The Haunting of Seafield House (The Spirit Guide Book 1)

by Caroline Clark

  So he got up and approached the first door, reaching out for the handle. He expected it to be locked, but it turned and opened easily, swinging silently inward. It was just an empty room with no furniture. The wallpaper was plain and had once been cream but was now stained in places. Tatty orange curtains were half hung at the window. It looked as if they had been yanked down at some point and they dangled forlornly across the window sill and onto the floor. The floor was simple wooden floorboards. There was nothing to see, and yet he felt compelled to investigate the room.

  Coming into the room he walked all around it pointing the camcorder into every corner. When his back was to the door, it slammed shut behind him, and he jumped around expecting to see the couple there again or something worse. Only there was nothing... and he could feel a cold draft from the window behind him. Letting out a breath he laughed a little, it seemed like he was jumping at shadows.

  Continuing his circle of the room he could hear whispers. Like a thousand voices just at the edge of his hearing. Though he strained as hard as he could none of the words were audible and he just hoped the camcorder was getting the sound. Even though he couldn't fully hear them, the voices raised his pulse and goosebumps rose on his arms. Suddenly, he wanted out of the room and did not want to hear what the voices wanted to tell him, so he strolled to the door and pushed a mobile camera into the wall. This time when he touched the handle, it burned his hand, and he pulled away quickly.

  The voices were getting louder, and now he could pick out certain words, betrayal, cheat, lying.

  Placing his hands over his ears, he tried to ignore them but the voices became more insistent, and soon they were inside his head. They were talking about Gail and about how she had changed, and suddenly he wanted to hear them.

  "Where has she been?

  "What has she been doing?"

  "How many times has she lied to you?"

  Jesse didn't want to hear it, Gail wouldn't lie to him, of that he was sure and yet the more the voices whispered, the more he began to believe them. She had been different recently, canceling lunch dates with him, leaving the room to make a phone call. How many times had she gone out recently and not really told him where she was going?

  "She lied to you… She betrayed you," the voices whispered in his head.

  "No," he said. "No, I don't believe it."

  Yet the voices kept whispering, kept telling him and the more they did, the more he could see it. Gail had been lying to him, and it had been right under his nose. Then he remembered coming home just a week ago, and there was Gail with his best friend, Mark. They were sat together on the sofa. They had been holding hands and laughing, and when he walked into the room, Mark had jumped up as if he was nervous, as if he had been caught. Afterward, they had all laughed about it, and Mark had said he came to see him and yet even then it didn't sound true. Only, he never believed that Gail would cheat and so he thought nothing of it.

  "They are cheating on you," the voices whispered. "You need to kill her."

  Jesse felt anger inside him that he could not control. They were right, if she had done this then she needed to die. For just a moment his mind took control again, and everything seemed ridiculous, the thought of killing Gail was just so unbelievable that it sickened him, only then the voices started again, and he was under their control.

  "Kill, kill, kill her, kiiiillll her, do it now."

  Jesse looked down, and he had an eight-inch kitchen knife in his hand. The sight of it gave him great pleasure. He had a job to do.

  Chapter 10

  Gail sat in the room drinking a glass of wine. Normally it would have relaxed her, but tonight she just felt more and more agitated. The LED lamps seemed to flicker from time to time which made no sense at all. They were battery lamps, a power fluctuation could not affect them, the breeze could not affect them and yet every now and then all of them flickered together. Each time it happened Gail felt as if her heart would simply stop, that it could not take any more of this and yet each time she got through it, even if her nerves were worn to the bone.

  In the corner, Sarah had stared at her for some time, but at long last, she was now lying down and seemed to be asleep. Gail checked her watch, for the hundredth time, it had been over 35 minutes since Jesse left the room, where was he?

  She had checked on the laptop, but all of the cameras were showing static. Jesse had told her not to worry about this. That if it happened, it was a good thing and that they would still be recording. However, it didn’t make her feel better. If she could have seen him, then she would know he was safe. She picked up the radio and pressed the button, the red light glowed to tell her she could speak.

