As she reached the entrance to Nell’s room, Jami noticed that the door was almost completely open. It was strange, considering that Nell never left her doors open when she slept. Jami cautiously peeked inside the room; she didn’t find anything that would oppose a threat. Still, she crept across the cold wooden floor over to the couch in their room.

But passing Nell’s bed she felt herself step on something…wet. She looked down and raised her foot. A child’s footprint, in what she didn’t know. As she backed away she noticed that there was a trail of them, leading from Nell’s bed out the door. In the rush of a mixture of excitement and fear, Jami turned on the lights, unconcerned about Nell being asleep.

In the light Jami could tell that the footprints were red. She bent down and ran her finger across one of the prints. She rubbed the liquid between her fingers. Blood. It was blood. Jami’s mind raced back to her thoughts about the Red Room. The Red Room. She felt a jolt of fear begin to run through her veins. I’m not afraid of spooks! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! She repeatedly told herself.

“Jami?”-At the sound of Nell’s voice Jami jumped. She soon regained her calm coolness and looked over at her-“What are you doing here? Did Luke want to be by his self tonight?”

Jami felt taken aback. “What are you talking about? How would you know?”

Nell gave a smile, “Because I’ve known you for twenty-eight years and you’re still as easy to read as a book.”

Jami rolled her eyes and gave a sigh. For once, just once, she wished that she could keep a secret from Eleanor.

Then, a noise came from outside of their room. It was from a child, distant and almost a dreamy sound, but they were able to catch what it said: “Eleanor…” Both of the young women jumped to alertness at the voice. Jami looked back down at footprints. “What is it Jami?” Nell asked.

“See for yourself,” was all she could reply.

When Nell looked down she gasped. “I’m guessing they’re from one of the children. It’s in blood.” Jami informed.

“God, what? What?” Nell couldn’t find the words. Jami knew what she meant thought. But as she began to speak there was a thump outside the door, which sent both girls toward the bed. Regaining control of her fear Jami moved out of the bed and began to follow the footsteps. “Remember this afternoon Nell, when I told you we need to go and look for the children?”

Nell nodded her head.

“Well, here’s our chance. And we’ve even got an escort to take us to them.”

“Jami,” Nell told her plainly like she was a child with just a silly imagination, “you’re mad.”

“Please Nell, humor me. I know it’s tough to believe what’s true and what’s not, but we’re saving these lost souls. Let’s find the children, Eleanor.”

With that Nell got up from the bed and began to follow Jami.


The footprints lead them to a library, old and musty. But when they reached the end of the footprints, no hidden children were found. Just a bookshelf full of old reference books. “I knew this would happen,” Nell announced negatively. “Now hold on a minute Nell, I’ve seen things like this in the movies. This bookshelf must be a door to something like a secret laboratory or something,” Jami smiled at her words of a “secret laboratory”, “Man, this gets better and better.”

She then pulled out a book, in the movies that’s always what triggered the door. But nothing happened when she did it. She tried again but the results were the same. She looked back at Nell with annoyed eyes. “Will you help me?” She asked, though it almost sounded like a command. In sympathy Nell walked over to a glass door covering some books. She thought that they must be protected for a reason, so they had to find the lever in there.

As she opened the door though, a creak was heard from behind the shelf. Then, the bookshelf moved forward, letting them enter behind its walls. Jami, annoyed that she didn’t find the lever, first watched Nell begin to step down onto the metal steps, and then she herself followed. But the steps didn’t lead them to a secret laboratory, only a continuation of the library.

But this section wasn’t full of reference books; it was full of more personal things like photo albums, guest registration, and things like that. As Jami and Nell drew nearer to the bottom step of the winding staircase they noticed something appear in an old dusty mirror. It was a child. A little girl to be more precise, she then spoke with the same distant and dreamy drawl, “In the ledger, in the ledger…”

Intrigued, Jami cautiously stepped forward inspecting the mirror. But it was too late; the child had disappeared just as fast as it had appeared. Nell though, obeyed the child’s instructions and headed over to a musty old desk pilled high with books. She clicked on a lamp that was conveniently placed on the desk. Running her fingers along each spine of books she found one that sparked her interest.

Nell opened the book and blew away the dust and lint that fogged the title words. “Concord,” She read aloud, staring at the art border above the words. It was a skull with wings. How strange, she thought. She continued to turn the pages though, looking at the text of people who had lived the mills that once conquered this city.

Each section was placed by name, age (Man/Woman/Child), and occupation. Nell ran her eyes down each page till she saw something. There was a name marked out with two lines and a cross next to it. Dead, she thought. She then looked over at the age: nine. It was a child.

She searched several other pages, running her index finger along the line of the children; each with the same marking out and cross. There’s so many of them, she thought. What could’ve happened that killed them?

Jami stared intently at the blurred mirror. Who was that child? It was a hopeless thought but she couldn’t help but wonder. She stayed in front of the mirror, hoping that someone would return. Maybe they could explain all this madness to her. She placed her hand up and rested it against the cold surface and watched her reflection mimic her.

