It was an early Friday morning, on a crisp autumn day in New England when the Hendersons arrived in Burnt Cove. Commander, William Patrick Henderson, USCG, was to take over the command of the local light house and rescue station. He arrived with his 18-year-old daughter Victoria. Vicki, as she preferred to be called, was 18 years old and had been the lady of the house since the death of her mother. Unfortunately in the same accident that took her mother, it took her bowel and bladder control, leaving her in diapers since then. Vicki had one other problem; she was sick of moving and very vocal about it.
“Another move, another new house” Victoria said as got out of the truck with her father. “Why do we have to keep moving around the country?”
“Vicki I work for the government and they move me where I’m needed,” her father remarked as he slammed the door of the Land Rover.
They both looked around before entering the only restaurant for 20 miles, Dave’s Diner. As they entered and immediately drew stares for the normal clientele. Sitting in a booth, they picked up the menu and began looking to see what looked good.
A middle aged red head approached in a light blue uniform. “Now who do we have visiting our town?”
“I’m William Henderson, the new commander for the Coast Guard Watch Station.” He offered his hand. Shaking hands with the waitress he introduced his daughter, “This is my daughter Victoria.” Victoria was a petite sized teen at 18, long brown hair, and green eyes.
“Welcome to Burnt Cove Maine.” “I’m Edna, my husband Dave and I own this establishment.” “It’s a small town but we’re friendly folk.” “How old is your daughter?”
“She’s 18.”
“What luck so is mine.”
“Cynthia,” she called and out from the back a petite blonde strode.
“Cynthia, meet Victoria,” the two nervously shook hands.
“So what do around here,” asked Vicki.
Cindy answered, “Not much I have lived here all of my life.”
“I’ve been moved around most of my life,” Vicki explained. “The moves happened more often when I reached twelve.” “That’s when the government started sending my dad to some of the more out of the way places. I’ve moved about 7 time in the last 3 years.”
“So where are you going to live?” Cindy asked.
“My dad brought the old island manor,” Vicki said.
“You’re kidding, aren’t you,” Cindy said suddenly serious?
“No he did, Why?”
“That house on Witch Island, it’s haunted. Legend has it that a witch used to make the winds drive boats to the rocks where they sank. She would capture the youngest survivors and use them as slaves. And when they were older sell them to Satan.”
“Cute story but witches don’t exist, neither do ghosts.”
“Vicki,” her dad brought her back to reality, “I need to get to the watch station, if you want you can stay here with your new friend. Here’s some money, just in case. You can meet back here then we can go to our new home.”
Cindy called back to her mom; “Can Vicki and I go?”
Her mom said “Yes but be back before dark.”
The two girls left the restaurant, and looked around town. There wasn’t much to see. The entire town consisted of a general store, a hardware/sporting good store, two churches, three bars and a small antique mall. Cindy said, “Let’s stop in there,” pointing at the antique mall, “it’s my grandma’s store.”
The two girls entered a small shop filled with countless nick knack’s, and an elderly woman, polishing some of the silver from a display case. She smiled and said “Hi, Cindy, who’s your friend.”
“I’m Vicki, I just moved here.”
“Oh so you’re the one moving to Witch Island,” she said with a smile. “Don’t worry if you’re pure at heart nothing can happen to you but take this.” She pressed into her hand a silver rosary. “Don’t let the ghosts keep you up at night.”
“I was borne in that house, 90 years ago. It was on a Friday the 13th and a very stormy night. The house belonged to my father, and had been passed down for 10 generation, but the up keep was too much.” “It also was so far from the town, so we moved. No one has lived there in 70 years.” “If you want to see your house from the shore you can go to the bluff.”
“That’s where we were heading grandma,” Cindy said as she came out of the back room, kissed her grandma on the cheek and they left.
They walked down the main street past Lou’s Tavern of Ill Repute, to where the road turned sharply. Walking down a gravel road to a high bluff Cindy pointed to the right. “You see it, with its steel bridge connecting it to the main land. That was my Great grandpa’s doing, he was an engineer.”
The house looked like something from a badly made horror film, creepy but better than some Government issued housing.
Vicki turned to Cindy and asked, “if you know so much about the house would like to stay the night, I’d sure feel better.” “My father spends a lot of time with the rescue stations and watching the coast from the light houses.”
“I’ll ask my mom, but I don’t know.”
“Let’s go explore some more,” Cindy then said. The two were off.
It was about 5 PM by the time they made it back to the restaurant.
Vicki’s father was waiting, so was Cindy’s Mom. “So what did you two do today.”
“Well I got to see the town, I met Cindy’s Grandmother, and I got to see the house.”
“That’s good honey, I have some bad news, I won’t be able to stay at home tonight. The station is a disaster, and it’s going to need a lot of work. Will you be able to manage?”
“I think so, can Cindy stay over?”
Cindy’s Mom over heard this and immediately answered for her daughter. “Cindy can stay over just let me pack her a few items.” Cindy looked at her mother, almost as if she was ready to cry.
After they ate supper Cindy’s mother gave her a duffel bag with her essentials, as she called it. Vicki’s father drove them home, “Vicki your nighttime things are in the big box next to the stairs, don’t make too much of a mess.”
Vicki and Cindy entered the house and turned the dial on the old light switch. They were standing next to a large spiral staircase and in what appeared to be a ballroom. While looking around at the ballroom Cindy accidentally knocked over one of Vicki’s boxes.
The box fell with a loud thud, scaring both the girls. They screamed. The two girls then realized it was only a box hitting the floor. As Cindy lifted the box its contents spilled out. The box was filled with disposable diapers, clothe diapers, plastic pants, and diaper pins. Vicki felt so embarrassed she wished she could vanish like a ghost. Cindy bent over and felt the diapers. “Are theses yours?”
“Yes,” she whimpered tears welling up her eyes.
Cindy looked relieved, “Want to see mine?”
“You wear diapers too? Why?”
“Let’s just say if I didn’t the results would be disastrous,” Cindy said with a smile. “And to be honest, I soaked myself when the box fell and I need a change.”
