deadman! ”
I glanced at the boy. “Carl? You’re Carl, aren’t you?” I gasped.
“Hello, Daniel. I’m sorry you’re here, but its all him, you understand.”
I said, “So, he takes your body, you take his.”
“Something like that.” He shrugged. “I woke up this way, Daniel. I was trapped, hiding in the walls, in the dirt. I listened to you, but I was too weak to do anything. I tried to warn you, though. The ghost at the top of the stairs? You remember that?”
“That was you?” I said.
Jack interrupted, “I can kill you again, Carl! Don’t forget that!”
Carl said, “Yes…you can try, but you will fail. You will always fail, Jack. Because you simply don’t understand.” He pulled at the hands, chains that had him locked to the foundations of the house, and he lifted them, showing them to Jack. “I am bound to this house; there is no release, neither in body nor mind. All that you have achieved is making me a prisoner of my own home, but you will not kill me.”
Jack said, “I will try.”
“But for what reason?” Carl asked. “You saw into the mirror. You have the power now, not I.”
“Because you brought me into this house. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve grown up. But, you made me curious!”
“I did no such thing!”
“You made me curious, old man; don’t deny it!” he yelled. “You made me come inside! It’s all your fault, so I will kill you, just as I killed that bastard of a brother of mine, and that bitch of a mother. Just as I’ll kill you, Daniel.” He was throwing his arms about, irritated, then he stopped and stared at me, and pointed with his long thin finger. “Just as I’ll kill you!” Jack turned and slowly walked away.
“Just as you murdered Father Thomas,” I put in.
Jack chuckled as though this amused him. He said, “I still have you old man.”
I suppose I was relieved. I knew I couldn’t have killed Ben and his Mother. And Jack had confirmed it.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I demanded, although I knew I was lying to myself. Jack couldn’t be saved; I feared he was too far gone.
“The gun, Daniel,” Carl reminded me through dirt filled teeth. “The gun…use it.”
“But…whats the point?” I asked in a low tone because I didn’t want Jack to hear.
Carl closed his eyes. He clung to my t-shirt; I felt it tear in his finger, but he held on. By the look on his face, something worried him. He jolted violently into the dirt wall, hitting his back against the mud and gave out an audible grunt. There was a real panic in his eyes, a dread that he was going back to the place where he loathed so much.
He said, “He’s got me. They’re taking me back, Daniel. Use the damn gun before its too late!”
I raised the pistol towards Jack.
When he was at the top on the stairs, he turned, the swinging light above his head giving the illusion that he was more gaunt than the truth told. He grinned at Carl. “Goodbye, old man,” Jack said.
The chains that bound Jack to the house were stealing him away, dragging him deeper in the mud.
“Use it!” Carl admonished. His arms extended from the dirt, reaching out for a rescue that would never happen. His body was gone and he struggled to keep his face from disappearing, too. He was fighting to keep his head above the water before drowning. He coughed and choked on the mud, spluttering again and again. Then he was gone.
“So…are you really going to use it, Dan? I don’t believe you will…do you? I think we’ve come to that conclusion now. I can feel that you’re stronger. You have yourself back. And I must admit, I didn’t see that one coming. But I will get you back; I will own you. I will have you!”
“Maybe so. The longer I stop in this house, the more of me you’ll take, feeding, making you stronger. But if I kill you now…”
Jack laughed. “Kill me? I can’t die?”
“Perhaps not, but maybe it’ll buy some time.”
“Maybe you will. I’ll allow you that, at
I glanced at the boy. “Carl? You’re Carl, aren’t you?” I gasped.
“Hello, Daniel. I’m sorry you’re here, but its all him, you understand.”
I said, “So, he takes your body, you take his.”
“Something like that.” He shrugged. “I woke up this way, Daniel. I was trapped, hiding in the walls, in the dirt. I listened to you, but I was too weak to do anything. I tried to warn you, though. The ghost at the top of the stairs? You remember that?”
“That was you?” I said.
Jack interrupted, “I can kill you again, Carl! Don’t forget that!”
Carl said, “Yes…you can try, but you will fail. You will always fail, Jack. Because you simply don’t understand.” He pulled at the hands, chains that had him locked to the foundations of the house, and he lifted them, showing them to Jack. “I am bound to this house; there is no release, neither in body nor mind. All that you have achieved is making me a prisoner of my own home, but you will not kill me.”
Jack said, “I will try.”
“But for what reason?” Carl asked. “You saw into the mirror. You have the power now, not I.”
“Because you brought me into this house. If it wasn’t for you, I would’ve grown up. But, you made me curious!”
“I did no such thing!”
“You made me curious, old man; don’t deny it!” he yelled. “You made me come inside! It’s all your fault, so I will kill you, just as I killed that bastard of a brother of mine, and that bitch of a mother. Just as I’ll kill you, Daniel.” He was throwing his arms about, irritated, then he stopped and stared at me, and pointed with his long thin finger. “Just as I’ll kill you!” Jack turned and slowly walked away.
“Just as you murdered Father Thomas,” I put in.
Jack chuckled as though this amused him. He said, “I still have you old man.”
I suppose I was relieved. I knew I couldn’t have killed Ben and his Mother. And Jack had confirmed it.
“It doesn’t have to be this way,” I demanded, although I knew I was lying to myself. Jack couldn’t be saved; I feared he was too far gone.
“The gun, Daniel,” Carl reminded me through dirt filled teeth. “The gun…use it.”
“But…whats the point?” I asked in a low tone because I didn’t want Jack to hear.
Carl closed his eyes. He clung to my t-shirt; I felt it tear in his finger, but he held on. By the look on his face, something worried him. He jolted violently into the dirt wall, hitting his back against the mud and gave out an audible grunt. There was a real panic in his eyes, a dread that he was going back to the place where he loathed so much.
He said, “He’s got me. They’re taking me back, Daniel. Use the damn gun before its too late!”
I raised the pistol towards Jack.
When he was at the top on the stairs, he turned, the swinging light above his head giving the illusion that he was more gaunt than the truth told. He grinned at Carl. “Goodbye, old man,” Jack said.
The chains that bound Jack to the house were stealing him away, dragging him deeper in the mud.
“Use it!” Carl admonished. His arms extended from the dirt, reaching out for a rescue that would never happen. His body was gone and he struggled to keep his face from disappearing, too. He was fighting to keep his head above the water before drowning. He coughed and choked on the mud, spluttering again and again. Then he was gone.
“So…are you really going to use it, Dan? I don’t believe you will…do you? I think we’ve come to that conclusion now. I can feel that you’re stronger. You have yourself back. And I must admit, I didn’t see that one coming. But I will get you back; I will own you. I will have you!”
“Maybe so. The longer I stop in this house, the more of me you’ll take, feeding, making you stronger. But if I kill you now…”
Jack laughed. “Kill me? I can’t die?”
“Perhaps not, but maybe it’ll buy some time.”
“Maybe you will. I’ll allow you that, at
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