W B Aodh Gothic Ghost Stories

The Night Visitor

Wet mist covered the empty streets and the streetlights low glow casted shadows everywhere. The only sound Sophia heard was her own footsteps as she rushed down the street. Sophia had missed the train and had to wait another hour for the next one. Why the service was cut back after seven, when there were still workers making their way home was an enigma to her. She had called Jill to let her know she was running late. That it would be close to eight-thirty before she could collect Max.

Sophia shivered as Christmas lights in gardens sparked ghostly streaks of reds and blues over the street and huddled further into her coat. When she reached the bottom of the street, she turned the corner, crossed the road, and opened a garden gate. Jill opened the door on her first knock.

'Come in, Sophia. Have a drink.'

Sophia stepped into the warm house and slipped out of her coat. 'Hi, Max. Sorry, I'm late,' she said

Max never glanced at his mother as he continued to play a game on the tablet. A gift from his father, last Christmas. 'That's okay,' he said.

'Everything okay?' Jill asked, passing Sophia a mug of tea.

Sophia swallowed her tea voraciously, then nodded, knowing it was not the truth. If she was honest with herself, she was grateful for the delay of returning to her home. 'I'm just irritated I missed the train. It's not too bad in the summer when I do.'

Sophia glanced to the window. Although the room was warm a shiver passed through her. 'In the winter, it's not as much fun.' Sophia chuckled, 'It's strange how familiar we are with places we live. That shadows don’t mean a thing. Yet in the winter the landscape we are familiar with, changes.’

'How we see shadows against walls knowing it's a tree, we see monsters,' Jill said.

Sophia nodded, thinking of the shadow she had seen as she stepped into Jill's garden. A shadow she has seen constantly for the past four weeks; ever since the dark nights drew in at four in the evening. However, Sophia was not seeing the shadow just on the street. She was seeing it in her home. To date, she has not mentioned it to anyone. 'The Clines, how long did they live in my house before they decided to sell?' she asked.

Jill glanced at Sophia, then looked into her mug and stared at her half-drunk tea as she shrugged. 'Eighteen months, I think.'

'Why did they sell it so cheap?' Sophia asked.

'They wanted a quick sale, - You know when Hannah received the job offer, they were so happy about it.
'She ever mentioned anything strange about the house?'

Jill shook her head. 'I had very little to do with them. I think they bought the place with the intention of renovating it, but never had the money.'

Sophia nodded. That was what drew her to the house. That she would be able to leave her own imprint on it. The money she saved on the price had been used to replace the main doors and windows. The heating system was old and needed replacing. In the lounge, there was an open fire Sophia never used. At the moment, there was a Calor gas stove standing in the space to help heat the room. The pipes rumbled every time the heating was switched on. This was why Sophia was coming home late, putting in extra time at work: to save money to install new radiators next summer.

'I get that. I still need to replace the bathroom and kitchen. - God knows when that will be. I've replaced the woodwork, and doors to Max’s room and the lounge, as well as decorated them. In the New Year, I'm planning to modernise my bedroom. Thank goodness the Clines replaced the stairs and electrics.'

'The house was in pretty bad shape,' Jill said.

'What about the previous owners to the Clines?'

'Mrs Price died. Ted Price was unable to cope on his own, so his family moved him into a care home,' Jill said. 'You're asking a lot of questions about the house?'

Sophia shrugged. 'Shadows. How different they look in the winter,' she said, standing while looking at Jill. 'Have you ever heard any tales about the house?'

Sophia had grown up on urban legends. Every neighbourhood had them. Before she moved, she lived on the outskirts of a small town. A wood could be seen from her bedroom window, and there were rumours witches gathered, a coven and did strange things. But no one believed the rumours. Children played in the wood. People walked their dogs, and no one came home hurt.

Jill shook her head. 'Sorry, nothing. The Clines never mentioned anything. The Prices kept to themselves.'

'Okay,' Sophia said. 'Come on, Max - Time for bed.'

'Five minutes, Mum. I've just got this level to finish.'

'Come on. Jill needs some peace.'

Max rolled his eyes as he shuffled into a sitting position and searched for his trainers. 'See you Monday, Jill,’ he said,

'Thanks again, Jill,' Sophia said.

'Call in for a coffee over the weekend,' Jill said.

Sophia nodded as she stepped outside. Although her home was five doors down across the road, she fastened her coat and pulled her collar up. The mist was growing thicker, and a chill ran through her body.
'I'll race you, Mum,' ten-year-old Max said, dashing towards the road.

Sophia glanced down the misty road. It was silent, but she still said, 'Check the road, Max. Then cross.'

'It's clear,' he said as he ran across the road.

Sophia followed at a more sedate pace. When she reached the gate, Max stood waiting, peering down the path.

'Everything okay,' Sophia asked as she peered into the mist, which was clearer in her immediate vision, but denser a little further away, making it impossible for her to see what Max was looking at.
'Yeah, I thought I saw a girl standing at the door - But she's not there anymore,' he said.

