The Curse of the East Indian Trading Company

A fictional story about Amsterdam's black, "golden" past.

The Curse of the East Indian Trading Company. 


Chapter 01 

"This place hasn't changed one bit", Emily thinks to herself, as she looks around the old neighbourhood. It looks exactly as it did fifteen years ago. She can almost see herself running around the playground again, being chased by... 
Sudden beeping distracts her and she turns around to see Adam's car, driving into the car park. They had agreed on meeting about half an hour ago. He is late. Emily smiles as she walks up to him. Adam gets out of the car. "Emily Miller", he says, walking up to her and giving her a hug. 
"It's been to long", she replies. 
"Wow, I almost wouldn't recognise you. Look at you. All grown up like this." 
"You are the one to talk", she laughs as she studies his face. He is getting lines around his eyes. So different from the twelve year old boy he was, before he moved away from Amsterdam. "How are you?", he asks. 
"I am very good, thank you. It's funny to be here again, after so long. How are you?", she replies. 
"Living life... it doesn't seem to have changed much here. Almost as if I never left." 
"How long has it been for you? Must be around eighteen years now?" 
Adam nods. "To long." 
They take a slow walk through the area, recalling memories from when they were kids. How they used to have their clubhouse in the bushes and how they pretended to get married in the little park. 
"Oh no", Emily remembers, as she looks at one of the buildings. "Remember how we used to sneak in there, through the broken window and play detective?" 
"Only too well. You're coat ripped one day and you were too scared to go home. Our parents started looking for us when it got dark. I can still hear my mum: Adam Thompson Harduyn, if you are in there, I suggest you come out right this instant!" They laugh. Emily shakes her head. "She was absolutely furious at us. I thought she wouldn't ever let us play together again... Oh, do you remember that little cafe on the corner, where we always used to get sweets from the bartender?" Adam raises his eyebrows. "Do you think it'll still be there?" 
"Could be. Nothing else has changed. Do you fancy a drink?", Emily replies. 
"I do actually. Let's have a look", and they turn off into the direction of where the old cafe used to be. 
Emily is in a happy, talkative mood. Adam used to be her best friend and after he moved they had fallen out of contact. There is so much she wants to tell him. 

To their luck the cafe is still there, still run by the same owner. Emily starts laughing as they walk in. "Mister White, I can't believe you're still here. Remember us?", she says when an almost elderly mister White turns his head to them walking in. He tilts his head and looks at the two. You can tell there is a slight recognition. "Help me remind", he says when he just can't figure it out. 
"Emily and Adam, sir. The two kids from years back", Adam replies. 
"No way...", he recognizes them now. "Bless my soul. Is it really you?" Adam and Emily laugh as they shake his hand and take a seat at the bar. "Time slips me through my fingers", mister White says as he pours the couple two cokes on the house. "One moment you guys are little kids, hanging around here, while your parents had a beer and look at you now? Old enough to have your own kids... do you?" 
Adam shakes his head. "No", he replies. "You have to have a partner before you have kids." 
"Oh, my apologies", mister White excuses himself. "I was under the impression... I mean... so, what are you doing back here then?" Emily smiles sneakily at the idea of her and Adam being a couple. "We are visiting the old place", she replies. "See how much has changed in the past years." 
"Not much", mister White admits. "You can pay with card here now... and they added some of those... pole things for electric cars... and that's it I think." 

Mister White is distracted as more customers come in. Adam and Emily take a sip of their drink and look around the place. Still exactly the same. Even the table clothes seem to still be there from fifteen years ago. Emily looks at Adam to ask him about what he does these days, when she notices a chain hanging around his neck, disappearing into his shirt. "What's this?", she asks, as she pulls the chain from under his shirt, revealing a old looking ring. Adam looks at it and smiles. "Old family heirloom. I got it when my grandmother died." 
"Oh no... sweet grandma?" 
"Yes, well. She got old. It's been almost ten years now." 
"I'm sorry." 
"No need. Anyway. It supposed to come from the seventeen hundreds or something. Quite old. I thought is was interesting looking, so I wear it." 
Emily takes the chain from his neck to study the ring. It is old gold with a large, flat, red ruby on top. Engraved in the stone is a coat of arms and the name Harduyn. "This is your coat of arms?", she asks him as she lets her finger run over the engravement. 
"Yes, apparently my family used to own a trading company during the golden age...", he explains, as he watches Emily put the chain around her neck. "...and like I said, it's old. Would you mind giving it back to me?" 
"Oh don't worry, you. It's lasted this long, it's not going to fall apart just by me wearing it. I actually kinda like it. It's different." She moves away from his grasp and looks at it some more. Adam shakes his head and finishes his drink. Emily does the same and they get up. 
"Bye mister White, take care", they greet the old bar owner before they leave. 
"Goodbye and don't be strangers next time", he waves the two goodby. 
"We won't." They step outside and start walking back to the park. 

