NOT For Boys:

A Haunting in New England

By

J. N. Wdowski

Chapter One - Arrival

Trees, the number and height of them, trees are what twelve-year-old Nathaniel noticed most as they entered New England. The trees formed a canopy over the roadway filtering in rays of sunlight from the blue sky above. He loved the feeling. Once off the main road he rolled down his window to take in the fresh and crisp autumn air. His stepmom and dad followed his lead by also rolling down their windows. After only a few miles down a country road, with farms and orchards on each side of them, his father soon pulled their car into the parking lot of the building they would be living in. The moving truck, with their things, had arrived a bit earlier and was already half empty. The moving crew was working quickly and efficiently. Their new home was a large stone factory renovated into an apartment complex. The building was shaped like a giant letter “L.” The parking lot was nestled between the two wings of the building. One to the west of them and a larger but shorter building to the south, the larger south wing's east wall were flush against a small fast moving river. Mounted on its east end was a large motionless water wheel.

“This is so beautiful.” said his stepmother as they all got out of the car. She wrapped her arms around Nathan’s father’s left arm. His stepmom was from China. She was thirty years old and had a degree in English, yet still spoke with a slight Chinese accent. His father had met his stepmother when he was teaching university in China he was twenty years older than her.

“I thought you would like it.” His father replied leading her to the trunk of the car to grab their bags. “I understand the nights here are filled with stars, since there is very little light pollution compared to back in the city. The skies here are also not polluted like back in China.”

She gave his father a slight slap on his shoulder “Why do you always have to criticize China?” she scolded with a huff in her voice.

“It’s not true?” he replied “Would you rather we go back to China?”

“No, I don’t want to go back to China.” She answered annoyed “but still, you don’t need to criticize my homeland all the time.”

“After four years there I am just happy to see blue skies again.” His dad was a tall man with a teddy bear build. When his dad and stepmom would hug, she would fit perfectly in his arms and under his chin. He wore eyeglasses for distance and a fedora hat that kept the sun out of his hazel eyes. His well-trimmed tight beard was oddly grayer than his full head of chestnut brown hair. His dad moved to the back of the car grabbing the heavier bags out of the trunk carrying them towards the back entrance of the building. Nathaniel grabbed his book bag and his backpack as his stepmom grabbed her smaller suitcases, they both followed his father to the building’s entrance.

Their apartment was a half flight of stairs up on the main floor. Their landlord was at their door and was kind enough to let the movers in. Stepping into the apartment Nathaniel found it to be very large modern and clean. The landlord handed his father the keys and was about to leave when he stopped to speak with Nathaniel. He wished that he would enjoy his new home, but warned him. “Whatever you do; do not go into the south wing or the top floor of this building.”

“Why not?” Nathaniel asked the landlord.

“Trust me, they are not for boys.” replied the landlord.

“What do you mean?” Nathaniel questioned.

“Let me just say that this building is still very old. There are things little boys should not tamper with. Strange things that may frighten you, perhaps even hurt you.” The landlord explained “It is safer for you not to go into the south wing or the top floor. All of the building is not renovated like your new apartment.” The landlord left with a smile along with the last of the moving crew.

Nathaniel felt a chill come across him. What could be so strange and perhaps hurt him he thought. He looked to his father and stepmom; they seemed so happy with their new home. The apartment was large and airy with high ceilings. His father, whom did most of the cooking, loved the new kitchen. It had a gas oven with burners, plenty of counter space to prepare food, a stainless-steel dishwasher, garbage compactor, and stainless-steel refrigerator with ice water and crushed ice machine in the door. It was a very modern kitchen in a very old building.

His stepmother loved her walked-in closet with draws for all her things and a shoe rack. The master bathroom had a whirlpool tub, so she could soak in bubbles at the end of the day. There were three bedrooms; the master bedroom, the second bedroom (was turned into his father’s office,) the third bedroom was Nathaniel’s bedroom. It was the smallest bedroom, but still a good size for a boy his age. It was a corner bedroom, unlike the office, so he had windows on two walls that looked over the small New England river. Beyond the river was a wooded area. The leaves were already turning golden, yellow, orange, and red, with some hints of green leaves still holding on. From the east window, from the corner of his eye, almost out of his view, he could view the building’s old wooden waterwheel. The wheel looked as if it had not moved for over a century. It was overgrown with strong heavy vines that seemed to strangle the old wheel into a deadlock.

Nathaniel felt strangely comforted that the vines were holding the wheel in place. He had an awful feeling that if that old wheel was set free, something terrible and horrible would happen. It was starting to get dark so he closed the window shades and turned on the light in his room.

