The Sinful House~2
“A week before he died, he told me that as long as I live, I was to take care of this place, ’cause if I didn’t he’d come back and kill me. And then he died… just like that… and he was put in here, in this coffin.”
“One night, about two months later when the moon was full, I heard a noise. And when I came out to look, I saw the door to this place opening, and he came out in the moonlight. I could hear his footsteps, something queer and draggin’-like. Then he turned around and I could see his face in the moonlight, pale and pasty and sick-lookin’. Those eyes of his seemed like two burnin’ coals of fire.”
“He seemed to be lookin’ at me. I heard him say, ‘They have disturbed me, and the moon has awakened me. I shall follow them.’ That’s what he said. I heard him just as plain as you’re hearing me. And then, he vanished into the night. Towards morning, I heard his footsteps again. I heard that big iron door closing’. And I knew he was back.”
“The next day I heard Ralph Cummins died the night before, screamin’ something about not meaning’ to go into the mausoleum. I knew who killed him. This has happened again and again for the last ten years since he’s been dead. Folks around here say he’ll follow you wherever you go if you come inside here.”
“Why haven’t you been killed?” I asked.
“Because he needs me!” the man said. “He… He… He ain’t gonna kill me. But if I were you, I would get out of this part of the country, just as soon as I could.”
A shiver ran down my spine and Halsey and I turned to leave. “We’d better get going,” I said.
“I wish I’d been here when you came,” the man said ruefully.
As we walked out, we looked up and saw the writing above the door. It read: “IF YOU ENTER HERE, INTO THE REALM OF DEATH, I SHALL FOLLOW YOU, AND BRING HIM WITH ME.”
March 3, Later
I sit here and write these words. It is late and the moon has risen full in the sky. Halsey is standing by the window looking out.
For some reason, I am frightened. Yet I know that a few months from now I will laugh at the memory of my fright. However, in the morning, I do believe that we will leave this place. Halsey is glad. She doesn’t believe the caretaker’s story, but she is concerned, just as I am.
It was a beautiful night. Halsey and I looked out the window. The moon was so big and full. All of a sudden, we noticed a man standing on the street below. He was looking straight up at us and pointing at us. His face was pale and pasty-looking and his eyes… his eyes were like two bright coals of fire.
March 3, Still Later
The man down in the street, whoever he was, left after about ten minutes. He gave us quite a fright. If I had felt any doubts as to whether we should leave this place they’ve all been dispelled now. I don’t know what to believe. Halsey has just gone to bed. I think I’ll do the same.
March 4, 1938.
As we were settling down to sleep last night, we heard footsteps pacing back and forth. They were coming from the room above us. I called down and complained to the clerk at reception. He told us that the room above ours was unoccupied.
A short time afterwards, we left the hotel. We immediately got into our car and drove all night and all day. We are stopping now in a motel almost 1000 miles away. It’s reassuring to know that HE can’t possibly follow us. I’m very tired. I will go to bed and get an early start in the morning.
March 5, 1938.
Last night was not very comforting either. We heard the same footsteps outside our room, and Halsey let out a scream. She claimed she saw the man’s face outside the window. This morning when I went to pay the Clen, the motel owner said that a strange, pasty-faced man had been in earlier and told him to tell me that he would follow me.
March 11, 1938.
It’s impossible to get any material together that will help me in my work. Everywhere we go, HE is there also.
March 16, 1938.
This morning, the clerk at the front desk told us that a strange man came in and left a message for us. He said it was OK for us to go on ahead because he was going to follow us…
March 22, 1938.
HE left a message with the lady at the desk telling us that he would be in touch.
April 7, 1938.
HE left another message at the desk. The manager had the nerve to ask me if he was a friend of ours.
April 18, 1938…
