#I’m thinking they’re mostly em reblogging my own thing. onto my main.

[krystaldeath-art]

It’s still not in the tags. Bruh

[ask-de-writer]

THE HOUSE, (part 1 of 3), a tale of Flocking Bay

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THE HOUSE

by

De Writer (Glen Ten-Eyck)

7357 words

© 2020

Written 1990

All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any form, physical, electronic or digital is prohibited without the express consent of the author.

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Users of Tumblr.com are specifically granted the following rights. They may reblog the story. They may use the characters or original characters in my settings for fan fiction, fan art works, cosplay, or fan musical compositions. I will allow those who do commission art works to charge for their images.

All sorts of Fan activity, Fiction, Art, Cosplay, Music, or any other thing is actively encouraged!

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I am John Peaslee, and I am writing this in the hope that it shall somehow be found and a cycle of greed and evil can be broken. Beware of Flocking Bay Realty Company and the old Wickes place!! But I am ahead of myself. Let me tell what has happened to me and you can judge for yourself.

It began innocently enough. My father died and I inherited a modest fortune. Taking a permanent leave of absence from my dull job, I left New York forever. I went north, up the Atlantic coast. Stopping for a day or a week as the whim took me, I came at last to the small town of Flocking Bay, Maine.

The bay, with its iron gray water and breakers like lead, flanked by headlands topped by hardwoods that became brooding pine forests on the inland ridges, captivated me. I determined to settle in that small New England town. Leaving my rented lodging near the water-front, I went to the Flocking Bay Bank of Maine. There, my funds were transferred and I inquired after a good Realtor.

I was directed to the Flocking Bay Realty Company and spent an unprofitable morning looking at small houses in the middle of town.

“I’ve showed you three good houses for a bachelor or a small family,” the Realtor said. “You don’t like any of ‘em. Tell you what I think. You want somethin’ a bit older, more atmosphere to it. Right, son?”

“Yes, Sir, Mr. Jason,” I replied, “that’s just what’s wrong with those houses. Good for somebody that just wants a place to live. Not for me. I want a place where I can feel the age of this town in my bones.”

“Hum, none in the current listings, I’m afraid … I can only think of two that might suit …” he muttered softly. More briskly, he stated, “Son, there’s the oldest house in Flocking Bay, the Hilstrom house. It was built in 1658. Actually it was the first house ever built in Flocking Bay. Been continuously occupied by the Hilstroms since it was built. Only hitch is you can’t buy it… yet.”

“What’s the problem?”

“Old Hilstrom was at least 95 when he wandered off six years ago. Hasn’t been seen since. It’s still a year before he gets declared dead so̓’s the place can be sold to settle the estate.

“The other prospect is also an oldie. Built in eighteen an’ fifty two, it’s got gas lights, indoor plumbing, and all the conveniences of when it was built.”

“Gas lights?” I interrupted.

“No kidding, they really let you feel the age of the house. It’s the old Wickes place. It’s not in the regular listings. It’s up to settle an estate. You can get it for a song, if your voice is in the $50,000.00 range.”

“Sounds great if it’s in good shape,” I ventured.

Mr. Jason escorted me to his car. “I’ll let you see for yourself,” was his reply. Only a short drive out of the town proper, an easy walk, waited the Wickes place.

It was all that Mr. Jason had declared it to be. The stone and wrought iron fence was in excellent repair. The yard was immaculate, with roses, pansies, and violets in orderly beds. There was not a crack or weed to be seen in the brick drive that looped through the porte cochere at the front of the house. This last was two sprawling stories of the finest Carpenter Gothic architecture that it had ever been my pleasure to see. The roof was perfect, with not a loose shingle to be seen. Not so much as a cracked window disturbed its perfection.

“How did an estate property come to be so well kept?” I inquired.

“It gets seen to,” was the cryptic reply.

“And the windows?” I pressed.

“What about ‘em?” he parried.

“They’re all there. Aren’t there any rock-throwing children hereabouts?” I wanted to know.

“There’s kids. They mostly stay away, it’s a landmark,” he replied, abruptly changing the topic. “Notice them scale shingles? You don’t find ‘em that good any more. Shall we go in?” The elaborately carved front door opened onto an entry hall with wainscoted walls. The entry gave onto a transverse hall that ran the length of the first floor. To the left of the entry was a formal parlor. Its walls were of flocked paper, disturbed by well-executed but vaguely unsettling paintings that closer inspection revealed to be signed “Wickes.” All the furniture was early Victorian: end tables, settees, and chairs were elaborately carved, the upholstery perfect. The carpet on the floor was a genuine Persian antique.

