The Dream House

By: Carl R. Merritt

        David Mullins, a thirty-two year old writer living in New York, had been dreaming of moving out of the big city for years.  No longer could he tolerate the crime, the traffic and the everyday hassles the "Big Apple" seemed to have in abundance.  He could even visualize in his mind what he wanted his dream house to be - an old white colonial with tall columns in front, a second story balcony and a hot tub out back.  Being a writer and needing his privacy, David also knew the house must be located somewhere outside the city limits, possibly just on the outskirts of some small, out of the way town where no one would disrupt his thoughts as he wrote.
        With a sigh, David knew this was going to be difficult to find.  He had been looking for such a place for three years now and found that most people had the same idea of moving out to the country.
        I guess everybody wants peace and quiet nowadays, he thought.  Not even my agent is having much luck!  She just tells me to be more patient!
        About a month later the writer got a call on his cell phone.  Answering it, David discovered it was his literary agent, Sara Hanson, with some good news.
        "Dave!" she said, obviously excited.  "I think I've found the perfect house for you!  Are you still interested?"
        "That's a dumb question!" he replied, also excited despite his indelicate remark to the woman who handles all his book sales, taxes and most of his personal matters.  "Of course I am! Tell me about it, Sara!"
        "Well, you may not like this, but it's located out of the state.  If you want, I can keep looking for... "
        "Lady, I don't even care if it's located in Ohio, for God's sake!  If it meets my criteria, I want us to have a look at it!  Now please . . . give me all the details!"

*  *  *

        The following Saturday, Dave and Sara were pulling into the small town of Xenia, Ohio to meet with the real estate agent.  He had promised to meet them at a diner on the Eastern edge of town around noon.  While Sara drove the rental car, picked up at the airport located a few miles north of Dayton, David glanced at his watch and saw that they were going to be about twenty-five minutes early.  That suited him just fine.  The meal on the short plane flight from New York had been terrible and he was starving.  This gave him and Sara time for a quick lunch before the real estate agent arrived.
        "That must be it up on the left," Sara commented, pointing to a small restaurant that looked like it had seen better days. 
        "Yeah, it's the only diner around.  Let's hurry up and find a parking place and get inside.  Maybe we'll have time for a couple of burgers or something before Mr. Phillips gets here."
        Once inside the diner, Sara and Dave were immediately escorted to a small booth that still contained the dirty dishes from someone else's meal.  A young boy with a dirty apron came over to clear the table, his expression neutral, uncaring.  Dave, used to fine restaurants, took a menu from behind the napkin holder and looked it over, hoping to end the day without food poisoning. 
        "Bacon cheeseburger, large order of fries and a coke for me," he said once the waitress had arrived with her small pad in hand.  She was a cute girl, David noticed, about twenty years old with long blonde hair and an upper body most women would be envious of.  She was wearing a very tight skirt and a low cut sweater that showed more than it should.  It was also exceedingly plain to see that she was wearing no bra.  The outfit in itself said a lot about the girl and what she wanted in life.  A plastic emblem pinned to her sweater held the name, "Joanna."
        "Yes, sir! And you?" the waitress asked as she turned her attention towards Sara.  It was clear Joanna was more interested in David than in his female companion. 
        "Same for me," Sara replied, an amused look on her face.  "But make that a small order of fries for me instead of a large one."
        "Thank you.  That'll be just a minute on the drinks," the waitress said, giving David a cute little smile and a wink as she left.
        "She's flirting with you, 'ole boy!  You think I should find you two a hotel room before we go see the house?"
        "What's the matter, 'ole girl' . . . jealous?"
        David and Sara had never had anything more than a business relationship in the six years they had known each other.  They were fond of each other and joked around a lot; they both even dreamt about having the other, but neither could see the possibility of anything serious developing between the two of them.  They were just too different, too many opposing viewpoints and interests. 
Sara was just about to reply with a snappy comeback when a tall, fragile looking man, dressed in a suit a size too large, approached their table.
        "Excuse me," he said with an air of expectation as he looked at David.  "Would you happen to be Mr. David Mullins?"
        "Yeah, I would be.  And I'd be willing to bet that you're the real estate agent, Oliver Phillips.  Correct?"
        "Yes, I am, sir.  I, uh... "  Mr. Phillips looked around and saw Joanna approaching with the drinks and asked, "Sir, if it's no big inconvenience, would it be possible for you both to place your orders to go?  I was told by Ms. Hanson here how anxious you are about this house and . . . well, the forecast calls for thunderstorms this afternoon and I want you to have a chance to look over the grounds before it starts raining.  Don't worry, I can get a fast order to go also and we can all eat at the house."
        The waitress heard the remark while she was bending forward to set down the drinks.  Giving David a good view of her enormous cleavage, Joanna asked, "Should I go ahead and change the order, sir?"
        "Yeah, I suppose," David said with a sigh as he looked away from the spectacular sight.  He knew there were priorities in life, and right now, voluptuous Joanna just wasn't one of them.
        As he paid for the order at the register, David gave Joanna a pretty healthy tip and promised to return again if at all possible.  David had paid for the meals with a credit card, and with the receipt, Joanna handed him a slip of paper.  Written on it was her full name and home phone number along with a side note that mentioned her thirteen hour shift ended at midnight.  Walking out to the car, David sighed and knew he would be having erotic dreams of Joanna Stevens for quite some time.  Turning back, he saw Joanna watching them leave through the diner's plate glass window.

