The Hathaway

Prodigy

The kids were waiting for us on the front steps when we emerged. “In the afternoon too?” This time it was Chad who challenged us. “Are we ever going to have any peace?” The others laughed.

“Still too loud?” Ben queried. “Maybe you'd rather hear us fighting?” He offered some playful mock boxing toward Chad.

“No!” Ash went pale and Sabina reached for his hand. The group froze.

“I'm sorry,” Ben immediately realized what he had done and knelt in front of him, “I didn't know. We still don't know everything about you yet, but that was insensitive of me. You don't have to worry here, Joey and I would never hurt each other or any of you. We want this to be your safe place. Ok?”

Ash threw his arms around Ben's neck. “I know, it's ok.”

After Ben had squeezed him tight, he said, “Anyways, You're going to meet part of our family tonight. I think you'll love Miss McFiercesen, and I know she's going to love all of you. But be warned, she don't take shit from nobody.” Kevin snickered, and Ben turned to him, “That includes you too Mr. Man. If she can keep Helmut in his place, you don't have a chance.” Ben continued to hold Ash's hand for a bit as we walked, until he ran off to join his friends.

I placed my arm around Ben's shoulders and handed him my handkerchief to dry his eyes. “You handled that very well, you old softee.”

He leaned into my embrace and kissed my cheek, “Thanks sweety.”

We arrived just before seven. Andi was waiting for us on the porch and greeted us with enthusiasm. “I'm so glad you all could make it!” I realized some of these kids might be the same age as her grand children and enjoyed watching her eyes sparkle as she gave each of them a hug. She ushered them into the living room and had them sit down. “My name is Andrea, but everyone calls me Andi. Now let's see how many of your names I can forget before supper. Sylvia, Ben, and I left them in her capable hands and went to see if there was anything we could do to help with set up.

“My dears, you're so thoughtful, but Andi and I have everything in readiness. I'll be out in a moment to call you all in. Sylvia, sweety, could you just check that I set out enough chairs and plates? Was Helmut coming or not?”

I had to admit, I didn't know. “Quite frankly I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to enjoy a few hours alone in the Hathaway. He doesn't get much time to himself lately.”

“True,” she agreed, “But we'll set a place for him just in case.”

When I returned to the living room, Andi had them all laughing. “Oh yes, they could get quite loud, especially when they first got together. I remember one night...”

“Excuse me!” I interrupted. “Are you telling them about...Madame, have you no shame?!”

“Well, neither of you do, so why should I?” She shot me a wicked grin and turned to continue. “Anyway, One night...”

I just threw my hands up in the air and turned to walk back to the dining room. “You're not going to believe..” I began.

“I know,” Ben chuckled, “She's telling them about our sex life. The joys of communal living.”

My jaw dropped at his cavalier attitude, “But..”

“Oh, come on. It's not like we've been discreet or anything. They all know what we get up to in private, and besides, it's not like she's giving them details or showing them pictures or anything.” He paused, “She doesn't have pictures, does she?” After a moment of mock panic he threw one arm around me from behind, and grabbed my ass with the other. “Gotcha.”

Just then Miss M. walked through and quietly said, “Save it for later junior.” Then spread her arms in greeting as she entered the living room.

Helmut did not join us but the seat did not go to waste. As we sat down to eat, Sabina asked if the little girl was going to join us. Andi looked at Miss M. and I before asking, “what little girl, sweety?”

“The one upstairs. I think she wants to join in, but she says there's never any space for her.”

“My dear,” Miss M. offered, “Of course she may join us. I had no idea she wanted to. I would never had excluded her if I had known.”

“Should one of us go up and fetch her?” Andi offered.

“No, she heard you, she's on her way down.” We all turned to watch the staircase, but saw nothing. Suddenly I felt Ben's hand grab my leg under the table, and saw Andi visibly stiffen. Only after an unexplained draft passed across the table did I begin to sense her presence, but I could still see nothing. The older boys let out a small giggle, but Ben shot them a glance that made it clear they were not to tease Sabina about this.

“Is she comfortable, dear?”Miss M. asked.

“Yes, she's really happy to be here with other children, even though we are all older than her, she says she hasn't had a playmate for years.”

“Well, you feel free to come over and play with her any time you like, as long as it's ok with your guardians..”

Sabina turned to Sylvia, “Can I ask her to come visit me at the Hope House? She won't be any trouble.”

