31 Days Of Halloween

Childhood Memories

When I was a girl I believed my house to be haunted. My hair was always pulled,  my dresses ripped, my heels would go missing, and I would wake up bruised and battered.

When I left the house at 18 the hauntings stopped. Then my estranged mother who owned the house died a few years following, they said it was due to her drinking, I say it's due to the house...

She left me the house. In her will it stated "To my darling daughter, Ella-Marie. May you start your family in the house, like I did. Love always, your mommy."

I want nothing to do with it. I want to burn it down, nuke it, put a crater in the Earth where it once stood. I don't do that do. I clean the house of my mother's hoardering. Boxes stack to the ceiling,  fast food trash, garbage upon garbage, litter boxes that have never been changed, neglected cats and their feral kittens. I had to get rid of it all.

I remember stepping into my old room. Left just the way she had it. Princess pink wallpaper with flowers, pink bedspread, and other pink furnishings. I'll sell my bedroom furniture, the rest outside this room is unsellable.

I go to leave and something tug on my shirt, "Ella?"

I ignore them. Another harder tug ripping my shirt some,  "Ella!"

I exhale harshly out my nose, "My name is Thomas!" I make my voice boom, having delt with my mother for years I was use to hearing Ella.

"Dont you want to play with us?" there was giggling.

"No I want to clean." I replied to the empty room. I sigh and run my hand through my hair. I've gone crazy.. haven't I?

I turn on my heels and I get another tug, "Play?"

"No." I shove at the air, "I'm twenty-two now. I don't have time to play."

I lug a box and take it downstairs. I'm barely halfway down before the box is taken from my hands and floated downstairs and stacked with the other boxes that need to be gone through. I start to head back upstairs but boxes are sailing over my head and being sorted through before I can speak or move .
By the end of December the house was back in shape.  I got the smell of cigarettes and cat piss out. Costed me about 20K to get everything replaced and repaired.

As it creeps in to 2015, I'm standing in my childhood home. Key clutch in my hand, "Guys," I shout, "Thank you all for your help!"

The room got chilly I can feel a ache in my chest the colder it got, "You have made the house sellable. You are going to get a new owner."

I cold icy slap hit my face,  "I'm sorry I need to pay off my debts."

There was mumbles and hisses. I think they understand as I put my hat and coat on, "Thanks for the memories even if some of them weren't so great."

I step outside and lock the door. I grip the door knob staring at the old key in my hand.... I don't think I can sell this house.