The promise

“Thanks boys, we really appreciate your help!” I said, helping the crew leader shut their moving van’s door. 

“Not a problem, Mr. Hawthorne, beautiful home, anything else we could help you with on this fine day?” The leader said with a smile. 

“Sure is, old children’s commorancy back in the day, but, no, thank you, we’re quite alright, again, appreciate the help, tell your boys dinner is on me today,” I said, handing him a wad of twenties which totaled $220, for a tip. 

“Well, thank you sir, we appreciate it, sir. If you need anything else in the future we would be happy to help out! Take care!” He shook my hand, waved, and hopped in the driver’s seat of the van. His crew followed suit, hopping in the rest of the five seats. The engine sputtered up, but eventually kicked into a solid idle. They drove away, with a final honk as a goodbye. 

“C’mon, Jax, let’s go inside, boy,” I kneeled down and patted his head. His cockeye smile signaled he was ready to go in. His old nails clacked on the walkway into the house. The sun crept down, hiding itself behind the horizon as the door slammed shut. The smell of spice flooded my nostrils. “Smells wonderful, honey!” I said, walking into the kitchen. My wife stood attentively, over a pot on the stove, stirring vigorously. My daughter was in a chair she’d proclaimed hers on the day we bought the house. 

“Hi Daddy!” Georgia said, running over to give me a hug. 

“Hi baby, how are you?” 

“Good!”

“Ready to eat?” I asked her. 

“Yep! I got my plate and my silverware ‘n’ my teacup ready to go!” She exclaimed. 

She sat back down, and I moved towards my wife. “Perfect timing, honey, I was just about to plate,” Victoria said. I grabbed her plate first, filled it with my wife’s marvelous looking chicken parmesan, then Georgia’s then mine. “Did the boys leave?” My wife asked.

“Sure did, gave them a good tip, they sure helped out a lot,” I answered her. I sat, and gorged myself. I gave Jax a clump of rice and a small piece of chicken. I helped my wife clean and put away the dishes. 

“That was yummy, mommy.”

“Thanks, dear, it’s getting pretty late. We should all get to bed soon,” Victoria said to both of us. I nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go, pun’kin,” I said, scooping Georgia up and whooping and hollering her all the way to her new room. It was the first on the left, in a long hallway of many bedrooms.  

“Daddy, you’re silly!” She shouted as I placed her gently on the bed. 

“I know, I get it from mommy,” I said to her, smiling. I tucked her in, read her a short story, kept her small lamp light on, and the door slightly cracked open, just as she’d always preferred at our old home. I walked down to the end of the hall and entered my own bedroom, where my wife was already settled in bed, waiting for me to join her. I complied freely, waltzing onto my side of the bed. We embraced, making a makeshift furnace at the center of the bed. 

“I’m worried about her, Christian. I hope she will do well here, with the new school and all,” Victoria said to me. I could see the worry in her eyes. 

“She will be fine, babe. She’s one of the most social kids I know. She’ll make tons of friends and quick too, just you wait. I’m sure she’ll ask to have a new friend over by tomorrow,” I said. 

“Yeah, I hope you’re right,” She said, before turning and getting comfortable. I did the same. I turned my head to look at my alarm clock. It read, “9:37 PM.” I shut my eyes. “Goodnight babe, I love you,” Victoria said. 

“Love you too,” I said without opening my eyes. Sleep came surprisingly easy to me the first time in our new home.

My ears rang and my eyes opened. “12:41 AM” my clock read. I was drenched in sweat. My hair was caked to my forehead and the back of my neck. Victoria wasn’t next to me. A dark outline pooled where she slept. A pungent aroma invaded my sense of smell. It was overwhelming. I couldn’t contain my wheezing and coughing. My fits of retching flustered the air around me. The air was heavy, palpable. I could see it. I flicked on a lamp in the room. The room was filled with a disgusting green smoke, filling my lungs with each breath. 

“Victoria! Georgia! Where are you guys!” I screamed out, searching for my family. I opened the door into the long hallway. The smoke was everywhere, billowing into each and every room. A faint odor of something overwhelmed me. My thoughts went to the darkest place they could. I don’t know why they did, but they did. “Victoria! Georgia! I shouted again, heading for my daughter’s room. 

A soft strum of strings rang through my brain, distracting me from the smoke and that horrible, horrible smell. The strings came from Georgia’s room. I barreled through her still open door, hoping to find her. I did, but not just her. There she sat. Sipping tea, with two incorporeal girls who looked like they could be her sisters. One had her hair parted down the middle, while the other had a bob cut. They raised their cups, as well as their pinky fingers, unbothered. 

 Behind her, sat a man, strumming a harp. He was in a formal, fitted suit, as pristine as I’d ever seen a suit. He had slicked back, black hair and bloodshot, red eyes. I didn’t say a word. My jaw was frozen open, humbled by fear. I couldn’t speak. My brain raced, however. A suit? A harp? I tried to run for my daughter, but my legs turned to stones, unable to move. 

“Daddy! Look at the new friends I’ve made! I told you I would! We’re having a tea party!” Georgia squealed as she got up and came to embrace me. She was out of her PJ’s and in her ‘party dress.’ “This is Rachel and this is Lily!” She said, introducing her friends. I still stood, unable to move, even regard my own daughter as she spoke to me. Georgia looked at the man and seemed to take an unsaid command, promptly sitting down. 

“As for the suit, well, I am here on business, Christian. Fitting name, I must say, my friend. The harp, well, that’s just for me, because, well, I like it.” Thoughts that were not my own pierced my mind. “Hi, me, over here, you daft dummy,” The man with the harp waved, pointing to my head.

 “What do you want?”  I asked him, or thought, in general perhaps. 

“It’s simple, like I said, Christian, here on business. Not very often people willingly wander into my domain, couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a fine looking business man such as yourself, now could I? 

“What do you want?” I asked again.

“A piece here, a piece there, you help me, I’ll help you,” He said to me.

“What do you have that I could possibly want?” 

“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?” He hissed, “You’re in hell, Christian. You’re in MY domain. You belong here, all of you. However, I’m willing to make a deal with you, just you alone.” 

“Why me?”

“To put it simply. I know you’ll do anything for your family. I know you’d give everything you had for them.” 

“I would.”

“I know, diltz, as I was saying, you give ME everything YOU have, and you can continue to give THEM a happy life. Give yourself a moment to mull it over, Rachel and Lily’s father made the wrong decision.” His words echoed in me, resonating for what seemed like years. “What is it boy! What’s your decision?” He hissed into my brain. The strumming of his harp became louder and louder, taking over every other sense I had.

“Enough! Fine, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.” I blared into my head, as if expected, he finished his tune with a flourish of all the chords.

“Knew you’d make the right choice, you christians always do,” he said sarcastically, “I’ll be seein’ you, Christian. Tell Vicki I said hey,” he said with a sly smile. He snapped his fingers.

 My eyes flared as he, and the two ghostly girls disappeared. My daughter was back in her bed. I flicked the light on, she was peacefully asleep, cuddling two stuffed dolls. “Ohho, oh my god,” I whispered carefully, trying not to wake her. One of the dolls had her hair parted down the middle, and the other had a bob cut. The doll's eyes looked through me, like I was a window. I left the room, breathing heavily. The smoke and disgusting smell were gone. I went back to my room. Victoria was in our bed, no sweat puddles to be found. 

I crawled into bed and got comfortable again, her feet were warm. She spoke, but didn’t open her eyes, “Everything alright, dear?” 

His piercing eyes found their way into our room, like he was standing over me. He just stared intently, as if waiting for me to answer her. “Yes, I promise,” I said. I lied.