House of Darkness House of Light (37 page)

It was only a matter of time; this period of intense sensations of doom and gloom finally subsided. A heavy shroud of clouds lifted, no damage done by its darkness, or so she thought. Inexplicably, this gathering threat seemed to dissipate. She returned, escaping unscathed from its grasp; as energy robbed was naturally restored by warming breezes and bright blue skies. Regaining her sense of direction, soaking in the summer…things were looking up. She had forgotten about Schwartz’s Law: Murphy was an optimist!

One need not see to believe and one need not believe what they see. A seer is one who is looking at life, observing its intricacies or revealing its secrets, at times, in equal measure. Carolyn paid attention. She was right to be wary. It would have been easy enough to dismiss these sensations as a brief bout of depression, yet she knew better. This was an omen: powerful and oppressive and greedy; the voracious, vociferous silence in her mind, forewarning her of things to come. This was a mental infestation as manifestation. Soon enough Carolyn understood what she’d been experiencing; the deep, despairing sense of dread, the vision of fire surrounding a skillet as the precursor to a circle of fire destined to surround the woman in her bed. Paying attention, monitoring one’s own thoughts and emotions: of critical importance when dwelling in a house alive with death. What was invisible was equally powerful; fear of fire. Elemental, my dear Carolyn: Fear is the most powerful element of all. It was almost time to take the plunge, make a leap of faith out of the frying pan into the fire. Time to learn that faith alone can keep a soul all fired up safe in the midst of a crisis. It wasn’t over. What can go wrong, will: Best pay attention.

“I have always thought the actions of men the best interpreters of their thoughts.”

John Locke

 
blue light special

“Each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.”

Edgar Allan Poe

Though another spring had officially arrived its nights were still quite cool, chilly enough to warrant a fire. Burning low in its grate, embers needed some tending. Carolyn was distracted, in rapt involvement with characters of note from a beloved novel; revisiting a few old friends. The parlor was practically silent. She sat on their loveseat directly across from the fireplace. The ladies, poised on the floor, books scattered around them on the Oriental rug. Andrea required more space, so had spread out at the dining room table, materials for her current project turning its wooden surface paper white. Everyone present was engrossed in a project or assignment; homework time early one evening.

Andrea finished her work at the table. Heading into the parlor to inform her mother she was free to help with dinner, as Carolyn looked up from her book an incredible event occurred. A solid blue tubular beam of light shot down the chimney, snuffing out the flames. It turned at a hard right angle and came out across the room, landing directly in Carolyn’s lap, impaling the book she was holding. A collective gasp filled the stilled air. A split second later this light retracted along precisely the route it had traveled, withdrawing up the chimney. It all occurred in about two or three seconds. No one could believe what they had just witnessed. Andrea was in shock but retained the presence of mind to assist her mother. Carolyn’s facial expression appeared frozen in time, eyes fixed; wide and alert with her mouth partially open…aghast!

“Mom! Are you all right?” Andrea was frantic, afraid her mother had been injured. A light struck directly in the center of her torso and her daughter had no idea what damage this might have caused. The tube of light was perfectly cylindrical, solid blue, roughly the diameter of a walnut. A stunning thing to see: this event, defying the basic laws of physics. Light travels linearly. Light does not
bend at right angles. Light does not snuff out the flames of a fire nor does its absence or retraction reignite the flames in a fireplace. Had it been a bolt of lightning? Carolyn seemed fine. The girls recovered momentarily and approached their mother en masse. She stood, examining the point of impact. There were no signs of any injury; no scorch or burning book; no pains at all. Reassuring her children, all was well, she suggested they
all
relocate…away from the front of the fireplace. Compliance was not an issue. Carolyn moved across the parlor toward the sofa, there to finish her chapter undisturbed.

This was the first of three times that phenomenon would occur within their house and each time it was as shocking as the initial encounter with this very special force; a blue light with a mind of its own. Though she was apparently uninjured by the event, Carolyn would speculate about the effects of the light for many years to come, especially with regard to their friends, two of whom would eventually have an exceedingly close encounter with the beam of light as it sought them out. When the Warrens became involved, Lorraine offered a detailed explanation of it as a presence. The ray was a beautiful and bizarre display of pure light. Its power defied natural law. Claiming familiarity with such phenomena, Mrs. Warren later described it as one form of supernatural plasma, manifesting as a beam of Cosmic Light traveling through space and time, then entering a specific portal; delivering a message received by mortal souls who have witnessed its affect yet remain unable to discern its meaning. Some see it as a blessing. Some see it as a curse.

The explanation seemed as implausible as the episode but Carolyn listened attentively, trying to make sense of it. Mrs. Warren assured her, it was not as uncommon as she might suspect, claiming it as another supernatural Light in manifestation; an
entity
in its own right. Though Carolyn was skeptical, she was Roger’s polar opposite. He assumed he knew everything. His wife, sure she knew nothing. Lorraine, the happy medium, would try to convince both of them that this was another aspect of the paranormal activity in their home. The mistress of the house had no apparent residual effects from an encounter which could not be explained and could not be denied; too many witnesses for Roger to question these identical reports among his family. However, the same could not be said for others touched by Light; one coming from above.

“The illuminable, silent, never-resting thing called Time, rolling, rushing on, swift, silent, like an all-embracing oceantide, on which we and all the universe swim like exhalations, like apparitions which are and then are not: this is forever very literally a miracle; a thing to strike us dumb, for we have no word to speak about it.”