She stayed that way in silence for a few minutes, her solemness merely showing she was deep in thought. Suddenly her reflection changed form. It became what looked like a woman from the Victorian age. She wore her dark brown hair in a bun on each side of her head, almost like Princess Leia would. But the new figure still mimicked Jami’s every motion like her old reflection would’ve. “Jami, leave…” The woman told her. Jami recoiled forgetting to hide her fear, but not forgetting to hide the scream building in her throat. She then moved back forward and put her face close to the mirror. “Why?” She whispered so quietly that Nell paid no attention to it.

“Hey Jami,” Nell called out, stopping the ghost from its words. Both Jami and the woman looked over in Nell’s direction. “What?” Jami replied almost annoyed at how her conversation was interrupted.

“Come look at this.”

“Alright.”

Jami looked back in the ghost’s direction again, hoping that it would answer her question. But the only thing she saw was herself, the reflection was gone.

She then walked over to Nell and leaned over her shoulder reading what she pointed at. Nell continued to turn the pages, letting Jami see the number of children dead. “There’s so many of them,” She told Nell, “What could’ve happened?”

“I don’t know.”

As Jami leant over Nell she felt a cold breeze pass her. But, there were no cracks in this basement for a breeze to pass through. A ghost…Jami felt anger rise in her. Why was this ghost pestering her? Why not somebody else? She quickly turned to the mirror, it was fogging up.

“What do you want?!?” She demanded at the top of her lungs, fear quavering her voice.

“Jami, calm down,” Nell softly told her but Jami ignored her. There was a message written in the fog:

You know

Jami’s mind raced, she didn’t know! And anyways, how would she know? She’s only been in this house for two days for Christ’s sake! “Who are you?!?!” She continued to yell. A book fell and opened up. It was a guest registration book. The pages were blank, obviously nobody bothered to fill it out.

Followed by the fallen book a feathered quill rose up from its ink holder and rested itself on the page. It then began writing, and continued writing. Repeatedly printing these initials:

C.V.K.

It filled each page with the initials. Never ceasing to stop, almost like it was repeatedly shouting out the answer. Both Jami and Nell backed toward the metal steps, Nell tightly holding the Concord to her chest, and then turned and raced up the stairs.

Jami slammed the bookshelf shut. Hoping that it would conceal whatever was in there. She had too much fear in herself to realize walls can’t hold ghosts. The initials repeated in her mind, C.V.K… who would have the initials C.V.K? Jami looked over at Nell. “Who is C.V.K?”

Nell breathlessly shook her head and said, “I don’t know.”

“Come on, let’s show this to Luke. I know he’ll believe us.”

“What do you mean? Luke doesn’t believe in any of this stuff.”

“Trust me, just trust me.”


Luke quickly awoke to the sound of Jami’s voice. Where was she? Defiantly wasn’t in the bed, that’s for sure. He then looked up to find her standing at the edge of bed, along with Nell. “What’s going on?” He sleepily asked. “Kraine, he kept records of them. Every single one of them.” Jami told him then, uninvited, walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Luke looked over at Nell who showed a little more nervousness about sitting on the bed. He then watched her walk over to the couch that was in front of them and sit down.

He shrugged his shoulders and as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and said, “Whoa, slow down. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jami explained to Luke about how they had found the Concord and what it contained. She distinctly remembered to leave out the ghosts though; Luke had gotten a sudden awakening to what was going on around here and Jami wasn’t sure if he was read to believe it yet.

“You won’t believe how we found the basement,” Nell told him.

“Oh really?” Luke seemed more amused with the whole subject.

“We followed a child’s footprints in blood.”

He was feeling more awake now, “Blood? That’s a good one. And what next? Some ghosts appeared?”

Jami felt annoyed that Luke didn’t believe her. He of all people should. “They did as a matter of fact!” She told him closing the book quickly, “One by the initials of C.V.K.”

“Ah, initials!”

“Luke? Are you feeling ok?”

“Oh yeah, I was woken up in the middle of the night for some book about children’s death. You know, those children could’ve just hit an epidemic, or just wasn’t careful, there’s millions of reasons why they could’ve died.”

“Are you saying you don’t believe us? Luke, you witnessed that fireplace throwing me on top of you! How can you not believe me?”

“A fireplace throwing you on top of me?” Luke chuckled.

“What’s the name of that river in Egypt again? Oh yeah! De Nile.”

Eleanor sat up and headed towards the door. “I told you Jami, Luke won’t believe this stuff.” Jami also got up and took Nell’s spot on the couch. She glared at Luke, “Yeah, I noticed.”

“Well, I’m going to bed. See you two in the morning.” With that, Nell disappeared around the corner. “Night Nell!” Jami replied. She then opened up the book again and beginning at the beginning of the book, searched for someone with the initials of C.V.K. She ran her fingers through each page, hoping an answer would come. Once Nell was for sure gone, Luke looked over at Jami.

