Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Verge of Something Wonderful ❯ Things That Go Bump In The Night ( Chapter 2 )

Ryo was sleepy, sunlight painted his skin a golden hue and warm, humid air blew his hair into wild strands about his face and neck from the open car window. After their flight landed at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport Dee had insisted on driving their rental car. Ryo was more than happy to let him take the wheel, he was drowsy with the heat and a too full belly from when they stopped for lunch. Dee could have driven them to the tip of Key West and Ryo wouldn't have minded in the least as long as he got to doze in his seat the entire way. Suburbs and trailer parks gave way to roads lined with pines, the landscape flat and hot. The sameness got to you after a while and with nothing to focus on he let his mind float out into a blurred nothingness. It was almost two hours later when Dee woke him as they pulled up in front of a ranch style brick home sitting by itself out in what looked suspiciously like the middle of no where.

 

“This is what he's going to turn into a rental property? Who the hell is he expecting to rent it? Someone who can't wait to experience Deliverance for themselves?” Dee snorted.

 

“Be nice Dee, didn't you read what was in the folder? The area around here is suppose to be developed into a gated community with its own golf course and amenities.” Ryo explained.

 

“Why would I read that stuff, that's what I have you for. So this is going to be one of those places where the snoots in suits keep all us regular joes out while they drive around in their very own golf cart.” Dee shrugged and grabbed his luggage. He was already bored with it not caring much what people in gated communities did or why. Two weeks alone with Ryo was far more interesting and with such a secluded place he had all sorts of plans running through his mind that involved Ryo not being able to run away whenever things got to hot between them.

 

Ryo was thinking something along the same lines, more like what had he let himself get into and was this really such a good idea spending two weeks with Dee and his intentions alone in the middle of a forest of pine trees. His thoughts were interrupted by a woman opening the front door of the house, hand raised to greet them. He pulled his own suitcase out and followed Dee across the yard to where she stood keeping the screened door propped open with her foot.

 

“Welcome to Georgia. You two look like ya'll a long way from home. They didn't tell me they were sending two such pretty boys out here, guess that makes this my lucky day, huh? Or rather weeks as it were.” She had a pleasant accent, not nearly as thick or twangy as TV or movies made you think it would be. A little on the short side, a lot on the heavy side and pushing her late thirties or early forties it was obvious by her tone and the side ways smile on her face that she wasn't really flirting with them. Ryo instantly liked her and by the big grin on Dee's face he thought his partner might like her to, then again being Dee he might just liked being referred to as pretty. “My name's Ellen but everyone calls me Tank, I'm the so called property manager for this place. Which is a glorified way of saying that I live on the property for Mr. Desmont to keep it from being vandalized by either people or by the land taking it back. Nothing like a bad case of kudzu to bring a building down. Come on in and I'll show you around.”

 

She kept the door open until Dee grabbed the frame in his hand and then moved out the way so they could come through, the door banging shut with a quick snap as soon as it was let go nearly catching Ryo on his heels. She ushered them into a room a few decades to old to appeal to any of them. The living room had a fireplace with a fake stone surround, the carpet was a grungy harvest yellow, the drywall had wood paneling covering it and one wall was covered in huge mirror tiles set on the bias, a macrame plant holder in the corner still had a dusty silk plant in it, and to complete the look the furniture was wood frames with cushions sporting a western theme of wagons and wooden wheels.

 

“You can drop your suitcases in here for now. I'm sure you both need to stretch out a bit after that long ass ride from the airport. I told Mr. Desmont that it would be better to put you up in a hotel for the first night so you were rested before driving all the way out here but he wouldn't listen. Told me I didn't know how tough you New Yorkers were and that this was nothing compared to whatever reference he was making to New York City at the time.” She gave them a wide smiled and crossed her arms over her chest. “I'm afraid I don't listen to him much once he starts in rambling about home because I only have so much ear and he's prone to talking it off.” Ryo couldn't argue with her about the stiffness, his joints were indeed stiff and his butt actually hurt from sitting for so long. The Chief might not have been to far off about his butt being skinny because he definitely wished he had more padding at the moment. Dee was twisting and stretching too, his back audibly popping and his neck cracking with the exertion. Ellen, Ryo couldn't see calling her Tank, laughed and wandered into the kitchen. “Care for something to drink? I have sweet tea, root beer, and coca -cola. And coffee can be made if that's the drug of your choice.”

