Daddy Won't Kill You (An Occult Horror) Read online

  Daddy Won’t Kill You

  A Dark Psychological Thriller

  By

  Caroline Gebbie

  Kindle Edition.

  © Copyright Caroline Gebbie 2013

  Spooky Night Books.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means either electronic or mechanical, including recording or photocopying, or any information retrieval or storage system, without prior written permission of the Author. Your continued support of author’s rights is much appreciated.

  All characters in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Anne Radcliffe, one of the first Gothic writers (The Mysteries of Udolpho) might’ve summed my experience up with her thoughts on terror, that it “expands the soul and awakens the faculties to a high degree of life.”

  “Evil lasts, evil stains, evil is eternal.”

  ― The Book of 1000 Screams

  Chapter One

  A black SUV stood in front of a large town house. The paintwork polished so deeply you could fall into it, but the gloss doesn’t hide the rust dotted along the wheel arches, or the scratch on the rear panel. The car was long past new.

  The doors stood open making the car look like a giant beetle poised pre-flight. In the rear seat, six year old Lucy fidgeted against the faded leather. Her angelic face surrounded by golden curls and lit with excitement as she jiggled in her seat. She wanted this trip so badly, wanted it to be perfect, like the trips she remembered, the long walks with dad, coming back to the smell of mummy’s pies, and falling asleep on the sofa. She believed that if she imagined it perfect then that was how it would be.

  Next to her nine year old Chase had his head buried in a book about dragons. He had read it so many times he could quote whole passages, but still the story was one of his favorites. He was also deeply excited, and had read the same passage of the book three times now, unable to concentrate, but he pretended to be engrossed in the story knowing that it would drive his sister wild.

  Lucy jiggled again and poked his arm. He feigned indifference, keeping his eyes down, hidden by wavy brown hair that flopped across his face. She grabbed for his book, her clumsy fingers slipping from the pages as he pulled it away, with a stern expression. He had to look down quickly as a smile threatened to spoil his ruse. He stared at the words, then closed his eyes and bit down to prevent giggles from bursting from him.

  “I can’t wait,” Lucy said giggling with anticipation. “Aren’t you excited?”

  Chase kept his head down, but the book began to shake as barely suppressed laughter shook his shoulders. He raised his head and stuck out his tongue, which caused Lucy to giggle uncontrollably. Folding the book in his lap he turned in the seat. “A week in a cabin with you... sounds like torture.” But his smile told a different story.

  Lucy grabbed for the book again and the car was filled with happy laughter.

  “Jesus, I’m on the phone.” Over at the house Lauren frowned at Steve as she exited the front door.

  In the car Lucy seemed to wilt, her excitement extinguished like a daisy too close to a flame. She glanced across the garden, towards the front door. The bright colors of the summer flowers were fading. They desperately clung onto life as the seasons began to change. They seemed sad to her and lowered her mood even more. Stood in front of a large, pale, blue house Lauren, her mum stood with a phone glued to her ear. Her shoulders were squared, her head held high and her brow furrowed with concentration.

  Lucy thought she was the most beautiful woman ever. But today her long, curly, blond hair was pulled back severely and fastened in a pony tail, which bounced angrily as she moved. She wore her normal jeans and a white blouse, somehow making this casual gear look sophisticated and elegant. Lucy wished she was at home more.

  Standing at her side was Steve, the children’s father. His head was down, his shoulders slumped. The stance made him seem smaller than he was and he fidgeted almost as much as Lucy. Once proud of his strength he looked lost and clumsy, like a boy caught in some heinous act and called before the principal.

  Lauren turned her back to him and talked into the phone, “Just for a week.” She nodded her head at the reply and then continued. “I’ll try and get back earlier... No, there’s no signal at the cabin.” She ended the call and turned back, hiding the fatigue that seemed to force her almost to her knees.

  “Are we ready?” Steve asked his eyes almost pleading.

  She gave him a withering look. “I should be working. We need the money more than we need this holiday.”

  The emphasis on the, I and we, made Steve cringe, he couldn’t hold her eyes and glanced across at the car. The children were sat quietly, like crash test dummies waiting for the explosion. Their eyes forwards, as they pretended not to hear. He hated how their problems were affecting the kids. They were often quiet now, sliding into their own little worlds as they tried to ignore the fights their parents had.

  “We promised them a holiday, remember,” Steve almost whispered. “Lauren, please for them.”

  “Okay, I do miss being with the pumpkins.”

  Lauren smiled and her face was transformed into the gentle, caring wife that he loved so much, would she ever forgive him for losing his job?

  Chapter Two

  Dusk was falling around a lonely, dilapidated cottage. It brought a feeling of depression to the day, as if a dirty blanket was being dropped over something best left hidden. The air was windless, and nothing disturbed the preternatural quiet that surrounded the property. It was almost like the world held its breath, waiting for this moment to pass.

  Strangled weeds pushed through a worn path which led from the house and terminated at the road. A crumbled gate post leaned away from the path, and a tatter of yellow crime scene tape hung forlornly down the pitted concrete. Behind the post a removal van hulked at the curb. Its carnivorous doors were open and waited hungrily for the remnants of life that it would swallow whole, and regurgitate far from here.

