14: Dead Men Tell no Tales

“Are you sure about this?” Leah again hesitated as she peered up the stairs after the others. “I don’t see how this is going to help put anyone’s mind at ease. In fact, snooping only makes things worse.”

“How do you figure that?” Nancy shrugged. “Wouldn’t knowing the truth about what’s inside this house and knowing what to expect be better than being in the dark?”

“Only if that truth is puppies and ice cream. 9 times out of 10 it’s just more bad stuff and scary happenings I’ve seen it a hundred times in all those scary movies.”

“But we’re not in a scary movie Leah. It’s real life and we’re not going off by ourselves or investigating strange sounds. We’re staying in a group and exploring the house we’ll be occupying for the next 17 days. Don’t you want to know if there is an axe murderer in the attic waiting for the opportunity to strike?”

“Gee…now that you put it that way Jill, no.”

Jill laughed as she continued up the stairs and to the study where Quiana and Lizzy had discovered the hidden room.

“It’s back here,” Lizzy said pulling at the edge of the bookcase and moving it away from the wall. Sure enough, there was a small door behind the library which led them to the stairway for the attic.

“Who’s going first?” Karima asked looking over the faces of everyone.

“Whoever it is might not get to keep their head so…I think I’m staying in the back,” Freedom said moving to the end of the group.

“I’ll go!” Daijah smiled and grabbed the lantern from Holley. “Can’t be too bad right? No one’s heard footsteps and there isn’t any food missing. So the place has to be empty right?”

“Maybe because whoever is up there don’t walk in the traditional sense and doesn’t require food,” Quiana mumbled.

“Right.” Daijah pulled the string and brought the stairs down and began climbing them one at a time. She held the light out in front of her so she could clearly see the path she walked. Once up top, she placed the light in the center of the room allowing it to illuminate the tiny space and called for the others to come up.

Jill, Karima and Lizzy immediately began going through a few papers and old journals lying on a table in the corner.

Nancy coughed once and held her nose to keep from inhaling too much of the dust particles flying around and Kalene and Leah found an old trunk near the window.

“Hey guys look at this,” Nedra called pointing to a painting on the wall. “Is that this house?”

“Maybe in its heyday, what’s it say?” Kalene asked.

“Manor House built in 1723 home of renowned surgeon Dr. Jeremiah Finley and wife.”

“Manor House? Isn’t that what you called it when Lizzy and Holley first got here, Jill?” Quiana asked turning in her direction when she didn’t get a response. 

Jill stood staring at the door and the ghostly figure that was slowly approaching the group.

“OH MY GOD!” Kalene wailed and jumped behind Daijah. “It’s not the same one from the cemetery!”

“No, that’s Everett, the man from the newspaper. The one they wrote the lore about!” Karima reasoned

“What does he want? Make him go away.” Holley cried.

Everett looked towards the book case and his spirit floated towards it quickly before he disappeared behind the wall.

Jill moved towards it. “Be careful!” Freedom cautioned as she continued moving in the direction the spirit vanished.

She played around with a few books on the shelf before turning back with a smile to the girls. “There’s nothing here. I don’t know what that meant but, we should really get back downstairs now.”

“Great idea!” Holley said grabbing the light and starting towards the door. The group started after her but stopped in their tracks as a loud bang sounded behind them.

“What’s that?” Quiana pointed to a decorative board that had fallen from the bookshelf. “Is that a spirit board?”

“No, ok, that’s where I’m calling it. There is NO way you’re gonna get me to mess with that thing. I’ve seen enough spirits to last me a lifetime! Count me out!” Holley started for the door and it slammed shut in her face. She jumped back and quickly back peddled to the group.

“Looks like someone wants us to use it,” Kalene said pulling a few candles from the shelves.

“Well that someone can forget it! I’m with Holley; I’m not messing with that voodoo!” Quiana agreed.

“I think that’s what Everett wanted us to do.”

“Forget it! If he really wanted to communicate with someone then he should invest in a cell phone!”

Nedra stepped towards the board and picked it up from the floor. She blew on it once scattering the dust that had settled on top of it towards the window. “Hasn’t been used in a while, it might be fun. Besides, there’s already ghosts hanging around, this is only a way to talk to them, it won’t call more.”

“And you know that for sure?” Lizzy asked.

“Not really. I’ve only read or heard about them second hand. Still I’m willing to give it a try. How often can you say a ghost asked you to talk to him?”

Nedra placed the board on a dining table and she and Daijah pulled it to the center of the room. Kalene arranged the candles she’d found along the edges and Nancy grabbed chairs to place for everyone to sit.

“What do we do now?” 

“Well, we gather in a circle, ask the spirit a question and just concentrate,” Nedra said taking a seat and waiting on the others to join her. The girls sat around the table and waited. “Just concentrate and remember to breathe.” 

The wind lay quiet upon that silent hill
where the graves of the many rested still
no shrieks or screams came out of that gate
and no ghosts or goblins lie in wait

It was there that I saw a sight so unreal
it left me in shock and this uneasy feel
a large rotting corpse with eyes of yellow
made the peaceful night anything but mellow

Maggots were crawling through holes in her skin
her tongue was very visible and sticking from her chin
what the old woman wanted I could never say
she just fed on my pet and went on her way


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