 

Dee had a hopeful look on his face, one that Ryo knew all too well, it was the look of a coffee drinker being offered real coffee after too many cups of something that was called coffee but didn't live up to its expectations.

 

“ Would coffee be to much trouble?” Ryo asked just as optimistic as Dee.

 

“Not at all as long as you don't mind me asking one of you two gents to make it. I'm a tea drinker and haven't the foggiest clue how to make coffee but I did buy a machine and some coffee on my way here today just in case. I got filters, cream, sugar and some coffee mugs too.” They had both made their way into the kitchen while she talked and Dee already had his hand on the box the coffee maker was in and splitting the tape holding it closed with the rental car's key. Ryo took the offered container of coffee and a set of measuring cups from Ellen, between him and Dee coffee was on in about two minutes and both of them hung out in the kitchen waiting for it to be done. Ellen rinsed out the new mugs she had bought them and set them on the counter before pulling a pitcher of tea out of the refrigerator and getting herself a glass. While they were waiting for it to brew Ryo realized that neither he nor Dee had introduced themselves properly. Aghast at his lack of manners he hastily introduced himself and Dee offering his hand to Ellen who shook it firmly and laughed when Dee interrupted to point out that nobody called Ryo Randy except their Chief and she should call him Ryo to.

 

“It's a good thing you have your partner in crime with you Ryo otherwise you'd be lost wandering around wondering what your name was.” Ellen told him giving him a wink, clearly amused. With a gesture of her hands she pointed them to the kitchen table indicating that they should sit. “I don't know if you boys ate or not on your way in so I took the liberty of picking up some cold cuts while I was at the store. It's a long drive back to anywhere from here and a lot of things will be long time closed before you get there. You'd have to get back to Rincon to find anyplace to eat at or buy any groceries. Ya'll sit down and drink your coffee and have something to eat and I'll tell you about the house.”

 

It was fairly late in the afternoon when they arrived and the sky outside was steadily moving from the blue of day to the dusk of twilight. Sitting around the table and eating sandwiches listening to Ellen as she talked Ryo was struck by just how very quiet it was compared to being in the city. Every noise he heard stood out on its own, dogs barking off in the distance, the cries of birds as they talked to each other from the trees, the trees themselves creaking and whispering when the wind blew through their branches, and sometimes the sound of a car or truck passing by to a destination unknown. Ryo didn't know whether he liked it or not, he just knew that he felt oddly out of place.

 

After having eaten and after Ryo having insisted on letting him help clean up their mess Ellen showed them each to their rooms, rooms just as frozen in time as the rest of house, they shared a Jack & Jill bathroom done up in pink and silver metallic wallpaper with a matching pink tub, toilet and sink. The tub had sliding glass frosted doors and the sink was sunk into a faux marble top that had yellowed over time and had cigarette burns in several places.

 

Left by themselves, Ellen having retired to the master bedroom for the night, Ryo sat down on the twin bed in Dee's room gratefully accepting the fresh cup of coffee Dee offered him. Dee curled up Indian style at the head of bed leaning against the headboard with his own cup of coffee.

 

“So what do you think Ryo? I don't think there is anything to this and we've been sent on a wild goose chase somewhere left of nowhere.” Dee said. Ryo nodded his head in agreement thinking the same thing.

 

“Well, we're here now so we might as well do the job as best we can. This Mr. Desmont is a good friend of the Chief's and it would be stupid to get ourselves in trouble over this. I have to admit though I don't know how much we can realistically do here. Honestly I doubt anyone is breaking into this house in the middle of the night and knocking on doors and dragging items across the floor and then running out before anyone can catch them.” Ryo chewed on his bottom lip trying to think of what could be making the noises. “Dee do you think it could be rats in the walls?”

 

Dee shrugged. “I suppose it could be something like that but remember the noises have been heard during the day too, by the cleaning crew that came in to get this place cleaned up and supposedly by the contractors that came out here to give Mr. Desmont quotes on gutting this place and adding a second story.”

