part 3 HUNGER

Dumping the boxes on the floor Alice stared out the window of her new bedroom. Looking out the window she saw nothing. No houses, no shops, nothing but fields and trees….shit. It was bad enough her parents separating but to end up in this dump, the place gave her the creeps. Back downstairs she helped her mum unpack enough to cook tea. “This will be fun” Janet remarked “I mean no electricity, no TV we’ll actually sit and talk” Alice grunted. “Right that will do for now let’s eat” Alice sat and stared at the fireplace, thank God it was summer must be Baltic in here in the winter.

“Alice, Alice come on you’ll be late for school” Throwing the covers back with a moan she got dressed, here we go a new school and new problems. Running down the stairs she grabbed a slice of toast and joined her mum. With her daughter sorted at school Janet got a job in the town, evening work in a bar was wasn’t idea but it paid the bills. Eating dinner at five Janet would go to work at six leaving Alice alone.

Alice felt uneasy, she had the feeling she was being watched, felt eyes on her all the time. Her room was always colder than the rest of the house, some spots in the room made you shiver. Alice disliked the place, far from civilisation with no power or even a phone and you always had the feeling it was occupied by something….something inhuman.

It drew from her, absorbed her strength her youth and in time her soul. This is what it wanted, the young were strong. The old woman and Sophie were a means to and end but this girl, Alice, would give it a power not had in decades. Gabriella, it must have, needed Gabriella but she was gone…for now. She had something no other human had but that thing had taken her away. For now it would draw from others, build strength and wait for her return.

The week past quietly, Alice settled into her new school. She always found it difficult to make friends, shy and insecure she was an easy target for bullies. Closing the book, her homework done she stood at the window, she hated this place, the school the kids and at this moment her mum. Why did they have to leave dad, he was having an affair, so what thousands of men do. Climbing under the sheets she settled down to sleep. She heard voices, low soft whispers, filling her room, her mind. Frightened she buried herself under the covers but they persisted.

Screaming she ran from her room. Janet met her on the landing “What on earth is wrong" she asked hugging her daughter tight “Someone’s in my room, I heard them talking” Alice stammered. “There’s nothing there Alice” checking the room. Alice looked round nervously, she had heard voices she couldn't make out what they said but they were there. Slipping under the sheets she closed her eyes. Janet kissed her daughter “It’s the wind or stress, I know this isn't easy for you but you’ll adjust, goodnight dear” Alice slept.

With it being the weekend they had a late breakfast then her mum went to into town. Alice wandered the house picking up a book she settled on her bed and read. After a while she became aware of movement. Looking up she jumped from her bed and stared in shock. Her favourite teddy bear floated in mid air. Alice couldn’t move, her eyes locked on the bear, impossible, it was a day dream had to be. The bear hovered then fell to the ground. Finding her feet Alice ran.

Her dislike of the house was justified, at night the voices kept her awake, the constant whispers in the dark filled her with dread.

In the daylight if she was alone the sounds of footsteps and strange noises could be heard. Whichever room they came from they stopped when she opened the door. She wished she could get away and be on her own, no school or kids, no mum telling her what to do. At night the voices tormented her, told her what the kids were calling her, thought of her, her Mum didn't care about her she only wanted out of her marriage without a thought for her.

You don’t have to listen to them, they are weak, stupid, your better than them. What do they know, they have their perfect lives, their perfect family, what do you have? The house chuckled "Your Mother didn't love Harry, doesn't love you"

Janet was worried about her daughter, she was terribly unhappy, maybe she had made mistake, was she to quick to leave Harry. Alice started to spend all her time in her room, the voice’s spoke to her more and more, told her things that she wanted to hear, made her feel wanted. The others in her life were unimportant, she would be better of without them. Her dad was to busy with his girlfriend to call her let alone visit, ass hole. Lying in the dark she was starting to make the voices out. They wanted her to join them, told her all the wonderful things she could do here, complete freedom, happiness. The more the voices told her the more she wanted it, it sounded like heaven. In desperation Janet took her to the Doctors but he was no help, he gave her pills and said it was a teen thing and  would pass.

Alice liked the dark; it was when it came, her friend the one that could turn things round make her happy. The dark thoughts were now constant in her mind, she dreamed of killing, her mother, herself… everyone.

Janet tried to get through to her, tried to find out what was wrong but every time she broached the subject her daughter would go into a rage. Alice would scream, accuse her of destroying her life, she hated her.

The house encouraged her, told her what she wanted to hear, told how she could make things better.