“I know, I've met her.” She looked at me and I shrugged. “It's fine for her to come and visit, but she will still live here, right?”

Sabina smiled, “Oh yes, she loves her home here, especially since her baby sister left. And she loves Miss McFiercesen and Mr. Phipps. She thinks you have such pretty clothes and have made her home beautiful again.”

Miss M. looked close to tears and said, “Tell her thank you for me.”

“You can tell her, she can hear you.”

“Thank you Emma, I'm so glad you like what we've done with the place, and so glad you're here.”

Another draft passed through the room and the lights flickered ever so quickly before everything was quiet again. Kevin and Chad looked at each other with wide eyes, and Ben leaned over to whisper, “Don't you go giving her any trouble about that, I can feel spirits too, and so can Joey and Andi.”

The rest of the meal went off without a hitch. Miss M. had outdone herself, although the teenagers seemed to have hoped they were getting pizza again. Still they were gracious and made all the appropriate responses. Finally, after desert, Miss M. broke out the candles and turned off the lights. “Is everyone ready?” she asked, but it didn't matter if they were or not. The tour was beginning. She led the way down the cellar steps while Ben and I stood to one side so they could each light their candles from ours. Sylvia and Andi opted to stay topside and get a head-start on the dishes, so Ben and I took up the rear.

Once we were all in the main room of the cellar, Miss M. began a highly embellished, and sanitized version of the story of the boys in the basement. She took them to the root cellar to show them where the bodies were found, then led them to the door which led to the back of the basement. She opened it and allowed them to walk through one by one. Once everyone was in the hall, she went to the bookcase and told the tale of the ghoul of Mariah Foster, who had been hidden in here for over a hundred years. She slowly opened it beckoning for them to enter the hidden room. The kids were loving the creepiness of it all, and Ben and I were enjoying watching them.

Suddenly they all let out screams and came charging out of the room and straight up the stairs. Miss M. looked at us in bewilderment until Helmut, dressed in a black cloak over gray rags, jumped out of the room and shouted, “Boo!” Evidently he had been hiding in a corner and waited until they were all in before slowly moving to reveal his presence.

Miss M. predictably slapped him on the arm and called him a few choice names. Ben and I turned to catch up with the kids and see how they were doing, when we noticed Sabina standing in the doorway to the main room. “I knew you weren't a ghost,” she said with a wry grin. “I've seen the real thing.”

“We know, honey, so have we.” Miss M. stroked her cheek, “Still, you are very brave for your age.”

“This wasn't scary,” she added, “Not really. Just creepy, a fun kind of creepy. But I've seen...” She closed her eyes and looked into the depths. “war, and torture, and hatred beyond measure. I've seen death walking within the city, claiming random victims with a senseless touch. I could see the echoes of Mariah Foster in that room, but I knew they weren't coming from you. But the others don't know that and they are still afraid.” She took Helmut by the hand and led him to the stairs. “Go let them punish you for scaring them, so they can sleep tonight.” We all looked at her in awe as Helmut climbed the stairs to face his fate. She turned to us and smiled. “Don't worry, they all like him, especially Chad and Kevin. They'll probably just tickle him or something like that.”

Sure enough, when we reached the living room the four other kids were piled on top of Helmut, tickling him furiously and they were all laughing hysterically. “Oh my God, what happened down there?” Sylvia and Andi were also laughing, but Miss M. had pursed her lips, and I realized I wouldn't want to be Helmut tonight.

“He just played a practical joke on them,” I answered, “Typical Helmut.

“Typical,” Miss M. agreed.

“Sylvia,” Ben ventured, “I think it might be a good idea if we scheduled some time for Sabina to spend with Andi. I'm not sure who's going to be tutoring who, but I imagine both would benefit from it.”

Andi and Sylvia looked at him quizzically. They had not heard the little girl with the most ancient of souls as she painted a picture that no child should have to contemplate in the basement, but both Miss M. and I shook our heads in agreement. “good Idea,” I added.

Ben and I would not allow Sylvia to accompany us home. There seemed no need for her to have to walk to the Hathaway and then return home immediately. She reluctantly but gratefully placed the kids in our charge, and we supervised the energetic and uproarious walk back. “I think we can make all the noise we want tonight,” Ben whispered to me as we walked arm in arm. “They're all going to sleep deeply after all this.”

Kevin's head rose above the others' as he turned and shouted, “I heard that!”