It always Happened at Midnight

There was a commotion in the small village of Bury. Chatter in the street, murmurs in the main square. One subject did not go undiscussed that day: the ghost of the old house on the corner of the street in front of the church.

“I’ve seen it floating!”

“Its singing sounds like a cry, it’s horrendous.”

“It has reddish evil eyes’’

Were some of the comments the unfortunate neighbours of the haunted house would let out.

You might wonder how scared and troubled that house’s tenant would be. On the contrary of what most of us would feel, Mrs. Grant couldn’t care less.

Mrs. Grant, or Laura, 65, divorced happened to be the tenant of the so-called haunted house. But this fact didn’t seem to affect her at all — aside from the unsolicited visits from the press or even ghost hunters trying to uncover the ghost mystery. Laura was in fact the only person who claimed not to have seen the ghost. As for her neighbours, they were terrified and could no longer sleep at night.

For a long time, Laura managed her life on her own. Not many friends, and, after an unforeseen divorce, no kids to share the story. She decided to move to that new neighbourhood to start anew. But just as she was growing fond of her neighbours and the atmosphere of that charming town, the ghost happened. She felt even lonelier as no one would dare come in even for a cup of tea, and later, some even claimed Laura was possessed or, worse, under a curse. The postman would quickly throw all her correspondence from as far from the street as possible, as to avoid stepping into her front garden.

It was all awfully frustrating. But Laura decided to stay instead of moving for the third time. Not only she didn’t believe in happy endings, she also didn’t believe in ghosts.

Tired of the echoes of her empty rooms, she would put on her vinyl of romantic old songs in the evening and sweep through the old wooden floor, in her bathrobe and with her face covered in mud mask. Every other night was about the same. After that, she would peacefully lie in bed longing for some companionship, but feeling pampered at least.

Ruth Smith, 23, university student and looking for a side job, could certainly use an extra pay to cover her tuition and to take her a step closer to her dreamy trip to the Maldives.

When she saw the opportunity to work as a cleaner at the so-called haunted house, she was so excited that she even ignored the fact. The next day, at 5pm, Ruth arrived promptly at the gate of the old house. As she rang the bell, she noticed a group of people murmuring and staring at her.

The door opened in an instant. “Ah, how nice to see a young face around here! Come in!” Said Laura, rushing Ruth inside.

They went through all the job details over a cup of tea. Ruth was going to work on Wednesdays and Fridays, doing some house chores and helping with the garden cleaning. She would start at noon and leave by the end of the day. At the end of their talk, however, Ruth cut to the chase: “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but I was wondering if you’ve ever experienced anything… unusual in this house”.

“I see you already heard the rumours…” sighed Laura “Well, I did hope for anything unusual like finding a new loving husband for instance” she giggles “But no, dear, nothing beyond the usual. Sorry to disappoint” replied Laura.

Ruth follows the giggles and laughs along.

The next day, Ruth found herself back in the yard of the old haunted house doing her chores.

Indeed, nothing unusual happened. At least for the first couple of weeks.

It was Friday the 13th. Ruth had just finished her daily chores around the old house. She was about to head to the front door when suddenly a flash of light lit up the sky. “Looks quite dreary outside, doesn’t it?” Laura observed as she glanced out the window. Ruth rushed to her car anyway. But she quickly turned back when she realized her engine had broken down.

After three failed attempts of calling nearby repair shops and garages, Laura gave Ruth an inviting look. “Why don’t you stay the night? There are enough rooms upstairs.” Though a little embarrassed, Ruth accepted. After all, she wasn’t going to spend the night in a car. Taxis were scarce in that part of town and, besides, it was Friday the 13th. Taxi drivers in the area didn’t like to leave their homes on this day, the people of that village were very superstitious.

Ruth was given a yellow silk nightgown, and after some hearty soup, a tired Ruth went up the noisy steps of the stairs to reach the guest room. “Aren’t you going to bed, Mrs Grant?” asked Ruth curiously, as it was past nine and Laura was reclining half awake on the sofa, “Not yet, my dear, I think I’ll finish this chapter first.” Said Laura with an open book on her lap, “But I won’t be long. Sleep well, child.”

But Ruth heard a loud snoring shortly after reaching her room. Laura had fallen asleep. After closing her door in soft giggles, Ruth finally went to bed for her much awaited sleep after a hard-working day.

It was past midnight. A hoarse noise broke the silence in that half-empty house. Ruth suddenly woke up, wondering what it could be. Shaky but determined, she opened the door slowly, carrying a torch. She walked slowly to Laura’s room, but saw the door open and the bed unmade. In the background, the sound of running water. Someone had left the bathroom tap open. ‘Would it have been Laura?’ She thought.

Then, already going down the stairs, she ran around the corners of the room but didn’t see anyone. On the floor, a nightgown, a broken glass, and Laura’s slippers strewn across the rug. The sound of “Love Letters” from Nat King Cole echoed through the room.

“Mrs Grant?” Ruth called insistently, as she made sure to reach the telephone. But all she could hear was the music. She thought of calling the police, perhaps someone had broken in, or Mrs Grant had been kidnapped! The worst thoughts ran through her mind. But, as she was about to call someone, she heard the hoarse noise again, this time closer and louder.

It came from the backyard. Ruth slowly opened the door, revealing the cool October breeze. The sky was clear. The heavy rain from before had soon revealed a clear sky with a full moon. Ruth could nearly see everything without the torch, including the strange figure at the very back. With a mixture of fear and concern, she ran to it. She couldn’t see it in detail, but it was a white figure that twirled and twirled in the same place. But as she approached it even more, the creature stopped, facing the moon above. Closer and closer, Ruth approached the white ghost of Bury. But as it was about to reveal its face, Ruth fainted, the adrenaline had been too much for those poor young nerves.

It was Saturday morning. Ruth slowly woke up. She looked confused as she found herself in a hospital bed. As she turned quickly to the left, she saw Mrs. Grant sitting beside her bed.

Mrs. Grant was happy to see Ruth awake. “My poor dear! How are you feeling?” — she asked in relief.

Ruth was intrigued, “I’m… okay?” she mumbled, trying to remember what happened the night before. “But where were you last night, Mrs. Grant? At some point I was looking for you, and then I saw a strange figure, a ghost! I remember standing there and…” to which Laura responded with a quirky smile.

“Please believe me, I haven’t lost my mind!”

“Don’t worry, my dear, I believe you. As long as you’re healthy and rested, I’m sure you’ll be fine, and I’m most certainly sure you will be able to forgive a lonely old lady who sometimes sleepwalks, or more like, sleep ‘dances’.” — She winked, humming “Love Letters” — the same song Ruth had heard last night.

It all quickly made sense. After leaving the hospital, Ruth promised Laura that she would not mention what happened to anyone. And Laura promised Ruth that she would seek medical help for her little ‘problem’.

As for the ghost, it continued to haunt the small village of Bury for a little longer.