The headboard of his bed was against the one wall without windows or a door. He had a night table on each side of his bed. On the wall with his bedroom door, his father had assembled storage racks for all his Lego blocks, and other games, and toys. Nathaniel hoped to be an engineer some day. He did well in math, and loved building things with his Lego blocks. He wanted very much to design space ships or robots.

He liked his new bedroom. He liked the carpeted floor with plenty of room to spread out and play with his toys. In the corner of the windowed walls his father had set up a work table for him with a chair. It was perfect to look out the windows and build his starship or robot designs. He only wished he had his own television in the room, but his father did not want him spending too much time just watching TV. He encouraged Nathaniel to use his creativity, not just sit passively watching television. His father had setup a bookcase in the opposite corner of the windows, with a reading lamp and chair near his bed. The bookcase was filled with all of Nathaniel’s books, but his father also allowed him to read the books in the office. By example, Nathaniel's dad had taught him the joy of reading. His dad would read at least a book a week. His grandmother, his Dad told him, used to read three books a week.

That night Nathaniel’s dad did not feel like cooking, so they ordered pizza. It was not as good as the pizza they would make at home, but he still loved any pizza. The living room was not very big, but cozy with a front projection TV his father had hung from the ceiling and a movie screen on the wall that did not have windows. It was like their own little private movie theater where they could watch TV or movies on DVD. Nathaniel and his stepmom were both in the mood for a scary movie as the sun set and the pizza finally arrived. They gathered on the couch placing the pizza and their drinks on the coffee table.

“You sure you want to watch a scary movie?” his father asked.

“Yes.” Both Nathaniel and his stepmom replied.

“You’re not going to have nightmares? The last scary movie we watched you said you didn’t want to watch any more scary movies.” answered his father.

“If you watch with us, we won’t be scared.” replied his stepmom, Nathaniel nodded in agreement.

“Really?” his dad replied. “Ok then, how about a very scary Japanese movie called Ringu, or ‘The Ring’ in English. It is based on a Japanese novel about a dead girl with long hair that climbs out of the TV. You want to see that?”

Nathaniel and his stepmom both nodded yes. They each sat on one side of his father, each gripping one of his arms for security as the movie began. The film was very scary as his father had promised. It was so scary that often Nathaniel and his stepmom would cover their eyes during the scariest parts tightening their holds onto his father’s arms. When the movie was over, his father got up and turned on the lights. “You both missed the best parts.”

“It was too scary.” Nathaniel’s stepmom replied.

“I watched most of it.” bravely answered Nathaniel.

“Well now it is time to go to bed. Nathaniel, please help me clean up. Put the dishes and glasses in the dishwasher and I will put away the left over pizza.” His dad began packing away the pizza. Nathaniel stood from the couch and gathered the plates and glasses from the coffee table, placing them all in the dishwasher in the kitchen.

“Thank you, Nathaniel.” His father always thanked him when he would help out “now go wash up, brush your teeth, and get ready for bed.”

“Can I stay up a little longer?” asked Nathaniel “It is not that late, and I want to try to forget the movie, so I can sleep.”

“After you wash up we can talk in my room if you want.”

“Thanks, Pop.”

After washing up, Nathaniel showed up in their bedroom with a sleeping bag and a pillow. “Can I sleep in here tonight?”

“Why?” asked his father.

“He is scared from that horrible movie.” replied his stepmom “I am too.”

“You two are so silly. You both know it was just a movie.”

“Can I please?”

“Fine, you can sleep at the foot of the bed, if it makes you feel any better. But really, I do not understand why you both always want to watch them, if you're going to be like this every time we watch a scary movie.”

Nathaniel setup his bedroll at the foot of their bed and climbed in. With his head on his pillow he asked his father many questions. Mostly questions about animals and history, anything to get his mind off the dead girl with the long hair in the movie that would climb out of the TV.

“Pop, I am thirsty.” Nathaniel told his father after talking for thirty minutes.

“Go get something to drink in the kitchen.” his father replied, “Just don’t disturb the girl sitting on the couch in the living room.”

Both Nathaniel and his stepmom screamed at the idea of the girl in the movie sitting on their couch in the living room.

“I can’t believe you said that!” his wife punched him in the shoulder “You are so terrible!”

“Pop, I was trying to forget her!” Nathaniel covered his face with his sleeping bag.

“It is ok, just don’t disturb her when you go to the Kitchen. I am sure she won’t bother you,,, if you don't bother her.” His father teased them more as they both screamed and laughed at the same time. They insisted that he had to go with them into the kitchen to get their drinks. Neither would go into the other room without him, and neither wanted him to go alone to the kitchen, leaving them behind in the bedroom without him. So, all three of them bravely went through the living room to the kitchen together, discovering there was no girl sitting on the couch waiting for them.

