House After The Fourth Bridge

Renee's POV

It all started when we moved into the house, the house after the fourth bridge. The house with the white painted walls and fancy furniture, the house with the large field and silent trail.

The house with the minimal taste and sophisticated lighting. When we arrived my brother felt strange chills right from the gate, his eyes suddenly started itching for no appropriate reason. He barely had any allergies.

Mom thought of staying back at our old house, she always preferred the usual cost neighbourhood with the friendly neighbours. We didn't have any issues with the bills either. This house had a wooden door and a tree far away from it just within the fields.

Just immediately the gate opened and we drove in, I heard a loud scream of terror. It wasn't far enough for us to not hear it and I must add the neighbourhood had strange neighbours that gazed at us from afar.

Back then, we heard of the strange killings of the past years, the killings of families for ritual purposes. At first we thought it was just for fun until some citizens said they saw ghosts loving amongst them, the pity cries of the dead every anniversary of their deaths.

We heard of eyes plucked out and livers eaten while the owners watched till they died. We heard of the occultic songs and rhythms of the wild forests in the midst of the graveyards and abandoned homes. The symbolic writings on the walls of some residents as well. Some drew runes to block witchcraft or to cast witchcraft spells.

Well, either financial or even physical. Dad imposed this idea of moving out lightly on everyone. We had no other option than to obey. My elder brother Cam and my mom had the same feeling. The feeling of a chance to change but not this way.

It felt like my dreams were sucking themselves down a black hole alongside my soul. Not a physical hole but a hole in my mind, I felt like it was the end. The voice screamed again.

This time Cam heard it louder, he thought the person stood closer to the right side of his body but no one stood at least 12ft from him besides us. Mom turned around to look at the direction the scream came from.

I wanted a change. Not this kind of haunting change. We walked straight to the door after we dropped our luggage just by the front of the door. Cam walked in first, the house looked fine to his taste. We moved in.

The door slammed at night and the ceilings made noises. Like there's someone there watching us, like a spirit or probably a jinn lived just above us. I heard voices just after dusk.

I felt like changing our environment a little but the feeling always made me think twice. Especially when we moved in. Cam walked up to me, "Renee did you notice something about the house? Maybe the shift?"

"No, I guess it's just the breeze. Maybe the lights caused it." I guess. Believe me, I didn't know why, but from shadows to moving chairs to actual creepy winds every night.

I can't even forget the mirror swinging left to right and our chair rocking back and forth when no one sat on it. The bad smell from the well area was the president of the hauntings. It came mostly by either 3am, 6pm or 12pm by midnight.

Did I mention the strange writings, I mean ghost writings on the wall. They were more like tips, bits of advice, warnings and so on. Just not right. Do you know why? They were in black decayed blood. Also the shadows at the entrances.

Sometimes when I sleep I feel like something's watching me. Not good at all, just something unusual. Like an evil spirit or spirits rather. Not one or seven but multiples. This happened repeatedly every time it happened.

Whenever I turn to spy on it, it disappears suddenly. It knows I'm watching it, it sees me taking notes. It reads my notes, sometimes I come home and I see my room scattered from the right to the left.

I walk out of the house most times just to forget about it. Sorry I don't, I'm forcing myself to leave it behind. These flashy images throw me off balance when certain words come out of people.

Words like, "I feel haunted". They don't know I feel like I'm haunted. As for my father, he's got this silent yet creepy feeling about the house but he just shakes it off.

I feel like he's pretending, ever since they got married. I've always suspected this guy. My real dad divorced her all because of this one guy. If men can't accept cheating then why do they do it to everyone.

Last week his bucket fell by itself, the other time the plate hit the floor by itself. He just stayed still. Like he knew. He knew he was in trouble. The funniest part started when we just moved in on that fateful day. I met the shower on or at least I heard it running.

Immediately I opened the door to my room, it stopped by itself. I listened carefully because I had to. It stopped running, reeking of blood. I know the smell of human blood, yes I'm that sensitive. My younger sister says she's been hearing people talking at the back whenever it's late at night. But who are they? She can't even see anyone but she knows she can hear them clearly.

At first, I didn't believe her, I blamed it on cartoons or actual series we watched together. Until I saw a shadow walk past the grounds, so close to the tree in the far-middle. I felt like it swayed itself there, not walk there.

I hid fast, my heart fastened immediately. My mind felt this strange unrest, I felt uneasy and unsure but I tried to summon up courage. I walked to the spot by morning, I saw nothing but my own shadow in front of me. What?!

Renee's POV

I walked from side to side, I saw some scattered stones on the floor. I remember seeing them at the gate, why here as well? They look like some ancient markings, more like markings from something deep. More like a ritual or devilish oath. It reminded me of a fae circle.

