Lost Souls

19

Mr. Rusk woke up with a start. He was lying on his back with cold sweat trickling down his temples. Beside him, Grace slept soundly, and obviously hadn't experienced the strange pulling sensation that had roused her husband.

​Sliding out of bed, he ambled over to the large bay window, and sat down on the red velvet cushions that lined the edging.

Outside the garden looked still, apart from the odd leaf or small twig blowing across the lawn or gravel driveway. The moon shone brightly, sending silvery illuminations down, that painted the landscape in a ghostly shade, and made many solid objects appear metallic.

​Mr. Rusk glanced down at his wrists, and noticed the slight reddening on his skin. As he made circular movements with both, he could feel where the hands had grabbed him and hauled him back from his subconscious.

​He couldn't be sure if he'd dreamt the fiery eyes that had stared down on him, or if they'd really been hovering over his bed, agitatedly staring at him. What was real, were the marks on his skin, and he now worried that the strange happenings in the house had started to cause physical harm. He didn't want to stay in Dovecot Manor if his children or wife were going to be in any danger, nor did he understand why the sexless child who'd wanted him to get out of bed, had felt it necessary to inflict pain to do it.

​As thoughts bounced around his head, like rubber balls in a tumble drier, he heard a voice shouting. He couldn't make out what was being said, but the tone was definitely male, and filled with anger. Seconds later he heard the unmistakable sounds of several children crying.

​Jumping to his feet, the pain in his wrists forgotten, Michael Rusk rushed out of his bedroom, scanned the hallway, saw nothing, and then sprinted downstairs, using the banister to prevent him from falling.

​As he reached the bottom, he saw Katie standing there. "Did you hear that?" he asked her hopefully.

​"Yes. I couldn't sleep, so came down for a drink. It was a man shouting at some children. They'd been singing dad. It was horrible."

​Katie's father hugged her tightly, before showing her his wrists. "One of the kids got me out of bed. They actually hurt me doing it. Now I know why. They wanted me to hear what happened."

​"Maybe they thought you could stop it dad," Katie suggested eagerly.

​"I don't think that was it Katie. I believe it was a chance to hear some of what these children went through. The more time we spend here the more I realise we have an abuse case to look into."

​Katie's face paled. "Do you think the children were murdered then?"

​Her father frowned. "I doubt it was a deliberate act. I think maybe they died from neglect, or in an accident."

​"How will we prove that?"Katie asked doubtfully.

​"Honestly, I haven't got a clue," her father shrugged.

​Katie thought for a moment. "If we can find some of the bodies, then maybe the police will find evidence of the neglect."

​"That's a possibility. If we can get a date when they died, we might be able to find the person or persons responsible."

​"It has to be the Galbraith family. They owned the house, and it was their idea to have the children here after the war. Mr. Galbraith fled to Australia when the kids died. He knew he would be arrested if he stayed here."

​Her father sighed heavily. "We have to be very careful with what we say Katie. It might be that the Galbraith's weren't even here when the children died. Maybe it was the staff they'd hired. Maybe they weren't properly qualified and didn't know what to do when the children grew sick. Perhaps they died because their carers were ignorant to their needs."

​Katie rubbed a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's probably worse dad. I mean if the children could have been saved by proper medical attention."

​Mr. Rusk rubbed his daughter's shoulder lovingly. "The medical profession wasn't what it is now. Besides, we're only guessing at the moment. We don't have any evidence to support either theory."

​"Yet!" Katie said stubbornly.

​"Yet," her father agreed.

​"I won't be able to sleep tonight. Do you fancy a drink?" Katie asked.

​"Yeah, might as well have a hot chocolate and wait for daylight now. If we tell your mum what we've heard, then I'm sure she'll be all for knocking down that wall."

​"I'm really nervous about it now. I don't know how I'll feel if we do find anything. I'm even less certain how I'll be if there's nothing there."

​"I know. Whatever happens, it's going to be a tense affair, that's for certain," her father said, as he refilled the kettle, and Katie dropped the hot chocolate powder into a pair of mugs.

​"Do you think Alex will be okay?" she asked.

​"Yeah. He's a big lad now. He had a terrible fright yesterday, but I'm sure after a good nights sleep, he'll be able to understand he's in no danger."

​"We can't be certain of that though can we?"

​"No, we can't," her father said quietly.

​Katie was silent for a long time, prompting her father to ask, "Penny for your thoughts honey."

​Katie smiled. "I was thinking what if we're wrong. What if something else happened to the children?"

​Her father frowned. "What do you mean sweetheart?"

​Katie sighed and pulled a thoughtful face. "Suppose the house is really haunted, but by evil spirits. What are the chances that they killed the kids, and we're going to be next?"

​It was Mr. Rusk's turn to be quiet. He had no answer to his oldest daughters question and that worried him immensely.