There was a family who's name was Careheart. One night, they heard a
sound from the attic. It was their youngest daughter Hannah who heard
it first. At first, she thought it was nothing. However, she soon
heard it again and then again as it passed in and out of her hearing
range. The ten-year-old walked around the living room testing to see
if the sound became louder or quieter. Finally she realized it was
coming from the rusty attic hatch. This sound was not like what you
normally hear a house make. It was not a bumping or rubbing. It was
soft and gentle. It called to her in a strange way. For a second she
stared up at it and then ran to tell her father.
Soon the whole family had gathered around, straining their ears to
hear the curious sound as they looked up. No one ever went into the
attic except on rare occasions, and no one had been up there in a
long, long time. The wavering sound had started so hesitant, but now
it was growing louder as if it were trying to get their attention.
They were starting to make it out in detail. It was almost musical.
Yes, in fact, as fourteen-year-old Ruby stated, “It is music.”
Indeed, there were clear notes as if someone was playing music in the
attic. However, it did not sound like a band for it was a single
instrument.
“It sounds almost like an old piano,” seventeen-year-old Jenifer
was saying. This is interesting because the Careheart's have an old
piano in their attic, but of course no one plays it anymore. To add
to that, there was only one person in the family who knows how to
play piano and that is their twenty-one-year old son, Joseph. In the
past, he would sometimes lower the dusty attic hatch ladder stairs,
and lead Hannah up by the hand because the attic was scary. When they
had moved their way through the clutter, Joseph would sit down at the
piano and play simple, cheerful tunes for her. However, the sound in
the attic today was not cheerful. Still it could be Joseph's playing
Hannah thought. One strange detail was that Joseph was not with the
family tonight. As a matter of fact he was thought to have been
murdered last night in the Careheart's living room.
The scene last night went as follows. Only Hannah and Joseph had
been home. The criminal, who was named Daniel Brigsbe, had apparently
crept in through a window into the living room. Hannah, rounding the
living room corner, screamed when she saw him. Mr. Brigsbe had a gun
in his hand and he was pointing it at her when Joseph rushed in.
Joseph tackled Mr. Brigsbe from behind breaking the criminal's leg.
Joseph managed to grab Mr. Brigsbe's gun and stand up, but things
would not go well after this.
“Hannah, go call 911,” Joseph said as he pointed the gun at Mr.
Brigsbe who lay on the ground.
Hannah
was frozen in freight, so Joseph cautiously reached for his cell
phone. Like a flash of lightning, Mr. Brigsbe pulled another gun out
of his pants and fired it at Joseph. Joseph fell back and lay on the
ground. Hannah screamed and ran to her room. She dialed 911 and then
called her parents who rushed home quickly but not before the police
arrived. They found Hannah shaking in her room. In the living room
they found only a blood stain on the carpet, but both Mr. Brigsbe and
Joseph were no where to be seen.
Right
before she fled, Hannah remembered the living room clock reading
8:41. This is very interesting because when she first noticed the
sound today she recalled that the clock had read 8:41. It was like
the noise did not want there to be any mistake this was the aftermath
of the horrific scene last night.
As
the family listened, the sound went on a long time. Finally, Mr.
Careheart announced, “I'm going up.” There were a few objections
from Mrs. Careheart and others. However, he knew he must ensure the
safety of his family. So, he reached up and pulled down the attic
stairs. As he did, the stairs made a loud creaking, and at this the
music abruptly stopped. Mr. Careheart froze with the stairs in his
arms, and they all listened closely. The sound was indeed gone. After
peering up into the darkness for a moment, Mr. Careheart started
walking very cautiously up the stairs holding the flashlight that
Ruby had fetched for him. He put a foot on attic's wooden floor and
flashed his light around courageously. He noticed some moonlight
creeping in through the attic window. He then started moving over to
the piano slowly and cautiously. He was inspecting it closely when he
noticed something very terrifying. On the music stand of the piano
was written a word in the dust. Actually it was a name he realized.
