The Haunting of Shadow Hill House

by Caroline Clark

  Getting out of the car she felt a chill wind. For a second, she tensed and then laughed... it was simply natural, a breeze. As she looked up at the house she felt her breath catch. It was beautiful, the twin turrets, the large windows. It looked inviting and like everything she had always dreamed of. For a few seconds, she just stared at the house trying to feel if Victoria was still there. Concentrating all her senses, she searched for anything that was wrong... there was nothing that she could find. It seemed she had a choice. She could stand here, she could turn around and leave, or she could go in and have a shower. In the end her aching muscles and a feeling of grime down her back won her over.

  As she entered the house she kept her senses on full alert. Scanning the rooms for any sign of darkness or chill but there was nothing. Quickly, she made her way to the master bedroom and waited for the sense of despair, of gloom to come over her but it never happened. Carefully, she stepped around the stain on the carpet. It was hard to tell if it was any worse. The damn thing was such a part of the room now and seemed to change on a daily basis that she could not keep it straight in her head. Skirting around it, she headed for the shower.

  Stripping off, she stepped into the stream of hot water and felt immediately relaxed. Leaning against the wall she let the water pound on to her shoulders and back and found that tears were running from her eyes as the water ran over her face. They had survived, they had beaten it and the relief was more than she could take.

  Little by little the water brought her back to herself. It eased the aching muscles, washed away the grime, and made her feel more human again. At last she turned off the water and stepped from the shower. Grabbing a big fluffy bath sheet she wrapped it around herself and sat on the bed. For some reason she had sat with her feet almost touching the stain. Instead of filling her with disgust it filled her with sadness and once again she found tears in her eyes. What had Victoria seen? What had she gone through? The feeling of sadness was overwhelming and the more she thought about it the sorrier she felt for the child. At the end of the day she was a victim as much as they were, probably even more so.

  What if it had been her child?

  If something so traumatic had happened to Abby, would she want her to be simply banished? Her thoughts kept going back to the little room in the attic and the lonely grave in the woods and it broke her heart. Something had to be done and now that her family was safe she felt able to do it. Quickly, she dried herself and pulled on some jeans and a sweatshirt. If Victoria was still here she had to try and help. It made sense. Not only to help the poor desperate spirit but to save her family, the only problem was she didn't know how to help.

  Quickly, she found her tablet and sent an email to Gail Parker telling her exactly what had happened and what she planned to do. Though she knew that Gail and her ghost hunting partner, Jesse, were currently in Bulgaria, and there was probably nothing they could do to help, it still felt good to send off a message.

  Just half a minute later the tablet pinged a notification of a reply.

  Don't do anything. We will leave tomorrow and be with you as soon as possible. Keep away from the house and keep safe.

  Regards,

  Gail.

  Jenny stared at the message for a long time. Her hand hovered over the screen. Though she knew it was good advice and that she should follow it she felt she could not leave the house. The sadness was more than she could bear. What mother could leave a child in such pain? Victoria was not evil but simply a lonely lost soul and she needed her help. What sort of decent human being would she be if she walked away from this?

  Face down, she dropped the tablet on the bed and, picking up a battery lantern, she strolled out of the room. Turning right she headed for the attic. Somehow, she knew that was where Victoria wanted her and she hoped that going there would help the child heal.

  Chapter 23

  Jenny felt drawn towards the attic. It was as if she would find answers there. Without hesitation, she climbed the first seven steps, turned the corner, and climbed the next seven. The door was open. For just a second she hesitated. Last time she was here she distinctly remembered closing it and sliding the bolt across to keep it locked. Who had opened it?

  Reaching up she pulled the cord and a faint yellow light appeared in the distance. It was like a beacon drawing her onward and she stepped into the attic and followed the dusty path between the boxes. There were small footsteps leading the way. Seeing them raised the hairs on the back of her neck. They could only belong to a child and she felt the need to hurry. It was as if she was being pulled towards an answer. Gradually, she weaved through the boxes towards the light. It shone down on the trunk. The one where she had found the journal and read about the awful things that had happened to Victoria. When she reached it, the trunk was open and three of the dolls stood up and stared at her. Their eyes seemed to follow her as she knelt before the trunk.

  The journal was gone.

  That didn't surprise her, she knew it would be. To her left she heard the sound of giggling. It was the sound of a child playing hide and seek. One that wanted to be quiet but could not quite stop her own exuberance, and yet there was something more to the sound. Something sinister that scraped across the nerves like the tapping of something unseen on a dark and lonely night.

  Jenny knew she had to follow the sound and so she turned and walked around the boxes and towards the sad little room where Victoria had spent much of her time. Something tickled across her face and her hands scrabbled out desperate to find it.

  It was just a cobweb! Nothing to fear and yet her heart was pounding so fast it felt as if it would burst at any moment. Still, she kept walking and there before her was the room made out of boxes. Once more it reminded her of an igloo. The little tunnel in the bottom designed for Victoria to crawl through. She looked down at the floor and could see that the dust had been disturbed. Someone had been in here recently, but who?

  Of course, that was obvious. Victoria was here and she was waiting for her.

