Dr. Marrow tugged at the wedged chair but it stayed where it was. “Here, let me try,” Luke suggested and also began to pull at the new ornament. Jami quickly changed interests and ran over to another window and picked up a chair. She rammed it up against the window and heard the satisfying crash of glass breaking into shards and falling to the ground. “Come on!” She yelled, “Open up!”

Luke followed her example and moved to another window and tried himself. At that moment Dr. Marrow had given up and moved on with a different chair. But the same thing happened again: each chair flung itself up against the window and stayed there, no matter how hard you tugged at it.

It was stupid, Dr. Marrow realizes that now, but out of anger he reached out his hand and pulled at the metal bars, letting his hand tighten on them. His outcome was not bending or ripping the bars though. Nell winced as she heard the sound of breaking glass lodging into someone’s skin. Dr. Marrow withdrew his hand to find a chunk of glass slicing a cut all the way across his hand.

Everyone hurried over to him. Dr. Marrow holding his wrist in his good hand, the cut one trembling with fear, shock, or maybe it was just small seizure. Jami wasn’t exactly sure. “There’s got to be another way out of here,” Dr. Marrow walked away from the windows and almost ignored the pain in his hand. Theo wouldn’t let him though. She led him over to Nell repeatedly saying the words, “Oh God!” again.

Jami looked away as Nell removed the shard with her bare hands. “Wrap it up,” Theo told her. Jami looked back expecting Luke to be over her shoulder but he wasn’t. He was still over at the broken window. He quickly marched over to the small portrait of Hugh Kraine, his eyes glimmered with madness. Jami watched him climb up on top of the table, which stood in front of it. “Luke!!!” Jami called out to him, “Don’t!!”

It was too late though, Luke had already picked up a candlestick holder and swung it at the picture scratching and tearing it. He cursed at it madly. Jami watched the five slashes cover the face. She felt a ton of bricks hit her as she recognized the picture. It was in her dream! She felt herself wobble and placed her hand up to her forehead. She felt dizzy and already could see dots flashing before her eyes. As she began to fall backwards Dr. Marrow caught her with his bandaged hand. Eleanor looked over and also noticed Luke’s rage, “Luke! Stop! You’re going to make Kraine mad!!!”

Jami tried to overcome her faintness of knowing the future; she had to see what happened next. Luke ignored all their protests in what he was doing. He had enough of Kraine and wanted to be there to see this freak show come to an end! “Let’s burn the house down!!! Come on! Let’s burn it down right now!!!” He yelled. Jami shook her head and fought the wooziness. She walked over to him, “Luke! Calm down.” She placed a hand on his shoulder but he swatted it away.

“No!!! Aren’t you sick of all this? I’ve had enough of Kraine and this house! I’ll-”

Luke wasn’t able to finish his sentence. He was distracted by something else. The house began to roar and as they looked over to the fireplace they noticed the metal balls that the lions held under their paws were glowing. It looked like it was beckoning someone, someone they had tried to kill for a while.

Then, things happened in a flash. Luke was down on his rear, the carpet he was on flying forward toward the fireplace. Nell, Theo, Dr. Marrow, and Luke were all screaming. Jami grasped her head feeling her brain pound, her dream! No! It can’t be true! She felt her heart ache and her mind scream. It was overwhelming but she knew it was the future. When she closed her eyes it was exactly like in her vision.

Her job here wasn’t done! The children still needed her! Jami fought falling to her knees, she wanted to grasp her heart, let the pain and fear die down. Something was going to happen to Luke! It was the pain of love beating in her chest. She opened her eyes and watched Luke collide with the firewood and a cloud of dust rise up. She recognized the heavy thud, the sighs of relief.

Jami watched him stand up and brush himself off. Right then she felt her heart skip a beat, the pain growing and her mind’s yell ringing in her ears. The whooshing noise would come soon. Very soon. There was only one thing that could make that sound-

“Luke!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Jami yelled, “Get out of the fireplace!!!!!!” She felt her legs start pumping; she was running towards the fireplace. The fear covered her mind and her heart, Luke didn’t move. She could feel the pain in her heart beat wildly in her chest. A creak slowly rose up. Luke looked to the left. Jami knew she was the furthest away. Why didn’t she chase Luke with the others?!?