The room across the entry hall was a sitting room. It, too, was impeccably appointed. The study was done with inlaid desk, escritoire, Mogul carpeting and oak paneling.

And the library! Books rose from knee level to ceiling on all four walls. There were sliding ladders to give access to those above reach.

I will not dwell on the mahogany paneled dining room or the bright copper-filled kitchen, except to say that they looked freshly cleaned. I assumed but did not ask, that some one from the town came in regularly to clean and care for the place. Even the upstairs bedrooms, bath and large ‘workroom’ showed not a spider web or speck of dust.

I had to have the Wickes place. The low price indicated that the estate was eager to sell. Back at Jason’s office, some sharp bargaining began. In the end we settled on a price of only $45,000.00, to be paid in a lump sum at closing. Since my money was already in a local call bank, there was no obstacle. I could scarcely believe this excellent piece of fortune.

In only a few days, my small car was parked in the porte cochere. Each trip in and out of the vestibule to unload my things told me that I was truly home… My clothing, cameras, a bit of camping gear, and a few other odds and ends of personal possessions were all that I had. I passed one of the most restful nights of my life in the massive four-poster in the master bedroom.

It occurred to me that I wanted to find out more about my unusual abode. As the next day was bright and sunny, I set out for a brisk walk into town.

I started at the Flocking Bay Courthouse. There, a clerk was very helpful in searching out tax and transfer records on my property. At first, she seemed a bit startled at which property I was looking up. A few dollars saw to the copying fees for the records that I wanted. She suggested that I might also try the town library.

Fortified with a pleasant lunch from a small café, I walked into the gloom of the library to continue my research. As soon as I identified the object of my quest, Mrs. Alderman, the librarian, pegged me as ‘one of them spook writers.’ Nothing short of force would have changed her mind. It did save me from a lot of rooting about on sagging dusty shelves. She had gathered most, if not all, of the information on that ‘creepy ol’ Wickes place’ into a single bulging file. I saw at once that there were several days worth of studying to do. The library had no copier and Mrs. Alderman refused to allow file materials to leave the library. I did not wholly blame her. The file was the result of much work and most of the things in it could not be replaced. There were letters, newspaper clippings, land records (including my own recent purchase!), an assay, a strange gold coin, court documents, a botanical report, and more. Some of the materials went back to 1851.

Begging some file folders from Mrs. Alderman, I began the task of sorting the file by subject and date. Long before I was done, I had to stop. The library was closing.

I walked home in the deepening twilight. A gentle breeze helped me on my way. The sky became pocked with stars. My mind was in a whirl from briefly seen headlines.

WICKES’ GOLD GOOD AS GOLD … FAMILY VANISHES … BOY GOES MAD …

And more, None seeming to fit any rational pattern. Once home, I spread the papers from the courthouse out on the beautifully inlaid desk in the study. In the soft glow of the gaslight I began to study. Just as a pattern was beginning to emerge, I heard something.

It sounded like a rat or perhaps several of them on the floor above. Seizing the flashlight that I kept in the kitchen, I went to look. As I went up the stairs, I became convinced that the rats were in the attic. It took a few moments to remember where the attic door was.

A comforting circle of light from the flash preceded me up the attic stair. No rats. Also no spider webs or dust.

It ceases to be good housekeeping when an attic has no cobwebs or dust. It is unnatural.

The rats seemed to be beneath me on the second floor. I followed the sound. By the time that I got there, the sounds had gone down to the first floor. Returning to the first floor, I could hear the rats sporting about in a basement that I did not know of.

A quick look around the first floor showed no doors that might lead to a basement. Giving up on the search for the spectral brigade of rats, I went to the kitchen and fixed myself a light dinner. Looking at the dates of sale, I saw the pattern that had eluded me before. Hiram Wickes had built the house in 1852. It was first sold in 1873, next in 1880, then at exact seven-year intervals until 1985. The last date marked my purchase.

I was the seventeenth owner of Wickes’ house. There was only one thing that I could think of that could account for such a regular cycle of sales. The file at the town library would show whether my notion was foolish. But that was for morning. I retired in the master bedroom’s four-poster. I slept fitfully.

In the morning, I walked into town once more. Light puffy clouds were gamboling in the sky like puppies. At a gnarled old oak in the park, I turned left. Dubbing the ancient oak the “Hanging Tree” in my mind, I strode under its branches, straight across the grass to the library.

Mrs. Alderman was pleased with the sorting that I was doing. She set the file before me once more. “You’re the best of them spook writers so far,” she told me. “You’re not just after a haunted house or mysterious disappearances. You’re settin’ the whole story into order. Make a great book, the way you’re goin’ at it.”