Sophia glanced towards the front door. Then looked around the small front garden as she opened the gate. Although her stomach fluttered, she saw nothing alarming. 'There's no one there, Max.' Sophia did not want to frighten the child, but she still had to know. 'Have you seen anyone hanging around the house,' she asked as she opened the front door.

Max slipped his coat off and hung it on the coat rack as he kicked his trainers off. 'No.' Then he stopped and looked at Sophia. 'I might have - But I thought it was a dream.'

'When did you see them,' she asked, stopping as she reached the kitchen door. 'And what did you see?'
'A girl.' Max frowned. 'I think it was the same girl I just saw outside.'

Sophia glanced around the hall. Then her gaze flickered up the stairs. 'Where did you see her?' she asked.

Max shrugged. 'In the hallway.' His voice trembled as he stared up the stairs. 'Who is she, Mum?'

Sophia came to stand beside her son. 'I don't know - How often have you seen her?'

Max shrugged. 'I don't know. Two, maybe three times.' Max's trembling stopped and he smiled, exposing small white teeth. 'Do we have a ghost, Mum? Wait ‘till I tell everyone at school.’ He glanced at the stairs then back at Sophia. 'Do you think she's here now. Where do you think she could be - How did she die. Was she murdered. Is that why she's haunting our house?'

'I don't know.' Sophia looked at Max. 'You're fine the house might be haunted?'

Max turned to the stairs as he nodded. 'Sure. It'll make me one of the cool kids at school.' He smiled at Sophia. 'She's got to be okay. She's not hurt me. Only looked at me. That's why I thought she was a dream.'

Sophia listened to the outside world as she drank her wine. Max had gone to bed excited, but easily. She had no idea how long he stayed awake but when she checked on him thirty minutes ago, he was sound asleep. The church bell rang as she glanced at her watch, eleven-fifteen. Once she finished her drink she would go to bed.
Christmas was a week away and she had plenty to do. She tapped her fingers against her glass. This was her first Christmas without Toby. If she was to see a ghost, why could it not be him? It's ten months since the accident which killed him. Eight months since she sold the house she shared with him because she could no longer afford the mortgage.

The night noise surrounded Sophia as she stared at the star lights on the tree. She hated the flashing setting as they gave her a headache, and never used them. Her gaze turned to the small tree at the other end of the lounge. Although they were an expense she could ill-afford, when she came across the princess carriage lights, lights she remembered from her childhood, on the auction site, she had bought them.

Max and she put the tree up the last Saturday of November. This was the first year she had decorated the house early. Usually, she left it until a week before Christmas, but now Toby was no longer with them, she was creating new traditions for her and Max.

Sophia's eyes were growing heavy and began to close. She really should take herself off to bed, but she was cosy. The fluffy duck-blue throw covering her legs and lower body kept her warm. The church bells chimed again, eleven-thirty. She would go to bed in a moment, Sophia thought, placing her empty glass on the carpet next to the sofa. Another change she had made. The old house had wooden floors. The carpet added warmth to a room which was difficult to heat. Yes, next year, a new heating system is what she shall install, she thought as her eyes closed.

Sophia was unsure what woke her, but what she knew, she was cold, and her body was stiff. As her eyes adjusted in the semi-dark room, Sophia spotted a shadow by the tree. 'Max?'

There was no answer. However, now her eyes had grown accustomed to the shadows, she could tell it was not her son, but the shadow of the young girl. Sophia looked around her. As she sat up, the blanket dropped to her knees and the girl turned to her. As Sophia stared, she forgot how to breathe as her heart upped its tempo.

The girl, dressed in a kilt skirt, and a green knit jumper with an argyll yoke, stepped closer. 'Where are they?' she asked.

Sophia gasped. Her mouth opened then closed. 'Who?' Her voice caught in her throat as she breathed. 'Where are who?' she asked.

'Mam and Da. Where are they?' The girl moved closer. Her finger pointed at Sophia. 'I can't find them. Why are they not here?'

Sophia glanced at the lounge door. Thankfully, it was closed which meant Max was still in bed. Unfortunately, it was closed, trapping Sophia in the same room as the girl.

'Where are my parents?' the child asked again.

'Who - Who are your parents?' Sophia asked.

The child moved to the tree. Her gaze caught by the lights. 'The lights used to be coloured. Green, orange, pink, purple, blue. Why are the lights white?' she asked.

Sophia looked at the tree and the lights the child was focused on. 'They're white to represent the stars,' Sophia said.

'I want my old tree. I want Mam and Da,' the shadow said.

No longer afraid of the lost girl, Sophia said, 'I don't know who your parents are.'

When Sophia looked at the tree, the girl had disappeared, and she blinked, shaking her body as she stood. When she reached over to turn the lights off, Sophia changed her mind. Like Max earlier, she was over her fright and excited at having a ghost. She also planned to find out who the child was. Who and where her parents could be. Sophia thought of the jumper and skirt the child wore. They were not modern. If the child was from another decade, another generation, her parents may already by dead.

©W B Aodh 2024

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