  "Jesse, are you there?"

  There was nothing but static, and when she pressed the button again, the light did not come on the radio. It was as if it was dead. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out her mobile, it too was dead and yet she knew the battery was fully charged.

  Fear surrounded her, like a cold breeze it seemed to seep into her bones and weakened her. All she wanted to do was curl up in the sleeping bag or to grab the car keys and run from the house. Then she remembered Jesse had the key to the door. There was no way out of here unless he came back. That was a strange thought to have; of course, he was coming back, he was only looking around after all. She took another gulp of the wine and decided to wait 10 more minutes but then she would go find him.

  Every minute seemed like an hour, and she started to pace the room. Her legs were weak, and she felt so tired that she had to sit down. Maybe it was a bad idea to go after him, she felt exhausted, lethargic, as if she would fall asleep at any moment. Suddenly, that frightened her, why would she be feeling tired when she was so terrified? Maybe it was the adrenaline, so many scares had drained her of adrenaline, and now she was coming down. It didn't matter, she couldn't wait any longer, she had to go find Jesse.

  As she got up to leave she checked on Sarah, the child seemed to be sleeping. So, she picked up one of the lanterns and walked to the door. Slowly, carefully, trying to make as little noise as possible, she opened the door and went out into the corridor. The lantern cast shadows across the equipment and the large open hallway. Jesse had probably gone back upstairs, but she felt drawn to the kitchen and thought she would check there first. Feeling drained she made her way across the corridor, around the cameras and other equipment all of which were totally still and dark. The LEDs, the cameras and equipment no longer seemed to be working. It was as if the house was interfering with all electronic equipment. As if on cue her lamp flickered off, and she was plunged into darkness.

  Gasping for breath, she turned on the spot expecting something to come out from behind her. There was nothing there that she could feel and the darkness was impenetrable. Panic rose in her chest like a clawing beast trying to escape. It was as if pressure was building inside of her.

  "Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my God," she whispered and felt herself sink to her knees. As they touched the ground, the light came back on, and the room was empty. There was nothing there, nothing to be afraid of.

  Slowly, she got to her feet and made her way toward the kitchen. Then she noticed there seemed to be more doors in the hallway. There had only been four before, she was sure of that, and yet now there were six. Surely, she must be mistaken, so she carried on and went into the kitchen. There were more doors here too, there were four now, and that just seemed wrong. Was she mistaken? Had she forgotten? Maybe it was the tumor for surely her architect's brain would not get something like that so wrong.

  Her heart was racing now, her stomach was turning somersaults, and the skin on her arms tingled with goosebumps. There was something so wrong in this house, she had to find Jesse, and she had to get out of there quickly. Then she looked at the four doors in the kitchen, and she knew she must have made a mistake. There was no other explanation, nothing could make more doors, it just didn't make sense. It was obvious, she had just had the most devastating news of her life, and her mind was
playing tricks on her. Nothing could compare to what she had heard this morning, it was understandable that she was having a few problems. It must be the brain's way of coping with such horrendous and devastating news. Maybe it was the fear of having to tell Jesse, of having to let him down. Or the doors were a representation of the journey she was about to make. How many times was death depicted as an opening door?

  Yet would that door open to light or darkness?

  Shaking the thought away she knew it didn't matter, whatever it was, was not supernatural. Everything that happened tonight was all in her mind. She could almost believe it, could almost convince herself there was nothing wrong here. That is was just tall tales and a creepy old house. That her imagination was leading her down a path of its choosing.

  "Jesse, Jesse," she called out, and the words echoed back to her in the empty house.

  The sound was so desolate, so lonely that it filled her with despair and she had to swallow the lump in her throat.

  The room smelled musty, a little rotten. The scent seemed to clog her throat and sent a shiver down her back. “Stop it,” she admonished quietly. It was understandable. The house was old, vacant and obviously damp. Everything must have an explanation.

