House of Darkness House of Light Read online

  House of Darkness

  House of Light

  The True Story

  Volume Two

  Andrea Perron

  AuthorHouse™

  1663 Liberty Drive

  Bloomington, IN 47403

  www.authorhouse.com

  Phone: 1-800-839-8640

  © 2013 by Andrea Perron. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

  Published by AuthorHouse 02/20/2013

  ISBN: 978-1-4817-1238-5 (sc)

  ISBN: 978-1-4817-1237-8 (hc)

  ISBN: 978-1-4817-1236-1 (e)

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2011903407

  Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

  Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

  Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

  Contents

  V.

  Ghostly Cries And Whispers

  VI.

  Down The Hatch

  VII.

  Warren Peace

  VIII.

  Bless Me Father

  For my Father

  “The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the ability

  of the human mind to correlate all its contents. We live on a

  placid island of ignorance in the midst of black seas of infinity,

  and it was not meant that we should voyage far. The sciences,

  each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little;

  but someday the piercing together of dissociated knowledge will

  open up such terrifying vistas of reality,

  and of our frightful position therein,

  that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from

  the deadly light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.”

  H. P. Lovecraft

  “The Call of Cthulhu”

  House of Darkness ~ House of Light

  The Trilogy

  Prologue in Prayer

  A Proper Introduction

  I. A Place in the Country

  *let there be light *frozen stiff *sounds of silence

  *a matter of time *contact *a chill in the air

  *creature discomforts *the devil’s pets *safety in numbers

  *sword of Damocles *a very fine how do you do

  *familiarity breeds contempt *cold as stone *dusk ’til dawn

  II. Fire in the Hole

  *bless this mess *close that door *smoke and mirrors

  *spirit matters *scorched offerings *apple blossom time

  *kiss of death *omens *from frying pan into the fire

  *blue light special *an old torch carries a flame

  *fire and brimstone *trial by fire *lady bug

  *burnin’ down the house *feet to the fire *bats!

  III. Wicked Woman… Evil Ways

  *demon doors *knock knock knock *blown away

  *Bathsheba *a stitch in time *from insult to injury

  *is this the party to whom I am speaking? *a pain in the neck

  *message received *twisted sister *solitary confinement

  *as the crow flies *off the hook *no rest for the wicked

  *sink or swim *a rude awakening *a fate worse than death

  IV. Spooked

  *going for a ride *bed knobs *broomsticks *boo! who?

  *kindred spirits *clarion call *things that go bump in the day

  *things that go bump in the night *reality *Baker boys

  *go away little girls *told you so *bloodbath *shared space

  Metamorphosis

  V. Ghostly Cries and Whispers

  *secrets and lies *make yourself at home *comes and goes

  *timely manners *for crying out loud *rearing its ugly head

  *history *all fun and games until someone gets hurt *insight

  *listen up in smoke *staking a claim *making matters worse

  *in the closet *poetry and prose *chants and incantations

  VI. Down the Hatch

  *ye olde cellar hole *beneath the bell stone *the big dig *eureka!

  *a sense of direction *fountain of youth *release the hounds!

  *knocked back *buyer’s remorse *black hole *dead in the water

  *all’s well that ends well *holy hell *leave well enough alone

  *teardrops *a woman’s touch will get a man’s attention *tug of war

  VII. Warren Peace

  *inquest *divine intervention *promises… promises

  *tempting fate *twilight *hippies, freaks and misfits

  *blessings and curses *darkest before the dawn *death becomes her

  *inner sanctum *fear the living… not the dead *continuum

  *eye of the beholder *a little knowledge *all things considered

  *more harm than good *wrack and ruin *this too shall pass

  VIII. Bless Me Father

  *a turn for the worse *a wing and a prayer *all in good time

  *comfort zone *common sense *act of god *hallelujah

  *something sacred *guess who’s coming to dinner? *joy

  *leap of faith *doubt *abandon all hope ye who enter here

  *clearing the air *epiphany *the foreseeable future *amen

  Transformation

  IX. Rock On with your Bad Self

  *elemental reflections *windsong *broken record

  *pine forest portal *cracking up *season of the witch

  *feel free *if these rocks could talk *good vibrations

  *along came a spider *journey *wonders never cease

  *to soothe the savage beast *perfect harmony *starlight

  *a fish tale *harvest home *solitude *welcome home

  *stairway to heaven *highway to hell *wisdom

  X. A Fly on the Wall

  *the new paranormal *right of way *go in peace

  *rites of passage *terms of endearment *keep the faith

  *manifest destiny *fond farewell *carpe diem *no turning back

  *homecoming *what a relief *grand slam *smoke signals

  *soul searching *master of his domain *escaping unscathed

  *ancients and horribles *photographs and memories

  *revisiting the past *touched by an angel *mistress of her domain

  *darkness and light *to lift the spirits *truth be told

  *long ago and far away *collective memoirs *revelation

  Confluence

  Epilogue in Epitaph

  In Gratitude

  The Little Ghost

  I knew her for a little ghost

  That in my garden walked;

  The wall is high—higher than most—

  And the green gate was locked.