“I do hope so, Mrs. Alderman,” I replied.

“I hope that you’ll remember us with a copy of your book,” she fished hopefully.

“If I get published, you certainly will,” I hedged, feeling a bit guilty at the deception, as there was no book in the works. How could I explain what I was doing when I was not sure myself? That morning I finished sorting and started to take notes to try to keep the mass of information straight.

Since Hiram Wickes had built the house, I started with him. Little enough was known for sure. He had been apparently fluent in at least eight languages, and carried on an active correspondence around the globe. He was independently wealthy, although the source of his funds remained a mystery.

He was once jailed briefly, for counterfeiting. He was cleared when it was pointed out that it was perfectly legal to use foreign coin, provided that it was used by weight and not passed as a U.S. coin. An assay proved his coin to be 24 carat gold, exactly 2/5 of an ounce, troy. Hiram always paid for everything with his strange coins, at three to the ounce. He would never accept change. (One of the coins and the assay were in the file.)

In the year 1852, Hiram finished the most modern and up-to-date house in Flocking Bay. Even maids and other servants hired from town could not keep up with the sheer clutter and disorganization he caused. Hiram was not popular with servants. They came and went until 1866. There was no further mention of servants after that date.

Hiram’s disappearance in that year was a nine day’s wonder. His mail had been impounded for possible clues but nothing turned up. No heirs claimed the estate. In 1873 he was declared dead and the house was sold for back taxes.

A quick check of the court records part of the file turned up, not one, but fifty nine(!) court ordered death certificates, and seventeen land sales since 1851. The records revealed a seven year income merry-go-round for whoever would take advantage of it. Flocking Bay Realty Company had handled every sale since 1908. They had always sold the house to folks from out of town …

It was closing time before I had finished putting this picture together. As I crossed the park the wind was buffeting me from the left and clouds roiled overhead. Just at my ‘hanging tree,’ my foot caught on something in the grass. When I had recovered my balance, I saw that I had tripped on a bronze plaque on a low stone.

It said:

“This tree is dedicated to the memory of Hiram Wickes. If ever he returns, may he be hanged therefrom!

Dedicated by Harold Oates.

- 1880 -”

I turned right, up the street, and made for home. I was pursued by clouds like hounds baying wind at my back and slathering rain drops at my heels. I barely beat the storm home. Watching the lightning from the bay window of the dining room, I ate a cold supper in silence. I saw the lights fail in the town and was glad of the gaslights in the house.

Shortly after sunset, I heard the rats again. They were in the basement that did not exist. I resolved to find the basement, if there was one. I figured that it had to have a hidden door or trapdoor. I moved the furniture and carpets of the first floor. Nothing.

Next==>

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[punk-rock-pixie]

1-50 for the OC asks boi do 'em all

1. Your first OC ever?

FUCKIN MEI.

Cuz I was a weaboo piece of shit once. 

2. Do you have a personal favourite among your OCs?

Hazel and Wendy. My beautiful children. Hazel is a demigirl of the dystopian future and Wendy is a trans female elf of the same world Both do magic and alchemy. They’re gonna be girlfriends. 

3. Have you ever adopted a character or gotten a character from someone else?

I mean the time twins are made with the help of my friend Timmi

4. A character you rarely talk about?

That’d be Kuro. 

Made her back in 2012. She is a shinigami and she is a total mary sue.

5. If you could make only one of your OCs popular/known, who would it be? 

Either of the time twins, Wendy or Mr. Wicca. I love those four so much….

6. Two OCs of yours that look alike despite not being related?

Not really. I have two sets of twins and the others don’t look alike. 

7. Are your OCs part of any story or stories?

Yes. Kuro was part of the D. Gray-Man series. The time twins are part of this web comic idea called Eereree. Blue Topaz is of course my gem for Steven Universe.

8. Do you RP as any of your OCs? If you do, introduce one of your RP OCs 

I don’t but here’s Wendy and Hazel

Wendy: Good evening, chaps. My name’s Wendy. I currently am the assistant of Mr. Wicca. Love to stay and chat, but Mr. Wicca has me on some errands currently

Hazel: Evening, all. Hazel’s the name, alchemy’s the game. I… also really don’t have a lotta time. I’ve got a kingdom to rule after all because, of course, my brother won’t help me. He’s a pain in the ass, but I love ‘im anyway. 

9. Would you ever be willing to give any of your OCs to someone else?

LITERALLY TAKE KURO AWAY. 

10. Introduce an OC with a complicated design? 

I mean… None are super like hard… Mostly Wendy is hard because she has vitilligo, and I can never remember which pattern I used for her.