  Then her eyes were drawn to one of the extra doors. It seemed to move, to shift to shimmer, as her breath caught in her throat the door swung open. Something brushed against her leg, and she jumped back with a scream. Her heart was beating so fast and yet she could not breathe, and for a moment she felt faint. Her arms flew out to her side to attempt to balance herself, and she heard the sound of a meow. It came from behind, and when she looked around, there was a cat sat there. It was a large tortoiseshell, sat on its haunches and licking its paws.

  A nervous laugh burst from her.

  "Cheers, Kitty, my heart really needed that workout.” Gail laughed and turned back to the door. It opened onto blackness. The scent of decay grew, and the room seemed colder. She shrugged into her fleece and looked at the opening, it made her skin crawl, and her heart was beating faster, and yet it was just an empty room. A dark, empty room, and how she hated the dark. Suddenly, she wanted to find Jesse and to not be alone, he had to be upstairs, and so she turned.

  The cat was still there, and as she watched, it walked into the wall and disappeared. Gail shook her head. She was hallucinating already... maybe she had less time than she thought.

  Gail felt hands pushing against her chest. She was slammed backward so fast that her feet were lifted from the floor and she was rammed into the wall so hard it knocked the breath out of her. Something had her by the throat. It felt like a small hand that applied more pressure the more she struggled. Kicking out with her legs she tried to strike at her attacker, but there was nothing there. It was impossible to breathe and the more she kicked, the tighter the hand became. As her lungs screamed for air, she kicked hard, but she knew she was getting weaker. The lantern lay on its side on the floor and cast some faint light around the room and yet she could see nothing in front of her. Nothing was attacking her, and she felt herself start to fade. The pain in her throat as she dangled above the ground was all that was keeping her conscious. Her arms were forced back against the wall, and at first, she could not move them.

  There was nothing she could do, and she felt as if she was sinking into a deep, warm ocean. Suddenly, she just wanted to give in. To let the warm blackness envelop her and to let go of this life. Maybe it was the best thing, maybe this was a better way to go. Just before she gave in, she saw Jesse's face, and she knew she could not leave him. Applying every last effort she had, she freed her arms and scrabbled about in front of her, but there was nothing to grab hold of. Her fingers scraped her throat, trying to free the pressure from it, to allow her to draw another sweet breath but there was nothing to grab onto. Tears were streaming down her eyes, they were hot against the skin, and still, she tried to move the fingers that were crushing her windpipe as panic threatened to overwhelm her.

  Then she heard a voice in her head.

  "Give in to the ffffear," it hissed like a snake, like static and chilled her to the bone.

  "Beg for your worthlesssss life, or join us for eternity."

  "Never!" she screamed and managed to drag in a tortured breath. It gave her more energy and boosted her spirit, and she fought harder kicking with her legs thrashing out with her arms.

  "We will hhhhaaaave you," the voice said. "There is no eeessscape, not for you."

  "What do you mean?" she shouted.

  "We only neeeeeedddd one of you, the decision is yyyyyooooours."

  With that, the pressure was released, and she dropped to the floor gasping for breath. All she really wanted to do was race from the room, but she could not stand. So she lay there, her hands feeling for the damage on her throat as she tried desperately to catch her breath. Tears were streaming down her face as she heard the words again. "We only need one of you, the decision is yours."

  Wiping away tears she tried to stand. At first, she was dizzy, and her legs would not hold her. Yet she grabbed onto the wall and pulled herself to her feet. On shaky legs, she walked over and found the lantern. Under its comforting light, she could see blood under her fingernails. It must have come from her neck when she was trying to remove the hands, she must have scratched her own skin. It didn't matter, surely this would be enough to get Jesse to come to his senses. Turning to leave the kitchen she came face-to-face with Sarah. Just seeing her there set her heart pounding and she stepped back, afraid.