*  *  *

        Still wearing that amused look, Sara was driving again, following Mr. Phillips as he led the way to the house.  Corresponding with the directions the real estate agent had already given David and Sara, it was located off the main highway, four miles East of Xenia in an area that was mostly farms and small horse ranches.
        When Sara pulled the rental car into the long, tree lined driveway, David noticed that the land associated with the house had not been used for either farming, or ranching.  The entire estate was heavily wooded with old trees, tall grass and thick underbrush.  With this much cover, it was impossible to see the house from the road.  Most people would have balked at this, preferring a larger view of the grounds, but not the writer.  He was already looking forward to the privacy and the relaxation the woods would provide him.
        Coming around a slight bend in the driveway and getting his first view of the house, David gasped.  The pictures that he had received by fax just hadn't done the place justice.  He figured they must have been taken from a different angle, or perhaps they were the wrong pictures altogether.  The old colonial house he was gaping at now was the very image of the one in his dreams.  The tall, white columns in front, the second story balcony . . . everything!
        Getting out of the car, Sara and David were met by Mr. Phillips, who had attempted to open the car door for them, but was just a hair too slow.  "We can eat our lunches either inside in the kitchen, or in the gazebo out back.  Which do you two prefer?"
        Not being as interested in the grounds as much as the inside of the house, David suggested the kitchen.  Understanding completely, Sara quickly agreed.
        Unlocking the solid looking front door, they all stepped inside . . . and both David and Sara stood in shock.  There was furniture and old pictures hanging on the walls everywhere . . . items that looked as though they all came straight out of the Civil War.  Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, dust covered every horizontal object and the smell of death hung in the air like an ominous cloud.
        "Uh, an airing out, a coat of paint and a little cleaning up would help you sell the place a little easier, Mr. Phillips," Sara commented, her hand coming to her face to hide her shock.
        "Yeah, you never mentioned the place was . . . furnished.  Does all this, uh, furniture . . . come with the house?" asked David, staring at the old pictures.
        "Uh, yes, sir.  You see, the previous owner was an old man when he died.  He left no living relatives, was never married and lived alone.  All proceeds from the sale of the house go to the state.  That's why the furnishings were left.  But if you're interested in buying the house, I'm sure we can arrange something that would suit you, sir."
        David gave it some thought and decided that the condition of the house wasn't all that significant to him.  The sale of his books had made him a very wealthy man and it was the house itself, not its condition that was important.  He reasoned it wouldn't be much trouble at all to hire a cleaning agency and a light construction crew to brighten the place up.  "Don't worry about it.  Hell, there might be something here that is actually worth something!  Let's go to the kitchen and eat.  I'm starved."
        Following Phillips again as he led the way, David and Sara both noticed that terrible smell was getting worse.  As they entered the kitchen, David asked, "Just what is that odor, anyway? It's getting stronger."
        "Uh, well . . . the owner, sir.  He died here in the house."
        "Where in the house, Mr. Phillips?" Sara asked, trying to hold her breath as she gazed at the old kitchen appliances, the antique gas stove she was leaning on in particular.
        "Right where you're standing, Ma'am.  The previous owner had committed suicide by breathing in the gas from that stove."
        Two minutes later, the three were eating their lunch in the gazebo outside.