“So you wear them all the time?” Vicki questioned her new friend in disbelief.
“Yes, I hope this doesn’t affect our friendship?”
“No, I wear them too, but I use disposable diapers during the day. I usually carry a change or two in my purse. That what I did when I went into the bathroom today.”
“That why I stopped at my grandmothers. My mom and dad are always to busy to change me, and don’t like me changing in the restaurant.”
“Want to change each other,” Vicki offered?
“I never changed any one my own age, but I’m willing to try.” With that Cindy grabbed some of the diapers and some nursery print plastic pants and went to work.
Cindy changed Vicki, and told her she felt jealous that she had plastic pants with nursery prints. “My mom used to by them for me, but quit when I turned 16. The only way I can get them now is if I buy them myself, from my own allowance.”
Vicki said, “If you want you can use some of my baby pants, I even have some rumba panties.” Vicki changed Cindy and they both got into their nightclothes. The two girls dressed in diapers, over sized T-shirts and fuzzy slippers.
They started to explore the strange old house, each with their own flashlight. They started their search on the first floor. From the ball room the walked over to the study. On the wall above the fireplace was a painting of an old man in ancient naval dress. Bellow on the mantel was a sword from the Civil war.
“Were these left by your family,” Vicki asked?
“The picture, the sword I don’t know?” “I’ve never explored this house so I don’t know much about what’s in it,” Cindy replied.
“I thought it was in your family for ten generations” Vicki questioned?
“It was. Just after my great uncle died here at the age of two years-old they slowly started to move into town.” “He died under strange circumstance, so after that my family never came back, I guess it was too painful.”
“Did your family build this house?” Vicki questioned her friend as she started a fire in the fireplace.
“The foundation was laid before the revolutionary war, the main house, consisting of the kitchen, basement and pantry are all original the rest was added on by my family.”
“My family acquired it after the trial and execution of a woman named Anise McDermott. She was prosecuted and tried by my ancestor the Squire Matthew MacBeth. It was a witch hunt, she was tried and hanged from the big tree overlooking the bluff where I showed you the house.”
“Where was she buried?”
“That’s not known,” Cindy said adding wood to the now growing fire. “Let’s look around some more.” With that the two set off to explore the rest of the first floor.
First they entered the study from the right of the ballroom. The second door from the study led to the dining room. The room contained a lavish oak table and several chairs, covered in dust. The two started drawing faces and words in the dust as they passed through. Entering the kitchen it was quite apparent that this was part of the original house. The walls were constructed of fieldstones. There was huge fireplace and wood stove; they sat in stark contrast to the modern, gas stove, refrigerator, and the kitchen table. There was running water, but it was cold not hot. Upon flipping the light switch nothing happened. “Fuse must be out,” replied Vicki. “I wonder where the fuse box is?”
Cindy pointed to the door behind her, “Maybe in there, or maybe the basement?”
“Well there’s only one way to know,” she pushed open the door this led to a small hallway leading to a set of stairs. The first door of the hallway led to the laundry room and a small half bathroom. In the middle of the hallway was a door, marked pantry.
Pushing open the pantry door they two girls found the fuse box, after replacing several fuses. The rest of the lights came on in the house. Next they went to investigate the stairs.
Peering down they saw a large expanse of boxes and cobwebs. “This place looks gross,” Vicki remarked.
“Do you really want to go down there, I mean the place is a mess,” Cindy replied.
“We might as well, it is part of my house. What do we really have to be afraid of, unless you believe in ghosts?”
“No,” Cindy shot back.
“Then let’s be on our way.”
Slowly they descended pushing aside gossamer sheet of old dusty cobwebs, until they found a light switch. A bare bulb lit in the middle of the room. All around them were old boxes, and the remnants of what could have been a massive garage sale.
They walked around the room together trying to guess what was in the boxes.
Suddenly from across the room they heard a crash, and a horrific yowl. The two girls screamed and jumped up grasping each other.
“Who’s there?” Vicki stammered, shining her flashlight in the direction of the yowl.
“He…llo,” Cindy stuttered.
Silence.
They were both shining their flashlights in all directions.
The next yowls; was followed by a mew.
Looking on the floor near a fallen coat rack was a small gray kitten.
“It’s a kitty? I filled my pants because of a kitty.” Vicki said walking over to the frightened kitten and lifting it in her arms.
“Your not the only one who filled their pants,” Cindy said.
“What are you doing in the basement, kitty,” Cindy said petting the very dusty kitten?
“It looks like he got in through that broken window,” Vicki said pointing to some broken glass. “Let’s get him something to eat.”
With that they both left the basement.
They stopped in at the utility room, just off the kitchen, to check if the movers had set up the washer and dryer. They were there so they went and looked in the fridge for something to give their new friend.
“Well my father bough milk, you find a bowl and I’ll open the milk,” said Vicki.
Cindy found a bowl in one of the cupboards. “So do you think your dad will let you keep him?”
“Probably, he’s let me have pets in the past,” Vicki added.
“Now what he needs is a name,” Cindy said as the dusty kitten lapped milk from the bowl.
“I know,” said Vicki, “Dust Bunny.”
“It sounds strange but fitting.” Cindy said.
Both girls then sat down, only to remember that they were still wearing messy diapers. They just looked at each other and giggled.
“I guess we need to change, but before we do that we re going to need a few things.”
Vicki and Cindy went back to the boxes stacked in the ballroom. Opening a Box marked Vicki’s room, she removed a pink diaper pail with bunny pictures on. Reaching inside Vicki pulled out a pink changing pad and a box of baby wipes.
“Now where do you want to change? Here or the bathroom just off the laundry room.”
Cindy looked at her, “The bathroom would be more convenient, I guess both us having messy pants and all.”
As the wondered through the kitchen with their changing supplies, Dust Bunny followed them.
As each got down of the pad to be changed the talked about why they were in diapers.
Cindy spoke first, “When I was born I had a hole in my spinal column, spina-bifida, the hole was repaired, I was very much a normal child until my mother tried to toilet train me.” After a couple month of trying she took me back to the neurologist. He told her to stop trying; it would only frustrate her. My condition was not repairable and I would need to be in diapers for the rest of my life. I accepted it my mom accepted it but once I started school, I was teased often and this gave me many emotional problems. I was always afraid and avoided everything. “That when my mother decide to home school me.”
