Rose Red Revisited - Chapter 6

Lauren ran into the basement to find Leslie playing in an old battered nursery.  She knew this place.  It was the room from her dream.  She called to Leslie who tottered across the room to meet her.

A thick fog began to seep up from the floor.  Lauren tripped and looked down to see skeletal remains by her feet.

As a ghostly laughter filled the air Lauren grabbed Leslie and ran.

The basement was like a maze.  Every turn Lauren took seemed to lead to nowhere.  If she could just find the stairs she could get help from Delsin.

She went through a door to find herself in a small room.  Tears began to form in her eyes as she realised it was another dead end.  On the floor in the centre of the room were more remains.  Lauren somehow knew that this was what was left of the woman in her dreams and began to lose hope.

As Lauren turned to leave the room she noticed a small hole in the wall.

She ran to it in the hope of finding a lever or switch that would reveal a way out.  But there was nothing.  It was just a hole.

Lauren started as she heard the door swing open, it was Lionel.

“Mum, go help the others, I know what to do.  Leave Leslie with me it won’t let you take her”

Lauren looked at her son, scared for what might happen.  After a moment’s hesitation she ran from the room, immediately finding the stairs and going to look for the rest of her family.

Lionel took a deep breath and plunged his hand into the hole.  He knew that the house feared him, he could hurt it.  At first nothing seemed to happen then a piercing scream filled the air.

All around the house flames began to spring up. 

Lauren, Delsin and Sebastian fought to free themselves from the flames but were surrounded.  There was no way out.

Lionel grabbed his sister and carried her out through the garage doors which were now unlocked.

Lionel set Leslie down in front of the house and ran back to see if he could save the rest of his family.  But the flames were too high, they were lost.

The children sat and watched as the fire raged through their home.  The lake glowed an eerie red in the dim light. 

Lionel took one last look at the burning building, picked up Leslie and began to walk.

Leslie awoke from a troubled sleep.  She was covered in sweat and could still feel the heat from the flames in her dream on her face.  She thought it odd to be having nightmares; she had never had them before.  But graduation was only a week away and her stress levels were high, it was bound to happen.

At breakfast she discussed her dream with her brother.

“Leslie, there is something I need to tell you.  It’s about our parents”

“What about them?  You said they died in a car accident? “

“Listen, Leslie.  You are old enough now to know the truth.  I’ve been trying to protect you.”

“Protect me!  You’ve been lying to me my whole life!”

Lionel persuaded his sister to listen and told her everything.  She was shocked, upset, horrified.  She had no words to describe how she felt.

“So is it still there?  The house?”

“It burnt to the ground that night and they fenced off the whole area.  But people say they have seen walls through that fence, new walls.  Like the house is rebuilding itself.”

Leslie was quite for most of the day.  Lionel cooked lunch and they ate in silence, it was a lot for Leslie to take in so he gave her space and time to reflect on what he had told her.

“So, you saved my life Lionel.  Thank You.”

“I just wish I could have saved you all.  Promise me Leslie.  Promise you won’t go back there?”

Leslie promised.  But something in the back of her mind was nagging, calling to her.  She wondered how long she could keep it at bay.



Rose Red Revisited - Chapter 5

Lauren opened the door and stepped inside.  The house was like the Tardis, there seemed to be so much more room on the inside that what could be seen from outside.  The house was sparsely furnished but despite its size it felt warm and welcoming.

Two months went past and the small family had settled well into their new home.  However, strange things had started to occur during the final stages of Laurens pregnancy. 

Delsin watched, concerned, as Lauren became increasingly confused.  She was playing computer games without the laptop being switched on.

Painting on an unseen canvas, humming gently to herself.

Lauren stopped at the top of the stairs to the basement.  For some reason they had never ventured into the lower regions of the house and she couldn’t think why.  As she placed her foot on the first step to descend she felt sharp pains shoot through her abdomen.   Lauren rushed into the library, something didn’t feel right and she needed to get to hospital straight away.

Delsin readied the car but when he returned it was too late, Lauren held their new son in her arms and smiled.  Delsin screamed as a low rumble echoed through the house and flames began to appear behind his wife.

The flames began to take over the room, Delsin called the fire department before talking the flames himself.  Lauren did not move, she just stood surrounded by flames staring ahead.  In a voice filled with sorrow Delsin heard his wife speak.  “It doesn’t want a boy”.

After the fire, Lauren seemed to return to normal.  However strange things were beginning to happen to Sebastian.

Moments after giving Sebastian his breakfast, Delsin returned to find the high chair was covered in mould.  It began to happen at every mealtime.  Lauren and Delsin had taken to feeding Sebastian on the floor as it was the only way to get food in him.

Lauren screamed as she entered the playroom to find her eldest son floating a few inches above the floor.  On hearing the scream, Sebastian dropped to the floor and giggled.  Lauren began to wonder if she was losing her mind.

Despite their fears Sebastian and Lionel were growing up well apart from the occasional oddity they both seemed healthy and very bright.  Sebastian had become quite the loner but he was doing well in school and there had been no problems with food or floating since his birthday.