*  *  *

        "Mr. Phillips, I'll take it if you lower the price by thirty percent," David said, finishing the last of his coke and wiping his mouth with one of the paper napkins Joanna had placed inside their order.  He looked over at real estate agent and saw right away that the price he offered was going to be good enough.  If anything, the man looked relieved.
        "You can't be serious!" Sara exclaimed before Phillips could agree.  She was bewildered why David would want any property in this poor of condition.  "The place looks like it could be a scene in some horror movie!  It's filthy, full of old junk and it smells like the guy that used to live here must have decomposed for at least a month before anyone found his body!  Why would you want to live in a place like this?  Who do you think you are . . . Gomez Addams?  Only an idiot would want to buy this place!"
        "It can be cleaned," David replied.  "And it has character!  But most importantly, it's isolated and it's available.  Two little details that have been hard for me to find in the last few years.  And even without the house, the land alone is worth the price I'm paying.  I repeat . . . I'll take it, Mr. Phillips.  What would that be?  About, um . . . $950,000.00?"
        "That amount is agreeable!  I think you've made a good decision, sir!"
        "Yeah, I think so too," David said, looking over to Sara, anxious to hear what she had for a comeback. 
        "I think you're both out of your... "  She stopped when she saw David smiling at her.

*  *  *

        It was four o'clock in the afternoon and David, sitting outside in the gazebo with Sara and Mr. Phillips, was just finishing a call to his banker in New York.  Snapping shut his cell phone, he turned to real estate agent and said, "The money is being transferred right now.  When can you have the paperwork ready for me to sign?"
        "It's too late today to get anything like this started.  If you can stay in town until Monday afternoon, I can make sure everything's ready by then."
        "Nope, gotta be back in New York Monday morning for a meeting with my publisher," David replied as he rubbed his chin in thought.  "Tell you what, send it by overnight to Sara here.  She can run it by me Tuesday, or so.  Any problems with that?"
        "Not with you paying cash, sir.  No loan applications to fill out.  Most of this can be handled by any competent attorney such as Ms. Hanson.  In fact, technically, since you've already paid for the property, it is already yours."
        Sara, who had been mostly quiet during the arrangements, found herself having to speak up.  "So what are you planning to do now, Dave?  You're not planning on staying here tonight, are you?"
        "Not a chance in hell, darlin'," he replied, glancing towards the house and remembering the terrible smell.  "If Mr. Phillips here is done, he can leave, then you and I can take a long walk around the grounds.  Afterwards, we can go find that hotel you mentioned back at the diner."
        To hide her reddening face, Sara turned away from the men and said, "Fine.  Let me borrow your cell and I'll call that diner and talk to that waitress who was all over you.  That way, you'll have someone to share your room with."
        Seeing the awkwardness of the moment, Mr. Phillips cleared his throat and reached inside his pocket for a business card.  Handing it to David, he said, "Uh, I think I'll see if I can make it back to the office before they close.  If you need anything, sir, here's my number."  Having said that, they all shook hands and said their farewells.  Then the real estate agent quickly walked off towards the front of the house where they had parked their cars. 
        After Mr. Phillips was out of earshot, Sara turned to her literary client and said, "That was uncalled for, David!  You made me sound like your damned whore!"
        "Yeah, but you made me out to be an idiot for wanting to buy this place.  Remember that?  I was just getting even."  Seeing that he had won the argument, David decided to let it rest there.  He took Sara by the hand and started to lead her away from the house, saying, "Come on.  The old man said something about there being a stream fed pond back there a ways.  Let's go see if we can find it before we look for that hotel . . . and separate rooms."