  And yet I did not think of that

  Till after she was gone—

  I knew her by the broad white hat,

  All ruffled, she had on.

  By the dear ruffles round her feet,

  By her small hands that hung

  In their lace mitts, austere and sweet,

  Her gown’s white folds among.

  I watched to see if she would stay,

  What she would do, and oh!

  She looked as if she liked the way

  I let my garden grow!

  ~ staking a claim to the garden spot ~

  ~ a chill in the air ~

>   She bent above my favourite mint

  With conscious garden grace,

  She smiled and smiled—there was no hint

  Of sadness in her face.

  She held her gown on either side

  To let her slippers show,

  And up the walk she went with pride,

  The way great ladies go.

  And where the wall is built in new

  And is of ivy bare

  She paused—then opened and passed through

  A gate that once was there.

  Edna St. Vincent Millay

  Renascence

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  With deepest gratitude, I welcome you to the next leg of our journey. Volume Two of “House of Darkness House of Light” is the continuation of a compelling saga which will take you elsewhere, backward and then forward in time to dark, dangerous places you would never suspect, into black holes where you may even see the Light. It will reveal elements of this haunting which strike at the heart and challenge any mortal mind. For those who have waited patiently, thank you. I hope it satisfies your curiosity and exceeds all expectations. Those unfamiliar with this story are well-advised to begin at the beginning with Volume One. Otherwise, it may seem fragmented and confounding to the reader, making frequent references to prior events of which you will be unaware.

  Volume Two proceeds as the first book of the trilogy ended, with the segue Metamorphosis, as a reminder of lessons learned in an old school of hard knocks at the door. It is also a foreshadowing of events yet to be, where this memoir naturally came to rest along the path of this spiritual excursion. To those who have been here before, a warm welcome home. To those who remain strangers to this memoir, one stranger than fiction, I extend an invitation. May our often poignant and sometimes disturbing saga serve you well. Come, my brave and faithful traveling companions. Cross the bridge. Take my hand. There is nothing to fear but fear itself.

  Ring the bell that still can ring… celestial school is now in session.

  Yours in spirit ~ Andrea

  METAMORPHOSIS

  “How many of our daydreams would darken into nightmares,

  were there a danger of their coming true!”

  Logan Pearsall Smith

  Natural conversion: a transforming of this into that in the space and time required, according to all established laws of Nature. How long does it take a leaf to decompose in autumn? What variables exist which could conceivably impact or alter this process? How to factor the elements into these equations? To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under Heaven. Beings in perpetual motion, ever-changing, (consciously or not), in death we change yet again, morphing into something else: perhaps as pure energy, soul and spirit dispersed into the Cosmos. Metamorphosis is not an event but is instead, an ongoing co-creative process which we remain actively involved in during every moment of our existence. We are; always have been, always will be, in some form or another. We evolve. Like it or not, we all learn. Best we come to terms with Infinity—and our own immortality: the biggest chill. Accept it and move on. Out across the Universe, transformed, evolving into ether, as spirit, traveling just beyond the speed of light.