Emily notices that, having Adam's ring, he tries to get close to her to steal it back. She keeps moving out of the way. "Too slow", she says teasingly. 
"Emily, it's been fun, but can I please have it back now?" 
"Sure, if you can get it from me." She jumps out of the way again, after another attempt by Adam to get her and his ring. He sighs. "Oh come on. We are not twelve anymore. Can you behave your age please?" 
"Age is merely a number. You are as young as you feel and I feel twelve right now. Catch me if you can." She makes a run for it, hoping Adam might chase her, but he shakes his head, almost embarrassed by her behaviour. "I'm too old for this", he moans. 
"Like I said, you boring, old b*****d, you are as young, or in your case as old as you feel... grandpa." She laughs and waits for him to catch up. He shakes his head again. "And you don't have kids yet?", he asks. 
"No. I'm a free spirit. I'm not meant to be stuck to a husband and kids and all that stuff." 
"Really? What happened to that dream?", as he fails in another attempt to get his ring back. 
"You moved halfway across the country", she replied, jumping around him like a little kid. Adam laughs sarcastically. 
"So?", she asks back at him. "How about you then? A handsome chap like you should have no problem finding a nice lady." 
"Yes, well... I had a girlfriend, but she wanted to move to Italy with me. I wasn't too keen on doing so, so she left without me." He tries one more time to catch her, but Emily runs away from him. Away from the park and towards the old warehouse. To her surprise the door is open and she walks in without giving it a second thought. Adam on the other hand, realises the building has been renovated to be an apartment complex. People live here now and he is not sure if they like strangers walking in and out freely. "Emily?", he asks as he looks through the door. She appears from behind the elevator shaft. "Come", she signs him to come further. "You won't believe what they have done to this place." 
"But... the sign says: authorized access only." 
"So? Don't be a baby. Come on, otherwise I might just hide your ring around here somewhere and you'll have to come and find it." She turns around and walks back. Adam sighs as he steps inside and follows her. Emily stands in the middle of the Atrium, staring at the glass sealing, four floors above them. "I wouldn't mind living here", she says, as Adam joins her. 
"I agree, it's not bad. If you have seen it now, would you mind if we leave again? Let's... I don't know... do something fun. We are in Amsterdam, how about a channel cruise?" 
Emily shakes her head and laughs at him. "Don't be so stiff. It's not like we are robbing a bank or anything." 
"No, but I don't want to disturb the peace here and you are kinda..." Emily looks up at him, wondering what he wanted to say about her. 
"Can I help you?", comes a sudden voice from the second floor. A lady looks down from the corridor. Adam wants to apologize, but Emily beats him to it. "Don't mind us", she replies. "We are just having a look around." 
"Looking around for what, if I may ask?", the lady clearly doesn't trust her response. 
"My husband and I are looking for a suitable place to start our family and this looks nice." She grabs Adam by his arm. He is surprised by her answer and the lady picks up on it. "I see, well, I have to disappoint you, but we have no flats available at the moment... and visitations are normally done by a brokerage, so... I think it is best for you two to leave." 
"So rude", Emily sneers at her while Adam pulls her back towards the exit. "Come on, honey", he says. "She is absolutely right. Let's deal with this via the brokerage." He looks up at the lady, who's making sure they actually leave. "We won't disturb you any longer. Bye" They pass the elevator shaft and Adam steps out the door, but Emily is distracted by somethings she thinks to feel, coming from the basement. She stares at the stairs down. "Do you feel that?", she asks him. "Feel what?", he replies. 
"From down there... can we have a…?" Adam walked back in and drags her out the door. "No, no, no. We have seen enough." Emily doesn't like being handled like that and pulls her arm away from him. "You may think I'm childish, but you don't have to handle me like a naughty kid." 
"Maybe, if you didn't behave like one, I wouldn't have to." They look at each other in frustration, before Emily takes a deep breath. "Well, sorry. History interests me. I have always wanted to have a look inside and you can just feel the traces left by time. I want to feel it." 
"What a lame excuse to cause mischief", he replies and Emily is deeply insulted. She takes a second to think about it. "Fine", she says. "I was looking forward to seeing you again Adam, but it seems like we have changed to much. If I can't be myself, then there is no use in staying and pretending to be someone else." She takes of the ring and gives it back to Adam. "It was nice seeing you again, but..." 
"No, wait. I'm sorry", he interrupts her. "You are right. I might be a little harsh on you..." He puts the chain back around her neck. "I don't have the right to correct you and I too was looking forward to seeing you. Please, don't let my mood spoil the fun." He smiles at her and she gives a guilty smile back. "I am also sorry", she replies. "I am not alone here and the least I can do is take your thought into consideration." It's quiet for a moment. Adam gives her a hug. "Well", he says. "Somethings never change, do they?" Emily nods and smiles. She suddenly feels it again. A strange pull to the building. It seems to be coming from the ring. Despite her curiosity, she decides to ignore it and she joins Adam back to the park. 