Vicki finished pinning Cindy into her diaper and pulled up a new pair of nursery print plastic pants. She commented on the fact that Cindy had no pubic hair. I use a depilatory cream once a month.
“Doesn’t that hurt,” asked Vicki?
“Not really, sure makes clean up easier.”
Vicki smiled when it was her turn. “I found an easier and more permanent way.”
“When I was about 9 my mother and I were in a car accident. Some drunk crossed over the mid-line and struck our car head on. When I came to after two weeks in a coma, I was in diapers, and I was told I would need them for the rest of my life. It was then that I learned that my mother had been killed.”
“My mother as a beautician, so when my father and myself went through her item I found my mom’s electrolysis machine. It’s great you don’t feel it, maybe a little zap and the hair is gone forever.”
Cindy finished diapering her friend with a pair of light-blue satin rumba panties. “You know we still haven’t found a place to sleep, wanna go look up stairs,” Cindy said?“First let’s rinse out these messy thing then we’ll go up stairs.”
“Okay, but I’ll race you.”
A short while later the two girls were slowly walking up the grand staircase. A long satin carpeted spiral, leading up stair into the darkness. Holding their stuffed animals in one hand a flashlight in the other the two girls slowly made the climb, Dust Bunny slowly following in tow.
If one had seen the two of them they would not believe that these were two 18 years old girls, but rather a couple of preschoolers.
At the top of the stairs was a small table that over looked the ballroom. Looking over the edge, both girls were awed at the ballroom, all lit up as if some party was soon to arrive. Turning around the shined their flashlight down the long dark hallway. Each one taking a side the felt along the wall for a light switch. Vicki felt something and turned it. Soon the lights were lighting the hallway from the sconces they were set in. They could now see the stairs leading to the third floor at the end of the hall and four closed doors leading into the bedrooms.
“Well, what do we do,” asked Cindy? “Each take a side or stay together.”
“Lets stay together, okay, this place is giving me the creeps,” Vicki commented.
“You too.” Cindy silently nodded.
Standing aside the door jam they slowly pushed open the door and shined their flashlights in. They found themselves being blinded by the flashlight reflecting off a full-length mirror. Reaching around the corner Cindy pushed the button and the lights went on. What they saw was marvelous a Large red satin covered canopy bed stood in the middle of the room a near it a full length mirror, and a closet. To the left of this was a folded changing screen. Two large dressers stood covered in dust. The two entered the room and felt the soft, down filled mattress. They wandered over to the dressers. Opening them they found a large ring of keys both girls looked at them and tried to guess what they were for. Then opening the top drawer of the second dresser they found a large strong box. After a bit of trying they figured out the right key and opened the box. Inside they found little of values some old letter, written in a language neither one of them could decipher, and many pieces of faux costume jewelry. “Do you believe people actually wore things this gaudy,” Cindy commented?
“I know makes you wonder who they were trying to impress,” Vicki agreed.
Upon opening the second drawer they were met with a surprise, a large ivory tube, with a dagger tied to the side. While unwrapping the dagger, the tube opened and out popped a map. Looking at the map they both agreed if this is a map of the house they had a lot of places to explore, and most of them were concealed. But how they wondered. Picking up the dagger and map tube they left the first room.
“Come on kitty,” Vicki picked up the kitten so as not to loose him.
The second room was decorated in a more feminine style; the colors were either patterns or pastels. Again they found another set of key, but these were different from the first. “I wonder what these were for,” Cindy said holding them up?
“They’re nothing like the first set,” Vicki answered.
In the closet they found many beautiful turn-of-the-century gowns and several cossets. Both the girls agreed that these must be torture devices, because no one is built like that.
While searching the one dresser in the ladies room they found an another strong box and after a bit of fiddling with it the lock broke off. Cindy jumped back and said, “It’s not my fault.” Inside they found two lockets each with the picture of a small child. Cindy look at the picture closer, “She looks familiar, but I m not sure where I’ve seen it.”
The next room was very stark compared to the other two. A plain canopy bed, and pitcher, basin, and a small chest of drawers, and a closet were the only object occupying the room. The looked through this room rather quickly, Vicki made an awesome discovery when she found a gun belt, with an empty holster. She put it on and was acting like a cowgirl. She used the holster to carry the map tuber and dagger.
Walking across the hall they opened the final door that was closed. This lead into a nursery, complete with two cribs, a changing table, and a rocking chair. “Wow!” Vicki said, “I always want to have my own nursery.” “Cindy, let’s stay here tonight.”
“Yeah we could act just like two babies like were dressed like.” Both girls giggled.
“But first,” Vicki said “let’s continue with the expedition, to discover what lurks in this creepy old house, of mine.”
The two girls exited the nursery walking past a full bath at the end of the hall.
“Hey Cindy, look at this. I’ve got a bathtub that would fit both the babies.”
“Vicki if you don’t have any bubble bath I packed some in my duffel bag.”
“Great,” Vicki replied.
With that they let the room and headed up the next flight of stairs.
Looking down the hall they saw another room door, a bathroom door and a set of double doors at the far end of the hallway. But what they saw on the left-hand side of the hall made them interested. Moonlight was filtering in through skylights in what appeared to be a drawing room. They also noted a closet just as they entered the hall.
“Where do we go now,” Vicki asked feeling more conformable in the empty house. Dust Bunny made the choice for them, quickly from behind the girls he ran into the drawing room. The girls followed and found him swatting at a moth that had come in through a broken pane of glass in one of the windows in the drawing room. Cindy picked up the kitten so as not to lose him while they explored. The room was round and contained at its center a sundial, several chairs around the outside edge, and easel, a tea service on a teacart, and a pile of canvases in the rolled up and stuffed into a corner of the room.
The two girls’ firsts looked at the badly tarnished tea set. “Let’s not have tea,” Vicki said making a snooty English accent, “For I fear spider webs do not go well with crumpets.” Again both girls giggled. As the headed toward the canvases Cindy noticed a small trickle of pee run down Vicki leg.
