Chapter XVI
Mr. Winbolt was waiting in the living room. “Where were you two?”
“We just went to town for a bit, Miles.” Mrs. Winbolt said anxiously.
“Well, whatever, at least you’re back now. Hazel, did you find the clock?”
“Yes.” Hazel answered.
“Oh, good.”
Hazel led Mrs. Norwich down into the basement, Mr. Winbolt followed curiously.
“What’s all this?” He asked when he saw the items on the floor.
“Dad, I don’t have time to fill you in, but I think something is about to happen.”
“How do you mean?”
Before Hazel could answer the little monkey jumped from her shoulder and joined the rest of the animals. They once again started shifting the items about on the floor. Mr. Winbolt exclaimed excitedly as he watched the items move without anyone touching them. Hazel told him to be quiet and watch. The little bird began jumping up and down in front of Mrs. Norwich again, who was wringing her hands nervously. Something finally dawned on Hazel.
“Mrs. Norwich I think you are a part of this.”
“What?”
“I think you are needed. I don’t think that they can finish what they are doing without you.”
“No, no no no, I don’t think that I can do that. Do you know how long I’ve dreaded this kind of stuff?”
Hazel smiled sweetly. Mrs. Norwich looked deep into her granddaughter’s eyes and saw something there again. Something beyond comfort, more of a certainty that there was nothing she would ever have to worry about again.
Annabella Norwich stepped slowly and carefully amongst the moving items on the floor. Everything was still. She stopped in the center with the items forming a ring around her. Almost instantly the little animals moved to the side and watched.
A low hum started somewhere inside the room, the exact spot could not be identified. It grew louder and condensed into a solid noise directly in front of Mrs. Norwich. Something began to happen. A round light, such as the kind one mysteriously captures in photographs, appeared before them. It radiated with light from its core and slowly moved down to the floor. It exploded into light that caused the three people to shut their eyes. When they opened them again a man stood before them. His skin and suit were misty and transparent. Gradually he became solid and looked no more or less real than the others who stood in the basement that night.
Mrs. Norwich held herself. Her breathing was shallow and she was crying.
“Daddy.” She said as though ten years old again.
Old Mr. Norwich looked exactly as he had when Hazel saw him in the vision.
“Oh, Anna, I have been waiting for this for so long.”
“You have?”
“Yes,” He said softly, “I never wanted you to feel the way you did. That night when I died I told you that I would never leave you, and I haven’t. I’ve always been in this house, waiting for you while you lived your life.”
His energy resonated throughout the room. Everyone present felt a little calmer, a little more assured that everything was right with the world. Even Mrs. Norwich, who had never felt anything like that before. Everything else disappeared from their minds. Only the small room and Mr. Norwich existed for them.
“What happened? Nobody ever knew.” Mrs. Norwich asked through tears.
“It was as you suspected. I was going too fast, I wanted to get back as soon as possible, and I lost control. I crashed into the water and the current pulled me down river.”
“Why the monsters? Why did you want to scare me?”
“No, I never wanted to scare you. I was trapped. I died so suddenly that I left some of myself in this world, with you. I couldn’t move on or communicate with you so I got the help of other spirits. You see, these spirits here were trying to help me. My soul was still with you, Anna. In the toys you played with and in you. They were trying to reunite them and so were trying to reunite my soul so I could move on. They are the spirits of animals, but cannot appear that way to the living. They appear as the seer’s mind portrays them. You were always afraid of that book that I read you, remember the one with the little monsters? And so your fear at the time turned them into those monsters.”
Hazel looked over and saw the little animals watching intently.
“Hazel on the other hand, sweet Hazel,” Mr. Norwich looked at her standing next to her father, “Her mind knows hope and healing, and so they appeared as little animals from a book she was looking at, closer to their real selves. I am sorry about the monkey, that one is easily angered.” He laughed.
“Why did I feel like I was the one that killed you?” Mrs. Norwich asked. She still sounded frightened.
Mr. Norwich sighed. “That was my fault. I saw how you detested the spirits, and so I tried to push you along, by entering your mind and attempting to alter your dreams so that you would see yourself saving me. Instead your mind twisted them to show you killing me. I tried the same thing with your daughter, and then with Hazel, though much more cautiously. It worked better. I feel that I gave them strength and propulsion so that they felt that what they were doing was good and just.”
Mrs. Norwich laughed through her tears. “You were helping them, and I was messing it all up. I am so sorry.”
