Across the pond

What the hell is in the attic?

Sam was busy cleaning and organising his room. He found this fun and relaxing, the perfect thing after a stressful day at school. He had his window open and could hear the sounds of distant traffic and the gentle wind blustering through, making his curtains dance.

Mr Birch had helped him put up a shelf after him and Nick had returned from school, Sam was placing a few of the nick-nacks Mrs Birch had gotten him on it.

"This place is really starting to come together" Benji commented, sat on Sam's bed "the IT poster across from your bed is a good choice, but you're gonna have Pennywise staring at you while you're getting down with yourself-"

"Can you not?" Sam looked over at him "I don't want to think about that stuff right now"

"Ok ok fine" Benji picks at his nails "Hay if Pennywise is a shape shifter do you think he can change the size of his dick"

"He changes into peoples worst fear so unless someone is scared of a really big di- Benji what the fuck" Sam looked over, realising what he was saying "you know those are like my favourite movies.. and book" he tried to stop himself from chuckling from the absurdity "remember the rule"

"Yeah yeah no dirty talk about special interests" he sighed sarcastically

Sam got down from the desk chair he was standing on "good". He put the chair back where it belonged, bumping into the desk as he did so. This caused some of the neatly lined up pens to move

"No no no no no that's not where they go!" Teto buzzed loudly

"Four neat pens in a line four neat pens in a line four neat pens in a line four neat pens in a line four neat pens in a line. You know what'll happen" Two other Tetos buzzed around his head until he fixed the pens. They stopped

Sam took some deep breaths "that was close"

"I gotta get some mosquito spray" Benji walked over and put his hand on Sam's shoulder.

Suddenly there was some crashes upstairs in the attic, Sam jumped "what-" he breathed "who's upstairs?"

"I dunno.. I mean Diane and Elliot are in their room.. could be Judd that kid seems like an attic kid. Or a opossum"

"I.." Sam takes a deep breath "don't think they pronounce the o in opossum here" he opened the door and creeped towards the attic door. He stands in front of the door, listening. He heard laughter, but it didn't sound like any of the family members. Sam began to hyperventilate a little

"Someone broke in through the attic. They are laughing like a madman!!! They probably have a knife or or a GUN" Teto screamed

"Sam? You.. ok?" Nick asked, he has appeared behind Sam

"Theres someone in the attic-" he whispered "go get Elliot and Judd"

"Oh, don't worry" Nick opened the attic door "that's just Duke"

Sam was still panicking "who?" He whispered

Nick walked up the stairs "Duuke!Come meet Sam"

Sam cautiously followed Nick upstairs the attic was dark and there were piles of boxes from floor to ceiling. Old couches and ironing boards sat in the corner accompanied by a old piano.

A bright blue light came from behind the piano, in the light there was a man that Sam recognised from the cover of Elliotts jazz records, it was Duke Ellington. He apparition laughed "Sam the man! How are ya, my name is Duke Ellington, I'm a"

"Ghost" Sam looked at him

"Yes... You don't seem freaked out"

"I've seen ghosts before.. there was one in my old group home" Sam explained

"Really?" Nick asked "cool!" This made Duke roll his eyes a bit

"Yeah.. there was a fire back in the 70s, a kid died" Sam sat on an old mattress

"Poor kid. Say how's England? I haven't been there in years"

"Uh.. same old I guess.." Sam shrugged

"You know when I was alive I wrote a song about this girl I met in England, I'll show you" Duke flew over to the piano and started to tap on the keys, playing a tune.

Sam listened politely, jazz wasn't really his thing but he didn't want to be rude.

***

Duke went on to play them five more songs until Nick told him that Sam and him needed to go to bed.

"Yeah" Sam yawned "thanks for playing for us Mr Ellington" he said following Nick down the stairs

"Your welcome my boy" Duke chuckled.

The boys made their way back to the hall. Nick turned around "oh hay I've been meaning to ask you, do you not like Jay? You never sit with us anymore"

Sam rubbed his eye "look I'm sure you like him but I can't really deal with him right now.. he's feral"

"That's just cus he's not jerking off, you'll like him when he starts again"

Sam made a face "I didn't need to know that-"

"I did" Benji chuckled, making Sam give him a death stare

"When he's less.. crazy I'll give him another shot ok?'' Sam  shrugged "ok im really tired so, g'night"

"Night" Nick walked into his room, checking his phone.

Sam creped back into his room and collapsed onto his bed "fuuuuuuuck"

"Sorry mate you're not my type" Benji chuckled, joking around

"Yeah I hope so" Sam got under the covers. He stared at the ceiling trying to relax. He continued to stare for half an hour before finally drifting off to sleep