Thomas Carlyle

 
an old torch carries a flame

“The communication / Of the dead is tongued with

fire beyond the language of the living.”

T.S. Eliot

Winter had found its way to spring. Though it had been as cold as the first, it was made bearable by the existence of a fireplace, a major advantage over the previous year. Carolyn huddled on the hearthstone for the duration of the season. She’d discovered, given the opportunity, a house will not keep itself. It was obvious. Her energy continued to dissipate; evaporating into the ether. She appeared gaunt and frail. April started school in the fall so Carolyn used much of her time alone to read and sleep…all she had energy to do. Bless her heart and soul. It was only the beginning; the worst was yet to come. Do tell.

***

The Perron family enjoyed their first Christmas together in the farmhouse. Roger was a Santa unlike any other, doing everything in his power to lighten Carolyn’s burdens. He’d done the shopping, even some cooking, spoiling the girls and his beloved wife. They had gone deep into the woods to cut the tree. Carolyn stayed behind at the house, preparing sugar cookies and hot cocoa. It was quite picturesque; a rare Norman Rockwell moment. Invoking the spirit of Charles Dickens might have been more appropriate to this scene, as ghosts of Christmas past were making their presence known.

An armistice was declared for the holidays. All bickering subsided; it came to an abrupt HALT! Words are weapons. In the spirit of the season, the milk of human kindness flowed with the eggnog on a Christmas Eve. Decorating the tree proved to be quite the festive event. Carols were sung as bells rang in the church steeple. Though their family didn’t attend Mass often, on a sacred night they decided to attend at midnight so the morning would not be rushed as the children opened their gifts. Roger had excellent taste. He’d purchased a beautiful suit for Carolyn which he’d presented to her after dinner. She was excited and so grateful, anxious to try it on…then show it off. As she stepped through their bedroom door her expression revealed a sentiment expressed by all of them as a collective gasp, though not for the reason one might suspect. Knowing why everyone reacted, the elegant pantsuit hung like a sack on her withering torso. Roger tried to hide his alarm, though it was clearly evident. “We’ll go to exchange it next week.” Holding her in his arms, he whispered: “You need to call a doctor; make an appointment.” She nodded then changed into something more fitting. They went to church.

Upon entering St. Patrick’s, heads turned. Carolyn wondered if it was her dramatic weight loss drawing attention. Their parish was rather small and the Perrons nearly filled an empty pew by themselves, though quite noticeably, nobody joined them in the remaining seats as the crowd filed in for service. Once Mass began this scrutiny ceased. Everyone focused on the altar. It was fine until the priest uttered familiar words: “The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.” As excited as she was uninhibited, April shouted a few words with such jubilance, from choir to altar boys to the priest, everybody heard.

“Mommy! Did you hear that? God has a ghost too, just like us!” She knew; mystery solved. It was an innocent statement from the child whose innocence was in jeopardy. Carolyn covered her baby’s mouth in that moment of panic. Too late. They left as discreetly as possible within a few minutes; vibrations of disapproval driving them away from the House of the Holier than Thou. Merry Christmas to all…and to all a good night.

Roger and Carolyn tucked their children into bed then spent the rest of the night silently assembling toys and drinking coffee before a raging fireplace. Lights adorning their tree illuminated a parlor, bathing it in a glorious glow. A chorus of carols played softly on the stereo, so not to wake the youngsters, providing the home with peaceful notes to end on, a splendid soundtrack for another gift-wrapping session. It was past 2:00 a.m. when the tired but happy couple finally went off to bed, knowing their children would be up and out of bed by dawn. They’d remained silent about what happened in church, neither one of them willing to put a damper on an otherwise perfectly holy night.

~ warm but weary on a Christmas morning ~

Carolyn stood in front of the fire, her coffee cup on the mantel board, never far from her fingers. Roger sat across from her on the sofa. They watched the children shred wrapping paper and toss bows at one another. It was as joyful for them as it was for the kids. Carolyn received a pair of very fuzzy slippers from Santa, warm and soft and very pink. While opening a simple gift, Roger stoked the fire, placing a Yule log he saved for this special occasion directly on top of the pyre. Carolyn put them on her feet then resumed her position on the hearthstone. Igniting quickly, the log burned with a brilliance everybody noticed. Warm and cozy on that chilly Christmas morning, Carolyn, as usual, was standing too close to the flames.

Leaning down to see what Santa Claus brought to one of the girls, Carolyn stood abruptly then grabbed a hold of the mantel board. Collapsing onto the granite hearthstone, she hit it with such force, everyone froze except Roger. He sprung up from the sofa, leaping over the children so quickly, no one saw him go but there he was, pulling her feet out of the fire. He lifted his wife as if she were a rag doll and placed her on the long sofa at the front of the room, away from the flames. This fainting spell would have had dire consequences if not for his rapid response on a rescue mission. Carolyn came around as the children scrambled to her side. Insisting she was fine, just tired, their mother made light of the episode, encouraging everyone to return to the pleasant task at hand. It would be the first of a series of spells, threatening Carolyn in other ways as well. Her energy was being depleted; resources challenged…nothing left in reserve. As her strength continued to diminish, as if the life force was being drained from her body, no one knew why, not even the family doctor.

***

Weathering their second winter fairly well the family again looked forward to spring. The girls were thriving in school in spite of an occasional harassing comment from fellow students who didn’t even know them or what they had endured. Their real friends remained their friends and some were even brave enough to visit the house from time to time which took wind from the sails of their harshest critics. Guess it wasn’t so bad after all if so and so would go.