THE APPOINTMENT: A chilling ghost story of malevolence and death

by Peppi Hilton

  WOLFGANG ALFONSE GOTTSCHALK: 1820 – 1869

  Infamous for the brutal murder of Olga Peterson in 1868 and was subsequently hanged for his crime at 6am on the 13th January 1869.

  Gottschalk is an ancient name with origins dating back to the seventh century. It is derived from the Old High German name of ‘got-scalk’ meaning ‘God’s Servant’ and it has German and Jewish origins.

  A broad outline of events which led to the killing based on extracts taken from the diaries he wrote and which he completed whilst in prison:

  Wolfgang Alfonse Gottschalk’s childhood was one of extreme cruelty. Emotionally and physically abused at home and at school because of his unpleasant looks, he was a lonely child. With no friends, and no affection in his life, he became a withdrawn character, yet he was highly intelligent and excelled in all subjects that he was taught.

  He studied Theology and Philosophy at the University of Vienna. During his studies he learnt of Dr Anton Franz Mesmer, a physician who lived in Vienna and who practised Mesmerism, which laid the foundations for the later development of Hypnosis. Mesmer died in 1815 but his reputation lived on. Wolfgang developed an unhealthy obsession with Mesmer and his work, and he began to concentrate on learning the skills of mesmerism. He acquired an extraordinary power and soon saw how he could put it to use for his own gain when he left university. He set up rooms in Vienna for his practice, named himself Dr Wolfgang Gottschalk, and advertised his healing powers for nervous young ladies. His reputation grew and soon he had a constant flow of unsuspecting females coming to him for his help. Women had always felt a natural repulsion for him, but his new-found power enabled him to convince ladies, as young as fourteen, that they were in love with him. However, his insatiable appetite for seducing vulnerable young women finally caught up with him, and he had to flee the country to avoid arrest. He fled to England and waited for the hysteria to die down. Once he was convinced that his reputation and name were forgotten, he set up rooms in London and began all over again. He enjoyed a reasonable amount of success over a period of several years, until one of his newly acquired patients, an attractive girl of Swedish descent and only fifteen years old, came to him for treatment. Her mother had died and she could not cope with the trauma of living with a cruel stepmother. She had developed a serious nervous disorder and begged him for help. He groomed her over a period of several weeks whilst he gained her trust, but the girl was different to the others and eventually he became emotionally involved. When he tried to exact his will over hers, his seductive powers failed him. The girl escaped, and he had to flee once more to avoid certain arrest. He travelled to the North of England where he planned to lie low for a while. He obtained a position in service at Hill House, a remote mansion in North Yorkshire, where he was soon upgraded to the position of Butler. He gained the trust of his employer the Squire, who he became fond of, and his work with Mesmerism ceased, and to all extent and purposes he lived a life of respectability.

  In 1863 the orphaned niece of the Squire, Olga Peterson, arrived from Sweden by coach. Aged only ten years old she bore a dramatic resemblance to the girl he fell in love with in London. The Squire placed Olga in his care and he was appointed to teach her German, English, and other subjects in which he excelled. His lust for the girl gained strength and as part of his plan he ensured that she understood German as her first language, so that they could communicate together without the knowledge of anyone else. He waited for her for five years, biding his time whilst moulding her mind in readiness for when his wicked, evil power would take over.

  In 1868, on Olga’s fifteenth birthday, having gained sufficient trust from her, he put his plans in motion. She was an easy subject due to her vulnerability and her dependence on him for language. No-one else in the household understood German and therefore his plans worked to perfection. Under the control of his powers she became obsessed with him and she fulfilled his fantasies more than he could have hoped for. His lust for her grew in magnitude until he made one fatal mistake. So convinced was he that her feelings for him were real, he attempted to seduce her without putting her under the influence, in order to make the experience more fulfilling. It backfired on him, as she was so repulsed she tried to escape from his clutches, and he was forced to use his powers on her again. He told her that when she came out of the trance, she would not remember anything which had happened between them, and he would be known to her only as her tutor. He was devastated by the whole episode.

