The Sexton House

Episode 1

Someone that really gets on my nerves is my mother.

I love the woman dearly but, GOD, let me breathe! I’m twenty one
years old and still treated as if I’m five. I’m
a grown man but yet she doesn’t see that I
don’t need her to take care of me anymore.

I’m perfectly capable of picking out my
clothes for the day or tying my own tie and
that’s why I’m moving. Moving away from
her and her over protected self. Sure we
may be miles away but it’s not like I’ll never
see her again, I’ll come down for Christmas
and Thanksgiving and probably the rest of
the yearly holidays.

She wasn’t very happy when she heard
about what house I had picked out but she
didn’t get the awesome deal I got.

Sure, the house has been on the market for
years because of the story behind the house,
it’s known for being haunted, but honestly I
do not believe in ghosts nor demons. So why
worry?

Even if it is haunted at least I won’t be
lonely, ha ha. Plus, my mother did say she
wouldn’t come visit me if the house is
haunted so maybe this will keep her away
for a while. Just enough time for me to get
settled in and have some time alone. I don’t
mind her visiting, I just need some alone
time.

I switch the radio station from country since
that’s all they seem to play around here in
Kentucky.

I’m careful not to miss my street.

I need to be turning on… Maple Grove is the
name, I believe.

A beeping noise goes off signaling that I
need to get gas. I stop at ‘Russellville Gas
Station’ pulling up to a pump and filling the
tank up.

As I’m waiting I look around the small town
of Russellville, Kentucky seeing small shops
of all sorts and little diners. It was a cute
town, I guess you could say.

People here spoke with country accents and
rode horses in town, something you would
never see or hear in New York.

I moved from London to NYC in late 2011,
it’s a beautiful city but me and my mother
wanted to get away from the bad memories
we left behind and make new ones. New
York was great and all but it was just too
fast paced and busy. I would much rather
live in the country where it’s quiet and
peaceful.

After putting the pump back I jumped in my
old blue truck heading towards the end of
town. About three minutes later I was at the
edge of Russellville. From the small size of it
my eyes landed on a street sign which read
‘Maple Grove’. I turned on the street being
met by a large old white house with a small
sign nailed to the brick, reading, ‘The
Sexton House’.

“Well, this must be it.” I said out loud only
talking to myself.

I pulled in to the gravel drive putting my
truck in park before getting out. I headed
for the front door digging around in my
pockets for the key.

Once found I unlocked the door, opening it
with ease.

“Wow.” I breathe out.

I’m standing, I guess, in the living room.

The carpet is red as ruby and the ceilings
are so high I have to strain to see the top.

Antique furniture with all sorts of colors are
scattered on the floor, a fireplace is on the
far left side wall. I walk over to it excited
for the late night marshmallow roasting!

Above the fireplace a portrait of a young girl
with long, dark hair and piercing blue eyes
with porcelain skin sits on a chair staring
deeply at me. Below the painting reads,
‘Rest in peace, our lovely Anna’.
She was a beautiful girl, I had to admit.
Stunning, actually.

The longer I looked at the picture, the more
lovely her face became. She had to be
around the age of seventeen or eighteen.

“You must be Mr. Styles.” I almost jumped
out of my own skin from the voice.

I quickly turned around to be met with an
old man with white hair and stubble for a
beard. He was dressed in all black with bags
under his eyes.

“Jesus, you scared the s–t out of me.” I
breathed out trying to slow my heart rate
down.

I didn’t know anyone else was supposed to
be here.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t’ve
sneaked up on you like that.” He laughed
lightly at himself and I.

“No kidding.” I looked over at the man with
a ‘can I help you?’ look.

“Oh, yes. Yes. I’m Charlie, the Sexton House
caretaker. I came to show you around the
place.” He told me.

“Well then, let’s see the rest of this house!” I
happily said.

Charlie took me to the kitchen where there
were off white color walls and white floors
and counter tops with cherry wood cabinets
and matching table and chairs. It was very
nice and big.

He then lead me to the library which was
filled with four walls covered in books and a
few tables scattered around. There are two
matching bedrooms on the first floor, both
with king size beds with full baths.

“Is there a basement?” I asked, Charlie
looked over at me answering,
“No, but there is a storm shelter out back
but it’s pretty old. I don’t recommend going
down there.” I nodded my head not
planning to go see it.

“I saw a stair case in the living room, I’m
guessing there are more rooms upstairs?” I
wondered.

Charlie stopped and turned around to look
at me.

“Only the tower window, it’s a small room
with a twin size bed and a boarded up
window.” He spoke with a hushed voice like
someone could hear us.

“Well, let’s go check it out.” I said heading
for the staircase but I was soon grabbed by
the forearm.

“I don’t go up there and I advise you not to
either.” I stepped back onto the ground
floor waiting for him to let go of my arm for
it was beginning to hurt.

“And why’s that?” I ask the old man in front
of me.