11. Is there any OC of yours you could describe as a “sunshine”? 

Maybe Mr. Wicca. He’s always excited about magic but idk he has his points.

12. Name an OC that isn’t yours but who you like a lot

I love the other eereree characters honestly. 

 13. Do you have any troublemaker OCs? 

Mr. Wicca is mischievous as fuck. He uses his elixirs to screw with people. 

14. Introduce an OC with a tragic backstory 

I have Kuro’s backstory up because I’m on my Deviantart page for this crap. 

I wrote this way back when so yeah….

Long ago when the world was created, small pieces of shiny fragments called innocence were scattered around the world after the great flood. One in particular was called the Heart… When people discovered this “Heart” it was somehow split into two halves- two sisters with large, white wings. Adam and Eve cared for these two…. until the day the Earl came. He stole half the heart. This part of the Heart *aka Dark (obviously)* was raised to become an enemy towards the human race. After about 200 years of being raised, the kidnapped part of the heart had become so sick and twisted with evil, that her wings turned an ominous black.Her sister, on the other hand, had learned how to survive on her own. She worked in a town called Mater building dolls, playing with the children, and helping those in need. *holy beep what a do gooder* Her wings may have stayed white, but they seemed to glow even whiter with every good deed she did.Soon, after about 400 AD, the two were locked in a supreme battle. The pure side thought her sister had betrayed the human race, but in reality she was only kidnapped and manipulated to kill. (NOTE: The Earl taught her that the human race was a foul thing, and it needed to die off)) From what the Pure girl had said, the Dark girl had turned on her “father” and killed him. Or so she thought…Now, in the 21st century the Earl is back and even stronger than before. The two girls have been doing all they can to keep him from sending the universe into utter chaos and causing the complete destruction of the human race…

15. Do you like to talk about your OCs with other people?

Yes! @dreamxng-forever and I constantly crack jokes about our eereree characters. Her princess is in love with the time prince, but she forgets he is like…. SUUUUPER fucking gay. “Is it hot in here or is it just you.”“Oh, Sar, uh. That’s just our kingdom’s natural climate. You see, we have lava falls…”

“Ohhh… Okay…. SO IS IT HOT IN HERE OR IS IT JUST-”

16. Which one of your OCs would be the best at biology (school subject)? 

Definitely Wendy or Mr. Wicca.

17. Any OC OTPs? 

Hazel and Wendy all the way. They’re girlfriends maybe. Mr. Wicca also would be nothing without Wendy. They’re very close friends. 

18. Any OC crackships?

  Not really????

19. Introduce an OC that means a lot to you (and explain why)

Chloe Lockwood. I created her in like sixth grade. First OC. I projected a lot onto her. Even though we was good at a lot in school, she was bullied a lot. She felt alone, but she had one really good friend who cared about her a lot. It’s something I went through when I was in elementary school. 

20. Do any of your OCs sing? If they sing, care to share more details  (headcanon voice, what kind of songs they like etc)?

Hazel and Hades sing a lot together. Hazel sounds a bit like a higher pitch Meg from Hercules. Hades has my voice essentially. Both are basically parts of me in a sense of like… idk. everything. Hazel is my more like…. Confident, get-shit-done side and she doesn’t take a lotta shit. Hades is more my sensitive side. He was affected differently by what the two went through I guess.

21. Your most artistic OC

Wendy. She draws flora and fauna when not in the lab. She probably owns an etsy or something. 

22. Is there any OC of yours people tend to mischaracterize? If yes, how? 

Hazel- She isn’t COMPLETELY stone cold and Hades really isn’t just a shy ball. Hazel can be vulnerable but doesn’t like it a lot. Hades really can fight. He’s just scared to. He isn’t totally helpless. Mr. Wicca is not good and pure. He is actually a terrible person, but Wendy keeps him under control. 

23. Introduce OC that has changed from your first idea concerning what the character would be like?

Hazel started out as having my dead name, much more feminine, and likes dresses. Now, she has some form of pixie cut or something punky, REFUSES to wear something to feminine because of her mother, and is also Filipino rather than white. Hades also became Filipino. Or they might be Japanese. Idk. 

 24. If you could meet one OC of yours, who would it be and why?

I’d like to meet the time twins. They’re both parts of my personality. Idk. 

25. The OC that resembles you the most (same hobby, height, shared like/dislike for something etc?)

The time twins, like I said lmao. Mostly the three of us share personality traits and interests. 

26. Have you ever had to change your OC’s design or something else about them against your will? 

Not really?????

27. Any OCs that were inspired by a certain song? 

Nope.

