“Hmm, I think…Wait I sense your friends are in the house, but they will never find us.”
Before Taylor could try and scream he pushed a piece of cloth into her mouth. Her scream was barely a whisper.
“Now, now, Red, don’t waste your energy trying to get help. They can’t hear or find us.”
He turned his back and when he turned around to face Taylor he was holding a strange tool that reminded Taylor of an extra-long cork screw.
Chapter Eleven
Cole said, “Where should we start? This place is huge?” He walked across the kitchen and looked down the hall toward the parlor. “Why would Hunter bring Taylor here alone when he knew we had planned on going as a group?”
Kellie turned around and said, “I think there is trouble, serious trouble. Claudia says Taylor was in danger. Hunter didn’t bring her here for fun. Something compelled him to come here. I think we need to check out the basement and root cellar. The elderly gentleman that died here swore there was a dungeon. What if he was right and Hunter has Taylor down there?” Kellie bit her lip hard.
“Hunter loves Taylor. Taking her down there would frighten her. He’d never do that,” Andrea insisted tapping her foot on the floor.
Kellie heard the buzzing first and then a soft voice, “If I help you save your friend, will you help save the rest of us, too?”
“Yes, I promise I will.”
Cole asked, “Who are you talking to Kellie?”
“The ghost of a little girl, I think. She’s going to help me. I think we need to go down to the cellar.”
Cole walked over and pulled on the basement doorknob. It’s locked tight. I’ll have to break it down. They’ll hear us and if he’s going to hurt Taylor …” He shook his head.
“Let me try,” Kellie said. She reached for the doorknob, and when she turned the knob a white light surrounded her hand.
“You’re being helped,” Andrea said.
Cole flipped the light switch and a dull light turned on at the base of the stairs. He turned on his lantern for additional light and began descending the stairs. Andrea followed, and Kellie brought up the rear. Cole found another light switch at the bottom of the stairs and the basement was flooded with modern lighting. It appeared to be a storage area for the manor house. There was a desk, phone, and a lot of promotional materials.
“Nothing interesting here,” Andrea said, “but there’s a door at the other end of the room.
“It’s locked,” Cole said.
One touch of the doorknob brought a bright light into Kellie’s hand, and the door opened with a loud creak. “They know we’re here now,” she said.
Cole led the way down the dark stairs. Their lanterns helped. When they reached the root cellar, they found it lit with old fashioned oil lamps. Some were hung on the walls, and some were standing on wooden crates.
Kellie said, “I smell Taylor’s perfume. She’s been here.”
Andrea saw another door at the end of the room and walked over to it, but hurried back whispering, “I heard a muffled scream coming from that room and a weird laugh that sounded somewhat like Hunter.”
Kellie ran to the door and pulled on the doorknob. It was locked tight. She could hear the laugh Andrea described. She whispered, “Please little girl help me again.” Her hand filled with white light, and she pulled on the door and it opened. What she saw brought a loud scream from Kellie although her fear froze her in place. One lantern hung on the wall above the table where Taylor lay, and one was on a wooden crate creating an eerie glow in the room.
Hunter was leaning over Taylor with the corkscrew tool in his hand. It was inches from her upper thigh. “Ready, Red? Here we go.”
As Kellie screamed, Cole hit Hunter full force and knocked him across the room. They rolled around punching and wrestling on the earthen floor while Andrea and Kellie unshackled Taylor. She whispered, “Hunter is possessed by the evil caretaker, don’t let Cole kill him. Help him, Kellie.”
Andrea helped Taylor walk into the larger room and sit on a wooden crate. Kellie rushed to where Cole and Hunter were fighting. Hunter had Cole down on the floor and was strangling him. Kellie found a heavy stick on the floor and hit Hunter in the head. He collapsed, and Cole pushed him off.
Cole tried to talk, but Kellie told him to wait. His throat might be injured. They found rope and bound Hunter tightly until they could find out what happened.
Andrea rushed back into the room to check on Cole and said, “Taylor told me Hunter’s possessed by the spirit of the maniacal caretaker.”