It said, “Hannah.” How had this appeared here? He rubbed it out
with his hand and hurried back down the attic's ladder stairs. When
reaching the living room he looked at them and shrugged his
shoulders. He would later tell them of the writing on the piano. He
was content for now seeing that the music had stopped. The family
tried to go through their normal bedtime routines as they considered
the strange sound. Of course they were all thinking of last night as
well.
The
older sibling, Jennifer asked younger Hannah some questions about
last night as they lay in bed. She was saying, “What did you hear
while you in your room before the police came?”
“I
don't know,” Hannah cried, “I... shut the door.”
“The
police said that Mr. Brigsbe may have dragged Joseph out of the
house,” Jennifer was saying for she had a way of being insensitive
like this. “They even found blood out the back door and a ways into
the woods.”
Hannah
was silent.
“Hannah,
do you believe in ghosts?” Jennifer asked.
“I...
I don't know. I...” Hannah replied.
Jennifer
added, “Well, we'll just have to see if it happens again tomorrow
night.”
It
was like Jennifer didn't even care that Joseph was gone. Overall, the
family was indeed shocked from the experience last night, but there
was a funny feeling among them as if they were not yet sure that he
had left them. They still had hope. The music in the attic flamed
this hope, and they were not grieving for this reason.
Despite
the events, the family was able to fall asleep. That is everyone
except Hannah, for she lay in bed listening for a long time. She
could almost hear that music again. Suddenly, she shot up, but
carefully as to not wake Jennifer. It was the middle of the night as
she crept out into the living room. Alone she stood below the attic
hatch staring up at it.
She
didn't notice, but there was a shadowy figure walking towards her in
the dark. It came at her from behind and reached out. When it touched
her she jumped a little, but the voice was gentle and loving,
“Hannah, it's dad.” He did not even ask her what she was doing.
Hannah
sighed. After she had relaxed she looked up at the attic and spoke,
“Daddy, Joseph isn't dead is he?”
He
replied softly, “I don't know. I certainly hope he isn't. But I'm
trusting everything is okay no matter what.”
Eventually
Hannah got too sleepy and went to bed. She feel asleep quickly.
All
questions remained unanswered. What was going on in the attic? What
has caused that mysterious sound? Why did it stop when they went up?
Most importantly, were is Joseph or at least his body? Is he alive?
The
next day was a long one. Hannah was home all day and she kept passing
by the attic wondering if the music might be heard again but there
was no sound. At 8:41 she made sure she was in the living room. Sure
enough it started in a glimmer just like the previous night. Hannah
ran to gather everyone. They all stood below the attic amazed that
the sound at reappeared for the second night in a row. More quickly
this time, Mr. Careheart opened the attic hatch. Once again the music
stopped when he did. When he made his way to the attic floor, he was
more thorough in his inspection. This time he wanted to make sure
there could be no one hiding anywhere in the cluttered attic. He
thought maybe someone was playing a joke by playing the piano and
then hiding when he came up. Not finding anything, he was just about
to leave when he noticed that the attic window had been touched since
last night. Yes, it surely had markings in the dust that weren't
there last night. He slowly worked his way toward it stepping over
junk. Not until he was right next to it did completely make it out,
“Hannah.” Startled, he smeared it out. Once again he knew nothing
more he could do, so he left the attic for the second night. The
family also thought it very peculiar when he told them of the
writing. Perhaps, he should not have told them, but Mr. Careheart had
a certain way of trusting that it would work out. Once again, the
family started making their way to bed.
As
they were getting a bedtime snack, Jennifer asked her younger
brother, “Ruby, do you believe in ghosts?”
“I
don't know,” he replied thinking carefully. “I guess it wouldn't
surprise me. But I'm not afraid of them. Fear is their best weapon.
They can't hurt you you know.”
“How
do you know?” Jenifer answered. “What if it's Joseph's ghost in
that attic?”
“Well,
then I wouldn't be afraid at all,” Ruby laughed. “He would be the
nicest ghost ever.”
