{"id":645,"date":"2008-10-31T19:29:56","date_gmt":"2008-10-31T19:29:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.icemark.com\/blog\/?p=645"},"modified":"2016-03-26T12:15:34","modified_gmt":"2016-03-26T12:15:34","slug":"de-le-mere-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icemark.com\/blog\/archives\/2008\/10\/31\/de-le-mere-house\/","title":{"rendered":"De Le Mere House"},"content":{"rendered":"

     De la Mere House was dead. The soul and lifeblood drained from the house over three hundred years of neglect. The sounds of children playing in the gardens had been replaced by the shrieks of tawny owls searching for a mate; the smell of dry birch burning in open fires replaced by the odour of rancid water, the rotten flesh of decaying animals, and damp moss and wet vegetation now taking up occupancy; A house that once bustled with servants going about their daily chores had been overrun by rats, spiders, mice, bats, and feral pigeons. The moss infested cobbled courtyards were overgrown along the tanque de polipropileno<\/font><\/a>, taken over by gnarled trees, invading from the once beautiful formal gardens, angry at having lost their foliage during the vicious autumnal storms.
\n     Ivy strangled the large sheer walls that covered the now rotten half timber skeleton; erupting from the inner confines of a surrounding bulrush swamped moat, they barely held up the impressively gothic roof. Although years of abandonment had reduced much of the house to mere ruins, looking up into the heart of that bat infested hammerbeam roof would still be as breath taking as viewing the structural interior of a galleon. Large gothic towers and chimneys rose up, splitting the mist as the moon fought through dark clouds, illuminating the waiting hordes of gargoyles.
\n     Noose looked out to the stormy night through a large mullioned and transomed window, high in the tower overlooking the main courtyard.
\n     \u201cYou know, I think there\u2019s frost on the inside,\u201d he said running his fingers over the thin glass, \u201cand condensation on the outside. It\u2019s so cold in here.\u201d
\n     \u201cNoose,\u201d boomed a voice from the room. \u201cAre you going to join in with this s\u00e9ance or not?\u201d
\n     Noose turned to look at the rest of the gang sat around a small mahogany table in the centre of the room. He slowly eyed them all before resting his stare on his questioner; Shotgun. \u201cI don\u2019t think this place is haunted you know.\u201d
\n     Shotgun turned to the tall skeletal man sat to his right. \u201cI told you we shouldn\u2019t have brought him; he\u2019s not taking this seriously at all.\u201d
\n     \u201cHe will,\u201d replied Cancer. He rummaged through a large hessian bag and placed a wooden heart shaped planchette on the board in front of him. \u201cIt\u2019s not a s\u00e9ance, it\u2019s a Ouija. Are you going to go first then Shotgun?\u201d
\n     \u201cNo, I can\u2019t. I\u2019ve got a slight dose of telekinetic ability,\u201d Shotgun motioned towards the wooden indicator. \u201cSo the doo-dar will move to anything that I think about. Maybe Pill should do it.\u201d
\n     Pill gave Shotgun a quick sneer and then went to scratch his nose, as his hands passed through his face he decided to scratch the back of his head instead. \u201cSure, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d he said.
\n     \u201cClose your eyes and focus on the spirits in the room,\u201d said Pill.
\n     \u201cI\u2019d rather play cards,\u201d said Noose.
\n     \u201cAre you going to kill him or should I?\u201d shouted Shotgun.
\n     \u201cNoose, get in the spirit will you,\u201d said Cancer directing him to the table.
\n     Noose sat next to Guillotine as Pill put his hands on the board and indicator. The group closed their eyes and the room fell silent.
\n     Five minutes of deathly quiet was cut when Pill said, \u201cSpirits of the house please make yourselves known to us. Come to our gathering and answer our questions.\u201d
\n     The indicator started to move but stopped abruptly when Noose shouted, \u201cYou did that Pill, I saw you.\u201d
\n     \u201cQuit it Noose!\u201d roared Shotgun. \u201cI\u2019ll throw you through that window if you don\u2019t stop messing.\u201d
\n     The room once again fell silent until Pill repeated his request and this time added, \u201cAre you with us?\u201d
\n     \u201cWoooo\u2026\u201d whispered Guillotine looking at Noose.
\n     Slowly the indicator started to move and Cancer\u2019s gravely voice read out the individual letters until it spelt the word, yes. Noosed looked nervous as he watched the inanimate piece of wood return to the centre of the board.
\n     \u201cWho are you?\u201d asked Pill.
\n     The distant sound of a door creaking grabbed the attention of the group. Noose looked at the others nervously seeking comfort and reassurance. \u201cIt\u2019s just the wind,\u201d whispered Guillotine.
\n     \u201cWho are you?\u201d repeated Pill.
\n     Metal banging on wood thundered through the window making the group turn to face it. Noose was the first out of his seat; retreating to the opposite side of the room.      \u201cThere was a pair of feet on the window\u2014\u201c
\n     \u201cNo there wasn\u2019t,\u201d snapped Shotgun.
\n     Guillotine nodded softly said, \u201cYes, there was.\u201d He smiled as his friends returned their attention to the window.
\n     The group looked at each other as footsteps on cobbles echoed from the courtyard. Pill ran to the window and looked out but the oppressive night made it impossible to see anything. A large door groaned open and then slammed shut making the timbers of the building rattle.
\n     \u201cSo… so… someone needs to go and loo… loo… look,\u201d said Noose.
\n     \u201cWe\u2019ll all go,\u201d said Shotgun.
\n     After a large amount of arguing about the merits of collective investigation or singular death by misadventure, the group left the tower and made their way down the thin spiral staircase leading to the main entrance hall.
\n     The flame of large candles danced in the draft, throwing shadows onto the cold stone walls.
\n     \u201cDid you leave the candles on?\u201d asked Guillotine looking at Pill.
\n     Pill shook his head. \u201cThey were definitely off when I came up to the tower.\u201d
\n     A large shadow moved across the once white washed walls as the cold wind returned with much more vigour, the candles flickered violently and went out. A door slammed.
\n     \u201cIt\u2019s outside,\u201d said Noose.
\n     \u201cQuick,\u201d said Shotgun. \u201cFollow it.\u201d
\n     \u201cMy arse,\u201d said Noose. \u201cI\u2019m not going out there.\u201d
\n     \u201cOk, you can stay in here on your own then,\u201d said Cancer. \u201cCome on boys, let\u2019s, take a look.\u201d
\n     Shotgun opened the large oak door and the group, less Noose, stumbled out into the courtyard.
\n     \u201cOh my god,\u201d said Cancer. \u201cIt\u2019s a sign.\u201d His hands covered his mouth; his eyes remained fixed at the object.
\n     \u201cIt\u2019s a warning; it\u2019s going to kill us!\u201d said Noose entering the courtyard after weighing up the merits of being alone in the old house.
\n     \u201cDon\u2019t be daft Noose. You\u2019re dead already remember!\u201d
\n     \u201cWhat does it mean?\u201d asked Shotgun. \u201cWhat\u2019d it say?\u201d
\n     Cancer hesitated for a moment, and then returned himself to a moment of still and calmness. \u201cSold,\u201d he said. \u201cSubject to contract.\u201d Read more about melatonin benefits<\/font><\/a> here.<\/p>\n

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