Nathaniel finally fell asleep. Luckily, he had no nightmares about the girl that came out of the TV. The next morning, he woke before his father and stepmom, rolled up his sleeping bag and brought it back to his room. He opened the shades to his windows letting in the morning sun its rays were shining through the upper branches of the trees across the small river. He made sure to check that the waterwheel was still being firmly held by the thick green vines. It was Saturday morning and of course no school. As he was turning his back to his windows to get breakfast, he noticed a young girl walking towards the waterwheel. At first the sight of her startled him. She had long hair like the girl in the movie last night, but her hair was golden, not black. She wore a pair of blue jeans, white sneakers with pink laces, and a bright red jacket with a hood. She looked more like a modern little red riding hood than a Japanese ghost that climbs out of a TV.

He tapped on the glass to get her attention. She turned to face him. She looked as if she was the same age as Nathaniel. Seeing him she gave him a beautiful smile while waving to him to come out and join her. He decided to skip breakfast to go out to meet her instead.

Nathaniel quickly put on his windbreaker and his sneakers and ran out. By the time he opened the back door of the building the sun was just above the tree line. Shading his eyes to see her. She stood waiting for him, still smiling and waving. When he approached little red riding hood, he could see that she was actually even prettier up close than she was from afar. Unlike most of his male friends his age, Nathaniel had always a weak spot for pretty girls. He smiled as he approached her. “Hi, I am Nathan. We just moved in yesterday.”

“Hello, Nathan, I’m Michelle. We moved into the building only last week.”

“Nice to know there are other kids in the building.”

“We are the only two, if you don’t count my baby brother. He's only two. My mom remarried.”

“My Dad too, although they don’t have any children, yet that is.” Nathaniel replied. “I think my stepmom wants to; it's her first marriage. My Dad says he hopes it is his last.”

“That is good to hear.” Michelle laughed.

“Do you come out here often? I mean near the waterwheel?”

“Interesting, isn’t it?” Michelle turned to look up at the large wooden wheel.

“I guess, but for some strange reason I am happy those vines seem to be keeping it from moving.”

“I know what you mean.” turning to Nathaniel Michelle whispered “I have heard some stories about the history of this old building.”

“Stories?” Nathaniel stepped a bit closer to her. “What have you heard?”

“That this used to be, of course, a factory, where only young girls worked. The south wing was where they worked. Twelve hours a day, 6 days a week. Only Sundays they were allowed off to go to the church that was located on the other side of the river.”

Nathaniel looked across the river “There's no church on the other side of the river.”

“The story is one of the girls set the church on fire.” She stepped closer to him, speaking even lower in volume, as if she was afraid someone, or something, would over hear her. “You can still find its stone foundation in the woods. At least that is what I've heard.” She then looked to their wing of the building. “The girls slept on the top floor of our wing, above our apartments.”

“Do you know why the girl burned down the church?”

Michelle shrugged her shoulders. “No, I don’t even know if the story is even really true. One of the local workmen told me the story.”

“What did they make here?” Nathaniel questioned her.

“No one seems to know that. It was shut down a long time ago, over hundred and fifty years ago.” She answered. “Have you been to the south wing yet?”

“No, the landlord told me it was ‘Not for boys.’ Is it for girls?”

“It used to be only for girls, but I have not had the courage to go in there to see for myself.” Michelle replied. “Perhaps you would go with me sometime and we can find out what they used to make here? That is,,, if you are not afraid.”

Nathaniel stood up straight as if Michelle had just challenged him “I am not afraid. Let me know when you want to go. We can go now if you wish.”

Michelle turned a bit pale at the thought. “Perhaps not today.”

Nathaniel was relieved she did not take him up on his bluff. He too was not ready to face whatever was in the south wing. He kept thinking of all those young girls slaving away for hours, day after day, month after month, and year after year on machines powered by that old cranking waterwheel; a waterwheel that nature has felt necessary to halt from ever turning again.

When Nathaniel walked into the apartment his father was already setting the table.

“Decided to make a brunch, like my mother used to make every Sunday.” His father told him as Nathaniel took off his windbreaker and his shoes (a habit from his mother being from Taiwan, and his father having lived in Asia for so long.)

“It’s Saturday” replied Nathaniel.

“I know, but since it is our first full day here and your stepmother and I overslept, it is too late for breakfast and too early for lunch.” His father placed a large steaming cheese omelet mixed with Genoa salami, cooked ham, and small pieces of pepperoni in the center of the table. Nathaniel’s grandmother was half Italian, but she had died before he was born. His father put on the table toasted bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon. Even though his father lived many years in Asia, the New Yorker in him never left him. Next came the blueberry pancakes with of course real maple syrup, and a plate of Nathaniel’s favorite; crispy golden brown bacon strips.