Jennifer
questioned, “But why does he keep writing 'Hannah' up there as if
he wants Hannah to come up. That's what this is all about right?
That's why he plays the piano. You know it has to be him. He wants
her to come up.”
“I
don't know,” Ruby hesitated.
“You
know what I think,” Jennifer continued. “Well, you know what the
cops said.”
“Jen,
Dad said not to talk about that,” Ruby rebuked. “There's no
chance that could be true.”
“Isn't
there. No one saw the scene take place. We all just believed Hannah's
story. What if she did kill him and that's why he's calling to her.
He wants his revenge,” stated the cynical Jennifer.
“Shut
up, Jenn!” Ruby replied defiantly,”Hannah would never do that?”
“I've
never understood her,” Jennifer responded.
That
night everyone lay down, but Hannah lay awake. A long time passed as
she lay motionless. What time was it? She looked at the clock and it
was exactly the same time she rose the previous night. She thought
she could hear that music in her head again as if it were traveling
on some supernatural sound waves from the attic. She got up and
traveled out of the room. Upon reaching the living room she soon was
aware of a someone else close by. She expected to see her father, but
he never appeared. She thought it was as if he wanted to stay out of
the way. However, she knew he was there for her. She stood staring up
at the attic again wishing Joseph would just come right down, but he
did not. She had the strange urge to go up herself. Wouldn't her
father stop her? She had a funny feeling he might not. It would take
a lot of courage, but she had a sense that this story was revolving
around her and maybe if she found that courage to go up it could
somehow set Joseph free. She realized she was thinking
optimistically. Still, she was getting to the point where she was
ready right now to reach up and pull down the attic stairs. However,
she was getting very drowsy, and soon she made her back to bed.
The
next day was Sunday. This third day seemed so long, and Hannah kept
looking at the clock waiting for night to fall.
The
family was still clinging to the hope that the sound in the attic
might be connected to Joseph still being alive. They were getting
pretty on edge. Hannah was the only one who didn't have any hope that
he was alive. She was convinced he had indeed been killed. She wanted
to believe as her family did, but there was a good reason for her
doubt. She had insight on this mystery that no one else had. This was
because she knew Joseph better than anyone in the family. Over the
last two days, she had slowly developed a theory, and it could indeed
be tested. Joseph had spent so much time with her trying to bring her
out of her shell. He really cared for her, and despite their age
difference their relationship had started to reach the point were
they could predict each other's behavior. Therefore, she knew exactly
what he would have done if he was dying. In addition, her theory
lined up with blood found in the back door way and the woods.
Hannah's theory was that no one had found Joseph's body because he
didn't want them to find it. Joseph always had a funny way of making
nothing of death, and he always considered the formalities associated
with death especially silly. Also, Joseph was one of the kindest
souls on the planet and he would not have wanted them to find him in
their house. Hannah wondered if he might have struggled his way out
the back door and out into the woods to die alone. The scary part is,
like I mentioned, the theory could be tested. This is because she
knew exactly where in the woods he would have decided to rest. She
was thinking of a certain place not far away from the house were a
old fallen oak tree rests over a large ditch. Joseph used to take her
to this spot, and they would slip in feeling completely hidden from
the world. Indeed, his body would also be hidden from the police even
if they followed his trail. It is very hard to find the entrance if
you haven't been shown. This theory wouldn't explain the music in the
attic at all, but Hannah would soon think up a pretty solid theory
for the music as well. Hannah knew she would eventually have to go
out and see if she might be right about Joseph. She would go out
herself and if she found him she would go back and tell the family.
Yet, she really didn't want to go until the music stopped. However,
as night finally began to fall this idea was bothering her too much.
