Jokes on them

In West of Ontario there is a suburb most famous for the 200-year-old gothic manor that proudly stands out from the modest exteriors of the two-story houses alongside. It was owned by an elderly couple, but after their daughter took them to Spain to live with her, the manor went on sale for eight years, up until two months ago, when it was bought by a young family. It has been heard that the manor is in good condition, but the new owners wanted to make some adjustments before moving in. Since September they have been renting a house down the street, so every now and then they can visit the manor and check on how the renovations are going.

***

As 17-year old Caitlyn munches an apple, curled up on the couch with her phone, the clock strikes 7 pm. Is it really only seven? Gosh these days are getting short quickly. Caitlyn sinks deeper into the cushions. The parents are spending the night at the aunt’s house, so the room is quiet and still, except for the smooth purring of the calico cat, that is gazing out into the darkness of the window. After taking the last bite of the apple, Caitlyn saunters to the bin only to find it full. With a sigh she ties the bag and heads out to the dumpster. The harsh october wind skimms her cheeks while she glances at the manor across the street — dark and lonely like every other evening. Caitlyn hurries inside and as she opens the door, the cat slips out and hastens into the half-lit street. 

“Sprinkles”, Caitlin calls, “Come back here, quickly!”

But the cat ignores her and heads for the manor. 

“Sprinkles!” the girl yells, only to be disregarded again. Annoyed, she shuts the front door and follows. 

“Sprinkles! Kitty-kitty-kitty!” 

The girl crosses the empty street until she is stopped by the ajar gate of the manor. The cat glances back at her, paused on the front steps.

“Don’t make me go on foregn territory, Sprinkles”, she shakes her head.

Unmoved, the cat turns and heads into the unlatched doors.

“Hey! Come back here! I said come back here!” Caitlyn slaps her thighs. “Gosh, what’s up with you tonight?” 

She calls and calls with no success. But why is the front door unlocked anyway? Hm, surely the owners must have forgotten to close it after spending the afternoon there.

Caitlyn huddles her arms at her chest with a shivered sigh as she looks around. The dim lights make the empty street even gloomier. And her house — the lights are still on, but she’ll be back soon anyways. 

“I’m not happy about this, Sprinkles”, she mumbles, “let’s make this quick”.

Cautiously she sticks her hand through the gate — no alarm. She sneaks through while the dry leaves slosh under her feet. She heads up the stairs, turning on the flashlight on her phone. As she passes through the alarmless door the light falls onto the furniture of a spacious hall. It all breathes antiqueness except for a few electric heaters, waiting to be installed. 

A tail flickers to the right. 

“Sprinkles”, Caitlyn whispers as she dashes towards the animal through an arch leading into the living room. The cat heads for the spiral stairway, the girl dives to grab her, but she slips through her hands and blends into the dark.

“Shoot!”

Caitlyn continues up. As she reaches the top there is a crack. Behind her. She darts forward, bumping into a door. 

Calming her heartbeat she cautiously shines the flashlight to the bottom of the stairs — nothing. She turns to the left, still holding on to the toreutic oak door for assurance, when her light catches a movement down the hallway. She gaspes, pushing her spine into the wall.

Why in the world did I decide to follow that dang kitty? Shush, no, relax… Caitlyn takes a silent deep breath and steps away from the wall, exposing her unsupported back. Creeping down the stairs, she grips her phone tighter.

Bam!

There is a sound behind. Without glancing back Caitlyn hurries for the door as her heel catches the shoelace sending her to the ground with a “clunk”. Her fingers find the phone. She jumps up, haphazardly tucking the shoelace in and running to the open door. The flashlight scans the room, but where’s the exit? It was here! It must have been! Maybe the wind slammed it shut. Caitlyn shines the light on the walls and a row of doors shows itself. 

Step by step the girl gets closer. Her hand stretches out and turns the knob. The door opens with a squeak, revealing another room. Caitlyn tries the next door, and the next... when there is a hum. A long unsteady sound seeping through the ceiling. Caitlyn freezes. The sound levitates for a few moments. Then fades.

Caitlyn tries to focus her eyes, as her cold thumb finds the touch id button. The phone unlocks and even though the connection is weak, she dials her friend’s number. 

Beep, beep, beep, the sound oozes through the quiet as she presses the phone to her ear.  Answer, dammit, answer!

“Hey?” says a crisp voice.

“Hannah”, Caitlyn whispers. “I’m….I need your help, but —”

 There is a squeak in the distance. 

“What?”

“...”

“Are you there?”

“Yeah”, she continues, her eyes glued to the darkness. “Please don't laugh, because I am actually terrified. I’m in the manor”.

“What? What are you doing there?”

“Not now. I am stuck. I tried to get out but I can’t find the exit”.

“Whoa-whoa-whoa, is this a joke or something?”

“No. hannah, i swe —”

There is another squeak.

“I swear. And I don't like this, I need to get out. Could you maybe come and meet me... or i don't know…”

“Meet you? Have you called your —”

The phone falls silent.

Shoot! 

The light of the screen pierces her eyes, as she dials back the number.

Beep, beep...