Lionel was not so lucky.  Everything they tried to feed him turned.  Delsin had to take him to the local diner just so the child wouldn’t starve.

It wasn’t just the food that turned.  If he stood still for too long the floor beneath him would start to age and rot.  It was as though the floorboards were allergic to him.

Things just got worse for Lionel.  Invisible forces would pick him up and carry him around.

When Delsin placed him in his crib Lionel began to sink into the mattress as though it were water.  Delsin grabbed his son and put him in their own bed to sleep.

At breakfast Delsin watched as Sebastian engrossed himself in yet another book.  He was worried for his family.  Why were these things happening to them?

The family tried to make the best of it.  Lauren was expecting another child as they celebrated Lionel’s birthday.  Since the pregnancy things had settled down around the house.  Strange things were no longer happening.  It was as if someone had just turned off the bad switch.

Time went by and all was calm, until Lauren went into labour that is.  As her waters broke in the little garden, Lauren saw the plants and trees begin to die.  A great stillness was in the air as though the universe was holding its breath.

Although the birth of their new daughter Leslie went without problems.  When Delsin returned from the hospital with Lauren the food in the fridge had begun to rot. 

Time was passing quickly and the strange occurrences were increasing.  Lionel seemed to beak anything he touched and the reaction of the house to him was becoming more severe.

Leslie had had her birthday and as Lauren slept she made a decision.  She would have to get her family out of this house before something bad happened.

Lauren had managed to nurse the garden back to health.  She stood back and stared at the painting she had just completed.  Where had that image come from?  She did not even remember painting it.  She stared in horror as the flames began to dance on the canvas, watching the woman burn.  She shouted at Delsin to get the boys and went to look for Leslie.

Delsin grabbed Sebastian and Lionel and headed for the door, but it would not open.  He tried the doors and windows in vain.  A sinister laughter echoed through the house.  They were trapped.



Rose Red Revisited - Chapter 4

Lauren awoke with a start.  Well that was new, and so real.  Annoyance began to rear its ugly head as she realised that the nightmares were returning.

Delsin had built an extension to the house for the new baby.  The strange house kept appearing in Laurens dreams.  Each time she knocked on the door she woke up. 

Lauren and Delsin wanted to be married before the birth of their first child so arranged for a private ceremony to be held, just the two of them.  Lauren felt almost complete.

It wasn’t long before Sebastian joined the happy couple.  Both were overjoyed at their new son.

Still Lauren felt like something was missing.  She had everything she could ever want, great job, amazing husband and beautiful son.  But the jigsaw was not complete.

In what seemed like no time at all Sebastian had become a toddler.  Lauren and Delsin were expecting another child, even the nightmares had stopped.  Lauren felt that maybe she could finally feel complete.

There was an official looking letter muddled in amongst the usual quota of bills and junk mail.  Lauren read it and then read again.  It was from the lawyers asking her to meet them at city hall tomorrow.  They had some news regarding her Grandfather. 

Trying to relax in the hot tub Lauren’s mind buzzed.  She didn’t even know she had a grandfather.  Could it be that he had been searching for her and now finally had found her.  She sighed and sunk deeper into the warm bubbling water.  There was only one way to find out and that would have to wait until tomorrow.

Lauren’s sleep had been restless.  For the first time since her trip to France she had dreamed of the young family again.  Why now she thought, she had to stay focused for her appointment so concentrated on making breakfast trying to push the nightmares to the back of her mind.

The morning had flown past.  Lauren stood and stared at City Hall.  After a deep breath she walked in.

It was late by the time she arrived back home.  Delsin had left for work so Lauren paid the babysitter and sat staring at the moon.  It seemed closer tonight as though it was watching her.  The meeting with the lawyers had gone on for such a long time, so much paperwork to sign.  She still couldn’t believe what had happened.  Again Lauren read the papers in her hand.  She had never known her grandfather and yet he had left her everything, they would never want for anything ever again.

When Delsin returned home in the early hours Lauren was still up waiting.  The shock had passed and excitement took its place.  She told him about the meeting with the lawyers. 

The timing was perfect. With an active toddler and a new baby on the way Laurens little bungalow was becoming quite a tight fit.  But now, now they had a house.  Her grandfather had left her the family estate and it was right here in Sunset Valley.  The deeds had been signed over to her and arrangements had been made.   She had not seen it yet but had seen the floor plans and it was huge!  A place you could get lost in she thought to herself and laughed a little.  It had a beautiful name too, Rose Red.

Everything was packed and ready to go, Lauren was having trouble arranging a removal service.  The last one had just phoned and cancelled leaving Lauren and Delsin to move themselves. 

It was late when they pulled up outside their new home.  Lauren stared in disbelief.  This was the house from her dreams, there was no mistaking it.  She looked around trying to decide if she was asleep or awake.

As Delsin and Sebastian stared at the huge mansion in amazement Lauren headed towards the door.  Now she would find out what secrets this house held.