  After that experience things began to go drastically wrong. The girl knew something wasn’t right and she became sullen and withdrawn. He was having difficulty exerting his powers on her, and she was no longer submissive. He knew he was losing his grip on her willpower and that soon she would be lost to him forever, which was something he couldn’t bear. Knowing he was on the brink of losing her, and at risk of being discovered, he knew he couldn’t live without her and so planned his next move meticulously, which would enshrine them together for eternity. Whilst under the powers of hypnosis he brutally killed her with a meat cleaver. He eagerly confessed to the heinous crime knowing he would be hanged for it, and whilst waiting for his execution he finalised the diaries which contained all of his previous crimes leading up to the murder. Accurate dates and times had been fastidiously recorded, along with his most private and inner thoughts and emotions, and there his life of cruel and calculated crime against young women was revealed for the world to see and remember. He vowed to return from the Spirit World with his lover to seek vengeance on all who had stood in his way during his lifetime on earth, and he would extend that revenge to anyone who crossed his path. The diaries ended with his scrawling signature and the date of his execution.

  The bed chamber at Hill House, which had been the girl’s room, in which all of the misdeeds took place, was sealed up and buried from the world to ensure no-one could ever enter it again.

  Francine now realised without doubt that Kelly’s life was in danger. The content of what she had just read about Gottschalk’s life had reinforced her judgement. She had an excellent memory and she cast her mind over what Kelly had told her of her visit to The Grange. She remembered clearly that she had told her the clock had struck six times, when in fact the time was much later. And the date of her appointment at the property was the thirteenth of January. That coincided with the time and date that Gottschalk was hanged. The murdered girl was of Swedish descent, and the girl before her with whom he became infatuated was also Swedish, and both girls had suffered bereavement. All of this corresponded to Kelly’s own life. Francine also remembered that Kelly had seen a newspaper in the room, headlined with: Ghastly murder at Hill House. It was all finally falling into place. She ran over and over everything in her mind and knew she must act fast. No matter what it involved, she had to convince Kelly that she mustn’t delay in going out to Matthew. She must break contact with anything and anyone whilst in the UK, and fly out to America on the next available flight. There simply was no time to waste. Francine’s biggest fear was being unable to convince her friend that Gottschalk had returned. His lust in life had gone with him to the grave along with his powers, and somehow he had nurtured them, resurrected them, and was walking the earth again. His extraordinary powers must have been so strong, that even death had not managed to supress them. Evil had overpowered good, and his intentions were clear: to lure young women from their safe havens on earth to his deadly pit in hell; and he was using Olga as his accomplice. Whoever had made the decision to seal up the bed chamber, may have unwittingly created a tomb which had enshrined the evil that had taken place there, and allowed his powers to fester and cultivate uninterrupted.

  Kelly had told Francine of how his eyes were luminous in the images she had been subjected to – the images she was convinced were hallucinations. Was the evil spirit of Gottschalk trying to take control of her friend, just as he had done with others in his physical world? She didn’t know the answer, but she knew she had never felt such fear in her life. Never in he
r wildest imagination could she have envisaged such a catastrophic turn of events. She didn’t even know for sure that she could save Kelly, but she was determined to try, providing Kelly would let her. Francine had no way of knowing if Gottschalk had already penetrated her mind too much for her to be saved; but one thing she did know for certain - they were running out of time.

  13

  IThe clock was ticking and each precious day was dissolving into oblivion, with only eight days left to the date on which Kelly would be flying out to Matthew. Francine had not been able to touch base with her and she was feeling concerned, but at seven days to countdown she finally made contact.

  Francine was just leaving court when her mobile rang. She slipped her briefcase under her arm and pulled the phone out of her bag and was delighted when she saw the call was coming from Kelly.

