Haunting and Scares Collection

by Rosemary Cullen

“I must admit it. I have heard some stories.” Robert looked down and then he raised his head and looked directly into Jennifer’s eyes. “I didn’t believe them at first, but then things started adding up. Noises at night coming from the basement. People moving out of this place almost as soon as they moved in. I talked with the house sitter who fell down the stairs. She claims she was pushed, but no one else was in the house at the time. I believe you, Jennifer.”

  “Can you walk?” Sarah furrowed her brow. “I think it’ll help to get out from down here.”

  “I think so.”

  Robert and Sarah helped her up and got her back upstairs. They took her through to the sitting room and she settled in on the couch.

  “I’ll make some tea.” Sarah turned to go to the kitchen with a weak smile.

  “No! Don’t leave me, please.”

  “I’ll make the tea. Stay with your sister.” Robert walked off in search of the kitchen and left the two sisters alone.

  Chapter 11

  “What’s going on? I can’t explain what happened to me. I’m so freaked out.” A lone tear ran down Jennifer’s cheek and she wiped it away with the swipe of her hand.

  “I don’t know what happened, Jen. I’m just glad that you’re safe. And you definitely are safe now.”

  “I need to help those kids. You didn’t see it down there. It was awful. He’s experimenting on them. Killing them.”

  “He’s already killed them.”

  “They’re trapped down there. I guess it’s their spirits. They could see me.”

  “Let’s focus on getting you feeling better and then we can decide what we want to do. About everything.”

  Jennifer hugged her sister and didn’t let go until Robert returned with three cups of tea.

  “You don’t need to stay, Robert. I’m thankful for your help, though.” Jennifer looked at Robert and pursed her lips.

  “Oh no, I’m not leaving. I’m definitely staying. We’re getting to the bottom of this. So, what do you know so far? About the history here, I mean. I think we’re all up to speed on what’s happened to you.”

  Jennifer smiled briefly. “Well, basically I found out that a doctor and his family lived here in the mid-1800s. His son was sick and he was trying to find a cure. He kidnapped children and kept them in the basement while he did experiments on them. Gruesome. Horrible. How someone can do that to another person I’ll never understand.”

  “I knew parts of the story, but not all of it. You’re right… that really is horrible. How could someone do something like that?”

  “For the love of a child, I guess. I’ve heard people say they’d do anything to protect their children. I guess this man took it to the extreme.” Sarah looked out the window as she said the last part. She seemed to still be shaken by what had happened.

  “Still, it’s horrible. Hey, can I use your laptop? I’m sure I can find out more.”

  “Sure.” Jennifer started to get up.

  Sarah put down her teacup and stood. “Sit back. I’ll get it.”

  When she came back, she handed the laptop over to Robert. He opened it up and got online right away.

  “Are you guys hungry?” Sarah looked back and forth between Jennifer and Robert. The look on her face said she was hoping at least one of them was hungry.

  “Yeah, I am.” Robert answered, never looking up from the computer screen.

  “Yes. Definitely. Oddly, I could eat a horse right now.” Jennifer smiled at Sarah.

  “I’ll make us something. Jennifer, you rest. Robert, do what you need to do. I’ll be back soon.” Sarah left them in the sitting room and headed to the kitchen.

  Jennifer leaned her head back and closed her eyes. The rhythmic tapping of Robert’s fingers on the keyboard made her drowsy. The familiar noise was comforting. She had almost drifted off when he began to speak.

  “It looks like, after Richard and Mary died, the children were sent to an orphanage.”

  “Can I see?”

  He brought the laptop over and showed her the article. Sarah reemerged into the room carrying a tray of food.

  “Boy, that was fast.” Jennifer perked up to see what was on the tray.

  “Just snack type stuff. Crackers, cheese, chips. And dip, too. Little bits of this and that. None of it goes together, but I didn’t think you’d mind the lack of a snack theme.”

  Jennifer smiled briefly, waved her off, and picked up a chip. Dipping it in salsa, she looked back at the computer screen.