*  *  *

        By the time David and Sara made it back to their rental car, it was nearly eight o'clock.  They both knew it would be getting dark soon and, still wanting to find a hotel, they knew they should be going.
        "I saw a Ramada Inn when we first entered Xenia," David said, brushing a few blades of grass from the back of Sara's short brown hair.     Holding the passenger door open for her, he then asked, "Do you think they'll have two rooms left available?"
        Smiling, Sara replied, "One would do just fine if they don't."
        David wore a smile of his own as he got behind the wheel and turned the key.  It vanished, however, the instant he realized the motor wasn't turning over.  "Oh, oh.  We might have trouble here," he said, giving the key another turn.  Nothing happened.  The battery was completely dead.
        "You better give old man Phillips a call on your cell phone before it gets too late," Sara commented, glancing over at the front of the old mansion.  "Don't even bother to have him call a tow truck.  Just ask him to come pick us up.  I want to get out of here before it gets dark!"
        "Gotcha.  Looks like it might rain soon too.  Yeah, I'll have him pick us up and take us into town.  The car rental place can worry about this hunk of junk."
        But when David pulled out his cell phone and hit the power button, right away he saw he had another problem.  The ready light wasn't flashing.  "Wait a minute!  This can't be right!  I didn't leave the power on after my last call and it shows a dead battery now!  It had nearly a full charge four hours ago!  What's happening here?  First the car, then my phone?"
        "Yes, I see what you mean.  Both the car and the cell phone lose the charge in their batteries.  David, I don't like this... "            Looking up to the sky, Sara saw that the sun was gone.  Dark, ominous clouds had accumulated and it looked like it might rain at any moment.
        "Think we should try walking?" David asked.  "It's only a little over four miles.  We should be able to make it to town in just a little over an hour if we keep a steady pace."
        "That idea is perfectly acceptable to me, Dave.  There's no way in the world I'm going to stay here all night!  Let's get going!"
        They didn't even make it to the end of the long driveway before the rain started.  It wasn't just a shower either, it was a downpour with thunder and lightning the likes of which the two city dwellers hadn't seen in years.  It rained so hard, the droplets of cold water actually caused them a small amount of pain as they ran for the cover of a tree.  Then, it started to hail.  Ice the size of golf balls fell from the sky and tore through the tree limbs, almost driving both David and Sara to their knees.
        "We can't stay here!" David shouted over the thunder and wind.  "We have to go back!"
        "Dave!  No!!" Sara cried out, terror in her voice.
        "Do you want to stay here and get hit by lightning?  Get beat to death by this godawful hail!?"
        Shaking her head "no," Sara shook off her high heels and then undid the buttons on her blouse.  She then flipped the back of the garment over her head to act as a shield against the wind driven hail.  "Let's go for it!  You're right!  No choice!"
        Using Sara's idea, David took his own shirt and flipped it over his head as well.  It wasn't much of an umbrella, but it would have to do.
        They both took off in a dead run back to the house.
        By the time they ran up on the covered porch, David and Sara were not only soaked to the bone, but sore as well.  Their thin shirts hadn't offered as much protection against the large hail as they had hoped.  Both the garments were filled with small, jagged holes.  The hard ice had ripped through their shirts and pounded them both pretty severely.
        Sara, standing far enough back on the porch to protect her from the rain, looked at the front door to the house and then back out at the rain.  She was trying to make a decision, but not having much luck.  "What are we going to do now, Dave?  I do not want to stay here all night!" she said as she slipped her wet and torn blouse on over her bra.
        "Look, I don't see where we have a choice in the matter.  The rain doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon and I'll be damned if I want to risk that hail again.  Sara, you may as well get used to the idea . . . we're stuck here at least until the rain stops."  He looked at his agent and a feeling of remorse swept over him.  David could tell that spending the night in the house was going to be hard on Sara.  But then again, what choice did they have?  "Come on," he said, taking her hand and leading the way.  "There's no electricity, but let's see if we can find some candles, or something."

