Bad Places Read online

  “I’ll be right there, Dad.”

  The door shut.

  Jenny returned the first tape to the box and walked out of the room.

  The transformation of the room into a home theater was nearly complete, with the two theater chairs directly in front of a short sofa, which was placed on a small riser made from a pair of wood pallets that Mark had found. The projector was placed inside a closet on a high rack and the large screen was hung on the far wall.

  “I can’t believe you got this done so fast, Dad!”

  “It was easy after Mark showed up.”

  “Where’s mom?”

  “Probably on her tablet, going through her websites.”

  “Want me to go get her?”

  “No, she’s tired from the move.”

  Jenny nodded and sat down on the sofa, behind her father and uncle. “What are we watching?”

  John held up a computer tablet and handed it back to Jenny. “You choose.”

  “Anything but a scary movie,” Mark added quickly. “I have to drive home alone later, you know.”

  “I didn’t realize you were such a scaredy-cat, Uncle Mark!”

  “Through and through, kid!”

  The lights went out.

  “Wow, I didn’t know you had lighting control on this thing, Dad.”

  “I don’t.” John turned in the theater seat, looking around.

  “Uh-oh,” Mark said.

  Donna’s voice was heard. “John!?”

  “Yeah, the power’s out!” John called out loudly.

  John, Mark, and Jenny stood.

  “Damn, it’s dark in here!” Mark said.

  “That’s the whole point of a movie room, Mark.”

  “Hold on,” Jenny said. She reached into a pocket and took out her phone, the small screen illuminating the area around the trio. They moved out of the room, into the hall.

  Donne stepped out of the bedroom, seeing John, Mark, and Jenny. “Is it the whole neighborhood or just the house?”

  “I don’t know yet,” John answered.

  Mark stepped up to a window and pushed aside the curtain, peering outside. “I see streetlights.”

  “Probably a circuit breaker.”

  “Where’s the box?”

  “Down in the basement,” John replied. “The realtor showed it to me the other day on the walk-through before we signed.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “You guys be careful going down those basement stairs,” Donna warned.

  “Don’t we have a flashlight?” Jenny asked.

  “Yes, but no batteries.” Number 26 on the SHOULDA LIST. John inhaled deeply, a resigned look on his face.

  “Want me to go out and get some?” Jenny offered. “I’ve been in the basement and it isn’t safe to be bumping around down there in the dark.”

  “We’ll be fine,” John said, patting Mark on an arm, the two walking off.

  Jenny and Donna watched them move off down the stairs to the main floor. “I know my brother,” Donna said. “He’ll fall down the basement steps and break his leg!”

  “I’ll go with them.”

  “You be careful. If Mark starts to fall, just get out of the way and let him fall.”

  “Mom!”

  “Mark is indestructible, but your father isn’t. Watch out for him.”

  Jenny nodded and hurried off the catch up with her father and uncle.

  Mark and John stopped three steps down, John out front, Mark close behind. “I’ve seen dark before, but this is dark you can taste, John! I don’t like it!”

  “Don’t you have your phone?”

  “I lost mine. What about you?”

  “Forgot to charge it. Dead.”

  “Could you use another description, please?” Mark exhaled loudly. “How many steps to the bottom?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Why do I get this feeling that the steps just end over a bottomless pit?”

  “Always the optimist, aren’t you?”

  A light appeared behind Mark and he let out a shrill squeal when Jenny placed a hand on his shoulder. Jenny held up her phone. “Seriously, Uncle Mark?”

  “Good,” John said. “Hand me your phone, Jenny.”

  Jenny reached out over Mark’s shoulder and John took the phone, holding it out in front of him, continuing down the steps.

  “Why are you hanging onto me, kid?” Mark asked, feeling Jenny gripping his right sleeve.

  “Mom told me to.”

  “I swear, she’s-” Mark slipped and almost fell down the stairs, but Jenny was hanging onto his shirt and Mark simply landed on his butt with a pained grunt.