“You’re leaking,” Cindy shouted, “you naught baby.”
Vicki turned around and made a pouty face. “I know I just couldn’t help it.”
“Well we should get you changed,” Cindy said.
Vicki walked up to Cindy and looked down the back of her diaper. “PU, who needs to changed,” she said? She then pushed her hand on the mess in her friend’s diaper.
“Okay so we both do,” Cindy said.
Giving one final look around and picking up the kitten they both headed back down to the laundry room where they had left their changing supplies. Instead of changing they picked up the changing supplies and moved them to the nursery. Each taking turns on the changing table they were again ready to explore.
Returning back up the stairs to the third floor they headed straight to the drawing room. Picking up the canvases and unrolling one, they screamed in alarm. Every one was painted with hideous images of torture and mutilation. So graphic they made both girls want to throw up. “Well, who ever did them was one sick puppy,” Cindy said.
“What do we do with them now,” Vicki asked Cindy?
“I don’t know, let’s ask your father when he comes home.”
“Yeah in his job he’s probably seen worse,” Vicki commented.
With that they left the drawing room. Walking past what they thought to be the servant’s room and the bathroom, they headed to for the double doors. Each grabbing a handle the flung them open, dust puffed up from the furnishing with the whoosh of air. The two girls saw before them an elegant master bedroom. A large brass bed, was in the center three large sets of drawers stood to one side, a huge walk-in closet was on the other. The floor was covered with a soft seal skin rug. A balcony door stood closed and large fireplace stood beside it. “Would you look at this place,” Vicki said in astonishment.
“Unreal, you could live in here alone and never have to leave for anything,” Cindy said. Quickly both the girls started looking through the drawers and closet. Surprisingly they found very little in the way of clothes that were there.
“You’d a thought that with all the other rooms we’d find something interesting in this room,” Cindy commented.
“I did,” cried Vicki. Vicki stood with an old steamer trunk she pulled out of the closet. She looked through the two key rings to find the key to open it. After trying three or four, she hit the jackpot. She opened the chest to find a black satin cloth covering the contents. Ripping it a side they found bones, all human, an entire human skeleton. “Holy Shit!” Vicki exclaimed. Slowly she lifted up the skull and found a box underneath it.
She handed the skull to Cindy, who looked into it dried sockets as if it would tell her a clue to it s identity. “I hope you re not one of my ancestors,” Cindy said as she reverently set the skull on the floor.
Vicki by this time had removed the box and had opened it to find a very old revolver, possibly from the civil war. She closed the box, looking at Cindy. “We’ve gotta call the cops, or my dad, or some one.” She was becoming more frantic by the minute. “What do we do, what do we do,” she said over and over.
Cindy remembered, “Don’t you have your fathers cell phone?”
“It’s downstairs, lets go.”
They grabbed Dust Bunny and ran down the stair to Vicki’s backpack. Flipping it open she quickly dialed 911.
“New London County Sheriff department, what is the nature of your emergency,” the voice said.
“We’ve found bodies in my house.”
“Bodies, what type of bodies?”
“Well not really, just a trunk full of human bones.”
“Where are you calling from?”
“My house, my house on Witch Island, Please you gotta believe me.”
“I’m sending a officer out to you now, Please tell me your name?”
“Victoria Henderson.”
“Your Date of birth?”
“9/13/81”
“You don’t understand we are alone, my father is the new Commander for the Coast Guard watch station, and we need help now.”
“Miss Henderson, an officer will be there in about 5 minutes, please stay calm and stay on the line with me.”
Time seemed to last forever, before they heard the sirens. Outside two sheriffs’ cars pulled up followed by an USCG, rescue vehicle.
They entered the house, Vicki s father first.
Vicki grabbed him by the hand Cindy grabbed the other and led him up stairs. “Look at the bones, they both said.” Only now the chest was gone save the skull that had been placed on the floor.
Her father picked it up, and examined it. “You got that hysterical over finding a skull, in steamer trunk?” “I’m terribly sorry if she has caused you any problems.” Her Father apologized to the Sheriff officers, “it her first night alone in a new house and you know how teenagers minds get.”
“Yes we do sir, but we will need the skull as evidence, so we can file a report and turn it over to forensic, for testing,” the lead deputy replied.
They place the skull in a bag and examined the room, finding nothing more they left.
“Victoria Elizabeth Henderson, what’s wrong with you tonight,” her father asked, “I know you re in a strange home but to concoct stories and call the sheriff.”
“But Dad there really were bones and a chest, we only put the skull on the floor.”
Cindy said, “She’s right Mr. Henderson I saw them and I put the skull on the floor.”
“So where did the other bones go?” And…. hello, his voice trailed off as he felt something against his leg. Picking up the kitten, has asked “what your name little fella?”
“It’s Dust Bunny, we found him hiding in the basement, can I keep him?”
“Yes you can keep the cat but call me first before you go off and call the police.”
“I’ve programmed the number into the cell phone, and children go change your diapers because you both really stink.”
“Can we show you our nursery, Dad,” Vicki asked?
“Your what?”
“Come on we’ll show you.” Vicki and Cindy lead him to the nursery they had set up.
“Fine if you want to sleep here go ahead but cover the mattresses with a plastic sheet first.”
“Let’s go change.”
Before he left, her father told her. “I put a pizza in the freezer if you would like to make it, and the satellite guy is coming in the morning so you you’ll have TV tomorrow evening.”
Her father kissed her on the forehead and said good bye. Heading back to the watch station.
“Did we just imagine the other bones,” Cindy asked Vicki?
“They were there, we saw them, I touched them, they were there. Come on lets go back up there and see what happened to them.” Looking a the cat sleeping in Vicki’s crib, “I guess Dust Bunny has decided that he’s had enough excitement for the evening.”
Cindy asked, “Shouldn’t we change like your did suggested.”
“Why do you need one?”
“Not really, do you?”
“No I just want to get going and finding out what is going on here.”
