The Best of Friends

There was one rule, Never open the door.......

The young lady's purple eyes all but glowed when she told me this as she stared at me over her teacup. She had come to my door saying that she needed to speak with me urgently about a matter concerning the house, it had been in her family since anyone could remember until her uncle's wife had sold it after their divorce.

"Well that would have been helpful to know BEFORE we bought the house don't you think?" I sighed, My patience thinning.

I was dubious but decided to hear her out, now she was in my sitting room holding my great-grandmother Connie's teacup- I usually gave that one to guests that I didn't care for as Grandma Connie had a tendency to play pranks on whoever wasn't blood-related and took the cup.

Ms. Amerine Corsair stated that the house was special and when I nodded she went on to say that it had certain attributes and abilities that were not entirely natural.

It brought luck and good health to those within its walls. It kept the family safe and guarded from supernatural threats.

I felt my eyebrow quirk up, now I was regretting letting her in at all. I had better things to do than listen to some bored crackpot goth girl.

"Well miss it's time to go, I am really quite busy and need to get back to work. The house needs a bit more work than was advertised. Please be on your way." I smiled, firmly.

She knew she was losing me, just like I knew that she was trying to con me...I just wasn't sure why or what her endgame was.

"Mrs. Andrews, please. Let me tell you the rest and then I will leave, You need to know this it's for the sake of your young son! This house takes a terrible price from those who are not related to the original family or haven't married into it. Please leave this house before something bad happens to you or your family!" She spoke right over me and even began to tear up.

Quite the actress, this one. So I played along, My hand went to my chest "Something could happen to Webster?! What could happen?" I could act too.

She looked worked up but she couldn't quite hide the gleam in her eye "The house has a history of disappearances, odd accidents, and sicknesses.... it's terrible! especially for young children!"

I nodded thoughtfully, then sat down heavily"But we just bought the house, how would I even be able to get out from under the payments??" Now I would be able to see why she wanted me out of the house so badly.

"What about the woman that sold you the house, you could return it to her!" She batted her eyes innocently.

I nodded, gotcha!

Just then Web came bouncing down the stairs, heralded by his soccer ball "Hi Mama!"

I Smiled "No ball in the house, child!" but I couldn't help but grin. He is my everything!

"Sorry Mama, Billy wanted to play."

"Well then, Billy can help clean up the mess and pay for the windows!" I was so glad that we had moved in here, Web finally had a friend who he connected with. "By the way dear, let Billy know that one of the original family has come over for tea, would you?" My voice dripped with saccharin sweetness.

I turned to Amerine "You ARE one of the original family, aren't you? By blood?"

She smiled a predatory smile "Oh yes, of course. Corsair blood through and through."

I smiled at her. So she and her Aunt-in-law ran a scam where they sold the house and kept the hefty deposit (for the house's rich history) and then this twit came in and scared the homeowners out. It was exactly what I had come to expect of her family.

Webs eyes got wide and he nodded, then turned and hollered up the stairs "Corsairs!!"

Suspicion started to dawn in the girl's eyes when her teacup was pulled from her hands, I could see Grandma Connie's ghostly form guarding it fiercely as she knew what was coming next, and then a long black grimy rope shot out to the girl from upstairs and wrapped her tight.

It yanked her off of her feet and up the stairs before she could even scream. She was pulled up to the attic and through that door, that was never to be opened.

I smiled and shrugged alittle, bad things happen to bad people.

Then I heard her nails scrapping the doorframe and went up to help Billy. Web went to grab a hammer.

On the landing in front of the attic I watched as the girl fought for her life, I crouched down to her level and batted my eyes at her. " Web opened the door our first night here. He and Billy spent all night up talking and playing. Billy filled me in on your family and your history."

The gnarly black rope was wound around her mouth at the point but she looked at me in confusion.

"If you are wondering who Billy is, He was the 5-year-old orphan that your family bought and ritualistically murdered to bind his soul to this house. He has been abused, brutalized, and enslaved by your family....He doesn't like you all very much. The rope that holds you is the rope that was used to tie him down for the ritual. My son accidentally granted Billy his freedom. Billy has decided to stay on until we leave the house. Your family isn't the only one with a history of sorcery ya know. Now, Give my regards to the rest of your family in there!" I smiled as the girl's eyes widened in horror, and then I heard Web coming up the stairs. He walked right past me and hit the girl's fingers with the hammer, she let go and was sucked into the room and through the darkest space of nothing that I had ever seen. It was a great gapping maw, very disconcerting.

She must have freed her mouth along the way, as I heard her terror-filled scream from across an impossible distance. Then the normal attic where I kept my art studio reappeared with the sunlight streaming in the windows and the dustmotes whirling lazily in the air.

Billy appeared in the middle of the floor, a ragged brown shirt and shorts, and worn-out shoes with auburn curls hanging just a little too long around his little face. Web went over to him and hugged him "The bad girl is gone now, your safe." Billy nodded shakily and a soccer ball appeared in his left hand "Ball?"

Web nodded, his dark hair and brown eyes filled with happiness"Yeah!"

"YARD!" I pointed down the stairs and the two boys rolled their eyes but chorused "Yes MOM!" and then they scampered down the stairs and out to our backyard. I didn't know how Billy was able to manifest a corporeal form, I didn't care. He was good for my son and he needed a mother.....and he fit this family perfectly!

Which reminded me that I needed to start lunch, I had two small boys to feed!

For a ghost, Billy sure ate like a growing boy!