She had to go out into the woods and test her fears. She figured if
he were not in that ditch then she would be hopeful that tonight
might be the night that he would reappear. She bravely started
walking through the misty woods, but she started to realize how
frightened she would be to see his body resting in the ditch. Maybe
she would be able to smell it from far enough away not to have to
look. She shuddered wondering if maybe she should have asked her
father to come with her. She had told him she was going for a walk in
the woods. She never lied to anyone. Hannah slowed as she approached
the spot. She was only ten-years-old, and Joseph had always been so
much security to her. It was very hard to be brave without him even
if her father was so strong and loving. The last rays of sunlight
shown through the leaves in a mystical way that just seemed to make
Hannah feel more on edge. With Joseph she could do anything even if
she was afraid, but right now as she was spotted the fallen tree, she
really felt like running away. Hannah was inching forward so afraid
she might smell or see something to confirm her fears. Her stomach
churned as she saw the entrance. Her breath was fast and her heart
pounded heavy as she knelt down to peer in. There was nothing.
Hannah
felt relieved as she raced the setting sun back to the house. She saw
her house ahead a ways. Then she saw something very startling. You
see, the window in the attic of the Careheart's house overlooks the
woods that Hannah was in. When Hannah was still a ways away thought
she might have seen a shadowy silhouette walk across the view of the
attic window. She panicked and ran towards the house so worried that
every step might bring some kind of disaster. When she was safely
inside, she began to wonder at the meaning of the shadow in the
attic. If Joseph were in that attic alive, why didn't he just come
down or at least show himself when her father went up. This was all
so odd. It was a murder mystery were no one knew where either the
victim or the murderer had ended up or even if there was a murder.
True, she had seen with her own eyes that Joseph fell at the shot of
Mr. Brigsbe's cruel bullet, but nothing made sense after that.
Then
suddenly a new theory seized her. This was by far the most horrifying
idea yet, and it would so perfectly explain the piano music every
night. It would also explain why her name kept appearing in the
attic. She would not dare tell them, but she was sure she had cracked
it and it was the worst possible outcome indeed.
When
the music did indeed start right on time at 8:41, she thought back to
shadow in the window she had seen. Hannah tried not to wear it on her
face as the rest listened to the music play. Mrs. Careheart had
suggested that they see if they try to wait out the music today. How
long would it last if they did nothing? So they waited and waited.
The sound quieted a few times and sounded like it might have stopped,
but then it would rear back up. It was the same melody every time
although it changed slightly. The Carehearts stuck with the plan and
a few of them even started to get ready for bed as they waited. It
was 9:30 and the music played on. If someone was playing that sound
they were obviously desperate to be noticed. This was no practical
joke. It was as if this were a life and death matter. Hannah was
worried she knew why. The music had beaten them in this battle of
patience because Mr. Careheart was lowering the stairs, and once more
the sound stopped immediately.
After
climbing up, Mr. Careheart boldly strode his way through the attic.
Could there be anyway someone could have avoided his inspection the
previous two nights? He knew this would be his last night in the
attic. He was starting to even get a little annoyed. He raised his
voice and yelled at whoever or whatever it was. He was calm though
and tried to reason with it, but there was no response. He thought it
was strange that he had not seen Hannah's name written in dust
tonight.
He
had been up there a long time when he finally tried something he
hadn't yet. He pulled out the piano bench and sat down at the piano.
After a moment, he carefully pressed a key with his finger and let
the tone ring out. To his horror, he was shocked to hear the same
exact note play again within the piano, yet the key hadn't moved. It
was as if the hammer had struck the string inside the piano on its
own. With great courage he calmed himself, and played a different
note. Even quicker this time the exact note replied. He played a few
more notes just to make sure there was no mistake. Every note he
played was mimicked by the piano. He was genuinely starting to
believe this was supernatural when something really crazy happened.
He noticed a torn piece of paper flutter down and land on the piano.
He quickly picked it up and shone his flashlight on it. On it was
written, “Hannah.” He crumpled the piece of paper and flew down
the attic stairs.
When
reaching the bottom he announced, “Tomorrow... we are going to take
that piano out of the attic and take it to the dump.” After telling
them all that had occurred they were all in agreement except that
Hannah said nothing. This is because everything that had happened
tonight confirmed her new theory to the point where she could almost
guarantee herself it was accurate.