  “What did you find while I was slaving away to make sure you two don’t starve?”

  “Not much, yet.” Robert scratched his head and continued to read, typing from time to time.

  “Only that the Holloway children were sent to an orphanage when their parents died. Not much about what happened before that.”

  “Will that help us?” asked Sarah.

  “Not really,” said Robert, “but it’s a step down a trail that might be a good start.”

  He picked up some crackers and cheese and munched on them as he went back to typing on the laptop. Sarah sat with Jennifer and they both nibbled in silence. The sun was beginning to set when Robert lifted his eyes from the screen and looked at his companions.

  “You found something?” Jennifer leaned forward in anticipation.

  “I think so. The sick son, his name was Benjamin. He survived.”

  “Really?” Jennifer’s eyes went wide.

  “Yes, looks that way. There is some folklore that says the mad doctor’s experiments were successful. He’d started giving his son a medicine he’d developed before his death. He actually did cure his son. The son grew up and lived a healthy life, well into his sixties.”

  “Wow. That’s incredible,” said Sarah. “What else?”

  “Well, I stumbled onto a site, a blog actually, by a guy who lives not far from here. He’s written about different legends in south Georgia and northern Florida. The mad Doctor Holloway made the cut. He calls what he did amazing experiments. He believes that the doctor really did cure his son, though he doesn’t say what the infirmity was. He also says if we can find the missing manuscripts, then we can find the cures for many diseases today.”

  “Hmm. That seems like a big reach, if you ask me.” Jennifer pushed her hair back from her face and pursed her lips.

  “Okay, but curing future and current diseases isn’t our issue. How can he help us?” Sarah reached over and took Jennifer’s hand.

  “It turns out he’s the great-great-grandson of Richard and Mary Holloway. His name is Jason Holloway. He lives about an hour from here. I found his number.”

  “Three greats? Wow. Here, give that number to me. I’ll call him now.” Jennifer dropped her sister’s hand and reached over to Robert for the phone number.

  “Give me a second. Get your phone. I’ll give it to you.”

  Robert read out the number as Jennifer typed it into her phone. They could hear the muffled ringing on the other end of the line as Jennifer pressed the phone to her ear. The phone rang once more and then it was answered.

  “Um, hi. Mr. Holloway?” Jennifer’s voice sounded timid and unsure as she waited for the person who answered to confirm that he was Mr. Holloway.

  “Yes. I’m Jason Holloway. How may I help you?”

  “Well, my name is Jennifer. Jennifer Bedford. I know you don’t know me, but I’ve come across a situation that I think you might be able to help me with. I’m house sitting at Falcon Manor. And some strange things have happened. Do you mind if I put you on speaker? I have some friends with me and we’re trying to figure this out.”

  Jennifer nodded and pushed the speaker button on her phone.

  “I’m aware of the rumors of what’s going on in the house.” Jason Holloway cleared his throat. “I’ve written a bit about it, and I sure didn’t expect it to take this long to get a call about it.”

  “We’re just thinking that maybe some facts might help calm things down here. I’ve had a bit of a tough time since I got here.” J
ennifer’s voice shook just a little but she managed to get control.

  “It doesn’t surprise me that things have gotten out of hand. I’ll be glad to help, if I can.”

  “Thank you. Can we come talk to you? Maybe get some of the details of what happened?”

  “Yes, I’ll meet with you. I don’t know that I have a solution, but I may be able to help fill in some of the blanks that might help.”

  “Okay, that would be great. Tomorrow morning?”

  “Sure. I can do that. I’ll text you my address.”

  “Okay. We’ll text when we leave the house. And, thank you for agreeing to see us, Mr. Holloway. It means a lot.”

  “Sure thing. See you tomorrow, Jennifer.”

  She hung up the phone and looked to Sarah and then Robert. “He almost volunteered to help before I asked. He sounded exited, didn’t he?”

  The other two nodded. “So, tomorrow, then. I think we’ll get some answers.” Robert seemed fairly confident about the chances of getting it figured out.