  John continued onward, reaching the bottom of the stairs and moved across the basement floor, the phone light quickly growing tiny.

  “Dad?”

  The light stopped.

  And then went out.

  “Uh-oh,” John said in the dark.

  “What happened?” There was an edge of panic in Mark’s voice.

  “I think Jenny’s phone just died.”

  “Can you find the fuse box, Dad?”

  “I can’t see a damn thing.”

  “We can’t see you,” Mark said. “Hell, I can’t see Jenny and she’s right next to me! Right? Jenny?” Mark reached out, but there was only open space around him.

  “Mark, what’s wrong?”

  “Jenny!”

  “What?” Jenny asked in the dark.

  Mark let out another high-pitched squeal as Jenny’s voice was heard next to him.

  “Here we are!” John called out. There was a loud click and the stairway lights came on.

  Jenny walked down the rest of the steps and turned on the light switch at the bottom.

  “Damn!” John growled.

  “What’s wrong, Dad?”

  “There’s a breeze down here!”

  “How can there be a breeze?” Mark asked. “This is the basement.”

  “Is it coming from upstairs?” Jenny asked.

  “No, it’s coming from another direction.”

  Mark and Jenny walked to where John stood.

  “You’re right,” Mark said, holding out a hand. “That’s a breeze.”

  “I’ll have to figure out where it’s coming from before winter or else our heat bill will be through the roof!” John let out a low groan deep in his throat and walked off toward the steps, Jenny and Mark following.

  Mark was stretched out on the couch, a blanket pulled up to under his chin. John, Jenny, and Donna were standing beside the couch, looking down at him.

  “Comfy?” Donna asked.

  “I told you I could’ve drove home.”

  “It’s late,” John said. “Besides, you can help me track down the source of that breeze tomorrow.”

  Mark nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”

  “See you in the morning, Uncle Mark.”

  Donna leaned over and patted Mark on the face twice, the third time a harder slap, which caused Mark to grin.

  “I heard something down here,” Candy said, moving down into the living room. She moved slowly through the dark room, around the couch, the only sound heard was her own breathing. “I thought it was Dad down here, tromping around, but he’s in bed.” Candy stopped and turned slowly in a circle. “I don’t like it down here. It feels weird.”

  Jenny was watching the second video cassette, sitting on her bed, leaning forward slightly, eating microwaved popcorn from the bag. “Be careful, Candy!” she whispered to the TV. She continued eating popcorn, one kernel at a time, eyes wide and glued to the TV screen.

  Mark was almost asleep when he heard something that caused him to open his eyes. “Somebody there?”

  Footsteps seemed to circle the couch.

  Mark sat up slowly and looked around the dark room. He got up off the couch and walked toward the stairs.

  Candy started moving again, but let out a loud gasp as something, a dark shape, could be seen moving quickly past a partially open curtain, the light f
rom outside revealing the movement. Candy ran off, up the stairs, into her bedroom.

  Jenny glanced at the bedroom door, the same door Candy burst through on video. “This is weird.”

  Mark slowly walked up the hall, hearing something coming from inside the movie room. He entered the room. It was quiet and dark. He walked to the area in front of the theater chairs. The projector came to life. It was showing one of the video cassettes. Mark turned his head to watch the image on the large screen and sat down on one of the chairs. The image was a stationary shot of Candy’s bedroom. Nothing was happening. Then there was a loud screech and the camera was knocked askew. Mark was startled and jumped up out of the chair, looking back at the projector. The projector shut down, leaving Mark in the dark.

  Back downstairs, on the couch, Mark pulled the blanket over his head.

  Donna was surprised to find Mark in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, coffee already made. “Who are you?”

  “I figured since I was already up...”

  “I’ve never seen you wake up before ten o’clock.”

  “Wake up? I never went to sleep.”

  “Why?”

  “Long story.”

  A look of concern could be seen on Donna’s face as she took a step toward her brother, but he was busy cooking eggs at the stove.

  “Can you get me some dishes?” Mark asked. “These are about ready.”

