Jay, Lizzie and the Tale of the Stairs

  Chapter 27

  Rosie in Prison

  The séance didn’t end there.

  Before I had a chance to say anything the feeling came again. The feeling of lonely terror that I’d associated with the cupboard. It came on like a wave in a storm and I grabbed at my chest in panic.

  “Jay?” said Albert dropping the pencil. “What’s wrong?”

  I couldn’t speak. I was breathing heavily and was anxious that the séance had somehow set something off. There was the flash again. The tree again at 100mph. Whizzing by. Then I was in the cupboard with the bucket. The coats. The lamp. And I was sat almost on top of the girl locked in there.

  There was a girl in there!

  I didn’t have much time to take her in before she saw me and her face turned into one of complete surprise. She screamed and scrambled as far away from me as possible, which wasn’t far. Then she curled up into a frightened ball, covering her face with grubby hands.

  “P…please go,” she whimpered. “I h…haven’t done any…anything wrong.”

  Again I had the sensation of floating, of being in a dream with the traffic cone echo.

  “Don’t be frightened,” I found myself saying. “I can help.”

  Just quite how I would help I wasn’t sure, but I know she needed it. The girl was younger than me and was dressed in the remains of a red dress. It was now filthy dirty and had been ripped and what had once been a frilly white neck now hung down off a thin piece of cotton. Her legs were smeared with the filth from the old carpet and floor. Although dirty hands and dirty nails still covered her face I could see her shoulder length brown hair was greasy and matted.

  This is how the conversation went.

  Me – Please tell me your name.

  Girl – (was peeping through her fingers now, shaking)

  Me – How long have you been here?

  Girl – Don’t know.

  Me – Have you any idea where this is?

  Girl – No! Now go away!

  Me – I’ve been here before. There’s a man keeping you in here, isn’t there?

  Girl – How do you know?

  It seemed that I was gaining her trust as the gaps between her fingers had become wider and I could see her scared eyes. She had stopped shaking.

  Me – I had a dream and I was you. I heard a man shouting at you. You were really scared.

  Girl –

  Me – What’s your name?

  Girl –

  Me – C’mon, you must have a name.

  Girl – ‘osie.

  Me – Parden?

  Girl – Rosie.

  Me – Rosie? That’s a nice name.

  Rosie –

  Me – Have you any idea where you are Rosie?

  Rosie – (shakes her head)

  Me – Rosie, you need to give me some clue – any clue – to where this is.

  Rosie – Are you a ghost?

  Me – Sort of. But not really.

  Rosie - How do I know you’re telling the truth? How can you help?

  Rosie’s hands had now dropped to her chest showing me a face streaked with muck and grime. A small mouth and dark, tired and terrified eyes. I very quickly told Rosie what was happening but I don’t think she understood. Then I was facing Albert again. I didn’t have much experience at this sort of thing but I knew I didn’t have much time.

  A flash and I was back facing Rosie.

  Rosie – Where did you go? What’s happening?

  Me – Rosie, listen. Have you any clue to where this house is?

  Rosie – No, I…I…

  Me – Rosie, you must give me a clue if you want to get out of here.

  Rosie – Well, there’s noises that come from underneath the floor.

  Me – Noises?

  Rosie – There’s a big space underneath. I think I hear banging and humming and things moving about…and people talking…in a language I don’t understand.

  Albert…

  Rosie…

  Albert…