Secrets Of A House

A House's Secrets1

Key In The Lock Prelude2

The drive up to the house was grown up with weeds and grass, it was a circular drive with parking at the gate to the yard. The gate was hanging open one hinge broken the broken side buried in the ground .The front door was solid wood, the windows were floor to ceiling with faded green shutters. Curtains covered some of the windows but not the parlor window where the shadow of a woman had been seen. I didn't try to look through the windows they were spotted from the rain and crusted with dirt. The front yard had not had any attention in a long time. Dead flower stalks lay in piles like dry bones . Layers of leaves lay on the ground covering flower and rose beds. Flag stones led from the gate to the front of the Federal style house .There was no porch but there were flag stones taking one around the house to the back yard and porch.3

The back yard was green with thick grass, big oak trees shaded the house, leaves had begun to fall soon the yard would be covered with yellow, red and brown carpet. Squirrels played in the trees gathering nuts from the hickory and walnut trees in the pasture. A broken fence which had once guarded the chickens lay all the way on the ground. Bird houses and feeders were on the trees out of reach now, they had been built at head level many years ago. The sign of goats explained the short cropped grass. A close line had been run from two trees, a dead grape harbor was near by.4

The back porch had once had screen but it had been cut or torn away, a corner of the porch lay filled with dead leaves blown by the wind. Another door with a dirty window opened into a mud room. There were heavy coats and dry rot boots , no sign of them having been used in the near past. Another door,a swinging door silently opened to the kitchen. It was a big room with a round table and six chairs, dishes were left on the table as if someone had been interrupted at their meal. The dishes had been cleaned by the rodents years ago. A big range took one corner of the room, there was an ancient refrigerator near by. It's contents long ruined to the point where there was no smell left. The cupboard held nice dishes matching those used on the table.A pantry opened off to the left, there were empty grass sacks and broken jars on the floor. This pantry had once held the food staples for a family, but where had they gone ? 5

A formal dinning room came next, a long table to seat twelve with matching chairs moth eaten. A crystal bowl in the center of the table and a picture of an old man flanked the windows. He was a hard looking old man, probably the builder and owner of the house. It had been a beautiful room in it's day.6

Next a short hall way and into a parlor furnished in Victorian furniture, a piano stood open in the corner,the fire place had been used and allowed to burn down to ashes. A chair sat by the open window with a piece of cloth for embroidery thread gone to dust, needle in mid stitch, thimble on the table. Marble topped tables stood by the couch with electric lamps with glass prisms around the bottom of the glass shades. They would be worth a fortune now. More oval paintings on the wall, the paper had been a light gold with a burgundy stripe .The floors were hard wood with moth eaten area rugs.7

Across the short hall was a bed room, antique furniture filled the room, a quilted coverlet and shams covered the bed the window had matching curtains, all faded from the years of light from the window .There were no clothes in the closet only two dress womans coats.8

The stair well opened from the hall,it had been white and was winding to a third floor, an attic no doubt. There was a tunnel through the years of cob webs, the stairs were frequently used. The stairs led to a floor of bed rooms.The first one was for a girl, there was a flowered spread and curtains in the room with a hand made desk holding books which were open as if someone was studying for a test. Pencils and paper lay beside the books. Hand made dolls lined a shelf with other books and some drawings, some colored and pinned to the wall. A girls clothing was in the closet, clothes from the 60's.Skirts with circle tails and small sweaters and blouses,brown and white shoes in the closet floor with white knee length boots.9

The next room was for a boy, a young boy by the looks of the toys. Wooden blocks, a wooden horse and train set. Some children's books but no school books or drawings. Some of the papers had markings on them but nothing to read. Clothes in the closet were for a big boy, I had expected clothes for a little boy. This boy was almost grown in size which lead me to wonder if he was mentally retarded, most possibly the reason for the small child's toys and adult size clothes.10

Third bed room was an adult room with an alarm clock and personal things. I almost screamed when I looked up and saw my own reflection in a mirror just opposite the door. The furniture in this room was also antique with quilted covers and pillow shams. Some glass pieces on a table and a picture of four people, a man, woman, girl and boy. The girl looked to be about twelve, the boy was as large as his father but the look on his face was of a retarded person. The parents looked to be in their early thirties . The closet held adult clothes, dresses for every day and Sunday . Shoes for the house and going out side, Sunday shoes with high heels. Men's clothing uniforms for a postal employee, overalls and khaki pants and flannel or cotton shirts. Shoes, black dress shoes, work shoes for the farm and slippers for the mail uniforms. Every thing neat and in it's place. Where had the owners gone in such a hurry.11

One more bed room on this second floor, I opened the door slowly. The color of the paper hit me full force. It was red with a gold strip,there were faded spots from the light but in one piece. A bed with red velvet hangings and made up to go back to bed in .A china chamber pot set under the foot of the bed. A chair sat facing the window. I was apprehensive as I approached it.12

Nothing showed over the back of the chair. I looked around the back and screamed as loud as I could. There was a woman, many years dead,her skin was pulled taught over the bones of her face. The hands on the chair arms were like talons,the skin looked like parchment .13

I sensed rather than saw someone behind me,when I looked I screamed again.There stood the ugliest man I had ever seen in my life. He was hugh and filthy. The stink almost made me vomit, I became faint and needed to sit down but there was no place I wanted to sit. The man filled the door way he didn't speak for a few moments. It dawned on me he was probably as frightened of me as I was of him. There was no other way out of the room.14

The man started toward me with his hand held out. I thought he would chock me or break some bones. I tried to slip between him and the door but he would not let me go by. “ Miss did you come to see my sister ?” he said in a rough voice not much used. “Yes” I answered still trying to get by him. I answered “ I saw her she is dead, has been for a long time,who are you?”15

He answered “ I am Henry Dork she is my sister Peggy, I bring her down every day to sit in the sun but it didn't help her” “Henry” I whispered, “ I am going to get some one to come here to help you and your sister if you will let me go” He said “ I won't stop you from leaving but you come back”.16

I ran down the stairs to my car and got out of there as fast as I could. I wanted to go home and just forget the whole thing but I knew I was in it for the duration so I went to the sheriff's office instead.17

Key In The Lock 1,2,3,4 follows.