The Haunting of Seafield House (The Spirit Guide Book 1)
Page 2
Gail couldn't help but laugh. There was a time when they used to go out for expensive meals, to fancy restaurants, and yet Jesse was more excited about the local village pub with the silly name. Something about his excitement made her feel good.
"Let's go eat," she said and followed him out the door.
This time Jesse did lock up. There was a lot of money's worth in their equipment and more than that, if it was to go missing then the investigation would be a waste of time.
Gail thought back to when she first met Jesse. It had been a Halloween party, in a fake haunted house. She could still remember screaming as she ran around the building with her friends. All of them had had too much to drink, and as the fake skeletons, ghosts, and ghouls had jumped out at them, the shocks had been both frightening and exhilarating. When they made it all the way through the house, there was a big party, and Gail had gone to one side just to catch a breath of fresh air. That was where she met Jesse. They hit it off instantly, and he had told her how he had seen spirits as a child. At the time, she thought he was joking and that it was just a line, but as she got to know him, she knew he really believed it. Apparently, his grandfather had been the same. They believed they could see the souls of those poor individuals who could not cross over. Yet, when Jesse hit puberty, he stopped seeing ghosts, and he had always sought to relive those times or to find an explanation for what he saw. He was driven to know if he had really seen those things, or if it was merely the imaginings of a child driven by stories from an elderly relation.
Gail really hoped that this house would give him answers. At 24, Jesse was in the final year of a degree in paranormal studies. When he had first chosen the degree, they had argued about it for weeks. Gail was in many ways the exact opposite of Jesse. She only believed in what she could see, touch, and measure. Maybe that was why she became an architect. It was a good job and one she really loved. Most of the time she was simply designing houses for a building company, but every now and then she got to do something really exciting. Maybe she should look at this house as a project. If there were strange goings on here, maybe they could be explained by the build of the house. It was a comforting thought.
Jesse took her hand in his, and they started to walk down the path and away from the house. As they stepped onto the streets, Gail felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She turned back to look at the house, and a shiver ran down her spine.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Jesse said with a big grin on his face.
Before she could stop herself, Gail nodded, and she watched as his grin widened.
"I knew it," he said. "This is the place, this is where my questions are answered, and my work is validated. I cannot thank you enough for coming with me. This is gonna be great, Gail, just you wait and see."
Gail nodded. How she hoped that he would find answers. That he would find something to keep him going through the long months ahead, and yet her stomach twisted inside of her and she suddenly felt a little sick.
The walk to the pub took only five minutes as Jesse had said. It was the first building in the small village of Brinkley Moor and was a pretty little pub. It was a typical Tudor building built of wood, wattle, and daub. It had been well maintained, and the walls outside were festooned with baskets of trailing petunias. The deep purple and bright white of the flowers brought a smile to her face.
Outside the pub were a number of tables and at least three of them were occupied. One with a courting couple and the other two with families. The sounds of the children laughing and talking brought a pang to her heart and once again her eyes were filling with tears. She would never have children.
The pub sign caught her eye. Though she had not known what to expect she did not expect something quite as graphic. The dark and dreary house showing a hanged man could have been Seafield. The hanged man in question had bulging red eyes and a thick and swollen tongue dangling from his mouth.
"What a strange sign," she said without even thinking.
Jesse laughed. "It's not the first time I've seen it. Note the resemblance to Seafield House. It looks like the landlord will be dealing in rumors. This could be good. I could get some really great information about the property’s past."
Jesse led the way into the pub. It was nice and old worldly inside except for the addition of spotlights. These seemed to be everywhere in the ceiling, shining down on the tables that gave the place a light and airy feel, and yet they hurt Gail's eyes. One of the first symptoms she had noticed was a sensitivity to light. Maybe if she had sought help, then things could have been different… Only that road was not one she would go down. It was too late to play the ‘what if’ game.
It wasn't until the headaches had become unbearable that she had gone to her doctor’s and been given the terrible news. The sound of Jesse talking to the barman brought her out of her melancholy.
"Do you want a drink before we eat?" Jesse asked with a big smile on his face.
Gail nodded.
"White Zinfandel?" Jesse asked.
Gail nodded again, maybe the wine would relax her, maybe it would mix with the tablet she was taking and, at least for a short while, the pain would be gone.
While Gail looked at the menu, Jesse spoke to the landlord. His name was Ben, and he was a big man with a wide-open smile and a thick mop of dark hair that was just touched with gray at the temples. He seemed more than happy to tell them about the house.
Jesse had already ordered a curry. At times, she wondered if he ate anything else, but tonight she could not face anything hot, and so she ordered scampi and chips. While they waited for the order, Jesse listened to Ben talk about the house. It was good to see, his eyes were bright, his smile ready. It was as if he was taking in everything, feeding off it and sifting the information. She knew he was no fool, that he could work out what was fake and what could be real and it was really good to see him so happy in his work.
"No one spends a night in that house, that I guarantee you," Ben said with a smile that clearly told her he had heard it all before.
