The Woman In Black

Phil's confession

Phil's brow began forming long lines, indicating his discomfort to my question.

I smiled at him warmly, attempting to ease the tension.

'Don't worry, I assure you it's nothing too personal or unusual. I'm merely interested, well, no I supposed 'interested' Isn't the right word... curious, about your boss's... misfortune.'

Phil, being the weak, and easily frightened man I thought him to be, began darting his eyes around the tavern, his lip quivering.

'Well, I'm afraid that is slightly too personal, I don't think my boss wouldn't appreciate me handing you information about his private life.. I think I should probably go...'

He began to look flustered, and his hands appeared awfully clammy.

I placed a hand firmly on his chubby shoulder, preventing him from leaving.

'This is no business to be laughing about sir. People die every now and then, of course, but being hanged is murder, not an accident, and honestly, something that doesn't happen very frequently. When you informed your boss about it, he said to you: 'Please, tell me she didn't get out.' Now I understand adults not wanting their children to wonder off, trust me I do, I have two young ones at home, but there was something about the way he said it...as if...he knew. So all I'm asking for, is an explanation.'

I concluded my monologue by removing my hand from his shoulder, and folding my arms across my chest.

Phil now looked incredibly flustered, however made no wild attempt to escape.

He took a deep breath.

'In Heath village, there is a story. Well, I say story... more a myth or legend, call it what you will. I suppose it all started with Eel Marsh house, and that peculiar Janet woman. After her husband leaving her, the death of her son and her sister's betrayal, life must have become too difficult for her to handle. She commit suicide, out of pure hatred. Ever since...'

He trailed off.

'Ever since what?' I enquired.

'Well ever since, no one has gone near the house. But, people claimed to have seen her, you see, thought they were going mad, of course. Others would merely Ignore it, assuming they were just haunted by her death, or something along those lines. That's when it started. Children, young, innocent and defenceless, would just...die. And in the most unexpected and peculiar ways. It started with a young Bruno Parker. 6 years old he was. Somehow, someone had convinced him to set fire to himself. No one knew how...'

Phil shuffled in his seat nervously, before continuing.

'Then came little Sophie, who drank a bottle of out-of-date alcohol. She was shortly followed by Nathaniel, who somehow drowned in his own bath tub.'

I listened intently, not wanting to miss even a single detail.

Phil gave me a grave look.

'People soon became aware, that whenever someone local would exclaim they had seen 'The Janet Woman' another death would follow. And it was always a child who died. Never an adult. So ever since, and until this day, children are kept well away from the outside world, as the dangers that lie out there, could kill them all, in the blink of an eye.'

Phil's expression was dark.

'So now you understand why my boss reacted the way he did. All us here in Heath village cower away in fear from Janet Drablow's evil spirit. Or as some of us call her; The Woman In Black.'