The Ghost Hunter Chronicles - A Place of Nightmares Vol 1.

A Place of Nightmares Chapter 13 - Research.

I finished my coffee and tentatively took a shower in a downstairs bathroom. The house quiet, but the feeling of being observed never went away. It was disquieting removing your clothes knowing something was spying on you, and you could do absolutely nothing about it.

Needless to say it was the fastest shower of my life!

I returned to the living area, Corky and Macy were watching cartoons, Lucy was in a huddle with her mother learning how to knit. People still did that? Jay had his iPad out, and I wandered over to see what he was doing. There on the screen was a beautiful portrait, Jay was painting it using a digital art App.

"That's very good Jay!" I exclaimed.

He looked up and smiled, "Thanks! It's relaxing and a lot less messy than traditional paints."

"You paint too?" I asked.

"Uh huh." He smiled going back to his work.

Maggie looked up from the scarf she was helping Lucy with. "He"s very talented, I don't know where he gets it from!"

I smiled, and looked over to Martin and Aide. They were sitting at Martin's desk with Aide's lap top.

"Aide did you get onto Jim okay?" I asked.

Aiden turned in his chair and replied that he had, he was waiting for Jim to call back and let him know when he had the okay from the Vatican, and when he would be arriving.

"Did you find out anything else while I was out to it?" I asked.

"Yes, we did." Aide said not looking happy.

"I helped him with it, it puts a crimp in things." Added Martin.

"What's up?" I pulled a chair over and sat beside them, the others were interested now, apart from Macy and the dog, they were lost in Scooby Doo land.

Maggie, Jay and Lucy all came and sat closer.

"Well, I used my access code for births, deaths and marriages to find Diane Tweed, our nasty nurse. It took a while but eventually I found her. She died in 1983, she was well over a hundred years old by then." Aide began.

"So where was she buried? Did she die in Devon?" I interrupted.

"Yes, she died in a nursing home of all places, no living relatives, no friends, no one at all. This being the case the interment was organized by the home, she was never buried, they cremated her."

"Oh no! How is she still here then?" I asked feeling frustrated.

"Well it can be a couple of things, one, we called the home and apparently in her Will she asked her ashes be scattered here." Aide answered.

"And were they?" I asked feeling sick.

"Yes, but they scattered them further down the hill. They couldn't enter the grounds due to No Trespassing signs that were up at the time. The other thing we think is, she left something personal behind. Something she could tie her essence to. We also think if she was a descendant of black Hannah's it very well could have been a family heirloom, and may even have belonged to Hannah herself. That means it would link and bind them to this house. It also means it gives them Carte Blanche when it comes other things they might be linked to."

My head swam, I couldn't even say it, it scared the hell out of me.

"The D-word?" I asked Aide my head in my hands.

"I won't lie to you hunnie, yes." Aide agreed.

We sat in silence, thinking.

"So what? Instead of salting and destroying the body, we destroy the item instead?" I asked.

Aide nodded "Yes, we need to work out what it might be."

"Okay let's try and bring up some archives of this place. See if there is a clear photo of Nurse Tweed." I suggested.

Maggie then spoke up, "We found one of her with the staff, when this place opened as the Asylum. I'll get our lap top and look up the search history."

Maggie went to get up and her eyes travelled over to the floor where Macy and Corky had been sprawled watching Scooby Doo, they were gone.

"What the hell?" Maggie said, her eyes searching frantically around the big room.

I looked up, "What's wrong?"

"Macy and the dog, they were just here, now they're gone!"

We all jumped and looked around, there was no sign of them, none of us had seen them even move.

Jay moved toward the hall, "I'll check outside."

"I'll go check the kitchen." Lucy said bravely, I got up to go with her, when the sound of Corky's frenzied barking issued from the upper levels of the building.

"The Attic!" I yelled. I grabbed my hex-bag and we all thundered up the stairs, we could hear Corky growling protectively now.

We reached the top floor landing leading to the Attic stairs, we arrived just in time to see Corky get shoved across the floor by some invisible force and a glimpse of Macy's terrified face before the door slammed shut.

Aide managed to catch the dog as he slid towards us, he was unhurt but frightened and frantic to protect Macy. He rebounded out of Aide's arms and stood barking at the door.

Maggie reached it first and yanked on the handle it wouldn't budge.

Jay and his dad moved her out of the way, and began ramming it with their shoulders. The door held firm.

A terrified scream issued from the Attic, making our efforts even more urgent. Maggie was screaming and crying, Lucy sat huddled against the wall hugging her knees.

It was then I noticed Aide was missing. Presently he came back into view brandishing a fire axe.

He called to me on his way by, "Door! Holy water!"

I rummaged around for the little bottle, it seemed an eternity before I found it, it slipping through my sweaty grasp twice.

I uncorked the lid and hurled the contents at the door, it began smoking. Aide began reciting something in Latin and went to work on the door. It held fast at first then began to splinter.

As Aide hacked a hole big enough for someone to pass through a banshee like wail split the air and something came rushing down the Attic stairs at us.

Aide stepped aside and held up his crucifix he had it tucked in his back pocket and yanked it out, "Espirito Ascanti!" He yelled, "You may not pass!"

The vengeful spirt came to a screaming holt and knocked Aide off his feet. I could see the dark mass of her churning in the air before him. I rushed over and let loose with what was left in the bottle.

It screamed and more black smoke billowed fourth, it switched it's attention to me.

"You!" It screamed and then fled, it took off straight towards the far wall. As it disappeared something clicked and a door swung outward. A hidden passage or room.

Jay and Martin rushed up the stairs in search of Macy, Maggie too shaken to make the climb and afraid of what she'd see, stayed waiting below with Lucy.

We could hear them calling for Macy. No answer.

Aide rushed by me with the dog, I tried to follow, as the spirit was else where. This time I could follow.

I took a deep breath and rushed up the stairs.