In desperation Janet rang Harry, convinced him this was not just hormones or anger at being wrenched from her life. Harry finally agreed to come out, he hadn’t seen Alice for so long and he did miss her.

Alice stomped through the door, slumming her books on the table she cursed her teachers. “Alice can you come into the living room” Seeing her dad made her laugh “Well, well, well so you finally decided to visit…how nice” Harry was surprised by her attitude but ignored it “Hello Alice, how are you?” he smiled. “Marvellous, fucking brilliant” horrified her mother shrieked “ALICE"  Harry guessed she was pushing him “I thought it would be nice to see you, how’s school” Alice shrugged “Shit” Janet looked from one to the other “Look why don’t you both go for a walk, Alice show your dad around”

Going out the back door she showed her dad the pond. “I’m sorry about what happened, you know, between you’re mother and me” Alice grunted. “Things hadn’t been working between us for a while, I guess we drifted apart” it sounded lame but it was true. “To busy screwing you girlfriend to try, weren’t you dad, if you tried hard enough it could have gotten better” Harry hung his head, she was right he hadn’t made much of an effort, he and Janet were childhood sweet hearts but as they grew older they grew out of each other “You’re mum tells me you’re not happy” Alice laughed “You’re right dad, I’m not happy and it’s you’re fault, if you hadn’t met that slut….” Harry put his hand up “Alice, that’s enough……” Alice smiled but her smile was twisted, evil.

A dark shape appeared behind Harry, it grew thicker and darker as it drew closer.

It’s his fault; he brought you this misery, this pain, he’s the one who should be punished’

Alice moved towards her dad, knife in hand. Alice laughed as she plunged the knife into him over and over again.

“Is that you dear, is you’re dad with you?” Janet shouted from the living room. “He’s gone” Alice smiled to herself. Typical of him, she needed to speak with him, arrange some sort of access. “Are you alright?” Replying she was tired Alice went upstairs.

Served him right, all this was his fault, him and that woman. Sliding to the floor she rubbed her head and chuckled, he won’t be screwing that bitch or anyone else from now on. Putting the clothes in the fire she set them alight and watched as they turned to ashes.

It was delighted, she was at the point were she would do anything it told her but it wasn't finished, its hunger only satisfied for a while.

Climbing under the covers she listened to the voices congratulate her; agree with her actions after all if he hadn't been sticking it where it shouldn’t have been going…..

Janet didn't want to go to work, didn't want to leave Alice alone but what choice did she have. Alice hadn't spoken since her dads visit and seemed even more despondent. Maybe some good news was in order “Alice, I was going to wait till I knew for sure but I think you need some cheering up, I might have a house for us” Alice stared at the wall, a new house, leave here! “Look I can’t say for sure yet but I've to look at it on Monday and if it’s alright I’ll sign the papers and we’ll be in by the end of the month, would you like to see it with me?” Alice shrugged “Whatever” Janet sighed “Look I have to get to work, we’ll talk later”

She hadn't thought of that, that this was temporary that she would leave this place one day.


‘She has to be stopped, she’ll ruin everything, a new home new school, you’re happy here, you have friends’


Alice nodded but how did she stop her mum from moving?

‘There’s only one way’


 "Yes, yes….."

Finishing school on Monday Alice met her Mother outside the gates. Driving through the village she watched as the scenery past in a blur, a new home…not bloody likely but she would go through the motions, smile and gush for her.

The house was modern with the latest mod cones “At least we can have TV you must be missing all you favourite programmes” Janet smiled warmly at her daughter. Giving a smile back Alice wandered the empty rooms, she hated it, hated the way the light poured in the windows and bounced round the room, hated the lack of corners, places where ‘it’ could lurk in the shadows and most of all hated the silence, the voices that called to her spoke of promise, gone, trapped in their gloomy world.

Janet loved the house, after a quick look round she was back at the Lawyers and put her signature to the lease. Alice sat in the car and waited, a week, two fucking weeks and she would be in it, the bright warm house with the door that said welcome. She didn't want that, she wanted to stay where she was that was her home, no; it was more than that it was life, her existence. Away from the wooden walls and gloomy rooms nothing else felt real, inside was her reality her very being. The house was where she belonged, she was part of it as if attached in some way, the voices told her she was part of them, linked to them and she would stay.

Shaking the old man's hand Janet left the building and joined Alice in the car. Starting the engine she hoped this would be the start of a new life. She had hoped to move in quickly, the hold the old place had on her Daughter was unnerving but two weeks would be fine.