"This is not my first rodeo," Jesse said. "I have thousands of pound's worth of highly calibrated equipment. Not only will it tell me if something is there. It will tell me where they are, what they are, and what they are doing. If this house is anything other than a hoax, then I will find it, and I will prove it."
"You're not the first to say that," Ben said before he took Jesse's glass and pulled him another pint. "We have had them all, and every one of them has left that house in a hurry, most have left it screaming. I've even heard tell that some of them never recovered. You really wanna put your little lady through all that?" Then he gave a big grin and a wink in Gail's direction.
Normally, she would have been annoyed with such behavior, but there was something about Ben that didn't insult. It wasn't meant in a bad or demeaning way, in fact, he was even including her in the conversation and still the warning he gave worried her more than she could say.
"Well, I've heard all this talk about spooky goings on in the night," Jesse said, "how about giving me some real information. What happened at the house?"
Ben stepped back from the bar, picked up a glass and polished it on the cloth he had in his hands. Maybe this was just showmanship, maybe he had done it a thousand times, and yet there was something about his reactions. It was as if he was nervous to say too much.
"While there have been various stories throughout the years," Ben said. "No one stays there the full night. No matter how many try, none of them have ever lasted all night. All you Ghost Hunters, you come down here every so often and every one of you thinks they are the one that will uncover the secret. I can tell you this for nothing, I would never go into that place no matter what. No amount of money would get me across the threshold."
Jesse started to laugh. "Heard it all before, Ben. Tell me something specific, something I don't already know."
Ben seemed to think for a moment, and then he let out a long sigh. "All right, I'll tell you.
"That's the story I’ve researched," Jesse said. "Some tales talk about a daughter, only the details are sketchy. It's as if the daughter existed and yet didn't exist and some tales say it's a daughter that is the ghost. So, if that's all you've got, Ben, then you ain't scaring me."
Ben chuckled and carried on polishing his glasses. "I have more... you see, a lot more has happened in that house than just that tale. The next major incident was in 1969. The house had been sold and left and sold and left time and time again before that, but no one ever stayed more than a week. The couple who moved in in 1969, some say they had a daughter, some say they were on their own. It was the night of the moon landing that it happened... everyone that had one was watching telly. Apparently, the neighbors heard screaming. When the police got there, the husband had stabbed his wife, time and time again. It is said he was in a frenzy and stabbed her over thirty times. When the coppers found him, he was really calm, handed himself in and stood staring at the house while they were dealing with her. All the time the officers swore they could hear a child crying and they saw a child at the window. Yet, after the woman’s body had been taken away, the man said they had no children, and that no children were in the house. To be sure, the police searched the house but they never found a child."
"Domestic violence cases might spark a ghost but there again, it might just be another drunk husband." Jesse took another drink of his pint and gave Ben a challenging look.
Ben nodded, his whole face said he was up to the challenge. "It seemed that while the police were searching the house, the husband somehow got away. Next thing they know he was up at the window, the far left window as you are looking at the front of the house.”
Gail felt herself shudder, that was the window that she thought she saw a child.
“Two officers swore they saw a child or a small woman pushing him from that window. They searched for that person, for that child, for that woman... no one was ever found. It was ruled that he jumped from the window and died, that it was a suicide."
"Are there records on this?" Jesse asked.
Ben nodded. "It will all be in the local archives. Following that incident, there have been over a dozen unexplained deaths, five suicides from that same window. People walking past hear a child laughing, they see a child in that window, and yet, no local children will go near that place. You make of that what you will, but I warn you... do not go back there. Don’t even go back for your equipment, spend the night here if you wish, no charge and then drive home and stay safe."
“Very funny,” Jesse said.
“You know the legend.” Ben looked from Jesse to Gail and she felt her stomach turn. She didn’t know the legend.
“Stay after dark and you will never leave,” Jesse said and laughed. “It’s the same with all these houses.
“No,” Ben said. “It’s not. I have seen people go in that house over the years and any who stayed after dark... they were never there in the morning. Do me a favor, don’t go back there.”
Jesse laughed but Gail could not help but feel uncomfortable.
Ben turned away to serve another customer, Gail wanted to agree with him. Suddenly, the last thing she wanted to do was to go back to that house. The thought of spending the night there all in the dark set her nerves on edge. There was one thing she really hated more than anything, and that was the dark. Yet, as she turned to Jesse, she could see the excitement bubbling inside of him. He was like a hound that had caught the scent of blood, and there was no way he was giving up the trail.
Chapter 2
They spent just an hour in the pub, eating at the bar, while Jesse questioned Ben over more details about the house. At first, it had all been jovial, but as the night wore on, she could see that Ben was getting more nervous. It was as if he was buying into his own tale, and yet Jesse just seemed more excited.
“It’s been really good to talk to you,” Jesse said as they got ready to leave.
Ben nodded and then he looked right at Gail. “Why don’t you stay here the night?” he asked. The lines around his eyes seemed deeper giving him a weary look that worried her just a little. “You look a little unwell, and maybe a hot bath and a nice comfortable bed would be much better than sleeping in a drafty old house.”