  “Hi Kelly, I thought you’d left the country.”

  “Sorry Fran. I couldn’t get back to you sooner. I’ve been working out on sites lately, where there hasn’t been any reception - and to be honest I’ve been so bushed when I’ve arrived home, that I haven’t wanted to do anything except go to bed.”

  “It isn’t a problem, Kelly, honestly. I just wanted to see you before you disappear off to America, that’s all.”

  “Well, I’ve got a week left and I’m almost ready to go, so do you want to come around this evening?”

  “That’ll be great. I’m free around eight, what about you?”

  “Eight’s fine. I’ve been trying to get some early nights, so as long as I’m in bed by ten that’ll be great.”

  “See you at eight then!”

  “Yes, see you then.” Kelly rang off.

  Francine switched off her phone feeling much easier. Kelly sounded so much like her old self that Francine couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief. Maybe there was still time for Kelly to stand up to the beast Gottschalk before it was too late – providing she could come to terms with the truth.

  She picked up her car from the parking area and set off to the gym. A good workout at the end of a day in court was an occupational necessity. By the time she called round to see Kelly, she would be relaxed and refreshed.

  It was exactly eight o’clock when Kelly opened the door to Francine and welcomed her in. A strong coffee aroma filled the atmosphere, as Francine followed her into the kitchen.

  “Well, what’s new since I last saw you?” Kelly asked chirpily.

  “Not a lot, been busy in court, had a big case to deal with, but thankfully it’s now over.”

  “Did you win – as always?”

  “Yes it went well, but it was a tough one.” Francine didn’t want to waste time with idle chat, she wanted to blurt out why she was here but it had to be done diplomatically. “Are you packed and ready?”

  “I certainly am, apart from a few personal items.”

  Francine was beginning to think it would be wise to leave well alone - after all there was only a week left. But would it be safe to ignore it? She didn’t want to put a damper on things for Kelly by alarming her and spoiling her excitement; then there was the added risk of tipping her over the edge if she scared her too much. But what if she didn’t warn her? The consequences didn’t bear thinking about. She was faced with a huge dilemma and didn’t know which way to turn - until Kelly updated her with the latest developments.

  Kelly put two coffees on the table and sat down opposite Francine. She looked in good form so Francine wasn’t prepared for what came next.

  “You’re not going to believe this.”

  “Really - try me.”

  “Well, you’ve probably already gathered that I look much calmer and happier than I have been of late. The medication has worked wonders for me. It has rid me of all my nightmares and fears, so much so that the strange man from The Grange is appearing regularly in my dreams now, and what’s more - I’m no longer reviled by him. In fact, silly though it may sound, I’m very fond of him in my dreams, because he appears as my friend and not the vile monster he was before. When I’m awake I’m no longer afraid, and the hallucinations have gone completely. And that can only mean that the demons are melting away, and if that’s the case he’ll soon be gone from my mind forever.” A wicked smile entered her serious expression as she leaned over to Francine. “In fact I think I might miss him actually.”

  Francine looked at her in horror as she continued.

  “My dreams have a calming influence on me – quite the reverse of what you’d expect. And I’ve come to the conclusion it’s because of him. But seriously Fran, I was getting a little concerned that Matthew wouldn’t understand what was happening to me, and that maybe it might come between us. By the time I get to America I’m hoping the nightmare will be just a distant memory, and hopefully disappear altogether.”

  Francine was horrified. She was now convinced that Gottschalk had already put the wheels in motion which would prevent Kelly from ever seeing Matthew again. She didn’t know how he would actually do it, but she knew he would. He’d had the dark mind of a killer when he was alive, and his warped and psychotic nature, driven by control, had somehow entered Kelly’s mind as she slept. Sleeping would make her even more vulnerable and submissive to whatever depths of depravity he sought to sink. Whilst Francine had discovered what he was capable of in his past, she could only imagine what grotesque evil he could still exert over his victims in his present sadistic form.