That
night she lay in bed with eyes wide open as they could be. She was
fixed on the doorway of her room so worried that something would come
through it. Everyone has been afraid. There is power in fear. It
speaks of something more than our world. It cannot be dismissed for
no matter how much we learn about our world, in these moments of fear
it is though we know nothing. In those moments one can learn to trust
in something. Hannah was learning to trust. She was learning to trust
as her father trusted. His faith was a miracle. She was finding this
faith tonight. It is a faith that everything will be okay, and that
there is something greater than me and greater than the fear that
will watch out for me. It was this faith alone that night that
allowed Hannah to rise, although shaking, and walk right at her fear.
It had been easy to walk into the living room when she hadn't
realized what really might be going on, but now she was sure she knew
what awaited in the attic. Every single muscle was as tense as it
could be as she walked over to the attach hatch. It had begun to
storm outside and a crash of thunder made her jump almost come out of
her skin. She hadn't seen any sight of her father, but she knew he
must be close. Even if he had started to believe that this attic
adventure was something he didn't want to mess with he had enough
faith to allow Hannah's story to play out. He could sense something
that Hannah had not fulled sensed herself. The whole story was
centered around her, and it would change her life.
Yet,
in this moment Hannah was not entirely sure she would live through
it. The murder scene kept flashing through her mind. It wasn't the
part about Joseph getting shot that was terrifying, but the part
directly following. The question was how had both Joseph and Mr.
Brigsbe both disappeared? She knew if Joseph were in the attic he
wouldn't be playing this game. She believed he must have gone out in
the woods and rested somewhere where Hannah would not look for him.
Yes, whoever was in the attic had to be someone else. There could
only be one explanation. It was the criminal. Mr. Brigsbe was in the
attic.
She
had to get a stool to reach the attic hatch, but she managed to get
the handle and ever so quietly lower it to the floor. Forcing her
body to move despite every fearful signal she put a foot on the first
step.
After
shooting Joseph, Mr. Brigsbe must have climbed up the attic stairs to
escape. He would not have been able to run away because of his broken
leg, but while his adrenaline was still going he may have managed to
climb the creaky attic strairs and pull up the hatch behind him.
Hannah remembered how when her father first lowered the stairs they
were not quite as dusty as should have been expected for having gone
untouched for months.
The
storm outside raged on as Hannah slowly made more progress up the
stairs straining her eyes to see up into the dark.
She
knew where Mr. Brigsbe was hiding too. This was too simple. Sometimes
on those trips to the attic Joseph would show her a funny trick with
the piano. He would open the piano's cover and climb inside. There
was just enough room for him to close the cover over his head. Then
her amusement he would then play the piano's hammer's from the inside
without the keys even moving. He had to play backwards because he was
facing the wrong way so he couldn't get to complicated with his
songs. Mr. Brigsbe must have been quick to realize he could hide in
the piano too.
Her
head was above the attic floor now. She pause there for a second
which may have been a mistake for it was hard to start again.
She
was realizing that during the day Mr. Brigsbe must have exited his
hiding spot to write Hannah's name on dusty surfaces for her father
to find. Then he would conceal himself in the piano and begin to play
at the exact minute that he shot Joseph so that Hannah would know it
was him. After all, Mr. Brigsbe did not come into the house to kill
Joseph. For reasons no one but he knew he had come to kill Hannah.
The reason he had tried so hard to get her to come by herself to the
attic was because he still wanted to kill her. All this she was
thinking as she stood on the attic floor. She was facing the most
imminent danger, and she was more terrified than she ever had been in
her life but she felt that she was meant to be there even if it was
to die. She felt that there was a life on the line that wasn't hers.
This Joseph had known too.