  No one could have predicted the outcome thus far; the consequences for mortal and immortal alike… bound together and bound to get worse before it got better. Something had drawn them to the home of their dreams, there to experience the nightmare of Reality. It was true. Whether being thrust across the threshold, pushed from behind, or dragged in from the cold to the colder, Carolyn felt compelled to dwell within its walls, her own sacred place in the country. As if the house itself functioned as a stern old schoolmarm ringing a brass bell, calling her students to class, it beckoned their assembly. Dutifully bringing everyone along, soon their classroom was full to overflowing, all of them present and accounted for, all there to learn their lessons well. “Here!” (Geography Lesson #1: On the existential map of life… we are here!) Even if one belligerent, non-compliant student had refused to acknowledge the fact that he, too, was in school, (frequently bunking classes he insisted did not exist), ultimately he would absorb the lessons by osmosis. Initially no one was open to instruction, unwilling to accept the formal education they had specifically come to receive, disenchanted with the format in which it was presented. In time, each one of them would learn to listen up! No syllabus provided for the complicated curriculum, it was confusing to interpret these messages, received all at once; impossible to determine exactly who these multiple personalities were, appearing as guest lecturers on the convoluted campus. Carolyn was, by far, the most studious among the mortals; the one who did the research: home/work. She paid attention in class, took notes, followed directions well, remained observant and kept a journal throughout the course as part of her reference materials, for use later in life. At times, it was utterly overwhelming, everybody teaching simultaneously, challenging seven students to discern who had something of importance to impart and who was present merely to disrupt their study! At times, the school/house appeared entirely vacant, eerily quiet. Pensive students worried, wondering which teacher may scare up next, floating into their classroom unannounced, at any given moment in time and space. Boo! Who? Peace and quiet was a welcome respite, reserved as a pause for reflection: a form of study hall. It is best to be prepared for class, as their tests always preceded their lessons. In retrospect, it was all important: relevant and intense… something sacred.

  Some absorbed information with all five senses but relied upon the sixth. Others depended upon repetition to instill an intrinsic message they received. All teaching methodology requires an element of memorization skills, which qualifies as credit toward completion of the course with no final exam. The most eager student among them was also the one dismissed, culminating in a bizarre combination of detention and attempted expulsion: Punishment time. What? No apple for teacher? Something sweet picked from the Tree of Life? Graduating on to multitude levels of higher learning, their adversarial, rather unorthodox approach to education proved one certain to terrorize and inspire in equal measure, quite like Catholic school!

  Enlightenment can be a very painful process. Observing it occur stings the eyes of reluctant beholders with imagery too harsh to perceive, far too disturbing to focus on until mortal eyes adjust to the sudden change of Light. There was a period of maladjustment for a family who got more than they bargained for when they paid in full for the farm Carolyn once described as the real estate deal of a lifetime. True enough. It was a real estate, her place in the country; centuries of history attached… and more. What dwelled within the walls of an ancient edifice was too real for her to abide and was, in fact, entirely surreal. At the time, had she known what was to come, Carolyn would have certainly abandoned the dream. There would be no turning away. The house would not allow her to leave. It had captured her spirit along with her heart. Perhaps it wanted her soul.

  Soon enough others would arrive, offering to help. When Ed and Lorraine Warren caught an ill wind of the Perron family predicament, they visited the farm, expressing their sincere desire to be of assistance. Once they were involved it became apparent, Pandora had nothing on them. The psychic energy released by Lorraine, coupled with compassion Ed harbored for the children, created a whirlwind of supernatural activity no one could’ve imagined or predicted. They knew from the moment they crossed the threshold. Capable of seeing in the dark, well-trained eyes adjusted to the ethereal Light. They’d instantly recognized the true nature of those who lurked in the shadows, the ones who were a wonder to behold… the source of all enlightenment.

  ***

  Fear not the farmhouse, for it is not to blame. It remains as it has always been, a finely constructed piece of architecture with a personality (or ten) all its own; hard to keep count. If one must fear anything, fear the unknown, as life and death are full of surprises. Fear the haunted woman who manifests in darkness of night then vanishes with the light of dawn. Fear a fate or destiny which calls its pilgrims home
, only to petrify them. Fear the knowledge that mortals know nothing at all. Fear the living… not the dead.

  Bound they were, mortal to immortal alike. Yeats proved to be correct. He described spirits as beings “Insipid as the dough before it is baked” and knew “they change their bodies at a word.” The poet knew “Images can break the solitude of lovely, satisfied, indifferent eyes.” He knew enough to tell us the truth of existence. It was not the end. It was only the beginning.

  “The world is round and the place which may seem

  like the end may also be only the beginning.”

  Ivy Baker Priest

  ~ House of Darkness ~ House of Light ~

  “Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it.

  Match the frequency

  of the reality you want and you cannot help

  but get that reality.

  It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.”

  Darryl Anka

  ~ a mysterious barn dances with the wind ~

  “In that moment of trust, he and his experience are transformed. Looking around, he can see glimpses of that trust trying to rouse itself in the religions and sciences alike, but he understands that for all their merits institutions can speak only generally to any given individual, and that each man’s life involves him in a direct confrontation with the universe in which he must ultimately trust both his own nature and the unknown source which it springs. That greater source makes itself known through the living person in his living and his dying and speaks directly through his own nature. Only that trust can illuminate and make sense of the facts of the known world. It is ultimately impossible to trust God and distrust the self, and vice versa.”