All That is Mad Within

What lies within will all drive us mad.

The house was yellow, shutters black. The mansard roof and ornate pillars gave it the perfect haunted Victorian feel Ella and Drake were looking for on their weekend stay in the north country. The golden sun hung low, the leaves of the trees surrounding were a burnt fiery orange. The black Beetle popped and cracked along the gravel as they pulled up the long winding driveway. What caught their eye the most though was the deep dark water to the west of the dwelling.

“Ooh I wonder what old spirits and past lives we can conjure up from that eery pool?” Ella cackled as she took one last drag from her cigarette and they shut the car off. “Possibly many,”Drake sneered as he tossed the totes from the backseatover over his shoulder and headed up the steps to the house.

The doorbell chimed vibrantly giving the house some sort of appeal and sign of life given it’s very vacant look. Three black flies circled the entrance. “Maybe a ghost will greet us,” Drake chuckled. A few minutes passed before a man about six feet in height, suited in his finest 1920s garb, a theatrical moustache, and somewhat cheap toupee came to the door. “Welcome,” he said, “we have plenty of room.” They walked passed the foyer to the front desk where the man grabbed a key. The house smelled of old tobacco and vanilla. “I’m Isaac,“Let’s get you a room,”he said. The strange man caught a glimpse of Ella as she studied the somewhat stained velvet wallpaper and fragile spiral staircase. “Now remember,” Isaac said, “We’re all mad here ." Confused, Ella spit out the dying Hubba Bubba gum in her mouth and wadded it up in a wrapper from her coat pocket, “ Is there a garbage?” She asked.

Isaac led them up the old staircase to the third floor below the attic. A gray and white cat with matted hair greeted them at the top. Isaac brushed by it as he brought them to the third door on the left. Room 36. “Here you shall be. There are towels in the bathroom below the sink and breakfast in the parlor in the morning. Enjoy your stay. Oh, and never mind the staircase at the end of the hall, it only leads to the attic. Fire escape is on the right.” His exit was as quick as his entrance.

“Well he’s kinda weird,” Ella muttered as she tossed herself upon the towering bed fitted with white ruffles. “Ah, well never mind him,” Drake said. “Let’s get unpacked and find our pleasures now.”

About an hour into their night, Ella and Drake decided to start their evening with a walk through the field to the west to see the waters and stars. A little October stargazing never hurt anyone. “Let’s go be mad!” Ella cheered as she laced up her boots and grabbed Drake’s hand.

The ground was damp and the air was heavy but they made their way through the mire and found a spot beside the water where the stars seemed to mirror themselves upon the black pond. “We shall marvel the skies here,” Ella said with glee. After some time curiously inspecting the stars, Drake got up and approached the water. A toad lept across the path. “What are you doing Drake?” Ella asked.

“Channeling the spirits, remember Ella?”

“ Stop Drake!” Ella got up and ran towards him. “If something happens I’m not sure I can forgive,”she said with a feverish grin. Drake grasped his arms around her and threw them both in.

“ Devils and demons! You'll drown us!” Ella screamed . “We better get out of here. It’s late.”

The two headed back on the north side circling the residence around the back. The weeds were high and made the journey back less than desirable but they were able to see the open field better on the back side of the house under the moonlight.

A half past midnight, Ella and Drake headed back into the house and returned to the spiral staircase leading to the third floor. Darker than their first trek up, the stair rail was of better use this time around. It didn’t stop Ella from tripping on the last step up to find two dead mice though. Yelping , she cried, “our friend brought us a prize! I can’t stand mice. What about the attic though?” she questioned Drake. “I mean we can’t let our night end here. Besides the house must have so much history we don’t know about.”

“ Save it for tomorrow Ella, I’m tired now.” Drake flicked his lighter to find the door. Room 36. “Here, let’s go to bed.” “ Well you can go to bed, I’m going,” Ella said, as she felt her way down the hallway meeting the cat halfway down. “ I’ll be back. I have my guide.”

Drake rolled his eyes and opened the door. Ella carefully felt her way to the end of the hall where the wooden staircase brought her to the attic. An old pull string light was at the entrance. The attic air was dry and hot, a tapestry of webs hung from the ceiling.” Well just what I thought” she whispered to the cat. A room full of boxes and dust, and a dresser void of drawers in the corner. There was a closet to the right with olive green curtains partitioning it from the room. Ella made her way over. Pulling back the curtains she found an empty closet with only a scrapbook. Only one spiral of the three seemed to be holding together what looked like a turn of the century book. Ella opened it up to find a few blank pages and some old newspaper clippings scattered throughout.

She skimmed the pages. The third article was dated 1901. The paper was yellowed brown and faded but the photo in print was undeniably of the house they were staying at. Curious, Ella gazed at the title. ‘Death at the Hornell House and Haunted Waters.’ Ella began to read rapidly of the story of a woman who drowned in the west waters of the residence. She flipped the page to find another article of a man and his son who visited the waters. ‘Hornell Death’, 1904. After visiting the residence and waters, he had fallen asleep and woke up to his son’s death. Next page, 1910 . A young woman and her fiancé came for a weekend trip and woke in the middle of the night to a fire in the parlor after bathing in the waters that night. The man later taken to an asylum. The title, ‘Your Greatest Fears Here.’

The air suddenly became tight in the small closet. Head spinning and heavily panting Ella dropped the scrapbook and fled to the stairs. Another three dead mice. Turning her back she noticed the mangily cat had gone. Racing down the stairs and through the dark hall her nerves became fire. Room 36. “ Drake! Drake! Please open the door!” Pounding on the door harder and faster than her heart was falling through her, the sweat began to gather in beads across her forehead. “Dreaming ,we’re only dreaming,“ she sighed as she tried to calm down. “Drake! Please!” Only silence prevailed. “ It’s ok. “ she whispered to herself as she stood alone with her head against the door. She wrapped her shawl tighter around her. “It’s ok …..Drake!” again she yelled. A beam of relief soared through her body as the door began to open slowly. Door hinges creaking, “Oh Drake.. I’m so glad you’re here, I have something …….” Looking up through the dark and shadows Ella saw the outline of a tall man. “ Drake?” Ella began to fold and cry. “No, Not Drake darling. Isaac. Remember I told you we’re all mad here?”





Story by Jennifer H. McGee 2021