She felt an adrenalin rush drawing closer to the fireplace, her feet carrying her faster. Faster than she could ever had imagined. The next things seemed to happen in slow motion. She felt her food touch the stone floor of the fireplace and the lion head flu began to swing down with its large mouth open.

Jami dived forward and pushed her and Luke into the firewood and dust flew up once again. She slightly smiled; she had saved Luke’s life. Only at the last minute too. She felt the jagged teeth of the lion run across her back as it swung by. There was the sound of a drip of liquid falling onto the floor. Jami let out a cry of pain; there was a gash all the way across her back.

Luke looked at her worriedly. She heard Nell scream. “Why’d you? How’d you?” Luke couldn’t find the right words. Jami winced as she tried to smile. Her words were weak and she pause once and a while from the pain, “Someone’s fate…can be changed…once you know the future…” Her words slightly trailed off.

“Luke! Get Jami and sit her down on the couch,” Nell called to him. He did as Nell said and picked Jami up, making sure to not touch her severe wound. Once placing her on the sofa Nell quickly hurried over and inspected the gash. She raised the back of her shirt up and gave a closer look. It had torn the skin badly and looked pretty deep. Not life threatening though, if they can reach a hospital before too much blood is lost she’d be fine.

Jami felt almost sick. She was sure her face was pale. She winced as pain shot through her again. “So…how is it Doctor?” Jami gave a painful wry smile. “Not as bad as you think, you’ll be fine if you don’t lose too much blood.” Nell replied. She hoped Jami would be fine. The bleeding was pretty bad. She then tore the bottom of her nightgown and told Jami to hold her arms up. With that she wrapped the cloth around her body where the scratch was. “Now, this might hurt,” Nell told her as she raised her hands.

“So far…everything…has hurt,” Jami told her. So Nell placed her hands where the wound was and began to apply pressure. Jami let out a soft cry. Nell watched her white fabric turn red. She then pulled the back of her shirt down and patted Jami on the shoulder. “This bandage will have to do for now.” She said.

Luke helped Jami to her feet and held her up for awhile. “You alright?” He asked. “Yea, I guess so.” Everyone soon found themselves looking over at the fireplace again. Not because of what it did, but there was a creaking noise of the metal doors opening up. Then, dust and ashes and bone began to shoot out of it covering the whole living room. Each person covered their face and Theo went to screaming.

Nell, Theo, and Dr. Marrow all began to run up the steps with Luke and Jami (who was still feeling a little bit lightheaded and needed help) lacking behind. Once everyone had reached the stairs and the dust had settled Dr. Marrow asked, “What do we do Eleanor?”

“You play hide-and-seek with him, that’s what you do. That’s what this house was built for. You have to hide!”

Dr. Marrow looked around incredulously, “What does he think this is? A game! What’s going to happen, Jami?”

“Yes,” Theo agreed, “Why does he want us?”

Jami switched her gaze back and forth, “I-I don’t know. My vision ended after Luke’s death.”

“My death?” Luke looked worried.

“Yea…you were meant to be decapitated by the flu.”

All of a sudden, Nell yelled, “Look out!” to Dr. Marrow and Theo. The large portrait of Hugh Kraine, the one with the skeleton face, began to fall forward. Dr. Marrow and Theo backed away as fast as they could but they were still quite close when it hit the ground. The pointy frame ran down Theo’s arm but only ripped her sleeve without cutting her skin.

Dr. Marrow and Nell began to walk over to Theo as Jami noticed something. The large gryphon that also stood at the top of the stairs turned its head and looked over to them. “Uhh, guys…” She was beginning to feel more in control of herself and less woozy. Jami stared into the stone cold eyes of the beast. It stared back. She could feel the emotions in the creature, its thoughts on killing them. Jami realized that Kraine wasn’t going to let them leave alive.