  A crow cawed a desperate and lonely sound, from somewhere behind the cottage, just as the tattered frame door was slammed open by a man in dark overalls. He pushed through the door with his back, an easy chair clutched in his hands. He maneuvered around the small door, easing the chair through the frame and stepped towards the path. Behind him, a second workman exited the house. He carried a wooden rocking chair, held away from his body as if it was distasteful, unclean. His dark brown eyes flicked from the chair to the cottage and back again, as sweat slowly traced a line down the stubble on his cheek. He wanted to put it down, to run from here and to spend the rest of the night in a scorching shower, but he would not show his fear and followed his colleague.

  The men arrived at the van, and the easy chair was worked into the last remaining space, between boxes, an old fashioned dresser a bed and furniture that all appeared to come from a different era. Nervous glances passed between them as they realized the rocker wouldn’t fit. They looked at the house, silhouetted in the dark and back at the van. Sat on the roof of the cottage a large, ink black crow cawed out a challenge and before them the chair rocked on the concrete.

  They stepped backed, one towards the van, the other away. Their job was to clear the property, but darkness was falling and they wouldn’t come back.

  The first man, the younger of the two, reached behind him and pulled cardboard from one of the packing boxes. With a pen from his pocket, he wrote something on it and placed it in the rocking chair.

  The two men laughed a false, hollow sound and walked to the front of the van. As they drove away, the rocking chair was shrouded i
n moonlight. It started to move, backwards and forwards it rocked despite the stillness of the night.

  Chapter Three

  The SUV slid smoothly through the night. Lauren handled the car with confidence and ease as she stared at the tarmac. It seemed to rush towards her like fate in the glow of the headlights. She felt out of control, careering down a hill to the destruction of her marriage at ever increasing speed. She had tried so hard to step up to the plate and she did not blame Steve, but the bills just kept coming and they were barely surviving.

  She let out a tense breath and rolled her shoulders to release tension. Luckily the road was quiet. There had been little traffic and she wondered again if she should have stayed at home and let Steve take the kids on this last trip to her parent’s cabin.

  She glanced in the rear view mirror, Lucy was asleep her head resting on the seat, her golden curls formed a halo round her face and she looked so cute it almost took Lauren’s breath away. Chase was reading, as always, the glow of his reading light made him look older and so serious. She had a moment of panic, where had the time gone, she was working so much and every time she looked they seemed to have grown, what was she missing? Damn.

  “Did you bring the camera?” she asked, the words coming out more sharply than she intended. Flustered she continued, “We may as well get some photos if I can’t work.”

  Steve turned towards her slowly, as if he was expecting another row. “Yes, it’s packed.”

  She stared at the tarmac, leading off into the dark. “You know I should have worked—“

  Steve cut her off tentatively. “Remember what you use to tell me?”

  She laughed a short bark of sound, but it broke the tension. “All work and no play makes Steve a dull boy.” She glanced at him, his head was down, his shoulders bowed, his hands curled together in his lap. She loved him so much, but never seemed to find the time to tell him.

  He looked across at her. “I’m sorry but we have to sell.”

  She turned back to the road, fighting the tears that threatened to flood her eyes and spill down her cheeks and her answer was harsher than she intended. “My dad gave me the cabin, how can I sell?”

  “Gave us the cabin,” Steve said, he could feel his own anger rising, born out of shame and hopelessness. “Sorry, look I’m doing the best I can. At least I’m working now.”

  Lucy stirred in the seat behind them, woken by the raised voices. Steve turned towards her and his expression softened. Lucy’s smile was quick and infectious, it filled him with joy and he couldn’t help but return it. Chase was sat very still, sensing the growing tension, but he couldn’t resist his dad’s smile for long.

  “My husband the odd job man.” Lauren’s caustic tone sliced through his joy like a hot knife through butter.

  The kids shared a look and stared our opposite windows.

  “Would you rather I did nothing?” Steve asked.

  Lauren’s voice was rising. “You know...”

  “Mummy don’t,” Lucy called from the rear seat, her voice shrill with concern.

  “It’s all right honey, were just talking, anyway I’m all better now,” Steve said in a soothing voice.

  “Well enough to get a proper job,” Lauren said as she looked across at Steve. The instant the words left her mouth she blushed with shame and regret. She turned away quickly and stared at the dark, empty road.

  Steve lowered his own eyes and seemed to shrink lower into the seat. He had no fight left and wanted the journey to be over. He looked out the window and could just make out the verges, oceans of green, covered with prickly gorse long past flowering and deep pink foxgloves as well as the Rowan trees whose red berries heralded autumn. The oasis of nature rushed past the car as they sped towards the cabin that had been such a big part of their marriage.

  Lauren glanced over to whisper an apology, but Steve was deep within his own thoughts, his fists clenched as he stared out of the window. She turned back to the road and saw a glimmer of light in the distance, services. She pulled the car into the service area and turned off the engine. She closed her eyes, plucking up her courage and prayed that the fight was over. She looked over and met Steve’s eyes. A fist seemed to clench onto her stomach as she realized how much she loved him, she whispered an apology and a truce was formed.