  Logically, Jenny wanted to turn and run from the house and yet she felt drawn towards that dark tunnel. As she looked towards the opening a faint glow flickered from beneath the boxes. Perhaps this time the candle was already lit. Remembering the lantern in her hand, she switched it on and knelt down. It would be a tight squeeze for her to get under the boxes and into the room but it was possible. She pushed the lantern into the gap and tried to look past it, it was impossible. From her last visit she remembered a blanket, a doll, a journal, and a candle stub.

  Pushing the lantern before her she crawled into the opening. Panic raged inside of her as the boxes closed in on either side and for a moment she was trapped. The urge to thrash and kick and punch her way out of there was overwhelming. However, if she did that then the boxes would come tumbling down and Victoria might be hurt. For a moment, her mind wanted to laugh.

  The ghost couldn't be hurt, it was a ghost!

  However, her heart knew this was not true. Victoria could be hurt, she was hurt, and that was the reason for the trouble. As a frightened and damaged child she was lashing out at them. Jenny must do whatever she could to help her. She just hoped that she would be able to walk away afterward and stay with her own family.

  Slowly, Mason came around. It was dark but not totally so and he scanned the room looking for Jenny, for Abby, and for any sign of danger. There was a deep ache in his skull and he reached up to his head. Carefully, he searched for the injury and when his hand touched a dressing he pulled it away confused.

  Where was he?

  Sitting up he felt a wave of nausea and had to pull himself backward and lean against what he thought was the wall. Only, it wasn't the wall, he was in a bed. That must mean he was safe, that his family was safe. Gradually his eyes accustomed to the dark and he worked out he was in a hospital. Where were Jenny and Abby?

  Swallowing, he tried to call out but his throat was too dry and the words came out as nothing more than a croak. Though he knew he should rest h
e couldn't. What if his family were still in danger? Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and tried to stand. Something caught on his arm and pulled him back and then a wave of nausea sent him crashing back onto the bed.

  "Oh, no you don't, get back in that bed," a young nurse said as she arrived at his bedside.

  Mason tried to talk again but once more he couldn't. The nurse nodded and handed him a glass of water. She pressed a button and raised the back of the bed so that he was sitting up and able to drink. Gratefully, he took a few swallows and handed the glass back.

  "My family?" he asked.

  "They are fine. Your daughter is in the children’s ward and your wife went home for a shower and some fresh clothing. You just need to rest and you'll be fine in a day or two."

  Mason nodded and yet the thought of Jenny back at the house scared him more than he could say. Would she be safe?

  As the nurse wandered off he checked himself over. What had stopped his arm was an IV. It was connected to a bag of fluid. The rest of him seemed okay. Just a few cuts and bruises but nothing too much. He knew he had to get up and to go check on Jenny and yet he needed to stop his head spinning. Closing his eyes he relaxed back against the bed for just a moment. Just to gain his strength and yet before he could think of what he had to do, he fell back into a deep sleep.

  The darkness closed in around Jenny as she struggled to crawl between the boxes. There was a light up ahead. It was a beacon, safety, if only she could get to it and yet she was frozen. Hunkered down and trying to keep small. Maybe if she stayed still she would be safe. Then she thought of Abby and Mason. Gritting her teeth, she forced her body to move. First one hand and then the other, she made her way towards the light and out of the darkness. The closer she got the faster she was moving. It was as if the devil was chasing her.

  Panting so hard she was almost hyperventilating, she shot from between the boxes and into the room. Standing up she took in a few deep breaths and managed to calm herself. Gradually, her eyes were becoming accustomed to the gloom. The room was lit by nothing more than the tiny candle. She could see the lantern; it had been knocked against the far wall of boxes and turned off. However, it was light enough to see and she didn't need it for now.

  Sat in front of her holding Mr. Good Bear was Victoria. Her legs were crossed beneath her on a blanket and the candle was to one side. It was so close to the blanket that Jenny felt herself gasp. The thought of that naked flame in amongst all of this paper and the blanket and this little girl scared the very life out of her. How she wanted to extinguish it and yet she was too afraid.

  Victoria was staring, her hands were gripping the arms of the bear so tightly that her knuckles were white. She was wearing the white nightgown, the splashes of blood on it had faded to brown. Jenny knew she had to do something and yet she didn't know what. The feeling of sadness, of desperation was so strong that she wanted to give up. Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor and sat in front of Victoria. For a moment, she just sat and stared at the child, giving her a slight smile and trying to offer comfort. As she watched, Victoria began to relax and she held out her hands. It made Jenny nervous and yet she felt compelled to do the same. Slowly, she reached out and took Victoria's hands. They were cold and insubstantial. As she held them they seemed to harden beneath her fingers. Despair fell over her like a cold mist. It brought with it a loss of hope and she felt the fight to go on evaporating from her. Maybe she should just stay here with Victoria for all time.

  Chapter 24

  Mason gradually came awake once more. As his eyes opened, at first, he struggled to focus. The room was just a blur. Raising his arm, he rubbed at them until his vision cleared. It was daylight. Where was Jenny?