*  *  *

        After fifteen minutes of searching, they did manage to find some candles.  They found them in an old shoe box located on the top shelf of a small closet.  Once they had light to see by, Sara seemed to be doing a little better.
        "Okay, now let's discuss sleeping arrangements," Dave suggested, not knowing if their time by the pond would allow Sara to accept the idea of them sleeping together, or not.
        "There's nothing to discuss.  While we're in this house, wherever you go . . . I go.  Period.  Same bedroom and same bed.  And if I wake up in the middle of the night wanting to go to the bathroom, I'll be waking you up to stand guard right outside the door!"
        Trying to envision that little scene, Dave had to laugh.  Minutes later, with Sara following him as he tried to find the bedrooms by candlelight, he still had the grin on his face.
        "This one is the biggest and has sheets covering all the furniture to protect it from dust," Sara said, pointing inside what Dave assumed was the master bedroom.  "I'd say this is probably our best bet."
        Entering the large room, Dave raised his candle high and looked around.  Like every other room, it was completely furnished.  There was a large bed against the far wall with a canopy on top, nightstands on each side and three huge dressers with mirrors.   Along another wall was a set of large sliding doors.  Opening them, Dave saw that they were closets, all full of clothing, both for men and women.  Sara, after checking the sizes of the women's clothing, ignored Dave's look of surprise and began to peal off her wet clothes.  From the closet, she selected a thin white gown with lace trim.  The gown didn't quite reach her knees, was nearly transparent and the only thing holding it in place was a thin string around her neck.  By her choice of clothing, Dave assumed Sara was getting over her fear and may even have something else in mind.  Suspecting this, Dave opted to simply sleep in his underwear.
        "You know, I've always dreamt of owning a little white nightie like this, but I've always been too embarrassed to buy it!  Isn't it amazing that the previous owner's wife just happened to own one?"
        A thought suddenly occurred to Dave and it scared the hell out of him. "Sara, the guy lived alone.  Remember?"
        "Then where did all the woman's clothing come from?  How . . . ?" 
        Sara's facial expression changed to that of worry once again and Dave knew that any further intimacy between them was now out of the question.  He took Sara in his arms and simply comforted her as best he could.  "Maybe...  Oh, hell!  I don't know!  Maybe the old guy just liked to dress funny!"
        Just then, there was a terrible noise in the house.  It sounded like a cross between a grotesque moan and some animal that was in pain.  Seconds later, the house itself began making strange creaking noises.  It all lasted about fifteen seconds before everything quieted down.
        "Dave . . . I don't like this!  It's like the house didn't like what you just said!"  Glancing out the window, Sara noticed that the rain had slowed and the hail had stopped altogether.  "Look outside!  It's not so bad out there now!  Let's hurry up and get dressed!  Maybe we can leave before... "  But before Sara could even finish making the suggestion, the rain became more intense, the giant hail once again starting up.
        Still wondering about the noises, Dave asked, "Do you want the left, or right hand side of the bed?"  There was defeat in his voice, a tone that Sara didn't fail to notice.
        Sighing, the woman walked over to the bed, carefully rolled away the sheet so no dust would fall to the blankets and crawled in.  "It doesn't matter," she replied.  "I'll be hidden under the covers all night anyway." 
        After glancing around the room one last time for any type of danger, Dave joined her and true to her word, Sara pulled the covers over their heads.

*  *  *

        Joanna Stevens was getting worried.  After she watched Dave, Mr. Phillips and . . . that woman . . . leave, she had tried to put them out of her mind, but found it nearly impossible.  The man had been just too damned handsome, too well dressed for her to completely forget about.  Later, when she noticed the old man's car drive by the restaurant, she waiting by the window, hoping for another quick glance at the well dressed man who had been with him.  She was disappointed to see there was no other car following.  Curious, Joanna went up to her boss.
        "Mr. Jennings, do you remember the well dressed man and woman who sat in booth number six a few hours ago?  The ones that were met by that old man?"
        Robert Jennings looked up from his desk.  He was doing paperwork and to Joanna, he looked happy for the interruption.  "Well," he replied.  "I know the old man you're referring to.  That was Oliver Phillips, the real estate agent.  He and I used to bowl together years ago.  Why do you ask?"
        "Oh, no reason, I suppose.  I was just cleaning a table and saw Mr. Phillips driving back into town.  When he left here, the couple followed him, and just now he was driving back alone.  That's all."
        "He was probably just showing the couple that old mansion east of town.  Waste of time though.  It's been up for sale forever.  No one is stupid enough to buy it."
        "You mean the haunted house?!  Nobody ever goes there!"
        "Aww, now, Joanna.  That's just a rumor and you know it.  The only reason it's never been sold is because of the shape it's in.  There's nothing haunting it!"  With that, the boss went back to his paperwork.  It was something he always hated doing, but as the owner of the diner, he knew it could be no one else's responsibility.
        Joanna went back to work also, but in the back of her mind she was worried about that handsome man . . . and even the woman he had been with.  She knew the house her boss had alluded to all too well.  She passed the property every night on her way home.  All her life, Joanna had heard how the house was haunted.  Continuing her work, she tried to recall a few of the old stories she had heard over the years.  Children had mysteriously disappeared there while trick-or-treating, a mailman once had a heart attack while delivering a small package, strange noises were heard on occasion by a neighbor living over a mile away... 
        Always curious, and always one to worry, Joanna made up her mind that when her shift was over, she was going to stop by the old house to see if the man and woman were still there.

*  *  *

        The loud banging noise woke Dave and Sara up immediately.  It wasn't the sound of someone knocking on a door or shutters type of banging, it was more like metal against metal, a ringing.
        "What is it?!" Sara asked, her head coming out from under the covers for the first time since they went to bed.
        "I don't have the foggiest.  Stay here.  I'll go take a look!" Dave said, slipping into his slacks and not worrying about a shirt or shoes.
        "Like hell!  I'm going with you!" Dressed only in the thin white nightie, Sara ran after Dave as he rushed out the bedroom door.