 

“Well geez Dee I have a hard time believing grown men and women ran out of this place because they were scared of a little noise. Maybe Mr. Desmont is right and someone is trying to force him to sell by scaring off the workers before he can remodel it. The land and the house will be worth a lot more than it is now `specially after the golf course starts to be developed.” He was trying to sound neutral because he knew Dee believed in ghosts and the paranormal but he didn't and he wasn't about to start either. The house was not haunted because that was just preposterous, he just hoped Dee continued to see it that way to. Dee stretched out one leg behind Ryo and pulled a pillow onto his lap. Ryo couldn't read his face for an answer.

 

“I know how you feel about this kind of stuff, you're a skeptic through and through. I guess you think I'm a big baby don't you for believing otherwise.” Dee finally said, pinning Ryo with his eyes.

 

“No Dee, come on, you know I respect your beliefs even if I don't share them.” Ryo quickly tried to placate him before Dee got himself into a huff. Dee stretched out his other leg and gently pushed against Ryo's thigh rocking him slightly.

 

“You come off it first. I know you Ryo.” Dee sighed heavily. “However The Ghost Hunters always go into a haunted place as skeptics first, trying to debunk everything first before considering the possibility. So I guess that's what we should do to. Looking at it that way you're the perfect man for the job. Besides I still think we've been sent on a wild goose chase so you can quit trying to tiptoe around me and my silly beliefs in ghosts Mr. Realist. I guess we should get some sleep and start fresh in the morning. To tell you the truth I wanted to take advantage of us being out here alone tonight but I'm too tired to even try. You`re safe from ghosts and molestations, at least from me.”

 

Ryo took that as his cue to stand up and make his escape while he could before Dee changed his mind. He ignored the pang of disappointment he felt, after all wasn't that what he wanted? To be left alone and not constantly fighting off Dee`s, and for that matter, Roses, inappropriate advances. Ryo distracted himself by making himself busy.

 

“Here, give me your coffee mug, I'll take it to the kitchen for you.” He said as he gently pried the mostly empty mug out of Dee's fingers. “Sleep well Dee.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. I'd sleep better if you were beside me.” Dee told him in a disheartened voice and then rolled over onto his stomach and closed his eyes. Ryo turned off his light on the way out, the pang worse than before.

 

Mugs rinsed and waiting for the morning, the coffee maker set up to automatically brew a full pot at seven am, and all the doors leading to the outside locked, Ryo made his last rounds before crawling into his own designated bed, a daybed in what obviously used to be a girl's room. Sleep overcame him quicker than he thought it would considering his earlier nap and being in a strange place. In fact he was deep sleep when Dee shook him awake, hovering over his bed in the darkness and whispering urgently for him to wake up. It took him a moment to clear the sleep from his mind and respond to his partner and the tight grip Dee had on his shoulder.

 

“What is it Dee? What's wrong?” He asked putting his hand over Dee's automatically.

 

“Shhhhhhhhhh. Listen.” Dee's fingers still hard on him as he shushed him. Ryo strained to hear anything out of the norm, minutes ticked by slowly without him hearing anything untoward. He was about to pull Dee down to him and offer to let him sleep in the same bed with him, convinced Dee had just spooked himself, when Ryo heard what sounded like all the cabinets in the kitchen slamming open and closed one right after the other. It was followed by runs of the cabinets opening and closing in multiple pairs and then the sound of dishes being smashed on the floor. Dee's fingers tightened even more and Ryo had to push against him to struggle upright in the bed.

 

They crept down the hallway together, Ryo in front and Dee creeping behind and staying close. The slamming got louder and louder as they got closer to the kitchen. The door to the master bedroom suddenly flung open just as they were coming through the living room making both men jump before the lamplight spilling out behind her let them know it was Ellen. Before either one of them could take another step or say anything to her she let loose hollering at the top of her lungs.

 

“KNOCK IT THE HELL OFF. I'M TRYING TO SLEEP.” Ryo stared at her gape mouthed and Dee nearly fell into him as it brought him up short. The silence immediately afterwards was as surprising as it was deafening. They watched Ellen stomp into the kitchen and flick the overhead light on, it galvanized both of them into motion and they rushed in behind her, ready to confront a home intruder. They skittered across the linoleum floor into a kitchen empty of anyone except Ellen who had the refrigerator door thrown open and was rather viciously yanking out the pitcher of tea.

