The Coldwater Haunting
Page 33
“We’d like to invite you over to the house for a little get together,” Ron offered. “It won’t be more than a couple of people, just a housewarming thing. Some food.”
“That’s very kind of you,” she replied. “Thank you, but no. There’s no way on God’s green earth I’ll ever set foot on that property again.” She smiled up at him. “I hope you understand, too.”
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With Robbie settled into bed and the completion of his evening routines of checking every door, every window, every lock, setting the alarm, and switching off every light, Ron slipped off his clothes and got into bed. The cold sheets made him shiver.
He stared up at the ceiling; the moon was full and shining in the side windows, sending plenty of light into the room. Need to get drapes, he thought. Add it to the list.
The ceiling had no markings or imperfections; it was a pale, unblemished surface disturbed only by texturing. He stared at the spot where he imagined the thumps had come from, wondering what he’d do if he heard one.
Ever since his final encounter with Ezra, there had been no taps at the pane, no ghostly figures in the yard staring through windows, no sound of steps on the staircase. And especially, no thumps in the attic. He wondered if focusing on it now was a bad idea, if merely thinking about it could somehow give it energy, and wind up triggering something, resulting in thumps he didn’t want.
Listen to yourself, he thought. Energy. What the fuck? Be real.
But they do say that, don’t they? That focusing on something gives it energy, can make it real?
Yeah, idiots say that. Charlatans and hucksters say that. People like Freedom and Terrell.
He instantly felt bad for casting Terrell negatively. The kid tried, and although he hadn’t really done anything himself, his connection to Abe certainly helped. There was no reason to badmouth him, or think poorly of him.
I need to be more charitable, or I will become a cranky, unlikable old hermit living alone in the woods.
He turned to look out the window. For a split second he expected to see a ghostly form there, raising a finger to scrape against the pane. The window was empty, and the starry night was beyond. It was both calming and frightening at the same time.
The fright will go away, he thought. You won’t always feel a stab of fear every time you look out a window. You love this house. You’ve known it from the beginning. Living in it will change things, will drive away whatever fright remains. There’s nothing here now, no ghosts, no Ezra, no vestige of a war between two families. This house is clean! He smiled at the Poltergeist reference, imagining the short medium uttering the words in her high-pitched voice; the more he thought about it, the more it made him chuckle. Robbie was asleep in his room down the hall, safe and sound. Here he was, lying in his bed, just as secure, everything in order.
Except, of course, the empty spot in the bed next to him.
She’s never going to come here, he thought. I’ll get the call any day now, telling me we’re through, she’s with Ira. It’s been inevitable for a long time, and it’s almost here. Don’t be a rube, don’t be a naïve idiot. Don’t be one of those people you’ve always felt sorry for.
He closed his eyes.
Well, if she really doesn’t want to be here, then it’s for the best. If she doesn’t love me – and I’m pretty sure she doesn’t – then why would I want to prolong it? She won’t try to take Robbie, I know she won’t. She’ll want visitation, but she won’t push to have him live with her. He wouldn’t want to, either.
Robbie is here, with me. That’s as it should be.
And although I won’t have her anymore, I have something better that I love just as much…maybe more…
This house.
He opened his eyes to look at the spot on the ceiling, waiting for the thump.
He waited a long time, finally drifting off to sleep.
From The Author
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The Downwinders series continues with a new, chilling tale! Deem learns that a mortuary in town is sneaking bodies out a back door under the cover of darkness. CLICK HERE to sign up and receive an email when this title is released!
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My favorite part of writing the “From The Author” section is where I get to thank my patrons!
Carol Tilson
Joy Steinmiller
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and my other patrons at Patreon.com
Thanks again, you awesome people! Your ongoing support keeps me writing.
I would love it if you’d consider becoming my patron. For as little as $3/month, you’ll receive new titles before they’re released on Amazon. More goodies at higher levels; cancel any time. I regularly share new ideas, upcoming book covers, and more with my patrons. Check it out!
The Coldwater Haunting was my longest and most ambitious novel to date. I couldn’t have published it without the aid and assistance of the following people, who played various roles in helping me cross the finish line:
Kym Miller
Carol Tilson, Joy Steinmiller, Don Gillespie, Jacque Taylor, Sherry Baker, Jessie Dean
My deepest gratitude to each of you, as well as the others who have assisted me on past books. I’m lucky to have people who so generously offer their time. Thank you!
Also, thanks to you, dear reader! Thank you for not only reading my book, but for making it this far in the “credits”! I know there’s a lot to choose from out there, so I’m grateful you took the time to read my novel, and I hope you enjoyed it. It’s always my goal to write something entertaining, and I hope I succeeded in some way.
Keep an eye out for the next one!
Suggested Reading Order for The River Universe
Although The Coldwater Haunting is a stand-alone novel, many of Michael Richan’s other books are parts of three series that make up The River Universe: The River series, The Downwinders series, and The Dark River series. It’s easy enough to see the order of books in each of these series when browsing online, but since the storylines and characters weave between all three series, this Suggested Reading Order will help maximize your enjoyment. This Suggested Reading Order is updated regularly at the Author’s Website as new titles appear.
You can absolutely read any of the three series on their own, but following the Suggested Reading Order will offer interesting insights between the events and characters.
Three books center on Eliza’s early years prior to meeting Steven and Roy. These titles (The Haunting of Pitmon House, The Haunting of Waverly Hall, and A Haunting in Wisconsin) can all be read stand-alone.
The Coldwater Haunting and Slaughter, Idaho touch upon the River universe, where characters appear in other books, but the books truly “stand alone” and no knowledge of another book is needed. For example, Terrell and Abe, characters in The Coldwater Haunting, first appear in The Cycle of the Shen, although The Coldwater Haunting takes place long before the events of that book.
The School of Revenge is also stand-alone, and the only young adult title
– so far.
The Suggested Reading Order for the books of The River Universe is:
1. The Bank of the River (The River series, Book 1)
2. Residual (The River series, Book 1a. It's a free novella, available here.)
3. A Haunting in Oregon (The River series, Book 2)
4. Ghosts of Our Fathers (The River series, Book 3)
5. Eximere (The River series, Book 4)
6. The Suicide Forest (The River series, Book 5)
7. Devil's Throat (The River series, Book 6)
8. Blood Oath, Blood River (The Downwinders series, Book 1)
9. The Diablo Horror (The River series, Book 7)
10. The Impossible Coin (The Downwinders series, Book 2)
11. The Haunting at Grays Harbor (The River series, Book 8)
12. The Graves of Plague Canyon (The Downwinders series, Book 3)
13. It Walks At Night (The River series, Book 9)
14. A (The Dark River series, Book 1)
15. The Blackham Mansion Haunting (The Downwinders series, Book 4)
16. The Cycle of the Shen (The River series, Book 10)
17. The Blood Gardener (The Dark River series, Book 2)
18. A Christmas Haunting at Point No Point (The River series, Book 11)
19. The Massacre Mechanism (The Downwinders series, Book 5)
20. The Port of Missing Souls (The River series, Book 12)
21. The Nightmares of Quiet Grove (The Downwinders series, Book 6)
22. Capricorn (The Dark River series, Book 3)
23. The Haunting of Johansen House (The River series, Book 13)
24. Evocation (The River series, Book 14)
25. Descent Into Hell Street (The Downwinders series, Book 7)
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