The gryphon spread its wings and let out a horrible cry. Nell shook her finger at it, “No!! I won’t let you hurt them!” With that she picked up a metal bar that had fallen off the picture frame and swung it at the gryphon’s head. Even after two blows the creature let out another screech of a cry in Nell’s face. Dr. Marrow and Theo had already begun to run and find their hiding spot.

Jami though, fought the urging Luke and desperately tried to run to Nell’s side. Nell took another swing at the gryphon, “Jami, GO!!!” Jami took one last look at her cousin, and then began to run off into the halls with Luke.


Jami and Luke huddled under a table a pretty good ways from the living room. It wasn’t much of a hiding place but it would be good enough. The pain from her back shot up now and again but the cloth was protecting it well. She leaned her head on Luke’s shoulder and let him hold her hands in his. She was short on breath and not to mention sweaty.

She closed her eyes and took in every breath. Jami didn’t feel good about running from Nell like that, her instincts told her to stay with her cousin. She didn’t feel good about the whole thing of leaving Nell alone either. Something bad was going to happen, she could feel it in her bones. She felt pain just looking into Luke and Nell’s faces. It was as if she was never going to see them again.

“Luke,” She looked up at him with a tear rolling down her cheek, “I don’t think we should’ve left Nell.”

“Why? What’s the matter?”

“I-I feel like I’m not going to see her again, or you. I’m so scared Luke. I’m so scared.”

Luke wrapped his arms around her and comfortingly said, “There’s nothing to worry about. I’m here, we’re safe. Nothing’s going to happen. Nothing can happen.”

“No, you’re wrong. Do you have that feeling? That nervousness? Kraine is not gone! He won’t be till we’re dead!”

“Jami, there’s only a few more hours of nighttime left. Mr. and Mrs. Dudley will be here soon. Just relax.”

“I can’t. He’s after her! Kraine is after Nell!”

There was a silence and only the chilly wind was heard. The voice of Nell echoed through the house, “Hugh Kraine!” she yelled. Jami could feel the spirit move through the house. She felt the temperature drop, the hairs on her arms and neck stand up.

“This is no Hill House!” She said disgustedly, “This is the Hell House!”

Jami felt the children beckoning her, “Sorry Luke but I’m going!”

With that she jumped up from under the table and ran out the door. She hoped Luke didn’t follow her. He was safer there, she could feel it. As she ran through the halls she could hear Nell continue to call out to the spirit.


When Jami turned into the living room, what she saw struck fear into her. Every statue was staring over at Nell who was backing away towards the door of purgatory, but that wasn’t the scary part. The towering spirit of Hugh Kraine stood before her. She felt a long time anger surface again as she looked around the room and noticed a stone gryphon sneaking off its post heading towards Nell. She felt the determination in this one’s mind too. She couldn’t bear it.

Jami ran over to the rail and quickly slid down it. She didn’t realize the pleasure she had felt when she first did it, this time she had a goal. “Leave her alone!!!” she yelled as she went down. She didn’t jump off at the end either. This time, she kept her course straight and with her foot extended as she collided with the statue kicking it’s head off. The gryphon let out one final piercing screech and its head hit the ground and broke into a million pieces.

Hugh Kraine quickly turned around and noticed Jami on the ground rubbing her leg. She was sure she had bruised a bone, or even worse, broke it. “No!!!!” Nell cried. The dark ghost swooped over to her. Jami looked up and stared at Kraine straight into the eyes. She didn’t flinch nor show fear in her voice. “Well speak of the Devil!” she spat weakly.

“Nell?” Theo said, she and Dr. Marrow too had worried about her, “Nell, what happened?” They hurried over to her. But Nell didn’t reply, she could only focus on Jami. Jami was the one who truly wasn’t afraid. Even when she stared death in the eye she didn’t flinch. Nell admired her for that, even though Jami was younger than her. Her bravery was at a high scale. She herself, sadly to say, had felt the fear run through her as she first laid eyes on Kraine. She had frozen in fear.

Jami never broke eye contact with the monster. She had heard on TV with animals if you stare them straight in the eye they think you’re challenging them. And that’s what she wanted Kraine to think. Take your best shot, she thought, you won’t get any fear out of me. But suddenly, her arrangements were changed. A figure had jumped in front of her.