That evening, Adam and Emily walk back to Adam's car, both holding a bag of chips. Adam is very much enjoying it. "Even better then I remember", he says. "Best chips in Holland." 
Emily laughs and smears mayonnaise onto his cheek, to laugh even louder. Adam tries to wipe it off on her clothes, but she starts running away from him. "No, Adam! Don't!" she yells. 
"Not so loud", he jokingly shushes her. "There are children sleeping." He stops running after her and she comes back, holding her hand infront of her mouth. "Sorry", she apologizes. They arrive at Adam's car, when Emily feels it again. Wondering where this strange pull comes from, she stops and stares at the old warehouse. Adam doesn't immediately notice. "Would you like me to drop you off at the train station?", he asks before he realises that her attention is drawn. "Emily?" She is still looking at the building. He joins her and tries to see what she is looking at. "What is it with that building?", he asks her. She shakes her head. "I don't know...", she replies. "There is something..." 
Adam looks at her face. It almost seems worried. He doesn't understand, but decides to trust her on this one. "Alright", he says. "If you are sure that there is something there, why don't we go have a look?" 
"You mean it?" She jumps around his neck and almost strangles him. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." 
"You're welcome...", he tries to reply, gasping for air. 
"Oh... sorry." She let's go of him. He needs a second to inhale properly and then smiles, not sure what he just agreed on. Emily takes his hand and drags him, through the park, to the warehouse. Once they arrive, the door is shut and locked. Adam shakes his head. "Bad luck Emily. Seems like we can't get in." 
"We still might...", she hesitantly replies, before holding up a key. Adam is surprised. "How did you...?" 
"People here do have a lot of trust... It was on the bulletin board, with the note: Found. I eh..." 
"You stole a key?", Adam asks. He can't believe she would do such a thing. "With what intentions?" 
"I borrowed it... I like to write every now and again. Places like these give me inspiration. I wasn't going to break into any of their flats... and I would have returned it... at some point." She looks hesitantly at Adam who shakes his head. "I'm not sure if I will ever understand you", he comments. "But, now that we're here... and I can't believe I'm saying this... maybe try and see if it fits?" A big smile appears on Emily's face and she quickly walks to the door to try the key. To her surprise it fits and the door opens. Motion sensors turn on the lights as they enter the building. "Isn't this exciting?", she whispered. 
"I'm not sure if exciting is the right word for it...", he replies. "Let's quickly find out what it is you feel and leave again, without being seen by anyone." They walk back into the Atrium. Emily doesn't quite know where to start. She tries to feel the strange sensation, but she can't. They jump, when suddenly the elevator doors open. They stare for a second before Emily decides to walk in, followed by Adam. "Hmm", he tries to make sense of what happened. "Maybe the elevator is also on motion detection?" 
"Or, maybe the warehouse wants us to go up?", Emily suggests and pushes the first floor button. The doors close and the elevator comes into motion. "The warehouse wants us to?", Adam asks. "Do you think this building is alive?" 
"Everything is alive", she responds, before the doors open again and they walk onto the corridor, overlooking the stone floor of the Atrium. "How old did you say your ring was? Seventeenth century?", she asks Adam, when she sees a large painting of a compass and the initials of the East Indian Trading Company that is painted unto the floor. Adam has a look and is impressed. "Yes", he replies. "Around that time." 
"Practically as old as this building." 
"That's a good possibility." 
"Has your family always lived in Amsterdam?", she asks. He shrugs. "No idea, honestly." 
They jump when a closing door makes a loud bang and they can hear footsteps. Adam turns around and pushes the elevator button, but it's gone. "S**t", he whispers and looks around. "Come, quickly." He takes Emily by her arm and pulls her towards the nearby staircase. She giggles, as they make their way down, to the ground floor. Adam heads straight for the door, but Emily feels it again. A pulling force, coming from the basement. She decides to follow it. Adam looks around and watches her walk away from him. He sighs frustratingly. "No, Emily...", but follows her anyway, down the stairs. He watches how she tries the door, but it's locked. "It's in here", she says. 
"Well, the door is locked. Can we go now, please?" The steps have also reached the ground floor. Emily isn't worried, but Adam is getting nervous. He doesn't want to be arrested for trespassing. Emily takes the ring from her neck and hangs it in front of her, like a compass, but nothing happens. "Just give me a moment", she asks him as she takes the key from her pocket and tries it on the door. It fits and the door opens. "Bingo", she whispers as she enters the basement. Adam stays in the door opening. "Emily..." 
"Sst", she shushes him. The footsteps go to the front door and Adam loses his patience. He steps inside, towards Emily, to take her back out, when suddenly the door slams shut behind him. Both jump and Emily starts to laugh. He shushes her. "Don't laugh so loud." 
"That door scared me to death", she replies, trying to hold it together. He nods. "So did I... Did you find what you were looking for?" 
"No, but it doesn't matter. It must be within the walls or something. Never mind, we can go if you like." 
"Gladly." They move towards the door, but if Adam tries to open it, it seems locked. "That's odd", he comments. "There is a handle on this side, a door like this shouldn't lock itself like this." There is a cold breeze coming from the back of the basement. It makes Emily feel uneasy. She get's the key out of her pocket and wants to give it to Adam, when suddenly a whisper travels along with the icy breeze. Adam doesn't hear it and Emily can't figure out what is says. Adam turns around. "Can I have the key please?", he asks. Emily is holding it, but her eyes are locked on the back of the basement. She was sure she heard a whisper. "Give it back...", comes another whisper through the breeze. She get's chills and pushes the key into his hand. "Ouch, that hurts..." 
"Sst... did you hear that?", she asks, not knowing what to think. 
"Hear what?" He looks in the direction Emily is looking at. "Is there something there?" 
"Give it back...", she hears it again and grabs onto Adam's arm. "I don't know... I think so... Adam, I want to leave." 
"I have been wanting to leave since we came in here", he replies and wants to use the key on the door. "Give it back..." Adam drops the key. It makes a ringing sound when it hits the concrete floor. "What was that?", he asks, as he too heard the voice this time. They stare into the darkness. Emily's heart is raising, she can feel it again, that strange force, stronger than before. Her grip on Adam's arm tightens. "Hello?", he eventually asks, hoping someone might play a trick on them. "Is anyone there? We don't mean to be a pain... we just... lost something and trying to find..." He realises there is no one there. Then where does the voice come from? 
"Give it back", they hear again and Adam has had enough. He drops on his knees to find the key. Emily starts to panic. "What are you doing? Open that door." 
"I've lost the key", he replies. Emily also drops to her knees and helps him find it. The breeze turns into a wind. "Give it back!", the voice gets louder. Emily can't take it. She covers her ears and crawls against the wall. Adam looks up and pulls her arm. "No time to panic! Help me find that bloody key!" 
"I can't..." 
"You must." He pulls her towards him and looks her in the eyes. "Emily you must!" She snaps out of her fear and to her surprise finds the key quickly. She gets up and wants to open the door. "You've got it!", Adam says relieved as he get's up. Emily's hands are shaking. She can't find the keyhole. "Come on, come on..." She whispers. 
"Give it back!" Emily starts to scream "I don't know what you mean!" Adam grabs the key from her hand. "Let me do it!", he says and pulls her away from the door. Emily is too scared to watch, but does it anyway. "GIVE IT BACK!" echos in her ears as she suddenly sees two eyes, coming right at her. She screams again as a shape with eyes almost goes straight through her. It feels as if someone throws ice cold water at her. She is suddenly pulled out of the basement by Adam, who finally managed to open the door. They run op the stairs and out of the front door. Before the door closes, he throws the key inside. They stop on the street. Emily is still in panic. "It touched me, it touched me!", she cries, as she tries to see what is on her. Adam grabs her arms. "Calm down Emily." 
"Calm down? It touched me! What if I'm possessed? What if it's in me?" She feels disgustingly filthy. "Emily, calm down, please. It's going to be okay, I promise", but she pulls herself out of his grip. "How can you promise me that? I have gone too far this time. I know I have. Why am I this stupid?" She quickly takes the ring off. She wants to throw it on the floor, but realises in time that it's Adam's and not hers. She hands it back to him. "Take it back, please. It's cursed... or something." 
"It's not cursed..." 
"Than what was that thing below? What did it want with us? With this ring?" 
"How do you know that it... whatever it was, wants my ring?" 
"Because I felt it! I felt it!" Emily is still in panic. Adam gives her a hug. she doesn't like being contained, but it does calm her down. "Let's never go back there", she cries and he agrees. "No problem", he replies. "Let's get away from here." They walk to Adam's car. Emily sits down in the passenger seat, still wiping the tears from her face. Adam sits down in the driver's seat. “I’m not taking you to the train station”, he says. She looks surprised. "Are you taking me home?", she asks. "You don't have to do that." 
"Actually, I'm taking you home with me. I'm just as scared as you are, I don't think it's a good idea for either of us to be alone right now and... you don't mind, do you?" Emily shakes her head. She doesn't mind at all. It's probably for the best. Adam starts his engine and they drive off. 