Once Andrea was sure Cole was all right she went back to sit with Taylor. Cole and Kellie stood and stared at Hunter.
“What do we do with him? He’s possessed. If the spirit leaves his body, it could possess me and we’d have more problems since I’m stronger than you and the girls. Hunter’s not in any shape to fight me.” Cole walked back and forth in the small room looking at the metal tools and torture devices. “What did he plan on doing to Taylor? Thank God we got here in time.”
Kellie heard the odd buzzing and felt a small hand slip into hers. She felt more than heard the words, “We can help you send him away forever.”
“Who’s we?” Kellie asked. Cole stared at Kellie.
“Me and the others,” the small voice said. “Turn around and look.”
Kellie turned and saw besides the small girl holding her hand there were six other ghosts in the room with her.”
“Who are they?” Kellie couldn’t move staring at the ghosts and praying they were friendly.
“The three pretty ladies were killed by Thomas in this room and buried behind the manor house. The two young men worked with Thomas and discovered what he was doing. He killed them, too. The young boy is my brother. He caught Thomas trying to carry me down the basement stairs and Thomas pushed him down in front of me. My brother’s neck was broken in the fall. Thomas hurt me and then strangled me. He buried us together in the rose garden.”
Kellie looked at the ghosts standing in front of her and said, “I’m so sorry for what happened to you, but how can I help you get rid of Thomas?” Kellie watched the seven ghosts change from filmy mists to solid beings. One of the three maids spoke.
“Thomas’ spirit has been stronger than all of us for years. He has helped keep us here. You have a power stronger than ours. Together we can send his spirit away to where it belongs. Then you can help us.”
“I don’t have any special power.” Kellie shook her head.
“Yes, you do. You sent your grandfather’s spirit away.”
“That was my mother’s light that sent him away,” Kellie tried to explain her feelings to the small child holding her hand.
“You still have the white light your mother used. It is part of you. You used it to get into the cellar and can use it to send Thomas away.
########
Hunter was beginning to wake. “What are we going to do?” Cole asked. “We can’t let him wake and I’m afraid if we hit him again he could die.”
The little girl pulled at Kellie’s hand. “Follow me.”
Kellie and the little girl knelt next to Hunter. The little girl looked up at Kellie, and she could see her soft green eyes. They were sad and lonely, but her smile brought hope to her small face. She placed her hand on Hunter’s chest. “Place your hand on top of mine.”
Kellie placed her hand on top of the small one and white light spread out over Hunter’s body. His eyes flew open, and the dark gray eyes stared right into Kellie’s. “No,” he screamed as the white light became brighter. As Hunters eyes turned from dark gray back to their vibrant green, a black mist left his body and sank into the floor.
“Where am I? What happened?” Hunter asked.
Taylor, hearing his voice rushed to his side. “Sweetie, is that you? Are you all right?”
“I think so, who else would I be? Hey, who tied me up?” His confusion brought a smile to her lips.
“It’s Hunter. He’s back.” She hugged him, and
he noticed her wrists.
“What happened to you?” His face scrunched with concern.
“We’ll explain later,” Cole said. “Let’s get out of here.” He loosened the rope holding Hunter.
########
“Now that Thomas is gone maybe you can help her leave.”
“Her?” Kellie’s face scrunched as she wondered if there were more ghosts.
“It’s the little girl with the rose in the picture upstairs. She lived here and died here. She won’t leave and if she doesn’t leave we can’t leave. We worked for her. We can’t leave her alone.”
“I’ll do what I can, but first I have to take care of my friend. We have to leave, but we’ll be back.”
“All right, miss. Perhaps you can also help Miss Constance and Mr. Simon.”
“They disappeared? Did Thomas do that, too?”
“No, miss. We don’t know how they got there, but they are together in the attic. They can’t leave, and they can’t reach the white light.”
“I will do my best. I promise I’ll be back.” Kellie smiled.