“Jami, sorry but-” He began but Jami quickly placed a hand up in front of his face. “You just made me look like a complete idiot in front of Nell. Save it for tomorrow,” she told him. Luke gave a sigh of annoyance and lay back onto the bed and tucked himself in. Staring up at the ceiling, Luke said one last thing before he went to sleep, “I believe you.”


The sun rose over the Hill house as morning arrived. It was the final day for Dr. Marrow’s experiment. Maybe that’s why the house looked so welcoming with its massive structures and fences. Maybe it wanted to remember the feeling of guests among its walls. Since after all, it’d been awhile since anyone alive had stayed there.


Jami rubbed her eyes. She had stayed awake almost all night last night looking for someone with the initials of C.V.K. But her attempts were useless. She still had no clue who wrote those words on the paper. Jami maundered around the old house, she knew Dr. Marrow probably wouldn’t believe her about the message to leave, but she needed to try.

“Dr. Marrow?” She called out, her voice quietly echoing across the walls, “Dr. Marrow?” She quickly walked down the stairs as she entered the living room. Where could he be? She thought to herself. As Jami paused peaking around the corner to the dining room she thought about something. Why should I tell Dr. Marrow we need to leave? This is my last day at this mansion. My last day with Luke. Why would I shorten it?

She walked over to the several papers and laptop that rested on the table. He must’ve also stayed up late doing his work. Jami couldn’t help but take the opportunity to browse through his research. Nothing bad would come from it right?

She glanced at each title quickly as she ran her fingers through the papers. They didn’t look like anything for insomnia. More like something about fear. She looked over at the laptop, wondering if it might explain things more. But next to it she noticed something even better.

A recorder. Dr. Marrow must’ve recorded his ideas and reviews of each person on the machine. She reached out for the recorder but hesitated. She knew it wasn’t right to go through other people’s stuff. It wasn’t her business what Dr. Marrow thought about everybody. She withdrew her hand back.

But curiosity brought it back forward. She held the machine in her hands and pressed the play button. This is what was recorded:

“Jami Vance seems to be very unstable with what is real and what is not in this world. She thinks every strange thing that has happened is clearly the work of ghosts. Maybe she doesn’t need to be on this insomnia experiment but more often in a chair at the psychiatrist’s.

“Interview with Vance yesterday in the Greek room revealed that she has maintained this instability all her life. Fear seems to be all she knows.”

Jami stopped the record where it was. She didn’t want to hear any more of what Dr. Marrow had to say about her. She knew what she saw the past few days were real. Not just some figment of her imagination. Maybe this whole experiment was never meant to cure her insomnia. She felt more like it was some joke that she wasn’t included in on.

Jami slammed the recorder back onto the table. She couldn’t help but hope she had busted it in some way. She then turned and walked out of the room towards the greenhouse. Maybe she could find some peace there. She could listen to the outside world and maybe get a taste of reality. She would love to get out of this horror show.


“Well, I think I know how experiments work. Waitasecond, hold on, hold on Theo.” Luke began explaining to Theo who obviously didn’t want to listen. He pursued her to the greenhouse where at the sound of her name she turned around. He continued, “What about all the noises? The fireplace and the painting? I think that it’s all just a bait and switch where-”

“What?” She finally spoke.

“Where you pretend that you’re doing a study on insomnia but what he’s really interested in”-At that moment Jami walked in. Luke glanced over at her and continued his sentence- “Is seeing our reaction to these phenomenons that he’s obviously behind.”

Jami paused as he finished his sentence and Theo and him looked over at her. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Oh, no. Nothing at all.” Theo said walking over. Luke followed.

“Well, what I think is that Dr. Marrow has nothing to do with it.”

Theo sighed. “Come on Jami, not with the ghosts again.”

“Hey, there is also a chance that something else is behind this.” Luke agreed, sticking up for Jami.

Following Jami was Nell who soon walked into the room, most likely wanting to clear her mind also of what had been going on. She looked over at the threesome having their conversation. She had caught what Jami had last said and walked over to share her thoughts with the group.

Theo smiled, “Nell! I’ve been looking all over for you! Where have you been?”

Nell glanced over at Jami; obviously she had also listened to the recorder, “Just…Just walking around. I don’t think its Dr. Marrow either.”

“Then who Nell? If somehow you don’t think this is any part of the experiment then why would you stay here another second?” Theo asked.

Nell paused for a moment as she thought about her answer, “Because home is where the heart is.”

Theo looked at her confusingly, then turned to Luke who shook his head and looked away. Even Jami felt confused and afraid for her cousin. “Nell, are you ok?” She asked and placed a hand on Nell’s shoulder. Nell looked up, almost like she had to also think to answer this question.

Eleanor’s expression changed as she looked up, a look showing she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. “Oh, God,” She placed her hand up to her mouth. “Nell? Nell what is it? Nell!” Jami began asking, soon joined by Theo in her attempts to make Nell speak. Nell tore away from Jami’s grasp. “Waita minute Nell! What? What-”

Jami turned to look at her puzzled friends. They couldn’t explain the way Nell had been acting lately. She’d been this weird since breakfast. Maybe it was that this was her last day at the Hill House, maybe she wanted to figure out the mystery before she left. But when Jami looked at Luke and Theo, she noticed something that was hanging at the top of her eye.