Chapter 02 

They arrive at Adam's house. He opens the door, walks in and throws his coat over a chair. Emily walks in, but stays in the door opening to the living room. Adam turns around and is surprised. "Won't you come in?", he asks. Emily looks at him and shakes her head. "Do you really believe me? Or are you just playing along to make me feel better?" 
"Of course I believe you", he replies as he walks towards her and offeres her his hand. She looks at him in disbelieve. He sighs. "I may not have seen or felt what you did, but I heard that voice too. We were not alone down there. Come on." Emily takes his hand and he takes her to the sofa to sit her down. "Would you like a drink, or something? Maybe a cup of tea?", he offers. 
"A cup of tea sounds nice...", she hesitantly replies. Adam walks off to make drinks. Emily looks around the livingroom. It's a newly build house and the interior is very modern. She herself prefers a more classical style, but this seems to suite Adam. When he returns, he sits down next to her and it get's awkwardly silent. Neither of them quite know what to say or do next. "Shell we...", Adam suggests, "I don't know... watch a film or something? Just to distract our thoughts? It's just an idea..." 
"Yeah... I guess we can do something like that...", she replies and Adam walks over to the dvd shelves for a film. He's not sure on what she does and doesn't like, so he just throws a couple of titles her way. "I don't mind", she replies. "Anything is fine." 
"Anything is fine...", he repeats. "That doesn't help much..." 
"No really, just pick whatever you fancy", and so he does. He pops the dvd in the player and hands Emily the case. She has to smile. "History of the industrial revolution?", she reads out loud. 
"Well, you said: anything is fine", he replies. 
"True, true. I'm not saying anything against it." 
"No, but your sarcastic tone and expression say otherwise." 
"I'm just a little surprised, that's all. Well, turn it on then. I'm getting curious now." She smiles again and Adam shakes his head, before he gets the remote controller out and turns the tv on. 
The atmosphere remains awkward for the rest of the evening, till they go to bed. Adam doesn't have any spare rooms and won't let Emily sleep on the sofa either, so they share his bed. More to be awkward about. After a little talk, they go to sleep. 

A man and a woman are sitting in a field, on a hill. They are wearing seventeenth century clothing. In the background they can see the old port of Amsterdam, where the East Indian Trading Company seal their ships too and from. It's quite a site. The two in the grass don't seem to be impressed, they hartly pay attention. She looks sad, as the wind blows her curled hair to one side. "Tell me, Anna, my love, what is making you so unhappy?", he asks her. 
"Unhappy?", she replies. "Johan, I'm not unhappy. I am scared for my life." 
"What is it that you are scared for?" 
"Now that my family is gone, and I am the only one of my name... I fear that some may come after me to steal my name and my identity." Anna takes a ring out of a pocket in her dress. It is the same ring that Adam has. "Whoever manages to take my ring from me, or forces me into marriage, will own everything my father has left behind. The Harduyn company is very wealthy." there is a silence. She cries silent tears as Johan doesn't know what to say. Anna gives him the ring. "Will you keep it for me? Please? I believe it might be safer in your possession." Johan takes the ring and looks at it. "You want me to keep your family name?", he asks. 
"Please Johan. Do you love me?" 
"Of course I love you..." 
"Then tell no one. Let me figure out what to do next and then we shall get married." She looks at him with big, begging eyes. Johan nods and puts the ring safely away in his pouch. "I swear, I shall protect it with my life." 
"Thank you..." 

Johan enters the ship he serves: The Castricum. He klimps below deck, where he finds his good friend. "Adrian Thompson, my friend", he greets him. 
"Johan van der Waal. Why so optimistic, my friend?", he laughs as he sees Johans happy face. Johan takes a deep breath. "I am in love, my friend", he replies. "In love with the most beautiful girl in the whole of Amsterdam... no, the whole of Holland... no, the whole world!" 
"Is that so? And who might make you this lucky sod?" Adrian is still laughing at his silly friend. 
"Anna Harduyn. With her beautiful blond curls and eyes, blue like the sea. She is an angel, Adrian. An angel." He takes another deep breath. Adian is surprised by what Johan tells him. "Harduyn?", he asks. "No relative of William Harduyn? I thought the entire family was killed in the big fire last month..." 
"All, but her, my friend." 
"How do you know that she is not lying to you? Anyone can claim to be a Harduyn", Adrian starts questioning her honesty. Johan shows him the ring. "You can not tell anyone about this", he says. "I swore to protect it with my life. I trust you Adrian." 
"Bless my soul... she is telling the truth..." Adrian looks at the ring with great admiration, before Johan quickly puts it back. "Not a soul, Adrian." 
"I swear it on my life, Johan. Your secret is safe with me." 