*  *  *

        It was just a little after midnight, and with her heart pounding like a bass drum, Joanna pulled her old Ford Escort into the mansion's driveway.  The rain had stopped and in its place was a thick fog that seemed to get worse the nearer she got to the old house.  By the midway point down the long driveway, it had become so thick Joanna could only see about twenty feet in front of her car.  Closer to the house, it was so dense, she nearly hit Dave's rental car before jamming on her brakes at the last possible instant.  Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Joanna got out of the Escort to get a better look at the other car.  She saw the hood was up and knew right away coming here had been the right decision.
        A cool breeze brushed over Joanna and chased away the fog that had enveloped the old mansion.  As little as she was wearing, she felt the chill over every square inch of her body.  Goosebumps forming, Joanna wished she had at least worn a light jacket as she stared in fear at the tall, white, sinister looking columns on the front of the haunted old mansion.
        Joanna looked around and wondered if the couple had gone inside.  For their sake, she hoped they hadn't.  But being so late and with the rain and all, deep inside she knew they had.  And worse, they were probably in ten different kinds of trouble.  With two deep breaths to chase away her fear, she looked around for any signs of trouble and took her first step towards the front door...
        ...and was immediately caught in someone's grip from behind. 
        Joanna couldn't move.  She felt very strong hands grab her around the waist and chest, squeezing her so tightly that she couldn't breathe.  Panicking, the beautiful waitress turned her head to see who had grabbed her and nearly went into hysteria when saw there was no one there.  She was being held by some invisible . . .and very strong . . . force.
        Then something even worse happened.  Just as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, Joanna felt the invisible spectre begin to inhabit her body.  Her knees weak and her mind numb, she felt the force as it completely engulfed her, working its way right through her flimsy clothing and into the very fiber of her smooth skin.  Within seconds, Joanna's body was totally under control of the invisible entity, with only her mind being free of the powerful influence.
        No longer in control of her actions, Joanna looked around at her surroundings as though seeing them for the first time.  She looked at her own car, then over at Dave's rental with the interest of a small child.  The raised hood caught her attention.  Going over for a closer inspection of the automobile, the Joanna entity passed by the driver's window where her reflection stared back at her.
        She stood transfixed for long moments, simply staring at herself in the window.  The Joanna entity touched her face with a finger to see if the image in the glass would do the same.  Eventually, after the Joanna entity was sure that she was seeing her own image, she turned for the front door of the house.
        Upon entering the mansion, the entity paused and looked around.  An involuntary smile came to Joanna's face, for it was the entity's, not hers.  The spirit inside her was very familiar with its present surroundings, very pleased with itself at having human form once again.  This dust-covered living room had been a good part of the entity's existence for over a century and it was once again time to play games . . . deadly games.
        The entity's original intention was to inhabit the body of the female now sleeping upstairs, but she had refused to leave her partner, thus the opportunity for possession had not arisen.  Fortunately, this second female had arrived on the scene only a short time afterwards.
        Going over to the huge stone fireplace, Joanna took down a short, two-sided sword that was hanging on the wall.  She rapped the flat of the sword a dozen times on an iron rack that used to hold firewood.  The noise was appalling.  Smiling, the entity turned Joanna's body towards the stairs, hid the small sword behind her back and waited.  It wouldn't be long now.