  With a big smile and a feeling of joy she turned towards the children. “Come on Pumpkins, let’s go eat.”

  Steve jumped out of the car and grabbed his daughter from the booster seat. He raised her high in the air, and looked up into her angelic face and laughing sky blue eyes, all worry was gone for now. He spun her round in the air and sang, “Lucy locket lost her pocket.”

  Lucy joined in, delighted at the game, her voice high and happy. “But Kitty Fisher found it.”

  The next line was Chase’s his voice was still high but he tried to deepen it. “But never a penny was there in it.”

  Lauren finished the verse, her voice melodious and happy. “But the binding round it.”

  Lucy screamed with delight as Steve spun her round and then popped her onto his shoulders. The family was a unit again and they headed as one towards the diner. A gust of wind blew a newspaper towards them and Steve stepped aside nimbly to avoid it. As the paper tumbled across the night black tarmac, he put a tentative arm around Lauren’s waist, hoping that she would accept the gesture. He felt a rush of warmth and love as she leant against him.

  They crossed the car park with little Chase leading the way and stepped out of the dark, depressing night and into the sterile brightness of the services. Steve picked up a paper folding it beneath his arm without looking. It would pass the time later.

  Behind them, the paper fluttered onwards. It narrowly missed a white van and stopped against a chain link fence that separated the grey of the tarmac from an ocean of wild grass, splattered with flowers that looked black in the moonlight. The paper fanned open, before settling against the fence, on the image of Val, who could be Lauren. Her hair was cut into a fifties shoulder length bob, she was immaculate, if old fashioned, dressed in a formal skirt, a crisp blouse with a scarf tied neatly around her neck.

  Chapter Four

  The car headlights lit up the narrow roads as Steve piloted it towards the cabin. He felt better driving, a little more in control, and his excitement grew with every mile closer to their destination. He would make this a good holiday, rebuild their marriage, restore his own batteries and lay out his plans to Lauren. They would survive, and they would grow stronger, all he had to do was get over selling the cabin and get Lauren to agree to his plan.

  He could feel her as she watching him. She was leaning against the side window and looked relaxed. His resolve failed a little maybe he should leave it another month recuperate a bit more, but he knew now was the right time and as long as all went well it would help rebuild them.

  “You know I just want the best for...” Laurens eyes flicked to the back seat and the sleeping children. “Them,” she finished.

  Steve nodded, feeling hope rise within him. Lauren was taking it hard selling the cabin, the older car, less spending money, but he knew deep down inside that none of this really mattered. He allowed his own eyes to leave the road and glanced at the children via the rear view mirror. They were snuggled up beneath blankets, like bookends on the rear seat. They looked so safe, cocooned within the comfort of the metal vehicle as they were whisked through the night. Steve’s chest filled with warmth and love and he nodded at Lauren. It was so nice to be free of the bickering, even if just for a little while.

  Steve shifted his eyes back past Lauren, who relaxed against the seat. She was tired, but managed a smile, he returned it before looking back at the tarmac. He relaxed. They were going to make it. This holiday would give them the time to slow down and realize how much they still had to be grateful for. He had never realized how much he missed when he was working so hard, but since his illness he had appreciated the time at home.

  He indicated and pulled off the main ro
ad onto a narrower lane that would take them the last sixty miles to the cabin. Lauren closed her eyes and he heard her breathing deepen and slow as she started to drift off to sleep. She needed the rest and he eased off the accelerator just a little, taking the corners a little slower would allow her to sleep easier. She had become him, always too busy to be with the children, always too stressed to enjoy the little things. He hadn’t realized how grumpy he was until it was gone.

  He passed through a sleepy hamlet, the street lights illuminated the quaint cottages with their neat and colorful gardens. He noted the small shop and cafe they had frequented on previous visits. It brought back good memories, but then he was out of the village and the darkness seemed to descend on the car. There was no traffic now, as he headed through a forest of twisted oaks and huge beech trees. He loved the deciduous forests. The variety of trees, each with its own character supported much more life than the so called factory forests full of regimented pines.

  He hoped they would see some deer this trip, the kids would love it and sometimes they were almost tame near the cabin and you could get close if you were patient and quiet. He chuckled to himself. Lucy would never manage to keep still.

  He turned the car round a steep bend and they started to climb up the hill. He pushed down on the accelerator to compensate for the gradient and the car responded maintaining speed easy enough. Sometimes he missed the Mercedes, but this SUV was solid and reliable and kind of fun to drive. The kids appreciated the extra height of the vehicle which gave them good all round views.

  They leveled out and sped along the straight, it felt like they were leaving behind the troubles and moving towards a new future. The powerful headlights illuminated the road ahead and seemed to spotlight an object on the verge. It’s perfect; Steve thought and slammed on the brakes a little too hard. The car dipped violently and the tires protested with a squeal as they lurched to a halt.