Adam wakes up. He's just had the strangest dream. Johan van der Waal? Anna Harduyn? Adrian Thompson? Did he just dream about his former family? He looks next to him, but the other side of the bed is empty. Where is Emily? He gets up and walks down the stairs. To his surprise, Emily is already in the kitchen. "Goodmorning", she greets him. "You were still asleep, so I took it upon myself to make breakfast. Do you fancy tea or coffee?" 
"Coffee please", he replies and sits down at the table. It makes a difference, having someone making breakfast for him in the morning. He's not used to it, but he likes it. "How was your night?", he asks. "You seem a lot more relaxed than you did yesterday." 
"Yes... I guess... I slept fine thank you", she replies as she walks to the table and puts a hot cup down for him. "Thank you, Emily", he says and she smiles. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a metal ringing sound fills the room. It sounds exactly like the key from yesterday, falling on the concrete floor of the warehouse basement. Emily jumps and looks behind her. In the middle of the kitchen floor lays the key. "I thought...", she begins. She can't believe it. How did it get there? "I thought you threw it back into the warehouse", she eventually finishes her sentence. Adam is just as surprised. "I did", he replies. 
"That why is it there? Did it follow us? Did the key follow us all the way to your house?" 
"Oh don't be silly" 
"Then why is it there?", she asks as she turns back around to him. "Explain to me why it is there?" He can't. Suddenly he remembers his dream. Emily can see it in his facial expression. "What is it?", she asks. 
"I'm not sure...", he replies. 
"Not sure of what? What's going on?" 
"This might sound unlikely... but I had this strange dream last night..." Emily's face turns white. "You too?" she asks. 
"What? Do you mean to say that you... you couldn't have... how did you? Did we have the same dream?" Adam finds it hard to believe. She shakes her head and sits down. "I had a dream about the past... or something that looked like the past. People sharing your last names, like eh..." 
"Anna Harduyn and Adrian Thompson?", Adam fills in the blanks. She nods "Yes", she replies. "And the other one, Johan van der Waal." 
"But... no way. You did have the same dream. How is that possible?" They look at each other and then back at the key. There is an eerie silence. Adam get's up and takes the key from the kitchen floor, to put it in his pocket. Emily is strangely surprised. "What are you doing?", she asks. "Shouldn't we get rid of that thing? Why would you keep it?" 
"I don't want to draw any conclusions... but this is all very coincidental, don't you think?", he explains. "You carry my ring and find some sort of angry spirit in the basement of an old seventeenth century warehouse, used by the East Indian Trading Company. My ring comes from that same time period and now we share the same dream about people in the past, carrying my names and this particular ring? Don't you think that's worth some investigation?" Emily doesn't like his thinking. She doesn't want to investigate anything. Last night’s experience scared the life out of her and she doesn't want to upset any more angry spirits. "I have a very bad feeling about this...", she mumbles, but Adam hears her. "You don't have to join me, if you don't want to", he says. "I'll drop you off at the trainstation, if you like." 
"Okay...", she replies. "But... do you mind if I have a shower first? I feel kinda dirty after last night." Adam looks surprised. "Sure you can, but weren't we having breakfast first?" 
"Yes... ehm... there are sandwiches ready made in the kitchen. I have lost my appetite. Sorry", she explains. 
"Okay, there are clean towels in the bathroom cabinet. Take as long as you like." 
"Thank you." She leaves the living room and takes the stairs up. Adam gets himself a sandwich from the kitchen. 

Emily steps into the bathroom, locks the door behind her and starts undressing. She takes a look at the shower before turning it on. It's one of those rain showers, she always wanted to try. She turns the water on. Just what she needed. She steps under and lets the warm water run over her face. Just like a summer rain, warm and soothing. She imagenes being under water. It's dark... and suffocating. She tries to breath, but inhales only water. She coughs and tries to get away from the shower... but she can't. Visions of drowning start forming in her mind. Being forcefully helt under water, not being able to escape. She coughs again, as she desperately tries to breath, but she can't escape the shower. What is going on? Suddenly she hears a whisper; "Give it back..." It's that same voice from yesterday. Unable to do anything and desperately struggling for air, Emily starts to panic and tries to scream, with little result. 
Adam, downstairs, picks up on all the coughing from the bathroom. Slightly worried, he walks to the bottom of the stairs and shouts up; "Emily, is everything alright?" He gets no answer and the coughing gets worse. He runs up the stairs and wants to open the door, but it's locked. "Emily? Emily? What's going on?" Again no reply. 
Emily is struggling. She doesn't know what to do as she keeps inhaling water. She falls to the floor, making a loud bang, but still can't escape the shower, the voice in her ear getting louder and louder; "Give it back... Give it back to me... Give it to me!" 
Adam has had enough and uses his keys to twist open the bathroom lock. He opens the door and rushes in to find her on the floor of the shower. He quickly pulls her away and covers her with the towel. "What's happening? What are you doing?", he asks in panic as he sees how she struggles for air. "I..." she tries to say, as she coughs up all the water from her lungs, "I... thought... I was... drown... drowning...", she manages to say. 
"You were. How can you drown underneath the shower? What did you do?" 
"I don't know... I was under water... it was drowning me... and that voice..." 
"What voice?" Adam is still confused to what is going on. "That same voice from yesterday? Is it haunting you again? Did it try to drown you? What did it say?" Emily gets up and covers herself properly. She finally manages to breath. "Again, it told me to give it back." They look at each other. Adam throws his arms around her and holds her tight. He doesn't care that she is barely dressed, he's just happy she is still alive. "I am so sorry", he apologises. "I don't know what is going on, but we are going to figure it out. I'm not letting you leave. What if it comes after you again?" Emily has no answer. She is just as scared as he is. 