  “Sure.”

  John entered the kitchen soon afterward and poured himself a cup of coffee, puzzled at seeing Mark moving around, finishing up preparing breakfast, but didn’t say anything and sat down at the kitchen table.

  Jenny entered next.

  “You, too?” Donna asked.

  “What?” Jenny poured herself a cup of coffee and sat down next to her father, who kissed Jenny on top of the head.

  Everyone was sitting at the table, eating breakfast, the only sound the occasional clink of a fork on a plate.

  “I think this place is haunted,” Mark finally said, almost matter-of-factly.

  John nearly choked on his eggs at the statement. “What?”

  Mark picked up his cup and took a sip of coffee before responding. “I heard something moving around in the living room last night.”

  Jenny leaned forward, suddenly intrigued by her uncle’s last statement. “What did you hear?”

  “Footsteps, heavy footsteps. They circled completely around the couch and then just stopped. I didn’t hear them move off.”

  “You were probably just dreaming,” Donna dismissed, making a face at her brother.

  “Donna, I wasn’t asleep!”

  Donna nodded. “Right...”

  “Hey, I watch all those ghost shows on TV! I know what’s up!”

  “Right...” Donna repeated.

  “You’re just like Dad was!” Mark accused, an angry tone to his voice. “He never believed in anything he couldn’t see!”

  “That’s why he was successful. He was grounded.”

  “If you don’t open your eyes, you’re going to miss some amazing stuff, Donna.”

  John watched the siblings argue over his coffee cup, which he was holding just below his lips, as if allowing the steam to warm his face. His eyes darted back and forth between Donna and Mark. “Something tells me you two have had this argument plenty of times over the years.”

  “I don’t argue!” Donna stated. “He argues!”

  Mark help up a hand and shook his head, as if dismissing his sister, and then he stood and placed his dish in the sink. “I’m going down into the basement.”

  “Going to look for ghosts?” Donna asked with a smug tone.

  “No, I’m going to look for what’s causing that breeze.”

  John stood and also placed his plate in the sink. “Good idea!”

  John and Mark left the kitchen.

  Donna and Jenny were silent, Jenny looking at her mother, who was staring down at her plate. Quietly, Donna got up and took her plate to the sink and started washing all of the dishes. Jenny joined her and started to help, both still silent.

  John and Mark were moving down the basement steps.

  “Why did you marry my sister?”

  “Why not?”

  “She’s such a tight-ass. Like I said, just like Dad. She doesn’t seem your type.”

  John smiled. “She wasn’t always like that.”

  “Really?”

  “When we first started going out, she was crazy, funny, and liked to do new things.”

  “I must’ve been in away at that time, because I’ve never seen that Donna before!”

  “Yeah, she was fun then.” John’s voice sounded tinged with melancholy.

  They reached the bottom of the steps and paused, looking across the massive basement.

  “You know, I wasn’t lying when I said I think this place is haunted.”

  “I didn’t say you were lying.”

  “Then why am I in probably the spookiest basement ever?”

  John nodded. “It does have... atmosphere.”

  “Are you kidding? I heard Dracula came to check out this place, saw the basement, and said: ‘Hell, no!’”

  “It isn’t that bad.”

  “It isn’t that good, either.”

  John started walking across the basement floor, with Mark close behind. Mark was looking around, as if expecting to see something in the relative darkness that seemed to press up against the feeble light thrown down from the bare lightbulb overhead.

  Jenny walked into her room and looked at the box of video cassettes, seemingly lost in thought. “On the tap,” she said to herself, “Candy went down into the living room after hearing something, the same time Uncle Mark heard something down there.” Jenny bent over and picked up the next video, holding it in her hand, glancing at the VCR across the room. “I wonder...” She walked up to the VCR and inserted the tape.

  John and Mark were moving along a far wall, John reaching out and trying to feel for cracks where a breeze could enter the basement. He shook his head. “No crack, no holes, nothing where a breeze could sneak in from outside.”