All seven ghosts disappeared in a quick flash of light and mist.
########
Hunter’s legs were a bit wobbly. Kellie and Andrea helped him walk back to the first floor while Cole carried Taylor. Once outside, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
“Now what,” asked Hunter?
“Taylor needs medical aid, but a hospital or clinic will ask questions we can’t answer. I’ve had a first aid course for work. Let’s go to a pharmacy, and we can get whatever we need to bandage her wrists properly,” Andrea said heading for the convertible. “If Cole and I take this car, Hunter can talk to Taylor while you drive, Kellie.” Andrea climbed into the convertible.
Cole climbed in next to Andrea and began to drive away from the manor house followed by Kellie. Taylor lay in the backseat with her head in Hunter’s lap while she explained what had happened. Kellie could hear Hunter cry and whisper over and over, “I’m so sorry.”
Kellie followed the convertible into the parking lot of a pharmacy. Cole and Andrea hurried in and returned in a few minutes with two plastic bags.
Andrea said, “Taylor, if you sit in the back of the SUV I can bandage your wrists better.” Taylor agreed, and Hunter sat next to her.
“This is going to sting,” Andrea said as she used an antibacterial astringent to clean her wounds.
Taylor laughed, “It stings like mad, but it’s nothing compared to what Thomas was going to do to me. I’ll be fine.”
Once her wrists were cleaned and bandaged, Taylor said, “They don’t hurt as bad, but how am I going to walk around like this? It looks as if I tried to cut my wrists.”
“That’s what these are for,” Cole said as he pulled out two navy blue wrist braces. “They’ll serve two purposes. The bandages will be hidden, and they’ll keep you from bending your wrists so they won’t hurt and will heal. My kid sister fell off her bike a couple of summers ago and cracked a small bone in both hands. She had to wear these instead of casts. You can tell people you tripped and fell. They’ll believe you.”
Andrea added, “Your clothes are a mess, and they didn’t carry regular clothes, but they had jogging outfits. I found you pink shorts and a white long sleeve top. It should keep you warm enough.”
Kellie said, “I have a blanket in the back of the SUV.” Hunter held up the blanket so Taylor could change and then she cuddled under it on their way back to the hotel.
Hunter dropped off the convertible on their way back. Cole and Andrea drove with Kellie and the others.
########
Entering the hotel, the concierge noticed Taylor’s wrist braces. “Mrs. O’Neil, you’ve been injured. Is there anything the staff can do for you?”
“No thank you, I’m going to my room, rest, and have lunch.”
“I’ll have a large fruit compote delivered to your room for you and your friends to enjoy while you decide on lunch and wait for it to be delivered.” He smiled as he picked up the phone.
“Thank you,” Taylor waved her fingers since the rest of her hand was covered. The five friends rode the elevator to their floor and headed for Hunter and Taylor’s room. They decided to have lunch together in their room and discuss the day’s events and what to do next. By the time they seated into chairs and began to glance through the menu, their fruit compote had arrived with five plates and silverware.
“I’m starved,” Taylor said and then tossed the spoon back into the bowl. “Ugh, this is frustrating. I can’t even scoop out some fruit with these things on.”
“Take one off and be careful,” Hunter suggested.
They placed their lunch order, and began to enjoy the fruit when Kellie’s cell rang.
“It’s Claudia,” she said before she answered. “Hello, yes we’re fine, but you already knew that. What’s up?”
“This may sound crazy, but did you ever kill anyone even accidentally like in a car accident?”
“No, absolutely not. Why would you ask me that? You know something.” Kellie chewed on her lip while she waited for an answer.
“I know a little more. Your shadow has been getting restless since you have been gone, and when he’s angry his shields are weaker. He’s angry at the Malone family because of his death.”
“Not again. Who did the old man kill this time?” Kellie rubbed her forehead while she listened.
“I’m not sure who killed whom, but the shadow is bent on revenge against you. That’s why I asked if you had ever killed someone.”
“Could he want revenge against me because of something the old man did?”