“Steady on,” Jesse said. “We’re a team, and she’s safer with me than here.”
His eyes were mocking, but Gail could sense a touch of jealousy. Though she really wanted that bath, she knew that it would let Jesse down badly. So she shook her head. “Thanks, but I really am looking forward to this.”
Ben picked up another glass and absently polished it. “Okay, well, you kids keep safe, and if things go wrong, you are welcome here anytime.”
Jesse laughed and, putting his arm around Gail, he thanked Ben and steered her from the pub.
The night air was cooler but still pleasant, and there was a full moon in the sky. It made the walk back to the house enjoyable. Jesse had his arm around her shoulder, and Gail was leaning against him just a little. It felt so good, and she wanted to just curl up in his arms and forget everything. Maybe tonight would be exciting. A little like camping and they could have some good times.
Everything felt fine until they walked through the gate and back onto the property. Almost immediately she was colder, and the air was somehow heavier. It was a strange kind of pressure that made her feel down, depressed, bringing back her headache and she could not explain it. Unless, of course, she was just feeling anxious and her own anxiety was making her feel this way?
Jesse unlocked the door and then pushed. It opened a crack and then slammed back. To Gail, it looked as if someone was pushing but Jesse ignored it and just leaned harder on the door. It opened easily this time, and he led her back into the house. It was dark and creepy, but he had some LED lamps that he set up in the small room just off the entrance hall.
“This is where we will spend the night,” he said as he looked around. “It feels like a solid room and we can still see out into the house and can set the equipment up in the entrance with cameras in each room.
Gail looked at the floor, it was dusty, dirty and there were small footprints clearly showing. “What are these?” she asked.
“Looks like Ben was wrong and the local kids do come in here.”
“Oh,” was all that Gail could manage.
“Spirits don’t leave footprints,” Jesse said. Then he reached over and took her hand. “They don’t push people out of windows either. Don’t let Ben’s tall tales get to you. Some very desperate spirits can move small objects, but they can’t push you from a window or cause you harm. Trust me, you are safe here.”
Gail sighed and leaned against his chest. It felt so good to feel his muscles and warm body. It was solid and real, and he smelt of musk and the subtle aftershave he used. Gently, he put his arms around her for a few moments, and she wanted to stay there all night, but she could tell he was eager to be getting on. So, she pulled back and reached up and pecked him on the lips.
“Get the equipment ready, I will set up the sleeping bags and then we can have a look around.”
Ben nodded and left the room with one lantern. As he walked out, the swinging of the lamp cast crazy shadows across the walls. It was as if something was floating above her and it set her heart pounding. Then the light was gone, and the room plunged into dusk. With just the one lamp, the light barely reached the corners. Gail shuddered as the darkness seemed to reach out towards her. Shaking the feelings away she pulled out their camping mats and cleared an area of the floor near the far wall. First, she lay down the mats and put the sleeping bags on top. Then she set up the small stove and fetched the water and things for a drink. It was their nighttime routine to always have a drink of either wine or hot chocolate before bed.
Just as she had finished, Jesse came back in holding a meter in his hands. It was buzzing, and he had a huge grin on his face.
“What is it?” she asked.
“We have EMF!”
As the meter buzzed, Gail felt as if the pressure was building up outside her head. It felt as if tiny hands were pressing on her skull and crushing her brain. She wanted to shout, to tell it to stop but she knew it was just her illness and that she just had to breathe through it.
“What now?” Gail asked.
“Follow me and let’s see if we can find us some spirits.” Jesse left the room grinning like a child on Christmas morning.
Gail followed him out into the hallway. It was darker here. There was one small lantern that he had put at the far end of the hall. Shadows coalesced around the corners of the room, and the light hardly penetrated more than a few feet. Gail knew the stairs were to their left. They looked worn and old, and she wondered if they would hold their weight. Maybe there was more danger here than just ghosts?
Cold air lifted her hair and tickled across her neck, she turned quickly, but there was nothing there. “Jesse?”
“It’s just a breeze,” he said as if reading her thoughts. Moving forward the light he was carrying went with him, and the darkness swarmed all around her.
“There are tiles missing, gaps in the windows and doors. You will feel all sorts of air that will not be spirits,” Jesse said as he walked across the room. “Don’t worry, I will let you know if we have any actual activity.”
Gail nodded even though she realized he couldn’t see her. Catching up with him she followed his route across the hallway. She could see that he had cameras and sensors set up all around. Some of them had red lights blinking, another machine sent a blue beam across the room, backward and forward. It reminded her of something out of a sci-fi film and for some reason she didn’t want to touch the beam.
Jesse was wearing a small head torch with an inbuilt camera. All the cameras were feeding back to a laptop in the other room. Later, they could monitor from there, and she could not wait. Walking about no longer seemed fun. The head torch’s beam was deliberately made narrow and provided little light as Jesse pointed the meter around the room. The buzzing changed depending on the direction, and he began to walk away from the equipment, away from her.