It was a woman. She had long dark messy hair that rested down past her shoulders. She wore what looked like a black hat and her complexion was completely pale. Her head rested limply on her shoulder and her eyes were closed. Jami felt the fear rising in her.

“Oh my God!” Jami didn’t realize it but she had mimicked Nell as she stared at the hanging body. “Jami! What is it? What do you see?” Luke hurried over to her and tried to find what she was looking at. “Up there! Don’t you see it? The body! How can you miss it? She’s hanging!”-Jami placed a hand to her forehead-“Oh God! Nell, wait!”

She then went running out of the garden, even though she wasn’t headed for the same direction as Nell. Luke and Theo looked back to where Jami was pointing, they didn’t see anything. Luke looked back in Jami’s direction, but noticed she had already quickly disappeared. “Where’d she go?” He asked himself. Then he began running when he felt Theo’s hand pull him back. “Hold on, she might want some time alone.”

“She might, but I’ll be the one to find out.”-Luke jerked out of Theo’s grasp-“Why don’t you go check on Nell? She might want some comfort also.” He then without another word ran out the room, ignoring Theo’s yelling reply, “Because I know sometimes people like to be alone to think and talk to themselves about things that nobody else can understand!”


Jami hurried down the steps back to the basement where she was last night. “There’s gotta be something here. There’s gotta be!” she told herself as she scanned each title to the wide array of books. “I’m not making this up! I’m not! I know I’m not!” She flipped through the pages of a book then quickly shut it. Nothing there.

She rushed over to another pile of books. She pushed and looked at each title, scanning a few pages of some. “I can prove everything! I just gotta find something, an explanation. I don’t need to go to the psychiatrists! I’m not mad!”

She then walked over to another pile of books, quickly opening the one on the top of pile. As she flipped the book open the cover pushed another book to the floor. It slowly opened up and the angle that it was at made it begin to turn pages. She walked over and pulled a strand of hair from her eyes and tucked it behind her ears. Curiously she watch the page come upon a picture. It must’ve been a photo album she figured as she looked at the picture.

It was of Hugh Kraine and what looked to be his wife sitting in front of him. The woman wore the same hat as the one that hung in the greenhouse. Jami read the caption at the bottom; Kraine’s first wife was Rene, the town beauty. The pages turned and more pictures of Kraine and his wife appeared. But the other pictures were of a different woman. She quickly grabbed the book before it fell. As she held the book in her hands she began to turn the pages herself.

First, there was a full picture of Kraine, then, on the next page was a picture of Rene. Jami stared inquisitively at each page; hoping answers would arise from them. She curiously turned the next page to find a closer picture of the other woman, her hair put up in two buns. In the picture she gave a knowing, almost cunning and tricky smile. Jami read the description at the bottom of the page. “Caroline…” She told herself, “Caroline was the second wife.”

Jami never knew her great, great grandmother like Nell did, but she began to understand what Nell had meant when she said, “Home is where the heat is.” Jami played the name in her head, Caroline Kraine…hmm…Caroline Vance…It then made sense to her, Caroline Vance Kraine. My God! She realized. C.V.K!

She looked down at the book. A breeze began blowing the pages, soon almost so fast it looked like a movie. It was of Caroline in front of the fireplace, she turned and began to point, “Jami…The fireplace!” Her whispers softly echoed in the small room. Jami understood now.


Jami took quick steps as she hurried across the decorated tile to the fireplace. Coming up to a statue that held the pokers and what not she pulled one out. Jami stared down at the metal doors, which held the soot and ashes. She glanced from side to side; making sure no one else was watching her behind her back. She then opened one of the doors and heard the creak of metal that needed a good oiling.

She looked down at the burnt wood and charcoal, then took her poker and began poking it through the ancient dust. She tried moving the logs in hope she’d find what she was looking for but she found nothing. Jami ran the metal rod through the soot that rested under the other metal door. She paused. Then, opened up the other side and this time more aggressively pushed and poked into the soot.

She moved her poker through the ashes and felt it bump into something. She began pushing it upwards above the charcoal and as it came into view she began to think it was another piece of wood. Jami sighed. But she looked closer at it and seemed to not believe what the wood resembled, curiosity moved her push it up some more. She found she was wrong about it being wood, it was a bone.

She stopped, fighting the fear and letting curiosity take over her. Jami continued, soon to run into something else. It made a hollow knock as she hit it. She poked this unknown object also, but instead of hitting it, she felt the edge of the poker go down into a hole. Jami gulped.

It’s probably just a decayed hipbone or something, she told herself positively. She fought the image in her mind of her pulling out a decaying skull, or worse, a decaying head. She slowly edged the object to the surface. The smooth pale bone of a forehead came into view, followed by the revealing of an eye socket along with its jawbone.

