The House

By Kim Dallmeier

There are ghosts all around us. Once the body dies, the Spirit will go back searching for a familiar face, a familiar place they were attached to, looking for comfort. Other times, if Death was particularly traumatic, the Spirit will haunt those that have done them wrong, as well as the locations which have caused them sufferance. This is the story of such a place. Welcome to: The House.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kim Dallmeier
• Release date: Mar 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458171764

Kim Dallmeier

Kim Dallmeier was born in Quebec, Canada, where she studied at Montreal University in Psychoeducation. She presently lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband Matthias, and their two children, Anna and Samuel.

Book preview

The House

By Kim Dallmeier.

Published by Kim Dallmeier at Smashwords

Copyright 2011 Kim Dallmeier. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-4581-7176-4

ALSO BY KIM DALLMEIER

The Writer

The Rising Phoenix Vol. 1 - Viktoria

THE HOUSE

Prologue

He looked down at his hands, rubbed them together, trying to rid himself of the mud and blood. He felt numb. Everything lay broken at his feet. How had he managed to let it come to this?

He turned slowly, sweat pearling at his brow. There it stood, towering over him: the House, where it all began, and certainly, where it would all end.

PART 1

Present Day

CHAPTER 1

Nathan picked up the last box from the trunk of his car. Done, he said. He had made it out of his separation unscathed.

Nice place! said Mike, carrying a six pack of beer.

A little help would be nice, Nathan said, standing in front of the door.

Sure thing, bro.

Poochie wiggled herself between the door and Nathan’s leg, hurrying inside. It was time for a real inspector to assess these new living arrangements.

Look at this! he heard from across the house. The place even comes with a BBQ!

Nathan pushed the back door open, standing behind his younger brother. The sun was slowly setting. He breathed in deeply, closed his eyes, and exhaled. He looked into the distance. This was a new house, a new beginning.

A firm hand grabbed his shoulder. Mike smiled at him. For a moment, they exchanged a quiet understanding. There was no going back.

Mike passed him a beer, and he opened his can. They sat on the back stairs, and drank.

CHAPTER 2

It had been a long journey up to this point. Never had Nathan thought that now, at 32, he would have to start everything over.

Magic, by Ladyhawke, played on the radio. Nathan thought of Lauren. His heart ached. He missed her already. The bed had felt empty last night; no one there to tug at the blankets.

He looked out the window, the sun was rising. Lauren always hated getting up early.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement in the kitchen doorway. It was time to feed Poochie. Nathan had not come up with the name for the dog, it had been just another battle lost in his daily wars with Lauren.

Nathan grabbed a food bag out from the bottom cupboard, and the dog bowl from the counter. Suddenly, scratches resounded loudly from under the floor boards.

Rats, Nathan whispered to himself, just what I need.

Poochie, he said, food time.

Nathan glanced around the kitchen, but could not find the dog. She had probably decided to get back to bed: which might not have been such a bad idea.

While pouring a second cup of coffee into his favorite mug, one of the few things he had taken with him without asking permission, he heard the scratching again: this time coming from the bottom cupboard itself. He peered in, but saw nothing.

He took the dog food out, and left it on the counter. Better not play with fire, he told himself.

Suddenly, a barking resounded from outside; opening the door, he found Poochie on the porch.

How did you get out?

Poochie growled.

Don’t blame me, if you spent the night outside. I have no idea how you even got there.

Poochie sniffed at the door, made her way to her bowl, and barked at the cupboard.

I know, Nathan muttered, we have unwanted visitors. It sure looks like we have some serious work on our hands.

CHAPTER 3

The first day in the house had not gone quite according to plan.

Nathan had driven down to town to purchase an industrial amount of rat poison, rat traps, and basically anything which would rid him of the pests.

Once he had gotten back home, he had realized that Poochie might be a problem. Everywhere he tried to stick the rat poison, the dog tried to get through after him. He had tried locking her out of the kitchen, but Poochie had shown an unforeseen determination to sniff out, drag out, and eat anything and everything she could get her paws on.

