The Haunting of Cragg Hill House
by
Elyse Salpeter
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination. While certain places are real, the incidences regarding them are works of the author.
Copyright © 2017
Amazon Edition
Edited by Denise Vitola and Elizabeth Thomas
Published by Elyse Salpeter
Cover created by LLPix Photography
Formatted by BZ Hercules
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in print or electronic version without permission from the author.
This ebook is licensed to the original purchaser only. It cannot be sold, transferred, shared, or given away.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to all the people in this world who still believe in kindness. Who still wake up each morning and believe in good. Who spend every day fighting for people’s rights and never give up the fight. To the people who help the homeless, the people who take in lost strays, and the people who wake up each day, and try to make this world a better place. I dedicate this book to you.
I also want to thank my cousin, Amy Woodard, who is an amazing horticulture expert and helped with me with technical aspects about some plant species. Lastly, I’d like to always thank my beta readers, for without them, I would be lost. They allow me to be a better author and their dedication to this series, and the characters, is so amazing and I’m so thankful for them. To you: Nicole Wears, Heather Olmedo, and of course, Elizabeth Thomas.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
BONUS CHAPTER: THE SEARCH FOR STARLIGHT
Other Books by Elyse Salpeter
Chapter 1
The snow swirled around the car, surrounding it like a shroud, while the windshield wipers whipped about like grave exhumers swiping dirt off the lid of a coffin.
Except for the sounds of the fierce ice storm peppering the car with snow and hail, they had both been silent. Kelsey didn’t want Desmond to lose his concentration. His jaw was set in a hard line and his fingers were white from gripping the steering wheel so severely. He’d been that way for the past half hour.
The tension in her own jaw was fierce and she continued to grasp the SUV’s grab bar for dear life. She peered out of the window, seeing nothing but blackness, but knew the car was precariously close to the edge. She’d seen the map of the route up the mountain and knew that this section of the road had no guardrails. And it was dark.
And the SUV kept skidding.
Kelsey glanced nervously at Desmond and sweat dotted his brow. That didn’t make her feel any more confident.
Suddenly something big and dark loomed in front of the car and Desmond hit the brakes hard to avoid it.
The SUV spun out of control and Kelsey shrieked. Desmond jerked the wheel and they swerved into the other lane and then twisted into a three hundred and sixty degree, stomach lurching spin.
Her world dissolved in a sickening haze of blinding white. Desmond desperately tried to regain control but the tires slid into another spin. The force pushed Kelsey sideways before the rented SUV plummeted wildly down an embankment and slammed into a ditch. The impact threw Kelsey forward. She gasped in pain when the airbags deployed and something slapped her hard in the face. For a moment she sat there, numb. The dust from the exploding airbag blocked her vision and burned her eyes. For a split second she saw a flash of brown fur, large antlers and a pair of stupid buck eyes, before the animal disappeared from view. She blinked ferociously and turned to Desmond. A fine powder covered him as well. His chest heaved heavily and his eyes were tightly closed.
But we’re alive.
She crinkled her nose at the odd acrid smell and for a moment neither of them spoke. They just listened to the blizzard outside as it blasted their car with snow. The windshield was soon covered and the headlights only allowed the faintest of images beyond, as if they were stuck in a shadowy, horror filled world of ghostly images.
“Are you okay?” Kelsey finally asked. “Did you get hurt?” She rubbed the side of her jaw absently.
Desmond rolled his shoulders and unbuckled his seatbelt. “No, I’ll be fine. Stupid deer. Why do they always just stand in the middle of a road?” He reached out his hand and gently wiped off her cheek. “Your skin is reddening under all that powder. You get hit anywhere else from the airbag?” He dusted off his pants.
“I’m fine, Desmond, really.” Her arms smarted, and she knew she’d have a nasty bruise, but that was a small price to pay for nearly going over the edge of the mountain. “It could have been a lot worse.”
“Yes, though we both know your worst is not quite the same as everyone else’s. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather you not get hurt at all on my watch. Okay, let’s see if I can back us up out of this ditch and get out of here.” He put the car gear in reverse, pressed the pedal and revved the SUV’s engine a few times. The car bucked a bit, but didn’t move an inch. Desmond tried a few more times, but the wheels only spun on the ice and snow.
He uttered a disgusted grunt. “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” He jumped out of the car, and Kelsey could just make out his shape bobbing in and out of the headlights. She reached up and turned on the overhead light.
Within a minute, Desmond scooted back into the car. Between the white talcum powder from the airbags and the snow, he reminded her of a snowman. Or a yeti. Only his beautiful blue-green eyes gave any indication he had any color to him.
He swiped at the wet flakes and dust on his face. “We’re not going anywhere in this thing. It needs a tow out.” He jutted his chin at the navigational unit on the dashboard. “How far are we from Cragg Hill House?”
Kelsey unbuckled her seatbelt and gingerly leaned forwards. She brushed off the powder from the surface of the GPS. “It’s actually not far at all. Just a half mile up ahead. Hey, we nearly made it in one piece.”