Jami’s face brought on a look of fear as the skull came into view. She pulled the poker away from it. But doing that made the skull leap forward, showing the rest of its bony body with arms outspread. Jami screamed and leapt backwards, dropping her poker into the ashes, and soot, and bones.

She felt her heart beating in her chest, the slam of the metal doors ringing in her ear. She didn’t realize it but she had continued the movement of her legs, she was running out the door-

When all of a sudden her and Luke ran straight into each other causing both to fall backwards. “We have got to stop running in to each other,” Luke announced helping Jami up. “Well, it’s a small house after all,” She replied.

“Has anything happened? Did I miss anything?”

“What do you mean?” Jami tried to sound as calm as usual.

“Well, It’s pretty obvious that you’re shaken up about something. Y’know? I don’t know if you’ve realized it but you’re not real good with hiding your emotions, you’re as easy to read as a book.”

Jami sighed, Geez, he’s already been around me two days and can read me as good as Nell. “Remember when Nell saw that thing in the fireplace? And you and Dr. Marrow opened those two doors on the floor that had all that soot and ashes? Well, I’ve found something else.”

“What’s that?”

“Bones. Human bones. Hughie’s wanting to hide something from us. C’mere, Let me show you.”

Jami then led Luke over to the fireplace. She paused for a moment as she wondered what might happen next time she stands on this fireplace. She hoped nothing would. “I’d be careful if I was you,” Luke advised. “I gotcha,” She replied.

She then cautiously walked over to one side and bent down to raise up the door. Jami pulled the handle out and began to pull the door but, it wouldn’t open. She tried both hands, pulling and tugging. But the doors still wouldn’t open, only the sound of them slamming back onto the pavement was heard.

“Here let me try,” Luke said, and this time as he walked into the fireplace he kept his eye on where the flu would be just incase it swung down again for a second try at decapitating him. He then pulled on the doors, but his results were the same as Jami’s. He tugged again, a lot harder than what Jami had tried before. But the doors still would open.

“I guess we’ll just have to wait till Kraine lets go of the doors,” Jami concluded. “Alright, whatever you say,” Luke told her, still in the fireplace. Then, as a silence fell across them, a whooshing noise came from the left side of the fireplace. Luke quickly dove out of the way like a baseball player diving for home plate. He looked back at the empty fireplace, no flu had come unhitched. Nothing had happened at all.

He looked over at Jami, expecting her to be behind the illusion. But he could tell by her face that she had nothing to do with it. “What happened?” She asked.

“Didn’t you hear the noise?”

“Well, yeah but, nothing happened.”-She peered cautiously back into the fireplace, her eyes searching for the flu-“How strange.”

“Yeah I know.” Luke stood up and dusted himself off.

He scratched the back of his head as he stared around the immense room, the portrait of Kraine standing out in his vision. Ever since Mr. Dudley had washed the red letters off that painting it had made the hairs on his arms stand up. It was strange. Everything in this house has become strange in the past few days.

Luke thought back on those days. Before this experiment he thought that everything had a logical explanation, but now as it draws to an end, Luke’s realized that he’s begun to waver between what is real and what is fake. It’s amazing, he thought, that in just three days I’ve changed completely. I guess there is some gray in the world.

He looked over to the girl that changed his life, his thoughts, his world. Luke had never realized how much she meant to him, until now. Maybe this wouldn’t be their last day together, maybe they could meet next week, go to his apartment and look back on their past and maybe even their future.

Luke smiled at Jami and offered her his left arm, “Let’s continue our tour of this mansion, whatdaya say?” Jami returned the smile and hooked her arm around his, “Sounds like a great plan!” With that they headed over to one of the halls, in hopes they’d find a new section to explore.

* * *

Jami and Luke cheerily walked along each hall, familiar and unfamiliar. Jami didn’t care if they didn’t end up in a hall they’d never been to before, all that was important to her was that she was with Luke, and having the time of her life. She rested her head against his shoulder and laughed as Luke made a joke. Their walk almost reminded her of lover’s lane at many fairs with them having their arms locked, but the dark gothic walls took most of the romance out of it. Jami laughed again as a thought came to her mind.

“What’s so funny? Besides me?” Luke gave a charming grin.

“You’re so narcissistic. But, we went for a walk to finish looking at this house and turns out I don’t know where the heck we are.”

Luke stopped and looked around. “You’re right. I believe we’re lost.”-He laughed-“I guess I haven’t been paying attention to where we were going either.” Jami broke away from him and curiously walked over to one door. She opened it and to her surprise found that the entrance was covered with a brick wall. A lot like you might see in cartoons, and for that she was glad she didn’t walk into it.

Luke followed her actions and went over to another door and opened it too. Another brick wall. He smiled at the pointless door. Maybe it was just that he was in a good mood today that he found these doors funny; he looked over at Jami, she was chuckling herself too. They both seemed to show an excitement about these doors.

“Betcha I can find an exit first,” he told her.

She gave a wry smile at the offer. “You’re on. Anyways, I can do anything you can do better.”

“I can do anything better than you!”

“No you can’t!”

“Yes I can!”

“No you can’t!”

