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

by Caroline Clark

  Gail spent some time with the officers telling them all she knew. Yet, she did not think they believed her, maybe they thought she was involved, but no one tried to keep her there. So, after all the bodies were found she gathered up Jesse's equipment, then loaded it in the car and they drove back to the pub.

  Ben stood behind the bar, and he welcomed them as Jesse swung in on his crutches. Gail was walking behind him, a hand ready in case he fell.

  "How are the conquering heroes?" Ben asked.

  "We’re doing fine, thanks to you and this wonderful woman here,” Jesse said as he hauled himself onto a barstool. "However, we've had enough of ghost hunting for the next month or two." There was sadness on his face that Ben would not understand, so he bit down on his lip and forced a smile onto his lips. Gail was right, it was time to live.

  Gail sat on a stool next to him and smiled at Ben.

  "Thank you," she said.

  Ben put down the glass he was polishing and leaned against the bar.

  "I should be thanking the two of you, this story will keep me going for years." He winked at the two of them before picking up the glass again.

  "It's late, and you to have a long drive home, why don't you take me up on the offer of that room?"

  Gail and Jesse shared a look, and they both nodded. The last thing they could face was a long drive right now. So, they spent the next hour talking and eating before retiring to a beautiful room with a four-poster bed. Gail helped Jesse onto the bed and then took a long shower before she climbed in herself. Jesse was already asleep, so she leaned over and kissed his forehead before snuggling down. She had never felt anything quite so luxurious, and within minutes of pulling the covers over her shoulder, she was fast asleep.

  Epilogue

  Jesse held the door open for a smiling and laughing Gail. She walked in, and he could not believe how good she looked. They were both tanned having spent just under a month under the African sun. It had been a wonderful trip full of great memories, and he could not believe how well Gail had kept up with him. Before their visit to Seafield house, she had been tired. Now that he knew she was ill he recognized that she had been in a lot of pain, but now... she seemed so healthy and carefree.

  They planned to be home for a few weeks before leaving for one last trip, this time to America and the Grand Canyon. After that, Gail had visited both of the places that she had always wanted to see. She had even watched an old recording of the moon landing, crying while he held her tight.

  They had never been so close, and Jesse was both happy to have this time with her and sad that it would be cut so short. It felt such a cheat to get this wonderful time together knowing that soon she would be gone. That the tumor would eat away at her brain and leave her riddled with pain and only half the person that she was now. At times it made him so angry that he just wanted to scream and shout, but he would never do it when she could hear. No, that would be saved for after... how would he cope?

  While Gail put the kettle on, he brought in the suitcases. He carried them upstairs and took them into the spare room where he saw all the equipment from the ghost hunt. So far, he hadn’t looked at any of it. None of the recordings had been viewed or listened to, and suddenly, he wanted to see what he had captured. Though, there was one thing he wanted more. It was something they had argued about on the plane, but he was adamant, and eventually, Gail had agreed.

  Tomorrow she was going to the hospital. Even though she had refused to let him go with her, she had at least agreed to go. So, tomorrow they would find out how long she had, and if they had time to make that final trip.

  As soon as Gail left for the hospital, Jesse felt drawn to the spare room and his equipment. First, he went to the camcorder. He had plugged it in the night before, and the battery was now fully charged. It looked a bit battered and was very dirty but still, he hoped that it played. Though he no longer felt the same draw and excitement to investigate spirits he still wanted to know if anything had been recorded. Though he did not know what he would do if it had.

  First, he wiped off all the dust and then plugged it into his laptop. The recordings were dark, and at times all he could hear was static but then the picture cleared. There were two faint shapes on the screen. He could not say they were people there were just shadows in the darkness. Then he heard them speaking, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. It was Sarah and Jenny, and they were arguing.

  "You are bound to me, your soul is mine," Sarah spoke on the recording. The voice was strong and challenging. Even sat here in the light and miles away from Seafield house he found it would have been hard not to do as she said. The next words chilled him to the bone.

  "You will help me kill these two like we have killed all the ones before. All men are jealous, evil, and easily manipulated, and all women let you down. Let me bind them to me so they can help me for the rest of time."

  The older voice was trying to argue, but it was obvious that she was under some form of control.

  "There is no need to do this, let them go. Please, just this one time let them go."

  The sound of Sarah's laughter set his nerves on edge.

  "Do as I say, or your daughter will suffer," Sarah said.

  Jesse watched more and more of the video. Most of it was blank, or just the two of them walking around. However, there was the odd snippet of conversation but nothing as detailed as that first exciting portion. Occasionally, he saw movement, a blur on the screen, you could not make out what it was. If he took this into the University would anyone believe him? If they hadn't been there, maybe they would just think it was a hoax. Maybe in a year or two, even he would think it was a hoax.

  He checked his watch, it was the time that Gail would be in her appointment. How he hoped he could have been there, but he understood why she did not want him. If the news was bad, she would want the time to gain control. Gail had decided she would not feel sorry for herself. That what time she had left was for living, and not for looking backward.

