Chapter 9

SEVEN YEARS LATER

The small compact drove slowly to within a hundred yards of the weathered and decaying house, the sun setting rapidly as a chill filled the air. Cherie and her wife, Marissa stared at the foreboding structure for several silent seconds. Both their minds went back to that fateful night seven years ago and the events which had changed their lives forever.

Arriving at the police station that night the women had hurriedly told their story including the fact that Lynette was being held hostage and being sexually abused. Admonishing both women to get medical help and let them investigate, the police soon realized it was no use and so, with some elemental first aid Cherie and Marissa were soon on their way back to the house in the rear seat of the police cruiser. No less than four police cars and seven officers converged on the house guns drawn, but found the structure completely dark and quiet. They noticed the broken front window but upon entering and turning on the lights, found nothing. A complete search of the house did not turn up any sign of intruders or Lynette.

Over the next several months the police, as well as Cherie and Marissa (when accompanied) searched the house over and over again without finding a single shred of evidence or sign of the girl's mother. Cherie and Marissa, both afraid to enter the house by themselves, brought psychics and investigators of every sort, even admonishing the ghosts of Simon and Sarah to make their presence known, but to no avail.

The police theorized that the intruder or intruders had raped, then murdered Lynette and thrown her body into the sea. The case remained open, but eventually turned cold.

Cherie and Marissa knew that the house, ie. Simon and Sarah, somehow held Lynette, either her physical or spiritual being, hostage and continued to defile her, night after night.

But after exhausting every avenue without the merest sign of the lovely mother and friend, the two had accepted the fact they would never see Lynette Dennison again. Cherie went on to finish high school while living with Marissa but, eventually, the memories too hurtful and frightening, they moved to another state, were married, and made a life together, Cherie getting her college diploma four years later.

The house had been up for sale ever since the couple left but there had been no takers. News of the strange disappearance made the rounds and no one seemed interested in acquiring it although, especially around halloween, local kids would dare each other to spend the night. No one did however and so the house slowly began to succumb to the severe winters and heavy winds. The broken window had been repaired when Cherie put the house on the market, however, there were two shutters missing now, several boards in the front porch were rotten and broken through, the roof had almost half its shingles missing and there was actually a hole through which rain and weather had decimated what once had been Lynette's bedroom. The siding had long since lost most of its paint and the exposed wood was curling badly.

"You think this is the right thing to do?" asked Marissa as Cherie rolled up a section of newspaper and soaked it with lighter fluid. "Your mom..."

"We both know Mom, whether she's dead or not, is somehow trapped in that house and we both know she's being tortured and raped. We've tried everything, exorcisms. seances, not to mention private investigators as well as the police. I honestly feel the only way to free her is to burn down that evil house. Maybe then her spirit will be free of Simon and Sarah."

"The police will investigate."

"No need. I own the house. We let the insurance lapse so there's no fraud. It will just be an old deserted, dilapidated house that caught fire and burned."

"If you're sure this is what you want," said the blonde, now in her mid thirties but still attractive.