Walking back to the bedroom they noticed that the door to the maid’s quarters was open. “I think the police forgot to close it, but since it’s open let’s give it a look.”
Entering the room they found it quite cramped a simple bed, dresser, and a small mirror on the wall and an average sized closet. “Well this is really no frills living,” Cindy said.
“Yea, Vicki agreed, but what’s, this?” She had opened a drawer on the nightstand by the bed. Within it she found a pendant, “looks like one of those crystals you buy in the mall,” she said.
Cindy looked at it, “But black glass? I’ve never seen anything like this.”
When she handed it back to Vicki the top opened up, and a small slip of parchment came out. It contained a single name, Meltoroth. The name was written among many symbols and in the center of a Star of David. “I wander what it means,” Cindy asked Vicki.
“I guess were going to the library tomorrow I’m going to see what all of this means.” Vicki concluded.
“Lets go look back in the master bedroom. That trunk full of bones couldn’t have gone far.” Shoving the paper back in to the compartment a taking the crystal the two girls left.
They slowly opened the door to the master bedroom, and looked inside suspiciously; “Looks clear,” Vicki, said to Cindy.
“So far Cindy agreed.”
“This is strange,” Vicki said walking over to the bed picking up the box with the revolver still in it. “I wonder why the sheriff deputies didn’t take this?”
“May be they thought it was your fathers,” Cindy commented.
“Well let’s give this place a better search before we go to sleep.” The two girls searched the room from stem to stern, finding nothing but old dust balls. “Now this is really bizarre, no secret doors and the window has not been opened, it still locked and I don’t know if we have the key.”
“We don’t I tried all of them while you were searching the closet,” Cindy commented.
“What’s left to search,” Vicki asked?
“Only the closed closest by the stairs.”
“Well do you wanna search there before bed or are you to tired to go on?”
“Lets get some sleep,” Cindy yawned, “we can continue the search in the morning, then we’ll have my mother drive up to the library in Ashwipon.”
“Well then lets go.”
Both girls made their way down the stairs. Vicki asked, “Which sheets do you want, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Care Bears, or My Little Pony?”
Cindy choose Beauty and the Beast, Vicki took the Little Mermaid. Good Night they said to each other.
Vicki settled down to sleep, as she slept dark images filled her dreams.
She saw grizzled old hag, with wispy gray hair, a long gnarled hand, sunken eyes, carrying a knife. Slowly the walked up a small flight of stair, to a cauldron containing the bones she held earlier. The skull is gone, she hissed. Those terrible children, they will be my next meal. The hag then turned towards her, raising the dagger over her head, aiming for Vicki’s chest.
9/13/1999
Simultaneously Vicki and Cindy jerked awake. Looking around Vicki said, “Shit!” “I’ve leaked and my bed is soaked, how about you Cindy?” Cindy only stared off into space. “Cindy!” Vicki yelled.
Cindy snapped out of her trance. Looking down and feeling around she said, “I’ve leaked more than wetness. How high is it on my back” she asked her friend?
Vicki was looking down the front of her own messy pants. The front hem of Vicki s nightly was a messy brown. “About half way” she said.
“I had the strangest dream last night.” Vicki commented.
“Was it about some hag making a soup out of the bones we had found.” Cindy commented.
“Yea, how did you know.”
“I had the same dream, and I think it really scared the shit out of us,” Cindy laughed.
Both girls looked at each other and again had a good laugh. Vicki commented “Let’s take a bath we both seem to really need one.”
The two got up and got out clean diapers, plastic pants, clothes, and bedding and went in to the bathtub first just to rinse off. After that they added bubble bath and enjoyed a bubble bath for two. Both girls helped the other clean and enjoyed tickling each other and blowing bubbles in the others face.
They got changed, and headed to the diner where they were meeting their parents.
“Hi Mom, Hi Dad,” Cindy said as she entered the restaurant, taking a seat besides Vicki in a booth.
Shortly Vicki father walked in sat across from them. “Hi Dad,” Vicki said, avoiding direct eye contact with her father. Soon both parents came over. “Vicki, and Cindy,” Vicki s father spoke, “you scared all of us.” Cindy’s parents nodded in agreement, “but since you were alone in a strange place,” Cindy’s Mom broke in, “we are all willing to let it go.” “Now what do you kid want for breakfast?”
“Blue berry pancakes,” Vicki and Cindy both said in unison.
“Then blue berry pancakes it is,” Cindy’s father commented and walked back into the kitchen.
“Did you find anything new after everyone left?” Vicki s father asked.
“No, nothing,” Vicki said, sipping some hot chocolate, her father had ordered for the two girls.
“Did you take care of the kitten?”
“Yes he was fed, by me,” Cindy said.
“And I started the wash,” Vicki commented.
“So what do you two have planned for today?”
“Well we thought we would like to go to the library, to do a little research on the house. It s really a strange place and we both would like to know some of the background behind it,” Vicki finished.
Cindy then spoke up; “We would also like to verify the map we found”
“Yea dad it’s really weird,” Vicki pulled the case out of her jacket. Opening it up on the table, Edna came over to look at it.
Edna said, “I don t know where it came form, but I’ve never seen the floor plan look like that.”
Cindy dad was bringing out the girls’ pancakes, when he saw the map. “Is that a map of the house?” Looking closer, “looks more like a map of just the basement, but I I’ve never seen those other areas.”
“Cindy,” he mother said, “why don’t you take it over to Grandma’s antique shop maybe she can help.”
“Is it okay if I take your daughter to the library,” Bill asked Dave?
“Go for it I’ll have Edna pick them up at lunch time.”
At the library the two girls walked over to the section marked local history. Slowly they were looking through the books, when the head a voice from behind. They turned around suddenly to see an elderly woman. “I see you girls are looking of something, do you girls need any help?”
Cindy spoke, “We’re looking for information on the house out on Witch Island.”
“Yea,” Vicki said nervously, “you see my father just bought it and we’re wondering about its history.”
“Those records are on Micro-film, I’ll help you.”
“If its not too much trouble,” Vicki commented.