  He was nearly at the end of the tape now, and he had seen a blur as he was thrown across the room. It was impossible to see who threw him or even that it was him. Yet that awful crunch when he hit the wall sent shivers down his spine. What happened after that he had only heard about for he was already unconscious and he listened in, eager to find out as much as he could.

  Gail had told him what happened and yet seeing it here was almost unbelievable. The camera was on its side, and it was far enough away that he could see Gail, small and faint in the distance. At times he could see a blur that must be Sarah and another that must be Jenny. It all played out exactly as she said. More blurs appeared beside her, and he could hear the sound of chanting in Latin. Gail didn’t know Latin, and there was more than one voice. Over it all, he could hear Gail trying to perform an exorcism. At times, he wanted to laugh; if you didn't know this was real, it would be very funny. And yet, it was real, and this brave woman had saved him by cursing at the spirits and telling them she would not give in.

  As they continue to chant, he watched a blur that was Sarah dissolving into nothing and then the disturbance on Gail's right formed into a woman. She had long brown hair and was wearing a blue dress. It was too far away to see anything else, and yet he could hear her talking. Could hear her explain to Gail what to do to release the spirits and how to inform the families.

  Then something happened that took his breath away.

  She put her hands on Gail's head. Gail dropped to her knees, and the woman held her hands around her skull. White light seemed to surround Gail's head. Then he heard her talking, and he could not believe what he heard. So, he rewound the recording and listened again.

  Jesse was breathless and feeling euphoric, could it be true?

  Downstairs, the door opened, and he heard Gail rush in. She was laughing and talking so fast that he couldn't understand her. Pausing the recording, he ran from the room and downstairs.

  Tears were streaming down her face, and he pulled her into hi
s arms fearing the worst, fearing the recording was a lie.

  "What is it?" he asked.

  All Gail could do was laugh, and he found tears running down his own cheeks.

  "Gail, what is it? Please tell me."

  Gail pulled out of his arms and took his hands in hers.

  "It's gone," she said.

  "What's gone?" he asked, though he hoped he knew the answer.

  "The tumor, the doctor says the tumor has gone and that I am healed. Jesse, I am healed, I am not going to die."

  Jesse pulled her into his arms and kissed her head, cheeks, and lips. They were both crying, and he could taste the salty tears, but he did not mind, she was going to live.

  "I have to show you something," he said some minutes later and led her up to the spare room.

  Gail dug her heels in, she had been adamant that she did not want to see anything from the house or anything about ghosts, and yet here he was trying to show her the recordings.

  "Trust me," Jesse said as he led her to a chair.

  Then he played the recording. First, it was just static and light and dark moving on the screen. She saw what she thought was Sarah dissolve and she felt a huge sense of relief. It had really happened. Then she saw Jenny materialize and herself drop to her knees. Jenny put her hands on Gail’s head, and she saw a white light that surrounded her head. A shiver ran down her spine, and she could feel her heart pounding. What was she going to see?

  She could hear Jenny talking, but then the sound seemed to distort and slow down then as it sped up again the words become clear.

  "Let me take this burden from you, let me take this pain," Jenny said.

  Gail turned to Jesse and they were both crying. Could this really be true? Could Jenny have done this to her, could she have saved her life? They would never know for sure but in her heart she knew and she closed her eyes and gave Jenny her thanks. She thought she heard a whisper back.

  “It is I who owe you. You released me and my daughter.”

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  Called From Beyond Preview

  6th July, 2018

  Country Road,

  Yorkshire

  England

  11:59 p.m.

  Mark stared out through the windscreen at the dark and twisty road ahead. The long drive back to civilization dulled his senses and the warm car tempted him with sleep. He stifled a yawn and shook his head to fight the fatigue. “We probably should have stayed the night.” Taking his eyes off the road, he turned to face Alissa.

  Her feet were curled up on the seat next to her, her eyes almost closed. “Mmm, probably. It was good to see them again,” she said, pushing her long blonde hair back from her face.

  He loved to see it when it fell in whispers across her pale skin, so fine and silky to the touch. Right now, he just wanted them back in the hotel so he could hold her. These bleak and lonely roads were no place for a couple of city kids like them, and he couldn’t wait to get back to the noise and bustle of Leeds.

  They had booked a room at a hotel in one of the small villages—he had hoped to make it a bit of a romantic night as well as a reunion—but now he wished they hadn’t. Maybe he should have taken her away somewhere special, not just down the road from their house?

  “It was good,” he said, pulling his eyes back to the road. “They both looked so healthy. And the food? Mmmm. Amazing.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Alissa’s bright smile contrasted with the dreamy quality her eyes still held. “That stroganoff was so creamy and delicious. I think that’s why I’m so sleepy. I’m way too full.”

  Mark laughed. “Or perhaps a few too many glasses of red wine?”

  “You’re jealous because tonight was your turn to drive.” She stuck her tongue out and her green eyes danced with laughter.

  “Funny, that.” He tried to put a stern expression on his face. “It’s always your turn to drive on the way there and mine to drive back.”

