Haunted House Flipper

Chapter 6

After paying for a new alternator, and several other long overdue repairs, I got my car back and headed for the mansion. By the time I drove away it was already getting dark. I couldn't believe it took them most of the day to fix my car. I should have taken the time to get it worked on long before I was forced to, but I was always too busy. I also realized my lunch had consisted of junk food from their snack machine. I needed to grab a bite before I headed to the house.

I grabbed a quick sub sandwich at a drive-through on my way. As I munched on my sandwich and slurped my soda I could tell the sun would finish setting before I made it to the property. I didn't care. I have a huge flashlight that I keep in my trunk for just such an occasion.

When I pulled up to it all of the beautiful architecture now loomed above the street, like an angry monster looking down with disdain. I have to admit, the place did give off a creepy vibe at night.

I got out of my car and went to the trunk to get my flashlight. It felt like the house was alive and watching my every move. I wondered if my new glowing sword would work just as well if I had my glasses on, but I figured I would rely on my trustworthy technology for now.

I walked up to the huge gate and saw that it had no lock. This guy was trusting. The stories about this place must really scare people off if he didn't lock the gate. I had to pull pretty hard to get it to open. It was really heavy and did not swing very well on its giant hinges. It groaned as I pulled the iron open far enough for me to walk through. I closed it behind me once I was inside, grimacing a bit at the sound even when I was expecting it.

I think it was that horrible sound that first got me just a little on edge. Or maybe it was just a sight of that house at night. As I walked up to the gigantic front porch I wondered if I shouldn't just come back in the morning, but who was I kidding. I had to see the guts of this place if I was going to sell it. I stopped before climbing the stairs of the porch and had a good look at it. It seemed to all be cosmetic repair. That was a good sign.

I continued by turning left and skirting the shrubs that bordered the exterior walls of the house. As I turned the corner to head to the backyard, I jumped. I took a few steps back and shine my light on the strange silhouette of a person I had stumbled upon. To my great relief it was just a statue. It was white, about 6 feet tall, and depicted a handsome man in flowing robes holding a sword. I'm sure it was beautiful during the day, but as soon as I stopped laughing at myself for the ridiculousness of my fear, I hesitated to walk past it.

Whoever had sculpted it was incredibly talented. The defined features of the face looked so real, and even though they were weather worn, the realism of the shape made it feel alive. I shined the light on the path past the statue and then followed it toward the back of the house. What was probably once grass was now tall weeds. This place would require a lot of landscaping. The walk from the front to the back of the house took a lot longer than I was expecting. The place was huge.

As I turned the corner into the backyard, I saw a whole bunch of tall shrubs that I could tell used to be beautiful. They were arrayed with care in an elegant pattern but had become overgrown and unkempt. I made my way to the middle of the yard to find a stone path that led further back. There were more statues of sword wielding robed figures along the path and they were just as creepy as the one I had passed near the front of the house. I was used to seeing baby angels or sculptures of Lions at these larger houses, but I had never seen anything like this. It was very specific. I assumed at the time that it just had to do with the owners fascination with swords. If the statues would of had wings I might have had a better idea of what they were but at the time I was clueless.

I continued down the dark path, Shining my light in all directions. Those statues really made it feel like you weren't alone in that backyard. Finally I came to a small shack on the rear edge of the property. It didn't give off a cheerful vibe either. I open the door to hear another creepy sound like the door had been awakened from a long slumber. I jumped back again after pushing the door all the way open and shining my light inside.

Leaning over against the back wall was another statue, but this one had his sword drawn and he was pointing it right at me like he wanted to fight. I thought it was the ghost for a second, surprising myself that I was letting the house get to me enough to make me think I had seen a ghost. I shined the light down on its feet and saw that a large chunk had been broken off of it. I assumed that's why it was tucked away in that creepy little shed instead of being on display out in the yard. There were a bunch of tools inside and one of those old-school bagless lawnmowers with a cylinder of blades that you pushed. On the left-hand side of the shack against the wall was a small desk. It looked like it used to be an old writing desk that someone had brought inside to use as a workbench. It had three drawers along the right side. A shallow one on top and two taller ones below it. I opened the bottom drawer. It was full of tools. I reached in and rummaged around moving aside screwdrivers and wrenches to find a key hidden underneath them.

"Jackpot," I said.

For some reason the sound of my voice in that eerie quiet place was a little off putting. I looked around the old tool shed. I thought I saw something extra shiny hanging behind a rusted shovel. I pulled the shovel down to find a huge sword hanging behind it.

"Man this guy really loved his swords," I mumbled under my breath.

I put the shovel back in place and left the shed. I won't lie, I was getting pretty freaked out at that point and I was very tempted to take the sun with me. It did not feel like I was alone even though I could tell no one had been near this place in a very long time. I was really surprised I was letting everything get to me. I had walked around large houses alone at night many times but I've never been spooked like I was that night.

I hurried past the statues of swordsman and continued until I came to a small door in the back of the house. I shined my light inside and saw that I was just outside the kitchen. I lifted the key to the door and hesitated.

"Come on. You're being stupid," I said to myself.

I slid the key in and turned it, unlocking the door. I felt like I was breaking a long silence that had been kept in the house for years when I pushed that door open. It let out a quiet slow squeak. It was so dark inside. I shined my light around until I found a light switch. I flicked it on. Nothing happened. Then I remembered the power was off.

How could I have forgotten that? I thought.

It showed me just how rattled I was. I was usually very sharp and had no trouble remembering details. The kitchen was gorgeous but very outdated. I imagine whoever wanted to move in with got it and renovate the whole room. They would have a lot of design space to work with. The place was bigger than my family room. I closed the door behind me, then walked across the kitchen into the house. Just as I was about to enter a long hallway I felt something tug on my invisible sword.