“Don’t you dare touch her!” the figure threatened, she recognized the voice, it was Luke, “And if you’re really that desperate to harm her the only way to her is through me! I’ve been waiting for this moment to come, just me and you.”-Jami could see the glimmer of madness in his eyes, he wasn’t trying to be heroic this time, he was dead serious-“I’m SICK of all your little practical jokes and what you’ve done to us! Now it’s time for pay back!”

Kraine stared at him through his blood shot eyes. He watched the small figure bring up his fists showing he was ready to fight. The monster stood still for a moment. Almost like it was a tough decision to figure out what to do. Kraine didn’t consider the feelings of other people; he was immune to the caring one person had for another. All he cared about was his collection of children and how they could grow.

Without a second glance Kraine swiped his hand and sent Luke flying into the wall like a fly that had been swatted. Luke let out a cry as he collided into the hard surface, just the strength and power that he had hit the wall with was likely to have broken bones. Jami hoped that he hadn’t hurt anything major. She looked up, Kraine was right in front of her now. He reached out a hand and began to bring it toward Jami. She closed her eyes; this is some way to end it all…

“Hugh Kraine!” Jami opened her eyes and noticed Nell had called out, “You leave her alone! She has nothing to with this! She’s not even of the same blood!” Kraine clutched his hand into a fist and turned around. He felt even angrier than before that he wasn’t able to finish his execution. He’d have to get rid of both humans if he wanted to make things easy. Kraine floated over towards Nell.

“I’m-I’m not afraid of you anymore! The children need me and I’m going to set them free!” Nell yelled out. As in response Kraine bend down into her face and let out a horrible roar. “Even in death you won’t let them go! You won’t even let us go!” She continued.

Jami changed her focus to Luke. He lay sprawled out on the ground and occasionally let out a moan. She crawled over to him, ignoring the pain that screamed for her to stand still. She reached out and grabbed onto his hand. “You ok?” she asked. He moaned, “My back…it hurts so bad…” Jami gave his hand a comforting squeeze and looked up at the windows. “Luke, the sun! It’s rising over the hills! This is almost over! The Dudley’s will get here soon! Luke! We’ve made it!” She whispered excitedly.

With that she looked over to Nell and them. She saw her cousin yell, “I’m going to stop you!!!” Jami realized that Kraine was very close to the door of purgatory. She remembered the warning. As Kraine raised a hand to strike Nell, he puzzlingly realized something. His body was beginning to descend into the wall. Then Jami remembered the skeleton that resembled the ones with Hades in the Greek room. That’s why it’s in the door! She thought to herself, it’s come to take Kraine to Hell!

“It’s not about them!” Nell told the ghost, “It’s about family! It’s about Caroline! And the children from the mills! You can hear their voices! Family! It’s all about family Grandpa! And I’ve come home!”

Jami realized another thing watching Kraine meet his doom, Nell was standing right in front of him! If she didn’t move Kraine would imprison her into the door also! “Nell!” she called out, “Get out of the way! You’ll get killed where you’re standing!” Nell looked over to Jami and found out it was the truth. She tried to escape but it was too late, the demons were already pulling Kraine forward. She stood there as the dark figure drew closer to her and let it bring her off her feet and slam her into the door; literally.

It grew silent as the dust and smoke was beginning to settle. Everyone stared at Nell, who, had remained in the purgatory door for a matter of minutes. The guardians lowered her down to the ground and let her rest on the wooden floor. Nell rose up to look at the stone door. The ghost of Kraine burst out one last time with a moan as the guardian of Hell pulled him back and held him in his imprisonment.

After that, everyone stared toward the ceiling with awe. The children were leaving the door and were rising up to the heavens. As they disappeared they would whisper out, “Thank you Eleanor, thank you Jami.” Nell let a smile cross her face watching the glowing spirits take their place in heaven. She lied down. She was going to join them soon.

Jami watched in horror as her cousin closed her eyes and let her spirit depart from her body and rise up with the children. Nell looked over at her. “Don’t be afraid,” she told her, “I haven’t truly left you.” With that she was gone.