Adam sits behind his laptop, trying to find information online. Emily sits on the sofa, dressed and scared. They don't talk much. She wishes she was home, safe in her own bed, but she knows she can't leave now. It feels weird being this close to Adam again. Somewhere it feels right, but not in these circumstance. She looks at him as he is focused on a certain page. "Did you find something?", she asks. 
"Yes, actually", he replies. "I found my family tree. It goes all the way back. Here, have a look." He gets up with his laptop and sits down next to her. The top of the page clearly reads: Family tree Thompson - Harduyn. "Look at this", he says. "It starts with Frederick Harduyn. Underneath it William Harduyn, married to Sofia Stone. Children: Frank, Elisabeth and Anna Harduyn. Only Anna is married, as the rest died in the fire. She married Adrian Thompson..." They look at each other. "So...", Emily wonders, "she doesn't marry Johan van der Waal, but his best friend Adrian? This is so weird. What happens to Johan?" 
"I don't know. Johan isn't mentioned in here at all." 
"And you are sure this is your family tree?" 
"Well yes", he explains. "Going all the way down to nineteen eighty seven, that's me. Adam Thompson Harduyn, born in Amsterdam." 
"Wow... this is unbelievable. Did you just find this online like this?" 
"It's an official site and I had to pay to get to this information, but it was worth it. This proves that our dreams weren't just dreams. It was history. Someone is trying to tell us something." Emily is curious, yet scared at the same time. "The only problem is", she wonders, "What is it trying to tell us? What happened between Johan telling Adrian and Adrian marrying Anna?" 
"I don't know... maybe if I google the name Johan van der Waal?" He tries, but all that comes up is present day people with the same name. Nothing going back to the seventeenth century. "Well, I guess Internet doesn't have all the answers", he concludes, disappointed. "On the other hand though, I did look for Adrian Thompson and it did come back with something." He opens another page. "Apparently he was a well known person, after he took over the Harduyn company and became very rich. Apparently, prior to owning the Harduyn company, he used to sail on one of the ships as part of the crew. Here, it was called: The Castricum." 
"The Castricum?", Emily asks. "Wasn't that the ship from our dream? What if you search on that? Maybe that can shine some light on Johan van der Waal? Didn't they sail on the same ship?" 
"Yes, you're right. One moment." He opens another page and looks for The Castricum. What he finds is a page dedicated to the ship and it's history. Including an old crew register. "Yes, here... I can barely read it, but here I can make out the name Adrian Thompson and... maybe... if we're lucky... Yes, I found it. Johan van der Waal." 
"Does it say anything else?", Emily wonders. 
"No, that's it. Well it does confirm everything we believe. It just doesn't explain what happened to him. Maybe he just died from a disease on board? I don't know." 
"So... what does all this have to do with the warehouse?" 
"Well, google, old friend", Adam answers, as he starts searching for more answers. "What do you have on the old warehouse on the Oostenburgervoorstreet...? Bingo." They screen through a page on the warehouse and it's history. He smiles. "I can't believe there is so much history in our little part of Amsterdam. If only I would have known then." 
"Here it is", she interrupts him. "The warehouse on Oostenburg, one of the three eastern islands of Amsterdam, was completed in seventeen twenty one. Described by the East Indian Trading Company as a strong and decent warehouse with thick walls, determent to stand for centuries. Well, they had that right didn't they?" Adam picks up where she left off. "In seventeen twenty five some reconstruction of the basement walls had taken place to secure the stability even further. They had found a flaw in the design but managed to solve it. The building was owned by William Harduyn and was part of the Harduyn trading company. In other words, later owned by Adrian Thompson." 
"My head is spinning." Emily sighs. "This is crazy." 
"I know, crazy fantastic! Could you ever imagine? Oh look, there is more: In nineteen eighty nine there have been renovations to the warehouse, turning it into the apartment complex it is today. In order to secure the structure, the walls in the basement had to be renewed. They found several artifacts from when the building was first build. To the workers surprise, they discovered the remains of a man, between the age of twenty and twenty five. There has been an investigation to the death of this man. His remains were as old as the building himself. Possibly, he is one of the workers, building the warehouse, who got himself trapped between the walls and was never found until now." 
"That is very creepy... so, what are we going to do with all this new information?" 
"I don't know..." Adam thinks for a moment. "I still have so many questions. How does this tie to Johan van der Waal and who is the spirit in the basement? Why did it bring us the key? Since it seems to be after my ring... who knows. Maybe an old family member is trying to get into contact with me?" 
"And tries to drown me in the meantime? Nice... maybe it doesn't like me." Adam laughs and gives her a hug. "I'm sure there is more to it", he replies. 