“Yes I can!”

They laughed at their joke and continued through the hall racing each other. Each quickly stopping in front of a door and checking for an opening. After awhile Luke stopped with Jami close behind out of breath. He rested his weight against one of the doors. “Gee, at times like these,” Luke announced, “I wonder if this house was even made for the living.” Jami nodded. She didn’t feel like bringing up her thought that it really wasn’t made for the living. It was too good of a time for her to ruin it now.

Suddenly both of them looked over to a certain exit. It was a double door, a lot different than the past few they had looked in. Each gave a questioning look at the other, a competitive smile rising on their faces. With that Luke and Jami took off, reaching the door at the same time and opening it together. They stopped for a moment and looked down at the water passage filled with what looked like stone book stepping-stones.

“I win!” She exclaimed with a bit of a childish sound. She then gracefully leaped onto each stone, or book you could say. Luke watched her for a moment, just like a deer, he thought. She was truly like a deer with her grace and beauty. Luke followed her, though his steps were unsteady and clumsy. At the middle he grabbed her hand and spun her around causing him to lose his balance and getting his pants’ leg sprinkled with water.

He embraced her where she was right up against his chest. “Who says you’ve won yet?” He smirked. “Well… uh, because I’m me!”

“And you say I’m narcissistic. Well, you haven’t claimed you prize yet have you?”

Jami gave a smile not know where he was going. She shook her head no. With that Luke kissed her tenderly on the lips. They wobbled unsteadily on the books, mainly because Jami posed more like a flamingo with just one foot on the ground. Then, their balance was lost and Luke began to fall backwards. He only caught them by placing his foot in the shallow water.

Jami pressed her head against his chest and gave a stifled laugh after their kiss clumsily broke during the fall. Luke began to laugh also. “God! I’m acting like a drunk today! What’d I have for breakfast?” She asked. Luke pressed his nose against hers as she looked up at him. “Defiantly no alcohol. Remember? You don’t drink.”

“Oh yeah!” Luke kissed her again on the lips.

“C’mon. Let’s see what else we can find,” He took her hand and they went across the path together, this time even more clumsily.


They continued past the doors at the end of the stepping-stones and soon found themselves coming back to the eerie living room. Jami and Luke ignored their past intentions of trying to open the metal doors in the fireplace. For some reason they decided to continue their walk to the study.

The fire in the large ivory fireplace brought a warm, steady glow to the study room along with the red drapes and tile floor. It had a brightness like the Red Room, minus the many faces of children. When Luke and Jami entered they found Dr. Marrow explaining to Theo about her tests, and Theo didn’t seem too thrilled about it either.

She sat in a wooden chair with red velvet cushions staring deeply at the flames dancing on the burning log; she didn’t even look like she was paying attention. Jami and Luke’s laughing ceased as they entered the sober atmosphere. Dr. Marrow and Theo looked up. “I hope we’re not invading or anything.” Luke told them. “No, anyways, I was just getting to your test results,” Dr. Marrow replied.

As Luke walked over to Dr. Marrow to be informed on his tests, Jami sat down in a chair opposite of Theo. She watched Theo bring her concentration back to the fireplace, and then watched Dr. Marrow begin to tell Luke about the things he missed on the tests. She soon decided to rest her eyes on the fireplace like Theo. Letting the occasional crackle and pop of the flames reach her ears and drowned out all other noises.

As her happy-go-lucky mood faded away she felt a pang in her chest. She didn’t feel like she needed to be here anymore. Her conscience whispered in her ears, leave! Leave! The whole house seemed to communicate with her. She couldn’t quite understand why there was this calling for her to leave. It’d been that way since the beginning, ever since that door shut in her face.

It was strange; she constantly faced times like these in this house. Times where she would give anything to walk out in the open air and run across the warm and grassy hills, but others times, like when her and Luke discovered the pointless doors, she felt like she lived here all her life. And that she could till she died. She sighed.

She felt herself loving the Hill House such as Nell did. She loved the confusion, the excitement, the adventure, the mystery that all dwelled within these walls. Jami soon realized that she’d miss this old house once she left. Even though it inspired great pain and fear, she loved every minute of it. Well, almost every minute of it.

She knew that she grew up with the encounters with ghosts but the ones in the past had never thrilled her as these had. These seemed so real, so dangerous. Jami enjoyed living on the edge. She couldn’t explain why but she did. She hoped they would return to this house. Maybe to look back on these past events that scared them so. Maybe she could get married here…

Jami looked up and brought herself back to reality. Silence had fallen across the room. She couldn’t understand it. Maybe she should’ve listened more to what was going on around her. Even the fireplace seemed to quite down. Everyone seemed almost frozen with Theo still staring at the fireplace and what seemed like both Dr. Marrow and Luke pondering over a certain question.

She looked over at the entrance to the study. The figure of Nell soon appeared through the door and walked over to the group. Jami noticed a fear in her, it made her worried. From the way Nell had been acting lately maybe it was right for them to leave. “He killed them,” she said bringing sound back into the room.

