The Man in the Water
by R. L. Barrett
The stars shined brightly over an old house in New Hartford,
Connecticut. Kelly laid in an old, luxurious bed next to her husband
John, as she sat up reading a book. Kelly had short dark brown hair to
her neck. Her blue pajamas were silky. A picture of John and Kelly
together smiling, sat under the bright lamp on the side table next to
her. John had the TV remote in his hand while watching the television.
John had short light brown hair and wore circular glasses.
“You know Kelly, it's amazing how well that flat screen TV works after
these past few years even after we've knocked it over a few times.”
said John.
“I know what you mean John. We've worked hard for what we have. I still
say it looks good on my TV stand,” she said.
“Well, you're the doctor and I'm the lucky surgeon to marry you.”
replied John.
“That was a good price on that TV stand too. The price was up there
higher than what I bargained for but, the TV stand looks good.” said
John.
John continued to watch the weather as the weather reporter spoke of
heavy rain throughout the week and that the rain may come down thicker
than usual do to the weather inconsistencies.
“You know, I was thinking...I would like to start a family in this
house-have kids.” said Kelly.
John looked at Kelly.
“Yeah, I mean we have a nice house and we should start a family hear.
We've been married for a whole year. This is a perfect time for it. I'm
sorry I didn't bring this up sooner. I got caught up in looking for the
right house that I forgot to discuss this with you more.”
Kelly smiles.
“You know, I did forget to tell you something about this house. It does
have a little bit of history to it. This Victorian House was built back
in 1867. A man named James Peterson, who was an explorer, lived here
but somehow, he disappeared. He discovered many Egyptian artifacts, and
a few in Europe.”
“Well, you've always been a history buff.”
“Well, I'm a surgeon and we can add history buff to the list.” he
giggled.
John raised the remote and turned off the TV. He places the remote on
the side table. The sound of thunder shook the house and lightning
flashed through the windows of the room. John heard a banging sound in
the distance.
“Hey, can you hear that?” asked John.
“Yeah, I do. I wonder what it is.” she replied.
*****
He slowly sat up and stood up. He was tall and wore red pajamas. He
started to slowly walk through the upstairs hallway of the house. He
continued to hear the slight banging and continued in the direction of
it. He looked to his left at the window and noticed a small cloud of
frosty air form on the glass from someone exhaling, and the words "my
house" were written in the steam. John was slightly startled and
took a step back.
The words dissipated. John continued down the staircase towards the
banging.
*****
John entered the living room and a loud clash of thunder and lightning
shook and slightly brightened the room. John noticed a picture of Mr.
Peterson and his unsettling upward stare into the distance, laying on
the floor, resting against the wall. John felt uncomfortable with the
picture as Mr. Peterson appeared to be gazing at him. Suddenly, an old
man's snarling voice whispered the words “My house!”, into the air. John was startled. He continued onward towards the sound.
*****
An old rotted door slowly opened. The weak hallway light shined down on the staircase. The banging sound grew stronger.
*****
The basement was dark while a light bulb shining a dim light, partially
revealed the pipes running in the basement. Water gushed out of the
pipes, and some water dripped on a pipe below creating a slight banging
sound.
“That's where it's coming from.”
The floor was slightly flooded.
“This is a mess.” he said in disgust.
Suddenly, the water started to climb upwards, forming a tall, heavy set
old man, with a thick, dirty, bushy beard. John squinted his eyes at
the water. The water revealed a pair of angry blood shot eyes that
opened and looked upward at John. John was in shock and flinched. The
old man snarled out loud and the water lashed out at John.
John fell into the water as it grew deeper. The old man grabbed onto
John's neck chocking him while the angry man stared at John in anger
and yelled. John grabbed onto his hands trying to release himself from
the old man's grip as he yelled and struggled. The man continued to
yell as he choked John. John finally released himself from the man's
grip, and rose out of the water.
He looked to his left and right. He was frightened while gasping for air.
“Kelly! Kelly!”
John slowly stood up resting up against the wall. The water rose again,
forming the old man and he raised his arm into the air. The water
combined to form a knife in his hand, and ice accumulated as it formed
the sharp blade. Kelly ran down the stairs and approached John from
behind. The old man lashed out at John, slashing at his chest twice.
Blood started to pour from his slash wounds and thickened as it poured
out. John fell onto the floor yelling. Kelly screamed. The old man
raised his knife towards Kelly and the water lashed out towards her.
Kelly fell into the deep water, and she hit the floor with the side of
her face.
“Kelly! Kelly!” yelled John.
The water level started to lower and headed towards the drains. John
hurried to Kelly's aid. Kneeled down and lifted her into his arms.
“Kelly, wake up. Kelly!”
Kelly was unconscious.
A snarling voice whispered the words “My house!” in the air.
*****
John and Kelly sat at the glass table in the kitchen. They were both
eating breakfast while it was pouring outside. Kelly wore her pajamas
and John wore a white t-shirt and jeans. John looked at Kelly.
“Well, the police and the doctors thought we were nuts when we
explained to them what happened. I don't know how to explain to them
what we saw.” said John.
“We didn't see anything.”
“Hey, we both saw the same thing. That person, or thing...or the man in
the water came after us. I saw it and you saw it, and I'm going out to
do some research today to prove it.” said John.
“Research what? It's all a bunch of hocus-pocus talk.” replied Kelly
“You can deny it if you want. I'm leaving.” replied John.
John left the table and headed out the door. Kelly continued to eat her breakfast.
*****
Later, Kelly was in the shaded living room watching the rain pour down
the window. Kelly turned around towards a slight splatter sound behind
her. Quite a few drops of water fell to the floor. She looked up and
noticed a slight water leak coming from the ceiling.