 

“You boys want something to drink seeing as how you're both up now?” She asked as she turned around, sounding tired and annoyed but not the least bit scared or frightened. Ryo looked around at the quiet, non destroyed kitchen, noting nothing out of place, no broken cups or plates, no cabinet doors hanging open. He ignored Ellen and started looking through the cabinets, cupboards and drawers, looking for some kind of audio equipment to explain the racket they had heard. He didn't see Ellen shrug her shoulders and offer Dee a can of coca cola before pouring her own tea and sitting down with it.

 

“I'd sit down if I were you Ryo. The shows just starting.” Ellen said calmly. “You're not going to find anything in those drawers. You're not going to find any dishes or some hidden device. You're a detective right? So figure it out. I had to buy mugs for the both of you because there aren't any dishes in the house. The first three months I lived here for Mr. Desmont six sets of cheap dishes hit the floors and walls. I quit buying them after that because I was tired of the racket. Unfortunately it didn't stop the racket but at least I don't have to clean up the mess now.”

 

Ryo turned and stared at her. Dee had already sunk down into one of the vinyl covered chairs limply holding a soda can and looking more than just a bit frightened. Ryo's jaw tightened.

 

“It has to be some sort of trick.” He stated flatly, he was not going to give into this nonsense. Ellen just shrugged and pulled a pack of Capri cigarettes out of her robe pocket, she shook two out along with a disposable pink lighter, she lit both and offered one to Dee.

 

“I know these are lady smokes but you look like you need one worse than I do.” She held it patiently and gave him a comforting smile once he got to his lips safely and out of his shaky hands. She turned back to look Ryo fully in the face. “I'm sure you're right but I haven't managed to figure it out yet, hope you fare better. Now please sit down, your friend here is not having a good night and you tearing through the kitchen isn't helping. I'm not sure if you two are going to be graced with a full no holds barred presentation or not but if you are it's fixing to get real loud up in here.”

 

Ryo frowned at her but pulled out a chair and plopped down next to Dee anyway, who immediately sidled closer to him. “Fixing?” He asked puzzled by the terminology. Ellen puffed on her cigarette and blew out the smoke before answering.

 

“About. It's about to get real loud.” She elaborated and gave him a grin. “I'm surprised you haven't heard that before, there must be Southerner's in New York City. You sure you don't want a dri…” She was cut off abruptly by what sounded like all the bedroom doors in the house opening and slamming shut simultaneously. Dee visibly paled and pulled harder on his cigarette, his green eyes wide and alarmed. Ellen reached across the table and gave his arm a friendly pat. “It'll be all right Dee, it'll stop in a little bit. Don't worry.”

 

The noise went on for over a couple of hours, you could hear things being dragged across the floor and what sounded like furniture toppling over and crashing into walls. Lights in other parts of the house would randomly turn on and then off again, at one point Ryo thought he heard water running in the master bathroom, it was insane, chaotic, and even for him a bit unnerving. His mind kept rapidly addressing each thing as what it could be, the lights could be on some sort of remote controlled relay, the sounds could have been recorded and hidden speakers placed about the house, anything and everything to dismiss or compartmentalize the unbelievable but even he came up short when he could feel the reverberations from the furniture being slung around. The three of them sat in the kitchen listening to the den until the first hints of dawn arrived, Dee smoking through Ellen's pack of cigarettes at an alarming rate, to afraid to go get his own, Ellen yawning quietly to herself now and then but otherwise undisturbed, and Ryo with his brow knitted into a furrow at the absurdity of the situation. The last thing they heard was the sound of heavy footsteps, straight out of bad horror movie, heading from the master bedroom, through the living room, and to the front door. They heard the door open and the creak of the screen door being pushed followed immediately by the very loud and deliberate slamming of the front door. Loud and hard enough that it was followed immediately by the sound of the key caddy by the door bouncing off the wall and landing on the carpet with a muffled jingle of keys.