“Pop, do you plan to feed an army? There is only the three of us.”

“Actually, we are having guests, the little girl you were talking to, and her family will join us. I met her mother this morning when we were both looking for the two of you.” At that moment the doorbell to the apartment rang.

Nathaniel went to open the door. Standing in front of her parents, next to her little brother was Michelle, minus her little red riding hood jacket.

“Come right in.” Nathaniel’s Dad called out to them, “Hope you are all hungry. Hun, they are here, and brunch is on the table!” Nathaniel’s stepmom walked in from the master bedroom smiled and greeted their new neighbors.

It was a great brunch. His dad really could cook, and somehow this style of brunch always made Nathaniel feel closer to his grandmother. The adults seemed to all get along very well. Michelle’s mother was a math teacher at the local high school. Her stepfather was a robotics engineer that had just taken a new job at a small new robotics company started by some former M.I.T. professors. Michelle’s stepdad was originally from India. He was tall, with dark eyes, and very handsome, like one of those Bollywood movie stars. Michelle’s mom was blond like her, with even bluer eyes than Michelle’s. Nathaniel could imagine that many of the high school boys must enjoy taking her math classes. He was not sure though if they could concentrate on the math formulas she was teaching them. She was a very attractive woman. Nathaniel thought she was not as pretty as Michelle.

“So, Nathaniel, your father tells me you want to be an engineer?” asked Michelle’s stepdad with a slight sing-song Indian accent.

“Yes, very much so,” Nathaniel answered, “I wanted to design the first interstellar starship, but now I am more interested in robotics.”

“Star Trek fan?” her stepfather questioned.

“My dad is more of a Star Trek fan. I like it but enjoy the Transformers more.”

“Well like many of my colleagues, Star Trek was a major reason for them entering engineering or the sciences. I personally liked the classics as a boy – H.G. Welles’ War of the Worlds, the Time Machine, and Julius Verne’s 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. Later in High School I discovered Isaac Asimov and his book I Robot. That is what convinced me to study robotics in university - of course having Indian parents pushing you to study all the time helps very very much.” He laughed as he answered.

“For me it was the Asimov’s Foundation Trilogy that made me interested in mathematics. The whole concept that one could use advanced mathematics to predict the future of a stellar empire intrigued me.” Michelle’s mom took a serving spoonful of his father's cheese omelet placing it on her dish. “Although, I too grew up reading H.G. Wells and Julius Verne.”

“Sounds like we all have something in common. Too bad kids today don’t know how to enjoy books anymore.” Nathaniel’s dad was fixing himself a bagel with cream cheese, lettuce and slices of smoke salmon.

“I enjoy reading, Dad.” Nathaniel helped himself to some strips of bacon.

That is true, Nathaniel, something I have always been very proud about you.”

“I love to read too, “said Michelle “I am just not into science fiction like you guys. I love fantasy; the Oz books, Harry Potter, and ghost stories.”

“I love ghost and horror stories.” Nathaniel’s stepmom whispered to Michelle. “Although, I love horror movies even more.”

Michelle smiled in agreement to Nathaniel’s stepmom.

“You always say that, yet you are still afraid of ghosts.” Nathaniel’s dad replied "Nathaniel and I have watched that TV show Ghost Hunters many times, yet still they have never found anything that could be proven to be a real ghost. I am still waiting to see a full bodied spirit float out of the wall and walk up to them and go ‘boo’.”

Michelle's mom and stepdad laughed at the idea.

"Everything on those shows could be explained as something else. A door that moves can be just the wind or the breathing of the wood shifting its weight in the door.” His dad took a bite out of his bagel.

“Very, very, true.” replied Michelle’s stepfather.

“And the recording of voices they pick up?” continued Nathaniel’s dad “often sound like an animal’s cry to me. Even if it does sound a little bit like a human voice, why don’t they ever think they are somehow picking up a radio signal, why must it be a ghost? Besides the ‘voices’ are never really clear to begin with.”

“Just because something can’t be explained it doesn’t mean it’s supernatural” Michelle’s mother agreed with Nathaniel's dad. “It is the bases of science to always look at everything with a critical mind, not just assume the answers you want.”

“Very, very, true,” agreed her husband “One cannot bend facts to fit what one wants them to mean. The scientific method means one must test one's theories and allow the facts to lead you to the truth, not your desired results. To really understand the truth, one must test and retest. It is an endless journey. These shows try to present themselves as real science, but they are clearly finding what they want to find, especially when the evidence does not really support their conclusions.”

“I still enjoy watching a scary movie” replied Nathaniel’s stepmom.

“Me too” Michelle supported her.

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