Seriously, Pooch! I swear I’ll send you back to Lauren’s place, if you don’t knock it off! The outburst had quieted down the Pomeranian terrorist momentarily.

Nathan had only just solved one problem when another one burst through the door.

Wow Bro! I like what you’ve done with the place! said Mike, taking a step over the scattered rat poison litter that covered the floor. I see you’ve gone to war, he chuckled, might just be quicker to get a cat.

Poochie barked.

You should send the bill for all this rat stuff to your landlord. He should be responsible for this.

Nathan smiled. Why didn’t I think of that?

Because I’m the brains, bro…

Nathan burst out laughing, pounding Mike’s arm.

I really should clean up the mess if I’m going to ask Mr. Rogers over, he said.

You’re kidding, right? Mister Rogers’s your landlord?

Yeah, but the grumpy, creepy version, Nathan answered. Nothing like the old television show, sorry to disappoint.

Mike frowned. Too bad, I liked Mister Rogers.

You do realize that he was never going to be the real Mister Rogers, right?

Why is this conversation reminding me of the day you told me there was no Santa.

Are you still going on about that? asked Nathan washing his hands.

I was like five, dude. You ruined Christmas.

Nathan turned toward mike, drying his hands.

Are you crying?

Aren’t you meant to be like… the nice brother, replied Mike, putting the empty can of beer on the table.

Nathan laughed. I’m curious. If I’m the nice one, he said, which one are you meant to be?

I’m the dark, brooding, mysterious brother; the one the girls don’t want to introduce to their mothers, he smiled.

You’re right about the second part, Nathan replied.

Mike grabbed another beer: Nice, real nice, bro.

They laughed.

How come your inspector didn’t notice a rat infestation when he checked out the place?

He was looking for structural damage, said Nathan.

Are you telling me you’ve turned into the Ratenator for one or two rats?

No, I’m just saying that maybe they just got here.

You mean, with your boxes? Mr. Rogers is going to love hearing that, Mike chuckled.

Nathan passed his hand through his hair. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.

How many did you actually see?

Well, I didn’t actually see any yet, he said. I heard them shuffling under the floorboards.

How do you know it’s not mice? asked Mike taking a swallow of his drink.

Nathan shook his head. I just know; as if someone whispered it to me. He laughed.

Mike grinned. Sure.

Nathan grabbed the phone, and a folded piece of paper from the counter, and started dialing.

Mr. Rogers? This is Nathan. Yeah, the new tenant. I’m just calling, because it looks like there’s a bunch of rats that moved into the house.

Mike listened to the one-sided conversation, as he scavenged his brother’s fridge and pantry.

It doesn’t sound like a mouse, Nathan said after a while into the receiver.

Mike grinned, toasting his brother with the can.

No, I didn’t see anything, but I heard them.

Nathan shuffled his feet impatiently.

This is hilarious, Mike said to himself.

What do you want me to say? No, I didn’t bring them with me.

Nathan’s face was starting to flush. Mike laughed.

I already got all that. I’ll send you the bill.

There was silence for a few minutes, and Nathan hung up.

Mike was staring at his brother, a twinkle in his eyes.

Pass me a beer, Nathan said. He’ll apparently be right over tomorrow morning to put the rat stuff up himself. I told him I already did, but he wants to double-check everything. He doesn’t like his tenants messing with the rules.

What rules? Mike asked.

No landscaping in the garden. No renovating in the house, etc…

Phew! You scared me for a minute, Mike said smiling. I thought you were going to say no partying; now that would have been rough. Those rules actually rock. I’m fine with them.

I’m glad to hear it, Nathan said, but you do realize you don’t live here, right?

Mike smiled, so you keep saying. So, about that housewarming I was talking to you about…

What housewarming? Nathan asked, stopping in his tracks.

The one we’re having tonight?

What? said Nathan, rolling his eyes. You never mentioned a housewarming.

If I had, would you have agreed to one?

No, never, and doesn’t that clue you in?

It would, but we also both know I would never drop it, and would eventually get my way.

Nathan grunted.

"The car’s full of stuff for tonight,