All I knew was this had a little or more blood on it. Believe me. Also at the back then the far left. So it's like the east, west, north and south were all connected and well arranged. The initiator clearly did this on purpose.

The markings are not a mistake, he or she made this obvious. What about the middle of it all? Why the sudden unrest? Why can't I figure this out?

Why would a cross be smashed halfway at all these corners I saw? Like a prayer happened. Or did an insult to prayer happen? Oh, shoot! I'm supposed to meet up with Cam. I better leave on time before he gets cranky.

Cam's my elder brother, he's the second dad. I'm seeing dad's car outside, he's back from work. Another thing is Cam noticed it all so he's also watchful. He's the lady's man. A typical lady's dream.

Dad walks into the house with groceries, I quickly walk towards Cam. As for my younger sister Anna, she's at a neighbor's house. She's always there.

Time for a petty bike ride.

You know there's always someone watching me. Outside and also inside the freaking house. Everywhere I fucking go.

I ride past the house opposite us, every time I ride or walk past it I feel strange. I feel like no one's there but there is. I see Cam, finally.

"Hey Cam." He turned to stare in the direction my voice emerged from. He smiled slightly, it looked like a flirt.

He walked up to me, "Hey, what took you so long? You forgot, didn't you?" Yes he knew it already.

"Sorry, I stumbled into my thoughts, you know about the house." He took his eyes to my face looking for ghost marks but he didn't see any.

"Why? Did you see anything strange? We've not seen anything like vampires or wolves so?"

"Are we waiting for that? Do we need anything like that Cam?", he turned left and right before answering.

"No, but I see some kind of suspicion in you, any words to spill? Also Anna?"

" She's At Morgan's place." He stared at me with this straight look. He had issues with them having a connection, he didn't trust anyone in the neighbourhood.

"She's been close to that boy nowadays. Did you notice?" He asked.

"She's just friends with him. She's been telling me all about it." I answered.

Cam nods vertically to me as though he believed me when he didn't. He's like the major thing for girls, at least back at our former house. "Cam?"

He turns to me, "Yeah."

With hands in my pocket I ask, "Ever wondered why dad wanted us to move away from our former house?" He scoffs with a grin.

"Maybe, maybe not? Why ask now? We're already here."

"Thoughts I guess, what else." I said.

"Yes, I know."

Wait so he knew all along and didn't tell me, "So why?"

"Dad's got a little problem with his side chick, also few days before we moved. A few men dressed in black suit walked around the house. They came for dad."

My face shows nothing but appropriate shock, "What?! For What? What did he do? Who did he kill?"

"Keep your voice down Renee." He warned as he scanned around to make sure no one heard his words or my shocking expressions.

I can't believe it. "How do you know this?"

"Let's just say I'm a good peeking partner, months back a lady came in to see dad at the house."

"Then?"

"Well they fucked a little, later on, she came back saying she was pregnant. Of course he didn't want mom to know."

My mind swayed around the worst thoughts possible. "Oh my God, she's so gonna get angry if she sees this or hears this."

"Exactly, so he left to this quack city I guess. If you go back there, you'll see the lady at our house."

"So she bought it?" I asked.

"Nope, he never really left. The thing is he's keeping her there, far away from his actual family. He's a bastard."

I feel their sad humour towards him, he's not happy about it. Yet we really can't do anything about this.

"Then what about us?"

"What about what? It's clear enough, he doesn't care about us."

He just walks to his car after those words. I see a quick beef coming up after this day or week.

He's about to drive off, I better get in before he tells me to.

He's so silent. He drove the car silently ignoring my very presence. He's even more scary when he drives with a mood then when he's angry. He's always got this quiet yet scary side. A side he didn't show the ladies.

Time to see the cafe.

Getting to the cafe, it's the same. Still full as usual, just new faces day by day. Cam sits by the window, his favorite spot. I sit across from him, we order some pizza to go. He takes some chicken and fries as usual. I just want pancakes, adorable pancakes. "You know I used to think he felt a lot for us."

"I just pity mom, not even us."

His green eyes go to me silently then back to his food.

Cam could kill that man if wanted to but he doesn't want his hands covered with blood. Human blood.

"Renee? Did you know our father belonged to an occult? An occult of human blood, I mean it's literally made from human bones."

My eyes remained open, I didn't understand it. "Occult? Like the ones we watched on tv?"

"Guess our stepdad doesn't care about a little blood. Well." He ate into his food and drank a little before completely ignoring me again for the second time.

This man always had a creepy side, a strange side. Did he have any love for us at all?