  “I think we should all get some sleep. Today has been terrible and tomorrow may be an emotional day.” Sarah stood and looked pointedly at Robert and Jennifer.

  “I can stay here if you want me to. I don’t mind—”

  “Sure,” Jennifer nodded and agreed to Robert’s offer right away.

  “Yes, that would be great.” Sarah spoke at the same time with relief spreading over her face.

  The two girls took the room that now had the two beds in it, while Robert took the bedroom across the hall.

  “I’ll be right here. Across the hall. Shout if you need me.”

  “Okay,” said Sarah. “Do you think this Jason can help us?”

  “I have no idea, but it’s really all we have. We have to try something.” Jennifer pulled the covers back on the bed.

  “Really? Why do we have to try to solve this, Jen? We don’t live here.”

  “She’s right, you know. Y’all are going to be leaving soon and none of this haunting stuff will matter to you again.” Robert’s comment was logical. He seemed to even support backing out of the investigation.

  “I don’t think I can let it drop. I’m the one who’s been in the middle of this. It was terrifying. I need to know. I don’t think I can get over all this if I don’t at least see what Jason Holloway knows. If you want to drop out Sarah, I understand. You, too, Robert.”

  “We should get some sleep, then. Tomorrow may be a long day.” Sarah reached out and stroked her sister’s arm.

  “I’m in, too.” Robert nodded and headed to the door. He turned in the doorway and looked back at them. “Remember, I’ll be right across the hall. A shout away.”

  The two girls fell asleep quick as a quiet calm descended on the house. No noises came that night and no nightmares troubled the dreams of the three inhabitants of the upstairs.

  When she woke, Jennifer was relieved to find she was still in the same bed she’d fallen asleep in. She turned and looked over at her sister. She smiled and stretched back out. She dozed for another twenty minutes until she heard footsteps from the creaky floors in the room across the hall. She shook her sister awake.

  “Breakfast and then the road trip.”

  The three of them sat down to a simple breakfast of toast and jam, though none of them could eat very much. Coffee was very welcome and Robert had to make a second pot.

  “Everyone slept well?” Robert poured more coffee with a raised eyebrow.

  “Best since I got here.” Jennifer felt refreshed and hopeful. Both were welcome changes.

