Haunted House

“You do know this isn’t really what I do.” Willa said again as she approached the front of the house.

”Look.” The man said. “I don’t care if you believe me or ya don’t. Just take a look around. I want this situation resolved so I can sell the property and get on with my life.”

”Fair enough.” Willa shrugged. Her client unlocked the front door, but didn’t move to go inside. “I guess I’ll... call you when I’m done.”

”Works for me.”

Willa entered the house and turned her flashlight on. All of the furniture was covered in plastic for the impending move. The picture frames were wrapped and leaning against the walls. Her footsteps disturbed the layers of dust, making the whole room look as if it was snowing gently. Willa sneezed. She would bet anything that somewhere in this old house was a significant amount of mold that was the cause of the disturbances. People were always surprised how many molds could cause minor hallucinations. That coupled with the paranoia that your house was haunted could make folks believe they had seen all sorts of things.

Willa methodically went through the first floor of the house, taking samples to analyze later. Then she made her way upstairs. The wind must have picked up because suddenly Willa heard noises coming from the back of the house. She ignored the sounds and started with the first bedroom. Based on the faded sections on the floor, Willa guessed this used to be a study, but currently it was empty. A section of the ceiling had been patched poorly. Roof leaks provided a wonderful opportunity for mold formation. Willa snapped a few photos.

After that, she poked her head into another small bedroom, a hall bath, and a linen closet. The closet’s musty smell made her cough again. “Should’ve brought protective gear.” Willa muttered.

The rattling noise resumed in the back bedroom. Willa went inside and the sound stopped. She took her measurements, then stepped into the master bath. Behind her, the rustling resumed. As soon as she returned to the room however, the noise stopped. Willa stood very still. After about ninety seconds, the rattle began yet again. There was definitely something in here. Willa quietly nosed around the room. She looked under the bed, in the armoire, and the tiny closet. The only thing she found was more dust.

Perturbed now, Willa went back into the hallway. She pulled the cord and the attic stairs unfolded. Willa slowly climbed the narrow staircase, then poked her head up into the attic. As expected, the attic was full of dust and discolored patches all over the walls. It wasn’t safe to breath the air up there. Willa started back down the stairs just as something fell on her head. She called out and tumbled down to the floor. Her flashlight rolled between the rail and fell to the ground level. The hallway was dark now.

Willa lifted the item off her chest. It was moving. “Please be what I think it is. Please be what I think it is.” She repeated aloud as she hurried into the bedroom. Willa ripped the curtains, rod and all, away from the window. Light struggled through the filthy windows. Willa looked at what she was holding, then sighed.

******************************

”This is my ghost?” The man said, looking into the cage.

”Well, this and whole bunch of mold making you paranoid. You don’t even want to know the levels I found in your father’s study.” Willa said.

”Would that explain why my folks were always sick?”

”Absolutely.”

”I’ll be damned.” He scratched his fin. “So what are you gonna do with this guy?”

”It’s a girl actually. And I’m taking her to the animal shelter. They’ll find her a good home.”

”People keep these things as pets?” He looked at the fluffy creature in the cage, then up at Willa.

”All the time.”

”It has too many eyes.” The man shook his head. “Anyways, thanks for solving my ghost problem, I guess.”

”No problem. Just make sure remediate the mold before you sell it.”

”How hard can it be?” He shrugged. Willa didn’t answer his question. Better the man hear the news from someone else. “Here’s your payment.” The man passed Willa an envelope.

She shook his hand. “Pleasure doing business with you.” Willa picked up the “ghost” in the cage, then went on her way.