Jami helped Luke rise to his feet and supported his weight on hers. She hobbled over there as best she could. She wasn’t ready for Nell to die! The nightmare was over! The sun was up! Surely it couldn’t end like this! She let go of Luke who told her he would be able to stand by himself and bend down over Nell. She fought back the tears swelling in her eyes. Theo and Dr. Marrow walked over too, not believing what they were seeing.

Theo kissed Nell lightly on the cheek and backed away letting Jami have some room. Dr. Marrow also came forward and patted Nell’s hand but he went back with Theo. Jami held onto her hand, “I know you’ll always be with me Nell but, there was so many things open for us to do after this. It’s-It’s frightening to think I’ll have no one like you to be with anymore. I don’t think I can handle it.”

Jami bowed her head and said a silent prayer. She hoped that she could get over this. When she looked up she saw Luke was doing all he could to fight the pain. And as he couldn’t take it no more he collapsed to the ground. Jami felt her heart break. Please! She thought, not two deaths! She scooted over to his body and cradled his upper torso letting his head rest on her right elbow.

“I guess the pain was worse than I thought,” He managed a smile. Jami felt a tear roll down her cheek. She returned the smile. Jami let her fingers run through his blonde hair. “You’ll be fine, right?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure I’ll manage until the Dudley’s get here. Hey Jami?”

She fought the wanting to let the tears roll freely down her cheek, “Yes Luke?”

“When I was protecting you from Hugh Kraine, did I sound like I was just trying to be heroic?” Luke’s eyelids grew weaker and weaker.

Jami faked a smile, which brought tears falling down her face, “No. Luke, no one can ever try to be a hero.”-She leaned forward and kissed him one last time watching his eyes close permanently-“It’s just…sometimes it turns out that way.”

She felt his body go limp and his life seep through her fingers. The pain in her heart grew ten times worse. Maybe even thirty times worse. Then, she felt something else. The tugging of her life as well. She felt the blood of her gash roll down her back and plop on the floor. She was loosing too much blood. Jami lied down and began to rest. She felt the weakness Luke showed.

“Jami, no!” Theo cried walking over to her and holding onto her hand, “I don’t want to loose you too!” Dr. Marrow walked over too but showed hesitance at comforting her. He wasn’t sure if she still hated him. Jami gave a weak smile at Theo, “You’re not loosing me, I’m still going to be with you.”-She pointed to her heart-“I’m going to always be right there. And so are Luke and Nell. But I need to be with my family.”

Theo shook her head and fought the tears. Dr. Marrow rested a hand on Jami’s shoulder. “Listen to Theo, Jami. There’s no reason for you to die. The Dudley’s will be here any minute, we can rush you to a hospital.” Jami continued her smile, a soft and considerate one. “Jami, you watch TV a lot right?” Theo asked, “Well come on, let’s make this story a happy ending. Let’s let it be like one of the classics.”

Jami shook her head, “But Theo, it is a happy ending.”

With that she closed her eyes and saw a bright light flash in her face. Flashes of her childhood came before her, her high school years, all up to the point of meeting Luke. She felt herself rising up and she looked down. She saw her dead body lying in the Hill House with Theo crying and Dr. Marrow holding her lifeless body’s hand. He whispered something, and strangely she could hear him say it as plain as day. “I’m so sorry Jami,” he said, “It’s all my fault you, Luke, and Nell died. If I’d known what was going to happen I would’ve never done this. You’ve changed every perspective I’ve ever had on the world. Please forgive me.”

Jami smiled and even though they could not see her she replied, “I forgive you. Sometimes, destiny can never be altered.” Dr. Marrow and Theo looked around. Apparently they had heard her. She smiled again. With that she looked up towards the sky. There was a bright light, so bright she couldn’t even see what lied before her.

She did see one thing. It was an arm poking through the light. The hand welcoming as she placed her own in it. The comfort she had in that hand was familiar. “Come on Jami, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m here, we are all here. Nothing bad is ever going to happen again,” She recognized the voice.




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