Chapter 03 

It's dark. The docks are lit by lanterns and Johan walks towards The Casticum. He looks around, hoping to see his friend Adrian somewhere. Thinking he must already be on board, he entered the deck. "Van der Waal, Johan van der Waal... Johan!", he hears behind him and turns around to see Adrian running up to him on the docks. He seems distressed. "Adrian, tell me my friend, what is happening?" 
"It's Anna. They are trying to abduct her, we need to help her, Johan!", Adrian replies and Johan quickly comes down. "Where are they?", he asks. Adrian starts running, closely followed by Johan. As they arrive in a narrow alley, Johan sees two of his fellow crewmembers holding Anna. "What are you doing? You let her go, this instant!", he yells at them, but is attacked by more members of the crew. They hold him with three men, he is unable to release himself. "D****t, what is the meaning of this? Adrian, my friend. Help me!" But Adrian starts to laugh. "My friend?", Johan asks him, unsure of what is happening. "Oh Johan, my silly friend", Adrian explains. "You are too good to be true. Showing me exactly how to get filthy rich. All I need is Anna Harduyn, and the ring that you keep with you. How can you be so naive?" 
"You traitor. How could you?" 
"It's only too easy. Now give me that ring." Anna starts to struggle. "You monster!", she yells at Adrian. "Don't you dare think that I will ever marry you. I swear on my mother's grave..." 
"Oh shush", he replies to her. "You have no choice my pretty. If you don't obey me, I will send your beloved Johan to the depths of Davy Jones's locker. Besides. Your ring is all I need. I can kill you both and find another girl, to pose as you." 
"Don't think you will get away with this", Johan growls at him. "You will be hanged. All of you." 
"The choice it yours, my lovely", he offers Anna. "Marry me, so I will inherit your father's company. You may spend the rest of your day's with this... man, if you so desire." 
"Can I trust your word?" 
"You can." Anna looks at Johan, who doesn't trust his former friend at all. "Don't listen to him. He is lying, Anna", he begs her. Adrian rips the pouch of his hip and reveals the ring. "The choice is yours", he offers Anna again. She bows her head in shame. She can't let het lover die. "Alright...", she agrees. "If you can promise me this, I will be prepared to marry you, mister Thompson." 
"No, Anna!", Johan shouts, but is silenced by a beating in the stomach by one of the men holding him. "Then it is settled", Adrian laughs, evil. "Gentlemen. Will you be so kind as to escort mister van der Waal away from here? Miss Harduyn and I have a wedding to prepare." 
"Where are you taking him?", she desperately asks him. 
"I will make sure that he can not get in the way. No harm will come to him, as long as you do exactly as you are told." The three men drag Johan away, but he doesn't come without a fight. "Will you just calm down?" One of his mates asks him. "You only make it harder for yourself." 
"No", Johan replies. "I will not give up. How can you betray me like this?" Someone pulls a hood over his face and another kicks him again, in the hope to weaken him, but Johan is determent. 
"Stop fighting us, Johan!", he hears, but doesn't listen. He is forced unto his knees and pushed, face down into the channel. He manages to lose the hood, but all he can see is the dark water around him. Struggling to hold his breath, the men pull him back up again. "Will you listen now?", he is asked. "Never", he replies and is being pushed back into the water. Desperately fighting for his life, he tries to scream, inhaling nothing but water... It gets dark quickly... He can see Anna's face... and nothing else after. 
When he stops moving, the men pull him back up. "What did you do?", one asks when they look upon his lifeless body. "We were supposed to keep him alive till after Adrian got married. He is not going to be pleased with this." 
"Maybe we did him a solid? Johan wasn't going to survive this ordeal anyway." 
"Damit, Hannes!", they hear Adrian behind them. 
"I am sorry Adrian. He was struggling and we just wanted to knock him unconscious..." 
"Spare me your excuses." He looks around, trying to find a suitable place to dispose of Johan's body, without a chance of him being found. His eye falls on the nearby warehouse. "Yes...", he thinks of a plan. "This belongs to William Harduyn, soon to be mine. They are working on the basement walls, if I am not mistaken. Hide his body in the walls. No one will find him there. And no more mistakes!" The men drag his body away from the channel, to the warehouse. 

Adam shoots up in his bed. Cold sweat runs down his back. He needs to catch his breath. That was an intense dream he just had. He looks next to him where Emily is already awake. He can see fear in her eyes. "Are you okay?", he asks her. She shakes her head. "They drowned him...", she replies. "Just like it tried to drown me. That body in the walls of the basement... that was Johan van der Waal..." 
"I know..." Adam gets up and walks through the room. "I can't believe I have such dark family history. Anna was forced into marriage... by Adrian Thompson... and I carry his name!" 
"The name of the man who killed Johan van der Waal... and now he is out to get us! I carried that ring, maybe he thinks I am a relative too. Maybe he wants revenge?" 
“I don't think so. I might carrie Adrian's name, but I carry her name too. Would he kill relatives of the woman he loves? I don't think so." 
"Then why did he try to drown me?", Emily starts to panic again, not sure what is going through Adam's mind. He shakes his head. "No, I think he is sending us messages, trying to explain what happened to him. He didn't kill you, just let you experience what they did to him. I think he just wants to be reunited with the ring that was stolen from him so violently. The only thing that is still left of her." 
"So... what are you saying? You want to give him back the ring?" 
"Yes. I mean, it's a family heirloom. But if this is how we got this ring in the family in the first place, I don't mind giving it back. It's the least I can do to redeem what my forefather did to him." 
"Wow... you are such a hero", she responds, almost sarcastically. "Good luck with that." 
"Oh, but I'm not going alone. You are coming with me." Emily looks up in surprise and fear. "What?", she asks. "But... you said... I didn't have to join you...?" 
"I know, but I'm not letting you out of my sight, incase Johan comes after you again." Emily sighs unhappy. She always dreamed of an adventure like this, but being in it, is a lot scarier than she thought. "I wish I had never taken that shower", she mumbles. Adam shakes his head. "Yes, well, we have started this together didn't we? I didn't want to get into that warehouse in the first place, but you forced me. Now have to finish it together too." 
"You are just scared to go alone." 
"That too...", he admits and he looks at her. She gets up and holds him. What have they gotten themselves into? 