He wore a red bracelet all the time. With a tiny red rope in his left hand, he had these books with Greek-like writings on them.

Like spells, they had effects on his wealth and riches too. The only thing normal about this man is the hair on his head.

Renee's POV

"Anna said she saw a woman staring at her last week, she said she wore white but had a bloodstain around her heart area." Cam said. He continued, "A dark and rotten stain of blood. Nothing new but dead. All stinky dead. Like for years dead but still alive."

My lungs freeze at the sound of all that. They always do.

"Renee the truth is we moved into a haunted house and dad doesn't know. Even mom doesn't suspect a thing, It's so stupid."

"Forget about the house Cam, we moved into a haunted house. I get it but what we need to worry about is the occult. Any news on that?"

"We need someone to explain things or we need to move out."

"I prefer to move out."

Cam smiling at me is what I find quite funny at times like this. "What's so funny?"

"You're all scared."

He's finding this funny, acting like he's got this under his belt.

"Wait, is this a trick? How do you even know this?"

"Anna said so, she said Morgan told her something about a story his mom used to tell him. The story is about the farmer, the actual owner of the house. He's not some ordinary guy you know. He was more than I expected. Morgan says he's a cultist, he joined a cult at the age of fifteen and after that, he got success but he had to sacrifice something dear to him. Although rumor has it, that he used his entire family and a few friends for the wealth ritual. I heard he never knew what he stood up for. It was a trick he fell for."

As the words flowed from his mouth, smooth chills crept up through my skin pores.

He continued, "His very own family, he killed his mother and father and his two siblings. His only brother and only sister. He buried them beneath our house, he followed the instruction of the cult by putting one at the front, exactly at the gate. The front marked the entrance to the cult and the wealth might I add. Another by the far right and left. Then at the back, also one directly under us. His girlfriend."

He drank his water and exhaled, he smiled again before he continued his explanation.

"All marked something, the back meant the end of his suffering, the left made his spiritual power and the right meant his supposed self-immortality to the world. As for the lady, she was so young, just like him, the same age. He didn't mind tearing apart his love life. He wanted power, wealth and all that crap. Turns out he didn't get much of it before and after they died. He stabbed them deeply, conducted some rituals then blew up like a Mexican money heist."

Wow, so that's how the farmer did it. I guess dad did the same as well.

"He blew into riches, into wealth and power. I mean he gained wealth, lots and more of it from his deeds. The only problem here is why? Not why he killed them but why do they trouble buyers of all his properties? Not just us but everything with his name on it. Because he's still alive and no one knows his location. Back then when it happened a lot of attention came from the cops. He disappeared into thin air, some say their spirits still scream the same way they did that day of their killing."

Honestly I don't think having a choice in this is primary for me. It's too deep for my small mind.

He said, "That same scream, same voice, same tone. Everything played out the way I was told, at least Morgan's mom said so."

I just hate all this, every single part of this.

With my face straight, I utter, "So what's next? We just wait for them to show up."

"No, actually his mother spoke about the reverse."

So there's a reverse?

"What's the reverse?"

"The killings, how to make them rest and all that. The spirits are still active and we don't know what to do. It's been decades."

"Okay wait, who wants to go after a whole cult talk less of a member from it?"

Is he crazy?

"Me I guess."

"Are you? That's insane boy?" A voice spoke.

That didn't come from me or Cam me. It's from a voice behind us. An old man, his gray hair so sharp. His eyebrows too.

We just stared at ourselves and then back at him. Cam asked, "What do you know about them?" This man looks good for some answer finding.

He walked up to us and sat by us. "When they died, they didn't know they would but I tell you this. If you do this, then it's suicide. Leave the affairs of the occult to themselves."

Okay, I just need straight answers, not myths or Proverbs. "Wait, who are you to them?" Cam asked.

The old man looks creepy now.

"Well I'm her brother, or I was her brother. The girlfriend he had, I'm her elder brother. We used to come to this cafe, just like the two of you. Suddenly she told me she wanted to see her friend, just like little Anna." Wait, how'd he know Anna again?

"I agreed, my parents too. Just because we all trusted him. We were the only two from our parents. He killed her, he stabbed her deep in her chest. I could feel her dying from where I stood but I didn't believe it. He buried his younger sister alive, also his mother but he slashed his father's neck swiftly like he never knew him." I could feel the pain in his voice.

"I wept deeply after I heard of her death, I couldn't do a thing cause the freaking bastard ran off after he drank from their blood. When we got there, they were slightly dry because he drained them before their burial. Although we knew their place, we didn't expect someone to just stumble in and buy a house where innocent people were murdered. And no, not just them but everyone. Every single family that once purchased that house. And the next family after that and so on." He concluded.