28. Your most dangerous OC? 

Likely Kuro. Again, she is kinda a mary sue in a way. Although, Hazel IS trained in combat so idk. Also Mr. Wicca straight up has magic. But probably Kuro.

29. Which one of your OCs would go investigate an abandoned house at night without telling anyone they’re going?

Mr. Wicca. He lives in a creepy haunted cabin already. 

30. Which one of your OCs would most likely have a secret stuffed animal collection? 

Well Hades has a not-so-secret one. Hazel might have one.

31. Pick one OC of yours and explain what their tumblr blog would be like (what they reblog, layout, anything really)

Okay so Wendy would have like this gorgeous like elven/fae/magic aesthetic blog filled with flowers, potions, and pretty stuff. You can SMELL the lavender off her blog. 

32. Which one of your OCs would be the most suitable horror game protagonist and why? 

The time twins. Think about it- rich kids probably in a super haunted mansion. They have to solve mysteries left behind by their dead parents? Idk

33. Your shyest OC?

Mei. She doesn’t like speaking. Crippling social anxiety. 

34. Do you have any twin characters?

The time twins and Mei/Yamiyo. 

35. Any sibling characters? 

Above answer.

36. Do you have OC pairs where the other part belongs to someone else (siblings, lovers, friends etc)? 

I mean. Most of Eereree are friends so. The main job of my OCs in an ever-changing future is to go back in time and be like “whatever you just did…. it fucked this shit up. Fix it”

37. Introduce an OC who is not quite human 

I have already. Kuro and Wendy. The twins LOOK non-human, but they are. They’re just like horribly experimented on. Well, and I also briefly mentioned Blue Topaz. She came out all skinny and weird. She has a scythe as her gem weapon. She’s blue I like her. 

38. Which one of your OCs would be the best dancer? 

Mr. Wicca loves to waltz. Blue Topaz because of fusion. 

39. Introduce any character you want 

I mean…. Okay. 

Mr. Wicca has been practicing magic for as long as he can remember. He’s about 500 years old and keeps himself young with necromancy. His assistant, Wendy, is an elf who is a few hundred years old. Both work together create potions and elixirs that they give to the time twins to sell. Mr. Wicca dyes his hair lavender to keep out any silver while Wendy dyes hers blue for fun. Mr. Wicca wouldn’t be anywhere without Wendy, and he sees her like the little sister he never had. 

40. Any fond memories linked to your characters? Feel free to share!

Just all the head canons between my eereree twins and @dreamxng-forever ‘s eereree twins.

41. Has anyone drawn fanart of your OCs? If yes, maybe show a picture or two here (remember sources & permissions!)

NO. OH MY GOD I’D LOVE FOR THAT TO BE A THING.

42. Which one of your OCs would be the most interested in Greek gods?

The Time Twins. 

 43. Do you have any certain type when you create your OCs? Do you tend to favour some certain traits or looks? It’s time to confess

Gay. Probably not human. 

44. Something you like about your OCs in general

They’re all very unique. 

45. A character you no longer use?

Kuro, Mei, Yamiyo, and Chloe. 

46. Has anyone ever told you that you treat your OCs badly?

Oh, yes. 

47. Has anyone ever (friendly) claimed any of your OCs as their child?

No. I don’t usually talk about my OCs 

 48. OC who is a perfect cinnamon roll, too good for this world, too pure

No. They’re all garbage people. 

49. Which one of your OCs would most likely enjoy memes

Hades fuckin ADORES memes. 

50. Give me the good ol’ OC talk here. Talk about anything you wantIf you want, you can tag your ask answers with #yetanotherOCmeme so I can check them out too `v´9 

 have a lot of diversity in my characters and I’m proud of myself for not going into like default for them

Hazel: Demigirl or maybe genderfluid. Idk. She uses She or they. Panromantic demisexual, polyamorous. Either Filipino or Japanese. Main ruler of the Clockwork Kingdom. She and her brother are people who survived through abuse. Super toned

Hades:  Cis graysexual/homoromantic boi. Social anxiety despite having to do public speaking every day. SUUUUPER bad ADD/ADHD. Takes potions for it because “medication is a social construct” he says. Chubby boi is trying to work out. 

Wendy: Trans MTF lesbian. black and has vitiligo. Insomniac and recovering from some eating issues. 

Mr. “Wics” Wicca: Albino. He’s not sure what he is. “I like what I like. I don’t know what the bloody hell I am” loves Wendy more than anything. She’s like his little sister and is very protective of her, even though she is a capable young lady. “Wics” is the nickname Wendy gives him to annoy him.