“It’s no trouble at all, as you can see the library is not that busy, during the day.” “I am Mrs. Andrews, the head librarian.” “All the microfilms you need are in this bottom drawer.” “If you need my I’ll be at the desk.”
The two girls started looking, the recent records were strange. They found a newspaper column that spoke of a suicide that occurred the month before Cindy’s grandmother moved out of the house. “Daniel Angus MacBeth, must have been an uncle,” Cindy said, “but I wonder why no one in the family ever mentioned him?”
“I may have found a reason,” Vicki said, “in this newspaper it talks about the ‘Mad MacBeth,’ used to stalked the night and digging up graves, it gives no mention to what he did with the bodies.”
“And look another paper mentioned, Commodore MacBeth’s second son committed, to Portland asylum. It says that after the family forced him out of the house, the police found him stalking through the woods asking for the Avatar. If they did not give answer they say he killed and ate them.”
“Next mention of the him is here in 1938 ‘Mad MacBeth’ found hanged.”
“Now it makes sense,” Cindy said, “that’s why my family left, they couldn’t stand to be around a house marked with such tragedies.”
The girls continued looking; the only other record they could find was about a fire in 1887, destroyed much of the house and about Robert Stewart MacBeth rebuilding it.
“Look, Cindy said, court records about the witch hunt.” Anise McDermott execution order for being found guilty of witchcraft and bewitching the daughters of Squire Andrew MacBeth, and Pastor Julian Kennedy.
“Girls,” Cindy s mother called, shocking the girls’ back to reality.
“Are you ready to go?” They looked down at the copies that they had made gathered them up, “I think so,” said Cindy.
“Are you ready Vicki, Vicki?”
“What, oh I was just thinking, Yea I’m ready.”
As the two walked past Cindy’s mom said, “hold it. We re not going home until I change you too. So young ladies to the girls bathroom now!”
With a great deal of speed that comes from years of changing diapers, Edna had changed them both and they were again ready to go. “Now Vicki go wipe up the wet spots you left on the bench.” With that they pilled into the car.
“So how was your morning, find anything out about you map?”
“Yes we did,” Vicki said, “did you know that most of the house was burned down after the civil war. We think that this map may predate the fire.”
“Well it good to see you put your morning to good use but, it’s a nice day you shouldn’t waste it indoors.” “Why don’t you to go do something fun after lunch, and we’ll se you at supper time.”
“Well we still have the other room in the house to explore, and looks like the sun’s coming out so it won’t be as creepy.”
“So you’re going to Vicki’s,” Cindy replied.
“Okay, but before you call the police please call us.”
They walked across the metal bridge that led to the island home. “Let’s walk around the house, I’m just curious,” said Vicki.
“Sure,” Cindy agreed.
Around the entire house there was about a 50 to 100 feet of land to walk on, making it a sizable island. They noticed the remains of a staircase that might have gone down into a dock. Now the stairs were washed out. From the back of the house they could see the lighthouse and the watch station.
They went inside and were greeted by Dust Bunny pouncing on their feet. “I got you,” Vicki said picking up the playful kitten. He rubbed his head on her and started to purr. Setting him down they made their way up to the third floor. As they got off the stairs they made the first turn and were now confronted by a large oak door. In the middle of the door there was a very tarnished nameplate. Both girls could not decipher the writing because of the tarnish. Vicki said, “Wait here I we’ll be right back.” As Cindy waited she tried various keys, until she found what she believed was the right one. Vicki returned not a minute later with a can of Brasso and a polishing rag. With in moments it was clean. The letters read DAM. “Daniel Angus MacBeth,” they said in unison. Cindy, looked at Vicki both were trembling, “I think I’ve found the key.” Before she could put the key in Vicki stopped her.
“I want to get something first.” The two girls descended the stair to the Nursery, where they had slept the night before. Vicki put on the gun belt she had found yesterday. Now lets go to the master bedroom. They now walked up the stairs, and down the hall. Vicki took the dagger out and removing the pistol from the box she placed it in the holster. Next she handed the dagger to Cindy.
“Vicki, why are you wearing the gun?” “We don’t even know if it’s loaded. And if it is loaded it probably won’t fire.” Cindy reminded her friend.
“Well do you want to go up without some kind of defense?” Cindy didn’t answer.
“See,” Vicki said and they left.
Slowly Cindy inserted the key and turned it. With a soft click it opened. Slowly pushing the door open Vicki drew the pistol. Cindy stayed behind her clutching her right arm. Cautiously they advance up the stairs, until they reaching the landing. Nothing yet, Vicki said.
She felt Cindy feel her rear, “Oh yea?”
“And you’re clean and dry,” Vicki teased.
“Okay I get your point.”
On the landing there was a heavily barred door, with a small window. Vicki put the gun away. “Cindy, help me get a look through the window.”
Cindy bent down to offers her a foot up. Cindy helped Vicki to the window. Vicki grabbed a hold of the bars, and took a look inside, all she saw were some chains embedded in the wall, a cot and a desk.
Cindy could no longer support Vicki, and Vicki lost her grip on the bars. The two fell into a pile, the pistol being knock loose striking the floor and firing. The bullet traveled through the wall across the door, blasting a hole through. Before striking a pane of glass. The two girls were now quite shaken, “We could have been killed!” Cindy said.
“I know,” Vicki responded, “let’s put that thing away.” She picked up the pistol with two fingers. The two girls walked down the stair to the master bedroom. There they returned the pistol to it box.
“I think next time I want to take a weapon with adventuring, I’ll take one of the swords from on the wall in the den.” Vicki said as they walked back to the stairs.
“Well you know one thing now,” said Cindy, “the gun is loaded and it does work.”
“Oh well thank you very much smart ass,” Vicki said.
They walked over to the door, after playing with the keys the found a way to remove the massive lock from the door. Cindy drew the dagger and handed it to Vicki. They threw the door open, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.
They saw before them just what Vicki had seen a low cot, a set of manacles embedded in the wall, and a desk. Looking through the desk turned up several books, Clavicule de Salomon, Le Dragon Rouge, and the Necronomicon, several documents mentioning the name Meltoroth. “I wander what this really means.” Cindy asked Vicki.
