When it came to matters of superstition, the occult and the supernatural, Huw Griffiths was a sceptic of the first order. He had nailed his colours squarely to the mast of scientific explanation and would not be moved in his opinions of inexplicable phenomena as anything other than the fanciful imaginings of the weak minded. . His friend and confidant one Jack Protheroe was less inclined to be so brutal in his dismissal of the unexplained. This was because Jacks grandmother had been a practicing medium; through the years Jack had witnessed too many strange incidents including the manifestation of an image of his dead younger brother to match Huws all weather contempt for anything that fell outside the realm of the established natural scientific disciplines.The subject of the supernatural often came up in their conversations and so it was on a warm summers evening as they sat in the bar of a small local pub called the Pencelli Arms. Huw as always was the louder of the two as he found a great deal of pleasure in allowing everyone within a twenty foot radius to gain the benefit of his thoughts and voice. Its preposterous Jack he bellowed There are no such things as ghosts or spectres or phantoms. Its all the product of an over fertile imagination or drugs or probably both. You were duped by you grandmother and as for your assertion that supernatural phenomena is simply phenomena that hasnt or cant be explained by established scientific practices then I suggest that until it is it is nothing more than tosh.As he continued on a self important peroration a small but clear voice interrupted him. Excuse me. Huw turned and was presented with the countenance of a very elderly woman. Yes my dear? How can I help you? Huw said slightly embarrassed. The little old woman smiled at him and said I couldnt but help overhearing your conversation a minute ago and I was wondering if I could persuade you that you are wrong in dismissing those things you cant understand. Huw was now caught between being polite and being ready to launch into a tirade. However he restrained from his usual dismissive attitudes and asked the old woman what she meant. What if I can prove to you that you are mistaken? Would you be willing to change your views if I could give you proof? Huws mind started to whirr. Here we go. he thought Im going to be asked to attend a well planned sance where theyll attempt to tuck me up like a kipper. The old lady looked at him and said Its not a sance Mr Griffiths. Huw was momentarily fazed then thought Shes following the line of likely thought and made a lucky guess What do you have in mind? He said. Would you spend tonight alone in a house that I own? Its located at the top of the village in its own grounds. she replied. Haunted no doubt? Scoffed Huw. Would you? pressed the old woman It gets light at five thirty. I and your friend here will meet you at the front gate tomorrow morning. The entire bar was now looking at Huw to see if he would bottle out. He could feel them waiting for him to show fear. Of course I will he said. I bet its got more tricks in it than a fair ground ghost train he thought. Good said the old lady Itll be dark in an hour. We can go then. Oh! There are no electric lights installed in the house but there are candles and plenty of books to keep you amused if you cant sleep during the night.Huw sat down at the table and looked at Jack. Candles and books! Ive half a bottle of scotch in my jacket. Im going to get a good nights rest and Ill see you at five thirty tomorrow morning. I expect the old girls got the place rigged to give the gullible a fright or two. Well shes barking up the wrong tree here. I know every trick in the book.At around ten thirty that evening Huw, Jack and the old lady travelled to the top of the village. The last of the twilight was disappearing over the mountains when they reached the front gate of the house. Here are the keys. said the old lady Well be back tomorrow morning. Ok chirped Huw Ill stand you both breakfast. See you then.Huw made his way to the front door and opened it. The house smelled a bit musty but after lighting eight or nine candles he noticed that although the furniture seemed a little dated the place was quite cosy. There was a large settee in the lounge Thats for me. he thought. All around the room, as the old woman had said, there were a great many books. After orientating himself Huw decided to look around the place to see if there were any obvious signs of the chicanery that he expected to start at any moment. He went through the living room into the kitchen and upstairs through three bedrooms. It all seemed pretty innocuous to him and so he decided to retire to the settee and his scotch. It wasnt long before he started to doze and within the hour he was fast asleep. Some five hours later he was awoken by birdsong. He looked at his watch. It was five twenty five. Well he thought That was fun. What the hell was it supposed to prove to me? The old bat must be some kind of eccentric biddy. Huw doused the lit candles and walked to the front door opened it and locked it behind him. He could see the old woman at the front gate and some way behind her he could see Jack walking towards them along the street. Huw was smiling like a Cheshire cat when he reached the old lady. He was thinking of the fun he would have that night in the pub letting everyone know of the terrifying night he had spent in the house before ridiculing them all for being so gullible. He looked at the old lady in a very superior way and said Here are your house keys. I must say it was a .. The old woman raised a hand and simply said What house? Huw turned to face an empty lot. Thats when Jack heard him scream.