Desmond exhaled loudly. “So much for my romantic getaway idea. What is it with us, Kelsey? Can’t we ever catch a break? All I wanted was one weekend alone with you without any drama.”
She leaned over, wiped his cheek and then kissed it. “There’s nothing wrong with us. This is going to be perfect and no one is going to get in our way, you hear me? I won’t let them.”
He raised his brows. “What are you going to do? Sic your Devic protectors on them? Send them straight to the hell realms to hang with your dad?” His sarcasm came through loud and clear.
She snorted. “Maybe I will. But seriously, this weekend is going to be great. We’re going to be snowbound in a Gothic, remote mountain house with gourmet food. You booked a room with a fireplace and a king-sized bed. I don’t know about you, but after everything we’ve been through, it sounds pretty dreamy to me.”
He wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know. It’s like something is out to get us.”
Instead of answering, she leaned over and gave him long, deep kiss on the lips.
He came up for air. “God, I love you. Okay, let’s get out of here now or we’re never going to make it up to the lodge tonight. We’ll just have to dig the car out after the storm. Let’s just be thankful we didn’t
go over the mountain.” He shut off the engine, headlights, and pulled a flashlight out of the glove compartment. He waggled it at her. “See, now aren’t you glad I was thinking ahead? What did I tell you? Be prepared for anything.”
I always am, Desmond.
Kelsey reached into the backseat and grabbed her backpack.
“I have to tell you, for a girl, it’s amazing to me how lightly you travel.”
“Rule number one. Take only what you need. The rest just wears you down.” Of course, had I known I would have been hiking in a storm I might have worn something warmer under my sweater and jeans than a thong and a push-up bra. They had only planned to go away for the weekend and she’d had no intention of leaving their room except to eat and explore the hotel grounds. I only just got you back into my life Desmond, after I thought I’d lost you forever. She selfishly wanted him all to herself. Preferably curled up in that massive canopy king-sized bed she had seen displayed on the online brochure. She wanted to put the events of the past few months behind her and just concentrate on him. No monks, no Devas, no brothers to bother her. No manuscripts, no police investigations, nothing. Just the two of them, alone and together. That was why the heaviest clothing she’d brought, was on her back. Black lace lingerie and a silk robe simply didn’t take up a lot of room.
Desmond slung his own tote over his shoulder. Then, they zipped up their coats, put their hats and gloves on, and braved the blizzard for the half mile trek up the mountain.
What should have taken them no more than ten minutes on a sunny day took nearly an hour of slogging through the whiteout. The drifts occasionally reached their thighs, and by the time they arrived, they were exhausted, wet, and cold. The road finally leveled out and bent around a steep curve. Before them stood the massive mountain house. Kelsey stopped short and her breath caught in her throat in bewilderment. “Oh, Desmond.”
He turned, and grinned. “I told you it was special.”
That wasn’t quite the word that came to her mind. The mountain house was stunning, eerie and majestic, but creepy as all hell. She’d never seen anything like it before, and as she stared at it, shivers that had nothing to do with the cold, ran up and down her spine.
A Gothic Victorian masterpiece stood before her, painted so darkly, it nearly disappeared into the night. Strategically placed ornate bronze lampposts dotted their way up the drive, illuminating bits and pieces of the hotel. Even through the pounding snow, Kelsey could see how the mansion stretched towards the sky. She’d never seen such an extensive, steeply-pitched cross-gabled roof. The triangular arch-shaped leaded windows appeared odd to her how they changed in size with each level of the mansion, starting from five foot high ones on the first floor and ending in little tiny little eye windows peeking out of the attic eaves. They reminded her of church glass. Candles had been strategically placed in many of the windows and they distinctly resembled eyeballs the way they seemed to stare out into the night, like sentries watching them approach.
Kelsey and Desmond moved forwards, the gas lamps casting shadows on the black painted shingles. The entire structure had excessively dark colored decorative moldings with ornamental spindles and brackets, making it look more like a psychotic gingerbread house than a romantic mountain retreat. She glanced at Desmond, wondering what on earth he’d been thinking, but he’d already moved up the drive. She’d wanted to tell him to wait a second, just a moment until she collected her thoughts. Something was wrong, but she couldn’t put her finger on it. The mansard roof and vulgar decorative architecture made the place feel almost sinister, which was at odds with the apparent care taken with the construction of the building. She could tell a lot of money had gone into the look and design of this place. Perhaps I’m just tired. We’re here for a good time. Don’t go looking for trouble.
She repeated that mantra as they trekked towards a sickly yellow glow which illuminated from the roofed veranda. An older woman stood there, holding the door open for them. She was long and thin, resembling a specter and Kelsey’s mind raced again with ominous thoughts as she clomped up the shoveled steps trying to get the snow off her boots.
The woman ushered them inside with a great flurry of hand gestures and exclamations to hurry. The wind nearly knocked her over, and when she slammed the heavy door shut behind them, enough snow had already built up inside the entranceway to blanket the first few feet of wooden floorboards inside the hotel.