“I have no idea. I can’t read the languages that many of these books are written, I think it’s French or Latin,” Vicki commented confused.
Cindy studied the room before she said, “What’s this, pulling a book out from under the cot’s mattress.” Looks like a diary, “I wonder if the keys would open it?”
“Try them,” Vicki said tossing her the two sets of keys.
Opening the book displayed a very detailed family tree of Cindy s ancestors, after that very little made sense, though there were several references to the Avatar.
“I wonder what this all means?” asked Cindy.
“I have no idea,” commented Vicki, “we could ask your Grandmother?”
“True I don’t think she would know, she was far to young to remember that troubled time, with my great uncle.” Cindy continued.”
“I suppose your right, but it never hurts to ask,” Vicki concluded
As the two walked out of the tower, they noticed light streaming through the hole that had been shot through the wall. Cindy bent down and took a look, “Hey there’s another room there.” “These board aren’t that strong, let’s try to break through.”
“I have a better idea,” Vicki returned to the main floor and grabbed her fathers bowling ball. Carrying it up the stair, she turned around and flung it at the hole in the wall. The wall went crash as the bowling ball pierced it taking with it any other objects that boarded up this door.
“I hope your dad doesn’t get made at what you did with his bowling ball,” Cindy commented.
“I don’t think he would he hasn’t bowled in over 4 years.”
It took no time to remove the rest of the wood from the door. They soon found themselves inside a room containing all sorts of junk. In one corner was a cranked record player, another steamer trunk, several weapons, including one .38 caliber Double Action Army pistol, and three short swords. Vicki picked up the gun and placed it into the holster. “A perfect fit, the strap closes and everything, but no ammo.”
Cindy picked one of the swords; “I’m Xena, Barbarian Princess.” She took one sword and Vicki took one as well.
“I wonder what’s in the trunk,” Cindy asked? They slowly opened the trunk. With in it were a large assortment of antique medical devices and several tin prints of various family members. Cindy looked though the trunk. Vicki looked out the window with now one pain of glass now shattered; “Will you look at that?” She pointed down at the water. “It look like the remains of a boat.”
“We could go check it out tomorrow, if it’s okay with my dad,” Vicki commented.
“Why don’t we ask,” replied Cindy.
“Where do you want to look now, I don’t think we can go any higher,” Commented Vicki. “We could put the rest of my stuff into the nursery then we can look down below again.”
In about twenty minutes they were able to hall the last three boxes containing Vicki’s items. The boxes contained her stereo, posters, jewelry box, clothes, stuffed animals, and assorted items, valuable only to a teenager.
“Now what are we going to do,” Cindy asked?
“There are still all those boxes in the basement. Why don’t we bring a few of them up to the ballroom where we could see them,” Cindy said?
“That sound good, but let’s change and eat first,” Vicki said.
After going to the nursery and taking turn on the changing table, the two made their way to the basement. Before they could leave the ballroom there was knock at the door. A man cautiously made his way to the door; “I’m here to connect the satellite TV. I came earlier and someone shot at me.”
“Sorry but I dropped a gun upstairs. If I had known that someone was outside, I would not have messed with it.” Vicki blushed.
“Okay, if you don’t mind I will install this. You girls can go play. And later you can watch some TV.”
Cindy was just going to say something about his comments, when Vicki grabbed her arm leading her away. “He’s no loss, probably married,” she said to Vicki as the two headed down to the basement.
Walking through the dinning room past the kitchen they headed to the basement. Each picking a box the carried them upstairs to the ball room. Sitting down close to the fireplace they started to unpack them.
Vicki, first used a towel to remove some of the dust from her box, while Cindy just threw hers open. As the dust settled, they got their first chance to look into a box that hadn’t been open in over 70 years. What they found was unidentifiable to them. They reached in and took it out. Whatever they were looking at had degraded greatly in age. “I’m open for questions,” said Cindy?
“It looks like some strange Halloween mask,” commented Vicki.
“Open yours,” Cindy said to Vicki.
Vicki opened the box she had selected. What they beheld was beautiful. Inside were three hats decorated with the most brilliant bird feathers, “Now these are pretty,” said Vicki.
Cindy said, “Why is it you get the pretty stuff while I get the weird.”
“I don’t know, just lucky I guess.”
“Hey look what else I’ve found,” cried Cindy. “It looks like climbing tackle. I know the belts are badly decayed, but I m sure Buzz at the hardware store could replace them.”
“Yea if we get some ropes we could scale down to the old boat landing,” Vicki agreed.
“I’ll set them aside for future use,” Cindy said.
“Let’s go get another box,” Vicki said, “but bigger.”
“There are several trunks I know it would take the two of us to hall up stairs, let’s get one them.”
Slowly, arduously the hauled a trunk up the stairs. By the time they got it up the satellite guy met them. “Okay ladies you’re hooked up, enjoy.” With that he left.
The two girls dragged the trunk into the ballroom. After fidgeting with the lock it opened and fell to the ground. Slowly they opened the top, and were assaulted by the stench of mothballs. Lifting off what looked like a blanket, turned out to be a wool cloak, they continued to explore the contents. This trunk was obviously that of a wealth man, they found wool coats, silk shirts, a mohair smoking jacket, along with several naval uniforms inscribed with the rank commodore, and finally a picture. Cindy looked at it and said, “I know who that is, follow me.”
She ran to the den, and pointed to the picture above the mantle, “That’s my Great Great Grand Father, Charles William Stewart MacBeth.” “He was a commodore in the Spanish American war, and later in W.W.I.”
“The picture shows him with a sword, where is that” Vicki asked?
“Buried with him, or so I’ve been told,” said Cindy.
“Cindy are you hungry?” asked Vicki her tummy rumbling.
“Yea, why?”
“Let’s order Pizza and continue with this adventure, after we eat.”
“Well then let’s do it,” Cindy handed her the phone.
The two young ladies ordered pizza; Cindy’s father delivered it.
“Well how are you girls doing with your unpacking,” he asked.
Vicki replied, “my room and things are already set up. My father will unpack his things when he’s back. We did set up the kitchen, so we can at least have something to eat.”