  She simply couldn’t leave Kelly in the dark and whether it meant losing her friendship or not, she had to tell her the truth, as she saw it, in order to save her from some unimaginable fate.

  “You know you can trust me don’t you Kelly?”

  “What a strange thing to ask. Is something troubling you?”

  “As a matter of fact - yes there is something troubling me. I want you to listen carefully to what I have to say. It’s a matter of life or death.”

  “You’re sounding scary Fran. Should I be getting out a bottle of red?”

  “No, that’s the last thing you should be doing.”

  There was a moment’s silence between them before Francine could collect her thoughts and begin the story of Wolfgang Alfonse Gottschalk. She told her everything she had discovered, and Kelly listened spellbound.

  “When you leave here Kelly, I want you to promise to disconnect your mobile and anything else which connects you to the UK. You need to sever all ties to home ground and anyone connected to you, until you reach America and begin again with Matthew. You can make contact with everyone here again, once everything settles down. You can get a new phone over there, new number, new life, but until all dreams have ended and he has gone altogether from your mind, you can’t guarantee your safety. I don’t think he will bother you once you’re with Matthew, he will know he has failed and move on. At least I hope so.”

  Kelly looked at Francine as if she had just grown two heads. She couldn’t respond, because she too didn’t want to spoil their friendship by saying the wrong thing. She was quickly trying to re-assess her thoughts, so that she could answer without upsetting Fran or causing an argument. Speaking her thoughts – that this was the most outrageous thing she had ever been asked to believe, would go down like a lead balloon. She got up from her chair and walked over to a cupboard for two glasses, and brought them back with a bottle of wine. She poured the wine and slid one over to Francine, who was waiting patiently for her to answer. Kelly took a large drink from her glass, and studied Francine as she gently sipped at hers. She chose her response carefully.

  “I will try my best to heed your warning Fran. I know you mean well, and have my wellbeing at heart - and I do appreciate what you have done, really I do.” She took another large drink. “I have taken it all on board, really I have.”

  But Francine knew she had failed to convince her. She knew Kelly well, and whilst she had not expected this to be an easy task, it had proven to be worse than she’d anticipated. As she was relaying all her thoughts and fears to her, she s
aw the expression on her face change to one of incredulity and total disbelief, and so she knew from the beginning that she was failing to change her view of something which was completely contrary to her beliefs. She could only hope that Kelly could survive Gottschalk’s intentions long enough to escape to America. She had done all she could to try to prove to Kelly that when she went to The Grange on that fatal day, her presence had probably lured Gottschalk out into the open because the temptation was too much to resist. There were too many coincidences which tied her to the girls with whom he had once become emotionally involved, to be ignored. And those coincidences had been sufficient to reignite the passions which he had probably not encountered for at least a hundred and fifty years. His indestructible nature, and malignant and twisted soul, had returned from the dead, not just to seek vengeance on all who stood in his way in any attempt, no matter how futile, to prevent him from satisfying his insatiable and perverted fantasies as his curse had threatened – but to lure Kelly in some way to his cruel lair.

  He had begun to appear in her dreams, and she was forming some sort of attachment to him. It was clear to Francine that her friend was being groomed by Gottschalk, in the same way as his victims in his previous life. Somehow, he was able to exert his will over Kelly whilst she slept, and he would take her in whatever way his powers would allow, before she went to Matthew.

  Whilst Francine couldn’t be certain that she’d hit on the right answers, she was fearful enough to be convinced that Kelly was in danger. By systematically putting all the facts together which she had learnt of Gottschalk - his powers, his motives, his track record, and the curse which was the legacy he had inflicted on the world, in order to avenge himself for the pitiful failings from others which he had experienced as a boy – she could only conclude that she’d got to the truth. How it would manifest itself, in a way which could cause harm to Kelly, Francine didn’t know, but as horrific an idea as it seemed, it was happening, and nothing could persuade her to think otherwise.