The days passed slowly for Janet, the few things they had unpacked were now safely packed again, if only they could leave now. Alice wandered the rooms in silence, her mind locked away from the real world. The voices spoke to her continuously convincing her she had to do it, it was the only way.

‘Do you want to be dragged away from the only ones who care, who love you? You are part of us, get rid of her and stay here forever, no one would tell you what to do, how to live. She only wants what’s good for her that’s why she left your Father, she’s selfish only thinking of her own needs her own wishes’

It was late, Janet woke, voices…she was hearing voices. Throwing the covers back she opened the door. The hallway was empty; creeping across the floor she peered into Alice’s room....she wasn't there. Panic rose like bile in her throat, something was wrong, very wrong. Running back across the hall she threw open the bathroom door, that too was empty. The voices grew louder filling the hallway, putting her hand to her ears Janet tried to block them out. “GO AWAY, LEAVE US ALONE” she screamed over and over again.

 Alice appeared from the darkness her face twisted with an evil madness that filled Janet with horrified despair “Alice I believe you, we have to get out now” Her daughter laughed but the happiness didn't meet her eyes “No Mother, it doesn't want me to leave, I'm part of this place, part of it existence” Janet stared at her in shock, the girl was insane, always so sensitive the upheaval, the lose of all she’d known and the split from Harry had pushed her to the limits. At the same time the girl had been right, there was something wrong with house.

Alice pulled the blade from behind her back the blood from her Father still on it, looking down she smiled at the evidence of the life she had taken, he’s blood now a dry stain “He never saw it coming, bastard was too much in a hurry to get back to his whore” Janet wanted to be sick, her sweet innocent child had killed her Father, was now a killer…and she was next.

Alice moved slowly, stalking her pray, enjoying the look of fear and sadness on her Mothers face. Janet matched each step, forcing her daughter to circle at the last moment she made a run for the stairs. The vision before her caused her to freeze, her mouth opened but she couldn't scream.

They approached Janet, gliding up the stairs on an invisible wind their faces warped with hate. Finding her feet Janet backed off, turning left and right she found herself trapped, “Mother dear, I would like you to meet my friends….. My family” Alice grinned wildly. “Dear God” Janet murmured under her breath, a movement from above caused her to look up, 'It' hovered above her watching, she could feel It’s hunger and greed, the all consuming need for death. The screaming grew louder, its pitch threatened to burst her ears, finally she realised it was her, she was the one screaming.

Alice stepped towards her, the knife glinting in the moon light, if only she could get to her room. Time seemed to slow down, a second turned into a minute, Alice lunged at her, a feral sound escaped the child in anticipation of what she was about to do, as the knife came down Janet stepped to the side, the sharp metal caught her arm but she felt nothing. Alice’s cry turned to a scream “NOOO!”

Janet shrieked, reached out vainly to grab Alice but she was too late. Alice plunged through the glass and started to fall. Janet could only watch in despair as he daughter, her only child hit the ground with a sickening thud. It felt like eternity but finally she turned away, the ghosts had disappeared the dark presence gone.

The Police asked questions sympathetically, guided her away from the scene as the medics zipped up the body bag. There would be an Autopsy under the circumstances but it was obviously a suicide, her Doctor had been called and confirmed the girls mental state, he was sorry he hadn't realised how ill she was.

It took several weeks but finally they released Alice’s body. Janet listened to the minister read as he read passages from his bible but the words went over her head. Glumly she stared at the coffin as it was lowered into the ground, long after the Minister and grounds men left Janet stood.

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Locking the door Janet walked down the path, she had nothing left, no husband no daughter, no belief, how could there be a God after what had happened. Turning the engine she pulled out the driveway and left town without a single look back, she hoped the house burned in hell.

Wolf pulled her into his arms and held her tight “Don’t blame yourself…. that damned fool…..” Wolf growled. Gabe squeezed his arm “He wasn't to know, how could he, what could we say, the place is evil haunted, it would kill” She shook her head, no one  was to blame, the house would continue to destroy to devour souls. Wolf felt the determination rise, she had come to a decision and was not going to be dissuaded, entering her mind he listened to her logical thoughts, he turned her towards him, his hands resting on her hips “It will be dangerous” Gabe nodded “It might be the only way to defeat this thing” What she planned was madness but it might just work “Very well but I insist on someone else going along, a friend, she’s not like you but not like me either” Gabe was intrigued taking his arm she lead him to a seat “Tell me”

                                                                     Part 4 - Contention