Chapter 3
There was a loud crash as the bronze hand smashed through the wood of the door and turned the handle from inside. The door opened and Trevor ran inside, followed by Faucet who had smoke coming from all sort of corners of his clockwork body. The telephonescope extended into the room and the old man’s voice cried out, “Run! Get out!”
“Fool!” And the Singing Lady glowed red with anger, “You will regret this!”
And she picked up a key from her bowl of keys and snapped it in half. From the hallway outside of the room Evelyn heard a loud crash. It woke her up and she ran towards the door. She grabbed Faucet’s hand and they ran out with Trevor leading the way.They’d just barely got past the door when it slammed shut and started glowing red. Evelyn couldn’t even get close to it because it was so hot.
“She’s sealed herself in. Must have used her own key.” The old man said through the telephonoscope, “And it sounds like she sealed me in too. Did she snap the key this time?”
“You saved me. Thank you so much.” And then she saw the door, snapped in half at the middle and folded inward, as if the whole hallway had collapsed, “I’m sorry. Yes, she did. Will you be alright. Do you need us to help?”
“Oh, I’ll be fine.” He laughed through the telephonoscope, “Isn’t the first time she’s had a fit and locked me in. Anyway, you should thank the mouse. It came and fetched Faucet.”
“Thank you, Trevor.” She patted him on his white furred head. “But, sir, I thought Faucet was broken.”
“Oh, he is. Even more now.His motivator is now completely burnt out.” The old man spoke, “So I’m sorry but I have no idea how to help you anymore to get your key back. But there may be others in the house who can help.”
Evelyn paused, “So. Is it true? What she said? Will I be stuck in the house forever if I don’t get out before sunrise?”
“Well, it is certainly an interesting theory. Though I do supposed the inside of the house doesn’t exist during the daytime.... so strictly theoretically... yes.... you would be trapped forever I suppose.” She could hear him puff on his pipe and smoke came out of the end of the telephonoscope, “Well, anyway-- ah! Back for more, eh! I’ll show you!”
“Professor?” Evelyn called into the smokey telephonoscope but there was nothing but the sound of wings. “Come on, Trevor. We need to go talk to William.”
The door to the bathroom was still open a sliver. Evelyn pushed it open with a creak and the boy William peaked over the rim of the bathtub with his pale face and grey, sad eyes.
“So... You’re a ghost are you.” She said loudly.
“Y-yes. I am.” The boy William said shakily.
“And you didn’t think to mention it before!” Evelyn wasn’t sure why she was so angry with the boy William for not telling her.
“I’m sorry. I was scared you’d be mad at me.” And he lowered his face beneath the rim till just his two big eyes were looking over the edge, “And you are! See.”
“I’m sorry.” Evelyn looked away. “I think I’m just a bit upset. You see, the Singing Lady took my key.”
“I heard. I’m sorry.” And he rose more as Trevor scurried along the rim to whisper in his ear, “But I did tell you not to go in there.”
“You never said she’d try to trick me and trap me inside the house for all eternity and try to kill me!” Evelyn was getting upset at the boy William again, “So, how do I get out?”
“I couldn’t tell you she’d take your key. That’s against the rules.” And he sunk lower again as if afraid she’d yell at him again, “And I can’t tell you how to get out. If I break the rules she might seal my door off too and then not even Trevor would be able to get in here.”
“I don’t understand.” Evelyn stepped closer, “Why don’t you just leave? Get out of the bathtub and just leave the bathroom?”
“I- I can’t.” The boy William looked miserable.
“Why not?” Evelyn placed her hands on her hips.
“I can’t tell you.” William sunk lower again.
“Right, let me guess. Against the rules?” Evelyn shook her head. “Isn’t there anyone who can break the rules?”
And teh boy William suddenly sat up wide eyes. Trevor leaned up and whispered or possibly nibble on his earlobe before William said, “Yes. Maybe that could work. I wouldn’t be breaking any house rules then. Not technically.”
“What might work?” Evelyn crossed her arms, not liking being kept out of the conversation.
“Well, er, let me see. How do I... yes, okay.” The boy William cleared his throat, “Well, above all else. Do not. I repeat. Do not. Talk to the woman behind the picture at the bottom of the stairs. Because that would very much be against the rules. So you better not do it.”
“But which picture am I not supposed to talk to?” Evelyn asked. The bottom of the house was full of paintings and portraits.
“Oh, Trevor knows which.” The boy William said smiling before turning serious again, “Though of course he had better not show you the way either.”
“Thank you, William!” And Evelyn wanted very much to give him a hug for being so brave as to help her but then said, “Um, William. It just occured to me. Are you wearing any-- nevermind.”
And she scooped up Trevor and ran out of the bathroom back into the hallway. The Singing Lady’s room still glowed red and hot. The door to the attic was still bent in half though the telephonoscope was gone. Faucet was just standing there so she grabbed his hand with her other free hand and pulled him along down the stairs. As they passed over the gap in the stairs, she felt herself grow very cold again and saw Trevor squirm into her pocket as if he was hiding.
When they got to the foot of the stairs she placed Trevor down and he ran straight to the wall right where the stairs began. There was a painting of a ship at sea, a large wave was washing up against it and the light was coming through the clouds like thick wedges of yellow light. The painting was nailed to the wall and from the nail a crack ran down the wall to the ground. Trevor was scratching at the crack.
“Is it something to do with the crack?” Evelyn touched the crack and whispered, “The woman behind the painting...”
And then as her finger slid inside the crack a high pitched voice giggled, “Oh! Careful dear! I’m ever so ticklish!”
And the voice began to laugh as if being ticklish was a joke and little cracks started appearing from the big crack until finally the entire section of wall’s plaster all fell off revealing a person sized space. And inside the person sized space stood a pale looking woman with short, curly blond hair and chocolate brown eyes.
“Oh my goodness! What a delightful nap that was! How many decades was it this time, Trevor.” And then as if seeing Evelyn for the first time her eyes sparkled as she said, “Oh how wonderful! You’ve brought me a new friend, have you Trevor!”
“My name is Evelyn.” She spoke looking at the picture frame hanging from the woman’s forehead, cutting off her mouth, chin and chest from view.
“Wonderful to meet you, Evelyn. You may call me Lacrymosa. Now I really must insist you duck because it seems as if there is something coming from upstairs.” And she laughed as she said it, “Why I believe it is the Thing with Black Wings!”
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