
Entry 7
No, Samuel was going to correct this problem this time. He liked this neighborhood, his neighbors, and his new friends. He wanted his girls to grow up here and play like normal little girls. He wanted hi wife to be able to visit with her new friends. He wanted to be a part of this normal town.
As Vanessa, Carol, and Sharon chatted, Vanessa called the girls down to see the baby. Melinda and Mandy seldom were able to be around babies, since they were in the house all the time. They never got to smell that special baby smell or even hear one cry. Vanessa wanted them to see the baby for a little bit, just so they knew there was something else beside this house. This was a live baby, not like the dolls that sat so neatly in a row on their shelves.
The girls were so excited to see the new baby, and this made Carol happy. She loved to show off her baby to other children. Carol just loved to be around children. They made her happy. Watching Vanessaâs twins get excited about her daughter made her want to laugh, but she was still a little nervous about what she saw in the window. It was very un-nerving to look at a reflection, and not see her baby. She couldnât shake the feeling something was wrong with this house and the family.
Carol and Sharon stayed and visited for about an hour before they had to leave. It was getting late, dinner had to be started, homes had to be run. They didnât want to take up all of Vanessaâs time. Carol felt better as they left, and wanted to tell Sharon everything she saw. She never got a chance before Samuel saw them and invited them in the house. Sharon too was wondering what had scared Carol so much just before Samuel had called to them.
As they walked back home, with Carol pushing the stroller holding her baby, Carol explained what she saw in the window. Again, her heart started to race, just remembering it. She explained how both her and Sharon looked thinner, but the stroller was gone. Then, she noticed as soon as Samuel came out of the house, the reflection was back to normal, the stroller was there again. At that point, Sharon told Carol about the time she saw her reflection. She explained how she looked so much thinner, and just thought it was from the strange glass. They both wondered then at the same time out loud why there were no curtains on the windows inside the house. Sharon wondered if Samuel was watching as they walked by, and came out of the house when he noticed something wrong. Both ladies decided they didnât want to go back. They would take the long way to the park and avoid walking by the strange house. They agreed not to tell their husbands, they for sure would think they were crazy.
Inside the house, Samuel informed Vanessa about his desire to correct this problem. He couldnât take it any more. His family had suffered too much because of this house. He took Vanessa outside and away from the house to the back of the yard. He was scared to speak inside the house, for fear of what might happen. The girls were upstairs in their room, reading or studying. They were safe for a short time by themselves.
Samuel told Vanessa he wanted her to take the girls to her mothers house. He wanted her to stay there until he called her to come home. Make up some reason why she needs to stay away from home, but please donât come home till she is called. Samuel was going to do what ever he had to do to stop the house from running their lives. He had to fix it now, before it got worse, and the people were scared again. He told Vanessa not to pack a bag, just put the girls in the car and go, before anything is noticed.
Vanessa was happy, but scared to hear what Samuel just said. She knew this is what she had to do. Calmly she went back into the house and up to the girls room. As she opened the door, she saidâ girls, its warm today, lets go get an ice creamâ. This was a special treat the girls seldom were offered. They must have been extra special good when the ladies were here. They got up, and quietly walked downstairs and out the door. Vanessa got in the drivers seat, and the girls jumped in back. Samuel walked out with them, and told Vanessa to bring him a vanilla shake, then gave her a wink and a kiss and they drove off.
Samuel walked back inside, knowing his wife and kids would be gone for more than a few days. He would miss them terribly, but things were getting out of hand, and this is what had to happen. Samuel didnât know why the house was like this. His aunt never said, and neither did anyone else. This would be the end of this terror for his family.
As he closed the front door behind him, he felt a small quake in the house. OK, it was going to start right now, it was going to be a battle. Something in the house was controlling him and his family, and he was ready for battle. He walked through the house saying how his family was gone, and would be until he called them back. He spoke every word loud and clear, so what ever it was, would realize this was ending here. No more. His family wouldnât be a slave to this house any more.
The house started to creak, and picture flew off the walls. It was going to start small, but Samuel knew something or someone was going to be hurt in the end. He was hoping it was the house, and not him. He cursed his aunt for not telling him about this when he agreed to take the house. Eight years they had endured the stress of this house. Eight years his wife and children had spent inside cleaning and making sure everything was always right. As he walked through the house, he moved things just a little, dropped things on the floor, and dared the house to hurt him. He would do what ever it took to make his family safe and happy again. He was ready for a fight.
For four days, Samuel stayed in the house. He never called his wife, although she called him once to say they had arrived at her mothers and were going to stay until he called for them. She had taken the girls shopping for cloths, and they were having a great time. Her mother hadnât seen the girls for too many years, and she was thrilled to have them. Vanessa told her they were doing some remodeling, and it was dangerous with the girls. They were having a great time, but Vanessa was worried about Samuel. She knew he would fix the problem before they got home.
Samuel called his mother on the fourth day of him being alone in the house. He had never spoken to her or anyone about what happened here. He had to find out what it was, and why it torments the occupants. His own mother refused to come over, but she never would say why, she just always had a reason why she couldnât visit. That was actually fine with Samuel, he didnât want to put her through any unnecessary trauma. He didnât know what would happen with her in the house. Hearing his mother voice after four days alone made him feel a little better.
His mother told him about his uncle who lived there many years ago. He was a very demanding man who abused everyone. He was mean to his wife and children, and mean to all the people around him. His mother cried as she told him how he would say horrible things to the neighbors, just to keep them away from his house. He was a very selfish man, and no one liked him. He thankfully died before his wife, but she was very reclusive after he died. She wouldnât come out of the house as often as she used to, and avoided the people who had been close to her all her life.
This story reminded him of his own family. It sounded to him like his uncle was still here. Samuel asked his mother why his aunt gave the house to him, and not to his own children. She said it was because he was named after his uncle, and this is what he wanted when he was alive. This is his way of staying in the house. Not his mother or anyone else had ever told him this before. Now he knew who he had to get out of the house. He knew who his enemy was. It was his uncle, who was just as mean alive as he is dead.