 

Ellen stubbed out her third cigarette, took a few more sips of tea and then stood up. “That's usually it for the welcome wagon, ya'll should be good to go lay back down for a couple hours, which is what I'm going to do but feel free to get up when you want and look around the house and yard. I've got a brand new set of pajamas on bought just so I wouldn't offend any virgin eyes so if you want to look through my room you can, you're not going to bother me. Actually scratch that, I'm going to go crash out on the couch. Not meaning to insult or offend anyone but if I read you two right your welcome to use my bed. It's a queen and I think your partner has about all his nerves can stand for the moment Ryo.”

 

Ellen rinsed her glass out and put it to drain, the coffee maker kicked on and started brewing coffee. It was now startling quiet, the house peaceful in the dim morning light, you could even hear the ticking of a clock coming from the master bedroom. True to her word Ellen made herself comfortable on the couch and was asleep before Ryo could convince Dee to get up and help him look around. They went through the house together one room at a time. Absolutely nothing was out of place, no signs of furniture having been moved, the front door still double locked with a deadbolt and bolt and chain, no sign of anything broken or disturbed whatsoever, even the tub in the master bath was dry as a bone. It was almost like it was all a bad dream that they all had been awake for the only physical evidence he could find being the key caddy on the floor. Ryo gingerly hung it back up on the wall and put the keys back on their individual hooks.

 

Ryo wasn't going to say a one word that would upset Dee more than he already was, he wasn't going to insist it was all some sort of trick and he damn sure wasn't going to say anything to the effect that the house was haunted. Dee was already visibly shaken and had been for most of the night. Dee wasn't afraid of anything he could lay his hands on and Ryo knew that, just as he knew that he himself had been more frightened than he had let on. When Dee wordlessly pulled him toward the master bedroom he let him, just like he let Dee pull him into the bed and press himself flush against him. Ellen could think what she wanted, whatever she thought she apparently wasn't particularly judgmental or bigoted, so Ryo wasn't going to worry about how it looked. Ryo was beginning to understand why people called her Tank, she was damn near unflappable it would seem. Some time later in the day when he Dee wasn't with him he wanted to talk to her alone, his gut told him she wasn't responsible for what happened but the responsible detective in him wanted to make sure. Right this second though Ryo just wanted to relax and enjoy the comfort of Dee's body next to his without having to worry about fighting off advances or worry about what Dee's intentions were.

 

Here in the quiet with the morning sun's rays spilling over Dee's dark hair and skin, his face relaxing into sleep, Ryo could admit to himself how nice it felt to have Dee in his arms and letting Ryo protect him from his nightmares. Ryo smiled to himself and once he was sure Dee really was asleep he took the liberty of running his fingers through his thick locks enjoying the feel of Dee's soft hair against the flesh of his hand. He loved the way their bodies fitted together and the sensation of Dee`s legs tangled in his own. He drifted off to sleep with Dee's head in the crook of his shoulder and neck content in the moment.

 

Ellen checked in on them sometime around noon, both men were still asleep, a joint mass of long limbs splayed out across the bed in all sorts of angles. She decided to let them sleep on through the day. She had her doubts that Dee would be capable of sleeping through the night anyway after all the ruckus from the night before. They made a cute couple and she was sort of sorry that they had been dragged all the way out here just to have the daylights scared out of them but since it wasn't her doing she wasn't going to let it bother her much. Mr. Desmont had never spent a night at the house, had never actually been inside it, so he didn't really understand the scope of the problem. He had bought the house site unseen from a realtor he knew looking to unload it cheap when the housing market crashed. He had hired her through a mutual acquaintance, she had met him just long enough to get the keys from him and his instructions, everything else was handled over the phone. Wasn't a bad job for what amounted to $8.50 an hour, considering it gave her a place to live rent and utility free but like all jobs it came with its own problems. Namely the disturbances. She didn't have to heart to tell the two young men that the noises were the least of the problems. Ryo wouldn't have believed her anyway and it would have just made Dee even more paranoid.

 

Ellen closed the door softly on the two men and took herself to the other bathroom for a nice long soak in the tub, the novel she was reading tucked under her arm. No sense worrying about things you can't control after all.

 

Next Chapter: Ryo investigates determined to prove that the house isn't haunted. Dee does his best to help despite his fears. And Ellen leaves them on their own for awhile. What will happen to the two detectives when the night falls and there is no one around to hear or help them?