  “I’ll drive. My SUV is bigger and comfortable. But first, I need to run back to my house and get a shower and change clothes. Won’t take long.” Robert took his coffee and ducked out the back door.

  ~~~~~

  Robert drove expertly through the winding roads of the wooded countryside to Albany, Georgia, where they’d meet Jason Holloway. They had arranged to meet him in a coffee shop in town. They were early and sat quietly drinking more coffee. Each was lost in thought as the coming meeting loomed in front of them.

  Finally, Sarah saw an older man enter the shop. He was alone and seemed to be looking for someone. “The eagle has landed.”

  “What?” Jennifer looked at Sarah and shrugged.

  “He’s here. That’s got to be him.” She nodded toward the door.

  “For crying out loud, Sarah. We’re not in the CIA. Did you hear that?” She looked at Robert and pointed to Sarah, who was now scowling.

  “I heard it.” He shook his head and tried to control his chuckle while he waved to the man and motioned for him to join them. He stood and held out his hand. “Mr. Holloway?”

  “Yes. Robert Finch?” He took his hand and shook it.

  “That’s me. And this is Jennifer and Sarah Bedford.”

  “You’re the one who called last night. Right?” Looking at Jennifer, he reached out for her hand.

  “Yes, that was me.” Jennifer smiled and shook his hand.

  Then Sarah smiled and simply waved. He smiled back and took the extra seat at their table.

  After taking care of the business of refreshing their drinks, getting a new one for Jason, and ordering some cinnamon rolls, they got down to business.

  “Tell me exactly what has happened since you got to the manor. Um, and do you mind if I take a few notes?” Jason pulled a laptop from his bag.

  “I don’t mind at all. Notes are fine.”

  Jennifer recounted the events of the last few days, with interjections from Sarah and Robert from time to time. When she was finished, Jason sat back in his chair, rubbing his chin absent-mindedly.

  “What do you think?” Jennifer leaned in, anticipating his response.

  “Hmm. Interesting.” Jason raised an eyebrow and looked away.

  “You don’t believe me, do you?”

  “Oh, quite the opposite. I have no doubt that you’re telling the truth. I’ve stayed in that house and I’ve also heard the noises. I’ve never seen a ghost, but I have no doubt they roam among us, not quite in this world and not quite in the next.”

  “Do you think you can you help us?” Sarah had remained mostly quiet, taking it all in. Jason looked at her and smiled.

  “I don’t know. There are some things I need to check on before we know for sure.”

  “Like what?” Sarah was now leaning in, too, waiting on his next words.

  “I must come take a look at the basement. I never did get to go down there. My grandfather always kept it locked.”

  “Well, do you want to come out today? Or do you need more time.” Jennifer looked hopeful as she gave Jason a chance to manage his own schedule.

  “I’d like to come on out today, if that works for you people.”

  “It does. Can I get you a coffee for the road, Mr. Holloway?” Jennifer jumped up and looked back at him.

  “Please, call me Jason. And I’ll get the coffee for this round.”

  Chapter 12

  Jason’s car pulled in behind Robert’s SUV in the driveway of the stately Falcon Manor. The four of them met at the stairs that led up to the porch and the front door.

  “Lovely place. Whoever owns it now has done a good job on the restorations.” Jason looked at the house with appreciation and maybe just a touch of nostalgia.

  “He did do a good job. It’s now a nice mix of updated style with vintage charm.” Jennifer nodded and admired the place along with Jason.

  “Well, I guess there’s no use putting this off. Let’s get on with it, shall we?”

  The group followed Jason as he took the stairs. Jennifer stepped up with the front door key to let them all inside.

  “I’ll give you a tour later, Jason, if that’s okay. Right now, let’s get this part over with.”

  He simply nodded.

  Robert stepped up and gestured to the door on the side of the foyer. “And this—“

  “Is the door to the basement.” Jason looked at him, nodding. “Yes, I remember it well. Now that I’m
here looking at it, that is.”

  Jason stepped over to the basement door and placed his hand against it. He ran his fingers over the simple carving and then placed his hand on the doorknob. He turned it, but it wouldn’t move. He nodded once, as if he’d expected the door to be locked. Then he touched the gouges where Jennifer had used a crowbar to get past the lock.

  “It is funny. As a child, I stood here and imagined what was behind the door. So many times I tried to look through the keyhole. My grandfather always told me that there wasn’t anything to be interested in. I guess he was right, in a way.” He shrugged and turned around to face the others.

  “I guess the draw of the forbidden unknown is something a child has a hard time ignoring.” Jennifer smiled a knowing smile. “Here I am an adult and it drove me crazy until I was able to see for myself.”

  Jason and the others nodded and Jason continued. “Of course, everything this house has represented to my family is contained behind this door. When they discovered the dead bodies in the basement, my family tried to cover it up. It’s a shameful thing – both the crimes and the cover up. I still don’t understand how anyone could cover up something like this.”

  “Well, every family has their secrets, Jason. I guess this is a little more, well… memorable than some, but it’s been decades since this happened.” Sarah tilted her head to the side trying to find the words to make Jason feel more at ease.

  “The family was disgraced for a while, then time helped everyone to forget. You’re right, Sarah. Decades help. I know I won’t ever forget, but it’s easier for me than my grandfather and those before him. I came here in the summers, playing in the oak tree and hiding in the rooms upstairs. I loved this place.” Jason was quiet for a moment, the memories reflected in his eyes. Sarah reached over and touched his shoulder and he smiled.

  “Shall we?” Jennifer gestured toward the door. Jason led the way and the four of them descended the stairs into the dark basement.

  “Stone, stone, stone,” said Jason. “It is so empty, but so full at the same time. I can imagine him down here, Richard, conducting his experiments. Going crazy slowly, I mean, he must have been crazy to start with, but his descent into madness must really have been frightening.”