  “Yeah, I like the way that works out.” She snorted a giggle and closed her eyes again. “Perfect, if you ask me.”

  Mark laughed and turned back to the road. Fatigue was like a heavy blanket and his eyes just wanted to close. He quickly rubbed a hand through his short brown hair. Though he was no longer enlisted, he never let his hair grow more than a finger. He unwound the window and let a cool breeze travel across his scalp. The fresh draft was much more invigorating than the cold air from the blowers. Right now, he needed something to bring back his concentration. At least another twelve miles laid between them and anything that even remotely resembled an A road.

  “Do you think they made the right decision?” Alissa asked.

  “You mean moving out here?”

  “Yeah, it’s a long way from London.”

  Mark thought about it. He missed their friends so he wanted to say no, then he thought about how much they’d laughed and smiled tonight. “We made the move for your job, what was it... three years ago now?”

  “We moved to a city.”

  “Leeds is a big city but it’s not London and you adapted.”

  Alissa grumbled. “I know, but right out in the country and into that old rundown house?”

  “It looked pretty nice to me. They’re happy there and that’s all that counts, right?” It hit him hard that he wanted things to change. That she wanted more from the relationship was no secret and finally, he understood. He turned to look at her.

  That pretty smile he loved so much mocked him just a little. She was a picture to behold with perfect skin, a heart-shaped face, and the biggest green eyes you ever did see. A splattering of freckles danced across her nose and more tiptoed down her arms.

  Sometimes he tried to count them when she was asleep.

  They had been engaged for a year now, but when he proposed, it had simply been a stop gap for him—a way to appease her—and he never intended the engagement as a prelude to marriage. That stank!

  She gave everything to him, was always generous and loving. His best friend.

  How could he treat her like that? He wanted to marry her, but this was the wrong time to set the date. He had to make it more romantic.

  She deserved that.

  “Keep your eyes on the road,” she gently admonished.

  Nodding, he turned back. The headlights hardly cut through the gloom and he eased up on the accelerator, slowing the car just a touch. The beams of light shone into the ether as they topped a brow, and then dropped to the tarmac as they began to descend. The dark and twisted trees lining the road on their right sucked the light from the moon. To their left, the ground sloped alarmingly away and more trees, along with the occasional sheep, dotted the grassland. He hated the fact that sheep were on the road. Where were the fences? Surely farm animals were supposed to be fenced in for safety?

  “Penny for them?” she said, bringing him back to the moment and the feelings that had snuck up on him.

  “Why don’t we stay another night? We could come for a walk on the moors, have a nice romantic meal, and then just chill a little.”

  Alissa laughed, a silky sound that stroked down his nerves and filled him with love. “When I look out the window all I can hear is, Stay on the road—keep clear of the moors.’”

  Mark laughed. What other woman would get his favorite film? An old one, for sure, but still the best. “Maybe we could find a pub called the Slaughtered Lamb?”

  Alissa chuckled. “No, that would be too freaky.”

  Green eyes opened wide, staring, as her mouth dropped open.

  “Mark!” her voice was high pitched and cut through the joy like a knife through silk.

  The world slowed as he turned his head back to the road.

  The headlights barely penetrated the soft mist in front of them, but he clearly saw a woman standing there. A white dress fluttered around her thin frame. H
er face seemed carved in granite.

  Frozen in an eternal scream.

  Mark yanked on the steering wheel and jerked the car to the left. He tensed, waiting for the crunch as steel hit flesh and broke bones—a sound he knew well—and a memory of war flashed into his mind. Broken flesh. Blood. A world of fear and pain.

  Pulling himself from the nightmare of his past, he yanked harder on the wheel and trusted his reactions were good. The car turned instantly. The force pushed him into the seat but it shouldn’t have been quick enough to miss the woman. He tensed for the crunch but it never came, just a flutter of white whipped across the windscreen.

  They left the road and tore across the grass. Like a turbo powered shopping trolley, they careered down the hill, out of control.

  Trees loomed out of the black as the headlights and power went out. The car plunged into darkness. The engine had died but, nevertheless, they hurtled on down the hill. Mark pulled left and right, avoiding a sheep then a tree. Everything lurched out of the dark and was on them so soon. His right foot pressed hard on the brakes, but nothing happened. Stamping his foot down on the clutch, he pushed the gear lever into first. The car should have slowed considerably, had to slow, but it didn’t. Before he could do anything else, another tree loomed out of the darkness and engulfed them.

  This time, the crunch was bone wrenching as they ground to a halt. He instinctively reached out to his left to steady Alissa, but was too late. They both flew forward until they hit their seatbelts.

  Another crunch and breaking glass showered him as the car finally shuddered to a halt.

  In the pitch black, Mark’s ears rang and his chest hurt. His training kicked in and he assessed the situation and his own injuries. Nothing but cuts and bruises. His neck was jarred and his knees had impacted with the steering column. They ached like hell, but the seat belt had saved him from worse injuries.