“It’s all right.” Mr. Norwich put his arms around his daughter. “It’s over now. I have to admit though, as long as my spirit remained in this house, you felt uneasy. I was unable to be myself when you hid the items away. As each one reentered the house I was able to do a little more. I was able to walk around after one, and able to show myself as a shadow with two more. I think I scared young Hazel when I was talking one night. I was trying to figure out my next move and speaking with souls that passed on before me. It is interesting how the mind works. When I revealed myself to Hazel to help her out of the forest she took comfort in me, but when she could only hear my voice she was terrified.”
“Dad,” Mrs. Norwich started.
“You want to know what happened to Frederick.” Mr. Norwich finished her sentence. “I am afraid to say that I may have had a hand in that as well, though unintentionally. It appeared that a curse was put on this family after my death. Every new generation would lose a parent when they were ten years old, just like you did. Somehow Frederick died and Hazel’s mother is very sick. I believe it has to do with the way death works, though I am not sure. From what I have gathered, the parts of my soul that remained behind were different parts of my personality. The clock appears to be my anguish and sorrow. Both Frederick and Hazel’s mother have owned it. Or perhaps death works in even stranger ways than I ever imagined. All I can say is that I am truly sorry for everything, and will take my leave now.”
Hazel stepped forward. “So you were the creaks and shadows?”
“Yes, I was. I was always interested in what you were doing and how you were putting together the clues and so I watched you. I have to say I think I may have been too clumsy and almost revealed myself.”
“Why would that be bad? You could have told me and Mrs. Norwich directly and gotten this over way sooner.”
“I’m afraid some people do not do well with sudden visits from spirits. It may have caused much more harm than good.”
There was one more thing that Hazel wanted to know. “And of the box?”
“Ah, the little brown box. Yes that was mine many years ago. I used to keep my keys and wallet in there. It was a way for the spirits to get to this world. The box was chosen only because it seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect I should have chosen something fireproof. But even trapped spirits can make bad calls occasionally.”
Mr. Norwich hugged his daughter again. “Until we meet again, Anna. I believe your mother will be very sorry that she was not able to communicate to you like this. And to you Hazel, I want to thank you so much for finally bringing the box back and solving the mystery. I am indebted to you always. And to
you, Miles. Take good care of my granddaughter and great granddaughter. I have a feeling the former will be getting better soon.”
With goodbyes out of the way and with one last hug and kiss from Mrs. Norwich, Mr. Norwich faded away.
The basement was still and quiet once again. For a minute they all stood and reflected on what had just happened in their own ways. Mrs. Norwich thanked Hazel and went upstairs. She would need time to process everything before she could tell Hazel how much she really meant to her. Mr. Winbolt hugged his daughter, admitted to having an experience of a lifetime, and also went upstairs. Hazel walked about the room, thinking everything over. It was she that helped save a soul and possibly another. She couldn’t believe how much better she felt. The stress of the last month, and her mother’s sickness, melted away as if never there. Hazel went to each of the items and stroked them affectionately. She had done it. She had put together clues from nothing and found that the mystery of Swansberry House was greater than anything she had ever thought possible. It was a little sad now that it was over, but she had a feeling that great things were going to happen to her in her life.
The little animals had disappeared for the last time. Hazel was alright with that, they did their jobs and could rest. She made her way up to her room after a while. It had been a wild summer.
The next day the sun dawned brighter than ever. The strange feelings that Hazel originally got from the Swansberry Hill House were gone. Mrs. Norwich woke late, but was in a better mood than Hazel had ever seen her. It was a wonderful sight. She made breakfast with Hazel’s help and after a few mishaps when several eggs landed on the floor, they all enjoyed their last breakfast together for a while. Hazel promised to be back for Christmas. She couldn’t wait to see how the house would be decorated.
Mr. Winbolt promised that his wife would be there for Christmas. He got a call in the night from a very surprised nurse about how Hazel’s mother had jumped right out of bed better than ever.
Sadly the day came to an end and Hazel was packed in the car with all her things. Mrs. Norwich, now welcome to being called Grandma, helped buckle Hazel into the car, kissed her on her head, and stood back from the car, waving.
“You better come back for Christmas.” She said as Mr. Winbolt started the engine.
“Don’t worry, I will be. Goodbye, Grandma, take care.”
Hazel was sad about leaving, but knew it wouldn’t be for too long. She pushed herself up as high as she could to look out the back window. She watched her grandmother and the mysterious house grow smaller into the distance, until they disappeared for good.
As the car bumped and rattled down the path in the trees Mr. Winbolt asked his daughter a question she had already been asked several times.
“What are you going to do when you get home?”
Hazel thought about it for a moment before replying. “I don’t know, but I know I will have a good time doing it with you and mom.”
The car found flat land and continued towards home.
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