“Mr. Styles-”
“Please, call me Harry.”
“Alright, Harry. I don’t know if you got the
memo or not but this house is haunted and
has been for years.” He says with fear
written on his face.

“By who?” I wondered.

“By Anna Sexton. Joe & Rose Sexton’s
daughter. She got struck by lightning in that
tower room by the window. It’s said that the
outline of her is still imprinted on the
window and that’s why it’s boarded up.” I
thought for a moment.

So a young girl died in this house and I’m
now living in it… What a freakin awesome
story to tell!

“Wait, so the girl in the picture above the
fireplace is…”
“Anna Sexton.”

I guess living in a ‘haunted house’ is a
bit unnerving.

Also knowing, supposedly, that someone
else lives in this house too. But like I
said before, I do not believe in ghosts
and never will, until I see one.

After Charlie told me that he left soon
after, saying something about getting
back to work over at the grave yard
behind the house.

I walked to the end of the hallway where
a glass window stood. I peeped through
the blinds to see a small backyard then
an iron fence. On the other side was an
old grave yard. I put the blinds back, no
longer wanting to see the creepy old
cemetery.

Just then I felt my phone buzz in my
pants pocket the name reading, ‘mother’.
I roll my eyes a bit before sliding my
finger across the answer bar.

“Hello, mother.” I say into the phone.

I can already hear her ongoing chatter.

“Harry, you’re okay! Why didn’t you
call? I told you to call me once you
pulled up in the driveway.” Wonderful,
my mother was already getting on my
nerves and I’m not even with her.

“Mom, I just got here. I was going to look
around the house and then I was going
to call you.” A little lie won’t hurt.

I was going to call her but maybe later,
or tomorrow.

“Well, I’m glad you’re okay. How is the
house? ” She asked.

“Good.” I answered her.

“Just ‘good’? You drove all the way from
New York to Kentucky for the house to
be just ‘good’? Not wonderful or
beautiful?” I walked back to the living
room before answering her.

“Yes, mother. It’s all that and more, I’m
just tired.” I admitted which was true, I
was tired.

“Okay, well… I love you. I want you to
call me before you go to bed, okay?” I
rolled my eyes, yet again, at her.

“I love you too.” With that I hung up,
sliding the phone back in my pocket.

I headed for my truck, dreading the
thought of unpacking all of those boxes
full of clothes, bath towels and what not
and my little nicknacks of everything I
collected over the years but I knew that I
needed to put away my things sometime
or another.

I pulled the bed of my truck down
stacking three boxes on top of each other
and then carrying them to the house.

I left the door cracked so I just needed to
push it with my foot for the old squeaky
wooden door to open. I sat the boxes
down in the living room, then going
back out for more. After I repeated this
about seven times I had finally gotten all
of the boxes into the living room safely
without dropping one.

I started with unpacking my clothes and
sheets first since I’ll be needing them
soon, moving on to toiletries after. When
the bathroom was done I started putting
away pots and pans and anything else
that belonged in the kitchen.

There wasn’t any food here so I decided to run
to the store and get some.

I grabbed my keys off of the coffee table
locking the squeaky door behind me.

I jumped in my truck, the sun starting to
set making the sky a beautiful orange
pink color. After admiring the beauty I
put on my seatbelt then headed for the
store.

I was just now pulling into the parking
lot of ‘Aldi’. I ran in the store, grabbing a
shopping cart and heading for the snack
foods. I threw in some chips, Oreos, Gold
Fish and anything else that sounded
good.

After getting milk, bread and some meat
I was done and in the check out line.

The cashier was a young girl, probably
sixteen years of age, with blonde hair
that was pulled up into a ponytail. I saw
her blue eyes glance my way with a
small smile. She was a very pretty girl
but much too young for me.

“Hello.” Her soft voice spoke.

“Hey.” I replied as her eyes met mine.

She started to scan the items, then put
them into the white plastic bags.

“You must be new around here.” She
said.

“Yes, I am.” I said, standing up a little
straighter.

“It’s a small town so it’s pretty easy to
guess who’s new and who isn’t.” She
smiled up at me.

“Indeed, it is small.” She was half way
done with scanning and putting the
items away.

“There aren’t many houses for sale, I’m
surprised we actually have someone new
around here.” She laughed lightly.

I could tell she was trying to make
conversation and I guess that I honestly
didn’t really mind it.

“Well, I just moved into the Sexton
House.” She stopped for what she was
doing for a moment then said a small,
“Oh.” And continued her work.

“Is something wrong?” I asked the young
girl.

“Only a fool would live there.” Why was
everyone in this town so afraid of this
silly house?

So a girl died in it, that doesn’t mean it’s
haunted.

“Well then. I guess I’m a fool.” I spoke
with a laugh laced in my words.

“Indeed, you are. Especially on a night
like this.” She nodded towards the front
window where a storm was starteing to
come in.

The trees blew and the sky was dark
with thunder clouds.

“So? It’s just a storm.” I wondered why
the girl was acting the way she was.

“But Anna doesn’t like storms…”