  “So let’s get out of here.”

  “We still haven’t found the source of that breeze, Mark.”

  “I’ll tell you what, I’ll pay for your heating bill through winter, if we get out of this basement right now!”

  “That will be a lot of poop to pick up.”

  “Are you kidding? Why do you think I took my vacation now? Because after Halloween, the zoo feeds the animals donated pumpkins and I’ll practically be picking up 24/7 after that!”

  John seemed to be mulling over the idea and then nodded. “All right, Mark. Let’s get out of here.”

  Mark smiled as they turned and started walking back toward the stairs.

  “How big is an elephant turd, anyway?”

  “An elephant drops about twenty pounds of poop every time and do it every six hours.”

  “How many elephants do you have at that zoo?”

  “Five.”

  “Wow. That’s a shit-ton of poop!”

  “Tell me about it.” A few steps from the stairs, Mark looked over his shoulder. Did you hear that?”

  “What?”

  Mark stopped and turned around, staring back into the dark depths of the basement. “I thought I heard... something.”

  With one foot on the bottom step, John looked back. “Well?”

  Mark shook his head. “Nothing, I guess.”

  But Mark didn’t look convinced by his own statement, still staring into the darkness. With a shake of his head, he motioned upward and followed John up the stairs.

  “Can you help me with something?” Donna asked, walking into Jenny’s room

  “Sure, Mom.” Jenny got up off her bed and walked to the door.

  “What are you watching on that old thing?”

  Jenny glanced at the TV. “Oh, nothing.”

  “Aren’t you going to turn it off?”

  “I’ll just rewind it when I get back
.”

  Donna and Jenny walked out of the room.

  On the TV screen, Candy was walking through the house with the video camera. It was day on the screen and Candy was talking in a casual manner. “This place is actually nice during the day.” Candy walked down the stairs to the main floor, moving into the kitchen, finding no one around. “I wonder where everyone’s at,” she said, panning the camera left and right. “Mom?”

  “Candy?” a voice called out.

  Candy did not move, but slowly turned the camera in the direction the voice came from, somewhere beyond the kitchen. “Who are you?” Candy asked.

  A new voice was heard, loud and masculine. “CANDY!”

  Candy quickly turned, moving toward the kitchen door, the camera jostling. She ran away from the house and then stopped and turned around.

  A dark figure could be seen looking out at her through the kitchen window.

  Candy let out a frightened squeal and ran off.

  Donna was standing on a step-ladder, putting something away on the top shelf of a cabinet. She reached down and Jenny handed her up a large punch bowl, the kind only brought out for special occasions and the holidays.

  “Be careful up there, Mom.”

  “Thanks for the help, honey. You can go back to your movie now.”

  “It isn’t a movie.”

  “What is it?”

  “I’m not quite sure yet. I think it might be some kind of school project.”

  Donna rose up on her toes to get the punch bowl onto the high shelf.

  A voice called out, slightly muffled. “Jenny...?”

  Jenny turned her head in the direction of the voice. “Is that Dad?”

  “It didn’t sound like your father.”

  “Maybe it was Uncle Mark.”

  “No, it definitely wasn’t your uncle. There was no whiney undertone.”

  “Mom!”

  “You better go check.”

  “You come down off that step-ladder first.”

  “I told you I’ll be fine.”

  Jenny looked hesitant.

  The voice was heard again, more distant this time. “Jenny...?”

  Donna waved her off. “Go!”

  Jenny nodded and walked out of the kitchen.

  Donna turned back toward the open cabinet, adjusting the punch bowl on the high shelf.

  Jenny looked into the living room. “Dad?”

  “We’re over here,” John called out.

  John and Mark were just stepping through the basement door when they all heard a scream, followed by a sickening thud. Jenny, John, and Mark ran into the kitchen, finding Donna sprawled out on the floor, face down, a pool of blood spreading from her head. Jenny screamed. John rushed to his wife’s side. Mark grabbed his phone and dialed 911.