“That’s what I think. Be careful.”
“I will thanks.” She slipped the phone in her pocket and leaned back in her chair.
“What’s wrong,” Andrea asked.
“Another spirit. It seems I’m being stalked by an evil shadow.” She dropped her head in her hands. “Will this ever stop?”
Lunch arrived, and they all did their best to enjoy their meal and ignore all the spirits they were going to deal with soon.
########
The shadow was becoming restless. The empty house and the dog nowhere to be seen was a plus. She had to return home soon. It did give him time to plan his revenge. The old man should have been more careful. He may be gone, but the last of his bloodline would pay.
Chapter Twelve
The five friends met for breakfast before checking out the following morning. Cole ordered two waffles, one blueberry and one strawberry. “Don’t look at me that way,” he grinned. “I love these waffles, couldn’t make up my mind, and who knows when we’ll be back here to eat.”
Andrea shook her head and said, “Well, at least you decided not to order bacon with it.”
“Nope, honey. Anyway, blueberries and strawberries are fruits. This is good for me.”
Andrea ignored him and asked Kellie, “Do you have any idea what you’re going to do about the spirits we left behind.”
“I have to go back, but I’m taking some time off to regroup. Usually it would be perfect to think about going home to relax and come back in a week or two.” She lifted her cup of tea to her lips.
“Why did you say ‘usually’? Is something wrong?” Taylor asked trying to butter her toast wearing her wrist braces.
“Claudia’s call about some entity stalking me is unnerving. At least I know it stays away when Rufus is with me, so I’m keeping him close.” Kellie sipped her tea, set her cup down, and picked up a forkful of her omelet.
“With all that went on, I nearly forgot. You keep him close, and we’ll help you back at the manor house when you want to return.”
“Oh no, you won’t, Taylor. You are not going anywhere near that place.” Hunter dropped his spoon into his coffee cup splashing coffee onto the table. “You were almost killed.”
“That’s not my fault, don’t tell me what to do,” Taylor snapped. “It’s not me that was possessed and crazy.” She glared at Hunter.
“I’m sorry,” tears formed in the corner of his eyes. “It wasn’t me, I didn’t do that. Will you ever trust me again?”
“Of course I trust you. I love you. It wasn’t you. I knew that all along. What upsets me is you trying to tell me what I can’t do or where I can’t go.” Taylor took his hand. “The other ghosts in the house helped Kellie save me from Thomas’ spirit and had it leave your body. The least we can do is help them find rest.”
“You’re right.” He picked up his spoon and used his napkin to wipe up the splattered coffee.
Andrea interjected hoping to calm everyone’s fear saying, “Thomas’ spirit is gone, and the other spirits are good. It won’t be dangerous. We just need to figure out how to do it.”
“You’re right,” said Cole, “Except for the couple in the attic. Why can’t they leave?”
“I don’t know,” Kellie shook her head. “I think my best bet is to send the others into the light somehow and then try to help Constance and Simon.”
“That manor house is bigger than the mansion. I can imagine it’s filled with secret passageways and rooms. All those old houses are.” Cole said. “We could be playing hide and seek with ghosts.”
“Ghosts can walk through walls,” Kellie reminded him. “Plus we have to do this on a Sunday when they’re closed. I don’t want to go at night.”
Andrea and Taylor nodded their heads in agreement.
They finished breakfast, went to their room to finish packing, and headed home.
########
Kellie watched the garage door open and pulled in. She climbed out of the SUV and grabbed her bags from the back of the vehicle. She unlocked the door to the house, pushed the garage door closure bar, and punched in her number code on the security pad. Rufus pushed passed her and began to bark. She walked into the laundry room and looked into the kitchen. Seeing the patio doors, she dropped her bags, turned, and ran back out the door, hitting the garage door opener as she passed. The door was up barely a third when she scooted under and ran toward Taylor’s house. Rufus was at her heels barking madly. She could hear Hunter and Taylor talking in their garage as they unpacked their car.
BLACK VELVET ROSES Page 10
