Walking Shoes... chapter 3

Caroline looked at her father as he stood in the doorway. She wasn't sure if she were more afraid of Ms. Lance or of what her father had just seen. Sandi sat on the floor, clutching her sheet tight, her knuckles white. Caroline waited to hear what her father was going to say. She didn't need to wait long.

"Caroline, Sandi" he said, in a voice that concealed any fear he might have felt, "gather your things and get ready to leave."

Caroline felt the rapid pace of her heart beat again. Tears streamed down her face as she walked to her father. She looked up at him and cried softly.

"Please, Daddy, don't make us go. We have to help Eliza."

Her father looked at her with both confusion and anger in his eyes. He walked over to Sandi and helped her off of the floor. He turned back towards Caroline.

"I said we were leaving, daughter. I don't know what it is I just saw but I know we are not staying here. I have a mind to sue the realitor for omitting to tell us this house was haunted, if that is the word we are to use here."

"Daddy, please, we can not leave her alone with Ms. Lance. She is mean to Eliza."

"Can you hear yourself, Caroline?!?!?! You are talking about some apparition that floats through walls and destroys bedrooms. I am not really sure what we are talking about. That, that thing," he said pointing to where the two ghosts had disappeared, "is dangerous! It could have easily killed you both!

"That was Ms. Lance, Daddy. Eliza would never hurt us. She just wants her shoes and we need to know why she can't have them. I am begging you, Daddy, let us stay.

"I am responsible for your cousin. I can not let something happen to her while she is with us. It is about more than you, Caroline."

"Uncle Dan, I want to stay and help Eliza, too. I don't think she will let anything happen to us. At least let us stay long enough to find out who the little girl is, Please."

"What would you like me to tell your mother if something bad should happen to you? We are going ladies. Get your things together, now."

Dan walked out of the room, leaving the door open, as he did.

"What are we going to do, Caroline? Your dad is not going to change his mind."

"We are going back up to the attic and see if we can find Eliza. Daddy will just have to be angry and wait for us. Are you with me, Sandi?"

"Aren't I always with you, Caroline? Let's go find Eliza."

The girls quickly climbed the ladder to the attic. They peeked their heads up inside the entrance slowly. Looking from side to side, they saw nothing but empty space. They stood inside the attic and waited to see if anyone appeared.

"Eliza," Caroline half whispered, "we are back. Can you come out please?"

There was a sound to the girls' left. They both turned towards the noise. A figure began to appear.

"Eliza, you came. We want to talk to you and find out more about you." Caroline waited for a response.

Both girls were surprised at the voice that responded. "Lizzy can't come out right now." It was a boys voice that had answered them. He was now fully visible. He looked to be about twelve years old. His clothes were tattered and filthy with attic dust. "She was bad again and did not hide when she was told to."

"Who are you?"

"I am Joshua, of course. Lizzy didn't tell you I was here."

"She mentioned you, yes, but not your name. I am Caroline and this is my cousin, Sandi."

"Pleased to meet you both. It has been a long time since we have seen anyone. The last family left after they found Lizzy in their little girls bed. She does that, you know."

"Yea, so we found out. Ms. lance isn't very happy with that fact. Caroline's father wants to leave too. He saw Ms. Lance in action."

Joshua looked at the table between the two beds. He glided over to the table, his feet never touching the ground. He reached out and took the tiny shoes from the table.

"No wonder Eliza came down here. These are her shoes. You have both pairs. Her walking shoes look just fine."

"Joshua, what is so important about those shoes?"

"They are her church and school shoes. She was supposed to have them on that night. Instead, she had no shoes on. The man heard Lizzy walking up here. She should have stayed hidden, like Ms. Lance told her to do."

"What man are you talking about."

"The man that killed us. He was such a bad man. My mom and dad were here too but they got to go on."

"On to where?"

"On to heaven, I suppose."

"Why didn't you go with them?"

"You ask a lot of questions, Caroline. I was bad and hid Caroline's shoes. When she went to get them, before the man found her, she couldn't find them. She tried to get away but he was fast. She ran outside in her bare feet and the gravel and rock cut her feet. She fell and the man caught her. She has to have her shoes on to leave this attic."

"Why doesn't she put them on?"

"Because, she needs..."

The dust began to rise from the floor. It swirled around and tiny pieces of glass cut into Caroline and Sandi's faces. Blood oozed from the cuts as the girls tried to shield their faces. Caroline could hear her father calling to her, his voice filled with fear. The door to the attic slammed shut behind them. Eliza appeared near the loft.

"You should have gone away! Your father was right. Now she is so angry. She isn't going to let you go. She wants me to be a good girl. She wants you to be my friends forever. All I want to do is save my shoes."

Ms. Lance stood in front of the two girls now. She looked very mad.

"I have decided to keep you two ladies. Maybe then, Eliza will stopped looking for her shoes. Just let it happen. I promise you, the pain will go as soon as you are with us."

Window panes, filled with jagged glass flew across the attic. Caroline and Sandi ran to the door leading out of the attic. They pulled as hard as they could but it would not open. As glass erupted all around them, they screamed.

"She wants us dead, Caroline! We have to find a way out! I don't want to die!"

"We are not going to die. We have to find a way to stop Ms. Lance. Eliza, tell her to stop and we will stay with you. Just tell her to stop!"

"I just wanted my walking shoes. I didn't mean for the man to hear me walking. I can't go to heaven with out my beautiful shoes. It's not my fault!"

A large window frame smashed in to the girls, knocking them both to the ground. As the wind calmed, Ms. Lance went to where the to girls laid, motionless, covered in glass and broken wood frames. Blood ooze from their cuts. Ms. Lance looked down at them. She turned and looked at Eliza and smiled.

"It appears you are going to have friends now. Just be patient. Sometimes it takes a while for them to die..."