's demise. Joseph, a dear friend of Fred and Sadie when they were building this house, popped in for a visit and offered his help. "I have the perfect trick. It will have to be done on All Hallows Eve, exactly at six o'clock. You continue with the things you have planned for her and I will get busy with my plan, although it won't take much planning, but it's guaranteed to drive the most sane person crazy." "Whoa, wait a minute there big guy. What about poor Andrew? We don't want him to be effected by any of this. Can you guarantee that he will be spared?" Fred asked. "If that's your wish, then yes I can manage that," Joseph said as he scratched his head then flew off into the kitchen. Sadie and Fred introduced Drew to Joseph. "Don't be alarmed if you see him floating around for a while. He is here to help as well," Sadie said, pointing to Joseph and explaining what he told her and Fred abut the plan and the time limit. ++++ "Oh God! I can hardly wait for tonight! It's Halloween again Molly. I just love watching all the little children in their costumes and I always get a good laugh from the parents who try to be scary. This is my favorite of all holidays," Drew said as he jumped out of bed Halloween morning, dressing quickly. "Where are you going?" "I said it's Halloween! Didn't you hear me? I asked you to get some candy to pass out but you didn't so now I have to go into town and get whatever they have left. In case you've forgotten, Halloween here in Hell is a big event. Stores sell out quick of anything remotely relating to Halloween, which includes candy." Drew stormed out of the house then remembered what Sadie and Fred told him about Joseph. Immediately he turned and ran back into the house. Finally taking control of her, he ordered her to have dinner on the table promptly at six o'clock and not a minute later. Molly knew he meant business by the look in his eyes, so she planned a quick dinner. The day went by uneventful, with no strange occurrences. Molly thought she was finally rid of the pests, but didn't let her guard down for a moment. Drew returned from the store with a few bags of candy and some decorations. He placed the candy in the big bowl he only used on Halloween night and set it by the door. "I'm gonna go take a quick nap, call me when dinner is almost finished," he asked with a smile. The smile turned to an evil grin when he reminded her not to be late. ++++ "Drew? Hey, Drew. It's five thirty, time to get up and get ready for dinner," Molly said as she gently shook Drew's shoulder. "Okay, I'll be down in a bit," He said rolling over to his back, his arm over his face. Molly left the bedroom and returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on dinner and set the table so it would be ready promptly at six p.m. Drew waited in the bedroom for Sadie, Fred and Joseph. "Hey guys, is everything set to go?" he asked excitedly, rolling one hand around the other almost drooling. "Yes Andrew, everything is set. Joseph will be here shortly with everything we need to set her over the edge." "Good, Molly is downstairs as we speak finishing dinner. I'm headed down there now. I'll be waiting for you!" Drew left the room and headed to the kitchen. The clock on the wall read 5:59 p.m. and he took his usual seat at the table waiting for his meal and his guests. Molly brought a big pot of chili to the table and set it on the wooden board to protect the table from the heat of the pot. "Dig in!" she said, knowing chili was one of his favorite dishes on Halloween. Drew took a big serving and as he raised the first spoonful to his mouth the clock struck six o'clock sharp. Drew heard a noise coming from the living room and knew it was Sadie and Joseph. He waited patiently for something, anything to happen. To ease the tension this was causing he tried to start a conversation with Molly as they ate. "So how as your day? Anymore strange sights or sounds?" he asked. As Molly glanced up to speak, Drew noticed Joseph in the room and his heart beat rapidly. "Well, I wasn't about to let my guard down while you were out, but now that you are back home again I guess I can," she said as she spooned her chili again, bringing a spoonful to her mouth. Suddenly she began to scream again. Drew saw chili fly all over the place as Molly scooped it from her bowl. When her bowl was empty she settled down a bit. "What the hell was that for?" Drew asked. "What the hell! Something is in my chili Drew!" "What do you mean, something is in your chili? I'm eating from the same pot as you and mine is absolutely fine." "Here taste it, Drew. See, did you feel it in your mouth?" "All I feel are beans and hamburger Molly. There's nothing unusual in this chili! Now calm yourself and finish eating." "Don't you tell me to fucking calm down, you son of a bitch! There is something in my bowl of chili. Oh my God! There are worms in my chili!" she screamed. "Here, let me taste it," Drew said as he reached his spoon into her bowl, bringing it to his mouth. "There's nothing in there that shouldn't be there," he added after he swallowed the spoonful of chili. Molly, however, saw differently. When she glanced from her bowl to Drew, she saw worms crawling from his mouth and nose. "Oh my God! You are gross! I can't believe you are eating it like that," she said as she grabbed the pot and threw it out the door. "Now what am I supposed to eat for dinner?" Drew questioned as he turned and reached for the refrigerator door handle, pulling it open. Drew pulled out some cheese and opened it, but Molly didn't see cheese she saw something more disgusting than worms. Gross images were flying into her mind with an accelerated rate at every turn. "Calm down Molly," Drew shouted at her as she screamed in horror, terrified at everything. Molly soon began ripping things off the walls and from the refrigerator; even her clothing. "Get out of here! Get off me! Oh God, help me!" she screamed in horror at whatever it was she was seeing that Drew couldn't. "My dear Andrew, I believe it's time to call the doctor now," Sadie said calmly as the phone floated through the air towards Drew. Doctor Frank could hear Molly's cries for help, he only hoped he wasn't too late to help her. "I'm on my way Andrew," the doctor said and then the line was silent. Doctor Frank arrived within thirty minutes of Drew's urgent call and Molly, still terrified of anything that neared her, would lash out. "Stand back Drew," he said as he tackled Molly and when he stood again she was bound in a straight jacket. "This will calm her down so she can be transported to the mental facility in Mason. I recommend that you keep your distance until we get her under control," the doctor said as Drew helped him get Molly to his van. As they walked down the path from the house to his van Molly screamed and struggled to get away thinking that the trees were even out to get her. One tree in particular, which happened to be Drew's favorite, looked as if the limbs were arms and they were reaching for her as she neared. The wind howled, as did Fred and Joseph, making Molly a basket case. "Well, she's gone, she's actually gone. I can hardly believe it Sadie. Thanks Joseph! You were great!" Drew said as he started to clean up the spilled chili. "Now what the hell did she see that made her go over the edge that quickly, Joseph?" he asked as Joseph settled to the floor. "I mustn't give my secrets away Andrew. I hope you understand. What difference does it make, as long as it worked?" "Now my dear boy, you can live your life in peace. I don't think she will be bothering you anymore," Sadie said as she bid Drew farewell. ++++ A very special thank you goes out to michchick98 for her editing as well as plot ideas. This is my first attempt at a sci/fi story. As always, comments are welcome, but please be gentle. This is also a submission for the Halloween contest so don't forget to vote. Thanks for reading me!