*  *  *

        "I'm telling you, it came from inside the house!" Dave said, leading the way down the stairs, Sara hanging on to his arm.  As he looked ahead, he was glad now that he had left a few candles burning down in the living room.  The glow they now cast over the furnishings was nothing short of a godsend.  "If the noise had originated from outside the house, we wouldn't have... "  Dave stopped in mid-sentence when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye.  Bracing himself for the worse, he held his candle high and was surprised at who he saw.
        "Joanna!  What are you doing here!  How did you get here!"
        "I thought you two might be in trouble when I didn't see you back in town," she replied, still smiling with one arm hidden.  Her voice was low, sultry in nature, not at all like it had been at the diner.  "Anyway, this was on my way home and I thought I'd stop by and take a look.  After seeing your car outside with the hood up, I think I made the right decision!"
        "Damn right you did, gal!  Boy, are Sara and I glad to see you!  You think there's any chance on you taking us back to town?"
        "Maybe later.  Right now, I'd kind of like looking around a little bit.  Is that all right with you?"  The entity shifted the sword around a little as Dave drew closer.  The couple was still too far away for them to catch sight of it now.
        Dave, considering her request, took in the intense beauty of Joanna.  She was still wearing the outfit she had worn at the diner . . . short, tight skirt and a sweater that showed a lot of skin.  The outfit, along with her long, blonde hair and her seductive pose and voice confirmed his earlier assumptions about Joanna.  She was a gal who loved sex, pure and simple.
        "I don't see why not.  Sara, do you want to go ahead and get dressed while I show Joanna around?"
        "I'm going to stay right here with you two!" Sara answered, her and Dave now only a few feet away from the girl.  "Who knows what trouble you two could get into without me chaperoning!"  The tone of her voice made it clear Sara wasn't joking.  She didn't trust the two of them alone together, that much was obvious.
        "Sara!  What on Earth has gotten into you?"  Dave turned his gaze towards his agent, now completely ignoring the young, possessed temptress.  "Do you think I'd... "
        That's when it happened.
        Joanna whipped the sword out from behind her back and swung it with all her strength at Dave's head.  Sara saw it coming, and only her quick reflexes saved her client's life.  "Look out!" she screamed, pulling Dave by the arm away from Joanna.  The sharp blade missed his head by less than an inch.
        "Bitch!" the entity within Joanna screamed, it's voice now that of a man.  "For that, you die slowly!" 
        Dave, having caught his balance, had to duck another wild slash of the sword as he and Sara backed away from the crazed girl.  It all happened so suddenly, they hadn't caught on to the fact that Joanna was possessed.  They hadn't even realized yet that Joanna's voice had changed.
        "Run, Sara!" Dave yelled, backing away from the third swing of the thirty inch blade.
        Sara took off running down a corridor with Dave right on her heels.  Glancing behind them, they saw that Joanna wasn't far behind, the sword raised above her head.
        "You can't get away!  There's nowhere to run!"
        It was then that the couple heard the man's voice within Joanna and they finally understood what was happening.  "She's possessed!!" Sara gasped, not used to this much fear.  "She's not herself!"
        When they rounded a corner, Sara continued to run, but Dave had another idea.  He knew that a sword wasn't much good in tight quarters and since Joanna was relatively small, Dave decided to use his superior strength to relieve her of the weapon.  He hid just around the corner, waiting for Joanna to come rushing by.  With any luck at all, she would hear Sara's footsteps as she ran and assume he was with her.  But if the demon inside her was cautious, the remainder of his life could now be measured in seconds.
        Lady Luck was on Dave's side. Joanna rounded the corner at a dead run, never suspecting that Dave was waiting there to attack.  He saw the sword come rushing by first, at that moment he put his arm straight out in front of him and Joanna's throat caught his forearm as she came running by.  She fell heavily to the floor, her hand losing its grip on the sword.  Immediately, Dave jumped on top of her and tried to think of some way to subdue the girl.  In the end, he had Joanna on her back.  He was sitting on her chest, pinning her hands above her head. 
        "Sara!" he yelled.  "I've got her!  Come on back!"
        Joanna struggled in his grip, her legs flailing wildly in the air.  The crazed look on her face and the red glow in her eyes were dead giveaways that something possessed her.
        Sara came jogging back and, after taking in the situation, took a few seconds to lean against the wall to catch her breath.  After a moment, she decided to lighten the tension a little by saying, "See?  I told you that I couldn't leave you two alone for a second!"
        "Cut the crap, Sara, and find something we can use to tie her up!"  Dave didn't think there was anything funny about the situation.  Damned near getting killed was nothing to laugh at.
        Before Sara had a chance to leave, or even reply with a snappy comeback, something strange happened.  Joanna suddenly began jerking in a manner that suggested something was very wrong.  She was no longer trying to escape Dave's grasp, it was more like an uncontrolled twitching of her entire body.  Abruptly, the entity that had been possessing Joanna tore out of her body and vanished into the ceiling.  Its hideous, high pitched laughter was nerve shattering.
        "It was a demon!" Sara commented needlessly, staring up at the ceiling in terror.
        "Yeah, one of the fallen angels!" Dave looked down at Joanna and saw that her entire demeanor had now changed.  Instead of dementia, her face now portrayed fear and bewilderment and there was no longer any sign of the fierce red glow in her eyes.  "Joanna!  Speak to me!  Are you all right?"
        Coming back around slowly, the girl looked up at Dave, totally confused.  "W-what's happening?!  What are you doing on top of me?!"
        With a sigh of relief, Dave released the girl's arms and rose to his feet.  Sara, still not a hundred percent convinced that Joanna was no longer a threat, stood close to Dave and explained everything that had happened.  Joanna never got up from the floor.  She just laid there, her clothing in complete disarray, and listened in astonishment.
        "I just came here because I was worried about you two," she explained, sitting up with her back against the wall.  "I saw your car with the hood up and I was going to knock on the door to see if you needed anything!  That's the last thing I remember!"  Still frightened after her explanation, she brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them.
        "Now I suggest we all get in your car and get the hell outta here as fast as possible!"
        "Dave!  Dressed the way we are?!  I'm not going anywhere in this flimsy nightie!  Joanna, follow us to our room so we can get dressed!"
        "I can get the car started if you would rather have some privacy," the waitress suggested.
        "Not on your life!  Sara had the right idea all along . . . we stay together!  I have the feeling that the demon can't . . . or, for some reason, won't . . . bother us as long as we stay together."
        The three went upstairs, not really expecting anything further to happen, but on guard nonetheless.  Dave, already in slacks, talked to Joanna while he found his socks, shoes and shirt.  Sara opted to stand on the other side of a partition while she changed.  Within a minute she was back out and saw that Dave was fully dressed and ready to leave.
        "Let's get the hell out of this house!" she said, watching Dave and Joanna nod their heads in agreement.  As they exited the mansion through the front door, Sara asked, "What are you going to do about this place, Dave, now that we know it's haunted?  I can't even imagine you trying to live here now . . . are you going to try and sell it?"
        Getting into Joanna's little Escort and starting the engine, he replied, "No way anybody is going to buy this property.  I guess I'll have to keep it, but I'll be damned if this house is going to stay here.  I'm going to have it bulldozed and I'll probably wind up building another house down by the pond.  What do you say, good idea?"
        They were driving down the long driveway by the time Sara considered her answer and replied, "Yeah, real good idea!  I always did like that pond!" Sara, in the front passenger seat, was facing away from Dave, looking out the window.  No one noticed the faint red glow that suddenly appeared in her eyes.
        "What do you mean you've 'always' liked that pond?  You've never . . . !"  But by the time Dave became suspicious, it was too late.  With lightning-like speed, Sara reached over and grabbed the wheel, the car careening to the right.  Already off the road, Dave tried to pry the wheel away from the possessed Sara, but her grip and will were too strong.  The last thing Dave saw was a tree directly in the car's path.
        Upon impact with the tree, the Escort's fuel tank exploded, killing all three mortals . . . leaving only the evil entity to taunt the world with its hideous laughter.