Adam starts preparing for their trip back to Amsterdam. He walks around with candles and a flashlight. Emily sits in the sofa, with a sick feeling in her stomach. The last thing she wants to do is get back to that warehouse, but she has no choice. Adam was right. She got them into this mess and now she couldn't leave Adam to deal with the consequences by himself. "Are you ready?", he asks her when he's got everything packed in a rucksack. She shakes her head. "Is that the definition of a stupid question?", she replies before getting up and following him out of the house, to the car. It's a long drive to Amsterdam, but not long enough. It's already getting dark when Adam parks his car in front of the warehouse. It's such an impressive building. Hard to believe that it's been here since seventeen twenty one. Almost three centuries. Adam uses the key to open the front door and Emily follows him down. Cold chills run down her spine as he opens the door to the basement and confidently walks in. "Adam..." She hesitates. 
"Conquer your fear", he replies as he sits down to unpack his backpack. On the floor he puts down the candles and an strange, familiar looking board. Emily is shocked when she joins him. "Are you insane?" she asks him. "Please don't tell me your plan is to make contact via Ouija? Do you know how dangerous that is? This building is so old... who knows what else is down here?" 
"I know... but it's the only thing I could think of. You may be able to see him, but I couldn't and how can I communicate with someone I can't see?" 
"Someone have mercy on our souls...", she begs to the air around her. "What are you going to say? Hello evil spirit, my name is Adam and I am sorry about what my blood did to you. Please forgive us and be a nice, less evil spirit?" 
"Please don't try to upset him", he replies. "Will you sit down please and help me? It'll be over before you know it." 
"I can't believe you are this confident. You are either very brave or extremely stupid." Adam lights the candles when the door slams shut behind them. Emily jumps and stares at the door. "How did it stay open?", she whispers. "Are we stuck now?" 
"I still have the key. Please, will you calm down and help me?" 
"Oh dear ghost. I free you from your bounds. Fly, be free, be free!" 
"Emily..." 
"Oh and then you arrive in heaven, say hello to Anna Harduyn for me." 
"Emily..." 
"What?" She looks at Adam, who is staring at the Ouija board. No one is touching it, yet the board is trembling and the arrow spins on the surface. "Maybe", he suggests, "it's time to take this situation a bit more seriously." She nods and sits down next to him, her heart almost pounding out of her chest. "Hello?", Adam asks. Emily looks around her with anticipation. "Johan van der Waal?", he continues. "My name is Adam Thompson Harduyn..." Suddenly a gust of wind blows out the candles and it becomes very dark. All they can hear is each others breathing. Emily searches for Adam's hand and grabs it tight. "Johan van der Waal?", he asks again. 
"Give it back...", they hear a whisper in the distance. Adam gets up, letting go of Emily's hand. "It's right here", he replies as he holds up the ring in front of him. "You can have it. I don't want it, it belongs to you." 
"GIVE IT BACK!" A face appears in the darkest and it rushes towards Adam. Scared of what he sees, Adam quickly steps back and onto the Ouija board. It slips away from underneath him and Emily watches him fall unto the floor, hitting his head hard. "Adam? Adam, please...", she panics when he doesn't move. "GIVE IT BACK! GIVE IT BACK TO ME!" The wind picks up and Emily's hair starts blowing around her face, making it hard for her to see. She pulls in Adam's clothes. "Please, please get up. I can't do this alone. Please Adam!", but he is knocked unconscious. "GIVE IT BACK TO ME!" 
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" Emily covers her ears as she tries to think. The ring is on the floor, next to Adam's lifeless body. "GIVE IT BACK NOW!" She picks it up but doesn't know what to do with it. "PLEASE STOP!", she begs "IF YOU DON'T STOP RIGHT NOW... I'll... I'll crush it underneath my feet!" It suddenly become quiet, too quiet. All the sound in the world seems to have disappeared. The wind is gone and so is the voice. Scared, she gets op and stares into the darkness. "I...", she starts, not knowing what to say, "It's not mine... It's his, but he doesn't mean you any harm. I know what happened to you... you made it very clear to us..." There is no response. Just dead silence. In the distance a shape of a man starts appearing. She is scared to look at it, but realises that she is the only one who can do anything, as Adam still isn't moving. "I am sorry... about everything... Adrian was your friend..." She jumps when Johan's face appears in front of her. "Please don't hurt me", she begs, covering her face, but nothing happens. No icy cold like last time. She looks through her hands. Johan is still there. His face white and swollen, bloodshot eyes and wet hair. He doesn't look angry, just beaten. He looks terrifying, but he doesn't feel threatening anymore. "You loved her...", she continues. "You would have done anything for her... I am so sorry. Here..." She holds the ring in front of her. "It's yours. Take it." Below Johan's face, his neck, shoulders, chest and arms appear. He reaches for the ring with trembling hands. For a second it seems like she can feel the force of his grasp on the ring and she lets go. Johan takes a step backwards and slowly he disappears in the darkness, ring and all. It takes a moment for Emily to get to grips with reality. The basement is empty. Suddenly she realises Adam is still there, when she hears him breathing. "Adam..." she sits down next to him. He turns his face and opens his eyes. His hand reaches for his head. He groans in pain. "Please, be careful", she advises him as he sits down. "Emily?", he asks. 
"I'm here", she replies. "It's alright, just take it easy. You hit your head pretty hard. I thought... I thought I lost you for a second." Adam looks around. The floor is a mess. The candles rolled in different directions and the Ouija board lies broken in two pieces. "What... happened?", he asks her. 
"Too much... most important is that I think we managed to give Johan his peace." Adam leans on her as he slowly gets up, wobbling on his legs and feeling dizzy still. "We did?", he asks. 
"Yes... He took the ring and disappeared. It's been very quiet since." 
"How long have I been out?" 
"A couple of minutes. I think he might have felt threatened by you... I don't know. He is gone now, hopefully for good." They walk towards the door. It's not locked this time and they take the stairs up, out of the front door. It's a calm evening. The world almost looks different now. They walk to the car and Adam takes his place in the driver's seat. Emily takes the passenger seat. "Are you sure driving is such a good idea?", she asks him. 
"I feel okay", he replies. "I'm not dizzy anymore. Give me couple more minutes and I am pretty confident to drive." 
"Alright... but if you do feel dizzy along the way..." 
"Emily..." 
"What?" He suddenly kisses her. She is surprised, but puts her arms around him. As they come apart, he smiles at her. "Thank you", he says. 
"For what?" 
"For the last few days. For this adventure. It was quite the thrill, wasn't it?" She smiles back. "Yes it was", she replies. 
"You know...", he suggests, "I don't live on the other side of the country anymore..." Emily smiles wider and kisses him again, before Adam starts his engine and they drive off, leaving Johan and the ring behind them. 


The End 
By Anne Versteeg 

Author's Note

Enjoy