This House Is Not a Home (Scomiche) (Troyler)

Chapter 7 - Graveyard

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“Lights!”

I jumped from my sleep and sat up quickly; the memories of Catherine rushing back to me. I looked around frantically but she was nowhere to be seen. That’s when I realized Mrs. H was standing in my doorway with a worried expression on her face.

“Dear, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She said with her hand pressed to her chest. It was still dark outside. “We have a special task for you this morning. We don’t want you spreading sickness to the other boys so you’re going to be by yourself.”

Of course she had a “special task” for me. I could imagine it now. “Oh, yes, Lightsy. We’re going to lock you in the basement with all the scary ghosts and let them torture you until you snap. Then we’re going to make thousands of dollars off of it!”

“Okay?” I gave her more attitude than I meant to. “Right now?” I asked more innocently.

She smiled. “If you’re feeling up to it!”

I felt like I was dying, but I got up anyway. There was no way I was going to fall back asleep after my dream last night. Catherine was Gregory’s mother, and that’s why he was at the orphanage. Why hadn’t Claudette told me that? Maybe all Gregory wanted was to be reunited with his Mom.

But Catherine. She was terrifying. I got chills as I thought about her face in front of mine. It was just a nightmare, but it was a sign. She wanted me to stop. I was one step away from listening to her but I promised Gregory I would help him.

“What am I doing today, Mrs. H?” I asked her as she led me down the stairs. All the lights on the first floor were turned on and I could hear Claudette and Rose cleaning.

“Today you have a special task!” She said happily. “The boys will be in the garage doing laundry so you’ll have some peace and quiet too!”

“It’s the basement, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Why yes!”

Of course it is.

She led me to the door and turned to smile at me. “I had you clean it when you first got here and it still looks immaculate. I just want you to dust and tidy up…also…” She opened the door. “In the side room where our heater is, there are some more items that need arranging. We have the heater going so it’ll be nice and comfortable for you down there. Just tidy up until breakfast and take it easy! Now, we need someone to do your laundry…”

“Blue already took my hamper for me.” I said. “How many rooms are in the basement?”

“Just two.” She answered quickly.

I watched her expression and furrowed my eyebrows. She looked worried about my questions, but she shook it off and shooed me down there. I took a look back to where Claudette was standing at the counter. She looked at me with concern as Mrs. H shut the door.

I stepped into the basement and sighed as I looked at the neat stacks of junk that I’d arranged my first day here. It was pointless to be down here, at least to me. They were anxious to get some ghosts after me, but I wasn’t going to let them know about any of it.

I stepped forward towards the bookcase where that hid the secret passage and heard the main heater getting louder as I stepped closer. I looked to the right and saw the room was lit up for me, so I stepped inside and shivered as I did. It may have been warm, but it was small and creepy. It looked like the original architecture of the main building. Even the floors were still just dirt.