Kelsey sucked in her breath as she turned to their greeter. She half expected to meet the old wicked witch from the Hansel and Gretel tales. Visions of a hunchbacked, wizened woman with warts raced through her mind. The elderly woman was the exact opposite. Tall, regal and rail thin, but with a presence that made Kelsey instinctively want to stand up straight.
“I’m Elsa Cragg and you must be Mr. Gisborne and Ms. Porter.” Her voice was silky smooth, but held an icy, stern edge to it. “We were expecting you both hours ago.” It sounded like an admonishment. “Where is your car?”
Kelsey let Desmond answer while she just stared at Elsa. Her countenance made her appear she was in her seventies, but her bearing said otherwise. The woman stood ram-rod straight and the floor length, black velvet dress she wore clung to her frame and accentuated her jutting hips. Her gray-blond streaked hair was styled in a high severe bun, so tight, it made her long, pale, pointed face appear even thinner and highlighted her round light blue eyes. But what Kelsey could not stop staring at was a startling silver pendant on a chain which rested on her chest. Shivers ran up her spine. Not here, too.
“What is that symbol?” she asked. Why am I even asking? I know what it is.
Elsa held up the half dollar sized pendant and squeezed it. “This is a Milong Longsal symbol, my dear. I wear it to give me good luck and good energy. Are you familiar with it?” Her raised single eyebrow implied that her question was more rhetorical than anything else.
“I’ve heard of it,” Kelsey replied. She was completely caught off guard. The Milong Longsal was a Buddhist symbol, and she remembered seeing it on scrolls at the Bodhidharma Monastery many years earlier. And now it was here, at this mountain house and resting on the chest of a woman who looked like she’d just stepped out of the Victorian age. The universe is definitely playing tricks on me.
Desmond kicked the snow from his boots onto the area rug and turned back to Elsa. “Nice to meet you, Elsa. Our car is about half a mile down the mountain. We got stuck.”
The old lady put on her reading glasses which hung on a separate ornate jeweled chain and stared him down. “Well, don’t you worry. I’ll have the staff dig you out after the storm abates. I won’t lie, we were getting concerned. The boys were shoveling the front drive all evening anticipating your arrival, but I finally decided to let them go home to rest. Oh, look at you, you’ve got snow all over yourself.” She moved to dust off his shoulder and then paused, frowning. “Wait, that’s not snow.” She stared in distaste at the white gooey substance clinging to her fingers.
“It’s the dust from the airbag. We were in a bit of an accident and the airbags deployed. I’m sorry if we’re dirtying up your foyer.”
Elsa took out a lace hanky from a billowing pocket and wiped her hands. “Dirtying up the foyer would be the least of our problems. You’re just lucky the two of you didn’t go over the edge of the mountain. You wouldn’t be the first, you know.” Her words hung in the air ominously. She turned to move into the reception area when a man seemingly came out of nowhere and yelled, “Boo!”
Elsa put her hand to her chest in alarm and her eyes flashed. “Dooley, for God’s sake. Must you do that? You know how much I despise it!” She turned back to Kelsey and Desmond. “Be careful with this one,” she growled. “He loves nothing more than to sneak up on people and scare the daylights out of them. Even if you’re guests. Been doing it to me ever since we were children. He’s lucky he grew bigger than me because I used to wallop him good when he did it.”
“She did, but it never got old. Still doesn’t.” Dooley
laughed heartily and his deep baritone voice boomed when he spoke. He resembled Elsa greatly with his tall frame and long thin face, but he had broad, muscular shoulders and a bearing Kelsey would expect to see on a much younger man. He, too, was dressed to the nines in a dapper brown suit, a white collared shirt, a checkered vest and a black bow tie. The only thing out of character was his long, blond, hippy ponytail running down to the middle of his back, and the heavy work boots that looked like they’d spent a lot of time outdoors. Another Milong Longsal pendant hung from a chain around his neck and rested on his chest. He bowed. “Mr. Gisborne and Ms. Porter, I’m Dooley Cragg. I own and run this hotel along with my sister and the rest of our family. Here, let me take your bags.” He hoisted them over his shoulders effortlessly, before Desmond could protest. “Elsa, check our guests in already and let’s get them to their room. They must both be hungry and cold. They need to get out of those wet clothes and we’ll bring them up some food.”
Kelsey nodded, realizing she was freezing and famished. The last time they’d eaten was at noon in a roadside diner where she and Desmond had each shoved down a hero sandwich. The snow had already started coming down heavily even by then, and had slowed them down. But it was warm in the hotel and that definitely helped.
Kelsey wanted to stare around in amazement at the foyer, but turned to Elsa instead. “Whatever you make will be wonderful, I’m sure. Desmond spoke of the amazing cuisine here. He said after he read the menu selections and the reviews that your chefs should be working in the finest restaurants in New York City.”
Elsa beamed, but the smile she gave seemed odd. The way it stretched across her face made it look as if she weren’t used to doing it. “How wonderful to hear that, and thank you. We do take pride in the food. My son went to culinary school, you know, but we’ve been using recipes from our family for over a hundred years. Now, let’s get you checked in while they ready your room.”
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