“Yeah”, Hannah says. “Sorry, it hung up for some reason”

“Listen, it’s weird, but there are um… some sounds here. It’s just… ok”, Caitlyn lets out a shaky breath, “I’m going to try the next door, but you please stay on the phone, ok?”

“Ok”, Hannah says under her breath. “Wait, I’ll start walking towards you, to the manor”.

Caitlyn's body tenses as she reaches for the next knob. Another room. She stares for a moment. There's a dim flash at the back of it. She darts back, hiding behind the door.

“Caitlyn, are you there?”

After a moment of silence she answers.

“Yeah”. 

“Ok, good, what’s going on?”

“Wait...”

Caitlyn’s eye peeps out from behind the door. The light flashes again and grows rapidly heading towards her. She runs. Across the room, through the arch, past another room, until a wall stops her. She presses her back into it and slides to the floor, keeping her eyes wide open, only to see the dark.

“Caitlyn, what’s happening?”

Silence.

“Caitlyn?”

“Yes. I don’t know”.

“Ok, I’m on my way. Tell me, tell me what do you see?”

“I don’t know Hannah, something… I don’t know…” she says louder than intended, as her eyes fill up. “I’m stuck, Hannah, I’m stuck. Why did I follow that dang Sprinkles?!”

“Sprinkles? The cat?”

“Yes, she led me here, I followed her into this place. I don’t know what to do. This freaking nightmare of a house!” 

Tears run down her cheeks.

“Hey... Listen… You’re not stuck, you can’t be. If you came in freely — wait. How did you come in?”

“It was open”.

“Gosh, that’s weird. Anyhow, if you came in freely you must be able to leave. You surely would have noticed the owners locking up. They would have turned on the light”.

“I heard sounds, like humming, squeeks…”

“That may have been the plumbing or the cat or something. Anyways, we’ll sort it out, so take a deep breath, get yourself together and check all of the doors. Do you remember the one you came through? I mean what it looked like?”

“It was an old door like… no, wait, it was an arch”, she shines the light forward, still trying to keep the phone close to her ear.

“Ok, that good. That is good”.

“No, I mean… this arch”, the corners of her mouth raise slightly.

“What? Where? Did you find it?”

“I think so, I’ll try”.

“That’s super, I am almost there. See you soon, you hear me?”

“Yeah”.

Caitlyn straightens her legs sliding back up the cold wall. Flashlight in hand, she heads to the arch. The stairs show on the right. Surely this must be it! Her foot goes through the archway when there is a “bang” followed by terrifying screams, as two small figures dart into the light sending Caitlyn off her feet. She yells as her grip loses the phone with a “crack”. Rolling on the parquet, she tries to get the figures off of her as they clench to her body. 

“Wait, wait!” one of them says in a high voice. “Is your name Caitlyn?”

The girl stops.

“Yes, who are you?”

“Wait a sec”, there is some shuffling and the flashlight rises above the floor, harshly hitting Caitlyn's face.

“It’s her”, says the other one. 

“Jimmy you messed this up, why did you scream?” says the first one.

“There was that noise”.

“Oh, you got scared, huh?”

“Well you did too!”

Caitlyn’s eyes try to focus:

“What’s going on?”

“Here”, one of them grabs her hand, giving back the phone. “Let’s get out!”.

The girl shines the light on the figures, relieving two 10-ish-year-old boys.

“What are you doing here?” she asks, before giving them a chance to do the same.

“We, well…”

Before he can answer they are out the door. 

“Caitlyn!” 

The girl turners to see her friend running towards her.

“Hannah!”

But another voice intejects:

“Noah! Jimmy! What do you think you are doing?!”

A woman in a long fur coat hurries to the steps from the other side of the street.

“Mom, we…” says one of the boys.

As the woman approaches, it becomes clear — she is the owner of the manor.

Caitlyn scurries down the stairs towards her friend, followed by the boys.

“I repeat, what do you think you were doing?” the woman continues. “Coming here alone after dark. And who’s that with you?”

For a moment her and Caitlyn’s eyes meet.

“Well, well..”, the boy stutters. “It’s just that the cat wanted to eat”.

“Shut up, Jimmy”, whispers the other one.

“What cat? Come here, quickly!” the woman gestures the boys towards her.

“We wanted to feed the cat. It comes here sometimes and… and Caitlyn… she came to pick it up…” continues Jimmy. “We… w-we…”

“I am so disappointed with you, and dad’s not going to be happy either”, the mother takes the boys by the shoulders. “And I didn’t even get an alarm notice”.

“We turned it off”, Jimmy quietly looks down.

“Gosh, you troublemakers”, she glances at Caitlyn. “Sorry for them. Have a nice evening”, she shakes her head at the boys, as the three of them leave.

Caitlyn and Hannah stare as the trio disappears in the turn of the street.

“Wow”, Hannah raises her eyebrows. “That. Was. Weird”.

“Aha…”

“Are you going to be ok spending the night alone? Because I’m sure mom will be ok with you sleeping over, if you want”.

“That would be amazing”, Caitlyn says, still in shock from everything.

“Well, you’ve got a story to tell me”.

“Yeah. I can’t believe she just wished me a nice evening after me trespassing her territory”.

“Well, you weren’t the first one”, Hannah looks down at the cat, rubbing against her leg.