  Though his mind was fuzzy he remembered the terrors of the night before and sat up a little too quickly. A wave of nausea pushed him back to the bed and he pulled in a few deep breaths.

  Where was Jenny? If she had just gone back to the house for a shower and some clothes then surely she would be back by now. Maybe she had just gone for coffee and would be back any minute. Hoping that was the case he reached out for the glass and took another drink of water. It was cool and refreshing as it slid down his throat and it made him feel instantly stronger.

  His fingers tapped on the bed as the seconds slipped into minutes and Jenny did not come back. Where was she? Has something happened? The more he thought about it the more afraid he became and yet his mind could not remember why he was afraid. It was something to do with the house and a girl but he could not remember what.

  Maybe if he lay just a little bit longer then the memories would come back. Closing his eyes he tried to think and yet he was overwhelmed with fear for Jenny. Somehow, he knew he had to go, that he had to help her and that if he stayed here too long it would be too late.

  There was no one around and he could see his clothes on a chair in the corner. The IV was still attached to his arm. Cautiously, he peeled back the tape that held the needle and then, gritting his teeth, he pulled the needle free. A bright spot of blood appeared in the spot where the needle had been. Tearing off a bit of the tape he stuck it over the hole and hoped for the best.

  The sense of urgency was growing and he threw back the thin blanket and swung his legs over the side of the bed.

  Gingerly, he tested to see if they would hold his weight. Though he felt a touch of nausea he didn't fall and he managed to stumble to the chair. Taking the clothes off the chair he sat down and dressed. It was a difficult and laborious process that left his head spinning and his stomach churning and yet he managed it, eventually.

  Now all he had to do was get out of the hospital without being seen. Luckily, he had his wallet on him. It would be easy enough to get a taxi back to the house. What happened after that would not be as easy.

  In reality, Jenny knew that she was sat on the floor in the box room of the attic holding the hands of the ghost and yet in her mind she was playing a ring of roses in the sunshine with her best friend. They were dancing around and singing and laughing and it was wonderful and fun.

  "Stay with me forever," Victoria whispered in her ear as she passed.

  Jenny spun around dancing and laughing. She wanted to say yes and yet there was something nagging at the back of her mind. It was another little girl, one with dark black hair and pale blue eyes. She tried to see the face and remember the child's name and yet she could not. All she saw was the little blonde girl before her, her ringlets bouncing as she jumped and her bright smile that looked so happy.

  Round and round and round they go. Singing and laughing.

  "Ring a Ring a roses, a pocket full of posies, atishoo atishoo, we all fall down."

  Jenny dropped to her knees on the floor as did Victoria. As she felt the earth on her knees something happened. It wasn't, it was the hard wooden floor of the attic and for a moment it brought her back to reality. Abby's face appeared before her and her child was frightened. She was holding the hand of a man and at first Jenny did not know who he was. Then her mind seemed to clear and she knew it was Mason. How could she forget him, how could she forget Abby? Suddenly, she knew she had to get out of here and yet she did not have the strength or the energy and maybe she would have just one more dance and then she could think about being serious. Not now though, now she wanted to have fun and to play.

  When Mason got back to the house he found that the priest was waiting for him and the front door was open.

  "Have you been inside?" Mason asked, his voice a little confrontational. He wasn't sure if he meant that the priest had left the door open or if he was angry because he hadn't been in and checked on Jenny. It was difficult, his mind would still not fully remember what had happened the night before.

  "Good morning, Mr. Evans," Luke said. "You look hurt but I believe that time is short and so I will get straight to the point. I haven't been inside the house and refused to do so. Has something else happened?"

  Mason ran a hand through his thick dark hair and across the
stubble of his chin as he tried to work out what to say.

  "It was last night, I don't remember what happened, but I woke up in the hospital. I had been stabbed and knocked unconscious. Abby is in hospital too but it is just cuts and bruises. Jenny came home last night to have a shower and get some more clothes." Suddenly Mason was frightened. Something had happened to Jenny and he was stood here talking. He had to get into the house and to save her. Turning from the priest he started to run towards the door. A hand grabbed hold of his arm and pulled him up short.

  "We can help her more if we put the spirit to rest," Luke said.

  Mason had been spun around and was looking into the man's eyes. The urge to punch him was strong. To shake off his hand and to run into the house and save Jenny. Yet the memories from last night, though sketchy, told him that his chances of success were slim. A wave of nausea washed over him. Had he really just contemplated punching a priest? Shaking his head he relaxed.

  "I'm sorry, I'm just so scared of what may have happened to her."

  "I understand and that is why I am here. I've been doing some research, much of it you already know. Victoria was found hanging from the balcony, her father claimed she committed suicide and in his grief blamed his wife and killed her. Or at least, that is his story. There is another report that the father killed the wife and then hung the child. Throwing her body from the balcony. Either way, at the time the suicide was believed. As the child had taken her own life she was not allowed to be buried in the churchyard. I have been speaking to some experts and they believe that if we find her body and move it to consecrated ground and then bless and salt her bones that this will be over. She will be laid to rest. The problem is I have no idea where she is buried and it could be anywhere."