Looking over the mess on the floor of the ballroom, Cindy s father asked, “Where did all this stuff come form.”
“The basement,” the two replied.
“Well as long as you two stay out of trouble and don t call the police in hysteria, you can stay here. Cindy I bought some more of you stuff for you to stay the night.”
“Thanks Dad,” she replied.
Vicki paid for the pizza out of the money her dad left her, and Cindy’s father went back to his restaurant.
As the girls continued to look through boxes Dust Bunny joined them. The kitten was having loads of fun pouncing on the items from the boxes and jumping in the boxes themselves.
As the night continues, the girls decided to change. Then they though they would go through only one more box as they were both rather sleepy from the night before.
The two went down stair and grabbed a box marked nursery.
After the two got it up stair and cleaned some of the dust off they opened it. With in the box they found; diapers, crib sheets, baby clothe some that would ever fit them, glass nursing bottles, and many dry rotted pairs of rubber pants.
Vicki said, “Well looks like we have more for our nursery.”
“Yea,” Cindy agreed.
The two girls then started choosing what items they wanted. Each chose a frilly baby dress; a couple of wrap around T-shirts, with the old fashioned ties, a few silk diaper covers, without rubber pants built in, a bonnet, and bib.
“Once these things are washed, we’ll really be set.”
“Let’s look some more,” Cindy urged.
The two girls removed a cardboard divider, what they saw confused them.
All the clothes and baby items under the divider, we coated with a rust colored substance. Under them there was a baby album covered with the same substance. Examining the items more closely, Vicki said, “It looks like some-kind-of paint was splashed on it.”
Cindy commented, “Or poop,” she said pointing at Vicki s legs.
“I suppose you’re trying to tell me something?”
“Vicki you’re leaking out of your plastic pants.”
Vicki looked down and noticed that she had filled her diapers with a huge load of diarrhea.
“Did I get it anywhere,” she asked Cindy?
“No just the little bit at the leg elastic, and inside the pants.”
“Well let’s go change and get to bed, we can put the items we want in the laundry room overnight.”
With that the two girls went to the nursery.
It took both Cindy and Vicki to get Vicki cleaned up.
Cindy was messy, but no where near as bad as Vicki.
Each crawled into their cribs. Dust Bunny, curled up with Vicki.
They said their goodnights.
Dream came but not pleasant ones.
Cindy saw herself chained to a wall along with Vicki. They watched the Hag from the night before, mixing things before them.
Soon they heard a door open; a man with wild unkempt hair had entered carrying a small child in his arms. He walked over to the hag, and whispered something to her neither of the girls could understand. She placed the crying infant on a chopping block, picked up a cleaver. Before the cleaver stuck both girls were awake, and screaming. Cindy jumped over to Vicki crib, and they huddled together in fear. They spent the rest of the night holding each other, crying themselves back to sleep.
9/14/1999
Commander Henderson entered his new home, after two days of reorganizing the USCG Watch Station. He expected to find his daughter and her friend awake and exploring, but now he heard nothing. “Vicki?” he cried out. “Cindy, where are you two?”
He looked in the den; the TV was off, but setup. Next he looked in the kitchen, and found no one. He left there and climbed the stairs to the second floor. As he neared the nursery, the smell of heavily laden diapers struck him. “What were they eating,” he said to himself.
Pushing the door open he found the two girls huddled together a sleep. Both they needed a bath, badly. The bed, the bedding, the girls’ nighties, diapers and anything else was covered in their mess. He put his hand on Vicki she awoke with a scream, awakening her bed companion Cindy.
“It’s okay it’s just me.”
Vicki looked at her dad as if he was a stranger. “Vicki are you okay?”
“No, Yes, I don’t know?”
“Well could you pick one,” her dad responded. “You two go and take a bath, I’ll put the sheets in the laundry. See you at breakfast.”
With that he left the two girls got out of bed, Vicki’s father took the sheet and headed down stairs.
Vicki and Cindy looked at each other.
“Maybe a bubble bath will make up feel better,” Cindy suggested?
“It will take more than that to clean us up,” Vicki replied. They were soiled from their stomachs to their knees, the two messes mixed together to make it look worse.
The two girls slowly walked into the bathroom each taking turn stood in the tub and removed their messy clothes and then diapers. After a final rinse, the poured a nice hot bath for themselves. Vicki was adding a generous portion of Mister Bubble. As they spent time in the bath the two of them discussed what they had dreamed.
“One more experience like that and I’m leaving this place,” Vicki commented.
“I know, but what’s causing these nightmares,” Cindy questioned?
“What ever it is it’s sure scaring the shit out for us, in a literal sense.” The two girls laughed. Joking made them feel a little better, but they had no idea what might lay in store for them tonight.
Cindy asked, “Do you think your father would allow you to stay at my place?”
“We won’t know unless we ask,” Vicki said.
The girls were soon climbing down the stair where they picked up Dust Bunny.
“You have been two very messy girls these last two night, do you have the flu or something like that?”
“No we’ve just been having strange nightmares, and I think it’s giving me the runs,” Vicki said.
“Dad, Vicki asked if I could stay at Cindy’s to night?”
“If it’s okay with her parents you can, I am again working night watch and I’ll pick you up on my way home.”
“Thanks Dad, we’ll ask this morning and call you,” Vicki said.
“Okay, I’ll be putting the rest of the house together, but I we’ll keep the cordless phone near by.” “Oh, before you young ladies do anything this morning, sort out that junk in the main hall into what you want to keep, and toss, or I’ll do it for you.”
The two wanted and kept the nursery box, the steamer chest, and climbing tackle, the rest they left for Vicki’s dad to look at.
They then made their way to the Hardware store.
“Uncle Buzz,” Cindy cried over the warning bell when they entered.
“Well if it isn’t Cindy, and a friend. What can I do for you two ladies today.”
Placing the tack on the counter Cindy asked, “Can you fix these so we can use them to explore around Witch Island.”
“I suppose so, but what area are you exploring?”
“Down by the old boat landing.”
“Well Cindy does your friend know how to repel?”
Vicki broke i