The
lightning flashed in the window allowing her eyes to catch the
silhouette of a man walking toward her. She could faintly see him now
as he limped slowly. She stood her ground shaking. So seriously, he
strode across the attic floor until she could see his face. It was a
beaten, worn face. It looked like a face that had had enough of the
earth, but he surely was no more than twenty-five. Hannah and the man
stood there staring at each other for what seemed a millennium. She
was waiting for him to do something. What was he thinking right now.
Was he just taking his time? Was he going to kill her now? To her
surprise, however, he seemly like he was trying to talk.
He
finally spoke in a horse whisper, “Why? Why didn't he shoot me?”
Hannah
was very incapable of answering, “Uh... I...”
He
continued, “I was in his house trying to kill his sister. Why on
earth did he not shoot me right there? I found that I wasn't prepared
to die, but I thought it was over for me.”
Hannah
swallowed and finally attempted to speak, “Maybe that's why he
didn't do it? You weren't ready.” At her comment he looked puzzled.
She tried to continue, “He always told me that he would die for
anyone. He said it was because he had hope, but he wouldn't want them
to die without hope.”
“Is
there really anything worth hoping in?” he asked.
She
almost started to cry saying, “Yes, I think there is. Joseph
thought so.”
“Why
did I shoot him?” Mr. Brigsbe said looking away. “I didn't mean
to kill him. I just thought he was going to kill me and I wanted to
scare him,” he explained.
Hannah
was relieved at this amazing turn of events but now realizing that
her hope that Joseph was still alive had probably been officially put
to rest. “I was really hoping he would still be here.” she said.
Then she added, “But I'm glad you...”
He
spoke because she couldn't finish, “I'm am so sorry. I have thought
so hard the last few days. I need to find my brother. I just want to
give my life for-”
“Wait
a minute!” Hannah exclaimed her eyes lighting up with a faint
glimmer of hope. “You said... You said you were just trying to
scare him?”
“I
could have sworn I missed him, little girl,” he said.
Then
her hope sank as she said, “But if you missed him then were did all
the blood come from?”
Then
he his face lit up, “Uh, well, I badly cut my hand on the fireplace
when he tackled me. But I-”
“Did
you walk out the back door and into the woods?” she questioned
eagerly.
“Ye...
Yes, I... When I had limped out into the woods a ways I started
thinking. I started wondering why he didn't end my life. I just had
to know. I... I guess that's why I came back. I don't know how I
climbed to the roof and through that window to make it here. I don't
even-”
“You
climbed through the window!” she exclaimed. He was still clueless
as to what she had considered, but he was glad she wasn't sad.
He
continued his revelation, “When I heard the music play the next
night I wrote your name on the piano hoping you would come up. I
thought you might be able to tell me why he didn't kill me. But I
thought your dad would kill me for sure if he found me. When he came
up I hid in the rafters up there where the-”
“What!
What! You didn't hide in the piano!” she exploded, “You didn't
play the piano! You mean you didn't play the piano at all!”
“No,
I... I don't even know how to play. It was something supernatural I
guess that played it,” he considered.
“Or
maybe you didn't shoot Joseph. Maybe he just faked it hoping you'd to
leave the house if you thought he was dead. That was clever of him,”
Hannah spoke. “When he heard you leave out the back door he climbed
up into the attic to watch you from the attic window as you escaped
through woods. He wanted to see you better. It must have been quite a
shock for him when you appeared on the roof right in front of his
eyes. He realized you were coming through the window right into the
attic. He must have bolted for the one hiding place he knew was safe!
The piano,” she whispered.
His
eyes lit up in a hilarious way.
“Could
it be?” she whispered. “That means the music was just a call for
help because he thought that if he tried to escape the piano at
anytime you would attack him again.”
Hannah
walked over to the piano slowly. She slowly pulled the piano bench
out and sat down. “Could it be? Please, please, please, please,
Joseph, please, please, answer me, Joseph.” Hannah carefully played
a key, and waited with heart pounding. There was nothing but silence.
Then, finally, a hushed response of the exact note came from inside.
Hannah looked up as the cover of the piano rose cautiously. She
smiled as she saw his beloved face and breathed his name, “Joseph!”
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