Danse Macabre

Chapter One

Nick walked through yet another potential home. He hoped this would be the one as its location was ideal. Close to shops, close to transportation, and most importantly, close to the music studio where he worked. The house seemed perfect, even if it needed a little work. Deep in his heart, he hoped that would be the one that worked out.

Within a matter of days, his offer on that house had been accepted by the soon-to-be former owners, the mortgage obtained to pay for it, and the movers hired. By the start of October, Nick would be living in his new house.

On October 1st, the moving lorry arrived at the newly purchased house. Nick directed the burly men, moving his furniture precisely where to put each piece. Boxes were clearly marked to which room they belonged and placed in their spots. It took the entire day, but Nick's furniture and treasures were at least inside his new abode. It would take him weeks, but soon enough, every single thing would be in its proper place. Let the unpacking begin!

Whilst working in what would become a spare bedroom, Nick thought he saw something move just out of the corner of his eye. He looked to the spot, and there was, of course, nothing. Must be a trick of the light, he thought as he turned back to the box he was working in. Yet when he turned to the bookcase with a handful of books, he saw something dart in the periphery of his vision.

"I saw that," he announced to the empty room but received no response. As if he expected one.

Over the next few days, Nick settled his belongings and decided to throw a small gathering of friends to see his new house. Mainly just the other members of his band Duran Duran and their significant others.

The night of the party, Nick's friends all said they loved the house, even if it needed some work. Nick assured them he would soon bring in someone to go through the house and bring it to his standards. His ideas might take time, but they would make the house truly his.

Nick was standing in the basement with his longest friend, John Taylor, who was the other founding member of his band, Duran Duran. They were discussing Nick's plans to make the space a wine cellar. As Nick explained his ideas, John pointed out the dampness in the ceiling.

"Ah, yes. I do know that plaster must come down. I was thinking of leaving the beams exposed for a more rustic look," Nick said, making John lightly laugh.

"You? Going rustic? That's got to be new for you," John teased.

"I like the idea of the exposed wood. With a dark stain, it might be lovely," Nick argued, and John agreed.

"That one stain on the floor is super dark," John pointed out.

"Yes, but no one knows anything about it. I'll make sure it is removed with the rest," Nick assured him as they headed for the stairs.

Not a week later, on October 30th, Nick had a restoration crew in the basement to begin the needed work in the space. They said they would first demo the old, stained plaster, access any underlying issues, and move forward from there.

With the first swing of a hammer into the plaster, everything went awry. Tools either malfunctioned or went missing. Two workers had strange mishaps that sent them to hospital. Bizarre noises were heard when there should have been none. What was going on?

The workers continued to try to demolish the plaster, hoping to try to accomplish that for the day at least, and while they were still hampered, they did succeed. They soon swept up and left for the night.

That evening, Nick sat in his lounge with a glass of red wine. He was writing down ideas he'd had for new songs. He hoped to present the ideas the next day. Hopefully, the others would be pleased. Simon, in particular, could get his feathers ruffled if the others suggested lyrics.

The next day was Halloween - his favorite holiday. He and his girlfriend usually dressed up in costumes, and this year would be no different. In fact, they were dressing as vampires. He had a lovely silk cape and top hat to pair with his planned outfit. She would do their ghastly makeup. They would look smashing.

As Nick's mind turned, he thought of his last conversation with the work foreman mere hours before. The man told him of strange goings on while they tore down the plaster in the cellar. The crew had been hampered all day by mishaps and mistakes. The foreman had said he'd never seen anything like it. His crew was usually so safe and careful. Yet, from the first crash of plaster to the floor, everything had gone terribly wrong. They had barely gotten anything accomplished.

Nick wondered what could be wrong. What was causing the issues? Was it bad luck? Mercury Retrograde? He didn't think so. His mind then turned to the occult. Was there some sort of spell on the place? A curse? Or was his house haunted? If the latter was true, he wanted to explore it. With that thought, he put down his wine glass, got to his feet, and went to the spare bedroom he was currently using for storage.

He began rummaging in the boxes there, looking for something he would use to help him rule out a haunting. At least, he hoped it would. He was looking for one specific item: his Ouija board. If he could find it, he could use it to contact any spirits within the house and tell it/them not to harm the workmen. Tell it/them to let the workers do their job. He could even tell the spirits he meant them no harm as long as they did the same for him. He wouldn't mind sharing his home with a spirit or two.

"Ah ha! There you are," Nick said as he pulled the box containing the Ouija board out of its hiding spot.

Nick looked at the worn cardboard box with its colorful printing with fondness. He remembered the day this particular Ouija board had come into his parents' toy shop in Birmingham. It had initially come in a shipment decades ago, and after displaying it in their shop window for a time, it sold. He'd been so disappointed when he saw it gone from the window. Someone had bought it for their child, thinking it was a board game. Once they realized it was an item used to talk to the dead, the super-religious person returned it to the toy shop. Nick's parents couldn't sell it as it was opened and used, so he gladly took possession of it.

He had used the Ouija board many times over the years with varying success. It was his best mate, John - then Nigel - with whom he'd had the best results. Perhaps he should have John come over so they could conduct an impromptu seance. And with the next day being All Hallows Eve - the night the veil between this world and the next thins - it could be a perfect opportunity.