THE POSSESSION

A gentle twist on the knob and the door swings open revealing the most magnificent disappointment. I stood transfixed on the spot as my eyes rummaged the empty room. I stand at the spot pondering on the fact that the picture Ronald made me visualise was nothing close to what is in front of me. I had fantasized about walking into a well tiled room with a large picture hanging on the wall preferably a painting depicting the beauty of nature, stairs with golden rails and probably a chandelier. But No!, everything about the house was disappointing. I managed to take a few steps into the room when something caught my attention. And what's that? A fire place! A fire place? I know it's not supposed to call for an alarm but that was where dad threw Rosella. And it wasn't properly cleaned out. The horrible memory came flooding in. I remember hearing mum's voice from my bedroom screaming and begging dad to let her go. I remember running down the stairs as fast as my legs could carry. I held dad's leg with one hand and clenched Rosella with the other as tears trickled down my chin. I had begged him to let go of mum who was trying to set herself free from his grip as he tried to strangle her. Dad has never neglected me when I was in tears infact that was my greatest strength as the only child. But that day was different dad let go of my mum and lifted me into the air. A part of me felt happy because I like it when he throws me into the air. But he grabbed Rosella and threw her into the fireplace. I sat on the floor as I watched Rosella slowly turn into ashes. She was my friend, my sister. And that was it. Rosella was gone forever my Teddy was gone. 

"Honey, I think you need to see this" Ronald calls from the stairs. The bedroom is awesome".

I jerked into reality as i walk towards the stairs hoping to find relief in the "awesome bedroom". The rails were made of wood arranged in a parrallel way with a smaller one arranged vertically and used to join it at three points. I ignored the disappointment and walked up the stairs hoping to find gratification in the bedroom. One step, two steps, three steps up the stairs and everywhere began to look familiar. I made a push on the door which was halfway open and it made a creak reminding of times I ran into my parents room at night whenever I had a nightmare. The room was enormous indeed and the view from the window was breathtaking. But I had a feeling that something wasn't right about the place. 

" I really love this place" Ronald says as he walks up to me and hold my hands. And I'm glad you love it too" He says and plants a kiss on my forehead.

I didn't want to be a kill joy so I just nod..

"I'll like to see the kitchen" I say as I let myself free from his grip and walk away.

"No, this can't be! I let out a scream as I entered into the kitchen. This is the same house from 20years ago. I once lived in this house with my parents. I spent the most horrible moments of my life here. 

I remember that Black Saturday when I heard mum scream only for me to run into the kitchen and find her in the pool of her blood with Dad standing beside her clenching a knife which he used to stab himself several times. 

This is the house. This is the hunted house. I mutter to myself. It was believed that a spirit hunted the house and possessed a spouse to kill his/her spouse and here I am with my husband. What if I'm just being paranoid? What if this is just a house that looks like a house from my past? Well, there's just one way to know. I hid a note in a box. But I can't remember where I kept it. As I scurry out of the kitchen, I bump into Ronald and he was holding a piece of paper.

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry?"

"I'm sorry, I need to confirm something". I stammer.

"Babe there's something you need to see" he says

"I'm sorry. I need to get something from the room"

"I saw this note locked up in a box in one of the rooms"

My heart sank as I read the note that was written in a handwriting that looks more like a scribble.

"THIS HOUSE IS HUNTED"

This is my proof. I had written this note the day before I left the house for the orphanage after my dad murdered my mum and committed suicide. I had written it as a warning to whoever might want to take the house.

"We need to leave this house" I manage to say as I held his hand and tried pulling him.

" Wait, what's going on? This might just be a prank" He says pointing at the note in my hand.

"It's not. Infact I wrote that note myself. I know I sound crazy right now but I promise to explain everything to you once were out of here"

"Jane if you don't like the place let me know rather than using this as an excuse to make us leave"

"Remember I told you I lost my mum and dad the same day and that led to my amnesia. Coming to this house today triggered lost memories and we need to leave this house as soon as possible before something strange happens"

 He finally obliged but as we try to run out of the kitchen, we heard a loud slam and the door was shut. We both shriek in fright.

And suddenly, I heard a voice in my head 

"Pick up that knife and kill him Jane"

The voice got louder. "Kill him! Kill him!"

And I saw myself walking towards the large knife lying on the work top but I couldn't control myself no matter how hard I try.