The flames gave a pop almost to rejoice in the noise that had arisen. Everyone looked up. “What?” Dr. Marrow softly said.

“He killed them.” She repeated then explained, “The children from the mills, it’s just like you said. He wanted to fill his house with the sounds of children. So he took the children from his mills, then he brought them here, but he wouldn’t let them go. He would never let them go. And I found the skulls”-she looked over at Jami, her expression showing she was able to open the metal doors-“just like Caroline did.”

“Caroline? Who’s Caroline?” Luke quietly asked. Jami had forgotten to explain her relative to Luke. She looked away, so much for a joyful day. She knew this would happen, somehow the Hill House’s past would be mentioned and arguments and fights would arise. She knew it was going to happen soon.

“Killed who Eleanor?” Dr. Marrow asked, his voice still soft and warm. He then wiped his interest in the murder and logically said, “Calm down now.”

Theo stood up, soon followed by Jami who walked forward.

“And he had a second wife too,” She looked over at Jami, “But he couldn’t hide his secret. You can never hide a secret. Caroline found out what he did but now he wants me.” Her voice began to quaver.

“Who? Who wants you?” Theo asked beginning to walk over to Nell, “And why?” Jami walked up to Luke’s side. She didn’t see it but he felt fear in what Nell said, his blue eyes wide and full of notions that he didn’t believe what he was hearing. He looked at Jami, sorrow and pain in her face. Luke relaxed his features, he knew she really cared for her cousin and that she worried so bad that this house was affecting her. He brought his arm around her in hopes of comfort. She didn’t show signs of relief; she only looked into his eyes and seemed to ask, is Nell ok?

Jami ignored the weight of Luke’s arms on her shoulders. She walked over to her cousin with Dr. Marrow and Theo. “Nell, what’s happening to you?” She asked fearfully, reaching out for Nell’s hand.

“She needs to lie down,” Dr. Marrow murmured. “What is happening to her?” Theo demanded to Dr. Marrow loudly.

“She’s in a fuming state, let’s get her to the sofa.”

With that Dr. Marrow and Theo lead Nell over to the couch on each side. Jami walked in front of her patting her on the shoulder, “It’s going to be ok. It’s going to be ok.” Maybe she hoped that more than she meant to Nell. She really did want things to be ok.

Jami moved out of the way as Dr. Marrow and Theo rested Nell onto the sofa. “Luke, get a blanket,” Dr. Marrow ordered as if this had happened before, except with another patient. “He…wanted to…” She began to speak breathlessly, “fill the house…with children. He turned into a monster!” Theo and Dr. Marrow made Nell lie down. “Nell, it’s ok,” Jami continued to repeat. Theo caressed Nell’s face, “Come on sweetheart, it’s ok.”

Nell refused to lie down and even though Dr. Marrow tried to make her she still stood her ground. Jami nervously glanced from Nell to Luke then told him roughly, “Luke, hurry it up!”

“I’m working on it, I’m working on it,” he replied annoyed at how he was getting snapped around. He wasn’t able to find a blanket, instead he took the velvet cloth off the table and walked over and draped it around Nell. Dr. Marrow helped also and placed it more firmly around her shoulders. “Caroline…they’re all out to get her and he won’t let them go!” Nell sounded like she could break into tears any minute.

Dr. Marrow grabbed her by the shoulders and tried hard to calm her down. “Listen to me, listen to me,” He told her, “It’s not true.” Luke walked over to Jami who nervously chewed on her index fingernail; she couldn’t stand seeing her cousin have a mental breakdown. He brought his arms around her and this time she gladly welcomed him. She buried her face into Luke’s sweater, feeling overwhelmed and confused.

She incredulously looked up from Luke’s chest to Dr. Marrow. “What have you done to her?” She disgustingly said quietly. Dr. Marrow looked up, “Jami, what-”

“What have you done to my cousin?!?!” she yelled straining her voice.

Luke looked at her confused, “I thought you believed in the ghosts Jami?”

“The ghosts I believe in. This I don’t!”-Her voice quavered from fighting back tears-“This madness! My cousin is having a mental breakdown and all you people are doing is sitting here! Do I need to sing it to you? WE NEED TO LEAVE!”

She turned back to Luke and his comforting arms. He stroked her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder. Nell looked over at Jami thoughtfully, as if she was the one facing the problem, “Jami’s right. We do need to leave. He’s still here. Hugh Kraine is still in the house.”

Luke looked up from Jami and said in fear, “No…no, what if she’s right? What if she’s right?!?”

“What are you saying Luke? I thought you said it doesn’t do any good to talk about-”

“Ok, stop! Stop! STOP!” Dr. Marrow told his patients. It had gone too far now. He couldn’t ignore the madness that was building in this house anymore. Already suspicions had been made about him and Nell was facing mental instability. He knew he had to break it to them, he knew he had to pull the plug. He knew it wasn’t him that was in control anymore.

“Ok, listen to me, all of you,” He began standing up, Nell pulled the covers off her and looked up at him with hope, “Let me explain what’s happening. You’re participating in a study on group fear and anesthesia.”