Kelly sighed and turned her attention towards the window. Kelly
screamed when a pair of eye lids opened and a pair of angry blood shot
eyes reflected on her face in the window. A voice whispered and snarled
the words; my house close to her. Water started to leak through the
corner of the window and the water rose and formed the man in the
water. The man in the water raised his arms and the ice formed the
blade to his knife and he lunged at her.
Kelly screamed and ran towards the kitchen. The water on the floor near
the kitchen window formed the old man, and he lunged at her again with
his knife. The knife struck the left side of her face, slicing it open.
She placed her hands over her face to cover it as she fell to the
floor. Blood dripped in the water on the floor.
“What do you want from us?” she yelled.
A small wave of water formed to arms lifting her off the floor, and
slammed her on the glass table, shattering it. Her eyes were shut. Her
face and hands were sliced. The man in the water approached her and
raised his knife. The front door quickly opened. All of the water ran
down the drain in the sink.
“Kelly, I found something.” said John.
John locked the door in a heartbeat and noticed Kelly laying on her stomach on the pile of glass.
“Kelly...no!”
He ran to her aid.
*****
It was windy out during the night. Occasional gusts of wind blew the
rain everywhere. Kelly and John were cuddled together on the bed.
“Well, you spent a few nights in the hospital, and it's good to see that your looking better.” said John.
Kelly was staring off.
“You know something, we've been married and I really wanted to start a
family in this house. Now, I'm not so sure about it.”
“Hey, I love you and we can still start a family here. Let me show you something.” replied John.
John sat up and grabbed his lap top computer lying next to him. Kelly
sat up too. John typed on the computer and a picture of an explorer
appeared on the screen.
“This is James Peterson. I mentioned him to you about a week and a half
ago. He came home one night after being gone for about a few months,
and his wife was having an affair. He killed the guy she was with, and
then he stabbed his wife multiple times, then he sliced his own throat.”
“Oh-my god. Don't tell me anymore.” replied Kelly.
“He is haunting this house and there is a picture of him down stairs. I
thought I recognized him in the picture but I couldn't place it. He's
here, and he killed his wife in this house. I'm going to figure out a
way to get rid of him.” he said strongly.
Kelly stared across the room in silence.
“You know what-it's raining out, and it's windy, and I would just like
to relax and take a nice shower, and have a restful night like any
normal person.”
“He might show up in the water.” said John.
“I just want one shower. It will be quick and over with.” she said sternly.
Kelly walked into the bath room and kept the door partially open. Kelly
turned on the water. She stared at the water spraying out. The water
just sprayed down. She continued to stare. Nothing appeared.
She turned the water off and then back on again. The water sprayed out.
She continued to stare at the water. John sat on the bed and heard two
loud banging noises from the basement. Kelly was in the shower and
enjoying the water touching the front of her face.
She stood in the water for a moment and turned around. John opened the
rotted basement door. The hallway light shined down on the stairs
revealing his shadow. John stared down towards the bottom of the stairs
where the light barely broke the dark. The bottom half of a man
appeared very faint standing under some dripping pipes, and then walked
away further into the dark.
“Oh- geez!”
John ran through the living room.
“Kelly, Kelly get out of the shower! Get out of the water!” he yelled.
The water touched down on Kelly's back. She was rubbing the water
backwards though her hair while her eyes were closed. She opened her
eyes to her shadow appearing on the tiles and turned around. The old
man raised his knife and jabbed at Kelly. Three small blotches of blood
splattered onto her shadow.
John hurried up the stairs. Kelly dashed out of the shower and snatched
her pajamas from the toilet lid. She fell on the bedroom floor. James
raised his hand and aimed at the window. The steam formed on the
outside of the window, and continued around the house to the front door
and turned into thick ice.
John entered the bedroom.
“Oh my god-you're hurt.” he said sternly.
She had three stab wounds near her collar bone. She tried to put on her pajamas and John quickly helped her.
“C'mon!”
John carried her down the stairs as lightning flashed through the
windows. The sound of thunder shook the house. He carried her into the
living room and stopped while protecting her. James Peterson stood in
the middle of the living room where the water continued to leak
tremendously from the ceiling to the floor. A large crack in the
ceiling started to spread and more water leaked.
James lashed out after John trying to stab him. John pushed Kelly away from him.
“Kelly, run!”
James stabbed John in the chest and he yelled. John fought through the water. Kelly was on the floor and she looked up.
“John!” she screamed.
She got up and jumped through the water and landed on the floor. John
used his arm to block the icy blade and broke his skin.
“Kelly, run! Save yourself!”
An immense amount of water gushed through the ceiling and started to
flood the house. Kelly rammed into the front door. John was stabbed
five times and the blood started to fill the water. The whole house
filled with water while John and Kelly floated in it. The snarling
voice yelled; “My house!”.
The house exploded. John and Kelly went flying in the air and hit the
ground hard. Debris from the house had flown everywhere. John was dead
with his eyes open. Kelly slowly woke up.
She noticed John at a distance from her and crawled to him. The water
on the ground came together and crawled upward, forming James
Patterson. Suddenly, Carbon Dioxide was sprayed all over him. He was
frozen. Kelly smashed him with the fire extinguisher and the ice
shattered everywhere.
Kelly continued to smash his body. She bent over to catch her breath.
She looked around and slowly stood straight up. She stared at the
scattered debris from the house.
“My house.”
THE END
© 2020 R. L. Barrett
Bio: I grew up in Livonia Michigan, and currently reside in
Redford Michigan. I have always enjoyed writing and developing creative
ideas to write great characters and create unique stories.
Comment on this story in the Aphelion Forum
Return to Aphelion's Index page.
|
