The Incident at Grover's Mill

CHAPTER 1
The Gardiner Mansion

    If there ever comes a time when I tell the truth about that night, it will be long after you’re dead.  I should speak up now, but why? Why spoil the fun? I’ve had a long time to think, locked away as I was. I watched you. Did you know that? Behind that old cupboard in the attic I dug a hole in the wall. It was only plaster board so it was easy. I roamed the whole house and you never realised. You thought you had rats! I laughed. Oh, dear me yes, did I laugh. Rats!

    All the bedrooms were right below the roof. It was so easy to make a little hole through the ceiling, right above your beds, in every room. I know who slept with whom and when. Sally dear, you might want to be a little more careful.

    I shouldn’t complain. You did feed me. Sometimes you did forget though and that wasn’t nice, dear. Not nice at all. But then late, when you’d all gone to bed and were fast asleep, I’d come downstairs and help myself. How? Oh, the dumb waiter, dear. Yes, I know, you thought it was broken, that’s why you were using it as a cupboard. Except that it worked perfectly and I would pull it up, take off the sheets and towels you had on it and then squish inside and pull myself down. It made me feel quite like a young girl again, playing hide and seek.

    Why didn’t I run away? Well, you know that’s a very good question. I’m not sure. I think I was afraid of what you’d do if you caught me. Oh, yes, there was a time when I was very afraid of you. But now, now I think I’ve turned the tables and I believe, yes, I’m almost positive that you are frightened of me, aren’t you dear?