Luke began to feel the same anger as Jami had, “What? That’s why you brought us here? That’s what this is all about?”

Nell’s hope faded away from thinking Dr. Marrow would say, “Alright, we’re leaving.” Her face changed to that of despair and sorrow.

“You brought us here to scare us is that it?” Theo asked disgusted.

Dr. Marrow paused and then sadly nodded his head, “Yes.”

“And you just sitting here waiting for her to have a nervous breakdown before you said anything?” Luke angrily said. Jami was glad that Luke was helping stick up for Nell; she knew she couldn’t handle it alone.

“No”

“What-What is your problem?!?”

“I gave you the clues! You created the story as you were meant to but it’s over! I’m pulling the plug.”

Jami couldn’t find words. She would’ve shared her thoughts about him but she couldn’t speak. This whole trip: nothing. No intentions of curing their insomnia, just lab rats stuck in a maze where scientist could study them. Dr. Marrow walked over to Nell and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Listen to me Nell, none of this is real.”

Nell shook her head, “Oh but it is real!”

“No, no-”

“It is real!”

“No! It’s not REAL!”

“You have to look at the bones in the fireplace!”

“It’s not real!”

“No, no, nooo! I-I saw his wife hanging in the greenhouse I know it! I know I saw it!” Nell was straining from yelling. Determination on her face. Jami almost couldn’t stand it. It was all she could do to listen. Sure she believed Nell but they had gone too far. They should’ve left things alone. They shouldn’t have angered Hugh Kraine.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dr. Marrow maintained his calm voice again, “I’m sorry for bringing you all here. The Dudley’s will be here in the morning and we’ll all go home.”

“Oh! I can’t believe you’re not going to LOOK!”

Jami pushed away from Luke’s embrace. She then pushed Dr. Marrow aside. “Alright that’s enough,” She said temperamentally looking over at Dr. Marrow, and then kindly saying to Nell, “It’s ok Nell, I believe you. I believe everything. I saw the bones too. Just calm down.”-She raised her up from her seat and began to lead her to her bedroom-“We’re leaving in the morning, we’ll do as Caroline said. We’re leaving Nell, everything’s gonna turn out alright.” She looked back at Dr. Marrow brushing himself off as he stood up, “We all know who the real monster is.”

Theo rushed over to Jami and grabbed the other side of Nell. She then kindly said, “It’s ok Jami, I’ll take Nell up to her room. You’ve done enough. Besides, I believe somebody needs a talking to.” She then glanced over at Dr. Marrow and winked at Jami as if to say, “go get’em!”

“Alright, I’ll tell ya what happened later,” she kindly replied then roughly said aloud to no one in particular, “We’ll continue this in the kitchen.”

Luke followed Jami as they walked out of the room. He decided that he should accompany the two in their discussion on this experiment. A thought came to his mind, but don’t they have sharp pointy things in the kitchen?


“It was a controlled experiment,” Dr. Marrow stated.

“A controlled experiment?” Jami asked angrily, “My cousin is in total shock! You can’t do that!”

“I told you it wasn’t meant to be like this.”

“Oh, come on. That’s not the truth. You were planning on us getting like this! You wanted us afraid! This is what you came here for!”

“No, I didn’t want you to become like Eleanor-”

“You don’t care about us! You don’t care about insomnia! You just wanted to scare the heck out of us so we could fit into your little tests or model or whatever you’re doing!”

“Oh please-”

Jami continued to babble on in anger. She couldn’t stop, her cousin was going crazy! She may even need psychiatric help!

“Ok-”

She didn’t stop, “You can’t do this to us! There’s got to be some human rights to this!”

For once Dr. Marrow turned his soft and gentle voice rough and course and shook his index finger angrily at her, “Now listen to me! Just listen! I am trying to help people!!! My field of study is the science of fear. I try to understand the reason why people ACT the way they ACT!! Why people FEEL THE WAY THEY FEEL!!!”

Jami reeled back and punched him squarely in the jaw. Luke shifted his gaze to the drawer that contained all the knives and blades. He was glad he was guarding it.

“WE ARE PEOPLE! Not some experiment that you can toy with! Does it even bother you that you could scar someone’s life? There are some people out there that are frightened of their own shadows because of you! People need to be treated like people, they have feelings that are tender and breakable…”-Her voice grew soft and it almost sounded like she would cry but she didn’t-“But you, I don’t believe you have feeling.”

Dr. Marrow stayed quiet and rubbed his jaw. Silently he left the room. Jami almost regretted treating Dr. Marrow the way she had. She spoke for him to treat people the right way but here she is yelling and accusing him. She wasn’t even obeying what she said.

She looked over at Luke who had stayed quiet during the whole argument. She smiled inside herself. I guess Luke knows when he belongs in something, she thought to herself, either that or he doesn’t want to mess with me when I’m mad.

“Thanks Luke,” She said warmly. “For what?” He replied.

“Because I’m sure if you weren’t there I would’ve grabbed one of those knives.”

Luke laughed.