  The child looked happy and was positively glowing when only a few hours ago she had looked like a sickly waif. For some reason seeing her looking so well disturbed Gail. Something was not right about this child. It didn't matter, for now, she had to find Jesse and tell him what had happened. They had to get out of there.

  Sarah was stood in the doorway, and suddenly Gail wondered if she would let her leave.

  Chapter 11

  Gail knew she was being foolish, how could this child stop her from leaving? Though she looked stronger than when they had first met her, she was still a child, and yet there was a coldness in her eyes that filled Gail with panic. Trying to calm her breathing she walked towards Sarah. The girl stood in the center of the door a slight smile on her face. Only there was nothing pleasant about her. If anything, she looked threatening.

  "Why don't we go find Jesse?" Gail said.

  "I want to stay here." Sarah crossed her arms across her chest, and the smile on her face grew. Now it really looked threatening, and Gail wanted to shrink away from her. Yet she knew she couldn't, something told her Jesse's life depended on her staying strong. Maybe if she found something out about the child, then maybe she could work out what was going on.

  "Why don't you tell me about your parents," Gail asked, and instead of walking towards the door she backed away and leaned against the sink.

  Sarah seemed to relax, and she came into the room a little bit, her eyes were still cold, dead and Gail could swear that they never blinked.

  "I've had quite a few mummies and daddies... which one would you like to hear about?"

  Gail could not help but gasp. It wasn't what she said it was the way she said it. It was so matter-of-fact, so empty of emotion. Maybe she was feeling the child's pain, or maybe she feared that Sarah had no pain. The panic was back. Somehow, she knew she didn't have long to save Jesse, and yet she felt she couldn't escape this room. Then she found herself hyperventilating. Desperate for every breath, and yet the harder and faster she breathed the more her lungs burned and the more lightheaded she felt. The doctor had warned her about this. He had told her that she could have panic attacks. For a moment, she almost laughed, as she was sure that this wasn’t quite the circumstances that he meant.

  The faster she breathed, the more anxiety she felt, the better Sarah seemed to look. It was almost as if the girl was feeding off of her fear. So, she forced herself to take a deep breath and gradually the panic started to fade. The sweet air in her lungs felt good, and he
r dizziness subsided a little. With control of her breath came control of her emotions and control of her mind. Having time to think put things in perspective and the more time she spent with Sarah, the more she believed that she was key to the house and their escape from it... or their capture in it for all time. Where did such a foolish thought come from?

  "Tell me about your first parents?" she asked.

  "Daddy used to hurt mummy," Sarah said, “and I didn't like it. There was an old woman living nearby. She brought me here, told me what to do. Only I was too scared then… but not now."

  The coldness in her voice turned Gail’s stomach, and she wanted her to stop, to just shut up but she knew that she had to hear more.

  "Too scared of what?"

  Sarah laughed, it wasn't the light, carefree laugh of a child but a dark, cold, animalistic noise that grated on Gail's nerves.

  "Daddy pushed mummy from the window. It didn't kill her, though he thought it had. That was really funny. So I did the same to him.”

  Gail couldn’t believe what she had heard, and she wanted to shout at her to stop.

  “It was a long while before I had another mummy and daddy, but then I did. They were nice at first, but soon this new daddy became just like the old one. Always angry, always shouting, always looking for a knife. Do you want to hear what happened this time?"

  Gail really didn't. She knew she should feel sorry for this child who had obviously suffered severe abuse and yet the more she heard, the more frightened of her she was.

  "If you want to tell me, I'm happy to hear."

  Sarah smiled, and yet her eyes stayed cold.

  "It was 1969," Sarah said. "The night of the first moon landing and we were all excited."

  "What?" Gail said so quietly that Sarah didn’t hear.

  "Only daddy got angry because mummy kept talking and then he started shouting. I remember watching, watching the shouting, watching the anger as he lost control. I remember him grabbing the knife and how he plunged it into mummy's chest time and time again. I counted 20 before I lost count and then the police came and I had to hide."