Good afternoon, House of Madness ghouls:
Sometimes loss is what you make of it, and those in our hearts remain there forever. As always, I hope you enjoy!
Ghosted
Ever since the day of the accident, Max was still able to see and talk with his little brother Danny even though Danny was dead. Max didn't know if it was because the accident had been his fault, or simply because the two had always been inseparable, but the reason didn't matter, and Max was happy he was still able to communicate with his little brother no matter how strange or morbid it seemed. Max didn't flaunt or parade around exclaiming to everyone that he could still see and hear Danny, quite the opposite actually; if his mother or father heard him stating such nonsense, they'd most assuredly have him committed to the nearest mental asylum, and Max knew how kids got treated in those places - he'd watched plenty of television. Nope, Max and Danny co-existed on Max's terms, and when the time was right, he spent time and engaged with Danny, which was often; until the day Danny went missing.
"How the fuck do I look for a ghost?", Max said quietly into his bedroom; he only swore around Danny, and if his parents heard him drop an f-bomb, he'd most certainly be in the land of spirits with poor little Danny. "How do I explain that a ghost is missing? Oh wait, 'Who you gonna call', right?" Max chuckled to himself as he fidgeted with his hands. Danny had been dead for three years, and not once had he left Max's side; even as Max slept, Danny was always there, happy as ever, just waiting for his big brother to wake up so the two could go down to the creek and catch frogs, or just talk. Max could feel it in his bones that something was off, and Danny hadn't finally just crossed to the other side because Danny had always told him that he could see the light, but chose not to enter it because he'd rather be with his big brother. So that meant it was all up to Max and Max alone - what was he supposed to do, have his parents call the police and put up posters around town asking "Have you seen my dead brother?"? Adults were going to be zero help in this situation, so Max had to buckle down and think. Fast.
Max had no idea where to start, as he'd already looked in all of the obvious places around his house and even throughout his neighborhood. No trace of Danny anywhere, which wasn't surprising considering what Max was looking for. Then it dawned on him, and Max's gut sank faster than a boat made of Swiss cheese - the house. Three years ago Max and Danny had decided it would be fun to go down to the old abandoned Matheson place on the outskirts of town, and have a look around. Everyone said it was haunted, but the two brothers weren't convinced; they each guessed it was nothing more than an old, dark house haunted by nothing more than old pipes and creeky floor boards. As the two made their way through the darkness on that cloudy afternoon, Max had a feeling deep down that something was amiss, and to this day he'd wished he'd listened to his instincts. He hadn't though, and before he knew it Danny was just gone, nowhere to be seen or heard from again forever, except to Max that was, and now he was living that nightmare all over again.
Ever since Danny's death, Max's parents didn't pay much attention to him, and paid even less to his whereabouts and endeavors; they still loved him, yes, but it had been his fault that he no longer had a brother, and his parents were in eternal mourning. This morning Max's independence was a blessing, as his parents wouldn't question where he was going or what time to be home, as their almost robotic personalities seemed to simply exist, rather than behave authoritatively. Max had no idea what to bring to an evil house that stole his brother once, but a pocket knife, binoculars, and three granola bars seemed like a good start. As Max headed out his bedroom window, he looked at nothing in particular and said "I'm coming, Danny".
It was only about a twenty-five minute bike ride, but it felt like hours to Max as he trudged uphill and through overgrown paths en route to the place he'd wished he'd never been, and sworn he'd never return. Max made his way around a cluster of sunflowers and over a hill, and there it was. The house. Max walked his bike up the last twenty yards or so, and then leaned it up against what remaining fence there was at the end of the front walkway. As he crept towards the house, his sense of dread and remorse for coming here were replaced with feelings of hope and anticipation - he could feel Danny was here. The front door was already slightly ajar, and Max needed little effort to push it open all the way; "Danny?" Max bellowed into the musky, stale air of the house, "Danny?" he said again. Nothing. Max knew where he had to go next, and as much as his stomach tried to convince him otherwise, he was heading down the basement stairs. "Danny?" he shouted once more, and as he was about to say it again, he felt his brother grab his arm and pull him into a dark closet. "Be quiet, or he'll get you too!" Danny whispered. "Who will, and why the fuck are you back here?" Max whispered back with tears gushing down his cheeks. "The bad man" Danny said, "I came back to stop him for good, and I need your help. I knew you'd come.", and the two brothers started discussing strategies.
"He's only real if you believe in him" Danny explained, "And whatever you believe in actually happens here." he said with caution. "What do you mean?" Max asked, unsure he was following along. "Watch this" Danny said, and as he grabbed a broom from the corner of the closet, he closed his eyes, and next thing they both knew Danny was waving a sword King Arthur would have been proud to wield. Max wanted to say "WHOA!!!!" or "COOL", but instead kept silent, and put his plan into action. As the two crept out of the closet and into the pitch black, Max turned to Danny and said "Let me just put on my night vision goggles" and held his binoculars up to his face. He could see clear as day. No sign of 'the bad man', so it was time for phase two. As Max pulled out the granola bars, he whispered to Danny, "I got these monster bait bars from the pantry, remember these?" to which Danny replied with a wink "Oh yeah, I forgot about those!", and the trap was set.
It was probably only minutes, but it felt like hours to the two brothers as they waited with anticipation, and then finally, there he was; 'the bad man'. He was hideous looking; he stretched about eight feet tall, eyes like dark orbs sunken into his skull, skin as pale as an albino preacher, and claws as sharp as razor blades. As the entity seemed helpless to resist the offering in front of him, the two brothers used the opportunity to pounce, and they struck with accurate determination. The bad man wailed and scoffed, but Danny's sword and Max's pocket knife were too much for him, and the bad man hissed as his last breath escaped his rancid throat. The two brothers embraced, and as Max looked at Danny, he asked "Why didn't you tell me what you were planning?", and all Danny said was "You couldn't save me, but I needed to save you.", and the two brothers walked home hand in hand, together forever.
NB