*  *  *

        Dave and Sara woke up in a sweat and, sitting up in the bed, looked at each other with the fear painfully obvious on their faces.  Looking at his watch, Dave saw that they had only been asleep for less then an hour.  He sighed and dropped his head back to the pillow.  "You wouldn't believe the nightmare I just had," he said, trying to regain his composure.  "Joanna was here . . . and you were possessed by a... "
        "...demon!" Sara finished.  "And while it was inside me, I wrecked the car and killed us all!"
        The two looked at each other with consternation overpowering them.  How could they both have had the same dream? they wondered. And did it mean anything?
        "It's a premonition of things to come!" Sara stated, not knowing exactly why she knew that to be true.  "It's this house!  Everything we dream will become true!"
        "Come on, Sara, that's absurd!  I've never heard of such craziness!  If anything, one of us was talking in our sleep and the other picked up on the nightmare subconsciously.  That's why we were having the same dream.  Trust me, dreams don't become true just become you have them."
        "Then explain some things to me.  This house . . . didn't you say it was the one of your dreams?  And how about this nightie I'm wearing?  Remember me saying that I've always dreamt of having one just like it?  Then suddenly I find one?  And how about us down by the pond?  For over a year, I've had dreams about the two of us . . . uh, well...   Anyway, you see what I mean?"
        Dave did understand, that was the problem.  Still, his rational mind refused to accept the possibility that a simple dream could be the instigating factor for such... 
        There was a noise outside.  Dave and Sara both ran to the window and saw that the sound was made by Joanna shutting the car door on her Escort.  Checking the time on his watch again, Dave saw that it was just a little after midnight.  That meant that Joanna was arriving to check up on them after her shift was over at the diner.  The sight of her made Dave want to scream in terror.  He knew they were all about to die.  "Sara, I'm sorry! I never should have... "
        "Stupid human!  There's no need to be sorry," she replied, her voice low, menacing.  "Everything will be as it is meant to be!"  When she turned to Dave, he saw that Sara's eyes were a fierce shade of red.

The End

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E-Mail the Author at: CarlMerritt@compuserve.com